Work Text:
“What the hell do you mean he wants the beats by next week? Do you people have any idea how much time it actually takes to make—“ The background noise from the other side of the phone call stopped, they hung up. His head fell back against his car seat headrest and he closed his eyes. It was already late, he could probably get away with sleeping in his car, he was exhausted. He wasn’t getting paid enough for this bullshit.
That was a lie—he knew how much this job actually paid and it was why he kept making beats and producing music for shitty artists that couldn’t make real music to save their life. It’s the only thing that was keeping him afloat in the shark tank that was Seoul. It beat signing his life away to an entertainment company to debut as a mass produced idol. That had been his Plan B if the production business didn’t work out.
It did work out, for better or for worse. He was talented, he knew he had an eye for music and it was obvious to the sharks of the music industry. The first time one of them approached him, innocent, naive Yoongi fresh out of high school had been eager to sell them music for a very, very, low price with no credit in hope of simply putting his name out there. Safe to say he was stupid back then.
He still is but at least now he asks for reasonable compensation and fights to have his name mentioned on the credits even if he’s had to threaten to sue once or twice. But working for big artists meant extremely long workdays, no sleep, and tight deadlines. Yoongi considered it a good day if he even got to go home before 10 PM instead of crashing on the couch in his dinky “studio” (it really was just a soundproofed room in a rundown apartment complex)that he rented at an amazingly cheap price for Seoul. Hoseok, his roommate, theorized that someone had died there, there was no other explanation for its low rent.
Today was not one of those days. The sudden call threw off his whole schedule for the next week. The assholes thought they were the only one he produced for. He worked off his laptop for God’s sake, they could cut him some slack.
He checked the time on his phone, 12:11 AM, he sighed. There was no way he could go home, not with this workload. Hoseok and Seokjin wouldn't let him concentrate if he does, he's made that mistake before. Starbucks wasn’t open or any other place for that matter. He didn’t want to go back to his studio either, he'd already locked it up.
The only other place Yoongi could go to was probably a diner or something. He pulled up the Maps application on his phone and started searching for the nearest diner. To his luck there was one 2 miles from him.
The diner sign was the only thing that shone brightly at this time of night. It was in a sketchy part of the city but surrounded by other businesses so Yoongi wasn’t too scared to leave his car, though he did make sure to lock his car twice and clutched his laptop and earphones close to his body as he made his way ti the entrance.
The sun might have gone down but it was still incredibly humid. The tell-tale chirps of crickets was deafening in the mostly silent street. Beads of sweat rolled down his forehead, down his cheekbone until disappearing into his neck. A few cars were lined up in front of the diner but it was bare for the most part.
The door creaked a little as he opened it and bells alerted everyone in the vicinity if his arrival. A few students, maybe on a trip, were dining loudly in a bigger table off to his right. One or two patrons sat at the counter to get a better look at the waitresses dressed in skirts. A couple whispered and laughed silently between them.
He seated himself in a black booth on the left side of the diner; far away from the noisy students, he needed to work tonight. The booth was next to the ceiling-to-floor windows that made up the walls of the front of the building. A far away sea of cars on a freeway looked like a red and yellow body of water. The moonlit street was desolate, it was peaceful.
“Moon’s pretty tonight isn’t it?” Yoongi's head snapped towards the sound. The voice belonged to a brunette waiter with a notepad and pen ready to write in his hand.
He’s pretty.
Yoongi knew he was staring, staring at the man’s tanned skin, wide eyes, and cute nose. He couldn’t look away. The waiter didn’t seem to notice, or mind.
“My mom once told me that when the moon was foggy and yellow like it is right now meant that rain was on its way.”
Heat crawled up his neck and he gazed down at his menu in an attempt to stop making a fool of himself by blatantly staring at the man. He knew he should probably say something but his throat felt heavy all of a sudden.
“Sorry, are you ready to order?”
The man looked at him expectantly with a pleasant smile, he could see that he had deep dimples on both cheeks. “I’m going to have to kick you out if you don’t order anything. Not my rule, the managers.” He pointed to the cook behind a small window lined with hot plates of food.
“Uhm, yeah. I’ve never been here so can you give me a minute?”
Yoongi finally found his voice; he didn’t want to be kicked out now that he knew Kim Namjoom—from what the man’s name tag read—worked here.
“Sure, or I could recommend something if you want? Just tell me what you’re in the mood for.”
“Do you sell milkshakes?”
“Of course we do! What kind of diner would we be if we didn’t sell milkshakes. The Bananas and Cream milkshake is so good,” Kim Namjoon said rather loudly excited despite it being past midnight.
Yoongi nodded along pretending he was taking in the information but really all he was thinking about was how cute he was.
“Okay, give me one of those.”
“Alright, let me get that for you.”
Kim Namjoon leaned over him to collect the menu, his chest centimeters away from Yoongi's face. The simple action had him flushing like a teenager. Here he was, 24 years old and unable to keep the blush from taking over his face.
“It’ll be right up!” A fully dimpled smile framed the waiters face again and Yoongi felt like he could melt. He silently cursed the obnoxiously cute guy for ruining his cool facade. It took him a minute to collect himself.
