Jimin Ff - Tumblr Posts

( i u i )

the closure they needed is here :')

Brushes And Beats chapter 16

pairing: JiminxReader

genre: fluff with a pinch of angst

trope: enemies to lovers

"Hi Yoongi"

Nervousness filled my gut as I stood outside his house, I could totally see the confusion in Yoongi's eyes when he opened the door and found me standing there, nerves turning my voice into a barely audible whisper

“Hey,” he says, treading carefully. His voice is different. It's much more grown now, lacking the usual sharpness and indifference that marked his character. He surveys me for a moment before a small smile tugs at the corners of his lips."Long time no see," he says as if trying to break the ice. With a deep breath, I mustered up the courage to look him in the eye and reply, "Yeah, it's been a while. How have you been?"

"Why don't you come inside?" he offers gesturing towards his living room. I lose his gaze as my eyes travel around the room. I take in his home. A home I never expected to see him in. We both stand in silence for a whole minute.

“It’s good to see you,” I tell him. Our voices are weak and timid. It’s weird, seeing someone for the first time under different circumstances from when you parted.

But as awkward as it was, there was also something strangely comforting about being in his presence again. It's funny how life takes unexpected turns sometimes, isn't it? As I sat on his couch, taking in the familiar surroundings and the scent of his cologne lingering in the air, memories flooded back to me. My eyes found his collection of Vinyle records sitting carefully on the shelf nearby, a testament to the passion he has for music, beside it there was a photo frame,

He is married

Surprisingly the information didn't sting at all, I felt happy for him, "Sorry for intruding like this, I-" I trailed off, unsure of how to continue. Yoongi interrupts with a gentle smile "No need to apologize" He establishes a sense of ease and comfort in the room as he brought a glass of water for me and sat across me. "Where is umm?" realizing my question he replied "OH Julianne is at her mom's house...yeah"

"Yoongi I...I don't know how to say this, I need to get something off my chest I-" I took a deep breath and looked directly into his eyes "Why did you do it?"

"Why did you cheat on me?"

Yoongi's expression changes, his smile fading as he sighs and looks down for a bit Yoongi's expression shifts from surprise to remorse as he takes a moment to collect his thoughts. With a heavy sigh and a pained look in his eyes, Yoongi leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "I never wanted to hurt you," he says softly, his words laced with regret. "I know what I did was wrong, and there are no excuses for my actions," Yoongi continues. "But Y/n do you remember how you were with me?" he asks, his voice filled with vulnerability.

"I do" I replied as I lowered my gaze, memories of our tumultuous relationship resurfacing. I remember the fights, the late-night arguments, and the constant feeling of insecurity that lingered between us. It was a toxic cycle that seemed impossible to break free from,

"You always made me feel like I wasn't enough," Yoongi confesses quietly. "I know that doesn't justify what I did, but I want you to understand that it wasn't just about you or our relationship." Yoongi's response took me by surprise and I felt anger and confusion bubbling inside of me

"What? What do you mean it wasn't just about me or our relationship?" Yoongi's gaze meets mine, and he takes a deep breath before speaking. "It was about me too" he continues "It takes two to tango, and just as I was toxic for you in the relationship, you were toxic for me as well." his tone rises as he tries to convey his feelings "Did you never realized that I was struggling too? No right? Because you never cared what the other person was feeling, the only thing that mattered to you was you" my heart pounded with fury as I spoke "What about you then? Did you ever consider what I was going through during those difficult times?" Tears welled up in my eyes as I fought to keep my composure. "You were so selfish with your actions and words that it made it impossible for me to see beyond my pain, and because of this nature of yours LOOk what has become of us now?" he stood up from his sit and began pacing back and forth replying

"Because of me?! It was you who always played the victim card! and it was also you who was hellbound on coming to Seoul, I left my house my city EVERYTHING AND CAME HERE WITH YOU"

"If in my place it was you who got the offers from entertainment companies I would have come with you too! Normal couples support each other in their dreams!" I got up from my sit as well.

"Support?! What support are you talking about?! I left my life back there and came here with you!!! How much more support do you want?!"

Our voices grew louder with emotions running high

"There are also duties you need to fulfill Yoongi, and even then when you used to remind me of you leaving everything behind for me, did you not think of how it made me feel?" I could see the flicker of hurt in his eyes " Whenever something good happened in my career I always wanted you to be the first to know and celebrate with you" taking a deep breath " But I never could because you were never happy for me. It was like instead of feeling happy I felt guilty for achieving something"

"Shut up Y/n, dont speak nonsense"

"IT'S THE TRUTH...did you ever tell me the Y/n I am proud of you? these are the type of word you say to one another you love!" our argument began to escalate with each word that was exchanged

"You knew that I was suffocating here in Seoul Did you do anything? DID YOU?! The only thing you cared about was your carrier and your own success" My heart sank as I watched his face turn red.

"Was I only earning for myself?! HUH?! I WAS EARNING FOR BOTH OF US! For our future I always tried to make time, on our fourth anniversary I ASKED YOU TO MARRY ME BUT YOU TURNED ME DOWN" I yelled and pushed him back

"YES, I TURNED YOU DOWN because I wasn't ready and I didn't want to run the house with your money!"

"There you go again with your male ego!"

"WHAT MALE EGO Y/n?! If I wanted to earn enough money to provide for you HOW WAS THAT MALE EGO?! Every man in this world wants to provide for his family! WAS IT WRONG FOR ME TO WANT IT AS WELL?!"

"So was it my fault that you couldn't earn success?!"

He started to point at me, with anger and frustration in his voice

"This thing that you are doing right now always made me realize I was such a failure. You never left a chance to make me feel small and show that you were always better than me!"

"Yes, you are a failure! and so am I! Look at us Yoongi, I failed as a girlfriend you failed as a boyfriend Now we both are failing to maintain peace EVEN AFTER TWO YEARS OF NOT SEEING EACH OTHER"

Silence hung heavy as our words pierced the air and lingered between us, we both sat back down with tears streaming down our faces as the weight of our past mistakes and unresolved emotions hit us like a tidal wave. After a few moments of quiet reflection and tearful self-realization, we both took a deep breath and looked at each other with a newfound understanding in our eyes.

"I am sorry Y/n"

"I'm sorry too Yoongi," I whispered as I wiped off a stray tear, "I never meant to make you feel like a failure" Yoongi's expression softened as he reached out to take my hand and gently squeezed it as a gesture of forgiveness and reconciliation, reaffirming our bond.

I began to comprehend the depth of our past issues. The piercing words and strong emotions unloaded a new perspective - the silent suffering Yoongi endured in our relationship, and the painful truth: I was part of the cause. All the while I had been viewing our past through my lens of pain, blissfully ignorant of the damage my behavior had been causing.

Yoongi's confession about feeling inadequate hit me like a slap. I never meant to make him feel that way, but I did. I realized that both of us contributed to the toxicity of our relationship, it wasn't just him or his wrong-doings. My insecurities and ambitions had, unfortunately, overshadowed his feelings.

It was a punch in the gut to discover how lonely and suffocated he felt in Seoul - a city that represented a dream for me but was a nightmare for him. The fact that he felt lost while I was too engrossed in my own success was a bitter pill to swallow.

This confrontation was a turning point. It dawned on me that true love is built on mutual respect, understanding, and support. It had never been a competition; it was supposed to be a partnership where we would be each other's cheerleaders.

Gaining this understanding, although late, made me realize that acknowledging one's mistakes is the first step towards healing. Even if we couldn't fix our relationship, we could at least seek closure and grow individually from this experience.

"I'll drop you home." Yoongi offered, his voice laced with sincerity and genuine concern. I nodded walking towards his car.

______________________________________________________________

What a night it had been

I feel so tired but also strangely exhilarated, it's like I finally found peace within myself. Lying on my bed, reflecting on the events of the evening, I could help but feel relief washing over me like a gentle breeze on a warm summer night.

As the moonlight crept into my room, casting a soft glow around, my mind started traveling to the gentle soul who had unwittingly captured my heart - Park Jimin. The mere thought of him ignited a feeling within me that was both terrifying, yet thrilling. My heart beat faster, creating a symphony that only resonated - Jimin.

There was a warmth in my chest whenever I thought of him. His face, painted with a smile that could rival the sun, his laughter that sounded more melodious than the most beautiful symphony, he became my source of joy.

But, with these feelings came a pang of emotion I was less familiar with - jealousy. The sight of him escorting his gorgeous date today was etched into my memory. My heart clenched as I saw how his eyes glistened with admiration when he looked at her. Yet, I couldn't ignore it - deep down it hurt, as though someone was twisting a knife directly into my heart.

Despite the unease, I would find myself helplessly pulled towards him like a moth to flame, whenever he was around. The sound of his voice calling my name, his gentle touch when he'd brush a strand of hair from my face, or simply his presence nearby, would spread an overwhelming sense of completeness within me.

Every time he was around me - his warmth, his scent and his closeness, they breathed love into my world, making me yearn for something more than just friendship. Tonight, laying here, soaking in the solitude, I couldn't help but envelop myself with thoughts of him.

I felt enveloped by a sense of peace and happiness - a feeling I hadn't experienced in a long time.

I buried these feelings deep inside my heart, tucking them safely away, waiting for the right moment to confess. 'Soon,' I promised myself, cocooned in the warmth of my feelings for him, my mind painting pictures of happier times that I hoped lay not too far in our future.

to be continued...

chapter 15

How each BTS member will give a gift to their crush (Female reader)...

Note: This is totally fictional. This is to show how I personally perceive each BTS member and think how they will act in this specific situation.

1. Jungkook:

Jungkook was waving at me as I walked towards the shopping mall.

I wanted to buy myself something because I finally graduated from the college I was desperately wanting to leave. And I accidentally told that to Jungkook. He insisted on coming with me saying it didn’t look nice, my coming alone for such an occasion. I told him it wasn’t a big deal. But he would do whatever he wanted to and sometimes what his Hobi hyung requested him to do.

“You are late as always.” Jungkook pretended to look annoyed. I smiled and took his hand as we went inside.

The shop we went to was way too expensive than I anticipated. But the clothes were so damn good. I desperately searched for something that I could afford.

Seeing me struggling to choose, Jungkook brought a beautiful black and white top with a high-waist pant and showed it to me. The set was so beautiful that an automatic ‘wow’ reaction came to my face in an instant.

“So you like it?” Jungkook gave me a wide smile, “put it on.”

I shook my head and tried to explain to him. But he didn’t even listen to what I was saying. He simply pushed me toward the changing room. Once inside, I checked the price. NO WAY!

But I still put it on just to see myself in the mirror. I never felt more beautiful. In fact, I looked gorgeous. Jungkook really knew what looks good on me. I smiled at myself.

I came out of the changing room in my regular clothes. Jungkook looked confused, “What happened? Didn’t it fit well?”

“It fitted perfectly. But I can’t buy it. Not today. Let’s go somewhere else.” I said it straightforward without giving him a chance to speak. Jungkook was frowning. I putted the set back at their place and walked out of the shop.

“Thank you, anyway, Jungkook.” I said, “your choices...” I trailed off as I looked behind only to found that Jungkook wasn’t there.

I was a little confused for a while. Then I saw him coming out of the shop carrying a shopping bag with the same old wide smile on his face.

“You didn’t, did you?” I glared at him.

“Why?” he asked as if he had known nothing.

“Jeon Jungkook, what the hell?” I shouted at him.

His smile was gone. He was looking at me with his big doe eyes. After a moment of silence, he said, “You know, my eomma always says that if you get out of a shop without buying something you desperately wanted, it’s bad luck.”

I laughed out at this. “Seriously, Kookie? You don’t have to lie like that to emotionally blackmail me into accepting that.”

His big wide smile returned as he handed me the shopping bag.

2. Taehyung (V):

I was just about to go to bed when my phone dinged with a notification. It was Taehyung. My immediate thought was something might be wrong. Taehyung always texted me whenever he was upset since we were really good friends and I was a good listener.

“Are you awake?” his text read. Before I could write anything back he again texted, “Since you’ve seen my text, you’re awake.”

“What happened? Is everything okay?” I texted him back.

Taehyung was typing while I waited anxiously. Finally he wrote, “Don’t worry about me. I’m outside your house. Please come down.” followed by a smiling emoji.

“This alien!” I thought. Though I liked him a lot, he could get really annoying at times. The temperature was really low outside. I wondered what he was planning at this hour of night.

I was still thinking whether I should go or not when he texted me again. “Aren’t you coming?”

I knew I had to go. Otherwise his feelings would be hurt. He would be going away for tour tomorrow. I wouldn’t be able to meet him any time soon. Not even this Christmas.

I put on a sweater and headed outside. Taehyung was smiling at me. The smile that always warmed my heart whenever I was having a bad day. I could see he was shivering from the cold. So, I asked him to come inside.

He replied with a “No” and then immediately added, “I brought you your Christmas gift since I won’t be able to give it to you on Christmas day.” He showed me the box he was carrying. I hadn’t noticed it earlier.

“You could have simply send it by someone. You didn’t need to come here at this weather.”

“But I’m going away. The flight’s at dawn.” he said in a rather sad voice.

“Whatever” I still couldn’t agree with him, standing there in cold, shivering from my head to toe.

Taehyung gave me a wicked smile and said, “You’ll regret saying that, you know? Because I am taking THIS back.” He pulled out a pair of converse from the box.

“NO WAY!” I shouted in excitement, “They are for me?”

“They WERE.” he said mockingly, “since you don’t need them...” he turned to go back. But I hold his hand, “Oh, Tae-Tae, I’m sorry.”

He turned back with his box smile on his face. I hugged him in excitement, “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

3. Jimin:

“It’s been a while since we last met.” Jimin said while stirring his coffee.

“Now that you’ve mentioned it, that’s right. I was quite busy with my school works lately. I haven’t met any of my friends since God knows when.” I finished with a heavy sigh.

Jimin smiled softly, “Thank you, y/n, for having a coffee with me.”

“Don’t need none of it.” I said casually, “So, tell me, how’s things going on with you? You’re probably the busiest person I know.”

Jimin gave a little laugh, “you just said it yourself. But...” he stopped.

“But?” I urged him to continue.

“I’ve missed you, that’s all.”

I wasn’t expecting that. It sounded a little too straightforward to tell a friend you meet once in a while. I mean, Jimin was quite a friendly guy. It was always easier to talk to him no matter how long we’ve been out of touch. But him telling me that I was someone he had missed sounded like something I’m not used to. 

“Oh!” I said rather awkwardly.

Jimin pulled his chair closer and said, “Will you do me a favor, y/n?”

“Depends?” I was confused.

“Close your eyes”, Jimin commanded. “Please!” he added.

I had my doubts what he was doing. But I still closed my eyes for just a second. The next moment I opened them and said, “it looks so stupid.”

“Please, y/n, just do it. For me?” he further requested, pouting his lips.

This time I really closed my eyes. I could feel his hands reaching out to catch mine. My body shivered a little at his touch. Something very smooth was pushed through one of my hands.

“Done!”

I opened my eyes only to found that a cute little scrunchie with a long bow was hanging by my hand.

“That’s so cute, Jiminie!” I said with a smile. “Thank you!”

In return, he smiled and got back to his drink.

4. Hoseok (J Hope):

I was crushed by the amount of assignments I was due this week. I planned on an all-nighter to compete those. After some hours, I started to doze off in the library. My phone ranged and I woke up with a jerk, causing my coffee to fall on the ground.

“Shit!” I swore and picked up the phone, “Mom, I’m coming home late today. Don’t wait for me.” My mom asked me if I had dinner and I lied that I already had. Then she hung up.

I went to get another cup of coffee from the nearby café. When I came back, there was a meal kept on my place. It was third time this week. Someone is putting snacks for me whenever I’m at school.

I looked around to find it’s owner. But there was no one around. I set down and noticed a note attached to it.

“Don’t miss your dinner no matter how busy you are.”

Who was doing this? Was there anyone stalking me? My friend found it really cute that someone out there was buying me snacks and looking after me. To be honest, I found the attention amusing too. But this was getting out of hand. I desperately wanted to know who it was.

As I was really hungry and didn’t want to waste the meal, I opened it. There was a hamburger and sprite, my favourite. I smiled to myself and had them.

The next day, I found a box of cookies on the seat where I usually sit. My friend chuckled and said, “Here we go again. This person is really crushing on you so bad.”

“But this will do.” I said, “from now on, I’m not accepting anything unless I know who they are from.”

As I was about to raise from my seat the person sitting in front of me looked back and asked, “What are you gonna do with it?”

“I’m gonna throw it away.” I replied.

“But I thought you said you will accept them once you know who they are from.”

“Huh?” I was confused.

“Allow me to introduce myself” the person rose from his seat and stretched his hand toward me, “I’m Jung Hoseok.”

5. Namjoon (RM):

I was rubbing my face furiously removing the angry tears that was running down my cheeks. My stupid boyfriend, EX-boyfriend actually, broke up with me saying that I was a self centered bitch. Namjoon set beside me on the park bench and offered me the chocolate milkshake that he brought with him.

Since I was super upset I had called Namjoon to come earlier. I didn’t know why I did that exactly. But Namjoon was someone who would not judge me and support me unconditionally unlike my other friends.

I still refused to take the milkshake. Namjoon nodded and set there silently, waiting for me to break the silence first.

“Do you know, what he said?” I turned to Namjoon.

“It doesn’t matter as long as you don’t believe it yourself.” Namjoon said it as if it was the easiest thing to do. I knew what he was trying to do. He was trying to make me feel like it wasn’t my fault. He was trying to cheer me up in his own ways.

“I feel like I’m going to burst.” I said wiping my tears again.

“How about you break something?” Namjoon offers, “Maybe you’ll be at peace afterwards.”

I chuckled at this, “So, that’s why you keep breaking things?” Namjoon laughed shaking his head.

Suddenly something popped inside my mind. I went straight to my car and brought my diary with me. Namjoon looked confused, “Are you going to write on that?”

“Nope” I said, “I’m gonna burn it down to ashes.” And then I really did. I tore the pages one by one and put them on fire. The process was slow, but Namjoon waited and watched patiently. As I did it, the memories of my writing on my diary just how much I was in love with that little piece of shit, came back to me.

As soon as I was done destroying my favourite thing on earth, I broke down. I started to sob violently. Namjoon hugged me gently and stroked my hair. “It’s going to be okay, y/n. I’m always here for you.”

The next day, I woke up late. As soon as I went to the table for breakfast or lunch, whatever it was, my mom said, “Honey, you’re awake? One of your friends came this morning. He asked me not to wake you up and gave you this.” She handed me something wrapped in a gift like manner.

I went to my room and closed the door. I opened it up and found a cute ‘Koya’ diary inside. The note read, “Try writing about the reasons why you should love yourself instead. This might help.”

6. Yoongi (Suga):

During my free time, I usually went to the library since I was a huge book nerd. I dreamt of having my own little library though I couldn’t buy books very often. So, the nearby library was my only option.

I was heading for the library when I met Suga on my way, “Oppa! What are you doing here?”

“I came back from the bookstore.” he held up the book he bought from the nearby bookstore. It was ‘The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy’ by Douglas Adams, one of the science fiction books I was dying to read.

“As far as I know, that book is not available in the library or the bookstore.” I said as a matter of fact.

“Really?” Suga looked startled, “Maybe you didn’t notice it, that’s all.”

“No!” I argued, “I specifically asked the owner about it and he said so himself.”

“Why would you specifically ask about this one?” he held up the book again.

I shrugged my shoulders, “Isn’t it obvious?”

“Oh yeah!” Suga nodded, “You told me about buying it online once.”

“Since it’s in the store, I’ll go take a look.” I was about to go when Suga stepped in front of me.

“You don’t have to.” He insisted, “take this one. I already regret buying it.”

“Why do you regret it already?”

“You know, y/n?” he showed clear sign of annoyance, “you talk unnecessarily too much.” He handed me the book and said, “I have to go now. Unlike you, I’m a very busy person.” And he was gone.

I was a little pissed at him for acting that way. I still went to the bookstore and found the owner. I showed him the book and asked if it was being bought from his store. He shook his head and told me they didn’t have that book yet.

7. Jin:

“Yay!” I shouted with joy as I won the round of monopoly against Jin.

“How could I not see that coming!” Jin made a surprised face.

“Now, remember? What the deal was?” I reminded him about the deal we made earlier that whoever won would get to ask for something from the other.

“Anyeo!” Jin shook his head furiously, “Let me process this whole situation at first.”

I could hear Jungkook shouting from the couch, “Jin Hyung is messing with you. He won’t accept any defeat and you won’t get any reward as well.”

I would not let that happen. This was my first time winning any game against Jin. I would make sure Jin remembered it for the rest of his life.

“Mr. Kim Seokjin, accept your already pitiable defeat without embarrassing yourself any further.” I commanded.

“Alright, alright!” Jin finally gave up, “What do you want from me?”

“Let me think,” I said, “how about…”

“Don’t say anything,” Jin stopped me, “I have just the thing for you.”

I argued, “But you’re not supposed to choose the reward for me.”

Jin got up and went to his room without paying any heed to me. After a while, he came back with a box wrapped with some printed paper. He handed it to me and said, “Open it when you go home.”

“Alright!” he shouted at others, “everyone, come at once if you want to play another round of monopoly.”

As soon as I got home, I opened the wrapping paper and found what’s inside. It was a whole set of different kinds of colors, pens, stickers and notebooks. With them there was a note, “Good luck”.

Last week, I got accepted into the fashion school I was wishing to get into my whole life. When I told it to Jin, he didn’t even give any reaction to that other than just a “Good for you!”

But Jin had already prepared the gift beforehand. Now I knew why he had offered me to play a game with him. He really had his ways of doing things.

My Masterlist

Our Moon

Fandom: BTS Pairing: Jimin x Female Reader x Taehyung Genre: Angst and a bit of Fluff Word Count: 920 Words

Summary: What would you do once you find out on the day of your wedding that your best friend is actually in love with you?

“C’mon,” I said to my sister who was helping me getting ready, “pass me the earrings.”

It was getting late. I had a reputation of always being on time for every occasion. I didn’t want to spoil that, not on my own wedding.

“Whoa…” I was startled seeing someone peeking behind me through the mirror. “Jimin!” I called in excitement.

My best friend gave me a wide smile and entered the room. I hurriedly put my earrings on and stood up in front of him.

“So, what do you think?” I asked, showing off my wedding outfit.

“God!” Jimin chuckled, “You’re shining brighter than the moon.”

“Well, of course, I do.”

“Taehyung will faint once he sees you. Just wait.”

“Oh no!” I pretended to be shocked, “Who am I to marry then?”

“Don’t worry.” Jimin said, “There won’t be any lack of volunteers to be your groom instead.”

I punched him in the arm and we both burst into a fit of stupid laughter. My sister rolled her eyes and said, “I’m gonna go fix my hair. Don’t be late, y/n.” Then she went away leaving me alone with my best friend.

“I can’t believe I’m doing this.” I said, looking into Jimin’s eyes. For some reason, I was getting emotional making my eyes watery.

“Please, dear.” Jimin took my face on both of his hands, “don’t cry. I don’t think I can handle that right now. I swear I’ll break down.”

I smiled and said, “You’ll always stay by my side, won’t you?”

“Always.” Jimin said holding my hand and leading me outside.

I walked down the aisle with my father by my side. Taehyung was looking at me with the box smile on his face. I could feel my stomach twisting, not sure if it were the butterflies or anxiety.

As soon as I stood up facing Taehyung, I glanced side ways to catch a look at Jimin. He was at the very front, smiling at me. But I noticed that his smile didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“Is he bothered by anything?” I thought anxiously.

The priest cleared his throat making me aware of my surrounding. I quickly looked at Taehyung. He was still smiling but there was a bit of nervousness in him too.

The marriage ceremony was done in a flash. In a moment, everyone was cheering and drinking and congratulating us. I was overwhelmed by all the things that were occurring at once. In the middle of all the chaos, I was still searching for Jimin, who was nowhere to be seen.

Taehyung noticed the distress on my face, “Darling, are you okay?”

“Where’s Jimin?” I asked right away.

Taehyung looked around for a while, “I didn’t see him since the morning.”

I didn’t want to worry Taehyung. So, I said, “Let’s go get ourselves some drink. I’m sure he’ll show up.”

We were drinking and planning about our future; which mostly consisted of Taehyung ranting about having two children (a boy and a girl) and how adorable they would be. I could sense Taehyung was getting drunk by the time. He slowly started to talk in his alien language and I couldn’t help but laugh.

When I almost forgot about Jimin, he finally showed up with messy hair and puffy eyes. He looked like he had some drinks. He wasn’t walking straight.

“Hey, Jimin!” I ran towards him, “Are you feeling alright?”

“Yeah,” Jimin chuckled, “I’m fine.”

“Come sit with us.”

The boys were drinking a little too much. I was trying to stop them which was not helping at all. They were talking about the old times. How I had met Jimin for the first time; just a mere friendship turned into such a close bond. How Jimin had introduced me to Taehyung. And how soon we were already falling for each other.

“And now,” Jimin slurred, “you are taking her away, leaving me into this darkness, all alone. Why? Why?” He was trying to hold Taehyung by his shirt collar.

“Jiminie,” Taehyung pouted, “Why are you saying this? What do you mean?”

Jimin was laughing. It sounded so fake that it felt like a lunatic was laughing at his own joke.

But I knew exactly what Jimin had meant by those words. I remembered about that day clearly.

It was a Halloween party. I was a cat and Taehyung a tiger. Jimin, on the other hand, was a really cute puppy. Taehyung and I had just started to date for about a week then. But we were already head over heels for each other.

When we were taking a photo together as a couple, Jimin had interrupted us and stood beside me.

“Jimin!” Taehyung said in an irritated voice, “Let me take a photo with my moon.”

Jimin put my hand over his shoulder while posing for the photo. He corrected Taehyung and said, “Our moon.”

Taehyung had taken that moon away from his sky. He was now alone in the dark night. This was exactly what he had meant.

But why? Did he love me too? Was I dumb enough to not notice that? Hadn’t Jimin did everything Taehyung had done for me and more?

Jimin looked at me with an expression I had never seen on him before. It wasn’t just sadness, but regret. My eyes were filling up with tears. I wanted to ask him, “Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

Jimin slowly nodded his head towards me and said, “It’s too late, isn’t it?”

My Masterlist

Dweller of the Dark

Fandom: BTS Pairing: Jimin x Female Reader Genre: Mystery/Horror/Angst Warning: Jimin and the reader are step siblings, gothic atmosphere, mention of car accident, death, slight swearing, scary mannequin figures, nightmares, questionable behaviors, mention of bullying, anxiety, insanity, murder, blood, heartbreak and a never ending sexual tension in the air. Word Count: 5k Words Note: This is a fictional piece based on Jimin’s ‘ID: Chaos’ photoshoot. Some contents of it are disturbing. Please, read it at your own risk.

Summary: You are adopted by one of the richest couples of your country at the last stage of your teen years. At your new home, you meet a silent and reserved boy of your age and become attracted to him instantly. But they introduce him as your step-brother.

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I stood in front of the huge stairs I saw before me. It still felt like a dream when I was told that I had been adopted. I had spent my whole life at the orphanage. I saw all of my friends getting adopted one by one until I was the only one left of my age. But now, when all of my hope of being adopted was left far into the past and when I was counting my days till I was 18, I learned that I was finally being called to live with a family. Standing in the middle of their huge mansion, I realized they were much richer than I could ever comprehend.

The old couple came, after a few minutes, and started to introduce themselves to me. They were Mr. and Mrs. Park and I was to call them by that name; not ‘mommy’-daddy’. I was to learn about their etiquette and manners, their way of clothing, eating, walking, basically everything one needed to live.

I realized they were being very formal to me. So, I decided not to have my hopes up on their affection. I reminded myself that I was going to be 18 in a few months. Then, I would be able to leave the house to go live by myself, the way I wanted to.

While I was getting acquainted with my new adoptive parents, I noticed a boy, about my age, standing above the stairs. He was leaning on the railing and looking directly at me. When our eyes met, he didn’t bother to look away. Instead, it felt like he was looking at me more intensely than before, as if he was reading me like a book.

Mrs. Park observed us for a few seconds and cleared her throat. My attention instantly came back to them. Then, she called the boy to come downstairs.

“Lovely,” she called, but it wasn’t a loving tone at all, “Come down and introduce yourself. Don’t you know, it’s bad manners to eavesdrop?”

The boy walked down the stairs slowly while his gaze was still on me. I had looked away from him in fear of disappointing the elders. But still, I couldn’t help catching a glance of him staring back at me every now and then.

The boy stood in front of me but didn’t say anything. Instead, Mrs. Park said, “This is Park Jimin, our only son.”

Son? I was shocked at the revelation. He looked much younger to be their son. But why the fact that he would be my step brother was bothering me more, I couldn’t understand.

I noticed that the boy was wearing a peculiar all black outfit. He raised his hand in front of me to shake mine. He was also wearing peculiar black gloves in his hand.

His mother saw me hesitating and informed that it was for medical purposes. He was allergic to the sun and required to wear black at day time to block the sunlight. I nodded and took his hand. I didn’t know if it was my imagination but I felt like he squeezed my hand a bit before letting it go. The boy left without saying a word to me.

Then, Mrs. Park told me something I didn’t expect, “You see, Jimin is an only child and he gets very lonely at times. So, we decided to adopt a son last year. But he was killed in a car accident.”

“I’m so sorry.” Automatically came out of my mouth.

Mrs. Park nodded and said, “I hope Jimin likes you as much as he liked his brother.”

I was given a huge room decorated uniquely all for myself. I was relieved to be alone since I came into the mansion. I decided to sleep early being exhausted after the long journey from the orphanage.

As soon as I went to bed, the thought of Jimin squeezing my hand for a split second came to my mind. Then, I thought of how strange his features were. His jawline was sharp but with chubby cheeks above. His eyes looked tired but pleasant with dark brown iris. And his lips were so puffy and pink.

From the next day onward, I started to have busy days. I met my governess and she handed me a routine I was to follow for a week. I was appointed for many lessons such as sewing, table manners, history, speaking etc. I was told to eat separately until I learned my basic lessons on behaviors. I didn’t even meet my parents let alone Jimin for a whole week. My new home felt like hell to me already.

But fortunately, my governess was taken ill and I got some free days to spend without any lessons. One such day, I decided to explore some territories of the house.

I came to an empty room with some mannequins in it. They were all dressed in matching outfits. I got inside to get a closer look at those. As I was about to leave after finding nothing much to look at, I saw Jimin standing between me and the door.

I yelped immediately. Then, I tried to give some valid reason for my presence in that room. “I was lost.” I said.

Jimin nodded and said, “It’s not surprising to be lost in this huge mansion.” My eyes were opened wide. It was the first time I heard Jimin speak and his voice was definitely not what I had imagined. It was high pitched and I dare say, angelic.

Jimin went to one of the mannequins and fixed its mask. I noticed that other than those masks, Jimin was wearing the same clothes as the mannequins. I was curious to know its purpose but couldn’t muster up the courage to say so.

Jimin looked at me for a while as if reading my mind. Then, he said, “I, myself, dress them every day.”

“Why?” I tried to ask, but my voice sounded scratchy. So, I cleared my throat and asked again, “What are these?”

“These?” Jimin asked, raising his eyebrows, “These are the memories of my dead siblings.”

Dead siblings? But I thought he had lost only a step-brother. I didn’t want to interfere with their family issue. So, I didn’t inquire about the matter. Instead, I habitually said, “I’m sorry for your step-brother. I heard what happened.”

“But I’m not.” Jimin casually said while fixing the mannequins’ clothes.

Another mysterious answer. I decided to take my leave without diving into an unwanted conversation. So, I said, “I forgot that I had some homework left. If you’ll excuse me, I need to go.”

I got out of that suffocating room as soon as Jimin nodded.

That night, I had the weirdest dream. I saw myself in that mannequin room again, surrounded by more mannequins than there originally were. I tried looking for the exit, but there wasn’t any. Suddenly the figures started to move. They started to crowd around me. I kept screaming in fear but there was no sound coming from me.

Then, the scene changed. I was in a dark room with a window at the ceiling. The large moon was throwing its light, but not enough to illuminate the room. I tried to get up. But I was chained to the bed by both of my hands. I tried to get rid of it by force. Then, both of my hands got sliced up.

I woke up with cold sweat. My room was dark just like my dream. As I kept panting, my eyes got adjusted to the dark and I could make out my surroundings clearly. I looked at my door and saw that it was open. I couldn’t remember keeping it open before going to bed.

Without thinking much about it, I walked up to it and closed the door and afterwards came back to my bed. I lied on one side and forced my eyes shut to go back to sleep.

Then, I felt someone sitting beside me on the bed. I looked through the corner of my eyes and saw that it was Jimin. I sat up right away.

“Don’t be afraid.” He said softly, as if entering someone’s room while they sleep was no big deal, “It’s just me.”

I stammered, “How d-did you come…come to my room?” This time, I remembered clearly to have locked my door before I came to sleep.

Jimin smiled, “I have my ways around the house.” Then, he stood up and poured a glass of water from my bedside table. He sat down much closer to me again and handed me the glass.

I was questioning his sanity at that point. I didn’t dare shout out to call anyone for help. My room was on the furthest corner of the house. So, it was possible that no one would hear me anyway. Even if they did, they would definitely side with their son over me.

“Take it.” Jimin now took my hands and placed the glass in between them himself.

My hands were shivering. But I still managed to gulp down the water. Jimin carefully caressed my hair and whispered, “You can rest all you want. The governess won’t show up anytime soon.” Then, he smiled in a way that gave me Goosebumps.

He took the empty glass from me and put it back at the table. He looked at me and said, “Now, go straight to sleep like a good girl.” He patted my head a little more. But he was still sitting by my side.

I didn’t know what to say or do. I sat there dumbfounded for a long time. But I noticed something different in Jimin. He was not covered in garments from his head to toe. He was in his night clothes; a beautiful loose white satin shirt showing his bare chest.

With the change of clothes, his attitude seemed to have changed as well. He looked more free and mischievous now contrary to his bold and short spoken self of the day.

I also noticed tattoos on him; which I found surprising considering how much of a rule maniac these people were. There was one on his neck which said ‘Tailor of Chaos’ while another a little lower above his chest called ‘Artemis’.

Jimin finally got up and said in an offended way, “I’m sorry, I thought you might want a company.” Then, he abruptly left.

Next day I was asked to have breakfast with the family. When I arrived at the dining room, Mr. Park announced that I should join them in every meal from then on. The conversation at the breakfast sounded lifeless to me. Jimin was back in his all black outfit covering most of himself. With that, his serious attitude was back as well. Looking at him, I felt like the Jimin from last night was just my imagination.

Few more days had passed since my nightmare. I didn’t have any weird encounters with Jimin anymore. I saw him every now and then. But he never said a word to me. He passed me like I was invisible. If I had thought that nothing could go wrong till I became 18, then I had never been more wrong in my life.

One night I woke up from my disturbed sleep. I could clearly hear people singing downstairs. It was the kind of singing we hear at the church when people sing hymns together.

“What time is it?” I thought. I checked the clock on my bedside table and saw that it was 12:07 a.m. I was curious. So, I got out of my bed to check out what was going on.

At the last few steps of the stair I stopped promptly. There were almost a hundred people gathered in the living room, facing the window. The huge velvety curtains were drawn and the full moon of the night shone brightly at their faces. All of these faces bore the same expression, singing the same syllables at the same time.

Never in my life had I experienced anything such as this. I was too surprised to move. But I didn’t need to stand there for too long because someone already grabbed my waist and pulled me into a dark corridor.

A scream out of fright wanted to leave my mouth. But the person grabbed my mouth tightly, not letting a single sound escape. I was pinned to the wall and so I couldn’t move. As I calmed down, I saw it was Jimin again. His gaze was intense in my eyes. He put one of his fingers to his lips to show that I was not to make a noise. I nodded slowly to indicate that I understood. So, he let go of his hand grabbing onto my mouth.

He peeked at the living room to check if they had noticed us. He was relieved to see that the other party was unaware of our presence. He looked back at me again. His piercing look sent butterflies inside me. I was still pressed between Jimin and the wall, our chests going up and down as we breathe in union.

Then, Jimin’s hand slowly ran through my arm to hold me by the wrist. He pulled me slightly and led the way upstairs. I followed him without any hesitation. We finally reached the very top in front of the door to the attic.

The attic was filled with some old furniture and they were quite dusty. Jimin gestured to me to sit on a clean stool, still not saying anything aloud. I understood that we were still not safe to make noises. So, I sat down as quietly as I could.

Jimin had his attention outside, putting his ear closer to the door to hear what was going on. I sat there staring at his slim but seemingly strong figure without knowing what else to do. He was in his night white shirt again, showing his bare chest and looking extremely attractive for me to look away.

After what seemed like half an hour the singing stopped. There were faint sounds of footsteps, the front gate opening and vehicles starting. Silence again. Then came the clear sound of footsteps in the second floor corridor and the locking of the door. Everything suggested that Mr. and Mrs. Park had gone to bed after the guests had left.

Jimin stayed silent for a few more minutes. Then, he said, “Alright! They’ve gone to bed. As far as I know, this sleep will last until tomorrow evening.”

I still remained quiet because I didn’t know how to react just then. Jimin came closer and stood before me leaving only an inch of space between us. I looked up at his face. He smiled; which was very rare of him as I didn’t see him doing that these days after the night intrusion incident.

He bent a little forward and said, “Do you want to go out with me?”

I nodded almost immediately. It had been a month since I came into this house far away from the nearby town. And I wasn’t even allowed to leave, not even to take a walk outside. In my knowledge, I had never seen Jimin going out as well. How could he? He was allergic to the sun!

We sneaked out through a door I had never seen before into the tangerine garden at the backyard. It was larger than a regular backyard. In fact it was huge. We could be lost at this place if we weren’t careful enough as to where we were heading to.

We were walking side by side in the moonlit light. Our arms were touching for a split second every now and then. Finally, Jimin said out loud, “Can I hold your hand while we walk?”

Blood rushed to my face immediately. Hesitantly I nodded. I was glad about the fact that he was at least asking me before going for the hand directly. After how he had entered my bedroom while I was asleep, it was possible for him to grab my hand without my concern.

After some moments, Jimin asked, “Why are you so quiet?”

“I...I don’t know what to say.” I replied.

“But I know, you want to ask something. Why are you hesitating? You should know by now that you are free to talk to me about anything.”

So I decided to ask, “Who were they?”

“So straight forward! Alright! I’ll allow it.” Then, Jimin chuckled, “They were my parents’ family and friends.”

“What were they doing?” I asked directly once again. I didn’t have the patience to wait.

“Well, you see,” Jimin continued, “It is a kind of ritual, very traditional and ancient. They do it at full moon every month to show their devotion to the virgin goddess of the Moon, Artemis.”

“I don’t believe you.” I said as I found it hard to believe. But the mention of Artemis sent a shiver down my spine.

“Oh!” Jimin said, as if he was shocked, “Didn’t you know we are in a cult?”

I stopped walking and my eyes grew larger at his unusual reply. Jimin started to laugh. I shook my head. He was probably messing up with me.

But his face grew serious again. He looked at my eyes for a while. Then, his gaze travelled to my lips and stopped there. He whispered, “Can I kiss you?” while still staring at my lips.

My own attention went to his puffy red lips and I nodded. Jimin slowly came forward and kissed me softly. He pulled away a little but again pressed his puffy lips on mine, this time going harder than before. My hands were running through his soft fur like hair while he held me firmly by the waist.

I can’t tell how long our kiss lasted. But when he let go, I felt an urge to pull him back again. Then, Jimin said something which didn’t make sense to me. He said, “I'll give you a chance to run away right now.” His voice sounded dead serious which kind of scared me.

So, I said instead, “Please, let’s go back. You’re scarring me.”

A few more days passed. Jimin started to act distant in front of his parents again. And I didn’t make any move either. I was too embarrassed about the night’s incident in the tangerine field.

However, when his parents had gone out and not to be returned for the next two days, Jimin made the first move. He came to my reading room while I was reading a book. I noticed that today, he was wearing an all-white outfit contrary to his black one. Seeing him, I put the book aside.

“Hi, Jimin!” I tried to sound as normal as I could.

“I have something for you.” He handed me a bag.

I looked inside and saw that there was a lump of white clay that is used to make sculptures. I gasped in excitement, “How did you know I like to make sculptures?”

Jimin sat down on a chair beside me and shrugged, “Your Governess told me.” So, he had been inquiring about me all this time while ignoring me all the same.

“Can I try it now?” I asked, not wanting to waste a single minute.

Jimin smiled at me and said, “I don’t see why not.”

Jimin sat across the floor watching me attentively as I did what I liked to do best. Making big and small figures with clay was something I found comforting. It had been my escape in my earlier days at the orphanage.

I asked him how he got them and he informed me that his step brother liked to play with clay as well. I remembered about the accident Mrs. Park had mentioned and how close Jimin was to him. I asked him, “Do you miss him?”

“Who?” At first Jimin looked confused, then he seemed to understand whom I was directing the question to, “Oh, no! Not really. I barely remember him.”

“But I thought you liked him.”

“If I’m being honest, I despised him. That’s all.” Jimin said it so casually as if he wasn’t talking about someone who was dead. I was taken aback. I didn’t expect that answer at all.

Jimin seemed to understand it from my expression. So he further said, “He used to mock me a lot. He never called me by my name. Instead he liked to call me a ‘girl’. He seemed to enjoy calling me that.”

“I’m really sorry for that.” I said.

Jimin let out a chuckle, “Don’t be. Because all I heard was him calling me pretty and beautiful.”

“I don’t think you should despise him for that though.” I said, “You see, it’s only natural for him to be jealous of you. You were probably someone he had always dreamed to be.”

Jimin looked at me so earnestly that I wondered if I had said anything wrong. Then, he said, “Wow! I’m surprised by your take on the matter. How come I’ve never thought about it like that?” I shrugged and continued to do my work.

“So, tell me,” Jimin asked, “Are you jealous of me?”

I shook my head and said, “I’m not. But…” I stopped there. I thought of confessing the thing that had been nagging me for a while.

“But?” Jimin urged me to continue.

“I’m more uncomfortable about the fact that you are my step brother.” I finally let out the burden.

“Why?” Jimin asked, as if he didn’t get it.

I decided not to answer. Because by then, I had realized that it would be impossible to explain to Jimin why siblings shouldn’t be sexually attracted to each other.

I was preparing my bed to go to sleep early when I heard a knock on my door. I opened it immediately thinking it was Jimin and so it was. But there was an expression in his face which I had never seen before. It was fear. He barged into my room and closed the door behind.

“Are you alright?” I asked.

Jimin kept shaking his head and mumbling something under his breath. He was sweating and his movements suggested that he was worried. I tried to calm him down. I said, “Hey, Jimin, slow down. Would you like a glass of water?”

Jimin sat down on my bed promptly. Then, he looked at me and said, “You should have run away when I gave you the chance.”

“What is he talking about?” I thought.

Jimin continued, “Tonight is the night. There will be no exception. They will come. They will take you. They will…” He couldn’t finish and started to shake his head fervently.

I went to sit beside him, “Who are coming?”

“You remember the rituals, right?” He asked. “The real event is tonight. It’s a lunar eclipse. Artemis is waiting for a soul, a soul that belonged to a virgin.”

“That’s enough, Jimin!” I said. I was wondering if Jimin had actually lost his mind.

Jimin shook his head in desperation, “I’m not making this up. They had been doing it for a long time. They did the same to my previous siblings.”

“What did they do exactly?” I asked, trying to keep up with the nonsense conversation.

“They killed their earthly bodies. They called it a sacrifice for the Moon goddess.” Jimin stopped for a while and said it almost in a whisper, “Tonight, it’s you.” In the dim light of my room, Jimin looked like a lunatic.

I said, “Please, Jimin. I beg you to stop. You’re scaring me.”

“Don’t you understand, it is something you should be scared of.” Jimin screamed at me. I was too stunned to say anything anymore. This time, I was sure that Jimin was not in his right mind.

Jimin suddenly realized what he had done. He buried his head in his hands and started to cry. Seeing him in such a vulnerable state was painful. I desperately wanted to comfort him, to say something to make him feel safe.

There was a revelation in my heart at that precise moment. I realized for the first time that I was in love with him. Even if he was an insane or a dangerous man, I didn’t care about any of it. All I cared about was being there with him, through everything.

I sat there silently while Jimin cried. This continued for a while. Then, Jimin came back to his senses. He looked at me with so much sadness in his eyes and said, “Can I sleep with you tonight?” I nodded.

We climbed on to the bed together, wrapped in a blanket. I placed his head on my chest while Jimin held on to me tightly like a scared child. I kept caressing his soft hair slowly. At first, I could feel him shaking slightly. But it stopped after a while and his breathing was even. I was glad that he was asleep.

I woke up due to the sound of people singing downstairs. I looked around me. My room was empty and Jimin was nowhere to be found. As I tried to get up, I realized that I was being chained to my bed by one hand. Suddenly Jimin’s warning rang in my mind. Maybe it was all true. These people were going to sacrifice me in the name of Artemis.

I started to pull my hand as hard as I could. The sound of the people singing was surrounding my head. This time, the song sounded more melancholic than the one I heard before. I pulled and pulled until my small thin hand came out of the binding of the chain.

I moved straight to the door. It was locked. “Shit!” I swore. But I remembered about the extra key on my wardrobe and went to get it. I threw away everything out of it in search of my precious key. When I finally found it, I opened the door as noiselessly as I could.

I headed towards Jimin’s room without any delay. He was the only one who would help me in this situation. As I reached his room, I found that it was just as empty as mine. Suspicion started to grow on me. Maybe, Jimin was one of them. Intentionally or not, he would hurt me as well.

At that moment, the singing stopped. I heard the opening of the gate and footsteps of people going out just like the previous night. Only now it sounded clearer as I was not in the attic. I wondered if their so called ritual was over. I decided to go check on it myself.

At the foot of the stairs, I found that most of the people had already left and the others were on their way to leave. I sighed. So, it was just a prank Jimin was playing on me. There was nothing such as the sacrifice to the Moon goddess, even if the rituals were true.

But what I saw next, changed my mind immediately. The reddish light of the moon was glowing on a bed placed near the window. Someone was lying on the bed surrounded by blood. I was horrified to find that that someone was Jimin, himself.

“Jimin!” I screamed as I ran to his bed. Some of them were glancing at me as they went out. But they didn’t seem to care about me at all.

Jimin hadn’t died yet. He squeezed my hand with a little force as I grabbed his. He looked at me with the same sad eyes that I had seen a few hours ago. His lips were shaking. He was struggling to say something. But not a single sound escaped his mouth.

“Stay with me, Jimin.” I said, while sobbing, “Stay with me, please.”

Jimin’s body gave a violent shake for a second. Then, it was still, announcing that he had left and no matter how much I pleaded, he was not coming back to me again. As the realization kicked in, I couldn’t cry anymore.

Mrs. Park came behind me and bent down on her knees to say, “My lovely boy! How brave of him to take your place in the sacrifice willingly. You mustn’t cry, dear. He made the right decision. He is now with the goddess and a part of her hunters.”

I remained quiet. My mind couldn’t bear the fact that a mother was happy to sacrifice her only son for the pleasure of a goddess. Then, Mrs. Park left.

I sat there motionless, all alone with Jimin for quite a long time. I found that his body had grown cold. I slowly leaned down and placed a soft kiss on his cold lips. I tasted and swallowed a drop of his blood from there. Then, I looked up to the blood red moon. I whispered, “I love you.”

After months of diligent labor, my greatest creation was made. Looking at the finished face of the sculpture, for the first time in a while, a smile grew on my face. It was finally done. Now, I could rest.

“Lovely,” Mrs. Park called me, “Are you done with your work?”

