Deal With The Pain | Namgi

Chapter 34

Yoongi POV

I can hardly focus the moment I'm up front again, still feeling overwhelmed by this wedding order that we'd just received. I ruffle my hair in attempt to try and get my mind thinking right again, slowly getting back into the groove of working up front once more. Though, I don't think I've been up here for more than five minutes before I watch a familiar face drag his feet into the shop. I stop working altogether at the sight, stepping back so that I'm out of Jungkook's way as I watch Jimin make his way through the crowd and to the inside of the shop, over towards where we cross through the counter.

His head is ducked down, not looking up once as he makes his way through the shop, and I'm surprised when he just makes his way over to our side of the counter, not saying a word as he goes in back to grab his apron. I'm still stood in my place from shock when he emerges from the back once more, and it's only then that his lifts his head up, offering me a small smile. I just frown though, shaking my head as I motion for us to go back to the back.

"Jungkook, we need to go in back for a few minutes. Think you can handle up front for the time being? Let Joon know if you're starting to get low, he's been doing really good with keeping up with demand." I mutter quietly, setting a hand on his shoulder. He glances back at me, and I see that he caught what just happened the same as I had, giving me a small smile and a nod.

"I've got it, hyung. You go take care of what you need to." Jungkook reassures me in a calm tone. I smile gratefully at him, appreciating that he doesn't even seem to be worried about me needing to dip on him again for a few minutes.

With that, I grab Jimin by the wrist gently, not wanting to get his hopes up by holding his hand as I lead us in back. I catch the way Joon looks over at us, surely surprised to have anyone coming in back already. The expression on his face quickly contorts though, going from confusion to surprise to a small smile and a quick nod before he's returning his attention to what he'd been doing before. There's not once a second of a doubt in his eyes though, no frown, no worry, no disappointment. It catches me off guard that he doesn't seem in the tiniest bit bothered by the fact that Jimin's returned, seems rather content instead, and it just reminds me once more that he seems to be the only one here even after six years, that knows me well enough.

It just reassures me that he truly is the one for me, seeing that he so evidently trusts me enough to know there isn't a problem with the fact that Jimin's here, that he isn't the slightest bit bothered by the younger's presence one bit. It reminds me of the way Jimin had acted when Joon had returned that day, the way his behavior only got worse the longer Joon stuck around.

The best part is, I know Joon has every right to be worried. At the end of the day, I know he's still regretful of what he'd been doing over these last few years, I know how insecure he can get even if he doesn't let it show. I have no doubt he's worried about the fact that Jimin's returned, even if I've already chosen him, even if I've already stated that I don't want him to quit working upon Jimin's return.

As much as I want to reassure him that everything will be fine though, I don't, knowing I need to get Jimin to the very back of the shop so that we can actually talk. It won't be nearly as private as it's been every other time I've brought someone back here, but I can't just kick Joon out of the back when I'm relying on him to keep the shop going with Jungkook up front. I don't have time to be waiting for things to slow down for us to have this conversation with Joon up front though, and I'm not about to allow Jimin to just waltz back in here unannounced and start working again as though nothing had ever happened either.

When I get us to the very back, I sit down on the bottom few steps and motion for Jimin to get the chair out. He seems reluctant to do so, not seeming to want to be back here, and certainly not now that he knows Namjoon is back here too. Instead, he stays standing, shifting on his feet uncomfortably as he glances between where I'm sat and where Joon is working.

"Jimin, grab the chair and sit down. Quit looking at Joon. He's not going anywhere, and neither are you until we talk." I huff out, not thrilled with having to waste time back here when we're as swamped as we are up front right now. He snaps his head back over in my direction, but still doesn't make any moves to grab the chair or sit down. It leaves me sighing, head falling as I run a hand through my hair in frustration.

"Jimin, either you're going to grab the chair and have this conversation with me right now, or I'm going to need you to hang your apron up and leave until we're slow again. You cannot and will not just show up unannounced and waltz right in here and start working like nothing happened, not even at the time your shift would usually start, mind you. Certainly not after the way you walked out last time. You saw how busy we are up front right now though, and I don't have the time to just sit back here and waste. So either I need you to sit down and talk, or I need you to leave until we're slow again."