Strawberry Kisses || BTS

"Ah, shibal, where is it?" Jimin muttered to himself as he crouched so low he was almost lying on the floor as he searched under the bed for his necklace.

"Yah, don't you fucking swear, Jimin-ah," a voice above him said and he looked up to see his Yoongi-hyung peeking from the bunk above his own. He didn't realize the hyung was there. He was so engrossed looking for his lost treasure he forgot the world around him existed.

Jimin smiled ruefully at him. "Sorry, hyung. But you swore too though," he replied as he sweep his hand across the floor hoping to touch any piece of the jewelry. No such luck. He retracted his now slightly dusty arm from under the bed. His panic was growing. Where could it be?

Yoongi hyung made a tsking sound before saying, "I'm older. I'm allowed to swear. Besides, you don't got swag~ like Suga. Or jams."

Really? Instead of acknowledging that verbally, Jimin asked, "Hyung, did you see a silver necklace around here? It's shaped like a heart and has a butterfly and flower pattern on it."

Yoongi hyung looked thoughtful for a moment as he looked back and forth between his dongsaeng and the notebook in his hands. He was probably writing another song again. "I'm afraid not. You can ask the others. I think Jin-hyung cleaned this morning, but I'm not sure since I was sleeping."

"Thanks," he said and didn't quite manage to cover the agitation in his voice.

"You okay?"

"Yeah," Jimin answered absent-mindedly as he made his way to the living room. The others were there. Jeonggukie was asleep, Taehyung and Hoseok were playing a video game, Namjoon was playing cards, and Jin was watching him, his chin resting on his right palm. "Jin-hyung, have you seen a silver necklace while you were cleaning earlier?" He then proceeded to describe it like he did to Yoongi.

Jin tilted his head as he thought briefly before saying, "Sorry, Jimin-ah. I don't remember finding one."

Jimin scratched his head in frustration. "Aish! Where on earth can it be?"

"Wait. Do you mean the one you always wear under your shirt? That necklace?" Namjoon asked. He had stopped playing when he noticed Jimin's agitation while describing the necklace to Jin.

Jimin nodded vehemently, a frown marring his handsome features. "Yes, exactly that one."

Namjoon stood up without a word and went inside their bedroom. Jimin felt hope flutter in his chest. Did his Namjoon-hyung have it? It felt like a lifetime to him when he saw Namjoon come out of the room.

"Yah, here you go. Sorry, Jimin ah, I forgot to tell you I saw it on the floor while sweeping. I immediately went out to buy groceries after that. I was planning to give it back after I went shopping but it went out of my mind," Namjoon explained as he handed Jimin the necklace.

Jimin did his signature smile where his eyes disappeared into slits and hugged Namjoon fiercely. "Namjoon-hyung, it's okay. Thank you very much for keeping it safe. I love you!"

"Hey, cut it out," Jin said from behind. "You'll both lose your balance and fall."

"You're welcome, Jimin-ah," Namjoon said. "Why is that necklace so important anyway? I've never seen you take it off aside from when you would tear off your clothes during performances," he chuckled. "And I know you only do so because it might get snagged... or snatched."

Jimin's smile suddenly became a little melancholy but didn't leave his face. "I'm willing to share but it's actually a long story. You might want to sit down."

"Did someone say story? I wanna hear!" A second later, Taehyung was sitting next to Jin and Namjoon by the table.

"Me, too! What is it?" a smiling Hoseok joined in.

"I might as well tell you all now. Too bad Gukie's asleep. He's gonna—"

"Yah, I'm awake. Why did you think I was sleeping? I wasn't sleeping," Jeongguk cut off.

"I could see your mouth was open wide from my bed, Jungkook-ah," Yoongi, who had startled the others with his sudden appearance, told Jeongguk as he took his place next to Jimin around the table. Jeongguk didn't deny Yoongi's claim. Not that Jimin would've noticed anyway, with Jeongguk so close to him. He concentrated hard on not drowning in the feeling of having Jeongguk so near him, their skin almost touching, elbows side by side as they rested on the table. He could do this. He had done so in the past five or so years.

