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Thursday 23rd

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Just you and me, Within these walls

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Jimin finished up his plate of food and was about to get up to put in the sink out of habit, when Yoongi took it from his hands and walked away. While the journalist was busy washing the dishes, Jimin tried to find a way he could tell the truth to Yoongi. 

He had said that when they meet again, he would tell Yoongi what was bothering him. But Jimin wasn't sure to word it out. He felt awkward, embarrassed and scared. Scared being the strongest reason he found it difficult to speak. 

He was so preoccupied in his thoughts he didn't notice when Yoongi was sitting opposite to him. When he finally looked up, he saw Yoongi gazing at with his head titled. It was clear that Yoongi was worried, but at the same he stayed patient.

"Um...so, I said that I'll tell you what was bothering me when we meet again..." Jimin started. It was almost like, his brain forgot how to tie together the strings of words so that it made any sense, "And um-"

Jimin stopped when Yoongi held up his hand.

"Look, before you proceed, I just want to let you know you don't have to tell me if you don't want to. My only motive was to help you and make you feel more comfortable in your skin" Yoongi said, before he looked again, "And maybe... repent for the mistakes I made before"

Jimin furrowed his brows together in confusion until he realized what Yoongi was talking about.

"I-I couldn't save him..." Yoongi whispered, and turned back to look at Jimin, "I made mistakes... and now when I have a second chance... I'm not letting it go to waste"

"What-What happened exactly?" Jimin asked hesitantly and quickly added, "I mean only if you want to answer..."

Jimin saw Yoongi smile a little but not like the way he usually does. Not the way where the elder was proud of something, or satisfied. Not in the way he does when he is happy but is too stubborn to show. 

It was more like the way people smile when nostalgia hits them, bringing along sadness that had been buried long ago. 

"Um...I don't think you've  ever met Nico since you must have been trainee during his time as an idol" Yoongi spoke. 

Jimin bit the inside of his lips and thought about it, "Not really. I had recently debuted when he was still... um when Nico was still an idol"

"Ah...anyways, so the company Nico was initially working for... they were horribly abusive. At first, I had no idea about it and by the time I found out it was too late. They had broken Nico in ways he could never be healed again. I must have lost count of the number of times when I would find Nico unconsciousness. Um, we used to share the same apartment until he moved out. And during that time, I would hear Nico cry at night. I-I wanted to help. I did try to help, but Nico would only push me away. I asked him to leave the company... to end the contract but he wouldn't listen because he was so happy when he was able to sing, when he was on stage. And I didn't want to take it away from him, but I couldn't also see him dying from the inside like that. I don't know what they did with him but Nico had bruises all over his body. He would lie that he got in trouble with some of the seniors and I would believe it... God, I was so stupid"  Yoongi covered his hand with his face. And even from where Jimin was sitting, he could see that the journalist was trying hard to not let his tears fall.

"One day... Nico walked out the house in the middle of the night. I wasn't back from my work then and-and when I came back I saw a note" Jimin tried to reach out for the elder when he saw tears drip through the gaps between the elder's fingers, but he held himself back.