One Small Step|| Taekook

New Blooms

Jimin stared outside the window of the car, eyes taking in the city lights. It was raining, a peaceful serene weather, but Jimin was anything but calm.

Taehyung's revelation earlier had not been something Jimin had been expecting. It did surely explain the initial hostility Taehyung had for Jeongguk or Jeongguk's guilty form, but the extent of everything to be so deep was something he had never imagined.

And Jeongguk...it was hard to place the Jeongguk he knew to the Jeongguk that once existed. He had known that Jeongguk had an abusive father, since Jeongguk often told him how he wanted the best for hoon, to be a father he never got for himself. To shower him with a love he had never received.

Apparently, it turned out that Jeongguk had too many regrets. Taehyung was one of them.

As he analyzed everything, his mind drifted back to that one time he had told Jeongguk about his high school bullying, Jimin remembered his ashen face and his questions.

Would you forgive your bullies?

Jimin did. Jimin did to become his best self. He forgave those people who later apologized all those years later. He remembered what Taehyung had told him about his bullying, he had never thought it would be well...Jeongguk.

It was ironic in a way Jeongguk came out as gay. Jimin realized how hard it would have been for him, fighting his own self, the belief he was taught with. Jeongguk's circumstances might have been wrong, but his actions had been his own. There was no excuse for bullying. But Jeongguk had owned up to his mistakes. Perhaps, Taehyung was Jeongguk's healing too.

"Would you..." Jimin turned his head to stare at Yoongi, who had been driving silently until then. "Would you hate Jeongguk now?" He asked, and Jimin could notice the unease in his voice. Him getting bullied in high school had not been something that was unknown to Yoongi.

Jimin averted his gaze, staring ahead. "No. I wouldn't."

Realizing that Yoongi was waiting for an explanation, Jimin sighed.

"Jeongguk did things that were unacceptable, no matter what he was going through, he made his own choices then. I did not know him then, but the Jeongguk I came to call a friend was someone who was entirely different. Taehyung admitted this too. I forgave my own bullies when I realized they changed their ways. Jeongguk did that too. He recognized his mistakes and accepted his faults. The hate he grew up with, he did everything he could to turn it into love... love for Junghoon. It was hard for him to come out and accept himself when he had once tormented and hated others for the same things."

"I have seen the way Jeongguk looks at Taehyung. His eyes speak volumes about his grievances. I have seen Jeongguk bearing the chains of something I did not know about then, but now that I know, I realized that there had not been a single day in his life when he did not hate himself or his wrongdoings."

They were each other's pain and healing. It was a path that was destined. All Jimin could do was accept them in all their broken forms, and with love make them whole again.

He stopped when he noticed Yoongi's expression. His eyes were glossy. Yoongi looked away immediately and said, "Thank you. Jeongguk really needs friends like... you. I want that boy to find his bunny smile back. I want him to find his light back."

"It was wrong of me to Judge Taehyung like that. I get him. I-"

"Isn't that what you always do Min Yoongi? Judge people without reason? Push people away without any reason?" Jimin interrupted, a sarcastic tone, stopping Yoongi midway.

Apparently, there was another thing they needed to address. A conflict that had no conclusion.

"What are you talking about?" Yoongi's eyes hardened immediately.