⏳ Same Day — Evening
You were sitting on the campus bench.
Notebook open.
Pen in hand.
But nothing written.
Your mind kept replaying it.
"Maybe you shouldn't be in this group.""Do it your way."
You exhaled sharply.
"…Great. First week and I already ruined everything."
"Not everything."
You looked up.
Taehyung.
Standing there like he had been watching you for a while.
"You've got a habit of appearing out of nowhere," you muttered.
"And you've got a habit of overthinking," he replied, sitting beside you.
Silence.
You didn't look at him.
"…I wasn't wrong."
"I didn't say you were."
"Then?"
"You were harsh."
That word again.
You clenched your pen slightly.
"He didn't take it seriously."
"He does."
You turned to him.
"Really? Because it didn't look like it."
Taehyung leaned back, calm as ever.
"He just doesn't show it the way you expect."
You stayed quiet.
"…And you?" you asked after a moment."Why are you defending him?"
"I'm not defending him," he said."I'm stopping you from making this worse."
That hit differently.
You looked away again.
"He walked out," you said quietly."Not me."
Taehyung didn't respond immediately.
Then—
"He left because you pushed him to that point."
You froze.
There it was.
The truth you didn't want.
"…So it's my fault."
"I didn't say that."
"You basically did."
He sighed.
"You both said things you didn't mean," he said."But you said it first."
Silence.
Your eyes dropped.
For the first time—
you didn't argue back.
⏳ Same Time — Elsewhere
Jimin sat on the empty practice room floor.
Phone beside him.
Untouched.
"…Great job," he muttered to himself."First real fight and I just walked out."
He leaned back against the mirror.
Her words kept replaying.
"Maybe you shouldn't be in this group."
He shut his eyes.
"…She really meant that?"
Or maybe—
he just took it that way.
⏳ Back to You
"You should talk to him."
You looked at Taehyung.
"I'm not apologizing for caring," you said.
"I didn't say apologize for that."
"Then what?"
"For how you said it."
Silence.
You hated that he made sense.
"I don't even know where he is," you muttered.
Taehyung stood up.
"I do."
You blinked."…Of course you do."
He looked down at you.
"Come."
⏳ Practice Room
You stopped at the door.
Inside—
Jimin.
Sitting on the floor.
Head tilted back.
Eyes closed.
For the first time—
he didn't look playful.
Just… quiet.
Taehyung glanced at you.
Then—
walked away.
Leaving you there.
"Wait—"
But he was already gone.
"…Unbelievable," you whispered.
Now it was just you.
And Jimin.
You took a deep breath.
And stepped in.
The door made a soft sound.
Jimin opened his eyes.
He saw you.
And for a second—
neither of you spoke.
Then—
"…You got lost?" he said lightly.
Same tone.
Same style.
But not the same feeling.
"No," you replied."I came here."
Silence again.
You stepped closer.
"I didn't mean that."
He looked at you.
"Which part?" he asked.
"…What I said."
"That narrows it down," he said with a small, tired smile.
You exhaled.
"I didn't mean that you shouldn't be in the group."
He looked away.
"…Okay."
"That's it?"
"What do you want me to say?"
You paused.
"I don't know."
He let out a quiet breath.
"I shouldn't have walked out."
Your eyes lifted.
"I just…" he ran a hand through his hair,"I don't like being told I don't care."
That softened something in you.
"I didn't mean it like that."
"I know."
He looked at you again.
"You just… say things directly."
"…And you don't?"
He smiled faintly.
"Not always."
Silence.
But this time—
not heavy.
Just… real.
"I'll do the references," he said.
You nodded.
"…And I'll try not to sound like a teacher."
He laughed softly.
"There she is."
And just like that—
Not fully fixed.
Not perfect.
But better.
⏳ Outside
Taehyung stood leaning against the wall.
Arms crossed.
Waiting.
When you both stepped out—
he looked at you.
Then at Jimin.
"…Done?" he asked.
Jimin nodded.
"Yeah."
You added quietly, "For now."
Taehyung smirked slightly.
"Good."
But for a second—
his eyes stayed on you.
Like he was checking something.
Not the situation.
You.
And then—
he looked away.