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avoid people who mess with your head
“Hey, hyung!” Jungkook’s voice, laced with suppressed laughter, interrupts Jimin’s thoughts.
“Hmm?”
“Are you eating that?” Jungkook asks, pointing to the untouched food on Jimin’s plate.
Jimin grins suddenly. “I’ll let you eat some of it if you do a video with me. I’ve got it worked out, it’ll be fun.”
Jungkook’s face brightens up as he nods and reaches over to scoop some food onto his own plate. “What kind of video?”
“You’ll see.”
“Well if it has me and my favourite hyung in it, I’m sure it’ll be great!”
Jimin’s mouth falls open at Jungkook’s ridiculously happy tone. “Since when have I been your favourite?”
Jungkook looks down, a faint smear of pink working its way from his cheeks out to his ears.
“You’re always really nice to me and you look after me. Why wouldn’t you be?”
Jimin’s eyebrows jump up. “Wow.” Knowing Jungkook, that must’ve been hard to get out. “Thanks,” he says softly, looking Jungkook in the eye. If he doesn’t express his gratitude, Jungkook will probably never admit anything like this again. “I mean it. That means a lot to me.”
Jungkook smiles shyly in response, before he bursts out into loud laughter. “You’re so soppy! I was kidding, you’ve only been my favourite since you gave me your food a minute ago. Don’t worry, it won’t last,” he says as he shovels his last mouthful down.
Jimin throws a used tissue at him. “Brat.”
Jungook snorts as he gets up to leave. “Didn’t know I meant so much to you.”
Jimin scowls, reaching for some cold water to dim his face’s heat of humiliation.
“Oh, and by the way,” Jungkook adds, looking back over his shoulder, “I know we already recorded last week, but I tried that song cover with Taehyung, too, and Namjoon hyung prefers that one.”
avoid people who intentionally and repeatedly do and say things that they know upset you
“So, golden maknae!” exclaims the radio presenter, “how would you rate your members in terms of looks?”
Jimin would roll his eyes if they weren’t on broadcast, because how many times has Jungkook been asked that question since debut? And how many times has he answered that question in the same predictable way?
He can sense Jungkook smirk from two seats down. He already knows where Jungkook will place him, so he isn’t surprised when it comes down to the choice between him and Seokjin, isn’t surprised when Jungkook teasingly raises Jimin’s hand slightly before announcing Seokjin hyung as being in first place, isn’t surprised when Jungkook shrugs and flashes him a dazzling smile in apology.
What does surprise him is that despite knowing what Jungkook would decide, Jimin can’t ignore the hurt that follows after his feigned laughter. Jungkook, of all the members, knows how long Jimin spends in front of the dance practice room mirrors after everyone else has left, scrutinising his reflection and adding to the long list of things he doesn’t like about his appearance every day.
Jungkook knows how sensitive and insecure Jimin is under the bright eye smiles and confident stage presence, so Jimin can’t deny the disappointment he feels when Jungkook throws his insecurities into his 7th-place face like that. Again.
avoid people who expect you to prioritise them but refuse to prioritise you
“Jimin! Jimin hyung!”
Jimin sighs and turns around to face an impatient and confused Jungkook.
“Yeah?”
Jungkook pauses for a moment before continuing, scanning Jimin’s face for the usual grin reserved just for him, and frowns, unable to find it. “Why did you do the video with Hoseok hyung instead of with me?” he asks slowly. “You said it’d be better if it was just us two. You said it yourself that it-”
“Oh, I thought you had vocal practice?” Jimin says in a way that makes it clear he knows Jungkook was free. “And Hoseok hyung really wanted to do it, so I didn’t want to let him down.”
“But you don’t mind letting me down?” Jungkook shoots back.
Jimin almost laughs at the hypocrisy. “Wow, that must be a new concept. Don’t you like it?”
When Jungkook fails to respond, Jimin continues.
“Must be tough, being let down by the ugliest one.”
Jungkook’s frown deepens, eyebrows almost touching. “Is that what this is about?”
“Not necessarily. Hoseok hyung was really nice this morning when he complimented me on my dancing, so when he asked, I didn’t want to say no. Besides, what happened to that song cover we recorded together? The one that you did with Taehyung instead? Or that time you broke your promise to stay behind and practise with me just because Seokjin hyung offered to take you out and buy some food? Or when…”
Breathing far too heavily, Jimin’s voice dies out before he says anything else that’ll embarrass him in front of this kid, this kid who’s two years younger than him, this kid who’s looking down at him with too much understanding, and what looks like… pity?
avoid people who can’t and won’t apologise sincerely
This kid who has the nerve to actually let out a chuckle after Jimin has spilled so much out. “You’ve thought about this a lot, haven’t you?” Jungkook asks in a patronising tone.
Jimin’s mouth opens, and closes again when any sound refuses to come out, so he resorts to staring at Jungkook in disbelief.
“You know I was just joking, don’t you? Don’t take it seriously, I just said it because it was funny. And come on, hyung: you might not look it, but you’re older than me. No need to get so caught up on petty things like that.” He grins and pats Jimin on the head playfully before leaving to catch Taehyung on his way to the cafeteria.
avoid
Jimin might believe him this time, but it’s not the first time Jungkook has treated him like a child to play with only when he’s bored - a child whose own feelings are easily ignorable.
avoid
And Jimin knows it won’t be the last time either.
avoid