Melancholy | Jikook |

Chapter 14: A kind friend

           "You know, Jimin..." Jungkook said as he looked down at Jimin's cute hands. "I have mentioned you to my Grandmother alot.." Jungkook smiled as Jimin stopped thinking and focused on Jungkook. "The way I described you to her.. She really likes you and thinks you are a sweet boy." Jungkook stated as Jimin looked at Jungkook. "Everyone has flaws.. And no one should cry because of the past. 'Everyone isn't perfect.. All those sins in the past may be printed in history... But there's no way you can go back to fix it. Print is in fine ink... Present is written in pencil.. No way you can go back to erase ink.. But you can erase pencil marks and make something better in the present.' it's what my Grandmother will tell me.."

             "Your Grandmother... She's very wise.. It must be nice to have a nice elder to guide you with wisdom." Jimin claimed as he loosened his grip on his book.

           "She's my best family friend..." Jungkook claimed.

            "I used to have one of those... Before.." Jimin then trailed off. "...it happened..."

            "Before what happened? It's okay if you don't want to sa-"

            "Before my brother died.." Jimin stated as Jungkook got silent. "He had disgusting issues.. I hated him so much.. but he was still my best family friend..."

             "I'm sorry for your loss.. I won't ask any further questions on that subject." Jungkook promised as he looked at Jimin's hand again. He wanted to know how it felt to hold his hand.. "Why don't you like physical contact?"

               "I can't say why... But I just don't like it.. What I don't know is how to get rid of this... I want to be able to give people hugs, pats, and shake hands... Accept things without flinching."

            "I think I can help you with that, Park Jimin." Jungkook claimed as he smiled holding out his hand. "Try to make it to... Ten seconds while holding my hand." Jungkook claimed as Jimin nodded looking at Jungkook's hand.

          "Just Ten seconds.." Jimin whispered as Jungkook nodded. "His hand... It looks gentle and soft.. S-safe... I'll be safe, he won't hurt me." Jimin said in his head as he slowly placed his hand over Jungkook's hand held Jungkook's hand softly. Jimin didn't start twitching and panicking until three to five seconds and Jungkook felt Jimin's hand began to shake.

            "Shh... It's okay.. I'll let go after 10 seconds.. Alright?" Jungkook promised as Jimin managed to hold Jungkook's hand for more than ten seconds.

            "Jungkook..." Jimin whispered as he slowly began to remove his hand when Jungkook used his other hand to hold Jimin's hand close. Jimin then began to blush and look up at Jungkook.

            "How are you feeling?" Jungkook asked as Jimin still looked at the hand contact.

            "I-I don't think I can keep this up..." Jimin whispered. "P-please stop.."

            Jungkook nodded as he slowly let go of Jimin's hand. "You lasted a bit more longer than Ten seconds... Let's try twenty. If you're up for it."

            "I-I don't know... I don't know if I want to do that..." Jimin replied. "Will this cure me?"

            "It can help you get use to holding other people's hands and taking physical contact normally." Jungkook claimed. "If you can get past simple hand holds we can move on to something else."

            "Like what, Jungkook?" Jimin wondered nervously.

            "Gentle hands over shoulders, hugs, hands on hips and certain things like others will do if they were good friends with you." Jungkook stated as Jimin nodded.

            "But Jungkook.. I'll never go out of this Asylum, the only person who will have these contacts with me is...you.." Jimin stated.

          "Well... Yes I may be the only one doing these friendly gestures, but what if I told you... We can leave this place?"

          "T-that's an IF not a real statement.." Jimin claimed. "Doubt you can anyways.. Being the only adult here is like having a red rose in an all dandelion patch. They know I'm the different one... So they remember me more..."

              "I see." Jungkook claimed as he held out his hand to do it again. "If you keep doing this, you'll get over this all." Jungkook said as Jimin nodded. "Hold both of my hands, Jimin and don't pull away until you really have to.."

          Jimin nodded and held both of Jungkook's hands and kept staring down at it. "J-Jungkook.."

          "It'll be better if you stare at me.. And only me.." Jungkook whispered as Jimin looked up at the younger.

         "Jungkook... Jungkook I don't like this.. But I'm trying my best..." Jimin continued as he can feel himself grow easily disgusted now. Jimin took Jungkook's advice and looked into the younger's eyes focusing on him and only him... Jimin can see Jungkook's beautiful dark brown eyes... It was like Jimin can stare at Jungkook forever and get lost in Jungkook's eyes, that won't be a bad thing to Jimin, it felt like a good thing. A precious thing.

                "How are you feeling now?" Jungkook asked as Jimin only nodded slightly to show he was okay with this so far. "Jimin... Someday, if fate allows it, you'll find a perfect woman to hold hands with and hug again... I'll make sure you'll get use to it again."

            "Why would I meet a woman to hold hands with.... If I only want to hold yours?" Jimin asked as Jungkook blinked staring at Jimin and thinking on what he just said. "Jungkook.... If fate does allow me to fall in love again... Shouldn't I feel comfortable with kissing too?" Jimin asked as Jungkook knew what Jimin was hinting at now...