He opened his laptop and started running Ableton Live on his Mac, the same program he’s used since he started in his childhood bedroom after saving a couple hundred dollars from working at his part time job. His intention was to actually work but that was proving to be hard when he kept stealing glances at Kim Namjoon walk hurriedly back and forth. The guy was struggling to keep up with the large party of people that only get getting rowdier as Namjoon passed out pitcher after pitcher of draft beer. It was endearing to see him to see him in his element.
He wasn’t going to get any work done.
“Here’s the Bananas N’ Creme milkshake. Enjoy!”
Namjoon went as quickly as he came with the same dimpled smile that he shown to every customer here. Yoongi wanted to melt into his seat all over again. He glanced back at his computer, Ableton open and ready to start working but his brain was glitching out, mind overtake by thoughts like: pretty, dimples, milkshake, pretty, tan, cute boy, gay, gay, gay, GAY.
He took a sip from the milkshake and like Namjoon had said, it was good. A heavy sigh escaped his lips as he reluctantly put his ridiculously expensive headphones on and started playing around with the hip-hop song he’s supposed to be mostly done with by now.
The minutes turned into hours between arranging the song, stealing glances at Namjoons narrow waist, making a new beat, back to staring at the man’s able hands. He thought he was being subtle about it but he’s already caught the waiters eye more than once now. It had been at least 3 hours—long finished with the rest of the melted milkshake—when he looked up to see that Namjoon was hanging up his folded apron, bidding goodbye to the cook with a tired smile.
Yoongi quickly finished packing up his stuff and left a generous tip under the napkin holder before rushing to catch up with Namjoon. He had no idea what he was going to say once he reached him but he couldn’t resist the chance to talk to him once more.
“Hi,” he said breathlessly.
“Oh hey, did you like the milkshake?”
Namjoon politely smiled but this time his dimples did not make an appearance. Yoongi held the door open for him. They slowly walked into the parking lot, unsure of where the other was going.
“I thought you were exaggerating like how can a banana milkshake be that good but it was delicious, thanks,” he said, nodding. And then there they were, Namjoons dimples were back. Yoongi wanted to make them a permanent fixture on the man’s face.
“I knew you’d like it, you seem like a banana guy.”
Yoongi choked on his spit. Namjoons eyes widened as he realized what he implied.
“No, no, oh my God, not like that. I-I didn’t mean it in a sexual way? Not that it would be a bad thing if you...liked bananas? Oh my God, sorry I don’t know what I’m saying. Sorry, I’m sleep deprived,” Namjoon rambled. Now it was Namjoons turn to be red-faced in embarrassment.
A knee-buckling laugh escaped Yoongi. He clutched at his stomach, tears threatening to spill from his eyes. Namjoon’s face reddened the more Yoongi tried and failed to catch his breath to keep on laughing. Namjoon held a small smile.
“No, I’m not that big of a fan of bananas.” Yoongi let a few more giggles escape his lips. “But I am bisexual, if that was what you were referring to. If you weren’t well, now you know. I’m Min Yoongi by the way.” He held out his hand for Namjoon to shake.
Namjoon smiled widely, face clear of embarrassment now, and firmly shook his hand.
“Kim Namjoon. I don’t like labels but if I had to choose, I’m also bisexual.”
Yoongi's eyebrows shot up to his hairline. It was one thing to have thing for a straight man but to actually have a chance with a gay guy was a whole different story. It complicated things. Namjoon quietly laughed and started walking the opposite direction of where his car was. Yoongi naturally followed.
“I’ll see you later then?” Namjoon rubbed his neck and looked away from Yoongi's gaze.
“You will,” he promised, probably a little too eagerly because Namjoon chuckled a little.
“Well, my bus is almost here so I guess I’ll see you around then.”
“I can give you a ride if you want?”
He immediately regretted the words as soon as he saw how taken aback Namjoon looked. That’s weird, he’s gonna think you’re a creep. You fucked it all up Yoongi. “Not like that! I swear I’m not a creep. It’s just really late and dark…”
Namjoon shook his head, hands in his pocket. “No, it’s okay, really, I do it five days a week. Also, don’t take this personally but how am I supposed to know you're not going to take me someplace and kill me?” Namjoon joked but there was truth to his words. He instantly felt bad for not thinking of how his words would come across.
“No, I get it! I’m not a creep, promise. Have a good night Namjoon.”
Namjoon waved goodbye, he watched him board the bus that approached.
His car was one of the last two left in the lot. A wave of exhaustion rolled through his body once he got inside. The time on his phone read 4:47 AM.
He was definitely going to come back.
__
The first thing he registered as he became aware of his surroundings was the drool escaping his mouth and pooling into his hand. The second thing was the uncomfortable tightness of his jeans. The third was the smell of breakfast food attacking his senses. A tired groan left his lips. He must’ve fallen asleep the second he got home yesterday. Seeing his bag thrown haphazardly at the foot of his door and his bed still made confirmed it.
He flinched when he heard Seokjin's signature three knocks on his bedroom door. He didn’t wait for Yoongi's answer though and burst through the door like he always did and said, “Are you decent? Me and Hoseok are making hotteok if you want any. Or not, you lazy asshole.”
Seokjin moved his curtains to the side and let the high noon sun hit him straight in the face. He groaned loudly and snuggled under his cover to hide from the light. Seokin pulled it off, Yoongi pulled it up. “Fine, don't say anything when I eat them all then.” He left the room but not without tugging one last time at his blanket.
