Both you and Jimin searched thoroughly for the rest of the night, but regardless of your efforts 100 was no where to be found.
He had practically disappeared, and you panicked in realizing this fact. You hoped Jimin believed you even though you had no proof of your interaction with the child, and you portrayed your worry to him with fear for 100's well being dancing in your mind.
His hands had been cut. He looked hungry.
But now that he was gone, you couldn't help him.
Unfortunately there was nothing more to be done about the situation, and even though Jimin assured you that the two of you would keep searching in the next days to come, you didn't feel good about the statement and held a sort of nausea in the pit of your stomach that arose with worry. You had to go to bed with this feeling and kept it building up inside you as more days passed.
Every second now felt like the ticking of a time bomb, and unease danced in your heart as stress attempted to crawl it's way through your tired body.
Fighting the feeling of death had always been hard, but possible. Now more than ever it was becoming difficult to find that small sliver of positivity that kept you going.
With Jimin by your side, you began using spare time that wasn't dance practice to look for 100 but continued to be unsuccessful in attempts. The choices of the final show kept you up at night and even tried to invade your mind when you were supposed to be laughing and enjoying Jimin's company. 19's departure was growing closer and was now more evident than ever.
The deadline was so prominent in fact that the Between seemed to be mocking you, and before you were able to prepare yourself, it had already begun showing signs that teased the approach of 19's final show.
On the morning of day 10, you woke up and got ready for work like always.
You tried to find some sort of energy to put into your feet, but dancing with Jimin the day before had drained you and you found the task difficult as you allowed a tired groan to tickle your throat.
As you made your way to the truck, you fully expected the usual sight of your three co workers gruffly greeting you and demanding you begin to prep food. You held onto the expectation as you readied yourself and threaded your fingers through your hair in weary attempts to make it less messy. You suddenly stopped however when you were greeted with an unfamiliar scene.
Your fingers were still rested through your threads as you remained frozen in the presence of not three forms about to enter the truck, but four. Your arrival caused them all to halt in their actions as well, and soon they turned and stared your way emotionlessly.
One of the four people standing in front of you was a complete stranger. Your eyes widened when you first made eye contact with the green-eyed male, and your throat went dry as you tried to comprehend who he was.
He held a tired dullness to his orbs that retracted when he finally returned your stare. He was younger and not as old as your other coworkers. He might have even been the same age as you and Jimin, but regardless of his clear youth, his posture had at first looked poor; as if he held weights on his narrow shoulders. He straightened his spine in your presence however and even forced a smile through his dried lips after a few heartbeats of hesitation. His eyes remained dull regardless of the gesture.
You lowered your gaze to his neck and then to the apron tied around it.
09.
Who was this? Why was he wearing an apron? Why was he entering the food truck as if it was natural? Why was he smiling at you in a way that gave you anxiety? Your heart beat lightly sped up in the stress of the unknowns while the tall male looked down at you. The shadow he seemed to cast was suffocating.
19 suddenly cleared his throat, and your attention snapped towards the older man as your eyes seemingly begged for clarification.
"79, this is 9. He'll be working with us from now on."
His voice, although attempting to sound friendly, felt forced and a bit strained. 25 and 52 said nothing and stayed almost solemn as they watched you put 2 and 2 together on what was happening.
Of course. You should have anticipated this.
The Between was readying for 19's departure. As such, they had assigned a new bronze to work at the food truck and... replace him. This was 19's replacement.
Your emotions hit you like a wave as you continued to look towards the elder, but he said nothing more and simply entered the truck. You were forced to swallow the tidal wave as 25 and 52 followed him and 9 attempted to catch your attention.
"You work here too?" He questioned with his dry smile. Interest peeked at his eyes as you decided to force yourself to give into conversation and ignore the thudding of your heart.
"Yeah," you spoke simply, giving him your own smile. "I'm on part time though."
