Work Text:
Namjoon stares at his phone as he sits in his dimly lit kitchen.
Jimin-ie ❤️
Boss says I have to stay in Japan so I won’t be able to come home until the end of the week. I love you. (11:42 PM)
He sighs heavily, running his fingers through his hair. He knows that Jimin has a strong work ethic, always going above and below. And he can’t complain. He should be happy that his husband is a hard-working and passionate person. He should be.
But he isn’t.
Namjoon hasn’t seen his own husband in two weeks and now he almost has to wait another week. And now he’s going to spend their ninth anniversary alone.
He had been preparing a nice dinner for him and Jimin right at home, practicing his cook skills by watching multiple videos so he didn’t ruin it on the day. All that time had gone to waste. It seems like Jimin didn’t even realize their anniversary was coming up.
Namjoon texts Jimin back with an I love you with shaky hands and slides off the chair, swallowing. He heads upstairs, feet automatically taking him to Haneul’s room. He quietly opens the door, peeking inside.
Their daughter, seven-year-old Haneul, peacefully sleeps underneath the glow-in-the-dark stars on her ceiling. She’s blissfully unaware of how her dad won’t be here for another week until Namjoon has to tell her when she wakes up in the morning. It breaks his heart.
It hurts to think about it but sometimes, Namjoon believes that Jimin forgets that they have a daughter together. If he did remember, he wouldn’t neglect them so much.
Namjoon closes his daughter’s bedroom door and goes back to his own bedroom. He slips underneath the bedsheets, staring at the other empty side of the bed.
Namjoon feels cold.
“But why can’t he come home?” Haneul cries, eyes wet. Namjoon sighs.
“He just has to work a little bit more,” Namjoon tries to explain, but even to him, he can’t convince himself. “I promise he’ll be back by the end of this week.”
“But he said he was going to back already!” Haneul yells and Namjoon closes his eyes. He doesn’t want to get frustrated with a seven-year-old but he can’t help it.
“Park Haneul, we don’t yell,” Namjoon says. She only looks at him with a deep frown and furrowed eyebrows and stomps away. He calls after her, “I’ll be right there to help you.”
“Leave me alone!”
Hanuel runs back upstairs and Namjoon groans. She’s angry. But she has a right to be angry. She’d been looking forward to Jimin coming home and hearing that he was extending his time in Japan upset her.
Namjoon looks at her half-eaten breakfast. He doesn’t want her to go to school on a half-full stomach, though he doesn’t think she’ll eat anymore. He sighs and walks upstairs to Haneul’s room.
In silence, he helps her put on her uniform and fix her hair. He attempts to place some clips in her hair but she only pushes his hand away. Despite her being rude, Namjoon doesn’t say anything. He drives her school, kissing the top of her head and watching run inside. His heart feels heavy. Maybe he should have told her after school, so she wouldn’t have to start her day with the disappointment.
In the car, Namjoon tries to call Jimin but the call goes right into voicemail. He leans against the chair, staring at the screen. He goes to messages and texts:
Good morning (9:13 AM)
Haneul-ie wasn’t too happy about you coming home later (9:13 AM)
Call me when you can (9:14 AM)
I miss you (9:14 AM)
He hates how awkward he feels texting his own husband.
“Hyung, do you think I’m being too… dramatic about this?” Namjoon asks, back flat on Yoongi’s couch. Yoongi doesn’t look at him, focused on whatever he’s creating on his computer screen, but answers.
“No. He clearly forgot about his own anniversary and family if he’s going to stay in Japan for longer,” Yoongi says bluntly. “Just like Haneul-ah, you can complain too.”
It’s ironic that Yoongi, the man who used to stay in his studio night and day, is criticizing Jimin for being a workaholic. But he’s gotten better at managing and his relationship with Seokjin doesn’t seem so one-sided.
“But Jimin loves his job,” Namjoon insists. “I can’t take that away from him.”
“He loves his job but at the cost of what? You and your daughter?” Yoongi questions, finally glancing at Namjoon with raised brows. “I’m sorry to say it but he’s an ass.”
“Hyung!” Namjoon exclaims, frowning. “Don’t say that.”
“I’m sorry but you have to hear it from someone and I’m being nice,” Yoongi says. “Sure, he might have his nice moments and right now, he’s treating you like trash.”
Namjoon turns his head back at the ceiling. He wants to argue but Yoongi is right. Jimin isn’t treating him right, he isn’t treating Namjoon like the husband and lover he is. It pains him to think about it. Yoongi gets up from his chair and kneels beside Namjoon.
