YOUNG FOREVER

ACT FOUR | SCENE FIVE

Scene 5. Taehyung's room. 8:41 a.m.

Enter JIMIN.

JIMIN pads quietly over to TAEHYUNG's bed. He climbs in and cuddles up to TAEHYUNG.

TAEHYUNG: (stirs, sleepily) Min?

JIMIN: Just me.

TAEHYUNG: (groaning) What time's it?

JIMIN: Almost nine.

TAEHYUNG: Mmmm. (buries face in Jimin's chest) A little longer, please.

JIMIN: (frowns) I'm sorry for keeping you up last night.

TAEHYUNG: 'S not your fault, Min.

JIMIN: (moves to sit against the wall) It is though. I shouldn't have called you.

TAEHYUNG: (sits up) Jimin. If you hadn't called me, you would have given yourself alcohol poisoning. I am so glad you called me.

JIMIN: I should have. (quiet) I'd deserve it.

TAEHYUNG: Jiminie please, don't say things like that.

JIMIN: I'm sorry, it's just... (lowers head) I'm such an awful person, you deserve a better best friend.

TAEHYUNG: There's no one else I'd rather have as a best friend, okay? Stop thinking like that.

JIMIN: (emotional) You want an ugly, unlovable, disposable piece of shit like me as your best friend? How, Tae?

TAEHYUNG: (getting close to Jimin, loud) Listen to me! You are not ugly, you are not unlovable, you are definitely not disposable. You are a beautiful, sweet and kind human being. You're not unlovable, you're just scared but the right person will come along. And you are irreplaceable, Jimin. If you ever disappeared from my life I'd be devastated. (soft, whispered) All of us would.

JIMIN: I... (crying) I don't...

TAEHYUNG: Shh. (hugs him to his chest) It's been a rough night for both of us. I'm sorry for yelling, but sometimes you are a stubborn ass and refuse to listen.

JIMIN: Taehyung-ah... (sniffles into his shoulder) I'm so sorry.

TAEHYUNG: It's okay. It's okay.

They sit like that for a while, JIMIN crying quietly and TAEHYUNG holding him and soothing him.

TAEHYUNG: Hey, why don't we go somewhere and get breakfast?

JIMIN: (sitting up, wiping his eyes) O- Okay.

TAEHYUNG: C'mon, go shower. You still reek of booze.

Later, a Starbucks.

JIMIN sits at a table, playing with the stir stick in his coffee mug. TAEHYUNG sits across from him, pushing his food around on his plate.

TAEHYUNG: Last night...

JIMIN: (weakly) Tae...

TAEHYUNG: I know what I said, but you and I both know this conversation isn't done.

JIMIN: I... (sighs) Okay. Fine.

TAEHYUNG: You can talk to me, you know? We're best friends for a reason, Jiminie. I'm here to support you and help you through times like this, but if you don't voice your issues I can't do much.

JIMIN: It's just– ever since that night, I can't stop thinking.

TAEHYUNG: About?

JIMIN: Myself... how terrible of a person I am. And don't start, just let me talk. I spend my life in shady clubs and bars to take some stranger home for the night, because I'm too scared to actually allow myself to fall in love with someone. Doesn't that seem unhealthy to you?

TAEHYUNG: If you're not ready for a relationship, then you don't have to get into one. Don't feel like you're a bad person just because you're scared of commitment, Jimin.

JIMIN: (loud) But it's not just that! I use sex as an answer for everything! Look at Seokjin hyung; he was upset over a crush so I fucking suggested a one night stand to forget about his feelings– only to later find out that that crush is Namjoon hyung. I ruined their friendship, Tae-ah.

TAEHYUNG: (through gritted teeth) Jimin! You're making a scene. Quiet down.

JIMIN: (looks around, shrinks) Sorry... but what I said is true. I don't know why you guys are even friends with me... or maybe that's it. You just feel bad for me so you keep me around. That's it, isn't it?

TAEHYUNG: (horrified) No! God no, Jiminie, who do you think we are? How could you even assume something like that? It actually hurts me that you would think that lowly of me and the others. Do you really think we would do that to you?

JIMIN: I- I don't know, Taehyungie. (lip wobbling) I don't know anything anymore. I'm sorry, I know you would never do something like that. I'm just...

TAEHYUNG: (gently) Let's get out of here, hey? It's okay. We can go talk somewhere else. (takes Jimin's hand) Do you wanna go back home?

JIMIN: Y- Yeah.

TAEHYUNG: Okay. Let's go home, then.

TAEHYUNG and JIMIN make their way out of the Starbucks, heading down the street towards their apartment hand-in-hand.

JIMIN: Tae-ah?

TAEHYUNG: Yeah?

JIMIN: (looking at the ground) I'm really sorry. For everything.

TAEHYUNG: Don't be, Jiminie. You're my best friend, my soulmate, and I love you to bits. I'm here to get you through shit like this. And that's what we're gonna do, okay? We're gonna get you through this, whatever it is.

JIMIN: Okay. I love you too, Tae. (softly) Thank you.

END OF ACT FOUR