THREE—JIMIN
APRIL 05
18 : 01 KST

park jimin didn't know what to do.

he had been through tons of horrendous situations—situations that were often deemed too difficult to get out of. but he was smart. he was always one step ahead of the game, park jimin always had a plan. but this time he didn't. this time, he couldn't think of any way out of this. he'd been through fire and ice—but never to this extent.

his mom found out.

"jimin, i can't fucking believe this," his mom paced around the living room, a look of absolute fury plastered on her face. "you're gay? you? out of all the kids in this town, it has to be you?"

jimin flinched at how harsh his mother was treating him. his heart was pounding—he wanted to tell her soon, but not now. not when she still had an unreasonable hatred towards what he was. but she found out on her own—somehow, and now that she was raging with furiousness, jimin couldn't even speak—more or less, think. he stood frozen, holding jeongguk's arm around his, a lump on his throat.

it was just a normal day like usual. selling flowers in the morning until six and taking a rest at home for the rest of the remaining hours of the day, with him sneaking jeongguk in the picture. jimin was always careful whenever he would creep jeongguk into the house, he was always exact with his durations—always telling him to leave exactly when the clock stroked eight, always tidying the place to clear up any signs of anyone else but him being there. his mother was never home until nine—never. not to mention the fact that he was never on the brink of getting caught.

so why now?

jeongguk furrowed his eyes, "mrs. park, you shouldn't—"

"shut it, boy!" she roared, stomping towards him. "you! you tainted my son into this! you turned him this way! if it weren't for you and your family moving into this town, he would've still be the same way he was until now!"

jimin was angry.

"no!" he furrowed his brows, giving her a rough look. "no, mom, it's not his fault! it's no one's fault! this is who i am, and you can't change the fact that i'm never going to fit your unrealistic standards!"

his mother stared at jeongguk. "get out."

jeongguk furrowed his brows. "what?"

"i said, get out!" she yelled, pushing the poor boy outside the door. jimin tried to stop her, but she had already slammed the door shut on jeongguk's face. she locked the door and slid the bolts despite the constant slamming of hands from the other side of the wood. jimin withdrew from her, a look of disbelief plastered on his face as he stared at her. he was horrified—disgusted, even.

jimin was already in tears. "you know what? i'm moving out. you can't tell me what to do anymore. i'm done—i'm done trying to help you make a living with this stupid flower shop of yours! you might as well disown me."

"you will not!" his mother yelled. "i will not tolerate this! i do not want myself being deemed as the mother of someone as disobedient and as disrespectful as you!"

"what? so you can brag to your friends about still having the perfect family? so you can tell them that everything is still perfect at home?" jimin mocked. "no, mom! that shit is over! you can't tell me what to do anymore, i'm moving out."

she stared at him.

"you are marrying kim's daughter," she said sternly. "i already arranged everything for you. i talked to them and to her. she adores you, so it won't be a problem."

"what?" jimin looked at her in disbelief. "you can't do that."

she looked at him roughly. "watch me."

23 : 07 KST

park jimin was going to run away.

yes, the sweet, smart, ever-so-loving son of the owner of the flower shop next door was going to run away. no one could've ever guessed it would turn out this way. he turned out gay—something socially unacceptable in society (which jimin thought was highly offensive—what was so wrong about being gay?) they would ask; how could a well-raised boy like him turn into something like that? what twisted him to defy his mother?

simple, he was sick of this shit.

he was tired of his mom's shit, he was tired of this town's shit—he was fucking tired of everyone's shit! he was put on a leash at age twenty—never getting to finish college because of how sick and controlling his mom was, because of how he needed to 'come back home and take care of her' and now she's marrying him off? that's bullshit.

park jimin stared at his luggage.

was he really gonna do it? just like this? then he remembered—years of living a life with limited freedom. years of living life like he was on a leash. he wasn't gonna tolerate wasting his life like this again—never again.

park jimin grabbed his luggage.

he slid his window upwards, putting his leg over. before he went, he gave one last look at his room, his backpack straps tight on his shoulders.

was he going to miss it?

hell no.

