"I want you to understand me when I'm speaking to you, Jimin."
"Yes. I'm sorry." Jimin bowed his head at his mother and she sighed before ruffling his hair. He raised his head and she gestured to her room.
"I'm going to bed now. Think about what I said."
He didn't respond and watched her walk away before letting out a sigh. For the past three weeks, she'd been asking him to get a job to help support her.
And as much as he wanted to, school was getting harder and harder. He was afraid his grades would drop and if they did, he would have no way of supporting her after school.
But he needed to at least try.
A sudden ring came from his pocket and he took his phone out before answering the call and raising it up to his ear.
"Hello?"
"Jimin, hang out with us. We're going to the movies."
He stared at the wall on the other side of the room and bit his lip.
"Hang out with you and Jungkook? You two are going to the movies?" He asked and heard taehyung hum as a response.
"Please come with us." There was a sound of someone being shushed in the background and Jimin opened his mouth to respond when he heard a whisper.
"Let's just go alone. He doesn't talk much anyway."
A shiver ran down Jimin's spine and he swallowed the lump in his throat.
There was a sound of someone being hit and Taehyung let out a small growl he did when he was angry before clearing his throat. "Well? Are you coming?"
"Tae, I'm sorry but I," He paused and glanced around the empty room. "I have to babysit my cousin."
"Right now? Can't you just, you know, leave him there?"
He laughed softly and shook his head. "No, Taehyung. I can't just casually leave a five year old to fend for himself while I watch a movie."
There was a pause before Taehyung spoke again.
"Then should we come over? You know, to help?" Jungkook seemed to whisper something but either Jimin didn't want to strain his ears or he just didn't want to hear it.
He couldn't tell.
"I don't think you need to. I've got everything under control."
"Alright fine. This brat keeps tugging on me like I'm his mother. I'll see you tomorrow at school. Sleep well." He made a kissing sound and Jimin rolled his eyes.
"You too, Taehyung. Bye."
The small smile fell from his face and he stared at the phone in sadness before letting out a sigh and smiling again.
He would be happy for them.
Because that was what a true friend would do.
Although he wanted to hide Jungkook from Taehyung forever, he wouldn't. Although he wanted to be the only one watching movies with Jungkook, he wasn't.
Although he wanted to be the one Jungkook craved so desperately, the one he longed for as he felt his hormones acting up, it would never happen.
And although he wanted to be the one to show Jungkook what love was, he couldn't.
As much as he wanted to act as though this friendship was enough, as though he didn't need everything and he was happy with where they were now, it wasn't him.
Because he wanted Jungkook. He wanted his smiles, his kisses, his sweat, his touch, his moaning, his all.
But it was something that would never belong to him.
And so he had to be grateful that Jungkook had fallen in love with Taehyung who they had known for years. Jimin could trust Taehyung to never hurt him. He could trust Taehyung to treat him as though he was the last existing beautiful glass doll in the world.
And so he gave up his lover to his bestfriend because he knew that with that decision, everything would go well.
