3.Past

It was like any normal day today, with no extra cases. Everyone in the police station was busy with just some documentation work and patrolling. So the chief decided to call it a day, earlier than the normal days with cases. Taehyung left even earlier, Informing that he had something important to deal with today.

Jimin on his way back home realised something, that he was forgetting. He took out his phone to check the date and exclaimed, "Oh shit, it's their anniversary today" he continued "and it's already 7 now, heck! I need to get them gifts".

He was not a person with a great sense of gifting and all, it was always Tae who helped him out with that. So he dialled Tae's number and called him and after waiting for a while to find no response he remembered Tae had some work today and he had left early. He then hopelessly thought about people who could help him out, Namjoon was obviously not one of them because Jimin had no mood to break his newly bought gifts. "Ladies have a good sense in these kinda things" he thought and ended up calling Amber, their new officer as he had no one else whom he thought could help him up.

"Ah, hey Amber" he spoke on the call. "Are you free now? "

"Well yes" she replied suspiciously, there were no times when she had these calls with colleagues except for when it was for a work purposes.

"Can you do me a favour" Jimin asked reluctantly, yet his tone did not leave it's hoarse, stern nature.

"What kinda favour", she spoke out nonchalantly.

" Could you mind meeting me at Jongno street"

"Why actually" she asked with suspicion clear in her voice.

"Please I'm in quite hurry, I'll clear once you're here" he said in embarrassment, his voice now dropping down to lower octaves. He sounded quite desperate, which in fact he was and hearing this tone of a cold colleague seemed that he really needed some help, as Amber agreed.

Soon Amber stood under the street-lamp of Jongno street and informed Jimin about her arrival. Jimin spoke through his phone and told his location. And when they met Jimin told her that he needed her help to buy his parents a gift for their anniversary.

"Really?! You called me for gift suggestion?" she exclaimed in disbelief.

Jimin stared with his deep intimidating eyes, his old clumsy, soft part was long lost. He spoke persuasively, "I really need to buy a gift, literally anything would please my parents".

Amber was not the type of person who'd be easily convinced, yet she agreed as she had no much plans so if she denied she'd be bored anyways.

Both the single afs were now discussing what could they probably buy, and that too an anniversary gift.

" A night lamp? " Amber suggested.

"But what does it has to do with their anniversary? " Jimin spoke.

"I don't know, you told me anything would please them"

"And now you're literally suggesting anything" Jimin replied, with one of his eyebrows moving up to give questioning look.

"I told ya I had no idea about it, but you insisted! " she said as she proceeded to leave.

"Hey wait, okay we'll think together"

Just like that after a series of arguments and suggestions they came upon the idea to gift some small jewellery stuff. On their way to jewellery shop they discussed what would be a perfect anniversary gift, a pair of bracelet, a pair of watch and much more,and finally decided to buy a pair of ring.

They advanced towards the counter and asked for a couple ring. The shopkeeper scanned both of them and brought a pair of ring. Amber walked ahead to let Jimin select the ring for his parents, but Jimin insisted her to help him as he really knew nothing about such things. Soon the shopkeeper brought vivid variety of rings and spoke, "Look at these sir, your parents would really like it"

Jimin turned towards Amber and said, "What do you think? "

Amber's expressions clearly showed dissatisfaction as she moved her head left to right denying the fact that they were the best choice. Shopkeeper saw it and took out another pair of ring. "How about this ma'am, the tiny emerald in the center of these gives it a unique look which seems perfect. " But even that didn't seem to content her, she kept on rejecting everything that the man showed them. Jimin finally spoke to which, "Hey would you even choose anything? ", trying to hide the annoyance in his voice.

" I told you, I wasn't the best you chose for such thing" Amber replied rolling her eyes.

Jimin let out a small sigh and picked up the pair which seemed quite fine for him to gift his parents, "Ok I'll take this? " He asked Amber with questioning eyes. "Yeah these seem fine" she replied. After the gift was packed both of them left and Jimin thanked her for helping him, even when both of them knew it was for nothing. While getting on her motorbike Amber spoke, "Don't call me for such things, ever again".

Jimin smiled, he knew that was never happening again.

_

Soon Jimin arrived his parents house, he had left it in his early graduation days when he thought it was time to be independent. He knocked the door and entered the place, which he only visited at such occasions.

"Oh, you're here darling! " Jimin's mother exclaimed "I thought you'd forget it". She beamed with the brightest smiles, to which Jimin responded with a nonchalant smirk.

