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“I was supposed to help you!”
“You are helping, just not the way you thought you will.”
Those were one of the last words Jimin heard for a long while. Sitting in a skin biting coldness, in empty but full darkness, in such a silent place where he could hear nothing besides his own heartbeat. Because of this, Jimin had a lot of time to think about where it all went wrong. He couldn’t exactly pinpoint only one thing, but he did know how the start to his end looked like.
“Please, help me.”
As a simple cafe owner, such words would concern the person and they would seek help with police involved. Or something similar to that.
However, Jimin was not a simple cafe owner. Sure, he served all kinds of drinks, both hot and cold. He decorated the whole place with his friends' help, setting all of the tables in a comfortable order, both for waiters and customers. Jimin painted the walls, did some drawings, put plants wherever he found the place. He bought all of the little decorations for the tables, like scented candles and figurines, to make his cafe a tad bit cozier.
Jimin went through all of this trouble to actually set up the place and to have customers. Serving people, helping them with their needs, making coffee, and even baking some goods, it was all part of Jimin’s fun. He wouldn’t be lying when asked if he loved his job.
However, Jimin was not a simple cafe owner and his cafe was not just a coffee shop. Or simply put, it wasn’t just for humans. Jimin wasn’t actually human himself so he opened the shop to be able to help out magical creatures.
They were everywhere in the coffee shop, but with his magic, Jimin separated the human world from the “other” world. It was quite a tricky spell. However, Jimin had a lot of time to perfect it. Magical creatures didn’t see humans and humans didn’t see them. Of course, humans didn’t even know that such non-humans existed.
That is why Jimin mostly stood behind the counter since it was the line that separated the two worlds. Whoever came to the counter, he would serve them, not having to cross anything. If he went outside of the counter, then it was kind of like being in two places at the same time. At first, it was confusing even for him. He had huge headaches after the workday for almost a year. Only after at least five years of doing this, Jimin can now work with ease.
He didn’t have many rules in his cafe, only that he would help the creatures however minor or major their wish was. If he could do that with his abilities. Sometimes ignoring morals because a customer is a customer. And he chose to never help humans. Jimin even created a secret code just so humans wouldn’t go asking him favours.
Without a doubt, when a human approached him, begging for help, Jimin was surprised. And for a good reason because no one asked for Jimin’s help so openly. That’s why he had the code.
In front of him stood a person, someone that could be around the same age Jimin looked like. Taller than Jimin, they had dark brown eyes that looked at the cafe owner pleadingly and blue coloured hair that was peeking from a burgundy hoodie.
Instead of answering the plea, Jimin simply asked:
“What will you be getting today?” the young customer didn’t even look at the board, their eyes never leaving Jimin when they answered in one breath:
“Green tea with hemlock, no sugar.”
Jimin stood in silence, looking at the customer. He was observing the person in front of him, studying, trying to read them and find any detail that might give away information about the person. Jimin found it interesting how he couldn’t see anything, except the very obvious fact that the customer was in a desperate need of help. The silence went on for a minute before Jimin finally spoke up:
“Sorry, I don’t help humans,” the cafe owner turned around to walk away when the customer grabbed his wrist, holding tightly. Jimin turned to look at the customer and he noticed tears.
“Please, you’re my only hope,” they begged.
Jimin swore to never help humans because it only brought problems. He has seen what it could do to others, he knows what it’s like. So he had a solid reason to hesitate in helping.
But the customer knew the code. They knew where to find Jimin. That must mean something.
“Go ask the police, I’m not your person,” Jimin denied the person once again. The grip around his wrist tightened.
“The police can’t help me with a matter that deals with faes.” This one sentence made Jimin stop for a moment and think. Suddenly, helping the human sounded interesting and he wanted to know more, how creatures got involved, and why this human is seeking help.
Jimin forcefully took his hand away from the customer. He took a deep breath, knowing this will not bring him anything good. Then he looked at his customer and smiled politely.
“What’s your name?” the person was taken back by the question, but they quickly hid the emotion.
“I’m Taehyung.”
“Well then, Taehyung, today is your lucky day.”
That is how Jimin met a wonderful and warm-hearted person named Taehyung. Someone he started to care about. His close friends would say that it was too close. After all, Taehyung was human. And a customer. Someone, who needed a favour and help, nothing more. Jimin fully understood that, he kept reminding himself that. But as the saying goes, you can’t choose who to love.
In the end, Jimin ended up helping Taehyung because he wanted to and felt the need to. However, Taehyung’s situation wasn’t easy.
“My sibling was kidnapped.”
“Why would faeries take them?” Jimin asked, he was curious and he needed details to figure out the best way to help. This whole thing was quite a major issue but Jimin really wanted to help.
