LAST RESORT | JIKOOK ✔️

17. BILLOWING BUTTERFLIES

This week has been a complete and utter disaster. Jimin has fallen behind on his school work almost completely and despite how pretty Soomin is, her face haunts him because of their conversation at the café. Even if her voice was sweet - almost cloying because of how she approached him with that specific tone - what he hears in his head is something entirely soul-stirring and indelible.

Thankfully, Jimin hasn't run into Ryung since their interaction in the city. It's been a week since then, which means it has been a week since he has seen Jeongguk, too.

It isn't that he doesn't want to. Because in light of everything that has been done and gone on between the both of them, Jimin would be foolish to keep undermining his own feelings. It had gotten so easy after he adopted a fixed mindset to just push everything he felt, away. He never gave himself time to know anything more than the body of the person he slept with. That now, with everything out in the open - with feeling things he never thought he could feel again - it all seems strange and it's going to take some getting used to.

As much as Jimin wants to see Jeongguk, this is what's best for the both of them. They haven't been exchanging texts or calls, either. The businessman has been focusing on his work, doing what he can to deter his siblings from his personal life. This is what Jimin assumes to be the case, anyways.

And in a sense, it's good. Because this gives Jimin the time that he needs to catch up on his own school work. Usually, he'd have to wonder. Wonder if the person he was pining for felt the same way he did when distance proliferated.

But with Jeongguk, he doesn't have to ponder the possibility. Because he knows that he's thinking the exact same thing. Profound feelings of desire - to touch and to be touched. But it's much more than that, Jimin has come to realize.

He has come to realize many things after meeting Jeongguk. Dare he say his ways have even altered. He isn't the same person he used to be. He isn't so frightened as much as he is mystified by the businessman's influence on him.

What does fluster him, though, is the fact that he knows he's nowhere close to the finish line of changing.

Jimin shakes his head softly, hugging one of his backpack straps over his shoulder. Trying to get anything done without a laptop has basically been impossible. He needs a new one but he almost doesn't wanna say anything to Jeongguk, even though he knows he'd be more than willing to pay for it.

It's been roughly five minutes after the time Jimin was expecting Taehyung to come and grab him. His car is currently at a shop being tweaked and he can't exactly walk back to the house because it's far. And he doesn't want to risk getting caught up with his ex somewhere. He needs to work on filing a restraining order but hasn't found the time to do so. But he knows that he needs to make the time.

Finally, Jimin spots Taehyung's vehicle rolling up to the curb. He wanders toward it and pops the door open, taking a seat in the passenger side. It isn't until the person behind the wheel clears their throat that he looks over his shoulder, perplexed with furrowed brows.

"Jeongguk Hyung?" he questions, pausing while placing his backpack at his feet.

"I'm sorry, I know you were expecting Taehyung," he replies.

"That doesn't matter. We haven't been talking to each other for almost over a week for a reason. You can't just show up at my school like this," Jimin reminds him while buckling up.

The man turn his head to face the blond but to be fair, all that Jimin can see is a black disposable mask and a bucket hat. Jeongguk is also dressed down and this is why Jimin assumed he was Taehyung in the first place.