Jimin has countless wishes in his life, but there are two of them that he wishes the most.

1. He wishes he  ̶d̶̶i̶̶s̶̶c̶̶o̶̶v̶̶e̶̶r̶̶e̶̶d̶ ̶t̶̶h̶̶e̶ ̶t̶̶r̶̶u̶̶t̶̶h̶ ̶s̶̶o̶̶o̶̶n̶̶e̶̶r̶  can do something about the truth.

2. He wishes it was all just a coincidence.

2021, OCTOBER 10th.

He hasn't turned twenty one years old— yet.

It was three days before his birthday when he found himself standing in front of their door, sighing and sweating inside of his thick suit. He found it difficult to turn the doorknob and enter, wondering if he should pretend to be okay, or should he pretend not to be okay. He lifts his hand and adjusted his necktie, hoping it would make him a bit more relaxed. But how can be relaxed when he himself knows that it's not normal to stand there for so long like a standee in front of a thrift store?

But to be honest, he's still unsure of his feelings after having a two-hour trip which he only spent looking outside the window, thinking. How could he face him? What will he answer if he's asked about what happened?

He really doesn't want to deal with anyone tonight because who knows what will happen.

Anyway, it's already one o'clock in the morning. Maybe Jeongguk is already sleeping—

The door suddenly opened, revealing Jeongguk who has a hoodie and a cap on.

Surprised by the sudden interruption to his train of thoughts, Jimin froze on the spot. For a moment he looked like a deer in the headlights. "W-where are you going?"

"Why are you just standing there?" Jeongguk retorted

Both of them looked like deer caught in the headlights.

"I was about to enter." Jimin answered like his answer will make him standing there for so long less weird.

"And I was about to pick you up from the main gate because you texted you're already in Seoul - past the bus stop nearby."

Jimin gulped thickly. "Well, yeah but I didn't mean you have to -"

"And that was half an hour ago." Jeongguk added.

Jimin opened and closed his mouth, having a hard time finding the right word. "Well, I just... I just had some walk." Jimin said and the way Jeongguk looks at him, Jimin instantly knew he's not convinced. Because who he is fooling? They both know that Aunt Park drove Jimin to their apartment, and it would certainly not take fifteen minutes to climb three floors to their unit. If someone would ask him if it's a dumb excuse to have a walk late at very cold night by himself, then he would very likely say yes, but Jeongguk doesn't say anything about it. Jimin walks past him, entering their shared apartment. "Is Namjoon hyung home?" Jimin queries, trying to change the topic.

Namjoon hyung, or Jeongguk's uncle, is the youngest and adopted sibling of Jeongguk's mother. All three of them are currently sharing an apartment in Seoul. Jimin and Jeongguk are both scholars studying accountancy at Seoul University, while Namjoon is a surgeon working at a hospital a few blocks away from it. They find it more efficient to share apartment rent with Namjoon, than to rent a separate boarding house. The apartment is only one bus stop from the university and it won't take ten minutes if Jimin rides a bike.

"No," Jeongguk shook his head, "He said he got an emergency call. He'll stay at the hospital." Jeongguk answered as he closes the door behind him, almost struggling as he used his occupied hand instead of his empty one. "Do you want a sausage?"

"It's one AM, and you got sausage in your hand?"

"What?" A smile spreads on Jeongguk's lips. "It's delicious and a great distraction for bad guys. You can hit a vulgar's head with this—" He tried it on his own and didn't end up really well. "Ouch. That got me." He winced in pain, caressing his head with his one eye closed.

"That's some cringe shit, you dork." Jimin looked at him with a feigned disgust on his face.

Jeongguk scoffed, acting as he felt offended from what he has heard. "You might think like that, but they're not going to resist this dork's sausage."

Jeongguk chuckles and bites his lower lip to stop a huge grin from spreading across his lips. He couldn't keep himself from laughing in his head though. At times like this, he realizes how lucky he is to have him - for always making him smile.

That's when he suddenly felt a pang of guilt in his chest. His smile slowly falters as he averted his eyes from his best friend to the floor. How could you laugh at a time like this? You shouldn't be happy. A disappointed voice in his head told him. You should be sad. You caused all of this. You shouldn't ever be happy.

"You okay?" Jeongguk's voice got him out of his trance. His best friend's gaze is filled with worry, and Jimin feels bad again.

Jimin tried to smile. His lips trembled. "Yeah, um..." He scratches his nape. He fidgets. "I'm going to wash my face." He then turns his heels, breathing out.

Jimin took another deep breath after splashing his face with water. The brunette has countless stupid wishes, and one of them is wishing for all of the problems to be washed away by soap too.