Jimin cleared his throat. Everyone turned their attention towards him. He breathed deeply and began, "It all started five years ago, in the city of Busan..."

— ~•×•~ —

Five years ago...

The day was hot and sunny in Busan. The usually cloudy skies were free of the white fluff and the birds were chirping from the branches of the trees. Jimin was sitting cross-legged on the porch to their backyard where a large tree was standing by a corner.

He took a slice of watermelon from the plate next to his thigh and took a bite messily, the juices dripping on his chin. He wiped it away with the back of his hand. He felt so relaxed. The good music coming from his earbuds definitely helped with his mood.

His dongsaeng ran past him with something colorful in his hands. Jihyun had a wide smile on his face. He stopped in the middle of their backyard and Jimin realized he was holding a kite. Come to think of it, the weather was actually nice for some kite flying activity.

Jimin watched as his brother struggled to get the kite soaring, struggled with no apparent progress. Jimin took off the earphones. "Hyunie, do you want me to help you with that?"

Jihyun looked at him and his furrowed brows smoothed. A smile made its way to his lips. "If that's not too much trouble for you, Jimin-hyung."

"I'm happy to help," Jimin said as he made his way to Jihyun. He then proceeded to show Jihoon how to do it. Soon, the kite was high up in the sky. When he saw that there was no danger of the kite falling down again, he went back to the porch.

Jihyun's laugh greeted his ears as he watched his younger brother tug on the string of his kite. "Hyung, look! My kite is so far up in the sky!" Jihyun exclaimed and looked at his hyung. Jimin smiled his eye smile at Jihyun's delight.

"I see. It's so wonderful. You're so good at flying kites." Jimin made a thumbs up at his brother.

The child laughed. "It's because I have the best teacher in the world. You're the best hyung!" Before Jimin could reply, the wind change directions and caused Jihyun's kite to drop. Unfortunately, it dropped so low that it was snagged by a branch of the big tree in their backyard. "Oh, my kite..." Jihyun's sad tone matched his frown.

"Hey, it's okay, Jihyun-ah. Hyung will get it for you. After all, I have to protect my title of being the best hyung," Jimin chuckled and Jihyun managed a smile. He looked a lot like Jimin when he did.

Jimin stood up again from where he was sitting and walked barefoot across their yard to the tree. He inspected it first, trying to know where it was best for him to climb. Once he found his footing, climbing was easy. The kite was located near the top, where the branches were thinner and easier to break. As he went higher and higher, his progress became slower and slower.

"Hyung! Can you see it?" Jihyun asked from below.

It was only a short distance away from Jimin's right. "Yeah, I can see it. It's near. I'm getting it now." Jimin released his grip on the branch above his head and extended his arm towards the trapped kite. His fingertips grazed the kite. Extending his arm a little more, he almost managed to grab it until...

Crack!

The branch he was stepping on just broke. He could hear Jihyun's terrified scream as he fell. His breath whooshed out of him as a branch hit him on the side. He tried gripping something, anything really, to stop the fall but he was going too fast and his hands felt weak and his lungs were burning. He heard a thud and pain rocketed along his right arm.

"Eomma! Appa! Help, Jimin hyung..." Jihyun's cry for help drifted off against his ears as blessed darkness took him.

— ~•×•~ —

Beep... beep... beep...

The faint sound of machines and the smell of antiseptic woke Jimin up. White walls surrounded him. Or at least, all that he could see. A white curtain was hanging on his left side and he caught a glimpse of another bed behind it.

He tried getting up but the heaviness by his side stopped him and once again pain travelled down his right arm. He managed to swallow down the scream that built up in his throat. Beads of sweat formed on the part of his forehead that wasn't covered by a bandage as he gently lay down again. He needed help and he needed answers. What happened? He couldn't remember.

He turned his attention to the ceiling and concentrated on deep breaths as he waited for the pain in his right arm to subside. Where is everybody?

