A/N: Hello my awesome readers. I finally update.
Chapter 21: New beginning
"Jimin! Jimin-ah are you awake?" Taehyung shouts on the phone. "You're about to be late. I'm at the lobby. Come on down."
"I'm not going to class today. You can go ahead."
"What why? Are you alright?" Taehyung asks.
"I'm fine. I just don't feel like going today. Plus I'm not done with my assignments. I need more time."
"Ah Jimin, come on. Don't skip class too much."
"I still have 4 times left, so it's fine. It's just this once, Tae." Jimin chuckles to make skipping sound less like a serious issue.
"I'll hurry back and help you with your assignment."
"No need to. I'll finish everything by then. I'm gonna go eat something now. See you." Jimin presses the hang up button before he throws his phone back in bed. Staring at the ceiling, Jimin lets out a sigh. It's time to wake up.
Getting up from his bed, Jimin walks to the living room of his 1b1b, glancing at the kitchen counter where his assignments are laying around. His gaze stops at a random pen on the counter itself. Jimin grabs the pen while looking at the trash can. It's been days that Jimin has been hesitant whether he should throw it away. No, it's not a blue Lamy pen that Jungkook gave him as a farewell gift. It's a random pen Jungkook gave him when he was filling the form for ground flight attendance at the airport back in Seoul.
Jimin curses himself so hard. He succeeded not taking anything that would remind him about Jungkook with him, but he just forgot to return that stupid pen. A random stupid pen Jimin has not been able to throw away.
He lets out another sigh when he looks at the unwashed dishes in the sink. His stomach is growling. The young master Park walks to the cabinet close to the fridge. He sets up the pan before he cracks 2 eggs in there. Opening the rice cooker to check if he has enough rice while waiting for the eggs to start cooking, Jimin also takes a picture to send it to his mother as he smiles. It's a simple plain meal he's been cooking for himself almost every day for almost a week since he reached San Francisco.
For someone who's never done anything for himself, Jimin survived. Just survive, not perfect, but it's enough. He doesn't share a room with Taehyung. Their families are comfortable enough to let them rent a studio apartment for their own privacy. Living in the same apartment building as Taehyung, and settling down together actually helped a lot. Jimin is not someone who does research. He would only learn as he goes, which sometimes is not very useful, and with Taehyung and Yoongi help, it made things go smoother.
Right when they reached San Francisco airport on the first day, that was when Jimin realized that he wouldn't survive the windy city with just a wool cardigan. Luckily, Yoongi got an extra wind breaker for Jimin to borrow, but the young master Park noted in his mind that it's not anyone's job to take care of him anymore. Jimin needs to take care of himself.
The first few nights in his apartment, Jimin was just sleeping with a thin mattress he got for temporary purpose since it would take a few days until his real mattress and bed arrived. Jimin didn't think about what he needed to get for his household. If there was no Yoongi and Taehyung, Jimin would forget to even buy kitchen essentials. It got Jimin excited for the first time that he had to list all the things he needed for home essentials.
Yoongi only got a week to spend with Taehyung before he has to be thousand miles away from each other. Therefore, not making them worry about him, Jimin gives them space by telling them how busy he is when they invited Jimin to explore the city together, trying to settle everything. It's true though. Jimin has been trying hard to settle.
Broomstick, mop, pots, pans, dishes, silverware, towels, trash bags, trash can for kitchen, trash can for toilet, etc. Cursing at himself so many times, Jimin ran to the store several times a day for the first few days. When he got kitchen napkins, he forgot toilet paper, and when he got laundry detergent, he forgot dish soap. When he got dish soap and sponge, he forgot to get glasses. It's hectic, and he's not loving it.
The Taegi couple did help him with arranging the room with general stuff like accompanying him when the furniture started to arrive, but Jimin is not a kid anymore. It's not their job to babysit Jimin and teach Jimin about everything with his personal life. Jimin was grateful enough that Yoongi taught him the basics of how to use the stuff in the kitchen, and Taehyung taught him how laundry works. They almost got a heart attack when Jimin was about to put bleach detergent on for his first load, but everything has been alright.
Jimin is learning, and again he survived two weeks and a half without the apartment being burnt. However, no matter how busy he is with settling down, Jimin also has been trying hard to erase someone off his mind. He's been trying really hard to not think about Jeon Jungkook with everything he does for himself.
When holding heavy grocery bags, he usually thinks that Jungkook would carry everything for him if he's here. Jungkook would have helped him build the Ikea furniture. Jungkook would have cut the meat for him. If Jungkook was here to help him settle, things would have been so smooth and comfortable. It's been a bad habit to have Jungkook in his life, taking care of him.
Jimin can do all these things by himself, but he realizes that Jungkook really has been taking care of him so well. It is the truth that Jungkook pushed him for his own good. It's still a grieving period for Jimin, living without Jungkook.
Taehyung only calls him to make him go to class. Not like Jungkook who always does everything to actually pull Jimin up from bed. Without Jungkook, no one scolds him until he finally starts on his assignments. No one reminds him of the due dates of all the assignments he got. Only a week ago when his first class started, Jimin remembers how Jungkook's notebook always has both of their assignment due dates.
