A/N: My sincere apologies for an unannounced hiatus. To be honest, in June I lost my dearest grandma, and I could not write even though I tried to. However, I have been feeling a bit better lately, and will try to continue the writing. As a gift, I will upload the next chapter (38) tomorrow because it is almost done, just needs some proofreading. Meanwhile, enjoy reading this chapter and send me your lovely remarks.
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Swimming so peacefully, swirling around each other, their fins touching. They were trapped inside a plastic bag filled with water yet happy. Happy to be chosen for each other. I am you, you are me. There were many fish in the tanks but why them? Why only these two goldfish were chosen to spend the rest of their lives together?
Jungkook poked on the bag, caressing it afterwards, looking intensely at the goldfish having fun. "Sorry, goldies. Just an hour or so and then you will get to swim in your private home." He has been waiting for someone outside a high-rise building, leaning on his car and holding the plastic bag where two lives were playing. It had already been 30 minutes but no sign of the person he had been waiting for.
Suddenly, that small person came out of the building as expected but what Jungkook didn't expect was the tall man, taller than Jungkook, accompanying his little person. The taller looked so posh and classy wearing glasses, suits on and handsome indeed. The smaller was giggling very often at every comment of the taller and Jungkook could hear and see how Park Jimin was melting for having that taller beside him. Jimin was definitely blushing but Jungkook wasn't, yet his cheeks flushed pink too. It was maybe due to the extreme jealousy and anger, and no right to claim Jimin in front of everyone.
10 minutes passed they were still talking and laughing. The taller seemed like to be flirting since the beginning and Jimin showing polite smile with occasional nods. From far Jungkook's intense glares were focusing on the two only. And then all of a sudden, Jimin looked behind to find his bunny staring at them holding a plastic bag with fish inside it, but he looked so ...... so not okay. Jimin excused himself to almost run towards Jungkook.
"Hey, what are you doing here?" Jimin asked with a big smile.
"Why? Am I interrupting something?" Jungkook frowned.
"No, no, no. I am surprised to see you outside my office. Anyway, how have you been?" Jimin's gentle shy smile wasn't leaving his face.
"I was about to ask you the same, but I think you have been doing very well with that friend of yours. Or is he only a friend?" The taunt in the younger's voice poked Jimin's self-respect pretty hard and the older replied right away, "Hey, don't Jungkook. He is my supervisor. Not every man I talk with are interested in me."
Jungkook snickered before he exclaimed back, "Well, I can tell from far he is indeed interested in you. Listen you might be too naïve to realize it, but I know when a man is trying to flirt and that dork is a flirt."
"His name is Kim Namjoon, not dork." Jimin could not disrespect his supervisor especially when he was really nice to the older.
"Like I care. Then tell me why he is still waiting for you there?" Jungkook pointed out Mr. Kim who was being restless waiting for Jimin to come back.
"Because he wanted to drop me home, since the storm is coming." The older replied with a sarcastic smile.
"Really? Sure go ahead, go with that flirt. And here I am being a stupid, thought you would need a ride home." Disappointed Jungkook turned back instantly to get inside his car after saying that.
"Jungkook, wait, you came to drop me home?" Jimin held the younger's arm with reflexes but let it go right away when he realized he crossed the line again.
"Yes, I thought you still hadn't got the parking space in your office building and especially when I heard about the cyclone, I didn't want you to walk home but now I know I am not the only well-wisher you have. So, bye I guess." Jungkook turned to get inside the car again but then he turned back to Jimin to handover the goldies, "Ahh, yes, also take this. It's yours."
Jimin took the gift with a surprise look on his face, "Jungkook, you are so unpredictable all the time. It's been two weeks, you didn't feel like to contact me since the day out in the beach and now suddenly you are here to pick me up and showing all yours.....what...ugh.....stupid tantrums." The older got angry and it was visible but now the younger remained calm because he knew where all the anger was coming from.
"Are you keeping it or not because I am leaving? Your stupid boss is waiting for you and might be killing me inside his head. Also, let that dork know that I have killed him first inside my mind."
