Chapter Text
Lately, I don't know anymore. Jimin hasn't been acting like the usual.
He’s gone at the most absurd times . . .
“Hey? Hoseok? Could you come in early at three-thirty to four and take over my shift?”
“Uh, sure dude. Why?”
“I was just thinking of coming home early to Jimin and making him breakfast since we don’t see each other much lately. Considering he’s still got college to go to and I take the late night shifts at the convenience store. And I just—”
“Woah, woah. It’s okay I got you. I’ll be there at three-thirty.”
I smiled in relief. “Thanks, Hoseok. I’ll make it up to you.”
I heard him chuckle on the other side of the phone, “No need, hyung. I got you. Well, bye. See you later”
“Yeah. Bye and thanks again.” I hung up and stuffed my phone in my pocket. The giddiness of the idea of being able to get home early kept me energized and awake as I stood behind the register counter of the store.
Not many people visited the store in the middle of the night or some people would say early morning. As a result, the time ticked on slowly as I stood on my shift of the night.
I looked, every now and then, to the clock hoping for time to go by faster, but it only seemed to me that whenever it felt like an hour had passed, in reality only thirty minutes had. I occupied myself with the stocks, checking the shelves and if we were lacking certain items, I would go to the back and see if we had anymore to restock. I would also play on my phone or check social media, which seemed useless as no one would be awake in the ungodly hour of one in the morning. And sometimes I would just listen to music.
After much work of repeating the same actions, it had finally came to three-thirty and I heard the door chime at the arrival of Hoseok. I head to the back room for employees and quickly got out of my uniform while grabbing my things. I put on my coat and wrapped my scarf around me. On my way out I gratefully nodded my head at Hoseok to show my thanks once more.
I trudged my way home in my coat as quickly as possible as the snow would let me while I stuffed my hands in my pockets to keep them from freezing in the cold. I snugged my head into my scarf a little more as it started to get colder.
Thankfully, the apartment was just close by and I soon found myself in front of the door. My hand fumbled around in my pocket for the keys and I soon pulled them out to clumsily unlock the door. I shook off the snow in my hair by ruffling it softly and stripped off my coat, hastily throwing it onto the coat rack. I walked through the apartment, heading towards Jimin’s and my room. I slowly and quietly opened the door, careful not to wake up Jimin.
If only there was a sleeping Jimin . . .
I looked in to find the bed unoccupied with Jimin was nowhere to be seen. Now, where would he be in the middle of the night at the hour of four in the morning?
I called everyone I knew he could possibly be with.
The only things I found out was:
Taehyung and Jeongguk slept together.
Namjoon was a grumpy child in the morning.
Seokjin was over at Namjoon’s.
And that everyone had the same answer, “No. He’s not here.”
The one question I asked and never got answered:
Where would Jimin be at four in the morning?
We don’t spend time with each other much, even at home . . .
I walked into the house to see Jimin on the couch watching television. Although, Jimin had a glazed look in his eye, as if he wasn’t processing anything on the screen.
“Hey, Jimin, I got a movie from the store for us to watch,” I said coolly. It seems as though he didn’t hear me as he continued to look straight ahead to the television with the same glazed look.
“Jimin?” I questioned as I moved closer to him.
It looked as if he snapped out of it since he turned his head towards me. “Oh, hyung. I didn’t notice you walked in.” His eyes wandered away from me.
“Uh, yeah. I got a movie for us to watch. It’s Jurassic World. The one you’ve been wanting to see,” I smiled.
Jimin was fumbling his thumbs as he bit his bottom lip, as if he wanted to say something important. He opened his mouth to speak but quickly closed it.
“Yes? Or No?” I rose an eyebrow as I wiggled the CD case in my hand.
Still fumbling his thumbs, Jimin sighed, “Sorry, hyung, I’m just going to bed. I feel tired.”
My hand holding the CD slowly dropped to my side. I tried to hide the sadness that I felt as I said, “Oh, oka—,” but I didn’t even get to finish as Jimin abruptly stood from the couch. I watched as he headed towards our room, opened the door, and closed it behind him.
The whole time, Jimin never looked me in the eye.
He’s been leaving the house a lot . . .
Jimin had just gotten home an hour ago, and immediately headed to our room.
It was our third year anniversary and I decided to cook dinner that night. I knocked on the door of the room, “Hey? I'm going to go get groceries.”
I heard a muffled, “Okay, hyung,” from the other end of the door.
I rushed to the grocery store and quickly gathered the things needed for a great anniversary dinner. As I rolled the cart down the aisle, I hummed a tune while thinking of how our anniversary night would be like.
Eventually, I had gathered all the things and went to pay for them. I stuffed all the bags into the trunk of the car and drove back to the apartment. I took out the bags and lugged them to the door.
Just as I arrive at the doors with bags at my feet and the key out in my hand, the door burst open. Surprised, I took a step back. It was Jimin.
“Oh, hyung.”
I looked at him curiously, “You going out?”
“Uh, yeah. I gotta go somewhere.” He looked away from me and was fidgeting.
“Oh,” sadness began to seep in, but I kept my hopes up . “Will you be back for dinner?”
Jimin brings his hand up behind his neck and rubs it, “I’ll be out a little late.”
My shoulders sag as I’m hit with a full force of sadness, “Oh.” I saw that he realized my sadness so I gave him a smile, “It's okay.”
“Sorry, hyung.” He moved passed me and I watched his retreating figure disappear.
It was just me on that anniversary night.
He’s been blowing off dates . . .
“Hey? Are you ready to go?”
Jimin looks at me with questioning eyes, “Go? Go where?”
“On that date you wanted. At that fancy restaurant downtown.” I can see his mind winding, trying to look for that memory of us planning the date. His eyes widened at the realization.
“Hyung, I can’t.” I raise my eyebrows in surprise.
“But you’ve been wanting to go.”
“I have to be somewhere later. I can't go.”
“But Jiminie, you've been asking for this since last month.” My voice rose in volume and my fist clenched at my sides. Breath, Yoongi, breath.
“I'm sorry, hyung.” He looked down and I can see the guilt in his body language.
I took in a deep breath and sighed, “It's okay. I’ll just reschedule the reservation. We can go next time.”
Jimin smiled at me but it didn't quite reach his eyes, “Sure, hyung. Next time.”
The ‘next time’ never happened.
Things started to change and I guess I know why now as I look at the scene outside my car window.
Outside is Jimin beside a café, and he isn't alone. He’s holding both hands of a girl across from him. They’re talking one moment and the next they're hugging. A little to long for my liking.
I guess Jimin found someone new.