Chapter Text
Jimin first heard about Jungkook on the last first day of his high school career.
It wasn’t often that a new student would transfer to their town, much less their school. He made quite a ruckus around. Everyone was talking about the cute, awkward boy who kind of looked like a rabbit and Jimin had only just arrived at school. But in all honesty, he was a little interested. Not interested enough to go look for the guy, but enough to look forward to meeting him at the least. So, Jimin tried to ignore all of the whispers about a certain Jungkook.
He saw Taehyung already waiting for him on a chair in front of his desk in his homeroom class. He saw his other classmates talking about summer jobs, vacations, shows, (Jungkook) and other domestic things that happened during the summer. Jimin didn’t bother to greet any of them. He wasn’t close or friends with any of them anyways. As long as Taehyung was there, he’d be alright.
Upon closer inspection, the younger had been dozing off on his arm until Jimin slid his chair out, creating a loud screeching noise. Taehyung jolted up and blinked his eyes a few times. His friend watched him with amusement and chuckled lightheartedly as he tried to wipe the drying drool off of his cheek.
“Morning.” Jimin said with a small smile.
“Too early.” Taehyung went back to his previous position to continue to sleep again. Jimin pushed the arm he was leaning on away and ended up hitting his head onto the desk. The younger mumbled a few curses and glared at his friend.
“Too early for morning?” Jimin asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Whatever," Taehyung groaned while rolling his eyes. He adjusted his position to sit somewhat upright.
“You left without me,” Jimin stated, pouting.
“Sorry, I didn’t want to wake you up.” Taehyung had a sheepish smile. “Did you see the new kid?
“You know about him? Even though you’re barely half awake right now?”
“Anyone with two working ears knows about him. I can’t stuff my earphones far enough into my ear to get away from it.” Taehyung proceeded to cover his ears with his palms and lay his head on the desk. “I swear I can hear someone whispering his name right now.”
“What are you even saying?” Jimin giggled. “He’s probably a nice kid, though.”
“Heard h’was.” Taehyung slurred. He stuffed his head in his arms again.
“Already? The first bell hasn’t even rung yet.”
“Prob'ly know his life story b’now.”
“Continue.” He pinched his friend to wake him up a little. That earned him another glare.
“Anyways,” Taehyung yawned, drawling out the vowels, “people say that he was an idol trainee- trainee, can you believe that? In our ditch? But anyways, he apparently came from Seoul- Seoul- sorry, I'll stop now. But he moved here because of who-knows-why. He’s a grade below us with good grades. He doesn’t do many extracurriculars or anything- apart from that whole idol-thing I guess, but people say he does sports and stuff. These are all just rumors though, so I don’t know what to trust yet.”
Jimin simply hummed in reply. It was practically a life story and he was just trying to process all of the information at once (and possibly making his own movie-like possibilities in his head, but Taehyung doesn't need to know that). In the end, Jimin decided it wasn’t any of his business.
“You know what I think?” Taehyung mumbled, burying his head in his arms. “We should all get the courage to suck it up and talk to the kid instead of making up some rumors... Maybe find a new high school in the process... maybe even a new province.”
“A better one, hopefully?”
“Only the best for us, of course,” Taehyung said smugly, pulling his head out from his arms. “One where people aren’t so boring where we can find four, maybe five, other people who know what they want in their lives rather than indulging themselves in made up stories.”
“Because we know what we want in life, right?” Jimin whispered a little solemnly.
“We want to be able to come over and play video games and read manga at each other’s houses even when we’re grandfathers.”
"And get rich." Jimin pointed out.
"And get rich."
“Let’s take Jungkook along with us,” Jimin suggested, bringing a cheeky grin on his face. “A city boy like him probably doesn’t want to stay in a car-wreck town like this.”
“I’m fine with saving as many lives as we can.” Taehyung smiled back. Then he paused. “Why do we keep talking about Jungkook?”
“We’re just following the ‘trend’, I guess.” The elder started playing with his friend’s hair. “They’ll probably stop soon, like all the other things around here. You’re hair is soft. Don’t dye it.”
“Then stop setting a bad example for me,” Taehyung said without malintent. “But I like your hair. It brings a little colour to the black and white...”
"You're so emo." Jimin giggled.
"I only learn from the best."
“Wanna go to the corner store later? I’m craving some pockeys.” Taehyung said from underneath his arms.
“We have to stop by the house later first, though.”
“Always.”