Plop... Plop... Plop... The droplets dripping from his forehead down to his chin go, splashing onto his collar like tiny raindrops, as he watches himself in front of the mirror.

Jimin had dreamt that he would only wear a suit when he's going to work-related events or grand parties, but again, the dream is over.

Jimin loved his distant grandmother, even after what happened. He must have loved her because she took care of his mother before she got married. He must have loved her because she cared about him when he was still a baby. There must be a reason why he loved her. But regardless of the reason, he must have really loved her, otherwise, she would be still alive -

A knock on the door drew Jimin's attention away from his own thoughts.

"Ah, yeah." Jimin replied loudly, grabbing a small towel from the rack near the mirror. "I'm finished. Just a second." He dries his face.

Then the door creaks open with Jeongguk peeking through the slit of the opening.

"Are you okay there?"

Jimin hesitates a bit, "Yeah." He reassures at the end.

Jeongguk took that as a sign that he open the door widely and kind of step in.

Jimin gave him a once-over. Jeongguk has been wearing his pajama since he welcomed him at the door. It made Jimin wonder if his best friend is just forcing himself to stay awake. Jimin stares at his best friend for a moment - Jeongguk's eyelids are already drooping. It would be hell for him to wake up for university very soon.

"Why are you still awake?" Jimin asks, a line appearing between his brows. "It's Thursday. You have a morning class tomorr - today. It's almost two AM."

Jeongguk just shrugged, resting his side against the doorframe. "And you've been washing your face for fifteen minutes. Who the hell does that?"

"I also took a shit." Jimin lied, which is obviously not convincing as Jeongguk crossed his arms with a lopsided grin. Jeongguk is telling him to lie better just by looking at him with a smug on his face. "I swear."

"You took a shit in a suit and without locking the door?" Jeongguk asked again, squinting his eyes to scrutinize him. And it is effective.

Jimin glanced away, swallowing hard as he tried to find a perfect excuse for it. "That can happen." All Jimin could say, adjusting his collar.

Jeongguk titled his head, raising an eyebrow. "Really?" He deadpanned.

Jimin, as frustrated as he is, glanced up to the ceiling, drawing a long breath. Then he looks at his best friend again. "Can you just go to sleep?" Jimin groaned with his brows snapped together. "From the moment I came home, you've been asking me a lot of things-"

"Sausage?" Jeongguk suddenly offered once again, blinking with feigned innocence.

Jeongguk could almost hear a slashing sword sound from Jimin's gaze.

"Fine, fine." Jeongguk chortled, raising his hands (one with a sausage still) in the air to surrender. "Are you sure though?"

Jimin glanced up to the ceiling. His chest rose and fell as he took a deep sigh for the nth time. "Yes, I don't want sausage." He spoke in an almost monotone voice, "You can have that and go. to. sleep."

"No, silly." Jeongguk snorts a laugh, "I'm asking if you're okay, you even forgot to take your shoes off."

Jimin's mouth fell open at the realization, looking down to the floor, revealing dirty mud patches on every tile he walked on. Oh boy. Jimin sweats. Namjoon is going to kill him.

But then Jeongguk softly calls his name, immediately getting his attention. Jimin slacked when he saw Jeongguk's doe-eyes are blazed with sincerity. "You know me. I'm always willing to listen." The latter reassured.

Then the comfort room falls into silence. It's not that Jimin doesn't trust him - Jeongguk is his best friend for almost a decade already. It's just that Jimin's mind is messy, it's kind of hard to explain it.

Jeongguk detached his side from the doorframe, putting his arms down. "It's okay." He slightly bobbed his head, taking a small step backward. "Let's talk about it when you feel like it." Jeongguk stepped away once, looking at Jimin, before he turned his feet around when he didn't hear a thing. He's about to walk away.

"Jeongguk..."

Jeongguk stops in his track after he heard Jimin mutter his name. Jimin blew out his cheeks, closing and shaking his head as he struggles to sort his thoughts. He finds it hard to tell his best friend that he thinks he shouldn't be okay, but he's feeling the complete opposite. Jimin just came back from attending his grandmother's funeral, and he knows he shouldn't feel okay, but he feels relieved. Relieved that he's finally twenty-one this year, meaning the curse is finally lifted. But at what cost? Another person died because of him, and he's being torn by his own feelings. He shouldn't be okay! He should stop feeling relieved that it's over. He should stop being self-centered -

Jeongguk suddenly held his hand and pulled him into an embrace. Jimin felt a hand patting his back gently. Jimin turns his head and looks at the mirror again. He sees Jeongguk close his eyes as the latter rests his chin on Jimin's shoulder.

"You're so easy to read." Jeongguk breathes out.

Jimin let go of his breath that he didn't realize he was holding.

