Archive of Our Own ^beta

“And we’re live in three… two… one!"

Jimin peers over to where Taehyung sits outside the recording booth, coffee in hand, presumably tracking today’s numbers on his phone. With a nod, he clears his throat and steps closer to the mic, ready to deploy the deep, almost seductive voice he uses exclusively on air. He adjusts his headphones as he waits for the intro music to fade, watching the timer hit three, then two, then one, then finally zero. It’s go time.

“Good afternoon, good evening and good night to all the lovers out there,” Jimin purrs into the mic. “This is Minnie coming at you live ready to tackle all your relationship troubles. Before we start, I’d like to take the time to personally thank each and every one of you who continues to support Trivia, Love. If it weren’t for all of our loyal listeners, this show wouldn’t be possible, so I’d like to once again express how grateful we are to have such a dedicated audience.” 

“And your generous donations!” Taehyung calls from behind the glass.

Jimin rolls his eyes fondly. The tiny phone symbol on the side panel flickers on, indicating there’s already a queue of avid listeners waiting on the line; a quick thumbs-up from Taehyung soon confirms this. 

“My lines are officially open! No matter what, don’t be shy to share your feelings. Remember that love is in the air - all we have to do is reach out and catch it!”

“First caller on the line!” Taehyung shouts.

“Hey there! Minnie speaking,” Jimin greets cheerfully. “How may I revitalise your traumatised love life?”

There’s some shuffling followed by what sounds like somebody sniffling on the other line, and after a while, a man’s voice spills out of the speakers. “Minnie! Thank you so much for picking up.” 

“Sure thing, sweetheart. What’s the issue?” 

“I think my girlfriend is cheating on me,” the guy says bluntly.

“Oh really? Steamy!” Jimin claps his hands together. “What gives you that idea?”

“Well, I keep finding blonde hairs in the shower every night when I get home from work. They can’t be mine or hers because neither of us dye our hair.” He pauses for a second. “I don’t know what to do! I love this girl, but I can’t be a third wheel in my own relationship. I’m worried that if I bring it up to her she’ll go on the defensive and get mad at me, and I’m useless at de-escalating situations. How should I approach her about it?”

Jimin’s eyebrows knit together as he weighs the optics of the situation. This guy - whoever he is - has good reason to believe his partner is being unfaithful, yet he lacks the confidence to have a conversation with her about it. Jimin can understand his hesitancy, but at the same time, problems like this can’t go unmentioned in a healthy relationship. “I suggest you do some investigating before you jump to any conclusions or accuse her of anything,” he advises. “There could be a totally innocent explanation for the hairs you’ve been finding. Perhaps she’s letting a friend who doesn’t have access to a shower use yours and just hasn’t given you the heads up?”

The guy lets out a heavy sigh. “I doubt it. Neither of us has many friends, and the ones she does have, none of them are blonde. I’m really struggling to come up with an explanation here other than she’s cheating on me.”

Huh. Optimism isn’t always the best outlook, it would seem.

“Doubt is never a good foundation for a relationship. Talk to her about it, but if you’re having this much difficulty communicating in the first place, the relationship was already doomed. And if you find out that she has in fact been cheating on you, that gives you all the more reason to leave her. She doesn’t respect you, therefore she doesn’t deserve you.”

“But we’ve been together for years-”

“That’s her loss!” Jimin interrupts him. “If she truly valued you or your relationship, she would have called it quits when she realised she wasn’t happy with you. She wouldn't go behind your back and string you along. Tell her to pack her things and go. You deserve better.”

“You know what? You’re right!” The guy says, his shift in tone sudden and enthusiastic. “Our relationship has felt stagnant for a long while now, anyway. It’s time to move on. Now I can finally take up those skydiving classes I’ve always wanted to sign up for!”

“That’s the spirit!” Jimin punches the air with his fist. He can hear Taehyung laughing at him. “Go chase your dreams!”

“Thanks, Minnie! You’re a life saver!”

“My pleasure,” Jimin smiles, and he means it. To him, there’s nothing more gratifying than hearing how he’s helped his listeners. It’s the sole reason he’s kept this gig up for so long. “You heard it here, my loves. Minnie saves the day once again! I worked my magic for this dear caller, and I can do it for you too.”

Twenty minutes and six phone calls later, Jimin’s eyelids start getting heavy. He’s just finished talking to a first year student about how to let her ‘chronically introverted’ crush know she’s interested without being too obnoxious about it, and signals to Taehyung that once she hangs up, they should call it a day. Taehyung seems to agree.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you, Minnie!” The girl squeals down the line. “I think I have the courage to ask her out now!”

“Don’t thank me, honey! It’s all in a day’s work!” Jimin says, using every last bit of energy he has to not sound as exhausted as he feels. “Sorry to everyone waiting on the line, but that’s the end of our show. Call back first thing on Monday and we’ll get you hooked up. Thank you for another juicy segment, my loves. I’ll catch you all next week, same time, same place on Trivia, Love.”

The outro music kicks in, and Jimin nearly sighs in relief. It never ceases to surprise him how solving other people’s romantic woes leaves him feeling so sapped afterward. He takes his headphones off and sets them down, fighting back a yawn when he steps out of the booth.

“You were on fire today, Jimin-ah,” Taehyung comments when Jimin skips over to retrieve his backpack off the desk. “How do you do it? Three years into this gig and I still don’t know your secret.”

Jimin shrugs. “I just say the first thing that comes to mind, really.” 

“All your listeners would be horrified if they knew you’d saved thousands of relationships and reunited long-lost lovers and exposed several high-profile affairs all based on a gut feeling,” Taehyung laughs as he switches the panel off. “Whatever you’re doing, it works like a charm. Your listeners adore you.”

As conceited as it may sound, Jimin knows he’s loved. He has listeners tell him such week in, week out. But as much as he’d like to believe their sentiments are personal, he’s reminded time and time again that they don’t know him. They only know Minnie, the mysterious, faceless host of one of the most popular segments on campus radio. They don’t know Park Jimin, the cat lover, the baking enthusiast, the third year university student who likes taking long strolls in the park at night and wouldn’t mind having someone to come home to, someone to share his love with. 

“Goodnight, Jimin-ah,” Taehyung says, pulling Jimin back down to Earth.

Jimin tries his hardest not to let his smile falter. “Night, Tae.”

♡♡♡

Yesterday’s segment was a resounding success. It’s all Jungkook talks about in the library when they’re meant to be kicking off their weekend-long study session. As it turns out, he’s one of the biggest Trivia, Love fans on campus, and Jimin’s not so sure what to make of that information. He’s almost endeared, but there’s a fine line between his personal life and on-air business that he likes to maintain, and Jungkook is teetering dangerously close to crossing it. Nevertheless, Jimin’s over the moon with the positive response the last segment has been met with, and it’s nice to sit back and check the statistics when he’s not feeling so sure of himself. Hosting the show is far less strenuous than his sociology degree, and in some ways it actually gives him insight on his studies, and vice versa. Researching human behaviour and patterns of social relationships gives him a tremendous edge when it comes to fixing the more complex interpersonal relationships of the university’s student body. It also gives him an excuse to not sit and dwell on his own non-existent love life, especially his hopeless crush on-

“Hey, have you spoken to Min Yoongi lately?”

