Summarylisten, Taehyung Says, Eyes Wide And Eager As He Smiles At You. I Figure We Can Just Help Each

summary⇢ “listen,” taehyung says, eyes wide and eager as he smiles at you. “i figure we can just help each other out. i scratch your back, you scratch mine.” but when you find yourself suddenly in need of a massive favor, exactly how much scratching are you willing to do? pairing⇢ kimline/reader word count⇢ 38.6k (and counting) rating⇢ 18+

↳01. intro

↳02. kim seokjin

↳03. kim taehyung

↳04. kim namjoon

↳05. ?

↳06. ?

✨series playlist✨

Shit these two are so sweet with each other gosh darn it. That description of the incongruente between logic and love was so relatable and that little extra something - that je ne sais quoi - ties it all together wistfully well.

I love how intricate the relations of each boy are playing out. And oooo yes the slow build to the reveal of y/n’s past was laid out so perfectly. And speaking of beautifully done slow builds I’m itching to knew what Jimin’s stake is in all of this. And building. Hal’s character line on top of it all too? Whewwww talk about layered, rich writing 💜

The text flirting 👀 chefs kiss banter. Thank you for this lovely fic thus far!!!

just one (iii)

notes: the only guy on campus who’s track record trumped that of your best friend’s - park jimin - was jeon jungkook. not that that was a problem…until he set his sights on you.

warnings: eventual smut, swearing, bad habits (mentions of drinking, smoking etc)

genre: humour, drama, romance, college!au

wordcount: 7.3k

part i // part ii // part iii // part iv // part v // part vi // part vii // part viii // part ix // part x

contrary to popular belief, jungkook does set some rules for himself. he doesn’t have many, but the ones he does have he’s strict about.

the first was no drunks in his jeep. he already broke that rule by allowing you and your friend seulgi in, so maybe that was out the window. impressive too, because he hasn’t let anyone in his truck that hammered since jimin after taehyung’s 21st. he threw up all over the dashboard and jungkook could swear he smelt vomit in there for months. even though he’s sensitive to smell and hates repeating the same mistakes, jungkook decided you were worth the risk.

which brings him to his second rule: messing around with girls was just that. messing around. every time he needs reminding of that jungkook remembers the cactus plant taehyung gave him back during his very first semester. he killed that thing in record timing to the point where even taehyung wondered if there was a malevolent spirit in the place, because how else could you kill a cactus? it perfectly depicted jungkook’s most telling trait: he can’t look after things. look out for things, sure. he can step into a fight if his friend needed help or walk an old lady to her car with groceries. because those were a one off, in-the moment things that jungkook is good at navigating. but long term things? investing himself? he could barely stomach his own emotions for a weekend let alone someone else’s, so it really was a recipe for disaster for everyone involved. get in, get out, get going onto the next. that way everybody wins.

and that neatly bleeds into his final rule: no bringing girls back to his place (if he can help it). jungkook preferred to keep his personal and personal personal life separate, so the less girls knew about him outside the bedroom the better. besides, it’s not like he’s totally unreasonable - if his place was closest and the situation called for it, then fair enough. but that was hardly ever the case.

which is why he’s here: stumbling around the park in the middle of the day, totally and utterly lost. he was sure he had taken this shortcut once or twice before but apparently he was wrong, because he didn’t even know this half of the park existed.

“the fuck is this place,” jungkook mutters to himself, shifting as best as he can through a patch of long grass. he’s pretty sure he’s got a twig in his shirt somewhere and he doesn’t even want to think about that squishy thing he just stepped in. his dick may have had a blast last night (and this morning) but the timbs on his feet had definitely seen better days.

jungkook had been wandering around for so long now he considers calling the girl who’s place he’d just left in hopes of getting some directions…but then realised he didn’t have her number. and even if he did, what would he say? i made you cum faster than you could spell out my name but now i need you to fish me out of the park like a lost dog? and then the next hurdle: what was her name again? jane? joy? jill? it quickly becomes irrelevant when jungkook gets through the end of weeds and broken branches to an open plain of grass again. it’s a cloudy day so it wasn’t particularly beautiful to look at, but he’s just happy to be out of the mess of trees. looking out to the large pond of water just where the steepness of a hill stops, he double-takes when he sees that the person sitting atop it is…you.

you. bundled up in a hoodie, no makeup, tongue sticking out while you work to get the shading of that wilted tree just right. it’s a public place, there are people out on the streets, cars whizzing past, but jungkook still feels like he’s stumbled upon something private, intimate even - so beautiful do you look, so simple and candid. just you in your own little world. his fingers practically itch for a camera.

Keep reading

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the misadventures list; 3 (m)

➜ the night shift can be very wild at times. you’ve witnessed so many strange, concerning and absurd situations happen inside the tiny convenience store that you could make a long list with everything that got you stunned - and the situation that takes the prize of being the weirdest of your list is the night a desperate millionaire, for the sake of saving his fortune, asks you to pretend to be his girlfriend.

pairing: playboy!jimin x (f) reader

genre: smut, comedy (?), fluff • fake dating au

warnings: explicit sexual content in future chapters. shitty toxic parents. non-explicit mentions of bullying. coarse language. me trying to be funny i guess

rating: 18+

word count: 13k

A/N: things will officially start after this chapter!! i'm so excited!!! if you like it please don't forget to rb & leave some feedback <3

let me know if you want to be added to the taglist!

➜  Chapters: check out masterlist in bio!

« playlist »

“Wait, repeat that again?” Soojin asks. Although the lightning in her room is shit - and your internet is always so freaking unstable all the time -, you can still see very well as she frowns, sending you a skeptic glare through the screen.

“I need you to check on Tobey while I’m gone.” You say once again, not embarrassed of how stupid it might sound. “Look, he has an automatic feeder and cleaner, but that bitch is so petty that he might die if he notices I’m gone.”

Tobey just stares at you from under his tiny castle in his pristine new aquarium, as usual.

Sure - you didn’t buy it yourself. It was Jimin. But you’re not telling Soojin that he knocked on your door yesterday holding a bigger, better aquarium that had an automatic cleaner, an automatic feeder, a better filter and a freaking tiny castle inside of it.

The fact that he cared about your fucking fish made your heart miss a beat?

No.

Of course not.

Right?

“You do realize that you’re talking about a fish as if it’s a person, right?” Soojin quirks her eyebrow.

“He has an attitude problem. I’m telling you.”

“Gosh. You definitely need to go out more often.”

“Well, I am.” to Hawaii of all places, but I'm not telling this detail. "And don't act like I never go out."

"Stop lying to yourself." If Soojin narrows her eyes even more, she'll end up closing them. "You didn't go out for the past two months. You've been just working and working and studying. If I didn't have your number, I'd think you're dead because your Instagram is inactive."

"And what's the problem?"

"The problem is that you're still mourning over your relationship."

"I'm not!"

“Y/N, I know you since you were a baby. You can’t lie to me.”

You roll your eyes. Soojin always uses the “I know you since you were a baby” card. You don’t have any siblings, but you have the impression that this is pretty much what having an older sister would feel like. Well, Soojin is your “almost sister”. That’s basically what cousins are, right?

“Soojin, I’m serious. I don’t think about that fucker. It’s just that things are tough these days, okay? I’ve been working like crazy, I really didn’t have time to enjoy myself at all.”

Soojin isn’t exactly wrong. You did mourn your relationship for a while. If it was just a simple break up you’d be fine - those ten months with Yeojun were intense in every sense of the word, both good and bad, the last few months more bad than good - and you knew you’d need some time away from him at some point to figure out if it was still worth it to try and patch this relationship up. When Yeonjun said he needed space, although it shook you up at the moment, you thought it was a good decision for you both.

Then, he showed up dating Sarah.

This fucked you up.

They showed up together so quickly after the break up that it’s obvious that they’ve been interested in each other while you dated. You started wondering when did they start seeing each other, how it happened, where it happened- then you remembered how Yeonjun kept saying that you never paid enough attention to him, that he wasn’t even sure if you liked him, and your brain started to whisper maybe you’re the reason he cheated on you, maybe it’s your fault-

It all went away as quickly as it came, of course. It was his fault all along. It was also scary how many times you planned to murder Sarah. Yet, deep down, there was a little wise voice that told you it just wasn't worth it to keep thinking about them.

So you buried yourself in studying more than ever.

If you said this whole situation didn't affect your self-esteem, you would be lying. Soojin was right about you not updating your social media (you barely open the front camera these days) and yeah, you haven't been taking care of yourself that much (hence the split ends of your hair). The first time you actually put some nice clothes on and makeup was because of… well… Jimin.

You know that you shouldn't get all dressed up wanting people's approval, but it felt nice to see Jimin's look of approval. Just feeling wanted again in general felt nice. Not that some guys didn't hit on you for the past two months, but none of them made you feel the way Jimin makes you feel.

Maybe because none of them are that attractive. And maybe because none of them have those pouty pretty lips or that adorably awkward behavior-

Bitch, stop. Stop right now.

"Anyway, are you coming to see Tobey or not? You don't have to stay that long or anything, just… check if he's alive and leave."

Soojin rolls her eyes. "Alright."

You smile, getting up from bed. "Thank you so much!"

"You owe me one." She says.

"Sure. I need to hang up now-"

"Y/N, wait."

Your thumb hovers over the hang up button.

Just by Soojin's hesitant look, you already know what's coming.