There was still hotteok when he finally woke up properly. Seokjin left him four small pancakes. He took a seat in front of Hoseok and Seokjin who were laughing at something on Hoseok's twitter feed. He cut the pancake in half twice, letting the sweet syrup escape the inside and soak the bottom of the pancake just how he liked it and started eating quietly.
“You didn’t come home until the ass crack of dawn last night. Where were you? I’d say I was worried about you but I’m already used to it,” his roommate asked pointedly.
“Sorry, the guy I’m making a beat for wants it in a week which is literally no time. I had to work on it.”
Seokjin quirked an eyebrow, not buying Yoongi's excuse. He didn't care, it was the truth (well, part of it). Hoseok was eating off of Seokjin's fork in a disgustingly cute way, cheeks puffed and looking doe-eyed at his boyfriend. Seokjin booped Hoseok's nose with his finger and lovingly cooed at his aegyo. Yoongi watched the entire disgusting interaction through half closed eyes, puffy with sleep, chewing on his pancake slowly.
“You two are disgusting to look at. I don’t remember you two ever being this whipped for each other. Happened right before my innocent eyes.”
He scraped the last of his hotteok of the plate. Hoseok and Seokjins seperated from each other a bit but not enough to keep their hands to themselves. They sported unashamed smiles each.
“God, get a room,” he said with disdain.
Hoseok stuck his tongue out. “We do have a room, we’re room mates. He’s my boyfriend therefore, hes allowed in my room,” Hoseok said as he rolled his eyes and scrunched his nose. Seokjin burst into laughter that reminded him vaguely of windshield wipers, like Hoseok just said the funniest goddamn joke he’s ever heard. If that’s what being in love looked like, he didn’t want it.
Hoseok and Seokjin had always had a thing for each other before they decided to become roommates. It only got worse when they actually lived together. Yoong was witness to all the stupid misunderstandings and makeups they had to get through before they actually started dating. He vowed to never be as stupid when it came to relationships from watching those two.
“Speaking of rooms, you two are so loud. Keep it down. I’m tired of wearing earphones to bed,” he said. Seokjin smacked Hoseok's arm to which the other only rubbed it in response.
“Mind your business, Yoongi. Ah, get out of here already! Unless you want to watch what I’m about to do to Seokjin,” Hoseok teased.
He snorted and quickly gathered his backpack where he carried his laptop and headphones, Hoseok never lied. His hands were already wandering below the table and both of them giggled like teenagers.
“Alright then love birds. Don’t wait up for me, probably not going to be back till late so go crazy.”
Distantly, he wondered whether Kim Namjoon had woken up yet.
__
Many have the misconception that art, any form of art whether it was painting, sculpting, making music, was messy. The process was messy, ideas all over the place, just general chaos that is supposed to reflect the mental state of an artist. And while it may be true for some, most of the time it wasn’t the case. Especially not for Yoongi.
His art was disciplined. Outlined to the T. If he was making music for himself, it started out with making simple beat. Adding on here and there, making his work have levels to it until he was content with the beat. It sounds easy but that part usually took a very long time because Yoongi was a perfectionist, he didn’t stop until a piece sounded exactly as he had envisioned it the first time.
Lyrics are easier in some ways. He was naturally a direct communicator, never one to beat around the bush. His lyrics weren’t much different. Writing down exactly what he means comes easy when there’s a beat behind it. Not so much in real life. Don’t get him wrong, he was still brutally honest in real life, it just took more energy to say it out loud.
He was at a stand-still though. No matter what he did to the song, change the rhythm, slow the tempo, add an instrument here and there, none of it worked out. This happened frequently enough to him to know to lay off for awhile but it never got any less frustrating, though. His instinct was to work, work, work, and then work some more. Work to the point of exhaustion, 24 hours without sleep, maybe even days. until he collapsed into a coma-like sleep; sometimes in his studio.
Yoongi wouldn’t let himself do that this time. No, he was going to take a couple of hours to himself and then come back to it. It was his seventh hour in working on the song, a break was good. He checked his phone, twelve banner notifications: three texts from Hoseok, one text from Seokjin, five from Twitter, and another three spam notifications from apps he forget he had downloaded.
It was 8:33 PM. Yoongi's stomach growled loudly. Guess he knew what to do now. His mind wandered to the diner from last night. It wasn’t far away, he could even walk...
__
The Maps app on his phone said the diner was a 25 minute walk. Usually he would groan at the thought of walking so far but for some reason he didn’t mind walking the distance now. Definitely not because of Kim Namjoon. Absolutely not. He’d be damned if he went to such lengths to see a man.
The diner, which he barely noticed was called TJ’s Diner, was open of course. Yoongi secretly hoped it wasn’t, so he could forget about Kim Namjoon and go on about his life. Find another diner, probably fast food, eat there, go back to his studio and work some more without distractions. But no, the diner was very much open and busy.
Yoongi sat himself down, same spot as last time. He glanced around for any sign of Kim Namjoon. The place was bustling with tourists and rowdy teenagers looking to get dinner, but no Namjoon. Maybe he didn’t have a shift today? That was likely. You walked all this way for a /man/ and you couldn’t stop to think that there’s a possibility he’s not here?