“Talk to him,” Yoongi says. “I’m sure he’ll get his head out of his ass when you tell him what you think.” Namjoon chuckles and hits Yoongi’s shoulder playfully.
“Thanks.”
Jimin facetimes him around ten at night, almost thirteen hours after Namjoon’s morning text.
“Sorry, I forgot to charge my phone last night and went the whole day without it,” Jimin explains, smiling brightly. Namjoon laughs and smiles back.
“That doesn’t sound like you.”
"Yeah,” Jimin draws out, running a hand through his hair. Namjoon loves that little habit of his. He jokes how Jimin will make his hairline recede. “ Everything’s been… hectic. ”
“Are you okay?” Namjoon asks, frowning.
“It’s just the stress getting to me,” Jimin replies. He gets closer to the camera. “Talking to you makes it go away, of course. ”
“Oh my god,” Namjoon laughs, blushing. “You’re a terrible flirt.”
“Anyways, how are you? ” Jimin asks, shuffling on the hotel bed. “ Everything good? ”
Namjoon swallows. Just like Yoongi said, he has to talk to Jimin. How pushed aside he feels, how upset Hanuel is. Jimin will understand.
“Um…” Namjoon slowly begins. “Haneul… didn’t it well when I told her you’ll be staying in Japan for longer.”
“Wait, why?”
“Because she misses her dad!” Namjoon exclaims, shocked at Jimin’s surprised expression. “And I don’t blame her. I miss you too. Why did you have to stay longer? You said two weeks. Two weeks, Jimin. Not three. You’re going to miss our anniversary too. Did you even remember it was this week?”
"Fuck.” The camera pans away from Jimin. He only hears static from the other side. “Shit, I’m sorry. I didn’t.”
Namjoon wants to cry. In the back of his mind, he knew that Jimin forgot. How could he extend his business trip if he didn’t forget? But hearing it right from his husband makes the wound bleed more.
“It’s fine,” Namjoon says more to himself than to Jimin. “We can just celebrate it after you come back.”
“Namjoon, I’m so sorry. I… I’m so sorry. I completely forgot,” Jimin continues. “Work—”
“Of course. Work, work, work,” Namjoon spits out mockingly. “Think about your daughter, Jimin! She barely spoke all day after I told her and looked ready to cry every time I looked at her. Life isn’t all about work.”
“You’re right, I’m sorry .” Jimin’s voice breaks. “I’ll do better. I’m sorry. ” Namjoon doesn’t respond to that.
“Goodnight.”
“Good—”
Namjoon ends the call. He throws his phone off the bed, somewhere and pulls the bedsheets over his head.
Something coils in his stomach.
The next day, an idea forms in Namjoon’s head.
“I’m going to go to Japan,” he tells himself as he looks up plane tickets to Osaka, Japan and impulsive buys them. He hits himself in the head when he realizes what he’s done. He just spent about 220,000 won on two plane tickets for tomorrow. “Fuck, shit, what am I doing.”
Namjoon calls Yoongi.
“What is— ”
“I just bought plane tickets to Japan,” Namjoon explains rapidly.
“You what?” Yoongi sounds taken back.
“I just bought plane tickets to Japan,” Najoon tells Yoongi more slowly. “For Haneul and I. To visit Jimin. And maybe spent the rest of his time there with him.”
“Wow,” Yoongi replies, flabbergasted. “Never knew you would be so impulsive.”
“Shut up,” Namjoon says. He goes to the back of his and Jimin where they have an extra suitcase. He doesn’t have one for Haneul but he’s pretty sure can fit his and her clothing into one.
“When are you leaving?”
“Tomorrow morning.” He starts to pull whatever looks suitable out of his closet. “I’m telling you so you don’t freak out or whatever.”
“Freak out? Min Yoongi doesn’t freak out.” Yoongi snorts and adds, “have a great time in Japan though.”
When Namjoon tells Haneul, she smiles so brightly that his heart leaps at the sight of his daughter so happy. She’s excited to finally see Jimin and doesn’t fall asleep until ten despite him telling her multiple times that they have to wake up early. She sleeps in his bed and he doesn’t mind at all, holding her tightly against his chest.
He pictures spending his anniversary in Osaka. He had read how Osaka was known for its street food. Maybe he and Jimin could have some fun with Haneul trying out new foods. The thought of the three finally together makes him smile as he falls asleep.
Namjoon and Haneul get on board around eight AM, Haneul unable to contain her energy despite the early time. It’s an almost two-hour flight to Osaka but it honestly feels like forever. When Haneul gets bored of watching the clouds pass by out the window, he pulls out her coloring book and watches her color as his earbuds play music.