"You think I wouldn't know? You've been always counting years that pass by." Jeongguk muttered, "You've been haunted by nightmares and deaths all your life. To believe that it's finally finished, I think you have the right to be at ease." He says, "You're not selfish, Jimin -"

Jimin buried his face in the crook of Jeongguk's neck.

"- you're only human."

"Was that still some cringe shit?"

Jimin playfully rolled his eyes as he stifled a laugh at his best friend's sudden query. Then he tightened his embrace.

"Yeah." He nods his head, genuinely smiling. "But good and comforting cringe shit."

━━━━━━ ◦ ❖ ◦ ━━━━━━

2021, OCTOBER 13th.

It's been three days after, when Jimin found himself inside their favorite chicken house, waiting for his best friend who's ordering at the counter. They occupied a table near the glass wall where Jimin can spend his time waiting, zoning out, and staring at the busy street. Seoul has always been busy, but it's busier during rush hours, especially on a Friday night.

Outside the glass wall, Jimin glances at the busy street. He can see people being busy with their lives. He can see a group of teenagers in their uniforms, bickering and pushing each other as they laugh their asses off after telling each other what Jimin assumed as jokes. They remind him of one time when he and Jeongguk were high schoolers, and Jeongguk stepped on a dog's dong on their way home. Jimin instantly covers his mouth with the back of his head when he couldn't help but snicker at the memory. Then he took a quick glance from his surroundings, checking if anyone saw him snickering alone like some weird guy, and brings his gaze back to the busy street when he found it's clear.

The next thing his eyes catch are the street food stalls standing on the other side of the road. Office hours are mostly finished today, so the stalls are being occupied by men and women in office clothes, probably having their stomachs a quick fill before they bring themselves in long traffic on their way home. Jimin wonders if he'll be like them someday - employed. It must be nice if he and Jeongguk fall into the same company and same department after graduation, but that would be a fantasy.

Jimin was enjoying the 'sightseeing' when a couple suddenly walk past him outside the window. A young boy is between them whose hands are being held by both of his parents - as Jimin assumed - one small hand per each parent. Jimin's heart melted when the family shares warm smiles and gazes to each other while they chat and walk on the wide sidewalk. Jimin sighed heavily, putting his elbows on the table, as he rests his chin on the pads of his hands. As he watches the happy family go further and disappear from his sight, jealousy spread inside him.

Watching them made him realize how fast time flies, making him wish to go back again. It felt like he was just a seven-year-old boy who's reading a book with his mother, having little to no problem in life. Then the next moment, he was just a fourteen-year-old boy being teased by his father about his alleged love interest. Then now, he's suddenly a twenty-year-old college student, stressed, and tired about almost everything.

Hell, Taehyung calls him a panda for having these large eyebags that could pass as two healing blackeyes at one quick glance. And it's kind of unfair. Both of the lads are studying the same course, so how can Taehyung manage to look fresh every single time? Even Jeongguk, whose eye bags are competing with Jimin's, asks the same question every time. Aren't they all studying accountancy?

A hand suddenly covers Jimin's eyes, breaking his train of thoughts. Jimin let's out a deep breath for the nth time as he was about to pinch the back of the said hand, but the culprit quickly withdrew it while sitting across him on the table.

"Were you having the main character moment?" Jeongguk, the culprit, kidded with a lopsided grin, pulling his chair closer to the table, "You were having some deep thoughts there."

Jimin snorted a laugh. "And it's like you walk a mile to get to the counter." He replied as he lay his back on his chair.

"Hey, don't blame me." Jeongguk is quick to defend himself, sliding the order receipt and the number card on the table, passing these to Jimin, "You chose this place. Your fault."

Jimin just shrugged and snatches the receipt from the table. He immediately scans the long piece of paper, and as his eyes land on something he was looking for, his forehead furrows. "I thought we're both going to have spicy chicken?"

"I was told that only one set of spicy chicken is left, which means one of us will eat nonspicy." Jeongguk explains the not-so-obvious issue

This is disappointing. Jimin has been craving for this for the whole week.

So, "Jeongguk-ah." Jimin softly calls his best friend who in return cocked an eyebrow. Jimin blinks with feigned innocence, pouting, trying his best to get the latter pity and give him the spicy one. "How was your assignment? Didn't I help you with that?"

Jeongguk shrugs and doesn't reply.

"Silence means yes."

As he said that, Jeongguk glanced away, letting out a half-suppressed laugh.

"Fine, you can have it."

"That's it?" Jimin's eyes enlarged by the surprise. "No rock-paper-scissors?"

Jeongguk shook his head.

"No coin tossing? Nor any follow-up shenanigans?"

