Chapter 13

HoseokieeeeImma pick you up, let's go shop something

YoonglesssWhy would I?

HoseokieeeeIt's Jimin's birthday tomorrow

Yoongi's breath hitched, getting up from his bed, widening his eyes. "How come I didn't remember?! The fuck? I've been seeing his car all the time and the plate number he has on, and I didn't even remember?" Yoongi says ruffling his hair in annoyance.

HoseokieeeeI'm taking that as a yes.

****

"Jimin loves Dior so much." Hoseok commented as he eyed the shirt he was holding. "Do you think Jimin would love this?"  He asks Yoongi.

"Hmm, let me see? I think it's better if it's brown or something? Does Jimin like neutral colors?"

“Jimin loves personalized stuff,” Hoseok said. “How about a custom photo album with messages from us?”

Yoongi’s face lit up. “That’s a great idea! Let’s find a store that can do that.”

They continued their shopping spree, finally finding a shop that specialized in custom gifts. They selected a high-quality photo album and added a personal touch by including a few heartfelt messages from their friends.

After securing the gift, they grabbed a gift card to Jimin’s favorite café as an extra treat.

“Perfect,” Hoseok said, holding up the wrapped present. “I think Jimin’s going to love this.”

Yoongi nodded in agreement. The two friends left the mall satisfied, ready to celebrate Jimin’s special day.

As Hoseok and Yoongi exited the mall, Jungkook happened to spot them from across the walkway. Noticing the two friends together, he quickly snapped a photo with his phone.

Jungkook:What are Hoseok and Yoongi doing? Are they going on a date or something? Aww, Jimin hyung! That’s sad af.

Jimin, who was having a quiet afternoon at home, saw Jungkook’s message pop up in the group chat. His heart sank as he looked at the photo of Hoseok and Yoongi, their arms full of shopping bags.

Jimin: What? Why didn’t they tell me they were going out?

Jungkook: No idea. Maybe they just wanted to hang out.

Jimin tried to shake off the pang of jealousy he felt. It seemed irrational to be upset, but seeing Yoongi and Hoseok together without any mention made him uneasy.

Jimin: Yeah, maybe.

He tried to distract himself by focusing on other things, but the image of Yoongi and Hoseok together lingered in his mind.

Later that evening, Jimin's curiosity got the better of him. He decided to call Yoongi, wanting to understand why he had been left out.

“Hey, Yoongi,” Jimin said when Yoongi answered. “I saw the photo Jungkook sent. You and Hoseok went to the mall today?”

“Oh, hey, Jimin. Yeah, we just went out to do some shopping,” Yoongi replied casually.

“I didn’t know you were going out with Hoseok. It looked like you two were having a good time,” Jimin said, trying to sound nonchalant but unable to hide his curiosity.

“Yeah, we were just picking up some stuff. Why?” Yoongi asked, sensing something in Jimin’s tone.

“No reason,” Jimin said quickly.

As he prepared for bed, he tried to push his thoughts of Yoongi and Hoseok out of his mind, instead looking forward to the surprises and celebrations of the next day.

"Fuck it." He cursed as he got up and headed to his drawer revealing a pack of cigarettes.

He headed on his way to his balcony as he lit one, stressing about Yoongi's interaction with Hoseok.

Jimin headed to his balcony, lighting a cigarette and trying to calm his nerves. He was stressing about Yoongi’s interactions with Hoseok. Why was he even stressing about it in the first place?

“Aish,” Jimin muttered, taking a drag on the cigarette.

Suddenly, he felt his cellphone vibrate. It was a text from Taemin, his rival from the other academy.

TaeminMeet me at the park, now.

With furrowed eyebrows, Jimin grabbed his car keys and headed out.

Taemin was already at the park when Jimin arrived. Jimin approached him with his hands in his pockets and a cold glare in his eyes. “What do you want, Taemin?”

“I never personally congratulated you on the competition,” Taemin said, pulling out his vape and taking a drag. “Just wanted to say you really did well.”

Jimin scoffed, a bitter smile on his lips. “You made me drive out here at this hour just to say that? I can’t forget what your brother did to me. You even took his side, which is why he was never punished.”

“Pft, you still haven’t moved on? How does it feel?” Taemin smirked.

“How does what feel?” Jimin asked, his fists clenching.

“How does it feel to be helpless and scared?” Taemin laughed, provoking him.

Jimin’s anger flared. “You wanna know?”

Before Taemin could respond, Jimin threw a punch, hitting Taemin squarely in the face. Taemin staggered back, wincing in pain. "You still want to know?" Jimin followed up with a punch to the stomach and then a kick to Taemin’s face.

“His name’s Yoongi, right?” Taemin said, catching his breath and smirking.

“W-What?” Jimin stuttered, stopping his assault when he heard Yoongi’s name.

Taemin took the opportunity to tackle Jimin and punch him in the face, blood dripping from the corner of Jimin’s lips. “That’s what I thought, Park.”

Before Jimin could even respond, Taemin left him in the ground. The poor boy was over-thinking things. How the hell did he know Yoongi?

Jimin was on his way to his house when his phone suddenly buzzed.

Yoonglesss Happy birthday, Jimin! sent 12:00