"H-hello...?" he croaked. It was so soft he thought no one heard it but the curtain was suddenly cast aside. Familiar features greeted him. "Taehyung-ah?"

"Annyeong, Jimin-ah!" Taehyung said, cheerful as always. He even had his rectangular smile plastered on his face, even though he had an IV connected to him. His smile slowly faded when he noticed Jimin was still in pain. "Are you okay? Your parents went outside to talk to Woojin-nim. We have the same doctor! Isn't that nice?"

Jimin couldn't help but smile at Taehyung's optimism despite the pain he was feeling. Only he would think of something nice while being confined in a hospital. "I need painkillers, Taehyung-ah. This is unbearable." He didn't know why he told Taehyung. Maybe he was hoping the other boy could help him.

"I'll call a nurse," Taehyung said quickly and pressed the button on the wall between their bed that Jimin didn't realize was there. "Just press it anytime you need something. A nurse will come for you," Taehyung ended with another smile on his face. The boy was brimming with optimism Jimin slightly envied him.

"Thank you, Tae."

"No need to thank me but you're welcome nonetheless."

Soon enough the door to their room opened and a man in a white coat entered, with a nurse carrying a tray, and Jimin's mother in tow. His name tag said Lee Woojin.

"Oh, thank goodness, you woke up!" his teary-eyed mother exclaimed.

Jimin managed to say, "Eomma, I'm fine," to her. "But can someone please tell me what happened? Also, my arm feels so painful, and my head too."

"That is because you fell from a tree and squashed your arm when you reached the ground. You must've hit your head before you reached the ground though. You're quite lucky to be alive, I must say," the doctor explained. "Due to the concussion you received from the fall, you've been unconscious for the past two days. I've also told the nurses tending to you to lessen the amount of painkillers they give you. Too much is always not good. That's why you're feeling your arm right now."

"But can I please have some painkiller? It hurts really badly," Jimin begged the doctor.

"I suppose," Woojin relented and took a small syringe from the tray the nurse was holding. He took Jimin's good arm and felt for a vein. "This will make you fall asleep again, by the way."

His mother touched his shoulder. "Don't worry, Jimin. Eomma will be with you."

Jimin felt his eyelids get heavier. Woojin was right. It did make him sleepy. He smiled at his mother before sleep and exhaustion completely dragged him away.

— ~•×•~ —

Present...

Jimin was interrupted when a hand hit him at the back of his head. It wasn't gentle nor weak. "Aya! What was that for?"

"You're taking too long. Get us to the action already," Jin, the culprit, said. His hand had effortlessly reached Jimin despite Taehyung between them. Jimin noticed he was extra grumpy. He wondered if his princess hyung was on his period again.

"Aish! And you hitting him definitely makes him tell his story faster, right, Jin-hyung?" Yoongi scoffed.

Taehyung raised his hand like a grade schooler. "Yah, how come I don't know about this? I was in the hospital too."

Jimin rolled his eyes but cracked a smile. "Because you were always busy eating the watermelon slices my eomma would prepare whenever you would visit, remember?" Taehyung made an "o" shape with his mouth and that served as a reply to Jimin.

Namjoon waved his hands jerkily in the air, annoyed. "Just continue already! The suspense is killing me." The other guys nodded their agreement.

"Okay, okay. Now where was I? Oh, yea—" Jimin started but was interrupted again.

"You fell asleep."

Jimin laughed, unoffended by the disruption. He waited until his friends were settled and continued on with his story.

ʕ•ٹ•ʔ

The single click of the remote replaced the noise of the television. It seemed like Bangtan was everywhere in the news, even invading the social media with their sudden success. Their new album, HYYH PT. 2, ranked number one in multiple album charts, made it to Billboard 200 as 171st and to Top Album Sales as 98th. Even their latest song "Run" made it to the top of World Digital Songs Chart. They were also dominating the Twitter world with their hashtags.

The hand holding the remote released its grip and the controller dropped on the mattress with a soft thud. A sigh escaped from the person's lips.

