Jungkook's P.O.V
////
-MONDAY MORNING-
"Oh my- you should do that!" Hoseok yelled at me from afar. After streaming for the day, I decided to make a trip over to his house since apparently, I owed him a drink. I sat on the couch; my eyes focused on the television screen but my mind lofted off into space.
A reoccurring thought embraced my concentration.
Yesterday was Jimin's last off day before he headed off to work this morning. But I could tell something about him was off. The moment he came from taking that sudden--interrupting-- phone call, he lost his appetite; he looked at the plate of toast like it was a handful of slugs.
I tapped my foot, finding my way back into Hobi and I's conversation.
"He'd punch me in the face," I answered. As expected, Hoseok knew nothing of Jimin. And since he was so talebearing, I didn't want to tell him just yet.
"Are you saying the cotton candy haired twenty-four-year-old you simp over, intimidates you?" I heard the clink of glass on the counter sound from the kitchen, I immediately stood up from the couch and turned around to face Hoseok who held a jug of apple juice in his hand.
"Apple juice?" I folded my arms in front of my chest.
"You're acting like a fucking dork--"
"Because I am, Jung Hoseok." He shook his head and poured the yellow tinted liquid into the short glass.
"You wanna take him on a real date you say?"
I licked my lips, preparing to hear him out on his wacky ideas.
"I say you take him somewhere fun... Maybe skating? Paintballing? Bowling..." He paused for a few seconds, staring at the ceiling, trying to come up with a plethora of options. But as soon as he mentioned the word fun, my brain jumped to the obvious option.
Games.
"Arcade!" Hoseok jerked his head back and blinked.
"Lightbulb moment?" He asked, his eyebrows furrowed.
"Yeah, defiantly," I picked up the glass before me, taking a small sip, "it's a bit risky, but with all the progress he's had... I think I could go for it."
Hoseok chuckled."You're saying that like he's never been."
I shrugged. "Well, I don't know if he has. I mean, you're twenty-three and can barely score a decent haircut for a month."
Hobi gasped, his hand over his ear as if my words somehow pierced his skin. "When did you get so mean?"
"When you started attacking my cute, future, tiny boyfriend." Hoseok ended up rolling his eyes in response and then quickly diverted.
"Okay, fuck it- bet you won't win in a game of Mortal Kombat." He boasted, striding to the living room to his console set up.
I scoffed. "Try me."
////
Coming home from Hoseok's house I checked the time.
4:57 PM.
I opened up my phone to swipe into the roommate app.
I should ask for his number
I clicked on Jimin's name; my thumbs hovered over the screen. The keyboard shifted into a great canyon and I was standing right at the edge, leering into the deep widened opening. I could walk down there, or could try to find a different way to the other side.
_________
-TEXT MESSAGE-
JK: Jeon Jungkook
JM: Park Jimin
JK: I just got home from my friend Hoseok's house...
JK: Do you want anything to eat?
JK: I'll shower first so don't worry.
JK: I have something to ask you when you get here.
___________
I stared down at my phone, hoping he would answer right away, but after a couple of empty seconds, I decided to get a head start on my question. I was deathly excited, but within that excitement, I had a twinge of nervousness and doubt. It had been lingering for the past couple of hours. The fact I was only at the start of understanding Jimin, and while I wasn't planning on stopping- I noticed that there was something that I might not be able to achieve so early on.
Things like childhood and family.
Things that most people are cheerful when they reminisce.
Nostalgia-- as he said-- was a nightmare.
The last thing I wanted to do for him was to be added onto that treacherous past.
I took a quick shower while I waited for Jimin to come home. The warm water stifled my worries for only mere split seconds before I was met with the notification sound of my phone that lied on the bathroom counter. I sprang into action, hopping halfway out of the warm water.
I glanced at the lock screen, getting a glimpse of Jimin's reply.
_________
-TEXT MESSAGE-
JK: Jeon Jungkook
JM: Park Jimin
JK: I have something to ask you when you get here.
JM: Don't bother. I will do it on my own.
JM: And please, if you were having thoughts about it, don't bring guests into my home.
___________
I frowned at the two replies.
