Harmonic Destinies

Chapter 6 : Roommate

The first thing Taehyung noticed when he woke up was the sound of rustling. His roommate, Jimin, was already up, slipping into a hoodie and fiddling with his phone. "Morning," Taehyung mumbled, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

Jimin glanced over, flashing a brie smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Morning. You sleep okay?" Taehyung stretched, yawning "Yeah. I guess." Sitting up, he remembered his encounter with Jungkook the day before, the whispered confession, and the strange encounter with the girls. Everything felt heavier now, like he'd fallen Into a maze he didn't quite know how to navigate.

Jim sat at the edge of his bed, typing something on his phone, then suddenly looked up. "Hey," he said in a tone that caught Taehyung off-guard. "I saw you hanging around those ZENITH guys yesterday." Taehyung tensed. "Yeah... I mean, I ran into them."

Jimin narrowed his eyes slightly as if weighing his words carefully. "You should be careful around them," Jimin said. "Why?" Taehyung asked. "Trust me." Jimin's tone was sharp but oddly protective. "Those guys... they come with drama. You'll get pulled into their mess if you're not careful."

At school, the hallways were buzzing with their usual chatter. Taehyung kept his head down, not wanting to attract any attention after what had happened with the girls before. But as he walked past a group of them in the corridor, their conversation stopped him in his tracks.

"Can you believe it?" One of them whispered harshly. "Jimin, of all people, brainwashing Yoongi? How shameless can you get? All because he is the son of the CEO."She snickered. "Seriously," another scoffed. "Yoongi could have anyone, and somehow Jimin tricked him into being... like that."

Taehyung clenched his fists. He didn't know Jimin well, but hearing those words made his chest tighten with anger. He glanced around, searching for Jimin, and spotted him slipping quietly through a nearby door toward the restroom. Without thinking, Taehyung followed.

Jimin was leaning over the sink when Taehyung entered, gripping the edges of the porcelain so hard his knuckles turned white. He looked up at the mirror and caught Taehyung's reflection behind him."What do you want?" Jimin's voice was cold and distant. Taehyung hesitated. "I just... I heard what those girls were saying."

Jimin let out a humorless laugh, turning to face him. "Yeah? And what do you want me to do about it? Cry? Run away?" Taehyung flinched at the bitterness in Jimin's tone. He wasn't sure what he expected maybe a vulnerable moment, a chance to comfort him. Instead, Jimin's expression was hard, like a wall built too high for anyone to climb over.

"You don't have to explain yourself to them," Taehyung said quietly.

Jimin scoffed. "You think I care what they say?" Taehyung studied him for a moment, trying to figure out what lay beneath the sharp edges of Jimin's words. There was anger, sure. But there was also something else something fragile that Jimin seemed determined to hide.

"I don't know you well," Taehyung said slowly, "but I know people like that aren't worth your time." Jimin stared at him for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Then, without another word, he turned back to the sink, splashing water on his face. "You shouldn't have followed me," Jimin muttered as he wiped his face with a paper towel.

"Maybe not," Taehyung admitted. "But I did." Jimin's lips twitched maybe a smirk, maybe something else but he didn't say anything more. After school, Taehyung took the train to his grandmother's house in Daegu. When he arrived, his grandmother greeted him with a warm smile and a tight hug. Her small house smelled of fresh herbs and soup simmering on the stove a comforting reminder of home.

"How's school, my dear?" she asked as they sat down together for dinner. "It's... complicated," Taehyung admitted, stirring his rice around

His grandmother chuckled softly. "School always is. But you'll figure it out." Taehyung hesitated, then decided to confide in her. "My roommate, Jimin... He's a bit difficult to understand. I don't know if we'll ever really get along."

His grandmother smiled, her eyes twinkling with gentle wisdom. "Ah, roommates. They can be tricky." She reached across the table and patted his hand. "But remember this, Taehyung. Be kind to your roommate. Sometimes, the people who are the hardest to get close to are the ones who need kindness the most."

Taehyung nodded, her words settling into his heart. He hadn't thought of it that way before. Jimin's walls, his sharp words were probably there for a reason. Maybe Jimin wasn't as cold as he seemed. Maybe he just needed someone to see past the surface.

The train ride back to Seoul gave Taehyung time to think. His grandmother's advice echoed in his mind, and by the time he reached his dorm, he had made up his mind to try a little harder with Jimin. When he entered their room, Jimin was lying on his bed, scrolling through his phone with a blank expression. He barely glanced up as Taehyung came in.

"Hey," Taehyung said, trying to sound casual. "I brought something back from my grandma's place." Jimin looked up, curious despite himself.

Taehyung pulled out a small package of homemade rice cakes, placed them on Jimin's desk. "She makes the best ones. Thought you might like to try."

Jimin stared at the rice cakes for a moment, then gave Taehyung a look that was somewhere between suspicion and surprise. "You didn't have to do that."As Jimin looked at him a bit shocked. "I know," Taehyung said with a small smile. "But I wanted to." For a moment, Jimin didn't say anything. Then, slowly, he sat up and reached for the package. He peeled it open and took a bite, chewing thoughtfully.

"They're good," he admitted, though his voice was softer than usual.

Taehyung grinned. "Told you." Jimin glanced at him, a flicker of something unspoken passing between them maybe gratitude, maybe something else. "Thanks," Jimin muttered, looking away quickly. Taehyung didn't push him. He knew better than to expect too much too soon. But as he settled into his own bed that night, he felt a small sense of accomplishment.

Maybe, just maybe, a friendship wasn't as far away as it had seemed.

To be continued...