Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Jimin burst into the house with excitement after returning from his elementary school. He hurriedly searched for his father around the house until he found him in the kitchen, making herbal tea in his favorite white mug.

“Dad, Dad, Dad, Dad!” Jimin chanted as he circled around his father, who chuckled at his son’s enthusiasm.

“What’s the matter, my little one?” his father, Namjoon, asked, amused.

“Guess what happened at school today?” Jimin exclaimed excitedly as he followed his father into the living room.

“What happened?” Namjoon asked with interest as he settled onto the long sofa.

Jimin jumped onto the couch beside him and began to share the news of making a new friend at school.

“But he’s in the fifth grade, and I’m in the third grade, so he’s my hyung too!” Jimin added eagerly.

“He’s older than you? So, how did you two become friends?” Namjoon asked, curious and surprised.

“I always see him sitting alone during lunch break, with his head resting on the table as if he’s napping. But today was different. Some older kids were bothering me, and he came over, scolded them, and protected me. Now we’re friends!” Jimin explained with excitement.

He continued to describe his new friend, “He’s really cute, his skin is so white, he has a cute gummy smile, he looks like a cat, and he’s the same height as me, even though he’s two years older.”

Namjoon imagined the boy, smiling softly, before Jimin spoke again. “Dad, can he come over to play with me tomorrow after school, please?”

“Of course, my little one, that’s fine,” Namjoon agreed.

Jimin cheered and hugged his father tightly. “I love you, Dad!”

That day, Namjoon waited eagerly by the door to meet his son’s cute new friend, having prepared some savory snacks and light sweets for them.

A little while later, Jimin burst through the door as usual, shouting, “I’m home!”

His father greeted him, but Jimin quickly stepped aside to reveal his friend standing behind him. To Namjoon’s surprise, the boy was nothing like he had imagined and was strangely different from how Jimin had described him.

The boy was frowning, staring at Namjoon with an intensity that sent shivers down his spine, causing him to blink several times.

“Dad, this is the friend I told you about, Yoongi hyung!”

“Ah... oh, come on in,” Namjoon stammered, watching as Jimin darted inside while the other boy slowly followed, bowing his head slightly in greeting.

Namjoon observed them from behind his newspaper as they sat eating the snacks. Well, Jimin did all the talking while his friend remained silent, not uttering a single word since entering the house. He stayed quiet while Jimin chattered away enthusiastically.

“Dad, can we play in the backyard?” Jimin asked, and Namjoon nodded his approval.

“Just don’t leave the yard. Stay in the garden,” Namjoon reminded them.

“Okay!” Jimin shouted as he stood up, pulling Yoongi along behind him.

Namjoon shook his head to clear his thoughts and returned to reading his newspaper, occasionally chatting with a friend on his phone through text messages.

That was until his son suddenly burst back into the house, calling out to him. “What is it, Jimin—” Namjoon started but stopped short when he saw his son in tears.

“Y-...Y-Yoongi hyung,” Jimin sobbed, grabbing his father’s hand and dragging him to the backyard, where Namjoon found Yoongi sitting on the grass.

He approached the boy and noticed his labored breathing while he clutched the left side of his chest. Alarmed, Namjoon quickly moved closer, placing two fingers on the boy’s wrist to check his pulse, realizing it was racing!

He picked Yoongi up and carried him inside, shouting to his son, “Jimin, bring some cold water!”

Namjoon laid Yoongi down on the couch, using his newspaper to fan the boy’s face to cool him down.

“Come on, little one, breathe slowly with me. Inhale... exhale... good, good!” he encouraged, helping Yoongi regulate his breathing.

Jimin returned with a glass of cold water, which Yoongi drank quickly.

Moments later, Yoongi’s breathing improved, so Namjoon checked his pulse again. It was still fast, but not as alarmingly as before.

“Are you okay?” Namjoon asked, and the boy nodded.

Namjoon took a moment to examine Yoongi more closely. His body was thin, and his skin was extremely pale. Is he sick? Namjoon wondered but couldn’t find the answer.

“Do you know your parents’ phone numbers? I need to call one of them,” Namjoon said.

Yoongi shook his head. “That’s not necessary. I’m fine.”

“But you shoul—”

Yoongi cut him off sharply, “I said I’m fine!”

Jimin hugged Yoongi tightly, interrupting their conversation as he cried, and Yoongi simply patted his back. “I’m okay, Jiminie, stop crying,” Yoongi reassured him with a smile.

Jimin pulled away, wiping his tears with his fists. “Can my dad call your parents?” Jimin asked with a pout.

Yoongi smiled at him, ruffling his hair. “Yeah, that’s okay.”

Namjoon blinked twice, trying to process the sudden change in Yoongi’s demeanor toward him and his son, but he quickly brushed off his thoughts and took down the number as Yoongi recited it. He called Yoongi’s father and explained what had happened.

“I’m sorry, I should have warned you about his health beforehand. His body tires easily, so this might have been caused by them playing? It must have exhausted him. I told him not to play like that, but he’s still a kid. What can I do? Anyway, Mr. Kim, I’ll come to pick him up right away. Could you send me your address? That rascal didn’t even tell me where he was going.”

After exchanging farewells, Namjoon hung up and sent Yoongi’s father their home address.

“Does Yoongi hyung have to go home?” Jimin asked his father, sadness in his voice.

“Yes, sweetie, his dad is coming to get him now.”

Namjoon noticed Yoongi’s expression darken. “There’s no need for him to come. I can go home by myself!”

“But you’re tired, Yoongi. You shouldn’t go like this. What if something happens to you?”

Yoongi was about to argue, but Jimin grabbed his hand, trying to persuade him with a pout. “Hyung, listen to my dad. Jiminie will be sad if something bad happens to hyung.”

Yoongi smiled and gently pinched Jimin’s right cheek. “Okay, it’s fine. Don’t pout~”

“Wow, Jiminie’s magic worked perfectly,” Namjoon muttered to himself.

Namjoon let them continue playing under his watchful eye in the living room this time while they waited for Yoongi’s father to arrive.

Half an hour passed, and Namjoon heard the doorbell, signaling that Yoongi’s father had arrived. He stood up to answer the door, greeting the man as he entered.

“Jungkook, come here!” Yoongi’s father scolded as his younger son ran inside the house.

Namjoon smiled as he watched the little boy hug Yoongi tightly. “He must have missed his brother.” He then gestured for the father to come in. “Please, come in. I’ll get you some tea.”

Yoongi’s father smiled gratefully and stepped inside. Namjoon prepared tea for both of them before sitting down with him, watching the three children play together.

“Do you mind me asking if your son is sick, Mr. Seokjin? I mean, he and my Jiminie have become friends, so he might come here often, and I don’t want a repeat of what happened today. So please, let me know so I can be careful with him,” Namjoon said gently.

Seokjin lowered his eyes to the tea cup in his hands. “He’s not really sick, but... he’s been through a lot in the past few months, which has severely weakened his body. Malnutrition and such. That’s why he looks so pale and thin. He still hasn’t fully recovered.”

“And the reason for his rapid heartbeat?” Namjoon asked again.

“As I said, malnutrition. It’s likely anemia from a lack of essential nutrients, which means his heart has to work harder to pump blood, causing it to beat faster. He might also be dehydrated or just exhausted.” Seokjin explained.

Namjoon hummed in understanding and tried to offer some comfort. “Don’t worry too much, Mr. Seokjin. He’ll recover as he continues to eat well.”

Seokjin tightened his grip on the tea cup. “He doesn’t seem well at all to me. He refuses to interact with anyone. He doesn’t eat much either, so his recovery has been very slow. Even though months have passed, I can barely see any improvement.” He then looked up at Namjoon with a small smile. “Your son is his first friend. I’ve never seen him smile before, but now he does. That amazes me so much.”

Namjoon returned the smile, joking, “His gaze and words are so sharp with me, but as soon as Jiminie talks to him, his expression softens, and he smiles so brightly.”

Both fathers glanced back at the children. Jimin was clinging to Yoongi's right arm, resting his head on Yoongi’s shoulder, while the older boy read them a book. On the other side, Yoongi was pushing Jungkook away with a look of clear irritation. “I’ve told you a hundred times to stay away from me! Don’t you understand personal space?!” Yoongi scolded the youngest, who pouted in response.

Yoongi ignored Jungkook as soon as Jimin spoke to him, turning to Jimin with a soft smile. “Hyung, can you continue the story?”

“Sorry, Jiminie,” Yoongi apologized, ruffling Jimin’s hair before resuming the story.

Namjoon and Seokjin burst out laughing. “Do you see what I mean?” Namjoon said, his laughter still bubbling up.

“Yoon,” Seokjin called out to his son.

Yoongi responded with a scowl, “My name is Yoongi! I told you not to call me that. Yoon-GI! Is it so hard to add two extra letters?”

Jimin lifted his head from Yoongi’s shoulder and asked, “That’s such a cute name~~ Can I call you Yoonie hyung?”

Yoongi frowned in thought before replying, “Only Jiminie can do that.”

Seokjin blinked twice, then turned to Namjoon, whispering jokingly, “What did your son do to mine?”

Seokjin stood up, placing his empty teacup on the small table in front of him.  “Come on, Yoon. Kookie. We need to go home.”

“But... I want to play with Jiminie hyung more!” Jungkook whined, clinging to his father’s leg.

“You’ll visit him again, okay?”

Jimin hugged Yoongi tightly, bidding him farewell. “See you tomorrow, Yoongi hyung.”

“See you tomorrow, Jiminie,” Yoongi responded.

---

“Yoonie hyung!” Jimin shouted as he hurried toward Yoongi, who was calmly walking toward the school entrance. But just as he reached him, Jimin tripped over a rock and fell to the ground.

Yoongi quickly turned around to see Jimin on the ground and rushed over to check on him. He helped Jimin sit up as the younger boy let out a soft whimper. Yoongi noticed a scrape on Jimin’s knee, his eyes widening with concern.

Jimin was frowning deeply, trying to hold back tears, so Yoongi immediately hugged him, gently patting his back. “C-Calm down, Jiminie. You’ll be okay, don’t worry.”

Yoongi pulled back and took off his backpack, pulling out some band-aids, a water bottle, and tissues. He dampened one tissue with water and carefully cleaned the scrape on Jimin’s knee before drying it with another tissue and covering it with a band-aid. He sealed the band-aid with a kiss.

“I kissed the pain away, Jiminie, now it won't hurt.”

Jimin smiled brightly and hugged Yoongi. “Thank you, Yoonie hyung!”

Yoongi returned the hug for a few seconds before letting go. “Come on, Jiminie, class is about to start. We’ll get in trouble if we’re late.”

Jimin nodded, and they both stood up, holding hands. Yoongi walked Jimin to his class before heading to his own.

During lunch break, Yoongi quickly left his classroom and hurried to find Jimin. He entered Jimin’s classroom, scanning the students until he saw one of them bullying Jimin, as usual. Anger flared within him, and he clenched his fists tightly.

But before he could reach them, someone else had already pulled Jimin away, leading him out of the classroom, leaving Yoongi confused.

“Who was that? Jiminie doesn’t have any friends besides me!” Yoongi muttered to himself, furious.

He followed them outside and found the boy holding Jimin’s shoulders, checking if he was okay, while Jimin smiled at him.

Yoongi marched over and angrily pushed the boy away from Jimin. “Who are you?! What are you doing with Jiminie?!”

Jimin beamed when he saw Yoongi and hugged him lightly in greeting.

“Jiminie, who is this?” Yoongi asked with a scowl after Jimin pulled away.

Jimin smiled and took the boy’s hand, introducing him to Yoongi. “This is my friend, Kim Taehyung. He’s in my class.”

He then turned to Taehyung to introduce him to Yoongi. “Taehyungie, this is my friend Yoongi hyung. He’s in fifth grade, so he’s our hyung, okay?”

Taehyung nodded enthusiastically before shaking Yoongi’s hand. “Hi, Yoongi hyung! Nice to meet you!”

Yoongi slapped Taehyung’s hand away, ignoring the handshake, and glared at him before turning to talk to Jimin, completely disregarding Taehyung. “Jiminie, let’s go have lunch.”

Jimin replied nervously, “But I promised Taehyung I’d have lunch with him today…” He smiled, trying to offer a compromise. “Why don’t we all eat together?”

“No!” Yoongi refused angrily, causing Jimin to frown. He had never seen Yoongi this upset before.

Realizing his mistake, Yoongi quickly apologized. “Sorry, Jiminie. I didn’t mean it. Let’s eat together; I don’t mind. Please don’t be sad…”

The three of them headed to the cafeteria, where they sat at one of the tables and unpacked their homemade lunches. Yoongi sat next to Jimin, while Taehyung sat across from them.

Jimin tugged on Yoongi’s shirt to get his attention and pointed to one of the students. “Isn’t that Jungkook?”

Yoongi looked in the direction Jimin was pointing, but before he could respond, Jimin stood up and called out Jungkook’s name, waving for him to come over.

“Jiminie hyung!” Jungkook exclaimed happily, running over to hug Jimin tightly.

“Do you want to have lunch with us?” Jimin asked, to which Jungkook eagerly nodded.

Jungkook sat next to Taehyung, directly across from Yoongi.

“Jungkook, this is my friend Taehyung. Taehyung, this is Jungkook, Yoongi’s brother.”

“Not my brother…” Yoongi mumbled under his breath, almost inaudibly.

“Did you say something, hyung?” Jimin asked, and Yoongi shook his head.

“Are you in first grade?” Taehyung asked Jungkook.

“Yep~”

As Jimin chatted with Taehyung, Jungkook occasionally joined the conversation, while Yoongi silently poked at his food, feeling sad and a little left out as he watched Jimin interact with his new friends.

“I’m going to the bathroom. Will you come with me, Yoonie hyung?”

Yoongi smiled brightly and nodded. They both stood up, holding hands, and as soon as they left the cafeteria, Jimin let go of Yoongi’s hand and turned to him with an angry pout, making Yoongi nervous since he didn’t know why Jimin was upset. “W-What’s wrong, Jiminie? Did I do something?”

“Hyung, why aren’t you eating your lunch!”

“Oh…” Yoongi sighed in relief, realizing that this was the reason for Jimin’s anger.

“Hyung, you need to eat your food so you can stay healthy, okay? If you don’t like what’s in your lunchbox, I can share mine with you! But please, eat your lunch.”

“Okay…”

Jimin smiled brightly and took Yoongi’s hand again as they returned to the lunch table.

---

“Dad!!”

“Welcome back, Jiminie. Oh, hello, Yoongi~”

Yoongi nodded slightly, greeting Namjoon.

“I’ll get you both some juice. Do you want anything else?”

