"Hey, Jimin! I noticed you weren't at school today, and I was just wondering if we were still on to study after school." Taehyung chimed into his phone with Jimin on the other side of the line.

Jimin rolled over onto his back with his phone lazily pressed to his ear. "Actually... I'm not feeling too well. I don't think I can make it to the cafe today... sorry." He hesitated before letting his monotonous fib pass through the phone. While it wasn't a complete lie that he felt somewhat sick, Jimin simply couldn't bare to face Taehyung after overhearing the locker room conversations yesterday.

"Oh, that's okay." Disappointment was easily inferable in the jock's voice. "Do you need anything?"

A bolt of pain struck Jimin's heart as Taehyung's gentle voice was convincing enough to make him sound as if he truly cared. Although, Jimin knew to brush it off. "No, I'm good. Thanks... bye."

"Wait- ...bye." Taehyung frowned at how standoffish Jimin was being as he stared down at the ended call. He assumed it was due to him feeling a bit under the weather but knew exactly what to do to make him feel better.

❦

Knock! Knock! Knock!

Jimin's mother wheeled her way towards the door to answer the eager knocking coming from the other side.

To her confusion, behind the door stood a smiling Kim Taehyung holding a teddy bear and a plastic bag full of medicines and foods to heal an upset stomach. He quickly bowed and stuck out his free hand to formally introduce himself.

"Hi, I'm Kim Taehyung... a friend of Jimin's!" He wore his boxy smile proudly as Jimin's mother engaged in his handshake. From what she could tell, he was wearing a varsity jacket, had a pretty buff figure, and resembled the poster child for the most popular guy in school, none of which she associate her son with.

"So nice to meet you! I'm Jimin's mother," trying her best to suppress her shocked expression upon having such a handsome young man claim to be Jimin's friend, she welcomed him inside. "I'm afraid he's feeling a bit sick, though."

"Don't worry, I'm aware. That's why I brought all of these things to make him feel better!" Taehyung gestured towards the items he carried for Jimin.

"Well aren't you just the sweetest thing! He's in his room." Jimin's mother beamed at the jock, only slightly offended that her son had never mentioned the boy to her before.

"Thanks..." Taehyung awkwardly bowed, trailing off down the familiar hallway that led to Jimin's room.

"Hey, Ji-" the silver-haired boy paused.

Jimin stared back at the unexpected visitor like a deer caught in headlights. The allegedly 'sick boy' was in seemingly perfect condition as he froze upon being caught in a lie.

"Uhh... H-Hey, Tae." Jimin uncomfortably laughed, wishing he could jump out of a window so he wouldn't have to face Taehyung.

The jock cautiously inched toward Jimin's bed with squinted eyes. "I thought you said you were sick. You look fine to me."

Jimin gulped, desperately wanting to run away. "Haha... well... you see... fuck, I've got nothing." He dramatically collapsed onto his pillows, letting out a sigh of defeat.

"You little rat!" Taehyung laughed, "I went and bought all this stuff for you!" He tossed Jimin the teddy bear, setting down the bag on his dresser.

Jimin caught the teddy bear and a subtle blush crept onto his cheeks. Wait. You shouldn't be feeling this way. Remember what he said about you. He's a traitor!

Jimin's thoughts were interrupted by Taehyung clearing his throat. "Sooo... if you aren't actually sick, why did you flake on me?" Taehyung crossed his arms in confusion.

     Every word from the previous day bombarded Jimin's mind. Although this time he wasn't sad. He was angry.

     "Why do you think?" Jimin scoffed, tossing the bear aside.

     Taehyung's brows furrowed. "Excuse me?"

     "Stop being fucking clueless, Tae! You know exactly what you did!"

     "I did something!? I haven't-"

     The jock stopped mid sentence. Oh my fucking God!

     Jimin must have been there.

     He must have heard it all.

     Realization donned on Taehyung as regret and guilt drenched his heart. Even if he didn't mean a word he said, Jimin didn't know that.

     The silver-haired boy slowly looked up at Jimin with an expression of pure sorrow. "Jimin I-"

     "Hyung."

     "What?"

     "It's hyung. I'm older than you." Jimin sat back with one eyebrow cocked at the boy standing at the end of his bed.

     The silver-haired boy stood in shock. "First of all, how do you know my birthday? And second of all, we're both seniors in high school. We're the same age." Taehyung scrunched his face at Jimin who was making no sense to him.

     "Yes but my birthday comes earlier in the year than yours, therefore, you will refer to me as hyung," Jimin explained.

     Taehyung smirked, "woah, is this some weird kink you have?" He giggled.

     "Ohmygod,  Taehyung! Forget it! I was just trying to feel superior until you decided to be nasty and off track." Jimin tried to hide his rosy red cheeks as he threw the teddy bear at Taehyung.

     "Hey, you started it," he shrugged. "Now, back to what I was saying, I'm really sorry. I know that's not enough and will probably never be enough, but I swear I didn't mean I single word of it!" Taehyung defended himself desperately.

     Jimin turned away from the younger. "Then why did you say it? Am I really that embarrassing?"

     "No, Jimin, I promise! I don't know what I was thinking. I was just so absorbed with being popular and losing my social ranking that I just fucked up! I don't know how to make you believe me!" Taehyung moved to sit by Jimin in order to make eye contact to prove his honesty.

     Jimin just shrugged without a sound.

     "Look, I can't erase what I did, but if I'm ever asked again about you I'll stand up for you! It'll never happen again! I'm such a dick for putting myself above you and I wanna make it up to you." Taehyung searched his brain for an answer. "Hit me."

     Jimin finally met his eyes. "What!?"

     "Hit me," Taehyung repeated.

     "I'm not going to hit you, Tae." Jimin rolled his eyes. "But you shattered my heart. What you did really hurt me. It's gonna take some time for me to get over it." Jimin repositioned himself to face his crush. He wanted to forgive him after his convincing speeches. However, there was still a piece in him that needed to be mended.

     "Well, I'm not leaving until you believe me," Taehyung declared.

     "Then looks like you're gonna be here for a while," Jimin replied.

     "Agreed." Taehyung finished with a smile.

[a/n:
okay so the 'fake love' teaser dropped today and my boys look so good and i'm already obsessed with the bop and the concept!!
also bts are in the same country as me rn and I'm trying not to explode :)
if you have any theories, comment them here bc me and my girlfriend already agreed on one that we made, and i just wanna hear y'all's thoughts. xx]