23 : 35 KST

"jeongguk!"

jimin whisper-yelled from jeongguk's yard. upon hearing no reply for the past couple minutes, he furrowed his brows. jeongguk's room was up the second story of his house, so it wasn't a big surprise that he couldn't hear him—especially at night when he was still asleep. though, it was worth the try. jimin sighed, shaking his head.

park jimin had no choice but to climb up towards jeongguk's window.

it wasn't as if it was his first time doing this. he'd sneak out his own home from time to time and into jeongguk's room to have their friday movie marathons, with jeongguk sneaking in a couple of extra snacks from the kitchen. it wasn't new to them, but it did contain a lot of hard work and effort to climb up to his room.

jimin knocked on the glass window.

no answer.

jimin groaned, knocking even louder.

footsteps.

the window slid open.

"jimin?" jeongguk's eyes were wide. his hair was messed up, voice clearly groggy from being asleep half a second ago. "jimin, what are you doing here? it's the middle of the night."

"i'm running away," jimin said bluntly without hesitation. jeongguk's face paled, and he tried to open his mouth to say something, but jimin interrupted him, eyebrows furrowed. "jeongguk, i'm running away. i can't deal with this anymore, i can't deal with this town—with my mom. jeongguk, she's going to marry me off to kim's daughter. to kim's daughter!"

"what?" jeongguk looked at him in disbelief. "she can't do that, t-that's—"

"i know," jimin agreed. "that's why we're running away."

it stayed silent.

jimin raised a brow. "jeongguk?"

"jimin," jeongguk swallowed the lump in his throat. "we?"

"yes? jeongguk, we." jimin was confused, why was jeongguk doubting him? was there something wrong? did he not explain the whole situation right? then it dawned on him—it dawned on him. jimin's face fell, his brows furrowing. "jeongguk, aren't you running away with me?"

silence.

jeongguk frowned, "jimin, i—"

at that moment, jimin knew.

"jeongguk, if you're worried about the money, it's okay, alright?" jimin tried to laugh it off, trying to tug a smile at the corners of his lips, but he knew—oh, jimin knew. but the desperate park jimin continued to put that little smile on his face despite the clenching of his hands, the clenching of his heart. he chuckled, "you know i've been working part-time jobs, right? i saved up some cash, i never really had the chance to spend—"

"jimin."

"—and if you're worried about where we're living, then you don't have to. i have close friends from college that are willing to help—"

"jimin."

jimin stopped.

"jimin, that's not it, okay?" jeongguk took a sharp breath. "jimin, i have a life here. i have friends, my family, everything's here—in this town. everything i've built my life on is here, i can't just leave, that's just—that's just—"

"i think i get it now," jimin forced a smile. "i understand. i shouldn't have offered anything, i'm sorry."

"jimin—"

"look, i'll come back, okay?" jimin interrupted him. "just—just wait for me, okay?"

jimin left without hearing his answer.

00 : 32 KST

park jimin walked almost an hour away from town.

it was hard to find a cab, considering the fact that this particular area outside town was considered quite suburban. his cellphone died before he even left the house, thus, leaving his self alone in the middle of absolute nowhere. great. it was just a clump of nothing—no buildings, just a bunch of big trees at each side of the road. it was worth it—this way no one from town would catch him. it's too far, and no one in their right mind would do that anyway.

the sidewalk stopped in front of him.

park jimin groaned. he wanted to scalp himself right then and there. he was tired out of his mind, and this happens?

the continuing sidewalk was across where he was at. he rolled his eyes, adjusting the straps of his backpack.

he crossed the street.

and before he knew it, a car was on its way towards him, lights bursting in his eyes. jimin's eyes widened.

"fuck."

—
now wait just a diddly dang minute