The serenity of the street engulfed the two boys in a comfortable silence. The path were lit by measly street lamps that were already flickering but no one bothered about it. The usual path home from the bus stop was unusually quiet that evening but the boys could not care less. Walking side by side, Jimin sneaked glances at TaeHyung, wondering if he should ask TaeHyung about before.

Instead, he swallowed his curiosity and focused on heading home for now when TaeHyung slung his arm over Jimin’s shoulders. “You look like you have something to say.” TaeHyung prompted in a cheery voice, trying to sound alright. Jimin shook his head.

“Well, then I guess you must think I am so handsome that you can’t help but keep looking at me.” TaeHyung teased noticing his friend’s glum expression since before.

Jimin let out a small smile as he contemplated. He knew that once he asked TaeHyung he was not going to be pleased with the answer. But he, too, felt like he couldn’t be selfish.

“TaeHyung, do you like HaYeon?”

TaeHyung’s heart skipped a beat. He should have seen this coming but it was still flustering. His hands were about to fall when he gripped on Jimin’s shoulder tighter to prevent it. “Yah! I believe you’ve asked me this before? Park Jimin, if you like her just… woo her. I don’t-“

“You like her.” Jimin interrupted in a serious tone. His expression darker than ever as he tried to hide his look of hurt from TaeHyung.

“Yah… You are not me how can you say that so confidently? I told you before.” TaeHyung tried to reassure, although he wasn’t even sure if he was even convincing enough for himself for a start let alone Jimin.

“TaeHyung, I’ve known you for 12 years. The longest I’ve actually known anyone as a matter of fact. I know you. The way you look at her is the way Jin Hyung looks at food.” Jimin replied, trying to sound like it was not bothering him too much by cracking a joke.

TaeHyung smiled at his friend’s effort but nonetheless tried to keep his stance. But Jimin would not budge either. Taking in a deep breath, he stopped in his steps, causing TaeHyung to almost trip from the abrupt halt. “I saw you just now. I know you saw me hugging HaYeon…” Jimin confessed.

All the way back he resisted asking TaeHyung about it because he did not want to know explicitly that TaeHyung liked her. That his best friend liked the same girl as he did too. But everything about the look in TaeHyung’s eyes killed him. He knew it was wrong for him to feel like that, and that they both should have a fair chance at liking HaYeon if it were true. But after the incident before, Jimin knew that right from the start, TaeHyung and himself did not begin from the same starting point. Because HaYeon’s heart was already set.

“And I know you were hurt.” Jimin concluded.

TaeHyung did not mention a word. Instead, he removed his hand from Jimin’s shoulder and continued down the path closer to home.

Noticing this Jimin prompted again, “I know you like her.”

This time, TaeHyung knew he was dead serious. He let out a sigh as he turned back to look at Jimin again, “So what if I do? She doesn’t think anything special of me. And plus, she was willing to let her hug you just now.”

This time Jimin smiled. He knew TaeHyung was this close to confessing that he liked her too. As much as it hurt him, he continued. “Yah!! She let you hug her too, didn’t she?”

TaeHyung’s eyes grew, “What are you talking ab-“

“That day, outside of the school.”

“How did you…”, TaeHyung thought for a moment. “But you went to get drinks.”

Jimin let out a small laugh and teased. “Remember that technique you used before? Pretending like you just came from somewhere and didn’t know what was going on? Yeah I used it before you did.”

Taehyung could not hide the blush that had formed on his cheeks. He hated cheesy things like these, even more so when his best friend saw everything. But undeniably, guilt built up as he felt immensely sorry towards Jimin, for not telling him about that incident. “B-But she let you hug her too. It doesn’t say anything. She just needed the comfort.”

Jimin took a deep breath. He knew it was the end the moment he said it but he did not want to deprive his friend of something that he should know.

“I really like HaYeon. From the first day, I felt like she was something special. She made me feel how no one else could make me feel before. So I selfishly told you that I like her, and tried to show her that I like her too. But I see the way she looks at you. Since the first day I met her I knew that it wasn’t me and would never be me that she looked at. Every time we were together she was looking at you. Everything you say she listens to you. And look, even the outing today, if you hadn’t agreed to come she wouldn’t have had either. Even though I was standing with her and ordering food together, she did not even notice I had dark chocolate ice cream, instead, she noticed how bothered you look the whole day.”

He took a deep breath, prepared to face the rest, and spoke again. “And plus, she didn’t know it was me when I hugged her earlier on. She thought I was you. She called out your name when she was afraid. Not mine.”

And that was it. He could feel his heart crumbling from his unrequited first love. Nonethele