Jimin tugged lightly on his father’s pants, whispering something to him, which made Namjoon crouch down to his level. Namjoon smiled and headed to the kitchen to prepare what Jimin had asked for, along with the juice. He placed the tray on the wooden floor table where the two boys were sitting, drawing pictures on paper.

Yoongi frowned as he looked at the fruit platter. Namjoon barely held back a laugh because he knew that Jimin would force Yoongi to eat the fruit, and there was nothing Yoongi could do but comply.

There were many tangerines on the plate, in particular. Jimin picked one up. “Hyung, I’ll peel this for you~”

As Jimin focused on peeling the tangerine, Yoongi glared at Namjoon angrily.

“Hyung, say ‘ahh,’” Jimin said, holding up a tangerine segment for Yoongi.

Yoongi smiled at him and opened his mouth, and Jimin gently placed the segment inside.

“Yummy??” Jimin asked eagerly, and Yoongi nodded, enjoying the tangerine.

Seeing this, Namjoon felt relieved. He quietly took out his phone and snapped a picture of Jimin feeding the tangerine to Yoongi before sending it to Seokjin.

[Are you kidding me?? Yoongi is eating fruit?? Wow, I can’t believe my eyes. Is this Photoshopped?]

[Kekekekeke. Jimin asked me to get some for him, and Yoongi glared at me as soon as he saw the plate. But after Jimin fed him, Yoongi started enjoying the tangerine.]

[I have to reward your son for this! I swear I’ve been trying to get him to eat a little fruit for weeks, but he always refuses!]

[✨Jiminie Magic✨]

[Hahahahaha.]

Namjoon put his phone away when he noticed Jimin calling him. “Yes, Jiminie?”

“Can I go to Yoonie hyung’s house tomorrow after school?” Jimin asked with pleading eyes.

“Oh, of course, sweetie.”

“Yoongi, come here for a second,” Namjoon called out to Yoongi.

“Listen, little one.”

“I’m not little,” Yoongi interrupted.

Namjoon pursed his lips before continuing, “Okay, listen, Yoongi. Jiminie is still young, and he only knows the way home, so you have to take good care of him on your way, okay?”

Yoongi nodded in agreement.

“Good~”

---

Yoongi walked to Jimin's classroom after the school day ended. As soon as he entered, he spotted Jimin chatting with Taehyung.

"Hey, Yoongi hyung!" Taehyung greeted him as he approached.

But Yoongi ignored Taehyung and directed his focus solely on Jimin. "Jiminie, have you packed your things? Let's go."

"Oh!" Jimin quickly said goodbye to Taehyung. "Bye, Taetae! See you on Monday!"

"Bye, Chimmy!" Taehyung waved back.

Yoongi took Jimin's hand, leading him out of the classroom. As they walked, Jimin suddenly stopped near the first-grade classrooms.

"Which class is Jungkook in?" Jimin asked.

"Huh?"

"Aren't we going home together? Which class is he in so we can pick him up?"

"I don't kno—"

"Oh, there he is!" Jimin interrupted excitedly. "Jungkookie!" he called out, waving energetically.

"Jiminie hyung! Yoongi hyung! Hi!" Jungkook responded, running over to them.

As they made their way home, Jimin was the one doing most of the talking, as usual. Yoongi listened quietly, with Jungkook chiming in every now and then.

"Welcome back, kids!" Seokjin greeted them as he opened the door. "Oh, Jiminie! I didn’t know you were coming over."

Jimin bowed respectfully. "Hello, Mr. Kim. I apologize for the trouble, and thank you for having me."

Seokjin smiled warmly, ruffling Jimin’s hair. "You’re always welcome here, kid."

Once they were inside, Seokjin began to speak, "Yoon—" But before he could finish, Yoongi pulled Jimin towards his room, shutting the door behind them.

"Yoongi hyung!" Jimin exclaimed, yanking his hand away.

Yoongi was taken aback, his eyes wide with surprise. It wasn't like Jimin to use his full name, especially not when he was angry.

"Why did you ignore your dad like that? And your brother, too? That’s not right!"

Yoongi frowned, averting his gaze. "He’s not my dad. And he’s not my brother."

"What...?" Jimin was shocked.

Yoongi turned back to Jimin, his voice tinged with frustration. "Stop calling them my dad and brother, Jimin! They’re not!"

"But I thought—"

"I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you..." Yoongi said softly, his anger fading. He took Jimin’s hand and guided him to sit on the bed with him. "Jiminie, I’m going to tell you a secret, but you have to promise not to tell anyone, okay?"

Jimin nodded eagerly, intertwining his pinky with Yoongi’s as a sign of his promise.

"My parents and little brother... they died in a fire almost a year ago," Yoongi revealed, his voice barely above a whisper.

Jimin gasped, eyes wide with shock. Yoongi continued, "I was late at school that day because I had detention. That’s the only reason I wasn’t home when it happened. That’s why I survived."

"I’m so sorry, hyung..." Jimin said, his voice trembling with sympathy.

"I don’t have any other relatives," Yoongi explained, "or maybe they just didn’t want to take care of me. I ended up in an orphanage. I was so traumatized by losing my family that I stopped eating and stopped doing anything really. I always ended up in the hospital. One day, I was in the emergency room, and in the bed next to mine was Jungkook. He was sick, maybe with a fever—I’m not sure. Well, the orphanage staff were talking about me, and Mr. Kim overheard. He asked about me and then started visiting the orphanage regularly. Eventually, he adopted me."

When Yoongi finished his story, Jimin threw his arms around him, holding him tightly. Both boys might have cried together for a while.

A soft knock on the door interrupted them before it opened, revealing Seokjin. "I brought you some snacks, kids—" Seokjin began, but then he hurried over, alarmed by their tear-streaked faces. "Why are you crying? Did something happen? Yoongi, are you hurt? Did you two have a fight?" he asked, his voice full of concern as he looked them over.

Jimin shook his head. "It’s okay, Mr. Kim. We were just talking. Nothing’s wrong."

Seokjin sighed in relief. "That’s good."

He placed the tray of snacks on the small table beside Yoongi’s bed. "I’ll be in the living room if you need anything. Jiminie, if you want to go home, just let me know, and I’ll drive you."

"Thank you, Mr. Kim," Jimin replied politely.

Seokjin smiled at them before leaving the room and closing the door behind him.

"But hyung," Jimin began, turning back to Yoongi, "you still need to treat Jungkook and Mr. Kim, well. They might not be your real family, but they’re trying their best to make up for what you’ve lost. Mr. Kim cares about you and loves you a lot." Yoongi looked down, not responding.

Jimin stood up, pulling Yoongi with him. "Come with me."

"Where are we going?" Yoongi asked, confused.

"Let’s invite Jungkookie to play with us," Jimin suggested.

Yoongi hesitated, pursing his lips, but eventually, he followed Jimin out of the room. They found Jungkook sitting in the living room, watching TV with a bored expression.

Jimin nudged Yoongi towards Jungkook, whispering, "Go ahead, invite him, hyung."

Yoongi tried to resist, but Jimin pushed him again, making him sigh in defeat.

"Jungkook..." Yoongi started.

"Yes, hyung!" Jungkook responded quickly, his face lighting up with excitement.

Yoongi looked off to the side, avoiding eye contact. "Do you... want to... play with us?"

Jungkook’s eyes widened with joy, his smile growing even bigger. "Of course, hyung!!"

He ran over to Yoongi, trying to hug him, but Yoongi gently pushed him away. "No hugs."

But Jungkook didn’t seem to mind; he just kept smiling.

Later, Seokjin knocked on the door before entering again. He looked at the boys with a warm smile and said, "Alright, kids, dinner’s ready~"

After dinner, Seokjin drove Jimin home, making sure he got there safely since it was already dark and dangerous for him to go alone.

---

Yoongi cornered Taehyung in the bathroom when they ran into each other by chance.

"Why are you getting so close to Jiminie? What do you want from him?" Yoongi demanded, his voice low but intense.

Taehyung blinked, taken aback. "What’s wrong with you, hyung? He’s my friend."

Yoongi’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. "I don’t believe you! Stay away from him and stop calling him those silly nicknames. Got it?" He shouted, then stormed out.

Taehyung watched him leave, bewildered. "What’s with him?"

He shook his head and exited the bathroom, only to bump into someone.

"Oh—Jungkookie!"

"Hey, Taehyung hyung."

Taehyung didn’t waste time. "What’s wrong with your brother? Does he have a problem with me?"

"Huh?"

"He just cornered me in the bathroom, threatening me to stay away from Chimmy."

"Oh... please excuse him, hyung. He’s just really attached to Jimin hyung."

"Aah! He’s jealous, isn’t he? Wow, that explains everything!" Taehyung exclaimed, bursting into laughter. "That’s adorable. Let’s tease him a bit more, heh."

Jungkook stared at Taehyung, confused by his excitement.

"It’s lunchtime. Let’s go sit with Jiminie. He’ll be so mad—it’ll be fun to watch."

Before Jungkook could refuse, Taehyung dragged him towards the cafeteria.

Yoongi was just about to sit beside Jimin at their usual table when Taehyung raced over and plopped down next to Jimin instead. "Hey, Chimmy!"

Jimin smiled warmly at him. "Hi, Taetae."

Yoongi glared at Taehyung, seething with anger, but he held back, not wanting to cause a scene in front of Jimin. He sighed and moved to sit across from Jimin, only for Jungkook to beat him to it, pulling out the chair and sitting down. That left Yoongi with no choice but to sit next to Jungkook, directly across from Taehyung.

Jimin, oblivious to Yoongi’s frustration, happily ate his lunch, chatting away with Taehyung and Jungkook. This was only the second time Jimin had ever sat with so many friends during lunch. Before meeting Yoongi, he always ate alone, but now he had three friends to share lunch with.

He was so engrossed in his meal and conversation that he didn’t notice Yoongi hadn’t touched his food at all. Yoongi just stared at his lunch, poking at it with his chopsticks, a frown on his face.

When lunchtime ended, Taehyung quickly grabbed Jimin’s hand, pulling him along. "Chimmy, let’s head back to class together. Bye, Kookie! Bye, Yoongi hyung!"

Jimin waved goodbye to them before leaving with Taehyung.

Jungkook noticed Yoongi’s lunch box is still full of untouched food. "Hyung..."

"Shut up!" Yoongi snapped at him before storming off.

"Oh no, I’m such an idiot..." Jungkook muttered to himself, tears welling up in his eyes as he blamed himself. He quickly wiped his tears and headed back to class, not wanting to be late.

---

"Hyung, let’s go home together," Jungkook said cheerfully as he approached his brother.

They had been walking home together ever since Jimin talked to Yoongi about it. Yoongi had even started talking to Jungkook a bit more, rather than ignoring him like before.

"Get lost."

"Hyu—"

"Don’t you understand?!" Yoongi snapped, his voice full of frustration. "Go home by yourself; you’re not a baby! I don’t have to walk you home or take care of you."

It seemed Jungkook’s previous attempts to bond with Yoongi had backfired, making things even worse.

---

"Yoongi, why is your lunch box still full? Didn’t you like the food?" Seokjin asked, concerned.

Yoongi didn’t respond, focusing on his homework instead.

Seokjin sighed, feeling disheartened, and returned to the kitchen.

Jungkook quickly followed him. "Dad..."

"Yes, sweetheart?"

"Yoongi hyung didn’t eat lunch because of me. He’s mad at me. I... I’ve been a bad brother to him," Jungkook confessed, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"What happened? Tell me everything," Seokjin gently urged, pulling Jungkook into a comforting embrace as the boy explained.

After hearing everything, Seokjin tried to reassure him. "Listen, sweetie, I know you were just trying to tease him, like brothers do. But... your brother is still going through a hard time. For now, try not to push his buttons, okay? Get closer to him instead. When you’re both closer, you can tease him as much as you want. But right now, you’re just pushing him away."

"I’m sorry..." Jungkook whispered, sniffling.

---

Seokjin knocked lightly on Yoongi’s door before entering, planning to tell him that dinner was ready.

"Yoon—oh, he’s asleep," Seokjin whispered to himself as he approached Yoongi’s bed. He considered waking him up to eat, but then he noticed the tear stains on Yoongi’s cheeks and eyelashes.

"Was he crying?" Seokjin thought to himself, concerned.

He gently took the piece of paper Yoongi was holding and realized it was a family picture.

"Oh... he’s missing them..." Seokjin’s heart ached as he studied the photo, noticing the younger boy standing beside Yoongi, who Seokjin assumed was Yoongi’s little brother. The boy... he looked so much like Jimin.

"This explains everything!" Seokjin thought, piecing it together.

He placed the photo aside and gently woke Yoongi.

"A little longer, Mom..." Yoongi mumbled sleepily, half-awake.

Seokjin swallowed the lump in his throat, continuing to wake him. "Come on, Yoongi, wake up. Eat your dinner first, and then you can go back to sleep. You didn’t eat lunch, so come on."

---

“Jiminie, can we have lunch together today, just the two of us?”

“But—”

“Pleaseee,” Yoongi pleaded, his lips forming a small pout.

“O-...Okay. Let me just tell Taehyung, wait here.”

Jimin hurried over to his friend, explaining that he’d be eating lunch with Yoongi alone today, and then returned to Yoongi.

Grabbing Yoongi’s hand quickly, Jimin interlaced their fingers and led him to the dining hall. They sat down next to each other and unpacked their lunchboxes.

“Hyung, are you okay? You seem a little down…”

“Jiminie, do you like Taehyung more than me?”

Jimin’s eyes widened in surprise.

“You don’t hang out with me at all anymore. It’s like you’re always with Taehyung. Are you tired of me? Do you not want to be friends anymore?”

Jimin frowned, immediately wrapping his arms around Yoongi in a tight hug. “I’m sorry, hyung. I didn’t realize. Of course I love you, and I’m not tired of you at all. I still want us to be friends, definitely.”

“Really?” Yoongi asked, his voice soft.

“Really! Don’t ever doubt how much I care about you! I’ll be your best friend forever, hyung!”

Jimin pulled back, opening his lunchbox for Yoongi. “You have to eat all your food today, hyung! Jungkook told me you’ve been skipping meals. Do you want to make me mad at you?!” Jimin attempted his best angry face.

“No! Don’t be mad. I’ll eat it all.”

Jimin smiled brightly. “Good.”

He then turned back to Yoongi with excitement. “Hyung, hyung, hyung!”

Yoongi hummed in response while chewing.

“Tomorrow’s the weekend! Do you want to sleep over at my house tonight? Please, please, pleaseee?”

Yoongi smiled at him. Of course, he agreed without hesitation. “But I need to go home and pack some clothes first.”

