Pretend • Vmin

"Happy"

[Edited]

♚

Chapter Twelve

"Happy"

Jimin ignored Taehyung on purpose.

He kept his eyes forward, his steps steady, waiting, against his better judgment, for Taehyung to say something. To follow. To call his name like he always did.

Nothing came.

To his surprise, Taehyung didn't even look his way.

The realization stung more than Jimin expected. Maybe I really don't matter to him, he thought, the idea settling heavy in his chest. Not new but sharper now, harder to brush aside.

In the bathroom, he splashed cold water onto his face, gripping the sink as he stared at his reflection. His eyes looked tired.

Stop thinking about him, he told himself. You're doing this to yourself.

Outside, rain poured down in sheets, relentless and loud. Jimin groaned under his breath, pausing at the steps. Running for the gate would mean getting soaked and he couldn't afford to get sick right now. Not when everything already felt off-balance.

As he debated, a red car slowed and pulled up beside him. The window rolled down.

"Need a ride?"

Jimin froze.

Jungkook.

For a second, instinct told him to refuse. Too complicated. Too soon. Too many things left unsaid. But the rain soaked into his shoes, cold seeping in, and exhaustion won over pride.

It's just a ride, he reasoned. It doesn't have to mean anything.

Getting sick would only make things worse.

"...Fine," he said, nodding as he jogged around the car and slid into the passenger seat, shutting the door just as the rain intensified.

Jungkook pulled back onto the road. Silence stretched between them.

Then Jungkook spoke. "Jiminie... How are you doing?"

Jimin let out a slow breath. "I honestly don't know. I'm here. I'm breathing. But it feels like I'm not really... present."

Jungkook huffed quietly. "Yeah. Sounds about right."

Jimin shot him a look. "You always say that like everything's a joke."

"I'm not joking," Jungkook replied, jaw tightening. "I'm trying to understand you."

"That's new."

Jungkook's grip on the wheel tightened. After a moment, he spoke again, voice lower. "About the note you left. You don't get to disappear like that and pretend it didn't matter. I was confused, Jimin. You ignored me like I was nothing."

"That's what you wanted," Jimin said flatly, folding his arms. "I gave it to you. Why are you acting surprised?"

Jungkook scoffed. "You really think I wanted that?"

"You won," Jimin snapped. "Shouldn't you be celebrating? I'm pretty sure you already told your stupid friends about it, talked shit behind my back. Did you brag? Told them how good I took it?"

The car swerved slightly before Jungkook yanked the wheel and pulled over hard onto the side of the road. Rain battered the windshield as the engine idled loudly, filling the silence.