He sighed and silently scrolled through his Instagram. There wasn’t much to see there. Artists and acquaintances posted, couple of dm’s he didn’t want to answer, all in all nothing. He decided to answer Hoseok and Seokjin’s messages next. Hoseok sent him screenshots of a rap show he wanted to go, rambling on about the artist who Yoongi didn’t recognize. Seokjin had simply sent him an unfunny meme he’d made of himself eating.
Hoseok :
HYUNG @-@/ lets go! https://www.bands intown.com/383737
Yoongi:
i’ll see
Hoseok :
PLEASE YOONGI it’ll be fun ;-; it’s in a week!
An exasperated noise left him. He could never say no to Hoseok and he knew it.
“Tired?” asked a familiar voice.
Yoongi looked from his phone to Kim Namjoon's smiling face. He was sure his eyes bugged out of his head but quickly held his composure.
“Yeah, work’s a bitch. Excuse my profanity.”
He offered Namjoon a tight lipped smile and bowed his down to stare at the menu. He wasn’t actually reading it, he was too busy being hyper aware of Namjoons warm presence. Faint heat threatened to overtake his face.
“I hear you, I don’t get paid enough to deal with half of the customers here,” Namjoon said. He noticed Namjoons platinum blonde hair was effortlessly swept up and apron still clean. It was probably the beginning of his shift. He was caught staring by Namjoon who only smiled sweetly and looked expectantly.
Oh right, the menu. He was supposed to order something to stay in the diner.
“Um, can I get the same banana shake I got last time and uh, the bacon cheeseburger.”
“Okay, let me get that. It’ll be right up.” Namjoon wrote it down and picked up his menu before walking away to refill customers coffee cups.
Promising himself to not work until his break’s done, there wasn’t much else to do while he waited for his food except be on his phone. That proved to be hard because Kim Namjoon was oh so handsome, all long legs and honey skin that contrasted so nicely with his near white hair.
For the most part he kept his head down but he couldnt help but sneak a few glances at the handsome man. He regretted not bringing at least his laptop so he would look like less of a loser. Exhuastion was starting to take over and he felt himself giving into it.
A loud clatter of a plate jerked him away from his sleepy state. Namjoon set down a plate with the biggest burger he’s ever seen with a side of wavy fries and a large glass of banana milkshake. He silently watched the food being placed in front of him, too surprised to bother looking up. He was looking at the food like it was from a far away planet when he sensed movement out of the corner of his eye and suddenly there was Namjoon, sitting in the seat in front of him, lax and smiling.
“Hey.”
Namjoon drank from a coffee cup that had also magically appeared out of thin air. He looked, dumbfounded, at his food, at Namjoon, and then back to his food. He needed to say something or else it would be very awkward but his brain somehow couldn’t get his mouth to open.
“Um...hi,” Yoongi finally managed to utter out. He poked at his burger which was probably getting cold. Namjoon’s laugh was peculair, it came out out in small quipped out ‘ha’s’. It was weird but very endearing.
“Sorry, is this weird? You seemed lonely. I’m on my lunch—well, technically dinner—break right now but I can leave if it’s totally weirding you out,” Namjoon rambled. He looked kind of...nervous and unsure. Yoongi didn’t know a whole lot about him but it was unnatural to see him in such a state.
“No, no! It’s fine—more than fine— you can stay it’s not weird. I mean if you want of course. I’m probably making it weird anyways.”
He started drinking his banana milkshake to give his anxious hands something to do. The cold liquid shot up his brain and suddenly a numbing pain spread out on his forehead.
“Ow, brainfreeze.”
Namjoon giggled but tried to cover it up with a cough and another gulp of black coffee. Very suave, Yoongi.
“Oh I’m fine, don’t worry about me,” he muttered sarcastically but Namjoon kept giggling.
He took a bite of the now lukewarm burger; it was incredibly delicious and greasy. He should really watch what he eats here. The milkshake and burger were diabetes combined.
“So I take it you live around here?” Namjoon breaks the silence.
“Nope. My studio is a twenty minute walk from here. Closest food place that I could actually sit down and not be told to leave after an hour, you know.” He took another bite of the burger. A slightly mushy tomato round clung to his teeth when he pulled away from the bite.
Namjoon hummed. “Studio?”
Yoongi blushed a little. He didn’t like to talk about what he did to strangers—they tend to judge him when he tells them he writes songs, especially songs for other people. He figures Namjoon’s cool though.
“Yeah, I write and produce songs. I used to rap occasionally but not so much anymore. I don’t have the time.”
Namjoon perked up a little and looked like he wanted to ask more but didn't.
“That’s cool. I write a bit myself.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, I’ve also been trying to get into producing but I don’t have the time,” he responded. The conversation continued from there. Their conversation had a natural flow; it wasn’t hard to continue from the others replies and they jumped from topic to topic easily. Turned out they’re both huge fans of hip-hop. Yoongi finds himself telling him about his embarrassing underground rapper background and Namjoon mentions he had an emo phase where he had My Chemical Romance shirts and everything. Talking to Namjoon was a breath of fresh air in such a stifling city.
Before he knew it, his plate was empty and his milkshake halfway finished. He checked the time on his phone while Namjoon rambled—rather adorably—about the cultural impact hip-hop has had in Korea. He’d been here only for an hour and a half but it was already time for him to go.