“What?” Jimin says, scandalised. 

Jungkook frowns. “He’s the cute guy from work, right? Have you talked to him any more?”

Jimin doesn’t look up from the spreadsheet he’s filling out in triplicate. “Yes, he’s the cute guy from work, and no, I haven’t spoken to him since my last shift. Much to my dismay.”

“I don’t get you, hyung,” Jungkook says, pulling up a chair and draping his arms around the back. “You’re easy to talk to, you’re funny, you’re smart, you’re gorgeous. Everyone likes you. I know you know they do. So why are you so afraid to talk to Yoongi-ssi? If you’re worried he’s straight, I can assure you he’s not. I saw him in the BL section last time I went to that manhwa store downtown-”

“It’s not that,” Jimin says quickly. He can already feel his cheeks turning pink. “I just don’t think he’d be interested in someone like me. I don’t think I’d be his type at all.”

Jungkook quirks an eyebrow. “You know what his type is?”

Jimin massages his temples with the tips of his fingers. “No. But it would be useful if I did so I could give myself a reality check.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” When he’s met with no response, Jungkook shuffles closer so that his shoulder is brushing up against Jimin’s. “Hey, I’ve got an idea!”

“Nothing good ever comes of you saying that, Jungkookie.”

Jungkook ignores him. “Why don’t you ask Minnie?”

Jimin fingers freeze on his keyboard. “Huh?”

“Minnie from Trivia, Love. I bet he can help you out.”

Uh oh.

“Jungkookie,” Jimin says slowly. “I appreciate your, uh, eagerness to help me out. But I don’t need any interventions. Me and hyung just don’t have enough in common to ever make it work. Besides, he’s just broken up with his boyfriend. Even if he is looking for a rebound, he’s not looking for someone like me. I'm okay with that."

Jungkook huffs and slumps in his seat. “If you say so.”

Jimin spends the rest of the session in the library with his headphones in, finishing up his essay on how increased meat consumption affects the environment that’s due next week. He kind of wishes Jungkook had never brought up Min Yoongi at all because now he’s the only damn thing he can think about. At least their shifts don’t overlap tonight, otherwise Jimin might just spontaneously combust.

The restaurant is busy even by Saturday evening standards. Jimin’s been darting back and forth between his tables and the kitchen since his shift started an hour ago, barely having time to chat with Hoseok like he usually does while he waits to seat customers. It’s been a rough shift already; a woman ripped into him because her yukgaejang was too hot, then an unsupervised kid running around came slamming into his legs, causing him to nearly trip up. Fortunately he managed to regain his balance somewhat gracefully thanks to his years of ballet training, but he wasn’t able to salvage the two glasses of red wine which spilt all down his freshly ironed white shirt. Jimin assured the child’s mortified parents that it happens all the time, no need to apologise, but on the inside he could feel his sanity dangling by a thin, thin thread.

There’s a grey backpack with a white kitten charm hanging from its zipper dumped outside the kitchen when Jimin heads back there in search of a clean shirt - probably one of the chefs, none of them are very spatially aware. Jimin steps over it with a sigh and pushes the door open. 

“Jiminie!”

Seokjin’s voice immediately carries over the chefs’ conversations. He heads over carrying a tray of steaming hot appetisers, and Jimin physically cringes when he nearly slips and drops them. “How are you? I feel like I haven’t seen you in forever.”

“It’s been a week at most,” Jimin giggles.

Seokjin’s eyes travel down to Jimin’s wine-stained shirt, and his mouth drops open just enough so that his top teeth are visible. “What the hell happened? You look like you’ve been stabbed.”

“Kid ran into me and I spilled the drinks I was carrying. You don’t have a spare shirt lying around, do you?”

“I think Yeonjun-ah left one here this morning. It’s out back, but it might be a little creased.”

Jimin waves a hand. “That’s fine. Thanks, hyung.”

Seokjin nods and manoevers his way past, leaving Jimin to go rummage through the back room. It takes him a while to find the shirt, and when he eventually pulls it out from the rack, it’s crumpled beyond belief. Jimin scrunches his nose up in disapproval, but changes into it nevertheless. Just as he shrugs it on, the door swings open, and someone steps in. Jimin nearly chokes on thin air. That’s Min Yoongi. Min Yoongi has just seen his bare chest within their place of work. Min Yoongi just stares at him, mouth slightly agape, unaware that Jimin is dying a slow, agonising death right in front of him.

Min Yoongi has made such a meteoric impact on Jimin’s life that it’s actually a little sad. Before they met, Jimin’s love life was nothing to write home about; he dated here and there, casually hooked up with a few guys, allowed himself to have fun. Most importantly, he never found himself becoming too attached to anyone.

After they met - after Yoongi showed up one day at work with his dark hair swept across his forehead and his sleeves rolled up, after Seokjin befriended him and started bringing him along to various functions in and around campus, after Jimin spotted him at the bus stop, eyes shut and bobbing his head along peacefully to his music in the spring shower - Jimin’s dating life came to a screeching halt. He stopped going to the club. He hasn’t hooked up with anyone in months. Now, there’s a huge Yoongi-shaped void in his heart, something he knows is pathetic yet can’t come up with a fix for. Every single time he tells himself to get over it, he’ll catch a glimpse of Yoongi’s adorable gummy smile from the corner of his eye, or see him play with his bracelets, or watch his shoulders shake with laughter whenever Seokjin says something dumb, and Jimin is right back to square one.

“Hi, Jimin-ah,” Yoongi says, finally breaking the excruciating silence between them. One of them had to do it. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know you were-”

“It’s fine, don’t worry about it,” Jimin assures him, his words coming out in a jumbled rush. This is so awkward already. “I, uh, I didn’t know you were working today. I thought you were off on Saturdays.”

“I usually am. But Sunghoon-ah’s sick and they didn’t have anyone else to cover for him, so I figured I should just come in. I need the extra cash, anyway.”  Jimin notices the red patches creeping onto Yoongi’s cheeks, the way he’s clenching and unclenching his fists, the way he’s stumbling over his words. God, he’s too cute. It’s almost enough to send him into cardiac arrest. “Hey, have you seen my backpack anywhere?”

“Your backpack?”

“Some genius offered to hang it up back here for me but I have no clue where it is. It’s grey, and it’s got-”

“A little kitten charm on the zipper?” Jimin finishes for him. Yoongi’s face lights up hopefully. “It’s in the kitchen, I saw it just a moment ago.”

