"The world breaks everyone, and afterwards, many are strong at the broken places."
- Ernest Hemingway

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"Please, I'm not going."

Being stuck in a room with fifteen people indirectly calling you a dick was the most frustrating thing that ever happened to him, even more frustrating than being strangled in two times smaller skinny jeans and ending up getting a damn visible boner.

Bang PD, "Jimin, you need rest."

He literally cursed internally at those words of the senior, "Not with this same fuckery duckery again, not after your resting plan makes me a cow getting sold to a butcher. We all know what happens to that cow. Even thinking about it is making me shudder," he muttered under his breath.

His skin itched just by the thought of the horror they were putting him into, "How is that resting?"

Everyone was seated in the room but he didn't dare to. No matter what, he knew, sitting there meant he was down for business and there was no way he was getting down for this. In fact, he felt nauseous, his skin felt as if large insects were crawling up to it. He was trying hard to focus and not show the horror he felt at that thought, at least not in front of so many people.

He saw Taehyung moving towards him and he unconsciously backed away. He knew if the younger asked him, he would be in a more horrible situation.

"Jimin-ah, at least sit down. Your face is contoured in pain- oh, don't put too much pressure! You've a cast on your ankle," of course, he was in pain but surely not because of the cast, he had long forgotten about it.

"I'm okay-"

"No, you're clearly not."

"Taehyung-"

"Sit down, please," Taehyung almost half dragged him to the chair and when he was settled enough, he took his leg up cautiously. He placed it in his lap and started caressing his knee. But instead of relaxing, Jimin felt his muscles tensing even more.

All the eyes were on him and the worst thing about them was they were expecting a 'yes'.

Namjoon, "Jimin, you want to work even when you're resting, and everyone thinks it's best."

Hoseok, "It's just for some months."

Jin, "You can simply think of it as a vacation?"

"Yeah, surely a vacation!" his words came out way bitter than he wanted and the shock on the others' faces made him guilty instead of angry. He sighed.

"Hyung, I don't even speak English . . ." he trailed off and Namjoon scooted closer towards him. The determination on his face clearly spoke 'I can solve it!' and for the first time, Jimin wanted him to not solve any fucking thing.

Namjoon, "You're getting better at it, and you understand really well nowadays," if it was any other day, his words were going to make him happy throughout the week but not now.

Namjoon, "You're not the only one who's going to be there, and of course, they will have an interpreter. Jimin, it will be a great experience."

Yeah, fuck of an experience. He wanted to curse out loud but they were not alone, he really wanted to mess his hair out of frustration or maybe pull them until he went bald. It was a nice plan though if he went bald, no one would ever ask him to face media. He was about to voice his thought when he saw Yoongi's face . . . and Jimin knew what he would reply at that.

'You'll represent so much with it, Jimin. I think you must go bald! You'll be a great example that hair or not, you're beautiful the way you're!' even imagining the words, he could taste the sarcasm on his tongue and what if he really shaved his head? Oh, no way, it wasn't going to be worth it!

So, being the coward he was, he stood up. Solving problems and talking it out was just not his thing but ignoring it with a rude behaviour? Oh, he had done a PhD degree in that criteria.

"Me without you all there, with so many foreign people! And without the privilege of being myself? It's not a vacation! It's just a bad idea."

And with that, he limped but left the room hurriedly as if he was a monkey and someone had tied firecrackers in his tail.

❈❈❈

The sky was filled with stars, the moon shined like a mother's smile when she held her child for the first time - the pure love. I know it's weird to think that way while looking at the sky at night but that's what he always felt, he wanted to know how it'd feel if someone looked at him with the same fond look.

He chuckled at his stupid thoughts. There were a lot of ARMYs he had seen looking at him like he was the only one, however, he couldn't help but think what it'd feel like to have only one person who he could share the same gaze with.

Not that it mattered right now, he had many other things to care about, he could sense the rustles going all around the house.

It was almost midnight and he was dodging the boys from the very afternoon. Sometimes he ran away and sometimes ignored everyone, he even ate alone and returned home as soon as it was evening. He felt bad for leaving all the work on them but then on a second thought, they were the ones planning a beautiful resting vacation for him.

He literally scoffed out loud at the thought of him adding beautiful before that shit, "I'll go inside after they're already into their short hibernating session-"

"I was looking for you."

He was about to turn around and yell but as soon as his ears registered who's voice it was, he sighed. His heart already felt wrecked inside and the concern in the other's voice made him feel so exposed and vulnerable.