The city is not big, so driving is really not needed. Public transportation has been alright for Jimin, but again, if Jungkook was here, the taller boy would always block strangers away when the bus is too packed since Jimin hates being touched by strangers. Jimin wouldn't have to carry an extra wind breaker to class with him. If Jungkook is here, he will always have extra things to keep Jimin warm, including little snacks during the break, so Jimin doesn't have to walk two blocks just to get a cold and sad sandwich. The young master Jeon would also have assured Jimin that they're safe when walking in a neighborhood full of homeless people.
Only if Jungkook were here, but he's not.
Thoughts of Jungkook actually makes it so heavy that Jimin doesn't want to do anything. He has not been feeling motivated to do assignments. It feels like something is missing. Only now Jimin also remembers how Jungkook has been mean with his words but has his ways to motivate Jimin by luring Jimin to do a little at a time. Now, there's no one. Jimin already cut him off, and Jimin has to live with that. No other choices or options.
Getting over Jungkook is the only option for Jimin, and the only option for Jungkook is to wait until Jimin reaches out.
----------------------------
Waiting patiently and painfully, the pair of big doe eyes have been glancing over his phone for god knows how many times a day these past two weeks. It's been such a busy routine for Jungkook how life has changed without any gap. Right after the last time he met Jimin, Jungkook started right away to work at his dad's department store. He has been busy. To phrase it right, Jungkook has been making himself occupied, as much as he can.
Jungkook starts working right away at his dad's company. To inherit, the first step is for him to make sure he knows enough about the brands they provide in their department store. First thing he had to learn was researching all the niche luxury brands in his dad's department store to actually know about them, and the task itself is not being nice to Jungkook. Not because it's difficult to become a sales assistant in different stores every other day to get the idea of the customer's insight. Not that It is complicated for him to memorize and study all the brand characters deeply, but it's basically because Park Jimin follows him everywhere, mentally, during the learning and research process.
Young master Jeon got to learn about the niche clothing and perfume brands that Jeon luxury department stores are providing by being in the field himself. Blue color from studying the design of some specific brands always reminds him of Jimin. It started with researching brands, but it ended up turning into 'Jimin might like this piece' over and over again.
Jungkook was also assigned to study the character of the niche perfume brands they provide. It's important that Jungkook is familiar enough with every single scent of every brand; Creed, Diptyque, Byredo, Tom Ford, Maison Francis Kurkdjian or Chanel. Floral to fruity. Top note to end note of over a hundred scents. Jungkook hasn't had any problem learning and selling all those, but not when it comes to Maison Christian Dior. Young master Jeon Jungkook even went crazier. Many times in an hour, Jungkook sprayed the Sakura scent on the tester paper just to smell it and throw it away later just because he was trying hard to control himself from thinking of someone that the scent belongs to. It's Jimin's favorite scent AKA Jimin's scent.
Getting a weird look from the sales assistance, Jungkook could care less. Mysteriously, the Dior Sakura scent was sold out in one day. Not just in all sizes of perfume bottles, but also soap, shower gel, body lotion, body cream, hand cream and candles. All things Dior Sakura are no longer available at the only boutique of Maison Christian Dior in Seoul. They just need to wait for several months until the new stock arrives, and that would be when Jungkook has to think again of how to stop people from buying them. The scent belongs to Jimin, and no one deserves it. It's so not him. It's not Jungkook to act so impulsive and unprofessional.
Park Jimin also sneaks in his every day routine, mentally. Whenever he eats, he always wonders if Jimin is eating right? Yoongi hyung told him that Jimin starts to cook now. What if clumsy Jimin cut himself with knives while cooking? Does Jimin own a first aid kit?
When it gets cold in Seoul, Jungkook always thinks if Jimin is keeping warm, knowing Jimin is always too lazy to carry an extra jacket. Oh? Does Jimin own an air purifier? Humidifier too since Jimin is allergic to dust and his nose gets dry when it's super cold.
Jungkook almost ordered everything he thought Jimin might need and sent it to Jimin's address, but he stopped himself. He remembers Jimin's address in the US, but if he sends things anonymously, it would creep Jimin out. His best friend might even know that it's him. Jungkook can't really risk not keeping his words by asking Taehyung about Jimin since he can't be so sure whether the boy would tell Jimin, and it would make him lose Jimin even longer. Therefore, Jeon Jungkook will wait patiently and not take any risks.
The wait is torturing. Jungkook just realizes how much he's worried about Jimin, living by himself. He might need help soon. Professional help. Keep glancing at the phone many times a day, Jungkook only hopes for two things. First, he hopes to finally hear from Jimin. Second, he hopes he's assigned for more difficult tasks, so he can distract himself. Jungkook also hopes that he will be so busy in a few months when his college starts, so he won't have time to think about Jimin, having no idea that taking notes and assignment lists would bring back the memories so much more than Dior sakura and his routine.
Jungkook and Jimin, ex best friends with benefits where it was purely sex. Weirdly, how sex is not the first thing they miss about each other. Two people trying to survive their new life path without each other, one is trying so hard to erase one another while the other one is waiting for things to be the same.
It's their life now whether it's how they want it or not.
----------------------------------
End of chapter happily <3