"Tae I was meaning to ask you"

"Yes minnie"

"Why did you not go home for Christmas?"

"Oh" Tae looked up.

"I know you didn't go last year because you both celebrated here but this time even Jungkook went home... So why did you stay back and be alone?"

"No one was home. They were overseas"

"Ahhh okay" Jimin nodded.

Tae just nodded to himself and continued making the sauce.

"Wow Tae that looks good!"

"It's Jungkook's recipe!" Tae squealed and calmed down in a second. "I mean.."

"He's a great cook" Jimin smiled.

"Yeah"

"Don't worry... There are a lot of good cooks out there"

"Yeah"

Jimin's phone rang and he started jumping. It was Hobi. Tae smiled and walked up to him.

"Hi hyung" Jimin squealed into the phone.

"I'm with Tae actually"

"Mhmm why didn't you go?"

"Take care hyung!"

"Is Jungkook with you?"

"Oh what? Who? What did you say??" Jimin yelled and cooled down when he realised Tae was right there.

"I mean yeah.. he just got out of a relationship" Jimin whispered and Tae caught it but he looked away.

"Mhmm how's LA?"

"That's good! Have fun! Ask Jungkook to call me too"

"Okay byee good night!"

"Mhmm love you too" Jimin blushed.

~

Taehyung exclaimed "the l-word!?"

Jimin nodded and Tae got comfortable on the couch.

"I'll go check on the pasta" Jimin walked to the kitchen.

"Tae about that"

"Don't worry it's his life"

"Well it's not him actually... Just gyeom asked hobi about Jungkook"

"I don't know why you're telling me" Tae got up to check on the sauce.

"Yeah sorry" Jimin shook his head and continued cooking.

~

~

Tae looked at the picture. Jungkook looked happy, his eyes were genuine. He hadn't smiled in so long and Tae felt guilty.

~

~

"You're going to work in a what?" Jimin was shocked.

"Bar"

"Why though?"

"I'm bored and you have three jobs"

"I need the money and you don't?"

"Yes but I'm bored so why not?"

"Okay I guess stay safe"

Taehyung fixed his uniform and left.

~

~

"Millie will show you around" The manager dismissed him after signing the contract.

Taehyung walked to the girl the manager had pointed at and immediately recognised her. 'The girl who Jungkook met at a bar'

"Oh hi" Taehyung said to her.

"Hey have we met before?" She asked awkwardly.

"I'm Jungkook's-"

"Oh right!! You received the parcel that day. Come on, I'll give you a tour" She was suddenly too excited. The nervous girl almost vanished at that instant.

She showed him the place and finally where the drinks were kept. They were going to serve drinks together and Taehyung did not want to work with her.

"Have you spoken to him recently? He seemed so down right?" Millie spoke to Taehyung. It was too early for customers to come in so they were chatting.

"Jungkook? No haven't seen him"

"Always the great guys get shitty boyfriends" She shook her head.

Tae wanted to snap but decided not to. He didn't want drama on his first day.

"Mhm?" He decided to say.

"He came here a lot the past month.. we're friends now! Though I wish we were more... He clearly loves the guy way too much"

Tae felt happy inside and didn't know why.

"But I think he had it... He's going to move on. I really hope he does"

"What makes you say that?" Tae was fast. "I mean I'm curious..."

"Well.. he's been coming here everyday for the past month right? But something changed in the past week I could tell. On new year day, he came here with his friends right? He pledged loud and clear" she giggled remembering the scene. "That he was going to love himself. It's his time"

Tae bit his lip. "Did he not love himself?"

"That's exactly what I asked him the next day!" She said smiling. "Well he said he had lost himself trying to please someone who doesn't love him"

"So don't worry! Your friend will be back to normal in no time.. I know you guys are worried but I felt it. He's going to change. This trip he's gone on.. is a great help too!"

"You know about the trip?"

"Oh I'm like his best friend now! We even text" She said cheekily.

He frowned but she didn't see it.

"So Taehyung right? Who was this boyfriend of Jungkook?"

"A jerk" Taehyung answered.

Tae could see Millie nod in his peripheral vision.

The rest of the day they spoke a little and Taehyung seemed to like her. She was sweet and a little nervous, but funny.

The coming days, Tae seemed to like her company a lot. It was possible that Tae felt closer to Jungkook through her as she seemed to know everything about him. But he would never accept that.

"Tae why don't you talk to him? He feels a lot better and I think he'll be happy that his friends care for him!"

"No Millie.. we actually fought a month ago. I want to apologise to him when he's back not like this."

"Was it a serious fight?"

"No"

"Okay your call" She smiled. "How's your boyfriend doing?"

"Uh who?"

"I remember! The guy in Jungkook's apartment!"

"Bogum?" Tae asked. "He's not my boyfriend"

"Oh please.. Friends don't hold each other by their waist come on" She winked.

Tae opened his mouth to answer but closed it immediately.

"It's okay if you don't want to tell" She smiled and went to the new customer.

Tae's mind wandered to that day. He fought with Jungkook over this and even claimed he paid Millie. Thinking of their conversation now made him realise how wrong he was. Now that the latter had left, he couldn't help but try to understand why. The more he thought, the worse he felt.

But it was nice to know Jungkook was doing fine. Jungkook was happy from pictures he'd seen and things he heard through Millie.

Slowly he was beginning to realise that the problem in the relationship was not Jungkook, it was him. And it was his loss not Jungkook's.