The lights were dim, the only luminous thing around were the lights in the pool except the moon and the stars. He was sitting by the poolside with one leg in the water and the other placed on the marble. After all, he had that damn cast on.

There was something about the situation that made him look so vulnerable and he didn't like it. He sensed the footsteps coming closer and his back stiffened up.

"Can I sit?" the other asked softly and Jimin nodded, still looking at the water.

"Tae, if you're here to get me into that-" Jimin exhaustedly turned to look at the younger after a long interval of sickening silence and got cut off when he saw the other holding a plate of pasta towards him.

"Let's eat first, shall we?" Taehyung smiled, turning slightly and placed the pasta between them. Jimin stared down at the plate of creamy goodness.

Looking at Jimin being so dumbfounded, Taehyung picked up the spoon and raised it to the older's mouth, asking him to come forward and eat, "You just had a few dumplings for lunch, I know pasta isn't healthy but I had no time to prepare anything else," he chuckled and Jimin shook his head before eating the content of the spoon.

Taehyung wiped the ends of his mouth with his other hand gently and then took a mouthful of pasta himself, he hummed fondly and Jimin smiled. For the first time in the day, he felt like smiling genuinely.

"It's good," Jimin admitted and Taehyung happily fed him more.

"You know, Yoongi Hyung fell so hard today," Taehyung started in a tone that said 'listen bitch, I got tea'.

"What? How?" Jimin exclaimed in worry.

"He was sleeping during the dance practice and Jungkook startled him so he jumped off the table," at that, Jimin laughed so loud - his eyes so dreamy as if he was remembering the whole scene and it was the best thing ever. Well, it kind of was.

"Clearly he owns it then," Jimin scoffed, opening his mouth for another bite and Taehyung fed him again.

He smiled to himself at how Taehyung was literally feeding him when his right leg had a cast, not his hand. But who cares? It felt great when his best friend showered him with so much affection.

"He walked like a grandpa all the time after that," even the thought of it made them laugh.

For a while, they ate in silence with little talks and some moments of genuine gentle care from Taehyung's side.

"You remember that actress you liked? That drama we watched together?" Taehyung said breaking the silence and passing the other a bottle of lemon kombucha.

"Nevertheless? Han So-Hee?" at that, Taehyung nodded vigorously, Jimin chuckled at how cute the other looked at that moment.

"There's a new drama of hers, it's been a while since it aired but we were so busy," he looked at Jimin with eyes filled with excitement, "We can watch it together if you want, I heard she's a badass in that drama!"

Jimin nodded in agreement, he knew about the drama and it was always fun watching anything with his friends. Especially, Taehyung.

"She is coming to that show too . . ."

"What show-" the words died in his mouth realising where this conversation was going but he couldn't lie that now, this wasn't uncomfortable.

"Many artists from different parts of the world are coming together there, and So-Hee-ssi is just one of them," when Jimin said nothing, Taehyung continued.

"It's a reality TV show. And to be honest, it matters a lot as to how the western media is evolving and wants to gather people from so many Asian countries too. You know not only that but people with diverse races and sexualities are getting a chance to be a part of it."

"Taehyung-"

"Do you know how much such representation matters? For the ARMYs and the people fighting throughout the world? I was so happy to know that those idiots are finally trying to get out of their racist, homophobic and xenophobic mindset," Taehyung turned to look him in the eye.

"You know yourself, Jimin. You'll end up worsening your situation. In fact, if you were caring enough, this would have never happened!" he scolded, eyeing towards his leg.

"You need a rest of six months at least even though the cast is for just a month. And with all these comebacks and tours we've, you won't. Don't you dare open that fuck of your mouth to deny it!" he said slapping Jimin's mouth shut as soon as he opened it.

"London is a beautiful city, you'll love it. There are so many places to visit, so many dishes to try, it's a perfect vacation. And yeah, you'll have shoots and all but before that, you'll have one month to yourself with only some meetings with other participants and staff," he grabbed his hands, pressing them in an assuring manner.

"Jimin-ah, you can at least try being a little happier, hm?" Taehyung stared at him with so many emotions filled in his eyes that Jimin couldn't look away, he felt guilty that he made his best friend worried.

"At least listen to the staff and discuss about the show? Please?" and Jimin couldn't help but nod.

"Okay."

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a/n:
so how was the first chapter? did you like the idea of the story? excited to read more about other characters?