Chapter Text

001

“Fuck,” Jungkook cursed under his breath, narrowing his eyes as he turned to the right to observe the passing cars.

He wondered why there were still cars on the street when it was already nine in the morning. Going to work at nine, in his opinion, is already late. He was used to waking up before five in the morning and start working even before the clock strikes six, that he found it absurd that people were mostly still walking around, still in their cars instead of being at their workplace.

It was only his first week at work, and he already wanted to fling himself to the oncoming truck or perhaps, just lie down in the middle of the street and take a nap. Compared to his previous job and now, the former job had him:

1. Running around the field before the sun rise
2. Babysitting dumbasses who cannot run for shit
3. Commanding those same dumbasses so they’ll be in shape to protect their country
4. Eating food only during the scheduled time and the food were tasteless as fuck

While his new job was not as heavy as before and consisted of him going across the street for a ridiculous order of coffee, it was draining his life energy and it was all thanks to One Dumbass.

He let out an exasperated huff, joining the people in lining the street, waiting for the opportunity to cross the road. He double checked the street, saw a guy who was practically running to get to the other side and that was when he was sure he could safely cross. Just as he was about to reach the other side, one shithead was speeding his head off and as a warning, he pressed the honk.

Jungkook certainly thought it was his time to go, the noise of the car hooting was deafening and the idiot had the nerve to raise his hand and glared at Jungkook as a ‘what-the-fuck’ gesture. Thankfully, he had a fast reflex and managed to run at the last minute to safety.

“Mother of – FUCK!” he groaned, rubbing his trembling palm against his chest as the adrenaline was rushing through his veins. The sound of his heart thundering in his ears were louder than the noises from the street. He glared at the car, watching the motherfucker drove away without any remorse.

He straightened his back and swallowed before fixing his tie and reminded himself why he was even there in the first place. He halted in front of the coffee shop, checking the name plastered on its glass doors to ensure he was at the right place and once he did, he pushed the door open.

The warm aroma of coffee and chocolate mixed with caked welcomed him, the strong fragrance tickling his nostrils and filling his lungs. Coffee was no exactly his favourite, but he loved the smell of them. His gaze swept the coffee shop, glancing over the Today’s Special board written in blue chalk and it was only when his gaze landed on the long queue that he let out a groan. There were probably around ten people before him, and half of them were dressed as formal as he was – ties, pristine collared shirts and black slacks.

He watched and attempted to eavesdrop the orders of the people before him; all of them ordering more than one beverage. Despite Jimin’s obnoxious request of wanting to drink something from a café due to – as he said it – ‘craving’ reasons, Jungkook was a tad bit grateful that he was only ‘craving’ one drink.

However, it was just fucking ridiculous that he had to wait for nearly ten minutes just to get one beverage. Jimin had him ran across the street to get him One Fucking Drink when he could have just gulp down whatever it was Dohee had prepared for him.

When it was finally his turn to order, he had to whip out his phone to check Jimin’s order mainly because he did not bother to memorise it.

Besides, Dohee advised him to write down everything that was important and apparently, Jimin was a Royal Pain in the Ass, so everything the dummy said was automatically considered as important.

“Uh… one Iced White Chocolate Mocha Frappuccino with one pump of salted caramel syrup, one pump of caramel sauce, one pump of hazelnut, add in chocolate chips, topped with whipped cream and, uh, caramel drizzle.”

Jungkook caught the way the barista’s eyes widened as her hand moved at the speed of lightning to type his order. He pressed his lips into a thin smile, feeling apologetic that she had to hear that. Hearing it from Jimin sounded silly, but hearing it coming out of his own mouth made him want to bang his head against the table.

“Size?”

“Um,” Jungkook paused to look at his phone before answering, “Venti.”

“Can I have your name, Sir?”

“Dumbass,” Jungkook deadpanned.

The barista gave him an incredulous look, both eyebrows raised and blue eyes widened before cracking into a smile. “For your boss?”

“Yep,” Jungkook answered with an eyeroll as he took out the money from the back pocket of his slacks.

She chuckled before asking, “I assume you work at the hotel, yeah? Which Dumbass is your boss?”

“Jimin. Park Jimin.”

Jungkook suffered from terrible luck before. But nothing, and he meant nothing – not even that one time he was accidentally locked inside the equipment room and witness some guy giving his superior a sloppy blowjob – could beat This. And by This, he meant working for Park Jimin.

It would not be as bad if Park Jimin was not a part of his squad. Not to mention that they hooked up before and all thanks to Jungkook’s inability to admit he had feelings, he made a horrible decision. It was not bad at that time, but now that he thought about it again, he was certain that he was a blithering idiot.

He thought that by leaving the centre, he could finally have all the free time in the world. The first few weeks were spent well. He bought a decent car (by cash!), spent unnecessary amount of money on food, bought his parents a few furniture and went on an amazing road trip with his dearest friend.

This dearest friend was also the one who talked Jungkook into getting a goddamn job. The idea seemed brilliant at the moment, he just had no idea what he was signing up for. Of course, the idea enticed him, because apparently money just do not appear magically in his bank account. Besides, Jungkook did not want to be on a ‘short break’ forever.

His days were spent consuming unhealthy amount of television series at home and ignoring his mother’s screams to wash the dishes. His father was not exactly the healthy man he left at eighteen, so it was now his responsibility to take care of his family. His father gave a few advices once in a while, which 90% of them consisted of him pestering Jungkook to just get a goddamn job already.

It was not until he realized he was only left with two digits amount of money that he needed to work. Minho was more than ecstatic when he received a call from Jungkook, mouth running like a motor as he attempted to convince Jungkook that he had found just the perfect job.

Jungkook had to admit that it was an ideal for him, being a bodyguard would not be hard. It would be like babysitting a grown adult.

He was interviewed by a woman in her mid-twenty, beautiful and well-spoken. By the way she was asking him questions, Jungkook surmised that she would be his new boss. Jungkook would not mind, frankly speaking. She was a decent person, and she gave an impression that she was not difficult to work with albeit frankly speaking, he was initially intimidated by her.

That was, until she revealed that Jungkook would be working with her brother instead.

And he blamed himself for not recognizing the name of the hotel earlier, for ignoring the huge poster of a familiar person on his way to her office and most importantly, for trusting Choi fucking Minho.

Park Hyungseon was found dead at 2AM on his way home. A car accident, the news reported.

Minho described the job as a rich someone being paranoid it was murder, and a teeny tiny bit of Jungkook agreed that it was probably paranoia. Park Jieun, the interviewer slash Park Jimin’s sister, informed Jungkook that he would not only be working to protect her brother, but also as his second assistant.

It took all Jungkook’s willpower not to laugh right at her face.

“My brother doesn’t like bodyguards around,” she had said, gaze fixed on her fingers twisting the ring she was wearing. “I’m afraid something might happen to him. He’s got one PA with him, and I thought it’ll be wise to have you as his PA too. Of course, your main priority is watching over him. Think of it as… an undercover work?”

Jungkook nearly choked on air.

Sure, he was qualified but this was not part of a plan. He wanted to cancel the interview, dash back home and lock himself in his room. He could survive with instant noodles until he managed to secure another job but it was too late. Jieun chose the last minute to tell him who he was really working for, and truth be told, he felt betrayed.

With a sigh and a heavy heart, he shook hands with her as he took up the job offer before making his way down to the parking lot and curse at the sky for his rotten luck.

After another near-death experience, after crossing the dangerous street to go back to the hotel, after all the honks he received from idiot drivers, after having to wait for his co-workers to be dropped off at their floor (at every fucking level), after hastily making his way through the maze of cubicles, after all the hells he had to cross just to deliver Satan’s drink, this was what the fucking Devil said:

“Blegh, you can throw it away or give it to someone else. I don’t feel like it.”

Jungkook felt his eye twitched in irritation, the grip of the plastic cup was tightening and he was only a second away from throwing Iced White Chocolate Mocha Frappuccino with one pump of salted caramel syrup, one pump of caramel sauce, one pump of hazelnut, add in chocolate chips, topped with whipped cream and caramel drizzle on Jimin’s face.

“You… don’t feel like it?” he gritted the words through his teeth, putting as much venom as possible at the last word.

