Straight Until Proven Gay (kissing doesn’t count) • Chapter 12 • 5.1K (Patreon)

< Chapter 11

———————

“So, tell me why you’re here.”

“..Like, just everything at once or.. do you want a chronological order of what went wrong?”

“It’s completely up to you, just for me to get an idea.”

“So like.. should I trauma dump everything on you?”

“You can, if that’s what you need.”

Man, it must suck being a therapist.

Jeongguk blinks at the woman sitting across of him, drinking some coffee. Her name is Hye-sung, looks about his mom’s age.

“What made you think you needed therapy?”

“Well..” Jeongguk looks at his own coffee, sees himself in the reflection. “I’m straight but kissed a guy who I hate, who is also my best friend’s ex boyfriend..”

Hye-sung nods slowly, so Jeongguk clears his throat.

“And uh, my dad is dead, my mom has been controlling most of my life. I have a fake girlfriend so that I don’t have to call my mom. And, the guy who I kissed, I actually kind of gave him a blowjob, yesterday. And I haven’t told my best friend, who said that I should tell him if there’s something going on between me and his ex.”

Is that all?

Hye-sung blinks a couple of times, and then puts her cup of coffee down.

“You sound like a ton of work.”

“Thanks, my mom thinks so too.”

A tiny smile tugs at Hye-sung’s lips.

“Okay, well, let’s start with the recent stuff. Tell me about the guy.”

Fuck. He was really hoping she’d tackle the other stuff first.

He taps with his foot against the floor.

“His name is Jimin.”

“How did you meet?”

Jeongguk feels a lump in his throat, but knows that he has to get all of this off his chest, so he takes a deep breath, and just tells her from the beginning. How they met, what happened in between, up til the blowjob.

She never even asked one question, he only realises by the time he’s finished.

Hye-sung just nods slowly, no sign of judgement on her face at all.

“Can I ask why you think you’re straight?”

Fuck.

His face glows hot, and he coughs a few times, repositions on the couch.

“I just never really liked men. I’ve only ever had girlfriends. Blondie is the only guy that has ever caught my attention.”

“Right, so, you’re attracted to a man, but you think because he is the only one, that he is the exception to the rule.”

“Well, yeah.” Jeongguk shrugs. “He looks more feminine, so.”

“And if I follow your logic, why can’t it be that he’s not the only guy, but just the first guy that has caught your attention?”

Jeongguk’s eyes widen, and he feels something shift, heartbeat picking up.

“That’s- that’s not it. I just- I think it’s just that he’s always around, and I know he’s gay, so it’s easy.”

He crosses his arms, sits back in the corner of the couch, looks away.

“I think that contradicts your previous statement, if blondie is your best friend’s ex, it’s not easy.”

Fuck.

He pokes his tongue in his cheek.

“I- I don’t know. It just kind of- there’s just something about him. I can’t explain it. And I have never looked at any other men.”

“Can I state my direct thoughts?”

Hye-sung asks.

Jeongguk shrugs.

“That’s what I’m here for right?”

“Not necessarily. I don’t know if you react well to a direct approach.”

“I can handle it.”

He’s survived Jimin after all.

“Okay, well, to be frank, it sounds like you have a crush.”

Jeongguk sits up straight immediately, looks at Hye-sung like she’s insane.

“Absolutely not.”

———————

“How’s therapy?”

“Therapy sucks ass.“

Yoongi hums, nods in agreement.

“It’s never a fun process. But you’ll have to keep going, honestly. It helped me a lot even though I hated it.”

Jeongguk blinks, looks at Yoongi who is just going through his agenda.

“You.. had therapy?”

“Yeah. Still do sometimes.”

Huh. He’s never really thought about it. Thought that he was the only one who needed it. A sense of relief washes over him, knowing that it’s not that uncommon to see a therapist.

“You’ve never told me.”

“You’ve never asked.”

Ah, right, that’s true. Yoongi never really tells him much unless he asks. And one thing has been on his mind since he last talked to Hoseok.

