C H A P T E R

TWENTY-SIX:

"You're right Jimin. I do have feelings for someone," Taehyung suddenly snaps, his brooding eyes never leaving Jimin's now shocked ones. "W–what?" Jimin stutters. Jungkook continues to look back and forth between the two. Until he finally meets Wendy's eyes. She's practically begging Jungkook to get up and leave. And he almost does that. But something forces him to stay put. Like he needed to stay and hear the rest of Jimin and Taehyung's conversation. And that made the rest of the group stay. Because the most of them was worried for Jungkook.

He was was already hurt from the morning, and staying here was only going to make things worse.

Jungkook knew that. Of course he knew it. But that didn't stop his rapid heart telling him that he needs to hear what Taehyung has to say.

"Yes Jimin. Let's get everything out there. I am head over heels for," Taehyung pauses.

Every second now felt like hours, and even though they were out in the cold, Jungkook felt as if the air around him was suffocating, tight and hot. Like he couldn't breath. At all. Jungkook's eyes shift over to Taehyung's. And they lock. Just a for a moment. It's like the whole world freezes in its place, only making time for Jungkook and Taehyung.

Taehyung's eyes are hard to read, but Jungkook's eyes are reaching out to Taehyung. Pleading him to keep quiet. Jungkook didn't need another shattered heart. He didn't need to lose his hope. And he didn't need to lose his dignity. Although, at the moment, those three things were hanging onto Jungkook very loosely. Jungkook can't tell what's running through Taehyung's mind, but he hopes that Taehyung is kind enough to see that Jungkook's hurting on the inside.

But Taehyung ignores that. He ignores it, in order to protect his own feelings. Like always, he pushes Jungkook away. But this time Jungkook understood everything. He understood that he was longer Taehyung's friend. He was just something there that was on the side for the time being.

And that hurt like a bitch.

Taehyung said that he'd be a shoulder to lean on. Taehyung had helped him when he was in trouble. But now all of that seemed meaningless.

Jungkook had finally hit a new low in his life, and that was all because Taehyung had decided to enter his life again.

Or maybe it was his fault? Maybe Jungkook shouldn't have let Taehyung in? Maybe if Jungkook had just avoided Taehyung then none of this would have happened.

Jimin smirks slightly, "so you really have the guts to spill the truth, right here. Right now? I don't think so Taehyung. You're my best friend but you've always been a little bit of a pussy." Yoongi grabs onto Jimin's hand, trying to yank his boyfriend away, but instead Jimin flinches, moving away, "I mean, you've never admitted to one thing. You always bullied people. After this week Taehyung we're all going back. And you're going to realise that you fucked up. So what are you going to do?"

By now, it seemed a lot like Jimin was trying to convince Taehyung of something that the taller boy didn't want to admit too. Namjoon slowly takes his leave, Jin following after him. The rest stay, either for Jungkook or for Taehyung.

"Don't meddle in things that you know nothing about," Taehyung says lowly. To which Jimin chuckles sarcastically, "funny thing, I don't need to know everything, I know enough," Jimin said, staring at Taehyung with a pointed look.

The only reason why Jimin was doing this was because he was sick of Taehyung being a pussy, and he was sick of Jungkook always looking sad when he was near Taehyung. For whatever reason. But this time Jimin knew why he was sad. And even though Jimin didn't have that much of a right to do so, he decided that he would take matters into his own hands, and somehow make the two talk to each other. The two have been struggling for so long and they hadn't even had the talk yet, that was absolutely atrocious.

Finally, Jungkook spoke up. Taehyung's eyes snapping to the younger. The amount of anger and spite that they held made Jungkook almost flinch back and silence himself, but he stood his ground, "maybe we should all leave?" Jungkook says, no longer feeling happy. Wendy nods, standing up along with Hoseok. And leaves, giving Jungkook a “make sure you come with us,” and Jungkook nods in reply. Jimin waits until Wendy and Hoseok disappear into the building. And that's when Jungkook stands up, ready to get out of the tub.

But Jimin grasps onto his hand, tugging him down. Jungkook slips and almost falls. Gasping Taehyung quickly reaches out, wrapping his hands around the smaller boy tightly, holding him close. Jungkook gasps when he feels his body pressed against Taehyung's, and he almost melts into the older's touch. Almost. Immediately, he snaps out of it and pushes himself back. Jungkook glares at Jimin who tugged him down, and Jimin shrugs in return with a little smile.

Taehyung's heart was beating rapidly against his chest. He didn't know why he did that, it was just an instinct to make sure that Jungkook was alright. And he didn't know what hurt more, the fact that he hit his heel against the tub, or the fact that Jungkook flinched away from him like he was a burning, hot and dangerous fire.

"Jungkook, just wait here for me and Yoongi please. Yoongi's definitely mad at me so I don't want it to be awkward," Jimin whispers to Jungkook, who begrudgingly nods. Jimin then turns to Taehyung. "So tell me," Jimin says.

"Tell you what?" Taehyung snaps back.

"Tell me who your crush is, if it isn't such a big deal, then why don't you reveal it."

Jungkook was beginning to think that Jimin and Taehyung had never left primary school. And that they were just little kids in two teenager's body. Like, how immature was this?

Taehyung pauses, looking from Jimin to Jungkook. He didn't know why he said it. He didn't know why, especially when the answer was standing right in front of him, eyes glazed with an indescribable sheen. He didn't know why he lied.