“My sibling is related to faeries, specifically to nymphs,” Taehyung continued. Jimin nodded in response but Taehyung didn’t continue. The silence gave a lot of answers Jimin needed.
“Oh, you’re telling me that a nymph had an affair with a human?” Taehyung didn’t say anything, but Jimin figured that he was right. “I thought they didn’t do such things.”
“They don’t,” Taehyung said a bit too quickly. A very light pink painted their cheeks. Taehyung coughed a few times before they continued: “There’s bound to be some instances, right?” Jimin nodded in response.
“Finding the nymph who kidnapped your sibling, it will take a while since there are a few centers around the city where nymphs reside and I will have to use my connections,” Jimin took a sip from his bitter coffee after he finished listing his plan. It wasn't much at the moment, but at first, they had to locate Taehyung’s sibling before they did anything else.
“I understand and I’m willing to wait,” Taehyung answered, looking down at the table. Jimin noticed the sadness that was just dripping from the human’s voice. He sighed, putting his cup down and taking Taehyung’s hand into his.
“Look, I know you’re sad and that you miss them. But I’m not going to lie to you, this is going to be a long process. It might take weeks, months, depending on how useful my sources will be but I will help you no matter what,” Jimin declared, softly caressing Taehyung’s hand and thus trying to make the human feel hopeful. Maybe even comfort them?
A small smile appeared on Taehyung’s face when they asked: “Promise?”
“I promise,” Jimin confirmed.
And so, a few months went by. Jimin’s insiders weren’t as fast as he wanted them to be, but there was nothing he could do besides waiting for more information. On the other hand, Taehyung started visiting his cafe daily. They would mostly come somewhere in the afternoon, always around the same time since they still had to attend a university. Jimin unintentionally started remembering when Taehyung was going to stop by. He didn’t mean to but since Taehyung started visiting daily, Jimin was bound to remember.
Jimin just had to remind himself that Taehyung was just a customer. Daily.
At first, Jimin didn’t really see any reason for Taehyung to come and see him when the only thing they had in common was them trying to find Taehyung’s sibling. That is until the human started making small talk with Jimin and he realized that Taehyung wanted to get to know him more. Which he couldn’t understand and found weird.
Nevertheless, Jimin couldn’t deny that the human’s interest in him made him feel something. Someone for once was interested in him not only because of the favour they needed but because they simply wanted to get to know him.
“You’re telling me you’ve never had a pet?!” Taehyung asked, putting a hand over their mouth and sounding horrified.
“Why would I need it? Involves extra work and care and I have a long list of others I have to take care of so no thank you,” Jimin answered as he was wiping the nearby table. Taehyung laughed but said nothing else. After all, Jimin was right.
Then they fell into a comfortable silence, with Jimin just cleaning around and Taehyung observing him.
“Are you immortal?” Taehyung suddenly asked. Jimin smiled while he took two cups that were left on the table.
“I could be if I tried hard enough,” the cafe owner answered and turned to look at Taehyung. The human smiled the ‘I knew it!’ smile.
“So you’re not.”
“I never said that.”
“Oh come on, you would have said it outright if you were,” Taehyung taunted and then laughed right after. Jimin had to hide his smile so he pretended to be annoyed.
“Are you always this annoying?” Jimin threw the dirty cloth onto the counter and walked into the kitchen. Taehyung walked together with him, after such a long time, they were allowed to access the kitchen when the coffee shop was closed.
“Yes! That’s why everyone loves me,” Taehyung playfully stuck their tongue out.
If Jimin was completely honest with himself, he didn’t know why he indulged in conversations with Taehyung but it was always so much fun. It felt like talking to someone who wouldn’t judge Jimin for his choices. And coincidentally enough, Taehyung was that person.
“So, you do favours for others,” Taehyung started, drawing out the word ‘So’.
“Yes,” Jimin put the cups into the sink and started washing them.
“And you accept most of them?” Taehyung leaned against one counter, following Jimin as he walked around, cleaning everything along his way and putting items into their places.
“Yes, unless I can’t help them which does happen sometimes.”
“Even if the asked favour goes against morals?” Jimin paused his movement but didn’t turn to look at Taehyung.
“Even then, yes. They are in need of help so I assist them. If the creature decides to go kill someone, it’s not my problem.”
Taehyung smiled in response. They didn’t say anything for a while, staring at the counter in front of them.
“That’s brave, actually. You don’t fear that someone will come looking for you because you helped someone?”
Jimin chuckled and turned to look at the curious human. “Like I said, not my problem!”