She passes her hand over her bangs the way she always does when she's nervous and avoids your gaze for a while.

"Look… hm… I know how you feel about this all. I wasn't even going to tell you, but…" Soojin sighs and finally makes eye contact again. "Your parents. They want to know where you live."

The smile on your face falters.

Slowly, you sit on the edge of the bed again.

"How do you know?" you ask in a dry tone. Soojin shivers at your expression.

"Your mother asked my mother."

You snort, rolling your eyes. "So they're talking now?"

"Yeah. Apparently." Soojin sighs. "Y/N… I know how fucked up this whole situation is, but maybe you could-"

"If you tell them where I live, I'm never talking to you ever again."

Soojin goes quiet.

"You're too damn hard headed."

"Yeah. Wanna know who taught me that?"

"Okay, Y/N. Of course I wouldn't tell your parents without your consent." She shakes her head slowly, eyebrows knitted. "But just… think about this, okay? This pride won't take any of you anywhere. Besides, they're getting old, Y/N."

"Since when you're on their side?" You already feel anger slowly bubbling up inside of you.

"Goddamnit, I'm on nobody's side, Y/N. I just see things from a different perspective now that I'm a mother. It hurts just to think of Minhyun being away from me for too long."

God, you know she's got nothing to do with it, but you can't help but stare at her like that. "You know what you have to do to not have Minhyun away from you? Be the exact opposite of my parents."

Soojin exhales heavily and rolls her eyes.

"Whatever, Y/N. Wasn’t expecting to make you change your mind anyway. Just thought you should know.”

It's your time to sigh, feeling your shoulders shrink with guilt. "I'm sorry, Soojin."

"It's alright."

"...are you still seeing Tobey?"

"Yes, Y/N." You smile once again. “I really owe you one.”

“You sure do. Enjoy your trip, wherever you’re going.”

“I will. I promise I’ll bring Minhyun a gift!”

“What about me? I’ll be the one babysitting your ugly fish.” She quirks one eyebrow up.

“Minhyun is cute. You’re not.”

She, in a very I’m-a-mature-mother way, sticks her tongue out at you. “Bitch.”

“Bitch.” You say back, giggling. “Bye.”

Finally, you hang up the video call and drop your phone flat over the bed.

Your shoulders shrink once again.

Fuck.

Just thinking about this brings your mood down.

Yet, you look at the three suitcases you carefully prepared the night before, resting just beside your feet.

You cross your arms.

“All things considered, I’m going to fucking Hawaii. I’m going to have fun. Regardless of the possibly awful people there. Did you hear it? I’m going to have fun!”

Tobey just stares at you in silence.

“What? You don’t believe me?” You huff. “You’re not very supportive of me, did you know that?”

Tobey, once again, just stares at you in silence.

“Anyways. You have a bigger home now. You should have fun while I’m gone. I bet you won’t even miss me.” You stand up to look at the fish closely. The aquarium even has led lights that turn on automatically as the night approaches. It almost completely occupies your desk, which means you’ll have to install another shelf to place it, but now it’ll have to stay here. “Just don’t die, okay? I know you don’t even like me that much, but I’ll be kinda sad if you die.”

Tobey turns around and enters his palace once again.

“Ungrateful bitch.”

Your scowl kind of deepens when you hear your phone ringing with a new notification… and your stomach twirls before you even take it from the bed once again.

jimin: good morning pretty!!!

jimin: i’m outside!!

Oh God.

You have to sigh before opening the door.

There he is, greeting you with his biggest smile.

And you’re shocked.

“Today’s the great day!” He says excitedly before, without an ounce of awkwardness or hesitation, pulling you by the waist and placing a kiss on your cheek once again. Yes, he just decided to greet you like this from now on. It doesn't bother you, though. It's pretty much the opposite.

“You dyed your hair,” it’s the first thing you say.

Jimin runs his fingers through his now blonde locks. To be fair, it’s not completely blond; it’s almost grey, a blonde-ash tone, yet much far from the previous silver color he had before.

“I was tired of silver already,” he explains. “Besides, I don’t think that silver would match the occasion anyway. Blonde gives me more summer vibes. Did you like it?”

Of course you liked it. You have a feeling that Jimin would look good in any hair color (if he managed to look good in silver, anything else won’t be a challenge). But you don’t want to caress his ego that much, so you just shrug and say: “Not bad.”

He tilts his head. You also take this moment to properly analyze his outfit. Nothing special, really - he even oriented you to wear comfy clothes, since you'll be caged inside of a plane for hours -, but the "Balenciaga" written over his black hoodie is still very obvious.

"Did you sleep well?"

"No." you admit. Jimin giggles. Oh, that giggle.

"It's alright, you'll have plenty of time to sleep on the plane. Anyway, are you ready?"

You look around your apartment once again. All the outlets unplugged… windows safely locked… Tobey's feeder properly programed and stocked (because yes, you checked that over a billion times).

"Yeah, I think I'm ready."

Jimin nods and takes your hand, intertwining your fingers with his.

"Then let's go, pretty. I'm so excited!"

You can't help but mirror his smile this time.

"Me too!"

You shouldn't get surprised at Jimin's rich life at this point, but he still manages to surprise you anyway as he stares at you apologetically.

"Usually, I would definitely choose our private jet, but my parents are using it… and I don't want to cross their way until we get there." He keeps excusing himself. "I would even book a private jet, but this was all too sudden, so-"

"Jimin, are you apologizing?"

He stops, eyes widened and round. "Yeah…?"

You look around the first-class area of the plane, absolutely astonished by, well… everything. It's kind of stupid that you think of the place as "futuristic-looking" when planes in general are a pretty old thing. Differently from the economic class seats (that, in your opinion, looked very comfy anyway), the first-class seats are pretty much private cubicles, the seats stretching as far as a comfortable bed if you want to. The space is colored in white and a soft beige. There's a whole bunch of buttons beside the seat that you're honestly scared to accidently press.

Your eyes land on him once again.

"Do you think I care if we're in a private jet or not? I've never even been in any plane ever before. Period."

Jimin blinks, looking confused and surprised as he settles on his seat right by your side. "Oh."

"You don't need to go far to impress me. I'm a broke bitch, remember? Not one of your supermodel dates or whatever."

He blinks again. "Oh." he repeats. "Okay." Jimin opens a tiny, content smile.

"What? Is it, like, a big deal to rich people? Not booking a private jet, I mean." You ask, quirking your eyebrow. Jimin tilts his head.

"It's, hm… the equivalent of taking your date out on a bus."

You snort, crossing your arms uncomfortably. "That's stupid. Me and Yeonjun always waited for each other in subway stations for our dates."

Immediate regret hits you as soon as this sentence leaves your mouth.

Jimin narrows his eyes in mischief as he crosses his arms, slightly leaning closer to you.

"So Yeonjun's the name."

"Oh, no. Don't even get started." You vehemently wave your hands in denial, but it's already too late. He'll bother you with this information forever.

"You know, I should be offended."

"Why?"

"You're here with me, we're about to go on a nice trip, yet you're thinking about Yeonjun."

"I'm not-" you gasp, leaning away from him slightly. Although you see the ghost of a smile and the glint of playfulness in his eyes, you have the feeling that maybe, deep down, he is a little bit offended. "I wasn't thinking about him! I was just saying that it's 100% normal to go on dates using public transport!"

"Oh, really?" He quirks his perfect eyebrow up, clearly not buying it. You desperately feel the urge to change topics. You won't talk or think about Yeonjun. Not now and not with him. "Have you ever been on public transport, by the way?"

"Why are you asking?"

"Because many of my classmates didn't."

Jimin hesitates, still eyeing you suspiciously, but - thank God - he decides to go along. "Well… no. I always wanted to as a teen, though, but my parents were worried that I'd be kidnapped. So I never had the chance to. Besides, cars are faster." he shrugs.

If you hadn't studied at that particular school, you would've thought it was just rich people bullshit as usual, but you know it isn't. Kidnapping was an actual threat to the richer students - kids are a much easier target. Security at that school was as strict as in a bank.

You tilt your head at him, which causes Jimin to eye you with confusion. "What?"

"I'm taking you on a subway trip as soon as we come back."

The way his eyes close in thin crescents as he laughs shouldn't make your heart skip a beat, but goddamn, it does. "What is it, all of sudden?!"

"It's payback. You take me on a trip to Hawaii, I take you on a trip to the subway, which is what I can afford."

He's still laughing as he rests his cheek on his palm. Jesus, he's looking at you like that again. "Okay, then. I'm looking forward to it. Also, very bold of you to ask me out on a date like that."

You almost gasp.

That was just a funny idea you had, but only now you realize that it indeed sounded like you were asking him out.

Weren't you, though?

"Bold of you to assume I was asking you out, gentleman. Take it as an educational trip where I'll teach you how peasants get to places." Jimin just silently watches you with that resting smile on his lips and, yet again, you feel that heat creep the back of your neck. "Did you know it's considered rude to stare at people like this?"

"I'm sorry, I can't help it. You're just endearing."

It's your turn to go silent for a while.

And he had the audacity to call you bold.

How can Jimin say this type of thing so casually? At the same time he's smooth, it feels that you're being hit by a brick on the head every time he says things like that. So straightforward. Your brain algorithm can't take it. It's programmed - and used - to men at least trying to be subtle and "mysterious" on how they feel about you… that is, until you break their pride and have them begging for a little bit of your attention. Just because it's fun.

