ELVEN | K.TH

11

TAEHYUNG

"Seriously. What would you do without me?"

Jimin clicks his tongue quietly as he knots my hair away from my face, wiping the sweat from my forehead with his sleeves.

Then he makes me lie down on the bed, and I'm too weak to even make the tiniest protest. My breaths still haven't calmed.

I run a heavy hand over my pale face.

"You okay?" He asks, peering down at me with worried eyes. "What happened?"

A shaky breath leaves my lips.

Then I turn my head to the side, the words weighing down on my tongue.

He sighs.

"Really not going to tell me, huh."

"Is it her?"

My jaw flexes at the mention of Rinei. In my peripheral vision, Jimin sits back on the chair he'd dragged over next to the bed, arms crossing over his chest.

"It is her." He confirms. "Why? Did you get rejected or something? Because you look like someone who's gone through the heaviest breakup of—"

"How can I say I love her?"

He stops, looking at me.

"What?"

"I left her there." I whisper. "I left her there, by herself. I heard her trying to call me back. But I couldn't— I was just so afraid..."

A finger suddenly presses on my lips. My eyes flash up, gaze sharp even though I feel terrible.

Jimin quickly snatches his hand back at my deadly look.

"Okay, okay. Just...stop." He says, holding out his palms in front of himself. "Afraid of what? Left her— why? Taehyung, I thought I knew enough of you after staying next to you all my life, but I don't."

"Tell me what's going on."

At first I hesitate. I'd kept this to myself for the last seven years. No one knew, except for my dreams.

But Jimin is Jimin.

I trust him.

_____________________________

The moment I stop talking, Jimin looks up with slanted eyes.

"Tae, it's not your fault."

Stop. It is.

It is.

"That's not what I want to hear." I say. He shoots me a glance that's both annoyed and worried at the same time.

"Fine. So to get this straight," He says, holding up his hand. "You love her. And you told her that you love her. And then,"

His eyes flash.

"You left her?"

"Go back to her this moment."

I raise an eyebrow at him. "Jimin, I have training in six minutes."

"I know. I just wanted to say that." He brushes off with an innocent expression, settling back down in the chair. "But I'm not kidding, Your Highness. The moment you finish training, go straight to her. I can't believe you left a lady hanging."

Half of me is a little surprised Jimin is acting like this.

"I know."

"Better beg on your knees for forgiveness, too." He adds over his shoulder as he stands, unhooking his bow from the wall.