Deal With The Pain | Namgi

Chapter 20

"Hey, Tae?" I call out with a sigh as the shop finally comes to a slow. It's been a mad rush for the last three hours and Jimin's only gotten worse over the last week now. Namjoon's actually made a point to come in everyday to visit, stays as long as he can and he tries. He really does try. He's been trying to talk with me and chat, trying to catch up. Jimin won't let him though, and between that little fact and how clingy he's gotten, I've finally run out of patience for it.

"What's up, hyung?" Tae replies lightly as he brings the freshly baked cookies to the front of the house where the icing already is. He's been on shift with me and Jimin for the last few hours now and has been a miracle worker to help me keep up with the unexpected rush we'd just had.

"Think you could cover up front for a few minutes? I need to speak with Jimin in the back." I can feel the younger tense behind me, and it gives me mixed feelings. On one hand, it only adds to my frustration with how he's been acting and now suddenly is afraid again. On the other hand, it saddens me, hating that he's suddenly afraid.

Tae gives me a worried look but nods all the same, and I don't bother saying anything further as I grab Jimin by the hand and gently lead him to the back of the shop. I sit down on the bottom of the stairs when we get there, and he doesn't hesitate to pull out the extra chair we have back here, but the look in his eyes tells me just how fearful he currently is despite how hard he's trying to play it off that he's not.

"Everything okay, hyungie?" Jimin asks softly, a small smile splayed on his lips to contrast the fear in his eyes. I don't bother returning the smile for once though, signing and dropping my head into my hands for a moment before rubbing my hands over my face. I don't want to have to have this conversation whatsoever, but I also can't let this keep going on. Otherwise Namjoon is going to give up on me altogether and for once through no real fault of his own, and that's something I desperately don't want to have to face.

"Jiminie,... what the hell has happened?" I breathe out, not really knowing what to say to get this conversation started. It's a question that's at the forefront of my mind though, leaving me to hope that it's the right place to start. I earn a frown at my question though, and I know he isn't about to make this an easy conversation.

"What are you talking about, Yoongi?" Jimin questions in a quiet voice, hesitation flooding his tone. I don't bother to hold back as I give him a tired look, exhausted from all the back and forth, exhausted from all of the shit he's done in the last week.

"Jimin, you've not let Joon have a single conversation with me since I took him back here a week ago now. You've become overly clingy and protective to the point where it entirely interferes with work for the both of us and you even skipped a few of your classes and practices just to make sure that he couldn't be here with you here as well. You said back at the beginning that you were prepared and would understand if I eventually decided I couldn't do this with you. You said it'd be okay if I still ended up choosing Joon. Now that he's trying to be a friend to me again, all of the sudden you've become a completely different person and I don't like the person you've become, Jimin."

He stays silent as I finish speaking but his gaze stays locked on me all the same, face entirely expressionless now. The sight worries me more, having hoped that this conversation was going to better things, not make matters worse. Eventually though, his gaze falls from my face, his expression falling just the slightest.

"I didn't think he'd actually come back. I thought I would actually have a chance with you and would be able to make you fall for me without either of us ever having to worry about him again." Jimin responds softly, not bothering to look back up at me at this point.

His words make my heart fall though, sinking to my stomach as I tip my head back to stare up at the ceiling. I can't blame him for thinking Joon wouldn't come back, I certainly hadn't thought he would either, but it hurts just the same that he told me something, let me get myself into something like this under false pretenses. It leaves me feeling like I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place, unsure of where to go or what to do from here.

"I think this might've been a mistake, Yoongi. I'm really sorry. If you don't mind, I'm going to take that vacation time you offer us and take a few weeks off. I need to sort my own things out and I think you have stuff to sort out too unfortunately." Jimin mumbles with a sigh as he stands and puts the chair away. It makes me frown and snap my head back up to look at him properly, not overly happy with this outcome either.

"Jimin-"

"I think we both need this, hyung. I think this'll be for the best." Jimin cuts me off with a sad smile and tear filled eyes. It leaves me without words, simply sitting here with a frown on my face and a heart heavy in my chest, watching as he turns and walks off, hanging his apron up on his way.