Archive of Our Own ^beta

“We live in a digital age now, hyung! Isn’t it normal to be fascinated by streamers?” Jeongguk wailed out in frustration. This was a regular occurrence for him and his older brother Seokjin, who frankly has had enough of his strange obsession with a certain videogame streamer.

He let out a heavy sigh, already exhausted and it was only ten in the morning. “Gguk, there’s a stark difference between being fascinated and coming across as a borderline stalker. Let me get this straight, you’re actually considering traveling to god-knows-where in search for a steamer just because he announced that he’s taking a break? Do you know how large South Korea is? Do you even have any inkling as to where this dude is from? Also, are you insane???”

“That’s why I was asking you if I should go through with my idea! I could narrow it down to certain regions where I think he’s from based on his dialect and how he pronounces a few words..”

“Stop right there. I am done. This conversation is over. If you called in hopes that I would support this absurd idea of yours then that’s where you’re wrong. If this guy wants to take a break, then let him take a break! You won’t die from not watching his streams for a month or two.” Seokjin was seconds away from abruptly hanging up and apologizing for it later on. It was one thing to get woken up by more than ten missed calls, thinking it was an emergency from his little brother, but it was a completely different thing to have an annoyed boyfriend glaring at you, telepathically conveying with his tiger-like eyes for you to hang up the phone and go back to sleep.

Man, was Kim Taehyung scary in the mornings. His crankiness was enough to rival any nightmare. 

“But Mochi is my all time favorite streamer and I spent hours last night sending him stars and..”

“And he’ll be back before you know it. If you love hyung, even just a teeny bit, a fraction even, you’ll hang up right now before my boyfriend kills me with his eyes. Gotta go, Gguk. Talk to you later.”

“But.. but..” Before Jeongguk could carry on with his rambling, the sound of static followed by beeping noises could be heard from the other line. He stared at his screen in disbelief that even Seokjin couldn’t understand the stress of possibly saying goodbye to Mochi. Few months or not. 

Mochi was a widely popular videogame streamer in the gaming world. He first caught Jeongguk's attention with his skills, at first Jeongguk was merely browsing a famous streaming application where people tried their luck and streamed for views and maybe even donations over time. Being in the corporate world, Jeongguk had one outlet to unload all his stress onto: gaming. Daresay he was slightly addicted to games, especially first person shooting games, and that’s how he stumbled upon Mochi’s channel. There were three pivotal roles in one of Jeongguk’s favorite games – support, damage and tanks, and after viewing Mochi’s stream a couple of times, he discovered how this guy was great at every single role. At first he began watching his streams to pick up a few tips and pointers that could improve his personal skills in the game, but after a while, he became a fan. Not only was Mochi an outstanding gamer, he was entertaining too. More often than not he would talk about tidbits regarding his personal life and made viewers really feel like they were his best friends. Equipped with beguiling charms and a ridiculously smart brain, Jeongguk was instantly captivated. As time passed, Mochi did a face reveal once he hit one million subscribers, sort of as a way to thank his fans for supporting him all throughout his streaming career.

Jeongguk remembers coming home from work early and even going as far as faking a cough just so his supervisor would easily let him off the hook despite a scheduled meeting that day. Rushing home and barely having any time to change out of his work clothes, he hurriedly scrambled to his computer just in time for the big reveal. As usual, there were tons of viewers, most of which became fans just recently, probably joining the hype, as Jeongguk liked to say. He, on the other hand, could proudly state that he was a real fan since he’s been with Mochi since day one. Nonetheless, there were over two million people viewing his current stream.

“Hello everyone, thank you for joining me today.” A voice began speaking, accompanied by his favorite character in the game, a ninja that he was notoriously good at using. The camera focused on the character doing several battle poses. “As you all know, I promised you a face reveal as soon as I hit one million subscribers, and here we are. I wouldn’t be here without you guys, so I think I owe you this much.” He giggled, the camera was still showing the ninja character doing several different poses.

Jeongguk couldn’t deny how excited he was, although he would never really share with others how he was a huge fan of this streamer, watching Mochi instantly depleted the stress he’s managed to collect at work. It’s okay if nobody understood his deep obsession, as long as it made him happy.

“So, are you guys ready?”

A flood of comments began filling the screen, different languages and a whole lot of words. Jeongguk could barely keep up with the comments section, which is why he left a singular “♡” before turning it off completely to focus on Mochi's big reveal. He’s been streaming for over a year and nobody knew his real identity, up until today that is.

Drum roll sound effects were played and Mochi counted to three.

Three.

Two.

One.

After a couple of seconds, another camera was turned on and Jeongguk felt his breath get caught in his throat. Staring back at him was undoubtedly the most beautiful man he’s ever seen in existence. He wishes that he was slightly exaggerating but that wasn’t the case this time. Striking blonde locks, a perfectly cute nose, eyes that crinkled when he smiled, along with the most devastatingly gorgeous lips. Mochi was perfection personified. Jeongguk watched slack-jawed throughout the rest of the stream, barely even able to register a word Mochi had said after his big reveal. Too stunned by his beauty. He said his closing remarks before ending the stream and Jeongguk was aware of how he got the wind knocked out of him. Slumping back into his gaming chair that he begged Seokjin to get him for Christmas since he was too stingy to tap into his personal savings and splurge, Jeongguk was without a doubt spellbound by the unexpected turn of events.

From that day on, he never missed a stream. It didn’t matter if it was during the wee hours of the morning and he had to get up by five just to make it to work on time, or during his work hours where he would be on the lookout from time to time just to ensure that he wouldn’t get caught and reprimanded for watching a stream during work hours. Come rain or shine, Jeongguk was there for every single stream. Sometimes he would even spam the chat along with a thousand other people in hopes that maybe one day Mochi would notice and read out his comment and maybe even acknowledge his existence. Unfortunately for Jeongguk, he wasn’t the luckiest person in the world. Mochi never noticed his comments, but this didn’t deter Jeongguk from being a consistent fan. He still donated as much stars as he could, left Mochi sweet comments and persistently watched every stream. Jeon Jeongguk was hooked.

So it should be completely understandable that when Mochi announced to his viewers that he was going to take a little break from streaming for personal reasons, Jeongguk was beside himself. This was most probably the closest thing to heartbreak he’s experienced. It was a valid cause for panic. He tried digging information regarding the streamer, but to his dismay, Mochi was an extremely private person. No amount of Google and Naver searches could provide him with the smallest bit of personal information about the streamer. After hours of religiously searching the internet, as well as social media outlets, Jeongguk finally gave up. He prepared himself for the tough upcoming months since Mochi didn’t specify when he would be returning to conduct another stream. After getting so used to seeing him on a daily basis, albeit from a screen, and seeking to hear his voice to calm his wayward thoughts, Jeongguk knew that it was going to be difficult to carry on with his daily routine without seeing or hearing from the popular streamer. But as a fan, he knew he had to respect his decision and support him even if he would have preferred otherwise.

On his final stream before his hiatus, Jeongguk made sure to flood the comments with heart emojis and words expressing his support, just like how a loyal fan would. Honestly speaking, he might have teared up a bit as Mochi relayed his closing remarks for the last time before ending the stream.

Two weeks had gone by since Mochi’s last stream, and Jeongguk tried to fill the void by watching other streamers to keep himself preoccupied. But no matter how many streamers he came across, no matter how skilled they were or how attractive they were, none of them could capture his attention the way Mochi had. He let out an audible sigh before exiting another stream that caught his attention for a solid five minutes, contemplating if he should pester Seokjin again or if he should act like a rational person and begin preparing dinner for himself. It was another lackluster day at work and Jeongguk was looking forward to unwinding once he got home but doubts he made good use of his free time. He was idly scrolling through random streamers, trying to find a decent replacement for Mochi. But once again, it was hopeless. Shutting down his computer, he rubbed his eyes as one hand was hovering above Seokjin’s number. He knew he was bound to get another earful from his brother about his obsessive behavior and how he should find another hobby, to which they would end up bickering about. Seokjin didn’t understand how much watching his favorite streamer lit up some of his darkest days, people who weren’t fans truly couldn’t wrap their heads around it. In the end, Jeongguk wonders why he even bothers to try and get his brother to comprehend how emotionally distraught he was over losing his favorite streamer.

Before he could even dial Seokjin's number, a couple of loud thuds coming from the hallway outside his apartment distracted him. He lived in a rather desolate part of the city, the rent was on the cheaper side and it was close to the bus station, all in all, a good bargain. The only downside was that most of his neighbors were elderly folks, and there was no one close to his age who lived in the same apartment building. Not like Jeongguk was the friendliest person either, nor was he too keen when it came to meeting new people. Growing up rather shy, he held on to his introverted ways all throughout his adolescent years. Often times his parents would compare him to his older brother, who was naturally extroverted and honestly the life of the party, never failing to point out how they were polar opposites despite them being extremely close to one another.