“God, I’m gonna strangle Jiyong hyung,” Yoongi laughs. He meets Jimin’s gaze and holds it - his eyes are so pretty, like dark swirling constellations. Jimin feels as though a firecracker has just been set off in his ribcage. “Thanks, Jimin-ah. I’ll see you soon?” He says, softly.

Jimin’s so swept up in Yoongi’s eyes that he almost forgets he’s standing half-naked in front of him. Hurriedly, he buttons his shirt up and pushes his hair off his forehead, smoothing out the crinkles in the fabric. “I’ll be out in a minute,” he smiles as naturally as he can when Min Yoongi is standing three foot away from him and has just seen his nipples. Yoongi ducks his head and mumbles something about going to find his bag on his way out, and Jimin curses himself for being so useless. Why does he have to be so great at fixing everyone else’s romantic problems when he can’t even hold a normal conversation with Yoongi for two minutes without feeling like a total loser?

Predictably, the dinner rush only picks up as the night progresses. By the end of his shift, Jimin’s shirt is soaked through with sweat and possibly a bit of spilt apple juice. He makes a mental note to give it a few spins in the washing machine before he returns it to Yeonjun. Since he, Hoseok and Yoongi have been burdened with the closing shift, they spend the last quarter of the evening mopping up, wiping the specials board clean, picking up stray noodles that a group of rowdy teenagers had splattered carelessly across the floor, and by the time they’re done, Jimin wants nothing more than to retreat back to his dorm room and wrap himself up in a warm cocoon of blankets.

Yoongi seems to be on the same page. He always works quickly and efficiently (not that Jimin's been watchinhg him, obviously), but tonight he’s polishing the cutlery with extra precision, his focus sharp and intense as he scrubs the countertop down in slow, rough stripes. Jimin knows he’s supposed to be helping, but there’s something so damn captivating about Yoongi holding a wet cloth in his large hands, lips pursed and eyes droopy and hair messy that the only thing he can do is stop and gawk at him.

Jungkook would absolutely be tormenting him about how hopelessly whipped he is if he were here right now.

When they’re all done and Hoseok has finally wrapped up his spiel about how much he despises working the dinner service and Seokjin has locked up the register and Jimin has hung everyone’s aprons up, they grab their belongings and hustle out the back exit. Before Jimin can turn the corner, someone calls his name.

“Jimin-ah?”

He swivels around to see Yoongi behind him, and his breath catches temporarily in his throat. “Hi, hyung.”

“I just wanted to apologise for earlier,” Yoongi says, sheepish. “I wouldn’t have barged in like that if I knew you were in there changing. I’m sorry if I made anything awkward.”

“Hey, it’s okay,” Jimin tells him, barely able to contain his smile. Yoongi’s such a dork. It’s actually kind of endearing. “Don’t worry about it. If anything, it’s my fault for changing back there where anyone could have come in. But it’s not a big deal.” He knows he should probably say his goodbyes and make his way back now, but for some reason his feet feel rooted in the tarmac, unable to break free as long as Yoongi’s still looking at him like that, with his gentle smile and feline eyes and-

“Is everything alright?”

“Huh?” Jimin redirects his gaze to his feet. Shit, he was totally staring, wasn’t he?

“You looked a bit lost for a moment there. Are you okay?”

“Yes! Yes, I’m fine, it was nothing, I’m just tired is all,” Jimin rambles. Yoongi doesn’t exactly look convinced, but goes along with it regardless.

“Me too. Pouring glasses of soju really takes it out of you,” He says flatly. “Well, uh, enjoy the rest of your night, Jimin-ah. I’ll see you next week?”

Jimin nods, perhaps a little too enthusiastically. “You too, hyung. Get home safe.”

Yoongi retreats into the night with his headphones on and his backpack slung over one shoulder, and Jimin can’t help the pounding in his chest as he makes his way back to his dorm. He feels a bit disappointed, in a way. He usually has no problem approaching guys he’s interested in, let alone guys he sees on a regular basis who seem to like him enough already, so he’s not sure what it is about Yoongi that makes talking to him so difficult. He has his number; sending him a text shouldn't be the daunting feat that it is. Jimin wishes he knew what to say to him, because he really would like to get to know him better, but every time he tries to initiate small talk or ask a friendly question, it comes out sounding strange and unnatural and rehearsed. God, Yoongi must think he’s so weird.

At the end of the day, he knows trying to get anywhere with Yoongi romantically would probably be a big mistake. He and his boyfriend of two years broke up last month, something he only knows by way of Hoseok, and Jimin has more sense than to make a move when the wound is still fresh. He thinks about what he would say to one of his listeners if they called into the show with the same dilema. Ultimately, he decides that the outcome isn’t worth the possible heartbreak, and that this thing he has for Yoongi will remain just that, a thing. An annoying, largely inconvenient thing that stings to think about, a thing that’s becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.

Jimin sighs defeatedly as he steps inside the elevator and pushes the button to his floor. Maybe he does need an intervention after all.

♡♡♡

The following week, Trivia, Love's phone lines are absolutely swamped. Jimin's not sure if there's anything particular going on around campus which has led to so many people calling in about their partners cheating on them with the university mascot, but it's making for some great ratings, so Taehyung urges him to keep them on the phone for as long as he can. During their break, he munches happily on his granola bar, wondering if the school even has an official mascot. Taehyung gives him his cue and he pops his headphones back on, ready to tackle one last call before they wrap things up for the evening.

“That was a word from our sponsors over at Alachi Chicken!” He announces excitedly when the ad break draws to a close. “Make sure to grab your own box of delicious fried chicken from their website with twenty percent off your first order using the code 'Minnie Chicken' in all caps. Now that’s out of way, I think we have time for one more caller. Let’s see what they have to say.”

The line beeps, and Jimin braces himself for the tenth call today about a certain human-sized blue penguin that’s been causing a lot of chaos lately. “Hi, this is Minnie speaking. What can I help you with?”

“Hi, Minnie. I’ve, uh, kind of got a problem. And I think only you can help me.” The guy’s voice sounds familiar, but Jimin can’t quite put his finger on it. His listeners are comprised of the university’s student body, after all, so he’s bound to recognise a few voices here and there. But this feels different, a little too close for comfort.

“Sure thing, sweetheart. I’ll do the best I can,” Jimin says.

He hears the guy on the other end take a deep breath. "I've liked this boy for months now, but I don't know how to tell him."

Jimin chuckles softly. Like he hasn't heard that one before.

"Ever since we met I've been so... infatuated with him, I guess? There's just something about him. I don't know what it is, but every time I talk to him I feel like a stupid kid with a crush. It's driving me insane." Yep, definitely familiar. Jimin figures it must be someone from his class.

"I'm guessing he's not feeling you the way you feel him?"

"I don't think so. We've never hung out outside of work, but mostly because I'm too scared to ask him. I just get so nervous around him."

