MARLBORO NIGHTS | VKOOK ✓

20

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PART TWENTY
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"So?"

Jungkook furrowed his brows at his friend and chugged down his water. "So what?"

"Who's Taehyung exactly? And why do you care so much about him?" Jimin asked with a curious glint in his eyes, folding his arms over his chest as he leaned against the kitchen counter.

"He's a friend, I told you."

"More details, please?"

A sigh left the ravenette at this. "I met him in the park one night. And since then...I don't know. We've met up for weeks. Every single night we'd sit in the park and just talk." He shrugged, staring at the floor.

Jimin hummed.

"We grew a bit closer? I'm not sure how to say this." Jungkook mumbled, rubbing his aching forehead. "He told me about his abusive parents and I told him about my drinking problem and all...I just feel like he doesn't deserve all of this. He's 17 and started to smoke, because...his parents aren't really the best."

"You see yourself in him." His friend stated. "Your parents fucked you up and you're fearing the same thing might happen to Taehyung, if you won't help him."

Jungkook stilled and shrugged softly. "Maybe." He admitted quietly. "But...there's something else. I...I enjoy spending time with him and I think he does too. He always looks so happy when we meet up. Oh, and I took him with me to train. You should have seen his face, when I told him he was good at boxing. It-"

"As stupid and fucked up this might sound now, Kook, but the way you're saying it makes it sound like Taehyung has some type of father complex or something." Jimin said.

"What?" The boxer asked and put his glass back down onto the counter, while narrowing his eyes at him. Jimin sighed again, tilting his head a bit. "Listen."

"First of all; he's 17 and you're 24. You're way older than him."

"That's seven years. It's not that much!" Jungkook argued with a scoff, making Jimin roll his eyes. "Still. You're older, you have your own house, you have a job...technically. You're able to provide for yourself, Kook, you're an adult. Someone, who can take care of someone else as well."

"God, you're being stupid again." The other muttered, turning his head to the side.

"He trusts you, doesn't he? He knows you care about him and that's what he needs. Someone who cares. If his parents are abusive, Taehyung doesn't know what this feels like and obviously grows attached to you."

Jungkook clenched his jaw in annoyance.

"Next point; he's happy when you tell him he did something the right way. He seeks for your reassurance, Kook."

"Oh, come on. Jimin, you don't know what you're talking about!" The ravenette raised his voice. "Are you a therapist or something? No, you're not! So don't give me that bullshit now."

Stepping away from the counter and getting closer to his friend, Jimin ran a hand through his hair. He lifted his finger against Jungkook's chest. "I'm not, but my girlfriend was the same as Taehyung. And I do know what I'm talking about. It's not a healthy relationship or whatever you both have going on there. Taehyung needs help, but not yours. I had to accept the same thing and fuck..it hurt, Kook, but if you want him to get better, then you have to stop seeing him. Get him professional help, but-"

"Are you even listening to yourself?" Jungkook growled. "You want me to just ignore a 17 year old kid with abusive parents? Let him suffer there? I can't do it, Chim! And I won't."

"Jungkook, you can't help him! You're too fucked up anyway to do so. What are you gonna do, huh?" Jimin yelled, jabbing his finger into the man's chest. "Why don't you see it? You're not even a good influence and he's already so attached to you! Does that make any sense to you, huh? Does it?"

"Of course I can help-" His friend cut him off with a scoff. "No. No, you can't. There is not a thing you can do about any of this. Taehyung needs help. You need help. You're not good for each other, Jungkook! This isn't going to end good, if you keep going like this."

Jungkook stayed silent and bit into his bottom lip harshly as he stared at Jimin's finger against his chest. His words kept repeating themselves inside his head and he had to swallow heavily.

"Just...stop seeing him. Please."

Hesitantly looking up at his friend, the ravenette leaned his head against Jimin's shoulder. "Why is everything so fucked up?" He muttered and the other shrugged, slowly wrapping his arms around Jungkook. "Life is fucked up. That's just the way it is."

"It sucks."

"I know." Jimin snorted weakly, before pulling away again and grabbing his wrist to drag him into the living room. "Let's talk about something else though. Enough with the yelling."

Jungkook chuckled, the lump in his throat ever so slowly vanishing again. "I need a cig, wait a second." He murmured, hearing Jimin hum in response.

He walked into the hallway and got to his jacket, taking out the pack of Marlboro cigarettes. Jungkook shortly pulled his phone out of the pocket of his pants, wanting to check on the time as he placed the stick in between his dry lips.

Taehyung
>> can we meet in the park tonight?
>> please?
11:33 am

A frustrated breath left Jungkook — putting his phone away again. Not replying.

Instead, he lit up his cigarette and walked back to his friend, jumping onto the couch. "Tell me about everything I missed in your life."