Roommate Rhapsody

Chapter 11

Narrator's POV:

Alone in the practice room, Jimin sat there with his brow furrowed with exhaustion and beads of sweat glistened on his forehead. Beside him, his phone buzzed persistently, casting a flickering light on the surface, revealing the caller ID as 'Mr. Park' instead of the usual 'Dad.' Jimin's fingers twitched with frustration as he stared at his reflection in the floor-to-ceiling mirror opposite him. He was feeling powerless and helpless right now. With a mixture of irritation and curiosity, he grabbed the phone. As he prepared to hurl it across the room in a fit of anger, the caller ID flashed 'Amber.' His hand froze mid-air, and he hesitated, a flood of conflicting emotions washing over him.

"Hello, Jimin," the sweet feminine voice said from the other side, surprisingly calming him down.

"Jimin, where the hell are you? You said you would be finished with your practice by now!....stop irritating me taehyung." he heard Taehyung's voice in the background.

"No, I won't, peasant."

"Stop calling me that... Jimin! Hey, that's my shake."

"But now it's mine."

"Get your own, will you!" The playful bickering between his friends brought a smile to Jimin's face.

"I'll be there," he said, though he knew Amber likely didn't hear him amidst the banter. But he felt lighter now. Jimin got up from the floor, packed his bag, and left the practice room to meet up with his friends.

Amber's POV:

"You are a complete menace, Kim Taehyung!" I shouted at him as he continued to ruffle my hair and steal my food. I wondered if he was actually royalty or just pretending. Just then, I spotted Jimin making his way towards us. I waved at him to get his attention in the not-so-crowded cafeteria, and he smiled faintly before joining us.

"Where were you?" I asked him as he approached.

"Practice lasted late," Jimin replied, settling down beside Taehyung.

"It's not good to make your prince wait. Don't you have any manners?" Taehyung teased, earning a playful eye roll from me. I waited for a comeback from Jimin but it never came. Something seemed off about him - he looked... sad?

Jimin noticed my concerned expression and broke the silence.

"Nothing is wrong with me. I'm just not in the mood for a comeback," he explained, surprising me. Did he just...?

"No, I don't read minds. It's just written all over your face," he added with a faint smile.

"What's with this secretive conversation you two are having?" Taehyung interjected, somewhat offended. Then, with dramatic flair, he gasped, "This is high treason!"

"Shut up," Jimin and I said in unison, causing Taehyung to pout.

"Okay, okay. Now tell me, where are we doing this project anyway? Our apartment?" I asked Taehyung.

"No way, not in that dingy apartment. Yeontan's room is bigger than that," Taehyung retorted.

"Hey, our apartment is not dingy. It's clean and tidy." Jimin defended.

"Right, and cozy, and... Many more things." I dismissed.

"We're doing the project at my house. Oops, sorry, MANSION," Taehyung announced, triggering memories that gave me goosebumps.

Just then, my phone dinged with a notification from Yoonji. "Okay, I gotta go. Yoonji is calling me," I informed them.

"I'll text you the address and time. Be there, peasant. We'll start from tomorrow," Taehyung instructed me.