Jeongguk shook his head again, now with a smuglier grin. "Nope." He then says in perfect English, popping the 'p' sound.

"Oh, wow." Jimin gushed as he covered his mouth with the back of his hand, exaggerating his surprised reaction. "Wow, Jeongguk, you're a changed man. What date is today?" He says as he took out his phone from his pocket, "We should pin this in a calendar-"

Jimin immediately stopped joking once he saw the date on his phone screen.

He almost forgot.

In his defense, it has been seven years since the last time he celebrated this date.

Jimin flattened his lips and heaved a deep sigh. "You already know that I-"

"-don't like celebrating birthdays." Jeongguk finished his sentence and shrugs. "I just feel like I want to treat you to your favorite chicken house today, not related to your 21st birthday, absolutely not."

Jimin was about to talk - explain to him why he doesn't like celebrating his birthday for the nth time - when they suddenly heard loud cheers nearby. They both looked to their side to see where the noises comes from. It's from the other table next to them.

The said table was occupied by a bunch of middle schoolers, cheering and clapping their hands for their ordered foods coming to their table. They look so excited. They must be so hungry. He and Jeongguk were like that too. Excited and happy together about very small, trivial things.

"We're getting older, Jimin."

Jimin looks at his best friend, but the latter isn't looking at him. Jeongguk is still staring at the other table. A weak smile is tugging the corner of Jeongguk's lips while he continued looking at them with adoration. Awe transformed his face. It's like he wasn't fresh from the hassling, long line at the counter after doing an intense reading at the school's library.

"We're not young forever." Jeongguk tells him, solemnly, "We should spend our time being happy, because time will always run out."

But how could you be happy when people died just for you to live? Jimin asks himself.

"You deserve to be happy too, Jimin." To say that Jimin got caught off guard is an understatement. He almost jumped on his seat when Jeongguk suddenly shot him an unrelenting gaze, and Jeongguk talks as if he could read the inside of the latter's head. Is Jimin a really easy book to read, or is it that Jeongguk is an extremely talented reader? "You just turned twenty-one, and we both know it has come to an end. But it ending doesn't end you, because this is your new beginning. You're now free from your biggest worry. You're still young - we are - and having you as my best friend is a blessing. So please don't doubt yourself if you should be happy on your birthday, because if others are happy that you're here, then no doubt you deserve to be happier for that."

It's been a habit of Jeongguk to talk a lot with him. He's like personified WatchMojo, most of the time he talks about random things, so Jimin is still not used to topics like these, he finds it hard to reply. Jeongguk has been always a good speaker, and Jimin's thankful for that because just imagine if both of the two best friends can't communicate? And what Jimin loves about him the most is that when he talks, Jeongguk makes sure that Jimin's aware that he truly means it through his eyes.

The look that Jeongguk always gives him reassurance that everything is going to be okay - that it's true, that he deserves to be happy. That also reminds him of Aunt Park used to always tell him.

"This whole curse thing might be a hoax, and everything that has happened might be some crazy series of coincidences."

There are still voices in his head that force him to think that it is his fault. That he should stay sad forever. But now that it's over. Can he just pretend he's happy, even just for one day?

"You're cracking a smile, does that mean I can sing you a happy birthday song now?"

"Suddenly?" Jimin looks at the surroundings once again. The restaurant is still packed with customers. Jimin is afraid they would get attention from them, especially he's no longer used to celebrate like this. But when he turns to look at Jeongguk's once again, the latter is already pleading him with his doe-eyes and, using the strategy that Jimin used earlier - the Pity-me-I'm-cute strategy that they learned from Taehyung.

And it's working.

"Silence means yes, then..." Pulling himself upright, Jeongguk squared his shoulders. He then clears his throat, faking a cough. "Happy-"

"Pardon me," An officer butts in, trying to squeeze himself between Jeongguk's chair and another one, "Can you move this?"

Jeongguk quickly apologizes and moves his chair so the person can walk past it. The officer thanks him before stepping away.

"Okay!" Jeongguk rubs his hands together and clears his throat for the second, getting back to it. He's being too determined to do this, it's hilarious. Jimin shakes his head in amusement. He had never seen someone so thrilled to sing such a silly song. "Happy b-"

And it's like the universe forbids him to sing.

"Excuse me, here is your order." A waiter suddenly interrupts them, placing the almost-forgotten chickens on their table.

This breaks them into boisterous laughter, with their shoulders shaking and all. The waiter backs away a bit, looking at them puzzledly, like they're some kind of Flat Earthers. Yet the two don't care anymore, even if this catches people's attention more than Jeongguk's singing voice would have. At least they're both happy in this moment.

Happy birthday to him.

(The waiter tells them to enjoy their meal but slightly shakes his head as he walks away.)