Jimin looked up from his huge monitor in amusement, one side of his lips quirked upwards as he leaned back on his leather chair, tilting his head slightly with eyes alight in mischief.

“Of course, I don’t,” he answered with a smirk. “I said I wanted a Frappuccino ten minutes ago, and now I don’t want it.”

Jungkook blinked incredulously, trying to find the inner strength not to lunge forward and kick Jimin right on his throat. He ignored the coldness of the drink in his hand, nostrils flaring in annoyance before answering as politely as possible, “The queue was long, Sir.”

“Is that so? You do know you could’ve used your employee card to go straight to the counter, right? That card allows you to cut in line.” Jimin shrugged, as if the knowledge was just out there in the streets, waiting for Jungkook to pick it up.

‘You could’ve fucking told me earlier, you son of a bitch.’

“Well then.” Jungkook forced himself to smile, body tensing with the need to fight. “I will definitely put that in mind.”

Jimin crossed his arms, the cocky expression on his face was one Jungkook would love to wipe away from his memory. Jimin absolutely loved the control he had on Jungkook and the fucker made zero effort to hide it which – if Jungkook was being honest – was kind of karma biting him in the ass for the treatment he gave Jimin two years ago.

The silver-haired man gave Jungkook a sardonic grin, “Good.”

“Anything else?” Jungkook’s voice was sickly sweet, suppressing the anger burning in his veins.

Still with the sinister smile on his face, he said, “Nope. Off you go, you’re dismissed.”

It had only been a week since he started, but it honestly felt like a decade. He had to admit that there were lots of perks while working there. He got to drive expensive cars that did not belong to him (so he never had to worry about gas or maintenance), he will never go hungry with the help of his employee card, the company provided him with essentials and best of all, the pay was handsome.

Besides, for reasons Jungkook did not bother to find out, Jimin currently resided in the hotel which made it possible for him to get a room there too. He was relieved that he did not go for an apartment hunting a few weeks ago. That would have been a waste of money, as Jungkook was offered a room for work purposes. Not only he got himself a room with a great view in one of the finest hotels in the country, he also got to enjoy the free services the hotel offered every day.

But of course, despite the perks, he was suffering on the inside mainly because Park Jimin was still the same spoilt brat he met two years ago.

Jungkook worked along with Dohee, Jimin’s personal assistant, who helped him with his position. She was the one who bought Jungkook his formal outfits, taught him how he was supposed to do his work and all the things he needed to know. Dohee mostly did the heavy work, while Jungkook was specifically instructed by Jieun to keep an eye on Jimin.

And keep an eye, he did.

Jimin, as always, loved being a pain in the bum. He had Jungkook running early in the morning to get himself some coffee from across the street, when he could’ve asked for one from the restaurant in the hotel. Lately, he was asked to deliver Jimin’s laundry up to his suite and had to hear Jimin complain about how he loved them hanged, not folded.

Jungkook swore he spotted a single white hair amongst his black locks from all the stress of not being able to kick Jimin in the throat.

The work environment was not any different than at the centre except that he had a person who was suffering as much as he was now. He found out that Dohee started working five years ago and he admired her strength for still being able to wipe Jimin’s ass.

(Boy, Jungkook really need to stop thinking about Jimin’s ass by now.)

Dohee was a petite woman with dark fringes and heels that always clacked loudly against the tiles. Unlike majority of the female employees, she preferred slacks over dresses and always seemed to have a backup outfit for certain occasions.

The both of them shared the same work space, a humongous space consisting of a long white table facing Jimin’s office. Jungkook purposely took the seat facing the door, so he did not have to see Jimin’s face through the glass walls. In an event where they were bored out of their minds, both him and Dohee would usually go through their planners and divide tasks among themselves. Sometimes if they were feeling dangerous, Dohee would suggest watching animal videos on her iPad.

There were a few intimidating faces in the office, but most of the workers were nice to him. He attempted to memorise their names, as all of them knew his, but it was not really easy when he scarcely had the time to get to know them. Most of the time he was staring at the huge door of Jimin’s office rather than his co-workers’ faces, so it was not really his fault that he find it difficult to familiarise himself with them.

He did, however, knew all of the members of Jimin’s family and his acquaintances. According to Dohee, it was crucial to know the people Jimin grew up with and whom he was associated with. Jungkook thought it was a load of crap, but seeing how serious Dohee was, he made it a mission to memorise the names and match them with their faces in just two days. He even made a slideshow to test his knowledge.

With the help of Dohee and the maroon thick file she handed to him on his first day, he managed to learn important details related to Jimin and the hotel.

(He also made an observation how Jimin had coloured his hair more times than he can count.)

(It was five. He counted five.)

Jungkook’s first meeting with Jimin after the Incident was… not as terrible as Jungkook expected. Days before their scheduled meeting, Jungkook was on edge. He was contemplating in quitting even before he started because he was that nervous and Jungkook was not a quitter. A part of him wanted to search Jimin’s name on the internet, learn as much stuff as he needed to, but he could not even bring himself to look at his pictures.

The Jimin he knew was different than the ones he saw in headlines. Gone the black haired Jimin, now his hair was sparkling silver.

They had a formal dinner before Jungkook began his work, and from what Dohee told him, Jimin had specifically requested it. It confused the hell out of Jungkook at first, but he accepted the invitation. But as soon as he did, he began questioning every awful life choice he ever made. Luckily, both of them are grown, mature adults who both agreed to put the past behind them.

Still, even though they promised not to speak about it again, it did not mean Jungkook promised to stop thinking about it. If he was given the ability to erase that part of his memory, he would gladly do it in a heartbeat. Not that he still had feelings for Jimin or whatever, but it was never easy to work under someone you have slept with.

Jungkook sighed as he pondered over his luck before leaning back against his chair as he flipped through his planner. He was not much of a planner person, but he learnt that it was required to keep one. Despite it was his, all the events in his book were Jimin’s. Dohee had a half-day, which meant he was responsible for taking care of Jimin’s affairs for the rest of the day.

Out of all days Dohee could have requested for a half-day, she just had to choose the one where they had to go to an event.

The date today was circled with a red marker, three exclamation marks were drawn on the box along with ‘Grand Opening for Luminaries At 3’ written beside it. He groaned exasperatedly, knowing full well how irritating it was to be in the same car with Jimin.

Fifteen minutes before 3PM, Jungkook knocked on Jimin’s door gently. He waited a few moments for Jimin to give him permission to enter before opening the door slightly and informed him that they had to go.

Jimin looked up from his monitor, his hair dishevelled and three buttons of his shirt untied. He glared at Jungkook. “We’ll go when I’m ready, Jeon.”

“It starts at—”

“When. I’m. Ready.”

Fine. So much for trying to do my job. What an asshat.

Jungkook was able to stop himself before the insults leave his mouth. Instead of trying to tell Jimin that they will be running late if he kept this up, he pressed his lips together, bowed his head slightly and left.

Fucking wanker.

By the time it was already 3PM, Jungkook was already inside the car. Everything was ready – he had set the location on the GPS, adjusted the rear-view mirror accordingly and hung an orange blossom air freshener because it was Jimin’s favourite. He mentally prepared himself for a car ride with Jimin, despite it was not the first time.

(They rode the Humvee together once, back when Jimin had sprained his ankle during training. However, this was their first time in a car together since Jungkook started working under him.)

It was around twenty minutes of waiting when he received a missed call from Jimin. Not wanting to pick it up, he drove up to the main entrance where Jimin was already waiting with a hand on his hip. Jimin entered the car with a huff, always sitting at the back seat.

Jimin was dressed in a grey suit, different than the one he wore earlier in the morning. Jungkook noticed that he had his hair done too, probably was a hairspray if Jungkook were to assume. 

Their ride to Luminaries was in total silence, different from when Dohee was available. Unlike usual, Dohee was not there to fill Jimin in about what to expect for a meeting or any upcoming events. For unknown reasons, Jungkook had the urge to glance at the rear-view mirror, just to check up on Jimin.

He did not seem to be in a great mood ever since he arrived in his office in the morning. Jungkook only started to really notice it when he snapped at him earlier. Jungkook did not want to let it bother him, after all, his job was to drive and accompany Jimin for the grand opening, not to ask what went wrong and give comfort.

On their way there, the silence was finally broken when Jimin’s phone rang. Jungkook willed himself to focus on the road, not wanting to seem nosy.