“I need to get going,” Yoongi said after a lull in conversation. It seemed like Namjoon's face fell a tiny bit. Wishful thinking.
“Alright then, I’ll walk you out.” Namjoon was up before he could object.
It was just as humid, if not more, than it was yesterday night. The familiar hum of cicadas that he now associated with Seoul thrummed through his ears the second they stepped outside. Both of them stood quietly in front of the bushes lining the front of the diner. There was no one else outside but them. His hands sought shelter in his pockets.
“Do you mind?” Namjoon asked. He was referring to the pack of Malboros in his hand. It was the second surprise of the night. Namjoon didn’t look like a smoker, much less a smoker of cigarettes. He shook his head.
“You smoke?”
He tried to sound as nonchalant as he could manage. Namjoon grimaced and shook the box like that did anything.
“Yeah, it’s nasty I know. You have no idea how many people tell me that.” He picked one out of the multitude. “I’ve been smoking since high school though and now I can’t stop even if I tried—and trust me I've tried.”
He tried to imagine a lanky, 16 year old Namjoon smoking a cigarette for the first time and laughed internally.
“No, it’s cool. I’ve smoked before. It’s no problem.” That was half a lie. He’s smoked but only a handful of times and each one was awful. He’d never do it again.
“Oh, really? I didn’t even ask, want one then?” Namjoon offered the box out for him to choose.
He should’ve known that agreeing to Namjoons offer was a bad idea because the next thing he knew, he was coughing his lungs out right in front of him. He was nearly on his knees, lit cigarette still in hand. Namjoon chuckled off to the side.
“You okay? I’m guessing you don’t smoke often?”
He shook his head and took another drag, though he was still holding back wheezes. He didn’t know how he always ended up in situations that were not in his favor but if it included Namjoon in the equation, he didn’t mind.
“Ah, to have baby lungs again. These cancer sticks bring me no pleasure anymore…” Namjoon said bitterly. The man dragged his eyes across the their surroundings while dragging on the cigarette in his mouth. He felt free to stare at Namjoon under the cover of darkness. The moon wasn’t out and the skies hung heavy with dark clouds but he swore Namjoons eyes were shining. He would even say he looked melancholy.
“Hey, um,” he started before thinking about the next thing he was going to say. “My friend and I are going to this show in a couple of weeks…”
“Yeah? What kind of show?”
Fuck, he didn’t know where he was going with this. Would it be weird to invite a person hes only talked to a handful of times (cute person though) to an underground rap show without a clue as to if they even like it or not? Probably.
“I don’t know if you’ve been to one of these before but it’s a show at a hip-hop club? Uh, it’d be—I mean—you don’t have to-“
“Yeah…?”
He had Namjoons full attention now, Namjoons cigarette butt now crushed underneath his work boots and arms crossed over his chest. Holy shit, he looked intimidating.
“Was wondering if you’d want to tag along? If you want? I don’t know if it’s your thing…” he said finally and shut his mouth and waited for Namjoons response. The tiny smirk that was previously on Namjoons face grew.
“It’s definitely my thing. Send me the details over text, yeah?” Namjoon held out his hand expectedly and it took him a moment to realize Namjoon wanted to give him his phone number. Yoongi handed over his phone. Namjoon reassured him with a bright grin that could compete with his white blonde hair.
“I gotta head in, my break’s over in like a minute. Text me okay? I look forward to it, Min Yoongi.”
He went inside and Yoongi let out a heavy breath. He essentially just asked Namjoon out (well, not really because Hoseok was also going) and he said yes! And he got his phone number! Warmth flared from the bottom of his stomach and crawled up. He couldn’t keep the gummy smile off his face even if he wanted to.
Yoongi:
ok im going but i’m bringing a plus one.
Hoseok:
YAYYY who the plus one though? O_O
Hoseok:
hyung?
__
“Who’s the mystery guy, Yoongi-hyung! You got to tell me. You can’t just leave me hanging!” Hoseok had been pestering him all week but Yoongi would not relent.
“Yeah, who is it! I didn't know you talked to people other than us,” Taehyung pouted and ate a stale potato chip off the table.
“Hey!” He threatened to take away Tae’s drink but the younger swiped away with a laugh before he could get his hands on it.
“It’s true, Yoongi-ah. Whos the handsome devil?”Seokjin asked.
Hoseok was seated in Seokjin's lap where he was feeding him leftover bulgogi from last night's dinner. Their whole group of friends were gathered in their tiny Seoul apartment definitely not made to host so many people.
“First of all, why are you all so sure it’s a guy?” he countered.
Jungkook snorted from behind his phone. “When have you ever willingly talked to a girl?”
“Yoongi’s the gayest person I’ve ever known and that includes me,” Jimin quipped.
“Enough! Stop asking me about him,” he warned but without bite. Yoongi didn’t have a threatening bone in his body. He used to, but not anymore.
“So it is a him..” Jungkook said.
“Hey, stop teasing my poor baby. Yoongi just wants his hands held. Seriously when’s the last time, you’ve been on a date, Yoongi?” Hoseok said gently.
“It’s not a date! I was just—I don’t know—I met him at this diner and we got talking somehow. I told him that I used to be a rapper but now I produce and oh my God, I’m so stupid for doing that.” He groaned loudly and slumped dramatically in his chair. Jimin and Taehyung cooed and petted him, calling him cutesy names. Yoongi doesn’t know how he let five hooligans into his life but he regrets it immensely.