"You keep saying weird things." You side eye him in a judging manner. Jimin shrugs.

"It's one of my many charms, I guess." he blinks prettily. "I bet Yeonjun doesn't have as many charms as me."

"If you say his name again, I'll slap you."

Jimin just giggles devilishly in response.

Your attention goes to the polite flight attendant for a while as she does the usual flight instructions. After you buckle up, the smooth voice of the pilot floats in the air through the speakers.

"We're about to take off," Jimin announces - as if the pilot himself hadn't said that already. For some reason, he looks all bouncy and excited. "Are you scared?"

Your eyes narrow. Sure, some nervousness creeps your skin and bubbles in your stomach, but you're not scared. "Not really."

His shoulders shrink and he immediately pouts like a puppy whose owner just refused to give it cookies.

"Why do you look so disappointed?"

"I was playing this little fantasy in my head that you'd be scared to fly and you'd grab my hand for comfort." He puts his open palm over the space between your seats (for reference: said space is almost one arm long) and sends you an expectant, suggestive look.

You can't help but fully laugh, shaking your head slightly in disbelief. "So you're making romantic little scenarios about me in your head?"

"It's what people do in movies. It always seemed so cute." Again, that whiny voice of his. If any other man on this planet tried speaking in that voice and pouted like that, you'd straight up want to punch them in the face. But since it's Jimin… well…

He's built different.

"Will you feel better if I hold your hand?" It's embarrassing how he makes you give in so easily. Jimin just blinks prettily once more in response, nodding.

So, rolling your eyes - and with a smile still plastered over your face -, you reach for his waiting hand. Jimin grins, satisfied.

Finally, the plane takes off.

The smile on his face doesn't fade away as he watches you look through the window, absolutely astonished by the view of the city slowly becoming smaller and smaller, the sky getting closer and closer. You were planning to not look so excited about this - like it's not a big deal, as if you've been in thousands of flights before; not to impress Jimin, but because you knew the type of people that would be around you and you didn't want to look like a fool - but damn, this is too amazing to not get astonished at.

Jimin silently wishes he could take a picture of you right now.

"Are you enjoying it, pretty?"

For some reason, you feel a little warm on the inside hearing him call you "pretty" this time - even though you're getting quite used to it. Maybe because his voice is quieter than usual.

You turn back to him, nodding. "It's so beautiful!"

Jimin's smile widens a little bit. It's the first time he sees you acting in somehow of a "child-like" way - with full rounded eyes and a sparkle to them he had never seen before. It even makes him forget for a bit that he hates flying. Not because he's scared of heights, but because he hates to be forced into a place for hours straight.

This one particular flight might be more entertaining than all the others, though.

"It is," he agrees. Yet, you notice that he hasn't looked at the window not even once.

You try to pretend that this thing you're feeling in your stomach is due to being in your first flight, not because he's looking at you that way.

Gosh.

This is going to be a long trip.

As if you already didn’t have enough reasons to think Jimin is adorable, you find out he cries very easily watching movies. There was this new Netflix release you wanted to watch really bad but didn’t have enough time to yet - a drama about a soldier during World War II. The amount of good reviews about it made you even more excited to watch it. You didn't expect Jimin would want to watch a movie with you, but he said you needed to "have a lot of activities together to increase your intimacy" (funny how he made it sound so serious).

Around 40 minutes into the movie, he was already crying.

The sadness of the heart-wrenching drama went away as you saw his eyes unceremoniously flow with tears. He looked sheepish as you tried to fight back your giggles, wiping the tears away with the sleeve of his hoodie - but he kept crying anyway until the final credits.

It shouldn't have affected you the way it did. What's the issue with men crying because of sad movies? Why did your heart swoon at the sight of the blush on his nose and his puffy face? Why did you think the way he didn't even try to act all tough around you (like most guys usually do) made you want to literally hug him like a baby?

Shit.

You're way too attached to this man already.

This is getting dangerous. Feeling attracted to him is one thing; feeling that you want to protect him at all costs is another thing - and you shouldn't be feeling this way for someone you don't even know that well. This is just business. He paid for you to be here and you must do your part well.

And the nervousness of the whole situation just hits harder as the plane finally lands.

You're actually in Hawaii.

As you feel your nerves getting dull, Jimin looks relieved and excited to finally leave the plane; his face isn’t puffy anymore.

“You ready, pretty?”

His eyes are sparkling a little bit as he looks at you.

You inhale Hawaii’s fresh air for the first time, trying to get a boost of confidence. Jimin brought you here to help him get free of an arranged marriage that might ruin his life. He trusts you. You can’t let him down.

So, nodding, you intertwine your fingers with his. Jimin looks down at your hands between your bodies, a little bit surprised since you never really initiated any physical contact up until now.

“Ready.” You reassure him with such conviction that anyone would trust you. “I’m your girlfriend for the next three days and I won’t let any bitch try to steal you away from me.”

Jimin laughs. His eyes almost completely close. Damn.

“Alright, girlfriend. Let’s go.”

As weird as it might be, as you walk down the airport with your hand clasped with his, you truly feel comfortable as if he is indeed your boyfriend - and you feel proud to be holding his hand like that, to see women and men turn their heads as you walk by and to think yes, bitch, this man is mine.

Method acting at its peak - and you weren’t even a member of the theater club at high school.

Suddenly, Jimin lowers his mouth closer to your ear, not stopping his pace. “Do you see that group of men in suits?”

It’s impossible not to see them as they stand out among everybody else - five tall men wearing black suits and looking unfriendly. It kind of reminds you of the movie Men in Black (really, brain? Couldn’t you be more obvious?). You nod.

“The one in the middle, Mr. Zhou, is my family’s chief butler.” Chief butler? Are there more? Why the hell would anyone need more than one butler - wait, why would anyone need any butler anyway?! “He’s my parents’ eyes and ears. We have to be very careful around him.”

You analyze the man from afar; he must be nearing his sixties (as if it didn’t seem weird enough that anyone would have a butler in real life, said butler is an elder. Isn’t it against the law or something? A man this age should already be retired, right?). His grizzly hair neatly styled, suit ironed to perfection, a blank expression on his face.

And when he finally finds you two among the crowd, his eyes set on you with the ferocity of a hunting eagle.

The five men bow politely as you stop in front of them. You promptly bow and Jimin bow as well (it doesn’t matter if he’s an employee or not, you’re not rude enough to not bow at an elder. Also, cute that Jimin bowed too. One more indicative that he’s not an arrogant and impolite rich brat).

“Good morning, Master Jimin. Did you have a good flight?” Mr. Zhou says. His voice somehow sounds like ice. You can’t really explain how. Jimin smiles sheepishly.

“Please, Mr. Zhou, don’t call me master. I’ve asked you a thousand times before. I feel awkward,” he says. Mr. Zhou smiles back, although it looks very plastic.

“I apologize. I’m just too used to it, I guess.” he says. His eyes land on you once again. You feel that he’s literally a robot scanning every inch of your face and body. “I believe I was not informed of this lovely lady’s presence.”

Jimin holds your hand tighter. You bow once again, politely greeting the older man with your name.

“I apologize for not informing about her presence earlier. I just thought there was no better time to present my girlfriend to my parents, isn’t it?”

You see it.

Mr. Zhou is so subtle that the oblivious eyes wouldn’t quite get it, but you freaking see the pure shock crossing his expression for a brief second. He recovers just as quickly, his face looking even more plastic.

“You are right. It’s a pleasure to meet you as well, Lady Y/N.” Lady Y/N? Wow. “Well, we should take you two to the villa. I guess you’ll want to get prepared for the reception dinner later today.”

The other four men quickly grab your luggage and you walk out of the airport where a silver Mercedes Maybach waits for you both (you still don’t know about car names - you just briefly read it on the car’s back). You are aware that Mercedes are usually very expensive cars, yet seeing the insides of the car makes you wonder how much money you’re sitting atop.

Don’t look so astonished, you remind yourself over and over again. Obviously, as Jimin made very clear, there’s no way you can hide your true background to his family (apparently everyone knows everyone in “high society”. They’d know you’d be pretending right away). Still, you don’t want to look boisterous in a way that would embarrass Jimin or yourself. Besides, you’re aware of Mr. Zhou’s hawk eyes on you throughout the entire ride to the resort. You can’t let him think you’re a prostitute or anything else his evil mind might be thinking.

“We can tour around the Big Island later if you want,” Jimin says quietly, once again coming closer to your ear so the driver and Mr. Zhou on the front seat wouldn’t hear you. He sounds content. “I know some really good night clubs.”

Because of course Jimin knows Hawaii well. You lean closer to him, whispering in his ear: “Will your family let us?”

Jimin shrugs, smirking. “I don’t really care.”

This makes you open a smile as well.

The rest of the ride to the resort is silent; you just watch the hawaiian city through the window as Jimin checks his phone from time to time. You’re more silent than usual due to Mr. Zhou’s presence, yet the silence doesn’t feel awkward at all. Jimin still holds your hand absently. Sometimes, he caresses it with his thumb. That’s good, you think. Anything that will give us couple vibes.

You keep your hands clasped as, finally, you get to the resort. Once again, you remind yourself to not get jaw-dropped at the astonishing, luxurious main hall of the 5 stars resort; it is built on white marble, beautifully decorated with flowers all over the place; a huge golden chandelier hangs from the high domed ceiling. As soon as you walk in, smiley attendants put flower necklaces around your necks called lei (watching the two attendants makes you admire them a lot. Being forced to look happy as an attendant is awful. They’re really pros at what they do). Instead of walking to the check-in area, as you supposed you’d have to, the butlers (this sounds so fucking surreal!) do it for you, providing the key card to your room.