“Yes, mother!” I replied, “It’s all done perfectly. Come, take a look.”

Mrs. Park walked towards the face I had created and looked at it intensely for a long time, as if she had forgotten where she was. Finally, she looked back at me. I could see tears forming in her eyes.

“It’s beautiful!” she said, “We should have her in the living room.” I nodded in agreement.

Like I had imagined, all she would see in my creation was the face of the moon goddess, Artemis. Only if she had taken a much closer look, a look from her heart and not just the eyes. She could have seen the distinct features; the sharp jaws with chubby cheeks, the tired looking pleasant eyes and puffy lips.

It was the face of my Jimin. The Jimin who was no less in beauty compared to that of any mortal or God. The Jimin whose bravery was far better than the hunters of Artemis. The Jimin who was the representation of love in a human form.

Why would I be devoted to a mere goddess when I had already seen something much more beautiful in a mortal?

Mrs. Park made her appearance once more as I was showing no sign to break my attention from the sculpture. “Your sister has arrived.” She announced, “You have to welcome her.”

“I’ll be there in a moment.”

“Don’t forget to put on your best dress.” She reminded me for the millionth time, “You are allergic to the sun, remember?”

Special 8 Photo-folio Masterlist

My Personal Masterlist

Special 8 photo-folio: Masterlist

Jeon Jungkook

Careful What You Wish For

When you’re stuck in a deserted road surrounded by wilderness, you have no other choice but to enter the huge mansion you see before you. The man you meet inside is mysterious. But he is too alluring for you to stay away from...

Kim Namjoon

True Self: Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3

Meeting Namjoon while you take your sister to the park proves to you that he is the kind of man you’ve always fantasized about...

Park Jimin

Dweller of the Dark

You are adopted by one of the richest persons of your country at the last stage of your teen. At your new home, you meet a silent and reserved boy of your age and become attracted by him instantly. But they introduce him as your step-brother...

Kim Seokjin

Star-Crossed

The dream is repeating for many times for it to be called just a dream. Seokjin wants to find the answer while you wait patiently for him to come back to you as he had once promised...

Kim Taehyung

Coming soon...

Jung Hoseok

Coming soon...

Min Yoongi

My Guardian Angel: Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3

You decide to follow a kind hearted stranger to his house in the middle of nowhere after you ran away from your abusive household...

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The Bangtan Boys - Masterlist

Special 8 Photo-folio Masterlist

My favorites- 💜 Popular- ✨

Special:

How OT7 give gifts

Christmas Special Fluff

Series:

Red Hope! [Complete] ✨ - Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - Part 5 - Part 6 - Part 7

We Are Only Seven [Complete] 💜 - Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Chapter 6 - Chapter 7 - Chapter 8 - Chapter 9 - Chapter 10

Noona! Please! Help! - Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 [Ongoing]

Series:

True Self [Complete] - Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3

Drabbles:

Singularity

Stories:

Bad Decision

Star-Crossed

Series:

My Guardian Angel [Complete] - Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3

Stories:

Boy With Luv 💜

Drabbles:

Sleepy Cats 💜✨

Sweet Morning

Disguise

Drabbles:

Ghost Town

Series:

The Other Side: Part 1 - Part 2 [Ongoing]

Stories:

Dweller of the Dark 💜✨

Drabbles:

Love 💜

Stories:

Almost 💜

Careful What You Wish For ✨

Drabbles:

Bitter-Sweet 💜

I wuv U

Stories:

Our Moon (Jimin x Female reader x Taehyung)

Drabbles:

Parallel (Jungkook x Female reader x Yoongi)

Christmas Special Fluffs

Fandom: BTS Pairing: OT7 x Female Reader Genre: Fluff Notes: It’s a collection of Christmas special one shots of each member in different situation with the reader (not poly). I know, I’m late. A lot of things were going on and I couldn’t manage to write. Sorry about that. Anyway, a very late Merry Christmas to you all...

Sweet Sorry - Kim Namjoon

My already messy apartment now looked messier than ever. As I looked at my tired boyfriend on the couch, I regretted to have agreed to his plan of decorating my place for the Christmas.

“Ugh” Namjoon groaned, “my back hurts so much.”

“Don’t forget that it was all your idea.” I reminded him.

Namjoon shook his head, “I didn’t think your place was such a trash.”

“Well, you can’t blame me.” I shrugged my shoulders, “At least, I warned you.”

I sat down beside him and put my head on his lap. I could feel that my body ached too. Namjoon started to play with my hair. It was one of his favorite things to do.

I looked up at him, “Or we could stop if you want.”

“No, darling!” Namjoon smiled, “Like I had promised, we’re going to make this place look like a heaven.”

And we were back at work; dusting and cleaning the floors, walls, ceilings, windows, arranging the misplaced items, collecting the dirty laundry from different corners of the house, putting the books back to the shelves etc.

A short break. Then, we started to work on the decorations. It was my first time decorating a house for Christmas and my excitement was too much. We made the bed with white and red bed sheets, put different flowers and wreaths all around the place and hung special items on the wall.

Finally, it was time for the best thing among all, decorating the Christmas tree. We put on the fairy lights around it, hung little gingerbread men and other cute items on it and lastly, we needed to put the biggest star on top of it.

“It’s too high. I can’t reach it.” I said, “And also, I don’t have a ladder.”

“But you have me.” Namjoon said with a smile.

I thought he meant to do the job himself as he was much taller than me. But instead, he lifted me up, holding me firmly by my waist. His cheesiness was making me blush. I still managed to set the star in the perfect place.

Taking a look around the place, I was really satisfied with the result. My place had turned to a whole different one. It looked like a heaven indeed. But as soon as my eyes rested on the tree, I frowned.

“Something’s missing.” I said.

Namjoon looked at it’s direction, “What?”

“Of course,” I gasped, “the glass baubles.” I facepalmed myself to have forgotten about my favorite piece of decoration. I looked at Namjoon, “Could you please bring it for me? It’s in my closet.”

Namjoon went straight to the bedroom. As he was returning with the box full of red and white glass baubles on his hands with a smile that showed his dimples, I remembered just how much I loved him.

But the next thing he did was tripping and falling to the floor along with the box full of red and white glass baubles. The smile that had grown on my face earlier disappeared within a second as I heard the glasses being shattered inside. I remembered just how much I hated his clumsiness sometimes.

“I’m so...” Namjoon began but I cut him off.

“Don’t speak.” I said boldly. “It’s done anyway.”

I raged out of the living room and sat down on my bed. I realized I was very exhausted by all the works I had done this evening and I just wanted to sleep. I tried to clear my head. I didn’t want to think of the disaster that just happened.

I could hear Namjoon cleaning up the mess outside. It sort of broke my heart. Minutes later, he peaked into my room. I still couldn’t bring myself to say anything. He came to sit beside me and said, “I’m sorry.”

“I know.” I answered.

He placed a soft kiss on my cheek and said again, “I’m sorry.” It was one of my favorite things that he did. I still didn’t budge.

He kissed me once again and said, “I’m really sorry, darling.” He was whining like a little child at this point. And I couldn’t help but laugh. Namjoon’s worried face beamed with relief.

“Alright!” I said, “I think we can go one Christmas without glass baubles.”

Grandma’s Special Recipe - Kim Seokjin

I was weeping for the past few minutes as the nostalgia of my childhood hit really hard. Earlier I had found an old diary of my grandma while cleaning the house. There weren’t much personal but more like important business stuffs written on it.

But among them, I had found my grandma’s recipe for making the famous gingerbread house we used to make every Christmas. Reading that reminded me of my late grandma and our memories together. I couldn’t help but cry at the sudden overwhelming feeling in my heart.

My fiancé, Jin, came back from work at that time. As soon as he saw me he called, “Jagi!” I quickly wiped away the tears and tried to smile at him. I didn’t mean for him to see me like that.

He held me in his arms and asked, “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah!” I sniffed, “I’m fine.”

“What is it, jagi?” He looked at me again, trying to read my face. Then he suddenly gasped, “Oh my God!”

I looked up at him in confusion. He beamed with sudden joy and asked the dumbest possible question, “Are we going to have a baby? Are you pregnant?”

“What? NO!” I was shocked at his stupidity, “It’s just that I found my grandma’s diary and it reminded me of her.”

Jin just replied with an “Oh!”

I went back to my bed and held up the page of the recipe for him to see. He took the diary from me and checked it. The recipe was cut out from an old newspaper and there were hand written notes of my grandma everywhere, making changes where she had thought was necessary.

Jin let out a chuckle and said, “Jagi, this sounds like a lot of fun. We should try it this Christmas.”

I was so glad to hear that. “Really?”  I asked, “Do you think you can do that?”

“Of course!” Jin said with confidence, “Though I won’t say it will be exactly like your grandma’s one. But I will do my best.”

Even though I wasn’t very good at baking, I still tried to help Jin in every possible way. I bought the groceries myself and prepared all the necessary utensils needed for the procedure. I also promised Jin that I would do the dishes once everything was done.

Jin started to work, yelling me orders in between. But my mood was too good to be ruined by his little insults. I worked rather enthusiastically. I stirred the mixture on the stove, batted the dough, cut the little doors and windows, even helped Jin with the icing.

After hours of much works, it was done. The house had been decorated perfectly. It looked almost like my grandma’s. I clicked a picture before cutting the gingerbread house. At first bite, the smell instantly reminded me of older times, though the taste wasn’t exactly the same.

“What do you think?” Jin asked curiously.

“It’s great.” I nodded, “Thank you so much for doing this.” I wrapped my hands around his neck. “Tell me what can I offer you in return?”

“You know exactly what I want.” Jin smirked at me.

I gasped, “You mean, a baby?”

Jin gave me a warm smile and spoke, “Nope. I want you to do the dishes, instead.”

Peppermint Love - Min Yoongi

“So tell me, why am I finding it out just now and that too, from Hoba?” I could hear Yoongi from the other side of the phone call. His voice suggested that he was really annoyed.

Basically what happened was this; Yoongi was delaying his Christmas plan, which was to be with his family, because I had no one for my Christmas celebration this year. Since, it was our first Christmas after getting together, Yoongi wasn’t very happy leaving me alone. But I had forced him to go because his family had been planning for a special party and it wouldn’t look nice if their youngest son was absent there.

But the worst happened. I fell sick the day before Christmas. It was a seasonal sickness for me but still pretty bad, as always, to handle. The fever and the blocked nose wasn’t making me feel very Christmas in my lonely hours. Still, I didn’t want to spoil Yoongi’s mood. So naturally, I kept my mouth shut.

“I thought I could trust Hobi for once.” I said, equally annoyed.

Yoongi sighed. “Is it too bad?” his voice was soft now.

“No!” It was definitely a lie since I could feel that a headache was also added to my list of discomforts.

“You shouldn’t have forced me to come to this party.” Yoongi said, “I would rather be with you.” Before I could say anything he already hung up.

As the hours ticked by I realized how terribly lonely I felt. Yoongi was in a whole different city and my own family was at the opposite side of the continent. I was also hungry but wasn't in a shape to make anything for myself. So, I called the Pizza place near my house and ordered my favorite one, the pepperoni.

The bell rang. I had to get up from the bed and slowly head towards the door. My whole body ached even at the slightest effort. But behind the door, I didn’t meet the delivery guy but my boyfriend instead.

“Yoongi?” I was surprised.

He shook his head in mere annoyance and hold up the huge bags he was carrying on both of his hands. “Let me put this things down first.”

He went straight to the dining room and put the bags on the table. I still couldn’t believe it. Yoongi had driven more than a hundred kilometers road on the Christmas Eve and he left his family to be with me instead.

Yoongi turned to me and said. “Let’s eat the food before it gets cold.”

That was when I hugged him right away. Yoongi let out a sigh and a few seconds later, he embraced me into his arms.

I was overwhelmed by his presence in my lonely state. I took in the warmth and his familiar soothing scent. The smell of his perfume mixed with the after-shave was intoxicating.

I finally let go and informed, “But I’ve already ordered Pizza.”

Yoongi smiled, “A little more food during Christmas won’t hurt.”

The table was set and the hot food served. We ate and talked and laughed and cried out of too much laughter. It was such a merry time that I almost forgot I was sick.

But my fever rose at the end of the night and I was curled up in my bed, shivering. Yoongi touched my forehead to detect the amount of heat and frowned. Then, he went to the kitchen to prepare something special.

Peppermint tea, something I never quite liked. But as I had a cold and the tea was warm, I accepted it rather gratefully. A soft ‘thank you’ left my mouth as I took the cup from his hands. Yoongi sat beside me and watched quietly as I sipped my tea. I wondered what I had ever done to deserve this.

Wrapped - Jung Hoseok

Shopping for all of them who were coming to our Christmas party was exhausting. But the worse was wrapping them in gift papers by ourselves. Since it was our first Christmas together after we had moved in together, my boyfriend Hoseok wanted it to be a special one. And hand-wrapped gifts sounded special indeed.

“Do you have any idea how long we’ve been doing this, Hobi?” I asked, a little annoyance in my voice.

“C’mon, goldie!” Hoseok said in the cutest tone, “Don’t talk like that. We should be doing this with joy.”

“Joy, my foot.” I muttered.

“Uh-uh.” Hobi did another cute sound effect while moving his index finger side to side, indicating I shouldn’t have said that.

I didn’t respond. Instead, I walked out of the living room to my bedroom. I waited for a moment to see if Hobi followed me. When I was sure he had gone back to work, I did what I had been planning the whole evening to do.

I hid Hobi’s Christmas gift, a fancy watch, which I had bought secretly from the shop today, in his closet. So that, next morning he would find them himself while I’d be fast asleep.

Then, I went back to work along with my hard working boyfriend. We finished them all by midnight and arranged them neatly under the Christmas tree. Wishing each other merry Christmas and kissing goodbye, we went to bed.

“Holly Molly!” Hobi exclaimed in the morning and I woke up with a start. “What did my little bumble bee bought without me knowing, huh?”

I sat on the bed and smiled, “Check it yourself, my little sunflower.”

Hobi opened up the present, giggling like a little child. His eyes were shining when he saw what was inside.

“Did you like it?” I asked.

Hobi beamed at me and said, “What are you talking about? It’s fabulous.”

Everyone was busy searching for their gift and opening them. There was a lot of chaos among our family and friends. Watching them liking what we had got them, made me feel like it was all worth it.

“Hey!” Taehyung called me, “Here’s one addressed to you too.”

“For me?” I asked. At first, I was a little confused. But then, I realized that Hobi had planned to hid my gift among all the others. I took the small box from Taehyung.

Hobi hugged me before I could open it and whispered in my ears, “Merry Christmas, honey!” Inside the box was a ring. My head stopped working for a while. Looking back at Hobi, I almost teared up.

He was on his knees.

Sexy, Cutie, Lovely - Park Jimin

Christmas this year was full of snow. And there was no way we could step out of our house in this weather. So, Jimin and I had planed for a movie marathon night. Being the movie freak as I was, the job of selecting the best movies came to me.

You could imagine how pissed I was when Jimin started to act uninterested through the second movie. At first, he tried talking in between scenes. When I refused to join his unfitting conversation, he started to complain about how all the movies I chose were so boring, even though it was ‘Home Alone’ which we were watching at that time.

“You can go and sleep.” I said, “I’m gonna finish my boring marathon alone tonight. And I’m perfectly happy to do away with you.”

“What?” Jimin pretended to look cute while being shocked, “you’re abandoning me for these movies?” I gave a stiff nod and he started to whine and threw a tantrum like a child.

“Acting cute will take you nowhere, Park Jimin.” I stated flatly.

He put his head on my lap and said with a smirk, “But it took me to your heart.”

“Stop being a cringe and move out of the way.” I pushed his head.

After minutes of doing puppy eyes and pouty faces, when I still didn’t budge, Jimin walked away from me. But he was back within a minute wearing his night gown which I had commented he looked sexy in ages ago.

“What does it suppose to mean?” I raised one of my eyebrows.

“It means,” Jimin threw himself on the couch next to me dramatically and said, “I’m getting ready for bed.” The last word, he said in a whisper, clearly indicating the obvious.

I scoffed in reply and kept my eyes fixed on the TV. Jimin moved on the couch in a certain way to get closer and carefully snaked his hands around my waist. I knew what he was capable of doing to me. But I refused to give in.

I slapped his hand and said, “Stop bothering me.”

Jimin took away his hands, a frown growing on his forehead. Then, he walked away stomping his feet, muttering “Stop this! Stop that!” I almost laughed out loud.

After half an hour of watching the movie alone, I realized it was indeed boring. No offense to my all time favorite ‘Home Alone’ but I was missing Jimin beside me. I sighed and turned off the TV.

Jimin was already fast asleep. He looked like an angel in this innocent state of unconsciousness. I could look at him for the whole night and still wouldn’t get bored. I smiled to myself.

“My lovely Jiminie!”

You’re My Boy - Kim Taehyung

Apparently, five layers of clothes weren’t enough to keep you comfortable on a snowy night out on the street. I wasn’t foolish enough to have come out into the open at this time either. But unfortunately I had a boyfriend who was extremely stubborn. I knew, I wouldn’t be able to lift his mood up the whole Christmas if I didn’t come out to play with him in the snow just now.

So, here I was, struggling to throw a single snow ball at my childish boyfriend, who had been continuously throwing enough of them at me by which I could have built a huge snowman.

“Please!” I begged him as another ball hit my shoulder, “Stop it already. I’m so tired.”

Taehyung came running at me with a smile on his face. “You’re not fun to play with.” he tried to mock me.

“I know!” I huffed out, “Can we do something else? Something fun?”

Taehyung thought for a moment. Just before I could offer him to play a nice game of monopoly inside our warm room, he yelled in excitement, “Let’s make a snowman!”

“What?” I asked in disbelieve, “No way!”

But Taehyung always had his way. So, we were rather doing what he had suggested instead of what I had thought of even if mine was a rational decision anyone would have agreed upon.

Building a snowman was harder than it looked. I remembered to have done it when I was just a kid. Those times, I always had my sisters and parents to help me. The shapes were never right. Taehyung wasn’t satisfied with them at all and we had to rebuild it from the base every time.

Finally, we managed to make the perfectly symmetrical balls, the upper one half the size of it’s base. Taehyung nodded his approval and I sighed in relief. I was grateful that Taehyung let me do the most interesting works; putting the buttons, eyes, mouth and the carrot for a nose. I finished the final task perfectly and looked back at my boyfriend.

And there it was. The boxy smile. When my eyes stopped at his perfectly wide grinning face, I felt like the time had slowed down. The snow was falling rather dramatically. My surrounding suddenly looked more romantic than it did even a few minutes ago.

Taehyung looked at me and tilted his head in confusion. “Baby?” he called, “Why are you staring at me like that?”

I suddenly realized what I was doing. I chuckled and shook my head to let out those romantic thoughts away. I decided that the romance could wait. Instead, I let his inner child enjoy this rare moment for now.

First Mistletoe Kiss - Jeon Jungkook

Finally, the party was over and all the boring people left the house. When I had done my share of cleaning up, my mother allowed me to go to bed. I picked up my phone as soon as I reached my room and locked the door.

“Oh shit!” I swore. Five missed calls and a text! And all of them were from the same person; Jeon Jungkook.

Jungkook was my neighbor and I had known him for a year. I had liked him since day one. Little did I know that he had liked me as well until last week when he had asked me to be his girlfriend. Naturally, I said yes. But over the week, I got to know the Jungkook behind those doe eyes and bunny smile. He was quite stubborn and possessive in nature.

Five missed calls on Christmas Eve from him could mean disaster. I hastily checked the text.

“I don’t want to be that clingy boyfriend asking for attention when you’re having fun. So, I’m texting you instead. Merry Christmas.”

I got the tone of the message. Jungkook had a habit of always ending a text with calling me love. But he hadn’t done that here. Especially when it was supposed to be a merry Christmas text. That was not a good sign.

Since I had a pretty strict family, the fact that I had a boyfriend before I graduated high school was a secret. So, I checked whether my parents had already gone to bed or not before calling Jungkook right away.

“Wow!” I heard Jungkook speak, “You remembered me!”

“I’m so sorry. kookie!” I pleaded in a half whisper. “There were so many people. And you know my mother. She doesn’t allow phones in front of the guests.”

Jungkook remained silent for a while. Then he spoke again, “I wanna meet.”

“What?” I raised my voice unexpectedly, “You mean, now?”

“Yes!” Jungkook said, “Don’t you dare say no! I’m not going to bed without seeing you.”

I thought for a moment. Everyone was tired as hell. There was no way my mother would come to check on me at this time. I decided I would take this risk. “C’mon!” I told myself, “It’s Christmas!”

“Love?” Jungkook called.

“Meet me at the store.” I said, “And don’t forget to buy me Cheetos.”

Jungkook was waiting with a packet of Cheetos by the store door. A big smile spread across his face when he saw me. I gave him a quick hug and started complaining about how bored I was during the whole party and how much I had thought of him.

Jungkook kept on smiling and feeding me the Cheetos in between as I was too busy ranting about my misery. I stopped when I realized that Jungkook hadn’t spoken at all.

“Don’t keep staring at me like that.” I said.

Jungkook chuckled and said, “I can spend a whole lifetime hearing you talk.”

“That was cringey!” I said as I felt heat rushing to my cheeks.

“Look!” Jungkook pointed up to a mistletoe hanging above the store door. “It’s not every Christmas you get to stand under the mistletoe with your boyfriend by your side.”

I knew exactly what he meant. I was rather doubting if it was a coincidence at this point. The thought of Jungkook wanting a kiss from me sent a shiver down my spine. I looked down in embarrassment.

“Wait a minute!” Jungkook said, “Haven’t you ever kissed under a mistletoe before?”

“Actually,” I mumbled, “I’ve never kissed anyone before.”

A visible shocking expression spread on Jungkook’s face. When recovered, he cleared his throat, “Let me be your first, then.”

Carefully, he closed the distance between us. Then, he cupped my face on his hands and asked, “May I?”

When I nodded my ‘yes’, he gently kissed my lips. He let go and whispered softly, “Merry Christmas, love.”

My Masterlist

The Other Side - Part 1

Fandom: BTS Pairing: Park Jimin x OC (Amelia) Genre: Fluff/Angst Word Count: 1.6k Words Warning: Slight drinking, making out, nothing much explicit in this chapter. Note: (18+) Additional chapters contain heavy angst and sensitive topics. If you can’t handle problematic issues, I advise you to not read any further.

Summary: Despite her brother Taehyung’s disapproval of dating one of his friends, Amelia can’t keep herself away from the charming guy she met at his birthday...

Part 1 - Part 2 - More to come

“For you, I will be new every day ‘Cause it’s boring to have the same thing, right?” - Filter by Jimin

My brother Taehyung’s birthday was the worst day of the year for me. Don’t get me wrong. I loved Taehyung more than anybody in this world. For that exact reason, I could never refuse his request for a birthday party in our house.

I was the kind who hated parties and Taehyung, on the other hand, liked them very much. Furthermore, my presence in that party was a must for Taehyung to actually enjoy it. So, I would always end up being a weirdo trying to communicate with his friends whom I met once a year. Since Taehyung loved making a lot of friends, every year, I would meet some new people too.

Today the party seemed to be going for an eternity. The loud music was unbearable after a few hours. I was done making small talks with most of his friends. I needed some break as I felt my social battery was running out. I needed to find Taehyung.

I groaned in frustration searching for my brother in the crowd. I decided I was old enough to leave his annoying party any time I wanted to. After all, it was my house too. I could go anywhere I wanted. So, I headed for the rooftop.

Surprisingly, there was another person present whom I didn’t notice at first. I yelped in surprise when he cleared his throat to gain my attention.

“I’m sorry.” He said, “I didn’t mean to startle you.”

A blonde guy wearing sunglasses, even though it was night, approached me. I realized that I had never met this person before. Thinking he was a new friend of Taehyung, I tried to talk nicely. But, to be honest, I could do with some alone time instead.

“It’s okay!” I said, “I don’t think I know you.”

“I’m Park Jimin.” He said, “I’m Jungkook’s friend from college. I believe you’re Taehyung’s sister, Amelia, right?” I nodded. But my mind was occupied with the thought that he was Jungkook’s friend.

If I had an enemy, it would be Jeon Jungkook. Jungkook and I went to school together. But we never got along. There was a history of endless fights and arguments between us. Some of them ended up with me crying out in frustration and Jungkook getting some serious talk from my overprotective brother. Nonetheless, they were still close friends.

Jimin suddenly chuckled, “I’ve heard quite a lot about you.”

I tried to smile. If he had known me through Jungkook, chances are, he didn’t know anything good.

A few cups of drinks were making my mind blurry. I started to find the stranger really attractive. I wasn’t even listening to what he had been saying. But his voice was pleasant to my ears. My mind was full of thoughts that seemed too wrong.

“Hello!” Jimin snapped his fingers in front of my eyes and I came back to reality. He wetted his lips before saying, “You haven’t been listening, have you?”

I shook my head honestly. He laughed as if he found it adorable. He took off the glasses and stared directly into my eyes.

Oh God! If looks could kill...

“I think you’re a little too intoxicated to ignore my charm.” he said. Without realizing I nodded in affirmation, making him laugh even more.

Oh God! His eye smile...

Then, he suddenly stopped. His stare was quite serious this time. He wasn’t fooling around anymore. I could feel the tension rising in the air. It seemed like there was an invisible string pulling me closer to this guy. I leaned a bit closer to him. But he didn’t move.

He half whispered, “Are you sure about this?” I nodded again.

Then, he leaned in to kiss me. It was a soft one at first, but gained momentum as soon as he got my approval. During our heated making out session, my mind had gone off to a completely different world. There was nothing I could think of other than him.

But soon Jimin let go of my lips and pulled back. A soft whimper left my mouth. Jimin just chuckled in return and shook his head.

“I don’t want you to regret anything once you’re sober.” He said.

I opened my mouth to say something but decided against it. It was already awkward enough. I didn’t want to embarrass myself further by saying something which would prove how desperate I was to have him.

Taehyung and I were only a year apart and he was the oldest. Our father was never in the picture and our mother died the year I graduated high school. Both of us ended up not going to college. Money was not a problem. We were pretty well off as mother had left us with a big house and a huge backyard of a flower garden. I worked on them and sold them in our personal flower shop which was quite famous in town. Taehyung, on the other hand, did whatever he was comfortable with at the moment.

Taehyung had lots of friends. But I only had him. And he was aware of it. But he didn’t mind. Even though he had many friends, both male and female, he would always forbid me to get a little too close to any of his male friends. I never complained either. Because, most of them were like Jungkook, whom I absolutely despised.

But I felt different this time. This Jimin guy was really messing with my mind. Ever since the night, I couldn’t shake his thoughts away. I felt a little guilty for keeping such a secret from my brother, to whom I had always confided everything.

“This is never going to happen again.” I would tell myself. But little did I know how wrong I had been.

Apparently, Jimin shared a mutual feeling and there was nothing that could stop him from coming back to me. So, coming back to me he did. But at the worst moment possible.

Ding Dong

Taehyung forbade me to get up from the dining table as we were having supper at the time. It was unusual for us to have a visitor so late. So, Taehyung went to check it himself.

“Is Amelia home?” I heard a not so unknown voice spoke and my heart skipped a bit. I knew that Taehyung was as shocked as me because he didn’t say a word in reply.

The stranger continued, “I’m Jimin. I hope you remembered me from the party. I came here with Jungkook.”

It turned out that Jimin had some important business in town. But unfortunately he was too late to catch the evening train. He hadn’t brought his car. Furthermore, he was not in the habit of riding a cab late at night. He tried calling Jungkook but he was out of town. He also informed Taehyung that he had an opportunity to become my friend during his birthday party. So, it seemed like he had no other choice but to ask us to let him stay at our place.

Taehyung didn’t seem to be believing any of his words. But he agreed to let him stay for the night. Only at one condition; Jimin was to share the bed with him. It is necessary to include that we had two spare bedrooms for guests.

I had never felt so uncomfortable while having dinner at my own house before. Jimin looked like he was having the best moment of his life; enjoying the food and appreciating it often. I nodded in between but tried not to say anything and let Taehyung join the conversation. Jimin was acting differently, almost in a child-like manner. I tried to avoid eye contact with either of them as Taehyung kept eyeing us suspiciously throughout the whole dinner.

After a while of chatting about nothing, we were all off to bed. But my brain had no intention of letting me sleep. Instead, it was replaying the night of my brother’s birthday. I wondered if this was the same flirty Jimin I had encountered some weeks ago.

Hours later, I walked out of my bedroom in frustration. Instantly, I was grabbed by my shoulders and I yelped in surprise.

“Ssh!” Jimin let go and whispered, “It’s only me!” I nodded in recognition. He looked at me carefully and a wide grin spread on his face.

“What?” I asked, surprised at his unusual behavior.

“Thank God!” He said with relief, “You didn’t forget about me.”

I laughed at him, “What made you think I might forget you?”

Jimin frowned at my taunting, “Why? You were hella drunk that night. I bet you can’t recall what we did.”

I blushed really hard this time. Of course, I remembered what we did. But I was in no mood to discuss that embarrassing event. Jimin had definitely seen me blushing. His cute face suddenly turned mischievous.

“Can you recall it or should I help?” he smirked. Now, this was the Jimin I was talking about.

Before I could shut him up with a slap on the head, I heard movements ahead of me. Both of us froze. Our eyes grew larger at once.

“Fuck!” Jimin whispered, “Your spy brother is awake.”

I ran straight to my bedroom and shut the door quickly. My heart was beating up to my throat. I could hear a conversation outside which made me smile like an idiot.

A deep voice asked, “Oy! What are you doing there?”

A cute one replied, “I think I might have forgotten the way to the bathroom.”

A moment of silence before a really angry tone spoke, “If you’re trying to make an excuse, Park Jimin, go for a better one next time.”

Next >

My Masterlist

The Other Side - Part 2

Fandom: BTS Pairing: Park Jimin x OC (Amelia) Genre: Fluff/Angst Word Count: 1.7k Words Warning: Drinking, foul language, mention of kiss, this chapter doesn’t deal with any major triggering issues. Note: (18+) Additional chapters contain heavy angst and sensitive topics. If you can’t handle problematic issues, I advise you to not read any further.

Summary: When Amelia and her bestie have an encounter with the duo (JiKook), they seem to develop a love and hate kinda relationship...

Part 1 - Part 2 - More to Come

Are we doing business? Or do you hate me? - Danger by BTS

“Do you want a drink?” I asked.

“I would rather have another ice cream.” Tara replied.

I rolled my eyes, “Do you even eat anything other than that?”

Tara was my best friend since grade two. We had our ups and downs, but were never separated permanently until Tara decided to live in the city to attend college. But whenever she came back to town we would hangout like we were kids again. This time, she came to visit the seasonal festival and I was determined to have the best night of my life.

I paid for the snacks and added to the stall keeper, “We’ll have ice cream and Cheetos too.”

“Two bottles of beer, please.” I heard someone beside me. We both looked at each other at once and I wished I didn’t have.

“Hey! Crybaby! How are you? Oh, hi there, Tara! Didn’t know you were in town too. So, you girls were having a little get together or something?”

Yes! It was no other than Jeon Jungkook. Just looking at him made me want to punch his face. I put on a fake smile over my gritted teeth and spoke rather mockingly, “How are you, big teeth?”

Jungkook chuckled and replied, “The bunny’s doing great. Thank you.”

“And so are the Barbies.” Tara snapped before pulling me away.

“Hey! Wait for me.” Jungkook called. We saw him taking his beers and paying hurriedly before sprinting towards our direction.

“Is he serious, right now?” Tara whispered to me in annoyance.

Jungkook whined, “C’mon! We met after a long time. And you didn’t even talk to me at Tae’s party. ‘Cause you were too busy drooling over Jimin.”

“Excuse me!” I asked, offended. Jungkook was really testing my patience.

“Who the hell is Jimin?” Tara asked, unaware.

“I’m Jimin.” Suddenly someone spoke beside us.

I looked at him in disbelief. My immediate thought was that he was perhaps stalking me. But then, I remembered that Jimin was a really good friend of Jungkook. So, it wasn’t unusual that he came to his friend’s town to attend a festival.

“Amelia!” He turned to me with a faint smirk on his face, “We meet again.”

“So, you’ve been talking about me with Jungkook?” I inquired Jimin as soon as we were left alone. Tara went to the bathroom and Jungkook was taking an important phone call.

“To be honest,” Jimin chuckled, “you’re the only thing I’ve been talking about these past few days.”

Jimin really knew how to flatter because I could tell that my face went red. But it wasn't time to give in to his seduction, especially when I was supposed to be angry at him.

"So, you guys are really having some fun talking behind my back, huh?" I retorted.

"You are indeed fun to talk about, I won't lie, but…"

I didn’t let him continue whatever he was going to say next. "Listen, I'm not interested in wasting time with you. I don't know why you'd approached me that night. I don't know what Jungkook has been telling you and whatever you're telling him in return. All I know and want you to be clear about is that I’m done encountering you. If you still don't let go, you'll have to deal with Taehyung."

Jimin laughed at my speech which only added fuel to my anger. "Well, one thing is true, then.”

“And what’s that?”

“You complain a lot to your brother, like a cry-baby."

Had it been Jungkook, he would have earned a slap across his face by now. I breathed out through my mouth to avoid doing something stupid. But someone spoke loudly beside me, "who the hell do you think you are, speaking like that to my best friend in front of me?"

"Oh, I'm sorry…" Jimin was yet again cut off.

This time, Tara angrily started to rant, "our night's already ruined. Thanks to your asshole friend. Now don't get me started on you. Don't even think you have any chance with my girl just because you're…"

"Tara," I immediately interrupted, "let's get going. It's no good fighting with them. We should know better since our previous arguments with the other asshole."

"Yeah, whatever!" Tara turned along with me.

"I'm staying in town for a few days." Jimin yelled behind us as we were walking away from him. "Don't hope to never see me again. 'Coz who knows! You might."

I grunted in frustration while  Tara asked, "want me to go back and kick him in the balls?"

"Why do all the good looking guys have to be assholes?" Tara sighed one day.

I raised my eyebrows, "which assholes are you referring to?"

"Whom do you think?"

"Umm…" I thought for a while, "I know for once, Jimin is attractive and also, turned out to be an asshole like his friend. Who else do you mean?"

"I mean," Tara replied, "his friend that you just mentioned."

If Tara had said that she was pregnant, I would have been less surprised.

"What the hell, dude!" I couldn't mask my disgust, "How can you find Jungkook attractive? I knew your taste in men was trash but him?"

"Oh, thank you very much." Tara argued, "Mind you, I didn't say he was attractive. I only said 'good-looking'. And I believe I added that he was an asshole. So, he doesn’t really fall under the men of my taste. By the way, aren't you the one attracted to assholes? As far as I know, it wasn't me who made out with one of them."

I was flustered by her reply. "Hey, that was… a mistake. I was… I was drunk." I stuttered.

Tara started to laugh. I couldn't believe she was bullying me for kissing Jimin. Maybe, I shouldn't have confided in her everything. Especially the part where I said I actually enjoyed making out with him.

"You're mean!"

I stood up and walked out of my room to the living room only to find that Taehyung was having a blast with his friends. And the friends in question are none other than my life long enemy, Jungkook and my most recent crush, Jimin.

Turns out Jimin was a sneaky bitch. Somehow he managed to manipulate Taehyung into thinking that it was his friendship that Jimin was after all along and he had nothing to do with me. He also added that there was a girl in his city that he was seeing. Taehyung didn’t seem to have any problem with being friends with him since he didn’t pose an immediate threat of becoming someone closer to me. Now, my brother was having the time of his life chatting with the two people I couldn’t even bear to talk with.

Both me and Tara listened to all the bullshit for a while and then decided it was time to leave. “We’re going out!” I said to my brother, “Want me to get you something?”

“Nope!” His reply was short.

“Well, enjoy, I guess!” I muttered under my breath and headed out with Tara.

“Wait!” Jimin ran out of the house behind us.

Tara moved in between and asked, “What do you want?”

“I wanna talk with Amelia!” Jimin replied casually.

“Why?” Tara pressed further, “Isn’t it Tae whom you’re after?”

Jimin looked irritated, “Can you please give us some space for a moment?”

“What do you need a space for? I thought you had a girlfriend. Why? Aren’t you loyal?” Tara kept on going.

“Are you just going to enjoy this?” Jimin looked at me helplessly.

I simply shrugged my shoulders in reply. Jungkook came to his rescue. “Hey, Tara! Wanna know what the whole college is talking about?”

Tara’s face went red, “Jeon Jungkook, I swear I’m going to kill you if you did anything funny!” And she stormed away inside the house along with a smirking Jungkook.

“Hey…” Jimin started but I cut him in between.

“Is there anything important that you wanna say? If not, please go bother someone else.”

“You didn’t even let me start!” he pouted.

I frowned at his words, “Your pretense of being a cutie ain’t gonna help you now.”

Jimin turned serious and asked, “What’s up with you? I can’t seem to read you right. One minute you’re so into me, the next minute you won’t even look at me? Is Tae the matter?”

“Nope!” I answered truthfully, “It’s you! You’re the matter.”

“Will you at least tell me what I did wrong since the last time we met?” Jimin asked gently.

I thought for a while before saying, “Why do you even care? I’m only an inside joke between the two of you.”

Jimin started nodding his head as if he just realized something very basic, “So, Jungkook’s the matter, huh?”

“No!” I denied.

“Oh, dear!” Jimin laughed, “Do you realize how long it had been since you were in school? Seriously? Are you still holding a grudge over those silly fights you had with him? Are you still that petty?”

I huffed in annoyance, “Go on. Tell me more about what else he had told you about me.”

“Nothing but all the good times that he had with you.” Jimin said with a smile.

“Huh?”

“Amelia!” Jimin shook me by the shoulders, “Jungkook always talked about you and Tara as if you were his only friends in high school. Yeah, he mentioned the fights and all. But at the end of the day, he still considers you his friends. The time when I confessed to him about you, the only thing he said was that I was diving in for some adventure. And it wasn’t even said in a bad way. He really ships us with all his might.”

I kept blinking at him in disbelief. Surely, Jungkook wouldn’t talk all nice about us let alone calling us his friends. What is Jimin trying to do here?

At that time, Tara came out yelling at Jungkook behind her, “Grow up, rabbit faced!” 

“After you, bitch!” A boiling red Jungkook yelled back at her.

Tara took my hand and pulled me away from the house. “Just ignore him. He’s a bit upset, you know!”

“What did you say for him to act like that?” I asked.

“Nothing much!” Tara shrugged, “Just reminded him how desperate he was.”

“Desperate for what?”

In reply, Tara just let out a laugh.

< Previous || Next > (Coming Soon)

My Masterlist

Noona! Please! Help! - Part 4

Fandom: BTS Characters: Younger Brothers BTS and Elder Sister Narrator Genre: A Little Dramatic and A Little Comedic Word Count: 900+ Words Warning: Academic stress, despair etc. Note: It’s a siblings AU story of BTS with the narrator as their elder sister. I tried to write something different from what I usually write about. I had fun making this. Hope it makes you feel good too. Happy Reading Everyone :)

Summary: Her little brothers can’t attend to a single task without her help. Be it a dance competition or asking out a girl for a date, they always seem to be finding everything too hard to go through without her by their side. ‘Our lucky charm’; that’s what they like to call her. But what if she turns out to be a misfortune in different situations in one single day?

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - More to come

Goodbye, SNU...:

11:17 a.m. 1st September, 2015

Almost all the students seem to have gotten out of the exam hall already but there is no sign of Jimin. What can that mean?

"I don't think his exam went well, noona!" Yoongi quietly puts my thoughts into words.

I shake my head, "He must be talking to a friend. Jimin’s exam must go well. He prepared for it for months."

"Accidents happen, you know!" Yoongi shrugs.

Finally I see Jimin, slouching, coming out of that building all alone. My heart feels heavy. Jimin will not recover from this any time soon if something goes wrong.

Yoongi calls out, "Jiminah! Here!"

There is a moment of confusion in his face at first. Then it fades to recognition. He slowly walks towards us and gives a weak smile.

"Was it that bad?" I ask.

Jimin nods. His smile turns upside down. And the next thing we know is his eyes are wet. Jimin is crying.

I am sitting at a cafe table waiting for my two brothers to come from the washroom, wondering what life lesson the older one is teaching the younger one in his hour of despair. It does not take long. Finally, they make their way towards me.

“Everything okay, now?” I ask.

“Tolerable!” Yoongi sighs. There is a hint of annoyance in his voice.

As soon as they sit down, Jimin begins ranting about all the silly mistakes he had made. His brain was a mess during the exam time so he couldn’t concentrate properly and he had marked the number of bills and coins in South Korea to be five and four respectively whereas the answer is quite the opposite.

“C’mon, Jiminah, everyone knows that” Yoongi grunts mockingly and I glare at him to stop teasing.

I turn to Jimin and, noticing the dark circles and the sharp jawline, ask him, “Have you been properly eating and sleeping, Jiminie?”

“What?” His look was wearied. That answers my question.

I say, “Listen! What you really need is a proper meal and some sleep.” I check the watch on my wrist and calculate the amount of time still remaining before I meet up with Namjoon. “Alright! Let’s go to granma’s place and I’ll cook both of you some hearty meals.”

Driving all the way to granma’s place is tiring to some extent. It is all the more exhausting when you have a passenger talking non-stop about how terrible he’s feeling and how his life is all dark ahead of him as if not getting into SNU means that your life’s over. I understand that all the unnecessary amount of caffeine Jimin had consumed within the last few months had done little to no good to him. What surprises me more is the level of patience Yoongi has for Jimin. Because I am slowly losing my mind right now.

At last, here I am, trying to make some quick healthy lunch for me and my two little ones.

“You're home already?” The youngest enters the kitchen.

Alright. Three little ones now.

I hastily add more water and some spicy ingredients to the soup before turning to speak to Jungkook. “Yes! Just to prepare lunch. Go say hi to Yoongi and Jimin.”

“They're here?” He excitedly leaves without waiting for my answer.

The familiar sound of the boys’ laughter fills the living room. It is carried to my ears which in turns brings a smile to my lips. I prepare the dishes, pour the soup, take the kimchi out of the fridge and finally call Yoongi to help me carry them to the table.

I am surprised to not find Jimin in the dining room.

“Hyung fell asleep so I carried him to my room. He looked so tired. Didn't want to wake him up.” Jungkook informs.

“But the food will go cold when he wakes up.” I say.

Yoongi pulls the sleeve of my shirt and motions me to sit down, “it's alright. I'll just warm them up for him.”

I say, “You start eating. I’m gonna go check on him.”

Yoongi shrugs, “he’ll be alright, noona. We all do.”

I nod a little but my heart does not agree. Jimin is a perfectionist. I know how much it hurts him when he fails to meet his ambitions. And it pains me to even think how this is going to affect him. He is going to be so hard on himself from now on.

I step inside Jungkook’s almost-bare-except-for-a-bed bedroom and find Jimin snoring softly. He looks peaceful in his sleep. Almost angelic other than the fact that he has lost so much weight over the past few months so he looks kinda ill. His eyes have sunken into perfect brown circles and his jawlines look as if it can cut.

I slowly run my hand over his hair as my eyes start to prick. I wish he would stop worrying about being perfect. I wish he knew he was more than his mistakes. I wish he knew how much he is loved.

I quietly go back to eat. Luckily Yoongi and Jungkook are already immersed in a conversation about some comic books that I barely know about. After a few minutes of munching on my food in silence, my phone rings from the kitchen so I have to excuse myself. It is Namjoon.

“Noona! It's already 1:50. Are you sure you can make it in time?” I hear Namjoon's worried voice from the other side of the speaker.

“I'm leaving home right away. You wait for me a little longer. Can you do that?”

There is a moment of silence. Then Namjoon speaks, “of course, I'll wait. I ain't doing this without my lucky charm.”

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My Masterlist

Tag List:   @sophiatcha,   @lalavione1309,   @jwirecs,   @missmayaarmy,   @sarai-ibn-la-ahad,   @ayalies,   @karougirl123,   @juju-227592,   @coffeepurpleu,   @dreamerwasfound,   @wetfeline,   @phthao2406, @hoshi-is-ult-bbg, @bestloverstan,   @quixoticbittersweet,   @jwirecs-main,   @singukieee,   @l3aecon,   @bangtandoll20,   @gabcats5,   @latina-girl-18,   @kyuupidwrites  

esse tuus | pjm

esse tuus (latin) ↳ translation: to be yours

synopsis: You’ve been plagued by dreams of your boss ever since you started working for him to the point where you’re unable to “play” with anybody else. Frustration and possible lack of sleep has you feeling lethargic, to a point where you find yourself falling asleep at work, but little do you know that someone is behind it all.

part of the dulce somnii universe.

pairing: jimin x reader

wc: 9.8k

genre/au/rating: 18+ | incubus, office au, f2l | S, F

warnings: minor descriptions of injury, oral (f. receiving), fingering, heaps of feelings, orgasm denial/delay, sex dreams? name-calling, degradation, praise kink

lil note: happy birthday jimin <3 and happy halloween!

listening to: serendipity

m.list | ao3

The night sky only darkens with the evidence of rain. With most of its denizens asleep, the city winds down quietly while it waits for the storm to pass. Two men stand in the middle of the downpour, two sets of eyes staring at the same window – the third-floor apartment belonging to a woman, the only one awake in the otherwise quiet night. They’re silent, waiting with bated breath for the lights to turn off, so that no one could listen into their conversation, despite them surrounded by a powerful aura that shrouds their identities while wicking away the rain to keep their coats dry. As they say, you can’t be too careful when the walls have ears.

When the final inhabitant of the city surrenders to the call of sleep, their conversation begins.

“That’s her.” It isn’t a question, but Jimin nods in confirmation. “How long?” his companion asks, his deep voice clear despite the thundering stampede of rain colliding with the asphalt around them.

“Ever since I’ve known her,” Jimin replies wistfully. “Five years now.”

“I mean, aren’t you the same way? Isn’t that why you haven’t changed your form in nearly two years now?” he questions his tall companion curiously. “Surely that girl you were toying with is under your control by now, right? Why not move on to a different target, Tae?”

Taehyung doesn’t answer him immediately, the glare he throws at Jimin a sufficient reply. “It’s different,” he sighs after a heartbeat. “I don’t love her; I just need her to feed – to survive.”

“Bullshit,” Jimin counters with a roll of his eyes. “Pretend all you want, but you can’t fool me. I know the way you talk about her when you’re drunk.”

“It’s different,” Taehyung insists with a growl. Seizing Jimin’s shoulders, Taehyung’s golden eyes glint with irritation under the dim streetlight. “Because I’m not willing to give up my life for her… Unlike you,” he spits as he shakes his head. “I want you to think carefully about this. Are you sure you’re willing to give up your immortality, and eventually your powers, for a mere mortal?”

Jimin laughs, loud enough that it would normally wake everyone in the neighbourhood, but his powers have given him a gift of anonymity, so the sound is merely carried away by the wind. Instead of staring into the gilded eyes of his friend that mirrors the storm around them, he looks up at the darkened room again.

With a graceful smile, he peels Taehyung’s hands away from his shoulders before turning away to leave, away from this dreaded weather. Indifferent about whether Taehyung could hear him, Jimin’s ruby eyes twinkle as he grins, “Oh, I have never been surer.”

---

You’re not sure when the dreams started, but it was shortly after you started working under the new CEO, Park Jimin. They weren’t so frequent before, maybe happening about once or twice every couple of months with you recollecting bits and pieces come morning. Now, not only were the dreams occurring nightly, you’re left with an uncomfortable mess in the morning – made evident by the growing wet puddle soaking your sheets, but also the way you can no longer look at your boss without heat flaming your cheeks.

