Jimin's Struggle

8

Jimin managed to catch a taxi back to the hotel. He didn't know how to speak Chinese, but when he told the name of the hotel, the driver knew where to go. Jimin paid him and went inside. At the front desk were all the boys, the head manager, and a police officer. When Jimin walked in, everyone turned to look at him.

"Jimin!" Hoseok cried.

He ran over to Jimin and embraced him, beginning to cry again.

"I'm so sorry, I really didn't mean it. Please forgive me!"

Jimin was taken back by Hoseok's emotions, but he was sensitive to them. He hugged him back.

"Of course I forgive you. I'm sorry for saying what I did. I really am greatful for everything you've done for me. I was angry and confused. Please forgive me."

Hoseok nodded as he released Jimin.

"Of course," he said. They smiled at each other.

Jimin was soon surrounded by everyone. The officer was dismissed once he wasn't needed. Jimin could tell his manager was upset. He avoided eye contact with him. But the boys were all upset. Jimin was bombarded with questions.

"Where have you been?"

"Why would you did this to us?"

"Don't you realize how worried we were?"

"You even had Yoongi hyung worried!"

Jimin raised his eyebrows.

"Really?"

Yoongi shrugged.

"Not really..."

Jin snorted and punched him in the arm.

"Oh yes you were. When you ran into the room, we thought you had been attacked or something. The look on your face!"

Yoongi grumbled as he rubbed his arm.

Namjoon made his way over to Jimin, standing in front of him.

"Dude, I really don't appreciate the way you acted. I understand you are going through things, but this went way too far, you know that right?"

Jimin truly felt sorry for the way he acted. He nodded.

"I do. I know it was wrong. I am truly sorry for my actions. To worry you all so much, that was very insensitive of me."

He looked down at his shoes. Namjoon placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I forgive you. Just don't ever do that again, okay?"

Jimin smiled up at Namjoon and nodded.

After going back up to their rooms, Jimin received a lecture from his manager. It wasn't as harsh as the manager previously intended it to be. He had seen the way Jimin acted in the lobby, and he knew the boy was truly sorry. But Jimin didn't mind the lecture. He knew he deserved much worse than he received. He sincerely apologized to his manager.

The rest of that day went as planned. The boys were on a radio show then went to a party they were invited to. The events from earlier weren't important anymore. Jimin didn't tell anyone about Seun, deciding that was something he would keep privately in his heart forever.

****************************

The next day, BTS released a video article about what happened at MAMA. Each boy shared his side of the story. Namjoon was first since he was blamed for the whole thing. He explained what the manager had said to provoke such a reaction from him. He didn't say hateful things; he simply told the truth, even about his own actions. Next was Taehyung, then Yoongi. Now it was Jimin's turn.

Jimin had the hardest time. He wanted to completely forget about that night, but now he had to tell everyone, fans and haters, everything that happened. He swallowed hard. Although his voice cracked a few times, he was able to successfully tell his side of the story. Jimin's manager saw how much it pained him to talk about it so straightforwardly. He gave Jimin a pat on the shoulder and smiled.

"I'm proud of you Jimin. You are becoming a strong man."

Jimin smiled wearily as he bowed and exited the studio.

The rest of the boys were filmed. Once the video was completed, their manager watched it. He never heard any exaggeration in any of their stories, and all their recollections matched up perfectly with each other's. BTS manager knew the article would be impactful. Hopefully it would fix their problems.

As predicted, the video changed everything. The boys' ARMY believed every word. Even critics found the whole story without flaws and hard to discredit. The manager from MAMA couldn't say anything against them without lying. The boys' reputations were saved.

Jimin was so touched by his fans' support. There was much outrage once it was learned what the manager had told Jimin. Everyone told Jimin he was beautiful, that they loved him like he was. He couldn't help but smile at his fans' sincerity.

A few days later, the manager from MAMA was fired. The news came from the official home website of the event. They apologized for the treatment Jimin had received. Apparently, after the boys released their article, the manager was confronted and had confessed. He would not be there next year, which made Jimin very glad.

Time passed. Things happened, some good, some bad. The boys continued to grow, both in fame and in brotherhood. By the year 2018, BTS was considered the most widely known Kpop group to ever exist. Their popularity was through the roof, reaching far above what BIGBANG could have ever bragged. The boys continued to write and produce their own songs, expanding their music to explore all different types of sounds and messages. But the thing that kept them thriving was their humility and openness to interact with their fans.

Jimin was mostly recovered. He would always struggle with his self-image; that was his struggle in life. But he hardly thought about it anymore. The others always supported him, and he never gave up. Together with the others, he grew into a confident young man ready to take on the world, one song at a time. 

Author's Note: 

WOW!  You made it to the end!  Like I said, this was my very first fanfic and I did not edit it since last publishing it in 2016.  Hope you enjoyed!  Please leave a comment, feedback, follow if you would!  Bless!