"Joy."

And cue Jungkook's exit.

Eyes wide, Jungkook stands up without a question. Everything was falling into place now. Finally Jungkook realised that Taehyung had feelings for someone, just not him. And that...that really hurt more than getting rammed into by a car.

Words couldn't be able to explain the feeling in Jungkook's heart. Once again, he was pushed away by Taehyung. And just like that, he was back, back to the low he had found ten years. And just like that, he found himself crying on the floor in the changing rooms.

Back against the cold lockers, body scrunched up into a little ball, trying to be shielded away from the rest of the world. Jungkook sobs, small body shaking and quivering with the utmost sadness. Jungkook sniffs, eyes blurry. His throat closing up. Why. Why did he have to fall for Taehyung. Why did he have to be in love with the boy so hard that it hurt physically to think about?

Meanwhile, outside, Jimin and Taehyung. Yoongi had left, knowing that the two best friends would sort out their issues sooner or later.

Jimin glares at Taehyung, "Joy? Really Taehyung?" Taehyung shrugs, his eyes cold and expressionless. It was like he was also back to square one. "It was true. I like Joy."

Jimin's ears perk up, "was? You said was. That means it's no longer true."

Once more, Taehyung shrugs. It was true. He had feelings for Joy, but never got round to it...but that feeling had left as soon as Jungkook was fatefully paired up with Taehyung to be roommates. When Taehyung thought about, the minute he had laid eyes on Jungkook, properly, any feelings for anybody else started to fade away like a distant memory.

The first time he had looked at Jungkook was when he came into the hall looking for his friend Kyungsoo. It was then that Taehyung had realized how much Jungkook had grown. Grown into his own body, his own soul, and his own personality. And once more, Taehyung had thrown all of that away to protect his own feelings.

And in that moment, Jimin glaring at him, cold air whispering against his damp skin, thoughts hitting a pause, Taehyung overcomes this feeling, this block, in his mind. He don't know what controls him, but gets up, leaving Jimin all alone.

"I–i have to go," he mumbles, running into the building.

His body freezes when he sees the door of the changing rooms, he walks closer to it, pressing his ear against the cold door, hearing muffled sobs and deep breaths.

He had spent so much time trying to protect his own feelings that he was only harming Jungkook's in the process. And seeing that, it made Taehyung regret everything. Right up to the moment, ten years ago, when he locked Jungkook out of his life, for what seemingly felt like forever.

But now, Taehyung wanted Jungkook to climb into his thoughts, to pick at all of his memories like a predator to its prey.

But why did it have to take one lie to make Taehyung realise that he needed Jungkook in so many different ways than just as a friend?

Taehyung didn't have answer. All he knew is that he broke Jungkook once more, and this time he wouldn't wait ten god forsaken years to admit that he was wrong, and that he was too much of a pussy to do something about it. And that the only reason he pushed Jungkook away was because he was a petty little jealous child.

It was time, wasn't it?

It was time for Taehyung to open up to Jungkook, spread out for Jungkook to collect, or for Jungkook to reject? It didn't matter. For all those times that Jungkook smiled, cried and leaned on Taehyung, it was up to him to prove his own feelings. Because Jungkook, Jungkook meant everything to Taehyung. And if he had to risk his heart in the process to get him, he would do so.

But why, why did he have to lie?

Why did he have to convince Jungkook that he didn't have feelings for him?

Why couldn't Taehyung just admit to his own feelings?

Taehyung moves away from the door, hand placed on the door handle, and suddenly, time stops. And he's back to the place he was ten years ago.

He had thrown Jungkook out of his room.

Taehyung was panting, anger and jealousy pooling in his young heart. It wasn't fair. Best friends were supposed to be the same. It wasn't fair that Jungkook still had his dad. It wasn't fair that Jungkook waltzed in all happy thinking that Taehyung was the same when clearly, he was not.

But the minute that Taehyung had shit the door, he pressed his ear against the door. Hearing slight shuffling, he heard a little sniff. And then another. And then another. Heart racing, he moves away from the door. The only now that could be heard was his guilty beating heart against his chest.

He hesitates, and ponders for a second or two. But then that second turns into a minute, that follows onto the next minute and the minute after that.

His best friend.

Did he just do what he thinks he did? Yes. He was now finally all alone. No friends, no dad, no happy family. Just Taehyung.

Sadness fills Taehyung up like a tank being filled up with fuel. His grip on the door handle tightens, hoping that when he opens the door, his best friend would be standing on the other side, waiting for Taehyung, with a soft, but knowing smile on his face.

And when he eventually did open the door, he was met with a little silver box on the floor, and finally, after staring at it for a long while, he picks it up, and walks back into his own room, letting the door shut softly behind him.

It was too late.

But was it still too late?

------

I made an announcement saying that I wouldn't be able to update due to personal reason but here I am, posting because without writing my life is dull.

Anyways, what do you all think that Taehyung is going to do?

Is it too late to repent for his past decisions?

Also guys, meet my new friend

Treat her and her books with love and loads of respect (although I know that most of you have probably already heard of her xD)

Anyways, stream dynamite for good skin cuz we all want good skin

Also, that song is becoming the theme song for this book cuz I just CANT write a chapter without listening to it

Stay safe!!!

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