Jimin waited after knocking at the door, holding a small peony. When Mee opened it, he extended the flowers towards her. "Oh... Hiiii." Mee's lips stretched so wide, making her look prettier. 

"How have you been, Mee?" Jimin hugged her frame as he stepped in.

Mee gently patted Jimin's back. "It's good. All's good. Gosh! You are glowing."

"Not more than you," Jimin removed his shoes and stepped inside, looking around to spot Jungkook.

"This old thing?" Mee pointed at herself. "It's because of the flowers. Thanks, Jimin."

"You are welcome, Mee." Jimin didn't see Jungkook as he was led inside the living room. 

"You shouldn't have. Really."

"You invited me for your world-class food. These are nothing in comparison." Jimin grinned, making her cheeks blush at the compliment. "Where's Mr. Jeon?"

"Jungkook must be taking a shower. He returned from the gym a short while ago." Mee informed Jimin as he settled on the sofa and she walked around to reach the kitchen area to put the flowers in the small vase. "Can you go and check if he's ready? I'll start setting up dinner."

"Um..."

"Oh, gosh! I am so sorry. Your leg. I forgot." Mee suddenly emerged apologizing.

"It's okay," Jimin stood up quickly. "I am completely fine. I have been working out and you know it. I'll go check." 

"You sure?" Mee looked uncertain. 

"Yeah," Jimin gave her an assuring smile before quickly ascending the stairs. 

When he passed through the room where he lived for over a month, he felt a smile touching his lips. His fingers itched to open the door and take a look inside. Was it still the same or did Jungkook make some changes? Deciding against it, he walked across the corridor and gingerly knocked on the Jungkook's door. "Hey, Jungkook?"

"Yes?" The voice reached Jimin's ears. 

He opened the door halfway. "Mee is calling-" his eyes stuck on Jungkook's naked chest just as his grip on the door handle tightened and his words dissolved. He gulped, looking at the water adhering to the fair skin of the stout man, shining like spherical diamonds in the light. Hair tousled and wet, falling on Jungkook's forehead, with a tiny black mole under his lip as a beautiful and only contrasting point of focus, Jimin felt his stomach bottom out.

The only time he acknowledged Jungkook's good looks was when he first saw him. He was mesmerized back then, but still capable of speaking. This was the second time, and it hit him harder, like being thrown at a freight train, striking out his ability to speak.

Jungkook pulled a white T-shirt over his head and down to his torso, the fabric clinging to the wet skin. "I am ready."

"Yeah," Jimin let out a choppy breath, blinking and bringing a smile to his face. "Sorry. I shouldn't have come inside."

"It's okay," Jungkook shook his head, cool indifference on his face. "Let's go."

"Won't you dry your hair?" Jimin pointed towards Jungkook's head.

"Nah," Jungkook pulled the T-shirt away from his abs and flapped it to keep it away from his skin. "I want to eat."

Jimin didn't know if Jungkook noticed his earlier reaction or not, but just as he inched closer, the air filled with the fragrance of Jungkook's soap and clean skin and it was like a light punch to his gut just as he was recovering from the previous hit.

Jimin looked away, his brows drawn in a scowl and his face burning. "Something wrong?" Jungkook asked curiously, looking at the side of his face. 

"What?" The bronde looked at the brunette before dismissing his claim with a smile and a wave of hand. "It's nothing."

"It seems like you have something on your mind. You can talk to me. You know that, right?" 

Jimin had to steer the conversation. "I thought gay people were very particular about their looks. You don't seem to pay much attention to it."

Jungkook's lips stretched into a lazy smile and Jimin could swear that something was definitely wrong with him. Maybe the flowers had sent a heady sensation to his head. Why else would he notice tiny things about Jungkook that made him so much more attractive? Sure, Jungkook was a handsome man. An ideal candidate for women. Or men, in Jungkook's case. Jimin acknowledged it, but he never really fully grasped the details. Was it the fact that he'd just seen his trainer half-naked?

"To each of their own, Jimin. I don't have much time for extensive grooming," they heard the plates being set up downstairs. "Besides, I am starving."

Jimin gulped and breathed in relief as Jungkook sped down the stairs, his feet thumping softly against the wooden floor. 

He followed the man and took a seat beside Mee, intentionally avoiding close vicinity with Jungkook. 

Mee Served the first course of fish. "Do we have Ramen?" Jungkook asked. 

"I didn't make Ramen," Mee panicked, her hands freezing the movements. 

"It's okay," Jungkook jumped up from his seat and rushed to the kitchen to get the portable kettle. "You want Ramen, Jimin?" He asked, opening the drawer and counting the packets. 

"One packet would be fine."

He took three, knowing Mee didn't eat Ramen at night, and returned to the table. Putting the water in the boiler, he looked at Jimin and smiled. It was nothing special, just a courtesy, but Jimin didn't fully reciprocate it, his mind somewhere else.

"So, Jimin..." Mee's frame moved towards him a little. "What has been going on with your life? Ever since you left, you are here for the first time. Tell me everything."

Jimin chuckled, thankful for another presence in the room. "Not much has changed. I am working out and taking therapy. Jungkook wakes me up early in the morning every day, so I am half dead by ten at night. Did I tell you I want to open my business?"