“Of course! We’re going to have so much fun~~~”

---

Seokjin was talking to Namjoon at the doorway after dropping Yoongi off at Jimin’s place.

“If anything happens, give me a call. Make sure he takes his vitamins after dinner. And since Jimin’s here, take advantage of that—he hardly eats, so have Jimin encourage him to eat more. Your son’s charm always works wonders.”

“Don’t worry, Mr. Kim. I’ll take good care of him.”

“Thank you so much!”

Seokjin peeked inside the house. “Goodbye, Yoongi. I’ll see you tomorrow!”

Yoongi ignored him, but Jimin nudged his side gently. “Say goodbye…”

Yoongi sighed, “Goodbye…”

Jin smiled softly, said his farewells to Namjoon, and left, reassured that his son was in good hands.

The two friends sat down to watch TV while Namjoon chatted with a friend over the phone.

“Sorry, Hoseok-ah, I can’t today. Jiminie’s friend is here, and he’s staying over.”

“Jiminie’s friend? Is he short, cute, and adorable, too?”

“Wha—”

“Oh my gosh, Namjoon-ah, I’m coming over to your place. I have to see him~~”

“Hoseo—...ugh, he hung up on me.”

Namjoon sighed, closing his phone and returning to his book. A little while later, there was a knock on the door, and sure enough, it was Hoseok.

“Jiminie, I’m here!” Hoseok sang out as soon as he entered, his voice lively and cheerful.

Jimin beamed and ran to him, hugging him tightly. “Hoseokie hyung!”

“Your dad told me your friend is here. Where is he? Introduce us!”

Jimin grabbed Hoseok’s hand and led him to where Yoongi was sitting. But before he could make introductions, Hoseok pounced on Yoongi, ruffling his hair and pinching his cheeks.

“Namjoon-ah, he’s so cute!” Hoseok whined dramatically.

Yoongi struggled to push him away. “Don’t touch me! Get off!” he growled, but Hoseok only grinned wider.

“So, you’re Jiminie’s friend?”

“And what if I am?”

“Nothing. Just make sure to take good care of him. You’re his first friend~”

Yoongi merely grunted in response.

“Hoseokie hyung, did you bring Mickey?” Jimin asked hopefully.

“Yes, he’s in the yard. Your dad doesn’t like me bringing him inside.”

“Can we play with him? Please, please, pleaseee?”

“Of course, you two cuties.”

Jimin’s face lit up as he grabbed Yoongi’s hand and dragged him outside after getting permission from Namjoon.

“Jiminie, who’s Mickey?” Yoongi asked as he followed Jimin outside.

“Hoseokie hyung’s puppy. He’s so cute!”

Yoongi settled on the sidelines, watching as Jimin played with the puppy. Jimin ran and jumped around, laughing loudly, and it was more than enough to make Yoongi happy.

Namjoon came outside to check on them after a while and found Yoongi sitting quietly while Jimin played with Mickey.

“Yoongi, are you tired?” he asked with concern, thinking that maybe Yoongi had gotten exhausted from playing.

Yoongi shook his head, not answering verbally.

“If you get tired, let me know, okay?”

Yoongi nodded again without saying anything.

Namjoon returned inside with Hoseok, leaving the two kids outside until just before sunset.

“Jiminie, let’s go inside. The sun’s about to set,” Yoongi called out.

Jimin pouted as he said goodbye to Mickey, but he followed Yoongi back inside.

After dinner, Hoseok left, and the two boys headed to Jimin’s room to get ready for bed.

Namjoon knocked on the door before entering, but he only found Yoongi inside.

“Jiminie’s in the bathroom brushing his teeth,” Yoongi informed him.

“Oh, I see. I was going to set up a bed for you on the floor.”

“N-no, I’ll sleep with Jiminie.”

“But his bed is small, and—...” Namjoon quickly changed his tone when he noticed Yoongi frowning in disapproval."Okay, fine. You can sleep with him."

Just then, Jimin walked in, having finished brushing his teeth.

“Come here, little one. You buttoned your pajama shirt wrong,” Namjoon called out to him.

Jimin looked down at his shirt, noticing he had indeed buttoned it wrong. He approached his dad so he could fix it for him.

“All done~!”

“Goodnight, you two.”

“Goodnight!” they both replied as Namjoon left the room, turning off the lights and leaving the small nightlight on.

Jimin moved his stuffed animals off the bed, placing them on the floor to make room for Yoongi.

They lay down next to each other, snuggling close, and it wasn’t long before both of them drifted off to sleep.

---

In the middle of the night, Jimin woke up to the sound of soft sobs.

“Yoongi hyung?”

Realizing he’d woken Jimin up, Yoongi quickly wiped his tears away. “Sorry for waking you. Go back to sleep, Jiminie.”

Jimin shook his head and sat up, pulling Yoongi into a comforting hug.

“Did you have a bad dream?” he asked gently, and Yoongi nodded.

“I keep having nightmares about the fire…”

Jimin tightened his embrace, gently patting Yoongi’s back. He began to sing a lullaby, and after some time, he felt Yoongi’s body relax. He helped Yoongi lie back down and settled beside him, holding him close until they both fell asleep again.

---

“Good morning, hyung!” Jimin greeted Yoongi cheerfully as soon as he woke up.

Yoongi, still half-asleep, replied, “Good morning, Yongho…”

“Yongho?” Jimin repeated in confusion.

Yoongi’s eyes snapped open wide as he realized what he’d said. He quickly covered his mouth with his hand. “I’m sorry, I meant Jimin. Good morning, Jimin.”

Jimin smiled at him, still unsure why Yoongi had called him ‘Yongho.’

Namjoon knocked on the door before entering. “Oh, you’re both awake. Good morning. Let’s go have breakfast.”

---

“Oh…”

“What’s wrong, hyung?” Jimin asked, noticing Yoongi’s troubled expression.

“I forgot my chopsticks in my bag.”

Jimin stood up quickly from his seat. “Don’t worry, I’ll get them for you.”

“You don’t have to—”

“I said I’ll get them!” Jimin insisted as he hurried off towards Yoongi’s classroom.

He had never been inside Yoongi’s classroom before and didn’t know where his desk was, but he knew what Yoongi’s bag looked like. He searched the classroom with his eyes until he found it.

As he rummaged through Yoongi’s bag, he found a photo. Curious, he picked it up to look at it.

“Oh, it’s Yoongi hyung,” Jimin murmured, squinting at the photo to get a better look at the boy standing next to Yoongi. “He looks like me…”

He flipped the photo over and noticed a date along with the words, “Family trip celebrating Yongho’s birthday.”

“Yongho?” Jimin muttered to himself, puzzled. “That’s what Yoongi hyung called me a few days ago…”

A dreadful thought began to take root in his mind. “Did he… did he befriend me just because I look like his late brother?”

Jimin’s lips quivered as he fought back tears. He quickly returned the photo to its place, grabbed the chopsticks, and made his way back to Yoongi.

He slammed the chopsticks down on the table. “I’m going to the bathroom,” he muttered before running off quickly. But Yoongi noticed something was off and followed him.

He caught up to Jimin and grabbed his hand, trying to stop him. “Jimin, wait—”

“Let go of me!” Jimin yelled, pulling his hand away. Yoongi’s eyes widened when he saw the tears in Jimin’s eyes, but before he could ask what was wrong, Jimin ran off.

Despite this, Yoongi followed him, determined to find out what was bothering him. He headed towards the bathroom where Jimin had gone and could hear his sobs even before entering.

When he finally did enter, he saw Jimin clinging to Taehyung, crying uncontrollably. Seeing this, Yoongi decided to leave quietly.

“So… he’s mad at me,” Yoongi muttered to himself as he walked back to the cafeteria.

He picked up his lunchbox and returned to his classroom without eating anything.

---

“Yoongi, dinner’s ready,” Seokjin called out later that evening.

“I’m not hungry,” Yoongi responded flatly.

“Come on, Yoongi, just a little bit? You didn’t even have lunch.”

“I said I’m not hungry,” Yoongi repeated.

“But you need to take your vitamins, Yoongi. You should eat a little something, so you don’t feel unwell later.”

Ignoring him, Yoongi walked to his room. “I’m going to sleep.”

Seokjin sighed and looked at Jungkook. “Did something happen at school?”

Jungkook shrugged, unsure of what was going on.

---

Taking a deep breath, Yoongi exhaled slowly. “Just talk to him and apologize,” he encouraged himself before heading to Jimin’s classroom.

But before he could enter, Taehyung blocked his path, crossing his arms. “Jimin doesn’t want to see you.”

“Get out of my way.”

“I said he doesn’t want to see you! Leave him alone,” Taehyung insisted.

Yoongi sighed in frustration. “Listen, I don’t have time to fight with you. Move.”

“And I’m not letting you hurt him again. So, you should be the one to walk away,” Taehyung shot back, shoving Yoongi out of the room and slamming the door behind him.

“But I didn’t do anything…” Yoongi muttered to himself, feeling a wave of sadness wash over him.

---

“Yoongi, dinner’s ready!” Seokjin called out again the next evening.

“I’m not hungry,” Yoongi answered as he walked into his room.

“He hasn’t eaten for two days now…” Seokjin sighed deeply before heading to Yoongi’s room. He opened the door to find Yoongi curled up on his bed.

“Yoongi, sweetheart, is something wrong? You can talk to me,” Seokjin said gently, sitting on the edge of the bed.

Yoongi didn’t want to say anything, but he felt so confused and overwhelmed. He remembered how Jimin always encouraged him to be more open with his ‘Dad’ and Jungkook.

“Okay…” Yoongi murmured, sitting up on the bed.

Seokjin smiled warmly, glad that Yoongi was finally opening up. He sat down next to him.

“I… I fought with Jimin,” Yoongi confessed, frowning.

“Why?”

Yoongi pouted. “I don’t know. But I made him cry.”

That wasn’t much of an explanation, and it only left Seokjin more puzzled, but he didn’t want to push Yoongi too hard.

“Have you thought about talking to him to understand what happened?” Seokjin suggested.

Yoongi nodded. “But he doesn’t want to talk to me.” His pout deepened, his eyes welling up with tears. “Maybe he doesn’t want to be my friend anymore.”

Seokjin pulled Yoongi into a comforting hug. “Don’t say that, Yoongi. He’s just upset. When he calms down, you two can talk it out. I’m sure if you apologize, he’ll forgive you.”

“Really?” Yoongi asked, his voice small.

“Yes, really. Just give him a little time.”

Yoongi nodded. “Thank you,” he whispered.

“What was that?”

“Thank you,” Yoongi repeated a bit louder this time.

Seokjin smiled and ruffled his hair. “There’s no need to thank me, Yoongi. I’m your dad.”

But Yoongi’s smile faded, his expression turning sour. He still wasn’t comfortable with the idea of Seokjin being his ‘dad.’ He didn’t want to replace his real family—new father, new brother, new home… It hadn’t been long since he lost them.

“So, will you have dinner now?” Seokjin asked, trying to lighten the mood with a smile.

But Yoongi ignored him and lay back down. “No.”

Seokjin sighed in frustration as he left the room. “I think I messed up again…” he muttered to himself sadly.

---

The next morning, Yoongi and Jungkook were on their way to school.

“Hyung, are you okay? You’re breathing heavily…” Jungkook asked, concerned. “We can stop and rest! We’re not going to be late. There’s still some time.”

Yoongi shook his head, then crouched down to catch his breath.

Jungkook pulled out a water bottle from his bag and handed it to Yoongi.

Yoongi thanked him, took a small sip, and then handed it back. “Let’s go so we don’t get late.”

“But you still look tired, hyung…”

“I’m fine,” Yoongi insisted, continuing to walk.

Jungkook followed, worried that something was still wrong.

As soon as they crossed the school gates, Yoongi collapsed, unconscious.

“Hyung!” Jungkook cried out, shaking him gently as tears filled his eyes.

“Yoongi hyung?” Jimin gasped as he entered the school and saw the two of them. “Yoongi hyung!” Jimin shook him desperately, tears streaming down his face.

A teacher noticed the commotion and ran over, quickly carrying Yoongi to the nurse’s office.

“It’s malnutrition,” the nurse said to the teacher outside the room, not wanting Jimin and Jungkook, who were inside, to hear. “You should contact his parents and look into this. I heard he’s adopted, so if he’s not being treated well, you might have to call the authorities.”

“You’re right. I’ll look into it. Please take good care of him,” the teacher replied before leaving.

The nurse re-entered the room, only to find Jimin and Jungkook arguing.

“Yoongi hyung is sick because of you!” Jungkook shouted at Jimin. “He didn’t do anything wrong, but you kept ignoring him and refused to talk to him!” Wiping his tears, Jungkook continued, “He was getting better. He’s been doing so well lately. But because of you, he’s not anymore.” He frowned so hard, frustrated at Jimin “You know what he’s going through, yet you acted like a child with him!”

Jimin tried to explain, but Jungkook pushed him out of the room. “Get out. You have no right to stay with him.”

Seokjin spoke to the teacher, doing his best to explain the situation. He told the teacher that Yoongi had been dealing with issues even before the adoption and that his situation was still unstable. After a long and detailed conversation, the teacher seemed somewhat convinced but still decided to keep an eye on Yoongi for his safety.

Seokjin took Yoongi to the hospital and stayed with him all night. After Yoongi’s condition improved a little, he brought him back home.

The next day, Namjoon called Seokjin and told him that Jimin wanted to come over and apologize to Yoongi, hoping that the two could make up. Despite being a bit upset with Jimin for causing Yoongi so much distress, Seokjin agreed to let them come over. After all, they were just kids, and he couldn’t blame Jimin entirely.

Yoongi was resting in his room when Seokjin told Jimin he could go see him, while Seokjin and Namjoon remained in the living room.

Jimin knocked on the door and entered hesitantly. “Yoongi hyung…”

Yoongi’s eyes widened with a smile. “Jiminie!”

Jimin quickly ran to him, hugging him tightly as he burst into tears, repeatedly apologizing. “I thought you were mad at me,” Jimin cried, “and that you wouldn’t want to talk to me anymore.”

Yoongi gently rubbed his back, comforting him. “There’s no way I could ever be mad at you.”

Jimin pulled back slightly, sitting beside Yoongi on the bed. He fidgeted with the hem of his shirt, his voice trembling. “That day… I found a picture in your bag.”

Yoongi’s brows furrowed in mild irritation. “You shouldn’t be going through other people’s things, Jimin,” he scolded gently.

“I know! I’m sorry,” Jimin apologized quickly. “Your brother… he looks like me,” he said quietly.

“Oh…” Yoongi muttered.

“And that day, you even called me by his name. So I thought… maybe you only became my friend because I remind you of him and not because you really wanted to be my friend,” Jimin finished, his expression troubled.