Except - it’s not exactly a room.

You don’t go to the elevators, as you first expected; instead, you’re guided to the outside part of the building where a golf car waits patiently.

“Let’s go, pretty!” Jimin says excitedly, noticing your confusion. “My family booked the entire west section of the resort. We won’t have to stay at the main building. Much more privacy.” The words leaving his mouth sound surreal, just as pretty much everything else happening in your life right now.

My family booked the entire west section.

You googled this resort before the trip.

The economic rooms (let me repeat that: the fucking economic rooms) cost an average of $3000 per night. You didn’t even care to see how much the most expensive suites would cost. And his family… they simply booked an entire section of the resort, just to accomodate all of their guests.

Your damn accountant brain tries to calculate just how much they’re spending this weekend. The calculator inside of your brain overheats and explodes.

You very carefully hide your complete shock, aware of the hawk eyes on you (you already hate Mr. Zhou. Is it bad to hate an elder?), and just decide to follow Jimin quietly towards the golf car. As it travels down gorgeous streets surrounded by palm trees on both sides, you peek at a huge golf camp in the distance; more than one square with huge water fountains decorating them; another building that seems to be a mall; and finally, the endless ocean just ahead.

After a few more minutes, you notice that the street becomes narrower and the palm trees become more frequent, enclosing the path. Finally, the car stops at the end of the street, in front of your room.

As expected, it’s not exactly a room. It’s a private bungalow.

It’s getting hard to pretend you’re not amazed at this point.

Jimin opens the door for you and watches intently as you look around the place for the first time. It’s huge. This is bigger than some houses. The floor and furniture are all made of dark wood (fuck car names and fuck wood type names!); the place has wide entrances all over, the sliding doors made of glass all turned to the private pool and the gorgeous sight of the ocean just ahead. Natural lightning is abundant. The walls have soft shades of sand-yellow and green, decorated with paintings and sculptures. Right in front of you there’s the living room equipped with a 70” inches television and the most comfortable couches you’ve ever seen in your life. Walking to your left, you open the sliding door (thankfully, this one isn’t made of glass) and enter the bedroom; you almost feel tempted to jump over the king-sized bed like people do in movies, but you tame your inner child and walk to the bathroom instead. It’s all marble, wood and golden decoration, probably bigger than your entire apartment. The bathtub can fit two people comfortably.

Oh my God.

Are you amazed? Are you scared? Do you want to throw up? You don’t know anymore at this point.

“What’s so interesting in this bathroom?”

You turn around, being brought back to reality by Jimin’s voice. He’s leaning on the bedroom’s door, all relaxed and carefree, his arms crossed. He has that tiny smirk on his lips you’re growing used to.

“It’s, hm… it’s big.” It’s all you can stupidly stutter. His smile widens.

“It’s alright now, pretty. I dismissed the butlers already.”

You feel as if an invisible weight has lifted from your shoulders. “Thank God. That Mr. Zhou was staring at me all the time! I was getting uncomfortable!”

“Yeah. Tobey’s not the only one with this little problem.” He tilts his head. “Did you like the room?”

You look around once more, nodding. “What can I say? It’s amazing.”

“You look a bit uncomfortable, though.”

Damn. So observant. “I guess I’m just not used to it.”

“Oh.” His eyebrows lift slightly. “I thought you were uncomfortable because of the bed.”

You frown. “What’s wrong with the bed?” It looks like the coziest bed you’ve ever seen. Why would you be uncomfortable about it?

“Well…” for the first time, you see a hint of sheepishness cross Jimin’s face. “It’s one bed.”

You blink.

Oh.

Ooooh.

It’s one bed.

Immediately, you feel heat spreading from your neck to your face, and this time it has nothing to do with the summer heat. Oh my God. This is the “one bed for two” situation. It’s happening. It’s happening. It’s happening.

It’s not as if you didn’t think of the possibility of getting laid during this trip - as wrong as it is, there’s nothing wrong with thinking about it, right? -, especially after what happened at your apartment. It was so hard to hold yourself back, so hard to kick him out… because you didn’t really want to kick him out. Why would you want to kick an awfully handsome, awfully adorable, awfully nice man out of your apartment when he was showing obvious signs of being into the idea too?

You thought… maybe this will escalate. Maybe the hawaiian atmosphere will make things happen between us.

But now it’s actually happening, he’s standing there awkwardly, you both stare at the one bed in silence and all the alarms in your head are ringing wildly. What happened to the strong woman that makes men beg for her attention? Didn’t she come to Hawaii with you?!

Wait- why are you thinking about sex? Jimin just mentioned that there’s one bed. He thinks he’s making you uncomfortable, that’s all. Stop being so horny!

You rest your back on the wall, still staring at the bed. “I already expected there would be only one bed. Real couples sleep on the same bed.”

“Yeah.” Jimin agrees, nodding.

“It’d be suspicious if we went to a room with separate beds.”

“Yeah.”

Silence.

Embarrassment the weight of an elephant settles on your shoulders.

“The couch looks comfortable enough, though. I’m sure it’ll be just as comfortable to sleep there-”

“Wait- don’t bother, Y/N, I can take the couch.” Jimin immediately says, shaking his hands.

“Of course not! You’re already doing too much, Jimin. You should take the bed, I’ll take the couch. Really, it does look very comfortable.” you try to reassure him.

“Nope. What kind of gentleman would I be if I let you sleep on a couch?” He quirks one eyebrow up. You cross your arms.

“Do I look like the type of person that cares about it? You saw the place I live. That couch will be just like heaven to me.” Jimin rolls his eyes, starting to get annoyed.

“Come on, I’m trying to be polite, Y/N!”

“I am, too!”

You angrily stare at each other from across the room.

“Let’s decide it with rock, paper, scissors, then.” Jimin says defiantly. “The loser takes the bed.”

“Alright.” You nod just as defiant as him.

You step closer to each other.

Rock, paper, scissors.

You - scissors.

Him - rock.

You groan in defeat as Jimin fists the air in victory. “That’s it! I take the couch!”

“That’s not fair.” You whine under your breath. Funny how you should be happy to be able to take the bed, yet the thought that you lost makes a grumpy feeling invade you.

Jimin smirks, his eyes glinting with something dark and playful that makes your insides twirl.

“If you’re so upset that I’ll be sleeping on the couch, I could sleep with you anyways, pretty. All you gotta do is ask.”

Shit.

Stay calm. Stay calm.

You roll your eyes and punch his arm. Jimin laughs loudly, caressing the place you punched. “Fuck off, Don Juan. The reception dinner is in a few hours, right? Hurry up, we gotta get ready!”

“Sure, ma’am!” he wiggles his eyebrows playfully, walking out of the bedroom.

You take this brief second of loneliness to remember how to breathe again.

This is sure going to be a long long long long trip.

Everyone likes to feel pretty.

Taking a nice shower, doing your hair, wearing that outfit that makes you look cute, looking pretty on that mirror selfie - it’s a great feeling. Although your life has always been busy and sometimes you didn’t really have time to take care of yourself, you do your best to look at least presentable at any given opportunity (previous Yeonjun period). Is it good self-esteem? Is it a trauma? Is it the constant need for approval? You honestly don’t know - and therapy is too expensive to try and find out why.

What you know at the moment is that, goddamn, you look hot in a way you’ve never been before.

You check yourself out in front of the mirror once again. Everything about your look satisfies you: the sleeveless yellow Jacquemus dress fits your body perfectly. It’s short enough to be sexy but not enough for the old people to look all shocked. To balance the fact that it has thin straps and an open back (it would be considered “too sexy” for people like Jimin’s parents at any other event, but since you’re in a more casual situation - and it’s really fucking hot, even at night - they won’t mind it), the asymetrical neckline is quite modest. You wear ankle strap stilettos in a darker shade of the dress; a thin, subtle golden necklace, and simple earrings. The dress is almost too much on itself, so choosing simple accessories is the best way to complement it. After spending a lot of time on your makeup (you certainly didn’t spare the highlighter; they’re about to see a bitch glowing) and hairstyle, boom. You’re ready.

Sexy, but not too sexy. A little bit sassy, yet subtle. A little bit of the early 2000’s style but modern at the same time.

You smirk. It’s been so long since you felt good about yourself like this. If you could, you’d kiss yourself right now.

You’re taking your phone from over the bed to take a picture when you hear a soft knock on the door.

“Are you ready, pretty?” Jimin asks.

You can’t deny that a little bit of excitement bubbles in your stomach as you hear him calling. Jimin got dressed in the living room while you locked yourself in the bedroom; you’ve been talking all throughout, shouting things at each other and laughing. Jimin knows what you’ll be wearing since you’ve planned out your outfits, but he hasn't seen you yet.

Is it stupid that you’re looking forward to his reaction?

“Yeah,” you say. “The door is unlocked.”

Jimin walks in.

He freezes as his eyes land on you - and you feel goosebumps crawl your skin simultaneously.

