Min Yoongi

"Two more shots over here," Soomi slurred while waving her hand in the air.

"Soomi, I told you, I can't drink. I got to drive you home."

"Who said it was for you?"

"I don't think that's a good idea, either."

"Guess you're right," she mumbled. I breathed a sigh of relief. "Hey, make that a bottle of soju!"

"No! No soju, just water," I shouted over to the bartender.

"Ignore him, a bottle of soju," she insisted.

"Sorry, man. Gotta listen to the pretty lady." He gave me a shrug while handing Soomi a bottle.

"I didn't mean drinking something else was a good idea."

"Well, it sounds like a good idea to me." She began downing the bottle, and I snatched it from her in a panic.

"Stop, this isn't good for you."

She let out a groan while popping another chocolate into her mouth. She grimaced while chewing the candy.

"Why do I keep eating these? I don't even like dark chocolate. See, that's another problem with Taehyung. He didn't even know that I preferred white chocolate."

The whole time we were here, she had been listing out everything she hated about Taehyung. She must've neared her fiftieth complaint by now.

Before Soomi could say something else, she received a message. Her hand lazily groped around the counter before reaching her phone.

"Oh, look at that! It's Seokjin! Guess what he wants?" she asked while giggling. Man, her drunk mood swings are crazy. "He wants to start recording the love song tomorrow! That stupid, stupid love song."

Her hand was suddenly on mine as she dropped her phone onto the counter.

"Wait, I just figured out the lyrics. Yoongi, write this down, it's pure gold. Relationships suck. All men do is lie and cheat. Screw love."

"Yeah...I don't think that's what Seokjin is looking for."

"Whatcha mean? It's perfect," she slurred while popping another chocolate in her mouth.

"You know, forget the song. Just talk to me," I offered, while carefully removing the chocolates from her hands.

"Talk to you? What do you think I've been doing?" she whined while reaching first towards the chocolates, then towards the soju. I lifted both items out of her reach.

"Without drinking and eating. Come on, just let everything out."

"Everything? Okay, fine then," she ranted. I gave her a pained smile, unsure of what I was getting myself into. "I must be the biggest lovestruck loser in the world because even after my boyfriend had sex with another girl, even after thinking of a hundred reasons to hate him, the only thing going through my mind is the fact that I still love him."

My face dropped.

I didn't expect that.

Although her tone started angry, somewhere along the way, that anger transformed into anguish. My eyes softened as hers glistened with pain.

"And the worst part is how long it took to remember how much I loved him. Maybe if it didn't take so long, I wouldn't have driven him away."

"It's not your fault. You didn't do anything"

"But I did! I got too preoccupied with my music, working day and night on songs, sending demos to more companies than I can count. And it's all cause I wanted to prove to my dad that I wasn't a failure, that it wasn't a mistake to not go to law school. But it's hard when he's this successful prosecutor, and my brother's the perfect CEO son.

"So maybe I didn't do anything on purpose, but I got so caught up in trying to impress someone who'll never be proud of me instead of keeping a perfectly good relationship that I did have intact."

Just when I thought Soomi couldn't surprise me anymore, she went and said all of that. Her words jabbed at my chest in a way I didn't expect them to. But judging by her unfocused eyes and flushed cheeks, she probably didn't plan on telling me any of this.

She buried her head into her arms as I carefully wrapped my arm around her for comfort, though it felt more awkward than anything else.

Just then, my phone started ringing, my hand moving to take out the device.

"Sorry, Soomi. I have to take this. Stay here. I won't be far."

She grumbled in acknowledgment, not lifting her head from the counter. I walked away to take the call, but still close enough to keep an eye on Soomi.

"Hey Jimin, what's up?"

"Hey, you're with Soomi right now, right? Where are you guys? She usually calls me if something comes up and she's gonna be late."

"We're at a bar."

"What? Is Soomi drinking? She doesn't drink unless she's upset. Is she okay—"

Shit. I realized I left the bottle of soju with Soomi. Looking back, I noticed she was starting to take sips of it once more.

"Everything's fine. She has been drinking, but I'll get her home right now," I assured him.

"Get her home safe. She's a bit of a light-weight, and she tends to get sleepy—"

Wait, who the hell—

"Jimin, I have to go, but I'll see you soon."

I didn't wait for a response before hanging up, as I urgently headed back, eyes shooting darts at the stranger who had his arm wrapped around Soomi.

"Get your hands off of her," I growled. The stranger winced in both shock and pain as I locked both his arms behind his back.

"What the hell, man?" From catching a whiff of his breath, I could tell that he had been drinking.

"What's your name?" He looked at me with a confused face. "Don't make me ask twice!" I shouted, pulling harder at his arms.

"Choi Hyungsik! It's Choi Hyungsik."

I was about to question him further when I felt a light tap on my shoulder.

"Yoongi, please let him go? You're gonna cause a scene," Soomi whined with half-lidded eyes. I took one last look at the guy, before deciding to prioritize taking Soomi home.

He's too weak to be anyone of concern.

I forcefully let the guy go. He stumbled forward slightly.

"Geez, sorry, dude. I didn't know she had a boyfriend."

"Just get lost," I commanded. Not a second later, he was scurrying back off into the crowd.

"I'm tired," Soomi yawned, before slumping down in her seat. I quickly reacted when she began slipping off the chair, supporting her body with my arm.

"Soomi?"

There was no response. I let out a sigh as I picked the girl up, carrying her for the second time this week.

I stared at her sleeping face and tear-stained cheeks, using a finger to wipe away a stray tear threatening to escape.

She looks so hurt. Broken.

It was at this moment I realized I was wrong to think Taehyung wasn't a threat after being ruled out as a suspect. Clearly, the pain he managed to cause was just as bad.

It just wasn't physical.

And so I knew I didn't have to care. It wasn't my place to worry. It wasn't my job to.

My mind was certain of these facts, but I found that my heart wasn't so sure.

Because here it was, aching alongside hers.

*

"Is she okay? What happened?" Jimin asked the moment I stepped foot through the door. I noticed that he and Jungkook had been waiting in the living room for us.

"Let me get her to bed first."

"Here, I got her. You guys can talk," Jungkook offered, carrying Soomi out of my arms and heading up the stairs to her room.

"How much did you let her drink?" Jimin questioned, a hint of anger in his voice.

"I'm sorry," I apologized, "By the time I realized she had too much, it was already a bit too late."

"Did something happen?"

I hesitated before answering.

"She umm, she broke up with her boyfriend today."

"Wait, she broke up with Taehyung? But I thought things were going well with them."

"Yeah, well, she caught him cheating."

"He did what? Oh, I'm gonna go beat the shit out of him," Jimin raged, ready to storm out, at least, until I stopped him.

"Probably not a good idea. Besides, I kinda already did that."

"Oh, well he deserved it. God, and to think I was planning to invite him—"

He stopped mid-sentence, a look of pained realization flashing over his face.

"What? What is it?" I asked.

"It's just, I'm realizing the horrible timing of all of this...

"...Soomi's birthday is in a few days."

——
{a/n}

Sorry for the lame ending, but I promise, it's setting the story up for some crazy stuff soon 😉