When you confide your issue with a good friend of yours, she only gave you a weird look, telling you that the dreams were attributed to the fact that: (a) your boss is fine as hell; and (b) the stress that’s been accumulating with the mountain of tasks he’s assigned to you.

“If you want my opinion, I think you just need to get laid,” Jessie scoffs with a roll of her eyes.

Heeding her advice, you donned on your battle armour that consisted of a dark-red dress with a plunging neckline. You’ve been blessed that night with an array of beautiful men who vied for your attention, but even after deciding to go home with the mysterious soft-spoken one whose arm was covered in tattoos, you couldn’t go through with it.

It’s not that he was bad in bed either. The raven-haired boy had kissed you like there was no tomorrow, sending your nerves aflame as you reciprocated his passion. But, as you closed your eyes in pleasure when he laid you down on his bed, his visage was replaced by a certain blonde CEO. And the wonderful night that seemed so promising ended up with you apologizing profusely in embarrassment before speeding away from the mystery man’s apartment at 2am.

Rain has graced the earth more often lately, so by the time you reach your apartment in the outskirts of the city, you’re drenched, adding another tick of irritation to the already shitty night. After you finished towelling your hair dry, you decided that it’s time to sleep, and when you drifted into the abyssal darkness, you hoped that your dreams weren’t plagued by a familiar swoop of blonde hair.

---

The room spins as you attempt to make sense of your surroundings. There’s a hand on your shoulder that shakes you gently, but try as you might, the pounding in your head makes it impossible for you to keep your eyes open long enough to distinguish its owner.

“Breathe,” says a familiar voice. “It’ll go away if you just breathe.”

You do as the voice suggests, inhaling deeply while screwing your eyes shut, in hopes that it will drown out the ringing in your ears. Something soft glides across your eyelids and like magic, silence returns, a trusty companion.

Gingerly, you open an eye before wincing at the harsh fluorescent light. You blink a few times to allow your eyes to adjust to the brightness before finding yourself in the file room of your office, with steel shelves stacked with various kinds of blue binders, each containing reports of the company’s financial burdens and achievements through the years.

And in front of you, tie askew and flushed in the face, is your boss; the one and only Park Jimin.

He has you pressed up against a file cabinet, caging your body between two strong arms, white sleeves rolled to the elbows. You notice the hint of ink on the corner of your eye – a 13 on his wrist. You open your mouth to ask him about its significance, only to close it back up when his face looms closer.

Before your brain has a chance to register what’s happening, Park Jimin kisses you.

He kisses you with urgency, but not with haste – undoing you with every sweep of his plush lips against yours.

Though it takes you a moment, you pull him closer by his tie, earning you the familiar quiet chuckle that speeds your heart rate, and you too, kiss him back with fervour. Even when the inches between your bodies fall to zero, you want him to be closer still. And when he parts, you feel the ache of being torn apart. Your hands fall to his chest, the desire to rip the buttons off his white dress-shirt grows stronger with every second that passes as you study the swell of his lips, wet with saliva, glinting in the light.

“Do it.”

It takes you a second to register his words, but when your brain deciphers his meaning, your hands tighten their grip, wrinkling the white cotton fabric. With a heavy inhale, you yank. The buttons don’t fly off and clatter to the ground like in movies, but your strength did cause a few to strain against their threads. You run your hands down the expanse of Jimin’s chest as he shivers under your touch. You look up to see a marvel stand before you; one where his eyes are closed, and pretty mouth slightly parted to accommodate his staccato breathing.

“Kiss me.” Your words seem to be carried away with the hum of air conditioning, but before you have a chance to repeat yourself, Jimin slams into you, tangling his hand in your hair to tighten the hold he has on your head.

The cabinet clatters as he pairs the kisses with a buck of his hips, dragging his clothed erection up to your core; and you moan, your voice foreign in your own ears. You beg him for more as his nose trails the column of your throat, your own impatient hands fumbling to unbuckle his belt.

“Patience, my dear,” Jimin chides playfully. He puts a stop to your unsuccessful efforts by claiming your hands, kissing the knuckles with a smirk. You’re left stricken when his eyes meet yours, hypnotized by the ruby irises that stare deep into your soul.

“Your eyes… Were they… always that colour?” you mumble with a tongue that weighs like lead, but the fog descends on your mind again, rendering you incapable of speech.

“Ah!” you screech. The sudden high-pitch ring returns to block your senses and you cover your ears tightly to try and shake it off. From the din, you hear Jimin call your name desperately, but the pain is too great, and soon, you’re unable to see as a bright light consumes your vision—

Until you sense the same gentle swipe against your closed lids and the searing pain disappears, as though you imagined it all. When you open your eyes again, Jimin’s frowning. You try to remember the last few moments before the pain, only to draw a blank. Have you done something to upset him?

“Are you okay?” There’s a thin sheen of sweat above his brows and you reach out to wipe it away with your sleeve.

“I am,” he whispers despite the obviously pained smile. “But what were you saying?”

“Hm? I only asked if you were okay, sir,” you say hesitantly. Jimin’s acting strangely, ruby irises scouring your face desperately for an answer, but you’re not sure you know the questions to the test he’s given you.

“You were about to say something about my eyes,” he says slowly, evenly, like he’s explaining something to a child.

Your brows furrow. “I was?”

Jimin nods.

“I… don’t remember,” you admit with a shake of your head. Blinking at him now, you wonder why you would make such a comment – if you did. There isn’t anything wrong with his eyes. They’re the usual ruby red, flashing brightly against the light… right?

Yet, you can’t shed the nagging tug, the insistent voice in your brain that’s telling you that something’s wrong, but just as the low throb begins again, Jimin smiles sweetly, like he always does, and you feel at ease. A gentle brush of his knuckles against your cheek silences the part of your brain that’s trying to rationalize everything.

And when his lips return to glide against yours, you don’t remember what it was you were worried about.

“Oh—” You gasp into the kiss as his hand trails shapes on the skin of your thighs. Jimin takes the opportunity to kiss you deeper, swiping his tongue over your own. While you tangle your fingers in his hair, he hikes up your skirt and cups his hand over your pussy before he grinds your clit with the heel of his palm.

“Jimin—” Your fingers dig into his neck as you roll your hips into his hand. All of it is too little and too much, you’re unravelling too quickly – burning like a comet as you hurtle into his atmosphere.

Yet Jimin doesn’t stop, refuses to comply though you sob for his fingers; his cock; anything – to satiate the unbearable need to be filled. You claw at his arms, unable to fret over the long red lines you draw across the expanse of his skin. And just when you think you can no longer hang on, Jimin stops, a regretful smile on his face.

“What a shame. That’s all the time we have for now.”

---

“Holy shit!”

You’re up immediately, Jimin’s words still ringing in your ear. You swear you could still feel his hot breath against your skin, as though he was here the night before, but the absence of a warm body next to you signifies that last night was all but a dream.

Yet… it was so much more real than the ones prior.

Usually, you’d wake up recalling just the barest of details: Jimin’s lips curling into a smile or the way he’d coo your name as he draws patterns on your skin. But this time… you remembered everything; your mind highlighting every mole on his perfect porcelain face.

You wanted nothing more than to soothe the ache from between your legs but glancing at the wall clock on the opposite end of your bed suggests that you won’t have time to bring out Mr. Rabbit to play, considering that you have about 15 minutes to get ready before you miss the bus. With a regretful sigh, you left the warm comfort of your bed to brave the day.

---

“Good morning!”

Despite the enthusiastic chatter you’re engaging with your co-workers, you feel anything but. You’re still reeling from the dream, unable to stop recalling the way Jimin’s cool fingers brush against your blazing skin. You leave the pantry with a steaming cup of coffee and a heaving sigh before settling down to work.

Your calendar is full of reds and greens, indicating meetings that Jimin must attend and the ones you must attend with him respectively. A secretary to the CEO is a task that would normally require two people, but ever since your partner left, you’ve been left to work the pace of two people. Though Jimin has suggested that you hire a second person, you have refused, claiming that you’re saving the company resources since you’re capable of doing the tasks just fine on your own. Being so close to Jimin fills you with pride, especially knowing how much he relies on you to keep things running smoothly.

Fortunately, it also comes with you receiving a significant raise, much more than what you’d originally entered with. You have no doubt Jimin is to thank for that, having convinced the Chairman in a meeting to renegotiate the contract. Speaking of your boss, the time on the lower right corner of your screen indicates that he’s late – something that has never happened before in your five years of working together.

Just as your thumb hovers over the green call button, Jimin enters with a brilliant smile, greeting everyone and asking about their weekend. You’re almost annoyed at the way he nonchalantly enters through the door, acting like it doesn’t matter that he’s a few minutes late just because he’s the boss, but mostly because it isn’t fair that he’s doing just fine when you’re left stunned in your shoes; the memories of the dream lingering in the forefront of your mind when your gaze drops to his hands.

You snap to attention as he approaches, slipping on a mask of professionalism as you greet him. “Good morning, Mr. Park. You have a nine o’clock this morning and another one at eleven. Should I bring you the coffee now or in a little bit?”

As Jimin enters his office, he gives you a noncommittal hum, so you follow him inside and close the door behind you, sensing that there’s something in his mind.

“That skirt looks good on you,” he praises with a smile before settling in his desk.

You’re left momentarily speechless, surprised at the sudden compliment. You nod your head in thanks, one Jimin returns with another quirk of his lips. As you stand there in silence as he pulls up his laptop, you allow yourself to admire Jimin in the morning light.

You’d be remiss to say that he isn’t handsome. Everyone in the office, including yourself, may have pined for the young CEO’s attention once or twice since his arrival a few years ago, but you don’t delude yourself into thinking that the harmless banter between you was anything more than friendship. However, it’s moments like these, where he’d catch you off guard with his compliments, that has your heart thumping a little bit faster in response to his honeyed words.

He says your name with a chuckle. “Have I lost you already?” he smiles. You clear your throat and shake your head, stumbling out apologies for daydreaming at work, but Jimin only smiles wider, drumming his fingers on the oak table below.

“Please tell me if you’re not feeling well. Don’t make me worry,” he nags lightly.

You force a bright smile to hide your embarrassment. “I’m feeling just fine, Mr. Park. Better than ever,” you reassure him. “Sorry for spacing out, what were you saying?”

You catch the slight frown on his pouty lips and the strange shadow that flickers in his eyes, the obsidian melting into soft earth under the sun—

Wait a minute.

“Were your eyes always brown?” you blurt out, tilting your head to the side.

Jimin blinks in surprise, lips parted as he inhales sharply at your question. “I’m… sorry?” he mutters incredulously.

Silence.

There’s a creeping feeling of déjà vu as you’re unable to tear your eyes away from his. Something is amiss in this image in front of you, but you haven’t figured it out just yet.

Then, a chuckle, though it sounds strained and airy as Jimin breaks through your thoughts. “Of course, my eyes are brown. What other colours could they possibly be?”

An unpleasant fog descends on your mind, and you close your eyes momentarily to see if it’ll go away. When it doesn’t, your heart increases its speed instead, you offer him a pinched smile before turning to leave. You’re more tired than usual it seems, standing is starting to become impossible. You hope that a few hours of sitting at your desk would make you feel better.

“Right. Of course. My apologies, sir. Well, if you’ll excuse me…”

Just as you turn around to grab the handle of the door, your vision turns hazy, the images blurring together like remnants from your dreams. You try to blink through the fog, but the more you attempt to push through, the heavier your lids fall. Whatever Jimin is muttering is muffled in your ears, the language sounding foreign like he’s communicating underwater. When you turn around and see him stand, approaching your helpless swaying figure, he’s nothing more than a dark silhouette.

Before you descend into darkness, you think you saw a pair of ruby eyes and a voice, so full of regret, whispers in your ear.

“Sleep now, you’ll feel better when you wake up. I promise.”

---

When you finally blink awake, there’s a black jacket covering your body. It takes you a few seconds to register that you’re lying on a semi-familiar sectional, and you scramble to stand when you recognize the numerous awards decorating the wall in front of you.

The sun casts hues of oranges and yellow from the large window into Jimin’s office and you watch in horror as the door opens to reveal your boss walking inside with a mug in hand.

“Mr. Park! I…” You don’t have an excuse ready for what happened: how you dozed off on his couch for an entire workday.

Jimin holds up a hand to stop your floundering speech. Instead of fury, worry exists in the lines of his brows as he approaches your seated figure. “You should have told me that you weren’t feeling well,” he murmurs gently as he hands you the mug of steaming hot tea. “I’m sorry. I really should have hired a new partner for you when Soyoung quit.”

“N-No. Not at all. I’m sorry for making you worry.”

To your pleasant surprise, he smiles. “No, please. Don’t apologize. As your manager, I’m taking responsibility for going against the company policy. Your job is meant for two people, and though you’ve done a stellar job so far, this only proves that we need to hire someone else.”

Jimin wouldn’t dig at your work ethic like that, you know it better than anyone that it wasn’t what he meant, but you still feel like you disappointed him. You let your heart sink for a few minutes before picking it back up, a new fire of ambition surging behind your eyes. “Mr. Park, if I may be so bold, today is an anomaly. You’ve said yourself that I’ve done a stellar job, so please…”

“Why are you so intent on doing this by yourself?”

Okay, so maybe the teensy crush you’ve developed for him hasn’t fully gone away. You can’t answer his question without revealing your secret, so you merely repeat ‘Please’ with your head bowed.

Silence stifles the air around you as Jimin thinks. “All right, fine,” he says with a reluctant sigh, though his lips quirk into a smile at your insistence. “But please tell me if you start feeling unwell again. Seriously, it’s better you stay home than coming to work sick.”

“Thank you,” you beam gratefully at him before taking a sip at your tea. It tastes pleasant, despite you not being able to pinpoint the flavour. Chamomile maybe? As you finish the last sip, you stand and make your way outside, intent on staying late to catch up on all the work you’ve missed today.

You relay as much to Jimin, but he stops you as you open the door to his office. “Would you do me a favour and grab these files from the file room?” he asks as he hands you a sticky note filled with corresponding dates and numbers. “Now would be preferable, but I’m not leaving any time soon. Oh, and be careful. I think a few of them are placed on the higher shelves.”

His warning falls on deaf ears as you scrutinize the numbers on the note. Strange. Why was he looking for records all the way back to when the company was founded? Figuring that it isn’t your problem, you promise that you’ll bring him the documents in a bit…

Which turns out to be the biggest promise you regret making thus far.

“Ow…” you whimper.

Your ankle stings where you had landed on it, having failed to grab the last file you need, which just so happens to also be placed at the highest shelf. The step ladder you used to reach it wasn’t tall enough, and despite standing on your tiptoes, your fingers barely graze the bottom of the folder. Your fate was sealed when your distracted brain started thinking about the dream you had the night before.

When you attempt to stand to clean the mess you’ve made, gravity pulls you back down when your injured leg is unable to support your weight. Now, you’re sitting on the ground littered with papers, unable to call anyone for help with the shitty cell service in the file room.

Tears well up in your eyes when you think of your sorry state. Would Jimin fire you for your incompetence? Probably not, but it’s been an embarrassing day so far, especially since you spent most of it dozing off on his office couch that’s usually reserved for his guests. You wonder how he fared with all his meetings that you couldn’t attend with him – what sorts of excuses had he come up with when they asked where you were?

“God, I’m pathetic.”

Just as you’re wallowing in your self-pity, the door to the file room opens and you spy Jimin’s blonde hair between the empty shelves.

“Over here,” you answer pitifully when he calls your name.

You can almost see the comically large, pulsing angry symbol as he frowns at your slumped figure.

“I told you to be careful!” he grumbles as he surveys your foot. You cry out when his fingers graze at the ankle, the tears you’ve been holding onto slipping away down your cheeks. Jimin’s eyes soften at your whimpers, and with a gentleness you didn’t know he possesses at the moment; he wipes away your tears with his thumb. “Don’t cry. It’s not broken,” he whispers reassuringly. “It’s a little swollen, but I promise you’re going to be better in the morning. Can you stand?”

You shake your head, hiccupping a ‘No’.

“Okay, put your arms around my neck. Yep. Just like that. Now, hold on,” he instructs before lifting you up.

“W-Wait,” you protest as he carries you in the direction of his office. “Aren’t I heavy?”

You could feel the rumbling of his laughter with your cheek pressed against his chest. He chuckles as though you couldn’t have asked a sillier question. “Of course not. You weigh nothing more than a couple of grapes.”

You pray gratefully to whatever deity can hear you because when he turns around the corner, the office is otherwise empty, save for the janitor that has his back turned. Your cheeks are so heated that you plant your face further into his chest, refusing to look at your surroundings. You stopped wondering if Jimin could hear the manic pounding of your heart when you hear his, and you carry that secret with you until you hear the door click shut.

---

Jimin rests you gently on his desk before retrieving a first aid kid from your desk outside of his office. He’s gentle as he examines your foot, taking care not to move it around too much and risk injuring it further.

“Okay, you’re definitely good, but make sure to ice it when you get home, okay? And please call into work if you can’t move tomorrow. I have faith that you absolutely can do your job from home,” he smiles confidently.

True to his word, the sharp pain has since ebbed into a dull throb as you twist your ankle around. Perhaps if you stayed in the file room longer, you wouldn’t have risked embarrassing yourself in front of Jimin, but you won’t lie – you enjoyed being wrapped up in his arms as he carried you into his office.

“Thank you,” you mumble, shifting forward to stand.

“Nuh-uh,” Jimin tuts, stopping you in your tracks with a gentle nudge on your shoulder. “That doesn’t mean you’re good to go anywhere, missy. You’re staying here until I finish my work so I can drive you home.”

“But…” you protest, only to have the words die in your throat when he shakes his head firmly. Relenting to his decision, you agree. “Only if I can buy dinner,” you persuade.

“Deal,” Jimin replies with a grin.

---

When the food arrives, you’re mostly done with catching up with your tasks, having worked through most of the evening in silence after Jimin retrieved your laptop from your desk. You didn’t realize you were starving until he returned with a giant white plastic bag’s worth of food. You weren’t sure what he’d like, so you got one of everything, allowing yourself to splurge a little bit after he took care of you that afternoon. Hell, the entire day.

“God, I’m starving,” you comment, closing your laptop to place it on the coffee table in front of you.

Your stomach grumbles louder with each plastic container Jimin opens, the smell of spices mingling deliciously in the air.

“I don’t even know where to start,” he grins, tapping on the plastic plate that was provided in your massive order. “Do you want me to bring the food over to you or can you stand?”

You test your ankle a few times by standing slowly, making sure to put most of your weight on the other leg. Finding your balance is a little tricky, but you’re happy to report that you’re able to at least hobble over to his desk without any chance of falling.

“Careful…” he mumbles as he watches you, arms outstretched as if he’s ready to catch you should you slip and fall. You have no doubt that Jimin would be able to do it too.

“See, I’m fine?” you grin with a roll of your eyes, scooping out some rice and every other side dish that catches your eye.

Jimin joins you on the couch, a hand holding his large stack of food while the other hovers over your elbow despite your protests. As you settled in and began eating, it’s only then that you realized how, dare you say, intimate this was. Of course, you’ve had plenty of company related outings where you end up in a restaurant with just Jimin, but that’s mostly during the day. And here, in his office so late in the evening, the surroundings are akin to a candle-lit dinner, especially since he decided to turn all the lights off aside from his sole table lamp, casting dancing shadows on his face that make your insides flop around while you attempt to focus on your plate instead of his gorgeous face.

When the rest of your dinner has been put away, you’re now left with a limbo in your schedule. On one hand, it’s approaching 9pm, and you still have work tomorrow, so you really should get going, but watching Jimin settle back into his chair, round glasses perched on his nose as he returned to his tasks, you’re reluctant to part from him.

“Do you normally work this late, sir?”

You weren’t paying attention when he had taken off his tie and unbuttoned the first few buttons of his shirt, but right now, with the sliver of skin on his chest exposed, he doesn’t look like the CEO you’ve worked under for several years now. In fact, you’re reminded just then that you’re about the same age, still relatively young and fresh-faced, and surely the hours he put in outside of work is the reason why he’s able to attain this prestigious title today. Jimin doesn’t reply to your question right away, mumbling a ‘one moment’ under his breath as he types.

“I don’t normally stay this late,” he sighs, rubbing his eyes underneath his glasses. “But a certain secretary of mine decided to play Sleeping Beauty on me today, so I have a bit more work that needs to be done.”

You open your mouth to apologize, but you’re cut off by his boyish grin. “I’m just kidding,” he teases with a wink.

“Well, umm, I should probably clean up the files since I’m mostly done with what I have to do for tomorrow,” you mutter sheepishly.

“Sure, don’t get hurt this time, all right?”

“That’s cold, sir,” you pout at his teasing grin. “My ankle is still a bit numb from the pain.”

You leave Jimin’s office accompanied by the sound of his sweet laughter, and when the door closes shut behind you, you can’t help but lean against it for a moment, smiling to yourself.

---

You spend way too long picking up the scattered papers from the floor due to your earlier injury. By the time you are done, Jimin appears, peeking his head in to ask how you’re doing. You gesture at the stacks of folders on the nearby table in triumph, proud that you were able to complete such a task.

“Colour me impressed.” Jimin examines the stack of folders in admiration, praising you for a job well done.

“Thank you, but this was the least I could do after making such a mess.”

He hums as he surveys the stack, flipping through the first few pages before placing them back down. “I’ll help you carry these upstairs. I wouldn’t want to be sued for negligence,” he chuckles as he picks up a stack.

Ever considerate, Jimin left you a stack to carry by yourself, so you don’t feel useless. You can only grin as you follow him into the elevators (and you may have stolen a few more glances than usual while you were waiting).

“Ah, look how late it’s gotten,” Jimin comments when the two of you reach his office. The old grandfather clock he keeps in there rings eleven times, but despite the lateness of the evening, you’ve yet to feel tired.

After placing your stack of folders onto his desk, you approach the clock out of curiosity. It stands out of place in the modern-looking office, the ornate swirls on the wood a great contrast to most of the sleek black furniture. It’s the first thing you notice when you first meet Jimin in the office all those years ago. You never had a chance to ask him what it’s about despite being so close… and you realize that tonight was a rare occasion for you to satiate that curiosity of yours.

Your fingers trace the swan etched on the side of the clock, admiring the way it comes alive in the wood, wings spread out as though it’s about to take flight in front of you. “What’s the story about this clock? It looks older than I am.”

Jimin looks up from where he sits, gazing warmly at your profile while you play with a relic from his past. “Oh, him?” he smiles fondly, leaning back on his chair. “He’s been with me for over 200 years or so? I’m surprised he still works, to be honest.”

You can only gape in surprise. “You mean this clock has been in your family for over 200 years?”

A shadow passes over Jimin’s face. “…Not quite,” he mutters, though he’s not sure you heard him. “Anyway, he’s given to me by a friend. It’s the only furniture I carry with me from my house every time I get a grand office to myself,” he gestures at the room, splaying his arms wide.

Your fondness for him grows as he talks wistfully about the clock like it's alive. It suits him, you think, how he treats everyone with such kindness, you’re not surprised that it extends to objects as well. Turning back to face the clock, you sigh, knowing that it probably is time for you to leave if you don’t want to risk being late tomorrow morning.

“Well, if there’s nothing else, sir, I think I’ll get going now.”

Jimin looks at the clock and nods, and to your surprise, he stands up from his desk, placing his glasses on top of his keyboard before offering an arm towards you. “All right, I’ll walk you to your car. It’s awfully late and I don’t want anything to happen to my favourite secretary.”

The compliment makes you laugh, butterflies threatening to burst from your stomach. “I believe I’m your only secretary, sir.”

“Ah, I meant what I said,” he winks.

Just as you’re crossing the threshold of his office, your heels catch on the edge of his rug, sending you tumbling forward with a yelp. You expect your flailing arms to catch yourself when you hit the floor, but the impact never comes because Jimin’s suddenly right there, strong arms holding your waist as his eyes expand in shock.

“Are you all right!?” he half-shouts. “You really should be more careful!”

You can barely listen to his nagging because your hands are pressed on his sculpted chest, a sliver of skin peeking through from where he undid the first two buttons of his dress shirt. Your breath hitches in your throat as you graze the heated skin with your fingertips, and you hear Jimin inhale sharply – whatever words he was uttering caught in his throat as he zeroes in on your hands.

He whispers your name oh-so quietly, caressing every syllable with his tongue, and you slowly bring your eyes to his face. Jimin traps you in his hypnotizing gaze, never letting you break away, not even when your heart pounds so loudly against your ribcage, you’re sure it’s about to breakthrough; not even when your breaths turn into shallow staccatos, your head beginning to swim from the lack of oxygen. You can sense the strong emotion that rests behind those knowing eyes, and as you continue to stare, you wonder if it matches the one you hold in yours.

“Why do you look at me like that?” you murmur.

“Like what?”

“Like you want to kiss me?” You didn’t mean to make it sound like a question, but your voice catches in your throat when Jimin leans in, his eyes drooping close.

“Do you want me to kiss you?” he whispers, lips ghosting over yours, faces merely inches apart.

“Yes.”

The breathless affirmation barely left you when Jimin attaches his lips to yours, kissing you with the same urgency that you’ve felt in your dreams, only this time it’s real. One of his hands travel from your waist to cup the side of your face, his thumb swiping against your cheek. He catches the bottom of your lip with his teeth, tugging it lightly to make you moan against his hold.

“You have no idea how long I’ve waited for this,” he rasps into your skin as he undoes your blouse. “To touch you; to kiss you this way… You’ll be the death of me.” Every word is punctuated with a searing kiss, his lips setting your skin ablaze when he passes by your neck, your jaw, your collarbone.

“Ah—Jimin,” you gasp, tugging the ends of his blonde locks as you wrap your legs around his waist.

Jimin lifts you up with little effort, his mouth never leaving your neck until he sets you down gently on his desk; his things thrown haphazardly on the floor below with a sweep of his arm.

“Beautiful,” he mumbles at your half-naked state. His thumb swipes over a pebbled nipple, causing you to arch your back with a whimper. He lets his nail scratch gently along the sides of your breasts, almost absentmindedly, while he watches your reactions with amusement. “Would you let me see all of you?”

All you can muster is a breathy ‘Please’.

You help him remove the remainders of your clothing to join the mess on the floor, your body shivering as you lay naked on his desk. Jimin hums as he traces your curves with the palm of his hand, until he reaches the apex of your thighs. “Let me take care of you first, yeah?”

With wide eyes, you watch him sink to the floor while his strong hands push your legs apart to reveal your glistening slit. Jimin breathes in deeply as he kisses along your thighs, his lips leaving a trail of reminders before he dives in.

“Jimin…” you whimper as he drags the flat of his tongue along your folds.

Jimin notices the way your spine locks in place when he repeats the action. “Relax for me, sweetheart. I got you.” A hand reaches out from below to intertwine with yours and he gives you a firm squeeze before resuming his task.

He starts out slow – dragging the flat of his tongue across your folds while his remaining hand circles around your entrance. You’re left shaking where you lay, unable to connect your thoughts together to stammer out a coherent sentence. All that’s left in your brain is his name, increasingly becoming permanent with every second that goes by.

When he feels your body relax underneath him, Jimin prods your entrance with his tongue, sinking in and out of your hole as you pulse around him before he replaces it with a finger, and then two. You hiss at the slight burn, squeezing the hand you’re holding into a tight grip.

“Relax,” he reminds you gently, swiping his thumb across your pale knuckles. “Focus on nothing else but me.”

“More…” you mewl, shivering under his grip. “Praise me more.”

Jimin chuckles, shaking his head in disbelief. Instead of a sassy remark, you receive the soothing lilt in his voice. “Good girl,” he whispers. “My good girl. You’re doing so well; look at this cunt greedily sucking me in.”

You’re lavished in praise, though his voice shifts into a deep growl with every coax of his fingers inside you. And when his thumb swipes across your clit, the tight tether you held onto slowly unravels.

“Are you close, sweetheart? God, you’re really tight,” he hisses before replacing his thumb with his mouth. “You’re gonna be a good girl and cum on my fingers, right?”

“Yes,” you breathe, burning like a thousand suns under his attention. “I’m so close!”

“Let go for me. I’m right here,” Jimin reassures you in whispers before silencing himself with your taste.

“Jimin!”

You think you screamed, but you can’t be too sure, not when your body is pulled apart and pieced together as you come undone before him. You’ve never had an orgasm like this – a great abyss threatening to pull you under as the waves slams against your wavering figure repeatedly. Through it all, Jimin drinks your essence, his sleeves soaked through as he continues to thrust into your walls.

“I can’t—not anymore,” you protest weakly.

“You can and you will. You’re my good girl, aren’t you?” Your feeble attempts to push his head away stop at his emphasis. “That’s it,” Jimin praises as your hand returns to your side before planting a series of kisses along your folds, “Just relax one more time for me, okay?”

Jimin is by no means gentle this time around, slipping a third finger inside before increasing his pace. His once sweet words morph into growls laced with passion, washing your body aflame with desire. “God, you’re so fucking tight. This tiny cunt can barely fit my fingers, I’m not certain you’ll be able to fit all of me inside,” he grunts. “Do you think you can handle the stretch?”

You can barely keep your eyes open through his taunts, your mind spiralling out of control as you focus on the pleasure derived from his fingers. The answer you give him is intelligible, a choked whine of his name in place of agreement.

“Oh?” Jimin lifts an eyebrow at your state. “Too fucked out to talk already? I’ve barely started,” he chuckles. “What’s wrong, baby?” In his dangerously low voice, the otherwise cute pet name sounds demeaning. “Are my fingers too much for you?”

He tuts in disapproval when a beat lapses without a coherent response. Then, like sweet torture, his pace switches into a snail’s crawl. “I don’t know if you can take me in if you’re this out of it with just my fingers. Squeeze my hand once if you want to continue. Twice if you want to stop.”

“No!” The protest you utter is whiny and grating to your ears, and your attempt to sit up fails when your body refuses to peel itself away from his desk. “Don’t stop, please? So close.” That was… barely a sentence, but you beg silently that it does the job. Remembering his request, you squeeze the hand you’re holding once to reassure him.

Jimin smiles at your resilience. “Okay, but we’ll go slow this time. Ah, ah,” he tuts when you begin to whine. “Slow or not at all. Your choice.”

You grit your teeth at the illusion of choice, but the pace he’s set doesn’t seem so bad at all. With a great sigh, you relent to his wishes. “Slow,” you whisper. “We can go slow. I promise I’ll be good, sir.”

“Sir?” he muses with a raised brow. “Hmm… Well, I do like the sound of that. And what about you? Do you like ‘sweetheart’,” he plants a kiss on your thigh. You shiver. “…’baby’,” another kiss, this time higher, “…’pet’?” Jimin replaces his fingers with his mouth as he makes out with your cunt, his tongue slipping in and out of your pulsing hole. Face soaked with your arousal; he returns his fingers in their rightful place, eyes glinting with mischief as he fucks you slowly. “Or maybe, you prefer something harsher… how about ‘slut’?” Jimin attaches his mouth on your clit, grazing the nub ever-so-gently with his teeth.

Your gasp slips into a moan at the spine-chilling sensation, your eyes rolling back. “Love it—ah! Call me whatever you w-want.”

“My good, pretty slut. So turned on she’s making a mess all over my desk. I’m sure the smell will linger for days,” he chuckles into your skin. “Oh, look at you, clenching hard around my fingers. You like the thought of me walking inside my office tomorrow and thinking of you, huh? I’ve always known you were territorial. Isn’t that why you won’t let me hire a partner for you? Staking your claim as the only person that always has access to me?” At your subtle nod, his smile widens into a mischievous grin. “Looks like I was wrong about you being good. You’re a naughty thing, aren’t you?”

Jimin couldn’t help the taunts coming out from his mouth, the true nature of his being – the need to corrupt – showing itself through the cracks in the control he wields. And you… so responsive, beyond anything he’s ever imagined. Your body is so sensitive that it doesn’t require him to use his powers at all. Maybe the dreams he’s been poisoning you with have taken affect. The thought saddens him somehow. Could this not have happened without the use of his powers after all? Was he nothing without them?

Caught in his thoughts, Jimin doesn’t realize the stutter in his movements. He’s about to apologize when you interrupt him, as you assume that it’s your fault for not responding to his questions. “Sir, please! I swear I’m a good girl. Please don’t stop… I’m so close.”

His spirits lift at the sight of you mewling before him, your body jumping with every crook of his fingers inside. No, he thinks, it’s time for him to focus on you and nothing else, resonating with his earlier advice. He releases a little bit of his power, letting it mingle with the air to heighten your senses. “If you’re so good, cum for me then,” he breathes, drowning you in praise and kisses along your heated skin. “One more time. Let me hear you call my name one more time.”

“Jimin—” you obey, breathless and shaking. “Jimin.”

His name is a prayer etched upon your lips and with every inhale, Jimin’s unaware of the mark he’s left, not just riddled along your skin, but at the very core of your heart. This time, when you come undone, it’s with a blazing inferno, your body calling out to your release and a strong desire for him to be yours.

“That’s it. Let go.”

So, you do. With your heart trapped in your throat, pounding along to the tune of his fingers; with your nails scratching the back of his hand that you’ve held through the entire duration; and with all your adoration, pouring out from every crevice you didn’t know existed in your body.

This time, when you beg him to stop, Jimin listens. He stands to claim your lips sweetly, engulfing them with his, a slow kindling in comparison to before. Your eyes can barely open, but when you manage to peek, you see the knot of concentration resting on his brows. The smile finds its way into the kiss, one that Jimin reciprocates. It doesn’t matter that you can taste your saltiness on his tongue, because all that exists now is Jimin.

Jimin, your attentive boss, who’s always had his team’s best interest in mind.

Jimin, the harmless flirt, who reminds you every day that you’re beautiful when he catches you staring at your reflection in the mirror with a cocky grin.

Jimin, colleague, friend, and hopefully lover.

You intertwine your arms around his neck to pull him deeper, closer, until there’s not an inch of air between your bodies. What you’re doing hardly constitutes as kissing – lips gliding across each other. Exhaustion seeps into your bones, making them heavier than before. When you part, there’s beautiful silence, a serenity created from unspoken words, though there’s a quiet certainty that both parties feel the same way despite their unshared feelings.

“Jimin, I…” you begin to whisper, the confession sitting idly on your tongue. Your lids are heavy, refusing to open despite your desire to see his face. “That was incredible.”

Jimin nuzzles his face on the crook of your neck, breathing you in, sweat and all. “Satisfied?”

You chuckle breathlessly, a shaky hand absentmindedly playing with his hand. “I don’t know if I can stand, injury aside. I’m pretty sure my legs are wobbly.”

“I can always carry you to your car,” he hums. “Better yet, let me take you home.”

“I’d like that very much.”

Jimin helps you up with a firm hand on your back before handing you the clothes he threw earlier on the floor. When your hands are too shaky to loop the buttons of your blouse, he chuckles and takes over, so you take the time to admire his beauty – at the now-messy blonde hair that frames the sides of his face, a complete disarray compared to his normal slicked-back look; at his cheeks, dotted crimson from exertion; and all the way to the satisfied smirk resting on that perfect pout. Oh, you can kiss him all day.

Naturally, your gaze gravitates to his eyes, and you smile when you notice his expanded pupils, how they almost engulf the crimson of his irises that they’re almost black.

…Crimson?

Your hand wraps around his wrist to stop his current task while your eyes search his face for an explanation.

At the death grip circling around his wrists, he stares into your wide eyes with confusion. “Is there something on my face?”

“Red,” is all you say, a whisper of disbelief, but it’s enough for Jimin to connect the dots.

There’s a crack in his carefully constructed façade.

“Shit!” He rips his hands away to turn around and shield his eyes from yours. Jimin has used his power the entire day, and now he’s left spent, an empty battery, unable to erase your memory and change his appearance. He tries to think of an excuse – something to put you at ease for now, but nothing would make sense, and his panicking brain has left the building in lieu of aiding him.

Red. Just like your dreams. The feeling of déjà vu, the heavy fog that puts you to sleep… was it all his doing? Your face pales into horror as you look for an answer in his quaking shoulders. It couldn’t be… right?

“Are you the reason for my dreams?” You had to make sure. He can’t be the reason for it… right? When he doesn’t respond, you leave the desk and approach his figure. “Jimin?”

Just before your hand touches his back, Jimin moves away. “Stay back,” he murmurs in warning. “I… I didn’t want you to find out this way.”

You retract your hand away, but you’re firm in your stance, refusing to move until you have an explanation. “Tell me. Just who are you?”

Jimin struggles with his options. Erasing your memory is the safest bet, but it’s a power he has yet to master. The fickle nature of the magic would mean that he’d risk losing this entire night with you. Going back to your relationship before would be agony. There was no way he’d be able to be the same boss, you’d spy the longing on his face a mile away. No, erasing your memory was not an option… so, what does that leave him?

“The truth.” You voice his thoughts so easily. “I want to know the truth.”

This entire day was all wrong. You weren’t supposed to find out so soon. He figured he could hide his true nature a little longer, but now any hopes of a relationship with you have been thrown out the window… all because he couldn’t maintain his control over his powers. Stupid. So, stupid. He’d have to relocate, so he doesn’t have to see your face.

The soft call of his name breaks him from his thoughts, like a hand reaching out into the darkness. In his agony, he accepts your help, which means turning around to face you.

To face the truth.

A gasp leaves your lips. And then he begins.

“I’m not human, though I don’t doubt you’ve probably figured it out.” Jimin offers a rueful smile that you don’t reciprocate. You clamp your lips to avoid interrupting, letting him explain from the very beginning.

Your mind whirls with information about supposed mythical beings of old. When you ask how long he’s walked the earth, he winces. “Too long,” Jimin mumbles, but doesn’t delve further into the matter. You don’t broach the subject either. Jimin explains that he’s an incubus, who feasts on dreams to regain energy, but he swears he only takes a little at a time and that it hasn’t affected any of his previous targets.

You skirt over the fact that there’s been others before you. It makes sense, but the ugly green monster that rears its head is less rational than you are.

“So, your previous… targets,” your lips curl in disgust at the word, “don’t remember their dreams… Why do I remember mine?”

Jimin shrugs and stays silent, though you have a feeling it’s not from lack of knowledge.

“I don’t know if I can do this,” you whisper with regret.

Though he isn’t surprised by your decision, his heart breaks all the same. He hangs his head in shame, letting the curtain of his hair shield you from his tears. Of course, you’d feel cheated; manipulated. Any rational human would assume so – that their emotions are completely fabricated because of his powers, even he couldn’t be deluded enough to believe the possibility of your feelings to be genuine. Yet, your next words bring a flutter of hope in his heart.

“10… 15 years will go by like a blink of an eye and everyone will begin to wonder why you haven’t changed.” You shake your head, not in disbelief, but to rid the thoughts of a domestic life ahead with him as you begin to lay the foundation of a wall around your heart. “And if we have kids…” That’s a delusion too far in the future, but you’d be lying to say you hadn’t thought of it. You shake your head once. Firmly. Discarding all hopes of a future with Jimin.

When you lift your head to apologize for a final time, you’re surprised to find him amused instead of grief-stricken.

“What?”

Jimin can hardly contain his excitement. “So… your only problem is time-related? That I won’t grow old with you?”

Was he insinuating that your concerns are stupid? “Okay, Mr. Demon,” you scowl. “What other problems should I be worried about?”

He chuckles quietly before reaching out, the tips of his fingers brushing against your cheek. Your body turns rigid, and you’re hardly breathing. With a wicked grin, he whispers, “How about the fact that I have the ability to compel you to serve me? Haven’t you considered that I, a demon, may be dangerous?”

This time, it’s your turn to laugh. Through your heaving breaths, you manage to see the pout on his face, which only makes you laugh harder. “Jimin,” you chuckle, wiping your tears with the palm of your hand. “I have no doubt that you would have done it already if you wanted to. So, yes, I’m more worried about the time thing.”

“Does that mean…” he whispers, hopeful. “Does that mean you want to grow old with me?”

“Yes. I mean no! I mean—”

“Please,” he cuts you off. “The truth.”

It isn’t fair how he used your words against you, but you answer him anyway. “I don’t know if we should jump into talking about marriage so quickly,” you mumble, shifting your weight from one foot to the other. “I mean! We’re not even dating yet.”

“Then be my girlfriend.”

You must be hearing things. “What?”

Jimin takes a step towards you, his palm now fully resting against your cheek. “I mean it. If your only issue is time, I already have a solution. I gave up my immortality a year ago now,” he confesses. His crimson eyes hold the same intense yearning you’re too familiar with: of sleepless nights alone, and of unsatisfactory touches from strangers. “I would’ve explained everything to you if you hadn’t found out today, but, I guess this is sort of fate?”

“I meant what I said,” he murmurs. “In all my time on this earth, I’ve never met someone like you, and I don’t think I’ll meet another after you either. That’s why it must be you. Even an immortal being dies eventually, and I’d rather choose my way of ‘going’, so to speak.”

Jimin lets the words sink in, waiting patiently for your response. “You meant it all?” you parrot, stunned at the confession. “How long have you been… interested in me?” Was it too early to say ‘love’? Depending on his answer, you assume so.

“When you introduced yourself five years ago in this office,” he sighs wistfully, stealing a glance at his door like he’s relieving the memory. “All I’ve wanted to do was to touch you;” he leans in, face inching closer.

“To kiss you;” he whispers as his lips mould against yours.

“To hold you.” Jimin wraps you up in an embrace, holding you tightly in his arms. In your ears, he whispers, a final confession that eases all your worries. “I want to grow old with you.”

The sincerity in his voice brings you to tears, and you let them fall, soaking the white of his shirt grey.

“Hey, hey, are you crying? Did I say something wrong? Please don’t cry…” Jimin frets, lowering himself to hook his chin on your shoulder, so he could squeeze you tighter.

You nuzzle further into his chest with a teary chuckle. “N-No. Nothing’s wrong. Just happy.”

“Good,” he mumbles before planting a soft kiss on your cheek. “Although now that I think about it, I haven’t heard your response.”

“What do you mean?”

“Have you forgotten already?” he chuckles. “I asked you to be my girlfriend.”

“More like demanded,” you snicker. “But yes, I’d love nothing more, but you’re going to have to prove yourself to me first.”

Jimin lights up at your response, the ruby in his eyes glowing bright despite the dim light. “Of course, anything you ask, I’ll do it. I’ll show you every day that my feelings are genuine.”

He then proceeds to hold up his pinkie towards you. “As long as you promise to stay with me?”

With a laugh, you join your pinkie with his, sealing the promise with a final kiss.

“I do.”

moon's notes: i didn't include sex in this because i'm kind of bored of writing it tbh? but i will have a drabble out sometime next week for this couple because i love them so so much! what do you think about the dulce somnii universe so far? do you like it? what theories do you have for the other members 👀

thanks for being part of the taglist (1/2)!

@thedarkwinterrose @somewhereofftheglobe @typicalgenzworld @nch327 @moonchild1 @kooafraid @syazkook @kookie-vuitton @tenmonthsjay @jimilter @hoseokstrashcan @imcompletelyok @sa1ntsuga @jungkookah-lover @vantxx95 @love2luvya-blog @nochuel @yoontaethings @kookieebangtan @Madamdoue @squeakymeekster @jkbabiey @jikookiekosmos @novilara @btsis7okay @sunflwrxclouds @taecal @fancycollectormoon @Starbrightday @chimmy-licious @outrofenty @codeinebelle @hey-youre-appreciated @sugaslittlekookies @fan-ati–c @bbangtanlove95 @ppeachyttae @taebae19 @ggukkieland @mellygallagher @greezenini @gukkmoans @Jimmeojimin @koolvrr @daggersandicedcoffee @doublebunnykoo @jamlessstars @shrimpmsg @mrcleanheichou @ysltae @etherealyoonkoo @unicornbabylover @majolittlemixgurl18 @Asifihaveaclue @ionasfeelings

— THE DEUCE TO PAY | PJM (TEASER)

PAIRING : Jimin x OC

TROPE : Supernatural(?) | Doctor-patient relationship (this taboo relationship 💀) | Dark Romance

DISCLAIMER : This story is a work of fiction. The description of the BTS members in this story does not reflect nor portray them in real life. Everything in this story only fits in imagination and does not apply outside of imagination.

RATING : 16+

WORD COUNT : 769 (for teaser)

MASTERLIST | NAVIGATION | READ FULL VER.

SUMMARY : It was unprofessional of you to fall for you patient and for your patient to fall for you back? You have the deuce to pay. But what if that’s what Jimin has been planning on? For you to fall for him.

AUTHOR NOTE : this story had a youtube version for it in my channel but i decided to post it here too. this version is rewritten and hopefully is better than the original one </3 i cringe so hard while rereading the old one ngl.. there were just so many errors I felt like throwing my computer away. but anyway, teaser is picked out by @leemien <3 proofread by one and only, grammarly 🪧 if you see mistakes, no you dont :)

“My darling…”

That voice again.

You get vibrations as the nickname rolls out of his plump lips so pleasantly. It’s like honey to the ears. You feel the need to run and melt in his arms.

You realise something is wrong.

The pull isn’t too magnetic and strong so you quickly snap out of it and try to focus on Jimin instead of losing to your innermost thoughts and subconscious.

“(Y/N), we got Lia now, let’s leave fir—”

Jimin lets out a growl, a very threatening one. He shoots a glare at the male doctor, Dr. Hwang— His glare sends away a warning.

Take her away and I’ll rip your head off your neck.

He wants nothing more than to kill everyone who tried to take her away from him. You turn to the threatened doctor. “I need to handle my patient, Dr. Hwang. If you..” You glance at everyone that’s present in Jimin’s room, camping at the door and the hallway, witnessing the scene.

“If all of you could please kindly return to your respective works or doings just now and do not enter this room.” You say apologetically. You bow deeply as you continue. “I’m truly sorry for the inconvenience I have caused.”

Once everyone leaves, you exhale. You didn’t notice how suffocating it was when the people crowded the room until they all finally left. You breathe in deeply before turning to Jimin.

“Did you just use your ability on me?” You throw your accusation as you send him a glare.

“You wanted to leave me…” He murmurs but you hear him.

You sigh and rub your temple out of frustration. Frustrated because a) you made a mistake, a careless one at it, b) Jimin uses his ability on you. You don’t say a word as you just stand on your spot. You glance at your wrist and it has passed the pick up time at the cat hotel.

Now you have to call Maya to extend the time.

You tap both of your cheeks 2-3 times as if to pull yourself together “Let’s get you back to sleep hmm?” You send him the best smile you could pull out of your now fatigue body.

But Jimin isn’t having it.

“N-No! You’ll leave me!” He protests. “You’ll be gone once I open my eyes the next day.”

“I’m staying until you fall asleep? How does that sound?” You suggest. “Of course I’ll be gone once you wake up next morning, Jimin. I can’t spend the night here.”

“No.”

“If you’re not sleeping then I’m leaving. You’ll see me walk away from you right in front of your two eyes.” It’s an empty threat. If Jimin doesn’t want to sleep willingly then you’ll have to give him his sleeping pills. After the stunt he just pulled, he needs sleep.

You most certainly didn’t expect Jimin to take your threat seriously.

“No, you’re staying with me, darling.”

He’s doing it again.

But this time he’s putting more force on his voice. His voice is so enchanting to your ears that it makes your legs weak. Jimin laces his voice with enchantment to attract you to him, to pull you to him without him having to lift a finger. Just a roll of his tongue.

He is using his ability on you.

“Come to me, (Y/N),” Jimin calls out in a sing-song manner, making your feet move subconsciously, you are being pulled to him like a piece of magnet attracted to another. You try your hardest to not fall and succumb to his alluring voice as you fight with your subconscious.

Jimin sees the way you try to fight off his calling. You are fighting so hard for a fight that’s one sided. Jimin could easily use his ultimate weapon and have you immediately in his arms but maybe he enjoys seeing you struggle. Your struggle is worse than futile.