“Is it because of Jin?”

It’s funny seeing Yoongi tense up at the question and pretend to be aloof.

“Why do you think that?”

“Mm.. don’t know, heard you had some feelings for him.”

Jeongguk raises a brow, watches Yoongi’s back. He knows he’s got him in a tight spot, likes doing that to him.

“Heard you sucked Jimin off.”

Jeongguk startles, the blood draining from his face fast. Yoongi doesn’t even look at him, just unpacking some new ink and needles like it’s no big deal. Panic spreads through his body because how- how the hell does Yoongi know?

“What?”

“Jimin told me.”

Yoongi looks at him now, face blank as ever.

He can barely get a grip, like he just got punched in the gut.

He hadn’t thought Jimin would say anything to anyone. Just like he hasn’t said it to anyone yet. And with anyone he means Taehyung.

“I don’t think Jimin remembers that he told me though. He was drunk out of his mind.”

Yoongi mumbles, opening another box.

Drunk?

“Jimin doesn’t get drunk easily.”

He remembers the days he drank with him. The only time Jimin couldn’t remember anything was that one time when he felt his absolute worst.

“Yeah but, he’s got a lot to deal with at the moment. With his mom, and now that guy leaking pics of him.”

Jeongguk’s eyes widen. He drops his pencil, stands up.

“What? Which pics?”

Yoongi looks at him now, raising an eyebrow.

“Just some guy sent around pictures of him hugging a teacher, and now half the school thinks he’s fucking him.”

“Wait, you mean that pic with his dad?”

Yoongi blinks.

“Oh.. you.. you know about that?”

“Yeah Jimin told me. Some time ago. What the fuck, Sungho really did that? When?”

His heartbeat is in his throat, adrenaline rushing through his body. Yoongi eyes over him like he’s overreacting. Maybe he is.

“Yesterday I think.”

Jeongguk opens his phone, only now sees how some of his school group chats have over 100 unread messages. Shit.

“You.. okay?”

Yoongi asks.

Jeongguk doesn’t know how to respond, just knows that he feels restless and wants to call Jimin, or go see him. But given as they’re not close, he’s not sure if Jimin would appreciate it.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine.”

He’s not, really. He’s fuming actually.

“Okay, if you say so.”

Yoongi shrugs, goes back to unpacking.

Jeongguk keeps looking at the clock the rest of his shift.

———————

He’s not sure why he’s doing this. This is probably a bad idea.

Jimin opens the door, looks at him a little bit unfocused. He’s pale, doesn’t look like he slept much, or at all, and he’s barely standing up right. He smells like alcohol. That’s not good. There’s considerable distance between them, yet Jeongguk can smell it.

“Can I come in?”

He asks, because Jimin is just staring at him, blocking the doorway. Then the blonde nods, steps aside a little.

When Jeongguk walks in, Jimin closes the door, and instantly pushes him against the wall. It’s quite hard, and at first Jeongguk thinks Jimin is angry at him, but then there’s hands on his body, lips against his own.

It takes about 2 seconds before he processes Jimin is kissing him, well, trying to, desperately mouthing at his lips. Jeongguk pushes him off, holds him by his shoulders.

“Woah, what are you doing?”

“n’t you here for that?”

Jimin slurs, still running his hands over his chest, looking at his lips when he talks. Jeongguk has never been jumped like that before, feels blood rush up his cheeks, tastes soju on his tongue when he breathes in.

“N-no. No, I’m here to check on you.”

“M’fine.”

Jimin says, trying to reconnect their lips, leaning against him with his entire body weight. Jeongguk turns his head, and looks around frantically, trying to find a spot to sit Jimin down.

“You’re drunk. Did you sleep at all?”

Jeongguk spots the couch and starts walking Jimin there, trying not to pay attention to how Jimin’s hand moves down his body, trying to undo the button of his jeans.

He doesn’t need an answer really, can see from the number of empty soju bottles and food on the table that he hasn’t slept at all. His fridge is wide open, tv on on the loudest volume setting, every door is open, the lights are all turned on.

