Three hours. Jimin’s been in the practice room for three hours. Beads of sweat tumble down his chest. The music beating to the sound of his heart. His body aches for a break but he ignores the desire. No matter what, he has to dance. The heavy feeling in his heart disappears only when he releases his feelings through the rhythmic motions of his body following the music. He pauses, and stares directly into the mirror. The heavy feeling returns, and he cries out in anguish. The memories resurface in his mind, and it only causes him to scream even more.

Jimin hasn’t seen Jungkook in six weeks. Avoiding each other was mutual. When it came to group outings, either Jimin goes or Jungkook goes. Who does go is determined by who is the quickest to reject.

Eyeing the figure in the mirror, Jimin does not see the man who had been recovering, but a man who is slowly falling back into the dark. Over a heartache.

Seeing the drawing in Jungkook’s room made Jimin feel as if his heart was about to burst into flames. Seeing Jungkook’s artwork made Jimin realize something: He strangely desired to kiss Jungkook as well. Not just kiss him but hug him and call him his own. But Jungkook is intelligent. Jungkook is handsome. Jungkook has a bright future ahead of me as a cardiologist. Jimin is just a one legged man who is clinging onto a dream that many - including Jungkook’s parents - have mocked.

Although Jungkook’s parents found it admirable that Jimin wants to start a business, they laughed when they heard it would be a dance academy. Jungkook apologized to Jimin on his parents’ behalf, but Jimin told him it was unnecessary.

Jungkook should not apologize for his parents’ words.

“Jimin-” the boy turns to look at his umma holding a batch of muffins, smiling “-do you want a muffin?”

Jimin moves his head, side to side. Food cannot quench his sorrow.

His family home looks like modern house on the house, although, the inside is entirely different. Tita Park decorated the place like a little cottage. Vintage vases. Classic paintings. Brown leatherette sofa. Owl clocks. It’s cozy, comfortable. A nice escape from Jimin’s life.

After Taehyung begged and shed ugly tears, Jimin agreed to go home and take a rest. Something about Jimin was overdoing it. Danced and practiced too hard and too much. And it frightened the shizz out of Taehyung. As well as Jimin’s parents.

His father, sipping his cup of coffee, reading the newspaper, accepts a muffin from his wife.

Jimin watches his father compliment his mother’s baking, put the newspaper down, stand up, and kiss her nose. Jimin yearns for such a future where he will get the opportunity to kiss his love one on the nose. His father sits back down and notices his son’s staring. Surprised that he got caught, Jimin returns to the sketch inside his notepad. The one given to him by the college counselor. Without knowing, he’s grown attached to the notepad. Filling it with images of his life. There’s one rough sketch of a butterfly sitting on top of Taehyung’s hair. Another features Seokjin cooking. And another with Namjoon, Hoseok, Yoongi, and …. Jungkook working on a new song. Honestly, Jimin doesn’t consider himself a great artist. Decent at best, but it’s nothing compared to Jungkook.

Without knowing, Jimin’s been redrawing the image from his mind. A copy of what he saw that caused a frenzy within his hormones.

And he wonders, silently wondering, how Jungkook is doing.

Tapping on the hard covered books with pencils, Jungkook pictures himself as a drummer for a famous rock band during on their shows. Twirling a pencil in his fingers. Banging his head. It’s a nice escape from the reality of his rejection.

He hasn’t seen Jimin since the rejection, and he plans to keep it that way until his heart can learn to erase the pain.

Surrounding him are his hyungs. They’re in their favorite cafe called “Got Love.” Owned by Jackson’s family.

“It’s nice knowing someone whose family owns a business,” jokes Namjoon.

“It’ll be even nicer once Taehyung becomes a full fledge nurse, though.” Yoongi nudges the nursing student.” Just imagine. If we get injured, we could get treated like VIP’s through our connection with him.”

“As if I would admit to knowing you,” retorts Taehyung, sipping his coffee.

Their conservation is frivolous. Sprouting out randomness, nothing important, to compensate for the absence of one individual. As they had for weeks.

Everyone was real careful not to mention his name, and vice versa. The names became somewhat like a plague.

But in the depths of Jungkook’s heart, he wonders how Jimin is doing.

Dinner that night was delicious. Jimin sent pictures of his lobster dinner - before he devoured it - to Taehyung. During dinner, Taehyung sents an image of himself. Two long strips of blue construction paper are taped underneath each eye of his eyes, as if they were streams of tears running down his face. His parents, cooing at the image, demanded that Jimin send it to them via email. Once dinner ended, Tita Park worked on printing the picture out, so she could display it on the family table.

TEXT MESSAGES

Jimin: Ya! Kim Taehyung! Stop impressing my parents. You’re gonna replace me as their son. (ಠ_ಠ)

Taehyung: I’m sorry that you aren’t as cute as me. (ᵔᴥᵔ)

Taehyung: BTW, when are you coming home? I actually miss yo . o(╥﹏╥)o

Jimin: I’m coming home on Saturday…

Taehyung: Gah! It’s only Wednesday. Halfway there.

Taehyung: Come home soon…

Taehyung: There’s no food at home...

Taehyung: Well ….

Taehyung: There is food. But you know that I don’t cook.

Taehyung: I’ve been going to Seokjin and Namjoon’s shared apartment for food.

Taehyung: And I met Namjoon’s girlfriend!

Taehyung: She’s pretty.

Taehyung: Her name is Minjung. Jung Minjung.

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