"That's cool," he spoke in a deep way with his eyes glinting a bit and a sort of relief touching his shoulders. He ran his tongue against his lower lip before speaking once more. "I was starting to think the only people in this place were old people."
You laughed weakly and momentarily studied the tall guy a bit further. His skin was alright but still held some natural blemishes as well as hair peeking through in a light attempt at facial hair that hadn't yet been grown or shaved. The tips of his hair had clearly been dyed a sort of green that had faded and left a musty look to it. It matched his eyes.
There was a hole in his nose where a piercing might have been, but he must have died without having any sort of accessories to pair with the mark because it was left empty. His lips were chapped and he was extremely skinny and tall.
He continued to stare at you and soon you began to feel a bit uncomfortable as you looked down and shuffled lightly. He didn't remove his gaze, and in a way, you were suddenly reminded of when you had first met Jimin. He as well had stared an uncomfortable amount.
Back then you had felt as if maybe he was looking down on you. You had since learned that that certainly wasn't the case, but you had yet to determine why it was that his gaze had been so unsettling back then. Maybe it was because you hadn't known him well yet, and now, the way 9 was looking at you made you feel a similar way.
Though somehow similar, it was still different. You had never felt threatened by Jimin, not even the slightest. He never gave off an aura that made you scared, just lesser.
But the way that 9 was looking at you right then momentarily scared you, and this fact shocked you when you found it to be true. Why though? Was it because he was so tall? Or was it because... he was replacing 19?
You found yourself shuddering and attempted to dim your thoughts as you realized how odd your silence must have been.
"Um, welcome by the way," You managed to make out. You felt bad thinking about him in a negative light. It wasn't his fault he had been assigned to replace 19. If not him, it would have been someone else. "You must have come yesterday, so I know this is all new and scary and stuff. It's sort of shocking to learn you're dead."
He lifted his lips into a slight smirk and dryly laughed.
"Not really," he spoke simply, and your expression faltered before 52 yelled for you to come prep food. You pulled your attention away from 9 and tried to smother the unsettling feeling in your stomach as you began your usual morning tasks.
As the day went on, the four of you attempted to train him in what usually needed to be done around the truck. You only helped with minimal tasks and mostly watched out of the corner of your eye as the others scolded the newcomer for his incorrect performances.
You remembered when you had first arrived at the food truck. Back then, the three guys had treated you a similar way. There was a difference between this scenario and back then however, and that was your willingness.
You hadn't meant to mess up and had put your all into working the truck back then. 9 held disinterest and laziness in the way he half heartedly listened to your co workers and tried to accomplish tasks. He didn't even care when he was scolded.
It seemed as if 25 and 52's usual gruffness was dimmed and tired, and you wondered if it was because deep down, 9 was a hovering reminder that 19 would be leaving. You swallowed hard and tried to ignore this bias every time you drew closer to the new male in the small truck.
He would, every once and awhile, completely avoid what the others were telling him in attempts to shoot you a stare. You tried to ignore it, but you continued to remain conscious of the gesture from the corner of your vision.
The one time you returned his gaze, he simply smirked.
Your emotions weren't in the right place, so you ignored his ever constant eyes and continued to do your usual tasks. Besides, it wasn't fair of you to give Jimin a pass but not him. Jimin as well, when working the truck, had paid more attention to you than the tasks. Still, it was just... different. Different in a way you couldn't place. Regardless, you needed to dispose of your bias.
"79, could you take orders while I sit down for a moment?" 19 requested in a light and strained voice, and you were quick to nod and obey. He seemed more tired these days and it left a worried thud echoing in your heart to see him in such a state.
He had stopped teaching you morse code. It was alright, after all, you now knew it very well. It was still unsettling to see him loose his spirit, and you wondered if one day when your own final show would approach if you would loose yourself to the stress and helplessness of it all.
You sighed and tried to distract your mind by leaning your elbows on the counter. There weren't usually many customers at this point in the day, and you looked towards the clock tower to see that it was almost time for your shift to end.