Yoongi’s eyes widened in shock. “Of course not!” He sighed deeply before explaining, “I mean, yes, you do resemble him. And maybe, in the day we met, I defended you because of that. He was bullied, too. But… when I got to know you, I realized that you’re like him in more than just appearance—you have similar mannerisms and behaviors. But you’re not him. You’re Jimin. And I became your friend because you’re you. Even if you didn’t look like him, even if you acted differently, I would still want to be your friend. Your resemblance to him doesn’t change that.”

“And that day,” Yoongi continued, “I was half-asleep. Sometimes, I accidentally call Jungkook by his name, too, or even call Uncle Kim ‘Mom’ by mistake. It wasn’t something you should take personally.”

Jimin broke down into tears again, hugging Yoongi tightly.

Yoongi patted his back soothingly. “Stop crying, Jimin. I’m sad that you thought that way, but I’m not angry with you. I forgive you, so please don’t cry anymore.”

---

Seokjin placed a tray loaded with glasses of juice, some cut fruit, and cookies on the table.

“Come on, kids! I brought you some snacks~” he called out cheerfully.

Yoongi, deeply focused on playing a video game with Jimin, responded without looking up, “Wait, Dad, just until this round is over.”

Little by little, Yoongi was beginning to accept his reality. His nightmares had significantly lessened, he no longer needed to take vitamins, he was eating well, sleeping well, and had come to accept Jungkook as his “little brother” and Seokjin as his “father.” Perhaps it was thanks to Jimin’s support—who knows?

Jimin won the round, grinning triumphantly. “Hehe, I beat you!”

“That’s only because I went easy on you,” Yoongi teased.

“Just admit you lost, hyung~”

They paused the game to munch on the snacks and chat for a bit.

“I want to play too,” Jungkook said, emerging from his room and noticing them playing.

There were only two controllers, but Yoongi gestured for him to come over and handed him his own.

“Thanks, hyung!”

“Beat Jiminie for me,” Yoongi encouraged.

“He won’t be able to! I’m a grea—” Jimin started to brag, but before he could finish, Jungkook defeated him easily.

“You were losing to him?? He’s terrible at this game!” Jungkook exclaimed in disbelief.

Jimin abandoned his controller, walking over to Yoongi. “Were you really going easy on me, hyung??”

“Oops,” Yoongi glanced away, avoiding his gaze.

“I don’t believe you,” Jimin said, crossing his arms with a pout.

Yoongi moved closer to him. “Sorry, but you really are terrible at this game. It wouldn’t be fun if I beat you too quickly.”

“Yah!” Jimin yelled at him in frustration.

Yoongi burst into laughter. “I’m just kidding! I’m bad at this too—Jungkook’s just way too good.”

Jungkook tossed the controller back to Yoongi. “Playing with you two isn’t fun.”

Jimin glanced at the wall clock and stood up quickly. “It’s late—I need to get home before sunset.”

Yoongi stood up with him. “I’ll walk you.”

“But you’ll be late getting back,” Jimin protested.

Yoongi rolled his eyes, grabbing Jimin’s hand and pulling him towards the door. “I said I’ll walk you.”

“Dad, I’m taking Jimin home!” Yoongi shouted as they left the house.

“Don’t be late! Be back before sunset!” Seokjin called after them.

Once outside, Yoongi suggested, “Do you want to stop and get some ice cream?”

“But the sun’s about to set…” Jimin hesitated.

“We won’t be long, don’t worry.”

Jimin bit his lip, unconvinced, but he really wanted some ice cream, so he agreed. They went to a nearby shop, bought their ice cream, and after enjoying it, they stepped out of the store only to be greeted by a small white kitten.

“Hyung, look! It’s a cat—so cute!” Jimin exclaimed, letting go of Yoongi’s hand to approach the kitten.

He spent some time petting and playing with the kitten, laughing as Yoongi watched with a smile.

“Ah! We’re late!” Jimin suddenly shouted, realizing the sun was beginning to set.

They were still quite a distance from Jimin’s house. He grabbed Yoongi’s hand, ready to run, but then remembered that running might tire Yoongi out, even though Yoongi had told him he was better now and could run without any problems. But Jimin wasn’t convinced.

When they finally arrived at Jimin’s house, they found Namjoon standing outside, phone pressed to his ear, talking to someone.

“They’re here!” Namjoon said quickly before hanging up.

He rushed over to Jimin and hugged him tightly. “Where were you? You had me worried sick! I told you to be back before sunset. Do you know what time it is now? What kept you so long?” he scolded, his voice thick with concern.

“He was with me, uncle,” Yoongi tried to explain, trying to calm Namjoon down.

“So what? You’re still a child, Yoongi. You’re only eleven. It’s dangerous to be out this late!” Namjoon reprimanded, his worry evident.

“Sorry…” Yoongi murmured.

Namjoon extended his arms to Yoongi, pulling him into a hug as well. “Thank God you’re both safe.”

He released them, straightening up. “Now, come inside, both of you.”

“I need to get back,” Yoongi said, trying to leave.

“I was just on the phone with your dad,” Namjoon said, “He’s worried about you too. He was searching the neighborhood for you. Come inside and wait until he picks you up.”

---

"Why does he have to eat with us?" Yoongi hissed quietly to Jimin, who was sitting beside him.

"Hyung, be nice. He's my friend," Jimin replied softly.

Yoongi frowned, his eyebrows knitting together in displeasure. "I don't like him."

"You don't have to, but don't be rude," Jimin insisted.

Finally, Taehyung arrived and sat across from Jimin at the dining table. "Sorry for being late," Taehyung apologized, then greeted them. "Hey, Chimmy. Hi, Yoongi hyung."

"Hey, taetae," Jimin responded cheerfully.

But Yoongi just scowled at Taehyung. "I wish you'd been even later," he muttered under his breath.

Jimin pinched Yoongi’s thigh under the table. "I said, be nice," he whispered sternly.

"But I really, really don't like him," Yoongi grumbled.

"Ah! You're being so childish," Jimin sighed.

"Chimmy, your kimbap looks delicious," Taehyung commented, eyeing the food on Jimin’s lunchbox.

"Do you want a piece?" Jimin offered, and Taehyung nodded eagerly.

Jimin picked up a piece with his chopsticks, but before he could pass it to Taehyung, Yoongi grabbed Jimin's hand and brought the piece to his own mouth, eating it instead.

"Mmm, delicious, Jiminie," Yoongi said with a smug smile.

Jimin sighed, picking up the last piece of kimbap. But once again, Yoongi intercepted, taking it before Jimin could give it to Taehyung.

"Yoonie hyung!!" Jimin exclaimed, exasperated.

Yoongi ignored him, continuing to chew contentedly.

"Chimmy, how about you come over to my place after school?" Taehyung suggested.

"No, he's coming to my place," Yoongi interjected immediately.

Taehyung blinked twice, then dismissed Yoongi, turning his attention back to Jimin. "So, what do you think?"

"Well, I—"

Yoongi cut in again, "I told you, no!"

"I wasn't asking you!" Taehyung snapped, getting frustrated.

"Stop fighting! I'm not going to either of your houses. I’ll just stay at home," Jimin declared, putting an end to the argument.

"Then can I come over to your place?" Taehyung asked hopefully.

"No, I'm going," Yoongi countered stubbornly.

The two boys started bickering again until Jimin finally stopped them.

"Listen, both of you can come over, but only if you promise not to argue. Otherwise, I won’t talk to either of you. Deal?"

Taehyung nodded eagerly.

"Hyung?" Jimin asked, looking at Yoongi.

"Fine," Yoongi agreed reluctantly.

"Great!" Jimin smiled, feeling relieved.

---

After school, as they walked to Jimin’s house, Yoongi held Jimin's hand while glancing triumphantly at Taehyung.

Taehyung tried to grab Jimin’s other hand, but Yoongi suddenly pretended to feel dizzy.

He stopped in his tracks, clutching Jimin's hand tighter while placing his other hand over his chest. "Jiminie... I'm... tired," he said weakly.

Jimin immediately looked concerned, gently patting Yoongi's back. He glanced around and noticed some benches in front of a nearby grocery store.

"Can you walk a little further, Hyung? There's a place to sit over there," Jimin asked, worried.

Yoongi nodded, so Jimin wrapped an arm around his shoulders, helping him walk over to the benches. He helped Yoongi sit down and then sat beside him, pulling a water bottle from his bag and handing it to Yoongi.

After Yoongi took a sip, he leaned his head on Jimin's shoulder, but Jimin gently repositioned him so that his head was resting in Jimin’s lap instead.

"It’s okay, hyung. You’ll be fine," Jimin soothed, running his fingers through Yoongi’s hair.

Meanwhile, Taehyung went into the store to buy some orange juice for Yoongi. From what Jimin had told him, he knew that Yoongi sometimes skipped meals, which made him tire easily. Taehyung thought the vitamin-rich juice might give Yoongi some energy. He didn’t suspect for a moment that Yoongi was faking it...

"Here, hyung," Taehyung said, offering the juice to Yoongi.

Yoongi looked surprised—he hadn’t expected this gesture from Taehyung at all. He simply nodded his thanks and took the juice quietly.

"We can rest a bit longer if you’re still not feeling better," Jimin suggested after Yoongi finished the juice.

Yoongi shook his head. "No, I’m okay."

"Are you sure?" Jimin asked again.

"Yes, I’m sure," Yoongi confirmed, sitting up straight.

---

“Dad, I’m home!” Jimin called out as soon as he stepped through the door.

Namjoon set down the book he was reading. “Welcome back, Jiminie.”

He looked up and noticed that Yoongi and Taehyung were with him. Both boys greeted him politely.

Jimin had expected them to bicker the entire time, but surprisingly, they hadn’t fought at all!

“Hyung, are you still tired?” Jimin asked Yoongi. It was the only explanation Jimin could think of. Just a few hours ago, the two of them were arguing outside the school gate before leaving.

Yoongi shook his head. “I’m perfectly fine. Why?”

Jimin pursed his lips. “You haven’t argued with taetae since we left school.”

Yoongi laughed heartily. “Weren’t you the one who told us not to fight? I don’t understand you, Jiminie.”

“But still… it’s just so strange…”

“Well… I thought I’d give him a chance,” Yoongi said, his tone a little softer.

Jimin’s eyes widened in delight. “Really?!”

Yoongi nodded, and Jimin hugged him tightly, causing them both to tumble over.

Finally, his friends wouldn’t fight anymore, and he could hang out with both of them without any trouble.

---

“I’m sitting next to Jiminie!”

“No, I am!”

“No, I am!”

Jimin sighed, holding his head in his hands. "I’m really going to cry," he muttered to himself.

He spotted Jungkook entering the cafeteria with his friends. Quickly, Jimin stood up, waving frantically and calling out to him. Jungkook apologized to his friends and made his way over to Jimin, pulling him into a seat beside him, effectively ending Yoongi and Taehyung’s argument.

"Jungkook, I’m your brother. You have to listen to me. Get up so I can sit with Jiminie,” Yoongi demanded.

But Jimin protested, “No, Hyung! You said you’d give Taehyung a chance, but you’ve been arguing with him the whole time!”

Yoongi’s eyes widened in disbelief. “He’s the one who keeps provoking me with his actions!”

Taehyung furrowed his brows, “What have I done to you?”

“You cling to Jiminie all the time and call him those silly nicknames! Don’t you have any other friends?”

“And what about you?!”

“No, I don’t have any! And for your information, he was my friend before he was yours.”

“Okay, that might be true, but I’m closer to him than you are~”

“That’s not true!”

“Yes, it is.”

“No, it’s not!”

Jimin sighed, ignoring them, and started talking to Jungkook instead.

“Hyung, recess is going to end soon. Eat your lunch, or Dad will get mad again,” Jungkook said as he stood up and pulled Yoongi into a seat.

Taehyung gasped in disbelief, “Jungkook, how could you betray me like this?”

“Please, Hyung, be the mature one here and just eat your food too.”

Jungkook turned to Jimin, “Goodbye, Jiminie Hyung. See you tomorrow.”

“Wha—he didn’t even say goodbye to me,” Yoongi pouted as he chewed his food.

Jimin patted his back. “That’s because you’ll see him after school and at home, Hyung.”

---

“I’m home...” Jimin announced wearily as he walked through the door.

“What’s wrong with your son? He looks troubled,” Hoseok whispered to Namjoon, who shrugged, indicating he had no idea.

“Oh! Hoseokie Hyung!”

“Hey, kid~”

“I missed you, Hyung,” Jimin pouted as he approached Hoseok.

Hoseok ruffled his hair, “I missed you too.” He patted the space beside him on the couch, “Why don’t you sit and tell me what happened at school? You seem sad.”

Jimin exhaled a heavy sigh, making Hoseok struggle to hold back his laughter because Jimin looked like an old man carrying the world’s burdens.

“My friends are always fighting.”

“Wait, wait, wait... You said ‘friends’? As in plural? You have another friend and didn’t tell me?”

“Hyuuuuung...”

“Sorry, sorry, go on.”

“It’s just that...”

“Oh, so they’re your friends, but they don’t get along together?” Hoseok asked for confirmation, and Jimin nodded.

“How about I take you out for some ice cream?”

“Hyuuuuung... Just admit you don’t have a solution and stop trying to distract me,” Jimin grumbled.

“I mean, there’s not really much that can be done.”

Jimin pouted and lowered his head.

“Butttttt... there’s a very high chance they’ll get along eventually. A lot of friendships start with a bit of fighting, you know?”

---

“Why is Jungkook sitting next to you again today?” Yoongi asked with a pout as he arrived at their usual table.

“Because I’m mad at you.”

Yoongi gasped, “Why?? What did I do? I’m sorry! Please forgive me—I won’t do it again.”

“Why are you apologizing?”

“I don’t know, but I’m sorry!”

“Apology not accepted...”

“Jiminieeeee,” Yoongi whined.

“Listen to me, Mr. Yoongi Hyung.”

Yoongi gasped again, cutting Jimin off. “Yoongi?? Yoonggggi??”

Jimin sighed before continuing, “Yes, Yoongi! No hugs, no hand-holding, no sitting next to me, no visits, no hanging out—nothing! Until you stop fighting with Taehyung.”

Yoongi pouted, grabbing Jimin’s right hand with both of his and holding it tightly. “I promise I won’t! Just please don’t be mad at me.”

Jimin exhaled, “Alright.”

Yoongi grinned widely, shoving his brother to the other end of the table so he could sit beside Jimin.

“That stu–... uh, I mean, Taehyung! He’s not coming today?”

Jimin shook his head, “He’s finishing his homework in class, so no.”