"Jimin-ah, you've come a long way. You're basically a superstar right now. An international one at that. I wonder how you and Guk are really doing." Bitter laughter then harsh sobbing emanated from the hotel room. It can only be heard from the balcony though since the door to the room was thick enough to block the sounds coming to and from the room. It was late at night and the sorrow of the person was heard by no one.

"I'm too late. I'm so sorry, Oppa."

— ~•×•~ —

Five years ago...

The sunlight coming from the window came to rest on Jimin's prone form, warming him, especially his face since it was uncovered by his blanket. The scent of lilacs drifted to his nose as he slowly woke up. Something tickled his nose. He cracked an eye open against the blinding sunlight, only to find another pair of brown eyes looking straight at him from above.

"Ah! W-what are you—hey!" Jimin shouted after the person who scurried out of the room. The door closed with a soft bang.

He sighed in disappointment before hearing someone groan from his left. Then he remembered. He was in a hospital.

"Five more minutes, Eomma," he heard Taehyung say before a loud yawn. Jimin sighed again, this time thankful that he did not fully awake his roommate.

Jimin closed his eyes, draping his good arm on them to block the sunlight. He tried remembering the face of the girl watching him. Big brown eyes, a small button nose, and full pink lips parted in wonder. It was her dark hair that had tickled his nose, having escaped from being tucked behind her ear. He didn't catch sight of what she was wearing but from what he could remember, she looked almost unreal.

He sighed for the third time, frustrated at being attached to the bed. He wondered when he would get a sling for his arm. He didn't want to risk pulling a muscle by cradling the casted arm on his chest. He would ask his mother about it when she got back from home. Maybe he should just ask Woojin about it though, since he was Jimin's doctor after all and probably knew best. He wanted to get out of the hospital as soon as possible. School was starting soon.

Besides, he wasn't really sick. Jimin believed hospitals are for sick people only, like Taehyung who had gotten malaria from God-knows-where.

The only reason Jimin was staying there was because of the concussion he had. Technically, he was still under observation.

Speak of the devil and the devil will come to you, Jimin thought as the door opened and his doctor came in, though he knew Woojin was far from being the devil. The older man smiled at him when he saw that Jimin was awake already. He looked around the room, at the empty chair by Jimin's bed and said, "Your mother is not here?"

Jimin shook his head. "Eomma said she'll go home for a change of clothes."

"Ah. Alright, I'll tell you the news then instead. Listen, Jimin-ssi, you're actually doing great. It seems like the injury to your head did not give you any complications that we can see of, despite the distance of your fall. And your arm is not at risk of any infections. If nothing ever happens in the next couple of days, I will let you out of this hospital. Your mother can admit you out. That's about it. Any question?" Woojin ended with an encouraging smile on his face.

"When can I have a sling for my arm?"

The doctor raised a brow. "A sling was given to you on your first day. Have you checked that drawer next to your bed? Your guardian must've put it there and forgot. Anyway, I have to go and check on my other patients. If you need anything just press the button. Good day, Jimin-ssi." He didn't wait to see if Jimin checked the drawer. Jimin understood. Doctors have busy schedules.

Jimin slowly reached for the drawer. True enough, a blue and white sling was there. He couldn't help but smile, not feeling bad at all that his mother forgot to tell him about it. Now all he had to do was put it successfully and then he could sit and walk around.

He suddenly frowned as a thought occured to him. He forgot to ask his doctor about the girl. Granted, the hospital was quite big and Woojin might not know, but it wouldn't hurt to try. Well, he had a sling now, he could find her if he wanted. He put on the sling without a problem, having to sit up in the process. Jimin stayed in that position for a while, getting used to it and letting blood flow more freely around his body now that he could move about more.

Carefully, he sat on the edge of the bed, his bare feet touching the cold tiled floor. His knees felt weak so he slowly swung his legs until he got used to the motion. Then he started to stand. After a few days of just lying in bed, Jimin did not realize how difficult it could be to do the simple act of standing. Like with the sling though, he managed successfully.

