Through the eyes of regret

Jimin had always been the softest soul in the room, a beacon of light that drew people in. His laughter was infectious, his kindness boundless, and his smile brighter than the sun. But for Jungkook, this brightness was an irritation he couldn’t shake off. He found Jimin’s affection suffocating, his persistence annoying, and the way he seemed to orbit around Jungkook unbearable.

It wasn’t that Jungkook hated Jimin—he simply didn’t understand him. Jimin’s constant attempts to make Jungkook smile, his little gifts, the way he always saved a seat next to him in the cafeteria—all of it felt like a burden. And instead of appreciating the warmth Jimin offered, Jungkook met it with coldness, pushing Jimin away with harsh words and colder actions.

“Why don’t you just leave me alone, Jimin?” Jungkook snapped one day after Jimin had offered to share his umbrella in the rain. “I don’t need your help. I never asked for it.”

Jimin’s smile faltered, but he quickly masked it with a soft chuckle, though his eyes betrayed his hurt. “I just thought you might get wet. That’s all.”

Jungkook sighed in frustration, not even looking at Jimin. “I can take care of myself. I’m not some helpless kid who needs to be babied.”

Jimin nodded, the rejection stinging more than he let on. “I know. But it’s okay to let someone care about you, Jungkook.”

But Jungkook wasn’t listening. He never was. And so, he walked away, leaving Jimin standing alone in the rain, his umbrella uselessly held by his side.

Days turned into weeks, and Jungkook’s dismissals only grew harsher. Whenever Jimin tried to help or offer a kind word, Jungkook would snap back with a sharp retort. “Stop acting like we’re close,” he’d say, or “Why do you always have to be so annoying?” And each time, Jimin’s heart would break a little more, but he’d push it aside, hoping that one day Jungkook might see him differently.

But that day never came.

One afternoon, after yet another icy rejection, Jimin finally reached his breaking point. Jungkook had just insulted him in front of their friends, scoffing at the way Jimin had tried to cheer him up after a particularly bad day.

“Can’t you just leave me alone for once in your life?” Jungkook had hissed, his voice dripping with disdain. “I don’t need your pity, Jimin.”

Jimin stood there, his heart pounding in his chest, feeling the weight of Jungkook’s words crashing down on him. His usual resilience faltered, and for the first time, he felt truly defeated. Without a word, Jimin turned and walked away, his footsteps echoing in the sudden silence of the room.

Jungkook expected Jimin to come back, as he always did. But this time, days passed, and Jimin didn’t approach him. No more sweet smiles, no more kind words, no more thoughtful gestures. Jimin was still there, of course—he hadn’t disappeared entirely—but he was different. Distant. He no longer sat next to Jungkook during lunch. He didn’t offer to share his notes in class or wait for Jungkook after practice.

And for the first time, Jungkook noticed the absence.

At first, he felt a strange sense of relief. He had finally gotten what he wanted—Jimin had stopped bothering him. But as the days went by, the relief turned into something else. An emptiness he couldn’t quite explain. The cafeteria felt lonelier without Jimin’s chatter. The classroom seemed dull without his laughter. And the silence that followed Jungkook everywhere was deafening.

He found himself glancing at Jimin across the room, watching as he laughed with their friends, his smile just as bright as ever. But it wasn’t directed at Jungkook anymore, and that realization hit him harder than he expected.

Jungkook began to notice the little things he had taken for granted. The way Jimin always made sure to greet everyone in the morning. The way he went out of his way to help others, even when it was inconvenient for him. The way he brought warmth and light wherever he went. And slowly, Jungkook began to realize just how much he had missed out on by pushing Jimin away.

One evening, after a particularly long day, Jungkook found himself standing outside Jimin’s dorm room, his heart pounding in his chest. He hadn’t planned to be there—his feet had just carried him there on their own, driven by an impulse he didn’t fully understand. But now that he was there, he didn’t know what to do.

Before he could overthink it, the door opened, and there stood Jimin, looking surprised to see Jungkook on his doorstep. “Jungkook? What are you doing here?”

Jungkook hesitated, his usual confidence faltering under Jimin’s gaze. “Can we talk?”

Jimin blinked, clearly taken aback, but he stepped aside to let Jungkook in. The room was warm, filled with the soft glow of fairy lights that Jimin had strung up along the walls. It felt comforting, a stark contrast to the coldness Jungkook had surrounded himself with.

Jungkook didn’t know where to start. He stood awkwardly by the door, his hands shoved into his pockets as he tried to find the right words. “I… I’m sorry,” he finally said, the words sounding strange and foreign on his tongue.

Jimin looked at him, his expression unreadable. “For what?”

“For… everything.” Jungkook took a deep breath, the weight of his guilt pressing down on him. “For being a jerk. For pushing you away. For not seeing what was right in front of me.”

Jimin didn’t say anything, just waited patiently for Jungkook to continue.

Jungkook ran a hand through his hair, frustration bubbling up inside him. “I don’t know why I did it. I don’t know why I kept hurting you when you were only ever kind to me. And now… Now that you’ve stopped, I realize how much I miss it. How much I miss you.”

Jimin’s eyes softened, but he remained silent, letting Jungkook speak his piece.

“I thought I didn’t need anyone,” Jungkook admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. “I thought I was better off alone. But I was wrong. I was so, so wrong. Because without you, Jimin, everything just feels… empty.”

Jimin’s heart ached at Jungkook’s words, but he didn’t let it show. He had spent so long building walls around his heart, protecting himself from the pain of Jungkook’s rejection. But now, hearing the sincerity in Jungkook’s voice, those walls began to crumble.

“I don’t expect you to forgive me,” Jungkook continued, his voice raw with emotion. “I don’t deserve it. But I just… I just wanted you to know that I’m sorry. And that I… I care about you. More than I ever realized.”

For a long moment, there was silence. Then, slowly, Jimin stepped closer to Jungkook, his gaze searching Jungkook’s eyes for any hint of insincerity. But all he saw was regret, genuine and deep.

“Jungkook,” Jimin said softly, his voice trembling slightly, “do you really mean that?”

Jungkook nodded, his eyes never leaving Jimin’s. “I do. I swear I do.”

Jimin’s heart swelled with emotion, but he still hesitated, the wounds of the past not so easily forgotten. “I need to know, Jungkook… Why now? Why did it take you so long to see me?”

Jungkook swallowed hard, the truth burning in his chest. “Because I was scared. Scared of how much you cared. Scared of how much I wanted to care back. I thought if I kept you at a distance, I wouldn’t have to face those feelings. But all I did was push away the best thing that ever happened to me.”

Jimin’s breath hitched, tears welling up in his eyes. “You really mean that?”

Jungkook took a step closer, his hand reaching out to gently cup Jimin’s cheek. “I do, Jimin. I care about you. And I’m sorry it took me so long to realize it. But if you’ll give me a chance, I want to make it right. I want to make you happy, the way you always tried to make me happy.”

Jimin’s tears spilled over, but this time they were tears of relief, of hope. He leaned into Jungkook’s touch, his heart aching with the emotions he had tried so hard to bury. “I just… I just wanted you to see me, Jungkook. To see that I care because I love you.”

Jungkook’s breath caught in his throat at Jimin’s confession, and he felt his own eyes sting with unshed tears. “Jimin… I think… No, I know I love you too.”

Jimin’s eyes widened, his heart pounding in his chest. “You… you do?”

Jungkook nodded, his voice shaky but full of conviction. “I do. And I want to spend every day showing you that. If you’ll let me.”