apology

twenty

December 23, 2015, 12 a.m.

The familiar ringtone of my phone reverberates throughout my small compacted bedroom in the dead of night. Having been tossing and turning since I first lay down on the marshmallow-like mattress, I am even more alert when my phone rings, quickly reaching over to pick it up before Taehyung awakes.

"Hello?" I greet.

"Heheheh, Minrae-ah~" a familiar slurry voice calls my name from the other end of the line.

I frown. "Park Jimin?"

"Heheheheh~" he continues to giggle stupidly.

"Are you dru-" I start to ask, but am cut off when another voice takes over the phone.

"Hello, miss?" a husky male voice politely addresses me, "Your friend has had more than three dozen bottles of beer and is very, very drunk. Would you mind coming over to pick him up?"

My frown deepens. He's been drinking? "S-sure," I hesitantly answer. It's not like I can say no. "I'll be over in fifteen."

With that, I hang the call and get up from the bed, heading into the washroom and not even attempting to wake my brother - who's currently snoring like there's no tomorrow.

***

"Park Jimin!" I snap at the orange-haired boy before me, who's currently collapsed on the bar counter, lifeless but snoring.

"Miss?" a male bartender calls for me, and I turn to face him. He's probably the one who was on the phone just now. He continues, "Please bring your friend home. We're closing soon."

"Oh, sure," I nod, slinging one of Jimin's arms around my neck. Just as I manage to get the unconscious boy off the bar stool, the bartender calls for me again.

"Um, miss? You still have to pay your friend's bill," he sheepishly informs me, as if knowing that my reaction won't be anything good.

"How much is it?" I ask, struggling to support Jimin's weight as I reach into my jean pocket for my wallet.

"Fifty thousand won," he tells me, and my jaw drops almost immediately.

"Fifty thousand won for beer?!" I gasp in horror, checking my wallet to see if I have enough money - just nice, fifty thousand won. How am I going to pay for the taxi fare?

"He offered to treat the rest of the customers to a round of drinks too," the bartender explains, completely relating to my shock.

I sigh, reluctantly handing him the fifty-thousand-won note. Park Jimin, you owe me.

Jimin stirs just as I'm dragging him out of the barely-lit building, eyes slowly fluttering open while a stupid smile spreads across his face. "Heh, you're pretty-" he pauses to hiccup, not recognizing me in the midst of his drunkenness.

"How much did you drink?" I grumble, struggling to hold him up as we near the bus stop. It's a good thing I remembered to bring my bus card.

"Wassup, everyone!" Jimin suddenly yells, letting go of me and stumbling onto the pavement, almost tripping over the curb and falling onto the road. Almost. "I'm the new leader of-," he pauses with a hiccup, "Bangtan, Park Jimin!"

"Jimin!" I hiss, cringing in embarrassment as I grab him by his shoulders, hanging my head as low as I can in embarrassment. "I swear, if the paparazzi happen to pass by-"

"I love my ARMYs!" Jimin ignores me, twirling around with his arm outstretched, looking like a gorilla version of a ballerina.

I plant my hand over his mouth, preventing him from making any other stupid speeches. "Shut up!" I order, before proceeding to pull him towards the bus stop.

Once we've reached the deserted area, I release his mouth and place his arm over my shoulders again, seeing how he looks like he's gonna collapse anytime soon.

"Why were you even drinking?" I grumble, looking at the boy whose head is on my shoulder, currently in a state of subconsciousness again.

He doesn't give a reply, instead he starts to snore. I sigh in relief - at least there won't be anymore trouble for me.

Staring at his sleeping face, I can't help but be reminded of his expression when he was arguing with me earlier today. Compared to his face then, he looks way more innocent now.

If only he could be like this everyday.

Just then, the bus that takes us to my apartment arrives, and I hurriedly board it, with Jimin slung around my shoulders.

After struggling for a while to tap my card against the card reader, I finally manage to dump him onto a seat, before plopping down beside him as well.

"Ugh," I groan, massaging my sore neck as my eyelids start to get heavier and sleep starts to get to me.

"Mom," Jimin suddenly mumbles, waking me up just as I begin to nod off. He hooks his arm through mine, resting his head on my shoulder. "Mom," he repeats, this time in panic. His eyebrows are scrunched together, and his face displays an emotion I recognize as fear.

I stay silent, not knowing what I should do or how I should react. Hesitantly, I start to pat his head, trying to calm him down. Immediately, he relaxes, eyebrows going back to their original positions.

This continues throughout the rest of the journey - Jimin calling out for his mother, and me calming him down when he does so.

I don't think too much into it though.

After twenty minutes, the bus finally reaches the stop below my apartment, and I struggle to carry Jimin off the vehicle. Somehow, I manage to drag him up the stairs of the building, though at snail's pace.

"Taehyung-ah!" I call out as soon as I unlock the front door, stumbling into the house with Jimin still on my shoulders. Park Jimin, you really owe me a lot.

"Min-Minrae?" a sleepy voice greets me just as I'm throwing the drunk boy onto the couch. I turn towards the owner of the voice, gaze meeting my elder brother's.

"What-" he starts to ask, but Jimin cuts him off with another string of drunken words.

"Taehyung-hyung~" he almost sings, eyes forming half-moons as he grins at my older brother.

Taehyung's eyes widen. "Did-did you just call me hyung?" he gasps. "Do it again."

I roll my eyes. "Go get him a glass of water," I order. Taehyung's face falls in disappointment, but he still heads into the kitchen anyways.

I saunter into the bathroom and return with a wet face towel, before proceeding to dab Jimin's face with the moist fabric. Then, when I least expect it, Jimin's hand shoots up to grab my wrist.

My eyes widen, but before I have time to react, Park Jimin speaks his first sober words since I first saw him in the pub an hour ago.

"It's you."

+

i don't know how that was, but thanks for reading heh :>

i hope you enjoyed this chapter :")

:hoseokieomo