The autumn breeze of November gently caressed the thin leaves tinted in yellow tones, falling slowly from the trees, covering the streets' ground. The noise caused by strong footsteps made it almost impossible to go unnoticed, unlike other times of the year. In the shops, Christmas music began to resonate, even though there were still a few days left until December. The lights of different colors illuminated every block of the city, providing an atmosphere of joy to which Seokjin felt particularly detached at that moment. His mind was stuck in the conversation he and Namjoon had had a few days ago after their trip to Argentina. The words they had exchanged managed to leave a bitter taste in his mouth, and the burden of guilt gnawed at him day and night at every possible moment, even now, when he thought that going for a walk for a few hours would clear his mind.
He bit his lip hard until a piece of skin came off. He tasted the blood flowing from his mouth where the pain of the wound was present. That small pain managed to calm, in a slight way, the horrible feeling that was consuming him, originating from deep within, feeding on the constant text messages Yoongi had been sending him since he returned. Until now, he was unable to open the first of them because he knew that if he did, he would have to face the situation once and for all and have that conversation. However, cowardice paralyzed him. Ending their agreement meant opening the door to hundreds of painful feelings that he was not sure he could face or wanted to face.
What if he extended it a little more? What if he just let things flow? Perhaps, over time, he could fall in love... If he tried hard enough—
No.
A voice very similar to Namjoon's echoed in the back of his head: No. Yoongi didn't deserve that. And again, he remembered that night when the younger one made him crash into the reality of the situation.
<< The way the rapper was looking at him began to send shivers down his spine. Since Namjoon had entered his home with the excuse of helping him pack for his upcoming trip, Seokjin felt that something was not right. He didn't dare to ask, sensing that it would be the best. However, that only made the atmosphere more uncomfortable over time. Seokjin didn't know exactly what was happening with the guy, or why he seemed to take out his anger on his poor shirts. Well, it was better than doing it with him.
"Hyung."
Namjoon's voice startled him.
"Yes, is something wrong?" he said, struggling to keep his voice from trembling.
The younger one seemed to be having a mental debate at that moment, squeezing the fabric between his hands and clenching his jaw just like when he was in the studio and something went wrong or didn't go as he wanted in one of his projects. His expression screamed annoyance from all sides, and Jin couldn't help but let his anxiety grow. However, before he could say another word, Namjoon spoke firmly with his eyes fixed on him.
"You have to put an end to whatever you and Yoongi have."
Color drained from Jin's face, transforming into a bewildered expression.
How?
Since when?
How much did he know about them?
Did Yoongi tell him?
Did anyone else know? And if so, did the company know?
Did his team intervene for Namjoon to talk to him?
Had they been careless?
Jin was left breathless.
Perhaps a Dispatch article was about to come out, revealing his relationship with Yoongi. If that happened, there would be no turning back. People would hate them. Their careers would be ruined. ARMY would feel betrayed, disappointed. Tabloids would thrive on them for months, even years, with increasingly scandalous headlines.