He wears a cream linen shirt, the sleeves rolled back to his elbows; with two buttons from the collar opened, you can peek at his chest (and this itself almost makes you gasp). A thin white Prada belt (he must have a lot of these) tightens the pants around his hips, some shades darker than the shirt. The huge golden Rolex you mentioned earlier adorns his wrist, as well as the rings he usually wears on both hands and earrings. He has his hair pushed back, exposing his forehead and making his undercut more visible.

His outfit matches yours perfectly. He looks classy, carefree, sexy as hell… and God, you don’t know what perfume he’s using, but you feel like literally shoving your head on the crook of his neck just to sniff it.

This man isn’t making things easier for you. Especially with the way he measures you up and down, his lips slightly parted in shock, blinking as if to see better. Looking at you as if he’s astonished.

Slowly, his lips grow into a smirk. It makes your breath hitch, your heart beat faster.

“I… I don’t even know what to say.” His voice is quieter, deeper than usual. “You’re gorgeous.”

You don’t miss how he said “you’re gorgeous” instead of “you look gorgeous”. It immediately brings a smile to your lips, a smile you can’t hold back. Even more than before, he makes you feel beautiful with that single gaze. He makes you feel wanted. This boosts your confidence to new heights.

“You look incredible too, Jimin.” Incredible not to say the other dirty compliments running in the back of your mind. “We’ll be the best looking couple they’ve ever seen.”

His eyes grow playful. “I agree!”

“Hm… we should go, right? Before we get late,” you say, remembering how he said that he’s supposed to come a little bit earlier than the other guests.

“Sure. But I have to give you this before we go.” He takes a little black velvet box from his front pocket. Another goosebump crawls your spine. “It’s just a little something I bought yesterday. To make things more convincing, you know.”

It’s a fucking ring.

As he opens the little box, your eyes quickly read the “Bvlgari” written in white on the inside before focusing on the actual rings. It’s thin and delicate, made in silver and adorned with tiny little…

You have to blink twice.

Those can’t be actual diamonds, right?

But Jimin doesn’t seem like the type that would buy anything less than this.

“I thought those looked your style. Hope you like it.” They are your style. Subtle, elegant.

It takes some moments until you remember how to speak.

“I know I sound redundant at this point, but this thing looks very expensive, Jimin. More expensive than anything else. You didn’t need to.” You feel timid. Jimin rolls his eyes and groans, yet you can see he’s not actually annoyed.

“You won’t whine about prices right now, will you?”

“But-”

“Give me your finger. Come on!”

Stubborn little shit. Instead of arguing, you just give up and let him take your hand. Sure, you could have put the ring yourself, but you kind of wanted him to do it. His hand is soft and warm against yours. As stupid as it is, you feel butterflies in your stomach at the sight of Jimin carefully placing the ring on your finger. It fits perfectly.

“How did you know my ring size anyway?” You quirk your eyebrow. Jimin smiles like a little boy who knows he’s done something bad.

“I took a ring of yours from over your desk.” You gasp as he takes this other ring from his pocket. “Sorry.”

You grab it from his hand. “You little thief!”

“I’m not a thief! I gave it back!”

“Don’t pout at me, sir. It won’t make me forgive you.”

Before Jimin can defend himself once again, you take the other ring from the little box and hold his left hand, placing it on his own finger ring.

You giggle, sheepish.

“What?” Jimin asks with a puzzled expression.

“It feels like we’re actually dating.”

He smirks again. Someone tell him to stop doing this. I don’t know how much more I can take!

“Maybe you’ll want to actually be when this is all over.” he says cockily, making you roll your eyes. Jimin, once again, intertwines his fingers with yours. “It’s showtime now, pretty. You ready?”

“I’m always ready, baby.” You say in a poor imitation of his voice - which makes Jimin throw his head back in laughter.

This moment feels light-hearted. For a moment, you think things will be like this until the last day of the trip. It can't get bad, can it?

...

Yes.

It can.

Not to put you under pressure, but he'll hate you the moment he sees you.

You didn't think Jimin was that serious when he said this. "Hate" is too strong of a word. Why would anyone hate you if they don't even know you at all?

As soon as you see Mr. and Mrs. Park for the first time, though, you find out that Jimin couldn't be more accurate in his choice of words.

You could have paid attention to anything else: the beautiful, luxurious presidential villa where Jimin’s parents will spend the weekend and where the reception dinner will take place. It’s twice bigger than the suite you’re staying at, the size of a two-story house. It has the same architecture and style from your own bungalow. You could have paid attention to the white and silver decoration all throughout the place: flowers, carpets, curtains. You could even have paid attention to the jaw-dropping sight of the ocean just ahead, beautiful even at night.

But you didn’t pay attention to anything else because, the moment Mr. Park’s bone chilling gaze lands on you, it’s everything you can focus on.

Mr. Park Hyunjun and Mrs. Park Eunji. They’re standing in the middle of the main lounge, talking to some man you barely pay any attention to; they smile prettily at him, wearing the plastic smile they perfected over the years.

Jimin’s father is just as tall as his older son, Hyungsik, while Jimin’s mother is a rather short, petite woman. To be fair, they’re a good-looking middle aged couple (Jimin’s beauty must have a source, right?). You can see that Mr. Hyunjun probably used to swoon girls’ hearts in his youth years, Mrs. Eunji not that far behind him. They have that trained, almost artificial elegance that one doesn’t acquire naturally.

One of the most prestigious, richest and powerful couples of high society.

And they hate you.

They really do.

You feel it.

Their expressions go from shock to incredulity to straight up hate as they see you walking up to them, your arm draped around Jimin’s.

You’re not one to lower your head to anyone or to let people affect your confidence. As unhealthy as it is, your past experiences (traumas) made your skin get thicker, your skull duller. You became the type to fight fire with stronger fire, to build walls around yourself, to not get scared at people.

However, the way they look at you with so much contempt makes your confidence sway in a way you haven’t felt in years.

Your hand holds Jimin’s arm. He puts his own hand over yours, squeezing it softly.

Jimin trusts you.

That’s all it takes to bring you back up.

Fight fire with stronger fire.

You decide that you hate them, too.

For the first time, you notice that Jimin’s older brother, Hyungsik, is also standing near them; a beautiful woman stands by his side. Jimin informed you previously that that’s his wife, Jieun. Hyungsik doesn’t look like he immediately hates you, yet he narrows his eyes and measures you up and down in a judging way. Cold hits your stomach; did he recognize you? No… probably not.

Their eyes tell you that they despise you, but their lips say otherwise; they grow as Jimin approaches. Mrs. Park opens her arms and Jimin momentarily lets you go, smiling as well.

There are people around. A theater act must be played.

“Oh, finally, Jimin!” She says, her voice sounding like birds chirping in the morning. “I thought you would never come!”

“Hello, mom.” Jimin says - and you feel a shiver run down your spine as you realize that Jimin, too, sounds plastic and smiles plastic. Mrs. Park hugs him briefly. It almost feels too short. Both of them step away at the same time, Jimin quickly grabbing your hand once again.

“You shouldn’t get surprised, darling. Don’t you know Jimin is always late?” Mr. Park says.

They all giggle.

Something uncomfortable crawls under your skin. Like an itch.

Maybe the unknown man they were talking to didn’t notice, but you did. That tiny, almost unnoticeable spite in Mr. Park’s voice. That giggle. Oh, look how he’s a good, friendly father. Look, he jokes around with his son.

Except that wasn’t a joke. That wasn’t friendly. That was scolding. Meant to hurt. Meant to embarrass.

And, by the way Jimin grips your hand just a little tighter, you see that it’s not something new - and it’s something that affected him nevertheless.

“It’s good to see you too, father.” Jimin says, choosing to play along. His eyes can’t lie to you, though. They’re not sparkling anymore.

It’s been a minute - and you hate them even more.

“It’s also good to see you, Mr. Hwang,” Jimin greets the man who you barely paid any attention to. Mr. Hwang seems to be around the same age as Jimin’s parents, yet he has a much softer, much friendlier expression. He taps Jimin’s back amicably.

“Ah, look at you, Jimin! It seems that just yesterday you were a little boy! Guess I’m just getting old,” he says, oblivious to the heavy tension hanging in the air.

“Not that he grew up a lot anyways,” Mrs. Park says, giggling. “Hyungsik stole his father’s height all to himself!” she slaps Hyungsik’s shoulder playfully. The older brother just smiles.

Jimin tightens his hand around yours again for a second.

God.

She did it now.

It’s getting hard to breathe. You can’t even fake-giggle this time.

“But I don’t think I recognize the lovely lady standing by your side,” Mr. Hwang says, for the first time landing his eyes on you. He measures you with his eyes quickly. You bow politely.

Jimin’s smile widens. For a short moment, you see his eyes sparkling again with that same dark playfulness - defiant mischief - you’re getting used to:

“Mom, dad, Hyungsik, Mr. Hwang, this is Y/N. My girlfriend.”

It feels that everyone is holding their breaths.

It's one second that seems to stretch for hours.

“That’s great!” Mr. Hwang finally breaks the ice, smiling widely. Since he’s the only one seeming sympathetic, you decide that you don’t hate him. “It’s the first time Jimin brings a girl, right? How did you manage to tame him like that, Y/N?”

You smile at him.

“It wasn’t that hard. It’s a pleasure to meet you all.” You bow politely.

“Well, this is… such a surprise,” Mrs. Park says. “But I’m so happy to meet you, Y/N. Hope you’re treating our Jimin right!”

That was painfully fake.

You want to vomit.

“She is,” Jimin says. “You don’t have to worry about that.”

