𝓑𝓸𝓾𝓷𝓭 𝓫𝔂 𝓟𝓻𝓸𝓶𝓲𝓼𝓮 (𝓙𝓲𝓴𝓸𝓸𝓴)

chapter 18

Jungkook's POV

The silence in the car felt heavy, thick with unsaid words. As soon as we'd dropped Ava off, the lively atmosphere had died, replaced with something cold, uncomfortable. Jimin sat beside me, staring out the window, his usually expressive face unreadable. I couldn't help but feel an unsettling tightness in my chest, a sense that something had shifted between us, and I couldn't pinpoint what.

I tried to shake it off, hoping it was just a momentary mood, but as the silence stretched on, it became impossible to ignore. I finally spoke, my voice gentle, trying not to disrupt the fragile quiet. "What happened suddenly, Jimin? You were laughing just a minute ago."

At first, I thought he wouldn't respond, but then, in a voice barely above a whisper, he said, "Hyung, please... don't bring her home anymore. I... I don't want to be friends with her, and I don't like her."

His words were blunt, unfiltered, and they hit me harder than I expected. I tightened my grip on the steering wheel, pulling over to the side of the road. I turned to him, searching his face, trying to understand the sudden coldness in his tone. "Why, Jimin?" I asked, my voice steady, though I felt anything but calm. "Why don't you like her? There must be a reason, right? Tell me."

Jimin's shoulders tensed, his gaze fixed ahead, avoiding my eyes. He crossed his arms over his chest, his usual openness replaced with a defensive posture. "I just... don't like her vibe, hyung."

A twinge of irritation sparked in me. "Jimin, you're acting like a mean girl. You don't like her just because we accidentally ruined your surprise? That's... that's so immature," I said, trying to mask my frustration.

His eyes snapped up, a storm of emotions flickering in his gaze. "Do you really think that's the reason? No, hyung, it's not just about that," he snapped, his voice unsteady. "It's because of the way you act around her! You're giving her more importance than me!"

Jimin looked down, his shoulders slumping under a weight I hadn't noticed before. When he finally spoke, his voice was softer, carrying a lingering hurt that stung to hear. "It's just... when you're with her, it feels different. During dinner, you and Ava kept laughing about me not knowing how to cook. Most of the time, you two were talking, and I felt... left out, like I didn't belong there." He paused, looking away. "And when I was sharing something personal about my family... you looked at her and then changed the subject. Like what I was saying didn't matter at all."

I felt his words sink in, each one carrying a weight that settled uncomfortably in my chest. I had laughed with Ava, yes. We had shared memories, light-hearted moments that Jimin wasn't a part of. But... I hadn't intended to make him feel left out. It wasn't my intention to hurt him, especially not like this. I reached out, resting a hand on his shoulder, hoping to ease the tension.

"Jimin-ah, I think you misunderstood. We weren't laughing at you for not knowing how to cook-it's not something bad if you cant cook! It completely normal, and we didn't mean it that way. And about your family..." I paused, letting out a slow breath, "I changed the subject because Ava is an orphan, Jimin. She doesn't have parents, and that conversation brings up a lot of pain for her. I just... I didn't want her to feel hurt as our guest."

Jimin's expression softened, his shoulders slumping as if a weight had been lifted. But I could still see the hurt lingering in his eyes, as though my explanation hadn't erased all the pain. "Hyung, I understand, and I'm sorry if I made her uncomfortable. But... I don't want to be forced into a friendship with her. I'm not asking you to stop being friends with her. I just... I don't want to feel this way in my own home again."

I sighed, feeling conflicted. Jimin's comfort meant everything to me, yet I couldn't ignore the struggles Ava had faced. She'd endured more pain and loneliness than most people ever would, cast aside and judged for circumstances beyond her control. Despite her mistakes-mistakes we've all made at some point-she fought to become someone better. But people were quick to judge her, unwilling to see the good in her, and now that included my friends... even Jimin.