“And, I’m not buying this time.” Jimin scrunched his nose at the memory. “You already used up my first pay on doritos and soda.”
“One, it was only one pack of Doritos and two, we used it up on the medicine, if you forgot.” Jimin went quiet so Taehyung quickly added, “It’s not my fault you only work a minute a week for a wage that can barely feed an ant.” Jimin flicked Taehyung’s forehead strong enough to leave a red mark.
The bell rang.
-
The walk to the corner store was uncomfortably warm. Jimin suggested they just go stay at his house since it was cooler, but Taehyung was stubborn. Although, he was also broke.
“I have, like, a hundred won,” Taehyung whined, searching through his empty pockets. He pulled out a small coin and held it in front of Jimin accusingly.
“There’s a lot you can buy with that.” Jimin pushes the coin out of his face.
“Like what?” Taehyung cried, getting increasingly louder. “A paper clip? A sheet of paper? The dirt under our feet?”
“Sure, why not?” Jimin ignored his friend’s dismay and continued walking to the store with his shirt sticking to his back. Taehyung’s shoulders fell and sighed at his unsuccessful pleading. “Orange juice?”
“I bet Jungkook would buy me something,” Taehyung mumbled.
“Taehyung-ah, you don’t even know the guy.” Jimin tugged on Taehyung to keep walking when he saw him crouched over a rock on the ground. “And I’m sure Jungkook doesn’t want to buy a brat like you some food.” Taehyung gasped.
“You don’t know him like I do,” Taehyung dramatically cried.
“We’re here.” Jimin pointedly ignored Taehyung’s cries. The latter jogged up to his friend from his dramatic position and poked his head into the store. They walked in together and greeted the cashier who probably knew their names by now, although they never said it. They were probably just too loud.
“What can I do for you today, boys?” The old man asked.
“Free snacks?” Taehyung cheekily said. Jimin pinched his ear.
“Nothing sir, thank you for asking.” Jimin gave the old man a small smile and pulled his friend further down the small aisles. They continued to bicker and wander around the store until they were about to leave empty-handed.
“Don’t you have the luxury of allowance or something? My mom goes too easy on you.” Jimin asked his friend who, surprisingly, had nothing in his hands.
“Can you even call it an allowance? It’s lunch money and then- I showed you my hundred,” Taehyung started. “I work odd jobs too- just not, you know, a stable one like yours.”
“At least you don’t pay for your lunch.”
“Hey, what if we just steal ‘em,” Taehyung said, ignoring his friend’s statement. “Like, just zoom and bam, and then we’re good.” He looked at his friend expectedly.
“Taehyung,” Jimin hit him with his wallet, too empty to possibly be holding any cash. “No.”
“Yeah, we need masks.” Jimin just sighed in exasperation.
“Maybe Jungkook is just as stupid as you,” he said, mostly to himself, though.
“As in stupid do you mean extremely smart and handsome because I don’t know if I can agree with that.” Taehyung started to pick through some of the chips in the aisle.
“You’re right, no one is as stupid as you.” Jimin pulled Taehyung’s hand away and tried to lead him to the exit.
“Why thank you! I’d say you’re pretty stupid too, Jiminie.” Taehyung finally followed willingly, but Jimin was about to slap him. Good thing he doesn't like making a scene.
"Ow," Taehyung whined. "Why'd you slap me?" They heard the cashier laugh.
"Come on, it wasn't that hard."
"Say that to my face," as he pointed to his cheek.
"I just did."
"You know what I meant."
“Bye, kids! See you tomorrow, I hope!” The cashier said on their way out.
“Tomorrow’s pickup day so we’ll be there! Have a good day, sir!” Jimin pulled his friend. “See? How could you steal from such a nice man.”
“I bet Jungkook would’ve done it. Jungkook’s probably a badass.”
“Taehyung-ah. Are you trying to make me jealous? Is my badassery not enough for you?” Jimin played the damsel in distress.
“You don’t have a single badass bone in your body Jiminie.” Taehyung poked Jimin’s scrunched nose. “And I like it that way.”
“If you keep humiliating me, I think Jungkook’s gonna have to be my new best friend.” Jimin turned away from Taehyung for effect.
“I forbid him!” Taehyung had wrapped his arms around Jimin’s neck, possibly to hug but Jimin couldn't call it that. It was tight enough to possibly call it choking. Once he had finally let go, Jimin was red in the face but still warm in his heart. "That's my BFF title."
