Cupid's cafe {[pjm/myg]}

Chapter twenty-five

After Jimin ate lunch with Yoongi and the mystery female. He learned she was a new client of Yoongi's, there to listen and remake her old lyrics. Jimin thought the lyrics sucked. Sitting in the home studio on a black leather couch pushed into the sidewall wall listening to the dreadful lyrics and her shrieking voice. It's been about an hour and a half since his lunch started.
"alright Yoongi I am heading back to the cafe I will be back and two hours-ish "
"Ish?" Yoongi questioned
" ya I might stay longer if Joe is gone by the end of two hours but if he's not I am leaving as soon as humanly possible." Jimin joked but truly meant it. The woman didn't even look at him, she just put her hand on Yoongi's shoulder and leaned into his ear.
Jimin didn't like that, thought Yonngi shrugged off her hand and nodded
" understandable but if he says anything let me know and I will beat his ass," Yoongi said
" ok, babe I will be back. Don't worry I'm not afraid of Joe. " Yoongi snickered and continued working
Jimin took note of the lady and her actions.
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Jimin got back to the cafe and Taehyung greeted him at the back door. Tae was making new lime pies.
"Jimin your back. I thought Joe ran you back into bed." Taehyung wiped his hands on the blue and tan apron about his neck and waist.
"He did a little bit but Yoongi brought me back to my senses and I'm better. I had lunch and am ready to make my last two hours worth it. Hey, just out of curiosity, how long have the regulars not been coming? "Jimin wanted to get to the bottom of things around the cafe. He figured things had changed but he wanted to know the extent of the damage.
"They come, just not very much. They see the new flavors but their old shit sometimes I even make the old stuff just for them. I'm not supposed to because Joe will yell but I don't care if we sell it quickly. The light in their eyes makes me happy even when I have to tell them their favorite person is still gone. You know once they see you they're going to be pissed" Taehyung said stopping so he can wait for Jimin's reaction
"what why!" just as Taehyung wanted the conversation to go.
"Because Jimin I never told them about your hardships, I felt it wouldn't be my place to give out that information. Even the regulars of regulars." Taehyung confessed
"Thank you Taehyung. I appreciate it. So you just told them I left." Jimin felt bad
" Of course not. I gave them vague reasons like family issues at first when the trial was going on but then I said you were going through a hardship. They realized it was from the trial. Chim, you do realize you were on the news. They made you out as a hero for putting her in jail and helping the other victims. All the regulars got it and did try to stay but Joe was just so rude to them.'' Jimin felt even worse but was glad they understood.
Since Jimin was a parietal owner, Jimin asked Taehyung to write down what happened so that Joe could leave and never hurt anyone again. Also so Jimin could fire the fuck out of him for all this shit he did while Jimin's back was turned. Jimin never thought in a million years that the lazy asshole Joe would step up as soon as he was gone. He wished so deeply that he gave Taehyung the business while he was gone instead of just up and leaving.
Jimin went out behind the counter to make sure everyone in the lobby was doing ok. He liked to weave in and out of the table to check on the more shy people like himself. He knew how nice it was and that even though it's not something every cafe does, he likes to make himself do it.
After weaving he went back to the counter to see two people waiting. He jumped over the counter not wasting any time and got back into the groove of work. After a few minutes, Taehyung came back and slipped Jimin the list. Jimin shoved into his pocket as he was talking to a young lady about how hard school was.
Jimin thought she was like 16, maybe a sophomore in high school. He truly sympathized with her. She was getting bullied and she was struggling with her learning disability and was just second-guessing everything. He felt bad and did see himself in her.