It’s all fun while it lasts. You had your fun—going against him— now let him have his fun.

Jimin stares at you as he opens his mouth. He rolls his tongue to enunciate his siren song.

No mere human can stand a siren song.

The dangerous song entices you in every mean and way, his immaculate syllables lace with irresistible temptation as his voice starts to ring on her head, probing your head. Jimin is taking over your mind. Every word only seems to heightened the enchantment and dullen your senses.

The last syllables roll out of Jimin’s lips as the song comes to its end and you are finally in his arms.

“Exactly where you belong, darling.”

idk if i should make a taglist for the full ver. but if you want then lmk :) send an ask or comment! xo

All rights reserved © 2021 kthyg. Do not copy, translate, modify or repost without permission.

— THE DEUCE TO PAY | PJM

PAIRING : Jimin x OC

TROPE : Supernatural(?) | Doctor-patient relationship (this taboo relationship 💀) | Dark Romance

RATING : 16+

DISCLAIMER : This story is a work of fiction. The description of the BTS members in this story does not reflect nor portray them in real life. Everything in this story only fits in imagination and does not apply outside of imagination.

WORD COUNT : 11K

MASTERLIST | NAVIGATION

SUMMARY : It was unprofessional of you to fall for you patient and for your patient to fall for you back? You have the deuce to pay. But what if that’s what Jimin has been planning on? For you to fall for him.

AUTHOR NOTE : this story had a youtube version for it in my channel but i decided to post it here too. this version is rewritten and hopefully is better than the original one </3 i cringe so hard while rereading the old one ngl.. there were just so many errors I felt like throwing my computer away. but anyway, beta read by @leemien !! <3 (and @/Tess) proofread by one and only, grammarly 🪧

WARNINGS : This story deals with mental illness, trauma, contains dubious situations that some readers might find it disturbing and triggering (if you have a problem with this then my story is not for you) and quite a number of inaccurate and made-up information about certain things just to fit in the story. (i did make some research to try and make this makes sense ㅠㅠ)

DEDICATION : To my baby twin, happy birthday <3

The smell of a hospital.

Sterile, generic and sometimes overwhelming. 

It still feels overwhelming even after years—Well, three years, to be precise—of your career as a psychiatrist. It has always been your dream and goal to cure—or at least help people with mental illnesses and psychological disorders.

You are not mentally ill or have any mental health issues, at least you think you don’t. It’s your surroundings that make you pursue this path.

Mom had severe depression when she was alive. She got better after getting married to Dad but it didn’t last long. After a few months into the marriage, she started being the way she was before marriage.

Aunt told me Mom was abused by their dad, my grandfather. She escaped his grasp when Dad proposed to her and finally got married to her, taking her away from her own dad. 

Your heart aches for your mother. 

All the pain she went through. The dark thoughts that always cloud her mind, influence her negatively. 

Mom always told me that I’m the only reason why she’s still holding on. 

But maybe after holding on for so long, she decided to finally let go.

Let you go. 

She’s free from any pain, at least. 

Your heels click along the dreary hallway, you are doing your usual task; giving prescriptions to the patients in this hospital and doing some rounds around the building. Yes, just the usual. 

You have a quite good reputation in this hospital. 

Asclepius Hospital, Psychology and Psychiatry Specialist. A private hospital. 

You get along with your patients rather quickly and easily. One of your patients once said,

“You have a very attractive aura around you. You are approachable and I just feel like I can tell you almost anything. Something in you just attracts me, makes me trust you and actually have faith in you..”

What she said almost sounds unreal but then again you never know. If that’s what they felt about you then you are more than glad to continue providing those. 

It was from your first ever patient. A young female adult, 20 years old. She had suffered from eating disorder, insomnia, severe depression and substance abuse problems. She was hospitalised here for about 6 months. It has been to hell and back but she survived with enough willpower and support. 

You stop in front of a metal door with a slanted knob. 

Patient 7959, the board reads. 

NAME : Park Jimin 

DESCRIPTION : Depression and Insomnia

HEAVY WARNING : This patient possesses the ability of a Siren.

DOCTOR IN CHARGE : (Y/N)

NOTE : Anything regarding this patient, please contact Dr. (Y/N) first.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. 

You take in an amount of oxygen as you feel the air turns suffocating making it hard to breathe. It’s always like that— You would be lying if you think you’re not afraid to confront your patients. 

You always are.

The thoughts of what the patients might do if they lose control all of a sudden— Her facade would break down if that ever happens. But for now, you shake the nervousness off, this is part of your job and the risk in the profession itself. 

You bring your hand to knock on the metal door. You hear a faint ‘come in’ and it’s your cue. You twist the slanted knob as the metal door gapes open and you make your way in.

Upon entering, you immediately spot the young man, Jimin, sitting on one of the couches. You give him your signature smile as you put down the tray that you are carrying, full of medications that you had brought from the outside. You settle down next to Jimin on his couch. 

Some patients have the privilege to design their own room according to their preferences with safety measures and procedures taken of course. The supervisor will make sure that all settings and functions are anti-ligature. Whereas the case of patients with serious mental illness was put in a padded cell until it’s the right time to give them their own room— their own to design. 

Jimin’s room is simple. The walls are painted in black and the floor is covered with black wooden tiles. He arranges his double bed to be on the very corner near the shatter-resistant window. The room is complete with an all-together kitchen, bathroom and living room. 

The design of this room is like the one he had back at home, he said.

As you settle down next to him, you ask, “How are you today, Jimin?”

“Good,” he mumbled. “B-but that doesn’t mean I’m healed right..”

It wasn’t a question. It was like a protest, denial.

Jimin doesn’t want to leave your side even when he’s healed. You were his saviour and it will remain like that. You are his saviour. 

You don’t miss Jimin's sickly infatuation for you but you block him out and deny it just like he’s denying his health. Not really denying his health. Indeed, he is sick and in need of a doctor’s attention but he’s refusing to get better just to not have you taken away from him. 

A few months ago, you started a game with Jimin and now you can’t end it. 

You just smiled at him. “That’s why I’m here to give your prescriptions,” You stand up on your feet and take the prescriptions. Jimin’s eyes follow you until you settle down again on your previous spot.  

You look at him and ask, “Do you still have trouble sleeping at night?”

Jimin nods. 

You continue asking more questions such as relating to his health, what he did today, the food, any improvements. After finishing the little question and answer session, you put down your clipboard and start giving various types of pills for him. Jimin swallowed each pill with success.

Setting the tray aside, you walk towards Jimin’s bed and pat it as a signal for Jimin to lay down. It’s his bedtime— His favourite time, he claimed. 

You tuck him under the soft duvet. Your fingers run through his hair, massaging his scalp. Jimin hummed and closed his eyes. He loved the feeling; the warmth that you provide for him, he wants to keep it forever...

He wants to keep you forever. 

10 minutes passed and Jimin’s eyelids started to get heavy and heavier. His cat-like eyes slowly started to close and finally shut, drifting off to sleep.

Since he fell asleep, you assume his body is worn out and tired and finally shuts down. His body usually lasts for 2-3 days without sleep. You gave him sleeping pills but not every day. You don’t want him to depend on the pills. 

Caressing his hair for the last time, you get up from the position you are in and tidy up the tray of prescriptions.

Your extra duty for this specific patient is to tidy up his room. It’s an extra duty because it’s not your usual work. Usually, the nurses would clean the patient’s room. In Jimin’s case, he dislikes the fact that people other than you come into his room and clean it up.

He doesn’t like anyone other than you in his personal space. 

You have no problem with the extra duty since Jimin is quite easy to handle now that he’s asleep. Just as you are about to walk to his bathroom, your pager buzzes, indicating a call from the higher-ups.

You quietly moan in exasperation. “Really now? What’s so important that you can’t wait until tomorrow morning?” 

You scan the room quickly before thinking of a solution. The higher-ups building is metres away from patients’ building. Your shift will end in a few minutes which is approximately 20 minutes from now. The walk to another building is going to take about 10 minutes more or less. You need to get off your work sharp since you have to pick up your cat that you had left at the cat hotel this morning before it closes. 

You look at Jimin who’s fast asleep on his bed and the pager that keeps on buzzing in your doctor coat’s pocket. “I’ll get Lia to clean up the room.”

You make up your mind and quickly pick up the tray and head straight to the door. 

Negligence. 

It was a careless mistake of you to do so.

You’ve never skipped your duty of cleaning Jimin’s compartment. 

Jimin doesn’t like anyone else other than you in his comfort zone…

But, he is sleeping. 

And just like that, you left his room. 

Upon hearing the door shut, Jimin’s eyes flick open—Almost immediately.

He was never asleep.

He had a fucking Insomnia. He is so close to sleeping, to finally rest his mind but the moment he doesn't smell, feel your presence and scent, he blinks his eyes open faster than when he was closing it. 

Jimin had three ways to fall asleep and only three which are a) he waits for his body to shut down on its own which usually take 2-3 days maximum, b) sleeping pills, you don’t actually restrict sleeping pills usage on him, when he desperately needs it, you’d give it, c) you. 

He needs you by his side so he can fall asleep. 

You close Mr Yang’s office door as you sigh.

“I can’t believe this,” You tuck your hands in your coat’s pocket as you walk down the hall to go back to the patients' building.

Check Lia and Jimin, change your clothes and pick up your cat. You glance at your watch that is hugging your wrist.

Great, you have 5 minutes before your shift ends. 

“God,” You bring your hands up to your face as you rub, trying to freshen yourself up. “I ran all the way to his office just to him with his wife eating each other out,” You huff. 

It’s not all bad though, Mr Yang gives you a great piece of news. 

The director of the hospital pages you to let you know about a deal he had struck with another hospital. They offer you to work at a known and famous hospital in another province in South Korea. 

Asclepius is as known and famous as the hospital mentioned, you think. You had asked Mr Yang, why did he offer this deal to you and not to others. 

“I’ve sent in 4 résumés to them, Lia’s, Jaemin’s, Beomgyu’s and yours, along with records of patients. They’ve reviewed all of them and they said all of them are satisfying. This might sound biased but they wanted me to offer this to you first.”

You can accept it or reject it. It’s up to you.

“If you’re rejecting this offer, only then will I pass this deal to the others.”

Well, if you decide to stay, Mr Yang would be more than happy— To have the best doctor one could ask for but if you decide to go, it’s fine too since it would establish a great relationship with the hospital. Both decisions are beneficial to him so he doesn’t mind. 

“Evening, Yuri,” You greet your subordinate, Yuri, a young Japanese girl. She’s a mental health nurse. 

Yuri raises her head upon hearing your voice, she greets you back with her cheerful voice. You expect Lia to be here too but you don’t see her. “Where’s Lia?” You ask her. 

“Oh, she’s still in Jimin’s room.” 

You frown. ‘She should be back by now. It wouldn’t take long to clean Jimin’s room since there’s not much of a thing…’

“Weird… She should be done in less than 10 minutes,” You say to no one in particular but Yuri hears you as she agrees. 

You turn on your heels to go to Jimin’s roo—

A feminine high pitched scream echoed throughout the hallway of the patients’ rooms, leaving all of the nurses and doctors present in shock. They all froze in their place thinking that it might be that one of the patients loses control or is having nightmares and manic episodes. 

Wait.

Yuri seems to know what you are thinking about as she voices your thoughts out loud. “But, we don’t have a female patient on this floor, Dr. (Y/N)—”

“Dr. (Y/N)!” 

You turn to the familiar voice. “Aerin?”

Aerin is the head nurse of this hospital. She’s around her 40s. 

“Aerin, where is Li—”

You are cut off by the panicked Aerin. “Lia, she is—” Her pupils are dilated with fear as she tries to regain her speech ability.

“Aerin! Calm down!” You grip her shoulders. You try to calm the panicking girl but to no avail, she is too scared to the point where breathing becomes difficult for her, her body shaking in fear. Having no other option, Aerin grabs on your wrist and leads you somewhere. 

You hear a faint masculine voice as you and Aerin step closer to a certain patient’s room. Jimin’s room.

Then, it hits you.

Lia… Jimin…

Your eyes widened as you finally grasp what’s wrong. How could you be so stupid to really let Lia take over your duty? God, why didn’t you consider the possibility of Jimin waking up while Lia is cleaning? You have the deuce to pay after all this. 

You practically run to Jimin’s room. The screams seem to be attracting other nurses and doctors as they trail behind you and Aerin. You open the metal door, the loud sound coming from the door fills the silence in the room. The scene in front of you is enough to send shivers down to the spine. 

Jimin is choking Lia. 

He’s on top of Lia as his hands grip Lia by her neck, pinning her down to the floor. 

Jimin never ever uses his strength on people. 

Even when someone other than you steps into his zone, he’ll only threaten them from afar. It could mean only one thing…

Lia touches Jimin. 

“Jimin, let go of Lia...” Dr Hwang says softly. 

It doesn’t make Jimin’s grip loosen, if anything, he tightens it causing Lia to let out a choked yelp. The doctors and nurses are trying their best to persuade him but it is to no avail as he tightens his grip at each persuasion they make. 

Can’t they see that each syllable they throw at him causes his grip to tighten?

A hush escapes your lips. The room quickly falls to a pin drop silent. The only sound that is still audible is Lia’s harsh breathing. Jimin’s grip starts to loosen as the room grows quiet and quieter. As his grip loosen enough for air to fill in her lungs, Lia breathes in greedily. 

“Jimin..” You call out for him in a sing-song manner, slowly approaching the two. 

You are cautious of your steps as you continue. “Jimin, let go of Lia’s neck..” Your voice is stern, something that you rarely use on your patients. Jimin doesn’t move as if he’s frozen on the spot. He neither tighten nor loosen his grip on Lia. 

“Jimin,” You finally step in front of him, a few centimetres away. “Let go of Lia’s neck,” Your voice is two times sterner than before but you still keep your tone low. You know better than to raise your voice. Jimin’s sense of hearing is sensitive when he’s using his inhuman strength.

Upon hearing your voice grow sterner, Jimin lets out a low growl. 

Seeing that Jimin didn’t budge at all, you contemplate something. You have no other choice but to use this card against him. You’re not sure if it’s going to work or not but trying doesn’t hurt. 

“If you don’t let go of Lia’s neck, I’m telling the authorities to send you to another hospital, Jimin.” Your voice is thick with seriousness. 

You thought it’s not working but the snap of his head shows that it works. 

His head finally snaps towards you, trying to meet your eyes.

Finally meeting your eyes, he immediately let go of Lia’s neck, moving to wrap his hand around your wrist and pull you to his embrace, not wanting you to leave him but you are faster. You move back a few steps, deliberately avoiding Jimin’s touch as if he is the fire that would burn you.

Lia looks up at you with teary eyes. You send her a swift tilt of head to signal her to escape quickly. Lia obeys, running to her friends all while gasping for air to fill her lungs. You are going to ask her for details later. 

“N-No..” His voice trembles, thick with fear. Fear of losing you.  “You can’t leave me, (Y/N)…”

“My darling…”

That voice again. 

You get vibrations as the nickname rolls out of his plump lips so pleasantly. It’s like honey to the ears. You feel the need to run and melt in his arms.

You realise something is wrong. 

The pull isn’t too magnetic and strong so you quickly snap out of it and try to focus on Jimin instead of losing to your innermost thoughts and subconscious. 

“(Y/N), we got Lia now, let’s leave fir—”

Jimin lets out a growl, a very threatening one. He shoots a glare at the male doctor, Dr Hwang— His glare sends away a warning. 

Take her away and I’ll rip your head off your neck.

He wants nothing more than to kill everyone who tried to take her away from him. You turn to the threatened doctor. “I need to handle my patient, Dr Hwang. If you..” You glance at everyone that’s present in Jimin’s room, camping at the door and the hallway, witnessing the scene.

“If you guys could, please kindly return to your respective works or doings just now and do not enter this room.” You say apologetically. You bow deeply as you continue. “I’m truly sorry for the inconvenience I have caused.”

Once everyone leaves, you exhale. You didn’t notice how suffocating it was when the people crowded the room until they all finally left. You breathe in deeply before turning to Jimin. 

“Did you just use your ability on me?” You throw your accusation as you send him a glare.

“You wanted to leave me…” He murmurs but you hear him. 

You sigh and rub your temple out of frustration. Frustrated because a) you made a mistake, a careless one at it, b) Jimin uses his ability on you. You don’t say a word as you just stand on your spot. You glance at your wrist and it has passed the pickup time at the cat hotel. 

Now you have to call Maya to extend the time. 

You tap both of your cheeks 2-3 times as if to pull yourself together “Let’s get you back to sleep hmm?” You send him the best smile you could pull out of your now fatigue body. 

But Jimin isn’t having it. 

“N-No! You’ll leave me!” He protests. “You’ll be gone once I open my eyes the next day.”

“I’m staying until you fall asleep? How does that sound?” You suggest. “Of course I’ll be gone once you wake up next morning, Jimin. I can’t spend the night here.”

“No.”

“If you’re not sleeping then I’m leaving. You’ll see me walk away from you right in front of your two eyes.” It’s an empty threat. If Jimin doesn’t want to sleep willingly then you’ll have to give him his sleeping pills. After the stunt he just pulled, he needs sleep.

You most certainly didn’t expect Jimin to take your threat seriously. 

“No, you’re staying with me, darling.”

He’s doing it again.

But this time he’s putting more force on his voice. His voice is so enchanting to your ears that it makes your legs weak. Jimin laces his voice with enchantment to attract you to him, to pull you to him without him having to lift a finger. Just a roll of his tongue.

He is using his ability on you. 

“Come to me, (Y/N),” Jimin calls out in a sing-song manner, making your feet move subconsciously, you are being pulled to him like a piece of magnet attracted to another. You try your hardest to not fall and succumb to his alluring voice as you fight with your subconscious. 

Jimin sees the way you try to fight off his calling. You are fighting so hard for a fight that’s one-sided. Jimin could easily use his ultimate weapon and have you immediately in his arms but maybe he enjoys seeing you struggle. Your struggle is worse than futile. 

It’s all fun while it lasts. You had your fun—going against him— now let him have his fun. 

Jimin stares at you as he opens his mouth. He rolls his tongue to enunciate his siren song. 

No mere human can stand a siren song. 

The dangerous song entices you in every mean and way, his immaculate syllables lace with irresistible temptation as his voice starts to ring on her head, probing your head. Jimin is taking over your mind. Every word only seems to heighten the enchantment and dulled your senses.

The last syllables roll out of Jimin’s lips as the song comes to its end and you are finally in his arms. 

“Exactly where you belong, darling.”

“S-stop…” You whine. “Jimin, you promised me not to use your ability and the siren song on m-me anymore!” You scold him despite being in a vulnerable position and state. His arms are still wrapped around your body. His tight grip is the only thing that keeps you in the reality because his singing is making your grip on the reality loosen. 

“And you promised to not leave me,” Jimin says, his voice thick with malevolence. 

“You started a game but too bad you can’t end it…” Jimin chuckles as he traces his fingers across your drowsy face. 

“It’s my game now, darling.”

He kisses your forehead. “Sleep with me today..”

A few months ago.

Your office is tainted with a rich perfume smell.

The usual coffee and woods smell is now mixed with Chanel’s perfume and it’s not a pleasant smell. At. All. 

How many sprays did she put on?

“We have reached a conclusion,” You hear Mr Park’s voice.

“We will put him in this hospital until he gets cured or at least gets better…” Mr Park announces his—and his wife’s—decision.

“If he does get cured,” His wife sarcastically emphasises a hypothetical situation. 

If you could, you would kick her out of your office. Immediately. Mrs Park has been nothing but a bitch throughout this appointment. You can see the dislike she had for her son but it is not necessary for her to publicly express it. Since you can’t kick her out, you ignore her as you continue detailing about his son and you jot down every information possible.

Mr Park is a big shareholder of this hospital. You’ve heard rumours saying he’ll take over this hospital soon—Not like you care at all, but what intrigues you is that people said that he got married to his current wife because of a deal, not out of love. 

Oh god, you should mind my own business, (Y/N).

Once the talk comes to its end, you clasp your hands together. “Alright, if that’s your decision, I will do my best to help your son,” You say with a professional voice.

“If that’s all?” Mr Park and his wife take it as their cue to stand up and leave. You bow your head at them. Mr Park acknowledges your bow as he mirrors your action. His wife hastens out of your office. 

It isn’t a few minutes later and the couple is already gone out of the radar— leaving his mentally sick son alone. You notice him sitting on the chair next to your office’s door. You approach him. 

The parents didn’t even tell her that their son had inhuman abilities. 

And unfriendly.

And also, obsessive. 

“Hey,” You greet him. “Morning!”

He’s aware of your presence but doesn’t make an effort to reply. You wait, just in case but he just seems disinterested so you continue. “What’s your name?”

What a way to strike a conversation. What doctor doesn’t know their patient’s name? Screw that, you just wanted him to talk to you. 

He stares at your face with his dark eyes. “Jimin.”

“And your age?”

“25”

“Okay, great!” You smile at him but he doesn't even spare you a glance as he keeps his gaze on the board in front of him that is pinned with all sorts of medical information. You heave a heavy sigh.

This is going to be tough. 

This is your game.

To make Jimin talk to her was the first task of the game. 

To make Jimin trust her was the ultimate task. 

And once Jimin is cured, 

It’s game over. 

Or so you thought.

“Let’s bring you to your room, Jimin,” You tell him. “Come!” You hold out your hand for him to hold but he simply stands up and stares at you with an empty gaze. 

Okay… Awkward.

Retreating your hand, you pat your thighs and stand on your feet as well as you escort Jimin to his room. Heat crawls on your face out of embarrassment and maybe humiliation too. You sigh, probably humiliating the shit out of yourself is one of the many ways to get Jimin out of his shell. If no one is going to make the first move then who? 

“Okay!” You clasp your hands together to get his attention. “For a starter, your room will be empty. You get to decorate it according to your preference. Once we finish decorating your room, you’ll move here. For the time being, you’ll stay in the ready and available room.”

His father specifically asks for this privilege. 

“Do you have any questions?” You turn to him. You study his face for any reactions but this guy remains with his stoned face, cold and emotionless. 

“No.”

“Well, alright. Let me show you your temporary room.”

Three weeks have passed and you are finally done with Jimin’s room. You barely get enough sleep with the loads of work that are suddenly shoved up to your face almost at the same time. The room would have been done within 2 weeks or less because of Jimin’s simple and minimal preferences. 

In the time spent of three weeks, you surprisingly get along with Jimin. His reaction gets slightly better than the first time they interacted. If his reaction before is just a nod and a shake of head then now he starts to use more words. 

“Do you like it? Do you want to change anything?” You ask, your voice thick with hopefulness—hoping he’ll like the room— and concern. You’re worried if by chance the room isn’t up to his preference and him not reacting when you are showcasing his newly designed room.

The interior is fully based on Jimin’s preference but he doesn’t detail things like the position and arrangement of certain furniture which made it fully your problem to solve. 

Different from your thoughts, your effort actually makes his stomach flutter and his heart fills with warmth. To witness such a human cares for him so much when not even his parents care for him.

But he doesn’t want to believe that you actually care about him. 

It’s probably an act or just because it’s her duty, her obligation. She didn’t do all this out of willingness. He tells himself. 

He decides to ease your worry. “It’s fine.” It came out as emotionless speech. 

Upon hearing his words, you sigh in relief.

It takes days and hours to design his room. You try to finish it as soon as possible, you push some negotiable work for another day just to finish Jimin’s room. You squeeze your brain out to generate ideas for Jimin’s room that made you sleepless at night and the overload works too. You’ve seen the way Jimin was slightly uncomfortable with the ready and furnished room so that’s why you rushed everything. 

The dark circles are visible around your eyes, you don’t have the time to cover it up because you are so excited to show Jimin his room but it doesn’t matter now that Jimin is satisfied with the result. 

Jimin notices the dark circle under your eyes. He has seen how hard you work just for him and it makes his stomach flutter once again. Jimin studies your current look, your hair is slightly dishevelled because you are rushing to get him right after the room is done. Despite your busyness, you still look after Jimin with great care. 

‘No, it’s just part of her work.’

But Jimin would be lying if he said he doesn’t enjoy your company. He loves having you with him in the boring room. You constantly try to strike up a conversation with him and he would just sit and stare, giving little to almost no reaction at all— That was at first. As you continue visiting him, doing the same thing and new things with him every day, he slowly starts to open up to you. 

“(Y/N)?” A masculine voice interrupts the two of you. “Are you done with your patient?”

“Jaemin,” You simper as you see him at the door frame. “Yes, I’m done here.” You scan the room one last time before making your way towards the door. 

‘Don’t go’

You freeze your steps as you feel your coat is being pulled. Turning around and pouring all of your attention on Jimin—the one that pulled your coat. You are surprised by his out of character action. You look at Jimin with knitted eyebrows. 

‘Yes, only keep your attention on me.’

‘Fuck, what am I thinking? It’s just an act— An ac—’

“Jimin?”

Your voice brings him back to reality. He doesn’t notice that his grip on the hem of your coat is tightening for each passing second.

Jaemin lets out a cough as he says. “We’re getting late now, (Y/N).”

You turn to him and back to Jimin. “Is there anything you need, Jimin?” You ask softly, voice lace with concern. Jimin stares at your face, contemplating with his mind. 

Why doesn't he want you to go?

Why does he feel a slight of anger knowing the fact that you are going to leave with that guy?

He is developing an infatuation with you. 

“Don’t go,” He whispers ever so quietly. 

A progress!

You have always prioritised your patient so of course, you would listen to Jimin’s request rather than having lunch with Jaemin. You turn to Jaemin. “I’m sorry, Jaemin... My patient comes first. Ask Lia to accompany you for lunch, okay?” You try giving him suggestions. “I’m really sorry!” You pout to express your sorrow.

“You promised, (Y/N),” Jaemin sighs and folds his arms on his chest. 

‘Can’t this man see how tired (Y/N) is?’

“I know…” You whine at him. “Only this time, please?”

Jimin clutches harder onto your coat. He could see that you are contemplating; you feel sorry and guilty for breaking the promise but you are needed by your patient. You could just decide to go and have lunch with Jaemin and come back to Jimin after lunch but—

He had no choice now. 

Jimin suddenly staggers to his feet as he retreats a few steps back, hands gripping on both sides of his head. Whimpers escape his plump lips. He weakly falls on his knees.

“Jimin!” You gasp as you rush to him. Jimin immediately clings onto your body. He wraps his arms around your waist as he lets his head rest on the crook of your neck, slyly inhaling her scent.

“My head hurts, (Y/N)…” He groans in pain. Obviously faking it.

He sends an intimidating glare to Jaemin. The guy somehow manages to pick up the signal that he’s not welcome in Jimin’s zone.

“My patient needs me, Ja—” You turn to Jaemin but only to see no one at the door frame.

Shrugging it off, you caress Jimin’s head. “Come, let’s get you to bed, Jimin.” You guide Jimin to his bed when suddenly he starts to whisper something in your ear. He is singing something— a song.

“What song are you singing, Jimin?” You ask while still guiding him to his bed.

Jimin doesn’t answer you as he continues singing the song ever so softly. Your mind starts to feel hazy for no reason and your senses are clouded. It feels like someone else is now controlling both your mind and body. Your body loses all strength and clings onto Jimin out of reflex. 

“J-Jimin, why do I feel…” You breathe heavily as you cling on Jimin like he is your last lifeline.

You feel your body heating up as Jimin makes your body burn with pleasure from only his touch.

“Sleep, my darling..” He muses into your ears.

Even though every movement is against your will but your body and mind have been begging for a break and you know better than to go against it so you succumb to the tiredness, you believe you’re succumbing to the tiredness instead of whatever weird feelings you just felt. You fall asleep in Jimin’s arms immediately all while Jimin is still singing his siren song. 

Your eyes flutter open. The sun hits directly on your face making you groan. You dodge the sunlight as you snuggle into your pillow. You have work in a few but you just can’t help to get some more sleep. 

You feel a vibration coming from under your pillow and a giggle follows soon after. 

Pillow? Does a pillow can giggle…?

You immediately get up but to no avail, you are trapped in a pair of strong arms. 

“Stop,” A voice mumbles groggily

You bring your hands to your face as you rub your eyes and blink several times before you get a clear vision of who’s caging you at the moment. You could make out the fluffy dark locks, plump lips and a cute nose.

It’s all too familiar…

Your eyes widen as your brain finally recognises the owner of the body that’s wrapping securely around you. Out of reflex, you immediately push away, creating enough momentum for you to get away and end up falling from the bed. 

“Ahh…” You groan, half regretting and blaming your reflex. 

“Are you okay?” You hear the oh-so-familiar voice. You look at the owner of the voice. Jimin is already looking at you with concern and worry clear on his face. 

“I’m fine,” You simper. “Thank you…”

“How did I fall asleep here?” You start as you stand on your two feet. “And most of all… with you?”

You unconsciously emphasise your last sentence out of pure curiosity. How could you fall asleep in a patient’s room? You know you are done for if the higher-ups get to know about this. 

Your words sting Jimin. He feels like poison just invades his system. Your words are venomous. 

“Do you hate it…? Sleeping with me,” He asks quietly, his voice is thick with sadness and disappointment. 

You brush dust or any dirt off your long coat before you walk to Jimin and pull his hands into yours. His hands are soft and cold. 

“No, I didn’t hate it. I’m just asking how I ended up in your room and bed. I can’t remember what happened,” You explain carefully, your thumbs rubbing his hands in a circular motion. 

You’ve seen the hurt expression Jimin had just now. Maybe your words come out a bit harsher than intended. You get the urge to pull him into a hug but you decide against it so instead, you hold his hands. 

“You looked very tired yesterday. So, I used my ability to make you fall asleep…” He clarifies. “You always help me with my insomnia so I just want to repay your kindness.”

Lies. 

He uses his ability only to make you come to his arms because he’s jealous. You falling asleep is just an excuse but it’s worth it for you too. Your body needs a rest so he has been so kind to provide it for you.

But you need not to know about it. It’s a secret he’ll keep until he dies. 

“Ability?” Your voice is thick with confusion as you ask.

“I possess the ability of a Siren.” He tells you. “But I am no Siren, to ease your worry.”

Jimin tells you of his ability such as having the power to lure anyone with just a roll of his tongue and the words that will come out are laced with enchantment. His touch can make anyone feel pleasure though only sometimes. He also says that he can read minds but he hasn't mastered the ability yet. 

It didn’t shock you that much. You are aware of the universe you’re currently in. Supernatural is a normal thing now. You’ve met with a vampire before though the first impressions weren't very nice. 

“Why didn’t your parents tell me before?” You ask, you try to hide your frustration. His parents shouldn’t leave any detail about their son and this isn’t just any detail. This is an important detail. 

Upon hearing about his parents, his gaze darken and he immediately let go of your hands. Of course you notice the change of demeanour when you had mentioned his parents. You mentally note that he doesn’t like talking about his parents. 

“I’m sorry,” You breathe out an apology. “I shouldn’t have mentioned your parents.” You pull him into a hug. This time you didn’t think twice. Parents can be a sensitive issue.

Jimin returns your hug. “No. It’s okay.” He whispers. “Do you want to know about my parents?”

“If you’re comfortable and fine with it, yes.”

Jimin takes a deep breath before he speaks. “My father got remarried. The woman you saw that day? She's not my mother. My mother died a few years ago when I was 6 turning 7. Mom died because of some illness. A few years after Mom’s death, Dad got remarried. His wife ever liked me in the first place. I have had depression and insomnia since Mom died,” He buries his head in the crook on your neck, inhaling your scent which somehow calms him. 

“Dad never makes time for me after Mom’s death. He’s too busy dealing with his work.” His voice is hard with hate for his father. 

“My insomnia gets worse as every night I had to deal with their sinful sounds invading my ears, my peace and my calmness. I already have a hard time sleeping without my mother’s warmth but they just made it harder,” You could hear his sniffles. You bring your hands to caress his back and tighten your hug to keep him from slipping away. 

Hugs are the best medicine. 

All those sleepless nights must’ve stressed the shit out of him. The fact that his parents pushed him away instead of helping him and most importantly, his father was the one that made the decision—Of course, with the devilish whispers of the little bitch devil, his wife—It pushes him into a deeper pit of depression. 

He had no hope— He had lost hope on them. He knew he couldn’t rely on anyone else anymore after that. He wanted to beg and cry at his father but he thought it was a useless act. He’s a nuisance for them. 

Jimin doesn’t realise beads of tear start to escape from his eyes. All he knows is that the hug made him feel alive. 

“Promise me that you will not use your ability on me ever again, Jimin,” You whisper softly into his ear. “I will come to you whenever you need me.”

“Do you promise not to leave? Never ever leave me?”

“Yes, I promise.”

Present.

The moment your eyes blink open, you rush out of Jimin’s room without him noticing—Maybe he did notice but you couldn’t care less. You know yesterday’s issue gets into the ears of the higher-ups as you wake up to a message from Jaemin saying you are called for a disciplinary meeting. 

You know your career is in jeopardy. 

Quickly striding to your locker to fix your attire, hopefully no one is aware that you had spent the night in Jimin’s room. You really hope no one did. As you step in front of your locker, you open it and see a full set of new and unused clothes. You had stored some clothes in your locker back then just in case you would need them and you truly didn’t expect you need them for this reason. 

You change your clothes, fix your hair and put on some makeup to cover up some flaws. You slip into your doctor coat and close the locker. 

You make your way towards the higher-ups building. As the elevator arrives at your destination, you stride towards the disciplinary meeting room. It’s funny how you are always here to evaluate doctors that are being called for disciplinary action to be taken but now you are in their position. 

“I’d never expect to meet you here as the one that needed disciplinary action, (Y/N),” A voice comes from your back. “You were an excellent doctor but I guess everybody makes mistakes, right?”

Her words aren’t meant to sass you. 

“Mrs Min,” You greet her with a smile. 

Mrs Min was your mentor back then when you were in your residency. It was years ago and now she’s a clinical manager while you are a director of your department. 

“I’ll try to talk to them so your punishment will be lighter,” She pats my shoulder. 

“No, please don’t, Mrs Min. I’m willing to take any punishment,” You tell her. You are never a person to avoid punishments— Not like you ever get one before but still. 

Both of you stride towards the disciplinary hall. You see four chairs are placed behind a long glass table which you assume are the seats for Mrs Min, Dr Gyu, and Jay. You don’t know the last chair is for who. 

Your seat is in front of them. 

Mrs Min settles in her place as Dr Gyu and Jay stride into the room. Trailing a few metres behind them is someone you didn’t expect. 

Mr Park. 

Why is he joining the disciplinary process?

Patient’s father? Yeah, that. 

The disciplinary action meeting starts as they bombard you with questions such as why this why that. You remain calm throughout the session. You know it’s your fault so you didn’t try to prove yourself— Not like you have anything to prove. 

“Alright,” Mr Park starts. “We conclude that Dr. (Y/N) will be suspended for a week, seven days starting from tomorrow. Although you are suspended, coming to the hospital is allowed. You are restricted from doing any of your duties is all.”

While the disciplinary session is going on, you finally remember and pinpoint why Mr Park is here. He’s not here just because he’s the patient’s father, he’s the next CEO in line. You’ve heard that he has gotten a big share of this hospital and is soon to be expected as the CEO. 

“Any objections, (Y/N)?” Jay asks. You reply with a no and they nod in acknowledgement. 

“Okay, that concludes everything,” Mr Park declares. “Dr. (Y/N), I hope this matter won’t happen again in the future.”

After that, they all leave the room. Mrs Min comes to you and gives you a hug before leaving. You return the hug with equal tenderness. 

“Thank you, Mrs Min.”

“No problem, Hon. Just don’t let this happen again, hmm?” She pats your back. “I want your record to be clean.”

You chuckle. She breaks the hug and leaves the room. 

“(Y/N)?” A manly voice calls you. 

“Beomgyu?”

“You are more than welcome to visit us during your suspension period, I hope you know that?” He tells you.

“Of course I would visit you guys,” You tell him with a smile.

You walk towards him who’s a few feet away sling your arm on his shoulder in a friendly manner. “I know you’re worried about handling a whole week without me but don’t worry, you’ll be able to handle it. You got Jaemin and Lia.”

“You really read me like an open book, huh,” He shakes his head as he lets out a breathy laugh. 

“Yes, you got me, Gyu,” Jaemin suddenly comes out of nowhere and sling his arm on Beomgyu’s free shoulder. 

“God, make a sound will you?” You and Beomgyu speak at the same time. 

The three of you walk out of the room when suddenly a cough distracts you. You stop on your track causing the other two to follow suit. You turn and find Mr Park standing a few metres away from you and your colleagues. 

“I would like to have a talk with Dr. (Y/N),” Mr Park speaks with a cold voice. 

He sends an intimidating glare on Beomgyu whose arm is on your shoulder. He gets the warning and immediately drops his arm. Jaemin and Beomgyu quickly bow at Mr Park and leave the room. Leaving you alone with Jimin’s father. 

When Mr Park thinks everyone is out of the radar, he starts. “As you can see, Jimin is my only child,” You nod. You know about it since it’s stated in your patient's information file. 

“I need him to take over my legacy.” 

“So, one day he will be back to normal right?” He asks with a hopeful tone. 

“Mr Park,” You pause and walk closer to him until you’re a few feet away from him. “Jimin’s condition isn’t a too serious one. He could’ve gotten better if you decided to give attention to him, bring him to the counselling and not put him in a mental hospital. His depression isn’t severe.”

“You and your wife left him here like he’s never your son.”

You don’t care if you appear rude right now. It angers you in some way as the memory where he and his wife left his son faster than they arrived filters back. After months of taking care of Jimin, you are sympathetic to your patient. That’s why Jimin becomes your primary patient. 

“It was never my decision to put him here—”

“Then, who?” You cut him off. “You’re the father. His father.”

“Or you probably think it’s okay to put him here because he’s not normal? Because he has the ability of Siren?”

The room fell into a deep silence.

“So, you knew it already.” He sighs.

“Sadly, yes,” You tell him. “He even used his abilities on me.”

“What did he do?”

“He sang this certain song, used his enchanted voice on me… stuff like that.”

Mr Park’s eyes widened but you didn’t catch that. Jimin got the ability because of his father. It runs along with the Park generation. Every first son of each generation will be gifted with that ability. Siren Song is only used to lure someone you truly desire. If it was a normal occurrence, they would use their enchanted voice. 

Simply speaking, Siren Song is like a meaningful gift to give to a person. The fact that Jimin uses his Siren Song on you could only mean one thing…

He’ll talk to Jimin about this later. 

If it’s really what thought of then he will do anything for his son’s happiness to make up for his mistake— abandoning Jimin. Now that Jimin has found his love, as a father he will protect his son’s happiness. He doesn’t want Jimin to lose another happiness after his mother and love from a father. 

It’s lunchtime now.

Jimin hadn't seen you since last night. So when he hears a soft knocking on his door, he gets excited. He couldn’t stand another hour without you. You left him too quick to his liking this morning. Since it’s lunchtime, he has the chance to see you again or he would go berserk.

He woke up to see his side of the bed was empty. His arms holding and grasping over nothing but air. It was a blissful night for him, to finally be able to sleep but to wake up without his darling irritates the shit out of him. 

He wants to keep you by his side.

Forever. 

“Come in,” He tells you who’s behind the door. 

Much to his dismay, it isn’t you. His face darkened. It is his father. 

“Jimin,” His father calls him out but doesn’t like it. He doesn’t want to hear the person who he had considered as a father, only to abandon him in this place calling his name. He scoots further away from the older man. 

It is finally the time for him to meet up with his son. As much as he pushes away his son because of his new wife— the one that Jimin has never acknowledged as his mother— He still needs Jimin to take over and run his legacy. 

Marrying another woman is just a strategy to get a big share of this hospital. Now that he has been announced as the next CEO, he files a divorce with Mrs Park. That woman was caught cheating so he uses that as his advantage. MrMrs Park knows she’s cheating behind his back. He only keeps her around for the sake of getting what he wants. 

“I already divorced that woman.” He says coolly. “Let’s have a father-son talk?”

“I don’t want to.”

A sigh escapes the father’s lips. Pure coincidence, you walk into Jimin’s room. You knock a few times before coming in but Jimin didn’t reply so you make your way in and only to be greeted by another person, Jimin’s father. 

“Mr Park? What are you doing here?” You ask, confused and surprised by his sudden visit. He didn’t even contact you beforehand. 

You put down the tray of foods and medications you are carrying on top of the small kitchen counter. You see that Jimin is being hostile towards his father. You look at the older one, as you rephrase your question again.

“Why are you here, Mr Park?”

“I need to talk to Jimin.”

“And I don’t want to and I have nothing to talk to you about,” Jimin didn’t miss a beat. He detests his father that much. 

You sigh. You have no time for father and son drama. “Why don’t you listen to him first, hmm?” You direct it to him as you unwrap the cling wraps that are covering the food. 

“I don’t want to,” He pouts as he walks towards you to hold you again. The desire to touch you all over again is too strong. 

“Talk to him, Jimin. After all, he’s still your father…” You tell him as you cup his face to make him look at you. “After you’re done talking with him, I will give you your lunch and prescriptions.”

Jimin contemplates before he nods. “Fine.”

Mr Park, on the other hand, is impressed by how easily you had handled his son. But it looks like you have way more control than Jimin. It shouldn’t be that way.

“I will leave you both to talk,” You excuse yourself. 

You could hear the disapproving noise coming from Jimin but you ignore it. “Behave, Jimin,” 

“Don’t be too long. Jimin needs to take his medicines before 1 PM,” You tell him with a smile and disappear behind the door.

As soon as the door shuts, Jimin turns to his father, gesturing to him to sit down. Once he’s seated, Jimin starts. “Speak.” 

Heaving a sigh, Mr Park clasps his hands together and looks at his son’s dark orbs. “I need you to take over this hospital,” 

“I was planning on giving my share of this hospital to you. You will manage this hospital and I will manage the one back in Busan.”

“What?”

“Take over my legacy and be happy with (Y/N).”

“H-How did you—”

“I approve of your liking towards her and I will do anything to give you back your happiness to make up for all those years you’ve suffered in the darkness,” Mr Park’s tone of voice is apologetic. Truly showing his son that he wants to do his best to make him happy again. 

Jimin is shocked by the sudden change. He couldn’t utter a string of words after what his father had told him. 

From the other side of the door, you peek through the door but you couldn’t hear what their conversation was all about but you could see that Jimin is crying and hugging his father. 

Well, the game is coming to its end it seems. Jimin is going to be discharged soon to take over this hospital.

One thing was yet to settle—

The deal Mr Yang had offered to you. 

Jimin is going to leave soon. Why do you feel a tinge of sadness in your heart at the thought of him leaving you and leading a brand new life with his father? Are you attached to him? Is that it?

This isn’t good. 

“Who’s gonna go inside Jimin’s room?” Yuri asks. 

Your suspension starts today and that leaves all your duties for them to handle. 

“For sure, I won’t be going inside there again,” Lia says. 

Silence fills their usual hangout spot for the nurses and doctors which is the information counter, only the sound of Yuri clicking the keyboard’s keys, Beomgyu’s scribbling on his paper is the only audible sound. 

“You guys are so lost without (Y/N),” Jaemin suddenly appears from another hallway with a clipboard and a pen wrapped around his finger. “Is this a sad party?”

“Shut up, Jaemin. We know you are lost without (Y/N) too,” Gyu says. “Don’t think we don’t know about your little crush on her.”

Jaemin’s face reddens, making them laugh at him. The male doctor had a little crush on you but he doesn’t want to admit it. It’s obvious but you’re too blind to see the sign.

“Guys, I was asking?” Yuri groans. “Who’s going to take over Dr. (Y/N)’s patient, Jimin, during her suspension period?”

“Oops, I’m out of this,” Jaemin smirks. 

“Sure you are, Jaemin. Leave then,” Aerin scolds him as she narrows her eyes on him but then she continues preparing patient’s prescriptions on the medical trolley. 

“Morning, guys.”

They turn to the sound of your voice and Lia immediately jumps from her spot and pulls you into a hug.

“(Y/N)!” She squeals. Letting out a small laugh, you hug her with equal excitement. You turn to your confused colleagues. 

They know the fact that you could come for a visit even during your suspension period but they did not expect her to come so early in the morning. They wait for you to speak. 

“Oh,” You chuckle. “I’m here to discuss some matter with Director Kim, that’s all,” You see the disappointment that washes over their faces after you had said that.

“Might as well hang out for a bit with you guys, I guess?”

“Yey!” Yuri squealed. 

“But let me talk with Director Yang first, okay?” You turn on your heels but stop as you remember, “Oh, Jaemin and Beomgyu, please follow me too. I think you guys are the first that needed to be notified about this matter,” You tell them and walk towards the elevator. 

“I’ll decide later who will take over my patients during my suspension period,” You say that to your other colleagues. 

“Are you sure about this, (Y/N)?” Jaemin asks as soon as the three of you leave Director Yang’s room. 

“Yeah. I’ve been thinking about it before” You tell him calmly but Jaemin isn’t having it. The news of you transferring hit him like a truck. 

“And you didn’t even tell any of us?” He argues. 

“Jaemin, stop it,” Beomgyu says. “Her decision is final and we have to respect it, it’s her choice. Why are you so angry about it anyway? It’s not like she was forced to be transferred to another hospital, she was offered.”

Jaemin heaves a heavy sigh before speaking again, this time a tad bit calmer. “What about Jimin?”

“What about him?” You raise an eyebrow at him. 

“You know how he’s too attached to you. How will he react if gets to know that you’re transferring?”

You shrug, you’re not obligated to give him the answer anyway. You walk out of the building to return to the patients’ building. 

Jimin will be fine with the news. He had other things to worry about such as his future position as the CEO. He’ll get over you even before you realise it. All he needs right now is his father’s support. 

Reaching the information counter, you immediately notice Yuri and you walk towards her. “I will handle Jimin for today. I got permission from the higher-ups since it’s my last day” You tell her as you grab a pen from the counter and fill in the duty form.

“What?” Yuri’s eyes widened at your statement. “What do you mean last day? Aren’t you just being suspended?”

“Well, yes, I am suspended but after the period ends, I will start working at another hospital. In another word, I’m transferring to another hospital.”

After a few sad sessions with your colleagues, you finally preparing to do your duty. You didn’t bother to change your attire; the white translucent blouse covered with a black off-shoulder crop top and paired with a black long skirt— It was decent enough and you’re here only to attend to Jimin, not your other patients. Following closely behind you are Lia and Aerin, they’ve heard the news of your transferring too. 

“Here you go, (Y/N),” Aerin hands you the tray of Jimin’s meals and prescriptions. “Thank you, Aerin,” You take the tray and smile at her softly. 

“Sometimes I really envy you, (Y/N),” Lia suddenly says. Letting out a small chuckle, you turn to Lia. “And why is that?”

Lia shrugs, she folds her arms and rests her face on top of her open palm. “I don’t know. I just envy you in so many ways.”

That earns a giggle from you and Aerin. 

Once you’ve arrived at Jimin’s room, you bid your goodbye to the two women, Lia and Aerin, as they head towards your other patients’ room. You knock on the door and wait for Jimin’s response. Once you’ve heard a faint ‘come in’, you twist the knob to allow the door to open. 

“(Y/N).”

Jimin softly calls for you but a frown creeps on his face as he sees you not in your usual attire—with your doctor coat. “Why aren’t you wearing your coat?” He asks as he pats the space next to him, gesturing to you to sit beside him. 

“I forgot to wear it,” You tell him that as you unwrap the food and bring it to the small coffee table near the couch. You set the tray down and sit next to Jimin.

“Can I hug you, (Y/N)?”

You look at him with a frown, caught off guard by the sudden question. Jimin takes your silence as a negative reaction. “Nevermind, I was just…”

“No, no,” You stop him. “Come here.” 