"Jungkook mentioned it," Mee said, stopping to chew for a moment. 

"I haven't started anything, but I am going to work on it from tomorrow. At least figuring out the finances and some preliminary research."

"That's good. You'll get much done once you start."

"Yeah. I don't know... I had roadblocks. I guess I'll have to get to it now before it's too late. What about you? What's new?"

"Let's see," Mee rested her chopsticks on the saucer. "I wake up and shower before starting to make breakfast. By the time I am finished, Jungkook returns. He eats, and I clean. Then he leaves, and I dance naked there." She pointed at the sofa. 

Jungkook chucked his chopsticks at the table and griped. "Oh, god, Mee!"

Jimin spluttered out some food, choking a bit as he covered his mouth. His head fell back and he laughed. 

"What?" Mee poked Jungkook's rib. "You don't return until dinner. I have the whole house to myself. Now that we are talking, I should also tell you that I have a boyfriend and he comes over. Don't worry though. We use my room."

Jungkook shook his head, unamused while Jimin laughed his butt off. 

Mee giggled at Jimin's reaction and raised her hand for a high-five. Jimin clapped her hand before gaining composure. "What about you, Jungkook?" Jimin asked, changing the subject. 

"You know what I do."

"Not really," Jimin claimed, scratching his jaw. "I mean I only work with you for three hours a day. I don't know what you do after that. Do you stay the whole day in the Kosmos?

"Yes."

"Doing what? You don't train anyone."

***

Jimin couldn't sleep the previous night, thinking what the fuck kind of reaction was it. For the first time, he didn't feel jealous after seeing another attractive man, disrupting the status quo. Every time Kim-Bee got involved with someone, he couldn't help his jealousy towards those young men.

He also realized that he was more irritated about the fact that he was thinking too much about Kim-Bee. So when he returned for therapy the next day, he came with an agenda in mind. "When did you start working here?" He asked Yoongi, looking at him with easy confidence, the air of camaraderie between the two men.

"We are going straight to business. Aren't we?" Yoongi chuckled, putting his coffee mug down to begin the session.

He'd been coming thrice a day to see Yoongi and by now, he was finding Yoongi agreeable, much more than Jungkook, at least when he was inside Microkosmos. "I was just chitchatting. If you don't wanna tell me, I understand. I am the patient after all."

"You are 'not' a patient, Jimin," Yoongi countered, licking his lips to wipe the last remains of sweet bitterness. "We are just two friends talking about things."

Jimin let out an airy chuckle. "But you never talked about yourself. I'd feel much more comfortable if we could have a two-way conversation today. Otherwise, I do feel like an ill person who is sitting here to be less fucked-up."

Yoongi considered it for a moment before his lips stretched and he drew back on his chair, getting comfortable. "I've been here for six years, a few years after Jungkook created Mikrokosmos."

"Do you like it here? Are you full-time?"

"I do like it," Yoongi sighed, relaxing further. "But I am not full-time. My wife owns a business and I help her when I am not in. I have two kids. One is two, one is five."

"Woah!" Jimin swayed from his chair. "You have two children? Fuck. How are all the young people married and with kids? This is beyond me."

"I am not that young," Yoongi grinned. "But thanks for judging me."

"Hey, now," Jimin raised his hand quickly. "I did no such thing."

"Ahan," Yoongi picked up his notepad. "Now if we could change the subject. What do you want to talk about today."

Jimin had briefly told Yoongi about Kim-Bee and their relationship in their first session, but after that, he stuck with safe topics like his childhood, which was mostly happy, or his strong will to start a business.

He'd kept himself busy enough to not have any thoughts during the day when he was busy, but at night, the boomerang of regrets and pain struck still him hard. But he wasn't there to discuss that. "Can you tell me about Jungkook?"

That raised Yoongi's brow in surprise.

"I am curious about that man. Is he in a relationship right now? Is he friendly? Insane?"

Yoongi laughed. "My knowledge of Jungkook is limited to what I have read on Google or social media, Jimin. I think the people working out in the gym should know more than I do. We are on good terms, but we are far from friends."

"Oh," Jimin was visibly disappointed.

"Why do you ask?" Yoongi asked to make it easy.

"I just... I've heard a lot about Jungkook before I came here. My friend was here in a full-time program and he told me that Jungkook was a tyrant for all the time he was here. When I met him, my first impression of him was even worse. But then...he took responsibility for my injury and helped me out. He seems like he's a different person inside the premises and completely different on the outside. I just can't quite place him."

"Jungkook is very professional. He doesn't mix personal and work life. I can't tell you more than that."

"If I am being honest, I didn't expect you to. If Jungkook asks about me, I am sure you'll follow the same discretion?"

Yoongi smirked, picking up a squishy object from the nearby stool, and looked at Jimin. "Jungkook never asked me about anything, and if he did, you know I am legally bound to not disclose my clients' information, right?"

Jimin believed it. Yoongi wasn't the kind of character who was interested in gossip. But did it mean he was ready to talk about what really happened with Kim-Bee? Not in this life.

9 May 2024