Work Text:
The sea is what seems to lull some people to sleep. For Jimin, however, it’s what keeps him awake at night. It’s not like he lives close by, not even close. He lives more towards the heart of the town. It’s his best friend who lived right next to rocking waves, in the rundown bachelor condos. They’d spend every waking moment down by the beach. Collecting seashells, sunbathing, you name it.
Tonight is just as sleepless as it’s been all year. Jimin usually wakes up screaming, grabbing his bed sheets tightly, just like he should have held onto his hand.
Jimin’s grip on the sheets loosens, and he falls back onto his bed, sleep scared away by his terrors. He knows the drowsiness won’t come back until the sun is blaring heat, and as an alternative, he feels for his phone on the nightstand.
There are countless text messages from the group chat, meaningless messages from the youngest of the gang, and goodnight texts from Seokjin. Jimin smiles at their antics and sees that the most recent message had been sent at 1:08 am. Just two minutes ago. Jimin raises an eyebrow and sees that Jungkook is going on some existential rant.
Kookie
What if our reality isn’t the main reality?
Read 1:11 am
Kookie
What if we think our reality is the main one because we think of it? It’s the same as being the main character in your life. It’s all about perspective. Therefore, we have no real way of knowing if we’re just some alternate universe or the default one. You know?
Read 1:13 am
Sugar
What is it about you being awake at ungodly hours that makes you into a genius?
Read 1:15 am
Kookie
It’s all about being alone and questioning it. Then it just spirals from there.
Read 1:16 am
Jimin giggles softly at the duo before he types out a reply of his own.
Chim Chim
What are you two doing up?
Read 1:16 am
Kookie
Eek! We woke him up!
Read 1:16 am
Chim Chim
I was already awake
Read 1:17 am
Sugar
Another nightmare?
Read 1:17 am
Chim Chim
Yeah
Read 1:18 am
Kookie
Want me to come over and hug you?
Read 1:19 am
Sugar
You don’t have a car. Or a license. You don’t even know how to drive!
Read 1:21 am
Kookie
I will bike my way to your house.
Read 1:22 am
Chim Chim
On what? Your tricycle?
Read 1:22 am
Kookie
I will have you know I got rid of it last year. After rummaging through the basement to find the honky thing.
Read 1:23 am
Sugar
The horn?
Read 1:23 am
Kookie
Yeah.
Read 1:23 am
Jimin sighs as he sits up in his bed, looking down at the bright screen and squinting, bleary-eyed. His stomach starts to hurt, a sharp jabbing pain to his side, and he groans, curling up. The pain passes just before it becomes too unbearable and Jimin begins taking deep breaths. Then, he freezes, feeling a stare on his back. He quickly turns around only to be met with his window, curtains drawn. Jimin, being the curious fellow he is, stands from his safe blanket fort and makes his way to the window, sitting in the rocking chair he used to fall asleep in, listening to Taehyung singing through the phone just to lull him.
Tae…
Jimin shakes his head and opts for staring down at the empty streets. It’s hard to believe it’s only been a year. To Jimin, it seemed like just yesterday he was hearing Taehyung’s brilliant laugh, his soothing voice, his everything. Jimin misses that, misses him . His phone buzzes in his lap but he pays no mind, not when he’s deep in a melancholic episode.
No matter how much his friends told him that what had happened wasn’t his fault, their words can’t seem to get through to him.
The sound of his ringtone seems to snap him out of his trance and he looks down at the phone in his lap, flashing Jungkook’s contact on the screen. His parents aren’t home, Jimin reminds himself, and that thought is what partially makes him accept the call.
“Hello…”
“I will bike those three and a half miles if I have to,” Jungkook says, and Jimin can practically picture the younger’s face. “I’m not joking. I will.”
“I appreciate it, but you don’t have to,” Jimin whispers, bringing his knees to his chest.
There’s silence on the other side, an uncomfortable one that makes Jimin’s anxiety spike, before Jungkook calmly says, “Alright.” He hears the younger sigh.
“I’m alright,” Jimin says with a pained smile and he knows that if Jungkook, or anyone for the matter, was in there, they’d know he was lying.
It turns out Jungkook doesn’t even need to see his face to see through the facade. “No, you’re not.”
Jimin’s smiles falls. “Yeah.”
“Liar.”
“I know, Jungkookie.”
They’re silent for a while, the only noise being the boys’ breathing.
In that amount of time, Jimin’s had the opportunity to revisit memories he’s had no intention of burying.
“Are you sure it’s safe?”
Sixteen-year-old Jimin had looked up from his sand castle, confused.
“Of course it is, it’s just cloudy, the forecast said it wouldn’t rain,” he’d told Taehyung. “Definitely shouldn’t be worrying about. Besides, it’s Chicken, you can just give up if you get scared,” he winked, and Taehyung had become a flustered mess.
Summer meant the sun would set late, which meant more time to be at the beach with Taehyung. That day, they’d practically spent the whole afternoon lounging in their special spot, a small cove anyone hardly knew about.
Jimin should have noticed something was wrong right away. But he was just a naive kid, unaware of the troubles his actions could cause.
“Jimin.”
“Jimin!”
The boy snaps from his trance and startles, almost dropping his phone.
“What happened? I was calling your name for almost a whole minute!”
Funny. Taehyung hadn’t been granted the privilege of one more minute.
“I need to go,” Jimin states, standing up abruptly and slipping on his bunny slippers.
“I understand, you need sleep-”
“I’m not sleeping.”
It takes only three seconds- just like Taehyung- for Jungkook to realize what he means.
“Are you crazy?” Jungkook almost yells, the hysteria notable in his voice. “It’s almost two in the morning! You’ll freeze!”
And just for the heck of it, Jimin grabs a coat from his closet. “I won’t,” he assures him.
“You cannot go there- you don’t even have a car!”
“I’ll walk.”
“It’s far away!”
“I’ll manage.”
“Jimin! Jimin!”
His name haunts him, a reminder of how useless he’d been just about a year ago, and how not much had changed.
“Jimin, don’t you dare go down to the beach-”
“I need to know it’s not my fault, I need to know I didn’t do it.”
“You didn’t! That’s what we’ve been telling you!”
“Jimin!”
“Jimin!”
“Tae…”
“J-Jimin, he’s gone,” Jungkook reminds him, close to sobbing.
“I know…” he whispers, standing in the foyer.
“Go back to bed.”
“I can’t-”
“I’m on my way. I don’t care if I have to bike, getting mugged is worth it if it means I can help you get over this,” Jungkook assures him. “Sit tight.”
Jungkook ends the call, and once again, Jimin is left alone.
Now, more than ever, missing his best friend.
Taehyung.