"這個人是田求学," This is Jian Qiuxue "my grandmother." Jungkook introduced proudly, with a toothy grin, so unlike his usual, shy stare. He looked at this wrinkly lady with such shine in his eyes and as he turned back to Jimin, his face blushed as the other was openly examining this twinkle that decorated his chocolate orbs.
"Pleased to meet you Qiuxue." Jimin uttered in Chinese and bowed deeply - even he knew to not disrespect his elders, especially those, whose grandchild owned him. He also knew though, that should he act prudish, that this teatime he already wanted to be done with would've went on for longer, with more time being spent on sly remarks and a game of reeling insults. "I'm Park Jimin, master Jungkook's new concu-,"
"Friend!" The other interrupted suddenly, the blush from before spreading wide, reaching his nose fervently. Had it been in any other setting, Jimin would have chastised the boy for speaking over his elder's, but said boy owned him so he had little say in such matters of courtesy and furthermore, his frail feelings. "From Korea." He added nervously, not yet talented at lying as he was still young.
"What a pleasure!" The grey haired lady's smoke-spoiled speech spread loudly. A deep smile soon settled on her face at the sight of the plump faced boy. "I fear I only speak the common tongue, but your Chinese seems well worn too?" The lady crackled.
"Oh, yes. I've studied all the worthy tongues of this world." Jimin revealed mightily, a proud decorating his handsome face.
"Is that so?" Qiuxue asked, amazed, and Jimin assured her with a soft hum. "What languages do you speak then?" She queried.
"Korean, of course, Chinese, both Mandarin and Cantonese and Japanese due to the recent rise of their nation." Jimin revealed warmly. "English I refuse to learn however. The westerners can stay amidst their wilderness. I shall have no business with them" He finished with his spiteful remark comfortably, as he knew that the Chinese had even greater a distaste for the Englishmen than Koreans, who had been blessed with lesser western interests.
"And good so, their language is as barbaric as are their tactics!" Qiuxue confirmed, irritated by the mere thought yet instantly warming up to the Korean man. He, in fact, knew that their bordering countries would serve as a topic of unity amidst all the foreign influence, and frankly invasion of the past years. Even if they couldn't relate to one another as both Chinese or Korean, at least together they could hate the westerners. And Jimin knew, that the approval of the mother meant to love of the son. It would be in everyone's interests to get close with this rapidly rumpling woman. "How did you meet my grandson, Jimin?" Qiuxue shifted to a softer subject to mouth while enjoying their tea. The tea had truly turned bitter, but Jimin hated it less than he had envisioned. It was a subtle taste - the aroma being stronger than the actual taste, yet nevertheless as the liquid entered his mouth he couldn't help but admire the vivid, bright bitterness of Chinese tea.
"In Pyongyang." He remembered Jungkook's first words. "I was an admirer of his." He lied, yet revealing nothing that could expose his lie. He looked at Jungkook as he brought his cup to wrap his plush lips around the edge, his eyes acted admiration masterfully as they gazed at the dashing boy deeply. The younger seemed taken aback, and his mouth fell open in shock at the seductive sight.
"He is a good boy isn't he?" The grandmother complimented Jungkook proudly.
"Indeed he is. Takes after you, I assume, Qiuxue?" Jimin flattered courteously, with little actual knowledge of either of the two people before him.
"I hardly think so!" She laughed. "Maybe his mother, they're both the quiet type. Unlike me and Zongxi." Qiuxue revealed, and truthful to her words, loudly cackling, her aged voice booming through the tearoom.
"Zongxi?" Jimin required softly, turning back to Jungkook.
"He hasn't told you about his father?" The old lady yapped in disbelief. "Well he hasn't really been one to overshare..." She drifted to her thoughts. Zongxi? Jimin pondered. What an ugly name for such a rich man.
"Well, tell me now!" Jimin begged excitedly. "What are your parents like?" What is your father like?
"They're nice." Jungkook replied shortly, bringing the teacup to his face as if to end his piece there. His sweet doe-eyes dropped to a disgruntled, doleful shape at the question - the change was clearly visible, even as he tried to hide his face in the cup. "My mother, Yujin... she's kind." The boy added quietly, quickly. He then placed the cup on the table and drew a small smile on his face before getting up. As the other two turned to look at his hastiness, his big eyes returned to innocence. "The tea was sublime." He then left the room, steps echoing in the large hall.