Another loud crash was heard, Jeongguk jumped to his feet and decided to feed his curiosity and see where all the loud noises were coming from. Though he tried to remain as quiet as he could, his front door emitting the most distracting creaking noises instantly gave him away. He reluctantly peeked his head past the wooden doorframe, craning his neck from one side to another in search for the source of the odd noises. He lived alone on the 4th floor, but based on the number of cardboard boxes loitering in the empty hallway, that was about to change soon. Heavy footsteps padded across the stairway as the sound grew closer and closer. Jeongguk decided to step out of his apartment and see who was moving in next door. He was expecting another elderly woman with a dozen cats to move in, but instead he was greeted by an all too familiar face. Jeongguk had to muster every ounce of composure that he was capable of producing to not run back into his apartment and have an explosive meltdown.

It wasn’t an old lady like he presumed.

“Oh. Hi. Sorry for all the racket I’ve been making. These floorboards could really use some repairs, I think the entire building heard me making my way up these stairs.”

Jeongguk was almost convinced that his delusions have finally caught up to him and he was now imagining a scene from his head. Because there was no way his luck was surprisingly about to change. He was the unluckiest person alive. He shook his head in disbelief, trying to wake himself up from whatever preposterous dream he was in, when another loud thud coming from a huge box being lowered to the ground, snapped him out of the rumination he was going through regarding his sanity.

“Looks like we'll be neighbors.” He wiped the dust onto the backside of his jeans, before extending one hand in front of Jeongguk, who was embarrassingly caught staring at it longer than what would be considered normal. “Hi, I’m Park Jimin. Nice to meet you.. sorry, I don’t think I caught your name?” It was without a doubt, Mochi, except his blonde locks were now dyed to black, making him almost unrecognizable if Jeongguk hadn’t been so keen when it came to practically memorizing his features.

The man was waiting for his response, but Jeongguk felt like a fuse exploded inside of him. For the next few seconds his brain seemed to have short circuited, he wanted to say something back but the words wouldn’t come out. It was almost as if he was shocked to the point of being paralyzed. Even with the blackest hair he’s ever come across, there was no doubt in his mind that only one person in this world had the same bewitching features.

His new next door neighbor turned out to be none other than the one person that’s kept him sane for the past year or so, his favorite streamer, Mochi.

This had to be some eerie coincidence or as Jeongguk would like to think, fate. Seokjin would most probably tease him and call him delusional for even going as far as to assume it was fate or anything relatively close to the idea of it, but it is what it is, and Mochi was merely a few inches away from him.

“Hello? Earth to..”

“Earth to the galaxy.” Jeongguk unconsciously added, it was one of Mochi’s catch phrases whenever he felt like his viewers weren’t participating or giving him the reaction he wanted. 

“What did you just say?”

Jeongguk tried to salvage the situation, and opted to present himself as someone who didn’t have any inkling as to who Mochi was. Assuming it would be highly unattractive to introduce himself as some diehard fanboy, when Mochi probably had his reasons for moving in next door when he could very well afford a more upscale apartment in another district. Jeongguk couldn't think of any other reason than privacy. So if Mochi wanted privacy, Jeongguk was more than willing to put up the pretense that he had no idea who this Mochi person was. 

“Sorry, it’s something my brother used to say.” He lied, trembling hands took Mochi’s, Jeongguk played it cool as he shook his hand but on the inside, he was combusting. Jeongguk had come across multiple actors and idols throughout his life, but he’s never been as starstruck as he was now.

Jimin smiled as he reluctantly let go, realizing that they’ve been shaking each other’s hands longer than what would be considered appropriate. He figured that his new neighbor was just an overly enthusiastic guy.

“Jeon Jeongguk. I’m a dog owner but I promise that I abide by the building’s rules and I’m not sure if you’re not into pets..”

“I love dogs!” Jimin beamed, instantly shutting down Jeongguk’s worries.

Not like he needed another reason to become an even bigger fan, but here Jeongguk was, nearly swooning in front of someone that’s become a part of his daily life. He just wasn’t aware of it yet.

Jimin, he repeated the name over and over again in his head. He was used to associating the name Mochi to Jimin’s face, but then he realized how his real name fit his delicate features perfectly. Jimin had a nice ring to it, it rolled off his tongue naturally.

“Do you need help moving in? I could help with the boxes.” He looked around at the tiny hallway and spotted dozens of boxes nearly filling the area up. Jeongguk secretly thanked his co-worker, Namjoon, in his head for getting him into working out. He was hoping to impress Jimin by nonchalantly showing off his muscles and core strength. It was silly, really, Jeongguk wasn’t even the type to show off, but being placed in front of someone he’s admired for a really long time made him want to place his best foot forward.

Waving his hands in front of him to signal that it wasn’t necessary, Jimin was reluctant to accept his new neighbor's kind offer. “Oh no I couldn’t bother you with something that I can manage myself.”

“But I insist.” Jeongguk added, pinning his hope on the fact that he didn’t sound as desperate as he actually was to spend at least a couple more minutes with Mochi.

Perhaps Jimin sensed how Jeongguk was a persistent fellow and eventually agreed. They began lifting heavy boxes into the apartment, and a box labeled as ‘gaming’, written in bold black letters, caught Jeongguk's attention. Jimin casually grabbed it, turning the box around to conceal its label, not knowing that Jeongguk had already caught a good glimpse of it. By the time they were done, Jimin plopped down in the middle of his apartment to catch his breath. Since both of their apartments were located on the same floor, they had similar layouts. Jeongguk was amazed to discover how this apartment was exactly like his, except it was a mirrored version of it.

“Sorry, normally I’d ask if you wanted to have a seat by now, but as you can see, my furniture hasn’t arrived.” Jeongguk took note of how Jimin was just as charming as he was during his streams, maybe even more so in person. Since he already unintentionally invited himself in, he might as well make the most out of it, Jeongguk took a seat on the wooden floor next to Jimin.

“I didn’t realize how long this place has been unoccupied, the walls need repainting.” Jeongguk glanced around the room and found several areas wherein the paint was beginning to peel off of the walls. His apartment had to undergo numerous renovations to turn it into its current state as well. Fortunately for Jeongguk, he was rather skilled with his hands and managed to do the repairs on his own, saving him a pretty penny.

“I know. Guess this was one of the downsides that came with an affordable lease.” Jimin sighed, he knew that he had to allot quite a number of days to restore and repair his new apartment to a more livable state. Moving was a lot of work, and Jimin was sadly looking forward to relaxing instead of doing even more work.

“I could help you out. Things will be done quicker and you’ll be able to save money. It’s a win-win.” Jeongguk proposed, making sure that it was delivered in a way the came off as apathetic as possible. Jimin didn’t have to know that Jeongguk was fervently crossing his fingers on the inside. If he was consistently unlucky when it came to leaving comments on Jimin’s stream, he was hoping that his luck would change when it came to real life.

Mulling over the idea, Jimin was hesitating since he barely knew Jeongguk and wasn’t sure if it was okay to ask for such a huge favor, especially since they just met. “But you already helped me with my stuff and this was all because I was too cheap to hire movers to make my life easier.”

“Its no bother, really. I like doing handy work.” It wasn’t exactly a lie, but his brother would easily dispute this statement since whenever Seokjin asked Jeongguk for a favor, he would make a fuss out of it before eventually agreeing to it. But this was Jimin, there wasn’t anything Jeongguk was not willing to do in order to get closer to him.

“If its really not troublesome for you then I’ll be more than grateful to take you up on your offer. But you’ll have to let me at least repay you for it!” As much as Jimin didn’t want to take advantage of his neighbor's kindness, he knew he could really use the extra hand. The sooner he was done sprucing up his apartment, the sooner he could really relax and get started on turning his new place into a home.

“It’s a deal then. How about we get started today? You could unpack and I can start repainting the walls. Do you have a color in mind? I could run to the hardware store and grab a few swatches for you to choose from.” Jeongguk was already increasingly giddy on the inside after getting Jimin to agree.

“I couldn’t ask you to do that much. Let me at least come with you to the hardware store and pay for everything myself.”

Thanking his lucky stars for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, not only did Jeongguk meet the person he admired the most, but they were actually going somewhere together. Nevermind the fact that it wasn’t a date but rather a quick trip to probably the most unromantic place in existence, this was pretty darn close to it anyway. The closest store was a few blocks away, they casually discussed mainly how Jimin wanted his apartment to look like as Jeongguk made mental notes on how he could accomplish that for him. He already had a draft composed and saved on his phone, calling in sick for work so he could free up his entire week. His supervisor would probably give him a lengthy lecture about missing consecutive work days, but it was worth it in exchange for spending time with Jimin.