"Look, high school is one of the suckiest things in life. But getting bullied and having the hardest year ahead of you is daunting and saying it will get better is like saying the earth is in a giant bowl of black soup. It is cryptic and useless when you don't believe it. But don't do what I did. Don't keep your head down and trudge through it. Stand up for yourself. Gather all the confidence you can and roast the living shit out of the bully. Gather as such shit on that fucker and completely demolish them. You don't have to do it publicly but stand up for yourself. It will feel better and the worst thing is that it doesn't work and this keeps going. At that point, I will give you a free croissant every time you're here and I will always be a crutch for you. This is your safe place. " Jimin said and meant it. The girl smiled and hugged Jimin.
The girl got her personal pie and went to a small booth in the corner. Jimin sat down on bags of sugar in the back and started reading through the list Taehyung gave him.
He would alienate the old customers telling them that he doesn't know what they're talking about when they ask for an old item that they always got. When I asked him about it he told me that he knew exactly what they were talking about but wanted new things
He would get orders wrong on purpose for the old customers like bad things. Taking his knowledge of their allergies and giving them what they're allergic to just so they would leave.
He would open late and keep oldcomers waiting sometimes they wouldn't even come in the third time he did it.
He was just mean to every regular. Giving them attitude and keep making them waiting not acknowledging them or just making their shit wrong
He would always call off if he knew it was going to be slow.
He would mess up the schedule and make changes without telling anyone then telling them off when they stood up for themselves.
Then he changed the whole menu. Not one thing was from the old menu. After everyone complained I told Jerry and he turned it back.
He redid the whole table arrangement and gaslighted all the customers. Then the regular who had come a few times.
(a/n: Jerry is the co-owner)
Damn, Jimin couldn't believe he even hired Joe at this point. Jimin had 30 minutes left in his shift. He called Taehyung and Joe over and told them that he was going to go and talk to Jerry. He told them he would be back before closing and would have a conversation with both of them soon.
" right so you get to leave early after taking a too-long break because someone told you the truth. Great. Have a good time going home because we both know what you're doing." Joe said
" Excuse you, if your boss is telling you he is going to a meeting with the other boss then you shut your mouth and node ass hat, and by the way no one here is on your side. Everyone hates you Joe so shut the fuck up and go back to whatever hole you crawled out of. '' Taehyung shouted at Joe after walking away saying he had to check on the front desk. Jimin knew it was an excuse to get away from Joe.
At this point in Joe's behavior, Jimin was planning out the help wanted sign's design and where to put it in the window.
Jerry lived two blocks away. Jimin texted him that he was going to meet with him after work today but he will have to tell him he will be there early. Jimin couldn't wait to get that joker fired. He wanted to talk about it first and then go straight to the cafe after. Joe closes the shop so Jerry and him would need to be there. Jerry would close and I would tell Joe to go fuck himself. Jimin was so excited.
After about 10 minutes and almost running, Jimin got to the front steps of the apartment complex Jerry lived in. Jimin opened the first set of doors and looked at the buzz panel trying to remember what number he was. He hit all of the three js on the side of the buttons. And was immediately buzzed through. He laughed and figured he pressed the right one or someone else was expecting someone. Jerry met Jimin in front of the elevator doors.
" Jimin, it's nice to see you again. We have a lot to talk about" Jerry said, hugging Jimin quickly.
" Yes, we do. What are you thinking to start with." Jimin asked
" I am thinking we could start with the Joe situation. I want to fill in some of the situations Taehyung came to me about." Jerry and he talked about the list and then some things that Taehyung left out. " So ya Joe has had his hands busy fucking up the cafe. I have had many complaints about you and Joe."
"Mee!!! That can't be" Jimin twisted jokingly knowing he wasn't in trouble.
" Yes, people are mad. They also wanted me to spill the tea but I didn't. You have a lot of people to call..."Jimin gave him a weird look" The regulars you love so much. Everyone has called me and I have gotten their numbers and I told them once you get better I would have you call them." Jerry said. He didn't even elaborate on those calls. He left it at that and they did their yearly overview of all the data and money numbers. They went to shit when Jimin took off for the trial.