Spending time with Jimin or just being with him has been a daily routine for you. You didn’t notice this before but you are attached to him now. You love each second you spend with Jimin. 

Pulling you by your forearm, Jimin engulfs you in a hug which makes you melt almost instantly in his arms. You wrap your arms around his neck as you inhale his scent. His sweet cologne. It somehow smells sweet instead of how you would usually describe a man’s cologne— manly scent— but Jimin’s scent is sweet and it makes you… tipsy?

“You smell nice…sweet, Jimin,” You slur. Your body is clinging harder on Jimin. He caresses your back in a circular motion. Your mind becomes hazier and hazier at each second and each scent you inhale.

Why are you getting the same effect when Jimin uses his ability on you? He barely speaks. You try to break the hug but Jimin only tightens his grip around your body. 

“I heard you’re transferring, darling.”

You gasp as you pull your head from his neck. How did he know about it? You don’t have the time to think about it. More importantly, he uses his ability on you again. His touch. 

You grasp on his biceps in attempt to push him away, as much as you love spending your time with Jimin, you made it clear that you detest when he uses his ability on you. 

“Why are you leaving me?” He sounds angry but still, his voice is laced with enchantment, clouding your coherent thoughts.

“Should I sing my Siren Song to you all day to make sure you will stay with me forever?”

You freeze in your spot. If you had to choose, you’d rather not have Jimin taking over the control you had of your body and mind. It’s not much of a difference when Jimin only uses his enchanted voice but his Siren Song is deadly. While the latter, you can still process what’s happening and still fight it whereas his song will make you completely on his mercy. 

“No…” is the only thing you manage to say. 

Jimin only hums, taking in your scent down to his lungs. He loves to see you looking so submissive with his touch. Everything about you attracts every cell in his body. 

“Should I seal the bond?” Jimin muses. He never stops using his enchanted voice. Each of his words coats with more and more enchantment, making it more enticing for you. 

“Bond—?” Your voice comes out as weak and soft. 

“Don’t worry about it (Y/N),” Another manly voice interrupts you. 

“Dad.”

Dad? Mr Park?

Mr Park walks closer to the two of you but keeps his distance because he knows his son doesn’t want anyone near you and that includes himself, his father. 

“He meant the mating bond between the two of you,” He explains— as if your current state of mind allows you to properly think about his words. His words fall on deaf ears. 

“I can choose anyone to be my mate and I picked you,” Jimin whispers into your ears with that oh-so-sweet voice. He then nuzzles his nose against your cheek. “My father heard the news of you transferring to another hospital, so I asked him to cancel whatever deal Mr Yang made you sign.”

“I can’t lose you,” His lips trails from your cheek down to your jawline making you squirm out of the pleasure as you feel his lips on your heated skin. He leaves a trail of soft kisses down to your neck. 

“This is our new beginning, darling,” He pulls his face from your neck as he takes in the way your eyelids are heavy, your cheeks are heated, you sinful lips. Your skin feels warm against him. He enjoys every second of having you in his arms and he is definitely satisfied with the view he’s witnessing right now. 

“We will be happy with each other,” He traces his finger on the side of your face as he removes a few hair strands from your face. 

“I’ve already got you discharged, Jimin. The car is waiting outside. I’ll be waiting there. Seal the bond quickly,” His father says before leaving the room. 

“You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting for this, darling,” He confesses. His thumb is playing with your lower lips. He leans forward and captures your lips into a kiss. His lips are soft on top of yours. He starts to kiss you at a slow pace, not rushing at the slightest. 

He has all the time he needs. 

The moment you feel Jimin’s soft lips on your, you’re a goner. A complete utter goner. The scent that is filling the air is dulling your senses. You couldn’t think of anything but the kiss and that’s exactly what Jimin wants. Your attention is solely on him and the kiss. 

You let out a moan and Jimin takes it as his chance to invade your mouth. His tongue dances with yours as he devours you, claims you hungrily. His hands roam on your back, tracing your spine and he places his hands on your hips. Your hands are locked around his neck. 

What seems like forever, Jimin finally pulls away from you—Much to your dismay— and you are left breathless. The kiss had stolen your breath. Jimin sees the way your chest is rising and falling at a fast pace. He licks his luscious lips when he sees the want in your eyes. Your lips are red and are begging to be sucked and kissed all over again. 

Jimin picks you up and locks your legs around his waist. 

As much as Jimin wants to continue devouring you, he needs to get you out of the hospital while you’re still in this state, at his mercy and so submissive. 

He places a kiss on top of your forehead and your nose before he pushes your head to rest on his shoulder. He walks towards the door. He takes one final look at his room and smirks. He had planned everything for this day. He walks out of his room and just as he expects, it’s empty. 

He told his father to make sure the whole floor department is empty so that he could walk away with you without worrying others might see—Not like he cares but it’s for the better— Also to make sure he doesn’t bump into any of your colleagues, especially Jaemin. 

He will finally say goodbye to this hospital and greet a new chapter of his life with you. 

“You’re mine now, darling.”

Bond has been sealed and there’s no escape now. 

If you enjoyed reading this, please consider liking it or reblogging it. It means so much to me!

Feedback is always appreciated and helps me to improve myself! Do not send hateful comments or asks.

Taglist : @minshookie29​ @mangminnie

All rights reserved © 2021 kthyg. Do not copy, translate, modify or repost without permission.

I have no words. This was just absolute perfection and I’ll come back to it over and over again because it was absolutely brilliant writing and characterization. From theme to execution it was a masterpiece. I’m sad it is done, but will definitely come back to it often. ☺️

Raise the Barre (Epilogue)

Author: kpopfanfictrash

Creative Contributor: @baebae-goodnight​ for the last Raise the Barre moodboard TT she nailed it

Pairing: Jimin / Reader

Rating: 18+ (Smut)

Genre: Enemies to Lovers / Dance Academy!AU

Warnings: sexual content. Dry humping, fingering, hand job, oral (female), breast play, multiple orgasms, Jimin gets turned on by making someone else come, dirty talk. Jimin’s pants are tight.

Word Count: 13,409

Summary: You and Park Jimin have been rivals for as long as you’ve known one another; ever since he tripped you in the front row of your first dance convention. When you graduate from high school and enter Russet Ballet Academy, you tell yourself you’re leaving all past quarrels behind. The main problem with this though, is that your past seems determined not to leave you alone.

Worse still, the obstacles you face while out in the real world might prove more challenging than anything your enemy has to offer.  

Keep reading

After the Applause (Ch. 4)

Header and linebreaks by @awrkives

Single Dad Jimin x Female OC

SUMMARY: Jimin doesn't know how he would have made it this far after the shattering of his world without the support of his thoughtful, generous, helpful neighbor. Hanbyul has lived next to hottie Jimin and his adorable daughter for years now, long enough to remember the wife he was so devoted to and lost far too young. With each safely ensconced on their side of the brick wall of the Parks' grief, it will take an enterprising little scientist to set the stage for a second chance at love.

CW: grief, prior loss of spouse/parent, comfort, explicit sex, secondhand embarrassment

Previous Chapter | Masterlist | Next Chapter

Hanbyul sulked on the foot of her bed, feet underneath her pillow and a blanket cocooned around her body as she clicked through suggestions on her dating app. She narrowed her eyes unhappily at each of the three profiles the app recommended for her today. She didn’t like any of them. Well, she might have liked them at another time, she wasn’t really giving them a fair shake, but right now she had really just hoped that looking through them would cause Namjoon’s ears to burn and he’d finally respond to her last message.

Well actually, her last four messages…

She groaned and buried her face in the crook of her arm. Her sister had already poured salt on her wound of humiliation at having sent Namjoon four messages without any response. It was mortifying. She felt like an idiot, only overshadowed by the misery of oh my god he’s ghosting me he’s done with me. Their last date, date number three, had gone really well, she thought! But that was a week ago and there’d been no response since. 

Holding her phone had the added benefit of ensuring she would see the second he messaged if he did. Not that she was hoping he would, obviously! This was the 21st century and a girl did not let a guy just disappear on her and then forgive it when he suddenly messaged her again! Unless there was a good reason. Maybe he had a good reason. Maybe he was in the hospital, or his mom was, and then she would totally forgive him. She was a very understanding person!

But what if he was playing hard to get? She hated that it might be working, even if she didn’t want to admit it. She’d liked him on their dates but would not have expected to feel his silence so loudly until confronted with it. Was this what they meant about absence making the heart grow fonder? Was the injustice of him ignoring her actually making her feel more strongly about their connection, one he could so easily and carelessly sever?

In the meantime as she did-but-didn’t wait for him to message her back, Hanbyul perused the dating apps again in an effort to reassure herself that even if Namjoon was tired of her, there were more frogs in the pond. She preferred that phrasing to there are more fish in the sea since, like her neighbor, she had an aversion to seafood. 

It wasn’t weird to know that about your neighbor, right? She cooked for them sometimes! Not that she went out of her way to cater to his preferences but if she just happened to be making something she thought he’d like, she would share it, and it was convenient that their opinions on seafood aligned. 

She sighed at her own lack of interest in the app’s recommendations and decided to plunge into a free-browse. The concept of finding someone to date based on a few photos and answers to mundane questions seemed impossible, but she supposed that’s how it always started. If you really got to know people first, that would limit her dating pool to…

Well, to a very small rain puddle.

Speaking of very small worlds, her eyebrows raised in surprise when a person familiar in name only showed at the top of her browsing when sorting by distance: Jeon Jungkook. 

Curiosity got the better of her and she opened his profile. Just to put a face to the name! Now she recognized him as a person she had seen entering or leaving the building opposite her a few times. His photos were mostly selfies, either at the gym or with dogs, except for one of him with Taehyung, Jimin, and another man who seemed vaguely familiar.  

She’d just started to read his profile –out of curiosity, nothing else!-- when a new message alert popped onto her screen.

[Jeon Jungkook]: hey

[Jeon Jungkook]: neighbor Ko Hanbyul!

Hanbyul let out a startled gasp and dropped her phone and looked around, expecting he could somehow see her right now. Did the app know when you were on someone’s profile page?! She’d certainly never gotten any alerts that someone was checking her out. Oh god did that mean no one ever checked her out?!

[Ko Hanbyul]: Hello family friend Jeon Jungkook

[Jeon Jungkook]: youve heard of me 😎 

[Jeon Jungkook]: how are you doing this cold night? Winter or spring right now what is it

Hanbyul sat up and leaned against the wall. It felt weird to be talking to Jimin’s friend. Very weird. And he seemed so immediately comfortable with her, which she didn’t understand considering they’d never even met in person. He must be a naturally charming person. She envied that about him. Were all of Jimin’s friends charming just like he was? God, she really could never belong there. Would Jimin think she was trying to force her way in if he knew she was talking to Jungkook?! 

But they were just talking! It wasn’t like they were going on a date. She wasn’t going to go on a date with one of Jimin’s closest friends! It felt rude not to answer him though when he was being friendly, and he was a friend of a friend. Friend of a neighbor.

[Ko Hanbyul]: it’s early spring and I like the cold. You?

[Jeon Jungkook]: yeah I like winter best but I dont think this is spring there are more than four seasons

[Jeon Jungkook]: our schools lie to make it easy to learn but dont you think there are more seasons in a year? 

Hanbyul’s mouth twisted into a grin. Ok, he was an interesting guy. 

[Ko Hanbyul]: what are the other seasons?

[Jeon Jungkook]: hm

[Jeon Jungkook]: rainy season, allergy season, mosquito season, sweatshirt season, the busy season

[Ko Hanbyul]: busy season for what?

[Jeon Jungkook]: everyone has a busy season everyone always says that

[Jeon Jungkook]: right? Its our busy season. 

[Jeon Jungkook]: unless your Jiminie

[Jeon Jungkook]: then busy season is every month before a show right? Kekeke

The mention of Jimin flustered Hanbyul, gave her that twinge like she was betraying Jimin somehow because probably Jungkook was flirting with her. That’s why he’d messaged, right? Was she flirting back? She genuinely didn’t know. He was awfully handsome, maybe it was too much to think he was flirting with her.

But at the same time, Jimin wasn’t interested in her at all, so what was she being faithful to? A crush? And anyway, it was just a conversation!

[Ko Hanbyul]: when is your busy season?

There, impeccable flirting. Smooth as dirt.

[Jeon Jungkook]: nah not me i do screenprinting i work for a clothing company so its always busy

[Ko Hanbyul]: oh! That’s interesting!

[Jeon Jungkook]: its not but ok kekeke thanks 😉

[Jeon Jungkook]: do you have a favorite t shirt? 

It was such an off-the-wall question, though she supposed relevant to his career. Conversation with him flowed easily like that, bouncing from one topic to another. Sometimes he’d go quiet for a bit but then he’d be back with some other new topic just as Hanbyul started to set the phone down. Almost an hour passed in this way before he surprised her further.

[Jeon Jungkook]: yeah, you seem cool

[Ko Hanbyul]: Thank you, you too! Jimin was right to say that about you

The second she sent it, she cringed. Referring to Jimin so familiarly! And after talking to his friend on a dating app for an hour! It was a faux pas in every direction and all she could do was cover her face as Jungkook responded.

[Jeon Jungkook]: he said good things about me huh? Tell me every single one

But Hanbyu was cringing too hard, and worried now that this might be leading to Jungkook asking her out. Did she want to go on a date with Jungkook?! Ah, maybe he was only being polite because she was the neighbor of his friend but their conversation had seemed pretty flirty! He was charming and handsome. He wasn’t Jimin, but Jimin didn’t want her and Namjoon didn’t want her so maybe…. But what if she just was always longing for Jimin? That would be a terrible thing to do to Jungkook!

[Ko Hanbyul]: Sounds like you and Park Jimin need a heart to heart

[Jeon Jungkook]: after this convo i think your right

What did that mean?! Hanbyul tried to think of something to say back, but Hudu was at the front door, jingling the bells that he wanted to go out. 

“Use the potty mat!” she called, but Hudu hated the potty mat and honestly she hated it too. Plus she could use some air. There was nothing for it but to slip her phone in her pocket, bundle her and the pup up, and head out.

They weren’t alone in the hall though. At almost the same time she opened her door, the Park door opened down the hall, and out stepped the very man she was messaging, Sun-young bundled up beside him.

For a moment they just froze and looked at each other with surprise, until Sun-young shouted a greeting and Hudu started to do a dance that had Hanbyul worried he was going to pee in the hallway with excitement at seeing Sun-young.

“I’m taking my dog out,” she explained, no other greeting preceding it as she started quickly down the hall.

Jungkook snickered and motioned, “Yeah, me too. I mean, my niece.”

“What? I’m not a dog! And I don’t need to pee outside,” Sun-young said with a dramatic eyeroll. “Hi, unnie. We’re going to get churros.”

“Oooh.”

She pushed the elevator button and bit back the endeared smile. Churros. That was pretty cute.

“So you’re…” She stopped herself before saying babysitting, knowing Sun-young would hate that.

“Yeah, uh, I’m hanging out with Sunbun tonight.”

“We’re watching Sailor Moon from the very beginning,” Sun-young told her. “Do you like that show? Did you have it when you were a little girl or are you too old?”

“Hey! I’m not that old,” Hanbyul cried and playfully scowled at her. 

“I know, you’re younger than Appa.”

“She’s my age,” Jungkook answered and for a moment Hanbyul forgot it said her birth year on her profile. She hadn’t remembered his year, although she did remember he was born in September. “So, did you watch Sailor Moon growing up?”

“Yes…” Hanbyul answered. They all stepped into the open elevator together and Hudu sniffed around Jungkook’s feet as Sun-young stooped to scratch his head.

Jungkook grinned and demanded, “Why are you answering like it’s a trap?”

“Oh, I didn’t admit it before, but one of my favorite t-shirts when I was younger was a Sailor Moon shirt, actually.” It was the truth, but it made him laugh so hard she thought he must not believe her. She laughed too because he had a very infectious laugh.  

“Do you still have it?”

“It would be too small now!”

“Eh, small shirts can look good,” he shrugged. She didn’t miss the way he cocked his head or pressed his tongue between his lips. Did he mean in general, or on her specifically?! That had to be flirting…

Sun-young suddenly stood up in between them, her eyes narrowed and sliding back and forth from Hanbyul to Jungkook in such a suspicious way that Hanbyul took a step closer to the wall. She felt caught, like she’d truly been doing something wrong and now Sun-young was witnessing it. She braced herself for whatever was going to come out of the girl’s mouth as she put her hands on her hips.

“Hey. Do you know each other? I thought you said you didn’t know who Uncle Tae and Uncle Jungkook are…”

“Yeah, we know each other,” Jungkook answered first, in a way that sounded so much guiltier. The way he said it sounded like it meant way more than we just started talking on a dating app an hour ago. Oh god and they’d been talking the whole hour… but it was just friendly! Platonic! Right?!

Sun-young turned to Jungkook and demanded, “Aren’t you dating that lady at the cafe?!”

The elevator doors opened and Hanbyul leapt out, but Hudu suddenly wanted to take his time and stick by Sun-young’s side. Even pulled on the leash to stay put!

Jungkook’s laugh echoed around the apartment lobby as he insisted, “What do you know about that? I’m not dating her. I mean, I went on a date with her but… ah, you’ll understand when you’re older.”

“You never say that to me,” Sun-young frowned.

“Sorry but this one time I’m going to say it. I don’t have to tell you every woman I talk to or date!”

“But now you’re dating…” Sun-young turned her narrowed eyes towards Hanbyul, whose face could not have felt more on fire. This was as bad as when Sun-young asked her why she didn’t just date Jimin. No, worse, because there was a witness to the mortification!  

“A man and a woman can talk,” Jungkook insisted. “It doesn’t mean they’re dating.”

“And they can date… but it doesn’t mean they’re dating either?” Sun-young tried to puzzle out. 

“No no, there’s a difference between talking and going on a date and dating and… hey, why don’t you talk to your dad about this kind of thing?”

“About if you’re dating unnie?”

“Aish,” Jungkook hissed through his teeth and gave Hanbyul a charming, amused grin. “You run, I’m going to distract her with churros. Can’t ask questions if your mouth is full of churro!”

Hanbyul desperately wanted to know what was going to be explained here but also desperately didn’t want any part of it. They were just talking! It felt like a betrayal of Jimin and yet what was there to betray? Jimin didn’t want her! Besides, Jungkook had just said they were just talking…. But he’d said it to a nine-year-old, maybe he was just being vague… Or maybe he didn’t want to date, there were other things a man and woman could do. Like talking sure, or… Jungkook was a handsome man! No Jimin, but then, who was? Maybe he wasn’t the sort to date, just to sleep around. Hanbyul had never really done the sleeping around thing but she could really use some sex. Sex would be a positive addition to her life. She couldn’t find her vibrator lately; maybe it was under the bed but she was scared to look and hadn’t bought a new one yet…

Sun-young’s little face turned up and Hanbyul just barely heard her say, “I don’t think you should talk to Unnie so much.”

Oh geez, what was Jungkook going to say to that?! But Hudu chose that moment to give in to her tug towards the door; he took off as if he suddenly remembered his bladder, and she sure didn’t want to clean up a puddle in the lobby, so off they ran. And so she would never know what else Jungkook said.

She was too embarrassed to say anything to Jungkook on the messenger app for the rest of the night. Embarrassed and unsure what to say if Jungkook did ask her out on a date or invite her over for sex. Although she did check later that night, just to make sure he hadn’t messaged her either…

Wha, what was she thinking?! Men did not just invite Hanbyul over for sex! Definitely not men like Jungkook, or Jimin, or Taehyung for that matter… Or Namjoon…

“Hudu, we’re going to die alone together, I hope that’s ok with you,” she sighed, and decided to take the long way around the park. 

The seats were pretty high up but the best he’d been able to afford. Still more than he had planned to spend right now, nowhere close to Sunnie’s birthday, but when he’d heard from Hoseok, who’d heard from this dancer who knew that dancer who was one of the principals, that Mango Crush was about to announce an unexpected concert for reasons Jimin didn’t remember or care about, he’d already decided to by the tickets before Sun-young even came running from school screaming about it. He’d been prepared for her cries of disbelief when he’d agreed that yes, they could go. He’d been prepared for her surprise when he rattled off the exact time they would go on sale that night and showed her his alarm so he wouldn’t miss it.

He had not been prepared for her to beg, “Can Hanbyul-unnie go with us? Please?!”

He’d tried to keep his face neutral at the instant hurt. Of course his daughter would rather go see a girl-group with a female friend. Hanbyul was a fan, she knew the lyrics and everything. Part of loving his daughter was letting her grow and replace him and he wasn’t going to cry about it until he was alone in his room later maybe.

“Oh, you’d rather go with Hanbyul?” he’d asked carefully to give himself a moment to think.

“Yes, all three of us!”

He’d been so relieved that Sun-young still wanted him along that he’d bought three tickets without further argument, without even talking to Hanbyul about it first. Then he’d worried about how awkward it would be to ask his neighbor if she’d like to go to a kpop concert with him and his daughter, but Sun-young had run ahead and by the time he’d joined them at Hanbyul’s door, she’d already graciously accepted the invitation. She begged Jimin to let him pay for her own ticket, which he had refused, because for a moment he felt so cool in front of his daughter.

“I know the seats aren’t very good,” Jimin apologized to Hanbyul over Sun-young’s head as she searched for the power button on the flashy Mango stick. Hanbyul had brought one for each of them

Hanbyul actually laughed, “They’re fine! Haven’t you been to a concert recently? The music reaches you anywhere and we can see the stage straight ahead. You did great!”

Jimin flushed at the unexpected praise, then chalked her kind words up to excitement. He had half expected Hanbyul only came along to be a good sport for Sun-young, which in and of itself would have meant so much to him. But she leaned in close to show Sun-young where the switch was, and turned her own on, and the two of them shouted and cheered as they waved them in the air along with everyone else. But he didn’t think either that she’d only come for personal enjoyment of the concert, either, because every step of the way so far, her attention had been focused so joyfully and sincerely on Sun-young. It was like she really wanted to be here with them. It made JImin feel really good about all this.  

“It’s my first concert ever!” Sun-young squealed.

“What?! Then I’m even more glad I brought the Mango Sticks!” Hanbyul cheered. “I’ll buy you a t-shirt too, ok? I still have the t-shirt from my first concert! I was about your age too. My friend’s mom took us.”

“Who was it?” Jimin immediately demanded. He knew so little about Hanbyul’s childhood, or her private life, or really anything at all. What kind of girl had she been? He found himself wanting to know.

“Baby V.O.X.”

“Ah, I know them!”

“Personally?!”

“No no, I know of them, I remember them,” he admitted. “I thought you would name some super secret cool band I’ve never heard of, but they were popular.”

Hanbyul gave him an indecipherable look and laughed, “Do I seem like I’m into anything secret and cool? I like popular things just like anyone else.”

“Well I don’t know many famous people,” he shared his own confession.

“I think of you as knowing everyone.”

“No no, why would I know famous people?” He thought it was ridiculous. Yes, he knew some famous dancers, but Hanbyul wouldn’t know who any of those people were. “Well, I’ve done choreography for some idol groups but not the big ones, they tend to have their own choreographers.”

“That’s really cool though! We should go to a concert for one of those groups,” she suggested, eyes sparkling.

“I don’t know them well enough to get tickets!”

“It’s ok, I’ll buy the tickets next time.”

“Yay, more concerts!” Sun-young cheered, then grabbed Jimin’s arm as the lights flickered. “IT’S STARTING!”

Jimin took her hand and she didn’t even pull it away, just raised his hand and her Mango Stick in the other to join the shouts as Mango Crush took the stage.

“Can you name them yet?” Hanbyul asked, leaning close and repeating it when Jimin couldn’t hear. She had to get close to his ear, her warm breath tickling the side of his neck.

“Yes,” he scoffed and rattled them off because obviously he had done some quick studying so he wouldn’t sound like a total idiot to Sun-young. Hanbyul stared at his lips, as if really closely testing his accuracy.

“Now which is which?” she shouted, gesturing towards the stage where little ants in sparkly costumes danced around. The massive screens behind the stage showed them closer and it was Eujin… or maybe Hana… Adda? No, that one was Violet…

Ok, they weren’t that far away, the venue wasn’t that big for such a quickly pulled together concert. He could easily see all nine of them. But still. Their hair colors were all different than the pictures he’d seen so he was toast.

“Shit, she changed her hair,” he said, overly loud, and Hanbyul laughed. It was the music that made Jimin smile so big. Live music was infectious! Even if you were a little tired of the songs because you’d been listening to them nonstop for the past week to try and learn the lyrics before the concert with your daughter.

Hanbyul’s attention shifted to Sun-young as Jimin’s daughter dropped his hand to take hers, and they sang the words together, loud and adorably off-key but swallowed in the mass of voices around the venue. He couldn't remember the lyrics at all in the moment.

It was the third song before they performed one Jimin knew well enough to shout along to. Sun-young’s eyes got so big and she laughed with her whole body and grabbed his hand again and waved her Mango Stick thing and Jimin knew every minute of listening to their music and every won spent on the tickets had been worth it. 

He shared a smile with Hanbyul over Sun-young’s head, and then Hanbyul covered her face shyly. He worried she thought he was laughing at how much she enjoyed the concert but no, it made him very happy that she did! He didn’t see how to explain that in a shout over the noise though so he just turned back to the music and only watched her out of the corner of his eye as she and Sun-young sang their hearts out.

We’ve only got one life  So let’s live it loud  Take up the space we were meant for Hands up, sing it proud: This world is ours!

*********

The show ended later than Jimin had expected, but Sun-young complained about being hungry on the way home so they stopped at Yoongi’s noodle place because it was open, close to home, and cheap. He insisted on paying for Hanbyul’s noodles too, after she had insisted on buying so much merch for Sun-young. All the rules were out the window tonight, so he might as well let Sun-young sit up until midnight to eat noodles in her Mango Crush shirt with her Mango Crush headband.

The shop was mostly empty this time fo night, so once their food was ready, Yoongi came to visit. Sun-young was so excited telling him about the show that her noodles got cold; no matter how many times Jimin encouraged her to eat, she could barely get a bite in before she needed to tell Yoongi something, or ask Hanbyul if she remembered this, or insist Jimin tell him her favorite outfit or whatever. 

Only after she finally stopped to catch her breath did Yoongi say, “Nice to meet you, by the way. I think you’re Ko Hanbyul?”

With a gasp, Jimin realized he’d missed the introduction and apologized, “Yes, yes, Ko Hanbyul, and this is my friend Min Yoongi. I forgot you haven’t met my friends.”

“I’m meeting them more lately, it seems,” she said, which felt cryptic somehow. Did she just mean because she’d spent that afternoon over with Taehyung and now met Yoongi? That didn’t seem remarkable… “It’s nice to meet you,” she continued on. “And great to meet the owner of this place, I get noodles here all the time.”

“Thank you for keeping us in business.”

Yoongi seemed to be pointedly ignoring Jimin’s look because why had Yoongi said her name first?! Why hadn’t he just asked who she was? He realized now it would make it seem like he had talked about her, which he had but not in a nefarious way!

“Yoongi and I go way back,” Jimin explained to keep Hanbyul from feeling uncomfortable. “I helped him meet his wife! She’s an incredibly talented ballet dancer–”

“You didn’t do anything.”

“I hosted the party where you met.”

“So when you come here on a date, I’ll take the credit?”

Jimin flinched. It wasn’t all right to make that kind of a joke in front of Sun-young –or Hanbyul for that matter!

Trying to salvage it, he insisted, “Why would I bring someone here on a date? You think I can’t take someone somewhere nicer?”

“Well now you’re just insulting me,” Yoongi laughed. “What’s wrong with here for a date?”

“I think it’s nice here,” Hanbyul readily agreed. And now Jimin felt like an asshole.

“I just meant for a first date, you take someone to a really nice place! This is where I bring someone when– no, why are we talking about this?” he broke off, realizing this was a completely inappropriate conversation to have in front of his daughter. He broke out into a cold sweat and insisted, “I’m not dating anyone, Sunnie, don’t worry.”

“We already knew unnie before we brought her here,” Sun-young informed Yoongi. 

“Oh, is this a date?” Yoongi asked, with a particular sparkle lighting up in his eyes that made Jimin want to strangle him in cold blood.

“No,” “No,” Jimin and Hanbyul said at the same time Sun-young said, “Yes.”

“What do you think a date is?” Jimin asked, realizing there must be a misunderstanding here. 

“I know what a date is,” she smiled and instead of saying anything further, asked, “Appa, what was your first concert?”

Yoongi snickered at the way Jimin flustered and reeled, trying to catch up, not sure what to correct or explain. He glanced at Hanbyul in the hopes she would say something elegant but she just shoved a mouthful of noodles in, and then caught his eye and it was obvious she didn’t want to answer. He wasn’t sure which of them started laughing first but when she choked on her noodles he reached out to pound on her back.

“I’ll leave you to it. Mochi is on me when you’re done,” Yoongi offered and disappeared like a disruptive shadow.

Sunnie was waiting for an answer though, like she couldn’t even hear her dad and neighbor laughing, and repeated, “Who was your first concert, Appa? How old were you?”

“Uh… ok, you’re all right now? Hm, I think it was Super Junior. I was older… fifteen? Sixteen? I saw dance troops before that but I think that was my first concert.”

“Oh! Is that why the blonde hair?” Hanbyul asked. Then grimaced and explained, “I mean… they had blonde hair, didn’t they?”

“Are you asking if I dye my hair to look like a member of a k-pop group I saw twenty years ago?”

“Um…” Hanbyul’s eyes look very wide.

“No!” he laughed. “This is my natural color!”

“He’s lying! He dyes it every six weeks but he won’t let me dye my hair,” Sun-young tattled, as if Hanbyul might not know he was in fact not a natural blonde. 

“Your hair is perfect, I don’t want you to bake it.”

“What color do you want it to be?” Hanbyul asked her.

“Hm… white.”

“White!” Jimin repeated.

“Oh, that’s cool.”

“Not all white. Some black and some white.”

“Like a zebra?” Jimin screwed his face up.

“It’s cool, Appa.”

“I’m out of style on what’s cool,” he confessed to Hanbyul. As soon as he said it, he knew it would annoy Sun-young. “I just decide what I want to do for my style and do it.”

“That’s cool too,” Hanbyul assured him. 

Sun-young beamed, “When I get older I’ll dye my hair, ok?”

“Ok, maybe,” he conceded. “I just don’t want you to burn it and then it all falls out.”

“Your hair isn’t falling out.”

“Eh…” he grimaced.

“I think it’s ok if we’re bald together,” Sun-young decided. “If we at least had fun getting there.” Jimin’s heart thumped and he didn’t know what to say. Was he a sap that hearing his daughter say that melted him into silence in an instant?

“That’s quite profound,” Hanbyul said with a warm smile that made him feel like she understood too. She didn’t think he was a sap for being affected by that.

“What does profound mean?”

“Very wise. But if you want white stripes, maybe you can do tie-ins first and it won’t damage your hair?”

Sun-young grinned, “I think you are very profound too, unnie. Right, Appa?”

“Sure, sure. Except when she’s accusing me of trying to look like an idol from twenty years ago…”

“Is that bad?” Hanbyul asked and looked sincerely concerned.

He tried to look upset but couldn’t maintain it for long and admitted, “No, actually I think it’s flattering… but I don’t think I can admit my style is twenty years out of date!”

“No, you have a really good style! Contemporary!”

“It’s ok,” Sun-young conceded. Jimin couldn’t thank her, he laughed so hard at her slight compliment. She must have meant it to be funny though because she giggled too, and Hanbyul laughed and–

And it was just very easy. It was just a very easy, good night, one of the best ones Jimin could remember having in a fucking long time. He didn’t know what to do with that, how much joy he felt just sitting in a noodle shop late at night with his daughter and his neighbor. Was it just post-concert fumes? But he thought it was more than that, and he didn’t know how to hold onto that feeling, but he wanted to.

The feel-good glow of the concert lasted less than a week. Tuesday Sun-young complained of a headache to get out of solo practice with Hoseok but then didn’t have too much of a headache to sneak the house phone into her room to call Ginam. Wednesday Sun-young had a poor attitude at her ballet class; Jimin could see it in the way Young-geul carefully chose her words in describing Sunnie’s progress in the ensemble choreography for the recital. Jimin expected she’d perk up for hip hop rehearsal on Thursday, seeing as she’d begged so hard for that class in the first place.

Instead he had to go into the school again to fetch her when she didn’t come out. At least she wasn’t off in a hidden science room melting lab tables or anything; he found her walking at an actual glacier’s pace through the school hallway. As slowly and meticulously placing one foot in front of the other as if this were a choreographed routine –except it wasn’t. She had a class to get to!

“What are you doing!?” he cried. “Let’s go!”

“I am going.”

“Like a snail,” he scolded and reached for her arm. She pulled away and gave him a scathing glare. “Don’t look at me like that. It’s your hiphop class!”

“I know.”

“So let’s go, we don’t want to be late.”

“I do…” she mumbled.

“Park Sun-young. To disrespect your teacher and the other dancers in the class– you wouldn’t do that. What’s gotten into you this week? Didn’t we have a fun weekend?”

“Yes,” she pouted. “But it doesn’t mean I want to go to dance class. I’d rather…”

“Rather what?” he asked when she just trailed off. Not that it mattered. He got behind her and nudged her along and she at least took slightly bigger, quicker steps. Not that her answer mattered. Yeah, sometimes he felt like doing something besides dancing too, but discipline was an important lesson! “You become a better dancer by putting in the effort even on days you don’t feel like it,” he said, pretty sure a teacher had said that to him when he was younger as well. Although not at her age. He wished he had been dancing at her age, but he hadn’t gathered the money, freetime, and bravery needed to give dance a try until middle school, and then a day in which he didn’t want to dance was rare. He knew what a blessing it was to be excused from the family rice cake shop to go dance. 

“I’d rather be sleeping I guess,” she grumbled. “I’m tired. I don’t feel good. I can walk home by myself and you can go to your class.”

“Absolutely not.”

“But Appa…”

He pressed his hand to her perfectly normal looking and feeling face, then the back of her neck, then reached for her wrist to feel her pulse. Not that he could really read a pulse, but it succeeded in calling her bluff.

“Appa, stoooop.”

“You’re fine. Now let’s go.”

“I can walk home with Boyeon–”

“Everyone’s already gone! The school is empty and we’re going to be late!”

“No, Boyeon is still in the science lab, I can go–”

Science. Science.

“Walk. Now.” Jimin’s voice had an edge to it, one which Sun-young rarely heard and took seriously when she did. Her head drooped but she moved her feet finally and the two of them hauled ass through the city to get to the dance studio. 

As they got closer to the studio though, Sun-young began to bounce and shuffle, clearly nervous.

“What is it now, Sunnie?” he sighed, at least trying to sound gentler. “Do you need to go potty?”

“Appa! I’m nine, I don’t say potty. And no!”

“Then what’s the problem?” he asked. He held the door for her to slide past him into the building, but there she stopped even though her class was up on the next floor.

“I… I forgot my dance stuff.”

“You’re holding your dance bag,” he said, eyes narrowed suspiciously. His tongue poked the inside of his cheek to keep himself from snapping out anything else; he was baffled why she would lie about something so obviously untrue.

She nodded and didn’t meet his eyes, “I know but um… it’s my ballet stuff. I forgot my hiphop clothes.”

“Well you can just dance in…” But she wore her school uniform and slightly heeled loafers, not at all appropriate for a hiphop dance class. Besides, he didn’t believe her, her dance bag was right there on her shoulder and he’d never heard of her separating out her gear before. “What are you talking about? Your dance bag– oof, why is it so heavy?” he demanded as he slipped it off her shoulder. 

“It’s nothing– Appa, don’t! Appa!”

He ignored her protest and grabby hands as he let the bag thunk to the ground and crouched to unzip. 

Her smaller ballet bag was in there, sure enough, shoes and all, but instead of her dance shoes and gym clothes for hiphop class, five books took up the space instead. He only saw titles for two (Astrophysics for Young People in a Hurry by Neil Degrasse Tyson and a book about tornadoes eloquently titled TORNADOS!) before admitting,

“I’m confused. Why do you have so many books in your dance bag instead of–”

“They were due at the library today and I forgot to turn them in.”

“Well what’s in your backpack then?” he asked. Before guessing, “More books? You forgot to return all these books– then get another bag! Why didn’t you bring your dance stuff? You know you have hiphop today!”

“I know! But I thought– I hoped maybe– I don’t know!” she cried and looked as if she might be on the verge of really crying.

Jimin breathed out through his nose, brain scrambling to figure out what to do. Late library books (and there seemed to be a lot) were going to have fines he didn’t want to pay. Sure it was only a small fine per book, but it was the principle of the matter. Sun-young shouldn’t be late returning books! And she shouldn’t be late to dance class, or showing up without her things! He knew for a fact they didn’t have a spare pair of shoes in her size and he didn’t want her dancing in the studio without shoes; the last thing she needed right now was a broken toenail or bruised ankle. He didn’t understand how she’d made such a mess of something so easy and routine.

“Ok,” he decided. “You go get started with warmups. I’m going to run home and get your dance shoes and bring them here, then I’ll take these books back to the school library for you. I can do all that before my class– Sunnie, why didn’t you just say about the books while we were still in your school?”

“I don’t know… I didn’t want you to know I have them…”

“They’re books, not cocaine.”

“They’re science books, it might as well be the same thing to you!” she defended hotly.

Jimin fought hard not to roll his eyes. She was being ridiculous! Just because he didn’t want her throwing away her dance career at the fresh age of nine didn’t mean she was banned from consuming science! In fact, reading science books was perfect, because she could do that around her dance classes!

“Just go warm up,” he sighed. “Tell them I’ll be back with your stuff as quick as I can.” It would be faster if he took a cab but it was such a waste of money for such a ridiculous mistake.

Sun-young scurried away and Jimin scurried the opposite direction, her backpack and useless dance bag both strapped to him so he could jog. 

He was winded and sweaty by the time he got back to their apartment, and in no mood for the way Sun-young had tossed her shoes and typical dance clothes in the corner, wadded up. This wasn’t how he’d raised her at all! He shoved them into the bag with an angry huff –and only now realized that since he had to go all the way back to the studio to give them to her, he should have just left the books there instead of lugging them all the way home. Fuck! Her scrambled brain was making his brain scrambled too!

He gave himself a minute only to grab a drink from the kitchen and catch his breath. Then, in leaving the apartment, had the idea that maybe he could ask Hanbyul to drop off the books. Fuck, except it was only 4pm and she didn’t get home until after 5. 

And yet in passing her door, he could have sworn he heard voices right beside it. In a moment of weakness, he paused and leaned in close. It wasn’t possible to hear what was being said, but he definitely picked up a low voice, laced through with her softer, lighter one. 

Why was Hanbyul home early, and with a man? Not that it was any of Jimin’s business or anything but… what if she’d gotten sick or something? Or maybe something in her apartment had broken and it was a contractor? That made him nervous; not all contractors could be trusted and it might be obvious that she lived there alone. And if something had broken, she could have mentioned it to him for help; she’d admitted before she hated calling about broken things, but he didn’t mind it at all.

“Focus, Park Jimin,” he muttered to himself as Sunnie’s book bag– no, dance bag!-- dug into his shoulder. It didn’t matter who was in her apartment with her, he couldn’t just run to Hanbyul to help with things that weren’t her problem. He was the dad here, he needed to clean up his daughter’s mess and get to the bottom of all of this. He turned from her door and stretched his calves in the elevator to prepare for the jog back to the studio. At this rate he was going to be danced out before his class even began.

*******

At least Sun-young wasn’t giving him the silent treatment this time, but the forced small talk was awkward. They ate their late dinner in silence and then she went off to do homework while he dealt with bills at the dining room table. Expensive, expensive, everything here was so expensive on only one income. Not for the first time he thought about how much easier some things would be if he took Sun-young to live closer to his parents, or even with his parents. They’d kept him on the right track for his childhood! Clearly he was fucking something up with Sunnie and she wasn’t even a teenager yet!

He waited until she was asleep later that night to call –double checking to make sure she was really asleep and wouldn’t overhear him calling his mom to tell her about things lately. Perhaps against his better judgment, he told her about the forged permission slip, and the forgotten dance clothing, and the books, and the attitude about dance class. But he needed to talk to someone about it, and none of his close friends had raised children or could really understand, even if they meant well. 

She listened to it all with far more of a sense of humor than he cared for. Apparently she found it amusing that Sun-young was giving him a run like this.

“She’s a bright girl,” his Eomma mused, voice full of pride instead of worry or warning. “Stubborn, like her appa.”

“But I was stubborn about the things that were good for me,” he argued. “Once I could dance, I never took it for granted.”

Eomma chuckled, “Yes, yes, stubborn about the thing you cared about. Was it the right thing? It turns out, it was for you, I think. It’s hard to know.”

“But in this case, I do know. Sunnie is talented at dance. She’s worked hard to be good at dance, she loves it there, it’s her home. I mean, she was practically born and raised in that studio!”

“Yes, how brave to take a step away from it, hm?”

Jimin scowled and warned, “It sounds like you are saying I should just let her quit dance. Throw away all her hard work. Do you know how many times people tell me that they wish their parents had made them stick with something because later they have nothing?”

“I’m not telling you to do anything. Do I think she should dance? Yes, of course, she’s a beautiful dancer. Ah, Jimin my son, you are as stubborn as your daughter, do you know?”

“I’m protective, Eomma. I’m trying to do the best for her.”

“Do you know, I wanted you to be a lawyer! Or a doctor. You were smart, so very smart, Class President. Nobody else in our family was class president, did you know that?”

“I did know that,” he mumbled. He also remembered her expressing those wishes for him. His father had expressed them longer than she had though; once he started to dance, she’d given it up, and he’d learned to live with that tickle of fear that he’d disappointed his parents in such a fundamental way that he would never do anything right by them again. For all he knew, that was still true. He lived far away, did not make a lot of money, had a beautiful daughter they didn’t get to see enough, and he’d lost his wife. 

“But you knew dance was the right thing for you, oh you said that to us so many times, with your heart and soul and your sparkling eyes, even though you worked so hard in the shop too. You were so certain and I saw with my own certainty that if we did not bend, our relationship would break.”

“Eomma…”

“Do you know how many women I know whose sons, daughters, they don’t talk anymore? They hate their Eommas and Appas. You said it’s because they let them quit. I say it’s because sometimes they didn’t let them quit, or try something else. How do we tell what the right thing is to do as parents? We’re all trying our best.”

“Yes,” Jimin could at least agree with that.

“You are always so certain about the things you believe in,” Eomma continued. “Your conviction is so strong! You wanted to dance, you wanted to live in Seoul, you wanted to run a studio with your friends. But a daughter is not like those things. You can’t choose much of anything for her, even if sometimes it hurts so deeply, knowing you can’t make everything right for your child. Especially when it hurts them.” Jimin swallowed and leaned away from the emotion in her voice. He knew when she was talking about his loss, and as much as he appreciated that she was sad for him about it, he couldn’t give into grief right now.

Instead he focused on his surprise that she wasn’t backing him up, and pressed, “Aren’t you going to say to me that children should respect their parents? Parents shouldn’t just give in to every whim of their child –that’s always what you and Appa say! You say I spoil her too much with–”

“Bending is not the same as bowing! Bending is difficult for you, Jimin. I understand. Maybe it’s even harder now, since…” She didn’t have to say it. Since Subin died. “As a parent you realize how little you actually control and it makes you want to do more. But parents who do not bend, they will lose their children or make them miserable. Which is worse?”

“So you’re saying I should just let her quit.”

“I don’t say this or that. I’m just saying things, don’t listen to me. Can’t she do both? I don’t know, wouldn’t it be nice to have a doctor or an engineer in the family?”

Jimin managed to suppress his sigh. He loved his eomma dearly and her advice was both helpful and not at the same time, but he appreciated it. There was wisdom behind it, even if he didn’t want her pressing Sun-young to be a doctor anymore than–

Ugh. But what if he was doing the same thing with dance?

But Sun-young had always loved danced! From infancy! She’d always said she wanted to be a dancer, and if she quit now, it might be impossible for her to catch up later in any meaningful way!

Jimin was exhausted from the day, and didn’t find the peace he had hoped for in talking with Eomma. There was nothing more he could do about it today though.

This would all be easier if Subin was here. Subin would be able to understand what Sun-young was going through. Maybe it wasn’t even the science thing! Maybe she had other little girl things going on she didn’t want to talk to her dumb old dad about and there was nothing he could do and even if he let her quit every dance class and just live in a science lab, she’d still hate him. Even going to see Mango Crush hadn’t bought him more than a few days of good will.

He got a beer from the fridge but didn’t feel like drinking it alone. But it was sort of late, and he didn’t feel like getting embroiled in any of the dating drama Taehyung or Jungkook would throw his way, and Yoongi was working, and Hoseok was absolutely asleep, and his acquaintances after that weren’t ones he was going to call to come over for a beer at 10 o’clock. Besides, he didn’t really feel like seeing any of them right now, he wanted to just be alone. But not alone with himself.

Briefly he thought about Hanbyul. Maybe more than briefly. Her presence would be welcome. Nothing about her was ever intrusive or abrasive. She always struck just the right balance between listening to him vent and distracting him from pointless thoughts. Fuck, did he vent too much to her? Definitely. He shouldn’t bother her right now.

He went to her door anyway. He knocked and waited. Hudu started barking right away, oops, and then she took an unusually long time to come to the door so that he worried she’d already gone to bed. When she opened it, she had a robe pulled around her body and squinted like she had been asleep, but her makeup was still on.

“Jimin? Is something wrong?”

“Um…” He trailed off when Hudu only looked up at him, then went running off somewhere further into the apartment. And in the distance, a masculine voice said something lowly.

“Nope. Sorry, I was just going to invite you over for a beer but–” It seems you have company?! “--looks like you already went to bed. I’m so sorry for waking you–”

“No, it’s fine. It’s ok. There’s nothing wrong?”

“Nope, absolutely nothing wrong. Just… nothing at all,” he grinned, pouring every ounce of charm he could into distracting her from his own incredibly awkward feelings. Holy shit, Hanbyul had a man in her apartment and they were– obviously they were– was it the same man who had been there six hours ago?!

“Goodnight,” he said and practically ran down the hall. Damn, he was tired of running today.

*******

“Everything all right?” Namjoon asked as Hanbyul returned to the bedroom. She tossed Hudu a dental chew on the way to apologize for banishing him from the bedroom earlier, but there were some things her favorite little pup was not invited for. Not to the fancy dinner Namjoon had taken her to at a place with live music, not to the swank bar afterwards, and definitely not to her own bed, where Namjoon had so suavely removed every item of her clothing for the kind of sex Hanbyul thought was fake.

Wow.

Yeah, it turned out he’d had a good excuse. His mother was in the hospital, doing fine now, but he’d been a little distracted. He was very close with his parents and had gone right to her side.

Charming.

He sat on the edge of her bed now, chest and arms so deliciously bare in the low lights she’d left on, though he’d regrettably pulled his boxers and slacks back on. Hanbyul decided her legs couldn’t hold her much longer and she sat beside him, still a little knobby-kneed from earlier.

“Yes,” she said belatedly. “Everything’s fine, yeah. Just a neighbor asking about– it’s not important.” Talking about Jimin to Namjoon threatened to shake loose the careful coolness she’d managed to maintain throughout this unbelievable evening. She’d done such a good job of staying focused on this man and she didn’t want to ruin it now, just because seeing JImin at her door had first terrified her that something was wrong with Sun-young, and then terrified her that he would be able to tell she’d just had sex. Which felt like something he shouldn’t know. Even though it shouldn’t matter because it’s not like they were a couple or anything! But it felt unfaithful, after that fun time with the concert last weekend… but it wasn’t unfaithful! That was just a fun social event with her neighbor and his daughter. She was not dating Jimin, even if she wished she was. Oh god, but that was unfaithful to Namjoon!