Jungkook could not figure out what was happening as Jimin’s tone was not giving it away. He simply answered the phone with unamused expression, gave his usual greeting and ended it with an “I understand”’ in a normal tone.

So, of course it startled the hell out of Jungkook when Jimin let out an angry, “FUCK!”, once he ended the call.

“Er… something wrong?” Jungkook spoke up, finally letting himself to look at Jimin through the rear-view mirror.

Jimin had his elbow on the car’s window sill, his index finger between his teeth and his brows creased.

“Fucking piece of shit,” he growled. Jungkook opened his mouth to ask, only to clamp it shut again when Jimin began to rant. Clearly, he was pissed.

“They cancelled on me. Who does that? Telling me that I don’t have to be there at the last minute? And they found a replacement, at that! Tell me, that sound as if they’ve set me up, don’t they? They’re trying to humiliate me, don’t they?”

“Y—” Before he could give his thought, he was interrupted again.

“You know what, nobody should’ve cancelled on me. I’m already dressed like this, there’s no way I’m going home. Oi, Jeon, you know where to take me.”

Turns out, Jungkook did not know where to take Jimin.

In his defence, ‘MONO’ was never written in the planner, nor have Jungkook ever heard of the place. Jimin decided to take matters into his own hands when he lunged forward, grabbed the GPS, and set the destination to MONO. The place was located at the opposite side of Luminaries, which meant he had to make a turn in order to go there.

Compared to their first half an hour in the car, Jimin was now more vocal, albeit he was angry. Jungkook learned to just nod and throw a few ‘yeah’s here and there rather than attempting to converse. With much difficulty, they finally arrived at the location. Frankly speaking, it looked sketchy to Jungkook.

Jimin specifically instructed him to just park in front of the antique store, and when he did, he realised none of the store named MONO. Jungkook insisted that he should drive there, but of course Jimin was more persistent and demanded Jungkook to just park and sit in the car. After a few minutes of going back and forth, Jimin finally stepped out of the car.

Jungkook only watched as he walked towards the alley and disappeared as he made a turn, fingers tapping incessantly on the steering wheel. His gaze swept the stores, from the antique store to an old book store and wondered why MONO was not found in the GPS. He went on a few more minutes debating with himself whether he should have checked up on Jimin, and naturally he decided to.

He went to the alley, ignoring the terrible smell coming from the bags of garbage. He made a turn and was surprised to see that it was empty except for another garbage can in the cornet. He spotted the maroon door, went up to it to enter despite his guts screaming at him not to. As expected, it was locked. Unsatisfied, he rattled the doorknob.

With a sigh, he backed away and looked up to find that there was now a rectangular-shaped hole in the middle of the door, a pair of brown eyes staring at him.

“FUCK!” he screamed, scrambling backwards in surprise as his heart threatened to jump out of his chest. In a weak attempt to calm himself, he brought his hand to his chest and began to gently caress it.

“Password?”

“Uh, what?”

“Password.”

“I don’t—”

“No password, no entry.” Just like that, the guy slid the small door close.

“What the—” Irritated, Jungkook knocked on the door.

The guy slid it open again.

“Okay, hey, I’m here to pick Park Jimin up. He’s my boss, and I was specifically instructed not to leave him unattended.”

The guy blinked. “Password?”

“Password…?” he attempted with a nervous laughter.

“Nope,” the guy sternly said. Just as he was about to close it again, Jungkook shrieked, “Wait, wait, wait!”

The guy rolled his eyes and sighed. “What?”

“Come on man, I’ll pay you. I just need to get my boss. I’ll show you my ID, if you’d like.” He was beginning to sound desperate as he took out his ID from his pocket and waved it to proof a point.

“Huh. How much are we speaking?”

One fucking hundred dollars AND his strawberry-flavoured candy was what it cost Jungkook to be able to gain entrance just to find Jimin drinking in one of those black and white booths. Unbeknownst to Jungkook, MONO was apparently a hidden club. He heard of one of these before from Minho, who was fond of telling him about his adventures.

He was expecting the hidden club to look like something out of a night club, dim lights with loud music, but instead, the interior was absolutely gorgeous and there was a soft music playing through the speakers. Despite its theme to be black and white, it was not terrible at all. Jungkook was expecting the floor to be checkered, which was nauseating, but it was painted black.

The walls were painted cream white, filled with art and quotes and framed black and white pictures. As soon as he entered, he spotted Jimin just a few booths away from him.

He was hunched in his seat, looking sullen with one hand clutching an empty glass. There were already two bottles on the table – one empty and another half full. Drinking was certainly not in the planner.

Jungkook approached Jimin’s booth and unbuttoned two of the buttons on his blazer before he sat down across of Jimin. Jimin did not look up. With a stern voice and a determined look on his face, he said, “Let’s get you home. That’s enough drinking for three in the afternoon.”

“There’s never enough drinking for whenever,” Jimin countered with a smirk. He leaned against the booth, crossing his legs in the process.

Jungkook huffed, annoyed at how much of a dickhead Jimin was being. Fighting the urge to counter back with something petty, he bit his lower lip before saying, “We need to go.”

“Oh? Is that worry I detected in your voice, Jeon?”

“Shut up, Jimin.”

“That’s Sir Jimin for you,” Jimin chuckled, grabbing the half full bottle to pour it to his glass.

Jungkook sighed before standing up, walking towards Jimin’s side to lift up his arm. “Let’s go.”

It amazed Jungkook how well Jimin could hold his liquor. He surmised Jimin was either drunk but pretending to be sober, or he was not even drunk in the first place. Jimin complied almost instantly when Jungkook asked him to go, not before he downed another glass of alcohol though.

In contrast to their drive before this, it was quiet but comforting. Jimin was not complaining about the idiots in Luminaries, and he certainly was not plotting murder from the look on his face. Instead, he had his head against the glass window, wondrous eyes watching the world outside of the car.

It began to rain then, small droplets tapping against the windows. The radio was playing a song, slow and melancholic just like the weather. 

Jungkook glance at Jimin once in a while, mouth itching to tell him comforting words. To Jungkook, Jimin was a devil reincarnate, a pain in the bum, someone who loved to watch others in misery, so it made him feel a bit weird when Jimin was looking all solemn as if he came out of an angst music video.

“Hey,” Jimin called out, eyes still staring at the passing cars outside.

“Yeah?”

Jimin licked his lips, swallowing before he asked, “Do you think…”

“Uhuh.”

“Nevermind, it’s stupid.”

Jungkook pressed his lips into a straight line, curiosity growing, mind wandering what was the question Jimin wanted to ask. Was it about what happened two years ago? Was it about what Jungkook was feelings? A lot of questions started to flood into his mind, most of them were negative and related to their hook up.

He wanted to tell Jimin to trust him, to just ask the question, but when he saw the way Jimin heaved a sigh as he closed his eyes, he decided to keep it in. After all, it was rare for him to enjoy Jimin’s presence.

For now, he decided to just let it be.

▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄

“Now that your father is gone, will you be taking over his seat?”

“How do you feel, Jimin-ssi?”

“Are you ready to manage one of the biggest hotels in the city?”

Microphones were shoved towards him from every direction, reporters were throwing themselves to him while the cameramen took pictures with flashes that nearly blinded him. Jimin only hung his head low to hide his face. He regretted going against Dohee’s order to wear the mask, too confident that the sunglasses were sufficient to conceal his expression.

Dohee was right in front of him, spreading her arms open in an attempt to keep them away from him but there were too many of them. He carefully followed her lead, only taking small steps to get to his car but these reporters were persistent.

“Please,” he heard Dohee said sternly. “Give some space. Refrain from pushing. This is not the time to ask questions.”

After having his feet stepped on repeatedly by Dohee, the both of them managed to get into the car all safe and sound. They rode in silence for a few moments, until Dohee spoke up. “Your mother wishes to see you, Sir.”

“We still have that meeting, don’t we? We also have that presentation for—”

“She says it’s urgent, Sir. She had also requested that you spend the night at home and cancelled all the events for the rest of the day,” Dohee answered, her doe eyes were focused on the road, not daring to look up at Jimin through the mirror.

Jimin let out a sigh, finally taking his sunglasses off as he leaned against the leather seat, wishing to become one with it.