“Shit.”

He mutters under his breath as he sits Jimin down on the couch. Which Jimin sees as the perfect opportunity to try get him out of his pants.

“No. No, I’m not here for sex.”

He gently grabs Jimin’s hands so he stops trying to undress him. It seems Jimin doesn’t really appreciate the gesture, yanking his hands back and groaning, exasperated, rolling his eyes as he leans back on the couch.

“Then get out.”

Isn’t he nice as always?

Jeongguk pinches the bridge of his nose, decides to ignore Jimin. He leaves him to sit on the couch, first turns off the tv, then turns off some lights and closes some of the doors.

“I don’t want you here. Get out.”

Jimin slurs half the words he says, tries to stand up but falls back down on the couch, hiccuping.

Idiot.

“I’ll leave in a bit, but you can barely function so just give me 5 minutes.”

Jeongguk doesn’t get a cohesive response so he takes that as consent and walks into Jimin’s kitchen. There’s opened packages of raw meat on the counter, just lying there, along with soy sauce knocked over. His dishes are all stacked up in the sink. It smells like he burned something.

The fucking gas is on.

Jeongguk gasps, quickly turns it off and takes the pan off of the fire, burns his hand when he does.

“Ow, fuck.”

He cools his hand immediately under the faucet, looks back at Jimin over his shoulder. His eyes are closed, head leaning against the edge of the couch.

What a piece of work. A fucking safety hazard.

Jeongguk takes a deep breath, then decides he’ll just clean up a little bit and make sure Jimin gets to bed. He can talk about the pictures another time.

So he does that, cleans up the mess in the kitchen, then the mess in the living room, keeping an eye on Jimin, who’s started snoring in the middle of it, lying uncomfortably on the couch.

And maybe Jeongguk cleans a little too thoroughly, takes a little longer than he said he would, what’s Jimin gonna do anyway?

Once everything looks anew, he slowly approaches Jimin. He looks completely passed out, probably won’t wake up from anything. So Jeongguk decides to carry him to his bedroom, finds out he’s pretty light.

He opens a few wrong doors, but then finds it, and lays Jimin down in his bed.

“Mm, thanks Tae.”

Jeongguk blinks, heart pangs with sadness as he realises Jimin thinks Taehyung is taking care of him. He’s never really asked Jimin about the break-up. If he still has feelings for Taehyung, if he’s over it..

“It’s Jeongguk.”

He corrects softly, sitting down on the edge of the bed as he looks at Jimin’s face.

“Jeondeung.”

Jimin mumbles, putting his hands under his pillow.

“No, gguk, Jeongguk.”

“Jeongguk.”

Jimin puts extra accent on it, lips puckering in his sleep. An unidentified feeling spreads in Jeongguk’s chest. He shakes his head to himself, then stands up. But when he’s about to walk out, Jimin grabs his wrist.

“Don’t leave me.”

Oh..

Jimin’s eyes are still closed, eyebrows furrowed. He looks like he’s about to cry. Jeongguk doesn’t have the heart to leave, but knows for a fact that if Jimin wakes up he won’t be happy to see him.

Regardless, he sits back down on the edge of the bed, sighs deeply as he studies Jimin’s face.

“I’m here. I’ll stay.”

It takes a few seconds, but then Jimin’s frown disappears and he lets go of his wrist, returning to sleep.

Jeongguk sits there for a while, waiting until Jimin is snoring evenly, completely unresponsive. He’s taken care of a drunk Taehyung, and a drunk Hoseok before, but they never really go over their limit. Jimin on the other hand could have killed himself today.

Fucking idiot.

Jeongguk bites his tongue as he stands up, looks around the house to fetch a bucket, paracetamol and a glass of water to put next to the bed for Jimin.

“My cat’s outside..”

Jimin mumbles.

“You.. have a cat?”

“Mmm.”

Of course he does. Of course he has a cat.