"So he's your coworker?" Jimin asks, a little sadly. He knows the feeling all too well.

"Yeah. One of my friends says I should just ask him out, but my other friend thinks I shouldn't because he's convinced I'm not over my ex yet. Ugh, I don't know. I really like this boy, but I don't want to make myself look like an idiot just for things to not work out."

The plot thickens. "Ah, I see. It sounds like you and your ex didn't split amicably."

For a moment, the line goes quiet before the guy says, "No, we didn't."

Jimin hums. "I'm sorry to hear that, honey. I can understand your apprehension. Telling someone how you feel can be nerve-wracking, and if you've just gone through a breakup, it can be difficult to know when or even if you should start looking for someone new. But to me, it sounds like you really like this boy, so isn't it worth a shot?" God, if only he could take his own advice. "Can you describe him for us so everyone on the airwaves can get a mental picture?”

"Sure. He's the kindest person I know; I've never seen him get angry or frustrated with anyone. He just has this warm, gentle aura about him, you know? He's one of those people whose happiness is just... contagious. Whenever he smiles, I can't help but smile too. Seeing him around the restaurant just makes my day."

Restaurant? 

Oh, shit.

For a long moment, Jimin can’t breathe at all, the sound of his own heart beating dangerously loud in his ears.

"I remember him saying once that he enjoys staring at the night sky and watching the sea. He runs a stall at the bake sale whenever there's one on, and he volunteers at an animal shelter in his free time. He's just adorable." The guy's voice noticeably softens, and Jimin's heart rate is starting to tick up. "He has the cutest smile ever. His hair's blonde and it looks so soft and fluffy all the time, I kind of want to run my fingers through it." Jimin nearly gasps. "Is that weird?"

"No, no, I think that's incredibly sweet," Jimin laughs. He frantically glances over at Taehyung, whose mouth is hanging open in a small pink 'o' shape. 

This absolutely cannot be happening to him. Out of all the ways the universe could choose to fuck with him, this has got to be amongst the cruellest.

Jimin clears his throat hastily. "Well, I think your friend is right. You shouldn't let past heartbreak prevent you from finding happiness, and this boy... it sounds like he could make you really happy." Jimin evens his voice so hopefully the audience can’t pick up on how shaken he is. Minnie is cool as a damn cucumber. Park Jimin? Not so much. "Ask him out. The worst that can happen is he tells you he's not interested, right? If you never make a move, you'll always ask yourself why you didn't, and you don't want to live with that uncertainty. Trust me, you'll regret not telling him how you feel more than you'll ever regret talking to him and being rejected. Go for it. You deserve to be happy, sweetheart."

There's some fumbling on the other line, and Jimin's not completely unconvinced he isn't dreaming. He pinches himself on the forearm just for safe measure and pouts when the skin between his thumb and finger starts to ache. He's gotten some strange calls before - ones from his classmates, ones from the cleaning staff, countless ones from Jungkook - but never in a million years would he have expected anything like this. 

"Thank you so much, Minnie. I think you're right. Holding myself back like this isn't doing me any favours." Jimin holds his breath for what feels like a lifetime. "I'm going to ask him out the first opportunity I get. Again, thank you, thank you, thank you."

It takes every ounce of self-restraint Jimin possesses not to scream. Taehyung gawks at him like he's just seen the Second Coming.

"I'm glad I could help you, sweetie," Jimin coos into the mic, and he's totally not taking advantage of the way he uses pet names for all of his callers to tailor this one specifically to Yoongi. "I have a feeling everything's gonna work out just fine for you, honey. Promise me you'll keep your chin up?"

"I promise," Yoongi says, and Jimin can practically hear his smile. 

"Alright," Jimin giggles. "That's the end of our show today, everyone. Make sure to leave us a rating, and if we didn't get to you this week, please don't hesitate to try again next time. I'm Minnie, and this has been Trivia, Love."

The outro music takes over, and Taehyung's standing with both hands on the panel, looking utterly shellshocked. "Please tell me that was not the infamous Min Yoongi I keep hearing about."

Jimin doesn't say a word.

His mind isn't any clearer later on when he finally sinks into his mattress. He's about to fall asleep when his phone buzzes from his nightstand; wishful thinking tells him it's Yoongi begging him to go on a romantic long weekend with him to Jeju Island, the rational side of his brain tells him it's probably a new assignment that's been stuck on the virtual classroom. Jimin rolls over and stares at the screen, reflecting his face in all its bed-headed glory. There are two new texts from Jungkook that pop up in the drop-down notifications.

Jungkookie

hyung!!!!!!!

Jungkookie

have you listened to minnie's new episode

Jimin can't help but smile. He should have seen this coming.

Me

no was it good?

Jungkook's reply comes instantly.

Jungkookie

i think yoongi-ssi likes you!!!!! 

Me

whaaaaaaaat

Jungkookie

there was this guy who sounded suspiciously like him

Jungkookie

he said he likes a guy he works with who's blonde and volunteers at animal shelters and always makes his day better

Jungkookie

is there anyone else at work who fits that oddly specific criteria bc if not.....

Me

well idk about that last part

Me

but omg!!!!! ^O^

Jungkookie

i know!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jungkookie

i told you the show would help

Jungkookie

and he likes you back :')

Jungkookie

he's totally gonna ask you out!!! 

Jimin chuckles to himself and switches his phone off, curling up into a ball underneath his comforter. His mind is still flooded with thoughts about Yoongi and his pretty pink lips and his deep voice and his long, tousled hair. He can't help but wonder what happened between him and his ex, what events must have transpired for Yoongi to feel so anxious about relationships. It's not something he particularly wants to think about. Jimin holds his yellow duck plushie tightly in his arms and buries his face in its soft fur. It's something to hold on to, something to help him relax.

He sort of wishes it was Yoongi.

♡♡♡

The weekend skitters by even quicker than usual. The many prayers Jimin sends up to whatever higher power might be able to strike Monday from the calendar go unheeded, proving that the universe must be in on some secret ploy to make an even bigger laughing stock of him. He hides behind his bangs and makes his way to work with his shoulders as tense as guitar strings, ready for things to be extremely weird with Yoongi.

He strolls through the front doors of the restaurant and finds Yoongi pouring drinks behind the bar, sleeves rolled up and hair hanging loosely around his face, same-old, same-old. Something about that helps Jimin relax. Yoongi shoots him a smile, with an edge of concern that disappears when Jimin smiles back, and his heart squeezes just a little. 

"I've got a baekseju and a somaek here ready to go out to table six," Yoongi tells a waitress as she saunters up to the bar. "Jimin-ah, hi. How are you?" 

"Good, good," Jimin answers breezily. Yoongi's smile grows wider to show off his gums, which would be fucking adorable if Jimin's brain wasn't currently on the verge of completely shutting down after seeing it. He's been in some sticky situations in life, but talking to Yoongi after Friday's events and trying to keep his cool has got to take the cake. "I should go put my stuff down, but I'll be back in a minute."