Yoongi beamed, beginning to eat his lunch. While doing so, Jimin leaned against Yoongi’s left arm, resting his head on his shoulder. “I’m sleepy...”

“Didn’t you sleep well last night?” Yoongi asked.

“No... I stayed up with Hoseok Hyung watching movies.”

Yoongi patted his head. “You can sleep. I’ll wake you up when recess ends.”

Jimin mumbled sleepily and quickly dozed off on Yoongi’s shoulder.

“Hyung, I’m heading out,” Jungkook whispered as he stood up after finishing his lunch.

Recess had ended, and Yoongi really didn’t want to wake Jimin up, but if he didn’t, Jimin would miss his classes...

“Jiminie,” Yoongi whispered, gently shaking Jimin.

“Is recess over?” Jimin asked, rubbing his right eye.

“Yes.”

Jimin pouted in dissatisfaction, getting up with Yoongi following suit. Jimin clung to Yoongi’s arm again, dragging his feet as they walked to the bathrooms, where Jimin washed his face before heading to class.

“Don’t fall asleep in class, Jimin, or the teacher will punish you,” Yoongi warned before leaving.

“I’ll try...” Jimin replied sleepily before entering his classroom.

“He’s definitely going to fall asleep,” Yoongi mumbled to himself before heading to his own class.

---

“Did you get punished?” Yoongi asked with a laugh.

“Don’t make fun of me!”

“Okay, okay~”

“The teacher made me stand for the whole class,” Jimin grumbled, puffing out his cheeks.

“Awww, poor Jiminie,” Yoongi teased, pinching his cheek. “Let’s head home so you can sleep.”

He turned to Jungkook, who had just exited the school gates. “Jungkookie, head home by yourself today. I’m going with Jiminie.”

“Alright” Jungkook replied, uninterested.

Yoongi always either went home with Jimin or the other way around, so Jungkook didn’t really mind.

Jimin latched onto Yoongi’s back. “Carry meeee. I want to sleep~”

“I can’t carry you; you’re too heavy.”

Jimin smacked Yoongi on the head, annoyed.

“Sorry, sorry.” He rubbed his head “But really, we need to hurry back. If we’re late, your dad will get mad at me again.”

Jimin laughed loudly. “He scolds you every time he sees you now.”

Yoongi pouted. “He definitely hates me. If he sees me carrying you into the house, oh my god, he’ll kill me thinking you’re sick and I had something to do with it.”

Jimin laughed at him, letting go to intertwine their hands. “Let’s hurry home then~”

When they arrived, Jimin tried to open the door, but it was locked. “It’s locked... Dad must not be back from work yet.”

“Want to go to my house?” Yoongi suggested.

But Jimin sat down on the ground, whining, “But I want to sleeeeep, and your house is so faaaaar.”

Yoongi looked around, then took Jimin’s hand and helped him up. Jimin followed as Yoongi led him towards the backyard. Yoongi sat down, leaning against the fence.

He patted his thigh, “The weather is nice. Let’s stay here. You can sleep.”

Jimin smiled, lying down on the ground and resting his head in Yoongi’s lap.

“Aren’t you going to get bored?” Jimin asked sleepily before drifting off.

Yoongi shook his head, “Don’t worry about it, just sleep.”

But of course, he did get bored, and eventually, he ended up falling asleep, too.

---

“What??? He’s not at your place?!” Namjoon exclaimed in disbelief as he talked on the phone while opening the front door. “I told him to stay with Yoongi because I’d be late today.”

“Huh?! Jungkook told me Yoongi went with Jimin.”

“Oh god...” Namjoon exhaled in frustration. “Maybe they stayed in the neighborhood park or something. I’ll go look for them.”

“I’ll look around, too.”

They said their goodbyes, and Namjoon hung up, stepping back inside to quickly change his clothes before heading out again.

He was about to head to the house next door to ask his neighbor if she had seen the boys when he noticed something near the garden fence. As he got closer, he realized it was Yoongi’s back! Namjoon let out a relieved sigh and headed back inside.

"Jiminie! Yoongi!" Namjoon shouted, rushing towards them.

Both of them woke up, and Jimin groggily sat up from Yoongi's lap. "You’re back?" he asked, still sleepy.

"I told you to stay with Yoongi because I was going to be late," Namjoon scolded.

Jimin frowned and mumbled, "No, you didn’t."

"I did, during breakfast," Namjoon sighed, rubbing his temples. "Even if I didn’t, when you found the door locked, why didn’t you go to Yoongi’s house?"

Jimin pouted, "Don’t be mad, Dad. I get it, I’m sorry. I won’t do it again. Can we go inside now? I’m hungry."

Namjoon sighed loudly, and Yoongi quickly apologized "I’m sorry, sir, I suggested we go to my house, but Jiminie was too tired and sleepy to walk,"

"Just get inside," he said tiredly. "Let me call your dad. He must be worried too,"

"Sorry," they both apologized as they got up

---

"Is Yoongi hyung here?" Taehyung asked as he entered Yoongi's classroom.

"Yoongi? Which Yoongi? I need a full name," the boy replied.

"I don’t know his last name... how many Yoongis are in this class?"

"Just one~~ I was just messing with you, kid."

He pointed to Yoongi's seat, where Yoongi had his head resting on the table. "He’s over there."

"Thanks," Taehyung said, heading toward Yoongi. "Yoongi hyung," he called out.

Yoongi mumbled without lifting his head.

"Hyung," Taehyung repeated.

Yoongi sighed and finally looked up. "What are you doing here?"

Taehyung rolled his eyes. "I regret coming here."

"Just tell me what you want."

Taehyung turned as if to leave. "Fine, I guess you don’t want to come to Chimmy’s birthday party. I’ll just go see Jungkook then."

"Wait! No!" Yoongi shouted, grabbing his arm.

Taehyung turned back with a smirk. "Lunch break. Wait for me by the bathrooms next to the cafeteria."

Yoongi nodded, and Taehyung left as the classes were about to start.

---

"Oh, you’re alone today, Jiminie hyung?" Jungkook asked, sitting across from Jimin at the table.

Jimin nodded with a pout. "Tae’s having lunch with a friend, and Yoongi hyung has to work on a project with his partner."

Jungkook hummed in acknowledgment before smiling. "But I’m here~~"

---

"What’s up? Why the urgency?" Yoongi asked as soon as he entered and saw Taehyung.

"I was at Chimmy’s house yesterday, and there was this friend of his dad’s? Hoseok hyung?"

"Oh, I know him."

"Well, he told me they’re planning a surprise birthday party, so we need to keep Jimin busy tomorrow so he doesn’t go home. We also need to help with the preparations, and oh! Don’t forget the gifts!"

"That’s easy. I’ll tell Jungkook to invite him to our house and keep him there. We can set everything up then."

"And we have to pretend we don’t know it’s his birthday, so he’s really surprised by the party."

Yoongi sternly warned, "Just pretending we don’t know about his birthday. Don’t do that typical ‘ignore’ thing. I swear, if I see him upset because you ignored him, I’ll punch you."

"Yeah, yeah. It’s tomorrow. Don’t forget," Taehyung said as he left.

"I know his birthday is tomorrow, and I won’t forget!" Yoongi yelled after him.

---

"Dad! Are you taking me to the amusement park tomorrow?" Jimin asked excitedly before his dad turned off the lights of his room.

"Why? Is tomorrow a special day?"

"No... never mind..." Jimin mumbled, lowering his head sadly.

"Alright then~ Goodnight, Jimin," his dad said, turning off the lights.

"Goodnight," Jimin whispered softly, pulling the blanket over himself.

---

"Jiminie, are you okay?" Yoongi asked.

Jimin hummed in response but didn’t say anything as he closed his lunchbox after just opening it.

"Didn’t like what your dad made? Want to share with me?" Yoongi offered, pushing his lunchbox closer to Jimin.

"No, I just don’t feel like eating."

"Why?" Yoongi asked, concerned.

Jimin frowned, answering, "Dad forgot my birthday..."

Yoongi pulled him into a hug, gently patting his back. "Oh, Jiminie, I’m sure he didn’t."

Jimin tightened his grip on Yoongi’s shirt. "But he always takes me to the amusement park every year to celebrate. And when I asked him yesterday, he said, 'Is tomorrow a special day?' He doesn’t remember at all..." Jimin mumbled.

Yoongi hugged him tighter. "Don’t cry, Jiminie. Maybe he was just sleepy and didn’t pay attention to what you were saying."

Jimin remained silent, clearly not satisfied with that explanation.

Luckily for Yoongi, Jimin didn’t realize that Yoongi had completely glossed over his birthday and hadn’t wished him or given him a gift. But unfortunately, it seemed like Jimin cared more about his dad forgetting his birthday than Yoongi forgetting.

Or maybe he just didn’t expect anything from Yoongi since they hadn’t been friends for that long—only a few months.

Jungkook arrived and sat across from Yoongi at the lunch table. "Hey!"

Jimin finally pulled away from Yoongi to greet Jungkook. "Hi, Jungkook."

"Hey, hyung, what do you think about coming over to our house to hang out today?" Jungkook asked enthusiastically.

"Yeah, Jiminie, that’s a great idea," Yoongi added.

"Okay..." Jimin agreed.

"Good! Now, eat your lunch."

Jimin pouted, and Yoongi sighed, reopening Jimin’s lunchbox. He picked up a piece of egg with his chopsticks and brought it to Jimin’s mouth. "Open up, Jiminie."

Jimin sighed but opened his mouth, letting Yoongi feed him the piece of egg. Then he smiled.

"Am I supposed to feed you everything?" Yoongi asked, chuckling.

But Jimin took advantage of the situation and opened his mouth wide. "Ahhh."

"Alright, alright, you spoiled thing," Yoongi laughed.

---

Yoongi rushed out of school to find Jungkook and Jimin waiting for him at the gate.

"Sorry, I think I’m going to be late. I need to finish the project with my partner."

Jimin pouted, but Yoongi ruffled his hair. "I’ll be back soon. You two go ahead."

He waved them off, and after seeing them leave, he headed back inside to find Taehyung.

"Let’s go so we’re not late."

Seeing Taehyung holding a bag, Yoongi asked out of curiosity, "What’s that?"

"A gift for Jiminie. I don’t see you holding anything. Did you forget his gift?"

Yoongi rolled his eyes and turned to walk away. "None of your business."

Taehyung followed him, teasing. "You totally did! Waaaah."

"I didn’t."

"Then show me the gift."

"I won’t because it’s none of your business."

"So you did forget it!"

Yoongi sighed, ignoring Taehyung. He really didn’t want to waste time arguing with him.

---

"Did you really have to make it a surprise party?" Yoongi asked Hoseok while tying a balloon after inflating it.

"Why do you sound so mad, Yoongi?"

"Because it’s ridiculous! I mean, he knows it’s his birthday; it’s not like he forgot. What’s the point of making it a surprise?" Yoongi turned to Namjoon and continued, "Do you know how sad Jimin was when you pretended to forget his birthday? He was holding back tears all day. He didn’t even eat his lunch until I forced him to."

That was the last balloon, so Yoongi tied it off and tossed it to the floor. "My job’s done. I’m out."

"Where are you going?" Namjoon asked.

"To Jiminie," Yoongi replied as he walked out of the house.

Hoseok and Namjoon exchanged worried glances.

"He’s been upset all day. Don’t worry about it. Jimin will love the party," Taehyung tried to ease the tension that filled the room.

---

Yoongi opened the front door and shouted, "Jiminieee!!"

Jimin put down the controller he was using to play video games with Jungkook. "Hey, hyung, thanks for inv—"

Yoongi cut him off, grabbing his hand and pulling him up. "Come with me, Jiminie. Let’s go, Jungkook."

"Oh! Wait for me; I need to grab something," Jungkook said as he hurried to his room, probably to get Jimin’s gift.

"Where are we going?" Jimin asked.

"To your house."

"I don’t understand..."

"Don’t worry, just come with me."

Yoongi took him to his house, and when they arrived, Yoongi knocked twice, then once, then twice again. Even though Yoongi thought this signal was silly, he did it to give the people inside a heads-up, just as Hoseok had instructed him.

Jimin was still confused by it all, and when Yoongi opened the door, the lights were off.

Jimin looked to his side, where Yoongi was holding his hands together, and—

"Surprise!! Happy birthday, Jiminie!" everyone shouted.

Jimin looked at them in shock before rushing to hug his dad. "You didn’t forget!!"

"Of course I didn’t, son."

Yoongi snuck over to grab the cake from Hoseok, who had just lit the candles. He approached Jimin while singing the birthday song, and everyone else joined in. After they finished, he asked Jimin to blow out the candles.

After Jimin did, Hoseok took the cake from Yoongi to start cutting it.

Jimin hugged Yoongi. "Hyungieee, did you know it was my birthday?"

"Of course!~ I really wanted to wish you a happy birthday this morning, but Taehyung threatened me not to spoil the surprise," Yoongi said, pouting.

Jimin chuckled at Yoongi's frustration.

"Happy Birthday, Jiminie," Yoongi added with a warm smile as he began to step away. "I got you a gift."

"Really???" he asked with enthusiasm.

Yoongi reached into his pocket, pulling out a small gift and handing it to Jimin. "It's nothing much, but... I hope you like it."

Jimin opened his hand to see the gift. "A key?"

"That's not all," Yoongi said as he pulled out a folded note from his pocket and handed it to Jimin.

Just as Jimin was about to open it, Yoongi gently stopped him. "Later, Jiminie."

Jimin smiled and hugged Yoongi tightly. "Thank you, hyung."

Taehyung pushed Yoongi away without Jimin noticing. "Happy Birthday, Chimmy," Taehyung said as he handed over a bag.

Jimin opened it to find a comic book inside. "Thank you, Taetae!!" He hugged Taehyung tightly.

Next, it was the others’ turn. Jungkook gave him a drawing he had made, Namjoon promised to take him to the amusement park over the weekend—something he did every year for Jimin's birthday—and Hoseok gifted him a bicycle.

Jimin was overjoyed with the party everyone had organized for him. He hadn't had a real birthday party since he was two years old; he had gotten used to celebrating by going to the amusement park with his dad and maybe having some cake at home in the evening.

When the party ended and everyone left, Jimin headed to his room. After his dad wished him a good night and turned off the lights, Jimin eagerly pulled out the note Yoongi had given him.

[Happy birthday, Minnie!

Remember that day when we were watching TV, and you said that treasure hunting looked fun and you'd love to try it?

Well, drawing a map seemed silly, so...

I've left you a clue here, and you’ll have to find the next clue, and the one after that, until you discover the treasure's location.

The key will help you unlock it.

Good luck, Jiminie!!

