Inward Beauty | Taekook

- Chapter 20 (M) -

The morning had come into the vision. The sun was hiding behind the thick fog. Students were packing their bags and luggage, getting ready to leave the place. While a certain blond woke up with red eyes. Felix looked at him in observation.

"Why are your eyes red? Did you cry yourself to sleep?" he questioned, frowning. Jimin shook his head before walking out of the tent but immediately wished undone of it when he bumped into Taehyung. Not wanting to stay near the brunette, he dashed away from there.

Taehyung stood there, watching his retreating body, his eyes showing sadness and guilt.

Meanwhile, Jungkook was sitting on the mattress, packing his bag absentmindedly. "Hey, that's my shirt!" Bambam hollered to Jungkook who flinched. He saw the unfamiliar cloth on his hand and immediately gave it back to the latter lad.

"By the way, why do you look so pale? Are you okay? Do you have a fever?" Bambam crawled to Jungkook and placed his hand on the ravenette's forehead, gasping aloud when he felt the heavy warmness. "Oh, my god! Jungkook, you for sure have some serious sickness. I should go inform the teacher and grab some medicine."

Jungkook didn't protest, too weak to respond. He watched the other lad running outside the tent.

After some minutes, someone rushed inside. It was Jimin. "What happened? Heard you have a fever? You just recovered a few days ago and now you are sick once again?! You should take care of yourself." Jimin looked concerned as he sat near the ravenette, checking whether the fever was too much serious or not. He gasped.

"Jungkoo-"

The ravenette spoke over him in a quiet voice, "I have a question." He looked into the red eyes of the blond, his own eyes wearing a similar color due to the fever. "If you have to choose between love and friendship what would you choose?"

Jimin frowned at the question. "Why are you asking-"

"Answer me, Jimin," Jungkook demanded, face blank. Jimin smiled at him. "Friendship. I will choose friendship over love."

"Why?"

"Because friendship is far better than love. It may not last forever but true friends never abandon you. They stay by your side in happiness and sadness. They come to you without expectations. Friendship provides you with more security than love does. One quarrel and love will break if the efforts are missing. But, friendship keeps you relaxed without much effort if trust is in the way," Jimin explained his opinion, smiling ear to ear.

"Do you think I should also choose friendship over love?" Jungkook asked nonchalantly. Jimin looked down. "Just because someone else is choosing it doesn't mean you also have to. That's not how it works, kook. You have to realize what empties your needs more and rely on that."

The blond smiled, although it hurt to indirectly tell Jungkook to choose Taehyung over him. "I'm sorry," he mumbled out of the blue. The ravenette stayed emotionless. "Why?"

"Last night-" Jimin's eyes teared up. "Last night something v-very not so pleasing thing happened." He took a deep breath. "I k-kissed Taehyung. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. I'm truly ashamed. I apologize. I even broke our promise." Jimin sniffled and cried silently.

Jungkook remained unfazed. "You kissed Taehyung or was it him?"

The blond froze. He didn't want to hurt Jungkook by letting him know that it was the brunette who took the step. Jungkook's heart will break and he didn't want that. He rather let their friendship break. "I- I kissed him. I don't know what happened to me. I swear I don't have any feelings for him and even if I had I'd never choose him over you. He was behaving the way Yoongi hyung used to do. I just lost myself and the thing happened. I apolo-"