FORGOTTEN

CHAPTER 4

If Jimin thought the day would get better because of dance practice, he was sadly mistaken. It was a nightmare from the beginning. They'd been rehearsing the same bit for almost twenty minutes, and Jimin had to stop himself from completing the move each time. The choreographer sighed and hollered at the top of his lungs.

"From the top! Five, six, seven, eight!" Each member moved to the music. Some with more ease than others, and Jimin came to a screeching halt once again. "Stop, stop, stop! Jin, Namjoon, you need to be in your position before Jimin turns! Count five, six, seven, eight, and Jimin turns. If you aren't in position, Jimin can't do his flip because you won't be there to catch him. Now, if you aren't there for him, he will get hurt!" the choreographer's face was almost purple. "Do you want to be responsible for Jimin getting hurt because you aren't paying attention?"

"No, sir," the two murmured. Jimin flinched at the looks he was getting from the others. They blamed him. Somehow it was his fault. He saw Hobi scowl, Yoongi rolled his eyes, J.K. and Tae stared at him because their boyfriends were being scolded all because of him. 

"I'm sorry," he sobbed before bolting from the practice room. The others stood frozen, stunned at the outburst. 

"Why was he apologizing?" Tae asked, expressing the confusion the others felt. "He didn't do anything wrong, did he?" everyone shook their heads. 

"He cares more about this piece than either one of you!" The choreographer snapped at Jin and Namjoon.

"I'll deal with it," Joon sighed. "Take a break and order Jimin's favorite food and dessert. That will help." The fearless leader headed out, unaware that he was about to face one of the toughest situations the group would ever go through.

Jimin sat sobbing on the ledge of the roof of Big Hit headquarters. It was just before one, and the sun was blazing down on him. It didn't help to keep him warm, though. He shivered each time the cold November wind blew. Jimin pulled his knees up to his chest and hugged himself tight. It was a good thing he'd already moved out. The guys hated him now, and if he were still there, they would surely throw him out. 

Not only was he an undesirable significant other, but he was also now a trouble maker as well. As much as he was trying to stay out of the way, things constantly ended with the others being called out for various things, with him at the center of the trouble. Maybe that was why they didn't love him. Perhaps they resented him for working so hard and making them look like they weren't. He knew they were putting a hundred percent in, but he was a perfectionist. 

The roof access door slammed open, and Joon came charging out. 

"Chim, oh my god!" Joon froze, not wanting to startle the younger or push him to jump. "Chim, can you come toward me, buddy?" 

"Huh?" Jimin stared blankly at the leader and quickly wiped his eyes.

"Chim, we should talk, but I don't like how close you are to the edge," Joon took tiny steps toward Jimin.

"We can talk," Jimin nodded and turned back to look at the city skyline.

"Chim, I don't like heights, so can you come to talk to me over here?" Joon coxed the other. 

"Oh," Jimin blinked at the elder. "Sure, hyung." He slowly unfolded himself and walked to Joon. The leader nearly collapsed in relief. He pulled Jimin to sit on the rooftop next to him.  

"Chim, are you cold? You don't have a coat." Joon took his own coat off and placed it on the younger man's shoulders. "What's going on, buddy?" Joon looked at him with concern in his eyes. 

"I um," Jimin pulled his knees to his chest once again and shifted his gaze to the floor. "I was just afraid you, Jin, and the others would be mad at me," Jimin muttered. 

"Why would we be mad?" Joon asked, puzzled at Jimin's reaction. "You didn't do anything wrong. We were the ones out of position. The choreographer was right to scold us. We don't ever want to do something that could hurt you in any way." Jimin nearly scoffed at Joon's words. 

"Hmm," he responded instead. 

"Now, let's get back inside and get you warmed up." Joon helped Jimin stand, put his arm around the younger, and led him back into the building and down the stairs. "We'll eat and then get ready for Jin and me to get our asses chewed out because we can't get it together." Jimin's bottom lip began to tremble, and the tears again began to flow. 

"I'm sorry, Joon-hyung." The sobs came harder. "I didn't mean to get you guys in trouble. I'm sorry." The tears wouldn't stop, and Joon didn't know how to deal with the crying man.

"Namjoon," Ji-hoon came around the corner. "What's going on? What happened? What did you do to him?" The manager glared at Namjoon.

"He, I mean we were talking, and then he started," Joon motioned to the sobbing man. Ji-hoon continued to glare at Namjoon and pulled Jimin into a half embrace. 

"Bang P.D. wants to have a word with you," he motioned with his head. "I'll take care of Jimin." Joon nodded and hurried off to the boss' office. "Hey, he isn't worth it. You didn't do anything wrong. They need to get their heads back in the game. You keep doing your best."

"Thanks, hyung," Jimin sniffled. "I'm really trying to hold it together, but you don't understand how it feels to know they don't care."

"They ordered your favorite foods for lunch, Jimin. They also picked up your favorite desserts. Are those the actions of people who don't care?" Ji-hoon tried to cheer up the younger. 

"They did?" Jimin wiped his eyes and sniffled. 

"Yeah, I saw it for myself." Ji-hoon nodded. "Now, why don't you wash up and get yourself something to eat. Yeah?" Jimin nodded and hurried off to the lounge. He looked in the mirror and cringed. His face was puffy and splotchy, his eyes were swollen, and his nose was bright red. In short, he was a mess. Once the others saw him, they would lose their appetite. After washing his face, he went to the wardrobe room and traded the borrowed coat for an oversized hoodie. At least he could keep his gross face covered. 

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As far as the menu was concerned, the guys were, in fact, eating all his favorite foods. There was little left by the time Jimin made it into the practice room. It didn't matter much to him. He wasn't very hungry anyway. He scraped up a little onto his plate and sat in a corner away from the others so he wouldn't notice him. He was right about one thing. They didn't want or need him around. He took only a few bites, and his stomach rebelled. He couldn't eat anymore, so he disposed of his plate and headed back to the lounge to wash up again.

According to his watch, Jimin still had thirty minutes left for lunch. Enough time to work off some of the tension he had built up in the last hour or so. He wandered the halls and found an empty practice room, and pulled up a playlist on his phone. The songs made him feel alive, music that helped him feel loved. Songs that just helped him feel, period. This playlist took the place of self-harm. Melancholic melodies poured from the practice room's Bluetooth speakers. Jimin jogged in place for a moment, shaking his arms and rolling his head in an attempt to warm up a bit before dancing. 

He spun on the downbeat and was transported to another world. Another dimension, another galaxy. All at once, Jimin's problems were gone, and he was free. The world faded away, and Jimin was alone, feet pounding across the floor before launching into a graceful leap through the air. His heart was pounding, lungs burning, muscles aching. He felt energized. Song after song played, dance after dance burned through the stress. Sweat poured from his face, the song ended, and Jimin's chest heaved from the exertion. He gulped in the air as he came down from his adrenaline driving high.

"Mr. Park?" the practice room squeaked open, and an assistant to the choreographer stuck his head into the room. "We are ready to continue."

"Sorry, I'm coming." He looked at his watch. Almost twenty minutes late. None of the guys came looking for him. He laughed at himself for thinking they cared. Of course, they didn't. What did he expect?