They headed straight towards the paint section where there were way too many choices varying in shades and undertones. Jeongguk took the liberty of picking up a couple of lightbulbs Jimin could choose from, and was surprised to return to the paint aisle to find Jimin still standing in front of it, undecided.

“Why are there so many colors?” Jimin, who was known to be indecisive when it came to practically anything, struggled to pick out the best color for his apartment.

“Ah yeah, you’re indecisive.” Jeongguk realized his blunder once the words were out, faking out a cough as if the motion would make Jimin magically forget his words.

He paused, puzzled as he looked at Jeongguk. “What did you just say?”

Fumbling with his words, Jeongguk quickly came up with a somewhat believable excuse. “I meant, uh, you look like the type of person that’s indecisive.” Wincing as the words left him, it wasn’t exactly a compliment but it was better than blowing his cover.

Tilting his head to the side as he digested Jeongguk's words, Jimin turned to look at Jeongguk once more, giggling this time. “Really? I look indecisive? Wow, can’t say I’ve heard that before. I didn’t know it was possible to give out the impression that you were an indecisive person. Guess you learn something new everyday.”

Mustering out his most convincing chuckle, Jeongguk just readily agreed to whatever Jimin was assuming if it meant that he was off the hook. “Yep. Like me, people say I look lazy.” Another nonsensical white lie he produced on the spot to diminish any doubts Jimin may or may not have.

Luckily for Jeongguk, though his statement was a bit odd, it managed to make Jimin giggle. “For what its worth, I don’t think you look like the lazy type. You seem more like a busybody.” He smiled as he reassured Jeongguk, causing him to feel a trace of guilt for his little white lie when Jimin was kind enough to try and make him feel better about himself.

“So, what color did you have in mind? Maybe I can help narrow down your choices for you.” He saw an opportunity for a subject change and Jeongguk immediately grabbed it.

“Hmm. Something that doesn’t strain the eyes when you look at it for too long.”

“I get it. Because when you stare at the computer screen too long..” Jeongguk blurted it out before he could stop himself. Placing a steady hand on top of his mouth in hopes that it would be enough to prevent himself from babbling out phrases which would let Jimin know that he actually knew who he was.

“I never mentioned a computer screen?” Jimin looked at him puzzled.

He had to think, and he had to think quick. Luckily for Jeongguk, he was always someone constantly on his toes, he knew how to talk himself out of any situation. “I mean, doesn’t everyone use computers these days? Don’t majority of jobs require it?”

“Huh. Point taken. Maybe something easy on the eyes then.”

“How about light colors then? White is too boring, how about beige?” He grabbed a sample swatch from the nude palette and began pointing out colors to Jimin, it would serve as a good distraction and maybe he'll forget about Jeongguk’s blunder along the way. Jimin ended up following Jeongguk’s suggestion and picking out a neutral color. After picking up a few more necessities, Jimin settled the bill and they headed back to their apartment complex to get started. Jimin began unpacking his belongings and Jeongguk got started on repainting the walls. They worked in silence for the most part, halfway through the afternoon Jimin started playing music from his phone which had Jeongguk humming along to most tunes, realizing how they had similar taste in music. By the time the sun went down, most of the boxes were empty and discarded, Jimin had finally managed to unpack most of his life into his new place and decided to order in dinner for the both of them. He may have ordered a bit too much, suddenly feeling shy that he didn’t directly ask Jeongguk what he preferred to eat and ended up ordering way too much for two people to consume. Contrary to how extroverted he was during his live streams, Jimin was fairly introverted in real life. It was so much easier conversing in front of a computer screen where eye contact didn’t matter neither did the flow of a conversation matter. This was the reason he was mainly hesitant to even begin streaming, and only did it for fun at first.

The doorbell rang and Jeongguk was alarmed at the amount of food that arrived. “Wow. Are we having a feast or something? I don’t think I can fit all that into my tummy but I can certainly try.” He joked, helping Jimin with the bags. He could get a good whiff of the different aromas while he assisted him.

“Sorry, I have a couple of mismatched tableware here but I’m heavily doubting how clean they are. Would paper plates be okay for now?” Jimin sheepishly supplied.

Jeongguk found it adorable that Jimin, who was no less than confident during his streams, was fretting over something as insignificant as plates. If Jeongguk was being completely honest, he wouldn’t mind eating off of the floor if it meant that he could share a meal with his favorite streamer. But of course he would never openly admit that out loud, especially since it was unsanitary and honestly a bit gross.

“I don’t mind either way. We could just use the boxes they came in.” He suggested, and they ended up eating straight out of the take out containers. Jeongguk stuffed himself as much as he could just so the food wouldn’t go to waste, and Jimin giggled along, reminding him that it was okay to have leftovers and that he shouldn’t force himself to eat too much.

As soon as they were done, Jeongguk rested his weight on his arms, having an extremely full belly. He remembered to thank Jimin for the meal and joked that next time he should order less.

“Well, the walls are almost done. I think I only have one last room to repaint.”

“I can’t thank you enough for all the help. Maybe tomorrow we can eat out for dinner? I’m not familiar with the area so I’ll let you decide where you want to eat.”

Jeongguk smiled at the thought that he had another excuse to see Jimin again tomorrow when earlier that day he was stressing over the fact that Mochi was about to take a hiatus from the streaming world.

“Okay, call. By the way, I hope you don’t mind me asking, but what made you choose this building? I mean there are a lot of other apartments that cost more, but are more.. tolerable? Comfortable?” He struggled to find the right word, he knew that Jimin could very well afford a more decent apartment than the one Jeongguk was living it. It was nearly rundown and probably had about a hundred things that needed repairs. Curiosity got the better of him and he was genuinely curious as to why Jimin picked this specific apartment complex.

“Hmm.. I wanted someplace low-key. A quiet neighborhood I could come home to.”

“Somewhere you wouldn’t get recognized?” Jeongguk thinks he’s never wanted to slap his mouth as much as he did at this very moment.

“Recognized? Why, do you recognize me from somewhere, Jeongguk?” Jimin leaned in, eyes scrutinizing Jeongguk’s reaction and body language.

Growing up as a somewhat mischievous child, Jeongguk had already mastered the art of weaseling his way out of trouble, and today wasn’t going to be an exception. He wasn’t going to let his uncontrollable habit of blurting things out get in the way of an opportunity to spend time with Jimin and act like he knows nothing about Mochi.

Putting on the most insouciant expression on his face, he replied. “No. Why would I recognize you? We just met today.”

Raising an eyebrow at his response, Jimin began giggling at his silliness. Tilting his head back as he bursted into a fit of giggles. Jeongguk’s seen him laugh thousands of times during live broadcasts, but he was still enthralled to witness it in the flesh. How was it even possible that Jimin was a million times more charming in person even though his tendency to talk was diminished to 1% of what Jeongguk was used to?

“Sorry, that was a weird thing for me to say. I’m really awkward around people, not sure if you’ve noticed it by now.”

“Really???” His voice raised several octaves but Jeongguk couldn’t conceal the shock he felt. Reminding himself to tone it down a notch since Jimin was under the impression that Jeongguk had no idea as to what he did for a living. “I mean, you don’t seem like the introverted type.”

“What made you say that?”

“You just have this aura around you that draws people in. Does that make any sense?” He said with an indifferent shrug.

“A bit. I have a lot of insecurities so maybe that’s why I find it harder to open myself up to people.”

It left Jeongguk wondering what kind of insecurities Jimin was dealing with, but at the same time, he didn’t know Jimin, he only knew Mochi and what image Mochi chose to portray in front of the camera.

“I don’t think you have anything you need to be insecure about.” He spoke honestly.

Clearly not expecting his response, Jimin was pleasantly surprised to receive such a compliment from someone he’s known for less than 24 hours. “That’s sweet of you to say.”

He had a proud smile on his face knowing that his words had a positive effect over Jimin. If Jeongguk could provide even a fraction of the positivity Jimin has brought back into his life with his streams, Jeongguk would be satisfied with that. Watching Mochi made him forget about the rest of the world, as dramatic as it sounds. He made Jeongguk feel seen and heard although they weren’t directly communicating with one another, and during his darker days, it was nice to know that he wasn’t alone. He could just switch on his computer and he would instantly find solace watching a man who had no idea about his existence, but at the same time, he made Jeongguk feel like he wasn’t alone. It was a quick reminder to himself that it was okay to take breaks in between since life can get overwhelming. He told himself that perhaps one day he would get the chance to tell Jimin all these and more.

“For what its worth, I mean it.” Though he didn’t want to end his day with Jimin just yet, he realized how much unpacking and organizing Jimin still had to do and maybe he preferred to do it in the privacy of his new apartment. He thanked Jimin again for the meal and told him that he would be returning the next day to finish up repainting the walls.

Jimin hovered by the doorframe as they were saying their goodbyes.

“Jeongguk.”

“Yeah?”

“It was really nice meeting you today. See you tomorrow.”