Oh, wait—
The first clue is: a black body, a white heart, and a green head. What is it??

When you find it, you’ll get the second clue~~]

"Huh? A black body, a white heart, and a green head? An alien??"

"Ahhh, Hyuuung, this is too hard!" Jimin whined.

"I’ll search for it tomorrow. It’s okay. I’m sleepy," he mumbled before drifting off to sleep.

---

"Hyuuung!" Jimin called out sweetly, clinging to Yoongi’s arm.

"No, Minnie," Yoongi replied with a teasing grin. "It won’t be fun if I just give you the answer."

Jimin pouted dramatically, crossing his arms. "It’s been three days! Aren’t I supposed to get my birthday gift on the same day?"

"Alright, alright, I’ll give you a hint," Yoongi chuckled, amused by Jimin’s impatience.

Jimin’s eyes lit up as he leaned closer, eager to hear.

"It’s a type of vegetable," Yoongi said, his tone playful. Before Jimin could ask anything else, Yoongi added, "No, Minnie, that’s enough. I won’t say more."

Jimin smiled, nuzzling his head into Yoongi’s shoulder while still holding his arm. "I love it when you call me Minnie."

"Really?"

"Mhm~"

"Do you like being called Minnie more than Chimmy?" Yoongi asked, teasing.

Jimin huffed. "Hyung, don’t start a fight with Taehyung over this."

"Alright, alright, I’m sorry," Yoongi said with mock defeat. "So, who’s your best friend? Me or Taehyung?"

"Hyuuuung," Jimin whined, shaking his head.

"Okay, okay, I’m sorry," Yoongi raised his hands in surrender. "But if you tell me, I promise I’ll stop arguing with him."

Yoongi’s hopeful expression made Jimin giggle. "For real this time? I know you argue with him when I’m not around."

Yoongi looked away, avoiding Jimin’s playful gaze.

Leaning close, Jimin whispered softly into Yoongi’s ear, "It’s you. And I like Minnie more, too."

Yoongi’s heart swelled with happiness. He always bickered with Taehyung out of jealousy, but now that Jimin had confirmed he preferred Yoongi, there was no reason to fight. After all, he had already won.

They finished their lunch, and Yoongi dropped Jimin off at his class. "See you after school, Minnie."

"Bye, Hyungie~~"

As Yoongi left, he noticed Taehyung sitting with his friends. He hadn’t seen Taehyung hanging around Jimin much lately. In fact, Yoongi realized Jimin had been eating lunch with him more often than with Taehyung. It struck Yoongi as odd—hadn't Taehyung always been glued to Jimin’s side? What had changed?

---

"Okay, black fruit… black fruit…" Jimin muttered to himself, thinking hard about the riddle.

He reread it again. "A black body, a white heart, and a green head… If it’s a fruit like Yoongi hyung said, then the outside is black, the inside is white… and the green part must be the stem?"

“Dad!!” Jimin called out suddenly.

"Yes, sweetheart?" Namjoon replied, not looking up from his phone.

"Is there a fruit that’s black on the outside and white on the inside?"

Namjoon paused to think. "Mangosteen?"

"What’s that?"

"A fruit."

Jimin frowned. "That doesn’t sound right…"

He thought it over again. If the second clue was hidden in the answer to the riddle, it had to be something Jimin could find. A fruit… it must be in the kitchen! Jimin raced to the fridge, opening it to rummage through the shelves. His eyes landed on some eggplants.

"Is it this?" He picked up one, inspecting its dark skin. As he shuffled through the eggplants, he spotted a piece of paper stuck to one of them.

"Got it!" Jimin peeled the paper off, though he paused for a moment. "This is vegetable, not fruit… Yoongi hyung, you’re so tricky."

Opening the note, he read, "Well done, Minnie! You solved the first riddle!
Now here’s the second one: He can pack your lunch without a second thought, but burns toast like it's an art. He’s got more band-aids than you’ve had scrapes, but can’t find the ketchup in the fridge. Who could it be? Good luck, Minnie~~"

Jimin giggled as he read the riddle. "This is for sure, dad. That was super easy~" He ran towards Namjoon excitedly. "Dad, Dad, Dad!"

Namjoon hummed absentmindedly, still focused on his phone.

"Dad, did Yoongi hyung give you something for me?"

Namjoon thought for a moment, then recalled the note Yoongi had handed him on Jimin’s birthday, with strict instructions not to give it to Jimin until he asked for it.

Closing his phone, Namjoon sat up. "Hold on a second."

He went to his room, retrieved the note, and handed it to a gleeful Jimin, who immediately dashed to his own room to open it.

"Minnie, you’ve solved the second riddle!
Now here’s the third one: Four brothers with one head, what is it?? This might be the last one… Who knows~"

"What?! Is this a monster?" Jimin muttered to himself in frustration, finding this riddle even harder than the first one. "Why is treasure hunting so difficult…"

Despite the challenge, Jimin couldn’t help but smile. Yoongi had put so much effort into crafting this scavenger hunt. As tough as the riddles were, Jimin was truly enjoying himself, eager to discover what the final treasure would be.

---

Yoongi made his way to Jimin’s class just as lunch break started, intending to walk together to the cafeteria.

But when he opened the door, he was greeted by loud laughter, and a crowd of students gathered around Jimin. His heart sank when he saw Jimin sitting at his desk, fists clenched on his lap, head lowered, and… were those tears streaming down his cheeks?

Fury bubbled up inside Yoongi as he stormed over and punched the nearest person, sending them sprawling to the floor.

"What the—" Before they could finish, Yoongi landed another punch.

His eyes widened when he realized who it was. "Taehyung?!!! I knew I couldn’t trust you from the start!" Yoongi shouted, hitting him again in blind rage.

A few more punches followed as the other students scattered in fear. Then, without a word, Yoongi grabbed Jimin’s hand and dragged him out of the classroom.

They ended up in the bathroom, where Jimin clung to Yoongi, sobbing loudly into his chest.

Yoongi rubbed soothing circles on Jimin’s back. "Minnie, don’t cry. I taught him a lesson. No one will mess with you again, I promise."

Jimin didn’t respond, his tears flowing harder. It wasn’t the bullying that hurt the most; it was that Taehyung—his so-called "friend"—had been the one to turn on him.

Taehyung had been distant lately, not standing up for Jimin when others mocked him. But Jimin had given him the benefit of the doubt, thinking everything was fine when Taehyung attended his birthday party and brought a gift. Now, it was clear that something was wrong all along.

Finally, when Jimin’s sobs died down, Yoongi gently pulled back to inspect him. "Are you okay, Minnie? Did they hurt you?"

Jimin shook his head. "No one touched me, Hyung. Don’t worry."

Relieved, Yoongi smiled and took Jimin’s hand. "Let’s wash your face."

Jimin smiled back, letting Yoongi take care of him. After Yoongi helped wash and dry Jimin’s face, they linked hands again and headed to the cafeteria.

"I don’t feel like eating," Jimin mumbled with a pout.

"You have to, Minnie! I’ll feed you myself if I have to."

"My lunchbox is in the classroom…"

"I know. I’ll get it for you."

They made their way to their usual spot, where Jungkook was waiting. "What took you guys so long? I turned down my friends to eat lunch with you today."

"Sorry, Jungkookie," Jimin apologized as they all sat down.

Yoongi turned to Jungkook. "Stay with Minnie while I go grab his lunchbox from the classroom."

"Okay, Hyung."

Yoongi’s anger flared again when he thought about confronting Taehyung, but when he got to the classroom, it was empty. He grabbed Jimin’s lunchbox from his bag and also picked up his that had fallen to the floor earlier before heading back to the cafeteria. Seeing Jimin laughing and talking with Jungkook calmed Yoongi’s nerves.

After they finished lunch, Jungkook left for his class, leaving Jimin and Yoongi alone.

"Are you going to be okay going back to class?" Yoongi asked, concern in his voice.

"I don’t want to miss my lessons, Hyung. I’ll be fine," Jimin replied, offering a small smile. "I’ve gotten used to being bullied because of my mom."

Yoongi’s eyes darkened with anger. "I swear, I’ll break every one of their heads if they hurt you, Minnie."

Jimin giggled, "Ooooh, Hyungie’s so violent~~"

Yoongi walked Jimin to his class, glanced around, and noticed Taehyung wasn't there. He felt relieved and returned to his own class.

"Yoongi, the principal is asking for you," one of his classmates said as soon as Yoongi entered the room.

Yoongi placed his empty lunchbox in his bag and headed to the principal’s office.

He knocked on the door, then entered. Bowing respectfully, he asked, “You wanted to see me, sir?”

“Yes, Yoongi. Come in.”

Upon entering, Yoongi noticed Taehyung sitting there, holding an ice pack to his cheek.

“I assume you know why you’re here?” the principal asked, gesturing for Yoongi to sit beside Taehyung.

“Yes, sir,” Yoongi replied.

“Your parents are on their way,” the principal said before starting to scold him. “So, do you admit to hitting Taehyung?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Can I ask why?”

“Well... he was bullying Jimin, along with some other students,” Yoongi said.

“Let’s assume that’s true. Was violence really the best solution?” the principal asked.

Yoongi pressed his lips together, not answering.

The principal was about to continue his scolding when a knock at the door interrupted them. In walked Seokjin, and Taehyung’s mother.

The principal explained the situation to them and again asked the boys who started the fight and why. He completely dismissed the fact that Taehyung had bullied Jimin and focused on Yoongi beating up a younger student. And he decided to suspend Yoongi for two weeks.

“Why did you do that, Yoongi?” Seokjin asked as they left the office.

“I told you before—he was bullying, Jimin! I wasn’t going to just stand by. And I don’t regret it, by the way!”

“I understand, dear. I know you wanted to defend Jimin, but violence isn’t the answer. You could have told a teacher.”

Yoongi rolled his eyes at that. "As if that would’ve done anything..." He started walking in the opposite direction. “I’m going home with Jimin.”

Seokjin almost stopped him but decided against it. The school day wasn’t over, but Yoongi returned to his class, packed his things, and headed to Jimin’s classroom.

He sat on the floor outside, reading one of the books he always carried in his bag while waiting for the school day to end.

As soon as the bell rang, signaling the last class was over, Yoongi quickly stood up, waiting for Jimin’s teacher to leave before entering.

“Minnie, let’s go home!” Yoongi said with a smile, walking over to Jimin.

He helped Jimin pack his things, then took his hand, and they walked out together.

“Is it true you were called to the principal’s office?” Jimin asked with a frown.

“That’s not important, Minnie.”

“But—”

“I said it’s not important,” Yoongi interrupted.

As they left the school and walked towards Jimin’s house, Yoongi gently tightened his grip on Jimin’s hand and asked quietly, “Do you want to talk about it?”

“There’s no way out of it, huh?” Jimin joked. He looked up at the sky for a moment, then back down at the path ahead. “My mom got pregnant out of wedlock. And... after she gave birth to me, she left. Or, as everyone says, she ‘abandoned me.’ So, I’ve never met her. I don’t know anything about her. My dad doesn’t talk about her, and honestly, I don’t care. I mean, she didn’t want me, so why should I ask about her?” Yoongi frowned, saddened by what he was hearing.

“Since preschool, everyone’s bullied me about it. They call me ‘bastard’ or say things like ‘your mom doesn’t love you.'’ They make fun of me for it, and it never ends.” Yoongi rubbed his thumb across the back of Jimin’s hand, trying to comfort him.

“Taehyung is a transfer student, so he didn’t know anything at first. Naturally, he stood by my side on his first day. But lately... it seems like he’s found out. And maybe... he just doesn’t want to be friends with an illegitimate kid like me.”

“Jimin! Don’t say that!” Yoongi exclaimed.

“But it’s the truth, isn’t it? Everything they say is true. They didn’t lie about anything. Everything they say about me is right. I’m disgusting. Nobody wants to be friends with me. You’re probably going to leave me now, just like Taehyung.” Jimin burst into tears.

Yoongi pulled him into a tight hug, rubbing his back. “That’s not true, Jimin. None of it’s true. I won’t leave you, and you’re not disgusting. Don’t say those things, or I’ll really get mad at you. So what if your mom left? Why should I care? I’m an orphan, too, and you never cared about that. Why should I care if your mom left you? That doesn’t define who you are, Jimin.” He took a deep breath. “I’m really mad at you right now for saying all that nonsense and being so hard on yourself. They’re the ones missing out by not being your friend. You don’t need them. I’m here, Jimin. I’m by your side. You’re all I need, so... can I be all you need to?”

Jimin gripped Yoongi’s shirt tightly. “You are, hyung... I’m... I’m sorry.”

Yoongi gently pulled away from the hug, wiping Jimin’s tears from his cheeks. Then, he kissed both of Jimin’s eyes, making him smile. “Now, stop crying. You’ve cried enough. If you keep going, I’m really going to be mad at you.”

“Okay...”

Yoongi smiled, intertwining his hand with Jimin’s again. “Good. Let’s head home before we’re late. Your dad will get mad at me again.”

Jimin laughed loudly, squeezing Yoongi’s hand as they walked.

---

"Yoonie hyung, I've solved two already. Can you help me with this one?" Jimin asked, a slight pout forming on his lips.

"I helped you with the first one!" Yoongi replied with a teasing smirk.

"Hyunggg!" Jimin whined, puffing his cheeks.

"Minnie, stop pouting and making that face at me."

Jimin ignored him, pouting harder as he edged closer to Yoongi. Yoongi tried to turn away, but Jimin only moved closer, determined.

"Fine, fine!"

"Yay!" Jimin cheered, throwing his hands up in victory.

"I'll give you one clue, but that's it! Stop giving me those puppy eyes after that!" Yoongi warned.

"Yes, yes! Tell me!" Jimin said eagerly, his eyes wide with anticipation.

Yoongi sighed. "It’s not a monster like you said. It’s an object."

Jimin blinked twice. "An object? Is it a statue?! It’s a statue, right?!"

"No, Jimin..." Yoongi sighed again before getting up from the bed. He grabbed a pen and paper from the small table and returned to Jimin.

"How about you draw it? It might help you figure it out."

Jimin began sketching, still convinced it was a monster. His drawing had one head and four bodies.

Yoongi flipped the paper when he saw Jimin’s creation. "Try again, but this time, instead of a real head, just draw a circle. And for the bodies, draw them like single sticks."

Jimin did as he was told but stared at the drawing in confusion. "Hyung! This is too hard!"

Yoongi laughed softly. "Alright, I’ll help a little more. I told you it’s an object, right?"

Jimin nodded, clearly frustrated.

"Where did you find the second clue?"

"In the kitchen."

"And the third?"

"With Dad."

