Strings of Fate

Chapter 31

 The walk back to Jimin's house was silent. Jimin wanted to ask the elder more questions. He wanted to ask how Yoongi was different from them, he wanted so badly to know what had driven Yoongi to join a gang. But Yoongi wasn't going to answer so there was no point in asking. Jimin felt guilty knowing that Yoongi was in a gang now, he felt as if he had failed his hyung somehow.

"You should know the way from here right?" Yoongi suddenly asked and Jimin looked around him since he had been blindly following behind Yoongi the whole time.

"Yea..." Jimin answered recognizing his street just up ahead.

"Then I'm gonna go ahead and leave," Yoongi said turning around and facing Jimin. He looked at Jimin and frowned recognizing the hurt look on Jimin's face.

"Jimin-ah don't make that face," Yoongi said.

"I can't help it," Jimin replied.

Yoongi sighed and didn't say anything for a minute. When he finally did speak up it was only to say goodbye. Jimin didn't say anything in return, he just watched his hyung leave without another word. It was strange seeing his red-haired hyung walk away from him like this. Yoongi wasn't one to leave his juniors alone if they were looking upset. While Yoongi wasn't the greatest at helping them feel better, he was always there for them to lean on and complain to. And if he caused their hurt he was always there to reassure them he didn't mean it. But Yoongi had been changing and Jimin just hadn't noticed until it was too late, he supposed.

"Park Jimin!" Jimin heard his grandfather yell from behind him causing him to jump. He slowly turned around to see his grandfather at the end of the street leading to his house. Even though there was some distance separating them, Jimin could see the anger written on his grandfather's face. 'I'm definitely in trouble,' Jimin thought to himself dreading the lecture he was going to receive and the probable punishment.

* * * *

"This isn't fair, I'm being grounded for week Tae! A week!" Jimin whined to Taehyung at school the next day.

"Well you shouldn't have forgotten your phone at home," Taehyung reasoned.

"But I was too mad to think about taking it! It's Jihyun's fault and he didn't get anything but a scolding from our parents! I didn't yell at him or anything, I just left to cool my head and I get punished! God, I hate being older sometimes!" Jimin whined while Taehyung hummed listening to the elder complain.

"You don't gotta tell me that, you only have one younger brother, but I've got two younger siblings, remember? They drive me crazy! Sometimes I think I should just strangle them," Taehyung said pretending to strangle someone in midair.

"Don't kid me, you love them to smitheries and would do practically anything for them, I suspect you'd even hide the body if they murdered someone," Jimin said with a scoff but was smiling nonetheless.

"Without a second thought no doubt but you'd do the same for Jihyun so what's your point?" Taehyung asked raising an eyebrow but also smiling.

"Nothing I guess?" Jimin said shrugging. "Just annoyed I got grounded."

"It's okay Jiminie, besides you still get to invite your friends over and you're still allowed to use electronics, so it's not that bad. It's just a little bit of house arrest," Taehyung pointed out trying to cheer Jimin up.

"House arrest?" Jungkook asked as he took his seat in front of Jimin. The younger hadn't had time for breakfast this morning, so he'd left to grab something from the vending machine before class started. Jungkook had two red bean paste buns and he held one out to Jimin. Jimin took it without a second thought as Taehyung said, "Jiminie has been grounded for a week.... Hey how come I don't get one and Jiminie does?"