Jeongguk had to bite down on his lower lip to prevent him from hooting out loud, he had a light skip to his step as he entered his own apartment which was a couple of feet away from Jimin's but couldn't help but break out into a little happy dance once the door behind him slammed shut. Not wanting to jinx his current streak of luck, he decided to keep today’s events to himself for now.

He just met the one person he’s always dreamt of meeting, Jeongguk went to bed feeling the most relaxed he’s ever felt in a long, long time. And just overnight, Jeongguk became an even bigger fan.

He woke up before his alarm the next morning, an occurrence that rarely ever happens but Jeongguk supposes it was the excitement running through his veins that jolted him awake. The thought that he was going to spend probably an entire day with Jimin again was more than enough reason for him to get on his feet as fast as he could and freshen up to make himself look presentable before heading next door. His clothes were bound to get stained with paint streaks but it didn’t matter. Jeongguk could show up in his most expensive clothing only to end up staining it with paint and he would still think that it was the best day ever. Jimin came to the door after ringing the first bell, almost illuminating the dusty, leaden hallway with his presence.

If only Jimin knew that he had the similar effect when it came to Jeongguk’s bleak life.

He noticed that Jimin was in the middle of assembling furniture and asked him if he needed help. He was visibly struggling based on the mess behind him, loose parts were scattered across the floor and the manual was crumpled up.

“I enjoy these kinds of things, don’t worry.” Jeongguk reassured him, sensing his hesitancy.

Jimin eventually gave in, realizing that it was impossible to assemble on his own since assembling things was not his forte in the slightest. “I really appreciate it, I’ll continue painting the walls so we can both get things done for today.”

Jeongguk couldn’t repress the chuckles from escaping him as soon as he discovered how the screws were forced into spots they weren’t supposed to be in.

“Its that bad, huh? I can’t assemble things to save my life. This is why I never played with Lego as a child.” Jimin giggled along, slightly embarrassed with his inefficiency when it came to things like this.

Jeongguk, on the other hand, chalked it up to another one of his more endearing traits. It was nice to know that someone as perfect as Jimin also had his fair share of imperfections, it made him more relatable in a sense, reminded Jeongguk that he was just a regular guy like him.

“Its okay, I’m sure you make up for your lack of handiwork in other aspects. What do you like to do on your free time, Jimin?” He casually attempted to get to know him better even though Jeongguk thought he knew Jimin in a way, he quickly realized that he only knew the person he presented himself to be in front of the camera. When in reality, he hardly knew who the real Jimin was.

“I enjoy running. There’s a thrill that comes with running, and at the same time, it helps me clear my head.”

See, this is a tiny tidbit Jeongguk never would have guessed if they hadn’t met each other in the most coincidental way.

“Oh then you’ll enjoy the open area a couple of blocks away. There are a lot of wide trails and even the nearby park is big enough to do several laps in. What else do you enjoy?”

It felt like an impromptu interview yet Jimin was enjoying it. “I have a soft spot for animals, I actually took up veterinary courses back in college.”

“Are you working as a veterinarian now?”

Jimin shook his head with a sad smile. “Unfortunately I still had a couple of GE course works left and more units that were considered requirements for graduating, and I couldn’t finish my course.”

Jeongguk could immediately tell that Jimin really wanted to become a veterinarian, the disappointment was seeping through his tone.

“Why didn’t you get to finish?” He hesitantly questioned, unsure if Jimin would find him too nosy since he was practically a stranger who was asking such a personal question. But since they were already on the topic, Jeongguk decided to push his luck.

“Because life got in the way.” Jimin responded with a subdued tone, voice barely above a whisper. “My family couldn’t afford it anymore so I tried to work some odd jobs here and there to help them out but it wasn’t enough. I had to give up my dream if it meant that my parents wouldn’t have to go into bankruptcy to put me through college.” Jimin turned his back from Jeongguk, keeping himself busy as he dipped his brush into the bucket of paint and focused his attention to the walls instead. It was also his way of concealing the fact that he was choking up just remembering it.

“You’re a good son, Jimin. That was very selfless of you. And I know as a stranger I have no right to raise opinions on what you’ve done with your life, but even if I don’t know you, hearing that makes me proud to know you. Am I making any sense?”

Almost dropping his brush to the ground, a single tear escaped him. Though he knew that he made the right decision even if it meant giving up his dream in exchange, it still felt good to hear it from somebody else. An acknowledgement that gave him solace.

“Thank you, Jeongguk. I mean it.”

Jeongguk knew that he could afford to go back to college now that he was a famous streamer that earned more than enough to pay for his tuition, but he couldn’t bring himself to ask why Jimin hasn’t done that yet. He knew that he was in no position to ask either, Jimin probably had his reasons.

“Do you ever think you’ll go back to college and get your degree?” Satisfying his curiosity by asking this instead.

“Maybe someday. Who knows. My parents run a farm that was in devastatingly bad circumstances up until last year, I started earning more money than I could imagine and dedicated whatever went into my bank account into reinstating the farm into what it once was. My father’s also been bedridden for months so my money goes into that too. It’s just a lot of things, all at once.”

His hands that were preoccupied inserting a screw into its designated hole that was loosely screwed halfway in suddenly felt weak, Jeongguk slowly lowered the hand holding the screwdriver once he heard what Jimin had to say. His hand suddenly lost its strength, plopped down on top of his legs. Heart instantly broken upon hearing the circumstances his favorite person in the world was in, and also realizing that he had nothing that he could do for him. If there’s anything Jeongguk detested, it was being helpless. Standing around idly and not doing something impactful for somebody else, especially for those he cared about. Jimin had his reasons for giving up something as important as his own dream, and Jeongguk could only admire him more for stepping up as a bigger person for his family. He always had a hunch that Jimin was an admirable person, but the more he got to know him, the more his suspicions were proven to be spot on. Jimin went above and beyond his wildest expectations. The room went silent for a bit, Jimin and Jeongguk both filled with their separate thoughts about what was just disclosed.

“You’re nothing short of amazing, I hope you know that.” He couldn’t help but blurt out, Jimin had to know that somebody was impeccably in awe with his selfless choices. That these choices didn’t go unnoticed.

There was a variety of emotions circulating around Jimin, neither one winning over the others, but the fact that Jeongguk went out of his way to ensure that Jimin was appreciated for the choices he had to make in life made him feel seen. A single tear escaped, to which he hurriedly wiped with the paw of his sweater.

“Thanks, Jeongguk. That means more to me than I can really say.” Barely audible, said in a hushed whisper.

“You need to know that you did what you thought was right at the time, if you ever choose to go back to college, I’m sure you can make it happen. Doesn’t have to be now, since you’re the captain of your own ship.”

The last bit was something Jimin often said during his broadcasts whenever a fan would ask for advice or his opinion on things, but Jimin brushed it off, maybe it was a saying that people coincidentally used as well.

“That’s a very.. peculiar saying, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, guess I picked it up from someone who inspired me a lot.” Jeongguk shrugged, toying with a screw in between his fingers, leaving Jimin guessing who this mystery person was and how coincidental it was that they shared the same expression. They went back to what they were previously occupied with, picking up on less emotional topics as they continued to revamp Jimin’s apartment. Once Jeongguk was done assembling, he even went as far to check if Jimin’s pipes were all in good working condition, much to Jimin’s insistence that it wasn’t necessary. Jeongguk still went ahead and did it anyway, reminding Jimin that “water is more than necessary”, to which Jimin didn’t have a good rebuttal for. Water was an essential, he eventually let Jeongguk check his pipes and drains, and as well as the electrical circuits in his apartment.

Basically, he was conducting a very thorough inspection, Jimin had to keep on mind that Jeongguk was irrevocably keen when it came to safety. It was unheard of for a stranger to care about his welfare to this extent, but Jimin thought it was sweet nonetheless.

The day passed by in an instant, Jeongguk had the time of his life learning new things about Jimin that he probably would’ve never discovered through his streams. Jimin was simply easy to be around, he was carefree and like a breath of fresh air. Even though Jeongguk had been religiously tuning in to his streams, it felt as if he was meeting him again for the very first time. Hunger and overall exhaustion eventually caught up to them. The walls were all coated in a new, refreshing color, his furniture pieces were assembled and ready to be put to good use, his boxes were unpacked, and Jimin was just waiting for the rest of his furniture to be delivered to his new address and he was all set.

Thanking Jeongguk profusely as he wiped a bead of sweat trickling down his forehead. “Couldn’t have done all of this in two days if it weren’t for you. I think it’s about time to reward you for your hard work. Have you picked out a restaurant?”

They could end up eating ready-made food from the convenience store and Jeongguk would view it as the best meal of his life, but he kept this thought to himself. Instead, he suggested one of the restaurants he frequently visited which was a home-owned establishment belonging to a newlywed couple. Jeongguk loved home-cooked meals, and figured that Jimin would probably appreciate it too.