They went in to the living room where his father brought the anniversary cake from kitchen in the time being. Jimin took out the gift and handed it to his parents and spoke" Happy anniversary eomma-appa", he tried his best to force a smile. They opened the gift and hugged their son with glee for being so thoughtful. They sat for a while, chit-chatting about what was going on in their lives and how much they missed their son, which was soon disturbed by the doorbell.

"Who could it be at this time? " Jimin thought out loud. He then glanced his parents who were staring at each other as if they were in a great dilemma. "Who is it mom? " He questioned with his intimidating attitude. After a moment of silence Jimin asked again as the doorbell kept ringing.

"Actually son" she continued after a pause "we called Mr. and Mrs. Min. You know it's their anniversary too, so we thought of celebrating it together." She moved her gaze at the wall near Jimin, not having the will to look into her son's eyes.

Rage in Jimin was turning up as he tightened his fist to control his emotions. "It's been 5 years son", his father spoke gently "You should let it go now".

"They say Yoongi too is still holding onto it till now. It's better for both of you to let it go son, think about it" his mother continued.

Jimin closed his eyes to ease his mind and without answering left the house, paying no attention to the guests standing on the door. His heart went to a bit of ease though when he realized absence of a particular person, yet it was not as much to bring his rage to nothingness.

He screeched his car to park it at the corner of the road and his feet trailed to the known path of his place, not his house but what he called "his home", a forest clearing few miles away from his apartment. He walked on the grass bed, which seemed cozier than the cushion and couch. Furthermore, he sat down on slightly wet ground, his head resting on his knees as he hugged them digging his sleek nails on the skin of his legs. He let out emotions through his tears, all his rage, all his gloom washed by his cheeks.

This was the place where he didn't hold back any bit of emotion ruminating in the back of his head."HOW COULD THEY", He yelled his thoughts out since there was not a single soul who could hear him. "It was all because of him…" he cried, shutting his eyes tightly h"… that you're not here anymore".

"Can the passing years bring you back? That, they want me to let it go" he yelled again hitting his knuckles with the hard ground.

He sat for hours reminiscing his old friendship and their first meet.

(Past: Jimin's POV)

I headed out of my class, since the end bell rang signalling the departure time of my first year of high school when I heard light sobs from the backside of the school building. I peeped out to find a young, timid boy sitting on his knees with his hands attached together as if he was praying for mercy.

"I'll bring it tomorrow, I swear! please leave me", he plead.

That was when began my internal battle of conscience of what should I do. That boy reminded me of myself, how I used to be at that place pleading for mercy until I was saved by... hyung, Yoongi hyung.

He being elder to me was more confident, bold and masculine to sue the bullies off but that isn't the case for me, I can see that the young guy there is younger than me actually but I'm nowhere to help him, albeit I decided to take the chance. I had to protect him! If that day it wasn't for Yoongi I would've been their permanant prey.

And so I took the charge, "Hey" I yelled as loud as possible, but when the bullies turned towards me, my heart sank in deep waves of fear as I knew I was no match for them. Yet I tried to be bold "What-what are y-you doing here". I saw their faces scrunch which were soon replaced by smirk" So here's some goodie trying to help you out kid, Did you call him? "

I noticed the rising fear in the kid as he swallowed on his own saliva before turning his head in 'NO' rigorously.

"No, he didn't", I interrupted to seize their attention from the child towards myself " It's such a shame, how prîcks like you show their masculinity in front of the vulnerable", I tried to sound as confident as I could, but that just seemed to heat them up even more as they attacked me, altogether. I tried protesting, but even I was too fragile to fight them all. But soon I noticed how that young boy joined me to beat those thugs, trying to hit them with his bottle while I was busy throwing punches everywhere in our protection.

The fight lasted long enough, until the school guard came to check on the school and found us in such state. He threatened to beat us all with his slightly thick stick if we didn't stop any sooner.

 We knew we'd receive a prominent scolding the next day but what we were more sure was the friendship which we had just received!

(Author's note: I'd like to ask if the length of the chapter is fine, or I should extend on lessen it, I would do it the either way you want *wink*

And also I'd like to clarify that this isn't a BTS ship story, it's just a story about the members struggling with their lives and how they cope up with it. Though I may ship Jimin with the female lead if you want!

And as always "Like and support and Borahae💜"

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