it's just kissing | m.j ✓

CHAPTER FORTY SIX.

"The hell is the Minjoon train?"

"You know. Minjoon. Jimin and Namjoon. Jungkook is definitely on the Minjoon train. I'm pretty sure Jungkook was trying to telepathically make Mingyu combust into flames the moment he walked in. I was kinda hesitant at first, but I'm definitely on that train, and by default, Yoongi has to be too."

"You guys have a name for this?"

"Fuck Minmin," Taehyung says from besides him on his way to putting a bottle away. "Minjoon's the shit now."

"Alright, you guys need to calm down. Just, whatever, can you make sure Namjoon comes down? I know he's probably having a giant pity party up there on his own. And don't be weird about this please. I'm just looking out for Namjoon and Jiminie."

"So are we, my friend, so are we," Hoseok says sagely and then waves a hand around when Seokjin throws him a withering look. "Alright, I'm on it," he adds before heading towards the staircase.

It's not until 10 minutes left till midnight that Namjoon is back downstairs, and if the man's been throwing a tantrum or crying internally over the depressing encounter, no one can tell. Seokjin doesn't miss the nanosecond of pain that flashes across the man's eyes when he spots Jimin again, and he figures that Hoseok's explained to him exactly what's happened.

Jimin, who's been keeping himself distracted by cleaning the tables with perhaps bit more vigor and attention than necessary, sees Namjoon again and lets out a rather weak "Oh, you're back." The bar owner doesn't ask where Mingyu went or if the other man's OK. He behaves more or less the same as he had been before Kim Mingyu's arrival, and Seokjin's glad that his friend is as sensible as he is.

Jungkook does open his mouth to most likely relay what's happened, but Seokjin throws him a warning look and shoos him away, leaving the bouncer to return to his duty and spend the next few minutes just sulking in his corner.

Namjoon bites the inside of cheek in frustration as he watches Jimin working as if on autopilot. Jimin's never been very good at hiding his emotions and was doing a terrible job of doing it right this moment.

After having heard everything from Hoseok, Namjoon has the urge to slam his fist against Mingyu's face, and this sort of scares him, not only because he's always been a pacifist, but because it makes him feel like a hormonal teenager who's not capable of controlling an emotion so petty. He's always been mature about relationships. He's always believed that they are supposed to be flawed.

So he shouldn't be surprised to find that Jimin's struggling with his, and at the end of the day, it's between two adults and he shouldn't be involved...but he's already emotionally invested in disliking Mingyu solely on the fact that Jimin can't enjoy this party (that and of course something a lot deeper, but he's not about to go into that right now).

He wishes that Jimin would at least be angry with him. Annoyed, frustrated. Just anything other than sad, because seeing the smaller's man slumped shoulders and downturned lips and pitifully dejected eyes is almost nauseating. So Namjoon makes his way towards Jimin and reaches out to grab the man by his wrist. His hold is gentle, but firm enough to urge the other to listen to him, and Jimin looks up, his eyes wide in confusion at the sudden contact.

Namjoon pulls Jimin away from the table he's currently wiping down and proceeds to make his way out the bar through the back entrance. He doesn't pay attention to the other employees or patrons watching them as he rushes out, because he can almost physically feel the sense of rejection radiating from Jimin.