Not only this but Taehyung even listened to Jimin complain which the cafe owner was grateful for. He had many customers to complain about. Too many yet Taehyung would always listen. They didn’t even interrupt most of the time, letting Jimin let his emotions out.
The cafe owner noticed such small gestures and it did things to him emotionally that he couldn’t explain at the time. However, sometime later it made a lot more sense.
This time they weren’t in the coffee shop.
Taehyung decided to take Jimin to the local arcade. Apparently, Jimin has never visited an arcade.
“I never felt the need to,” he told Taehyung when asked about it.
Of course, when one spends most of their life studying witchy things and then after finishing, they open a coffee shop and continue working there for many years, arcades are the last thing on Jimin’s mind. He knows arcades are a thing, he just never went to one.
“We’re gonna go then, this Friday.”
“Can I refuse?” they were in the cafe when Taehyung suggested this. Jimin was preparing coffee for a customer. “That’s a dumb question, now that I think about it” Jimin answered himself, giggling at how ridiculous it sounded.
“Great! Then it’s a date,” those few words and Jimin’s heart did a little jump. He froze and looked up at Taehyung who was giving him a bright and warm smile. He slowly smiled back yet Jimin couldn’t deny how his heart started to beat faster.
So here they were. At an arcade.
“This is a lot louder than I have expected,” was the first thing Jimin said to Taehyung.
“Come on, this will be fun! Let’s go try this game,” Taehyung grabbed Jimin’s hand and dragged him to the first game. It was a quite simple one: they choose a character and race against each other. Taehyung explained what each button did and how to control his character and then they tried playing. To Jimin’s surprise, he won the first round. Taehyung laughed and asked to play again. Jimin noted how beautifully Taehyung’s laugh sounded.
They spent the evening playing games, none that piqued Jimin’s interest. He just indulged in whatever Taehyung asked since seeing them happy and smiling made Jimin feel warm. Eventually, Jimin suggested for them to go back to the cafe, to spend some more time.
He might have lied a little about wanting to get away from the loudness.
At this point, Taehyung already felt like at home. They walked around the cafe like they owned the place. If it was someone else, Jimin would have been annoyed by such behavior but he liked seeing Taehyung like that. He wanted for this to happen more often. Or maybe all the time.
“Can we play some music? It’s really silent here,” Taehyung requested. Jimin nodded and went to turn on the speakers so he could play some music. He didn’t turn up the volume too high since he still wanted to hear Taehyung if they decided to talk.
To Jimin’s surprise, Taehyung jumped up when a song started to play.
“Come dance with me!” Jimin didn’t have any time to answer when Taehyung simply grabbed his hand and led them to the middle of the cafe where the tables won’t get into their way. The song was a fast-paced one so they just danced in front of each other. Taehyung was smiling a lot and Jimin knew they were having fun. He couldn’t help but smile himself.
When the song switched to a slow one, Taehyung walked up to Jimin. They didn’t say anything, simply extended their hand. An invitation. Jimin’s brain stopped working but he somehow managed to take Taehyung’s hand.
Taehyung put their hand around Jimin’s waist while the cafe owner hooked his hands around the human’s neck. They danced slowly, swaying together along with the rhythm.
Jimin’s mind was a mess. He couldn’t think properly, only looked at Taehyung, and thought about them. The soft lights he decided to turn on was one of the best decisions Jimin had made that day. The way the lights were making Taehyung’s eyes look, they were shining, Jimin’s heart was going to beat out of his chest. He felt like he was swimming in Taehyung’s eyes.
That was the moment Jimin realized he was falling in love.
What made Jimin’s heart jump even more and his breath catch in his throat was the way Taehyung looked at him. Jimin didn’t want to assume anything but he felt like Taehyung looked at him as if Jimin put all the stars up in the sky. Like he was everything.
And Jimin dared to look down at Taehyung’s lip. For just a second.
“I like you,” Taehyung whispered. They leaned closer to Jimin, their grip around Jimin’s waist tightened. “I really like you.”
Jimin didn’t waste any more time. He leaned in and kissed Taehyung. It was a small kiss, just a quick press of their lips yet it made Jimin feel like he’s floating. He leaned back, wanting to look at Taehyung again. They smiled while looking at Jimin and he wanted to lean in and kiss them again when Jimin’s phone rang.
The cafe owner instantly recognized the ringtone, he set it up only for one person. It always rang for one reason only. And if they were calling, that could only mean one thing.
“Leads.”
Jimin quickly walked to his phone, answering it. Taehyung could just see how the atmosphere around Jimin got a lot more cheerful. Jimin ended the call quickly and turned around to look at Taehyung with a huge smile.
“Good news! You might be able to see your sibling soon!”
