"Jeongguk!"

Jimin is bursting to tell his best friend about seeing Haerin, but it seems noone is home. He walks through the dorm, thinking about how she looked so different that he almost didn't recognize her. He flashes on how she looked at him with such hurt painted on her face, and he plops down on the couch with a sigh. He's no longer excited to tell Jeongguk...

Unconsciously he rubs his fingers over the bracelet on his wrist, and wonders what she's doing in Seoul. Does she live here now? That would be amazing if she did... If she'd give him a chance to talk to her... Tears trickle out of his eyes as he leans back on the couch picturing the result of how they left her. It was never their choice to do so, but the guilt that he didn't fight harder to at least make a call to her back then, gnaws at him.

He doesn't realize how long he's been sitting there, crying, until a deep voice interrupts him and a body falls onto the couch.

"Jimin-ah? Are you crying? What happened?"

His friend, and bandmate, wraps his long arms around his waist as he buries his head in Jimin's stomach.

"I'm alright Tae... Just had a run in with an old friend... and it didn't go well."

Jimin wipes his face on his sleeve, and pats Taehyung's head to signal he wants to get up. Taehyung sits up and looks deeply into his friend's eyes, trying to see a sign that he'll be okay. It's well known that Taehyung worries about his band members more than himself, and he will be affected if Jimin is not alright.

"Do you want to talk about it Jimin? I see you're upset."

"Nah... I just need to spend some time alone I think. Thanks though... Don't worry... I'll be alright."

"Okay. But if you change your mind, I'm here to listen."

"I know... Is Jeongguk home yet?"

A streak of pain crosses Taehyung's face thinking that Jimin would rather talk to the younger about his problem. He doesn't show it to Jimin for long though, and just shakes his head.

"He and Hobi hyung are practicing for the dance lesson tomorrow. You didn't forget they are going to the school, did you?"

"Shit... I forgot... They asked me to go with them... Damn it!"

"You can still get to the company and I'm sure they'll be fine that you're late."

Jimin thinks about it and decides he needs to find a distraction, so he thanks Taehyung and heads to Big Hit. There's no point in crying over his choices since he can't change the past. He's nervous about how Jeongguk will react if he tells him that he saw her though. It was painful for him to move on when they signed their contracts. He almost didn't agree because he couldn't imagine his life without Haerin.

The first year of training was brutal for Jeongguk. He was so depressed and almost quit every other week. Jimin reminded him repeatedly that Haerin would want him to follow his passion. She told them to audition, and encouraged them to chase their dream. The guilt for Jimin now is profound as he realizes that she didn't understand she would never see them, or at least hear from them.

He hears the music of 'Idol' blaring from the dance studio as he enters. Hobi hyung and Jeongguk are sweating, and dancing an easier version of their typical choreo. He watches them for a few minutes until they finish, and then he carries over a water bottle for each of them. He avoids meeting Jeongguk's eyes, because he's scared to tell him he saw Haerin.

"Jimin... You're late!"

"Sorry Hyung... I... Well, I forgot... Just show me the changes, and I'll stay and practice them. I promise to be ready."

As Hobi cues the track again, Jeongguk was stretching in a corner. Jimin was getting in position with his hyung, when Jeongguk yelled out in pain. They rushed to him to find him clutching his leg.

"It hurts! Shit!"

"What happened Jeongguk-ah?"

Jimin drops in front of his friend, grabbing his leg to inspect it. There was a clear swelling around his knee, and a bruise on his thigh.

"What happened? You clearly hit your thigh on something..."

"Hyung... I'm alright. I tripped in the gym earlier... It will be fine."

"It's not fine JK... You need to go and ice your knee. All the dancing has made it worse. Now go... Jimin's here now, so I'll show him the dance and you take care of your injury."

If Hobi hyung is scary when we screw up a dance, He's terrifying when we don't take care of our bodies. Jeongguk knows better than to argue, so he stands and limps his way to the door.

"Sorry Hoseok hyung. I thought it was alright."

"Go! Take care of it! You can come to watch tomorrow, but no dancing until that swelling goes down."

Jeongguk leaves and the 2 remaining men dance. When Jimin has the simpler choreography down, they call it a night. Hoseok notices that Jimin seems quieter than usual, but he waits for him to say something. They share a room, so he knows eventually, whatever is bothering the younger will come out.

"Sorry that I forgot Hyung."

Jimin starts talking while they walk to the car that's waiting for them.

"What happened? We had just talked about it in the morning, so something must have distracted you..."

Jimin heaves a sigh, and looks down at his feet while they walk. The cool air hits his skin, causing him to shiver some, but relieving him at the same time.

"Hyung? When you signed the contract, did you hurt anyone?"

"What do you mean Jimin-ah? Who did you hurt?"

"We were told to cut all ties Hyung. We were not allowed to even call our friends to let them know..."

"Oh... You're saying that you took that seriously?"

Jimin stops walking and stares at his hyung. A feeling of dread takes over him, thinking that he and Jeongguk cut Haerin out of their lives to be in BTS without needing to.

"Hyung... Don't you dare tell me that... Noooo...."

Tears sprang into Jimin's eyes as he stares into the distance. The years that he and Jeongguk have been here, and the price of losing Haerin was barely worth it. To find out that they could have stayed in contact with her, tore his heart in half.

"Hey... Jimin-ah... What happened? Tell me please. I don't understand, and I can't help if you don't explain it to me."

"We took the contract as law... We thought if we stayed in contact with our friends, we would be cut from the group... Even Sejin hyung told us to cut our school friends out... He wouldn't even hear about Jeongguk having a girlfriend... We left her Hyung... We left her alone... And she hates us... Well, she hates me at least..."

Hoseok didn't really know what to do. He'd never cut off his hometown friends, and didn't know that 2 of the maknae line were misunderstanding the wording. The contract didn't say that they couldn't stay in touch with friends. It just said that they couldn't talk about being in BTS until after debut. If he could rewind time, he'd help them.

"Oh God Hyung... Jeongguk is going to be devastated!!"

"What do you mean? You're not telling me anything here Jimin. Be clear!"

"My best friend growing up... Her name is Choi Haerin... She was Jeongguk's girlfriend in high school... His first love... When we left for the audition, she kissed us both and told us she knew we'd do great... We never talked to her again... I saw her today Hyung. She's here in Seoul, but I don't know why. She was so cold, and full of hurt... I hate myself after seeing her..."

Jimin's head was hanging low, and his tears were never ending. He knows the mistakes he's made, but he was so excited back then. Amazed that he was chosen, with his best friend, for the same group. Back then he didn't worry about anything else but working hard to become the best he could be. He thought Haerin would be alright... Now he realizes that when they left, she was alone... Her parents were never there, and she had no other genuine friends. How could he do that? How could he be so selfish?

"I'm sure she understands Jimin."

"No Hyung... You don't know... Jeongguk and I were all she had... No wonder she wouldn't talk to me. I broke my promises to her."

Not having anything else to say that could help, Hoseok just walked with his friend in silence. He thinks about his high school friends, and how emotional it was to move away. But he called and texted them regularly from the day he left.

"Hyung? Please don't tell Jeongguk... I don't know what he'd do if he knows we screwed up like this... He was in love with her Hyung... He still is..."

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