B.

twenty one

"Hey, Park," came a dark taunt. "Where're you off to?"

Jimin chewed on his lip, glaring in response.

He'd just been on his way home from class when Jinwoon had slid in front of him, sneering with that ugly expression as he always did.

Jimin opted for silence.

Jinwoon narrowed his eyes, switching his tactics. "When did you dye your hair?"

Jimin crossed his arms, grateful no one else was around to witness more of Jinwoon's nonsense. "What's it to you?"

"It looks good," Jinwoon said with a nod. "Better than that blinding pink."

"Good thing I don't care about your opinion one way or another," Jimin sighed, adjusting the strap of his bag on his shoulder.

Jinwoon's eyes widened in surprise, then anger. "Well, you're certainly much bolder now that you have the Kims to guard your back, huh? What happened to that submissive and breedable little turd I'd known a few weeks ago? Is that how it is? You open your legs and fight your battles for you?"

"Minnie! There you are!" Hoseok threw his arm around Jimin's arm suddenly, his bright smile appearing in front of Jimin. "I came to pick you up from class! Want to grab some lunch?"

"I-I'm not hungry," Jimin replied. 

"Thank god," Jinwoon chortled, looking behind him to Yoongi as if he wanted someone else to laugh along. Yoongi only lowered his head, shame on his expression. "He's enough of a fathead as it is."

Jimin clenched his teeth. His hands curled into fists at his sides. He was tempted to throw a punch.

Hoseok beat him to it. 

Hoseok whipped around, spinning away from facing Jimin and toward Jinwoon. His arm was moving as he turned, and a hard slap! echoed across the hallway as his palm connected with Jinwoon's face. 

Jimin's mouth dropped at the same time that Jinwoon stared in shock and slight fear, gripping his cheek with one hand. "W-what are you --"

Hoseok lunged forward, grabbing a fistful of Jinwoon's shirt in his hand. 

Hoseok was Jimin's closest friend. Quite possibly his only friend. He was the kind, protective figure in Jimin's life. The only one that understood him and his struggles. 

Hoseok may have been very popular across campus, with plenty of friends from all over the place. But Jimin was the only one that lived with Hoseok, the only one that saw the anxiety and depression that plagued Hoseok's life so much that he needed to bring an animal with him to school to be able to function. 

Hoseok may have been Jimin's friend, but Jimin was also Hoseok's best friend.