The Tree of Heaven-Vmin ✔

I'll Always Be Here

One day--

Taehyung is 22 already, graduating college soon. He still comes to see Jimin every day, of course. Even the time he was sick and Jimin begged him to go home and rest. And even his last birthday when Jimin begged him yet again to go out with friends. Drink, have fun.

It was October now. The 13th to be exact.

"It's my birthday today," Jimin utters softly.

And Taehyung nearly gives himself whiplash in order to face the tree. "What?! You've never told me all this time? How do you even know the date?!"

"Saw your assignment planner yesterday. So today must be the 13th."

Taehyung scoffs. "You should've told me sooner. I've known you for six goddamn years and you haven't said a thing. Why bother mention it now?"

"Didn't mention it, because it didn't matter. But...I've just been thinking now...We're the same age, Tae. Since your last birthday."

Taehyung swallows and furrows his brows together in confusion. "What? I don't... I don't understand."

Jimin sighs and grows silent, as if he's contemplating his words. "My birthday...it just reminded me is all."

"Of what?" Taehyung asks him, trying to be as patient as possible. But it was so damn hard when Jimin always brought things up so vaguely. As if he wanted Taehyung to just know already, but was scared to tell it himself.

"How you are 22...How I've been 22 for a long while now." Jimin sighs. "...That you're older than you once were, Tae."

Taehyung's eyes widen ever so slightly. The words Jimin has told him over the years echo in his mind.

"I'll tell you when you're older, Tae."

"Well, I think you're older, Tae..."

Taehyung sits up straight. "What? So...you'll tell me? You'll finally tell me the thing you've been putting off for so long?"

Jimin inhales sharply. "If you really wish to know."

"I-I do. Of course I do! You know I do," Taehyung practically fumbles out, eyebrows furrowed at Jimin only for waiting this long to tell him.

Jimin isn't quick to answer.

"Jimin-ah..."

He sighs. "I simply... don't want to upset you...."

"You're upsetting me now!" Taehyung huffs. "Look, anything that concerns you, concerns me. Tell me now," Taehyung demands lightly. "Don't be afraid. It's me."

"That's the problem..." Jimin chuckles bitterly.

Jimin's hesitant still and so Taehyung decides to attempt to spark him with questions. "Is this about why you're here? Why you're a tree?"

"...yes," his voice whispers. "I'm not a tree, Tae. I was a boy. Just like you. I was 22."

Taehyung presses his ear against the bark to hear him better, for his pounding heart was all too disruptive from Jimin's soft voice.. "I...figured..." Taehyung admits, "but... you seem too- I dunno--magical to be just a dude in his early 20s."

Jimin finds it in him to chuckle, the sing-songy laughter vibrating up the bark and tickling Taehyung's ear.

"So what happened? How did you get here?" Taehyung asks next, so that Jimin doesn't stray. He runs his fingers along the bark in patterns, as if petting for comfort,

"I died. I was... I was murdered, Tae."

Taehyung's mouth falls open. His fingertips halt. The meadow and tree line never seemed so quiet, as if they all knew the tragedy and mourned for Jimin. As if they had watched the atrocity and welcomed him as a friend into their forest, knowing he shouldn't be there.