You weren't sure how to feel about this and bit your lower lip as you prepped yourself for a dancing session with Jimin. Thinking about what was to come distracted you and you barely noticed 9 tap on your shoulder until you jumped at his touch.
Whirling around, you were met with his presence and breathed out to calm your nerves. Scolding yourself for being jumpy, you tilted your head in acknowledgment towards his form.
"Hey," he spoke simply in his deep tone, "So, I was just wondering, what do people like to do for fun around here? Or does everyone just work and try to get memories?"
You blinked and allowed his words to wash over you.
"Well... uh, I mean technically there's rides and stuff," you noted, trying to think back on all the things you and Jimin had done for entertainment. 9 didn't seem pleased by the answer and narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Really? That's it?"
You hesitated, trying to think of what else was offered in the Between. There weren't many answers, especially for a bronze tier like himself. Still, you wanted to give him something. The Between could be a dark and hopeless place, and it was, after all, his first day.
You needed to remember that and give him the friendliness and support you had wished you had had until 19, 25, 52, and Jimin had eventually supplied to you.
"Um, there's this bar thing people like," you noted, not sure why it slipped out but unable to forget how often 25 and 52 visited the area. This peaked 9's attention, and his green eyes seemingly lit up.
"Bar? Like, alcohol?"
You suddenly felt nervous and shuffled a bit. You didn't like the bar, so why had you suggested it?
"Not... not exactly."
He peered your way and morphed his lips attentively and crossed his arms.
"Are you suggesting we go together?" He quipped, and your eyes widened at the sudden bold statement.
"H-Huh?" You stammered, taken a back by the suggestion that most certainly hadn't been yours. You didn't know what to say. Clearly he was suggesting the two of you hang out, but... regardless of your mysterious nerves towards the notion, you didn't exactly have... time.
Jimin literally took up every moment that wasn't work, and a day without this would be weird. Not just for you, but for Jimin. He now fully expected your constant presence and might even protest the alternative.
You weren't sure how things had turned out in such a way, but now while you were facing the new food truck worker, it became apparent that Jimin was quite literally your whole life.
At least, whatever life in the Between was.
You continued to hesitate in knowing what to say, and noted that your fellow workers had over heard the conversation and were glaring at the back of 9's head as if it were a target. Your throat went dry in the suffocating anticipation, and you knew you had to say something.
"Well, uh, I wasn't really but-" sudden remembrance of your oath to treat the male kindly shot through you and you forced a smile. "I'm really busy. But, maybe sometime if we plan it out, we can schedule doing... something."
You didn't want to promise going to the bar. You didn't like the bar. However, you'd be willing to go get food or something of the sort if you had time to let Jimin know.
9's brows furrowed before he tisked and laughed a bit.
"Busy?" he questioned, and you naturally stiffened. "We're both on part time. After work, what could you possibly be busy doing?"
The sudden dinging of the bell customers rang to capture the attention of the workers rang through the air and you jumped a bit before whirling around in anticipation to face an impatient guest.
Instead you were met with something both surprising and familiar.
Jimin's bright and excited aura upon seeing you for the first time everyday was usually relieving and blinding, and a part of you felt your nerves and fears melt immediately upon noting his smile as he crossed his arms on the counter and smirked mischievously.
"I'll take one peanut to go," he spoke boldly, perching his chin on his arms as his dark but bright eyes and the earrings in his ears glistened.
You immediately flushed then panicked as realization hit you.
"YAH!" You scolded, pushing his face away from the counter and looking out on the streets to see if anyone had seen him. "Are you crazy?! What if someone sees you?!"
Jimin drew his plump and pinkened lips into a pout as he ran his fingers through his black hair that had most likely recently been styled.
"I checked!" He protested, "There's no one around right now."
"S-Still!" You stammered, looking back to note your coworkers expressions that were hidden from Jimin in the back of the truck. Thankfully 25 and 52 hadn't noticed the nickname bit, however 19 was smirking a bit towards recognition of the name. You had almost forgotten about 9, who was watching the scene with a fluttering curiosity in his deep orbs.
