B.

nine

~

Spinning them both around so that his back was to the corner, a smirk crawled onto Seokjin's lips as he leaned against the walls, with a weak Jimin almost collapsing against him. He kept his arms locked around the smaller's waist so he didn't sink to the floor. 

As Jimin regained some of his senses, his knees felt a little shaky. He stayed still, leaning against Seokjin for support. His mind was spinning, and his thoughts were so preoccupied that he didn't feel the need to glance around to see if anyone saw.

A passenger ended up glancing over at the two, an old woman hunched into one of the nearby seats with square glasses sliding down her narrow nose. Without hesitation or a sense of panic, Seokjin met her curious gaze and mouthed, He's unwell. The old woman pouted sympathetically, but then patted the side of her face in indication.

Understanding what she meant, Seokjin murmured to Jimin, "Pull your mask up."

With a bit of a dazed look in his eye, Jimin did as he was told.

Seokjin snuck a glance back at the woman, who was no longer paying attention to them. Seokjin opted not to tell Jimin about her, deciding that he was shy enough when first introduced to this idea. Knowing that they had attracted any kind of attention, even if she didn't see anything, was likely to put Jimin off even more. 

With a deep inhale, Jimin finally pushed himself away from Seokjin. With a flick of his head to get his bangs out of his eyes, Jimin allowed his confidence to settle back into place. He turned around and smirked at Seokjin, a silent look of self-accomplishment in his eyes.

Seokjin blinked, but that was the only sign of his surprise that he showed. Jimin was already doing much better than most people when it came to keeping up with the Kims, especially right off the bat. With a devilish grin of his own, Seokjin held out his hand to Jimin. 

With a silent groan, Jimin hoped he was wrong in assuming what was about to happen.

According to Seokjin's smile, he wasn't wrong.

You're kidding me, Jimin thought.

~

Seokjin's reaction was worth it. Wide eyes, mouth slightly agape. His expression was pure shock with a mix of being impressed. Jimin lifted his chin high, his pride swelling knowing that he'd put off the eldest of the Kims. 

This was his plan from the beginning, wasn't it? Judging by the consistent level of power from each Kim, they only wanted Jimin because he was another pretty face who thought he was worth more. They wanted to break him, tame him, turn him into some measly toy.

But Park Jimin was no one's property. He already managed to turn the tables by getting the Kims to agree to alter the contract so it was equal between them. 

He was going to do to them what they've probably done to hundreds of others. He was going to make them his pet. They would wait at his beck and call, they would beg for his approval.

Seokjin's expression melted into one of pride and interest. His lips with slightly upturned. With his head tilting, his eye narrowed as he became a bit curious. 

For some reason, Jimin's chest tightened as the other's demeanor shifted. He couldn't explain it, but the way that Seokjin's eyes rolled over his body made him feel light-headed. It wasn't a moment of lust. It wasn't a look filled with the urge to control. It was pure curiosity and interest, as if he were trying to decipher the meaning behind an abstract painting.

When was the last time someone actually looked past Jimin's appearance? His confidence was purely based on the fact that he knew he was attractive. Yet, with the way Seokjin looked at him now, it felt as if someone was trying to look deeper than what Jimin was trained to show. 

Jimin always had an ocean around him. For as long as he could remember, waves would push the tide further and further up until the salty water was close enough to tickle his toes. But it was not fun. It was not delightful. The water's whispers were threats. And, when the tide was big enough, Jimin knew those waves would come crashing down on him. It would carry him out to sea and drown him.

At that moment, it felt as if Seokjin was curious enough to look deeper. To stare into Jimin's eyes. To see far enough that he could see the ocean.

For a moment, Jimin considered looking back. Staring into those almond-shaped eyes and reading what was behind the facade he'd seen every day up until now. What person, personality, or soul was waiting to be discovered and seen.

But...

As terrifying as the ocean was, it was personal.

Jimin immediately turned away, cutting off Seokjin's piercing gaze from seeing anything more. From looking at what he shouldn't, at what was none of his business. What occurred between them only lasted a few seconds, but it felt like far too long.

Sensing Jimin's sudden cold demeanor, Seokjin blinked and regained himself and his thoughts. He swore he saw a million emotions flash in Jimin's eyes, but he couldn't even begin to understand them or why they appeared at that moment.

Seokjin stiffened. ...Not that he cared. It wasn't his responsibility to worry about how Jimin was feeling. Jimin was just a toy through contract, something for him to take out his urges on. 

With a grit of his teeth, Seokjin away. They still had one more issue to deal with...

~