Once In A Lifetime || Jikook ✅

2.

JIMIN

Jimin's job as a barista was
fast-paced enough that he normally didn't have time to concentrate on much more
than the never-ending line
of people in front of him
but that didn't stop his
mind from wandering once
he got to the break room.

Even though his "lunch hour" was really only thirty minutes, that was more than enough
time for all of his anxiety
about the upcoming evening
to start creeping back in.

Not for the first time that
day, he wondered if he should just call the whole thing off.

Maybe Ari's hot new Club
Guy would want to do some
thing instead and Jimin
would be off the hook.

Maybe he could fake an
illness but no, she wouldn't hesitate to drive to his house
and take his temperature.

Whether he liked it or not
and whether he was ready
for it or not, he knew she
wasn't going to leave the
issue alone until he went
out to the club with her.

"Hey, Jimin."

His co-worker's voice cut
through his thoughts and he jumped a little catching
himself in time to clamp down
on an embarrassing shout.

"Hey, what's up?"

"I looked for you over
the weekend but I must've missed you."

Jimin cocked his head to
the side, waiting for her to continue.

He'd spent the weekend
moving from the bed to the couch.

He'd barely showered and certainly hadn't left the house.

He and Gia weren't particularly close but it stung a little
that she must've confused
him for someone else.

And now she was looking at
him as if he were the one who owed her an explanation.

"I'm sorry." He began.

"I'm not sure..."

"Last weekend? The art
festival? ...Downtown?"

He shrugged slightly,
eliciting a sigh from her.

"I thought for sure you'd
be there."

"I saw hobi but he was
with someone else."

"I waved but..."

Her voice trailed off.

Or maybe the world slowed down.

Jimin wasn't sure.

He felt like all of the oxygen
had been sucked from the
room.

I saw hobi.

Oh, God but he was with someone else.

Why did he care so much?

He knew he shouldn't but
that didn't stop him from
feeling like he was going to hyperventilate.

It was one thing to sit around with Ari and talk about how
hobi had been up to no
good, how he'd been a user.

How every time he'd said he loved Jimin, it'd been a lie.

It was quite another thing, however, to be slapped in
the face with the evidence
that it was all a sham and
it stung even more to hear
it from someone he hardly
even knew outside of work.

"Are you okay? Jimin?"

"No, I'm... I mean, yes!"

Her eyes widened as he
spoke.