WITHOUT YOU ||Vmin ff

CHAPTER 4

So there I was in my room, frantic with my possibility that jimin might not go to the dance with me. I barely slept that night, i tell you, which was just about the strangest thing I'd ever experienced. I don't think anyone ever fretted about asking jimin out before. I planned to ask him first thing in the morning, while I still had my courage, but jimin wasn't in school.

"Got a date yet?" Jungkook asked me in between classes. He knew very well that i didn't, but even though he was my best friend, he liked to stick it to me once in a while.
"Not yet," i said, "but I'm working on it"
Down the hall, taemin was reaching into his locker. i swear he shot me a beady glare when he thought i wasn't looking.

The minutes ticked by slowly during my final class. The way i figured it if a
Taemin and i got out at the same time, I'd able to get to his house first. I started to psych myself up,and when the bell rang, I took off from school running at a full clip. I was flying for about a hundred yards or so, and then i started to get kind of tried, and then a cramp set in. Pretty soon all i could do was walk, but that cramp really started to get to me, and I had to bend over and hold my side while I kept moving. As I made my way down the street.
Behind me i thought i heard taemin high pitched laughter. I turned around, digging my fingers into my gut to stifle the pain but i couldn't see him.

I started to stumble along even faster and preety soon i reached jimin's street. By then I was sweating all over my shirt was soaked right though and i was still wheezing sometimes fierce. Well, i reached his front door, took a second to catch my breath, and finally knocked. Despite my fevered rush to his house, my pessimistic side assumed that taemin would be the one who opened the door. I imagined him smiling at me with a victorious look in his eyes, one that essentially meant "sorry, partner, you're too late."

But it was not taemin who answered it was jimin, and for the first time in my life i saw what he'd look like if he were an ordinary person. He was wearing shorts and a loose t-shirt, he looked more casual than he usually did. I realized he could be actually cute if he gave himself the opportunity.

"Taehyung," he said as he held open the door, "this is a surprise!" Jimin was always glad to see everyone, including me, though I think my appearance startled him "you look like you've been exercising," he said.

" Not really," lied wiping my brow. Luckily cramp was fading fast.

" You've sweat clean through your shirt."

" Oh, that?" i looked at my shirt. " That's nothing I just sweat a lot sometimes."

He told me to come inside . "Would you like some lemonade while we sat?" He asked. " I just made some."

"I'd love some," I said

"I'll be right back." He walked back into the kitchen. I took a quick glance around. The house, i noticed, was small but tidy with a sofa against one wall. A small fan sat in the corner. On The coffee table there were books and notebook i thought he was probably studying.

A moment later jimin returned with the lemonade and we took a seat. "What are you doing?" Jimin asked me. You are moving too much.
"I like the sun," i said looking outside the window.

"If that's what you want," he said smiling. "So what did you want to talk to me about?"

Jimin reached up and started to adjust his hair which was falling in his forehead. I took a deep breath, trying to gather myself, but i couldn't force myself to come out with it just yet.

"So," I said instead, " why didn't you come to school today?"

Jimin looked at curiously " my father and I were at doctor's office."

" Is he okay?"
He smiled." Healthy as can be."

" Sure is a beautiful day," I said, again looking outside the window

"Yes, it is."

"Warm, too"

"That's because you're sitting near the window."

I looked around, feeling the pressure building.
"Why, i'll bet there's not a single cloud in the whole sky."

This time jimin didn't respond, and we sat in silence for a few moments.

"Taehyung," he finally said, "you didn't come here to talk about weather, did you?"

"Not really"

" Then why are you here?"

The moment of truth arrived, i cleared my throat.

" Well ........ I wanted to know if you were going to homecoming dance."

"Oh," he said. His tone made it seem as if he were unaware that such a thing existed. I fidgeted in my seat and waited for his answer.

"I really hadn't planned on going," he finally said.

"But if someone asked you to go, you might?" It took a moment for him to answer.

"I'm not sure," he said thinking carefully. "I suppose I might go, if I got the chance. I've never been to a homecoming dance before"

"They're fun," I said quickly. "Not too much fun but fun." Especially when compared my other options, i didn't add.

He smiled at my turn of phrase. "I'd have to talk to my father, of course, but if he said it was okay then i guess i could."

Just two days ago i couldn't have imagined myself even thinking about it, but suddenly there I was listening to myself as I spoke the magic words.

"Well, would you like to go to school with me?"
I could tell he was surprised. I think he believed that the little lead- up to the question probably had to do with someone else asking him.

Instead of answering right away, though, jimin glanced away for a long moment. I got sinking feeling in my stomach because I assumed he was going to say no. Visions of mother, puke, and taemin flooded through my mind, and all of sudden i regretted the way I'd behaved towards him all these years. I kept remembering all the times i'd teased him or simply made fun of him behind his back. Just when I was feeling awful about the whole thing and imagining how i would ever be able to avoid taemin for five hours, he turned and faced me again. He had a slight smile on his face.

"I'd love to," he finally said,"on one condition."

I steadied myself, hoping it wasn't something too awful.

"Yes?"

"You have to promise that you won't fall in love with me."

I knew he was kidding by the way he laughed, and i couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
Sometimes, I had to admit, jimin had a pretty good sense of humour.

I smiled and gave him my word.

"I won't"