“He's just nice,” he finished pathetically.
“Nice…” Seokjin parroted.
“Yes, nice, now can you all drop it and get out of my home.”
He put on the straightest, most blank face he could muster, which wasn’t that hard for him to be honest. Everybody in the room knew he wasn’t serious enough to leave because they resumed poking fun at him despite his requests. He didn’t mind; it was a privilege to actually have friends that felt comfortable enough to joke around with. When he had just moved to Seoul it had been incredibly lonely living in a big city knowing absolutely no one. He owed it all to Hoseok for taking him under his wing right before dropping out of college and introducing him to 4 wonderful people he knew he would cherish forever.
“ Your home?! Hoseok pays rent just like you,” Seokjin argued and snuggled against Hoseok. Hoseok giggled, jokingly pushing Seokjin away. Yoongi squinted his eyes at the sight.
“Please keep the PDA to a minimum around me.”
“You're mad because you're sad and lonely!” Seokjin retorted.
“Okay? Mind your business.”
“Enough! No more teasing Yoongi, he's my kitty baby,” Hoseok cooed at him like a pet. He swatted Hoseok's hands away from his face where he was pinching his cheeks.
“I've decided that all of you are disgusting,” Taehyung piped up from where he'd been watching the whole interaction.
“Oh, I forgot to tell you but I won't be able to that rap show. My boss has been really picky on days off lately and I couldn't take the day,” Hoseok said disappointed but insta cheered up. “But… thats means I have an extra ticket, give it to Mystery Guy!”
“No, Hoseok-,” Yoongi interrupted.
“C'mon it'll be like a date!”
“Hoseok, the whole reason I’m going is because of you! We just won't go and I’ll cancel my plans with Namjoon,” he said with a tone of finality.
“So Namjoon’s his name huh,” Jimin teased. “Do
you address him so casually when you talk to him?”
“That's not the point!”
“Yoongi you’re gonna go and thats final. You already invited Namjoon, it's kind of rude to backtrack now with the show literally tomorrow,” Hoseok said. Yoongi knew what this was, Hoseok was guilt-tripping him and it was working.
“Okay fine, but only because it's embarrassing to cancel plans.”
He saw Seokjin and Hoseok discreetly high-fiving each other from the corner of his eye and sighed in defeat.
Later that night, when he was alone and ready for bed, it took a humiliating amount of time to get the courage to text Namjoon the news.
Yoongi:
so change of plans… my friend won't be able to make it but he said you can have his ticket if you still want to go
Namjoon:
of course :) can u give me a ride though?
Namjoon:
i can't drive.
__
“Does he know you're Agust D?” Hoseok asked from the depths of his closet, trying to put together an outfit for Yoongi to wear tonight. In his words he need to look, “kind of slutty, but not too obvious that you want to get laid.”
“God, I hope not. I told him I used to rap but not my name,” he mumbled and tried to look up Namjoons Instagram to no avail.
“Why not!? You were hot as Agust D, if I hadn't been thirsting over Seokjin, I would've tapped that.”
“Thanks,” he responded sarcastically. “Can you hurry up though because I need to go pick Namjoon up in 20.”
“You can't rush perfection.”
Hoseok him dress in the tightest black skinny jeans he owns that made his ass look, in Hoseok's words, “very perky and round”, an equally as tight black t-shirt, and a green coat. A little bit of smudged eyeliner later and he was out the door.
Yoongi:
im outside
Namjoon:
you could just knock?
Yoongi:
this is the 21st century, millenials dont knock
“How would you know if I’m a millennial?”
Yoongi jumped in his seat and raised a hand over his fast beating heart. Namjoon was peering at him over the slightly open car window.
“Fuck, you scared me,” he breathed out. Namjoon opened the car door and got in, with that peculiar laugh of his that made his heart skip a beat.
“Sorry. You’re cute when you're surprised. I’m 23 by the way.”
He Called Me Cute.
He wondered how he was going to get through the rest of the night because he hadn't noticed that Namjoon was wearing a very lowcut shirt with tight ripped jeans and his hair styled up. And now he was being called cute.
“I’m 24 so its Yoongi-hyung to you.”
__
The bar venue was hidden away, deep into the heart of Seoul. True to the name, it was underground, literally. Down a short flight of stairs in front of a flashy apartment complex, leading down into an obscure club; so hidden, that if you blinked you’d miss the entrance.
A cool blue-violet light flooded the small expanse of space filled to the brim with people looking for entertainment on a Saturday night. It was chill enough to just lounge about but in about half an hour, Yoongi knew the scene would transform completely.
“The place looks like its getting packed really quickly,” Namjoon said.
They stood isolated, close enough to each other that he could hear him clearly but not enough for it to be weird. The cool toned light washed Namjoons face beautifully and starkly contrasted yet complimented against his tan skin. He avoided staring but that was turning out to be especially hard.
Looking around he noticed a handful of people looking their way. Did they recognize him? He didn’t consider himself that popular of a rapper to be recognized but maybe because it’s a hip-hop club?