Everyone laughs.

You want to vomit harder.

“Well, if you’ll excuse us, we need to greet the other guests,” Mr. Park says as he drapes his wife’s arm around his. “Now that Jimin is here, we’ll serve dinner soon, so don’t worry. It’s always a pleasure to have you here, Mr. Hwang.”

They walk away.

Mr. Hwang does as well.

Hyungsik and his wife stay.

It seems that the staring problem is in the bloodline, because Hyungsik can’t stop staring at you.

“Hm… do I know you already? You look familiar,” he says in a puzzled expression.

Shit. You do your best to look confused. “Hm… I don’t think so.”

Hyungsik keeps staring at you.

It looks like he’s about to say something - he opens his mouth, closes it - but gives up.

He puts his hand over Jimin’s shoulder.

“Come here. Let’s talk.”

Jimin frowns. “What?”

“It’s quick. Come on.”

He literally drags Jimin away.

You just awkwardly stand there with Jieun.

“So… Jacquemus.” She says. From all of them, Jieun is the least aggressive-looking. It seems that she’s… just there.

“Yes.” You instinctively touch the fabric of the dress.

“It looks great on you.” Pretty dimples appear as she smiles. “I considered buying one as soon as I saw it, but I don’t think I have the confidence to wear something like this.”

You don’t feel any hidden offense or fake vibes coming from her.

“What? You’re beautiful! I’m sure it would look even better on you.” It definitely would, although you see it’s not her style.

“Thank you.” Jieun seems to spot someone behind you. “Well, I need to greet some friends of mine, if you’ll excuse me…”

“Oh. Sure. It was a pleasure to meet you.”

“My pleasure. And…” Jieun steps closer, putting her hand over your shoulder softly. “Good luck, Y/N. You’ll need it.”

She sends you a knowing look before turning away, leaving you alone.

That good luck wish seemed sincere… the sincerity of a person that has lived through hell.

This does not calm you down. Not even a little.

The place is full of people you don’t know. Soft music plays through the speakers. You stand there, uncomfortable, not knowing where the hell Jimin and Hyungsik went to. A waiter passes by holding a tray full of glasses with champagne; you take one of them, sipping a little bit. It’s delicious. Nothing like the cheap champagne you’re used to drink on New Year’s Eve-

“Y/N?”

You turn around, searching for the voice that called your name-

And your eyes widen.

The man, too, looks shocked.

“Is that really you?” He says, stepping closer.

Oh, no.

This is too big of a coincidence.

Yet, you remember what Jimin told you at the mall… “I have some friends that studied there!”

“Hello, Jungkook. It’s been a while,” you greet politely.

Jungkook smiles, and you’re thankful that your heart doesn’t race as it did when you were fifteen - although, needless to say, the guy still looks stunning, even more now as an adult. He wasn’t that buff or tall back then, didn’t have that many tattoos on his right arm. Jungkook was the typical popular handsome guy every girl had a crush on, yourself included. He wasn’t your first love or anything, yet you fantasized about walking around the school’s corridors holding his hand for a while. Probably because he wasn’t an absolute douche. He was one of the only genuinely nice guys, actually. You didn’t even interact that much back then - he was too popular to hang out with you, one of the poor kids -, but in the few times you did, he was always down to earth.

“Wow,” he breathes out. “I didn’t even recognize you at first. You look amazing.”

Yes. Caress my ego. Just like that. “Thank you. You don’t look bad yourself, Jungkook.”

He tilts his head slightly. “Never expected to meet you here! How are you doing? You kind of disappeared after school!”

Yes. It was intentional. I blocked you and everyone else on every social media, but I’m not telling you that. “Well, I…”

You feel soft fingers resting on the small of your back.

Jimin is by your side again. “I’m sorry for the wait, Y/N. Hyungsik was being a pain in the ass.” he says quietly. He then smiles, looking at Jungkook. “I see you met Jungkook?”

Jungkook frowns, pointing from you to Jimin. “Do you guys know each other?”

Jimin also blinks and frowns, looking from you to Jungkook. “Do you guys know each other?”

You nod. “Yes. Jungkook was my senior at high school.”

The blonde man widens his eyes, eyebrows shooting up. “Oh.”

He looks from you to Jungkook again.

And again.

His eyes sparkle in that way that tells you he had an idea.

He takes yours and Jungkook’s arm, pushing you to an empty corridor.

“Uh… what are you doing?” The younger one asks, as confused as you are.

“Shh. Just come here.”

As soon as you’re far enough from anyone else’s ears - Jimin keeps looking back as if he’s about to commit a crime -, he turns around and says in a quiet voice:

“I’m pretending to date Y/N this weekend.”

You gasp. “Jimin!”

“What?”

“Why the hell are you telling him?!” You put the hand that isn’t holding the glass on your waist.

“I’m sorry, Y/N. He’s one of my closest friends. He’d find out we were lying sooner or later anyway.” He sends you an apologetic look. “Besides, he can help us.”

Jungkook eyes you both as if you’ve grown second heads. “Can anyone explain what is going on?”

“My parents want to force me into marrying some heiress or whatever,” Jimin says. “I need to get rid of this.”

The younger one’s eyes widen as realization hits him. “Ow, man. That sucks. I don’t get why people still force their children into getting married.”

“Yeah, probably because you have the nicest parents.” Jimin rolls his eyes.

You don’t know Junkook’s mother, but you know his father - not that this is big news; everyone knows his father, a retired baseball legend. He’s probably richer now than he ever was when he still played, living off of being a sportscaster and being the face of numerous brands. All things considered, he seems to be a much chiller person than Jimin’s parents.

“How do you want me to help you out?” Jungkook asks.

“Making us seem more convincing.” Jimin explains. “You see, the only weak point in our story is that people will want to know how we met, right? But we have almost nothing in common. That’s where you walk in. We are friends, you two used to go to the same school, you introduced me to her. You’re the link between us. Boom. Perfect.”

Both of you stare at Jimin in silence.

“It kind of makes sense.” You admit.

“Yeah.” Jungkook agrees. “Okay, I’ll help you guys.”

It’s funny how Jungkook doesn’t even question this whole craziness that much. He just said okay, as if it’s usual for Jimin to ask things like this.

“I knew I could count on you!” Jimin taps his shoulder excitedly. “Okay, let’s leave before they notice we disappeared.”

You decide to walk a few steps ahead of them - but you’re still close enough to hear Jungkook saying:

“Hey, if you’re not actually dating, it means I can hit on her, right-?”

You hear Jimin punching his arm. The sound was quite loud.

Jungkook laughs.

In one second, Jimin is by your side again, his hand resting on your back. It makes heat spread through your body.

You don’t have that much time to dwell on the warm feeling, though - because Mrs. Park is walking up to you once again, and she has her arm draped around a girl’s.

Literal ice fills your stomach.

Look.

When you accepted to come to Hawaii, you didn’t think you’d meet people from your past. How could it happen if you’re from different worlds? Jimin and his people are used to five star resorts and traveling; you’re used to public buses and small convenience stores. Besides, you’ve distanced yourself from your ex-classmates years ago. Meeting Jungkook here already felt like hitting the jackpot.

Horror fills your system as you realize that you just hit the jackpot twice.

This is a joke right? Must be a joke. A really, really bad joke.

Mrs. Park stops in front of you two, her eyes glinting in a similar way Jimin’s do - but you don’t think she is adorable, and she obviously thinks as highly of you as an exterminator thinks of a bug.

You also find out pretty soon that this woman will do her absolute best to publicly embarrass you.

God - you hate her.

And you hate the girl she brought, too.

“Oh, Jimin, I thought you would like to meet Eunbi again,” Mrs. Park says excitedly. “It’s been some years since you last met, right?”

Oh no.

You also feel Jimin freezing by your side, his breath hitching.

They found a candidate.

This is certainly the sickest joke anyone could ever tell.

Because this girl - this is Jeong Eunbi.

The stunning Jeong Eunbi, the incredible Jeong Eubi, the most popular, the richest kid of them all. This is the Jeong Eunbi that was always in the center of attention, the Jeong Eunbi that most girls wanted to be.

This is the Jeong Eunbi that made your life feel like a nightmare for three entire years. The girl that took every opportunity she could to embarass you, humiliate you, to make fun of you, to make your life difficult, just because she knew no one would reprimand any of her acts. Just because she could.

Years later, she’s still stunning.

She recognizes you as quickly as you recognize her. Her eyes widen in shock; her face goes pale.

You just hit the jackpot of hell.

Hawaii doesn’t seem that fun anymore.

At the very least - the food is delicious.

Around twenty people sit over the long dinner table where waiters serve the food one by one. Lobster. You never ate lobster before. It smells delicious and you’re happy to know that it also tastes delicious. They also serve some wine whose brand name is unpronounceable. It tastes great nevertheless.

Except - that bitterness won’t leave your tongue at all.

Of course, it’s not like they’ll simply sit down and eat. No, they want to small talk. They make silly jokes that are not funny, but everyone feels forced to laugh just because they’re the hosts. Everyone knows everyone here - you’re the only outsider. Which means you stand out like a sore thumb. Which means they start making questions.

Goddamn, I just want to eat my lobster in peace!

But again - you keep reminding yourself that Jimin trusts you. You gotta do your part right - regardless of his hateful parents and the absolute complete bitch sitting in front of you.

