(BTSXReader) It's Just Riches' Things... [SLOW UPDATES]

07 - Jimin's Past

As soon as the lift doors opened we were greeted by a huge wooden door, the brown of the wood matches with the card. Rose just touched her card near the door and it opened. I was on The Underground.

[Flashback OFF] (JIMIN POV)

Jimin: (looks at Taehyung telling the story as if he was living everything again): At that time I was so amazed by the place that I didn't notice her intertwine our hands and pulling me through The Underground. I don't know how I can describe it to you, Tae. There are two floors. The first one, that you enter as soon as the huge wooden door opens, is like a club. There are people dancing to the beat of the music blasting through the speakers, some are just dancing, others are making out, and some are just enjoying their time drinking on the bar in the far end of the floor with their cocktails. Rose guided me to the second floor. It is a more secluded place, there is a huge bar with tools, bartenders, tables and chairs where you can sit, drink and talk. Different from the first floor, the second one looked a mixture of café with bar, where you could just sit with someone or even alone to enjoy the classic songs playing in the background. Of course, there were in the far end of it some tables where you could play and gamble, something like a cassino, but these two spaces were separated by a thick glass wall that provided some privacy to the ones who were playing and to the ones who were on the bar/ café. And there we were. Rose guided me to one of the tables and talked to the bartender to arrange some drinks for us. While we were talking, our drinks arrived, and together with it, there was my card.( Jimin pointed to the card that was on Taehyung's hands)

Taehyung listened to everything carefully and decided to speak after Jimin silenced himself.

Taehyung: So... You passed all those nights going to the bar to meet this woman called Rose?

Jimin just nodded at Taehyung.

Taehyung: And you never saw her face? How she looks like?

Jimin: (looks at Tae and passes his right hand through his hair) Look... I know that is strange. It may sound like it. But yeah, all those nights that I arrived late home or didn't even come back, it was all for her. I was spending my night with her, talking with her, knowing her better. And believe me, she understood me in such a way, like as she knew everything that I was passing through, you know? Everytime I had a problem I would talk to her and she would listen so dearly, she made me calm, she made me think things through and solve it after. She made me feel good, complete. I got so attached with her that I didn't care to have a face to remember as long as I had her with me. And that was my problem, Tae. I thought that we would never be apart. But we split our ways, as you can see. And it was too late. I already had fallen in love with her and I didn't have a name nor a face to look for (Jimin looks at the floor with a sad expression like if he was feeling everything all over again)

Taehyung looks at his friend with a mix of feelings, he was sad for Jimin, but he was also confused with everything.

Taehyung: But how you two got apart? Because it seemed to me that you two were very close. What happened? (Taehyung leaned closer to his friend as he wanted Jimin to pay attention on him again, not on the floor)

Jimin: (chuckles in an ironic way) Well.... You may not believe it, but your dear Irene is involved in that part.

Taehyung: (widens his eye shocked) Sorry? How so?

Jimin: (laughs as he can't believe what his friend just said) Let me continue the story then. The Irene that you are meeting... Is she Bae Irene? Oh, sorry... Her real name is Bae Joo-hyun, right?

Taehyung: (leans on the seat while looking and listening with attention to what his friend has to say) Yeah... Irene's name is Bae Joo-hyun but we all call her Irene, it's easier for the international press and all, she says. Although I don't really see the point in that. (Taehyung shrugs) But what Irene did? Why do you feel such hate towards her?

Jimin:(looks at the window for a moment enjoying the sky view then looks serious at Taehyung) Well... Irene really loves you so much, you know? (Taehyung tilts his head to the side not quite understanding what Jimin means by that, and Jimin just chuckles ironically to his friends action) Well... She loves you so much that she helped my mom to separate me and Rose. My mother discovered everything after one year, she paid a particular detective to follow me, to take pictures of what I was doing, and he took pictures of me and Rose on the garage that leads us to The Underground. My mother soon discovered everything, I don't know how, but she discovered and told everything to our parents. They decided it was better if I just stopped seeing her or they would vanish with her. I said I would stop meeting her, however, I didn't. So, after one week, I never saw her anymore, she just... (Jimin passes his hand through his hair again and sighs) vanished... Like they said. I looked for her on The Underground, I keep visiting that damn bar for two fucking whole years without them knowing. Nevertheless, I never saw her, she really disappeared. And I became more and more worried, desperate to see her, to know what happened to her. (Jimin sighs again while passing his hands through his face). And guess what (he leans forward while intertwining his fingers and looking to his feet) While I was passing through all of this, my mom and Irene were arranging my marriage (he laughs sarcastically) Unbelievable, right? (he looks at Taehyung with glassy eyes and sees Taehyung with a sad expression, because Taehyung really did not know any of this, Jimin then sniffs and clears his throat) So... While I was on my mourning, thinking that Rose is gone forever, probably dead in an alley, imagining all the horror things that she must have felt and passed, my mother entered on my room to light a fire on my poor heart. She said that she knew Rose was important to me, so she found her and convinced them to let me marry with her. She even brought Irene to confirm that my future fianceé was indeed the Rose from The Underground. I then accepted, hopeful, believing on what Irene and my mother said. I met Rose, my wife, and discovered that her name is actually Park Chae-young, that she was hella rich and I started to see some things on her that really resembled my Rose. However, something in me told me that it wasn't her, but I insisted in believing in what my mother and Irene told me. Now I think I was desperate to believe that Rose was not gone, was not dead, but instead, that she was with me, that we were going to marry. And everything got crystal clear after our honeymoon. Chae-young told me everything, she told me that my mother, Irene and our parents were fooling me, confirming everything that my heart said before. She told me the agreement made between our parents and Irene, if she lied and helped them with my marriage, Irene would have a chance to marry you, they would support the relationship. That's why I hate her and I don't want you to be with her. I just don't think that she suits you if she works with them. (Jimin said everything without giving a single glance to his friend, he didn't see that Taehyung was shocked, frustrated for what he passed. Jimin then sighed louder this time and looked at Taehyung, seeing the sorrow on Taehyung's eyes)

Taehyung: I didn't know any of this, Jimin-ah. (Taehyung leans forward and puts his hand on Jimin's elbow) I am really sorry. I get everything now, ok? I understand your hate and I don't blame you. This explains a lot actually ( Jimin leans on his seat, making Taehyung retreat his hand back)

Jimin: (looks at the window again) It's fine. It's all in the past now. I just hope that Rose is fine wherever she is, if she is dead, if she is alive. I don't know. I just hope that she doesn't hate me, because she is really important to me... Until now...

Taehyung looked at Jimin and noticing that Jimin would not look at him, he looked at his window too.

Taehyung: That's why you don't call your wife by Rose, but by her name, Chae-young? (Taehyung crosses his arms still looking to the window as if trying to give Jimin some privacy in his thoughts)

Jimin: (leans his head on his left hand still looking at the sky view on the window) Yeah... It's too painful to remember Rose, and for me, there will be always one Rose.

Taehyung nodded and turned his head to Jimin: But... Ro-... I mean... Chae-young, she really seems to love you, Jimin-ah. I know that you care about Rose, but you need to live your life, you deserve to be happy.

Jimin: (turns nis head to Taehyung and smiles) I know, Tae. I know that Chae-young loves me, she really cares for me. I know that because she said to me that it was unfair for me to live a happy lie, thinking that she was someone that she wasn't. She wants me to love her for being her, for being Chae-young, not Rose. I am grateful for everything she does for me, I really am. But-

Taehyung: (smiles sadly) But you don't love her, right?

Jimin: (nods) Yeah, I don't.