You swallowed hard and turned to face Jimin once more who was still pointedly waiting and fidgeting with the rings on his fingers in an impatient sort of way.
"Your shift is over," He spoke with his bright smile. "Come on, let's go."
"Alright alright," you finally gave in, quickly rolling your eyes. "But go behind the truck. I don't want to risk someone seeing you order here. They'll think this truck is the best thing ever, and then we'll be swamped again with customers."
Jimin pursed his lips but knowing you were right gave in with a short nod before moving behind the truck. You sighed and removed your apron, hanging it up on the hook with an odd but familiar lightness touching your chest as you said goodbye to 19, 25, and 52 and made your way to the back door.
Jimin's smiling face met you once more, and you weren't even surprised when he grabbed your hand and pulled your stumbling form closer.
"Come on," he motioned, "Let's-"
He stopped talking and suddenly focused in on something behind you. Jimin's skin, although naturally pinkened, also sported a melanin tone to it in usual circumstances. However, it seemed right then as if all color had left his face as he paled.
Curiosity formed on your features and Jimin's hold tightened on your hand before you turned back slightly to see where he was looking.
9 was standing behind you; removing his apron in a natural sort of way and also leaving the truck. He however didn't say goodbye to the other coworkers like you had and instead focused his attention forward as he peered at you and Jimin.
Oh, that was right. He as well was only part time, meaning he was now free to explore the Between or do whatever else he wanted for the second part of the day. A part of you right then began wondering if you should introduce the two of them.
Jimin had of course confided in you that he had been lonely during his stay in the Between, and you hadn't been the best companion recently. 9 was a new arrival that could probably use some support, and Jimin was the kindest and most supportive person you knew.
Although a part of you was a bit unwilling to share this trait with someone else, you knew Jimin's personality paired with the fact that he probably needed a male companion was good enough reason to move forward in the introduction.
"Jimin, this is-"
"Who the hell are you?" Jimin interrupted, immediate shock rippling through your nerves as you widened your eyes towards him. He held narrowed lids in a glare towards the tall bronze tier, and your mouth fell open at his unexpected rudeness.
"P-Park Jimin!" You stammered, scolding him but still holding surprise in your tone. The metal from Jimin's rings practically bore into your skin as he tightened his hold even further on your hand and pulled you behind him.
9 simply laughed at your seething dance partner and you eyed him apologetically in hopes that it would make up for Jimin's attitude. He didn't seem to care so much and allowed his green eyes to dance tauntingly against the guy's in front of you.
"I'm 9, apparently. I just arrived last night, and now I work here."
"He's the new worker," you supported a bit quietly.
Jimin pursed his lips in skepticism.
"What? But there's already four workers in the truck, and it's crowded in there. Another seems a bit too-" He paused, and you knew realization had hit him that this was 19's replacement. You bit your lower lip as the air drew quiet.
9 ignored the solemn sort of vibe that was currently resonating in the atmosphere and nonchalantly stretched as Jimin looked at you in worry of your mental state. You could say nothing in 9's presence. It wasn't his fault after all that he was a replacement, and you didn't want to accidently guilt him. Instead, you squeezed lightly onto Jimin's hand that he had loosened and lightly forced a smile.
"I'm going to guess you're 62? The great Park Jimin?" 9 quipped, pulling Jimin's attention forward and ignoring his blatant mysterious protests towards his presence. His green eyes glinted in a way that seemed to taunt Jimin into interacting with him, and you could tell he was easily falling prey to it based on the way he tightened his jaw.
"You know me?"
"Of course I do," he scoffed, stepping closer and allowing his shadow to encase Jimin. "I've only been here for a day, but your face is plastered all over this place. You're a gold tier I'm guessing?" he paused for effect, and Jimin's silence was enough of an answer. You began feeling nervous in the hostile air that you hadn't expected while 9 parted his smirked lips. "Tell me Park Jimin, how does it feel to be at the top?"