“Is it true?” he asked. “Is he… is he gone?”

Carefully, Dohee looked up at the rear-view mirror, her eyes filled with sympathy as she studied him.

“Yes, Sir.”

Jimin had not attended a party in months, and the first time he did, it was a funeral. Technically, it was not a party, but his mother was dressed in a rather fancy black gown and everyone was drinking their sorrows away. Jimin was not close with any of his relatives, as he was always unavailable when it comes to family gatherings.

Ever since he was younger, his schedule was always filled with studying, studying and studying. If he was not studying, he would be playing computer games. Not that his father ever restricted him from entertaining himself. As long as Jimin maintained first place, his father would allow him to play games to his heart’s content.

Because to his father, being number one was all that mattered.

He glanced at his cousin, Jinyoung, who was wiping his tears as he sobbed. Jimin knew Jinyoung. They talked once during one of his birthday parties, and if he were honest, he had never seen Jinyoung interact with his father. Mihye had her arm around Jinyoung, eyes teary and head resting against his shoulder in an attempt to comfort the both of them.

He looked away, well aware at how long he was staring at them. His eyes found his mother, who was speaking with one of the guests. Despite her polite smile, her eyes showed signs that she had been crying all night. To be accurate, for the past few days. Meanwhile, his little sister was conversing with one of the older aunties.

Jimin only watched as she wiped the corner of her eyes with a handkerchief before getting embraced by the auntie. Feeling empty and lonely, he moved towards the table and get himself a glass of punch.

Jimin did not have a great relationship with his father, often the both of them would argue instead of communicating normally. He knew his father did not have any ill intention, but Jimin could not help but to detest how his father pushed him to do certain things against his will, just to please himself. Just to keep up his name.

There were not any warm memories when he thought of his father, it was always the terrible ones that came to mind.

He had his fair share of his relatives telling him they were sorry for his loss, and Jimin never failed to reply with a thanks. It made him ponder, if he truly was losing something. Or in this case, someone. A father. His father.

He took a sip from his glass when Auntie Kahi approached him. Jimin forced himself to smile as he put his glass down, ready for another ‘sorry for your loss’ coming from the grey-haired woman. She gave Jimin a smile, not even a word escaped her lips when she embraced Jimin in a warm hug.

Jimin froze in the spot, feet glued to the ground. When Auntie Kahi pulled away, she had the fondest smile on her face, her misty eyes staring at Jimin with adoration.

“Oh darling, you look so much like him. He always spoke of you, my dear. He adores you, always, always so proud of his son.”

For the first time since the news of his father’s death reached his ears, Jimin let the tears fall.

In all honesty, Jimin was not fond of the idea of having a bodyguard.

But Jieun insisted that he should be having one. Jimin assured her that nothing serious happened, that the reporter must’ve had very long nails and that was why she accidentally scratched Jimin’s hand – absolutely no big deal. He should have known better that it took a lot more than that to convince his little sister and she never takes no for an answer. In the end, after going back and forth for nearly half an hour, Jimin gave in.

And for fuck’s sake, never in his wildest dream did he expect to meet Sergeant Dickhead again.

There the said man was, standing on his doorway, clad in a bright yellow long-sleeved shirt, tucked inside his denim jeans. Sergeant Jeon was just as he remembered; still radiating a rather boyish charm despite the serious look on his face. Seeing his face brought back unwanted memories — the times he spent together with Sergeant Jeon, the times he suffered under his care and most importantly, that one time Jimin could not keep his hands to himself.

Jimin’s eyes widened when Sergeant Jeon entered, and he abruptly changed his facial expression and hoped nobody in this room caught it. He turned towards Jieun, who was smiling rather brightly from where she sat, oblivious to Jimin’s inner screams.

Sergeant Jeon had his eyes fixed on the view behind Jimin, not daring to look at his face. Jimin was not sure what he was feeling – all the emotions curdling inside of him. Angry? Not as angry as he was two years ago. Excited? Probably more than he should be. Happy? Not exactly. Sad? Nope. Embarrassed? A little.

Jieun was proud to introduce Jungkook to him, not aware that they knew each other long time ago. The whole time Jieun was prattling about Sergeant Jeon, about how good it was for Jimin to have two PAs, Jimin’s mind drifted to somewhere far.

More specifically, to Panic Land.

He uncapped and capped the pen, just to keep himself from getting antsy.

Once in a while, Jimin would imagine what it would be like if he were to meet Jungkook again.

Maybe Jungkook would be in a coffin, and Jimin would be standing over him and wiping his fake tears away.

Or maybe, Jimin would invite Jungkook to his wedding and boast about how happy his life was.

Sometimes, he thought that they would probably meet when they were in their 40s, Jungkook regretting his choice for kicking Jimin out rather than facing his fear like a man.

What he never imagined: Jungkook being hired by his sister to protect him.

Fuck, he thought as his hands were getting clammy. Jimin regarded himself as a practical man, man with reasons, and as a Man with Reasons, Jimin needed to make a list. His hands were itching to grab the notepad in his drawer and start to write Pros and Cons of having Sergeant Jeon working under him.

Not wanting to be rude while Jieun was talking, Jimin settled with making the list mentally.

CONS OF HAVING SGT JEON AS A BODYGUARD / PA

• Jimin had to see his face every day
• It will be awkward due to their previous superior-subordinate relationship
• It will be very uncomfortable because they hooked up

PROS OF HAVING SGT JEON AS A BODYGUARD / PA

• He’s now Jimin’s little bitch

And the disadvantage may outweigh the advantage, but Jimin would give up his own damn hotel to boss Jungkook around, to have Jungkook obey his every command just like how he had to do to survive back at the centre. The thought brought a smile on Jimin’s face, and Jieun —oblivious to her brother’s malicious plan — took it as an agreement.

“Great!” Jieun chirped, clapping both her hands together. She then turned to Jungkook, who was rigid in his seat, not moving a single muscle the moment he stepped in. “You’ll start tomorrow, Jungkook-ssi. Today, just prepare to move in. I’ll have Dohee to show you around.”

Jimin raised an eyebrow, not pleased at how she was doing everything as she liked without consulting Jimin first.

Jungkook gave her a nod before thanking her. When he thanked Jimin, he did not look at him, instead his gaze was glued to Jimin’s shoulder instead. He then stood up, gave a slight bow before making his leave.

After an hour in a room together, they have not spoken a single word to each other. Without thinking things thoroughly, Jimin spoke up. “Ah, Jungkook-ssi—” It’s definitely weird not addressing him as a Sergeant, Jimin thought giddily, “— may I suggest a dinner tomorrow? At 7pm perhaps?”

Sergeant Jeon went still before slowly turning towards Jimin, his eyes finally met Jimin’s. He opened his lips to speak, but Jimin abruptly interjected, “It’s on me. I’ll have Dohee give you the rest of the details later.”

Sergeant Jeon stared at him, as if trying to search for any malicious intent Jimin had. Jieun looked at Jimin in confusion, but she did not voice out her concern. After a while, Sergeant Jeon finally answered, “Alright.”

“Alright,” Jimin echoed back with a smirk, tilting his head slightly in satisfaction.

This is going to be so fun.

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Jungkook would be lying if he said he was not shaking when he reached the highest floor. His head could not stop replaying the possible events that would occur during dinner. Out of all that he had imagined, his favourite had got to be the one where he was trapped inside the elevator with an old man who told him that Jungkook was actually a wizard and his presence were greatly needed in the other realm to help fight the dark wizards from conquering the Earth – this way, the dinner need not to happen.

By the time he was done showering, Dohee knocked on his door to inform him that Jimin was already at the restaurant. Starting from this point, he began to count the seconds until the old man arrived but unfortunately for him, he was just a normal man who was somehow given an unfortunate destiny to walk on.

He was too nervous to admire the beautiful restaurant and busied himself with attempting to stop his hands from shaking. The moment he heard the ding! from the elevator, he unconsciously began muttering a prayer in hope for once, God was listening to him.

The old man must have taken a nap or something because even from where Jungkook was standing, there was no mistake that the man with silver hair on one of the tables not far from the grand piano was Jimin. Jimin seemed to look more intimidating than he remembered – how could this Jimin be the same Jimin who grinned stupidly on his passport sized photo?

