Step Into My World (and see)

23. Opening up

Jeongguk was pacing outside the gym with his hand in his hair, mumbling "what to do, what do I do now," over and over again. 

Why?

Because it was closed for the week and he had no idea about it. 

It had happened before, and he had gotten a message from the trainer back then. This time, however, he realized that he had not looked at his phone the whole day and the previous night. He didn't even have his phone with him at present to verify it. He had forgotten it back at home.

After pacing for a couple of minutes, he took a decision in the split of a second and began to sprint back home. At least the sprint would give him the exercise for the day. 

He stopped only after he burst into the house, successfully startling Jimin on the couch. "Ggukie, what the hell!!" Jimin exclaimed, wiping the spilt coffee off of himself and his mouse with the help of his shirt. 

Jeongguk didn't answer, too busy panting with his hands on his knees. "The....the gym's....the gym's closed," he answered after he caught his breath. 

"So you ran all the way back?!" Jimin asked, his eyes looking close to falling out of their sockets. The gym wasn't really close enough to run the whole way without a break. And knowing Jeongguk, he would have done exactly that. 

Jeongguk nodded and Jimin rolled his eyes. "Aish," he sighed exasperatedly and got up to drag him to the couch. "Where is Taehyung?" Jeongguk asked without sitting down. "They went up to the terrace. He and Imo," Jimin answered, pulling his brother down to sit next to him. 

"Ohh, ohhhkaaaaay," Jeongguk got up and proceeded to climb the stairs two at a time, ignoring his own Aunt, who was yelling at him to stop, saying that Taehyung had wanted to talk to Jihyo alone. 

He came to a screeching stop, however, when he heard Taehyung's voice saying, "please don't tell any of what I am going to say to Jeongguk, Eomeonim, please." 

"Sure," Jeongguk heard his mother say. He frowned. A secret? 

"It's just.....I don't want him to pity me and I'm sure what I went through will make him pity me. I just want you to know because I don't want you to misunderstand me and my actions even in the future," Taehyung said and Jeongguk looked down. 

It wasn't right to eavesdrop and he knew it. And above everything else, Taehyung didn't want him to know. 

He heard Taehyung start his story with the way his parents disowned him when he was nineteen. He knew that fact and he was sure Taehyung was going to share a lot more about himself, but he turned around and left before either of them could realize that he was present on the stairs. 

More than the fear of getting caught, the fact that Taehyung didn't want him to know made him go back. He slowly descended the stairs and trudged into the house, walking straight to the couch and flopping down next to Jimin. 

"What happened? Did they send you down?" Jimin asked, placing his laptop aside for a while when Jeongguk slumped and cuddled up next to him. "No, no," Jeongguk mumbled, "I came back on my own."

"Why?!" Jimin asked incredulously. 

"Please don't tell any of what I am going to say to Jeongguk, Eomeonim, please. It's just.....I don't want him to pity me and I'm sure what I went through will make him pity me. I just want you to know because I don't want you to misunderstand me and my actions even in the future," Jeongguk said with a pout. 

"He said that to Imo?" Jimin asked and Jeongguk nodded, his cheek moving against Jimin's shoulder in the process.

"He didn't say my name, right? I'll go and listen," Jimin said and tried to get up, but Jeongguk grabbed his arm and pulled him back, glaring at him with a pout. "He is talking about his personal matters. You shouldn't go and listen," he said.