𝐁𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧 (𝑇𝑎𝑒𝑔𝑔𝑢𝑘) ✓

♦EIGHT♦

"Hey, Ggukie!"

Jeongguk turned his head as he saw Jimin running towards him in the school parking lot. They had just been dismissed for school and Jeongguk was going to walk home as he always did, and then make himself a pizza before watching Love Island.

"Hey" Jeongguk said, once Jimin had gotten close enough "what's up?"

"Let...me-" Jimin said, trying to catch his breath, "I can walk home with you!"

Jeongguk narrowed his eyebrows. Jimin has barely talked to him all week, so he was surprised to suddenly see that he wanted to spend time with him.

"Sure," Jeongguk said, though he was still skeptical.

They walked next to each other for a bit, listening to the sound of cars passing by. The school wasn't that far from the younger's home, so the walk wouldn't be that long.

"So is there anyone you wanna tell me?" Jeongguk asked after a few minutes of silence.

"Can't I just take a walk with my best friend?" Jimin replied, "do I have to have a reason?"

"No, but-" Jeongguk then realized something "wait, I'm still your best friend?"

"Of course!" Jimin exclaimed "do you remember what I told you the night before the first day of school? You'll always be my best friend."

It was quiet again, then Jimin turned towards the younger "have I really been neglecting you that much?"

"Um-" Jeongguk started, but found himself unable to finish "I...um-"

"Just be honest," Jimin said, "please, don't lie to me."

Jeongguk sighed, then decided to say what Jimin asked "I mean, it's just....you and Namjoon have been hanging out a lot. And that's not a bad thing! Like, I'm really happy for you guys, but it's just when you cancel stuff that we do together to hang out with him, that's when I'm kinda hurt."

"Okay, I'm so so sorry," Jimin said "it won't happen again, I promise. I just thought you were okay with it."

"I didn't want to stop you" Jeongguk replied, "even though I was hurt, I wanted you to be happy."

Jimin's face softened, and he wrapped his arm around the younger's shoulder, pulling him into a small hug. "Thank you, but I'll try to be better, okay? And if you're mad or sad about anything I've said, tell me."

"Got it," Jeongguk said, feeling himself smile. It fell silent again after that, though nothing about it was awkward.

"Is that why you've been so distant with us?" Jimin asked.

"What do you mean?" Jeongguk replied, confused.

"Like, it seems like you've been busy lately. You haven't been answering Hobi and I's texts" The older said, "I thought you were just ignoring us, honestly."

"Oh," Jeongguk said, "yeah, I've been kinda busy. But not anymore."

Jeongguk then got his phone out and checked it. He had no other notifications.

Ever since the younger had gotten more vulnerable with Taehyung, the older boy hasn't spoken to him ever since. He would read Jeongguk's texts but never reply to them, he wouldn't call him back and even when Jeongguk tried to go to Taehyung's house, he never seemed to be home.

Jeongguk was terrified. He knew he had scared him away. He thought that Taehyung would be understanding and comforting, as he always is, but he knew that he probably thought of him as a freak now, and the mere thought made Jeongguk's heart break.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Jimin asked, sensing that something was off with the younger.

"No, it's fine," Jeongguk said. Though Jimin was his best friend, for some reason he didn't feel comfortable telling him about Taehyung. He didn't quite know why, but he almost wanted to keep Taehyung to himself.

"Okay," Jimin said. They reached the front porch where the two boys said their goodbyes before departing, leaving Jeongguk by himself once again.

It always seemed to end like this, with the younger being left alone.

Jeongguk sighed as he collapsed onto his couch, opening his phone again for the thousand time today and checking his text messages once again. All that was there was a message of Jeongguk asking Taehyung if he was angry at him, but there had been no reply.

Hell, he hadn't even read it.

The younger turned his phone off and threw it to the floor. He ran a hand through his red hair, fear and worry seeming to consume him.

He might've just lost the one person who didn't make him feel like a nuisance.