Jungkook was considering going back to the elevator when he saw Jimin seemingly to be in deep thoughts as he scrolled through his phone. The worker behind the marble counter was looking at him weirdly. Before the woman could approach Jungkook, to ask if he need some sort of assistance, Jungkook forced a smile and decided for once and for all, to grow himself some balls and walked over to Jimin.

Jimin tilted his head as he watched Jungkook with sharp eyes. Not wanting to make a fool out of himself, Jungkook pulled the chair, sat down on it and huffed out, “Good evening.”

Jimin only nodded as an answer.

Clearing his throat, he asked, “What is it that you wanted to discuss with me?”

“Sorry for the sudden dinner invitation. I…” Jimin took a deep breath, calming himself. Jungkook only stared. After a few moments of agonizing silence, Jimin continued, “I was hoping that we could do whatever we’re supposed to do with ease. Nothing complicated. So… whatever we had, I think we should just forget it.”

At under different circumstances, Jungkook would have laughed his ass off but he was in no position to do so. Right now, he was working for Jimin. Which meant he was under Jimin. Below Jimin. He had no right to laugh at Jimin’s face.

“Uh… I… okay.”

Jungkook missed the way Jimin’s eyes widened for a second when he agreed, and when Jungkook looked back up to him, Jimin only tilted his head and stared, his face not giving away any emotions he was truly feeling inside. Jungkook found it uncomfortable that Jimin was staring at him like he was judging him from head to toe. Jimin was probably thinking of how ironic their situation was; now Jimin was the one who had the upper hand, while Jungkook would not have a say for Jimin’s demands.

The universe was really being cruel to Jungkook.

Luckily, the waiter just arrived in time. Jungkook would not know what to do if it went on. They would probably spend the night with Jimin staring at him degradingly and Jungkook squirming awkwardly in his seat.

‘What the fuck…’ he thought, eyes scanning the menu.

He was hoping to have kimbap and jjajangmyeon but seeing the menu made him want to run to the nearest store to purchase instant noodles. Everything in the menu was so expensive and he wondered whether they were cooking the food with melted gold instead of oil or margarine.

Jimin peeked at Jungkook through the menu, pretending to read it although he already knew everything that was served. Jungkook’s wide eyes were staring at the menu as if he was scandalized, and Jimin had to clamp his mouth shut before he could chuckle at the reaction; a sudden feeling of superiority surging in his veins.

Closing the menu as he handed it to the waiter, he announced, “We’ll have the specials.”

He was not a fan of pasta. He preferred bibim goksu than pasta but somehow, he had all his attention towards the pasta and the chicken. If it were not for Jimin who instantly ordered something for the two of them (thank god because honestly, he had no idea what he wanted to eat), Jungkook would have probably left already.

The chicken was pleasant, or maybe because he was just famished, that he took his time eating it. He did not dare to look up to Jimin. He saw the way Jimin was picking up the fork and knife, as if he was trained to do it with such eloquent manner  and honestly speaking, it irked Jungkook because now, sitting right in front of him, was not the Jimin who wolfed down chocolate bars late at night but a Jimin who emitted a superior aura.

So, yes, Jungkook was intimidated.

Normally, he would have chosen to ignore it but there was guilt somewhere inside of him every time he thought of Jimin.

They were eating in silence for the first twenty minutes; only the sound of metals clashing against the ceramic plates was made by the two of them. After what seemed like forever, Jimin finally spoke, “I assume my sister had given you the full details regarding your job?”

Jungkook looked up to Jimin, whose eyes were glued to the food in front of him as he attempted to gracefully tear the chicken into a biteable size. For a moment, Jungkook felt like Jimin was not talking to him at all.

“Yes, I think so.”

“Good.”

Silence.

He was not sure which one he would rather have; Jimin screaming at him or Jimin being silent. With a face that could drop everyone’s pants to the ground, surely, Jimin had lots of men and women lining up for his attention – but that did not mean what Jungkook did to him was acceptable. He tried to assure himself that it did not matter, that the past was the past, but seeing Jimin again only made the guilt grew stronger.

He did the right thing.

Jeon Jungkook did the right thing.

Fuck, he knew it was absolutely not the right thing and now this is karma biting him back in the fucking ass.

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Jimin woke up with the sound of his ringtone buggering him. His hand swept the top of his bedside drawer, accidentally knocking off his phone to the floor. He let out a groan, cursing himself for being careless as he opened his eyes and moved towards the end of the bed to reach out for his phone.

Without checking the caller ID, he pressed the green button and brought the device to his ear.

“Hello?”

“Jimin!! Guess who’s going back in town?”

He recognized that deep voice in a heartbeat. “Tae…?”

“You guessed right!”

Jimin sat up, slightly scratching his abdomen as he glanced up at the wall clock. Only Kim Taehyung would sound energetic at six in the morning. He sighed before getting up from his bed, shuffling to the kitchen to grab a drink.

“I’ll be staying with you for a couple of days and as your best friend, I demand to share a room with you!!”

“Tae, what the fuck? Are you sure you want to room with me? My room’s a mess and—”

“Who cares if it’s a mess? We haven’t met in months! We should have a sleepover!”

“What’s the occasion?” Jimin asked, choosing to grab the orange juice and pour it in a glass.

With his schedule completely packed, it was not rare for Taehyung to come visit out of the blue. Lately, they have only been communicating through skype, sometimes text messages if their laptops are out of reach. With everything that was going on around him, it was certainly not easy to keep up with his friends. He knew how difficult he was being, with his father suddenly gone, and he was grateful that Taehyung was reaching out to him despite him pushing the man away.

“Something special, I guess.”

Jimin took a sip. “What do you mean?”

“Eh, I’ll let you know when the time comes. I’m not sure when I’ll be heading back, but it’s probably this week. I’m gonna have to go now. Take care of yourself, bye!”

“By—” Jimin did not have the chance to bid him farewell when Taehyung immediately hang up.

Jimin frowned, a tad bit upset that Taehyung hung up rather quickly. He let out a sigh before running his fingers through his hair. Even without physically being there, Taehyung managed to wake Jimin up earlier than he wanted. He would usually have Dohee to wake him up – the woman would be pleased to have the job done rather easily today.

Gulping down the orange juice in one go, he made his way to the bathroom to freshen himself up.

Jimin rarely used the kitchen in his suite, often preferring to have one of the chefs cook for him and have the waiter deliver it directly to his room. Despite this, Dohee never failed to stock up the food he may need, in case Jimin felt like cooking something himself. Jimin was not much of a cook, but he was able to make himself some scrambled eggs and French toast without burning the whole building down.

He went through his schedule on his phone as he ate, and as soon as he was done, he moved on to read the news. After a month of his father’s death, Jimin’s face finally appearing less and less on the headlines. The first week was a pain, and having his pictures taken just for stepping out to the public made his head ache.

After he was done eating, he did the dishes and turned on the TV. Waking up early meant he had a lot of time in his hands, and now that he had it, he was not sure how to spend it. Just as he pressed on the remote to change the channel, he heard the doorbell rang.

Instead of Dohee, it was Jungkook standing in front of him, dressed formally in his suit and tie. Even after two weeks of working together, Jimin was not used to seeing the Sergeant in a different attire. He hated himself for thinking how dashing Jungkook looked in suits.

“Dohee told me you will still be sleeping and asked me to wake you up,” Jungkook informed, seemingly confused at the sight of Jimin being awake and fully dressed.

“Well, it’s your lucky day,” Jimin deadpanned. “Clear the first two hours of my schedule. There is somewhere I have to go.”

“The first two— but that’s—”

“You heard me, Jeon. Schedule the meetings for another day, tell them I am feeling unwell.”

Jimin surmised that Jungkook must have not broken any rules, or he was just a fun sponge. It reminded him of Dohee when she first started. Jungkook would always try to explain the importance of the event whenever Jimin asked to cancel, which Jimin found amusing. What was the point of attending if he was not in the right headspace to do it?

He saw the way Jungkook frowned, ready to say something again but decided at the last minute he was against it. By now, he knew nothing can change Jimin’s mind. He pursed his lips in a straight line before bowing his head and retreating back to his space. “Yes, Sir.”

When they arrived at the destination, Jungkook could not seem to hide his bewildered expression when he turned to Jimin.

“Really? The church?”

Jimin rolled his eyes. “Are you surprised that I talk to God?”