There was a stiffening silence. You didn't really know how to react or what to say as the dark aura that suddenly emitted through the night struck your heart. Jimin as well stood firmly in front of you but had clearly wavered in the sudden questioning. He had paled further and returned the glare to his eyes as he faced the taller male.
It was getting rather awkward for you as the two seemed to have a weird sort of show down, and you eventually cleared your throat.
"Um... Yeah, this is Jimin, he ah... he's a really great dancer actually. Probably the best performer." You smiled in attempts to soften the harsh atmosphere. It didn't really work and Jimin continued to glare while 9 taunted him with crossed arms. You shuffled awkwardly. "And... we have to go actually," you made out, Jimin immediately blinking at this as he finally lowered his stern gaze and softened his expression towards you.
"Yeah, let's go," he spoke only to you, turning to where his hand in yours was clearly visible to the other male. 9 stayed bright and scoffed at the clear display Jimin had shown him.
"Can I come?" He outright questioned, Jimin immediately whirling around with fire in his eyes.
"Actually, no you can't. We-"
"Jimin!" You protested once more, as well knowing 9 couldn't come to your dance practice but seeing no reason to be so blatantly rude.
"What he meant to say was that we're actually on our way to do something uh... for the ringmaster?" It wasn't a lie. "So we'll be busy with that for awhile. But don't worry, next time I'm free I'm down to show you around the Between and stuff."
You forced a kind smile and Jimin gnawed on the inside of his cheek in the sudden waves of irritation that washed over him. The feeling strengthened when 9 smiled back.
"I'll hold you to that,"
A final wave of angered heat pushed Jimin over the edge as he tugged you away with his back facing his challenger and kept you close. You squeaked at the lurch but in a way had expected it based on how tight his hold had grown once more.
"Jimin," you protested when you were a little ways away. You winced and fought his hold as he continued to ignore you. "Jimin!" you called more firmly, and finally he stopped. "Could you let go of my hand?"
"Why?" He immediately snapped, and you noted that although it was slight, you felt a small tremble against his skin. You tisked.
"Because you're cutting off my circulation and my palm is all sweaty!"
Jimin loosened the hold and even let go, but soon swapped to where he was holding your other hand. This time he was more gentle, and you didn't quite have the energy to fight it. He didn't seem to be focusing anyway and continued to stare into the distance as if something was bothering him.
"What's your problem by the way?" You questioned sternly, referring to the way he had talked to 9 earlier. You had been surprised. Jimin was usually so kind and soft in the way he treated people.
"About what?" He remained unfocused and continued to walk towards the clocktower while holding onto your free hand.
"Oh I don't know, how about treating 9 like he killed your family? You literally don't even know him, why did you go off like that?!"
Jimin narrowed his eyes.
"I don't like him."
"OK, but why?" You tried to argue, feeling a bit at a loss and unsure of what was going through his head.
Jimin stayed silent for a moment before breathing out lightly and biting his lower lip.
"He... he's 19's replacement. Don't you dislike him?"
Although your heart lurched at this, you still shook your head.
"Jimin, that isn't his fault. I can't hate him for that. Besides, you didn't know that when you first met him."
Jimin stiffened and you sighed, trying to think back on any justification for his actions. You tried to remember the emotion Jimin had shown in his eyes. At first it had been surprise, but then it had morphed into a more negative emotion that you should have recognized sooner. It was after all familiar, if only in a haunting way.
"Alright alright," you hummed in thought and shrugged when you found no other reason but one. "Are you just jealous because he's tall or something?"
Jimin immediately stopped walking and let go of your hand as his face reddened.
"I-I'm not short!" he suddenly spluttered, and you held your hands up in self defense at the sudden snapping tone.
"Woah! I never said you were! I just said he was tall!" You defended, then smirked smugly at your own confirmation that seemed to be right. While it was ridiculous for Jimin to be jealous of something so silly as height, you wondered if maybe it was a guy thing.
