Sojourn ♣ JiKook|VMin

"Black Swan"

Chapter Twenty-Three

"Black Swan"

•

Jimin stared at Jungkook's canvas, sitting on the floor of the workspace that no longer felt empty.
"I don't even know his past..." he murmured.

And yet, strangely, it felt as though he had known Jungkook his entire life.

His mind drifted back to their first kiss. It had been him—the one who asked Jungkook to kiss him first. That night, his heart had fluttered uncontrollably, beating so loudly he thought it might burst out of his chest. But in that moment, he had been happy. Truly happy.

In fact, he realized now that he had been happy ever since he met Jungkook. His life, once muted and predictable, had become colorful—brighter, fuller, beautiful in ways he hadn't known he was missing.

Jimin closed his eyes and lifted his fingers to his lips. He tried to picture Jungkook's face—his smile, soft and sincere, like it was meant only for him.

And somehow... he felt okay.

His phone suddenly rang, startling him. He glanced down at the floor and picked up the buzzing phone.
"Hello?"

"Jimin, where have you been?" Hoseok's voice came through.

Jimin had skipped school for the past two days.
"I'm not feeling well," he replied quietly.

"Oh?" Hoseok said. "Do you need anything? I can drop by if you want. Also... I haven't seen Taehyung. Are you guys okay?" His concern was unmistakable. Hoseok's instincts were always sharp.

"No, hyung. I'll manage," Jimin said.

Hoseok hummed thoughtfully. "Alright. Just make sure you finish your dance performance within three days. They told us it's going to be a big event. Critics from other schools might attend this Friday. We need to give it everything we've got. Are you done with your choreography?"

Jimin almost forgot.

With everything that had been happening in his life, he hadn't had time to think about it. Yet surprisingly, he didn't feel anxious. His emotions were overflowing—too intense to be contained.

"It's okay," Jimin said softly. "I'm going to dance my heart out for this performance."

"That's the spirit, Chiminie," Hoseok chuckled. "I'll see you this Friday. Take care, okay?"

The call ended.

Jimin took a deep breath and stood up. He moved Jungkook's canvas aside, carefully stacking it with the other paint supplies. When he was done, there was enough space in the middle of the room.

There was no mirror—no reflection to correct his posture or form.

But this will be my workplace now, he told himself.

He had already chosen the song. At first, he hesitated, afraid he wouldn't be able to deliver it properly. But now, he was done crying. Done wasting days drowning in sorrow.

He would overcome this heartbreak. He would become his own Black Swan.

⸻

Jimin stared at himself in the mirror of the dressing room. A knock echoed from the open door, and he glanced up through the reflection.

"Hey," Namjoon greeted. "It's packed out there. Did you see Hoseok's performance?"

Jimin nodded. "The crowd loved him. I didn't expect them to merge all the dancers. This feels more like a competition now, doesn't it?"