Sky Pirates

a song from the 90's

he's been folding all those damned paper cranes since before he left for seoul. now he's in a convenience store, back again in busan and he's still folding. some foreign song starts playing. something about reasons why people never stay and hurting when someone touches your heart. kinda like he did.

jimin never planned on knowing anyone. he made himself like the warm, friendly person he always wanted to be just so no one ran away from him but he definitely didn't think he'd be so close to taehyung. or that taehyung was ever going to affect him so much like this and become so important. 

make no mistake, jimin doesn't hate people. far from that. he loves them. too much sometimes that it spills. and sometimes it suffocates.

second semester started two weeks ago and everyone must be so busy. he heard taehyung and two other guys started working as student assistants at the college cooperative some days prior. and frankly, he's a little jealous. jimin always sort of believed there was something evil in him. he boxes the cranes and dials taehyung's number.

"hello? jiminie?" taehyung sounds excited.

"are you busy?"

"uhh...a bit. i have to help arrange some stuff at the shop"

"give me an hour. and then, i'll never bother you again"

jimin never looked it and everyone just went with the idea that he was all soft, but jimin knew in himself that there were far darker things inside. selfish wishes. testing people. always testing. craving the affections that sometimes were not meant for him. wanting everything.

"i'll go soon. i'm here at the store where we used to always get dinner"

"wait" taehyung gasps. "you're back? in busan?"

"no. i'm in seoul" jimin answers sarcastically.

"oh. okay. wait for me" 

the sound of taehyung's smile is loud through the phone. 

"can you keep the line open?" he asks. 

"sure"

jimin hears a door creaking and then some shuffling and voices asking where he's going. he stutters and tells them he'll be back and then there's the distinct sound of taehyung bounding down the stairs. 

"jiminie?"

"hmm?"

"i'm outside. walking. walking now"

"does anyone know? anyone with you?"

"no. i didn't tell"

"good. i'm hanging up"

"wait! why? don't"

"you'll see me anyway"

"okay"

it doesn't take so long before he sees the boy through the store window. he pretends not to notice taehyung approaching and taps at his phone random nothings.

"jiminie"

the smile on his face absolutely kills jimin. 

"when did you come back?"

"just yesterday" jimin lies. he came back almost a week ago.

"i...uh...can't stay very long"

"i know. neither can i"

"are you going somewhere?"

"maybe"

"with who?"

"you don't need to know. anyway" jimin places the box on the table between them. "i just wanted to give this. happy birthday, though technically it's not"

"jiminie-"

"you believe in wishes taehyungie?" he cuts taehyung off, knows that if the boy starts talking, his resolve will crumble and this will all be for nothing.

"of course"

jimin breathes. this is where it gets difficult. the bridge of his nose starts to sting. his fists are clenching and unclenching. 

"jiminie?"

"legend has it that when you finish a thousand paper cranes, you get a wish" 

taehyung stares at him.

"i have three wishes for you. one: success. that wherever you go, you always win" he says very quickly.

jimin wipes at his tears. "two: love. i hope you find someone you love so much you aren't confused about it. and i hope they love you just as much"

"jimin" 

"and three: peace" he pauses. breaks down and composes before taehyung's hand reaches him "mostly peace. a peace so great, you'll wonder how there was ever a world before it"

"are you letting me go?" says the boy in front of jimin.

he smiles, shaking his head. "me? no. but i feel sometimes you have"

taehyung takes the box and places it gently in his bag. jimin downs the rest of his cup of now cold chocolate. there was no goodbye after that. they just left.