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"I'm going to go out for a little bit alright Hyung?" Jimin stood by the doorway, looking at Yoongi through the glasses that rested on the bridge of his nose. "I just need a change of scenery."
He needed fresh air. Last week had been so stressful and emotionally draining for him, he just needed this week to be a lot calmer. He needed it to be filled with less grief, and for his thoughts to be clearer. Last week they were just clouded with all of the pain that build up over the days.
It even became hard to paint. Hard to draw. Hard to motivate himself to go to his classes in the morning.
But he was determined to get himself out of the rut that he had stumbled into. He wasn't going to let his soulmate's actions dictate how he was going to live his life. Just because they may live a life of misery doesn't mean that Jimin wants to as well.
He was his own person. He wasn't going to let his soulmate drag him down into their grief with them.
"Yeah sure. The fresh air will do you good." Yoongi sat on their couch, headphones around his neck and laptop balanced on his lap as he scribbled something down in a notebook. "When do you think you'll be back?"
Jimin shrugged, stuffing his hands in the pockets of the denim jacket he wore.
"An hour or two. I won't be long." He answered, Yoongi nodding in response as he typed something onto his keyboard quickly.
"Alright. I'll see you then." He spoke, looking up to watch Jimin send a small wave goodbye before he walked out the door. Yoongi had a project due tomorrow, Jimin was pretty sure that he did at least. It would explain why he was so frantically working all of the sudden. Maybe he put it off until the last minute.
It was windy outside yet again, the wind ruffling the strands of Jimin's hair as he stepped out into the cold. Jimin quite liked the cold, actually. He could definitely say that he preferred it over the heat.
He pulled his jacket further over him, glad that he could see the coffee shop that he had been thinking of come into view fairly quickly. Not only was it on campus and close to his dorm, but one of the barista's was his close friend. She was a medicine major, and the one Jimin turned too when he wanted confirmation that the marks on his skin were in fact, from burns.
He had only met her at the end of his first year, but she was already closer to him than some of the other people Jimin knew due to the fact that she was the only person other than Yoongi who know about his burns.
He exhaled in relief when he opened the door to the coffee shop, both warmth and the smell of coffee beans enveloping him in a tight hug when he walked in. Jimin first checked to make sure that she was working, smiling softly when he recognized the long brown hair tied up into a messy bun.
"Heejin." He called as he walked up, smile widening when she turned around. As soon as she recognized him, her face lit up and she darted over to the part of the counter that he was at.
"Jimin-Ah!" She grinned, leaning against the counter. "I haven't seen you in quite some time. Too busy with Yoongi's parties are we?"
Jimin chuckled softly, nodding as he sat down on one of the stools at the counter.
"Guilty." He answered, Heejin shaking her head and laughing.
"Of course." She nodded, whipping up a drink for Jimin as they talked. "How've you been?"
Jimin's smile dropped, sighing softly as he watched her spray whipped cream onto the top of his drink. It was going to be a peppermint hot chocolate, he knew it was. It was the drink he always ordered once winter rolled around.
"Honest answer?" He asked, Heejin nodding. "I've had a pretty shitty past week, and I'm trying to put it behind me as best as I can."
Heejin frowned, sliding the drink towards Jimin before she leaned against the counter.
"What happened?" She paused, frown deepening even further. "Does it have to do with your soulmate again?" Jimin nodded, swiping a bit of whipped cream into his finger before licking it off.
"I can't get a break Heejin." He huffed. "It seems like it's every night, and every morning. And the pain is getting worse? It's extending on for longer too, and God I just want it to stop."
"I don't know what to tell you." Heejin sighed, frowning and tapping her fingers across the countertop. "You don't know who they are, so it's not like you can walk up to them and tell them to clean their act up." She watched silently for a moment as Jimin took a sip of his drink. "All I've got to tell you is, if it ever gets to the point where the burn goes on for so long that it just completely stops hurting; go to the hospital. That's a third degree burn, and that's nerve damage."
Jimin nodded, eyes widening.
"I forget that you're a medical student sometimes." He laughed, Heejin shrugging in response. "How do you find time to study if you work here on your free time?"
"I study while I work." She laughed, pulling a stack of cue cards out of the pocket in her apron. "It's effective trust me. I can memorize things, and earn money to pay off my student loans at the same time."
Jimin shook his head, laughing softly before he took another sip of his drink. It was hot, warming him up from head to toe with each gulp of it that he took. "Oh by the way, I met that first year that you were talking about."
Jimin's eyebrows shot up, setting his cup down.
"You did?" He asked, Heejin smirking at how enthusiastic Jimin had become and nodding.
"He came in that same day you did a few days ago." She explained. "He didn't talk much though, and he's really soft spoken."
Jimin nodded.
That sounded like him.
"Jungkook sure is something." Jimin raised an eyebrow at Heejin's next words, frowning softly. Jungkook? Was that name supposed to ring a bell?
"Jungkook?" He asked, Heejin laughing softly and nodding.
"Yes Jungkook. The first year?" She edged on, Jimin's eyebrows shooting up as all of the pieces clicked together. Jungkook. Jimin knew his name now.
Jeon Jungkook.
"You didn't know his name did you?" She laughed, Jimin shrugging his shoulders and tapping his fingers against the side of his cup.
"I've never talked to him before. Couldn't find the time to, also couldn't find a reason to." He caught Heejin's gaze, and raised an eyebrow at her shocked expression. "What?"
"What do you mean you couldn't find a reason to?" She asked, Jimin merely shrugging for the second time as he directed his gaze out the window. Many student walked past, some hand in hand, others solo.
"He's shy. Incredibly shy." Jimin answered. "I can tell that he doesn't like meeting or interacting with new people, so why would I subject him to something that he wouldn't be comfortable with?"
"Because you could help him out of his shell?" Heejin suggested. "You could help him be more confident."
Jimin shook his head, swiping more whipped cream into his finger.
"If he wants to be left alone, then I'll respect that." He responded. "If he changes his mind about that then maybe I'll introduce myself. Until then however, I'll keep my distance from him. Maybe eventually I'll get to move closer, but not now."
