When I die, will you come at my funeral?

Imagine receiving that email from an old friend, a good friend nevertheless. No, erase that. Imagine receiving that from your brother from another set of parents who you have not seen for years, who you have not heard anything of.

Imagine the horror, right?

That’s what Yoongi felt when he opens his email and reads the message.

He can literally feel his knees weakening as he holds the table for support. He supposes it can be a joke, or worst, a prank and he shouldn’t take this seriously but how can he not take this seriously if it’s about Jimin? He can’t not take this seriously. He is torn between calling Jimin’s parents or dashing out of his house to the train station to go straight where he knows Jimin is staying.

He does neither, though.

Because, does he have the right? He is Jimin’s friend, yes. He is Jimin’s protector. He can practically catch a bullet if it’s for Jimin but he doesn’t know if he has the right. You see, feelings may be unrequited but there will always be that tingling question at the back of your head, do you have the right?

That’s what Yoongi is asking as he clicks ‘reply’.

To: Park Jimin

From: Min Yoongi

Of course, you idiot!

What kind of question is that?

What’s going on? Are you okay?

If Yoongi claims that he is Jimin’s protector, Seokjin will have to argue. He is Jimin’s oldest friend, both a childhood friend and an older brother who has the prettiest face in the world Jimin likes to boast about when they were younger, as if the face is his own. Until Seokjin graduates three years ahead of Jimin in high school and decides to move to Seoul, he has been there for Jimin.

So his wrinkles show and his eyebrows furrow when he receives the email.

He does what Yoongi thinks of. He calls Jimin’s parents, which of course, didn’t answer his call. Instead, Seokjin hears the familiar voice of his young friend on their answering machine.

Hello, this is the Park residence. No one can answer you right now but please, do call back.

It brings quiet nostalgia of biking together around the neighborhood and punching few kids his age who keeps on picking on Jimin when they were in middle school. It brings back sandwiches from Jimin’s family’s refrigerator and caramel cakes from his own.

Seokjin clicks ‘reply’.

To: Park Jimin

From: Kim Seokjin

Hey! What’s going on? Call me.

Call me! Do you understand?

Call me Park Jimin!

And yes, of course. I will come.

Namjoon is absentmindedly clicking on his phone, willing time to fasten its pace as he rides the train towards Times Square. He doesn’t know what rush hour he likes better, the one in Seoul or there in New York. But he does know he misses his old buddies back there when he receives Jimin’s email.

‘This kid,’ he mutters.

They did dance school together. Although they are not the closest, he can honestly say that Jimin is one of the few who he misses the most when he decides to continue his studies in America.

If Namjoon is to describe the kid, Jimin is like a ball, just bouncing and bouncing and bouncing and bouncing and bouncing… He is tireless, limitless. He can jump from the lowest point and he will jump high. He is a ball of energy and a source of happiness.

Remembering the times spent together, he just has to smile as he clicks ‘reply’.

To: Park Jimin

From: Kim Namjoon

Of course! What’s going on?

I really miss you, kid.

Let’s meet when I come to Seoul.

See you, Park Jimin!

If time is really possible for someone to stop, then it did for Hoseok when he opens his email on his phone on his way home, while walking the street and almost bumping from one person to another, and sees Jimin’s email.

‘The !’

His exclaim isn’t really subtle and people around him suspiciously glances at him as he pretends to trip on his own foot and rubs his ankle. He immediately runs to a nearby alley and stares at Jimin’s message. He is silently cursing on his mind because that is not a good joke.

How long has he seen him anyway? Five years? Ten years?

Hoseok doesn’t remember.

But he does remember Jimin’s laugh, or crinkling eyes whenever he sees something embarrassing, or Jimin’s cry when Hoseok tells him he didn’t pass a subject (which he did, by the way), or Jimin’s hand on his shoulder when he failed a subject for real and he didn’t know what to tell his parents.

He figures Jimin should probably look the same. Tiny man with muscles and no eyes.

It’s funny how at some point, you can’t remember the face but you remember the heart.

Hoseok clicks ‘reply’. Just as immediately as his time stops, it begins again after he hits ‘send’.

To: Park Jimin

From: Jung Hoseok

Where are you, dude?

I’ve been looking for you since forever!

Let’s hang out.

Oh, yeah. I’ll come to your funeral.

Taehyung is Jimin’s best friend.

Of course, he already knows that Hoseok will refute the idea because he is Jimin’s best friend but Taehyung believes that he and Jimin have a silent agreement that they’re best friends. After all, who let Jimin stay in their basement without his parents’ approval for four months because Jimin ran out of money and he can’t tell his parents about it? Who told Jimin that his girlfriend was cheating on him with two guys simultaneously and drank with him for two days straight?

He can talk about all they did but he can only say one thing, he is undeniably Jimin’s best friend.

So if there’s a contest on who’s the most shocked after receiving Jimin’s email, Taehyung will probably win.

He does everything to reach Jimin two seconds after reading the message. He tries calling Jimin, Jimin’s parents, Jimin’s younger sister and even the old lady across Jimin’s house he befriended but sadly, no one seems to answer.

He tries calling Hoseok, but Hoseok answers with, ‘Jimin’s probably just bored, Taehyung.’

He tries calling Seokjin, but Seokjin is busy and he is answered with yet another answering machine.

Finally, Taehyung gives up and decides to check Jimin’s place the next day since it’s already past twelve in the evening when he read the email.

He can’t go to sleep without answering, though.

To: Park Jimin

From: Kim Taehyung

Jiminnie. What’s the matter?

Are you okay?

I tried calling but you are not answering.

Your mom and dad and sister aren’t also answering.

And also the old lady across your house.

I called Hoseok and he said you’re probably okay.

Are you okay?

Are you okay?

Are you okay?

I will come by your house tomorrow.

See you Jiminnie!

It’s been a while.

And your funeral, I don’t want to talk about it now but if you’re asking,

Of course I’ll come.

I’m your best friend!

Imagine receiving that email from someone you care about deeply and yet haven’t given the chance to show how important that someone is to you. Or better yet, imagine receiving that email from someone you cherish, someone you truly treasure and has a place in your heart no one else can claim.

Imagine receiving that email from someone you love.

Quite frightening, right?

The thing is, no matter how futile it can be, or completely useless or unworthy of effort because it might not be requited at all, we should show our love for those we love while they’re still alive. Because no matter how much we want to show it after they’re gone, we can’t anymore.

That’s sad, right?

Jungkook rereads the email over and over again all night and his mind explodes every time he thinks of the possibility that he may never see Jimin again, he may never tell him how he feels, or he may never be with him again.

It’s morning already and he didn’t noticed he feel asleep with his laptop on his lap and Jimin’s email opened.

There is another email.

‘Did they reply?’

‘Min Yoongi. Kim Seokjin. Kim Namjoon. Jung Hoseok. Kim Taehyung replied.’

‘He didn’t, huh?’

‘No, Jimin! Don’t fall asleep! Jimin! Jimin!’

What: Park Jimin’s funeral

When: December 9, 2040

Where: 1013-95 Eulji-ro, Jong-gu, Seoul 100-070, South Korea

Fin

1,400+ words.

My inspiration for this fic is the first line above and…

I watched BTS’ Weekly Idol again and I know, my God I know, they all love Jimin even though they don’t show it as much as they do with other members, but I kind of feel sorry for Jimin. >.< Seriously. Even though I’m laughing and laughing while watching the variety, I can’t help but feel sorry for Jimin. Thus, the fic. T^T

I want Jiminnie to be loved because I think he really deserves it.