"It was a pleasure to meet you Qiuxue!" Jimin retorted to politely as he too rose from his seat to go find Jungkook.
"You'll be staying for a while, yes?" Qiuxue required, and Jimin answered with a quick nod. "Then just grandmother is fine." She smiled.
"Grandmother." Jimin tasted the Chinese word on his tongue and smiled then too in return. It was an insincere one, yet he still offered it willingly to the other.
"Jungkook!" He shouted as quietly and respectfully as he possibly could, not wanting the other to leave just yet. "Wait for me."
The boy stopped and with questioning eyes, turned to inspect the soft voice. He probably hadn't expected Jimin to follow him. He didn't say a word though, just waited for the other to catch up to him.
Jimin hurried to his master, grabbing the hem of his luxurious garment to run faster. "You left in such a hurry," Jimin muttered to himself. He tried his best to play a worried character, akin to a wife or a mother perhaps.
"I needed some fresh air." Jungkook tried to convince, but the hand creeping to his nape revealed the weak lie. "Would you like to come with me?" The boy offered his other hand hesitantly. Jimin looked at the slender-shaped fingers and the soft skin for a while before placing his smaller hand to be enveloped by his young master. Jungkook looked somewhat surprised, then instantly shy at the other's action, but then turned his face away from the pretty boy to lead him through the long halls of the palace.
Jimin couldn't help but notice how bare the walls of Jungkook's halls were, how austere and empty they were, yet how expressive even the graceful touch of his lingering fingers was. He held Jimin's hand so politely, so lightly, that at any moment the older could have drawn his hand from the other, without it seeming like an offense to the younger. He could have taken his hand from the other should his touch have been too much, without ever experiencing the denseness of an awkward rejection. The young boy seemed sensible and most considerate in this sense.
He held on to the other's hand though. He let Jungkook have this first taste of his body, the supple skin and the smallness of his hands, all to show his submission and to fool the innocent boy further. Jimin wanted to entice him with the way he grabbed at the other's larger hand, hung his small finger's over the other's strong ones.
"Here." He announced before another, unremarkable sliding door and let go of the older's hand. Jungkook opened the door and revealed a small, yet endlessly rich garden. It was built following the Chinese traditions of Fengshui and it amazed Jimin how orderly and controlled the nature had become under the touch of the Chinese. There were decorative stones laid in a comfortingly understandable pattern and one, beautifully ornate bonsai tree.
"It's beautiful." Jimin admitted. Jungkook smiled at the compliment.
"Thank you." He blushed. "It's my latest design."
"You did this?" Jimin asked amazed, looking at the taller boy who went to sit by the bonsai. He hummed as he closed his eyes and inhaled a deep breath of, admittedly, fresher air. He seemed much less shy then, and as Jimin witnessed the calm face of the other he had to also notice its boyish handsomeness. A sharp, slender jaw, round nose with a small mole that he found quite cute. Even his hair he hated less, even as it was short and cut in a western style. He sat down next to the boy.
"You live here alone with grandmother?" Jimin tried to squeeze some information as delicately as he could from the bunny-like boy. He opened his eyes to look at Jimin too and nodded. "You're so young though, where are your parents?" The older pressed on.
"Mother's in Pyongyang. Zongxi's in Beijing these days, I think." He revealed silently, obviously exhausted of the topic. He looked it too. And sad, Jimin thought. His doe-eyes had spawned some gloss. Jimin went to grace the other's cheek to catch tears should they fall. This time, his motions were instinctive. He managed to stop himself only right before his hand landed on the other's skin. His hand hovered over the other for a while, Jungkook looking at the approaching hand, Jimin at the boy, before choosing to just let his hand find its way to touch the smooth skin. Jungkook's eyes then shot to Jimin questioningly, yet accepting the touch by placing his own hand atop the other's smaller one.
They sat there in silence for a while before Jimin managed to speak. "I'm sure I wasn't cheap - even for your father." He began and saw they boy wince at his words. "Why haven't you taken me already?"