"Even if I'm not with you, I want you to know I still love you."

________________________

SHIN JIMIN

"Tell him I don't need his help."

Jungkook glances over at me, sighing as he stretches his legs out on the couch.

"Sure." He mumbles under his breath, fingers running through dark hair. "You're going to fail that class without Kim Taehyung, and you know that better than anyone."

"I don't need his help." I repeat, my brows furrowing as I snatch up the paintbrush.

"I'm fine on my own."

I've almost stepped inside my room when Jungkook calls over.

"Well, I'm not going to sit and watch your mom freak over you when you fail that class."

Jungkook was my best friend, but sometimes he just didn't know best.

Closing the door behind me, I stare angrily at the blank canvas set up in the corner of my room.

And throw my paintbrush straight at it.

"Stupid professor." I hiss under my breath, sighing deeply as I bury my face in my hands.

Stupid mo—

"Knock knock."

A deep, excited voice suddenly rings outside my door, and I bite my lip. I knew exactly who that was.

How had he come so damn fast?

"Open the door please." He sings, and I block my ears. "Jimin? Know you're in there."

When I don't answer, he just opens the door. His bright brown eyes blink happily at me as he marches in with a full sack of painting equipment.

"I ran here as soon as Jungkook—"

"Leave."

"You're such a baby." Looking down, he starts to pull out a container of paint. "I thought that this color would—"

"I said leave!" I shout, my breaths thudding in my chest. "Don't come back."

"Jimin—"

"Go away."

Finally, with a big sigh, he turns back. He walks out the door with his lips pressed together, the leaving the sack behind.

________________________

"Good morning!"

A loud voice wakes me up from my sleep, and I blink heavy from sleep as I peek up from under my covers.

I'm horrified.

Because Kim Taehyung is standing here, in my room— a wide smile on his face and swinging his necklace in one finger.

"What are you— What are you doing in here?" I shout, my voice tearing with sleep. "Get out!"

"Baby." He shakes his head, leaning against the doorway. He holds up a plastic bag. "I brought breakfast."

"Stop treating me like a child." I growl, but he just grins and tilts his head towards the canvas.

"Wow. We have some work to do, yeah?"

I growl again. "Go away. Leave me alone— and don't come back."

With a disappointed look, he shrugs his shoulders and walks out the open door. He leaves the plastic bag, just like he'd done with the sack yesterday.

"If you want me to."

_________________________

"Aghhhhhhh!"

"What the fu—" I barely stop myself, my hair messy and eyes wide open as I snap up from bed. My face instantly scrunches.

"I'm your alarm clock." He smiles sweetly. "Did you have a nice sleep?
Because we have to really get to work, you know?"

Why does he keep coming back?

"Fine." Slamming down my hand on my nightstand, I lift myself from my bed. This was just going to keep continuing if he just kicked him out every single time.

Better to get this over with.

"Great." Taehyung smiles, eyes flickering at the picture of Jungkook on the drawer.

"You must be really close with him."

I reply dryly, sitting in front of the empty canvas. "He's my only friend."

"I'm betting you can make a lot more if you just tried a little bit, Jimin." He mumbles, and I just stare straight at my hands.

"I don't want to."

"Jimin."

When I turn to glance at him, he bursts into laughter. "Damn— you look so disgusted of me. Am I really that bad?"

"Yes." I hiss between my teeth, my eyes flickering out the window. The weather was nice— maybe I could take Jungkook to that dumb lamb-skewer restaurant. "Can we get this done?"

When I look back at the canvas, his voice rings out again.

"Jimin..."

"What?"

A mischievous expression twists his lips. "Got you to look again, Shin Jimin."

I shove a paintbrush in his hands. "I asked if we could get this done."

"Jimin!"

I turn my head for the third time, slightly alarmed at the desperate urgency in his voice.

He laughs softly.

"Can't believe you honestly fell for that."

"Get out." Shoving at his back, I clench my teeth as I point at the door. "It was my mistake trying to actually work with your damn personality. Get out!"

With an apologetic look, Taehyung leaves my room for the third time.

_________________________

"Jimin!"

I burst awake at the familiar voice, my forehead slick with sweat. The back of my shirt had stuck to my skin, and my face felt pale.

Taehyung stood beside the bed, eyes worried.

"You okay? You were screaming."

A shaky sigh escapes my lips before a hot blush spreads up my neck. I was screaming? What an actual idiot— I'd thought I'd gotten over this already.

"I'm fine."

His eyes tilted at me, like he was saying Are you sure about that? in his gaze. Then he turns to leave, and my eyes widen.

"Wait— where are you going?"

"Aren't you going to tell me to leave again?" His eyes are playful, and when I push down my stare to the ground, he laughs.

"No worries. I'll be back tomorrow."

Then the door closes behind him, and I just sit there on my bed. An unknown expression takes over my features.

Was it bad that I kind of wanted him to stay?

_________________________

"Rise!" A thick voice shouts, and sleep is jerked away from my mind. Taehyung is there, his dark eyes smiling.

He bows.

"And shine. Rise and shine, get it?"

"I get it." I groan, and he nods with a wide grin. It was like he was always smiling— no matter what I said to him.

"So about yesterday—"

I cut him off, pulling over a chair as I sit down in front of the still-empty canvas.

"Sit down. We have to get work done."

He shrugs, and I sense him sit down twirling a paintbrush between his fingers. I start talking, eager to get this finally done with.

"So I don't really know, but I thought it would be—"

"Jimin."

"If you're trying to pull that trick again, I swear it's not going to work." I say, not looking at him. He was probably just going to stare back at me with that smile of—

"I can't breathe."

I whip around, my hand outstretched to wrap around his neck. But he's too heavy for me, and I shout in surprise as his unconscious body crashes to the ground.

No.

No.

This was just like last time.

"Taehyung!" When he doesn't answer, I turn towards the direction of the door, and yell.

"Jungkook!"

He comes running, in less than a second.

"What the hell?" He shouts, large eyes panicked the moment he sees him on the ground. "Jimin! What do I do? What do I do? Oh my gosh— should I pick him up or something?"

"Call the ambul—"

Then a weak laugh echoes under me, and my eyes flash down as Taehyung gasps for breath.

"Don't call— Don't call. I'm fine."

"Are you serious?" I growl, my voice sharp and higher than usual. "You just damn fainted! Jeon Jungkook. Call the ambulance."

"I'm fine." He repeats more firmly, leaving Jungkook looking torn as he holds the phone. He coughs, before breaking into a wide smile.

"I didn't know you cared about me so much."

"I freaking don't." I hiss, and he laughs again, that stupid, infuriating laugh of his.

"Laugh one more time, and I'm kicking you out."

He laughs.

And I kick him out.