“Need me to let him in?”

“She… needs food.”

Jeongguk rubs over his forehead, sighs.

“You owe me big time.”

He says, looking at how peacefully Jimin lies there under the covers, letting him do all the work, blissfully unaware. He lets his eyes wander over Jimin’s face, gets stuck at his lips.

Jimin kissed him.

It only now really processes, and he brings his fingers to his own lips, rubbing over them to try and recall the feeling. He can’t remember it though, his shock and worry completely dulling the experience. Didn’t think Jimin would do it, made so sure to tell him he’d never kiss those lips again.

He shakes his head. No time to think about it. He needs to find a cat.

———————

He’s been waiting for an hour and a half, not knowing if the cat even exists. In the meantime he’s snooped around the house, seen Jimin’s only food in the house is instant ramen and eggs. He has nothing else. Vaguely remembers Taehyung telling him he wasn’t that much of a cook.

Then he hears a meow.

It’s a black cat. And she’s staring at Jeongguk like it’s a superior being. He opens the door for her, but she just keeps sitting there, like Jeongguk is stupid.

“Get in.”

He says, stepping aside.

The cat looks inside, twitches her ear, doesn’t really care, starts licking her paw.

Jeongguk doesn’t like cats at all. He sighs, walks in and looks around, finds some canned tuna, puts it in a bowl. Only then does the cat walk in, nonchalantly like she’s absolutely not there for the food.

He rolls his eyes, closes the door so the cat stays inside.

Looking at the time then, he mulls over if he should leave now, or wait until Jimin wakes up to talk about the pictures.

But then he thinks of a better plan. He’s gonna find Sungho.

———————

He remembers the conversation he had with Jimin from some time ago.

Sangwoo’s family is rich, Sungho basically got adopted there since he didn’t really have much family left. He’s been living there for years.

Lucky for him, he’s celebrated the first win of the season at Sangwoo’s place, knows exactly where to go.

Now that he’s standing in front of the door he’s not so sure it’s a good idea. But he feels a little unhinged today so he figures it’s better to give into his every thought.

Sungho opens the door, raises a brow.

“Jeon? What’s up?”

What’s up. Like he doesn’t know what this is about.

Jeongguk saw the pictures of Jimin in their groupchat, a girl said it got sent to her by an unknown number. But he knows it’s Sungho who sent it to her.

“I think you know.”

There’s a few seconds where Sungho really does look confused, but then there’s a mean smirk on his lips.

“Oh, you’re here on behalf of your boyfriend.”

Boyfriend.

Jeongguk huffs, brushing past that.

“Why the fuck did you leak those pictures?”

“My hand slipped.” Sungho says, folding his arms and leaning against the doorframe, sizing him up. “What’s it to you? Didn’t know he was blowing a teacher behind your back? Did I ruin your newfound love?”

Jeongguk squares his jaw, feels rage build up inside of him.

“What the fuck did Jimin ever do to you?”

“Besides getting me kicked out of volley?”

Sungho says it as if it’s groundbreaking. Jeongguk can only huff out a breath.

“Really? That’s the only reason you did this? You’re that fucking pathetic?”

Sungho laughs, as if Jeongguk is actually making a point. Then he shrugs, like it’s nothing much.

“I guess I’m not too fond of his kind either. You know? The ones taking cock in every hole possible.”

“He’s not-“

“A slut? You should know. Heard you gagging on his cock in the changing rooms the other day.”

Jeongguk’s breath hitches, eyes widening. Sungho just tilts his head, gives him a smile.

Fuck.

“Yeah, didn’t think anyone was around hm?”

Sungho chuckles, that smile reaching from ear to ear.

Jeongguk can’t get his breathing under control. Almost having a full-blown panic attack just remembering it.

“I thought you only took Jimin in the team because he gave you head, never thought you’re a faggot too.”

Jeongguk takes a step back, shakes his head.

Fuck, he needs to calm down.

“Yeah, you can pretend all you want but I heard it all, heard your name loud and clear.”