You saw no problem with his height as he stood similarly if not a few inches taller to you.
Jimin's face stayed pinkened as he hesitated and wondered the reasoning behind his own outburst. It had felt natural, but he didn't know why.
"So... I guess that's what's bothering you then?" you spoke slowly, flashing him a teasing smile.
Jimin swallowed hard and attempted to smile back.
"Y-Yeah, that must be it."
There was no truth in his words, but you still seemed to fall for them as you shook your head and planted your hands on your hips.
"Aish, this must be a guy thing or something. Look, your height is fine, OK? If you're insecure then we can talk about it, but snapping at a new guy that just found out he was dead last night isn't the right thing to do."
You were scolding him, and Jimin couldn't deny he found it sort of cute. A ghost of a smile peeked through his lips at this but it was hard to keep as he realized how clueless you were to the situation.
To Jimin, there were certain things that were precious. These things became more prominent the more time passed and the darkness of what was coming loomed closer.
Time with you had become everything to him, and he tried to treasure every second as if it were gold. The time he couldn't be with you was the night and during your first shift, and it felt as if this time was dark and lost.
It had been fine before, but now Jimin danced or ate alone in the mornings thinking about what you were doing. How horrible it had been to discover in his absence, a new presence had appeared.
And this presence was that of a young male, who also clearly stared at you in a way that was immediately evident to Jimin.
Jimin bit his tongue as he realized how possessive or greedy he could be seen as. He didn't want you to feel like you had to hang out with him all the time, and he didn't want you to know how irritated he had grown towards the new worker situation.
You were right, it hadn't been fair of him to snap like that.
But, he couldn't help it.
Now all he'd be able to think about while you were gone was what you'd be doing around him. After all, he was stealing what Jimin had considered to be the most valuable. Time, and time with you.
And even if you hadn't seen it, 9 had clearly been taunting him, as if the whole situation was a game.
It wasn't a game.
And likewise, you weren't a possession.
Jimin closed his eyes in the reminder of this and soon opened them to see you standing very close. So close in fact that he jumped in surprise; face reddening even further as you stood almost nose to nose with him.
Breath growing shallow and heated, Jimin stilled while you seemed to be thinking about something very different than what he was. You were looking upwards; using a hand to compare your height to his.
"Hmm," you spoke, pursing your lips. "Yup, I was right. You're taller than me by a few inches. So no need to worry."
You smiled and stepped back, not knowing what damage you had done to his heart and forcing him to ignore the happening as well as he smiled back.
"Alright, peanut. I won't worry about it."
He pulled closer again, and you stiffened when he wrapped his arms around you.
"Now what are you doing?" You questioned, a bit used to his advances that he seemed to request more often than not but still unsure of the timing.
"Hugging you."
Your breath tickled the skin of his neck before he in turn pressed his face against your hair and moved his arms to wrap around your waist. It was quite the intimate gesture, especially for standing in the middle of the Between, but you found you had to let it happen as you released a sigh.
"Things are weird these days," you admitted softly, not knowing how needed Jimin's embrace truly was until it had happened. "I'm nervous and... unsure of everything. It just isn't getting better. It's getting worse."
His warmth helped with the slight chill that always creeped against your spine and you closed your eyes for a moment as he held you tighter.
"I know," he made out quietly. There was a few heartbeats of silence before he pulled away with a sigh, and you felt your heart immediately miss his presence.
Your face heated as you realized a few workers from the game booths were staring at you, and your heart dropped even further when you were facing Jimin once more. You had almost forgotten that he looked rather nice and had clearly put effort into his appearance that morning.
"If you want, we can look for 100. You know, before we dance," he suggested, and you blinked in attempts to focus back on his words. His hands still held your arms loosely, but you shook your head.
"That's alright. We can still look later, but I'm fine to dance now."
Jimin looked skeptical, but had no choice but to follow when you moved towards the clock tower once more and even pulled open the door.
