"Philtatos" Achilles says, sharply. Most beloved.✨

V and Jumin are lonely because the ones they love and claim to love them back never bother to know them deeply. They have the same insecurity, but their coping mechanism is different. V uses Rika to define himself as the man who could love grandly and withstand any trials and tribulations in the name of love. Jumin closes himself from everyone and projects his unhealthy definition of love onto his cat, building up the fantasy that it could understand him like a human would.

But once the illusion is shattered—that neither of them could give a perfect love because perfection doesn't exist—they break inside. V spirals into existential crisis while Jumin refuses to take back his cat that ran away from him. They share a common belief that their love has to be perfect. They have to be the best or they would be a failure. This is what Jumin says after he finally agreed to take back Elizabeth the 3rd due to V's persuasion:

But because V and Jumin are living in their own fantasies, how could they be there for each other? How could they look into each other's emptiness and recognise how lonely the other really is, and offer emotional support when they've never learned how to do so?

The emotional closeness doesn't exist in their friendship because they can't cross the bridge. They have a shared history and deep trust, but when there's a pressing matter in the present, they don't quite know how to strengthen each other, and what is a best friend if you can't be there for them when they need it the most?

Below is one of the examples where V thinks Jumin only ever keeps one thing from him when Jumin's biggest secret is actually his feelings for Rika that he had to hide to honour his best friend's relationship:

It's sad for everyone involved. V is blissfully ignorant and thankful that Jumin still trusts him despite his self-isolating secrets, while Jumin can't even show that he's also just as lonely. They can't lean on each other when they need to.

Sure, Jumin could get the best doctors for V due to his connections and V could persuade Jumin keep Elizabeth the 3rd because he knows him best. They were helpful on a surface level but the emotional job falls solely on the MC, which could be romantic if you look at it in a "wow there's only one person who could change them" way, but isn't it heartbreaking to have a friend so close to you yet feel so far away? Romantic love is important, but platonic friendship is just as meaningful. The trust and deep understanding of each other's nature are already there, so what they need to do is simply nurture their friendship and go to therapy.

On a more positive note, Jumin and V see their counterpart as the better person. V may believe that a friendship cannot change him since it's only a mirror, but if he sees Jumin as inherently better, doesn't that reflect his opinion on himself? They believe in themselves and feel their decisions validated because they trust each other. Jumin only decides to keep Elizabeth the 3rd because he values V's opinion highly, which in turn makes him better in accepting himself. V is always thankful for Jumin's unwavering trust, which pushes him to be a better person because he wants to be more like him.

Their selflessness is also a mirror. Who else but V and Jumin who will drop everything for the safety of the RFA? V will literally give up his life and Jumin will give up his position in C&R and take the fall for them.

Rei supposed that the photo had been taken in summer.  There were thousands of hydrangeas in the background.  Kazuki was wearing a teal shirt over a striped top.  He was grinning in his crooked way and his arm was around a smiling woman.  Her hair was brown, styled casually so that it fell over one shoulder.  She had green eyes.  She was dressed in a cream cardigan.  An unassuming pendant lay at the base of her throat and Rei thought idly that perhaps Kazuki had given it to her.

“I think,” said Rei, “that’s Kazuki Papa’s wife.”

The picture brought the weight of what had been lost to the fore.  Sickness moved through Rei.  He’d asked Kazuki about it, once, and at Kazuki’s flat, “She died in an accident,” had left the conversation there.  But the accident might have been horrible and the woman might have died in agony and Kazuki must have been so hollow afterwards and Rei hated that he didn’t know.

“Ah, that’s right.”  Kazuki cleared the doorway – stepped closer so that he was standing between Rei and Miri.  Kazuki said, “Her name’s Yuzuko.”

Miri’s eyes glittered.  She cried, “Yuzuko Mama?”

“Huh?  Oh!”  Kazuki laughed.  He glanced at Rei; Rei lowered his chin a fraction and Kazuki placed his hand on Miri’s head, continuing, “I… guess so, Miri.  Yuzuko’s far away, though, so we won’t be able to play with her.”

The tiny shoulder sagged.  Miri folded her arms behind her back and swung her body from side-to-side.  She lowered her gaze so that she was staring at the floor and mumbled, “Is Yuzuko Mama playing with Miri’s mama?”

Kazuki froze – Rei gripped Kazuki’s elbow and asked Miri softly, “What do you mean?”

“Miri’s mama… won’t come here again.  Will she?”

That was Miri all over, Rei thought numbly.  She was too perceptive at times.  Miri knew things without being told – had probably picked up on the way Kazuki had hesitated when she’d asked why her mama wouldn’t be there at the Christmas Party, or the way Rei had paused when Miri’d wondered when her mother was next coming to dinner. 

Kazuki took a deep breath.  Then, he said, “You’re right, Miri.  About both things.  Your mama might not be able to visit us here, but she’s playing with Yuzuko.  I bet they’re having a lot of fun!”

Miri looked up.  She smiled and it was as though the sun had torn through the clouds.  “Miri wants to play with them too!”

As one, Kazuki and Rei knelt.  They squished Miri between them; she giggled, her laughter melodic like a bell and Rei said, “Okay, Miri.  But that’s going to be a long while from now.”