The restaurant was a small enclosed space connected to the couple’s residence. It contained minimal décor but exuded a homey vibe to it. With the minimal space they had, the couple intended to make use of every unoccupied spot and somehow turn it into a space filled with warmth. Jimin’s eyes lit up upon entering, wondering how such an adorable establishment was nearly empty. It was like a treasure trove in the middle of an extremely fast paced city, an overall nice spot to find calmness amidst the chaos and just slow down. They were welcomed by Mrs. Jang, who sneakily sent Jeongguk a knowing look since he’s never visited the restaurant before with anyone other than his brother and occasionally, Taehyung, his brother’s boyfriend.

“Jeongguk, I haven’t seen you in the past week. I was beginning to think that you were holed up at home, getting sucked in by your computer screen again.” She giggled as she teased the younger, Jimin curiously eyed Jeongguk, wondering if his job required him to spend hours in front of the computer or if he was potentially into games, like he was.

“I was busy helping Jimin move in.” He shyly gestured towards Jimin, feeling the heat creeping up on him.

“You make a lovely couple. He moved in with you?” Placing her hair into a messy bun, Mrs. Jang grabbed two menus and handed them out to Jimin and Jeongguk who were awkwardly deliberating how they were going to respond to what she had just said. Stunned as they shyly glanced at each other, only to glance away a couple of seconds later.

Jeongguk had to clear his throat numerous times because it felt as if he accidentally swallowed a ball of fur that wouldn’t seem to go away.

“No, no, noona. You’ve got it all wrong. He moved in next door.”

She pursed her lips together, repressing her giggles. “Oh dear, seems like I read the situation wrong. Nonetheless, I think you two look cute together.” She not-so-subtly winked at Jeongguk before handing him a menu. Jeongguk knew for a fact that Jimin witnessed that wink and he hid his embarrassment behind a rustic themed menu. Jimin encouraged him to order for the both of them since he was a frequent customer and Jeongguk ended up ordering all of his favorite dishes. They were currently the only patrons, so the silence that ensued was a bit awkward. Reading the tension in the room, Mrs. Jang began playing music from the kitchen area as she prepared their orders. Coincidentally, it was a song Jimin liked, Jeongguk knew this as well since he often played it during streams. True enough, he started humming along to the melody, which got Jeongguk smiling as he watched him in pure, unfiltered admiration.

“Do you know this song too?” Jimin paused as soon as he noticed Jeongguk unabashedly staring.

“I’m familiar with it. It’s a pretty song.” But not nearly as pretty as the one humming to it, he thought to himself. He started lightly tapping the table, following the beat.

Turns out all they needed was a mutual common ground, one song was all it took for them to get right back into the flow of things. They began discussing their favorite songs, which transcended into similar hobbies, Jeongguk mentioned gaming expecting Jimin to do the same, but he ended up not disclosing the fact that he was also heavily into games. Jeongguk figured that perhaps Jimin didn’t feel comfortable telling people about what he did for a living. Jeongguk, having an immense amount of respect for Jimin, especially after getting to know him better, decided to respect his privacy and change the subject. Jeongguk told him about his boring desk job and what he liked to do for fun, barely noticing the arrival of Mrs. Jang who had their orders ready.

Jimin did a happy dance after the first bite, humming in appreciation as the taste of a home-cooked meal brought fond memories dating back to his younger years. He thanked Jeongguk, as well as Mrs. Jang, for the sumptuous meal which he fully immersed himself in. Mrs. Jang was charmed by Jimin, pretty similar to how anyone who has ever crossed paths with Jimin was. One way or another, they were bound to be smitten. It was a natural effect Jimin had on people, he was charming without being over the top, and he was too kind for this world, there was no way anyone could hate him, at least, anyone in their right mind. Jeongguk sat back as he perpetually watched Jimin with amazement, pinching himself to remind him that he was watching him in the flesh and not from behind a screen this time. There wasn’t an audience, and this was how Jimin really was as a person.

He dodged the loaded questions with not-so-hidden implications when Mrs. Jang handed them a couple of complimentary drinks, desperately fighting back the urge to give off the impression that he was already embarrassed since Jeongguk wasn’t too sure if his little crush was somewhat obvious. He sneakily settled the bill when Jimin excused himself to use the restroom. The pout on Jimin’s face once he found out was rewarding enough. Jeongguk simply chuckled once Jimin began complaining about how dinner was supposed to be his treat since Jeongguk had already volunteered to spruce up his apartment.

“The next one’s on you then.” He joked, realizing too late that his words came out as too hopeful that there would be another meal shared with Jimin, especially since his apartment was nearly done.

Jimin appeared to have thought the same, he raised an eyebrow before giggling. “Fine.”

The walk home was a brisk one, time passed by too quickly and before Jeongguk knew it, they were standing in front of their apartment doors again. There was a bit of hesitation, Jimin shifted his weight from one foot to another. The silence would be suffocating if Jeongguk wasn’t trying to stall as much as he could just to be able to spend a little bit more time with Jimin.

“Jeongguk, I was wondering, this might be too much to ask since you’ve already helped me out a lot but if you’re free tomorrow..”

Perhaps Jeongguk should have at least tried to hesitate a bit instead of agreeing too easily, but the enthusiastic glint in his eyes were impossible to ignore. He agreed even before Jimin could get his words out, which resulted to Jimin giggling to himself.

“Didn’t think furniture shopping would be that exciting but thanks for agreeing anyway. Guess I’ll be seeing you again tomorrow. Goodnight Jeongguk.”

Jeongguk should have settled for a simple goodnight, but ended up blurting out Jimin’s catchphrase instead. “Catch you at sunrise.”

Jimin looked stunned to hear the words escape him since it was something he often said during majority of his streams. Parting words he would leave his viewers with. But before he could ponder on the coincidence that Jeongguk liked to say the exact same phrase too and call him out on it, the door next door let out a heavy slam as Jeongguk hurriedly let himself in. It was odd, Jimin thought to himself, but however odd it was, it had to be a coincidence. The chances of him moving halfway across the country and being recognized by his next door neighbor were slim to none. He reassured himself one last time that he was probably overthinking things and entered his own apartment, leaving his thoughts and apprehensions out in the hallway.

“Shit, Jeongguk, get it together.” Jeongguk mumbled to himself inside the safety of his four walls. It was another unnecessary slip up, he had to wonder when his luck would eventually run out and he’d end up exposing himself. Being such a huge fanboy certainly had its downsides, he had to tone it down a notch if he wanted to keep up this façade and continue acting like he didn’t have the slightest clue as to who Jimin really was. The last thing he needed was an ogling fanboy who barely missed a stream. Tomorrow was another day.

The morning came, and Jeongguk provided his supervisor with another half-assed excuse as to why he couldn’t come in for work, he was beginning to seriously doubt that his supervisor believed him but couldn’t really bring himself to care either way. Waking up earlier than he planned, he prepared pancakes along with any edible fruits he had left and placed them in a disposable container before heading next door. Jimin sleepily answered the door, half asleep and half surprised to see Jeongguk so early in the morning.

“What time is it?” Voice hoarse and small.

Jeongguk let out an apologetic smile, realizing that in his excitement he didn’t realize just how early it was. In his defense, Jimin hadn’t mentioned a specific time last night, and Jeongguk wanted to squeeze in as much time as he could. “Half past 8.”

“You’re an early bird.” Jimin muttered out, smiling as he moved to the side to give Jeongguk enough space to pass.

The truth was that Jeongguk constantly got into trouble thanks to his unflattering tardiness, and today was one of the few times he was early. But again, Jimin didn’t have to know about that. He sheepishly entered the apartment and placed the containers on top of the kitchen island, Jimin still didn’t have any chairs or tables in his apartment, realizing this as he glanced around at the practically barren space.

“I’m getting furniture today, remember?” Jimin giggled as he read Jeongguk’s thoughts out loud, tossing two large throw pillows to the ground and creating a makeshift dining area. “Its early.” He yawned, stretching his limbs before occupying one of the throw pillows on the ground.

“Sorry.” Jeongguk whispered out.

“Don’t be. I rarely wake up early and always feel bad since I feel like I wasted an entire day, but I’ve always been sort of a night owl.”

Jeongguk knew this all too well, the dark circles around his eyes were proof that no matter how early he had to come in for work the next day, he stayed up to watch Jimin play a couple of games. Time didn’t seem to exist whenever he watched the latter, his lack of sleep was dying to throw in a complaint or two, especially when Jeongguk would gradually doze off at work. But he would easily choose the inevitable lack of sleep any day if it meant a few extra hours of uninterrupted moments of peace within him, which he discovered he only got whenever he was distracted watching Jimin.

“I know. You should really learn how to sleep earlier and..” He was trailing off again, caught up in the moment.