Jungkook scoffed. “Does he listen?”

“He probably doesn’t, seeing how much of a chatterbox you are,” Jimin countered with a fake smile. He then frowned before reaching out for the handle. “Stay in the car and don’t go anywhere.”

“Yes, Sir.”

Jimin found it funny how he could not stand being in the same room as his father when the man was alive. One minute being alone with his pops was suffocating, but now that he was buried underground, with only a beautifully crafted white headstone to indicate it was him, Jimin seemed to find comfort.

The last time he went to the cemetery was when they lowered the casket. Never in his wildest dreams he thought of going back. But there he was, all alone, hands and mind empty. He never visited anyone before, not even at hospitals, and it was just then – when he passed by the other graves, seeing fresh flowers lying near the headstone – that it occurred to him he should have bought something at least.

Hands inside the pocket of his trousers, he only stared. Rereading his father’s name over and over again.

“Hey,” he whispered to no one in particular though he liked to imagine his dad was there somewhere. Jimin was not sure how this whole thing worked. He cleared his throat, before trying again. This time, his voice dropping an octave, sounding callous. The tone he always used when talking to his father. “Hello, father.”

As soon as the words leave his mouth, he had the urge to scoff. This whole thing was ridiculous. He bit his lower lips, tilting his head upwards as if seeking for divine guidance. The clouds were gliding freely in the cerulean sky, birds flying in a flock creating fascinating patterns in the sky.

Growing up, Jimin always felt like he was trapped. He was required to do things in certain way – even something as basic as speaking and eating. One thing he was most afraid of in the world was disappointing his father. Jimin could take anger, he could stand getting yelled at, having his father slam the desk and break his gamin console in half. But he knew he would never be able to live with himself if the man was disappointed in him.

He came to a conclusion that rebelling would make him feel alive, that it would make him feel less like a controlled puppet. It did, just for a little bit. All the things his father forbid him to do – he did it all behind his back. Gradually, he changed from well-spoken to a smart-mouthed guy. Often he found himself wonder, if his father was gone, would he finally be able to be free?

Jimin heaved a sigh.

“I hope you are doing well, wherever you are.”

His eyes glanced south, staring at the wilted flowers lain on top of the ground. It was probably his mother’s, he assumed.

“Has it been two months?” Jimin chuckled rather awkwardly, hoping nobody was there to catch him talking to himself. “I sincerely apologize for…” he paused, racking his brain to find the right words to speak.

For wrecking your car ten years ago? For having countless parties when you’re not around? For lying to you about my grades? For being a disappointment?

“— for everything.”

Jimin swallowed, feeling the tears welling up in his eyes. Father always told him that crying would never do him any good. “Oh fuck,” he whispered to himself as he sniffed, patting down his eyes with his fingers to rid of the tears. “Fuck, even when you’re not here, you love to make me cry, don’t you?”

“You fucking dickhead,” Jimin sniffed again, the warm tears falling effortlessly despite his attempt to make them stop. He took a deep breath before exhaling, berating himself for letting his emotions taking over him. He calmed down a few moments after that, glaring at the headstone as if it was at fault.

“Er… Sir?”

The sudden interruption startled the hell out of him. He whipped his head to turn to where it came from and much to his chagrin, there Jungkook was standing just a few feet away with confusion written all over his face.

Son of a bitch.

Warmth and embarrassment flood through him at once as he screamed internally.

“Sir, are you crying?” Jungkook asked, doe eyes staring at Jimin in worry.

Jimin could not tell whether Jungkook was being sincere, or he was just being an utter dickhead. Jungkook approached him with careful steps, not before he halted to fumble for something in the pocket behind his jacket. Jimin abruptly wiped traces of tears left from his face, not wanting to give his subordinate the satisfaction of seeing him cry.

Jimin heard the man cursed under his breath, apparently struggling for a few seconds before he took out a crinkled handkerchief and handed it to Jimin. The glare Jungkook received was enough for him to let out a soft apology — despite the fact that he was being considerate and only looking out for his boss — and stuffed the patterned fabric back to his pocket.

“I told you to stay in the fucking car,” Jimin grumbled, folding his arms in irritation.

Jimin could tell how annoyed Jungkook was at his behaviour as the man took a deep breath, both hands on his back. With a calmer tone, Jungkook informed, “I apologize for that, Sir. I received a call from Dohee. She informed me that someone is looking for you and it is urgent.”

He frowned.

“I told you to cancel two hours of my schedule.”

“I did, Sir, yes. Apparently, as Dohee told me, this is far more important, Sir.”

Jimin let out a defeated sigh as he hung his head. What could possibly be more important than visiting his father right now?

Jungkook can only pressed his lips into a thin smile before his eyes wandered towards the headstone. He read the name, wondering why it sounded so familiar until realization dawned on him.

Oh.

“Oh, um.” He licked his lips, guilt crashing onto him like tidal waves. “I’ll – I’ll take my leave then. I’ll wait in the car. Take your time.”

“It’s okay,” Jimin answered, his voice softer, almost foreign in Jungkook’s ears. “It can’t be helped, I guess. Let’s just go.”

Walking back to the car together should be awkward. Surprisingly, for Jungkook, it was not. He managed to kept himself a few steps ahead than Jimin, fingers fumbling with the car keys as he was feeling antsy. He tried to ignore the occasional sniffs coming from Jimin, but it was hard to pretend his boss was not crying his heart out when he saw Jimin wiping tears away furiously.

He glanced at Jimin through the rear-view mirror, something he found himself doing lately whenever they were in the car. Jimin had his head against the glass window, misty eyes staring at a distance.

Jungkook did not really know the whole story of Jimin and his father. Only a few observations he made from here and there during Jimin’s enlistment and their interaction.

“You know,” Jungkook began, clearing his throat before continuing, “Your father seemed like a nice man.”

There was a genuine smile on Jimin’s lips as the words left him. It was a smile that he rarely saw on Jimin.

“No, he’s not,” Jimin answered. “He’s – he was difficult to deal with.”

“Oh. Sorry.”

“Yeah,” he murmured. “I’m sorry too.”

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Jimin crossed his arms as he leaned against the elevator, frowning. He cursed whomever thought it was a good idea to have mirror walls on the side of the doors of the elevator because now all he could see was Jungkook. Jungkook kept on biting in his lower lip, finger hastily and repeatedly clicking on the close button. Jimin sighed, letting his head hang down.

He was still irritated that he was interrupted back at the cemetery, and he could tell Jungkook felt the tiniest bit of guilt. It was only when the elevator let out a loud ding that he finally straightened up and strutted out of it, going straight to his office. He did not bother changing to his professional attire, eager to give Dohee a piece of his mind for intruding his privacy.

Jimin had been good this whole month. Never cancelling any meetings, always attending events and now, all he asked was to have two hours of privacy. Two fucking hours. He wondered who was the bastard that dare to claim themselves as Important.

Some of the workers were taken aback when Jimin entered. They abruptly stood up to greet him a good morning, to which they were ignored as Jimin hastened to his office. Jungkook gave his colleagues a knowing look, feet never failed to fall in line behind his boss.

Once Jimin reached the end of the hallway, he was greeted by Dohee who immediately stand up at his presence.

“Who is it?” Jimin scowled, stopping in front of her with a pointed glare.

Dohee must have been immune to Jimin’s glare, because instead of cowering in fear, she only stood tall, her confident aura never diminishing. 

“It’s better if you see it for yourself, Sir,” Dohee answered politely.

Jimin’s nose flared as he poked his tongue into his cheek. “Where are they?”

“Inside, Sir.”

Not only this son of a bitch dared to steal his two hours away, but they also had the nerve to wait inside his office. He took a deep breath, willing himself to calm down before opening the doors to his office with both hands, purposely making a grand entrance to announce his presence.

The anger he felt earlier dissipated into thin air as soon as he saw a familiar face sitting behind his mahogany desk.

The son of a bitch gave him a wide smile.

“I miss you!!”

Of course, it was the one and only Yongsun who stole his two hours away. Of course, it was Yongsun who would insist that meeting her would be an urgent matter. Of fucking course.

Both of them have not met each other in a while. After his father’s passing, Jimin did not have the energy left in him to socialize, thus explaining all the missed calls and unread messages sitting in his inbox. He knew Yongsun’s schedule was packed as his, and he did not blame her for missing his father’s funeral.

