𝑪𝒐𝒍𝒅 𝑹𝒆𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 || 𝑱𝒊𝒌𝒐𝒐𝒌

𝟏𝟖. 𝑯𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒓𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒇𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒅

Pic cr to the original owner

Have fun reading 🥰

Sia 💜

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"I'm really fine, Hyung," Taemin insisted, his voice firm yet laced with an undertone of weariness. "You should go."

It had been a month since the younger had last mentioned the teacher. A month since he had begun pretending that everything was back to normal. A month since he had bottled up his emotions, refusing to confide in his brothers, who were silently breaking inside, desperate to see him return to his old self. A month since his smiles had become hollow, painfully transparent to everyone around him. A month since he had been living a life that felt artificial, a mere shadow of what it once was. And it showed.

From the moment he had walked away from Jungkook, his brothers had refused to leave his side. Taemin wasn't sure whether to feel grateful or burdened by their unwavering presence. They had delegated their responsibilities at the warehouse to Jackson and Mark, handling most of their affairs from home. Yet, despite their efforts to reassure him, Taemin couldn't shake the guilt that gnawed at him.

Why can't I just act better? he chastised himself. He longed to mask his sorrow, to at least feign happiness for their sake. But he couldn't.

Now, he understood why they always said he was terrible at hiding his emotions. He was too open, too unrestrained to bury his feelings. And after spending so many years with them, he had become an open book, incapable of concealing the turmoil within.

"You're not fine," Hoseok countered, his eyes fixed on the laptop screen as his fingers danced across the keyboard. "And we don't have much work to do anyway, so we're staying."

"Really?" Taemin raised an eyebrow, his gaze flickering between Hoseok and the device on his lap.

"I'm gaming. That doesn't count as work," Hoseok retorted, his tone defensive and his lie painfully obvious. Taemin sighed and turned to Jimin, who sat beside him, his expression unreadable as he stared at the television.

Jimin was a master of composure, his poker face unyielding even as Taemin's pleading eyes bore into him. Realizing that silent appeals wouldn't work, Taemin decided to try a more direct approach.

"Jiminie Hyung," he whined, tugging gently at the older man's jacket.

Jimin turned his head, raising an eyebrow in response.

"I'm feeling okay, really. Please don't worry about me and go," Taemin pleaded, his voice soft but insistent.

"Look me in the eyes and tell me you're happy, Min. If you can do that, we'll leave," Jimin challenged, his gaze steady and piercing.

Taemin hesitated, his resolve wavering. I can do this, he told himself, lifting his head to meet Jimin's eyes.

"I am h-happy," he stammered, his voice cracking. Damn it.

He immediately dropped his head, cursing himself internally as he blinked back the tears threatening to spill. Jimin reached out, gently patting his head, and Taemin looked up, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. He felt overwhelmed—overwhelmed by the love they showered on him, by their refusal to give up on him even when he felt like a lost cause.

He had assumed they would grow tired of his melancholy after a week, but they had proven him wrong. They had stayed by his side, day and night, never leaving him alone. They had even cuddled him to sleep, their presence a constant reminder that he wasn't alone.