“So, Y/N,” Mr. Hwang asks at some point. “I guess everyone is curious to know. How did you guys meet?”

You politely clean your lips with a napkin before speaking. Your adrenaline and stress levels are peaking high. Still, you try to sound as natural as possible:

“A common friend introduced us,” you say, hoping Jungkook will get his cue. For fuck’s sake, get your cue, Jungkook. Get your cue!

He gets.

Jungkook raises his arm and puts his hand over his chest, grinning widely. “I confess. It’s my fault.”

The whole table laughs. It wasn’t even that funny. Their brains are just trained to fake-laugh, probably.

“Really? And how did you two know each other?” Mrs. Park asks. She looks and sounds like a rattlesnake.

“Y/N was my junior in high school. We just kept in touch over the years.” Wow, this boy can lie. Is it amazing or scary?

“You studied at Alpha High as well?” Jungkook’s father asks. Alpha High. Can a school name get more stupid than this?

“Yes, I did.”

“I hope Jungkook was a good senior for you, then. Did you teach her well?” He says again, patting his son’s shoulder. Jungkook shrugs.

“What? I didn’t need to teach her anything. It could’ve been otherwise, though. Y/N was one of the smartest students there.”

This surprises you a little. You didn’t think Jungkook would remember or even know this. “He’s exaggerating,” you say sheepishly.

“I’m not! Y/N was the top student of the entire year every semester.” Jungkook kept saying anyway. “I remember you were chosen as one of the school’s representatives to compete in the Math Decathlon, isn’t it? And our school won! You also won the Physics Olympics, right?”

“...Yeah.” You uncomfortably close your hands in fists under the table. Not much because of the overwhelming attention over you this time. It’s funny how achievements can have such a bitter taste.

“Actually, Y/N and Eunbi were classmates, right?” Jungkook says as if he just noticed it.

You feel like throwing this fork from over the table right on his face.

Why didn’t you shut up? Why couldn’t you keep quiet?

Now, the whole table is paying attention to you both.

“Yes,” Eunbi says before you can, smiling sweetly. Her eye twitches as she looks at you. “We were classmates.”

More adrenaline pumps into your system.

She can screw it all up if she wants to. Completely destroy your reputation among these people. Her way of getting revenge over what happened years ago. If she says what I did, I’ll also say everything she did to me. It’ll be a shitshow.

You stare at her, sending a silent message over the table. Come on, bitch. Square up. I’m fucking crazy. If you snitch on me, I’ll snitch on you.

Her eye twitches again.

“Eunbi won’t let me lie, then.” Jungkook crosses his arms over his chest as if he did something great. Totally unaware of the uncomfortable situation he created for you and her.

Eunbi takes two seconds to speak again.

“It’s true,” she says in a soft voice. It feels that she’s having a hard time. “Y/N was our class representative. Top of our class for three consecutive years. She even received a medal of honor at our graduation.”

You hold your breath.

The graduation day. She mentioned it!

As if you’re about to face the impact of a truck hitting you, you wait for Eunbi to drop the bomb on everyone. But… she doesn’t. She just keeps looking at you with that forced smile.

That was… unexpected.

“Y/N is a genius.” Jimin says excitedly. If he noticed the assassin aura hovering over you and Eunbi, you can’t tell. “Sometimes it’s even scary.”

“So, it means that maybe we’ll have another super smart person in the family?” Mr. Hwang says playfully. You feel your stomach dropping. I can’t even imagine being part of this family. I’ve been with them for less than an hour and I already hate everyone. “I’m talking about Hyungsik, of course. Congratulations on becoming the company’s COO again, Hyungsik! At such a young age!”

Their eyes finally leave you to focus on Jimin’s older brother, congratulating him as well. You almost sigh in relief. Hyungsik smiles, nodding his head.

“Thank you so much, Mr. Hwang. But I’m not smart at all. It’s just the process of failing and trying again over and over again.”

You make such an effort to not roll your eyes violently that it gives you a headache. That’s the process of nepotism, stupid ass spoiled ugly bastard. Okay, not ugly, but still a spoiled bastard!

“We’re very proud of you, Hyungsik,” Mr. Park says, smiling. Hyungsik nods at him once again. God. It all feels so artificial. Forced out, impersonal. That’s not how family interactions are supposed to be, right…? Not that you have that much experience on healthy family relations anyway.

“We now hope that our Jimin will follow his brother’s footsteps.” The rattlesnake- (oops. Mrs. Park) says in a voice so sweet that gives you diabetes. Oh no. They’re about to do it again. She hasn’t even finished her sentence, yet you already feel your stomach twirling, the lobster wanting to crawl its way back up your throat.

“Jimin graduated from one of the best Universities in the world. We want you to use your knowledge in the company soon.” She continues.

It seems that Jimin is about to say something, but doesn’t have the chance to when Mr. Park adds:

“Your brother is the best example to follow. I dream of a day when Hyungsik will be the CEO and you’ll be the COO of the company.”

“And God- you should stop bleaching your hair like this. I keep saying, our Jiminie is so handsome with his natural hair! Why keep it bleached? You look like a pale ghost!”

“Jimin dyes his hair so often that he’s gonna get bald one of these days,” Hyungsik adds.

The whole table laughs.

You turn your head slowly to look at Jimin. He’s not fake-laughing this time. All that you see is a tiny smile plastered over his face, his eyes glued on the half-eaten lobster on his plate. No snarky comeback of his. No playfulness. No sparkle in his eyes at all. No giggle. He just sits there quietly, avoiding everyone’s gaze, tightening his fists over his legs where no one except you can see.

If I ever see Jimin not giggling, I’ll be sure that there’s something very wrong with him. That’s what you thought some days ago.

They made Jimin stop giggling.

Pure, hot anger fills your veins like venom. It spreads at each beating of your heart. Jimin kept saying how his parents didn’t listen to him, didn’t accept him. When you first heard it, you thought it was just a spoiled manchild whining about his unfair life. But now you’re seeing it with your very own eyes. They don’t accept him and don’t respect him. They push him against his older brother, constantly comparing, constantly dragging him down.

This… this is familiar.

You don’t have to know Jimin for a long time to feel the absolute urge to defend him. He doesn’t deserve to go through this. You know you should just play the “good girl” act, just try to please his parents - but you don’t want to please people like them.

You can’t let this whole table laugh at him like this.

So, before you can think twice, your mouth is already moving on its own:

“Well,” you say in that same painfully plastic, fake light-hearted tone everyone else uses in this room; “I believe his half a million followers disagree with you, Mrs. Park.”

Immediate tension hovers in the air as dense as a dark storm cloud.

She stops laughing.

For a brief second, the façade falls apart. Looking in her eyes feels like staring at the flames of hell. How dare you?!, she must be thinking.

Your eyes do not sway. Neither does your lip-tightened smile. I can play too, rattlesnake. I’m not scared of you.

“Your number of followers is rather impressive, Jimin,” Jungkook’s father says. He seems to be as oblivious as his son. “Your career as a digital influencer is doing very well.”

Jimin blinks. “Ah… I’m not a digital influencer.” he chuckles awkwardly. “I just like to take pictures. It’s more of a hobby.”

“Really? That’s even more impressive! I had no idea it was just casual!” Him, Mr. Hwang and Jungkook are officially the only people you don’t hate in this room.

“Many brands want to make deals with Jimin, actually.” You continue. “Jimin’s style reflects what many of them want.”

“He’s always been like that!” Jungkook adds. “You’re so cocky. I don’t understand why you’re not a model yet!”

Jimin smiles - and this time, it’s sincere. It’s enough to reduce the anger in your system.

“Hm… I guess you know why.” Jimin gesticulates to the top of his head with his palm. “Hyungsik decided to steal all the height to himself.”

The table laughs again. This time, it doesn’t feel so forced. This time, Jimin’s eyes are sparkling again.

He holds your hand softly under the table. You intertwine your fingers with his.

The tension eases for the rest of the dinner. No more polemic subjects are mentioned, just stupid small talk - and you finally eat the rest of the lobster in peace. You’re so eager to leave that you almost don’t wait for the dessert (but Jimin whispers that you’ll have ice cream for dessert, but not just any ice cream, “the best ice cream you’ll ever taste” in his words, so you decide to stay. Indeed, it’s fucking delicious). As soon as you eat it, though, you want to sprint the hell out of this place. Jimin seems just as eager as you. They’re all wishing each other good night, ready to leave.

Then, your bladder takes the best of you.

You excuse Jimin quickly to go to the restroom. You’ve been holding pee for, like, two hours already; you can barely walk anymore.

Nothing bad can happen, right? You’re just going to pee.

How innocent.

When you open the restroom’s door after washing your hands, ready to run out of here, there’s someone standing there, waiting for you.

Mrs. Park.

She pushes you inside the restroom again - literally pushes you - and closes the door.

You stare at her, wide eyed, totally shocked at her brusque action. Before you can say anything, though, the rattlesnake starts to infect you with her poison:

“How much did he pay you?”

No fake plastic smile this time. No pretending. This is the real Park Eunji. Away from everyone else’s ears and eyes, she doesn’t care about keeping her polite façade.

“What?”

“Don’t play dumb to me, girl. How much did he pay you?”

Once again, anger starts bubbling up inside of you, spreading through every inch of your body. Like a mantra, you keep repeating in your head that you shouldn’t offend her because it won’t help neither you or Jimin - but it’s so hard to not tell this woman to go fuck herself.