"Okay, enough being a child. Wait here for a minute, will you?"
"No." Jungkook pouted.
"Please Jungkook." The older made puppy eyes.
"Okay but why?"
"Because I will tell him someone special has come to take me home." It was hard to tell whether Jimin's affectionate eye smile was flirtish or it was out of excitement. Jimin ran back to Mr. Kim leaving the younger dumbfounded with his remark.
"Sorry, a friend came. I need to go with him." Jimin was panting.
"A very good friend! Brought you gifts, I see. You never told me you like goldfish or I would make sure you have a small jar in your office room." Namjoon indicated the plastic bag in Jimin's hand.
"That's very generous of you, Namjoonshi. I really need to go; he is waiting for me."
"Okay, see you on Monday then. Take care Jimin."
"See you."
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Jungkook was driving very quietly, no talk or music, yet he was stealing glances of Jimin every now and then, whereas the older was busy playing with the goldfish and sometimes even talking to them.
"Now the goldies got all your attention, great!" Jungkook sneered.
"Jealous much?" Jimin looked up to tease the younger.
"In your dreams."
The signal light turned to green and Jungkook drove forward. Again, silence inside the car and Jimin was being a child, caressing the plastic bag, and waiting to get off the car so that he could feed his goldies and let them have some oxygen in their home-jar, that Jungkook had brought along.
"So, you remembered I wanted to buy goldfish?" Jimin felt so loved at the moment for Jungkook's affection towards him.
"Hmm, I did."
"There is a big aquarium shop down the street. Did you buy it from there?"
"No, they are from the place you saw them last time."
Jimin's round eyes got even rounder listening to the unbelievable statement by the younger, "What? Are you insane? Did you go back to the beach driving for two hours just to get them?"
"Yes, what's the big deal about it?"
"You are crazy Jungkook. You could have brought it from the nearest shop."
"Then it wouldn't be the same as the one you wanted."
"I just wanted to buy goldfish; it did not have to be exactly the beach ones." Jimin exclaimed.
"Voice down Park Jimin. Keep whatever I brought you."
"Yes, I am keeping them anyway. Did you bring their food?"
"Yes, all the necessities on the back seat."
"I don't know how to thank you." Jimin shyly expressed his gratitude.
"Then don't."
People were already rushing home, since the cyclone was closing in. Jungkook looked outside and then he broke the awkward silence he created a few minutes ago, "Do you work with flirts these days?"
"No, why?"
"It was better in Seoul. People were much gentler."
"Who told you that? I used to work with a flirt too in Seoul." Jimin eyed him with a laugh.
"I have never been a flirt. That's the last thing you could expect from me."
"Just joking." Jimin took a pause as if he was in dilemma whether to say it or not. "Umm, Jungkookie, I am sorry."
"For?"
"Last time, on the beach, I shouldn't have brought all the past issues. I promise from now on I won't talk about it again."
"Don't promise things you can't keep."
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The sky turned greyish black already, adorning itself with resentful clouds, preparing for a battle. The wind seemed to be gone mad, it had no direction anymore. It went all dark outside before the night could arrive. Jungkook stopped his car in front of Jimin's apartment and told him to go inside but Jimin was hesitating and scratching the back of his neck.
"Jungkook, let's go upstairs for a coffee. I think the cyclone is near and you should not drive in this weather."
"So kind of you Park Jimin but don't want to bother the lovebirds tonight." Jungkook chuckled, there was taunt in that tone, sounded so bitter.
"She is not home. She will be back tomorrow from Italy, on a flight now." The older looked down for a moment and then looked up to face Jungkook again with a gentle smile, he said, "Let's go, I will make you a good dinner." Saying that Jimin got off the car and didn't let Jungkook utter a word more. The younger could not tell what happened to him as he obliged to him and followed him till the elevator. His focus was only on Park Jimin, and everything was blurring out, it felt like the older had bewitched him in real.
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To be continued................