“How’d you know that I like staying up late?” Lifting the flap of the container Jeongguk brought with him, he instantly let it go. Now quizzically staring back at Jeongguk with curious eyes.

Although Jeongguk was quick when it came to thinking on his feet, this didn’t mean that he consistently came up with bright ideas. For the most part, he gravitated towards blurting out his first thoughts which sometimes backfired on him. Like now.

“Your bags!” He said in a haste.

Jimin blinked in silence a number of times, rubbing his eyes to wake himself up. “Excuse me?”

“The bags under your eyes. You must enjoy staying up late!” He pursed his lips shut as soon as the realization that he just directly insulted Jimin in his panicked frenzy, even if it was the last thing Jeongguk ever wanted to do. He winced as Jimin looked offended to say the least, making a poor attempt to mask his surprise.

“D-did you just insult me right now? Should I be offended by that remark?” He gasped, placing a hand over his chest to add to his dramatics. Jeongguk began sweating profusely, stuttering as he tried to come up with an excuse.

“i.. Uhh.. It wasn’t.. Umm..”

Jimin eventually faltered and gave up on the act, he wasn’t someone who was easily offended to begin with. “Its fine, I was kidding. I really should work on my sleeping habits since I rarely ever sleep on time. Insomnia and poor lifestyle choices.”

It felt as if his soul had momentarily left his body, Jeongguk plopped down on the ground, muttering out apologies for what he said earlier.

“You should have seen the look on your face. You were as pale as a ghost “ Jimin playfully teased, thanking Jeongguk for bringing him breakfast. It was sweet, really. He’s merely known Jeongguk for a couple of days but he’s been extremely attentive when it came to Jimin, consistently making sure that he didn’t skip his meals. A fond smile appeared as soon as his eyes landed on the pancake that was decorated with random fruits and a handful of colorful chocolate bits. Somehow it looked like a 5 year old decorated it, creating a face out of random ingredients. Jimin appreciated the gesture, the last time he’s ever eaten something like this was probably back in middle school. It was even more amusing coming from Jeongguk who boasted large tattoos all over his arms and a few piercings, he never would have imagined that Jeongguk also had a childish and playful side to him. Perhaps this was the fun part of meeting somebody for the first time, learning and discovering new things about them.

“This is really cute.” The smile Jimin let out was worth waking up hours before his alarm. Jeongguk was relieved to know that his small gesture did not go unnoticed.

“Glad you liked it. I was worried that you might think it’s a bit childish.” He let it a nervous laugh.

“I think it’s refreshing to let our inner child come out from time to time.” Jimin remarked before taking a huge bite out of his pancake, shutting his eyes as he savored the mixture of whipped cream, syrup and pancake batter in a harmony of flavors bursting in his mouth. “I find that life is already too serious, taking it easy won’t hurt anybody.” Based on this statement alone, Jeongguk could make a few guesses as to why Jimin began streaming, although he was dying to find out the real story behind it, it was something that could wait.

He agreed and Jimin struck a conversation about the furniture pieces he was eyeing and how he wanted the overall appearance of his apartment to turn out. Jeongguk didn’t shy away from dishing out suggestions, even going as far as recommending which stores he thinks would be a good place to pick out furniture from. Jeongguk couldn’t help but think that the flow of their conversation turned into a domestic one, it was similar to how couples would usually discuss the layout of their shared apartment. The thought made him giddy, though he couldn’t deny how delusional he must have sounded in his head. Once they were done with breakfast, Jimin excused himself and asked Jeongguk if he could wait around for 10 minutes while he got ready for their day, to which he willingly agreed to. He took in the sights of Jimin’s apartment, still in disbelief since never in a million years could he have imagined that he would be lounging around in the middle of his favorite streamer’s apartment. Although partially empty, the bits and pieces cluttered around were items he could easily associate with Mochi.

There was an impressive selection of cookware displayed by the kitchen area, Jeongguk recalls how the streamer mentioned it during his streams that he was a struggling chef and how he still wanted to learn how to create decent meals despite his many failed attempts and kitchen disasters.

Over by his left, there were a couple of potted plants, not in their best condition but somehow still thriving. Jimin had also mentioned during his previous streams about how much gardening relaxed him and how he was attempting to pick it up as a hobby. It was blatantly obvious that Jimin was the type of person who liked to keep himself busy by trying his hand at various things.

Funny how Jeongguk was still in the process of getting to know Jimin yet it was as if he already partially knew him. Strange. It’s the first time he’s ever encountered this feeling, yet Jeongguk’s glad that he was experiencing it with Jimin, a person he’s been admiring for a long time.

He sat there, fully immersed when it came to indirectly discovering new things about Jimin based on the pieces around his apartment that he hardly noticed how quickly the time had passed by. Jimin was standing by the doorframe, resting his weight against it as he caught Jeongguk conspicuously looking around the area. Eyes filled with curious wonder.

“My place is still a mess. I swear I’m not usually this messy.” Feeling conscious about how his belongings were not arranged in an order he felt comfortable with, Jimin felt compelled to comment.

“I know. You’re a neatfreak.” If Jeongguk could glue his mouth shut for an hour, that would be amazing. Fortunately for him, though Jimin was puzzled, he didn’t question him for his odd response. Perhaps he gave out the impression that he was a tidy person? Jimin wasn’t sure if he was convincing himself or if something fishy really was going on and he was simply in denial. Nonetheless, he brushed the thought aside.

“We should probably get going.” Basing on how Jimin gradually grew silent, he figured that it would be best to not risk raising any more suspicions with his big mouth. Grabbing their belongings and making sure that the front door was locked from behind them, they took the nearest bus towards the city center where most stores were located. They awkwardly took seats in different rows, and Jeongguk could finally let out a breath he was holding in, knowing full well that he wouldn’t be slipping up for at least a couple of minutes.

They arrived at one of the largest department stores housing different brand names and a wide array of furniture shops. Since Jimin already had a design in mind, Jeongguk made a couple of suggestions and they narrowed down their selection to three main shops. The day was spent shamelessly bouncing on beds to test their “durability”, obliviously ignoring the irritated looks on the clerks’ faces, scrutinizing rugs and how ugly some of them were, once again ignoring the existence of hovering clerks which weren’t too pleased with their criticizing remarks and shrill laughter. They also played around with a few faucet fixtures and Jimin spent way too much time badgering a poor clerk about door knobs, all of which Jeongguk found cute. Naturally. The entire time they were furniture shopping Jeongguk couldn’t help but think to himself how the chore was nothing short of domestic. He’s never gone furniture shopping before, with the exception of his big brother Seokjin, who insisted that he should have the liberty of picking out at least half of his apartment’s contents. But with a stranger? Or rather, a friend, maybe Jeongguk could be bold enough to refer to Jimin as one now, the feeling was completely different. He wasn’t too sure if he enjoyed the act itself or the company. But he had a feeling that it was the latter. After arranging for delivery, Jimin was still bursting with energy, asking Jeongguk if he had any more plans for the day, in which he was quick to shake his head.

“How do you feel about dinner then? Followed by ice cream?” He was practically bouncing on his toes, clearly running on pure adrenaline. Jimin bore a charismatic smile which no sane person could ever say no to.

“Ice cream? It’s below two degrees outside?” Jeongguk turned to look out the window to discover that it had already begun snowing a little while ago, turning back to look at Jimin who still possessed the same bright smile he had seconds ago.

“So? Ice cream is the best when it comes to cold, winter nights. Warm drinks are overrated.” He said with a giggle, and Jeongguk soon found himself giggling along even if he barely understood the joke. It was little moments like this where Jeongguk could see so much of Mochi in Jimin and vice versa. He knew that most of what he chose to show on camera had to be part of a persona carefully crafted for viewers, but at the same time, he couldn’t help but assume that Jimin was being his authentic self in front or behind the camera.

“I guess ice cream sounds good.” He witnessed how Jimin’s wide smile grew even wider, and how the butterflies frolicking in his stomach were impossible to calm down at this point. It was hopeless. Jeongguk was a goner the moment Jimin walked into his apartment complex. The universe knew it. Fate knew it. Heck, Jeongguk knew it.

He watched, mystified, at how Jimin took his time selecting from a myriad of flavors until he built himself something akin to an ice cream tower, wondering how all of that could fit into his tiny frame, while he got a meager two scoops of vanilla mixed with chunks of cookie dough.

“I couldn’t decide so I got them all.” He claimed with a giggle, tasting his towering cone from every direction. With the amount of flavors, it looked like a rainbow squeezed into a tiny waffle cone. Colorful and bright, just like the ice cream parlor they were in.