Sungho laughs, shaking his head as if he’s having a good time.

And only then does Jeongguk ask himself; Why the fuck was Sungho even there at that moment?

Sungho’s been kicked out of the volleyball team, he had no reason to be near the changing rooms, much less stay long enough for him to overhear Jimin say his name.

Why does Sungho even care so much about Jimin? He’s been obsessed with making his life miserable for a while. And why did he leak the pictures now? right after hearing them in the changing rooms?

The longer he looks into Sungho’s eyes, the more it dawns on him.

Didn’t Jimin say Sungho used to be nice to him? Then turned to a dick out of sudden? Wasn’t that around the time Jimin got a boyfriend?

Doesn’t that just.. reek of jealousy?

He’s reaching right now, but for some reason, it clicks inside his mind.

“You like Jimin.”

Jeongguk states.

Sungho’s grin disappears, face turning white.

“The fuck are you saying? Are you even listening to me? He’s a fucking worthless-“

Jeongguk cuts him off, sucking in a sharp, painful breath through his teeth.

“You must have liked him, and then he probably got with another guy, huh? Was it Dae-hyun?”

Sungho steps outside then, losing his composure as he tries to intimidate Jeongguk. They’re the same height. But Jeongguk could take him in a fight, he’s sure.

“You’re the one blowing him. I don’t fucking like him. He’s a fucking-“

“You want him to suffer because he doesn’t want you. You’ve been obsessed with him from the start, you’re doing this because you’re desperate for his attention.”

Sungho grabs him by his collar, and Jeongguk can’t help but grin. It’s an automatic reaction now. Whenever he feels a thrill the corners of his mouth curl up on their own account. All Jimin’s fault.

“Should I tell Taehyung about your little get-together?”

Fuck.

Sungho looks at him like he’s not fucking around, and Jeongguk feels his heartbeat pick up, throat running dry.

“Depends, should I tell Sangwoo you were fucking his girlfriend behind his back?”

Apparently, Sungho hadn’t thought Jimin would let him in on that secret. He instantly looks up at the camera installed, facing the entrance.

“Keep your fucking voice down.”

Sungho grits out.

“Why? Is Sangwoo listening in? Should I wave?”

Jeongguk looks at the camera as well, gives it a grin, almost raises his hand but Sungho shakes him once, as a warning.

“Why the fuck are you here Jeon?”

Right, he came here to take revenge. Kind of thinks he’s on the right path with how scared Sungho is looking. Jeongguk grabs Sungho’s wrist and squeezes just enough so he lets go of his collar.

“Just wanted to confirm it was you who leaked the pics. Might let it slip while talking to the principle.”

Sungho’s eyes widen, but then he looks like he’s not buying it.

“You don’t have any proof.”

“Don’t I?”

Jeongguk raises a brow, grabs his phone out of his pocket and shows Sungho when he stops recording.

That’s when he gets hit with a right hook to his face. He’s disoriented for a second, feels his lip burn, thinks his nose might start bleeding.

“Give me that.”

Sungho tries to take his phone, but Jeongguk protects it, returns the favour, hitting Sungho in the stomach, then going for his face with his elbow.

Sungho stumbles back, groans as he cups his jaw.

Jeongguk takes that moment to make a run for it. He’s pretty fast, Sungho won’t be able to keep up.

“Fuck you! I’m gonna fucking sue you Jeon!”

That has never worked on him before. His mom won’t let that happen for the life of her. Even if she hates him with a passion, she’ll make sure her career won’t have a stain on it.

“Try me!”

———————

He manages to tell the principle the same day, and got told that they will take the matter seriously.

It feels like he accomplished something, and he wants to call Jimin to tell him that Sungho will face repercussions for what he did. But while he’s walking home, it’s Jimin who calls him first.

“Hey.”

“Are we friends?”

Jimin asks, seemingly bothered.

Jeongguk frowns, walks a little slower.

“What?”

“Are we friends, Jeon?”

