Chapter Text
It was 11 pm, Thursday. Namjoon wasn't usually this late for dinner, but things had been hard today. He'd decided to skip dinner in favor of some drinks with Hobi. But now he was hungry and he needed his favorite chef's company.
Seokjin was cleaning his counter, ready to call it a day. It had been a good day at RJ's. He'd even had to call Yoongi for some assist. But the place had finally emptied out and he was ready for his pajamas, a nice mug of hot chocolate, and his favorite drama.
The chime of his door opening interrupted his train of thought. "I'm sorry, we're closed for the night," he said, looking up. It was Namjoon, one of his regulars. "Oh. I am late, aren't I?" Namjoon said. He was swaying slightly where he stood. "Namjoon-ssi, are you drunk?"
"Yeah, I had a trashy day at work so I decided to forgo dinner but now I'm hungry." The man looked like a lost puppy.
Jin sighed. "Okay, guess I can make an exception for my favorite customer," he said, winking. Namjoon went pink. "No no, I don't want to bother you-"
"It's not a bother. And besides, I can't let you go home on an empty stomach like this." He gestured to a seat in front of his counter. Namjoon sat down with a plop.
"So, what would you like to have?" Jin asked, already knowing the answer.
"Surprise me!"
Joon watched as the chef immediately started bustling around. He got out some onions and started chopping them really thin. Joon was always awestruck by Seokjin's proficiency with the knife. He wondered how much the elder had to practice for it, how many scrapes and cuts he'd had to endure. Joon had tried copying him at home once and almost lost a finger to the cause.
Pretty soon, the chef was singing softly as he worked. Joon loved his voice, it was one of the reasons he came there so often. Today, apparently, the chef's subconscience was obsessed with Fancy by Twice. Joon smiled as he watched the elder bob around, hitting the high notes perfectly.
Jin was in a trance. He moved fluidly in his kitchen, his safe place. He knew every inch of every surface. He could probably cook a dish from scratch blindfolded, not that he was inclined to try. He finished chopping and began sauteing. In the back of his mind, he was thinking of ways to get Namjoon to talk to him about what was wrong. He knew the younger was pretty closed off, but he had succeeded in reaching out to him many times before. He decided to lightly broach the subject. "So, rough day at work, huh?"
"Oh, you have no idea. My company is such bullcrap you wouldn't believe!"
It wasn't the first time Namjoon was ranting about his workplace. "Oh no, what did they do this time?"
Jin looked over at Namjoon's face as he fried the rice. The younger had a small frown on his features. Jin was immediately overcome with an urge to Protecc (what Yoongi called his "hyung instinct").
"Ahh you know, the usual. They have absolutely no respect for their employees. Good thing they don't debut any groups because I'm sure they'd give all their artists hell."
"Why do you still work there if they have such poor work ethics then?"
"Where else would I go Seokjin-ssi?" His eyes looked slightly damp, "I wanted to make my own music, rap my own songs, but I've been rejected from multiple labels for not being pretty enough. I can only do what I love by producing music for other people now. If I lose this too, I'd be completely lost in life..."
Seokjin was silent for a minute. Joon thought maybe he was just focusing on plating the food properly, and maybe he didn't really listen to his rant. But then, "Don't let anyone put you down like that Namjoon-ssi. You are extremely passionate and very talented too, I'm sure. Any label would be lucky to have you. And beauty is a social construct. By my standards, you are very hot."
Joon blushed a deep red. "That's high praise coming from someone with your face, Seokjin-ssi."
"I do have a pretty face, don't I?" Smirk.
He brought a bowl full of kimchi fried rice over to Joon, along with some side dishes. "Here you go, a taste of home." Joon eagerly dug in. It smelled heavenly and tasted out of this world.
Jin watched the younger take bite after bite, too busy eating to say anything. He chuckled to himself. Namjoon looked absolutely adorable, his dimples deepening as he enjoyed the meal.