“Seems that way.” Chiming in with a fond chuckle, handing Jimin a napkin to wipe the mint green stain which was sitting directly on top of his lips. Those distracting lips. Jeongguk had to force himself to look the other way, afraid he would be caught inappropriately staring. The snow outside gradually fell, softly filling up the streets, as Jimin continued to enjoy his ice cream and giggling every so often, Jeongguk assumes it was from the sugar rush. Nonetheless, Jeongguk enjoyed the company more than the sweet treat.

The minutes turned into a few hours, used napkins with rainbow filled colors and half eaten waffle cones on top of the table, Jeongguk got lost in conversation with Jimin once more. It was beginning to become a regular occurrence with Jimin: Jeongguk getting lost in between. Time passed by like it was nothing. Another scary thought lingered: what if he allowed himself to actually get used to this?

Jimin could go on and on for hours talking about anything under the sun, and Jeongguk was glad to just quietly listen to anything he had to say. Occasionally chiming in with a few comments of his own. But for the most part, as long as he was with Jimin, it didn’t matter what they were doing. Heck, a boring task such as furniture shopping turned into a fun, memorable afternoon. One he wouldn't be forgetting anytime soon.

“I’m sorry I keep on taking so much of your time. Especially since we just met and I’m practically a stranger. I think my apartment’s pretty much done now, I just need to wait for my orders to come in.” Jimin suddenly cited, Jeongguk knew that the good days were about to come to an end, after all, he just volunteered to help Jimin spruce up his apartment, but this still did little to soothe the dread he was experiencing. “But you’ve been such great help to me and I wish there was a way I could express my gratitude and..” He looked up at Jeongguk whose eyes remained glued to his trembling hands from beneath the table. If he could put his quick wits to good use, now would be the most pivotal time to do so. He knew this was coming, braced himself for it, but now that it was finally happening he realized that he wasn’t ready for it. Not at all.

He had to stall. Mind running through a million ideas per minute, he had to come up with something to get Jimin to stay. Nevermind the fact that he lived a few feet away from him, it wasn’t going to be the same. There wouldn’t be any excuses left to spend time with Jimin and genuinely get to know him as a person. The thought of them occasionally running into each other and greeting each other with civil glances and polite words had him gripping his seat. He didn’t want that, he didn’t want to go back to admiring Mochi from behind his computer screen when he was already within arms reach. Jimin continued to speak to an unresponsive Jeongguk who could hear nothing but static. He was caught in a daze, walking lifelessly out of the quaint ice cream shop, feeling the cold wind nibbling on his skin as he stared at a pile of snow in front of him.

The walk home was quiet, the complete opposite of how they began their day together. Jimin must have sensed that Jeongguk was deep in his thoughts and wasn’t in the mood to talk so he didn’t bother initiating any conversations. Barely making any eye contact once they’ve reached their floor, Jimin tried thanking Jeongguk again for his help but simply received a murmur in response before heading into his apartment. He felt as if he left a part of his heart in that pastel colored ice cream parlor.

He tried to head to bed early but knew it was next to impossible to fall asleep anytime soon. So he did what he always did whenever he had difficulty falling asleep. The wheels of the chair scraped against the wooden floorboards, as he switched on his CPU, waiting for the familiar bright screen to greet him. Moving almost by instinct, his fingers hovered above his mouse, dragging it across the screen until it reached a familiar purple application. Without thinking twice, he clicked on it.

To his surprise, a notification simultaneously came in. An alert letting him know that a streamer he was subscribed to just began streaming. A wave of excitement overcame him as he quickly clicked on the icon to enter the stream. And there he was, with surroundings that Jeongguk already familiarized himself with from entering and exiting his apartment for consecutive days. A nearly barren background, with a modest set up, Jimin smiled at the camera, now introducing himself as Mochi once again. He started rambling out apologies for being MIA for so long due to personal reasons, and although Jeongguk knew it was him, it was still unbelievable to associate his next door neighbor to his favorite streamer. He still couldn’t wrap his head around the fact that they were one person. A person he’s gotten to know on a personal level even though it was as if Jeongguk already knew so much about him.

“Just thought I’d drop by for a few minutes and give you guys a life update nobody asked for.” He giggled, his demeanor suddenly turning into a more serious one. “I guess I turned on the stream out of habit, I do it every time I face hurdles. I’m a coward like that.”

Confused by his statement, Jeongguk began typing. Possibly not as a fanboy this time, but as something more.

JJK: That’s not true! I’m just glad to see your face.

Jimin’s face lit up as soon as Jeongguk’s comment appeared on his screen among many others.

“Thank you for the overwhelming support. I don’t even know if I deserve all the love and..”

JJK: You deserve it all and more!

He covered his mouth and tried to suppress a giggle. “Wow. Can’t say I don’t love the aggressiveness. Thank you guys.”

Jeongguk smiled to himself knowing that since there were only a handful of people in the comments section, there was no way Jimin missed his comments.

“To be honest, I moved into a new neighborhood and everything is so unfamiliar and it was really scary at first but I felt like this was something that I needed to do for myself.” Jimin paused for a bit, pursing his lips as he ruminated his next choice of words. “But I met someone who helped me along the way. This person showed me that although change can be scary, sometimes it’s necessary. Sometimes it’s what our soul needs.” He let out a shy smile.

JJK: Tell us more.

His fingers moved on it’s own accord, acting quicker than his rational brain could. Jimin raked his fingers across his hair. Once. Twice. Thrice. And ended up covering up the real thoughts in his mind with forced out giggles.

“Curious today, aren’t you? Well, should I?” He teased. Comments came flooding in but Jimin's eyes were focused on finding one particular username that caught his eye.

JJK: If you want to.

The hissing sound of a carbonated drink being popped open resonated across the stream, Jimin felt slightly embarrassed to realize that he had opened his soda so close to where his mic was positioned. A rookie mistake. One he often didn’t make since he’s been streaming for so long now. It was also probably a telltale sign that he was nervous, but he didn’t know what exactly he was nervous about. He cleared his throat, letting out an awkward chuckle.

“I usually don’t get personal during my streams but what would the odds be if he were one of my viewers, right?” He shrugged, deciding to be brutally honest for tonight. It was late. His viewers were limited due to the time. And frankly, Jimin didn’t have anybody else to share this piece of information with anyway. “So I met this guy..” His eyes skimming through the influx of comments, curious viewers flooding him with questions. He let out a small giggle in response, immediately waving his hands in front of the camera. “You guys are jumping into conclusions! Nothing happened.” He paused. “Yet.” Smirking as the screen was now filled with comments.

Jeongguk thought he had ceased to exist for a moment. Maybe Jimin wasn’t even talking about him and he was assuming things.

“This guy, what can I say about him? He was cute. A little awkward and he has this habit of mumbling things to himself, but really cute.” Jimin paused to take a sip from his bubbly drink, quenching his parched throat. “He’s been helping me adjust to my new.. life? I guess you could say that.”

Are you dating???

Is he your boyfriend?

Mochi, does this mean you’re going to leave us now?

The comments kept on coming and Jimin could barely keep up with them. “No we’re not dating. I don’t even think he’s into me.”

Impossible.

Is he stupid???

“The problem is, I think I’m into him.” He was surprised at his own honesty. But somehow it was easier to be honest in front of a camera despite the thousands of viewers watching him. It was like confiding in a friend, except that this friend came in the form of unknown people who didn’t know him personally. Cyber friends, as Jimin likes to call his viewers.

JJK: Why not tell him?

“Because he might think its weird? He might think I’m weird.” Jimin found himself directly responding to one of the comments. “We barely know each other, but the funny thing is, I feel like we’ve known each other longer than we really have. Does that make sense?”

JJK: It does.

“Anyway, it’s probably one-sided. I don’t think I’m going to tell him anytime soon, and besides, I think we ran out of reasons to see each other so that sucks.” His smile faltered, slowly turning into a sadder one.

Jeongguk could feel his palpitations strengthen as his heart grew heavier. Even if there was the slightest chance that Jimin could possibly be talking about him, he had to grab onto that tiny speckle of hope. With shaky hands, he hit 1 on his speed dial, not even bothering to look at his phone screen. Five rings until his brother finally picked up.

“Hyung! Hyung!”

“….What time is it?” Seokjin’s voice was groggy, Jeongguk couldn’t blame him though, it was nearly 4 in the morning.

“Doesn’t matter! Listen, I need advice!”

Silence. Jeongguk took that as his cue to continue his frantic dilemma.

“I’m about to make a stupid decision. One I might regret. Should I do it anyway?”

A heavy sigh on the other end of the line. “Jeongguk.”

“Please hyung. I just really need encouragement right now.”

Probably sensing that it was more serious than his usual shenanigans, Seokjin made another audible sigh before responding to the best of his ability despite being half asleep. “When have you ever made cogent and sensible decisions anyway? You have never been known for those. Why hesitate now? You wouldn’t be you without your unbearable ability to act before you think. So, by all means, don’t stop now.”

