I FOUND FUTURE IN YOU | KM [✓]°

7

“Go away,” Jimin screamed, his voice cracking with desperation. His hand shook as he wiped at his eyes, trying to mask the tears with anger. “Leave me the hell alone!”

But the stranger didn’t flinch. Instead, he calmly rubbed his shoulder, his gaze soft but unyielding as it locked with Jimin’s.

"No," the man replied firmly, his voice calm yet carrying a weight of quiet authority. "I won’t leave you alone. You’re not in your right mindset. I can’t risk you hurting yourself again."

Jimin’s breath hitched in his chest at the words. His pulse raced, but he fought against the growing sense of panic, desperate to keep control. The man had no idea what he was talking about. Jimin wasn’t hurt. He was fine.

"I’m not hurt!" Jimin blurted out, trying to sound convincing, though the words were shaky even to his own ears.

The man sighed deeply, as if he could see right through the act. Without another word, he reached out and gently wiped away the tears that had been spilling down Jimin’s face.

Jimin froze at the touch, his body stiffening. He felt exposed, vulnerable—like the soft, tender gesture was stripping him bare. The kindness was almost too much to handle, especially when all he wanted was to shove the world away. To be left alone.

He couldn't let this stranger see him like this.

Gritting his teeth, Jimin raised his fist and swung it toward the man, instinctively trying to push him away. “Don’t touch me!” he spat, the anger and shame rising in his chest, blurring everything else.

But the punch never reached its target. Instead, before Jimin could pull his hand back, the stranger moved quickly, pulling him into a warm, tight hug.

Jimin tensed at the contact, his heart thundering in his chest as the man's arms enveloped him. It was like being wrapped in something so tender, something so soft, but it only made him feel more exposed, more weak. His mind screamed for him to pull away, to stop this, to not let anyone see him like this. But his body stayed frozen, as though the embrace had locked him in place.

The warmth from the stranger’s chest radiated through Jimin’s clothes, seeping into his skin. It was so comforting, but it also made him feel something raw, something unfamiliar. He had never let anyone this close before—never let anyone care.

"You can call me Jungkook," the man whispered, his voice low and gentle.

Jimin didn’t respond, couldn’t respond. His mind was still too tangled, the tight knot of emotion strangling his thoughts. He just kept his face buried in Jungkook’s chest, trying to hold onto some semblance of control.

Jungkook, sensing Jimin’s discomfort, didn’t push him further. Instead, he let the silence stretch between them, his hands rubbing soothing circles on Jimin’s back. He waited patiently, giving the smaller boy the space to breathe, to calm down.

"Do you want to tell me what’s wrong?" Jungkook asked softly after a while, his voice almost a whisper. His tone was so kind, so understanding, like he truly wanted to help Jimin. But it only made Jimin feel more exposed. He was broken, and this man—this stranger—was seeing it all.

Jimin lifted his eyes slightly, meeting Jungkook’s gaze. His eyes were red, puffy from crying, his nose flushed from the emotional storm. Jungkook’s face was so close now, his soft brown eyes locking with Jimin’s, searching for something—anything—to reach him.

Jungkook had noticed Jimin long before Jimin ever realized. They shared a class together, but Jimin had always been the quiet, withdrawn boy in the back of the room, invisible to most. Except Jungkook had seen him. Seen how alone Jimin was, how his sadness clung to him like a shadow. And for some inexplicable reason, Jungkook had been drawn to him, not out of pity but because, in his eyes, Jimin was beautiful. He was broken, yes, but so real, so full of raw emotion.

Jungkook had watched him from a distance, wishing he could help but never knowing how. He hadn’t expected this moment. He didn’t expect to be the one Jimin would crumble into.

But now, holding Jimin in his arms, he felt something stir deep inside him. The urge to protect him. To shield him from the darkness that haunted him.

Jimin could feel it, too—the warmth, the safety of Jungkook’s embrace, the gentle rhythm of his heartbeat beneath his ear. It was the first time in a long time that Jimin didn’t feel completely alone.

"You can close your eyes if you want," Jungkook murmured softly, his voice filled with understanding, with a quiet wisdom that Jimin hadn’t expected from someone so young. "Sometimes things are scary like that... but you don’t have to face it alone." His words were simple but layered with a depth of meaning that Jimin couldn’t quite grasp.

Had something happened to Jungkook? Something tragic? Jimin wanted to ask, but the words stuck in his throat.

Without thinking, Jimin did what Jungkook said. He squeezed his eyes shut, letting the sound of Jungkook’s heartbeat soothe him, letting the warmth of his body provide the comfort Jimin had been craving, though he didn’t fully understand why.

"Just focus on my heartbeat," Jungkook whispered in his ear, his voice soft but full of sincerity. "Everything will be fine in the end."

Jimin nodded, taking a shaky breath as he focused on the sound of Jungkook’s heartbeat. Slowly, his racing pulse began to settle. His breathing steadied. The knot in his chest loosened, just a little. For the first time, he wasn’t alone with his thoughts.

When Jimin finally pulled back, Jungkook gently released him from the embrace, stepping back slightly but still keeping a soft, steady gaze on him. Jimin wiped his eyes, feeling the lingering weight of his emotions, but it wasn’t as overwhelming as before. The tension had ebbed, leaving him feeling more centered, if only for a moment.

"I should go back to class," Jimin said quietly, his voice still a little rough, though the storm inside him had calmed.

Jungkook smiled, a soft, reassuring smile that made something flutter in Jimin’s chest. "Or... do you want to skip it? We can hang out, just for a bit," Jungkook suggested, his tone light and inviting.

Jimin hesitated for a moment, the thought of spending more time with Jungkook—a complete stranger, yet somehow not a stranger—surprising him. But there was something about the way Jungkook had been there for him. Something in the way he hadn’t judged him, hadn’t tried to fix him, just held him, made him feel like it was okay to be.

Jimin looked up at Jungkook, meeting his gaze. For the first time in a long while, Jimin didn’t feel completely alone. He nodded, a small, uncertain smile forming on his lips.

"Okay," he said softly, his voice a little steadier now. "We can hang out."

Jungkook grinned, his eyes lighting up with genuine warmth.

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