“He didn’t pay me anything.”

Mrs. Park rolls her eyes.

“Look. You already ruined everything by showing up today. There’s not much I can do.” The way she points at your chest makes your vision blur in red. “But here’s a warning: don’t you dare embarrass me or my family this weekend. Just keep your mouth shut. I think you can do it, right? Since you kept bragging about how smart you are.”

You’re frozen in place.

It’s been a long, long time since you felt this angry at someone. The last time you felt this way, you ended up landing your fist against a nose. As wrong as it is, your instincts are begging you to do the same with this middle aged woman.

Jimin, you were so wrong to say I’m a dream girl.

I’m more of a nightmare girl.

You can’t act as well as those people. You can’t pretend to like them when you don’t. No… you’ve learned to fight fire with stronger fire. In this case… poison with stronger poison.

So you inhale deeply before… smiling.

“I would never embarrass your family during your wedding anniversary, Mrs. Park.” You say politely.

“Oh, please. Stop trying to impress me with your good manners-”

“Oh, no. Don’t take me wrong. I’m not trying to impress you. Honestly, I couldn’t care less what you think of me.” She widens her eyes, shocked at your words. “But I am here because Jimin asked me, and because this is an important occasion for him. So of course, I’ll do my best to not ruin everything. You don’t need to worry, Mrs. Park.” You walk past her and open the door. “Have a good night, Mrs. Park.”

You walk out before she can say anything.

Jimin is standing at the main lounge; the moment he sees your expression, he frowns.

“What happened-?”

“Let’s go. Please.” You grab his hand, practically dragging him out of the house.

“But Y/N, what happened-?”

“Let’s go!”

Cool ocean breeze hits your body.

You just drag him out mindlessly, not even seeing where you’re going, your mind blurry with anger and adrenaline. You’re almost hyperventilating at this point.

“Y/N, why are you dragging me to the beach?” He asks, confused.

“I- I don’t know. I need to breathe.”

Finally, you stop.

The sound of waves breaking against the shore overwhelms your senses. You’re far enough from their villa now. No more chatter, no more rattlesnake. You can see yachts and cruise ships shining in the ocean too far away; the moon shines so brightly that it’s enough to lighten the entire beach.

“Fuck,” you swear under your breath, taking your sandals off rather roughly, holding Jimin’s arm for support. Your feet scream in relief as you land them flat against the soft sand.

“Did something happen, pretty?” Jimin asks in a worried voice.

“Yes. Yes, something happened.” You sigh heavily, staring at the sky. “Jimin, your mother hates me.”

He tilts his head. “I told you she would.”

“No, you don’t get it. We kind of argued. I think I made things worse.”

Jimin watches you in silence.

You sigh again, finally looking down at him. “Jimin, I’m so sorry. You brought me here to make a good impression on them, but they’re- they’re so- ugh!” You put your hands on each side of your waist. “With all due respect, Jimin, I fucking hate them. They’re awful. I don’t think I can be friendly to people like them.”

He blinks, looking down. “I know. I’m sorry.” The quiet hurt in his voice slashes through you.

There it is again.

That absurd urge to protect him.

Your hand reaches out for his, squeezing it in a reassuring way. “Why the hell are you apologizing? It’s not your fault.”

He keeps quiet for some more moments. The sounds of the ocean linger between you.

“The way you stood up for me back there.” He says quietly, his voice almost being drowned in the sound of waves. “It… it meant a lot to me, Y/N. It really did.”

“Really?” You tilt your head awkwardly. “I thought you wouldn’t approve of it. I think I wasn’t that subtle.”

“That was anything but subtle.” Jimin chuckles. “But… it was good. You looked like a protective girlfriend defending me. It was very convincing.”

He caresses your hand with his thumb softly. More silence lingers between you; you’re not used to seeing Jimin being so quiet, the opposite of his energetic self. It pains you. To know that his family is the reason behind this behaviour pains you even more.

“I meant it, you know.” You say quietly. “I guess… I guess that’s why it looked so convincing.”

For the first time, Jimin lifts his head to look at you again.

His gaze makes your insides feel hot. Not in anger this time.

Moonlight touches his fair skin, making it look like porcelain. The ocean breeze plays with the strands of his hair. He looks at you with an intensity that makes your legs feel weak, your heartbeat increase; makes the world around you blur and fade away.

He looks like an angel.

“You… you said earlier today that you felt like we were actually dating.” His voice is soft, deep, quiet.

“...Yes.”

“I don’t know why, but I feel it, too. Right now, I feel… I feel as if I’m actually in love with you.”

You nearly stop breathing.

Jimin steps closer to you. He’s so, so close right now. You can’t look at anything but his sparkling eyes.

“It must have been the wine.” Your voice is as quiet as his. He smiles.

“Yes. Probably.” Delicately, he puts a strand of wild hair behind your ear. The touch of his hand spreads more heat through your skin. “It has me wondering… how would it feel to kiss you as if we were actually in love?”

The hand that previously held yours travels to your back; he touches your bare skin with his fingertips, sending goosebumps down your spine.

“I don’t know.”

Jimin caresses your cheek.

“Do you want to find out?” It seems that the air between you is charged with raw electricity. “Can we… can we pretend just for a moment that we’re actually in love with each other?”

You don’t answer.

Your eyes simply drop to his plump lips.

Jimin closes the distance.

His lips clash over yours. At first he barely makes any pressure; then, he parts his lips against yours, tilting his head to the side and deepening the kiss. His lips taste like wine. Deliciously plump. It’s everything you thought it would be; even better than you ever imagined. He pushes your body against his with his hand, while your own hands rest on each side of his neck.

Jimin takes his time, entangling his tongue with yours in a way that has your legs feeling even weaker. It’s slow. It’s sensual. It has your nerves charging up like batteries and parts of your body heating up, awakening. His scent fills your nostrils, his breathing and the wet kissing sounds invade your ears. His fingers grip your waist just a little tighter; ever so slowly, he rests his palm over your ass, squeezing it. You giggle against his lips, breaking the kiss apart for the first time.

“I’m sorry. I couldn’t help it.” He giggles too, his face still millimeters away from yours.

“It’s the first time a guy apologizes for groping my ass.”

Jimin tilts his head. “I already said. I’m a gentleman.”

You roll your eyes. “Oh, shut up.”

You grip the collar of his shirt and pull his lips against yours once again.

God.

It must have been the wine, right? Of course it was the wine. This is surreal, unreasonable. How can you feel something so strong for someone you know for such a short time? It must be the summer heat, the hawaiian water intoxicating you with strange emotions.

It shouldn’t make sense.

But… right now, just like Jimin - right now, you feel as if you’re actually in love with him, too.

You become the nemesis of a billionaire middle aged couple.

This list is starting to sound like the plot of a movie.

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joon’s ending ment at permission to dance on stage: los angeles ♡

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You Never Shop Alone

Series Summary: A look into the love lives of seven of the mall’s best and biggest fuck boys. With all of them housed in the same vicinity, nonsense is a guarantee, but romance? … just you wait and see 😉

Status: Ongoing

Rating: M for Mature.

Inspired by this hilariously accurate post by @takarrah

Pride and Fidget Spinners:

Seokjin has always prided himself on being the top mall kiosk salesman. His turf, the spot nearest to the fountain, is due to him being the undisputed best in the game. At least, until you arrive and throw his world into chaos.

A one shot by: @kpopfanfictrash​

want a taste?:

pretzel pro. most skillful tongue in the food court world. allegedly. that’s what Yoongi keeps telling you, anyway. but if there’s one thing that motivates the notoriously-lethargic man, it’s proving skeptics wrong.

A one shot by: @suga-kookiemonster​

Jung Hoseok: Foot Locker Team Member/Non-Driver

Hoseok’s gone from the hot, elevator stranger in the foot locker jersey to your carpool buddy since his car broke down… three months ago. As luck would have it, not only do you live in the same apartment complex, you also work most of the same shifts at the mall. It was all going so well too… Until last night when you groped each other in the parking garage.

A one shot by: @underthejoon

Kim Namjoon: T-Mobile (Assistant) Store Manager

mobile master. hot (and obnoxious) as fuck. in your humble opinion, namjoon’s customer service skills need massive improvement—but maybe he can make you rethink your angry call to corporate.

A one shot by: @suga-kookiemonster​

Park Jimin: Certified RN/Mall Frequenter

Park Jimin is a regular at the mall. His best friend, Taehyung, works there and each morning after the night shift, Jimin stops by for his coffee. At least, this is the reason he gives when asked. It has nothing to do with the super-cute lingerie salesgirl he cannot stop staring at. Nothing at all.

A one shot by: @kpopfanfictrash​

Kim Taehyung: Part Time Barista, Full Time Flirt

mocha maestro. a shameless flirt who always has the tip jar bursting at the seams. whenever you share a shift, tae’s great for your pockets—but honestly, the same can’t be said for your sanity.

A one shot by: @suga-kookiemonster​

Jeon Jungkook: Personal Trainer/Perpetual Pain in the Ass

Jungkook is determined, you’ll give him that. After every shift, you hit the new gym in the mall and every single time he’s there waiting to proposition you with free personal training sessions. He plays innocent, but you’re no fool. Free sessions are just a means to get you into bed and Jungkook’s ego is big enough as it is. But you’d be lying if you said seeing him work up a sweat doesn’t do things to you.

A one shot by: @underthejoon​

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taehyung + esquire magazine

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