Jeongguk thinks there was an insult or two thrown in Seokjin’s advice, but he couldn’t be bothered to come up with a snarky comeback at the moment. Somehow a little push from his brother was all he needed to convince himself that he was making the right decision.

“Thanks, hyung! You’re the best.”

“I don’t even know what this is about and I’m not sure if..”

“HYUUUUUUUUUUNG.” A loud, guttural groan could be heard, Jeongguk could only presume that it was Taehyung who had probably woken up from his call.

“And that’s my cue to hang up. Good luck, Gguk. Go make stupid decisions if that’s what makes you happy! Fighting.” He hung up even before Jeongguk could reply.

He looked back up at his monitor and Jimin was still streaming, a can of Diet Coke in hand. Jeongguk told himself that it was now or never, the moment may never pass him by again. After all, his brother was right, his irrationality could possibly pay off this time. Without giving it another thought, he steeled himself as he marched out of his apartment. Heading a few steps towards the apartment next door, he let out several deep breaths before angling his knuckles in front of the wooden door. Counting down to three, he finally mustered up the courage to knock. After waiting for a few seconds, he realized that Jimin probably didn’t hear him since he had his headphones on and was still streaming. Letting out a curse, he dug around his pocket for his phone, opening up the streaming application Jimin was currently on.

JJK: Open the door.

He had to type in the same message a couple of times before Jimin finally caught sight of it, the shock on his face was evident.

JJK: I’m standing outside.

“Guys, hold on for a minute.”

Don’t go!

What if it’s a killer??? Or a stalker?? Mochi be careful!

Jeongguk was too nervous that he had no idea what to expect, but he was greeted in the most unexpected manner. The door swung open to reveal a terrified Jimin holding on to a metal baseball bat, equally scaring Jeongguk, who almost let out a loud scream in response.

“Whoa!!!! It’s just me. Don’t swing. Don’t swing!”

Once Jimin realized who it was, he sheepishly lowered the item and hid it behind his back as if it would make a difference. Jeongguk already saw him storm out of his apartment, baseball bat at hand, like a madman. The embarrassment was already there.

“What? But I got a message in my stream and..”

Jeongguk turned his phone around and showed Jimin a live video of his ongoing stream. An abandoned computer chair and the same blank beige wall Jeongguk helped repaint days prior. Jimin stared blankly at the stream, scrutinizing it hoping that doing so would make things make sense.

“Its 4 in the morning, so I thought.. But why are you watching my.. Do you perhaps know..” He wasn’t sure which question he wanted to ask first. There were a hundred things running through his mind, yet he settled on the most important one. “Why are you here, Jeongguk?”

Running his fingers down the backside of his head, Jeongguk lowered his gaze for a bit before looking back up at a frazzled Jimin. “I thought you would have caught on by now. I mean, I’ve been nothing but clumsy with all my slip ups.”

“Thinking about it now, you did say odd things more than once. But I figured that it was merely a coincidence. You knew who I was?”

Jeongguk knew that this was the part where he had to tread carefully, and for once in his life think about his words first before blurting them out. “Before you get mad and say that you never want to see me again, let me explain. I did know who you were, to be honest, I’m a big fan. I’ve been a huge fan for as long as I can remember. I was actually one of your first fans, stumbled across your stream by chance and stuck around ever since. So imagine my surprise when you moved in next door.”

“Why didn’t you mention anything?” There was a tinge of hurt laced in his tone, and Jeongguk knew that he had to alleviate the situation before things got out of hand.

“Because I guess it was my way of respecting your privacy. If you wanted to disclose who you were, you would have. I didn’t want to make you feel like you were in a situation where you were forced to tell me who you were. I know that I should have been more honest, but I wanted to get to know Jimin this time, not Mochi.”

The anger dissipated just as quickly as it arrived. It was hard to stay mad at Jeongguk, especially when Jimin could see it in his eyes that he meant no harm with his actions. His intentions were pure even though he could’ve been more honest from the beginning. How could he possibly stay mad when wide, doe eye were staring back at him? Practically pleading him for forgiveness.

He let out a faint sigh, crossing his arms in front of him with the baseball bat tucked in the corner. He had to at least pretend that he was giving it some thought.

The silence carried on across the empty hallway, and this was more than enough to send Jeongguk into a panicked frenzy. He could only assume that Jimin’s silence meant that he was pissed, not that he had anything to compare it to besides his Seokjin’s hyung’s silence which usually entailed he was beyond livid. Little did Jeongguk know that Jimin was just dragging the silence longer as his petty form of payback. Jeongguk didn’t even catch the way Jimin had to press his lips together to prevent himself from bursting into giggles.

“Jimin.” Jeongguk’s tone noticeably changed, and so did his demeanor. He held a more serious expression this time, catching Jimin off guard.

“Yeah?” He looked up, trying to keep his features as neutral as possible. Jimin didn’t have any idea as to what Jeongguk was doing behind his front door at this ungodly hour nor was he in the state to make any wild guesses.

Gritting his teeth as he balled his fists, Jeongguk told himself that another stupid decision wouldn’t hurt.

“Here goes nothing.” Sucking in a deep breath, he shut his eyes and hoped for the best. “I’ve liked you for a long time. Signed myself up and subscribed to the future ups and downs of your life. Do you think it would be possible to ring the notification bell to your heart?”

Then there was silence. It was too silent that Jeongguk pried one eye open to check if Jimin was still there. Jimin was still positioned by his doorframe, resting his weight against it, and out of nowhere he let out a roar of laughter. Jeongguk wasn’t certain if it was a good indication or not.

Jimin, on the other hand, needed a few seconds to process what Jeongguk had just blurted out. Though overwhelmed at the sudden confession, he had to admit that it was too darn cute to ignore.

“Oh my God Jeongguk, you did not just say that.” The giggles kept on coming that covering his mouth was no use.

Given that he already tried shooting his shot, might as well act as brazen as he could until the very end. “Why? Is it working?” He asked with a smug smile, eyes shining bright as he glanced at Jimin with newfound hope.

Jimin rolled his eyes, because whether Jeongguk was aware of it or not, Jimin was already deeply attracted to the latter. There was an undeniable connection from the get-go, and this wasn’t something that often happened to someone like Jimin who usually opted to keep things to himself.

“I should probably be mad at you for pretending to not know me.”

“But?” Jeongguk asked.

“But surprisingly, I can’t be mad. Can you come closer?” Jimin began lifting the baseball bat he kept tucked between his arms, causing Jeongguk’s eyes to widen as he instinctively took several steps back. “Relax. I’m not going to beat you up with a bat.” Jimin said giggling, stepping inside his apartment to finally dispose of the object seeing as Jeongguk wasn’t an intruder like he initially thought. He beckoned Jeongguk to come closer with the use of his index finger, which he hesitantly did with languid steps.

“You never answered my question, Jimin.”

Now that they were standing in front of each other, just a few centimeters apart, Jimin already knew how to respond. Taking Jeongguk by surprise, he tugged on the collar of his shirt, drawing him closer until their lips met. It was a bold and unexpected move, one Jimin wouldn’t typically initiate. But he figured that it must have took Jeongguk a lot of courage to confess, in such a cheesy manner no less, he could return the favor by making the first move. It was unhurried, filled with innocence. Jimin’s lips slowly getting accustomed to the feeling of being cushioned against Jeongguk’s own. The kiss wasn’t magical. There weren’t any invisible explosions that transpired. But Jimin wasn’t searching for anything magical nor was he looking for fireworks. If anything, the kiss reminded him of home. A warn, enticing place he could see himself returning back to over and over again. A sense of complacency he needed.

Kissing Jeongguk gave him a tiny glimpse of what could be, and truthfully, that was way better than any magical explosions.

His eyes slowly fluttered as he stepped back from Jeongguk, suddenly feeling flustered for kissing him out of the blue. Jimin bit his lower lip, shyly looking down at the ground. “Does that answer your question?”

Jeongguk wordlessly nodded, speechless from having his breath taken away. Figuratively and quite literally. And Jeongguk swears that he could still taste Jimin on his lips, the taste lingering but never completely subsiding. He had to refrain from lifting his fingers and placing it on his lips like a weirdo, especially since Jimin was still standing in front of him. Maybe he'll do it once he’s out of his sight and inside the safety of his apartment.

“Hope you know what you just signed up for, Jeongguk. I don’t do refunds. See you tomorrow.” Jimin giddily scrambled back to his apartment, gushing on his way back to his desk. The heat rising up his cheeks, he had to fan himself just to calm down before sitting in front of the camera once more.

Comments flooded in, asking him where he’s been or if an intruder came.

Who was that?

Where did you go?

Are you ok, Mochi?

He looked up at the camera, the thrill of what just occurred still fresh on his mind. “Never been better.” Jimin smiled for his audience once more, knowing full well that this time, he was being completely honest. Jimin thinks he just gained a fan for life, and hopefully, something even more.

End.