As Jin closed up the restaurant, Namjoon said "I'm really sorry for keeping you so late, Seokjin-ssi." Jin replied, "No, it wasn't a problem at all, I love talking to you."
Namjoon smiled and said, "Me too."
They walked together in silence, each going towards their home. Jin was surprised to see Namjoon taking the same turns he did. Pretty soon he reached his neighborhood. "Do you live in this area as well?"
"Yes, I live right down that street. You?"
"I'm a bit farther ahead. Wow imagine being this close and having no idea!" he laughed.
Namjoon chuckled along and said "Well, I'll leave you here then. Goodnight, Seokjin-ssi."
"Please, call me hyung. We're neighbors after all."
Namjoon grinned. "Alright then, goodnight Jin hyung!"
"Goodnight, Namjoon-ah."
"I SWEAR HOBI I'M GOING TO LOSE MY MIND HERE!"
"Calm down Joon, just go talk to them. I'm sure they'll see reason."
Joon couldn't calm down. He was walking around in circles, very upset. "This is the tenth time this month I've been called to his office. Always with the stupid nagging. I really don't want to know what he wants to change this time."
Hobi patted his shoulder, consoling him. "Ugh, I know Joonie. Don't worry I'll take you out for lunch later okay? Just get this over with."
Joon gave Hobi a small nod and made his way slowly to his boss's office. He knocked and entered the room.
"Ah yes, Namjoon. Finally. We need to talk about your proposal." Curt.
"What did you want to discuss sir?"
"You really think THE Agust D would want to collaborate with a no-name artist like you?"
Joon took a deep breath. "I'm sure the probability of this happening is low sir, but what's the harm in contacting him? I just want to-"
"The harm, Namjoon, is to our label's reputation. We cannot have this tarnish our image."
'What image?' thought Namjoon bitterly.
"...and another thing. Take out track 6 from the mixtape."
Namjoon thought the vein in his temple would surely explode at this rate. "What? Why??"
"It has heavy vocals, Namjoon. We won't be able to get you a singer for those." His boss seemed to take a vindictive pleasure in tearing Namjoon apart. As if putting him down would make up for his own worthless existence.
"But sir I NEED this song! It's very important for the overall tone of the album, it brings the two sides of the story together!"
"Well there's nothing I can do about this, now is there? You have absolutely no cred in the industry. Who would want to appear in your mixtape?"
To say Namjoon was furious would be an understatement. He was beside himself with anger. He unclenched his fists and took several calming breaths, trying to find a solution to this stupid conundrum. "What if I find someone to sing it with me?"
"You?"
"Yes, me."
"Well, then we'd have no problem at all. You have till the end of today." A single day. That was the best he could do. Sigh.
"Okay then, thank you for your time, sir," Namjoon said in the most politely sarcastic tone he could muster. He left the office, told Hobi he had to go somewhere and that he'd buy lunch for them next time. He set out of the building, his destination already clearly set in his mind.
Seokjin was getting ready to prep for his day. He had just received his ingredients fresh at the crack of dawn. He got to work, rinsing all his vegetables with water thoroughly.
He was startled by his Mario ringtone. Wiping his hands on his apron, he received the call. "Is this Kim Seokjin?"
"Yes, this is Seokjin. Who..."
"Sir, your father was in a car accident half an hour ago, he's at the city hospital being treated right now."
Jin's world came crashing down. He felt like he had been plunged into a freezing ocean. He could barely breathe enough to talk. He could barely think. "Is he okay?! Is my father okay?? Please-"
"Don't worry sir, your father is safe and in no immediate danger." Breathe, he told himself. "He has fractured his hip and will need to be admitted for a couple of weeks."
Jin's sigh of relief was short-lived. "Two weeks?" his father didn't have insurance. He'd canceled it recently to buy Jin an apartment, against Jin's adamant refusal. His head was spinning, he couldn't think straight. He decided the first thing to do was to go see his father right away. He grabbed his coat, locked the door, and ran out.