"So both clues are here, in the house. That means the third one is also something inside the house."

"Right!!" Jimin’s face lit up as he connected the dots.

"Now, think again. What could it be? Something inside the house."

Jimin thought for a while but eventually flopped back onto the bed in defeat. "I don’t knowwww!"

Yoongi laid down next to him. "Is it really that hard? I thought you were enjoying this."

"Of course I am, Yoonie hyung! It’s hard, but it’s also fun! And it’s making me even more excited about the gift!" Jimin said, hugging Yoongi.

Yoongi smiled and whispered, "I’m glad."

"You seem sleepy, hyung. Do you want to take a nap?"

Yoongi hummed in response, his eyes already closing.

Jimin got up, turned off the lights, and returned to bed, snuggling against Yoongi. "Let’s sleep together~"

Yoongi pulled the blanket over them, and soon enough, both of them were fast asleep.

—

Namjoon knocked gently on Jimin’s door before opening it. "Hey, you tw—oh my, they’re asleep." He flipped on the lights and approached them. "Come on, kids, time to wake up."

Jimin, still clinging to Yoongi, buried his face deeper into Yoongi’s chest, refusing to wake up.

"Come on, Jimin," Namjoon urged gently.

Jimin mumbled something incoherent, making Namjoon sigh.

"Yoongi?" he tried again, addressing the older boy this time.

Yoongi, who had his back to Namjoon, slowly opened his eyes. "It’s okay, sir. I’ll wake him up."

"Alright," Namjoon said softly. "I’ll check on you both later."

After Namjoon left the room, Yoongi lightly shook Jimin’s shoulder. "Minnie?"

"Hmmm?"

"Come on, time to wake up."

Jimin shook his head stubbornly. "I don't wanna..."

Yoongi sat up, pulling Jimin into a sitting position with him. "Come on, you little spoiled brat."

Jimin whined but followed Yoongi to the bathroom, still clinging to his arm with his head resting on Yoongi’s shoulder.

"Minnie!!" Yoongi laughed, washing his own face before turning to Jimin.

Jimin’s eyes fluttered open. "I’m awake."

Yoongi burst out laughing and helped Jimin wash his face. "You’re too cute."

"I’m hungry," Jimin complained.

Pulling the still-sleepy Jimin out of the bathroom, Yoongi teased, "I was the one who was sleepy, not you. How am I awake now, and you’re not?"

Jimin giggled. "I don’t know. Sleeping with you is just so cozy."

Jimin then sat beside his father, leaning on him. "Dad, I’m hungry..."

Namjoon shook his head with a chuckle. "Why did you two fall asleep at this hour? You won’t be able to sleep tonight."

"Sorry?" Jimin gave him a sheepish grin.

Namjoon smiled and got up. "I’ll set the table. I was just about to call you for dinner when I found you both asleep."

After dinner, Namjoon turned to Yoongi. "Are you staying over tonight?"

"If that’s alright with you, sir."

"Of course it is. Jimin loves having you around. Even though you keep making him fall asleep during the day and stay out late, you’re a good friend for him," Namjoon said with a wink.

Yoongi leaned over to Jimin, whispering, "See? He hates me."

Jimin giggled. "No, he doesn’t!"

Namjoon then asked Yoongi, "Did you tell your dad?"

Yoongi averted his gaze. "Not yet..."

Namjoon sighed. "It’s okay, I’ll talk to him. You two get some rest."

After returning to Jimin’s room, Namjoon made a phone call to Seokjin, filling him in on the situation.

"Tomorrow’s the weekend, so it’s fine if he stays over, right?" Namjoon asked.

"Of course. Is Jimin okay?"

Namjoon raised an eyebrow. "Why wouldn’t he be?"

"Hasn’t he told you...?"

"Told me what?"

Seokjin sighed before explaining the events at school and how Yoongi had been temporarily suspended.

"Oh my... I had no idea."

"I’m sorry... I shouldn’t have said anything."

"No, thank you for telling me. I’ll talk to him about it."

Namjoon ended the call, his expression serious. He headed to Jimin’s room, where the two boys were sitting on the bed, reading a comic book together.

"Jiminie, can I talk to you?" Namjoon asked softly, glancing at Yoongi. "In private?"

Yoongi closed the book and got up, heading out of the room.

"What’s going on, Dad?" Jimin asked, sitting up straighter.

Namjoon sat beside him. "What’s going on with you, Jimin?"

Jimin looked confused. "What do you mean?"

"Are you being bullied at school?"

Jimin’s eyes dropped to the floor, his silence answering the question.

"Why didn’t you tell me?!" Namjoon asked, hurt evident in his voice.

"I didn’t want you to worry..."

"Jimin, you have to talk to me about these things so I can help you," Namjoon said, pulling his son into a tight hug.

Tears welled up in Jimin’s eyes. "I’ve always been bullied... There’s nothing you can do, Dad."

Namjoon held him tighter. "Do you want me to transfer you to another school?"

Jimin immediately shook his head. "No!"

"Why not?" Namjoon asked, surprised.

"I want to stay with Yoonie hyung."

Namjoon sighed. "But—"

"No, it’s fine, Dad. I’m okay. Yoonie hyung is always there for me. He protects me."

Namjoon sighed again, rubbing Jimin’s back. "Alright, but I’m going to the school on Monday, and I’ll talk to the principal about this."

"Okay..."

Namjoon smiled and kissed Jimin’s forehead. "Don’t stay up too late. Goodnight, son."

"Goodnight, Dad."

As Namjoon left the room, he caught Yoongi by the arm. "I want to talk to you too, kid."

Yoongi looked up, nervous. "My dad told you what happened, didn’t he?"

Namjoon nodded. "Yeah, he did."

Yoongi looked down, expecting a scolding. Instead, Namjoon pulled him into a hug. "Thank you for defending Jimin and always staying by his side." Yoongi blinked in surprise.

Namjoon pulled back and gave him a firm but gentle look. "But no more fighting, alright? No hitting other students. That’s not the solution. If something happens, tell a teacher, okay?"

Yoongi nodded reluctantly.

"And does Jimin know you got suspended?"

Yoongi avoided his gaze. "No..."

"He’ll find out soon, and he’s going to be upset. If you’re suspended, you won’t be there to protect him at school. Is that what you want?"

"No..." Yoongi mumbled.

"Then stop doing things like that!"

"Sorry..." Yoongi whispered.

Namjoon smiled, ruffling his hair. "Good. Now, get some rest. And don’t keep Jimin up too late!"

"Yes, sir..."

Yoongi returned to Jimin’s room, immediately whining as he sat beside him on the bed. "He hates meee!"

Jimin burst out laughing, pulling Yoongi into a hug. "I told you he doesn’t!"

"He just scolded me for hitting Taehyung. Even my dad didn’t scold me like that... And he warned me not to keep you up late."

Jimin, always affectionate, wrapped his arms around Yoongi's as usual. "Well then, hurry up and finish the story so we can go to sleep."

Yoongi reopened the book to the page where they had left off and continued reading. By the time he finished and closed the book, he noticed Jimin had already fallen asleep.

Carefully, Yoongi helped Jimin lie down, then got up to turn off the lights. Climbing back into bed, he snuggled up next to Jimin and drifted off to sleep as well.

---

Jimin stared at the drawing he had made, trying to figure out the puzzle.

“This is so hard!” he whined, tossing the drawing aside in frustration.

He looked around the room absentmindedly until his eyes landed on his small round chair by the table.

“Wait!” he shouted excitedly. “Is this it?!”

He rushed over to the chair, searching around it. Sure enough, he found a piece of paper stuck to it. He pulled it off, unfolding it to read. "Wow, Minnie, you're a genius for solving all the riddles! I hope you had fun! This was the last riddle, and now there's only the treasure map left! Follow the steps carefully. The first step is written on this paper, but it will only lead you to the first point. When you get there, you'll find another clue leading to the second point, then the third, and so on. Oh, and make sure to ask your dad for permission before leaving the house, Minnie! I don’t want him getting mad at me... Don’t forget to take the key with you to open the treasure chest. Good luck, Minnie~~"

Jimin grinned widely. "I’m finally going to get my gift! How long has it been? Two weeks??"

He dashed out of his room, shouting, "Hoseok hyuuuuuung!"

Hoseok put his phone down, giving the little one his full attention. "What is it, Jiminie?"

Jimin sat next to him, explaining how Yoongi had given him a treasure hunt game for his birthday, and he had solved all the riddles, with only the actual treasure hunt left.

“So, will you come with me? My dad won’t let me go alone. Pleeeaaase! Please, please, please, pleeease!"

Hoseok pinched his cheek. “Of course, kid.”

Jimin beamed, rushing to the door to put on his shoes. “Dad, I’m going out with Hoseok hyung!” he shouted to his father, who was in the kitchen.

Once they were outside, Jimin pulled out the note and read it aloud. “After leaving the house, turn right. You’ll see a pink house—that’s the first point!”

Hoseok glanced to his right and was about to say something, but Jimin cut him off. “No, hyung! Don’t help me! I’ll find it myself. Just follow me.”

“Alright, alright,” Hoseok laughed.

Jimin searched for a while until he finally spotted it. “There it is!!” he shouted, sprinting toward the pink house, with Hoseok trailing behind.

He began searching for a note and found one stuck to the fence. He tore it off and read it aloud. “Keep walking straight until you find a house with a big white dog—that’s the second point.”

Jimin continued walking, his excitement growing as Hoseok followed. Eventually, he heard a dog barking. He approached it, petting the dog with a smile before noticing something stuck to the dog's collar.

He carefully removed the note and read it. “Ahead, you’ll come to a crossroads. Turn left, then walk until you find a blue mailbox—that’s the third point.”

And so it continued, with Jimin eagerly going from one house to the next, his excitement never fading. Yoongi had made sure to keep all the clues close to Jimin’s house, being cautious not to let him stray too far.

Finally, Jimin reached the last point. He looked up and gasped. “Wait... This is our house?”

Hoseok burst out laughing. “Wow, your friend really knows how to have fun.”

Jimin found another note stuck to the fence and opened it. "Minnie, you’ve finally made it! I thought keeping the treasure at your house would be the safest. Sorry about that! Follow the final steps carefully, Jiminie, and you’ll find the treasure."

He read the instructions aloud. “Take ten steps forward.” He did so, then continued reading. “Now twenty steps to the right.”

He followed the directions again. “Finally, five steps to the left.” He took those steps but ended up bumping into one of the trees in their backyard.

Hoseok couldn’t stop laughing as he crouched down to Jimin's level, wiping his forehead. “You okay?”

“I think so...”

“Is the treasure here?” Hoseok asked eagerly.

Jimin looked around and spotted an X marked with stones beneath him. “Hyung, help me dig!”

Hoseok helped, though it wasn’t too difficult since Yoongi had already dug the hole before to bury the chest.

“That kid really went all out for just a gift...” Hoseok muttered to himself.

Jimin dug out the chest, brushing the dirt off it.

“Go on, Jiminie, open it!”

Jimin glared at him. “No! I’m opening it myself. Thanks, hyung," he then ran back inside and into his room.

“I did all that work for nothing...” Hoseok sighed as he washed his hands and plopped down beside Namjoon on the couch.

“Where did you two go? You look exhausted,” Namjoon asked.

Hoseok grumbled, explaining how Jimin wouldn’t let him help with the treasure hunt but made him dig anyway, using his "puppy eyes" as a weapon, and then refused to show him the treasure.

Meanwhile, in his room, Jimin was eager to open the chest. He inserted the key, turned it, and lifted the lid.

The first thing he found was a letter. He pulled it out and read it. "Hello, Minnie, happy belated birthday! I knew it would take you a while to find the treasure, but wasn’t that the fun part? I hope you enjoyed solving all the riddles and the treasure hunt over the past few days. I did my best to make it fun for you! But it’s all over now, and you’ve found the treasure. It’s not gold, but... I hope you like it, Minnie. Happy birthday! Oh, and please apologize to your dad for me about the hole in your backyard. I think he’s going to kill me..." Jimin chuckled at the last line before putting the letter aside to see what else was inside the chest.

First, he found a collection of photos of the two of them together. Some were taken by Seokjin, others by Namjoon. There were pictures of them playing, sleeping next to each other, Jimin hugging Yoongi’s arm while the older one read him a story, them eating together, and more.

Jimin frowned as he looked at the photos of them together. “Yoongi hyung is so sweet... I’m going to cry.”

After taking out all the photos, he found a bracelet made of beads—white, yellow, and a few pink ones. It looked like Yoongi had made it himself. It had two letters in English, ‘Y’ and ‘M.’

It took Jimin a moment before he understood. “Oh! Minnie and Yoonie! Hyung is so thoughtful.” He slipped the bracelet onto his right wrist with a smile.

“Oh, there’s something else!” He reached inside and pulled out a small clay heart with his name carved into the middle. “Hyung really likes crafts, doesn’t he?”

He put the heart back in the chest along with the photos and all the little paper clues Yoongi had given him. He hadn’t thrown away a single one, thinking he should keep them all.

Just then, there was a knock on the door, and he quickly hid the chest as his dad entered. “Jiminie, lunch is ready.”

“I’m coming!”

After finishing his lunch, Jimin asked his dad for permission to visit Yoongi, and he agreed, so he went over to Yoongi's house.

As soon as Yoongi opened the door, Jimin threw his arms around him in a tight hug.

“Minnie? Is something wrong?” Yoongi asked, concerned.

Jimin shook his head, burying his face in Yoongi’s neck.

“Let’s go inside first...” Yoongi said, gently pulling him inside.

They sat on the couch, with Jimin curled up in Yoongi’s lap, his legs wrapped around Yoongi’s waist and his arms around his neck. “Hyung,” Jimin murmured.

Yoongi hummed in response, stroking Jimin’s hair.

“I love you.”

“I love you too, Minnie.”

“I... I opened your gift today.”

Yoongi chuckled. “Finally? That sure took you long enough.”

Jimin pinched him, making Yoongi apologize through his laughter.

“The gifts were really sweet, hyung.”

“Really? I’m glad you liked them.”

“Of course I liked them.”

Jimin uncurled from Yoongi’s lap and sat beside him, holding his arm like he always did.

“I’ll tell you a secret,” Yoongi said. “But you have to promise not to get mad.”

“I won’t.”

“Well... The gift wasn’t actually ready on your birthday. But I knew you wouldn’t find it right away.”

“But the chest was locked, and I had the key,” Jimin said, puzzled.

“I had two keys.”

“You trickster..." He smiled."I forgive you.”

Yoongi smiled back before saying, “Can I tell you another secret? But promise you won’t laugh.” Jimin laughed anyway, making Yoongi frown. “You laughed before I even said anything! Now I’m not telling you.”