Namjoon let out a deep, satisfied-sounding sigh and leaned in to kiss her before admitting, “I should get going. Early morning tomorrow.”

“Me too.”

“Thanks for inviting me in. I had a great time today.”

“Me too.”

She walked him to the door where he kissed her again and she had that feeling of disbelief that this man had wanted four dates with her now, and that she’d found him so quickly. He had to have a flaw, certainly, but she hadn’t found it yet, except maybe his taste in women… OK, that was too mean to herself. But she focused on the kiss, and enjoyed the kiss, then scooped Hudu up so he wouldn’t run out. He wasn’t totally enamored with Namjoon yet, but they didn’t not get along and Namjoon clearly wanted Hudu’s affection, so that wasn’t a dealbreaker.

He opened the door and stepped out then turned to her and laughed, “You know, it’s such a small world. My buddy lives right down the hall from you.”

Hanbyul froze except for the clench of her very sore abdominal muscles.

“Um… what’s your buddy’s name?”

“Park Jimin. Have you met him?”

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After the Applause (Ch. 6)

Header and linebreaks by @awrkives

Single Dad Jimin x Female OC

SUMMARY: Jimin doesn't know how he would have made it this far after the shattering of his world without the support of his thoughtful, generous, helpful neighbor. Hanbyul has lived next to hottie Jimin and his adorable daughter for years now, long enough to remember the wife he was so devoted to and lost far too young. With each safely ensconced on their side of the brick wall of the Parks' grief, it will take an enterprising little scientist to set the stage for a second chance at love.

CW/tags: grief, prior loss of spouse/parent, comfort, explicit sex, secondhand embarrassment, sort of love triangle/web/rat's nest, fluff, cursing, dating apps, fuckboy friends, dancer Jimin, stubborn dad Jimin, stubborn pre-teen daughter, miscommunication, pining

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Hanbyul stared at the website confirmation page and felt certain she’d fucked something up. She hated this feeling, like she’d done something wrong. She’d probably attached the wrong thing, or missed some egregious typo, or maybe she sounded annoying in the cover letter. Maybe her headshot wasn’t actually a good likeness.

Thank you for submitting your resume and application. One of our recruiters will be in touch with you shortly.

She belatedly felt stupid to have done this on a Friday afternoon. Now the soonest someone would contact her would be Monday, which gave her at least forty-eight hours to convince herself that applying was the most embarrassing thing she’d ever done and that they were going to laugh at her application and print it out just so they could chuck it in the trash.

Enough of that. She steeled her resolve (to do the thing she had in fact already done) and closed her laptop and crossed her arms in an attempt to look as confident as she wanted to feel. She deserved that job. Some parts were outside of her skillset or experience but most of it was familiar. A man wouldn’t let some pieces hold him back from applying. A man would apply and convince the interviewer why he was still the best candidate for the job, and so that’s exactly what Hanbyul was going to do. 

Because only about 20% of boardrooms in the country consisted of women and while Hanbyul wasn’t applying for a board position, that’s where she was reaching. Someday she was going to get there, and she’d take Sun-young –maybe by then a successful young scientist– out for coffee and say Thank you. Thank you for reminding me that we face extra challenges in the workplace and it’s our responsibility not to hold ourselves back because others will gladly do that for us.

Hanbyul would not be held back! She’d give it her all to get this new position with its better pay and improved benefits. If it didn’t work out, she’d apply for others. She’d call her parents more. She’d clean her apartment this weekend. She’d stop putting Namjoon off and finally have a truthful conversation with him –her responses had been vague and she was certain he could tell. Right now, she could do anything! Even with her trembling hands!

Because a nine-year-old had convinced her she could. Sun-young had inspired her, it was true. Her determination and serious efforts to convince her father that she ought to do science club had shamed Hanbyul into applying because she refused to be a woman who let her childhood confidence fade away. Not that she had ever been as confident as Sun-young, but it wasn’t too late to catch up! She wanted to be the kind of woman Sun-young apparently thought she was.

So she needed to do that other thing, even though she’d been dreading it: she took Hudu on a walk and called Namjoon. 

He picked up on the third ring, a little breathless but cheerful sounding. Not for the first time she wished she could just text him about this but he deserved more than that. Hopefully he wouldn’t be too upset. Hopefully he wasn’t that invested. He couldn’t be, right?

“Hanbyul? Hey, I was just thinking of messaging you–”

“Hi Namjoon. I, um… I’m sorry, I have sort of disappointing, um…”

“Bad news? Are you ok?”

She cursed how sweet he sounded. The confidence after submitting her resume began to drain away. Why was she doing all these exhausting things in the same day? She had foolishly overestimated herself. 

“I’m ok but… I know I haven’t been very responsive lately and I wanted to just be direct because you’re really great and you deserve that.”

“Ah.”

“I’m really sorry but I’m just…”

There was silence on the line. She appreciated that he seemed to understand without her saying much. Or maybe he was just shocked. Stunned. Heartbroken?! Oh god, she’d never broken anyone’s heart before.

“Look if you’re just really busy right now or something, I get it. I know I’m traveling for work a lot too, so…”

“It’s not that. I mean, I am busy, and I just applied for a better job so maybe I’ll get even busier but–”

“Oh congratulations, I hope it goes well–”

“Aish, don’t be so nice,” she complained. “I feel awful, Namjoon. You’re such a great guy and–”

“You don’t have to do that. I mean you don’t have to comfort me. I mean, it sucks, because you’re… but…”

She tugged Hudu to the side of the path so she could stop and squeezed her eyes shut. Why couldn’t he be an asshole about this? She’d feel so much better. She was aware that she was stupid, that this was stupid, that she was ending what could become something good with a great guy for no reason. Or at least not a good reason. 

“I feel like shit.”

“It’s ok.”

“No, don’t you comfort me!”

“Can I just ask… it’s ok if you don’t feel comfortable, but I just…”

She waited, trying to ignore the way her stomach twisted and her face flushed and the blood rushed in her ears. This was awful. She didn’t have much experience calling things off with men and when she did, the guy had usually seen it coming and not cared that much anyway.

“Did I do something? Is there some… feedback you can give me or…”

“You didn’t do anything wrong at all,” she quickly insisted. And then because she felt too miserable and clung to a piece of driftwood she thought might make it better: “You’re such a great guy. To be honest, I kind of have feelings for someone else and I thought I could get over it but I can’t and you deserve better than that.”

For a moment he was silent again. She could hear his breathing; he always seemed to hold the phone so close to his mouth when he spoke. 

“I get it,” he said. “That really sucks. Sorry you’re in that situation, and I hope he figures it out quick.”

“I don’t think he will but… um… thanks. And I’m really sorry, Namjoon.”

“Don’t be sorry. I had fun.”

“Yeah, me too.”

“And uh, give me a call or something if you’re ever not… not feeling things for someone else, I guess.”

“I will,” she blurted out because she couldn’t think quickly enough on her feet. She ended the call before she could say anything else stupid and pressed it to her forehead. Had that gone well or not well? She couldn’t tell. She supposed it could have been worse… but she felt like she shouldn’t have mentioned having feelings for someone else. What if he somehow figured out she meant Jimin?! And it was a cop out anyway because that wasn’t the only reason. She was emotionally compromised, but she didn’t break off with Namjoon for Jimin. Jimin wasn’t an option! She just didn’t see a future right now with anyone who wasn’t… Jimin.

She felt punchy in a different way now. She practically jogged home with Hudu, which she never did and clearly confused him; he kept looking up at her like he expected someone else might be holding the leash. Once home, she dug through her cabinets looking for anything to soothe or distract but her cupboards were practically bare. Why did she have so many ingredients but no food or alcohol?

It was in this state of desperation that she received a message from Jungkook.

Jeon Jungkook: hey re hitting up hongdae club aura and youre coming

Hanbyul: ok I’m in

Jeon Jungkook: wait really???

Hanbyul: did you mean to invite someone else? 😅

Jeon Jungkook: you but you never take me up on it!

Hanbyul: I don’t want to sit at home tonight

Jeon Jungkook: ok ouch didn’t need to make an excuse

Jeon Jungkook: whatever, you can’t bring me down, see you at 10

Hanbyul: TEN?! 

Jeon Jungkook: why are all my friends grandpas? 10 is early! Don’t you bail on me too

Hanbyul: I’ll see you at 10 if you can actually get us in…

Jeon Jungkook: you’re cute, you’ll get us in

Hanbyul laughed. Hard. She knew she ought to be giddy for a man who looked like Jungkook to say that kind of thing, but he said that kind of thing all the time in a way that didn’t actually feel very specific anymore. Only after the date was set did she have a rush of terror realizing she had just agreed to go out clubbing with Jungkook… but it was true that she felt jittery and didn’t want to be home this evening. She felt like she could do anything! Even stay awake until 10pm to go clubbing on a Friday night! 

She had a sneaking suspicion she knew exactly which of Jungkook’s friends had insisted ten was too late at night. Though he’d obviously be the hottest one there, she didn’t think Jimin was into the scene –certainly not in the time she’d known him. She had absolutely no concern that Jimin would be at the club. She also felt like this might be a good chance to really establish a platonic friendship with Jungkook and quiet her slight fear that she was leading Jimin’s close friend on. You know, since she’d already slept with and ghosted then dumped another… 

Her dress was short. It was the shortest dress she owned. She didn’t really own revealing clothing, nothing sexy for hitting the clubs, but she’d bought this dress that was a little too small and so that would have to do. She’d just have to remember not to raise her arms or… disaster! 

She kept tugging it down as she made her way inside with no issue –Jungkook had put her “on the list” and texted her to come on in, which seemed really suspicious. He was easy to find, practically spot-lighted under a round table in a distant corner, animated and laughing with another guy and two girls.

She carried herself bravely forward, nerves instantly frazzled by the loud music, pulsing lights, and close bodies she had to weave her way through to reach them.

“Hey you didn’t bail!” Jungkook cheered when she reached his elbow. “My only true friend.”

The use of friend instantly set her at ease, though she wasn’t prepared for the names lobbied instantly at her amidst their shouts of protest at his remark: Jung Hoseok, Park Andi, and Han Chun. Years and connections were shared and she tried to keep up over the noise of the club, answering the questions as formally as a job interview. She had hoped no one noticed how nervous she was to be out with people she didn’t know, but Jungkook seemed to because he insisted on buying her a drink, which she was overwhelmed into agreeing to. Only when he returned with her cucumber something in hand did she realize there were two men and two women and Jungkook had just bought her a drink and maybe calling her his friend was all part of his plan. Even though that seemed absolutely ridiculous when both those women looked–

Oh. Hanbyul realized she had miscounted. 

“I can’t even count!” she groaned and let her face fall against her hand, not even caring that the slump might smudge her makeup or transfer oil to her chin and give her acne. Who cared what a girl who couldn’t even count looked like!

“Who’s counting? You don’t need to count anything right now,” Jungkook laughed. “You want me to do some math for you?”

“He can’t do math,” Hoseok immediately ratted him out. “Don’t ask him to do math, he just picks a number.”

“That’s not true!”

Andi giggled and leaned in close to agree, “He acts like he’s thinking really hard and then confidently gives a very wrong answer.”

“He doesn’t need math, he’s so pretty,” Chun suggested, though Hanbyul couldn’t tell if her smirk at Jungkook was predatory or just teasing. She didn’t know these people, and clearly her day was beginning to take a toll, so she really shouldn’t have come out. 

“Shut up, don’t blow my cover. Hanbyul’s a smarty, don’t make me look stupid,” Jungkook laughed.

Hoseok nodded and agreed, “I’ve heard about it.”

“About… me?” Hanbyul clarified, tilting her head.

“Neighbor Hanbyul,” Hoseok confirmed, which made more sense, even if it made her a little sad to be still Neighbor Hanbyul. “Sunnie talks about you a lot too.”

“Ahhh that girl.” Hanbyul grinned as a warmth blossomed in her chest. That was better, at least. “She’s amazing, isn’t she?”

Jungkook’s stare and slow grin made her nervous as he nodded, the others confirming. It was quickly made clear they all knew Jimin and Sun-young –Hoseok was a teacher at Jimin’s studio, Hanbyul was quickly educated on, and Chun and Andi both danced with him and Jimin. When asked if she’d ever seen Jimin dance she admitted that she hadn’t and chose not to disclose her YouTube history. There weren’t many videos on there but there were a few! Anyway, they clearly meant seen him dance live, so it wasn’t a total lie.

“We hear a lot about your son, too,” Hoseok added. Hanbyul, mid-sip of her cucumber something, promptly choked. Jungkook seemed to take great glee in pounding her on the back.

“My what?”

“Hudu?”

“He’s a dog!”

“A dog can be a son!” Hoseok laughed with the rest of the table. He smiled with his whole face and it reminded her so much of Jimin she could almost believe they were related.

“Honestly a dog is the best son,” Andi insisted. “Like, I love Sunnie with my whole heart, but I don’t want kids of my own. I’ve got a cat and I want a dog too but I don’t think I’m tough enough to walk one in the winter.”

“You’re not tough enough,” Jungkook agreed; Andi dipped her fingers into her glass and flicked the droplets his direction.

“I would die for my dog,” Chun announced. “I can never have kids while he’s alive, it wouldn’t be fair to him.”

Hoseok sighed and admitted, “My dog still lives with my parents.”

“It’s their dog,” Jungkook snorted.

“It was my dog but I couldn’t have him with me at university housing when I was younger, and they were all so attached by the time I moved out on my own so– but we could get a dog,” he said, pouting his lips in Jungkook’s direction as if it all came down to his choice.

“I want a dog,” Jungkook agreed.

“Well fuck, let’s get a dog! Woah, but is it a betrayal of Mickey, that’s what I’m worried about…” Hoseok sighed and slumped.

Hanbyul murmured sympathetically and sipped her drink faster. She did not understand what was happening. On the surface she appeared to have joined a group of very fun, down to earth people who just happened to look insanely gorgeous and not of this world in shiny button-up shirts and sequined dresses. It was a complete injustice for these people to be both fun and look like that, and Hanbyul the boring dowager in her plain dress. 

Yet at the same time it made perfect sense because these were Jimin’s friends, and he was like that too! Hanbyul felt utterly stupid for having agreed to come out and yet simultaneously, selfishly fascinated. She felt like Jungkook had opened a door for her that Jimin had not, letting her see this adult social aspect of Jimin’s life –arguably without his permission. Not that he owned these people or anything… but if part of her reason for being here was to learn more about Jimin and get closer to him in that way… fuck, she was a creep! Would she have ever even talked to Jungkook if he wasn’t Jimin’s friend? She doubted herself now. 

“I’m getting another, do you want one?” Andi asked, nudging Hanbyul in a friendly, familiar way that she was flattered to have somehow already earned .She didn’t want another one, but she also did.

“I can buy you something back,” she offered Jungkook before following Andi.

“It’s fine.”

“I insist.”

“Ok, whatever you get.”

“Even if it’s girly?” she checked.

He gave her a horrified look and clarified, “It’s a drink, there’s no gender.”

Hanbyul too was horrified and insisted, “No, I know! But sometimes men are so–”

“I’m just fucking with you. Girly is fine, I don’t discriminate.”

Hanbyul did not know what to make of him, especially since Hoseok was now leaning to the side laughing into the final sips of his beer.

“Forget this, I’m coming too,” Chun decided. “They just want to stand around and drink.”

“We’re going to get more drinks…” Andi pointed out.

“But we can dance on the way and back!”

In that way Hanbyul found herself boxed onto the dance floor for a period of time that could have been ten minutes or an hour, she couldn’t have said. The music was high energy and heavy-bass and she couldn’t tell when one song ended and another began. Her movements felt painfully clumsy next to the graceful way Andi and Chun twisted and swayed. It would be obvious to anyone observing that she was no dancer –but everyone was packed too tightly for anyone to really observe. Hopefully. 

She was glad when it ended, and that relief led her to agree to the round of shots Andi bought. Chun missed her mouth slightly, the rum dribbling down the cleavage of her dress, which Andi dramatically helped her wipe. Then they leaned in close with Hanbyul and scouted out the hotties along the bar, of which they considered there to be very few. 

Hanbyul kept waiting for one of them to ask her something pressing or private –maybe why Jungkook had suddenly invited her along, or why she’d come, or why she thought she should delve further into Jimin’s life when she was just his neighbor– but they didn’t. 

The closest was Chun asking, “What do you think, Hanbyul? Anyone at this bar catch your eye? What’s your type?” But she didn’t have any malicious twinkle in her eye or bullying smirk, it really seemed like just a sincere question! And Hanbyul began to realize that maybe she was getting too used to workplace politics and competitiveness and it was interfering with her ability to just make friends. Was that what was happening here?

Maybe it was that hope, or maybe it was the alcohol starting to do numbers in her blood, but she admitted, “I don’t think I have a type… at least not one that has worked out for me.”

“Oh no. Something recent?”

“Oh… I did end something recently… but it wasn’t his fault, it was…” Oops. Just in time she realized she couldn’t say more about this without revealing way too much –not only because all roads led to their friend Jimin but also because she’d only just met these girls! “It didn’t work out,” she summarized.

“Another shot?” Andi asked, already signaling for the bartender.

“No, wait–”

“Yes!” Chun agreed. “You can feel sad about it tomorrow if you really want to, but tonight there’s dancing!”

“I’m a terrible dancer,” Hanbyul found herself confessing. They were overwhelming, both of these women, pressing another shot into her hand. It was bitter this time and made all three grimace and smack their lips.

She thought they’d missed what she said anyway but Andi insisted, “There’s no such thing as a terrible dancer. Technique? Sure. But dancing is just… feeling! It’s just moving! It’s just breathing.”

“You have clearly not seen me.”

“I was dancing with you five minutes ago!” Andi laughed. “And now I’ll dance with you again, let’s go!”

Hanbyul had Jungkook’s and her drinks in her hand, but did her best to shimmy and sway adequately along with Chun and Andi in the direction of the table. She felt ridiculous but their acceptance was a balm on her self-conscious soul. Jungkook and Hoseok leapt up at their approach and began dancing as well. It was just such a completely different club experience than Hanbyul was used to when she would go out with work peers, or longer ago when it was college friends rotation around her, drinking too much, picking at each other’s appearances and achievements to feel better about themselves in what felt like a hunting grounds for sex.

This didn’t feel that way at all! Hanbyul found her nerves dissolving with each sip, with each song (assuming it wasn’t just one long song playing which she thought entirely possible), with each moment of shared laughter. It was impossible but she began to feel as though she had known these people for a very long time.

Also the alcohol helped. 

Hoseok spun her around –vaguely she recalled making some comment about ballerinas– which led to her promptly over-balancing against him, or it was possible Jungkook had bumped into her, and possibly on purpose because they were dancing near their table and the space was tight and everyone was very close together. She felt barely on her feet and slid around to lean against the table instead and catch her breath so she didn’t accidentally drag Hoseok down. Their empties were gone and she hesitated over the waters, which had now sat unguarded for some period of time. She ought to get water fresh–

“Hey hey! You came out after all!”

Hanbyul didn’t know how she even heard Jungkook’s shout over the noise other than her sixth sense suddenly shooting an alarm up her spine. She turned, not even bothering to hope it was literally any other friend of Jungkook’s than Jimin.

No, worse. 

There was Jimin, an eyebrow lifted and his mouth open in surprise aimed clearly, undeniably in her direction.

And there beside him, both eyebrows lifted and mouth open in surprise aimed clearly, undeniably in her direction, was Namjoon.

“Fuck!” she choked out.

Jungkook gasped and grabbed her arm, asking, “Did I step on your foot?”

“No but I suddenly need to go home– I mean yes, I need to go home.”

“Shit, how bad–?” Jungkook dropped to a crouch, reaching for her foot. Which was a very bad look, she thought. She leapt away from him, but teetered again because the alcohol. The alcohol! Shit, she could not be drunk at a club like this in the presence of either Jimin or Namjoon and most definitely not together!

“I’m fine, but I’m heading out. Goodnight!” Would they believe that she hadn’t seen them and that’s why she wasn’t greeting either one of them? All of this had happened in the span of four seconds.

No, it wouldn’t make sense, even her alcohol-riddled brain knew they were directly in front of her.

“You really don’t have to leave on my account–” Namjoon said.

“Why do you have to go, just because I’m here–” Jimin said at the exact same time.

They stopped and looked at each other and Hanbyul lost at least three years off her life. 

And then mercifully, before they could say anything, Andi flung her arms around their shoulders and cheered, “You sad sacks came out after all? Let’s get you some motherfucking drinks!”

“Wait, you’re both really here? You never come out!”

“I have a kid,” Jimin defended, suddenly all smiles as Chun descended, pinching his arm and brushing something off his shoulder. 

“I, uh,” Namjoon coughed and looked over their heads. “I just don’t like places like this.”

“Oh sorry it’s not refined enough for you,” Andi tittered. “Too busy at art galas and restaurant openings to consort with club scum, huh?”

“Andi,” he complained, dimples flashing, all the charm Hanbyul had initially liked about him. And yet she felt so closed off from it now, like she could recognize but not really connect with that charm. How could she when Jimin was there beside him, glowing like her north star?  

Hanbyul saw her chance and took it. She ducked around them all and tried to flee for the door. She could call an Uber and be speeding away, looking back through the rear window, before anyone even noticed she was gone.

Unfortunately, the club was a confusing place and after weaving across the throng of dancers, she’d been carried by the current upstream to the bathrooms. 

“Shit-shit,” she mumbled to herself and darted inside because she really did need to pee too and better to do that now. Maybe they’d think she was already gone and stop looking for her and she could still escape. She took her time, braced every time the door opened for it to be Andi or Chun ruining her escape. But as some amount of minutes (uncountable because alcohol) ticked by, she steeled herself and found her confidence. She could get out of here. Whatever Namjoon and Jimin talked about in her absence, at least she wouldn’t be here to face it. That was a Tomorrow Hanbyul problem. Today Hanbyul needed to get the hell out of here.

She stepped boldly from the bathroom in the direction she was certain was the front door –and ran boldly into Namjoon.

“Hey.”

“Oh, hey, Namjoon,” she said, thinking as she said it how casual and cool she sounded. Might as well tack on hey, wow, I didn’t see you, didn’t know you were here!

“Hey look, I– sorry, I guess I surprised you… I didn’t know that you uh… knew these people… or would be out at a club… tonight. This club. With these people.”

“Oh, yeah, it was sort of a… a spur of the moment thing. Jungkook invited me along and I didn’t want to just sit at home so…” Her words caught up to her and she realized how terrible that sounded. I dumped you but I also didn’t want to be bored so I just went clubbing.

“Ah. So Jungkook uh… is the guy…? I didn’t even know you knew him…”

“What guy?”

“That you said…” He leaned in close as the music took a turn, and the warm scent of his cologne was unkind as he said closer to be heard, “You said you had feelings for–”

“Oh! NO THAT’S NOT HIM!” she shouted, stiff-arming him away. A little too roughly, she realized, and quickly grabbed his arm and apologized, “Sorry, I– I forgot I told you that. No, it’s not him. He’s just a friend. Sort of. And I– sorry, I’m a little drunk right now kind of?”

“Ah.”

“I didn’t just break things off with you and go party, I was feeling pretty bummed so I thought I’d do something out of the ordinary…I mean, it was the right thing to do but like I said, um… but now you’re here and…” And Jimin is here…

“Hey, it’s fine,” Namjoon assured her. “If you aren’t comfortable with me here, I can leave but if it’s ok, I can be cool.”

“You’re very cool,” she agreed.

He smiled, a handsome dimpled smirk like she hadn’t answered his question correctly, and corrected, “I just mean, I’m only going to be here for a drink and then I’ll go. This isn’t really my scene so don’t let me chase you away.”

“Ok.” 

“And uh, just so it’s out there, if you… ha, nevermind. I’m just going to get my drink, don’t mind me.” He held his hands up and backed away and Hanbyul hated not knowing what he’d been about to say. Maybe: if you want to be friends, that’s cool, I can refrain from ever letting anyone know we had sex and a few dates. She hated that he was probably not saying that.

Almost as much as she hated seeing Jimin standing not too far off, having clearly watched their interaction.

She couldn’t go talk to him. Not while Namjoon would see her and she would probably say or do something that would make it immediately obvious who Jimin was to her because damn he looked so good! He’d gelled his hair back and rolled the sleeves of his dark button-up to his elbows. The club lights flickered off his earring, as if he needed any help from a spotlight to draw eyes to him. Hanbyul felt like the crowd dramatically parted, like the lights shone specifically for him, from him. 

She couldn’t read his expression, couldn’t tell if he was confused or annoyed to see her invading his friend group, or if he had a guess as to what had happened between her and Namjoon. For all she knew, Namjoon had told him everything before they came tonight, or in the time since she’d fled the table, and Jimin had come to demand what the fuck was wrong with her.

But Namjoon was a class act, maybe he hadn’t said anything. Maybe Jimin was only curious about why she and Namjoon had been speaking so closely. If she left now, all Jimin would know was whatever Namjoon said about it. If she stayed and everything seemed cool, maybe Jimin wouldn’t think anything weird was happening. She’d mentioned before she spoke to Jungkook through the app, so it couldn’t be a total surprise she was here.

It made sense in her mind, and was a better excuse than that other thought: I just want to hang out at a club with Jimin. 

Who was she kidding, she couldn’t stay here!

He was walking towards her and she couldn’t move. 

“Hey,” he greeted when he reached her and she wondered if he ever used that line on women at the club because it would totally work, looking like that.

“Jungkook invited me and I had a really long day so I thought it would be good to get out of my apartment,” she blurted out in an attempt to distance herself from Namjoon in one sweep.

“It is a good idea,” Jimin said. “I didn’t know you went clubbing.”

“Rarely.”

“Me neither.”

“You look like a natural,” she assured him.

“Clubber?”

“Huh?”

Jimin shook his head and laughed, “Can I buy you a drink?”

“Me?”

“Uh… yes?”

“Yes,” she said, despite knowing she really shouldn’t. More alcohol was the last thing she needed but Jimin had offered! Jimin twisted his hand behind his back so she could hold onto it and trail him through the club to the bar. Jimin asked her what she wanted and paid and she felt bad to let him pay but he’d bought her a drink!

Drink in hand, she was the one to lead them back to the table, though it had been abandoned; all Jimin’s friends were dancing. She thought to join, but Jimin leaned against the wall and she felt anchored to his side.

He nudged her arm and asked, “So how do you know Namjoon?”

“Dating app,” she answered quickly. “And Jungkook. I think all your friends are on there… I make a lot of friends on there… it’s not just for dating!” What was she even saying? She thought maybe if she said “friend” enough it would be enough to save her.

“Friends, huh?” He was practically shouting to be heard, not leaning in as close as Namjoon had. She wished he would; she felt like the distance meant something. “I don’t know anything about apps but I started an account today. Guess I’ll see you on there, huh?”

Hanbyul didn’t know what to do with that information. Why had he made an account on a dating app?!

Same reason as you, moron. Park Jimin was ready to start dating again, that’s what it told her. He’d come to the club looking like that, so maybe he’d been hoping to meet someone here. He must be, to come out when he didn’t normally. The thought of watching him pick up a woman made her break out in a cold sweat. What if she ran into her leaving Jimin’s apartment in the morning–no, probably he wouldn’t take someone there with Sun-young at home, but maybe she was spending the night somewhere else? 

“I hear it’s tough though,” Jimin said, still shouting. “Namjoon had a thing going I guess and it ended today so I made him come out too.”

Oh god, he knows.

“I’d rather meet people the traditional way,” he continued.

“Here?” she asked, face twisting into a grimace. “I guess it depends on what you’re looking for.” 

“Ah… I don’t know…”

“Not all of us meet people as easily as you but I don’t think you’ll have a hard time,” she shouted back.

He pressed his hand over his eyes and then laughed, “I don’t know what I’m doing.”

“Do you need a pep talk before you go hit on someone?” she asked, drawing on all of her strength to be what he needed in this moment and not do what her drunk brain was encouraging her to (lean in and kiss.) “You are brave and smart and funny and–”

“Are you giving me the same speech you gave my daughter?”

“Maybe!” she laughed because he was laughing and because it all felt briefly very funny, having this shouted conversation in the club with Jimin. Encouraging him to go meet a woman “the traditional way” (drunk in a bar) to take home and do the things she wanted to do with him and hope he didn’t find out she’d done those things with his friend already… but different things! Similar in theme but different!

He finally did lean in and begin, “You know what she told me today? She– hey, maybe we should go somewhere we can hear–”

“HEY!” Chun suddenly appeared, followed in short order by Hoseok. “The fuck are you wallflowers doing?”

“Come dance,” Hoseok agreed. “You can talk at home!”

There wasn’t room left to argue. She and Jimin were dragged out, downing their drinks on the way to abandon on a table, and then pressed into the dancing mob. Hanbyul had hoped to position herself so she could at least dance near Jimin, but her hesitation when faced with Namjoon and what he might realize about her feelings towards his friend was just enough time for Andi and Chun to slide in between. Instead Hanbyul found herself on the fringe with Jungkook and Hoseok.

Maybe that was for the best. She was like a baby: without Namjoon or Jimin in sight she was able to forget them, aided by alcohol and loud music and the antics of these two of Jimin’s friends. Despite being physically graceful men, they were clearly just having fun with dancing; both grinned and laughed and didn’t take themselves too seriously which helped her feel less self conscious about what her less-drunk brain would have termed “awkward motions at best.” Maybe she was getting the hang of dancing in the club! Maybe she’d be confident enough now to dance over closer to Jimin! 

Abort abort abort!! Hanbyul froze at the familiar way a random woman danced with Jimin, her hands trailing over his body. Maybe she wasn’t random? Jimin did not seem put off by it, just laughed and lifted her hands but kept her close. Hanbyul wasn’t sure what to make of that. Was Jimin really that bold or did he already know that woman? Hanbyul couldn’t imagine dancing with a man like that. The envy flooded her.

She tried not to look again but it was hard not to. She felt suddenly like a switch had flipped and all the fun she’d been having abruptly turned off. She was being stupid jealous. Hadn’t she just encouraged Jimin to go meet someone? And they were just dancing. And even if it went somewhere, it wasn’t any of her business.

“I need water,” she announced to no one in particular and disappeared again, responsibly leading herself to the bar. It tasted weird and unpleasant in her mouth, and at the first sip she had the urgent need to pee, which meant another swim upstream through the crowds to reach the restrooms. The club was becoming less fun by the minute.

She didn’t think that much time had passed but when she tried to find the group again, they’d scattered. Trying to locate them was a fool’s errand; she’d think she saw one only to squeeze her way there and find it to be someone else. She was all twisted around. The room felt overly loud, the music too loud, the lights too bright. 

There, Jimin!

At the bar, nodding as the woman from earlier leaned in close to say something in his ear. He said something back, right in her ear, then appeared to look around before shaking his head. The woman touched his arm.

Hanbyul knew her night was over. She couldn’t stay here and watch him pick up a woman. She shouldn’t have been here in the first place. She could still see Namjoon out of the corner of her eye, that good guy she’d dumped for no reason other than that it was casual fun when she wanted something serious with someone who was not available, only for him to immediately find her out at the club. She couldn’t find Jungkook. She barely knew Andi and Chun. Her feet hurt and her head was swimming and she felt like she kept getting drunker even though she hadn’t had anything to drink in a while.

Oh no, she realized with a longing for sobriety. I drank too much. Control of her arms and legs felt exaggerated, and the music felt like it was leaking into her skull, and she had the impulse to take off her clothes because it was so hot in here.

Don’t do it! The last tendril of her rational self pleaded with her to behave. She shushed it gently with a finger to her lips.

“You!” a voice at her elbow called. She spun, expecting Jimin, finding Jungkook.

“You were lost!” she cried.

He glared and wagged his finger, “You disappeared! I’ll be in deep shit if I lose you!”

“With the proper authorities?”

“Wha?”

Someone bumped into her and she edged closer to Jungkook with a pout. She didn’t want to be here anymore. She wished Jimin would take her home –no, Jimin wouldn’t take her home, even though they lived right now to each other. Jimin might be taking someone else home.

“He’s still talking to her,” she realized, her eyes landing on Jimin despite the crowd. She couldn’t tell if it was the same woman but it didn’t matter. Jimin was going to take home whatever woman he wanted and meet more women on the dating app and Hanbyul was going to have to just sit back and cheer him on. She wanted to cry.

“Hey, you ok? You look like you’re about to cry.”

“I want to go home,” she said in a small voice. “I’m too drunk…”

“Ah, damn. No, don’t cry.”

“I won’t cry,” she vowed, though didn’t quite believe it herself.

“What? I can’t hear you… let’s just get you home,” he said, as best she could tell. When he nudged her towards the door, she let him guide her out. It had cooled off considerably outside and she shivered. The sudden shift in volume left her feeling teetery, as if she’d been leaning on the noise and body heat.

“How drunk are you?” he asked, hand gripping her arm.

“Um, just a little bit… I can get a cab…” she pulled her phone out of her purse and promptly dropped it on the ground. “Oops.” It was embarrassing for Jungkook to see her like this. She didn’t know how she’d gotten this far, just one drink leading to another, and it was all fine until suddenly she fully understood she was watching the love of her life–

“He’s not the love of my life,” she insisted.

“What now?”

“I don’t know, where’s my phone?”

Jungkook held it up, but promptly overbalanced and fell on his ass. Only when he started laughing did Hanbyul consider she wasn’t the only drunk one, and it was overwhelmingly comforting in that moment. A few tears did leak out then.

“Shit, you’re crying. Let me go get Jimin, he’s better with that kind of–”

“NO!”

“No… Jimin?”

“Can I sleep at your place?”

“Uh…” Jungkook looked up at her from the curb. “Yes… but–”

“Not to have sex!”

“Ok geez.”

“No, I have to get home to Hudu… where’s my phone…” 

“It’s dead,” Jungkook told her.

Hanbyul promptly sat down beside him on the curb and sighed, “Well shit.”

“I’ll get you home.”

“You don’t have to.”

“No? I should just wave and let you walk off? Jimin would shred my balls and peel the skin off my body.”

“Ew,” she gasped.

“Oh he can take you home, he lives right by you.” Jungkook began to rise but Hanbyul knocked against him to send him sprawling again. “What the–”

“No!” she cried on a delay. “Anyone but him.”

“Anyone?”

“It can’t be him. He’s… busy.”

“Busy…?”

“Like… flirting. I don’t want to get in the way.”

“Nah, he won’t mind.”

“I can’t! He can’t see me like this! Who knows what I’ll say?!”

“What’s the worst you can say?” Jungkook laughed. “‘I’m in love with you’?”

Hanbyul grabbed his arm, eyes going wide, and demanded, “Did I say that?!”

“Wha?”

“How did you know that?!”

“The… fucking… wait… do you?”

“Did Namjoon tell you that?!”

“What does Namjoon have to do with anything?”

“I didn’t tell him who but I didn’t think he would show up today and why is Jimin friends with everyone in this city–”

“He’s a friendly guy.”

“I know and I know I’m just a friend so you don’t have to tell me but I still didn’t mean to…” She trailed off, unable to bring herself to admit she’d fallen in love with him, or unknowingly slept with his friend, or that her jealousy over him even talking to other women in the bar right now was going to consume her.

“Hey.” Jungkook nudged her arm with his. She gave him a miserable look. “I don’t think you’re just a friend.”

“Thanks, Jungkook. That’s sweet of you… I think…”

“No, I mean–” A car interrupted him, pulling to a stop so close that they both scrambled backwards. “Oh that’s our car.” She thought it was too soon for a car to have arrived. How had he even ordered one on his phone without her seeing? They scrambled into the car like a pair of street rats.

“Oh my god I’m too drunk I shouldn’t have been saying any of this! Stop making me talk!”

“It thinks it’s the alcohol.”

“Too much,” she sighed. “Why did I come out with you?”

“To have fun. Admit it, you were having fun.”

“I was, until…”

“So you’re like… in love with–”

“Stop saying it! I didn’t say that.”

“You pretty much did,” he tittered.

“You can’t tell him. Promise me. Promise me, Jungkook, not a word!”

“Why would I tell him your business?” Jungkook snickered. “I think you should tell him. And let me watch.”

“Jungkook. Jungkook Jungkook Jungkook–”

“Hanbyul, what.”

“We can never tell him,” she said with utmost sincerity, grabbing his hand and squeezing as tightly as she could. “He can never know.”

“Why not?”

“He and Sun-young are too important to me. Do you understand?”

“Yeah but what if you’re important to him too?”

“I am. I get to take care of Sun-young sometimes and he likes my cooking…” She closed her eyes because the car ride was making her dizzy. At least thinking of Jimin helped settle her head just enough she didn’t think she was going to puke in the backseat of the Uber. Probably. 

“Yeah but what if he thinks you’re more important than your cooking?”

She smiled and wished she could move enough to pat his head as she explained, “He doesn’t but I can be happy with being neighbor Hanbyul, but not less than that if I make him uncomfortable and he stops talking to me.”

“I don’t really know you a lot but I don’t think you should settle.”

“That’s sweet.”

“Yeah, I’m sweet,” he agreed. “I think it matters, love and romance and… and thinking someone is the best part of your day…”

“Are you a romantic?” she gasped.

“That’s what I’m saying!”

“I thought you were a…”

“A what?!”

“A flirt…” Fuckboy.

“I am a flirt. I can be both. And I’m not setting for anything less than… I’m waiting to meet someone who gets all red faced talking about me like you do about Jimin.”

“I do not! I’m just drunk!”

“It’s cute.”

“I wish I could fall out of this car and have it run me over.”

Jungkook laughed hard and Hanbyul actually felt all right for him to know her secret. At least for right now. Even though he was one of Jimin’s best friends, at least right now her drunk mind did not perceive a threat that he would run and tell. Right now he felt like her friend too, like they were just two drunk girls in the bathroom sharing secrets. Except it was the back of a cab and his only secret was that he wanted to be in consuming love someday. To be honest, Hanbyul did not think being in love agreed with her so far.

Because yes, she was a little bit in love with Jimin and so far it was nothing but stomachaches.

They walked together up to her apartment. She thought he was just being a gentleman, but when she got back from the quickest pee she’d ever taken Hudu on, she found Jungkook puking in her bathroom.

“Mixed my alcohols,” he groaned. 

Well, Hanbyul was drunk enough to spill her secrets but not enough to puke. With any luck, Jungkook wouldn’t even remember these conversations tomorrow; she hadn’t realized he was as or even more drunk than she was.

“You can sleep on the couch,” she told him.

“The couch? Come on, let me share your bed.”

“Jungkook!”

“We don’t have to fuck! Jimin would never forgive me–”

“Stop talking about it!”

“About fucking? Or Jimin? Or fucking Jimin–”

“Jungkook!”

“Come on, you’re practically my sister in law at this point, just let me sleep in your–”

“I am not! What are you talking about?!” She covered her face and leaned against the wall. And refused to admit that she felt some secret little thrill in this teasing, in someone else making her connection to Jimin seem real and acceptable and possible. Even though she knew it wasn’t and that Jungkook was just a brat who was enjoying teasing her –which was sweet in its own way but she was definitely going to die of embarrassment tomorrow if he remembered any of this.

When she uncovered her face, Jungkook was holding Hudu, swaying slowly with the pup under his chin, and humming. 

Until he suddenly set Hudu down and sprinted to the bathroom again. At that point he decided he wanted the couch after all, since it was closer to the toilet. Hanbyul brought him a trash can too and a glass of water, by which point he was already asleep. Not that she was far behind. The room spun as she lay in bed, the events of the day sliding and jostling over each other.

Jimin was so handsome. And sweet. And charming. And kind. And handsome.

It didn’t matter what Jungkook said. Jimin wasn’t interested in her like that, as evidenced by his attention to other women, as evidenced by his mentioning dating other people to her several times now, as evidenced by his joining of a dating app when there was a perfectly ok Hanbyul down the hall.

Plus… Namjoon.

Well. This had been fun. But Hanbyul was never going to drink again and never going to go out with Jungkook and their friends again.

But first she made sure Jungkook was asleep with traitor Hudu curled up on his legs, and closed her bedroom door, and let her vibrator walk her through the memories of the way Jimin had looked and danced, except this time around her, kissing the lingering taste of his drink into her mouth…

Jimin slept like shit. Every time he’d start to doze, he’d grab his phone again, squinting at the blinding brightness to see if there was a message back. Occasionally he’d manage to fall asleep only to bolt up, certain he’d heard his phone ring –that obnoxious awful ring he’d put on ever since that one time Sunnie’s school hadn’t been able to get hold of him because he always kept his phone on silent and they’d called Hoseok, the second emergency contact, to go get Sunnie and she’d thought it meant her dad died too.

There was never an obnoxious ring going off. Instead he drifted in and out of sleep until Sun-young was awake, enough of an excuse to get out of bed and go through the motions of making them both breakfast and rattling off their plans for the day. Not that there was much for this one blessed weekend. Jimin wasn’t teaching any classes or partaking of any workshops or attending any performances by fellow dancers. Sun-young wanted to see her friends but there was nothing planned yet, and she had no weekend dance since there was no reason for her to take on extra. It wasn’t time for dress rehearsals yet. For her final recital.

“We need to grocery shop,” Jimin suggested, because their fridge was empty and that made him think of cooking and food and Hanbyul, which was better than thinking of Sunnie quitting dance. Hanbyul who had not answered his phone call or either of his texts asking if she got home all right. That wasn’t excessive, was it? But she’d been very drunk, and every time he’d tried to make his way over to her, Kim Hayoon kept catching hold of him again –and he couldn’t exactly just shove her off because she sat on the board of a scholarship that aided many of his students, which in turn kept his lights on and doors open.

Hanbyul must be ok. Just hung over. Hoseok said he’d seen Jungkook getting her an Uber and while Jimin would have greatly preferred that someone let him know Hanbyul was heading out so he could catch a ride home with her, he knew he could trust Jungkook. The fact she was drunk was both obvious and endearing, he could see it in the way she danced without her usual reserve, and the exaggerated way she responded when anyone talked to her. She just had a different look in the club when they’d talked that he couldn’t quite explain but it had just felt… different. He hadn’t understood she was drunk at first when they spoke, and maybe she wasn’t yet then, maybe that came later. He didn’t know, she just seemed happy. He had gotten painfully little actual time with her and the injustice of that was palpable. She’d looked amazing and he had never in his life expected to be at a club with her and he would have liked to dance together. Preferably just the two of them… and what the fuck was wrong with him that he hadn’t managed to make it happen?!

“I’m not hungry,” Sun-young said, possibly related to his comment about grocery shopping. He closed the refrigerator, now several degrees warmer, and looked over where Sunnie poked at her gyeran bap, cheek resting on her hand.

“You want cereal instead? We have…” He trailed off, realizing they had none. Hanbyul might have some he could bum off her…

“No,” Sun-young sighed. “Can I watch TV?”

“Sure, but we should go grocery shopping today and figure out what else we need to do… laundry… do you have homework?” Even as he said these things, he frowned. He did need to do these tasks, but he also wanted to just have fun with his daughter. Maybe Hanbyul could come along? He could tease her about last night, make sure she understood he had wanted to dance with her–

But to what end? He’d dance with her and maybe she’d humor him and only think to herself a little why is this old dad wanting to dance with me at the club? Why is he even here? He didn’t usually go to clubs –not because he didn’t enjoy them but because he didn’t usually have the time or energy. But Namjoon was bummed because that girl he’d been dating had called things off and it wasn’t serious but it kinda sucked and so Jimin had called in a favor with Yoongi and put himself together and gone to the clubs.

And there was Hanbyul, for no reason he could comprehend at the time, long hair pulled back to show off her neck, wearing a cute very short dress he’d never seen her in before… vibing with Jungkook. For a moment he’d lit up like a holiday tree with surprise and envy and relief, because here was an opportunity to spend time with Hanbyul in an adult setting except she was already spending that time with Jungkook! 

And then there was whatever Namjoon and Hanbyul had been talking about by the bathroom. He didn’t realize she’d gotten to know so many of his friends around him and now he felt even more like an idiot not to have invited her into his circle long ago. They clearly got along with her, she seemed happy –except for that moment she spoke with Namjoon, and looked so distressed it was hard to hold himself back from running in to save her. Maybe he should have. At the time he’d hesitated because Hanbyul wasn’t his to save and whatever they were talking about wasn’t his business. He’d been anchored by that twist of displeasure that she was young and single and pretty and so were his friends. 

Sun-young curled up on the couch with a blanket and watched some kid drama with an unblinking, disconnected stare. It dragged Jimin from his thoughts of Hanbyul.

“You ok, Sunnie?”

“I’m tired.”

That was wildly unlike her. Jimin perched on the edge of her couch and touched her forehead but couldn’t decide whether it was unusually warm or not. 

“Does anything hurt?” he asked.

“I don’t know.”

“Your head? Your stomach? Your throat?”

“I don’t know, I just feel…”

“Yes?” he prodded, waiting for the revelation.

“Tired.”

Illness in Sun-young always raised a panic in him on par with what he’d experienced when she was only an infant and he and Subin young, inexperienced parents convinced every sniffle could be the first sign of something fatal. Most parents learned over time through proof of the contrary that colds were common and their child was healthy, though the fear always lurked in the shadows. But when Subin was suddenly very sick, and only a short time later died, it broke that security in Jimin. Any illness could be the last one. 

The doctor’s office was used to his overreactions at this point. He didn’t care, though he tried to reign it in once Sun-young made clear she found the coddling overbearing. He tried to trust her assessment of her own body, but she was a child! She gave him nothing to go on this time anyway, just tired, so Jimin checked ears and nose and throat, took her temperature, pressed on her belly, took her temperature again.

“A small fever,” he murmured.

“I think it’s just a cold,” she said, drooping to the couch again. She nudged his leg. “I can’t see.”

“Your vision is hazy?!”

“You’re blocking the TV.”

“Oh…” 

“My throat hurts a little,” she conceded, as if throwing him a bone in his worry. He had thought it looked a little red, her lymph nodes a bit swollen to touch.

This called for an aggressive offense of yuzu jelly tea, popsicles, and Sunnie’s favorite stew samgyetang. But they were out of popsicles, there was only a scrape of yuzu jelly left in the jar to make tea with, and of course he had no samgyetang readily on hand.

He glanced at the clock. It was nearing ten now. Surely Hanbyul would be waking up –even if she’d slept in with a hangover. In fact, he had some Easy Tomorrow she could drink! He should have taken it over last night and regretted his thoughtlessness now. She might be having a rotten morning and it would be shitty of him to show up and ask if she had any yuzu jelly or could make samgyetang for his sick daughter.

But she might be already making it for herself, and she might not mind sharing the jelly, and she might appreciate the Easy Tomorrow later than never. Plus he could confirm with his own eyes she’d gotten home safe.

“I’ll be right back.”

“Where are you going?”

“Just to see if Hanbyul has yuzu jelly.”

“Tell her to come watch TV with me,” Sun-young said from her blanket burrito. “You can say I’m sick if it makes her come.”

“I think you are sick, kiddo.”

“I’m just a little tired.”

She coughed immediately afterwards, as if even her body couldn’t stand by the dismissal of her symptoms. Jimin would never. Already he was evaluating just how far he’d let her symptoms get before he’d take her to the doctor. The answer: not very far.

He felt a twinge of guilt as he knocked on Hanbyul’s door. She might have a headache so he started quietly but when he didn’t hear anything, graduated to the buzzer.

He tracked footsteps to the door and then a pause during which he assumed Hanbyul was peeking through the peephole to see who was bothering her on a Saturday morning. He ran his hand through his hair, hoping he didn’t look too rough.

The door swung open to reveal Jungkook wearing yesterday’s clothes and looking puffy-eyed and crusty. He yawned and scratched at his cheek and gave Jimin a sleepy grin.