“Don't say BFF like it's normal,” the elder scrunched his nose further. Then he rolled his eyes saying, "you're too cute."
“Of course I’m cute. Cute people have to be friends with cute people.”
“It was sarcasm, Taehyung," but then Taehyung pouted. "That’s cute.”
“I bet Jungkook’s cute too.”
“Everyone says Jungkook’s cute.”
“Guess he’ll have to be our friend then.”
“That'll make it easier to kidnap him and bring him with us.”
The two reached Jimin’s house in sweat and changed into more comfortable clothes. They threw themselves on his couch and switched on the TV. All of the shows were old and repeated every day, but the only thing the two boys heard was the static noise. At least it filled up the silence.
“We have way too much time to kill.” Taehyung sighed.
"We do a ton of things." Jimin scrunched his face. "Maybe we just did them all too quickly... What if this place is just too boring? Maybe we’re the ones who’re boring.”
“Impossible, Jiminie,” Taehyung yawned. “You’re the greatest dancer I’ve ever seen.”
“Dancers can be boring too.” Jimin reaches for the TV remote and started flipping through the channels.
“But, you aren’t.”
“And neither are you.” The elder played with his friend's hair affectionately. “That isn’t enough, is it?”
“All too much and all too little.” The younger lied his head on Jimin’s stomach.
“It’ll be alright.” He started playing with his friend’s hands. “As long as we have each other.”
“I only have you,” Taehyung whispered, barely loud enough for Jimin to hear.
The white noise of the TV was too loud that day. They turned it off.
-
A few days later, they lazed around in the park near Jimin's house taking up too much space and basking in the summer heat. They sat down back-to-back on a large swing seat and synchronized their movements to start moving, although it took a few tries.
“I want to go to the tracks,” Taehyung whined.
“You know we can’t,” Jimin sighed, “stop saying that, it makes me want to go.”
“Then at least we should have, like, phones or something.” Taehyung was the one to interrupt the silence.
“One,” Jimin started after pondering for a few seconds. “with what money-“
“I did say ‘or something’-“
“And two,” Jimin held up two fingers over his shoulder and to poke the younger's face to stop him from continuing to interrupt him, “to do what? Text each other when we're right beside each other?”
“The angel seems a bit pessimistic today." Taehyung felt Jimin sigh and slouch behind him. "Phones have games, right? We could play those and waste time. Your mom could call us that way too.”
"We probably won't have enough signal to use them anyways."
"Do you need signal to play games?" Jimin shrugged in response. "Then let’s build a telephone pole thingy that does those things.”
“Again, with what money?”
“Why's it always about money," Taehyung whined. "I bet Jungkook’s rich.”
“Then we should ask him to build the telephone pole thingy for our poor asses.” Then, Jimin smiled, although Taehyung couldn't see it. “Then we can call all of our other poor-ass friends.”
"Tell me, where can we find these 'poor-ass friends'?” The younger scoffed, thinking about all the other closed-minded assholes who surrounded them daily.
“Exactly.”
“Take away the “friends” part and they’re just a bunch of poor asses. Add their 'wholesome' attitude and they're all poor assholes.” That caused Jimin to laugh with his body, causing the swing to swing unsteadily. Taehyung had to hold onto the swings for dear life. Fortunately, Jimin jumped off. Unfortunately, Taehyung was a nail's width away from almost tipping over.
After checking if his friend was alright, Jimin stood back to let Taehyung keep swinging.
“I mean, I wish we were rich.”
“Why?” Taehyung continued to swing. “I mean, we never had a reason before. I guess other than the phone thing. And, you know... that.”
“Yeah, that. But I don’t know...” Jimin thought for a second. “Life probably would’ve been easier in more ways than one if we were.”
“But, what if you become one of those stereotypical Hollywood, snobby brats that everyone hates.”
"Then that would suck, wouldn't it... What if Jungkook's one of those stereotypical Hollywood, snobby brats that everyone hates."
"Couldn't be," Taehyung jumped off the swing, almost falling on top of Jimin. "Everyone loves him and loves talking about him."
"Including us."
Taehyung pauses for a second. "Yeah... we need better things to do."
-
Taehyung hadn’t grown up in the best conditions, but he still grew into a fine young man. Jimin just told him, because he liked to say it, that he was a diamond in the rough.
For a large part of his life, his parents hadn’t been there for him, they weren’t in the proper condition to be there for him. That lead to Taehyung living with his grandfather.