He released the breathe he didn't notice he was holding and went to the window to close the curtains. The sunlight had become too hot for his liking.

Jimin walked around the room, enjoying his newfound freedom from the bed as well as getting used to the weight against his chest. All the while, his friend Taehyung was sound asleep in his own bed.

He didn't know how much time had passed when the door opened once more and his eomma finally arrived, carrying a bag. "Eomma, hello."

"Son, you're awake. I brought you some food. I made your favorite kimchi jjigae. This should bring back your appetite. Is Taehyung-ah awake already? I prepared enough for the three of us," his mother said as she put the bag on top of the bedside drawer.

"Still asleep, but I can ask him if he wants to eat. No one should miss your cooking, Eomma," Jimin answered, his eye smile landing on his face just as easily as before. He turned away from his mother as she took out the food from her bag. He slowly parted the curtain to reveal a sleeping Taehyung who was hugging his pillow. "Taehyung-ah."

"Unghhh..."

"Taehyung-ah, eomma brought us some food. We were wond—"

Taehyung quickly sat up in bed, his eyes still half-closed. "Food? Did you say food?"

"Yeah... Do you want to eat with us?"

"Do I have to answer that question? Of course, Jimin-ah. No one turns down your mom's cooking."

Taehyung's statement made Jimin wonder what had happened during the couple of days he was asleep in the hospital. "Ah, good morning, by the way."

"Good morning to you, too, Jimin-ah," Taehyung replied with his not-yet-famous box smile.

Mrs. Park had readied their breakfast on the bedside drawer as a makeshift table when Taehyung got out of his bed. Her bag was then on the chair.

"Wow, that looks good."

"That's a favorite food of mine. Eomma makes the best kimchi jjigae," Jimin informed him.

"Let's eat then!" Taehyung said after bowing in thanks to Mrs. Park and grabbing one disposable bowl of the stew. He sat on Jimin's bed next to his mother who already had her own bowl in her hands. He proceeded to dig in messily.

"Thank you for the food." Jimin sat on the chair and focused on the last remaining bowl. They decided it was best for him to eat on the makeshift table since he wouldn't be able to lift his bowl and eat on the bed at the same time.

Mrs. Park smiled at the enthusiasm of the two young boys over the simple meal of stew she had prepared.

"Eomma," Jimin said between spoonfuls. "Has someone been visiting me? Someone I don't think I know?"

Mrs. Park looked quizzically at her adeul. "A visitor? No, no one has visited except your father. Why do you ask?"

Jimin hesitated before saying, "A girl was watching me while I was sleeping earlier. She has brown eyes and probably chest-length hair. She ran off quickly after seeing me awake. It was really weird."

"Oh, you have an admirer, Jimin-ah," Taehyung said playfully, waving his empty bowl in the air.

"I don't know about that, young man. I'll have to talk to your doctor about this... girl."

Jimin nodded, not suspecting anything about his eomma's word. "Speaking of sunbaenim..." Jimin relayed to his mother what the doctor had told him earlier this morning. Mrs. Park simply thanked her son for telling her the news and Jimin went back to his bowl of stew.

— ~•×•~ —

Jimin felt stupid.

Seriously, it was just one floor and all he had to do was look for the nearest men's comfort room which the nurse had told him was on the left wing of the building. How could he be lost? It was a straight path!

...wasn't it?

He scratched his head, regretting not paying attention to the nurse's instructions.

"Oh, well. I guess I'll just ask around again until I get to the comfort room, my room or see Sunbaenim. Aigoo." Luckily for him, the hallway was quite busy, with patients, visitors, and hospital staff walking around. He called out to a kind-looking nurse. "Excuse me. Hello, I was wondering if—"

Jimin stopped speaking when he saw a familiar face in the hallway. He absently registered the nurse urging him to continue but his attention was now on the girl who was walking away from him. Jimin didn't know what came to him. He didn't even realized that he was running and had left the nurse behind. It was rude and Jimin was anything but that.