I realized that he should be close to home by now. So, I sped along with my cleansing, exiting the shower swiftly, hoping not to slip and fall in the process. I scurried to my bedroom, picking out a good pair of pajama pants and a black tank top. I was toweling my hair when I heard the front door open.
My heart jumped straight out of my chest as I ruffled my hair a good amount before let out a large breath of air. I was pushing a lot of things lately, and I had a feeling that maybe the canyon I stood over was indeed too deep, and too precarious to carry on.
I opened my room door and it was silent, it was frightening.
I made slow movements up to Jimin's door. I couldn't hear a sound, no rustling of the sheets, no water running from the tap or showerhead. I quirked up an eyebrow, pushing my ear to the door.
"Princess... It's close to dinner time... You sure you don't want me to make you anything?" I glued my mouth shut so I could hear his response; however, that never came. Instead, I was rattled by the sound of footsteps marching their way to the door. I stood back, awaiting Jimin to open it.
That didn't come either.
"You got my message, did you not?" I huffed, feeling defenseless in this situation. He was going to stand his ground, so I had to in return.
"Yes, but I want to know what's going on first. I have something to ask you, and I don't think I should say it through the door." There was a thick pool of quietude that trapped itself in between us. I wanted desperately to be on the other side of the wall with Jimin; sadly, that wasn't my decision to make.
It was his.
Only Jimin's.
In nothing flatter than a second, the door swung open. I was stunned by Jimin's appearance; he wore a loose tie, a white dress shirt, and a reddened tear-stained face. My mouth hung open as the shorter man rubbed at his temples.
"What is it that you so badly want?" I remained unbothered by Jimin's cold approach as I was accustomed to it by now. I was rather interested in what was behind the words and the face; the reasons and playthroughs of how it got this far.
My gut sank as I stood there.
There's always more to the story.
Sometimes, you just have to pause and look at it.
It sounded simple, but was there truth to that?
"Why don't you tell me about what happened today?" I offered, seeing Jimin as he sniffled and carded his fingers through his hair.
"That's the strange thing about it all. Nothing happened today. This is," Jimin gestured to his blotchy face, "all because of me."
I could see where he was getting at, beading around the bush of answering. That was also one thing we shared; another one thing I couldn't let pass me.
Not when I'm this far in, and not when I stated long ago that I wouldn't leave.
"You came home later today..." I whispered and Jimin looked away from me, giving me an odd sign that work may have been the problem,
"... Why can't you look at me?"
"Because if I look at you then I'll tell you everything." He admitted, his voice hoarse.
"Maybe that's what you need..." He still refused to look up, "... We can talk it out at the table or," I looked behind Jimin to his room, filled with all of his personalized energy and theme, "we could talk about it in your room?"
Jimin's body stilled.
"So, we- I mean, you can be comfortable... I promise I won't try anything."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"I don't break a promise, Jimin." I clarified, making sure he heard every ounce of my heart if that were possible.
"What happens when I let you in?" He questioned.
"Whatever you want." Jimin didn't say a word, yet he spoke loudly, nearly groundbreakingly with his subtle actions.
I felt like it was on fire as Jimin stepped to the side, allowing me a gateway in.
Then it hit me.
It completely flipped everything around.
And although I had been in this very room with Jimin before, it wasn't anything like the first.
A pivot in the tables that were turning as we lived on in these very days.
"Your second rule is for you to never enter my room unless I permit you to. Which will never be, so don't look forward to it."
It was rule-breaking.
I eased into Jimin's room, I looked to the bed but averted my gaze when the door closed behind me. I took my seat on the carpeted floor in front. Jimin then walked to sit across from me on the floor.
I patiently waited for Jimin to begin.
"I don't speak to my eomma often," Was how he started, giving me a long pause before working his way up to speaking out, his voice so soft that I leaned in to hear, "we never have pleasant conversations. So, I avoid speaking to her as much as possible."
"Do you want to talk to her more?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. That must've been the phone call from yesterday.
"No..." Oh? "... But I feel like should."
I nodded."Is it because she called you the other day?"
"I never spoke of that to you." He snapped; his eyes widen with confusion.
I smirked. "I'm cleverer than you think, princess." I witnessed as Jimin sucked his bottom lip into his mouth, chewing down for a moment.
His fingers were interlaced with one another. His anxiety was thrumming over to me like blasting music through a thin wall, impossible to block out once you're in range.