“Hey, Easy Tomorrow, thanks,” he said, reaching for the bottle. “I was just heading out. Hanbyul’s still asleep if that’s who you’re looking for.”

Jimin was so completely stunned to be confronted by Jungkook answering Hanbyul’s door that he could only stammer out, “Who else would I be looking for at Hanbyul’s apartment?”

“Yeah, good point.” Jungkook unscrewed the cap from the bottle and downed it in one long chug while Jimin just stood there, waiting for an answer to any of the questions he couldn’t find his voice for: why are you waking up inside Hanbyul’s apartment wearing yesterday’s clothes? Why did you go home with her? Why did you invite her out in the first place? Are you two dating now? Did you fuck?

Bottle empty, Jungkook handed it back to Jimin and clapped him on the shoulder as he said, “It was good you came out last night. I think everyone had a lot of fun.”

“Uh… yeah, uh…”

“Fuck. Think I’ll get some more sleep at home… see ya later. Tell Sunnie I said hey.”

Jungkook did not seem to realize that Jimin was stunned speechless. He set off down the hall, leaving Hanbyul’s door open as if Jimin was going to just waltz right in. She wasn’t even out of bed yet! Had she slept naked after Jungkook…

Jimin pulled the door shut, making sure he heard the click of the lock before sprinting back to the safety of his own apartment. There he snuggled down beside Sun-young and pulled out his phone to order yuzu jelly tea and stew and anything else he could think of that they wanted for delivery, cost be damned. 

What the fuck?! Had Jungkook really gone home with and slept with Hanbyul?

Jimin couldn’t even process it. Jungkook ought to know she was off limits! But also, of course Jungkook wouldn’t think she was off limits, because Jimin never said so, because she wasn’t off limits. Even if it felt wrong for her to not be off limits. Even if Jimin and Hanbyul weren’t dating, she shouldn’t be dating any of his friends either, right?? Because… because there was still an emotional connection there…

Jimin flat out didn’t know what to do. Everything in him warred between marching right over, coming out with it and seeing what she said… and doing anything in the world except that.

But coming out with what? What did Jimin have to offer Hanbyul? Absolutely nothing in some areas and too much in others. A single father, a dead wife, a heart still trying to adjust to the idea of letting someone else in. If Hanbyul was interested in Jungkook, then Jimin was not the guy for her. Jimin should be looking for someone older and settled or something anyway, right? Maybe someone with a kid too, so they could mutually burden each other –not that he thought Sun-young was in any way a burden, but it was a lot to ask someone who wasn’t a parent to suddenly become one!

“Is unnie coming?” Sunnie asked, sitting up and leveling a pink-faced pout in his direction. 

“Oh uh, I don’t know, she wasn’t awake yet.”

“Can you call her? I really want her to come over.”

Jimin stroked Sun-young’s hair and took her acceptance of this touch as proof she was very sick. 

Would it be such a bad thing if Hanbyul wound up with Jungkook? He could use someone to look after him, and she could use someone who could be fun and free with her. And she’d still be in Sunnie’s life, just as an aunt instead of…

Was he really thinking of Hanbyul like this? It wasn’t in any explicit way, words still seemed impossible and ill-fitting and heavy. He didn’t know what he wanted, he doubted Hanbyul wanted this nameless space, he was too afraid to look directly at this thing taking hazy shape in his mind, this future starting to come into focus. Did the future have to be big and scary? Wouldn’t it be the easiest thing in the world right now for Hanbyul to walk in from the other room and settle on the couch with them, legs folded beneath her, Jimin’s arm around her shoulder and Sun-young draped across their laps? Hanbyul’s head settling onto his shoulder…

The physical closeness was the only thing that would be new, and he wanted it. He craved it in such a sudden, overwhelming rush that it almost drove him from the couch to take a lap around the apartment to work out this restless energy. He wanted Hanbyul here and it wasn’t fair that she wasn’t. Sunnie wanted her here too! Couldn’t they just have what they wanted this time? The scene was playing out in his mind, the casual affection, Hanbyul’s hand stroking Sunnie’s hair, Jimin’s fond smile, maybe a soft shared kiss once Sun-young drifted off to sleep halfway through the movie. God, to kiss Hanbyul, to share a warm, close embrace that he’d been deprived of for years! And for the first time in as long, the longing for it didn’t bring him to his knees in grief. Subin was there in his heart, forever and always, but there was space for Hanbyul too, space he desperately wanted her to fill. Butterflies fluttered in his stomach as he stared at the empty space on the couch as if she was really there, as if they were sharing the phantom first kiss. His flush was as real as if they had.

God, he was pathetic. Lonely, and latching on to a fantasy of his neighbor. He tried to push the thoughts from his head with limited success and turned to narrating the TV show to Sun-young instead until she insisted he stop. 

“Is this what you want to watch? Here, let me get you socks and your stuffie. Maybe you need some medicine too? I think delivery will be here soon–”

“Appa just stay still with me.”

He immediately froze, still as a statue as Sun-young adjusted in his arms, her little warm body curled up with his in a way he’d feared she had outgrown. 

Well he sure fucking wasn’t moving now.

“Ok. I’ll stay,” he assured her. 

“Did you message unnie?”

“Yes,” he partially lied. “But she has something else going on. It’s just going to be us, ok?”

“Ok,” Sunnie sighed and he felt her head getting heavier against his chest. 

There. There, if she could accept it, he could too. They didn’t need Hanbyul or anyone else in their lives. The two of them and the memory of Subin were a whole-enough family. Things were already getting better between them since he’d budged on the dance and science, and the future would be ok. 

He’d let Jungkook know to take care because Hanbyul was a good woman, and then he’d let go of that silly dream he’d almost fallen into.

He had Sunnie and Sunnie had him and they didn’t need anyone else in the world.

Except maybe someone to get the delivery at the door so he didn’t have to unsettle his sleeping daughter. Shit! 

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FINALLY. the most infuriating oblivious stupidly in love people i’ve ever seen

After the Applause (Ch. 7)

Header and linebreaks by @awrkives

Single Dad Jimin x Female OC

SUMMARY: Jimin doesn't know how he would have made it this far after the shattering of his world without the support of his thoughtful, generous, helpful neighbor. Hanbyul has lived next to hottie Jimin and his adorable daughter for years now, long enough to remember the wife he was so devoted to and lost far too young. With each safely ensconced on their side of the brick wall of the Parks' grief, it will take an enterprising little scientist to set the stage for a second chance at love.

CW/tags: grief, prior loss of spouse/parent, comfort, explicit sex, secondhand embarrassment, sort of love triangle/web/rat's nest, fluff, cursing, dating apps, fuckboy friends, dancer Jimin, stubborn dad Jimin, stubborn pre-teen daughter, miscommunication, pining

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By Monday Sunnie was almost completely back to her normal exuberant self, but her round-the-clock caretaker Appa had simply ushered the illness from daughter to dad. He knew it for sure when walking her to school left him red-faced, breathless, and shivering. There was no use denying it, no choice except to call Hoseok and other staff to see who could cover his classes for at least today and tomorrow. The last thing he wanted to do was pass this onto his students, especially not with the recital rushing closer.

Besides, he could work on choreography for Taejoon’s idol group from home –that was a gig he didn’t want to pass off. He could really use the additional income this month. Rent was going up in two months and he’d been avoiding thinking about it because obviously he couldn’t upset their lives and move them somewhere cheaper. This was their home. It had been Subin’s home. He wouldn’t know where to hallucinate her in a new home where she’d never been before, as he did the whole afternoon he spent curled up on the couch, sweating through his fever. 

Turned out he didn’t even have the energy to make himself tea, certainly not to choreograph a routine. Once again, Jimin had vastly overestimated himself.

At the last minute he realized he was not sure he could make the walk to get Sun-young. Shit! It was a short list of friends he felt comfortable asking for a favor like that: Hoseok was already covering his classes, Jungkook wasn’t answering his phone, but Taehyung did, on the second ring, like he’d been waiting for a call from Jimin. He was happy to get her but he had promised to go with Seokjin for something and could he just take Sun-young along with him for that? It sounded to Jimin like he’d said to greet the Muppets for the disco party but that was probably not right. The fever made everything fuzzy right now.

But whatever, Taehyung and Seokjin would never take her anywhere unsafe, so that was perfect. He called Sun-young’s school to have them give Sunnie the message Uncle Tae would pick her up and then collapsed on the couch and stopped thinking about anything. The fever was miserably uncomfortable. He didn’t have any adult medicine for it in the house; he prided himself on not getting sick often but damn it would have been welcome right now. Maye anti-nausea too, his stomach cramped and complained even though he wasn’t hungry.

The whole afternoon passed in a blink. He didn’t realize he’d even fallen asleep and suddenly Sun-young’s feet were pounding down the hallway. She knew the code and let herself in, Taehyung and Seokjin right on her heels.

Seokjin called from the hall, “No offense, Jimin, but I’m keeping my distance. I can’t get a restaurant of people sick!”

“I could use a few days off work,” Taehyung joked. “Lay one on me.”

Jimin only grunted at him and eased himself up to a sitting position. Sun-young grimaced.

“You’re really sick, Appa.”

“Wonder how that happened,” Taehyung teased and nudged Sun-young. But she looked genuinely upset, and that last thing Jimin wanted was for her to feel guilty. It was part of being a dad. He didn’t want her to hide that she was sick next time.

“It’s a testament to how close we are together,” Jimin insisted, the words a croak from his throat. “I wouldn’t have it any other way. Thanks for keeping her this afternoon, Tae. Thanks, Jin.” He pushed up from the couch and did his best not to look wobbly. “OK, Sunnie, let’s figure out some dinner.”

“You sure you don’t want me to stick around and help?” Taehyung pressed.

“Nah, it’s fine, I’m good, just groggy because I’m waking up.”

“Ok… but hey man, call me if you need anything, ok? You know my schedule is flexible, I’m happy to help.”

Jimin thanked them both again and flinched when the door slammed shut behind them. The offers were sincere, he knew that, just like he rationally knew his friends did not mind covering his classes or helping him with his child. He had to believe that, because he knew he wouldn’t begrudge them the help. He loved to be helpful. But accepting help when he’d had to lean on them so much was hard. He didn’t feel like it was nearly balanced.

Belatedly he realized he should have asked Taehyung if he knew what was going on between Hanbyul and Jungkook. Taehyung was nosy, he probably knew exactly how long they’d been dating and how serious it was and where they met and the first time they kissed and everything.

Maybe it was better he hadn’t asked though. He didn’t know that he was in a good headspace right now to find out they’d been dating for months now and he was just dumb as a rock oblivious. Why wouldn’t Jungkook have told him? And honestly, wasn’t it right that Jungkook should have asked him first if he had feelings for Hanbyul before making his move? It was the right thing to do as friends.

“Appa are you ok?” Sunnie asked as he shuffled to the kitchen. 

He waved his hand at her. “Yeah yeah, I’m good.”

But she planted herself in front of him and reached up to feel his sweaty forehead.

“You’re really sick, Appa. I know what it was like. Go lay down and I can make my own dinner.”

“You’re nine.”

“So what? I can make some things! Are you hungry? I can make something for you too.”

“I’m not hungry,” he admitted. He hesitated. If he insisted on cooking for her, was this just another way in which he was failing to recognize that she was growing up and gaining independence? Or was this leaning on his daughter in an unhealthy way, expecting her to be another adult in the house?

“We have gimbap, I can eat that. Go sleep. I’ll do my homework after I eat.”

“Ok…” He hesitated. This felt like a parenting failure. “Just get me if you need anything… I’ll just be in my room. You won’t be bothering me.”

Sun-young gave him a serious, decisive node and then pointed her finger towards his bedroom. He’d been summarily dismissed. It made him laugh, which turned into an achy coughing fit, so he did what she said and went to lie down.

Time passed unmeasured, but eventually Jimin rose from his deep sleep to the sounds of murmuring female voices and clinking cookware. For a brief moment, he found himself lost in time to years ago, when his wife might be in the kitchen cooking dinner. Especially after Sun-young was born, they’d alternated day-night shifts since their newborn daughter demanded attention round the clock; she’d been a terrible sleeper. He’d usually taken the night shift because he liked it anyway. 

Just as quickly he landed back in the present time. He tried to push quickly and clumsily from the bed to find out who the hell was in his apartment with his daughter, when he heard a laugh that answered for him.

Hanbyul was here.

He slowed his step and glanced at himself in the mirror over his dresser. He looked fucked up. There was only so much he could do about it though, the sweaty pink shine wasn’t going away until the cold did. He brushed his fingers through his hair, trying to look devilishly disheveled. He was not sure that it worked. He changed his clothes quickly so at least he wouldn’t smell like stale sweat.

He pulled on his best smile as he leaned against the counter separating kitchen from dining and living room. Sun-young stood on a chair and peered through the lid of a deep pot. Hanbyul stood at the counter beside her with her loose sweater sleeves rolled up past her elbows, knife making quick work of an onion. Her hair was pulled up into a spiky high bun, a few wispy strands escaping to frame her face. Her eyes were red from the onions when she glanced up at Jimin. And smiled.

“Appa! How do you feel?” Sun-young asked very seriously again, her laughter from a moment ago deftly suppressed.

“I’m..” He wanted to say good but he didn’t want Hanbyul to take his appearance as normal. “I’ve been better,” he admitted. “But better since this morning… I think…” The scent of the onions tickled his nose and he turned quickly away to sneeze into his elbow. Suddenly Hudu leapt down from the couch and vaulted over to Jimin, jumping up against his legs, like he’d been sleeping too deeply to notice Jimin was even there. 

“We’re making samgyetang,” Hanbyul assured him, as if he couldn’t have figured that out by the gingery smell of the broth. His nose was too stuffy to have caught it from the bedroom, but when Hanbyul lifted the lid on the pot so she and Sun-young could look inside, just enough of it managed to reach his sinuses for him to groan. He had no appetite but for that, he could develop one.

Hanbyul’s raised eyebrows made embarrassment rush through him.

“Oh, uh, it smells good. My nose is all f– messed up, but I could smell that– why are you here?” His voice cracked on the last note after croaking out the rest of it. Quickly he added, “You’re always welcome but we’re sick! I don’t want to get you sick too.”

Hanbyul shared a smile with Sun-young, as if they’d predicted and discussed this response. Jimin tried to crouch to pet Hudu, still spinning around his legs, but his body was too achy. He tried to get Hudu to jump up into his arms, but the dog wouldn’t. A stalemate in which neither of them was happy.

“I appreciate your concern but I think I’ll be all right. I have such a strong immune system, I rarely get sick. Don’t worry about me.”

“I asked her to come help me make soup for you,” Sun-young added.

“I see but– it’s very thoughtful but–” He spun quickly away to deliver a coughing fit into his elbow. Hudu was worried enough to scratch at his shin.

It meant he didn’t see Hanbyul come around from the kitchen until she touched his arm and held out a mug of steaming yuzu jelly tea.

“Please go rest more. Sun-young and I are just fine here.”

“She taught me how to mince garlic!”

“With a knife?!” Jimin cried, barely more than a wheeze of words.

Hanbyul tutted at him –tutted– “She’s old enough to learn how to safely cook things! I was much younger and still have all my fingers. Now back to bed, and make sure to drink that tea.”

She was so firm about it, he found his legs obeying. He stopped just through the door though and looked back. Hanbyul slid back around the counter and looked at whatever Sun-young was showing her on the counter. He knew that hopeful smile of Sunnie’s, that desperate need for acknowledgement. She beamed at Hanbyul’s praise for whatever it was. Together they lifted the lid and slid things in, four hands working together, and put the lid back on. The pot belched at them though, knocking the top askew. Both girls erupted with giggles as Hanbyul stirred and replaced the lid. Hudu sat in the middle of the rooms, as if he needed to see everyone at once. He watched Jimin and something in his eye made it look like he was about to bark and tattle on Jimin for not being in bed yet.

She shouldn’t be here. She didn’t need to be here. It  was asking too much, for her to come into a sick apartment and make soup for him. Sunnie had done the asking and Hanbyul had come and he owed her so much.

Hudu barked.

“Go to bed, Park Jimin!” Hanbyul called, and Sunnie giggled and pointed, chanting, “Go go! We’ll get you when it’s ready!” 

“Traitor,” Jimin mumbled to Hudu. Hudu stretched out to nap, conscience clear.

He lay in bed, as ordered. He sat up to sip the tea until only the dredges were left. He lay back down and listened to the crescendo of giggles across the apartment. They wove through his dozy dreams, swaddling him, rocking him in the rhythm of their conversation. He dreamed of seashell wind chimes on the balcony of a beachside bungalow; he dreamed of a crackling fireplace in front of three mugs of hot cocoa; he dreamed of a cool breeze caressing his skin with whispers: dance on, dance on.

He awoke to silence. The window was black with night, only by the light from the hallway could he find his phone in the sheets: 8:30. Time to get Hanbyul ready for bed. His body ached as he pushed himself up from the sweaty embrace of his bed. He felt like garbage, but slightly warmed over garbage, thanks to his nap-companion Hudu, who had jumped up into bed with him at some point. Garbage that could at least get his daughter’s school things ready for tomorrow, see her to bed, shower, and then collapse again. Maybe eat some soup, if there was any left. 

He forgot to check his hair and face as he stumbled into the hall. Two figures sitting at the end of it made him do a double take. It wasn’t the ghost of Subin, though, and he wasn’t confused by a memory this time, only confused to see them there: Sun-young and Hanbyul kneeling in front of the shrine they kept for Subin by the narrow window she had always joked was for growing a single flower in. So they did grow a single flower in it, though Jimin often forgot to water it so it tended to be more dead than alive.

He paused as Sun-young’s voice carried, “Sometimes I don’t remember very much about her.”

Hanbyul made a sympathetic humming noise.

“I was only maybe six years old when she died? I just remember suddenly she lived in the hospital and Appa took me there to visit her and I didn’t like being there because it smelled bad and everyone was sad a lot.”

“It’s ok not to remember everything,” Hanbyul said gently. “You were very little and sometimes remembering someone we’ve lost can hurt a lot, I think, so our minds… hm, maybe they wrap a blanket around the memory to keep it safe for another time when it won’t hurt so much.”

“Maybe that’s why Appa doesn’t talk about her very much,” Sun-young said and Jimin felt a knife in his ribs. “It makes him really sad.” Jimin felt like they did talk about her a lot. Wasn’t Subin in almost everything they said and did? But less so lately, and that was… hard.

“I can’t imagine how hard it is to lose someone you love that much. You both are very strong. I’m glad you have each other.”

He knew he shouldn’t keep listening to this and yet he couldn't tear himself away. Was it really so bad to eavesdrop? He decided Sun-young was right; despite the shrine, they did not talk about Subin very often. He always feared speaking of her would only remind Sunnie of what she lost, what she didn’t have. It sure did for Jimin.

“I remember her hair was really soft and I would wrap it around my fingers when we read books together,” Sun-young said. “I just learned to read when she got sick and I read books to her in the hospital. She liked Hello Banana Moon and Cloud Bread. Do you know those books?”

“I don’t.”

“I think I still have them. I’ll let you borrow them so you can read them. They're really good but I haven’t read them in a long time. Maybe we can read them together.”

“I’d like that a lot,” Hanbyul said and Jimin could feel her smile even though he saw only the back of her head. The girls sat so close together, Subin’s smiling face beaming down at them from the shrine. He knew where those two books were: tucked into the cupboard beneath the candles and figurines and Subin’s photos. He’d tucked them there when she died because it was too much to read the words to Sun-young that ought to be in Subin’s voice. 

But Sun-young wanted to share those stories her mother had taught her to read with Hanbyul.

The emotion was difficult to breathe around, a pair of fingers pinching the bridge of his nose, a rising tide blocking his throat. 

“I don’t remember much,” Hanbyul said. “I didn’t know your eomma very well but I would see her in the hall or the mail room. She was always very polite and thoughtful. She would hold the door open if my arms were full. If someone left trash out, she would take on the task of cleaning it up, even though it wasn’t hers. One year there was ice on the stairs and our neighbor Ma Gurim who is high in years nearly slipped. Your mother called the building manager and wouldn’t stop calling until they came out to take care of the ice.”

Sun-young giggled and said, “Appa says I have her stubbornness.”

“Her resilience, I think it is. Her brightness. She seemed like she could do anything, just like you.”

“It’s not very fair that she died.”

“No, Sun-young. It’s really, really not fair.”

Sun-young let out a heavy sigh and rested her head against Hanbyul’s shoulder. If it made Hanbyul uncomfortable, Jimin couldn’t tell from her body language. After a moment she wrapped her arm around the girl’s shoulder and rubbed her arm.

Jimin didn’t want to disturb them. He felt like he would be. Anyway, he didn’t know what to say. He couldn’t have said anything better than Hanbyul had and her words lingered with him as he tiptoed away to the kitchen. 

It was too much to ask of a woman, wasn’t it? To come into a house that had lost one and take over being a partner and a mother. Not that it mattered anyway because Hanbyul was seeing Jungkook now but… well, it would have been too much to ask of her and that’s why it was for the best. Probably she felt incredibly awkward talking to Sun-young about her dead mother because it was an uncomfortable topic and while obviously she had navigated it beautifully, it was too much to ask. 

The kitchen had been cleaned so thoroughly there was no evidence of cooking. He opened the fridge with a start in his heart that maybe they had eaten all the soup and left none for him.

“What are you doing?” Hanbyul demanded behind him. “Shoo, get out of my kitchen! Go sit down.”

“It’s my kitchen,” he glowered, and playfully demanded, “Where’s my soup?”

She squeezed behind him and bodied him away to open the oven door where a stone bowl of the soup rested, still warm. The scent of it carried such a strong sense of strength and health and rest that it nearly brought tears to his eyes. That’s it, that’s the only reason his eyes were misty.

“I’ll carry it for you, go sit.”

“It’s time for Sun-young to get ready for–”

“I know, Appa, I’m already in my pajamas. I just need to brush my teeth,” Sun-young glowered just like him, arms crossed at his doubt. “I’ll make you tea and then go right to bed.”

“We have to get your backpack ready–”

“We did that,” Hanbyul assured him. “She wants to eat school lunch tomorrow or I said I would pack her one.”

“Unnie even ironed my uniform,” Sun-young added.

Hanbyul looked embarrassed by that and clarified, “With you both sick lately they just sat in the laundry basket for too long. Sunnie told me about her fundraiser and demonstrations.”

“Appa, can unnie help us make the rice cakes? We can teach her how to make them really nice. I know Appa isn’t a good cook but he really knows how to make the best rice cakes.”

Jimin felt like he was wrapped up in a whirlwind between them as he dove into the soup Hanbyul placed before him. They’d carried on all evening without him, and Hanbyul even had Sun-young ready for the day tomorrow. He didn’t have to worry about a thing.

“I can walk Sunnie to school too, if that’s helpful,” Hanbyul offered. 

Jimin shook his head and argued, “It’s not the direction of your office.”

“You know that?” Hanbyul asked, surprised. 

“I see the direction you walk, it’s not mysterious.”

She grinned and insisted, “It’s not too far out of the way though. I’ll just make my coffee at home before I go instead of stopping by the cafe. It’s better for my wallet anyway.”

“I’m sure I’ll be better by the morning.”

Sun-young put her hands on her hips and said to Habyul, “I think both my parents are stubborn.”

“There was no other way you could be,” Hanbyul nodded and it made Sun-young giggle. “It’s a good thing.”

“Is it?” Jimin teased.

“I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that and go brush my teeth,” Sunnie said and stuck her tongue out at him. 

How strange to feel like a cared-for guest in his own home. Hudu had moved to the living room since Jimin left the bed and stretched out in a new nap across Jimin’s slippers, several of his toys strewn across the rug. The TV was off but low music played through the speakers.

“I’ll turn that off,” Hanbyul realized, heading for it. “Sunnie was trying to teach me to dance.”

“You seemed to do fine at the club.”

Immediately she covered her face and sighed, “Let’s never talk about that again.”

“No problem,” Jimin said and meant it. He’d like if they could never talk about him going to check on her the next morning and Jungkook opening the door as well.

While he slurped the soup and Hanbyul fiddled with the CD player and Sun-young sang loudly to herself in the bathroom as the water ran and Hudu decided to take a break from napping and work the squeaker out of his toy, Jimin got a very foreign feeling: wholeness. He felt like he was home. He was home, but he felt like it quite suddenly, like he rarely had done since the very first day he’d come home while Subin remained in hospital.

Sun-young threw her arms around his shoulders and kissed his cheek and bid him goodnight. Hanbyul followed her to say goodnight and turn the light off and for a moment Jimin almost told them where the storybooks were, but couldn’t quite bring himself to it. It felt dangerous to, like if he offered her one more step further into their lives, he’d never be able to let her go. 

Could she really co-exist with the memory of Subin? Was Sun-young really ok with that?

How could it seem so natural to watch her turn the bathroom light off and take Sunnie a glass of water and then scoop Hudu up for a snuggle. She ought to collapse onto the couch in exhaustion after an evening of parenting. And Jimin would collapse next to her, and drag her into his lap so they could stretch out and find something worthwhile to watch on the TV. She’d fall asleep there and he’d wake her gently later to move to–

Shit, he had to stop thinking like this. He had to. It was becoming too tragic to pine for his neighbor too late. He’d fucked up and only his fever-riddled brain was willing to admit how badly. Very badly. As she carried Hudu with her to sit in the chair next to him, Jimin had the unfortunate understanding that he might be very much in love with Hanbyul and been trying to hide it from himself.

I never know what I’m doing but you make me feel like I can figure it out. I think you belong here. Why don’t you just stay?

“I’m sorry if I massively overstepped tonight,” she said, completely at odds with his internal tragedy. 

“No. No, of course not. You can’t overstep but you didn’t have to do all this–” He broke off to cough into his elbow –away from her. If he got her sick, he’d never get over the guilt.

“I’ve told you before, it’s not a big deal. I love spending time with Sun-young and I’m glad you were able to get some rest. I’m serious about walking her to school in the morning too, unless you’d rather have one of your other friends.”

“I’m sorry if she made you uncomfortable talking about… Subin.”

Hanbyul’s sincere confusion was so endearing that he felt a twinge of guilt, saying Subin’s name just as he thought damn, Hanbyul really is pretty, isn’t she? It’s crazy she never went into acting or modeling.

“Why would that make me uncomfortable?” Hanbyul asked. “I’m flattered she felt like telling me about her mother. She’s a part of you and Sun-young forever. It’s unfair she can’t be here to take care of you while you’re sick and take care of Sun-young, but I hope I honored her by stepping in for an evening.”

Jimin nodded, briefly without words. 

Hanbyul gently touched the back of his hand and added, “I’m truly sorry for your loss, Jimin. I don’t know if I ever said that.”

“You did.”

“Well, good. And please don’t think you or Sun-young are ever a burden when you need help. No one is meant to do everything alone and–” She broke off as he suddenly flipped his hand, catching her palms against his. “--and I’m really happy to be here,” she said, barely a murmur as she stared at their hands. Jimin too, unsure how that had happened. It had been impulsive. It was the wrong move.

He drew in a deep, ragged breath and she pulled her hand away. He shouldn’t have. She was dating his friend. He couldn’t say he regretted it. He should have wound their fingers together, kept her there. 

But what would he say? I care about you more. Quit Jungkook and be with me. I’m sorry I was slow but it’s scary, you see? I didn’t think I could do this again…

He pushed back from the table and she leapt up as Hudu jumped down from her lap. She reached for the dishes but Jimin shooed her away.

“I can manage them.”

The fact she didn’t argue seemed telling. She gathered Hudu’s things into her bag and slid her phone into her pocket and Jimin felt an absolute dread that she was leaving. He knew he’d overstepped with the touch. She had to think so, because it had felt insanely intimate to him, just that moment of their palms touching. Her cheeks flushed and he feared it was with anger.

He started to say he was sorry, but Hanbyul spoke over him with a smile that seemed sincere, “I’ll come by to get Sun-young at 7:30. Don’t argue about it, please. I told her I would so it’s very important to me that I keep my word.”

“All right then. Thank you. Goodnight, Hudu,” he said, scratching the dog’s head. “Goodnight, Hanbyul.”

“Goodnight.”

It felt awkward. He felt it. He’d made her feel awkward, and after all she’d done for him. But he didn’t know what to say to fix it, and he already felt like shit anyway, so this one time he kept his mouth shut and just locked the door behind her.

The apartment felt empty with her gone, just him and sleeping Sun-young left, like the movie had ended and there just credits rolling. There wasn’t even music playing anymore.

Jimin knew he ought to get back to his apartment quickly. It was bad enough he’d had to call in another favor, but it was only fair he cover Hoseok’s classes now that he was sick, and Sun-young had science club, and sometimes things just seemed impossible for a single parent.

But walking past the corner florist made him pause. And think. And think. He was a thinker, a planner, he shouldn’t do things impulsively because then things could go wrong and you weren’t prepared.

But things went wrong even if you carefully planned. Time was unknown and unsympathetic and always running out.

The apartment had just felt so empty without her in it, the chair she’d sat in pulled out as if still waiting for her to take her seat again. He felt like he was waiting for Hanbyul to get home from work. One evening wasn’t enough.  

Was it worth the risk of losing a friendship over? Two friendships?

Park Jimin did something he never did: he let impulse take over.

He bought the flowers, a big pretty bouquet of purple and pink and white because they looked like stars and that was her name. Hanyul: Big Star.

He ignored the mailroom for now, because he was on a mission. He was going to shoot his shot. If it caused a rift with Jungkook… hopefully it could be mended. Probably it would cause only a rift between himself and Hanbyul because she’d be gracious about his unwelcome feelings and then he would lose something that was devastating him to have so little of anyway.

“Hold the elevator!” Jungkook called and dove inside.

For a moment they looked at each other, and then Jungkook’s face broke into a wide grin and he asked, “Who are the flowers for?”

“Sunnie.”

“Ah. Right.” 

They’d forgotten to push the button, so Jungkook did.

“You here to see Hanbyul?” Jimin asked, wishing it wasn’t true.

“Yeah.”

“Ah.” Silence as the elevator shimmied to life. “So uh… that. How did that happen? Is it serious?”

“Is what serious?”

Leave it to Jungkook to make Jimin spell it out, the ass: “You and Hanbyul.”

“We’ve got a real connection. Why do you ask? You in love with her or something?”

Thank fuck for his careful control of his face. 

Jimin gave him a playful grin and assured him, “No, no, I’m just looking out for her. I’m just asking if you’re serious about her.”

“You should fight me for her,” Jungkook grinned back.

Jimin’s expression twitched as he said, “I’m not… I’m not fighting you for her.” Gone was his foolish plan to sweep her out from under Jungkook.

Fuck, what an awful choice of words.

“Well not physically, I’d beat your ass,” Jungkook laughed. “I mean confessionally.”

“What the fuck does that mean?”

“Are you at least going to give her a choice? I mean, I’m pretty serious competition, it’d be pretty hard for anyone to– but hey, maybe it’s your lucky day,” Jungkook said and slapped him on the shoulder. 

“A choice… between us?” Jimin’s heart leapt into his throat with hope. Probably Jungkook was just fucking with him, but if he was actual casual enough to give Hanbyul a no-strings choice… well, would she really choose the single dad over hot young bachelor Jungkook… but… but maybe Sunnie could help him make a powerpoint and she’d find it charming…

Jungkook sighed, “You don’t like that idea? That sucks. Listen, don’t break her heart or anything, ok? She’s a really good friend of mine and–”

“No, stop, that’s what I was going to say!” Jimin forced a laugh, stepping off the elevator after him. “I just wanted to say I’m happy for you and that I–”

“Well I’m not dating her but maybe you should before someone else does, if you’re so bothered by it.”

Before Jimin could fathom a response, Jungkook pushed the buzzer at Hanbyul’s door.

“What, what do you mean you’re not–”

The door dragged open to reveal Hanbyul –in shortie shorts and a t shirt with a faded Minnie Mouse on it and stripey flower socks. Her expression shifted at once from neutral to surprise as she stared at Jimin.

Jungkook plucked a phone charger from her hand.

“Hey Hanbyul, thanks, Jimin’s got something to say to you, bye.”

He promptly turned and walked back towards the elevator.

**

“Uh…”

It took Hanbyul half a minute longer than it should have to realize Jungkook had retrieved his abandoned phone charger and departed. Her attention remained leveled at Jimin’s face in an attempt to not die of embarrassment: she’d just woken up from a gloriously braless and pantsless nap to a message from Jungkook saying by process of elimination he thought he’d left his phone charger at her place and was on his way over. Her offer to leave it at Jimin’s was too late; he never responded and she had time to do nothing but drag on shorts before the buzzer at her door revealed Jungkook. 

And Jimin.

He looked so much healthier after his illness –thanks in part, she hoped, to the soup. He looked even better since she’d seen him, when she picked up Sun-young and walked her to school before peeling off to haul ass to work. 

And then Hanbyul spent the next two days avoiding the Parks because she wanted it too much. It brought her too much happiness to be over there, doing simple domestic things with them like that. It was torture not to kiss Jimin’s flushed forehead and brush his hair back and really take care of him. It was unkind to herself and possibly to Sun-young to let herself get so close to the little girl who did not deserve to lose anyone else from her life.

The recruiter had contacted her via email and wanted to schedule an official interview; he promised to call her soon. Hanbyul had done a freaking out dance around the apartment. Then whipped her bra off and fallen into bed for a stress nap.

And now Jimin was standing at her door, seeing her in this disheveled space, holding out a bouquet of beautiful purple flowers. She did not understand and only took them because he seemed to want her to hold them for him.

“They’re for you,” he explained, as if she was an idiot (she was.) “To thank you.”

“Jimin, I told you, you have to stop thanking me. I’m going to start taking it as an insult.”

“Wha?”

“You didn’t have to get me flowers. But they’re beautiful, so thank you.” She loved how gracious that sounded, as if she could be cool about getting flowers, as if it happened all the time (it didn’t.)

“They’re stars, like your name. I don’t know what they’re actually called,” he admitted, laughing at himself.

“Thank you, I’ll put them in water right away.” She stepped into the apartment, expecting that was goodbye, but Hudu foiled her plan, darting into Jimin’s arms –or maybe Jimin had already wedged his body in to follow her through. That brat (Hudu, but also maybe Jimin.) 

“One second!” she called over her shoulder and disappeared into her bedroom to frantically drag on a sweatshirt. It was going to be weird if she completely changed, wouldn’t it? But she was so unkempt. Would it be weird to put on pants? 

She was taking too long. She hurried back to find Jimin going through her cabinets, looking for a vase. The only one was a heavy crystal thing she had borrowed from her mother a year ago because her mother had been grievously disappointed the visit before that Hanbyul didn’t have flowers on her table.

“Perfect, right Hudu?” He tossed a smile down to the pup, and then over his shoulder at her, and she felt simultaneously like a queen and a bug. He looked like that, smiling at her when she looked like this. It didn’t make her feel better that he’d recently looked sick. He had been adorable.

“I’m glad you’re feeling better,” she said.

“How are you? Not coming down with anything?”

Actually she’d had a slight headache all day and her throat felt scratchy that morning, but she wasn’t going to tell him that and make him feel guilty for accepting the help. It was probably nothing. A sudden onset of spring allergies or something.

“I’m good.”

She joined him at the counter but let him do the work of untying the bouquet, snipping the stems with her kitchen scissors and arranging them artfully in the vase.

“Wow, you’re really good at that.”

“I learned some arranging tricks when I was younger because it was cheaper to buy bulk flowers and make our own arrangements for performers than buying the bouquets.”

Her phone rang –a godawful thing because she never had the ringer on and didn’t even know what it was set to– and she gasped as she reached for it, but it was only her sister so she sent it to voicemail. She couldn’t risk missing this call!

“Ouch,” Jimin laughed. “Who deserved that?”

“My sister… I’ll call her back later.”

“Oh I don’t mean to stop you–”

“No, she’s calling to ask about–” Hanbyul broke off. Was this the sort of premature news one gave a neighbor-acquaintance-friend? “I might curse it,” she admitted.

Jimin raised an eyebrow but kept his gaze on the flowers he futzed with as he asked carefully, “Curse what? Not your um, relationship with Jungkook I hope?”

“I have a job interview– uh, wait, what relationship with Jungkook–?”

“A job interview! A new job? Or the promotion at your current place?”

“I don’t have a relationship with Jungkook,” she said. “A friendship, but that’s all.”

Jimin nodded and smiled. He pushed the vase towards the center of her counter and assured her, “It’s none of my business.”

“Why, did he tell you something else?”

“No, he said the same,” Jimin shrugged. 

“When we went out clubbing he had too much to drink and crashed here. Apparently he takes a phone charger with him when he goes clubbing in case he goes home with someone.” Hanbyul shook her head. She couldn’t imagine leading that kind of life. He had only laughed at her advice: maybe stop having sex the same day you meet a woman if you want deep and lasting romance so badly! Then he’d asked how deep and lasting romance with Jimin was going and she had threatened to block him. 

“That he does.”

“You met someone that night too,” Hanbyul recalled –in painstaking detail. She tried to be light as she teased, “Any exciting dating plans? Someone you met on the app?” She had on the exact same expression she knew she wore when trying to make bad news sound like good news at work to the higher ups.

He hissed through his teeth and admitted, “I haven’t even finished setting up my profile. And if you’re teasing me about who I think you are, she’s on the funding board for a scholarship group my dance school works with so I had to play nice. I didn’t realize you’d sneak away on me.”

“I didn’t sneak.”

“Hm.”

“I was way too drunk to be sneaking,” she admitted. “I don’t go out much like that.”

“Me neither.”

“It was fun though.”

“Would have been more fun if we’d actually gotten to dance,” Jimin said. Hanbyul could have sworn there was a note of longing to his voice.

“You don’t want to dance with me,” she assured him. “I can’t dance at all.”

“That’s ok.”

“No, I mean it. Your daughter suggested maybe I’d do better at yoga and asked if I understand what the beat of the music is.”

Jimin laughed and covered his eyes, “Oops. She’s a sharp-shooter sometimes… But no one is a lost cause. I saw you dancing at club and you did fine. Anyone can learn with a little help, I believe it.”

What were they talking about it again?

“Maybe next time. If there is a next time.”

“I hope there’s a next time,” Jimin said. He looked to the side in thought, then shook his head and admitted, “Honestly I was kicking myself. I don’t know why I hadn’t already introduced my friends to you. Of course you get along with all of them.”

“Why would you introduce your neighbor?” she laughed. Try to keep it light. This conversation felt strange for a reason she couldn’t quite put her thumb on. It felt serious, like an air of goodbye had settled around them in a haze. 

She hadn’t even done the interview yet!

“You’re not just my neighbor,” Jimin corrected. “Ma Gurim is just my neighbor. You’re at least a close friend.”

“At least,” she immediately repeated. 

He looked surprised by his own word choice, panicked almost, and clarified, “Not just anyone will come over and take care of me and my daughter when I’m sick.”

“Get over yourself, it’s not an inconvenience,” she teased to cover the way her heart fluttered high in her chest. At least a close friend.

“Get over myself,” he repeated with a laugh. “It’s true, I have an ego sometimes.” He ran his fingers through those blond locks. 

Her phone rang. What timing! She wanted to follow that train of thought: what did he mean by ego? Why was he smiling like that? He wasn’t flirting with her, was he? He must still be sick.

But interview terror temporarily outweighed Jimin confusion, and she answered her phone before it could ring a third time. Jimin’s eyes got big and he shirked his shoulders as if he shared her excitement and didn’t leave.

The recruiter was straight-forward but polite on the phone. There was interest in her resume and application letter. They would like to meet her for an afternoon of interviews. There would be several rounds for this more senior position, she must understand the selection process was thorough to ensure a good fit, which date from a list of available would work for her? Did she have any professional references she could provide for contact? 

Hanbyul flew around the kitchen but Jimin was the one to find the pen and paper for her. She rattled off two former colleagues she had already messaged about acting as references. She could make the date work –though it worried her, taking time off from her current job to interview, like they would know she was up to something and fire her, and then she might not get the new job, and have no job.

By the time she hung up, her heart was racing as if she’d been interviewed already. She hoped the man couldn’t tell over the phone.

“A new job,” Jimin said. “That’s… exciting.”

“It might be,” she agreed. “If I get it.”

“They’d be fucking crazy to snooze on you. Where is it? You didn’t say…”

“Oh, well the company has several branches. One is here but there’s also one near my parents, in the town I grew up in. My sister’s about to have her baby, you know, and–”

“Right, yes, I understand.” He was nodding a lot.

“So now I have an interview,” she breathed out.

“It can be hard to live away from family,” he continued. “I understand why you’d want to move back near them.”

Yes, there were plenty of reasons to go. She had told the recruiter her childhood hometown was her branch preference. It should be her branch preference. Her parents were getting up in years and she would want to know her sister’s baby. She’d set out for Seoul years ago and what did she really have to show for it? Hudu was not an anchor.

“What made you stay here instead of moving back to be near your parents?” she asked.

“Ah, it was a hard choice,” he admitted. “They wanted me to. Sometimes I’ve wondered if it was the right choice. But I have family here too, so does Sunnie. Subin’s parents are here and I didn’t want her to lose that connection with her mother’s family. But also Taehyung and Jungkook and Hoseok, Yoongi, everyone, they’re here. They’re my family too. We have a home, I have my dance school, Sunnie loves her school.”

“That all makes sense.”

“For a long time I wondered if I just stayed here because it’s where I was before… but this is my life. Everything, almost everyone I care about is here.”

Hanbyul was the one nodding a lot now. She looked at the pretty flowers Jimin had brought her, just to say thanks for doing a thing she wanted to do all the time. She knew with absolute clarity that she couldn’t go into a job interview without knowing once and for all whether she too had a family anchoring her here. For a moment the image of her with him felt so real she could reach out and touch it. She needed to know if the illusion would dissolve at the brush of her fingertips. 

It was crazy to wonder. It was wistful thinking. She was crazy fucking delusional.

But she had to know for sure and if there was nothing, if she was completely imagining the flirting, if he just wasn’t ready or wasn’t interested in welcoming her specifically into his life well… well that was good to know. 

“I don’t have a relationship with Jungkook,” she said, feeling like someone else was speaking the words. “But um, I did date Namjoon for a little bit.”

Jimin’s brow pinched in confusion as he repeated, “Namjoon? You already know Namjoon? When did you date–”

“Recently,” she admitted.

Jimin’s eyebrows raised before he said slowly, “Ohhhh. No, really? You’re the woman who… at the club, that’s why…”

“I guess that’s me.” She twisted her mouth, not sure what to say about Jimin knowing her by action. Why was she admitting this again?! “I, um… it wasn’t serious, at least I didn’t think so. It was nice, I mean he’s nice, he’s a good guy, but it just didn’t…” She gestured, wishing Jimin would finish the sentence for her and read her mind. Alas, he did not.

“You just ended it that day we went clubbing.”

“I’d been putting it off. I sort of didn’t know if there was even anything to end, I mean we weren’t boyfriend and girlfriend or anything, we only went on a few dates really but– I admit, I didn’t handle it well, I should have called it off earlier. I didn’t know what to do because…”

She hated that she couldn’t read Jimin’s mind either. His expression was inscrutable. 

“I have feelings for someone else,” she said and felt like a good ten years of her life drained away with the words leaping from her tongue. She didn’t feel in control of that tongue. “I thought it would be better to meet someone else and move past those feelings.” She swallowed and cleared her throat. Her nose was getting stuffy. “But it didn’t work and it wasn’t fair to Namjoon.”

“This someone else doesn’t return your feelings?” 

She studied his face, desperate to tell if he understood what she was saying. She didn’t think she could be any more transparent, it would kill her. But she had to be. There wasn’t room for error and even though he was watching her so carefully right now, leaning forward, mouth open in that thoughtful pout he had, she couldn’t tell if he understood. She needed him to understand. She could be brave.

“No,” she admitted. “At least I don’t think so.”

“How could he not?” Even just that, even if he said or felt nothing else, Hanbyul felt warmed to her soul. 

Her smile flickered as she tried to joke, “I know, I’m a catch! But I’m still honored just to be neighbor Han–” He stepped forward suddenly and caught her face, cutting her off with a kiss. His lips pressed to hers, the softest caress, softer than her wildest dreams. A second kiss followed, harder, more certain, but still unhurried, like he had all afternoon to spend dragging that plush lower lip of his against hers. He kissed the ten years back into her lungs and then some; she felt sunlight seep from his fingertips into her jaw. She was drowning in him.

“He does return your feelings, Hanbyul,” he murmured, their noses brushing. “He’s just an idiot.”

“He’s not an idiot,” she argued. “He’s… careful.”

“So careful he may have missed his chance.”

What a silly fear from a silly, silly man. She slid her hands slowly up his chest, curious and shy at the strong curve of muscle firm behind the fabric. His neck was so warm beneath her palms. It felt scandalous to touch him so much, to hold him so close, to feel his hands ghost down to her waist, his fingertips nudging her closer.

“It’s not too late at all,” she whispered. “Not unless…” Hudu’s cold nose poked her calf and she startled. Leave it to her dog to nose in on the most romantic moment of her life because he couldn’t stand whispering.

“Unless what?” Jimin asked cautiously, as he leaned away to look in her face. Hudu barked and Jimin’s serious expression cracked into a smile as Hudu leapt up and scratched at his thigh for attention. As if demanding ok now what about me, where’s my kiss? 

God Jimin was even more beautiful up close, and now she knew what those lips felt like pressed to hers, and no words could do them justice. It didn’t seem real. Even his proximity didn’t seem real. It made her forget what she was saying until he threw a toy from the counter to distract Hudu and then pretended like they hadn’t had that interruption.

“Unless what?” he repeated.

“I just told you that I dated your friend. We, um, slept together….” Her face felt like it was on fire from the combination of kiss and confession. Double confession. Not the greatest combination of confessions.

Jimin actually rolled his eyes and sighed, “Yeah, I figured as much, I don’t need a play by play. But I kind of have a past too. I was married and she died. I have a daughter.”

“I know that.”

“And that’s not a dealbreaker for you?”

“No, of course not,” Hanbyul said, not understanding how it could be. 

“Then why would your past be a dealbreaker for me?”

“Well, it’s a very recent past…”

He shook his head, grinning, his earring dangling, and laughed, “I don’t care.”

“Really?”

“I think people are lucky if they get one chance at happiness in life. If I get another chance… I’m not going to let anything get in the way of it. Definitely not jealousy about you dating someone else before me. I can only be mad at myself for waiting so long, right?”

The magnitude of what he’d said was not lost on her. Another chance at happiness. That was… big. Bigger than a little crush, certainly bigger than anything casual thing she and Namjoon had talked about. For Jimin to speak so openly and optimistically about a future with her only moments after kissing her… 

She did it, she stole another kiss. She wasn’t going to let anything get in the way of her happiness, either. 

Then she gasped and laughed into her hand, “God, the first time you kiss me and I’m dressed like this!”

“I like it,” he immediately argued. “It’s cute. You’re very cute dressed like this.”

“I was taking a nap waiting for that call–”

He brushed the hair tenderly back from her face and instantly silenced her. The self-deprecation died on her lips because he looked at her like that. His fondness was transparent. How could she not feel radiant? Surely he’d never looked at her like that before, she couldn’t have missed it. The light touch of his fingers sent a shiver down her spine. Park Jimin was a dangerous charmer and somehow she was the object of his affection.

Impossible.

“Hanbyul,” he said her name lowly.

“Mm-hm.”

“Your face is very warm.”

“I’m…” She trailed off and pouted that he would make her say it. “I’m flustered.”

“I think you have a fever.”

“No, I don’t…”

“Are you sure you feel well?”

“I’m fine,” she insisted. “Really.” He pressed his cold hands to her cheeks and her forehead and her neck and she flinched, the muscles there stiff.

