𝐆𝐇𝐎𝐒𝐓 | namjin

= 6 =

jimin's estate was beautiful, even namjoon had to admit.

the when the iron gates opened in front, the garden was decorated with trimmed and hemmed topiaries, forming ornaments and figured that lined the rows and rows of chrysanthemums, roses, and daisies. the mansion had two marble columns that surrounded the large wooden doors with bronze handles.

namjoon was in absolute awe.

"your house is beautiful, sir." he said breathlessly, gazing at the art that decorated his hallway as they walked to the dining room.
"thank you, namjoon, you're too kind." jimin smiled fondly. he then looked around, and spotted a maid sweeping down the hall.

"irene, can you tell me where chaeyoung is?" jimin asked her.
"i believe she is in her study, sir-" irene said, bowing.

"ah! there you are, jimin."

jimin's wife, chaeyoung was standing at the top of the huge staircase in the middle of the corridor.
she practically glided down it, eagerly walking over to her husband. she had her soft strawberry blonde hair pulled into a tight bun, and wore a victorian gothic gown that paired well with her fair complexion.

"hello, my sweet." jimin kissed her cheek. "i've brought namjoon over for dinner, if you don't mind. i'm going to go see the chef about our menu for tonight." he left the two alone, and made his way into the kitchen.
namjoon bowed, and gently kissed her hand in greeting. "pleasure to see you, miss."

"oh, just call me chaeyoung. i never cared for all the upper class addressing my husband falls for." she winked. "how is the gravedigging life suiting you?"
"ah, i can't complain, miss- chaeyoung." namjoon corrected himself.
"it doesn't get lonely up there?" she asked.

"no, miss chaeyoung. i've never really gotten lonely before. it's very peaceful up by the church." namjoon replied.
"why don't you come to worship?" she asked.
"er-"

"chaeyoung, stop hassling him." jimin interjected, walking back. "why don't you make us some of your special herbal tea? our chef says our dinner will be ready in a half hour's time."

"oh, yes, that'd be perfect." chaeyoung agreed, quickly heading to the kitchen.
jimin and namjoon slowly paced after her, jimin still explaining various pieces of artwork to namjoon, who was eager to listen.

namjoon also appreciated how jimin wasn't bragging about these either, he thought they were just as lovely as the next man and took every opportunity to appreciate how blessed he was.
namjoon could definitely say he would not be as humble, jimin had pieces from brunelleschi, angelico, masaccio, and even the statue of david done by donatello himself. namjoon would've been beside himself.

"here we are!" chaeyoung chided gleefully as she brought out a tray with a china tea set placed upon it, and three teacups. namjoon and jimin seated themselves, chatting as she poured their drinks.

jimin was telling a story about how chaeyoung and him had travelled the seas together in their late teens, how they traveled to france, italy, and japan, where jimin had proposed under a beautiful cherry tree, with a band meticulously decorated with small diamonds.

namjoon smiled at the story, getting so carried away in the fantastical imagery of their love, he forgot to taste his tea. sipping it lightly, the herbal blend made his body come alive like a match over oil. warmth spread throughout him, as he sipped it more and more.

"wow, do you like that tea, namjoon?" chaeyoung asked.
"it's absolutely delicious. what did you put in it?" namjoon responded, emptying his cup in seconds.

"it's my own special blend, made of some herbs in the garden. i believe it's a bit of ginger, lavender, chamomile, and anise. oh! and some cinnamon for a little kick." she giggled, watching namjoon greedily pour another cup. "i'll make sure to send you home with a package of it, i'm so glad you enjoy it."

dinner came soon after, a full five-course meal consisting of raw salmon upon deviled eggs for hors d'oeuvres, pork cutlet with sides of a vegetable and lamb stew, and then two desserts of crème brûlée and chocolate lava cake.

namjoon was in heaven. he'd never seen so much food in one sitting. the three ate to their hearts content, laughing and drinking the night away.

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"...alright, here a package of tea for you, don't drink it all in one night, alright?" jimin chuckled.
"good luck at work tonight!" chaeyoung called cheerfully, both of them waving to namjoon as they said their goodbyes.

namjoon smiled, waving back and walking to the iron gates before slipping out of them. it was dark, but still dusk. a few people were walking up the road, heading to their homes in the upper hills of the village.

except one person.

someone was stopped, facing namjoon and frozen on the path. he couldn't make out the person's face, but soon after they moved on, head still focused on namjoon's silhouette.

"yoongi."

jin scared the living daylights out of namjoon as he appeared next to him, red film fiery in the draining sunlight.
"shit! jin, you can't sneak up on a man like that." namjoon exhaled, clutching his chest.

"sorry," jin chuckled. "but that was min yoongi. i was watching him all day. nothing really interesting besides examining bodies but...he does spend a lot of time thinking."
"thinking?" namjoon asked.
"yes, he'll just look out the window for almost an hour, just...in thought." jin mused.

"hey, jin..." namjoon asked as the two walked up the path (namjoon walked. jin floated). "what happened to your family after you passed away? shouldn't they still be here?"
jin sharply inhaled. "they went broke, i'm sure. i took all the money i could carry when i ran away."

"you ran away?" namjoon asked, whipping his head around to face him.
"mhm. ran away to be with my love. we were supposed to flee up north, where we could be together in secret." jin smiled sadly.

"why did you have to be together in secret?"
"nobody would accept us."
"how so?"

"you ask a lot of questions, you know that?" jin snapped. he sighed. "he was a man, a man named jung hoseok. we would've been arrested."
namjoon stopped, processing what jin just said.
then, he slowly walked on, staying silent.
"where are you going?" jin called.

"to work," namjoon replied. "head home and clean up the cottage for me."
jin huffed. "you don't want me around anymore? really? nothing to say on where my heart lay?"

"no. i want to make sure i get work done so we can go to the library tomorrow." namjoon said calmly.
"the library? why?" jin asked.

"to the archives." namjoon smiled. "lets find out what happened to jung hoseok."

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