"Of course," Yoongi nods, and Jimin scurries off to the back room to hang up his jacket and bag. The last thing he expects is for Hoseok to come bursting in through the exit, but of course he does, and here he is, standing in front of Jimin with his hair stuck to his forehead and his signature heart-shaped grin.

"Jiminie! I'm so happy you're here, I need to tell you something," he says with an almost crazed look in his eyes. "Do you listen to-"

"Is this about Trivia, Love?" Jimin intercepts, and Hoseok smiles even wider.

"Yes! Oh my god, have you heard?"

Jimin tilts his head with mock confusion. He decides that if he's going to have to play dumb, he should at least be able to have some fun with it. "Yoongi hyung called in, right? I heard some of the servers talking about it before."

"I can't believe it," Hoseok laughs and throws up his hands. "Even more so that he asked about you!" His expression drops when he sees Jimin doesn't react. "Oh, shit. You did know he was talking about you, didn't you...?"

"I figured it out pretty easily," Jimin says with a shrug. He bites his lip thoughtfully, debating whether or not to ask the question that's been weighing on his mind since Friday.

"Hey, um, did you know about this?" Hoseok stares blankly at him. "I mean, did you know that hyung, um, liked me? Before he called in?"

Hoseok scratches his neck guiltily. "I've been telling him to ask you out for ages now, but I guess he still hasn't come to his senses. Please don't kill me."

"I'm not mad," Jimin laughs, and he means it. "I'm just a little taken aback, I guess. I've liked him for ages now. I had no idea he felt the same way."

"Wait, what?" Hoseok's jaw goes slack.

"I would have asked him out myself if I knew he felt the same way. I was kind of crushed when I found out he had a boyfriend, but now..." Jimin lets his voice trail off, realising the implication he's just made. "Crap, no, not like that. It's just that I had no idea he liked me back, even in the time he's been single." He fiddles with the string of his woven bracelet nervously, barely meeting Hoseok's eye when he asks, "Do you... do you think he'd be ready for something like this? I know him and his ex didn't end things well, and I don't want to pressure him into anything he's not comfortable with."

"Absolutely, if the way he talks about you is any indication," Hoseok says. Jimin feels the corners of his mouth twitch up hopefully. "That was what Namjoonie was worried about, I guess. He thinks hyung still hasn't fully bounced back after he broke up with Jihoon-ssi." He pauses and presses his lips into a thin line. "I understand where his concern's coming from. He could barely make it out of bed for the first two weeks, and he just... wasn't himself. It hurts to see your friend like that, right?" 

Jimin nods stiffly. Not for the first time, or even the hundredth since Friday, Jimin wants to hurt this dude - Jihoon - very, very badly.

"It was awful. But he's doing better well now, thankfully." Hoseok lowers his voice to a conspiratorial tone. "Hey, just a heads-up, I'm pretty certain he's gonna ask you on a date tonight. At least, that's what he told Seokjin hyung."

Jimin smiles. "He better, or I'll beat him to it."

By half six, the entire restaurant is crawling with ajummas. Jimin nearly knocks one over as he beelines towards the bar, shrinking into himself under her ensuing glare. Those floral patterned trousers and gilets are not for the faint of heart. Jimin mutters an apology and carries on, sneakers making a shrill squeak on the linoleum as he hurries along. He finds Yoongi chatting to Seokjin by the beer dispensers, seemingly deep in conversation; Seokjin's doing that thing with his eyebrows that he always does when he's trying to get a point across and Yoongi's nodding slowly with his bottom lip caught between his teeth as he mechanically polishes a wine glass. He tries not to stare, but fuck, he just looks so damn good tonight, it's hard not to-

"Jiminie!" Seokjin waves. Shit. He's been caught red-handed. Yoongi turns in his direction, his features softening when he spots Jimin. 

"Hi, guys," Jimin manages, awkwardly scrambling behind the bar and squeezing himself between Seokjin and Yoongi. "Hope I'm not interrupting anything."

"Don't be ridiuclous," Seokjin snorts. "We were just talking about the ice hockey game last night. Embarrassing, wasn't it, Yoongi-yah?" He gives him a nudge that looks a little too overtly theatrical to be genuine.

"Oh, yeah, the score was abysmal. An absolute joke," Yoongi says, scrunching his nose up. Jimin wants to pinch his angry little cheeks.

There's a moment of stilted silence before Seokjin clears his throat and makes his way to the back door. "I nearly forgot about my table's seolleongtang," he says, winking at Yoongi. If he was trying to make it so that Jimin wouldn't notice, he failed miserably. He disappears into the kitchen then, leaving Jimin and Yoongi to wallow in whatever this budding tension between them is.

"So... are you up to anything fun tonight? Like, after we get out of here?" Jimin tries to make small talk. He thinks it lands.

Yoongi sighs, wringing the cloth in his hands. "I wish. I have an early class tomorrow, so nothing too exciting. I'll probably just pick up some Chinese and head to bed. How about you?"

"Ah, it's just me and my katsudon. And maybe Yoo Heeyeol."

Yoongi takes a deep breath, and Jimin braces himself. He's not sure how much longer of this he can take without going insane. "I was actually going to ask you something."

Jimin attempts to look surprised, but on the inside, his heart is beating so fast it's threatening to burst out his ribcage. "Oh yeah?"

"Yeah," Yoongi says, setting the cloth down somewhere safe. "I was wondering, uh, do you want to hang out sometime? As in, after work?"

"You mean like a date?" Jimin asks, breaking into a coquettish smirk. He can't help himself; Yoongi is so fun to tease.

Yoongi arches an eyebrow. "Do you want it to be a date?"

"I'd love that."

"Me too," Yoongi smiles. "Cool. So, uh, should I text you the time and place, or..."

"You have my number," Jimin giggles. "I'll let you pick wherever."

"Okay, cool. Does Saturday work for you?"

"It sure does." He actually told Jungkook he'd come over to help him set up his new Playstation then, but Yoongi doesn't need to know that. He's sure their game of Fall Guys can wait another weekend.

Just then, Seokjin's head pops around the door. "Yoongi-yah!" He shouts. Jimin has to wonder if he was eavesdropping on their conversation. "Come help me with these Doordash orders!"

Yoongi rolls his eyes at him, then turns back to Jimin with a sunshiny smile. It's so bright that it nearly takes Jimin's breath away. "I'll see you on Saturday, then?"

Jimin nods and blows him a kiss as he manoeuvres his way out of the bar. "I can't wait."

Later, when he manages to finally escape the grasp of the ajummas over at table twelve who keep calling him over to tell him what a handsome young man he is, Jimin slips into the backroom and does a little victory dance. He's so happy that he doesn't even care when Hoseok walks in and unleashes an immensely concerned look on him.