Are they friends? Not really. Come to think of it, they’re not really anything, just.. well, acquainted? Then again, Jimin’s cock has been in his mouth.

“No..?”

“Then what makes you think it’s okay for you to come over uninvited and clean my house?”

Jeongguk almost thinks it’s a joke, because who would care whether someone helps clean their house? But then he reevaluates: it’s Park Jimin. He gets pissed about the slightest things.

“The gas was on, you could have died.”

Jimin clicks his tongue from the other end.

“So, you could have turned off the gas, why did you scrub my entire kitchen clean? Why were you even here in the first place?”

Okay, he might have gone overboard cleaning the kitchen.

“I came because I heard about the pictures and I was..” Jeongguk stops himself from talking. What does he want to say? worried? He can’t say that. Jimin would probably scream at him. “Anyway. Sorry for cleaning, and no problem for preventing a house fire.”

“You’re so dramatic. I would have turned off the gas myself, it’s just because you came uninvited that I walked away from the stove.”

Oh.

Well that does clear up why there was nothing in the pan yet, and the meat was lying there. Jeongguk feels a little sheepish now.

“Well, it was a mess. You should have-“

There’s a loud meow from the other end, and then Jimin startles.

“What the fuck? Who’s cat is this?”

Jeongguk’s eyes widen, and he stops walking for a bit.

“What? You told me to let your cat in. Isn’t that your cat?”

“My cat? I don’t even have a cat?”

“What? You told me your cat was outside and needed food? I waited like an hour and a half for it to come!”

“When the fuck did I say that?”

“When you were… like.. half asleep.”

Jeongguk rubs the back of his neck, embarrassed for believing Jimin in that state of delirium.

Jimin groans. Jeongguk sucks in a sharp breath as he hears him move around, probably trying to catch the cat.

“Look, I don’t know what’s gotten into you, but you don’t have to check up on me. I can take care of myself.”

“I know, it’s-“

“Just because I fucked your mouth doesn’t mean we’re together.”

Jeongguk blinks, can’t believe Jimin would think that of all things. He’s offended now. As if he’s some love-struck duckling because of what happened? There was nothing even remotely romantic about it. He’s even going to fucking therapy for it.

“You must be fucking kidding me.”

“What? You’re uncharacteristically nice to me all of sudden, I just don’t want you to get the wrong idea.”

Who the fuck does Jimin think he is? Jeongguk grits his teeth.

“Sorry but you’re the one who pushed me against a wall and kissed me as soon as I got in. so if anything, you’re the one who shouldn’t get the wrong idea.”

It’s silent on the other end, and he hopes Jimin is at a loss of words for once. Serves him fucking right.

“I was drunk. So.”

“Yes you were. You were drunk, kissing me, and trying to get me out of my pants.”

Jimin clicks his tongue.

“I’m always like that when I’m drunk. It still doesn’t explain why you’re coming over to clean my house.”

“Your mom died and the school thinks you’re fucking a teacher who happens to be your dad. That’s why I’m being nice to you. Or well, trying to. You make it very hard.”

Jimin stays quiet for a few seconds.

“I- I can handle it by myself. Stop pitying me.”

Though Jimin is trying to sound irritated, Jeongguk can hear that he’s flustered by the stutter and change of tone.

“I’m not pitying you, I’m showing human decency. Sorry if that blows your mind.”

“I don’t need it. Don’t do things for me, it’s annoying. …And there’s a cat in my house because of it.”

Jeongguk sighs, shakes his head. At least Jimin is trying to lighten the mood.

“It was your fault. You seem like a cat person, it was believable.”

Jimin huffs.

“You’re a dog person aren’t you?”

“Couldn’t you tell by the humping?”

Jeongguk surprises himself when he says it. Cheeks burning up as he clasps his hand for his mouth. Jimin is also quiet for a good while, but then he laughs breathily.

“Was that you saying that?”

“Sorry- I- sorry, that slipped.”

“No it’s fine.”

He can hear Jimin smile.