“I've got to go to the bathroom but you should get a spot, I can tell it's gonna be a full house. I'll catch up with you later,” Namjoon said mysteriously and left without letting Yoongi interject. That was weird. Did he have friends here he wanted to talk to? Namjoon didn’t mention recognizing anybody here.
But Namjoon was right, the show was about to start. The small club was really starting to fill up now—he had to push his way to the front but not before receiving multiple glares.
The lights dimmed slightly and an MC jumped on stage to introduce the lineup. The opening rapper was alright, nothing special, it wasn’t really catching his attention. Yoongi was seriously questioning where Namjoon went; should’ve been back by now if he had gone to the restroom. Yoongi chewed at this bottom lip and tried to look over the heads of people behind him to no avail.
He was starting to get impatient. Namjoon was nowhere in sight and the crowd was making him claustrophobic. The RM guy that was going to perform was really popular among the crowd apparently.
The bar was much more spacious, save for a few drunks completely disinterested in the performance, who only came with the intent to get as intoxicated as they legally could.
“Just one soju, bottle, please,” he told the bartender who was wiping down the counter. Yoongi figured that there was no rush to get back; maybe he’d catch Namjoon back here.
He generously sipped from the soju bottle over the course of the first performance. He should be getting back, that RM guy was next and he probably shouldn't miss it for Hoseoks sake. He’d just have to look for Namjoon after or maybe he was already up there looking for him.
“Make some noise for the legend, the one and only, RM!”
The cheers that ensued were close to deafening. The atmosphere of the club seemed to shift to an electrifying feeling instead of just the slight buzz of earlier. Fuck, he needed to hurry.
But the crowd would not relent. No matter how much he tried to push through, he could only get by a few people at a time and then they’d cut off his path. RM was speaking now— wait, he recognized that voice— but he couldn’t catch more than a glimpse of him. Everybody was so much taller than him. He groaned in frustration and went to the back were the crowd was more sparse.
The view of the small elevated stage was clearer if he craned his neck a bit and now he could see who RM really was. Because staring back at the crowd, dimples flashing and teeth bared, was Namjoon. RM was Namjoon, Namjoon was RM. And he was rapping along with perfect flow to an ear-worm rhythm that he recognized intimately; because he’d made it, it was his. Well, not his, not anymore. He’d sold in the beginning of his shady career to an a kid online who insisted on staying anonymous. He took the sight in, Namjoon—who he came to know as a waiter—make a masterpiece out of a simple, dare he say, mediocre song he sold for less than 100,000.
It was a shitload to take in but for now he needed to get closer—to make sure it really was Namjoon and his eyes weren’t deceiving him. His, RM’s, song was coming to end, he knew. The crowd was harder to penetrate now with the show now in full swing but this time he was a small ball of positive energy and everybody else was negative. Yoongi couldn’t quite reach the front though. The only way he figured he could reach the front was through the sides.
“Hongdae! Are we having fun?!” Namjoon all but yelled into the mike. This was such a different person to the Namjoon he’d come to know over the past few weeks. This person, RM, was the source of the electric feeling running like a live wire through the crowd. He was loud, and talented, and extremely attractive with sweat already running down the side of his face. Namjoon, on the other hand, was calm, beautiful in an almost delicate, unassuming way.
“This next song, I call Monster. I haven’t performed it anywhere else so consider yourself exclusive,” he said and motioned for the track to start playing. Bodies were bumping aggressively into his as time went by but maintained his focus on Namjoon. He didn’t know whether he wanted to catch his eye or not, to let him know that he was watching.
“R to the M I’m a mufuckin' monster
R to the M I’m a mufuckin’ monster”
Namjoon looked straight at him during the bridge of the song, holding his gaze intensely on him like a predator looking at its prey. Yoongi was sure his expression gave away nothing but underneath was a boiling slew of emotions. Namjoon started rapping more intensely, putting on more of a show instead of just a performance.
A thought crossed his mind that maybe he should feel betrayed but did he even know the rapper (waiter?) enough to be mad? Should he be in awe? Part of him was, something about Yoongi made Namjoon want to surprise him. He wasn’t sure how to react to him.
He was in a daze watching Namjoon wrap up the performance after a few more songs. Namjoon caught his eye multiple more times throughout and each time was harder to read what was going on between them than the last. At some point, Yoongi had finished up the lukewarm soju bottle in his hand and let himself be lost in his eyes. He was a lightweight, one drink and he was tipsy, just enough to not really care about what was going on other than Namjoon was RM, RM was Namjoon, the quirky waiter he’d met only a few weeks ago. Nothing was supposed to be taken seriously.
“That’s all for tonight Hongdae-,” Yoongi heard Namjoon say but his words sounded far away and he didn’t catch the rest. The heavy crowd was starting to part and he felt lost. He was still starstruck by the entire experience, where did he go from here? In the distance he saw a huddle of people and Namjoon slipping through a door backstage. One of the burly men standing that was speaking to Namjoon, headed towards Yoongi.
“RM would like to see you backstage.”
He nodded awkwardly and followed after the man.
Turns out the door he originally thought was just a room, was a door to the entire backstage area. People were milling around on phones and talking to people. It all looked very important. There were several couches as well; he spotted Namjoon on a black faux leather one already, talking to an important looking person dressed in a suit pacing the room.
He was unsure whether to interrupt their serious looking conversation or not but Namjoon spotted him and dismissed the man anyways. Namjoons expression was hard to read.