"If you say so," he responded softly, and took the door from you in order to hold it open for light to shine in the dark area. You gave him an appreciative nod and moved up the stairs.
It was then that Jimin remembered something that had been forgotten in the stress regarding 9. He wasn't sure how it had skipped his mind. After all, it was something he had been thinking about non stop for days now.
Immediate stress returned to his heart, and he tried to calm it as he followed you up the dark stairs and he ran through the words he had rehearsed in his head.
It shouldn't have been that big of a deal.
He reminded himself of that and tried to forget the immediate way his eyes had widened and heart had stopped when the ringmaster had first suggested an... addition to your next performance.
It was just a suggestion, but one he still should have brought up to you forever ago. Now that you were nearing the end of learning the new choreography, he couldn't ignore it any longer.
"Just ask about it. It isn't a big deal no matter what she says."
Jimin was a performer, and he knew deep down that he was allowing personal reasons effect his usual demeanor. With this in mind, he straightened his spine and followed you onto the top floor of the clock tower.
You were standing there expectantly, and Jimin froze as you tilted your head questioningly.
"Well?" You spoke, Jimin unsure and widening his eyes.
"Well what?"
"You usually take a picture right about now," you pointed out, and Jimin's heart softened. His nerves however caused him to bite his lower lip, and he knew he needed to get the words that had been stressing him off of his heart.
"Uh, maybe later." You hummed in a pleased way, and Jimin attempted to continue to remind himself that it was no big deal. "Look peanut, I was meaning to talk to you about something today. It's about our dance."
You seemed to be half listening and was fully immersed in untying your boots.
"Oh yeah? What?"
Jimin stiffened. He couldn't find the words at first, and the uncomfortable silence allowed you to narrow your eyes his way.
"Jimin? What is it. Why aren't you talking?"
He laughed nervously and rubbed his arm.
"Uh, promise not to punch me, OK?"
You tisked and rolled your eyes.
"I'm not going to hit you. I'm not a violent bully or anything, jeez."
Jimin smiled nervously. Alright, he needed to calm down. Regardless of anything else, the two of you were dance partners. He needed to find his teasing and care free persona. That would help, wouldn't it?
He wasn't sure, but it was worth a try.
"Peanut," he started, allowing a glisten to enter his eyes as he tried to look confident. "I don't know if you remember, but when I talked to the ringmaster about our performances, he had some... suggestions. It was why I had to sing, remember?"
"Yeah..." You responded slowly, not liking where the conversation was going. You widened your eyes in horror. "Oh God, do I have to sing too?! Jimin, I can't sing. I can't do this I-"
"No no no," Jimin laughed, noting your cuteness and this giving him motivation. "It's nothing like that. It's just that he wanted something added to our performance to make it stand out more. I guess because we're the only duo. It isn't that big of a deal."
It was like he was assuring himself as well as you, but regardless he allowed a trace of a smile to form against his lips.
"Look, you remember all the little things I'd say when teaching? About how dancing is an act? Here's the thing, last time was your first time, and I didn't want to do anything crazy or too much."
You pursed your lips and thought back.
You should look at me like you want to kiss me.
Heat touched your face as you continued to listen to him and your eyes widened once more.
"He suggested we make the dance a bit more... intimate I guess?"
"H-How?" You stammered, heart already unsure of what it was about to go through. Recently, just being near Jimin was becoming more heated and odd. Dancing was alright because it was a necessity, but you couldn't ignore the space between the two of you that buzzed with an odd feeling.
Jimin hesitated.
"Here's where the 'please don't hit me' part comes in," he spoke with a light laugh then swallowed hard. "You can say no if you want to, I want you to be comfortable after all. It's just a suggestion but... how do you feel about..."
He hesitated only a moment further, knowing he had to say the words that he had conjured and practiced for days now. When he finally spoke them, your heart practically dropped.
"How do you feel about an on stage kiss?"