He came to an intersection and another nurse was pulling a wheelchair with a patient and they were in his way, making the distance between the girl and Jimin wider. When they had passed, the girl was almost around the corner. Despite his still weak knees and legs, Jimin pushed himself to run faster, as much as is allowed by hospital rules. If a nurse stopped him, he could just say he really needed to pee badly. That should get him out of it, right?

The girl turned and Jimin followed behind. Almost there. He almost caught up with her. Then he turned around the corner, too, and saw an elevator already closing.

Too late. He was too late. The girl was gone again.

Jimin shook his head. No, not yet gone. If there are elevators, there must be stairs. Jimin looked around and true enough, a door with the stairs symbol on it was nearby, only a few feet away. Could he make it to her? Could his legs take four flights of stairs? He didn't know, but he had to try. He felt a pull towards her and he couldn't understand why. It wasn't just because of what happened earlier that day. Was it?

His mother and his doctor talked outside the room and when they entered, Mrs. Park looked worried while Woojin had the same reassuring smile plastered on his face. Somehow, with his mother's expression, that smile became sinister to Jimin. He had asked him about the girl and Jimin answered truthfully. He couldn't lie. His parents had taught him manners and morals.

He kind of regretted it, even just this once. Woojin told him that he would have to stay for a couple more days. When Jimin asked why, the doctor told him that he might be experiencing hallucinations and not be aware of it. They needed him in the hospital to make sure nothing goes wrong with him.

It had pissed him then, because Taehyung had gone the day before and now he had the room to himself and his mother, and because they were poor and staying at the hospital meant more bills to pay. And it pissed him now because he knew this girl wasn't a hallucination. He thought of her as surreal but that didn't mean she was. The sadness in her eyes was all too real that he ached for her. He couldn't have imagined that.

His tired foot smacked on the last step and he quickly pushed the door open. He was panting really hard and at the back of his mind he knew he shouldn't be exerting himself too much after his recent injury. At the moment he simply didn't care.

The elevator was open and empty. Jimin silently cursed. Where was she? He looked around as he caught his breathe.

There!

"Oh, god no. Don't go," he muttered as he saw the girl about to get out the hospital, only now noticing the older woman with the girl. Jimin tried to catch up with them again but it was futile. A guard was standing by the entrance and Jimin knew he wouldn't let him pass.

Great. Just his luck.

Jimin went near the entrance, careful not to alert the guard of his presence. The girl and the woman with her were walking down the steps, a cab waiting for them at the bottom facing to the right. The woman sat on the passenger's seat. The girl was about to enter on the left side of the cab and Jimin held his breathe as he caught sight of her face again.

The girl looked up. For a fraction of a second her eyes met his and passed. Jimin was disappointed.

Not for long though. Her eyes made their way back to his and stayed. For a few seconds they just stared at each other, neither one of them making a move. Then the girl smiled and entered the cab which drove off into the distance until it was out of his sight.

She couldn't be just a hallucination, not even a dream, like what they were all telling him. He knew then that he had to meet her again. Jimin did not understand his reaction to her. Jimin finally caught his breathe and made his way to the elevator. It wasn't long before the empty metal box opened to him.

On the fourth floor, Jimin realized he was on the left wing already when he passed and almost missed the comfort room. After relieving himself, he set on to find his room. He hoped he wouldn't be lost again. He knew his room number but if he still couldn't find it, then he would page his mother, or even his doctor, but he didn't want that. It was embarrassing enough that he got lost on his way to the comfort room, he couldn't lose his way back too.

Listening to a nurse's instructions this time though, he quickly found his room. It was peaceful and quite there after Taehyung left. He was noisy and weird, but at least he was funny and Jimin liked him.

"Eomma..." Jimin started.

"Yes, Jimin?"

"I saw her. I saw her again today. I swear. She's not a hallucination or...or a dream! She's real. I swear she is," Jimin said almost hysterically.