"Jiminie, are you doing drugs back here?" His voice sharpens with suspicion. "That you're not sharing with me?"

Jimin whips his head up. "No, but guess who scored that date!"

♡♡♡

Saturday night soon rolls around, and Jimin's standing in his closet, flailing at hangers, digging around for that fluffy magenta sweater he knows is back there somewhere. Now that his room is organised, a result of his latest cleaning frenzy, he can't find a damn thing. Finally, he retrieves it from the back and pulls it on along with a sleek pair of black slacks. He has to be there in half an hour; his makeup alone will take him at least ten minutes.

"You've got plenty of time, Jimin-ah," Taehyung groans when Jimin rushes over to the mirror. "I'm not gonna let you be late. Stop panicking."

"I'm not panicking," Jimin insists as he opens his makeup bag. On a normal day, he'll apply some lip gloss and maybe even a stroke of eyeliner when he's feeling particularly bold, but tonight he feels like going all out. He combs his fingers through his bangs, letting them flop onto his forehead with a huff. "Do you think my hair looks okay? I thought about curling it, but I think I'm gonna stick with the flat iron."

Taehyung hums, eyeing Jimin's collection of hair products intently. "Maybe try adding some volume," he suggests.

Jimin pops his lips and twists the cap back on his gloss. "Good idea."

After a quick rendezvous with his hair and setting spray in the bathroom (any longer and Taehyung would drag him out by the ass), Jimin steps out feeling good, confident. Admittedly he's still a little on edge about the fact he's going on a date with Min Yoongi, but he figures if he made it through The Most Excruciating Phone Call Known To Man without freaking out, surely he can survive an actual date without making a fool of himself.

"How're you feeling?" Taehyung asks conveniently from his spot on the bed. Jimin gently pushes him off.

"A little nervous, but overall good. Excited, mostly."

Taehyung flashes him a boxy grin. "That's good. You know, I'm really happy for you. I knew you were gonna score a date with Yoongi-ssi eventually." He's quiet for a moment. "Well, maybe not like this. But whatever. I knew the stars would align for you at some point."

Jimin playfully slaps his shoulder. "Oh my god, shut up."

"It's true! You're both whipped for each other. It's kind of gross, actually. But I'm still happy for you."

"Thanks, Tae," Jimin smiles, pulling him in for a hug. "I'm happy for me too."

"Are you gonna tell him?" Taehyung asks. Jimin pulls back, confused. "You know, that you're the one who took his call?"

Jimin hadn't even considered that, and now the mere thought of it is making his head start to spin. "Do you think I should?"

"Well, if the guy I was about to go on a date with just so happened to be the same guy who listened to me pour my fucking heart out for him live on air for the whole school to hear, it'd be nice to know about it."

"You're right," Jimin sighs, bracing himself for what's undoubtedly going to be the most awkward conversation of his life thus far.

Jimin can’t get his nerves under control later, climbing the stairs of one of the city’s prettiest rooftop cafés. It’s perched on top of a department store, shielded by a glass canopy, softly lit with fuschia-pink wall lights and decorated with hanging plants. Dreamy lofi music and the smell of fresh pastries being taken out of the oven complete the atmosphere. There’s large groups of students here, but it’s not packed, much to Jimin’s relief. He smiles as he gazes around, takes in the tranquillity. Yoongi has impeccable taste, he notes.

He gives the hostess his name and she leads him to the back of the café, a perfect spot to admire the skyline from. The sun is still out, caught in a memorising blend of pink and peach. Jimin’s heart is already beating tenfold as he weaves his way through the tables. Yoongi is already seated, wearing a woolly argyle sweater and silver hoop earrings, nose buried in the menu. He looks up at the sound of footsteps approaching, smiling brightly when his eyes land on Jimin.

Jimin returns his smile and takes a seat. The hostess bows and scurries off, leaving them both to absorb the silence. It's nice, comfortable.

"Hi, Jimin-ah. You look really nice," Yoongi says first. His voice shakes a little on the last word; Jimin suspects he's just as nervous as he is.  

"You too, hyung. That sweater is so cute on you." Jimin wants to reach across the table and pinch Yoongi's soft cheeks as they turn a deep shade of pink. "Should we order?"

Yoongi nods and slides the menu over to him. "If you like pastries, they're really good here. They're light, but still firm enough to hold any filling so that they don't fall apart when you try to eat them. They're vegan safe, too, so if you don't consume animal products they should be fine for you."

God, could this boy be any cuter?

"You seem to know a lot about pastries," Jimin observes, chuckling to himself.

Yoongi shrugs. "My mom and brother run a bakery back home, I'm kind of an expert by proxy."

"Really?" As a fellow baking enthusiast himself, Jimin nearly jolts out of his chair. He'd dreamed of being a baker when he was a kid, a hobby that carried well into his adulthood. He doesn't have that much time to bake nowadays - his classes and running the show leave little time for him to spend in his tiny kitchenette - but he still whips out the automatic mixer and fancy utensils his brother bought him for his birthday a couple years back on special occasions. "That's so cool! I like to bake, too."

"They opened it a few years back when I was still in school," Yoongi explains. "If you ever come to Daegu, I'll take you." He stops in his tracks, any remnant of a smile sliding from his face in an instant like he's just realised what he's implying.

"Ah, so I'm already being invited to meet the parents?" Jimin teases.

"I didn't mean it like-" Yoongi begins, but is quickly cut off by Jimin laughing at him. "Well, I guess, yeah. I think hyung would like you. My mom, too, but she doesn't know I'm gay, so..."

Jimin nods, understanding. He only came out to his own family no less than three years ago, so the feeling is still fresh in his mind. His own parents and brother had been wonderful and accepting in the end, but Jimin doesn't know anything about Yoongi's family situation or other factors in his life which would put things in perspective. His heart aches a little when Yoongi frowns.

"What about your dad? Does he know?" He doesn't know why he asks it, and feels remorsefully stupid when he sees something uncomfortable flicker across Yoongi's face. Why can't he just let sleeping dogs lie for once?

"Ah, he's not really around anymore," Yoongi says, pulling on a loose string on the sleeve of his sweater. "I lived with him growing up, but he was always so distant. It never really felt like he had much interest in being a father. So it's mostly just the three of us now that he doesn't have to have a hand in raising his kids anymore." He's not looking at Jimin, or really anything in particular. Just a blank, stoic stare. "I do see him on Chuseok, but even then we don't really speak. It's alright, though. I've done just fine without him." He whips his head up and tries to smile, lighten the mood a little. "What about your family?"

"I'm from Busan," Jimin tells him.

"That's what I thought," Yoongi says. "The accent was a dead giveaway."

