I need time.

6

Jimin sits at the table of the now lonely apartment.

The silence was the hardest part.

All he had now was the memory of his friends laughter. He feared forgetting it one day.

He pulls the plain white box out of the fridge.

It was 3am, October 13th. Officially Jimin's birthday.

He opens the box the secret cake had been holding.

He gasps at the words written in blue.

"Always by your side, I promise" With a "Happy Birthday Jimin," underneath.

Jimin holds back tears because he knew he wanted Tae to enjoy this moment.

He grabs the candles, and places a single one in the middle of the cake. The light of the match the only thing lighting the room.

"I promise," Jimin whispers before blowing out the flame.

Darkness consumes him again, as he makes his wish.

"I wish it was me, not you..." he cries.

He couldn't bring himself to eat the cake. It was so perfect.

He finds himself entering Taehyung's room. His eyes immediately fall onto the polaroids he loved so much.

He lays down on Tae's bed, taking in the scent of his existence.

Something under the pillow catches his attention.

It's an envelope with his name written in small print.

Jimin fears opening it, but he does anyway.

The paper read:

Dear Jimin. Damn! A lot has happened since meeting you. I think this year in America has been the best and worst time of my life. You always made the hard times easier, even when you didn't remember me (that was a big plot twist huh?). And then a tumor? Who would have guessed! You survived a fatal car crash, I thought maybe I could survive this. Maybe I would be one of the 10%. Last night, it hit me. I'm going to die! But even then, all I thought about was you. My best friend. You don't remember this, but you promised to always be by my side before our first camping trip. Your words always stuck with me, and I always trusted you. I was scared you'd forget when your memory got taken away from you, but you always manages to keep your promise! Thank you for that, because I couldn't have done any of this without you. If I somehow catch you not living life after i'm gone, I will kick your ass! Seriously! I'll haunt you until you truly go insane! Don't stop living because I did, Promise me! Did you promise? Good, because you never break your promises. Thank you Jimin. I love you, my best friend. I'm sorry I had to leave, I guess I'm not as good at keeping promises. Now eat your cake! And happy birthday.

ps- thank you for letting me buy lunch for you, it's my way of paying you back from class that day. I hope you remember this one day.

-Taetae

Jimin forms a look of confusion through his flow of tears.

"Taetae?.." he had never heard him call himself that, and Jimin certainly hadn't...

Had he?

Memories of hallways flood his brain. The same red haired teacher from a while ago flashed in his memory.

He remembered the library, detention, and laughing on the floor with Taehyung.

He remembered when they first looked at each other when Tae had mouthed something to him.

He remembered nights studying for classes.

He remembered everything.

"Yes! I remembered! Oh my god! Tae!" he exclaimed before snapping back to reality.

"No...no...I remember."

The realization he remembered all the years with his best friend, but it was too late.

He couldn't tell Taehyung.

He couldn't erase it again.

The best friend he knew then and got to know all over again, both versions were gone.

It truly hit him that he would never see his best friend again.

-

Two months later

Jimin leans against the entry door to  Greenport High. Tears stream down his face as Taehyung's name is revealed behind a banner. It read "Kim Taehyung Memorial Gym." He couldn't handle the sight, or the thought this was even real.

Jimin exits the school and walks quickly down the few stairs before the parking lot curb. The pace of his steps quicken, until he's sprinting towards his car until he finally gets the door open.

Slamming it, all his emotions burst out like an explosion.

"I needed more time...I need more time..."

Jimin pulls out his note and reads the last line again.

"I hope you remember this one day."

Jimin couldn't help but feel like Taehyung didn't write the full story because he knew Jimin would remember one day.

The trust Tae had in him always surprised Jimin.

"You're insane..." Jimin mumbles in the silence of his car.

He drives out of the parking lot to the airport, not daring to take a taxi this time.

He parks his car, and in a last minute decision, writes "free" on a piece of paper and places it on the windshield with the key on top.

He makes his way through security, to his gate.

He takes a seat, checking for Taehyung's note he is now using as a book mark.

Just before he's about to open the current book he was indulging in, a loud voice catches his attention.

The voice sounded distressed, but was very clearly speaking Korean.

Jimin decides to make his way over to the scene.

He asks the random man if he's okay.

In his own language, he exclaims that no one there speaks Korean, and he just wants to go home.

Jimin responds in Korean, "Let's figure it out together."

"Park Jimin,"

"Jeon Jungkook," The man responds, holding out his hand.

Jimin high fives him instead.

Jungkook laughs, his tension eased by this action.

Jimin explains Jungkook is in fact in the right place, and for the first time in a while it felt that way for him too.

"I'm finally going home Tae... I promise I will still live" he thinks to himself before inviting Jungkook to sit with him until the flight arrives.