Mrs. Park look at her son with something akin to pity in her eyes. "Son, the girl isn't real. That day I left for home, I locked the door. No one but I, Woojin-nim and one of the nurses can open it from the outside. You and Taehyung can open it from the inside. And you two were the only ones here when I left. Jimin, the girl isn't real," she repeated.

Jimin shook his head. He wouldn't—couldn't accept it. "No, eomma, you're lying. That's not true. I saw her, she was right there! I-I...eomma, I'm not crazy. I'm not." Jimin didn't expect it, but the tears came and wouldn't stop falling from his eyes.

Not real? Impossible.

...right?

Jimin let out a sob. Why was he crying for a girl he barely even knew? What was so special about her? And was she even real?

Jimin was beginning to have second thoughts.

— ~•×•~ —

It was finally time for him to go and Jimin was in a good mood.

The past few days had been less than pleasurable. Woojin came to Jimin in regular intervals during those days and Jimin grew sick of the doctor subtly questioning his sanity. Jimin refused to believe that he was crazy. He just banged his head. That was it.

He did convinced himself though, that the girl was just a figment of his imagination. He had just woken up from sleep that first day and surely, his brain had not caught up with him and brought his dreams out. And his concussion just made the thing worse.

It was just a coincidence that the girl in his dream looked like the girl he saw when he was lost and it wasn't really her. Maybe he got a glimpse of her before in the hallways and he merely didn't notice and his subconscious brought her up?

One thing was for sure though. Jimin, no matter what he did, couldn't get her out of his head.

Jimin sat on his hospital bed as he waited for his mother to finish paying the bills downstairs. He was excited to get out of this place and be gone of Woojin's constant hovering. He was finally deemed safe and well. Not once did he mention the girl to them again. Not once did he see her again, too. It convinced him more too, that she wasn't real.

And for some reason, that saddened him.

The door opened and his mother's smiling face greeted him. "I'm done with everything. Come on, Jimin. It's time to go home," his mother said and picked up the bag next to Jimin on the bed. It contained his clothes and some of his things.

"Eomma, I can carry it," Jimin tried.

Mrs. Park shook her head. "You shouldn't be carrying things and exerting yourself. I can do this."

"Eomma..." Jimin waited until his mother was looking at him again, her hand on the door. "Eomma, I'm sorry for all the trouble I have caused you," he said while bowing down. He looked on the floor, ashamed. "If I hadn't had that breakdown a couple of days ago, I could've been admitted out already that same day. I promise I will study really hard so I can find a good job. I promise I will repay everything you've done for me, you and appa. We won't be poor again and you won't have to work hard ever again."

Mrs. Park gently smiled at her oldest son. Jimin was such a gentle, loving kid and she had never felt so lucky in her life to have him. She rested a hand on his shoulder and Jimin finally looked up.

"I am blessed to have a son like you, Jimin," was all she said before enveloping him in a hug. "Let's go. Your appa and Jihyun are waiting for us."

The ride home was silent and Jimin spent the time thinking about school. He only had about a week to prepare for it and he realized he would only be staying home for only a short while. He had his things packed and ready to be moved already for he will be staying at the dormitory. He would be transferring to Korea Arts School this year and it was a long way from home. His friend Taehyung would be studying there, too. At least he had an old friend with him.

When they arrived home, Jihyun didn't waste time and ran to his hyung, wrapping his arms around his brother's torso, careful not to crush his broken arm. "Hyung, I'm so sorry. It was my fault. Sorry," he cried against his hyung's shoulder.

Jimin petted his brother's head. "It's okay, Jihyun. I'm okay now. See?" He smiled his eye smile at him.

"Really?" Jihyun sniffed.

Jimin managed to nod. He suddenly felt tired. "I think I need to sleep though. I feel really tired all of a sudden." He ended that with a yawn.

Jihyun left him alone with a grateful smile and after giving proper greetings to his father, he proceeded to his small bedroom. It would be a while before he could sleep on his own bed again. He lied down and despite having done that at the hospital he felt comfortable in his own bed and fell asleep instantly.

Tomorrow, he would leave for Korea Arts School.