"I don't want anything to do with her, and I know she meant well by everything she's done for me as a child, but can't bring myself t-t-to be around her..." He gulped, sucking in a shaky breath, "hearing her voice, it torments me... I hate my mother and it kills me to think about--"
I picked up on Jimin's shortness of breath and rambling words, a horrific picture of this escalating jump-started me to cut in. "And you said you think you should talk to her... You're undecided? Do you think good things could come from seeing her?"
"I don't kno--"
"I said, do you think so, princess... It's not about knowing... You know this, you've been through it before, and that's not what this is about. Tell me about your eomma. What are the good things about her?" Jimin's light eyes flickered into mine as if the will to answer me was right in my irises'.
"She... Always thought about me... No m-matter what she was doing, she always- made it seem like things could be cured with just a talk."
"Did it help sometimes? Talking to her?" Jimin nodded, his eyes brimming with tears as he sniffled, he wiped at his eyes a small, barely-there smile projected on his face.
"Then? Yes... It- It did... Every time."
"And she called you... What happened then?" The inquiry felt right at this moment. It was the main source of the issue.
"She-s-she wants to meet me... In person." I straightened my posture, perking up.
"Then you should do it, princess."
Jimin panicked. "I haven't seen her in years."
"And that's even more of a reason... You said she always thought of you. And based on that... She still hasn't stopped. She cares... And I'm sure she's thinking of you right now, calling her back and telling her that you can visit. Letting her know that her son still loves her. I think every eomma or appa would feel the same." I inhaled, my eyes locking onto Jimin's wet ones.
"You can do this. You're the bravest person I've ever seen." Jimin snickered, shaking his head at the ground.
"You're lying." He accused.
"Why would I lie to my princess? That wouldn't make me worthy of my crown..." Jimin looked back up to me, so I made a decision.
"I'll go with you." I could almost see Jimin's face go pale.
"You will not." He countered.
"I won't go all the way if you don't want me to, but I'll make sure that when you arrive and when you leave, I'll be there beside you," I stated, feeling my heart pound in my ears.
"Why?" Is he seriously still asking that? Is my heart not right on my forehead about now?
"Because I've got nothing better to do than watch as your beautiful face and unique mind conquer the world... Even if that means I have to spend 77,000 won on gas money to get to that point." Jimin broke into a watered-down laugh.
"You just love making up things about me... Like I'm some angel from the heavens. It's quite humorous although it's always far-fetched." Jimin rested his chin on both of his palms, his cheeks squishing slightly.
Oh no, please don't be cute right now I just showered.
"Nothing is far-fetched about you... You're perfect." I confessed.
"There's no such thing." He refuted.
"You're perfect for me, Jimin."
And there it was, everything felt like it was paused.
Jimin's eyes on mine, his face written with a blush of unspeakable emotions. I wanted to dig further, but I know this wasn't the time to ask him on a date. I'd have to schedule that for another time, maybe when I get a chance to unpause everything from these disasters and play into better days.
"Pick up the phone, and call her. You've got nothing to fear." Jimin smirked for a moment before he had gotten up from his seat on the ground and trailed over to the bed, picking up his work bag and reaching in it to find his device.
I watched as Jimin turned on his phone, swiping through the screen, and eventually, putting the phone up to his ear he stared at me the entire time, not breaking a single threat of eye contact I didn't want him to for several reasons. I wanted him to know that even if the call didn't go through, I'd be here pushing on with him-- for him.
That's what I stare at him for.
That's why I look at him.
So, I can be there in every passing moment.
I could hear the dial tone.
I could hear when it paused.
And I could hear when they spoke.
"Eomma... Hello, I'm... I wanted to... Address that with you... If--" Jimin stammered as he tried to go along with his sentence, he looked at me with alarming eyes, like his brain was scrambling to find the next thing to say, so I mouthed to him.
'Let her know'.
Jimin's freehand fidgeted, his forefinger and thumb moving nonstop as he walked back and forth listening to his eomma on the other end.
"If you have time tomorrow, I could come to visit you?" He said it so fast that I'm not even sure I heard it right. He was doing it; he was facing another fear conquering another world.