The drama queen stood up from Jimin’s leather chair before dusting her sunflower dress and ran up to Jimin. Jimin’s feet were glued on the floor, mouth agape as he only watched Yongsun making her way towards him. She did not wait for him to utter a single word as she abruptly pulled Jimin into an embrace, nearly squeezing Jimin to death. He only let her, arms on his side, unable to wrap his arms around her.

She pulled away a moment later, both hands on Jimin’s arms as she stared at him in sympathy. Jimin hated the way she looked at him. It was the same look he received during his father’s funeral.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, the words were genuine and heartfelt. He felt the beginnings of moisture in his eyes and cursed himself for being such a crybaby. “I’m sorry I couldn’t be there.”

He slightly shook his head, blinking rapidly in hope that she would not notice the tears. “It’s okay.”

“It’s not,” Yongsun replied.

Jimin only shrugged as he looked away.

“I know I haven’t been the bestest friend. Or a friend, really. I should have been there.”

Jimin let himself collapse on the sofa, fingers raking his silver hair. “It’s just… I don’t know, Yongsun. I thought I’ll finally be free. That I’ll finally be able to have freedom when he’s gone but…”

Yongsun sat down next to him, squeezing his shoulder to assure him that it was okay before making circles on his back to calm him. They spent the next half an hour like this, with Jimin pouring his heart content – all regrets and sorrows he kept for the past two months – while Yongsun listened. He felt a surge of relief as he walked her through his pain and confusion, how he was supposed to feel like he can breathe again but instead he felt as if his breathing was constricted.

He wanted to let everything out. His frustration, his anger and for some unexplainable reason, they went down on a road Jimin thought he would never need to speak about.

Jeon Jungkook.

He wanted to stop talking, to bring himself to the nearest tailor shop to sew his mouth shut but he found himself revealing more and more. Nobody knew exactly how Jimin got released from the military early, not even his mother. He figured if he kept this all to himself, it would be as if it never happened. But now that he accidentally let himself spill the tea, he found himself unable to stop.

What started as sad was now… scandalous.

Yongsun’s eyes were wide as saucers, squealing and screeching like an overly obsessive fan. And truth be told, Jimin would have rather gossip all day than let himself drown in a puddle of sorrow. He began with how he made a tiny mistake of drunk skyping his father, which resulted in his ass being dragged to military for early enlistment. Not that Jimin would ever think of getting enlisted, but it was thanks to his father that he got his tangerine hair cut.

Then he moved on how miserable he was in the centre, how he felt so out of place and utterly alone, and how he had a sadistic douchebag for a superior on his stay there. The conversation was now steered to Jeon Jungkook town, and without realising, he was rambling about how much he despised the Sergeant, about how much he despised himself more for developing feelings.

Jimin left out the part where the Sergeant was in love with an older man, not wanting to sound as if he was a second choice.

“And this bastard, I swear to god, he was incapable of feelings,” Jimin huffed.

“He sounds terrible.” Yongsun pouted before quickly adding, “And terribly hot. Is he hot?”

Jimin reeled his head back, and she batted her eyelashes innocently. He saw how her eyes sparkled, as if she was a puppy waiting to be fed, and her adorable expression coaxed a giggle out of him.

“He is, yes.”

“Oh god,” Yongsun moaned. “It’s always the douchebags that are mega hot, aren’t they? Do you have a picture?”

“Oh yeah. Hold on a sec,” Jimin murmured before taking out his phone from his pocket and proceed to dial a number. Yongsun only watched, she had a question on the tip of her tongue but decided to wait for Jimin instead. When the receiver picked up, Jimin abruptly said, “Get in.”, and hung up without any explanation.

Yongsun only raised up her brow in confusion. It only dawned to her who this Sergeant was when she heard the sound of the door being opened, and a tall, dashing man in a suit entered and said, “Yes, Sir?”

Yongsun’s jaw dropped to the floor, her gaze skittered to Jimin, then to the man, then back to Jimin while her blood rushed to her brain in an attempt to process them, to match the pieces of the puzzles together.

Jimin turned to Jungkook. “Be a darling and get us two milkshakes from the café across the street. Make them strawberries.”

Yongsun watched as Jungkook nodded his head before gently closing the door. She did not wait for him to fully close it to let out a squeal and playfully slapped Jimin’s back.

“No way. No fucking way!!”

Jimin let out a boisterous laughter, feeling a surge of superiority flowing in his veins. He was enjoying this way too much, more than he should have. The look on Yongsun’s face when the realisation sunk in made Jimin’s heart soar. He missed having his best friend around, he missed just talking about things that had zero meaning, he missed this.

“How did that happen?” Yongsun whispered. She leaned in closer, as if she was afraid Jungkook might hear, but it was too late considering she was already screaming before Jungkook could leave the office. Besides, Jungkook was probably halfway across the street now, so it was really pointless, needless to say.

 Jimin only shrugged, his grin was so wide it reached both of his ears.

“Jieun happened. She insisted that I have a bodyguard. That’s just absurd, isn’t it?”

“Bodyguard?” She questioned, reeling her head back as her eyebrows were furrowed. “Why?”

Jimin blew raspberries, shaking his head as he leaned back. “For protection? You know how she is; very protective over everything. It was a scratch. Somebody accidentally scratched me and she became paranoid.”

“Huh.”

“It’s true.”

“Well, okay, if you say so.”

“Anyway, why are you here?”

“Oh!” Yongsun’s eyes lit up, Jimin swore she practically had flowers surrounding her. “I nearly forgot. I was about to tell you that—” she grinned before shoving her hand to Jimin’s face, nearly blinding Jimin with how bright the diamond was shining on her ring finger, “— I’m getting married!”

There were always the three of them: Jimin, Yongsun and Taehyung.

Jimin met Taehyung first, as their parents were friends so naturally their children had to be friends too. Eventually, Yongsun came into the picture and Jimin never would have thought that he would love someone as much as he loved Taehyung. Since then, it was always the three of them. Sure, they had friends outside of their small circle, but no one understood them like themselves.

Hell, Jimin would marry the two of them if he could.

Out of the three of them, it was Yongsun who had her heart on her sleeves, and the amount of times Jimin and Taehyung had to drive to her house in the middle of the night to get her some Nutella and vanilla icecreams were uncountable. So, when Yongsun came to the both of them one day, declaring that she had found the love of her life, immediately Jimin became rather protective. He thought he had to go for the same routine again, he even stocked up on Nutella this time. But Byulyi never, ever made Yongsun cry. If anything, the girl only made Yongsun shine even brighter. She made Yongsun glow.

His mother always told him that Yongsun would be the first one to tie the knot and she was right. Yongsun was the first one who had her soulmate put a ring on her finger. (Or more specifically, it was Yongsun who proposed and the ring came on later.)

Jimin would be lying if he said he did not feel envy at this whole thing. A part of him was envious that his best friend found her soulmate, but another part of him was jealous that someone was able to get into their small circle. It used to be JiminAndTaehyungAndYongsun but now it became JiminAndTaehyungAndYongsunAndSometimesByulyi.

The day Yongsun announced her marriage, Jimin broke down into tears. Which in turn, made Yongsun teary eyed as well, because apparently a crying Jimin was contagious. And now, being partly responsible for his best friend’s wedding was added into the list of his schedule. Not that Jimin was complaining, because Yongsun insisted on getting married at Jimin’s hotel as it was where she and Byulyi met.

Somehow, meeting up with Yongsun lifted a bit of a burden on his shoulders, and he felt it was easier to breathe again. His work might exhaust him from time to time, but at least now he had something to look forward to.

▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄

“Eh?”

Jungkook stared at the brand-new phone in his hand, amazed at how light and extremely thin it was. He was extra careful with it, afraid that it might break. Dohee only gave him a small smile at his reaction.

“This is your work phone now. I noticed your phone’s a bit… well, old-fashioned,” Dohee grinned, but there was no malicious intent behind it. She was not wrong though; who in this century still used a flip phone with keypads?

“Is this even necessary?” Jungkook voiced out. First, he was paid rather handsomely just for babysitting Jimin. Now, he was given a phone. It was odd, truthfully speaking, but he figured that getting your employee a new phone is like giving a kid a cotton candy to Jimin.