The smell of phenyl was permeating the shared hospital ward. "Dad, why didn't you look at the road properly?" Jin admonished his father absent-mindedly as he peeled a tangerine for him. "I'm sorry for this mess son. I feel so ashamed..."
Jin immediately looked up. "No please don't say that! I'll take care of it, I promise."
"But the hospital bills, the medicine, all of this, how will you pay for it alone?"
"I have some money saved up for the restaurant's rent."
"But then what about RJ's? How will you pay the rent son?" His father looked very frustrated.
"Don't you worry your head about that dad. I'll do it. You just need to focus on getting better."
Inside Jin's mind, however, he was panicking badly. He had no idea how to make that money back in time to pay his rent. He couldn't let his restaurant go, he'd worked hard to make it his perfect place. It was all he'd ever wanted to do with his life. He enjoyed cooking for other people, making them smile thanks to his food. And it wasn't like he had other talents. He told his father he would get his clothes for him and left the hospital, he really wanted to be alone. At least his father was okay. He took solace in that fact. It was the only thing keeping him going, the only thing stopping him from curling up on the floor in a fetal position.
Jin was back at RJ's. He looked around at the empty restaurant, his heart breaking in half. He didn't want to let this place go. It was his only source of income, his childhood dream.
"What do I do, Yoongi?"
Yoongi's voice came through the call, soothing. "Don't worry hyung, you'll find something. I can give you a million won right now, I'm sorry I don't have more..."
"No oh my god Yoongi please don't apologize, I'm sorry for asking this-"
"Don't be dumb hyung, of course I'm going to help you." Jin thanked the heavens for Yoongi. He would absolutely have lost his mind on his own. "...what about asking that idol friend of yours?"
"Tae? I can't Yoongi, He's just debuted, I can't ask him."
"Okay don't worry, I'll come to you after work. We'll think of something, okay?"
"Okay..." Yoongi dropped the call. Jin's mind started reeling in the silence.
He was interrupted, once again, by the bell. Wiping his eyes quickly he turned, saying "I'm sorry, we're closed today-" to find Namjoon standing in the doorway, out of breath.
"Hyung, I'm really sorry for barging in like this but I really need to talk to you."
"I'm sorry Namjoon, this is a really bad time..."
"Hyung please, I only have one day, please you're the only person who can help me."
Jin was tired, and the younger seemed extremely agitated. He had no energy left to argue. "What is it Namjoon?"
"I need your help hyung please, my label won't get me a singer for my track and they've given me till today to find one myself. Please, I'll forever be indebted to you. I just need you to sing one song."
Jin sighed "I'm not a singer Joon-ah."
"Hyung your voice is amazing, I've heard you sing many times. Please, I just need this one favor. Of course, you'll get credits and royalties too."
Jin looked up. "I'd get money?"
"Yes of course hyung."
"And I just have to sing?"
"Yes"
Jin's brain was running in overdrive. This was the opportunity he needed! He could make money quickly this way! "Who do I have to talk to?"
"You'll do it hyung??"
"Yeah, I guess I will."
Namjoon punched the air, overjoyed. "Thank you so much oh my god!"
"Just look over this contract and sign it for us." Namjoon's boss seemed salty that Namjoon had managed to find someone. However, he also made sure to be smug about the fact that Jin wasn't a singer by profession, crooning over how he was right and no one would work with Joon.
Jin glanced through the contract, reading quickly. It seemed pretty legitimate. One line stood out to him though. "I have to state that I'm not gay?"
"Yes, it's company policy."
Jin looked at Namjoon who was standing to his right. Namjoon gave him an apologetic shrug and a look that said 'I told you they were assholes'. The problem, however, was that Jin was gay. He considered his options. It was only for one song, right. And it's not like they'd find out if he was gay. He wasn't going to tell anyone. He could just hide it.
He signed the contract.
"Perfect. You can work with Namjoon for your song." They were ushered out of the office.
"Thank you hyung, thank you so much, I owe you big time!"
Jin smiled back, ignoring the pit in his stomach.