For as long as he could remember, the old man was kind, much like their cashier friend. And he always believed that men who shaved got the farthest in life. Taehyung was a little skeptical about it at first, but then he disregarded all of his doubts because how could his grandfather ever be wrong?
His house was covered in plants that filled the air with all of Taehyung’s favourite smells and his shoes were always neatly aligned at the main entrance no matter how hard work was that day. And even at such an old age, his head had been full of hair, albeit completely white.
Inevitably, Taehyung put all his trust into his grandfather and the latter returned it with just as much fervor. And Taehyung should have expected a grumpy grouch from him, but all he got was a sweet and warm man.
So, when the old man developed Alzheimer’s- a disease the poor boy had never heard of in his whole lifetime, Taehyung stopped feeling the sweetness and warmth. He was only eight and knowing no other person who had ever cared for him- for his grandfather- even a little, Taehyung was terrified.
He didn’t want to leave his side even when he knew that the old man couldn't take care of him anymore. Taehyung didn't really care about that, if he had to he would take care of his grandfather himself. Because all he wanted was his grandfather and that became the one thing he could have anymore.
Maybe it's when Taehyung was at his lowest point, only at eight when no one had bothered looking twice at the orphaned boy, was when his saviours had come. When he met Jimin. Jimin and his sweet, sweet mother (possibly as warm as his grandfather) had hearts (and a house) big enough for all 3 of them and big enough to fill the hole in Taehyung's heart. Jimin had certainly taken after his mother because their smiles were the same and their eyes were just as big filled with so much kindness.
From then on, the two boys were attached at the hip- almost like brothers. Only almost because there was always something Taehyung couldn’t understand that kept him from calling his friend his brother.
When Taehyung cried when he couldn’t understand how his grandfather could have forgotten him so easily because he could never forget his grandfather, Jimin cried with him.
When Taehyung talked about how much of a failure he thought he was when he couldn't raise his grades, Jimin comforted him and started to help him study ever since.
And, after eight years of living together, when Taehyung’s grandfather had finally passed away without saying a word to his grandson, no one else tended to his every need, stayed by his side, and cared for him like Jimin did. But what Jimin never did was tell his only friend what was wrong.
Taehyung had to push the answer out of him whenever he noticed that something was off about his small friend. Even then, only a few words came out and only a few tears slipped. Jimin was holding back so how could Taeyhung call Jimin a brother when Jimin couldn't even do the same? Taehyung wanted to pay them back with for everything they've done for him, but how was he to do that when Jimin always refused it.
~~
"Jimin-ah?" Taehyung put his ear on the bathroom door, hoping the locked doorknob might magically unlock if he just turned it enough times. "Jimin-ah, are you okay?" He heard a few sniffles. When the elder didn't answer Taehyung started knocking lightly on the door. "Jimin-ah, really, open the door."
"Go away!" It hurt Taehyung to hear Jimin yell in such a pained voice. Taehyung hit the door loudly, causing Jimin's sniffles to stop. "Leave me alone... please..."
"Jiminie, please, I won't do anything just-"
"Leave me the fuck alone!" Taehyung flinched- Jimin rarely cursed.
"It's alright, it's going to be okay, just unlo-"
"How would you even know? Just spewing random shit like that?" Jimin cried through his tears. Taehyung felt his own body curling up. "It's m-my problem so l-leave it alone, Taehyung."
"Don't you fucking dare." On the other side of the door, it almost scared Jimin how calm Taehyung's voice was. "Not now, not again." But, Jimin didn't dare to speak up. "We're not doing this again because this is not just your problem anymore... It will never be only your problem ever again because I'll always be here, okay?"
It took a few seconds for Jimin to realise that Taehyung was crying too.
"I need you to know that, okay? If you let me in, it'll be better, right?" Taehyung was desperate, "I know... I can do this. If I can do anything, I can do this. What do you think will happen if you just let me in? Jimin-ah, erase all the possible bad scenarios in your head because I'm not going to run away. Please, let me do the one thing- the only thing I know I'll be good at." And that's all it took.
"...what..." Jimin's light, muffled chuckle startled Taehyung. "...what are you even saying? 'The only thing I know I'll be good at'? Taehyung, if only you knew."
The door unlocked.
When Taehyung saw Jimin, a mess curled around himself in the corner of the bathroom, Taehyung immediately wrapped his arms around him.
"...hah." Taehyung blinked his tears away. "I bet Jungkook doesn't cry this much."
"No... he probably doesn't... but you never know, right?"
-