Don't Call Me Angel || VMIN

δώδεκα

When sleep finally came, after evading the ravenette for hours so that it was nearly eight in the morning when he finally drifted off, it was by no means the escape he had been hoping for. It was disturbed by memories and no matter how hard Jimin tried, he couldn't shake them, resulting in him waking up before he'd had the chance to burrow into the blissful realms of a peaceful slumber. These types of nightmares had haunted him before, years before, but he willed with a fierce intensity that they wouldn't stay like last time.

Laying, tucked away in the warmth of his bed, he watched the strong rays of sunlight fight their way through his feeble curtains. It must have been past midday already and the emptiness in his stomach confirmed that it was time for lunch, well, late breakfast.

Heaving himself up from the cosy depths, he slipped on his dressing gown and padded to the door. Pulling it on was like plunging into a pool of downy feathers, the thick fabric enveloping him in a hug that smelled faintly of his sister's shampoo. Honeysuckle filled the dancer's senses, having the revitalising effect that his nap had failed to, and he stepped out barefoot into the corridor.

He had barely moved a metre when he came to an abrupt stop, taking a step backwards in order to avoid tripping over a set of shoes. They hadn't been there last night and, upon closer inspection, he realised they belonged to him. They were his boots from earlier and the leather was scuffed near the zip, but he knew that was from when the man had almost torn them off so it didn't bother him. How did they get here? He was certain he had forgotten to bring them in.

There was a note balanced on top of the left one and he bent down to pick it up. Recognising the handwriting, Jimin unfolded it cautiously, wondering what Taehyung might have written and why the elder had ended up with his boots in the first place. A scoff drifted from his parted lips as he read the neat cursive: you left these outside and I don't think my father would appreciate having your belongings lying around the place even though you're staying here now.

"Yeah, definitely not an asshole," the dancer sarcastically muttered under his breath, rolling his eyes.

He scooped up the boots and deposited them haphazardly back in his wardrobe. Yesterday's events played in his mind and he let out a groan of frustration upon remembering his drowsy confession to the other. Convinced that he would have told someone, probably Sunwoo, by now, Jimin decided it was best to return to being invisible around the household. Lunch would have to wait and it was with reluctance that he traipsed back to his bed, no longer finding comfort in its sheets. He would only leave when he was certain he could avoid the other, although he would need to make an exception for his daily visits to the club of course. There was no way he would manage to get out of them.

The next week passed as such, the ravenette would wake up well after sunrise and risk grabbing a quick snack before disappearing back up to his room. He would then stay in his bedroom for the remainder of the day until it was time to get ready for the evening's activities, managing, if he was lucky, to sneak a plate of dinner. Miraculously, he had succeeded in remaining evasive and had only once bumped into one of the house staff.

The hours dragged by and he often found himself simply sitting on the lounger on his balcony, counting down the minutes until he had to leave or else trying to enjoy the colourful hues of amber and magenta that painted the sky every evening. It was hard to appreciate the stunning scenery when his mind refused to think about anything other than the dreaded hours he spent cooped up in the club. He didn't know how long he would be able to keep going like this.

His dances had grown more popular by the day, although the mountains of cash that streamed from the crowd never once reached Jimin's pockets. This was another stark difference from Busan and he was sure it was probably illegal, but he didn't dare confront the elder, knowing it would only worsen everything. He was sure that breaking the law didn't bother the old man, given that he had effectively bought him which was definitely not allowed.