“No, no, I’m sorry! I won’t laugh.”

“The heart... It was supposed to be a chick. But I didn’t know how to make one, so I failed a few times. And then settled on the heart.”

Jimin smiled softly. "That's so sweet of you, hyung. It’s the thought that counts."

"Can I tell you a third secret?" Yoongi asked with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Wow, how many secrets do you have, hyung?"

"This will be the last one, I promise."

"And what do I have to promise you this time?" Jimin asked, his curiosity piqued.

"Promise me you won’t be upset..."

Jimin's smile faded, replaced with a look of concern. "What’s going on, hyung?"

Yoongi exhaled deeply before speaking.
"Do you remember when I hit Taehyung and got called to the principal’s office yesterday?"

"Yeah, I remember," Jimin replied, tilting his head.

"Well, the truth is... I’ve been suspended for two weeks."

"What?! Are you serious, hyung? This... this is my fault... I'm so sorry," Jimin stammered, guilt washing over him.

"No, no, no!" Yoongi quickly countered, shaking his head. "It's not your fault at all. I chose to hit him, remember? We always fight like that. You're not to blame, Jimin. You promised you wouldn't get upset, right?"

Jimin pouted, clinging tighter to Yoongi. "But it still feels like it’s because of me."

Yoongi sighed, gently rubbing Jimin’s back and pulling him closer. "It's okay, Jimin. It’s not your fault."

"I’m going to miss you at school..." Jimin mumbled, his voice cracking.

"I’ll visit you every day at home, Minnie."

"But you won’t be there at school," Jimin said, his voice barely above a whisper.

"It’s only for two weeks, Minnie. The time will fly by."

"No, it won’t."

"It will, I promise. Plus, Jungkook will be there with you. You won’t be alone."

"But you won’t be there..." Jimin’s voice broke, and soon, soft sobs escaped him.

Yoongi tightened his embrace, soothing Jimin as he cried quietly. "It’s okay, Minnie. Please don’t cry. I’m sorry, alright? I won’t hit anyone again, I swear. Just, no more tears, please," Yoongi whispered, wiping away Jimin’s tears as he continued to pout. "Minnie, don’t make me cry with you," Yoongi teased, trying to lighten the mood.

Jimin hurriedly wiped his face. "No! I’ll stop."

Yoongi kissed Jimin’s forehead and gently hugged him again. "I love you, Minnie."

"I know..." Jimin replied, his voice softer now.

Yoongi stood up, pulling Jimin along with him. "Let’s go get some ice cream. You love ice cream, don’t you?"

A small smile returned to Jimin’s face as he intertwined their fingers. "Let’s go~~"

---

In the end, those two weeks were... a complete disaster, to say the least!

Well, maybe not entirely. It seemed like Taehyung felt guilty for what he did, so he stopped bothering Jimin and may have even apologized. But of course, they weren't friends anymore.

Jungkook ate lunch with Jimin every day. Whether it was because Yoongi had threatened and forced him, or maybe Jungkook just genuinely wanted to hang out with his favorite hyung... well, his second favorite after Yoongi! Maybe.

As Yoongi had promised, he visited Jimin every day, staying until sunset and even spending the weekends with him.

“I’m so excited for you to come back to school tomorrow!” Jimin exclaimed.

“I’m not,” Yoongi replied flatly.

“Why not??” Jimin asked, surprised.

“Because I won’t be able to sleep until noon anymore.” He grumbled, making Jimin burst into laughter.

“Oh!” Jimin suddenly noticed something on Yoongi’s wrist. “Is that a bracelet that matches mine?”

“Yeah... Didn’t you notice? I’ve been wearing it for weeks, even before I gave you your gift.”

It was identical to Jimin’s bracelet, except Yoongi had used blue beads instead of pink for his.

“No, I didn’t really notice. You always wear long sleeves, so it slipped my mind.”

Yoongi pouted, crossing his arms and turning away dramatically.

“Hyungggg, don’t be upset!”

“You don’t care about me, Minnie. I could sit next to you without a head, and you wouldn’t even notice.”

Jimin couldn’t help but laugh, and Yoongi joined in.

Yoongi stood up from Jimin’s bed. “Come on, Minnie. I need to head home.”

“Already??” Jimin pouted, grabbing Yoongi’s hand.

“I’ve been here since yesterday, Minnie. You’ll see me tomorrow morning at school.”

“Promise?”

“Yeah, promise.”

Jimin smiled and got up too, hugging Yoongi lightly to say goodbye.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Minnie!”

---

The next day, when Yoongi arrived at school, he went straight to Jimin’s classroom. He spotted Jimin sitting alone, doodling aimlessly as he waited for class to start. Taking advantage of Jimin’s distracted state, Yoongi snuck up behind him and covered Jimin’s eyes with his hands. Jimin gasped softly, startled, and dropped the pencil he was holding. But as soon as he felt the familiar bracelet on Yoongi’s wrist, he smiled and gently removed Yoongi’s hands.

“Yoonie hyung?” Jimin guessed.

“Good morning, Minnie~” Yoongi greeted warmly.

Jimin quickly stood up from his seat and hugged Yoongi tightly. “Good morning, Yoonie hyung!”

Yoongi suddenly felt something odd and glanced around the room. He noticed the other students staring at them, whispering amongst themselves.

He shot them a sharp glare, and they quickly averted their eyes. Most of them had witnessed the day Yoongi beat up Taehyung, so... naturally, they were scared of him, especially since he was older.

“Minnie, is anyone bothering you?” Yoongi whispered to Jimin. But Jimin didn’t respond. “Minnie?” Yoongi repeated, concerned.

“I’m fine, Hyung, don’t worry about it. Go back to your class before it starts. I’ll see you at lunch,” Jimin said, gently pushing Yoongi out of the classroom.

After returning to his seat, the whispers started again, but Jimin tried his best to ignore them. Luckily, the teacher soon arrived, and the class settled down.

One lesson after another passed until lunchtime came around. Jimin was excited to eat with Yoongi again, but his teacher asked him to meet in the office first.

Jimin packed away his lunch and made his way to the teacher’s office. “You wanted to see me, sir?” Jimin asked, clearly displeased.

“Why the frown, kiddo? I’m not here to scold you,” the teacher chuckled.

“It’s not that... I was just looking forward to having lunch with my friend.”

“Oh! Is your friend in a different class?”

Jimin shook his head. “He’s in fifth grade.”

The teacher looked surprised. “Really?” he cleared his throat. “Actually, come sit down, Jimin. That’s what I wanted to talk to you about,” the teacher said, motioning to the chair beside him, and Jimin sat down reluctantly.

“You don’t seem to get along with your classmates very well, Jimin. I noticed it today when I asked everyone to work in groups, and you were left alone. Everyone else paired up with their friends, but you worked by yourself,” the teacher observed.

“But I solved all the questions on my own, and I got all the answers correct,” Jimin countered.

“I know, Jimin. That’s not what I meant.”

The teacher hesitated before asking, “Wasn’t Taehyung your friend when he first transferred here? Did you two have a fight?”

Jimin lowered his head. “We didn’t fight... I just don’t think he wants to be my friend anymore.”

“Why not?”

Jimin bit his lip before answering softly, “Because of... some bad things are said about me.”

“Rumors?” the teacher asked cautiously. “Is someone bullying you, Jimin?”

“They’re not rumors. They’re true,” Jimin muttered.

The teacher frowned. “Jimin, you’re a good kid. I don’t believe that. Can you tell me what people are saying about you? You don’t have to if you don’t want to, but I’d like to help. I’m worried about you.”

Jimin hesitated, unsure if he should share something so personal. The last time he confided in a teacher, things didn’t go well. But this teacher seemed genuinely concerned and willing to help.

“My... my mom abandoned me after giving birth to me.”

The teacher’s eyes widened in sympathy as he leaned closer to hug Jimin. “I’m sorry to hear that, Jimin.” He pulled back and said gently, “Thank you for telling me. I’ll have a word with the other students, don’t worry. And if anyone ever bothers you—whether it’s with words or actions—come to me, okay? Understand?”

Jimin nodded. “Yes, sir. Thank you.”

The teacher smiled, ruffling Jimin’s hair. “No problem. Go eat your lunch, and don’t worry if you’re a little late getting back to class. I’ve already taken up too much of your time.”

Jimin stood up, bowed respectfully, and left the office.

When he returned to his classroom to grab his lunchbox, he found Yoongi sitting at his desk, looking bored. “Hyung!”

Yoongi immediately stood up. “Minnie! You took forever!” he complained with a pout. “What were you doing with the teacher? One of your classmates said he called you to his office.” Yoongi narrowed his eyes in suspicion. “Did you get into trouble, Minnie?”

“No, no, no! I didn’t, I swear!” Jimin reassured him.

“Then what happened?” Yoongi asked, still skeptical.

Jimin grabbed his lunch from his bag and intertwined his fingers with Yoongi’s. “It’s nothing. Let’s just eat, Hyung. I’m starvingggggg!”

---

“Yoonie hyung!” Jimin called out as he burst into Yoongi’s classroom. “Let’s go home!”

“Oh... Sorry, Minnie. I missed a lot of classes, so I need to study.” Jimin pouted, clearly disappointed.

Yoongi finished packing his things, slung his bag over his shoulder, and took Jimin’s hand. “Alright, it’s going to be boring, but you can come to my house and stay with me while I do my homework.”

Jimin’s face lit up with excitement. “Really??”

“Yeah, but like I said, it won’t be fun. You’ll probably get bored.”

“I won’t, as long as I’m with you, Hyung!”

---

“I’m so boooored,” Jimin groaned as he lay sprawled on Yoongi’s bed.

Yoongi sighed, still focused on solving a math problem. “I told you, but you insisted on coming anyway.”

Jimin pouted and rolled around on the bed restlessly. Finally, he sat up. “I’m going to play with Jungkookie. Let me know when you’re done.”

Yoongi hummed in acknowledgment, too absorbed in his work to look up, and Jimin dashed out of Yoongi’s room and into the living room, where Jungkook was watching TV. “Jungkook, Jungkook, Jungkookkkk!”

“What is it, hyung?” Jungkook asked, glancing at him.

“Come play with me in the yard! Hyung is doing his homework, and I’m so bored.”

Jungkook pouted but eventually agreed. “Alright...”

“Yayy!” Jimin cheered, dragging him outside.

---

As the sun began to set, Yoongi finally finished his homework. He glanced at the clock and realized how late it had gotten. Closing his books, he walked out to the backyard where Jimin and Jungkook were playing. “Minnie, it’s time for me to walk you home. It’s getting late.”

“But—” Jimin started to protest, but Yoongi cut him off. “I’ll play with you tomorrow, I promise.”

Jimin said goodbye to Jungkook and hurried over to Yoongi, grabbing his hand as they left.

As they walked home, Jimin suddenly changed the topic of their casual conversation. “Hyung?”

“Hmm?” Yoongi hummed in response

"I have something to tell you, but don’t get angry."

"It’s impossible for me to be angry with you, Minnie."

Fidgeting with his shirt, looking nervous, Jimin said, "Taehyung talked to me today."

Yoongi furrowed his brows. "What does he want?"

"He... apologized."

"He already apologized to you, didn’t he?!"

"Yes, but..."

"Go on, Minnie. I won’t get angry."

"He... wants us to be friends again."

Well, obviously, Yoongi was upset, but he managed to control himself because he had promised Jimin he wouldn’t get angry. Jimin looked genuinely scared of his reaction... "And?"

"I’ve already forgiven him. He seems genuinely regretful. He said that everyone was rejecting him because he's friends with me. That’s why he did it. But he didn’t mean to hurt me! And... he said that one true friend is better than ten fake ones."

"So you agreed to his request?"

"Yes..." Jimin replied quietly.

Yoongi clasped their hands together, pressing gently on Jimin’s hand. "You’re happy to be friends with him again, right?"

Jimin mumbled in agreement.

"Then I’m happy for you too, Minnie," Yoongi said with a smile.

"You’re not angry?" Jimin asked in disbelief.

"No."

Jimin smiled widely, hugging Yoongi. "I love you, Hyung. You’re the best!"

"I love you too, Minnie." Yoongi said before pulling away slightly to say seriously, "But if he does it again, I’ll really kill him! I don’t care if I get expelled from school. I’ll beat him up for real."

Jimin laughed at his reaction. "He won’t do it again~"

---

Since Jimin was late returning to class after lunch, the teacher took the opportunity to speak with the students, possibly scolding them a little. When Jimin finally returned, everyone apologized to him and promised not to repeat their actions. Even though some apologies didn’t seem entirely sincere to Jimin, he forgave everyone with a big smile.

Yoongi might have truly hated Taehyung for what he did and continued to argue with him after he started hanging out with him and Jimin again. However, Yoongi gradually accepted Taehyung back into their group as a friend, and their fights decreased significantly. They only had minor teasing and disagreements, no hard feelings.

---

"I’m sitting next to Chimmy."

"No, I am!"

"I told you I am!"

"You sat next to him yesterday. It’s my turn."

Jimin ignored their argument while eating his lunch. It was okay—Jungkook would arrive soon, and Jimin would pull him over to sit next to him, ending the argument between the two fools.

"Good morning..." Jungkook greeted, and Jimin quickly pulled Jungkook over to sit beside him. "Hyung, not again. They’re going to hold a grudge against me," Jungkook complained.

Jimin opened his lunchbox and handed him chopsticks. "Just eat your food, kid."

"Minnie!!" Yoongi exclaimed in disbelief.

"Shhh, Hyung. I’m having my lunch. Now, you eat yours too, or I’ll get angry!"

Yoongi sighed and reluctantly sat down in the chair across from Jimin, while Taehyung sat next to him.

"You’re all idiots," Jungkook said as he chewed his food.

"What did you say, you rude brat?!" Yoongi scolded him.

"I mean, do you all have to sit at this tiny four-seat table? There are bigger tables. You could both sit next to Jimin—one on his right and one on his left. You could also have lunch in the outdoor area, on the grass, you know? Setting in a circle?"

"Wow, your brother is a genius, Hyung."

Yoongi rolled his eyes, arms crossed. "But there are four of us. Two more students will sit at our table if we move to a bigger one."

"Hyung, believe me, with your scary looks, no one will dare to sit there," Jungkook mocked him.

"This kid is really rude," Yoongi muttered to himself, starting to eat his lunch.

From the next day, the three of them started sitting at a bigger table, with Yoongi on Jimin’s right and Taehyung on his left. Their conflicts vanished as if by magic.

Of course, Jungkook had his friends; hanging out with older kids wasn’t enjoyable for him. He only had lunch with them sometimes because Jimin dragged him along.

---

~The End~

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