Stronger || PJM

Ch11: Doing You A Favour

Jimin bites on his bottom lip, eyes travelling in all directions as his small hands wrap around his cup of coffee. His heart beats fasten a little as he finally lands his gaze on the boy in front of him, scanning him.

Taehyung is quiet, looking down at his own cup of coffee with blank eyes.

Jimin furrows his eyebrows at that. Taehyung hated coffee.

His silence is foreign, too; Taehyung was always talkative and he wouldn't shut up unless someone forced him to, yet again, time changes people.

"So," Jimin finally says, trying to break the tension as he smiles, "How are you?"

Taehyung looks up at him. "Good."

He pulls out his phone and starts scrolling.

Jimin purses his lips, leaning forward on his chair. "You hate coffee."

"Yeah," Taehyung replies without looking up, eyes glued to the device in his hand.

"Then why did you order it?" Jimin asks softly.

Taehyung pauses, but he doesn't look at Jimin. He shrugs his shoulders and continues looking at his phone.

"Are you mad at me?" Jimin asks.

"No."

Jimin squints his eyes and exhales, hanging his head. "I'm sorry I didn't reach out to you before."

"Okay."

Jimin looks up back again, gaze fixed on his friend. "Taehyung, stop ignoring me. Let's talk this out."

"No."

Jimin sighs in exasperation, looking away.

"I needed someone," Taehyung suddenly says, still looking down, fringe covering his eyes. "I needed you."

"I tried calling you, I really did," Jimin says, "I was caught up with school and all, and I know it isn't an excuse but I really couldn't reach you."

"My mother is your teacher," Taehyung says calmly, "If you wanted to get to me, you would have."

"Why are you blaming me? You didn't call either," Jimin scoffs.

"I was the one going through a hard time," Taehyung says, finally looking up to meet Jimin's eyes. "My friend died, Jimin. He was murdered. By my other friend. I'm sure mother told you, she doesn't shut up."

Jimin's eyes soften, his heart breaking a little. "I didn't know, I'm really sorrㅡ"

"I was there with you," Taehyung cuts him off, words coming out rushed as his chest rises and falls rapidly, "I was there with you when your mother died, how could you not be there when my friend died, too?"

The sadness washes away from Jimin's eyes, eyebrows coming closer together. "I told you I didn't know. And it's not like I asked you to be there when mom died. Stop mentioning it as if you were doing me a favour."

"I was, Jimin," Taehyung says through gritted teeth. "Tell me, though. Are you saying it wouldn't've mattered whether I was beside you or not?"

Jimin clenches his jaw, hands rolling into fists by his side. "No. It wouldn't've mattered."

"You were really doing me a favour, weren't you?" He adds. "I was the poor kid with a dead mom who had no friends, and you're the good kid who's there for his friends when they need him. You did it out of pity."

Taehyung scoffs, leaning back in his chair. "So what? You're here out of pity, too. 'Oh, poor little Taehyung is depressed. I should make up for my mistake by standing by him now because I wasn't there when he actually needed me'. Or was it also a favour? For my mother, huh? Of course, you must be grateful. She got you in that stupid dance competition she keeps on rambling about."