“And I could tell by the sniffing.”

Oh.

Jeongguk’s cheeks burn up and he fastens his pace, as if to run away from the memory. But it catches up to him. How he face-planted himself into Jimin’s crotch and just breathed in.

Ah, how embarrassing.

Fuck.

He can’t come up with a response, and so it turns awkward between them. He needs something else, another topic.

“Uh- uhm. Speaking of not doing things for you because you find it annoying. I talked to the principle about the pictures, and told him that Sungho leaked them.”

Maybe not the best topic he could have picked?

“What? Why the fuck would you do that? He’s never gonna admit it was him, and you’ll be the one getting in trouble for trying to set him up.”

That was his initial thought as well, which is why he went for the better approach.

“I had proof.”

“What proof? Just my word? I swear to god if you used my name-“

“I stopped by his place, he confessed while I was recording him secretly.”

Now that he thinks about it, it might be a bit too much. Jimin isn’t really fond of him helping out, and here he is recording a dude for him, just to take revenge.

“You.. you did what?”

Jeongguk properly blushes, thinks that maybe he did lose his marbles a little bit.

“Well, you’re going through a shit time, and when I stopped by your place and saw you’d been drinking so much I just wanted to fuck Sungho up.”

“What? Why? We’re not even friends. This isn’t your problem, why are you doing this for me?”

Jimin sounds confused more than annoyed. And Jeongguk feels it as well, not completely sure why he’s going through such lengths for Park Jimin of all people.

Why is he trying to help out?

Why does Sungho leaking those pictures annoy him so much? Apart from just the general notion that it’s a fucked up thing to do.

He digs deeper, tries to use Hye-sung’s constant why method to get there.

Then it comes to him.

The first time they met, Jimin had been the one telling him how his team was a bunch of homophobic rats, about how they made his life a living hell. And he didn’t want to believe it back then, he just overlooked it.

He feels guilty.

“It’s.. because it’s Sungho.”

“What do you mean?”

“He was my teammate. I never noticed he bullied you. I didn’t want to believe it first.. I.. just..”

Jeongguk trails off, looking at his front door, not wanting to go inside yet.

“You already apologised for that.”

“I know. But.. Sungho getting what he deserves is better of an apology.”

He leans against the front door, listens to Jimin on the other end. He hears purring, and imagines Jimin with the black cat in his lap, petting it gently.

Cute.

“I guess it is..”

Jimin says then, voice softer than before.

Jeongguk feels somewhat relieved, knows he shouldn’t have meddled, but in the end it worked out. He just hopes that something will be done and it wasn’t just some loose statement he got.

“So.. can I have that recording?”

Jimin asks.

Jeongguk thinks back of what was said.

“I.. I don’t know. Sungho wasn’t.. really kind.”

“I’m used to it.”

“But-“

“Jeon, give me the recording. It’s about me, I deserve to hear it.”

Jeongguk sighs, knew Jimin would be a pain in the ass about that. So he sends it, biting on his lip as he tries to remember if he said anything mean or bad or belittling, but he comes up short.

“Sent it.”

“Thanks.”

Jeongguk hums, but there’s nothing else he has to say, so he awkwardly clears his throat.

“Yeah. I’m gonna hang up. Now.”

“Jeongguk.”

Jimin says. It’s unusual to hear him say his first name. Jeongguk feels his cheeks burn up for some reason.

“Yeah?”

“Thanks.”

Oh.

That type of thanks. Not thanks for the recording thanks. It’s the thanks for doing this for me thanks.

Jeongguk feels his heartbeat pick up. Remembers the time Jimin smiled prettily at him and said thanks and he’s suddenly a mess. He accidentally drops his keys, can’t get them to go in the door, hand sweaty around his phone.

“Jeon?”

“Don’t- don’t mention it! It was nice talking to you!”

He hangs up immediately after that, unable to process the feeling.

To be frank, it sounds like you have a-

He bites on his tongue, shakes his head and shuts the door behind him.

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Chapter 13 >