"Jimin, stop."

"Stop this, please."

My voice sounds desperate as I grab at his sleeve. His face is pale and cold as I pinch softly at his cheeks, a useless attempt to bring back the color to it.

The mint smell of pain relief patches follow him around everywhere.

Frustrated tears blur my eyes as he struggles up to his feet, giving me a warm, empty smile.

"I'm fine, Minah."

Even his voice has lost its life.

"No!"

He looks up in surprise as I yell, not being able to take this any longer. Every time he'd do this, say he was perfectly fine.

He isn't.

And he's not seeing it.

"Look at yourself!" I whisper, tears stinging in the corner of my eyes as I lift his shirt. Instead of the skin I should find, all I see is the white of pain relief patches and bandages.

"You haven't eaten anything properly for a month!" I hiss, rubbing at my eyes. "It's like you're dying— I only see you when you come to put me to sleep, Jimin. And then the rest I don't see you at all, because you're too busy practicing."

"Minah..."

"And don't say you're fine!" I snap, my words blurring with hiccups. "Because I know you're not, okay?!"

My hands tremble.

"How do you think watching you like this makes me feel? Watching you dance until you can't stand properly— until you collapse every minute!"

"Look," I whisper, swallowing as I close my hand around his wrist. "Look how thin you are."

"You're not my Jimin anymore."

Something in his eyes break when he hears that. He freezes to the ground, face growing ashen when I stand up to leave.

"No."

"Don't go, Master."

"Don't go."

His fingers close around my sleeve, and his arms are firm as he presses me against his chest. Something wet touches the back of my neck.

He's crying.

Well, great.

Now I'm crying too.

"I'm sorry," He whispers, his body trembling as he pulls me in tighter. "Don't leave me, Minah. I've been such a terrible AI— I'm sorry."

"I'll quit dance. I'll do anything—"

"You don't have to quit," I hurriedly say, appalled at his words. "You've worked so hard— I'd be being cruel to make you quit. I just want you next to me more than you're in here."

"Why are you so nice to me?" He murmurs, voice soft with tears. "I deserve to be disciplined. You should hit me for what I've done to you."

"Hit?!" I yelp, terrified to hear that.

"Yeah," He says confusedly. "Isn't that how they discipline you when you do something wrong?"

"No!" I exclaim, grinding my teeth. Is that what his previous owner had done to him? Hit this beautiful boy?

"You can feel it, right?" I mutter, pressing my palm gently against his shoulder blades. "You can still feel the pain. You smell like mint all over, Jimin."

"Should I take it off?" He says anxiously, tugging at the corner of a patch. "Is the smell of it bothering you?"

"No, that isn't what I meant," I say as I offer him a hand. My heart breaks again when I see his right leg wobble a bit, when a wince crosses his face.

"Come on."

"Let's go home."

_________________________

"I'm sorry— I smell like mint all over, don't I?" He apologizes softly, and my heart nearly melts as I squeeze him tightly underneath the covers.

"Don't apologize for that kind of stuff," I whisper, running my fingers through his soft hair. "You won't go practicing again after I'm asleep, will you?"

"No."

His reply is so firm it takes me aback.

"I'm just glad you're here now," I breathe out as I bury my face into his shoulder. "And I'm glad you're staying."

He pauses for a second.

"I'm really sorry, Minah." He swallows, and I can feel him under the covers. "I'm sorry I did this to you."

"Don't worry," I smile brightly as I close my eyes.

"I forgive you."

________________________

Jimin's POV

I can't fall asleep.

My synthetic heart is racing inside my chest, and I can feel every pulse getting faster when I look at her asleep face. I can't relax at all, because for the last hour, my average bpm is higher than 125.

What's wrong with me?

My face is flushed with red— my average temperature has skyrocketed. Warmth tingles up and down my spine, and I pinch my cheeks.

Was I sick?

I had to be.

________________________

"Jimin!"

I shriek, pulling the nearest jacket over my head when I wake up to see a face full of bandaged back.-

"Put a freaking shirt on!"

"Oh!" His voice is surprised as I hear a series of rustles and frantic tugs. He must've been changing from his pajamas— but I really had to wake up to see that, did I?

Now that's going to bother me the entire day.

"Sorry, Minah." He says softly. Even though I hear it every time, his morning voice never cease to amaze me.

It's so light— and beautiful.

"How are you feeling?" I ask tentatively as I press my palm against his shoulder. "Still sore? Oh— and we need to get you something to eat."

"I'll be fine." He mumbles when I shove a plate full of sandwich into his face. He sends me a tired look as I begin to make a second.

"Minah..."

"No excuses." I cut him off, sliding a full glass of milk towards him. "Eat all of that— you're so thin that I could wrap my entire hand around your wrist!"

________________________

"Mmmmmppphh."

He groans, pushing away his half-eaten sandwich. His face looks pale as I glance at him with an eyebrow raised.

"I can't— I can't breathe."

"Stop joking," I blink at him. "You've been starving yourself for the past month— aren't you hungry at all, Jimin?"

"I don't feel so good." He mumbles, hands glowing a light blue. "I'm sorry— but I don't think I can finish this, Minah."

"But you only took four bites!" I exclaim, looking forlornly at his still-full glass and plate. Meanwhile, I'd finished an entire sandwich and now was chugging down milk without a problem.

And I still felt hungry.

"You eat," He gasps. "You're thin, too."

"Jimin—" I exclaim worriedly, jumping out of my chair. "Are you okay? Why are you breathing like that?"

He wheezes.

"I'll be fine— just let my body take care of it—"

And then a startled scream escapes my lips as he goes slack, his body slamming into my shoulder.

And even though he was too slender from starvation and had an unusually slim, graceful figure, he was still a man.

I gasp, wrapping my arms tightly around his figure as I try to angle his head away from the wooden floor.

I brace my back to meet the cold wood.

But instead of my back, the wood is the one that breaks as Jimin slams his metal-reinforced fist down on it, his other arm wrapping tightly around my shoulders as he looks at me with wide eyes.

I'm sure I'm staring back at him with the same shocked expression.

Then his eyes flutter shut again, and I suck in a harsh breath as he collapses on top of me.