Lost Love [ Taekook FF ]

Chapter 22

Tae rushed down the hall, his heartbeat pounding in his ears as he followed Jimin. He spotted him heading toward the quiet back corridors of the university, his shoulders tense with anger. Tae's own emotions were a whirlwind-he felt guilty, embarrassed, and, above all, desperate not to lose Jimin, his best friend and soulmate. He called out softly as he reached him.

"Jimin... please, just give me a chance to explain," Tae pleaded, stepping forward. But Jimin turned around sharply, his eyes flashing with a mix of hurt and disappointment.

"Explain what, Tae?" Jimin's voice was laced with bitterness, something Tae had rarely, if ever, heard from him. "Explain why you couldn't trust me? Why you hid so much from me when I've been right here, asking you over and over again if you were okay?" His voice softened for a moment, and the sadness in his eyes deepened. "Or were you just waiting until it was too late to let me in?"

Tae swallowed, feeling each word cut through him. "Jimin... it's not like that. We're soulmates. You know that."

Jimin shook his head, the sadness in his eyes hardening to anger. "Soulmates? Do you even know what that means, Tae?" He laughed bitterly, looking away. "Soulmates don't hide things. Soulmates don't make each other feel like outsiders, even when they ask to be let in." He paused, a mixture of anger and hurt clear on his face. "Why didn't you tell me, Tae? Was I... was I not enough for you to confide in?"

Tae felt a surge of desperation. He took a step closer, his voice softer, pleading. "Please, Jimin, let me explain. Just this once. I swear, I won't keep anything from you again."

Jimin stared at him, his face a mixture of uncertainty and pain, and after a long silence, he nodded stiffly. "Fine. But it better be everything, Tae. No more secrets."

Tae nodded vigorously, as they walked to the quiet area behind the university, where not much student present. There, Tae took a deep breath, bracing himself, and looked at Jimin. His heart ached as he saw the hurt lingering in his friend's eyes.

"I'm sorry, Jimin," he began, voice thick with emotion. "I didn't mean to keep things from you. It's not that I don't trust you. I just... I didn't want to burden you. You mean so much to me, and I didn't want my problems to become yours."

Jimin's expression softened, but only slightly. He shook his head, looking at Tae with a sadness that seemed to run deep. "Burden me? Tae, you're not a burden. We're best friends... or at least, I thought we were." He sighed, a mixture of hurt and exhaustion in his voice. "I wanted to be there for you. I want to be there for you. That's what friends do. And it... it hurt, Tae. To see you struggling, to know that you were going through things that i don't even know, and that you didn't even think you could turn to me."

Tae looked down, guilt filling every part of him. He sighed, gathering the courage to finally let the walls come down. "You're right," he whispered. "I should have told you. And I want to tell you everything now, Jimin. I don't want any secrets between us."

Jimin nodded, his face still etched with disappointment but softened by the hint of forgiveness. "Then tell me, Tae. Tell me everything."

Tae took a deep breath, feeling the weight of everything he was about to share pressing on him. He met Jimin's gaze, steady and sincere. "Jungkook... he wasn't always this way with me. You remember, when jungkook was acting differently."

For the next several minutes, Tae explained the complicated, tangled story of him and Jungkook-the rivalry, the misunderstandings, Jungkook's unexpected feelings, and the ongoing tension between them. He told Jimin about Jungkook's sudden declaration, how it had blindsided him, how it had hurt, and how Jungkook's public displays of affection had made things even harder.