July Heat (complete)

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3rd person POV 

July 10th, 2024

The next morning, Jimin woke up feeling like everything was falling apart. His mind was clouded with the heaviness of his grief and the suffocating numbness of his despair. He briefly considered taking drastic measures to escape his pain, even thinking about jumping off a bridge he had seen the day before. But as he got up from bed, he noticed that Yoongi was already awake, a subtle reminder that he wasn't entirely alone in his struggle.

Jimin grabbed a backpack he had used to pack some of his belongings. The pastor had mentioned taking him to get new clothes, a small but important step toward finding some semblance of normalcy.

Jimin's POV

I walked downstairs, where everyone was gathered for breakfast. I tried to slip out the front door unnoticed, but Anna called out to me, her voice carrying a tone that made me flinch.

"Jimin, honey," she said. The term felt foreign coming from her, a painful reminder of my mom's voice.

I walked over to where everyone was eating. "Jimin, come eat and please tell me or my husband before you leave the house," she said with a smile that felt more like a burden than a comfort.

"K," I mumbled, sitting down at the table. I picked up my fork and pushed my food around on the plate, unable to bring myself to eat.

"So, Jimin," Anna began, breaking the silence. "I want you to go out with Jin and Yoongi tonight to the arcade."

I sighed, not feeling up to any form of social interaction. "Okay," I said, barely managing to muster the energy to respond.

Anna then translated what she had said into English for her husband and the kid who was a bit younger than me. The whole scene felt surreal, like I was going through the motions without truly being present.

The day ahead seemed overwhelming, but Jimin knew he had to face it, even if he was just going through the motions.

3rd Person POV

"Yes! Jimin, you'll meet Tae!" Jin exclaimed, a bright smile on his face. Jimin sighed, feeling the weight of his grief pressing down on him.

"Jin, give him a bit, okay? I think he should stay home to process everything," Yoongi said, looking at Jimin with a supportive smile.

Jimin glanced over at the pastor and Anna. She was translating their conversation for him, but the pastor's face grew darker by the second. He slammed his hands on the table, making everyone jump except for Yoongi, who remained calm.

"Yoongi! How many times do I have to say stop making decisions for everyone else?!" the pastor yelled, his voice filled with frustration. Jimin could only catch a few words—"stop" and "Yoongi"—but the intensity of the pastor's outburst left him in shock.

He looked over at Yoongi, who stared down at the table, his shoulders sagging with a deep sigh. The air was thick with tension, and Jimin felt helpless, caught in the middle of the escalating conflict.

Yoongi's voice was quiet but resigned. "Sorry, John," he said, his tone reflecting a mix of apology and defeat.

The room fell into a heavy silence. Jimin felt the weight of the moment, unsure of what to do or say. He saw the strain in Yoongi's eyes and the frustration on the pastor's face, and it only added to the turmoil Jimin was already feeling.

John, still visibly upset, took a deep breath, trying to regain his composure. Anna reached out, placing a comforting hand on John's arm, but he didn't acknowledge it. Instead, he turned his gaze back to Yoongi, the anger in his eyes slowly subsiding to a more controlled, though still tense, demeanor.