“So.”
“So… youre the famous RM?”
“I wouldn't say famous, I'd like to get there someday though,” Namjoon said. Yoongi stepped closer to him.
“I’m not going to lie, I feel a bit shocked,” he admitted.
Namjoon chuckled, “I did say I like to surprise you.”
“Well you definitely surprised me. I thought I had lost my shit seeing you up there. You’re good, like insanely good.”
Namjoon looked down at the ground bashfully but then looked up and said, “Let me make it up to you.”
“How?”
“Let's go out to eat.”
His mind started running a mile a minute. Is he… asking me out? No, that couldn't possibly be Namjoons intention. Or was it? He didn't know what to think anymore but a voice at the back of his mind was telling him it didn't matter because he was going out to eat to eat with Namjoon. Namjoon who was RM, rising rapper who had just played a song that he, Min Yoongi and Agust D, sold to him.
“Okay, right now?”
“Of course. Let's go,” Namjoon said and grabbed his hand to lead him out. People were staring at them, mostly at Namjoon, trying to get his attention or offering to buy him drinks. Namjoon just smiled politely at all of them, declining their offers and never leaving Yoongi's side, even though he had let go of his hand.
It felt good to leave the claustrophobic club. The heat had gone down over the last week as it got closer to September. It was nearing autumn now but he could still hear the cicadas chirping away while Namjoon softly took a hold of his arm and led his through the streets of Hongdae. The atmosphere was lively, it was a clear night and everybody was out to enjoy it.
“One order of soondae, please,” he heard Namjoon order as he continued to look at the surroundings. There was a very small seating area to the side with one table and four chairs that were conveniently empty. It was almost romantic but he didn't let himself think like that. Namjoon was a rising star, someone who's only going to leave him behind the mess he’ll create if his feelings continued to grow.
“Here is one order of soondae to share and two beers. Hope you don't mind, I’m not that hungry.”
He eyed the blood sausage hungrily but didn't make a move to eat yet.
“Then why'd you want to go out to eat?”
Namjoon shrugged, drinking from his beer. He didn't miss the way Namjoons eyes endearingly grew a little bigger as he drank.
“Performing kills my appetite. I just wanted to spend more time with you.”
His face grew hot and he looked towards the crowds, away from Namjoons stare. He wanted to spend more time with him as well but instead changed the subject.
“That song…the first one, did you happen to buy the beat off of somebody from craigslist a few years ago?”
Namjoon stopped picking at the soondae and looked at Yoongi suspiciously. “How did you know that?”
“I was the guy that sold it to you,” he said simply and smirked at the expression of astonishment on Namjoons face. Finally he was the one doing the surprising. He couldn't lie, there was a sense of satisfaction from having Namjoon baffled.
“No shit? You’re Agust D?”
“Wait, how the fuck did you know that?”
“Dude, you said that was your name. I remember looking it up on Soundcloud later that day to see if you had an account because I liked the beat so much.”
They stared at each other with wide-eyes and looks of acknowledgement, food long ignored.
“This is so weird,” was all he said.
“I was like you’re biggest fan but you stopped posting music,” Namjoon continued.
“Yeah… I started doing producing ‘professionally’. It didn't leave a lot of time to continue doing my own thing.”
“What if you produced for me?” One look at Namjoons face and he could tell the offer was serious. “My manager is looking for a team for me. I could get you on board, if you want.”
He wondered how he could ever get over Namjoon now. The butterflies that had been softly fluttering in his stomach and chest ever since he met Namjoon, were now creating a hurricane. He had to make a move before he even accepted the offer. Or force himself to cut it off.
“Listen-“ They both said at the same time.
“You go-“ They said again.
“Okay, I’ll go.” He gathered all the courage he could muster and said, “I have to say something, I think it's important before you to know before I even consider your offer. I like you, so much and I’m sorry if changes things or makes you uncomfortable but I’d be direct right now than have it blow up later. I hate miscommunication.” He let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding, a weight had immediately been lifted.
“Are you kidding?” Namjoon asked incredulously. Oh no. Here it was, rejection, he should be used to it by now.
“Its okay if you don’t feel the same way-,” he started before Namjoon interrupted him.
“Are you kidding Min Yoongi? After all the flirting, you think I don't feel the same way?”
For the second time that night, he was speechless. He didn't know how Namjoon did it, will he ever stop surprising him? Alarms started going off in his head but it took him a concerning amount of time to let Namjoons words sink in. The butterflies would not shut up.
“I… I thought… you..wait, you were flirting the whole time? I thought I was flirting with you and you were the clueless one!”
Namjoon laughed, a loud guffaw that required he throw his head back and smile brightly.
“Why do you think I sat down with in the diner? Spent my work break with you? Went through all this trouble to surprise you? Asked you out to eat afterwards? I like you Yoongi. You're so… refreshing to be around. I feel like I can be myself with you, no facades, no lies.”
The butterflies that were in his stomach were now threatening to spill out onto the pavement. Everything felt surreal, he needed to make sure he wasn't dreaming so he leaned over without thinking twice and met Namjoon's lips with his. The other didn't even have time to react before he pulled away. He lifted his hand and his fingers ghosted his lips.
Did he just do that?
Namjoon took him by the hand and looked straight into his eyes.
“So when can you start?”