Chapter Text
"Babies like you don't deserve lunch money, so give it to me and I'll put it to good use," an older boy had sneered, looming over Jimin with a smug demeanor.
"No, please,” Jimin implored, "My mom told me not to let anyone take my money anymore."
Jimin sat idly by at his regular lunch table in the lunch room while his usual bullies tried to steal his affluence. When the bullying first started, he would be ashamed to say that he used to get down on his knees and beg for his money back. In turn, it just caused them to laugh even more. Over time Jimin stopped, boiling down to simple pleas because he knew regardless of what he would do, the outcome would always be the same.
"I don't care about what your mom says," the older rebutted before he grabbed the wrinkled money from Jimin's small hands. A third boy, who Jimin just barely knew from his Advanced Literature class, made his way over.
“Hey! Leave him alone you dweebs.” The bully glanced over their shoulders at the pale interruption and met with a cold, unrelenting glower. The look was sobering enough that the bully deduced quickly that it was their time to go.
"Thanks Jimin, you always have our back," derided the bully’s friend, before they both walked away leaving Jimin once again as a sniveling, hungry mess. Jimin tried to hush his growling stomach but his attempts were futile. Too busy trying not to cry, Jimin didn't notice that the pale, raven-haired boy had sat down at his table until said boy started talking.
"You shouldn’t let them make you cry,” the ravenette said languidly. Jimin looked up so quickly, eyes filled with tears and his stomach grumbling, that it sounded like it hurt. Jimin stared owlishly back at the boy, shocked that he was being nice. The ravenette placed a carton of strawberry milk on the table in front of Jimin.
“Thank you,” Jimin murmured quietly.
“I know it isn’t food but it should help keep your stomach quiet. Plus, strawberry milk always cheers me up. I hope it does the same for you.” An onslaught of gratefulness coarsed through Jimin at the older’s kind tone.
“Seriously, hyung, thank you, thank you.” The older blushed, slightly, at Jimin’s gratitude and offered him a small gummy smile.
“No problem, kid.”
Jimin looked down at the milk in front of him and blushed; he couldn’t help the hope he got that things might start getting better. For a while, things did get better. The raven-haired hyung would sit with him at lunch; the older’s presence kept all the bullies away and kept his stomach full (every day at lunch the ravenette would bring strawberry milk, much to Jimin’s pleasure). At some point, he and Jimin even started walking to the bus together. There was never a moment when they weren’t laughing and talking. At least until the last day of school, that day was more bittersweet. It was the older’s last day of middle school and the last day he’d be in the town before leaving for his own homestead in Daegu. The day was filled with more heartfelt goodbyes between the two then of jokes or giggles. It was also the last day Jimin had ever seen his raven-haired hyung, much to his displeasure.