His leg keeps bouncing, nervous. The worst-case scenario is that Jimin would be mad. But why would he be mad? Jimin would be so happy to see Namjoon and Haneul after almost three weeks. The negative thought hits a cord with his insecurities but he tries to keep a cheery look when Haneul asks what’s wrong.
By ten AM, the plane lands in Osaka and Namjoon flags down a taxi. With his rusty Japanese he hasn’t practiced in a while, he tells the taxi driver where to go. Before Jimin had left, he had told Namjoon which hotel he was staying in and which room number just in case of an emergency. This wasn’t an emergency, but much better than one.
It’s a twelve-minute ride to the hotel, Haneul adorably talking to the taxi driver in her broken Japanese that Namjoon taught her a couple of times during the ride and the taxi driver indulges her. Namjoon pays the taxi driver in cash, yen that Namjoon kept from the last time he traveled to Japan years ago.
The hotel is pretty and huge, which isn’t much of a surprise considering Jimin’s job. Haneul gasps at the inside when they enter.
“It’s so pretty!” Haneul squeals and he laughs.
“It sure is,” he agrees, “ready to see appa?”
Namjoon heads to the front desk, stating that he isn’t a guest but is visiting his husband in Japanese. The lady at the front desk allows him to go and tells him that the work he’s looking for is on the fourth floor. He thanks her, going to the elevators and smiling down at Haneul who skips beside him.
The elevators quickly get stuffed when they get inside, the two pushed to the corner. Haneul giggles at the awkward expression on Namjoon’s face who tries to move their suitcase so it doesn’t bother anyone.
They exit on the fourth floor and Namjoon searches for room 427. At the end of the hall on the left, is the room and Namjoon freezes up.
God, he really can’t believe that he’s in Japan, in front of his husband’s hotel room. Namjoon takes too long so Haneul decides to reach in and knock on the door instead.
On the other side of the door, Namjoon hears some shuffling and heavy footsteps that approach the door. He smiles when the door opens but drops when he sees who it is.
It’s not his husband. Instead, it’s a young, shirtless man with tattoos wrapping around his arm with rather long, messy hair. There are even hickeys on his neck. Namjoon blushes.
“Oh, sorry, I think I have the wrong — ”
“Who is—”
Right behind the man, is his husband. Jimin. Jimin, who shirtless as well, with hickeys all over his body. Subconsciously, he grips Haneul’s hand tighter and pulls her behind him as his eyes widen, staring right at Jimin.
No, no, no, no, no.
“Ji-Jimin?” Namjoon’s voice shakes and he wants to throw up.
“Shit, Namjoon, this isn’t—this isn’t what it looks like—” Jimin attempts to explain but Namjoon feels his blood boil.
“This isn’t what it looks like?! ” He screams, disregarding the fact that he was in a hallway of a hotel. “I can’t fucking believe you. What the fuck is wrong with you?! Did you even have to work for another week?”
Namjoon glances at the guy for a hot second who is in complete shock. Maybe the guy didn’t know that Jimin was married and he instantly feels bad for him. But in that second, those feelings disappear when he recognizes the young man. He’s a coworker of Jimin. The realization makes his head spin. Did that mean that Jimin had been cheating on him for much longer?
“Namjoon, can we sit down and talk—” Jimin is now at the door, grabbing at Namjoon’s hand but Namjoon steps back.
“Don’t touch me. You’re disgusting, Park Jimin. I can’t believe you would do this to me. To Haneul! ”
Jimin’s eyes drop down as if finally registering that his own daughter is there. “Haneul—”
In one scoop, Namjoon picks up Haneul with one arm and goes down to the hallway, back to the elevator. He doesn’t listen to Jimin’s pleads to wait. He gets inside and finally breathes.
Haneul is crying in his arms and he tries not to cry with her as he wipes her tears with his sleeve.
“Appa’s sorry that you have to see that,” Namjoon says and wishes that Haneul wasn’t there. But she was. He doesn’t know if seeing that will scar her and give her problems later. Will he have to take her to a therapist?
Namjoon walks right out of the hotel, ignoring the weird looks he receives and Jimin’s calls to his phone. He blocks Jimin. He keeps on walking, having no idea where he’s going.
He just wants to get as far from Jimin as possible.
When Namjoon finally sits down on a bench at a park, he holds a crying Haneul close to his chest and cries too.
This isn't how he wanted to spend his anniversary.