He narrowed his eyes at her and accused, “Did I get you sick and you didn’t tell me?”

“It’s probably just allergies.” She felt a jolt of worry. Would her being sick cause Jimin extraordinary distress because his wife had died? 

He cradled her face. He looked at her so sweetly. 

And ordered, “Get your buns to bed. It’s my turn to take your child for the evening. I’ll bring you stew.”

“But…”

“Don’t worry, I won’t cook it. I’ll order it.”

“You don’t have to.”

“I want to,” he insisted. “And not just because I got you sick but because taking care of you isn’t a burden to me either. It’s what good neighbors do.”

“Jimin!”

He snickered and then kissed her again, as if he couldn’t believe they did that now either. She was completely cowed into obeying his order to bed. He cared about her. He wanted to take care of her. And also to tease her, what a brat! She adored him.

“We’ll talk more about this later,” he promised, brushing his nose against her forehead. “If you promise I’m not too late, I can be patient for a little bit longer.” 

“Is this just a fever dream?” she murmured. Was Park Jimin really saying these things to her?! She felt like she’d hit her head and woken up in a drama.

“So you admit you have a fever.”

“No! Maybe… I’ll get my thermometer.”

She did. And Jimin brought over soup and kept Hudu, like he’d promised. And by the time Hanbyul had finished squealing over the phone at her sister –with very little space for her sister to contribute anything– her voice was shot and her nose was stuffed too much to even sniff her pretty flowers Jimin had brought her.

Did he really mean it, that he cared for her too? What did this mean for them? He hadn’t asked her out but said they would talk more later… Should she ask him out or wait for him to ask her out? Should she ask both of them out? Would Sun-young figure out something was off? Would it be upsetting for her? That child was crazy smart, she would definitely figure something out and ask Hanbyul on the spot and what was she supposed to say? I spiked a fever because your appa kissed me.

Being patient was hard. Harder than Jimin had anticipated. He had thought that kissing Hanbyul and admitting to her that he had feelings would bring him peace but instead it drove him fucking crazy because here they were hovering in this limbo space and she was sick. His fault! She’d cleared caught it taking care of him, and all he could do was take her soup and walk Hudu for her. It wasn’t nearly enough, not compared to how much she had done to take care of Sun-young. Definitely not as much as he wanted to do. He could see her shoulders ached with the fever; how badly he wanted to rub them for her. She was flushed and sweaty and he wanted to brush her hair back –in fact he did, but that felt like as much as he could do for now. 

She’d confessed first. God, he respected her so much for that. He’d definitely been about to chicken out. In hindsight he appreciated Jungkook putting him on the spot, but it didn’t escape him that, secretly, if she hadn’t said it first, he might have run away. He wanted to be brave, he did, but he felt so hopelessly out of his depth here. He didn’t think he could be trying this again with anyone but her, only Hanbyul, because she would be patient if he fumbled a bit. He truly believed that.

But they hadn’t had a chance to talk again because she was sick and he had promised to be patient, and he didn’t want to pressure her in case she took it back, if he harassed her. It scared him for her to be sick. He would be inclined to hover. He didn’t want to scare her off already.

Because now that this door was open, maybe open, if Hanbyul meant what she said and hadn’t just been delirious with fever… 

His heart raced every time he walked by Hanbyul’s door. When he buzzed to ask if Hudu wanted to go out again, he felt like a tongue-tied teenager again. 

Sun-young seemed to just accept that they’d been taking Hudu on walks for the last two days as if it was something they’d always done. She held Hudu’s leash and led Jimin on a path around the park that was clearly familiar to her and Hudu both.

“This is where unnie goes when we walk,” Sun-young informed him as they set out on a bigger circle of the park. “We go to the cafe and she buys me hot chocolate.”

“Hudu goes in with you?”

“He’s a very good dog,” Sunnie assured him, which of course he knew.  Jimin suggested they go, since she was clearly leading him there anyway, and listened with bemused interest as Sun-young told him facts she’d learned about dogs from a book at school, and how dogs were bred for jobs, and how she wondered what job Hudu was bred for.

“I think he’s a mutt,” Jimin said.

“That’s not very nice!”

“No, it’s not an insult. He just isn’t a purebred.”

“So?”

“No, I know, it’s not a bad thing,” Jimin insisted. “But purebreds are the dogs who were bred for a specific job. Mutts just… happened.” Because animals will be animals…

“Well I think Hudu would be very good at a job,” she said, and crouched down to scratch his ratty brown fur. “He can do anything he puts his mind to.” Hudu looked thrilled at her praise and nodded and licked the air in front of her, tail thumping against the pavement.

“Just like you.”

“That was cheesy,” she teased. “I wish Hudu was our dog.”

Jimin swallowed and nodded and casually suggested, “Well, he’s our good friend’s dog, so it’s kind of the same.”

“It’s not the same at all. If he was our dog he would live with us but right now we have to go all the way down the hall to see him.”

“Mm-hm,” Jimin hummed. Yeah, tell me about it. He knew it was too soon to talk to Sun-young about this thing that might be happening, that he might be going to date Hanbyul. He didn’t know what that meant, much less could he explain it to his daughter. It might mean nothing. Hanbyul might change her mind. They might go out on a few dates and she’d decide it wasn’t working. He didn’t want to get ahead of himself, just because he was excited. Having a girlfriend wasn’t like adopting a dog, you didn’t just fill out some paperwork and they were yours forever.

“Appa why is your face all red?” Sunnie giggled. Yah, because I thought the word ‘girlfriend’ about Hanbyul. It was stupid to feel so giddy about it, like some deep slumbering part of him was creaking to life. They hadn’t even gone on a date yet. Hudu snipped at buds pushing through the ground in the flower beds lining the sidewalk and that was exactly how Jimin felt. He was waking up. Hanbyul made him feel like he was blossoming after a long, very hard winter.

“I’m just cold,” he muttered. 

“It’s not cold at all,” she insisted, and did a little spin on the sidewalk. It killed him how graceful she was and turning her back on dance but it was her choice. OK. He was living with it. “Hey we should start planning the rice cakes you signed us up to make for the fundraiser, huh? Do you know what science demonstration you’re doing yet?”

“Not yet. Let’s get hot cocoa to warm you up,” Sunnie suggested. Jimin wondered if that was what Hanbyul usually said; the phrase struck him as odd coming from his nine year old daughter. 

Hudu was pulling them that way too, so Jimin went along for it. She was right, it wasn’t that cold, it was actually very beautiful out this early April evening. Hanbyul liked winter but he knew she liked spring too, she would love walking in this right now, just as the cherry blossoms were reaching their peak. It was criminal she was stuck inside.

“Maybe if Hanbyul feels better this weekend we can see if she’ll go on a picnic with us to see the cherry blossoms,” he suggested.

“Because you just want her to cook for us?” Sunnie gave him a stern glare.

“What? No! I’ll cook.”

“You want to make her sick again?!”

“Hey!” he scowled, and pinched her cheek. She giggled and batted him away, but then grabbed his hand and wrestled with it before there was actually any space between them. He wrestled right back as they waited for the light and Hudu leapt around them, yipping like he was tattling. Jimin won by wrapping his arm around Sun-young and pulling her into his side for a stolen hug which she, breathlessly, conceded.

“Didn’t we go on picnics to see the cherry blossoms with Eomma when I was a baby?” Sun-young asked.

Jimin froze.

“We’ve gone other years,” he said slowly. Yes, it had been an annual tradition, as it was for most families. They’d missed the year after Subin died, because he couldn’t handle it. Maybe they’d missed the year after too? “Seokjin and Namjoon went with us last year.” He watched her as they waited, anxious about why she had thought of going with Subin and not with their other friends after he’d suggested it with Hanbyul. Had she already picked up on something special about Hanbyul going along, about his maybe budding relationship with Hanbyul? Was she already feeling like Hanbyul was encroaching on Subin’s place as her mother?

“Uncle Seokjin is a good cook too,” Sunnie mused. “If you invite him and unnie and Uncle Yoongi we can eat so much.”

Jimin laughed awkwardly. 

How the fuck was he going to talk to Sun-young about Hanbyul? He ought to wait until things progressed with Hanbyul, until he was sure she was sure there was a future there. This could be deeply distressing for Sun-young, him starting to date. Especially someone Sun-young cared about so much. It could ruin her relationship with Hanbyul, she could lose another very important person in her life if it was too soon for her. The progress he’d made with Sun-young could be undone. This thing that he wanted so badly might be the worst possible thing for his daughter… He couldn’t do anything to hurt her… Maybe a counselor could help? He was selfish, he wanted it all, but he also genuinely believed Hanbyul would be so good for Sun-young. Fuck, was he getting ahead of himself? But they were a package, he couldn’t be with someone who wouldn’t be a positive force in his daughter’s life, who his daughter didn’t absolutely love–

“Appa aren’t we going to cross?” Sun-young sighed noisily and then laughed at him as he hurried to lead her and Hudu across before it changed. He was sweating now. Was it better to wait to say anything until he and Hanbyul had been dating a while or was Sun-young going to figure it out no matter how they tried to hide it and be hurt he’d tried? But she was a child. But what if she was mad. But obviously he couldn’t tell her something like this when nothing had even happened yet, and might even not happen if Hanbyul thought better of it before he managed to ask her out.

“Ok Hudu, be really good in here,” Jimin warned the dog, despite Sun-young insisting he knew how to behave –as if implying Jimin was the wild card here. 

It was a cute little cafe, just a nice little local place, not too busy but busy enough to be a reputable place. A curved green awning hung over the door and there were cherry blossoms painted on the window. The decor was simple and clean, dark wood in the seating area and crisp white around the counters and coffee machines.

Sun-young marched right up to the line at the counter, Hudu’s leash tighter around her hand to hold him close, like she must have seen Hanbyul do. It was sweet, seeing this glimpse into what Hanbyul and his daughter did without him. 

When it was their turn, the older woman at the counter smiled at Sun-young and asked, “Oh, you’re not with your eomma today?”

A jolt ran through Jimin. He was used to this –people questioning where his wife was, other mother’s asking to speak to Sun-young’s mother, teachers assuming Subin would be the one to volunteer for class things. But worse, he realized with a shock that the cafe woman thought Hanbyul was Sun-young’s mother. This preyed instantly on the fears he had just been living, as if the universe reached down to pluck them out of his brain and bring them into the real world.

“Oh, I–” Jimin began just as Sun-young chirped, “This is my appa! Can we get two hot cocoas?”

Jimin was stunned by the graceful way she evaded the question and only nodded along as Sun-young picked out two pastries as well, and then led him to a table by the window, explaining, “We like this table the best so we can watch people in the park.” Hudu curled up beneath Sun-young’s chair and waited patiently for her to pass down a spoon of whipped cream. She sang, “Who likes whipped cream? Who do? You do, Hudu!”

Jimin blew on his hot cocoa and tried to find the words.

“Um… Sunnie, you handled that very well,” Jimin eventually mustered. He watched her closely, waiting for any sign she was distressed at this reminder of the fact she didn’t have a mother, or confusion around Hanbyul’s role in her life. 

Sun-young looked thoughtful before laughing, “I thought you meant giving Hudu whipped cream! You mean ordering our drinks? I was practicing what to say before we came in here because unnie orders for us but she tells me to order sometimes too.”

“No, I meant… the confusion from the woman about Hanbyul…”

“Oh that’s nothing. People think unnie is my eomma a lot,” Sun-young informed him. “Well, not a lot, but sometimes people in the park or here think that.” She looked at the ceiling thoughtfully a moment, licking whipped cream off her upper lip, then asked, “Are you mad I didn’t tell her the right thing? I usually tell people the right thing but if you tell someone who doesn’t really know you that your mom is dead, they feel really bad about it. I didn’t want to make the woman feel bad when she’s just being nice. She works here a lot and unnie always talks to her.”

Jimin curled his hands around the cup and insisted, “I’m not saying you have to say anything. I know exactly what you mean.”

“You do?”

“People don’t know how to respond when you say something sad, like that your eomma is gone. It’s thoughtful of you that you didn’t want to make her feel bad but it’s ok to correct them still, even if it makes them feel bad for a moment.”

“Oh. You wanted me to?”

“No, I mean that… I don’t want you to think you need to go along with something that makes you feel sad or bad just to not make the other person feel a little awkward,” he rephrased. 

“It didn’t make me feel bad,” Sun-young said. She set her cup down and had a dollop of whipped cream on her nose which she tried to get off with her tongue before giving up and using the back of her hand before he could find a napkin. “She just doesn’t know me. Why?” Suddenly Sun-young looked worried. “You think it’s bad?”

“No no. You’re right that she doesn’t know you. I just meant it’s ok if it does make you feel sad, or if it bothers you for someone to think Hanbyul is your eomma and you want to correct them.”

Sun-young stretched her tongue out to get whipped cream off the edge of her cup before saying, “No, I don’t mind.” If he didn’t know any better, he’d say she was far more interested in whipped cream than this conversation.

“No? Ok…”

“Sometimes she kind of acts like an eomma anyway,” Sun-young continued. “Like she does some things my real eomma would do if she was here.”

Every muscle in Jimin’s body clenched.

“Is that… ok?”

Sun-young couldn’t have looked more casual with her cheek on her hand as she scrunched her eyebrows and answered, “Yeah, why not? Then you don’t have to do everything.”

“I don’t mind doing everything.”

“You can’t do everything,” Sun-young insisted and gave him a look like he ought to know this. “It’s not that I like her more than you, you’re still my appa. But she’s a girl too and she does some things differently and I think it’s better having her around.”

“Yeah?”

“I get to see her so much lately, I mean until she got sick but you said it’s just a cold.” She gave him a quick look like a sudden fearful thought occurred to her.

“It’s just a cold,” he confirmed. “She got sick coming over when I was sick.”

“How did she get sick from you?”

“Hey that’s what happens with contagious colds,” he quickly insisted, afraid where her questions might lead her. “I didn’t do anything, that’s just how germs work. Just like it’s not your fault I got sick after you were sick. You’re into science, don’t you know about germs?”

“A little bit.” She began to rattle off things she knew about germs, peppering him with questions, so clearly unbothered by this entire conversation. Jimin felt himself start to thaw out. Surely it wouldn’t be that easy. It had only been a few years since Subin died. Sun-young’s feelings could change quickly if Hanbyul actually became a more official presence in her life. She was a little girl with such a little girl understanding of the world and relationships…

But she was growing up too. Maybe he was underestimating her. Again.

Once their pastries and hot cocoa were gone and Hudu was getting restless, Sun-young asked, “Maybe we should take a brownie home for unnie so she’s not sad we came here without her.”

“That’s a good idea. Do you know what she likes?”

“Definitely.” Sun-young made the selection, and the woman packed it up carefully, extending her sympathies when Jimin explained Hanbyul was sick. He didn’t fix the misconception earlier. It was wrong not to. He perpetuated a lie. He was pretending something, trying it on, something he didn’t have any right to yet. 

He felt the twinge of discomfort in his heart. Were things moving too quickly? Was it too soon? He had promised to love Subin his whole life, and now here he was letting this cafe woman believe that Hanbyul was his wife, Sun-young’s mother, all the things that Subin had actually been.

But alongside it was this fresh, slightly raw, new feeling. Like maybe those clothes could fit in time. Not yet, it was foreign and uncertain and scary but… but maybe he could get used to it. If Hanbyul could be patient with him

He had a feeling she would be.

“Maybe you can get unnie flowers too,” Sun-young suggested as they passed a woman selling bouquets on the corner as they crossed back to the park.

“I gave her flowers just a couple days ago.”

“Really?”

“Uh… yeah, you know, to thank her for helping out so much while I was sick. But then she was sick so I don’t think she can even enjoy them. Her nose isn’t working.”

“Maybe you should just ask unnie out on a date again.”

Jimin thought for sure he’d misheard her. He tripped on the curb as Hudu leapt ahead, barking at a squirrel. Sun-young dropped the leash and cried out, but Hudu immediately stopped and trotted right back, waiting patiently for Sun-young to pick the leash up again.

“What did you say?” Jimin asked, clearing the cough from his throat.

“Don’t you like her?”

“Hanbyul-ssi?”

“Yes.” Sun-young looked up at him with her big dark eyes, waiting expectantly.

“Of course, what’s not to like about her?” he returned, trying to sound casual.

“I know, and I think she likes us too and you already took her flowers so… I think it’s backwards? But I don’t really know anything about dating. I think you take her to see a movie now,” Sun-young suggested. As if she was really scraping her knowledge here to help her poor old appa who didn’t know anything about dating.

“You… would be ok with that?”

“I guess you can see a grownup movie I’m not old enough to watch anyway.”

But Jimin desperately wanted this permission that chance and the strange wandering mind of his daughter had brought him, so he pressed, “You would be ok if I went on a date with Hanbyul? If I… if we spent more time with her?”

“I know what dating is,” Sun-young scoffed. “I know when we went to see Mango Crush  it wasn’t even really a date because I was there so this time it can be just the two of you.” Jimin walked slowly, taking Hudu’s leash to pull him closer as some bicycles whizzed past and a bigger dog barked loudly. Hudu didn’t like it and stuck closer to Jiminn’s leg. He was thinking of what to say next.

Instead Sun-young asked, “Do you think it’s weird because it’s not eomma?”

“Weird isn’t the word I was thinking but… maybe. Do you think so?”

“No,” Sun-young said. He thought that was a strange answer and didn’t know whether to trust it.

“I miss your eomma every day,” he continued, “and I haven’t wanted to think about meeting someone new. No one can ever replace your eomma. She loved you so much. I loved her so much.”

“I know that.”

“So I just want to be careful. I don’t want to do anything that makes you and me sad. It’s hard to lose your eomma. It was hard for me to lose my wife.”

Sun-young pursed her lips in thought and it broke his heart, having such an adult conversation with a little girl. It was wrong what he’d said before. She didn’t have a little girl view of the world; she’d had to grow up very quickly in some ways. He just wanted to protect what little girl remained.

“I miss Eomma too, I wish she didn’t die. But I like doing things with unnie too. Is that ok?”

“It’s definitely ok.”

“Then why is it weird?”

“Just… because… I don’t know. Maybe it’s not weird,” he admitted because he didn’t know how to explain his complicated feelings and maybe he didn’t need to. If Sun-young didn’t have a hard time holding both Subin and Hanbyul in her heart, maybe he didn’t need to make it weird for her. If her feelings changed, if she felt different lately, well, they would work through that then. 

“Yeah, don’t make it weird, Appa, and don’t try to be funny and confuse her so she doesn’t know you’re asking her out. Unnie says when you are communicating something important, you have to be firm and clear and believe in yourself.”

“Are you… giving me advice on how to ask her out?”

“Yes!”

Jimin glared and assured her, “Don’t worry, I’ll figure it out. I’ve done this before.”

“With eomma? But that was so long ago.”

“Hey!”

“When we get home you can take Hudu and the brownie and I’ll run to our apartment so you have privacy,” Sun-young suggested.

“I’m not asking her out today! She’s sick!”

“But if you wait, Uncle Tae might ask her out! I think he likes her too.” 

And Namjoon and Jungkook Jimin internally grumbled.

“Don’t you worry about it.”

“Maybe I should help. I asked her out for Mango Crush.”

“Sunnie,” he stopped her right outside the building. “I’ve got this.”

She clapped her hands together and agreed, “That’s good, Appa, believe in yourself. I think she likes us a lot, I think she’ll say yes.”

He did not ask Hanbyul out, despite Sun-young’s eager questions as soon as he got back from returning Hudu and delivering the brownie. He tutted her away. Now he wondered if it would be better for her not to have known for a different reason. She might overwhelm Hanbyul. She might make Hanbyul feel rushed or pressured into something she didn’t actually want.

No, he had to trust Hanbyul in making her own decisions. He believed she would. And his heart did feel lighter about it all knowing he had Sun-young’s shockingly full support. 

Instead he waited until Sun-young had gone to bed to make the last phone call he needed to before he’d feel free to take the next step.

“Hey, Namjoon! I don’t want things to be awkward between us so I want to be upfront with you about my feelings for Hanbyul…”

Previous Chapter | Masterlist | Next Chapter

Like Crazy🥂 (Jimin x Femreader) (🔞) Chapter One

Summary: Park Jimin one of the world’s wealthiest man, throws a New Year Eve’s party every year. Only the richest and most successful people are invited, which you weren’t at all. What will happen if you fake your life just to get a taste of his? Is lying the right way to go? What will you do when Jimin spots you at the party unable to ignore the magnetic pull he feels towards you? Will you keep up the lie? Or confess?

“Quite the experience, indeed,” he said, his voice a whisper. “But you don’t seem like the kind of person who normally enjoys these events. No offense, but you look a bit out of your element here…” he says, his eyes never leaving yours…..

“If opportunity doesn’t knock, build the door” -Milton Berle

Authors Note: hiii this story is inspired by the movie “Cinderella” and the “Great Gatsby”. This series does include sexual content and mature scenes so please read at your own risk. 🔞

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter One~

Jimin is an extravagant host who throws grand New Year's Eve parties, known for gathering Korea's A-listers, music legends, and the hottest celebrities under one roof. His home morphs into a glitzy wonderland, where guests sip champagne, dance to live bands, and enjoy exclusive performances from the biggest names in entertainment.

These parties are not just about ringing in the new year, they're the most extravagance, glamour, and A-list group. These star decorated events are more than a celebration, they're a chance for the rich, famous, and influential to network, unwind, and let loose. Jimin himself moves about the room with confidence, charming every celebrity he meets, and ensuring that every guest feels like a VIP. The press buzzes about Jimin's parties for days, analyzing every detail of the luxurious festivities and speculating who was seen with whom.

Jimin's sharp eyes caught sight of a face that didn't look familiar. He paused, taking a moment to observe you with a curious tilt of his head. He watched as you walked outside. The parties he hosted were packed with familiar faces, and there was something intriguing about this unknown presence. His gaze held steady for a moment longer before he subtly excused himself from the conversation he was in. With an air of confidence, he approached you, a friendly smile on his lips. "Hello," he greeted, his tone smooth as he extended a hand.

Now let’s start over to how we even got here in the first place…….

Two weeks ago~

On a regular Friday night, you sat in your modest apartment, the faint glow of your old television casting shadows on the bare walls. The news had just finished, and now, the late night commercials played, an endless parade of products and services trying to sell you something. But one commercial in particular caught your eye. A promotion for the latest, most exclusive party hosted by the one and only, Park Jimin. You sat up straighter, your heart fluttering in your chest. Park Jimin. The man everyone loves including yourself.

He was the charming idol known for his dashing good looks and magnetic charisma. You had been a fan of his for years, devouring every concert , every interview, every piece of information about him you could find. And now, here he was, promoting his latest party, a gathering of the rich and famous, a world light-years away from your life. As Jimin flashed that familiar, cheeky smile at the camera, your grip on the remote tightened, your eyes fixed on the screen, captivated. “He’s perfect….” You mumble slightly biting your lips.

You couldn’t shake the thought of being there. Wearing a beautiful dress, dancing in a sea of glittering lights, and maybe, just maybe, having a chance to meet him. But then reality set in, cold and stark. Those events were for the wealthy, the glamorous, the chosen ones. Not for someone like you, struggling to make ends meet, living paycheck to paycheck. Tears pricked your eyes, disappointment and longing mixing in a bitter lump in your chest. You clicked off the television, plunging your living room into darkness.

Yet, the image of Jimin stayed with you, burned into your mind. How could someone so bright and vibrant be just beyond your reach? It wasn’t fair. Frustration gnawed at you. Why couldn’t you have a chance at adventure, at excitement…at something more? With a huff, you rose from the couch, pacing your small living room. It was as if the walls were closing in on you, the reality routine of your life constricting your dreams. The desire to see that party, to touch that world, thrummed through your veins like a current.

As your mind whirled with the idea of attending Jimin's exclusive party, a spark of an idea took form. Becoming a 'fake' famous person? It sounded absurd and risky, perhaps even insane, but it was the only way you saw that could lead you into that glittering world. You sat down at your computer, determined to figure out the specifics of how to achieve this impossible goal.

The hours blurred as you delved into the shadows of the internet, researching every strategy, every trick you might need to pull off your plan. You read about impersonators, con artists, and social media influencers who faked their way into exclusive events. There was even a famous tale of a man who successfully impersonated a famous idol for almost a decade. It’s not impossible. It CAN happen. You just need to find out how.

But even with all the knowledge you gathered, doubt crept in. You were just a simple girl. How could you possibly fool the world into thinking you were someone you weren’t? The reality of the task threatened to crush your spirit. But then, you remembered the look in Jimin’s eyes on the television, the carefree smile that made your heart skip. There was no way you could let the chance to meet him pass you by. You’d find a way, no matter what.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Days melted into nights as you searched fashion and lifestyle blogs, learning the dos and don’ts of high end style. Expensive designer clothes, luxury accessories, and a makeup look that screamed ‘wealth.’ You even came across a website selling fake luxury items, purses, watches, and jewelry that looked authentic enough to fool even the most seasoned of connoisseurs.

You also needed a convincing backstory, something realistic that would explain your sudden presence. Your mind raced through various possibilities, each wilder than the next. A tech entrepreneur’s daughter? A foreign heiress? A social media influencer with a million followers? What would be more believable?

Just as you were about to sink into despair over the complexity of your plan, a name popped up on your computer screen…….a name you knew well from Jimin’s social media. It was a personal assistant to a well known actor, someone who had definitely been to these types of parties before. A lightbulb went off in your head. This person could be the key to your plan, the missing piece in your puzzle!!

You spent the rest of the night studying everything you could find about this person. Their public information, their online activities, even where they ate lunch. You needed to know them inside out, just as a dedicated undercover agent would. This was your only chance to get past the security at the party, and you weren’t about to blow it.

You pulled up the fashion sites you'd bookmarked earlier, perusing through the luxurious dresses and shoes. You would have to buy everything with the money you'd saved, but in your mind, the cost was worth the chance to meet Jimin. As you browsed, one particular dress caught your eye…..it was a stunning evening gown, with a plunging neckline and a train that could rival a princess. It was the perfect choice for you.

With the dress chosen, you then moved on to the finer details, the accessories, the shoes, the makeup. You’d have to look every bit the part, after all. Yet, there was one thing that bothered you……how to get a ticket to the exclusive event. There was no way you could just show up and waltz right in. You needed some sort of proof of your ‘status’. Inspiration struck! You went back to the personal assistant's social media page, scrolling through their recent photos until you found what you were looking for. Right there, the pictures of fancy parties and red carpet events, was the golden ticket…..a picture of the assistant holding a VIP invitation.

With this new evidence you took a mental note to search up the VIP invitation. As you searched the web you noticed the invitation was displayed almost everywhere. Would it be possible to get a photo of the ticket and print it out? But then it wouldn’t be legit enough. You thought about the possibilities, but none of them were good enough. The party was in a few days and you had to act fast. With that you go to an editing app to crop out a picture of the invitation to print out. It’s a risky move but it was worth it and at the end of the day you had nothing to lose.

A sly smile crossed your face. This was it. You had your way into the party. All you needed now was some confidence, a dash of courage. Easy, right? As you closed your laptop, you could almost feel your heart hammering out of your chest. It was all becoming real. In a few days, you would be attending one of the most exclusive parties of the year, all in the hopes of meeting your celebrity crush. The very thought of it sent tingles down your spine.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next few days passed in a blur of preparations and rehearsals. You spent your days practicing your new persona, from your accent and mannerisms to your knowledge of elite society. The more you immersed yourself in this new role, the more it started to feel real. The doubts and worries faded into the background, replaced by a growing sense of anticipation and excitement.

You even managed to get your hands on the fake luxury items. A designer bag, a Rolex watch, and a diamond necklace. As you looked in the mirror, trying them on and checking how they looked, you barely recognized yourself. This wasn’t plain, ordinary y/n anymore. This was a woman of wealth, status, someone who could move in Jimin’s world. You grabbed your fake ticket and a hit of anxiety washes over you. This is risky but……you wanted this more than anything and now is time to act on it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Finally, the night of the party arrived. You felt a familiar flutter in your stomach as you slipped into the stunning evening gown. The silk caressed your skin like it was made for you, its deep red hue making you feel every bit the sophisticated socialite. You looked at yourself in the mirror, and for a moment, even you were fooled.

You put on the final pieces. The watch, the necklace, the bag. As you took one last look in the mirror, you saw a person completely different to your usual self. This persona, this woman you had created, was elegant, mysterious, confident. This would be the person who mets Jimin tonight.

With that thought, you took a final deep breath, and headed out of your apartment, your heart pounding. The taxi ride to the venue passed in a blur as you ran through your plan once more in your mind. It was now or never.

When the taxi pulled up outside the venue, the sight that welcomed you was nothing short of grand. The building was lit with soft, golden lighting, and the sound of music and laughter spilled out into the night. Despite your nerves, you kept your composure, walking up to the entrance with the air of someone who belonged there. The security guards barely gave you a second glance before letting you through. “That was easy….” You mumble, voice laced with a bit of irritation. All that work of getting a fake invitation and they didn’t even notice it. Regardless you still made it in.

As you stepped into the venue, the first sight that greeted you were the glittering sea of people. The men were dressed in sharp tuxedos, the women in lavish dresses, and the overall vibe of the place was one of wealth and extravagance. Despite the luxurious surroundings, you kept your focus. This was not the place to get distracted, not when you had a mission to accomplish.

You made your way to another room of the venue, a quieter space with fewer people. This was your chance to explore the place. You grab a glass of champagne giving by the nearby employees and took sip after sip, letting the champagne’s bubbly sting ease some of your nerves. As you moved around the venue, you found yourself appreciating the beauty of the place. The art on the walls, the music playing in the background, it all seemed to combine into a setting suitable the most exclusive of events. And yet, you were here, a fraud in this world of luxury, your heart pounding at the thought of what you planned to do.

After looking at the main areas of the venue you stepped out onto the outdoor terrace, taking a moment to breathe in the night air. The cool breeze was a welcome relief from the stifling atmosphere indoors. But even as you tried to relax, your heart continued to pound, the tension in your body only growing the longer you stayed here. This wasn’t you or your life. As you look outside, your eyes on the crescent moon, you take another sip of the champagne.

“Hello.”

Your heart skipped a beat as you heard the familiar voice behind you. You spun around to see Jimin standing there, his iconic smile lighting up his face. He was even more handsome in person, his eyes sparkling in the soft glow of the terrace lighting.

For a moment, you could barely speak. Park Jimin, the man you'd watched on screen for years, was right there, talking to you. You collected yourself, reminding yourself to stay in character. This wasn't just y/n, the girl who'd won a chance to meet her favorite idol, this was the persona you created to get into the party. You plastered on a smile, doing your best to look cool and confident. “Hello, yourself.”

Jimin tilted his head to the side, studying you quietly. There was that look again, those mesmerizing eyes seeming to undress you as he took in every inch of you. He took a step closer, so close you could smell the subtle, masculine scent of his cologne. "You know," he said, his voice smooth and low, "I don’t think I’ve seen you at one of these events before. New face, are we?"

You swallowed, trying to stay composed under his intense gaze. Your heart was thumping loudly in your chest, the proximity making it hard to think. But this was the moment you'd been waiting for. You had to keep up the act, no matter what. “Yes, I suppose you could say that,” you replied, hoping your voice didn’t waver. “I’m normally not much of a party person, but tonight, I thought I’d try something new.”

Jimin’s smile widened, and he leaned against the railing, his arms resting casually. “Well, I’m glad you decided to come,” he said, his tone almost...flirtatious. Or were you imagining things? “It’s not often I find someone new at these events, and certainly not someone as intriguing as you…”

You could feel yourself blushing under his gaze, but you steeled herself, doing your best to appear cool and unruffled. This was the exact sort of attention you’d been hoping for, but also the sort of thing that could easily reveal you as a fraud. “You flatter me,” you managed to say, your voice betraying a hint of shakiness.

Jimin chuckled, the sound sending a shiver down your spine. He moved closer, his gaze traveling down your figure, taking in your every feature. There was something almost possessive about the way he looked at you, like you were a treasure he wanted to claim for himself. “It’s not flattery if it’s the truth,” he murmured, his voice lower now. “You are the most captivating woman here, by far…”

“Thank you,” you managed to say, your voice just above a whisper. “I could say the same about you, you know.”

His smile deepened, his eyes sparkling in the soft light, his crooked front tooth flashing. He leaned in closer, so close you could feel his breath against your skin. It was intoxicating, this proximity, the way he made you feel like the only person in the room, the only person in the world, even. "Oh, you are too kind…” he murmured, his voice low and sultry. "But let me ask you something, mystery lady. What brings you to this exclusive party, exactly?”

You tried to keep your cool, despite the effect he was having on you. You prepared a response to that question, and you had to stick to it, no matter how flustered you were getting. You let out a casual, practiced laugh, your tone still as nonchalant as possible. “Oh, you know…” you said, waving a hand airily. “Just interested in seeing what all the fuss is about these high-end parties. I’ve heard they’re quite the experience…”

“Quite the experience, indeed,” he said, his voice a whisper. “But you don’t seem like the kind of person who normally enjoys these events. No offense, but you look a bit out of your element here…” he says, his eyes never leaving yours.

You felt a flash of nervousness at his comment. He was observant, this man, more perceptive than you’d given him credit for. But you brushed off the feeling, reminding yourself that you had to keep playing your part. You let out another casual laugh. “Oh, I suppose I am a bit out of my comfort zone here,” you admitted, playing up the humble façade “But that’s part of the fun, isn’t it? Trying new things and all that…”

Jimin hummed thoughtfully, his eyes still studying your face carefully. There was something in his gaze that made you feel as though he was seeing straight through you, seeing the real you beneath the facade. But you shook the feeling off, telling yourself it was just your imagination. After a moment, he spoke again, his voice just as smooth and sultry as before. “I suppose it is,” he said, his lips curling into a slight smile. “And what else do you find ‘fun’, mystery lady?”

“The unexpected, I suppose” you said, your voice low. “Things that take the breath away…..make the heart race.”

His smile widened at your words, a satisfied, almost predatory look on his face. He took another step closer, closing the distance between you and him even more. Your heart was pounding now, your entire body on edge as you felt the magnetic pull between you two. "You and I have more in common than I thought…" he murmured, his voice gravelly and deep. "I, too, crave the unexpected…the thrilling…the wild…"

He reached out, letting his fingertips graze your arm, a soft, electric touch. It was the smallest of contacts, but it was enough to send your heart racing even more. His voice lowered, his words a soft, seductive whisper. “There’s something about you that draws me in, you know…" he said, his eyes fixed on yours. "It’s like you’re a puzzle...and I have an irresistible need to solve you…”

“A puzzle, huh?” You managed to say, your voice betraying a hint of the breathless feeling you were trying to hide. “And what if I’m too hard to solve?”

His fingers continued to touch your arm, his touch slow and deliberate. There was a hint of hunger in his gaze now, a feral, primal look that made your heart beat even faster. “I like a challenge,” he said, his voice low and intense. “And you, my dear, are looking more challenging by the moment…” His other hand came up, now tracing the line of your chin, his touch surprisingly gentle.

“You’re very confident, aren’t you?” You said, trying to sound casual. “You don’t even know me, and yet…here you are, so sure you can solve my ‘puzzle’…”

He chuckled again licking his lips, his fingers tracing your jawline now. “It’s not confidence…” he murmured, his voice low and husky. “It’s a certainty. You intrigue me, mystery lady. You’re not like other women I’ve met, and I find that…intoxicating…”

“You’re quite the charmer, you know that?” You said, your voice betraying a hint of playfulness. “Do these lines usually work on the women you meet?”

He smiled, his fingers tracing the curve of your neck now, a soft, gentle touch. His gaze was fixed on your face, studying your expression with an intense attentiveness. "Not always," he admitted, his voice a soft whisper. "But with you, it's not just a line, it's the truth. You are different, mystery lady. You make me feel…" He drew closer, his body now just inches away from yours, his eyes never leaving yours.

His closeness was making it hard to breathe. You were acutely aware of his height, his strength, the subtle scent of his cologne. It was overwhelming, and you found herself struggling to keep your cool, your heart beating wildly in your chest.* "F-Feel what?" You asked, your voice barely above a whisper. You were losing control, rapidly losing control.

"Alive…hungry…" he murmured, his voice a rough whisper. "Like I’ve been asleep my whole life and you’ve just woken me up…” He leaned in, his lips close to your ear, his breath hot against your neck.

Your whole body was screaming, your senses on overload. The feeling of his lips near your ear, the heat of his breath…it was as if your entire existence narrowed down to just those sensations, those points of contact between them. Every instinct in your body was telling you to give in, to surrender to this magnetic pull, but another part of you was screaming to keep your guard up, to remember who you were supposed to be. "I…I…" you began, your voice shaking.

He paused for a moment, his lips still just inches from your neck. The countdown echoed around them, the voices of the crowd building in anticipation for the new year. But his eyes remained on yours, his gaze now filled with a mixture of hunger and determination. "Happy New Year, mystery lady…" he whispered, his breath warm against your skin. "This is going to be a year to remember…”

He pulled away slightly, his fingers still on your neck, as the sounds of fireworks exploded around you two, signaling the start of the new year. The colors danced in the sky, painting the night of light and sparks. "And it's going to start now…" he murmured, his voice low and husky. With that, he leaned in, his lips just barely brushing against yours, a gentle, tentative touch.

The touch of his lips on yours sent a jolt of electricity through your body, a wave of heat and desire unlike anything you’d ever experienced. You tried to stay composed, tried to play it cool, but his touch was melting your resistance, your entire being drawn to him like a magnet. You returned the kiss, your lips soft yet hungry, your body leaning into his, wanting more.

He responded instantly, grabbing your hips and pulling you closer, so close they were almost one. His kiss deepened, his tongue exploring your mouth with a fierce, passionate hunger. He backed you up against the wall, his body pressed taut against yours, trapping you between him and the wall.

The intensity of his kiss was almost overwhelming, the heat and hunger in his touch igniting a fire inside you. You struggled to catch your breath, your heart pounding so hard you could hear its beat in your ears. But your body responded on its own, your hands moving to his shoulders, your fingers digging into his flesh as you pulled him even closer, your legs growing weak beneath him.

He groaned as you pulled him closer, his grip on your hips tightening. He continued to kiss you, his lips moving down your neck, his tongue leaving a trail of fire on your skin. "You taste divine…" he murmured, his voice thick with arousal. "I've never wanted anyone the way I want you, mystery lady…it's driving me insane…”

His hands roamed over your backside, squeezing it gently as he grinded on you, a low moan escaping his lips as your hands roamed over his chest and abs. You then pulled him closer, your legs wrapping around his waist as you leaned against the wall behind you.

Just as things were about to escalate further, you hear the sound of footsteps approaching. Panic sets in as you realize you aren’t not alone. The interruption drew a frustrated groan from Jimin, his lips leaving her neck with a reluctant, almost possessive sigh. He pulled slightly away from you, his body still lingering close, as if unable to fully disconnect. "Damnit…" he murmured, his voice filled with annoyance. "I have to go greet guests…"

You tried to steady your breathing, your heart still beating wildly in your chest. His touch had left your head a little dizzy, your body humming with unsatisfied desire, the lingering heat and tension making it difficult to focus on anything else. You took a step back, giving him a bit of space, trying to compose yourself. "You better go, then," you said, your voice a little shaky. "Can't keep your adoring guest waiting…"

He grumbled a little under his breath, his annoyance clear. But his eyes were still on you, the intensity in his gaze making it clear that he wasn’t happy to leave you, not even for a moment. "I’ll be back as soon as I can…" he promised, his voice still low and rough. "And when I do…I intend to pick up right where we left off…" With that, he gave you one last, lingering look, as if memorizing your every feature, before reluctantly pulling away and heading towards the main area of the party.

You watched him go, your body still thrumming with the memory of his touch. You took a deep breath, trying to ground yourself, to bring your heart rate back to a normal level. But it was difficult, your mind still whirling with the events of the last few moments, the memory of his lips on yours, the feel of his hands on your hips…

You shook your head, trying to clear your thoughts. This night was turning out to be much more complicated than you had anticipated...

“Damn it…..I’m screwed….”

Heart Me? 03

Pt.1 Pt.2

Heart Me? Series Masterlist

Pairing: Jimin x Reader

Genre: Fluff, Angst if you squint, college au, non-idol au, f2l

Word count: 1.5k

Summary: Your life is pretty boring. Good at studies, a tiny, no wait, a big tiny crush on the campus sweetheart, but that’s normal right? Wait, till your ‘boring life’ get off the track!

Warning: None

Y/N’s POV

‘Party was lively and fun’ wish you could say that, and you could but you hated anything that included hundreds of humans you barely knew. People chugging down drinks as fast as the bartender made them, conversations loud, the usual flirting going on. The loud music was banging from the speakers and the dance floor was filled with sweaty bodies swaying to the rhythm. But there was no sign of your best friend. As soon as you guys stepped into the club, he disappeared into the crowd, probably busy flirting around with the hot chicks.

“Hey Y/N.” not expecting anyone to talk to you, you were really taken aback, instantly bringing your hands in a fighting position. “Hey, calm down, it’s me from your class, remember?” the poor guy said not expecting you to be this defensive.

“Zeha right? I’m so sorry, I was deep in thoughts, when you suddenly scared the living daylights out of me.” You said finding the situation embarrassing.

Zeha, the nerd of your class, the one who knew answers to each and every question the professors threw at the poor students. You never really saw him interacting with girls which almost got you believing that he was gay. You never really saw him up-close until today. He was adorable tho.

“You look really beautiful today.” He spoke looking into your eyes. “thank you so much zeha, one of my friends said I looked just fine, so I was a bit worried.” hours of hard work finally paid off.

“Fine? C’mon is that even a word. No offense, but whoever said that is an absolute stupid.” “I know right.” At least this guy’s got a brain.

“By the way, not gonna lie but you should smile more, you look handsome.” You said complimenting his gummy smile, which you didn’t know existed until today. He looked even cuter with the bright shade of crimson now embracing his cheeks and gums at full display.

The next few minutes passed with both of you getting to know each other. Whoever said that nerds don’t know how to have fun was totally wrong. Zeha was the living evidence, he was fun to be around.

“Wanna have a drink?” zeha suggested out of the blue.

“No, maybe I’ll skip that one.” You were so not the ‘I’m great at drinking’ person. You were a cheap drunk when it came to alcohol intolerance. and the way you became all talkative and rowdy was like a cherry on top.

“Oh, c’mon stop being the party pooper. A shot or two won’t hurt. Besides it’s my first time.” He stated, whispering the latter part into your ears.

“Believe me or not she’ll really get on your nerves once she’s drunk to the point that you wished you hadn’t known her.” A familiar voice came trailing from behind.

“Nobody asked for your opinion, Mr. great-at-everything.” you retorted back at Jimin who was now standing in front of you and Zeha, finding his statement a little too offensive.

“you know what, zeha, let’s get drunk because party isn’t a party until you have a drink or two.” You stated, ready to show your not-so-supportive best friend, you’re better off even without him. This gal right here is a rebel.

It was way past midnight. More than half of the population now having left the party, it was just a few people here and there in the club including you and Jimin. Zeha left midway between your so-called round of shots saying he had his midnight study session to attend which he couldn’t miss at all cost, but not before apologising to you to leave you hanging. (Told you he’s a nerd.) but that didn’t stop you from drinking.

Jimin came from time to time to check up on you, telling you to stop drinking but you ain’t listening to anyone tonight baby. This girl is gonna have a blast.

Jimin’s POV

I’ve been sitting here for the past 2 hours doing nothing. I could’ve left hours ago had it not been for Y/N, drinking as if these were gonna be the last shots of her life. I went to stop her so many times, but who are we even talking about, she didn’t even listen to me.

“Y/N?” I shaked her passed out body a bit.

“Hmm?” she said lifting her head, squinting her eyes at the figure now standing in front of her.

“let’s go home.”

“Who are you? Wait are you kidnapping me?” there goes her dramatic a**.

“it’s me Jimin, and I’m taking you home no matter what.” I said stating the obvious.

I lifted her up on my shoulders because there’s no way she’s coming on her own. I could hear her protesting and hitting me, but nothing’s stopping me tonight.

In the car

“Jimin-ah, did you know my favourite band are having a comeback on Feb 30. I’m so excited, I even saved up money to buy their album.” She has been babbling about whatever however ever since we entered the car.

“Jimin-ah why did Cedric have to die? I miss him so much.”

“Why did Voldemort kill him? You know what, stop the car right now, I’m gonna kill Voldemort for killing Cedric, he doesn’t have the right to live.”

“Woah, woah calm down. No one’s killing no one. And first of all, stop crying.” You weren’t the type to cry easily, but right now you had no control over your emotions, it was the alcohol in your system that was getting the best of you. The mascara that you spent a good time to apply perfectly, was now sliding across your face along with the tears, making you look like one of those ghosts on Halloween.

Time skip

Author’s POV

“We’re here.” You watch your best friend, humming to himself, go around the car to open the door for you. But the place, it was different. It wasn’t your home.

“Home?” was all you said before coming out exploring the place with your own eyes. It was a mountain top. It was different, a good different. The place was beautiful, it was serene. You had the access to the view of the entire city illuminated with lights, now staring above at you.

“let’s hangout for a while.” He said to get rid of the confusion in your mind.

You two sat down taking in the alluring view before you. Soon you found Jimin taking off his jacket and handing it over to you because the night was getting colder and he didn’t want you catching the cold.

Maybe it was the alcohol but you found the confidence to stare at him wholeheartedly unlike your unusual self who would just steal glances at him. The moonlight softly kissing his face, creating a warm silhouette enveloping his ethereal features. His smile: infectious and gleaming, etched on his lips. his eyes: puffy yet mesmerizing. It was moments like these where you regretted him being your ‘just best-friend’.

“This is my hideout. I come here whenever I feel like I want to escape the reality.” He broke the silence, turning his face to look at you to find your lingering gaze. It was your turn to speak, but the alcohol in your system made you too weak to even process what to say so you nod at his confession instead.

“Hey Jimin.” You call to the guy sitting right beside you to catch his attention.

“If I hadn’t met you in the library, do you think we’d be friends?”

“Nope.” He stated not even hesistating before giving his answer.

“Woah, that’s mean.” You said placing a hand on your heart.

“Because if you weren’t my best friend, I’d have you as my girlfriend.” You swear for a moment you felt like your heart stopped. For a split second you wonder if this is what a cardiac arrest feels like. Even in your drunken self, you reach up to check your pulse and thank God your heart is still pumping.

But soon he breaks into fits of laughter looking at your reaction. “I was kidding pabo.” He said earning a smack from you.

“Yeah, I know.”

“My life is too way too sad for you to be confessing to me.” He raises a eyebrow at your statement.

“And why would you say that.”

“C’mon, leave it. Even if I told you, you won’t be able to do anything.”

“Are you challenging THE Park Jimin, there’s nothing I won’t do for my best friend.”

"what if I said, I love the person sitting beside me, not as a friend but as a man?"

“I love you.” There, you said it. The three words that hold the power to create thousands of butterflies in someone’s stomach and can also break someone’s heart. For you it was the latter case. You were heartbroken because you were afraid to say those specific three words to Jimin. You were afraid to lose him.

You fell in love with your best friend and that's where the problem laid.

You didn’t miss the shock on his face at your confession. He looked as if a deer caught in the headlights. Poor guy didn’t see it coming.

“Yeah, crazy right? I told you, you won’t be able to do anything. Should’ve listened to me. you know, if I was sober, I would have killed myself for saying this to you.”

“I-I don’t know wha-what to say.” He was still in shock. Well, who wouldn’t be? Even you were shocked at your courage. The power alcohol holds.

Me Myself & Jimin

Shinunoga E—wa × ID: Chaos

full screen recommend <3 💕