“It is.” Dohee nodded. “Now you don’t have to go through all the trouble bringing your planner everywhere. Jimin’s schedule can be synchronized with your phone. Careful though, wouldn’t want it to go on public, do we?”

“Wow. Okay, thanks.”

Just as Dohee was about to respond, she was rudely interrupted with Jimin’s booming voice coming from the intercom.

“Jungkook, come to my office right now.”

Dohee pressed her lips in a straight line as she raised her brows. “And speak of the devil.”

Jungkook only chuckled before getting up from his seat to enter Jimin’s office. Despite being inside Jimin’s office for countless of times, Jungkook thought he will never be able to get over it. If he were to compare his old office to Jimin’s, it would be as if comparing trash with gold. While his old office was bland, Jimin’s office was decorated with a palette of silver and dark green.

Jimin was seated behind his spacious desk, hand holding a pen that Jungkook was sure worth more than his outdated phone.

“Yes?” Jungkook asked, hand closing the door behind him.

Jimin looked up to him, brow raised high.

Jungkook restrained himself from sighing. Another thing he will never be able to get over would be addressing Jimin as a superior. He pressed his lips into a thin line before correcting himself, “Yes, Sir?”

He saw the side of Jimin’s lip quirking, undoubtedly amused, as he leaned back against his chair. “I am gonna need you to inform the chef to prepare smoked salmon and sushi as I am expecting a surprise visit later on. Reserve the table on the balcony too.”

“All right. Is that all?”

“Ye— Wait. Has Dohee given you your new phone yet?”

“Ah, yes,” Jungkook answered, both hands clasped in front like the goody-two-shoes he was.

Jimin held out a hand as he said, “Let me see.”

As he fumbled through his pocket, a question popped inside his head, but he decided against it. Carefully, he handed the phone to Jimin. He watched as Jimin skilfully typed something in the phone before he stretched his hand out and grinned at the screen. Jungkook only narrowed his eyes, did not dare to voice out how ridiculous Jimin was being. He heard Jimin hum a tune before typing something again. Once he was done, he handed the phone to Jungkook.

“Now that you have my number, I am and will always number one on your speed dial. I don’t usually call, but if I do, you’ll know that it’s important and possibly, urgent.”

Jungkook wanted to roll his eyes.

Jimin grinned, one that was laced with malicious intent before waving a hand to dismiss him.

Weeks passed by with a blur. Jimin’s schedule was packed; if he was not in the meeting room, he would be holed up in his office. It was obvious how Jimin’s mood was depleting every day, as his demands just got even more ridiculous it had Jungkook running around. Of course, the only thing Jungkook could do was put up with it – as much as he wanted to leave this job, it was probably best for him to stay compliant.

But never in his life he had ever dreamed of getting fired until the day Dohee took a leave arrived. She was late and he knew something was wrong if Dohee was late; in fact, she was always the first one to arrive.

(Embarrassingly, there were times when she even went up to Jungkook’s room to wake him up because he was “five minutes late” even though it was only 6.30 in the goddamn morning)

Having Dohee late meant that he was the one in charge in serving Jimin his morning biscuits and tea. Just thinking about making Jimin his favourite tea and preparing his snacks made Jungkook want to bang his head against the marble countertop. Dohee had never shown him the proper way to do it, but he had been in the pantry while Dohee was preparing the tray plenty of times to know which biscuits Jimin loved.

He heated up the water first before grabbing a white tray from the shelf.

Sighing, he opened the cupboard and his jaw dropped to the ground when his eyes landed on the mountain of butter cookies packaging inside of it. “What the hell,” he muttered before grabbing the nearest one to place it on the counter top.

With quick steps, he grabbed a medium-sized ceramic plate, placing it on top of the tray before opening the metal tin of the biscuits. He stared at the assortment of butter cookies, wondering which ones he was supposed pick. If his memory was serving him right, Dohee had told him that the ones with jam in the middle were Jimin’s favourite. Normally, he would not have a care in the world and he would just pick whatever cookie, but knowing how petty Jimin was and how he absolutely loved to see Jungkook suffer, he could not afford to make any mistake.

Eventually, he settled with the ones with jam, the ones that were dipped in chocolate, rectangle ones, the ones that looked like pretzels and the ones that looked like rings. While waiting for the water to boil, he has an argument with himself as he stared at the boxes of tea. There were a lot of them, and he sure as hell that nobody should have had that amount of tea stocked up just for one person. His eyes kept on skittering back and forth, until he decided he should just take the apple tea packet.

He brought the tray to his space, carefully placing them on top of his shared table with Dohee and straightened up his back as he took a seat. Usually, he would be greeting Jimin early in the morning with Dohee, and now that he was alone, he wanted to fling himself out through the windows. He has been doing this for weeks now, so the embarrassment he was feeling was not necessary at all but he could not help realising how little and powerless his position made him feel. Especially when he experienced what it felt like to be in Jimin’s position and now the roles were reversed.

Ten minutes had passed, and Jimin still had not made an appearance. Jungkook hoped nobody from the other office made themselves a cup, because Jimin’s tea was getting cold and everybody in this entire planet knew just how much fun Jimin would have bossing Jungkook around because his tea is not hot enough.

Fifteen minutes later, Jungkook got up with a sigh and refilled the water heater.

Twenty minutes later, Jimin still had not shown up.

“This is strange,” Jungkook muttered, taking out his phone to open up Jimin’s schedule. He finally got the hang of using his new phone, and surprisingly it was not as difficult as he thought it would be. “Huh,” he voiced out, “No meeting today, but it’s not his off day…”

Jungkook craned his neck to peered into the window glass of Jimin’s office and spotted the stack of files in the pending boxes. “He still has work though.”

Tapping against the screen of his phone, he mumbled to himself, “Fuck… am I supposed to wake him up?”

After scrolling through his twenty contacts, he tapped on Dohee’s name and sent her a message.

JUNGKOOK

Dohee, Jimin’s not in yet. Am I supposed to wake him up?

DOHEE

What? But it’s nearly nine. Go and wake him up, kiddo! He’d be pissed if he knows he’s already late.

“Shit.” Jungkook’s eyes widened as he read Dohee’s text. Being in the presence of Jimin when he’s pissed was never a good thing. In fact, Jungkook did not want to experience it at all. If he was already that petty when he’s not pissed, who was to know what would have happened if he’s angry?

Abandoning the tea and biscuits, he flitted through the maze of cubicles, barely replying the morning greetings he received from his colleagues and went straight into the elevator. He went up to the highest floor, where Jimin’s suite was located, and was getting anxious by the second as people kept on getting inside of the elevator.

He held back a groan when a housekeeper came in, bringing with him a trolley full of cleaning supplies. The wheels somehow got stuck before it could enter, and Jungkook had to go through the trouble of helping to pull the trolley in. After what felt like forever and a day, he finally arrived at Jimin’s floor.

He stepped out, and walked straight to Jimin’s room. He knocked once, but there wasn’t any answer. He knocked again and again and again until—

It was not Jimin who opened the door.

It was someone else, olive skinned, his curls falling over his face and he had a scowl when he opened the door. He was very handsome that it’ll put Aphrodite to shame. But what bothered Jungkook was not the fact that he was glaring at Jungkook, or the fact that his face alone could make angels cry, but it was the fact that he was only in a bathrobe that barely covered himself.

His bare chest was exposed for the whole world to see, and if he had not tied the robe on his waist with the fabric belt, he would probably be arrested for public nudity and being that beautiful. Jungkook’s jaw dropped, realizing that Jimin probably had a company the night before, or any other nights really, but he was not sure why he felt uneasy when he saw said company with his own two eyes.

But maybe… just maybe… he mistook this for Jimin’s room? He had Jimin’s schedule, for fuck’s sake, there was no way he could fit in anything else in there.

“Sorry, I thought this was Jimin’s—”

“Yeah, it’s his room. What about it?”

Oh.

Okay.

Jimin was a grown ass man, he could do whatever the fuck he wanted without putting in the schedule.

“Well…” Jungkook cleared his throat, causing the man to raise an eyebrow.

“He’s taking a shower now. Why don’t you come in?”

“Oh, no, no, actually it’s better if I—”

“No, I insist. Please. Come in.”

Ah, fuck.