Regret Me Not | 김석진

Six

"This is so great!" Taehyung beamed on the drive home. "We have to hang out everyday this week, okay?"

Yoongi scoffed next to him. "I'm taking a nap tomorrow, so...no thanks."

"No! We can't let them just walk out of our lives!"

"Taehyung, it's Sunday. It's God's day."

Namjoon snickered from the front seat. "Since when do you believe in God?" he asked after blowing smoke out of the passenger window..

"Since fuck you, that's when," Yoongi retorted playfully, making sure not to wake the sleeping Jungkook on his shoulder. "And I hate you for taunting me with that cigarette.

"Hey, blame Jin Hyung. He's the one who won't let us smoke in the car."

Jin smiled at the conversation while glancing at Jimin and Hoseok in the trunk, his grip on the steering wheel feeling lighter than it had been in a long time.

Victoria and Iseul said their goodbye's back in the parking lot. After coming back from the bingsu place, Jin and Victoria had a completely new air about them and the way they interacted with each other. It put everyone at ease although a bit late.

The total shift in their dynamics perplexed Jungkook, but the rest of them accepted it happily. Taehyung was especially elated, daring to hold both of their hands and skip excitedly through the park.

The window separating the trunk and the backseat opened abruptly, jolting Jin out of his thoughts.

"Hyung," Hoseok called from the small opening. "Jimin and I live the closest, so drop us off first."

Jin smirked. "I always do, don't I?"

"We're just making sure!" Jimin said with a giggle.

Yoongi covered his ears—he was sitting right in front of the little window. "Jimin, be quiet. I'm gonna go deaf."

Jungkook stirred, slowly sitting up from where he had been laying on Yoongi's shoulder. He rubbed one of his eyes with the back of his hand and yawned. "Hyung, are we almost to my house?"

"I'm taking Hoseok and Jimin first," he replied, eyes shifting to his gas meter. It was almost on empty. "But I need to get gas."

Namjoon tapped his cigarette on the edge of the cracked window. "We can swing by my work real quick."

"Nothing is ever quick with Jin Hyung!" Jungkook whined tiredly. "He takes forever to do everything."

"Ya!" Jin shouted, eyes flicking to the rearview mirror to see the brat behind him. "I will turn this car around!"

The younger pouted. "It's not my fault you're a slow thinker."

"Whats twenty-four times six?!"

Jungkook's brows creased as he thought hard. He would be graduating after spring break and was generally good in every subject beside English and, clearly, math.

"That's what I thought," Jin concluded when he didn't respond.

Jungkook sat up straight, leaning forward. "Oh yeah? Then you answer it!"

"I'm driving!"

"Will both of you shut up?" Yoongi pleaded. "You're giving me a headache with all this yelling."

Jungkook turned to him with a cheeky smile. "Cheer up, hyung. You'll be home sleeping your life away before you know it."

"That's all I ask."

In the back, Hoseok's mind was whirling as he stared at Jimin resting peacefully beside him. His words from earlier rung in his head.

"Hyung, I think I'm gonna quit the police academy."

Hoseok looked at Jimin incredulously as they admired the city skyline while Victoria processed their photos from the photobooth and the others were on the ferris wheel.

He furrowed his eyebrows in concern. Being a police officer was something Jimin had wanted since they were little. "But, Jimin...you've always—"

"I know." The younger cut him off, refusing to meet his gaze. "I've always wanted this, but...I don't know if I want it anymore. I don't know if I ever really did." Hoseok peered at him quizzically, waiting for him to go on.

Jimin ran a hand through his dyed dark brown hair before continuing. "Being a police officer is a dream my mom always supported, but she's not around anymore and..." He paused and Hoseok swore he could see memories crossing his unfocused eyes. "Helping you out at the studio and watching you dance all these years has...I don't know, it's made me want to try it."

"You have. You're really good," Hoseok admitted, almost to himself.

Jimin only sighed. "Everything sucks, but when I dance, It all goes away. I feel lighter. It's like I'm floating—like..." When he stopped, the older leaned forward on the railing, a bit concerned, but not as much as when Jimin spoke next.

"It's like I'm nothing. And that's all I really want."

The truck hit a bump, shoving the memory away from Hoseok's mind. The bump was really just Jin pulling into Namjoon's gas station. The lights made the building glow amidst the dark. One other car was there, but they quickly left before Jin could even shift his gear into 'park'. Hoseok didn't think much of the detour. It actually gave him an opportunity to get some snacks inside while the tank filled up.

As he went inside, Namjoon got out of the car with Jin's debit card and loaded the money before sticking the nozzle in. He leaned against the body for a moment, smirking at Jin who was smiling at him, sticking his head out of the window.

Namjoon walked to him and leaned against the glass. "Let me see your polaroid."

"You wanna take a picture?" Jin asked while handing the pink camera to him.

Namjoon only nodded while holding it up so he could see through the lens. Jin smiled and held a peace sign near his face. Yoongi popped forward from the backseat, striking the same pose.

"One, two..." he counted before capturing the moment. He walked around and sat in the front seat again as Yoongi sat back. Jungkook exited the car as Namjoon showed the picture to Yoongi and Jin. They nodded, satisfied, and he opened up the glove compartment before placing it inside. Taehyung's face was smashed against the window as he, too, was finally kissed by the sandman.

While Namjoon got out again to remove the nozzle, Hoseok came out of the store with his groceries. He noticed Jungkook leaning against the back of the trunk with one of the blankets Jin kept back there.

Jimin was still asleep, shivering slightly in the cold night. The same familiar pang of guilt struck him violently as he watched his best friend's chest rise and fall slowly. Had it not been for Hoseok, Jimin would be happy as ever. He wouldn't have the issues that he did.

Feeling it was all he could do, Hoseok set down his groceries in the trunk before reaching for the plaid soft blanket and placing it over Jimin. He leaned down and pressed his forehead to the boy's temple. "I'm sorry, Jimin," he whispered softly before pulling away and picking up his bag.

He got inside the truck where Jungkook had been, and Jin shifted into 'drive' before taking off.