Jimin suddenly began to nod frantically, I could hear the female voice on the other side squeak as she must have been elated from the news. I felt a grin spread across my face, once the woman was finished talking Jimin then gave his final words before leaving the phone call.
"Okay, sure... No, no, I will be there. I'll make sure of it... Thank you, b-bye." when the call finally ended Jimin threw his phone on the bed as if it was a hot metal pan. I pushed myself from off the ground standing up so I could be able to be at level with him.
Jimin had his hand over his mouth, his words muffled. "She wants to meet with me tomorrow."
"What time?" I asked.
"5:30." I smiled.
"Okay then..."
Jimin just stood there in shock. "Why're you smiling?"
I chuckled. "Why are you not?"
"I don't know what to do... I don't want to think about this much more."
"Then you don't have to... We could do something together." I held out my hand, feeling more courageous than ever.
"Come to my room." I suggested a quick 'get out of jail free card'. It sounded better in my head and contestably sexier.
Do I regret saying it like a corny teenage boy? No, it's apart of my charm.
Jimin lowered his hands on his face, his eyebrows furrowing. "What would we do there?"
I hummed, pleased by his consideration.
"We could play one of my favorite games... Believe me, it helps relieve a lot of stress."
"I will need to shower first." Yes!
"That does mean you must leave." Oh right.
"Yeah... I'll be... In my room, see ya' there."
////
"You can come inside now... My room doesn't bite." Jimin stood outside my door frame and gazed on the inside with slanted eyes.
"Do you have a chair to sit in?" He asked, and I walked right over to my PC set up where my gaming chair was stationed.
I slapped the leather of the chair. "Come have a seat, princess."
Jimin kept his arms close to his body as he took the smallest steps possible to enter. He stood next to the seat, eyeing it and looking around it as if he was waiting for something to pop out at him.
I pulled out the chair all the way and sat down to demonstrate. "See?" I rocked back in forth to showcase its durability. "It's official, it won't break if you sit on it, and you're way lighter than me."
Jimin turned his head to gaze at me. "You don't know that."
I licked my lips walking a few steps closer to him. "You want me to pick you up so you can see?" I was already thinking ahead; knowing him, he would try to detest and the only way to hush him up is by 'doing'.
"You can't lift me." I scoffed.
So, I did it.
Before Jimin could say anything else I bent down to lift Jimin who stood 'tall' in his blue silk pajama set, my arm pressing to the back of his thick thighs as held tightly onto my shoulder. I quickly turned around to face my bed, tossing him down gently, his back lying on the white comforter.
When I released his legs from my hold, I noticed Jimin's chest rising and falling his mouth was wide open like his eyes. It took him a while to ever get any words out.
"Why would you-- I thought I was going to pass out! You're so- deceptive." I couldn't help but laugh.
"I'll take that as a compliment, princess. Point is, you shouldn't be scared to sit in that chair. Also... C'mon, you have to admit how fun that was." Jimin sat up straight, crossing his arms.
"Well, it was certainly... Heart racing." I shook my head mimicking Jimin's pose.
"I'm going to lift you again if you don't sit in the chair on your own." Jimin's eyes seemed to suddenly light with something I haven't seen before.
He sat up, his posture corrected and his head held high, He took a deep breath.
"Then you will have to lift me."
It was the first time I had seen it.
A small flame igniting.
The doubt and fear in his mind pausing.
It was visible to me.
And it was already in my nature to take on any challenge.
I didn't hesitate before grabbing Jimin by his thighs, splitting them open until they were around my waist. And while the rest of him was frozen, his eyes never leaving mine. I could feel Jimin's heart exploding the same as mine. I could tell he had blanked out.
"You should know, princess..."
We were on the same page.
Both unpaused.
Both at play.
"... I always love my challenges."
////
A/N: SOOO... HOW WAS IT?
Happy holidays to those of you who are celebrating this Friday!
Do you like the new covers?
Are they too boring?
Q: HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT JIMIN'S
ACCEPTANCE TO HIS EOMMA'S OFFER?
Q: PREDICTIONS FOR JIMIN'S METTING?
Q: YOUR THOUGHTS ON JUNGKOOK'S ACTIONS, WAS IT TOO MUCH?
Well as you guys know...
You'll just have to wait and see for the next chapter!
Love you guys...
XxxS