"Yours is too!" Jimin contests, pointing a finger at him accusingly. He was somewhat used to Daegu satoori having been friends with Taehyung for so long, but Yoongi's accent is a whole other ball game. "I have a younger brother, Jihyun. He's hoping to move to Seoul next year for school, so back home it'll just be my parents and our dog."

Yoongi's eyes light up. "You have a dog?"

"His name is Ddosun," Jimin says, unlocking his phone and opening his folder dedicated to the pup. "Here."

"He's the cutest," Yoongi coos, resting his hands on his chin. His smile could probably melt ice in the dead of winter. "My family have a dog, too. A toy poodle."

"I love toy poodles!"

"Wanna see him?" Jimin nods vigorously, and Yoongi retrieves his phone from his back pocket to show him the cutest dog Jimin thinks he's ever seen in his life. There's tons of photos of him curled up in Yoongi's lap, sitting in the hallway of what Jimin assumes is Yoongi's family home with a toy in his mouth, playing a minature dog-sized piano, wearing sunglasses that are clearly too big for his face. Jimin just wants to reach through the screen and cuddle him.

"Oh my god. Now I have to come to Daegu. What's his name?"

"Holly."

"Holly?"

"My brother chose his name, don't ask." Jimin uses his menu to cover up how hard he's smiling, but his eyes tend to disappear when he's this happy, so he's fairly certain Yoongi can tell.

A waiter stops by their table just then to take their order, cutting their conversation short. Yoongi gets a black coffee and a blueberry muffin, whereas Jimin opts for fruit juice and a chocolate swirl. They make small talk while they wait, discussing their birthdays and Meyers-Briggs personality types and Seokjin's ridiculous new haircut that makes him look like Edna Mode. When their food arrives, they indulge in a comfortable silence. The chocolate swirl his heavenly, and the he juice is orange and grapefruit in the perfect sixty-forty ratio, freshly squeezed. Jimin decides that he'll have to buy some of this stuff next time he's out grocery shopping.

"So," Jimin says as he folds his napkin demurely over his empty plate. "What made you finally ask me out?" Of course he knows the answer, but he's interested to hear it from Yoongi's point of view, to get a grasp on his feelings and how his mind works.

Yoongi sends him a puzzled look over the rim of his mug. "Finally?"

"You've been waiting for a while, right?"

"I-" For a moment it looks like Yoongi's about to argue, but he drops it as soon as he sees the way Jimin's staring at him. "Yeah, you got me. For the longest time, I was so scared to even talk to you. I don't know why. I thought maybe you didn't like me or thought I was weird or you just weren't interested. I'm happy to be proven wrong, though."

"I literally felt the exact same way about you," Jimin confesses. He feels something bloom in his chest as he says the words, like a cherry blossom tree that's finally ready to thrive after being held back for so long.

It's almost comical the way Yoongi's eyes bug out. "Seriously?"

"Uh-huh. Hyung, I've liked you for forever, it's not even funny." Yoongi looks at Jimin as if he's just reached across the table and smacked him hard across the face. "I never had the courage to talk to you, and then I found out you had a boyfriend, which I-" Jimin claps his hand over his mouth before he can say any more. "Oh my god. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to bring that up."

Yoongi furrows his brow at the word 'boyfriend'. "No, no, it's alright," he insists. "I get it. In hindsight, maybe you should have played homewrecker. Would have saved me the heartbreak, at least." He laughs dryly. "He was a dick. I'm glad he's someone else's problem now."

"Did he cheat on you?"

"Probably. I never found out."

"What? How come?"

Yoongi lets out a long sigh and starts to play with the edge of his napkin. "One day he just told me straight up that he didn't love me anymore. No explanation or anything. He blocked me on everything and refused to speak to me, and the next time I saw him he was parading this other guy around like some sort of reward for dumping me. Looking back, he was probably hooking up with him behind my back and I was just too blind to see it."

"I'm so sorry, hyung. That's awful," Jimin says quietly, trying to mask the rage that flares up inside him. Breaking up with your partner so suddenly is a dick move, but to flaunt your new fling around so soon afterwards? If Jimin ever meets this man, it's on fucking sight. "He threw away your relationship just like that?" Yoongi nods sadly. "You deserve way better than someone like him, Yoongi hyung."

He doesn't say the quiet part out loud.

"I know," Yoongi refocuses on Jimin, eyes wide and inviting and beautiful. "Hey, you wanted to know what made me ask you out, right?" He asks, shifting the subject. Jimin nods. "This is so embarrassing, god. You know that show called Trivia, Love? The relationship advice one?"

"I'm familiar with it," Jimin smirks.

"Hoseok-ah made me call in to ask for advice," Yoongi says, and it all becomes too much for Jimin. He snorts into his hands, partly due to amusement, partly due to the fact he has no idea how the hell he's meant to break the news to him. "I know, right? Humiliating. Everyone at work heard about it. I'm surprised you didn't."

Jimin regains his poise, sitting back in his chair and shaking his bangs nervously off his face. "Actually, I did."

"Brilliant," Yoongi remarks sarcastically.

"I didn't hear about it from work, though."

"Oh, do you listen to it?"

"You could say that," Jimin says. "I don't really listen back after I record a segment. I don't like the way my voice sounds on air."

Slowly, Yoongi looks like he's starting to put two and two together. "Wh- What?"

"It's my show," Jimin spits out, and the look on Yoongi's face is the most priceless thing ever.

"Wh- no, you- what the fuck?" Yoongi exclaims, and Jimin gives up trying to stifle his laughter. "You're Minnie?!" Jimin nods, laughing so hard he's practically gasping for air. He thought he'd feel terrible about the whole ordeal, but now that he's sat across from Yoongi actually saying it out loud, he realises the situation is completely absurd and absolutely warrants such a response. "You're kidding me," Yoongi fumes. "God, wait until I get my hands on Hoseok-"

"He doesn't know either. Nobody else does."

Yoongi looks as if he's just found out the sun isn't at the centre of the solar system. "You don't sound like- how do you do it?"

"I just put on a voice, really. There's not much else to it."

"Park Jimin, I swear to god," He groans, burying his face in his hands. "You knew the whole time?"

"The whole time," Jimin confirms with a giggle.

"Jesus tap dancing Christ."

"Hey, I'm really glad you called in," Jimin says eventually, and he means it more than he's meant anything in his life. "I was ready to give up, you know."

"Give up?"

"I thought nothing would ever happen between us, so I figured I should just move on. I'm happy I didn't, though," Jimin adds quickly. "I don't know if I ever could move on from you."

He lays his arm on the table and reaches for Yoongi's hand, interlocking their fingers. Yoongi squeezes his hand in return.

"Me neither."

Yoongi’s bedroom looks exactly how Jimin had imagined it would. His bedsheets are all ink black, folded neatly without a single crease, a Kumamon plushie sitting on top of his pillow. The walls are lined with posters of Epik High and One Piece, and there’s countless potted plants neatly lining the windowsill. There’s sheets of music scattered across the floor beside the keyboard, some crumpled up into balls having narrowly missed the trash can. The entire room smells like black coffee and vanilla. It’s relaxing.

