THE ACE AND THE AMBER

CHAPTER 5: FRAYING AT THE SEAMS

From the moment Jimin and Yoongi stepped into the arrivals hall of Incheon International Airport from the USA, everything about their relationship situation seemed to change for the worst.

Yoongi's attitude towards Jimin was over the top sour and Jimin was running out of ideas and the patience to deal with him.The quiet in the apartment had long ceased to be a comfort. It was suffocating, like a stillness before a storm that never seemed to break.

Jimin sat at the edge of the bed, his mind a fog of confusion and sadness. How long had it been since they'd come back to Korea? A month? Two? It hardly mattered anymore. Time had lost its meaning in the growing tension that filled their once warm and loving home. Yoongi had completely changed since the USA concert and Jimin felt its weight every single day.

It wasn't always like this. Once, Yoongi had been his sanctuary-a quiet strength, his rock amid the chaos of their lives. But now, everything Jimin did seemed to irritate him. It was as if the very sight of him set Yoongi on edge. No longer were there gentle touches or affectionate smiles. Instead, there were sharp words and cold stares. Jimin felt himself unraveling, the threads of their love fraying beyond repair.

The sound of Yoongi's keys scraping against the counter startled Jimin from his thoughts. He looked up, and their eyes met, but instead of warmth, there was a deep, unsettling chill in Yoongi's gaze. His mood was already sour, Jimin could tell. The tension crackled in the air, thick with unspoken grievances. Jimin's chest tightened.

"Are you alright, Yoongs?" Jimin began softly, his voice laced with mild concern.

Yoongi's lip curled in disdain as he tossed his jacket onto the couch. "What's wrong with you?" he echoed, his voice laced with venom. "You left the damn lights on again. You can't even manage to do something as simple as turning off the lights when you leave the room. It's ridiculous."

Jimin blinked, taken aback by the accusation. This was his apartment and he paid every single bill without any help from Yoongi. And not that it mattered, he understood that Yoongi needed every coin he could spare to set off his career and Jimin was ready to help in every way.

What had him gutted though was why Yoongi would all of a sudden become burdened by something so trivial as a forgotten light, and a whole list of other tiny little things like Jimin wearing an old Shirt of his, that seemed to send him over the edge these days. "The lights? Yoongi, that's what you're upset about? You're picking a fight with me over lights now?"

"You act like you're some perfect little angel, Jimin," Yoongi spat, his voice rising with every word. "You're so damn careless. Everything is always about you, isn't it? Your friends, your little social events. You flit around like nothing matters except what's in your world."

Jimin's heart pounded in his chest as his frustration flared. "What are you talking about? All I ever do is try to make this work. I've bent over backward for you, Yoongi. But no matter what I do, it's never enough. You're angry all the time, picking fights over nothing. Do you even hear yourself?"

"Oh, so now I'm the bad guy again." Yoongi sneered, stepping closer. "Typical Jimin. Always playing the victim. Poor, perfect Jimin, who can't do anything wrong."

Jimin's chest tightened, the words hitting him harder than he expected. "What's happened to you?" he asked, his voice small, fragile. "You've changed so much, Yoongi. I don't even know who you are anymore."

"Don't start with that!" Yoongi spun on his heels, eyes blazing with irritation. "Just because your concerts sell out doesn't mean you can lecture me about change. You're the one who's different now, Jimin. All that fame, all those fans-you think you're better than me, don't you?"