A few more weeks went by until everything was ready. Jimin set up a whole plan on how to get there and how to get Taehyung’s sibling out. Of course, the plan involved only Jimin going. He knew the creatures better and he wasn’t a human himself. Jimin understood that bringing a human wouldn’t be anything good yet he still agreed when Taehyung asked.
“I’ll let you go, just try to not mess up everything. Stay close to me and don’t speak if we will encounter someone,” Taehyung listened carefully and agreed without much hesitation. Jimin admired how much love they had for their sibling. He wished for someone to care about him the way Taehyung cared about their sibling.
It took them half an hour to get to the said place. They were running through a forest with Jimin leading the way. Taehyung was silent all the way. Except for when they asked to stop and rest for a bit. Jimin didn’t want to agree but eventually, they found a spot and sat down. They shared some snacks and drank some water, wanting to recharge their spent energy. Jimin noticed that Taehyung was fidgeting but said nothing. Must be nervous to finally free their sibling and see them after a long time.
Jimin eventually put everything back into his backpack and stood up. Taehyung didn’t follow.
“Is everything alright?” he asked slowly. Taehyung didn’t look up. They kept their head lowered, not saying anything for a short moment. When Jimin thought they won’t answer, Taehyung spoke:
“You know, I spent weeks with you. Getting to know you and all that,” Jimin sensed how the atmosphere changed around him. It got colder. Taehyung’s voice was off too. “I listened to your stories, your complaints, everything you told me yet I still couldn’t understand.”
“What is it?” Jimin asked. Suddenly, he felt scared. Jimin felt like something was moving behind him. Around him. Beneath him. Everywhere yet nowhere at the same time. The forest was still, only leaves moving occasionally because of the wind.
“I kept asking myself questions, I always wondered and never found the answer. Until recently,” Taehyung continued as if they didn’t hear Jimin’s question.
“Tell me,” Jimin tried again, speaking in a soft voice. That is when Taehyung looked up at Jimin. His heart stopped beating, he could feel coldness seeping from every corner and into his body, his chest felt the coldest. The anger that Taehyung had in their eyes made Jimin feel scared. The cafe owner has never seen so much rage and it seemed like it was directed at him.
The curtain was dropped.
The act was done.
“I realized you just don’t give a fuck about anyone,” with those words, the movement that Jimin felt, it’s like the forest came to life. Nymphs were coming out from every corner, making a circle around Jimin and trapping him.
“What is this?!” Jimin demanded, his voice was shaking a little. He turned to look at Taehyung and saw how their appearance changed right in front of him. The dark brown eyes turned to shining emerald ones, their hair turning brown. The realization hit Jimin in an instant. “I thought faes can’t lie.”
The nymph around him laughed loudly in a mocking manner. Taehyung smiled and walked closer to Jimin while the witch backed away and ended up in the middle of the circle.
“We don’t. I didn’t lie about my lost sibling, I just didn’t tell you that they were dead,” Jimin could only look at Taehyung.
How did he not see?
How did he not notice?
What did he do to end up at this moment?
The betrayal was destroying him from the inside. Jimin felt like Taehyung was crushing his heart in their hand with every word said. Opening a huge and empty hole right in the middle of Jimin’s chest. It was dark and it hurt too much.
“I didn’t do anything!”
“Right and I’m a human,” everyone in the circle laughed again hearing Taehyung’s words. “It’s classic for someone at fault to defend themselves by saying they didn’t do anything. If only you knew how many lives you have ruined, Park Jimin,” the witch took a deep breath. Taehyung knew his full name. “So many deaths, just because you decided to help someone. And for what? Some piece of information?” They spit the words out. Taehyung’s voice was just dripping with rage. They took a deep breath to control themselves. “Enough talking, we have more important things to do,” Taehyung turned to walk away when Jimin’s voice stopped them:
“I thought you loved me!” A small knife pierced Taehyung’s chest. This was unfair, for them and Jimin. But if the witch didn’t have any morals, why should woodland faeries have them? They weren’t human after all.
“I do love you. However, the family is more important than a lover. Not like you would understand,” Taehyung said loudly, his voice echoed and traveled through the whole forest with the wind. The fae smirked because they hit Jimin where it hurt deep. “Take him away,” they told the nymphs.
Jimin trashed and tried to get away, trying to fight his way out when the nymphs walked closer to him. Taehyung knew this would happen so they brought the strongest nymphs they had. A few moments later, Jimin was captured, his hands tied behind his back.
“I was supposed to help you!” Jimin screamed, trying his best to break away from the strong grip the two nymphs had on him with no luck.
“You are helping,” Taehyung looked at Jimin for the last time. “Just not the way you thought you will.”
And just like that, everything around Jimin went dark.