They both sit cross-legged on the bed when they get back from the café, like a couple of kids at a sleepover, and end up talking about everything and nothing. Yoongi tells Jimin about his music degree and his obsession with tangerines and his childhood piano teacher who may or may not have been a psychopath, and Jimin talks about his early dreams of being a dancer and his love of baking and the radio show. That last part seems to pique Yoongi’s interest the most.

“How’d you even get into that?” He asks.

Jimin stops to think for a moment. It’s not that he doesn’t remember the story, he’s just never had anyone to tell it to. “I met Tae during our first year and we hit it off pretty quick. He does, like, everything on the show that I don’t do. He’s doing a degree in communications so he knows what he’s doing. Most of the time.” Yoongi barks a laugh. “We started the show when a free slot became available on the roster and everything just snowballed from there. It’s tiring sometimes, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I love doing it.”

“I would have thought you had a whole team or something,” Yoongi marvels. “It’s just the two of you?” Jimin nods proudly. “That’s mad impressive, Jimin-ah.”

Jimin blushes at the compliment. “Hey, if we’re talking about impressive, why haven’t you brought up your music?” He teases, scooting a little closer towards Yoongi. 

Yoongi blanches. “I’m gonna beat Hoseok-ah’s ass for the second time today,” he glowers darkly.

Jimin collapses into a fit of giggles on the bed. “You sound so embarrassed, hyungie!”

“Because it’s embarrassing!”

“It’s nothing of the sort!” Jimin gasps with mock offense. “You’re in school for music, Yoongi hyung. I’d be concerned if you weren’t making any. But seriously, your Soundcloud is incredible. I listened to every single song.”

Yoongi seems to stiffen at the mention of his Soundcloud account. “Hyung?”

“You’ve… heard everything?” He asks, voice cracking.

Jimin understands instantly. During the past couple months, Yoongi's uploads have been darker in tone, more abrasive in delivery, more hopeless in their lyrical content. Jimin would listen to the songs late at night, curled up in bed with his duck plushie and crappy convenience store earbuds, wondering how such a gentle, warm person like Yoongi could be capable of expressing such palpable suffering so viscerally, so openly. The songs stung to listen to, so Jimin didn't save them to his playlist, but he never stopped thinking about them. 

“Yes, I have,” He starts slowly, taking Yoongi’s hand in his and caressing the rough callouses of his knuckles. Yoongi sniffles, a sign Jimin always takes as cautionary. “Hey, it’s alright. There’s nothing to be ashamed of. So many talented people take their pain and challenge it through their art. I think the way you’re able to unleash everything through your music is incredibly special, and you should think it is too. Having an outlet like this is a good thing, no?”

“I know,” Yoongi croaks. “I just don’t want you to think I’m weak or unstable or broken or whatever because of it.” He doesn't say anything for a while, but when he finally turns to face Jimin again, his eyes are glassy. “I really like you, Jimin-ah. I want to make this work. What I’m scared of is you thinking I’m something to be pitied or something to be mended when I’m not, I’m just-”

“It’s okay, it’s okay,” Jimin whispers, wrapping him up tight in a hug. “I understand, sweetheart. I’d never ask you to talk about anything you’re not comfortable with. If you ever need me to listen, I’m here. That’s what led us to where we are now, right?” He feels Yoongi nod against his chest. “I want you to know that I’m here for you, Yoongi hyung. Please don’t feel like you have to keep everything inside. We can work through things together, I promise.”

“Thank you so much, Jiminie,” he says, voice watery. Jimin tips his chin up with the tips of his fingers and slots their lips together, catching Yoongi in a long, euphoric kiss. Yoongi tastes like a perfect contradiciton, sharp and mellow yet sweet and bitter like dark chocolate, and Jimin’s already addicted.

“Can I ask you something?” He asks when they pull apart. Yoongi nods. “How are you feeling these days? I know your recent songs haven’t been… the happiest. But the Yoongi I’m hearing in those songs is the Yoongi from two months ago, right? How’s this Yoongi doing?”

Yoongi shrugs and smiles. “Things have been looking up for me lately.”

He holds Jimin’s eye, and there’s something so open and honest in his expression that Jimin can’t help but feel warmed by it.

The next morning, Jimin wakes up snuggled into Yoongi's chest, an interesting development that Jimin doesn't exactly remember happening, but is more than okay with. He reaches over for his phone on the bedside table; his screen tells him it’s nearly nine o’clock, and he’s meant to be at the library by ten. He slips out of the covers and pulls his clothes back on, making sure to tuck Yoongi back in when the blanket threatens to fall off the mattress. He doesn’t know how he’s only just realised it, but Yoongi looks absolutely angelic when he’s asleep. His hair is prettily tousled, and when Jimin listens carefully, he swears he can hear him purring. He giggles to himself, bending down so that he’s at Yoongi’s level and kisses him on the cheek.

”I love you, hyung,” he whispers.

Before he leaves Yoongi’s dorm, he fetches a sheet of lined paper from the desk and twists the cap of a pen that’s in the stationary holder. Jimin scribbles the words down like his pen is on fire, and when he’s done, he signs the bottom of the page with his name and adds a heart next to it with flourish. He sticks it on the bulletin board on his way out.

Dear Yoongi hyung,

Thanks for letting me stay over! I guess you didn't really have a choice, but it was sweet of you not to kick me out when it started getting late. I had to go - wish I could have stayed longer, but the library beckons. You looked so cute and peaceful when you were asleep, I didn't want to wake you up. I don't blame you, your bed is so cozy. I'd love to share it again sometime.

I dreamt that we went to Daegu together. We visited your family's bakery and walked Holly and Ddosun along the river and when we reached the curve of the sunset, I told you I loved you. I know things seem to be moving so fast with us, but I think that’s just how things are always going to be with us. You’re such a strong person, hyung, and I hope you know how special you are.

Hopefully you can take me to Daegu one day for real, and I can take you to Busan. I think you’d love it there. There’s a farmers’ market near my childhood home that sells the best tangerines I’ve ever had in my life. Of course there are other fun things to do there, but I know where your priorities lie.

You’re so precious to me already, hyung. In a way, I’m so happy you did call in to my dumb show, because if you hadn’t I don’t know if I ever would have entertained the idea of us ever becoming something. I was already kind of in love with you before yesterday, but after we talked and got to know each other even better, I’m so sure of it. I love you, Yoongi hyung.

I’m not the best writer - clearly, I mean, that’s why I host a radio show, duh. But I hope I can convey everything properly here. It’s a small token of gratitude to show you how grateful I am to have you in my life now, and I can't wait to see what the future holds for us. I can't wait to make more memories with you. Please stay with me for a long time.

Love, Jimin ♡