"Jimin, I am surprised you don't want more than half of the shares in front of his company given this information. '' Jerry said. He doesn't want to lose his share and the money he gets from it but honestly, he feels like he's cheating Jimin out of more money.
" Why? I always make it known that I wanted this to be even." Jimin said
" Jimin, all I do is crunch numbers and pay bills. The only time I had a say in what happened at the cafe was when you took time off and I hated that. Jimin, I want you to have 75%. I don't want a lot anymore. Honestly, I feel like I am cheating on you. I don't want any part of the cafe work, I just want to crunch numbers and do the bills every so often. You shouldn't have even put my name on the loan."
" Jerry, I put your name on the loan not just to give you a say but to be the enforcer. I didn't want just your impeccable credit but I also didn't want the full responsibility for everything. Honestly, I just didn't want to have the final say in firing someone. But I will take 75% but I still want you here. Plus I don't have to worry about taxes or bills, I just send them to you and pay my share. Hehe, "Jimin joked but he was very thankful for Jerry.
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They talked a bit more and fixed the percentages and then made a page for Joe's position and posted it. Jerry and Jimin left in Jerry's car. They opened the door. It was 9 pm on the dot. Joe had 30 minutes until he locked up Taehyung had just walked out. And the cafe was closed joe just had to know was clean.
"Joe, we need to talk," Jerry said with authority in his voice. Joe knew what was coming and trudged over. They all sat down at one of the tables in the cafe. After 15 minutes Joe flipped the table and walked out.
"Fuck you all I tried to fix this dump but nah their no fixing this dumbass fag" Joe shouted at Jimin
" real original of you to call me a fag. Get in line with the 100s of other people you dickhead" Jimin shot back and then took his leave to Yoongi's after making sure Jerry was willing to stay.
The bike ride back to Yoongis felt so long, not by distance but he had a lot on his mind. Mostly the calls. Jerry gave him the list of people he needed to call. It was long. It was probably going to take all day tomorrow. On top of all the calls, he was dreading the time it would take to get another person. Joe was an ass but he took the annoying shifts and was still a good worker. Now Jimin and Tae are going to have to work overtime and get the cafe back on its feet. Joe did a number on the cafe. Shoving it more into a hole that may be too steep to get out of.
By the time Jimin unlocked the door to Yoongi's apartment, it was 9:30. Jerry should have closed and gone home and Jimin realized he hadn't eaten in a while when the delectable smell of Korean food hit his nose. His mouth watered immediately and mosied his way to the kitchen. Yoongi must not have heard Jimin come in because Yoongi was rapping about what he was doing.
"Puttin' the veggies in the p-p-pot, cooking them real nice, waiting for my sexy to get back. Ya ya ya. cookin' dinner like a real- " Jimin cringed at the bad rapping but smiled at Yoongi's cuteness. Yoongi isn't easily scared unlike Jimin but when Jimin spoke Yoongi jumped as he turned around.
" babe you think I'm sexy '' Jimin said laughing as Yoongi jumped a foot in the air and had to brace himself on the counter.
" holy shit Jimin you could have killed me. Goodness. " Jimin laughed harder and went to hug Yoongi as an apology.
"What are you making," Jimin asked
"Yakisoba noodles with marinated chicken and veggies" Jimin's mouth started to water. It was a mixture of Yoongi talking about food like he was Gordon Ramsay and the food cooking in front of him. Jimin kissed Yoongi so hard that Yoongi had no choice but to move the food off the heat before it burnt. It was either to burn the food and continue that kiss or cut the kiss and not burn the food. He sure as hell wasn't doing the ladder.
After a long kiss, they ate the now cool food and are now cuddling on the couch.
"Yoongi we are going domestic, '' Jimin said, realizing both Yoongi and Jimin would be working throughout the day and they would only have a few hours at night before bed. Yoongi chuckled and understood what he meant
" That's ok we can make the few hours not so domestic." Yoongi implied that Jimin smacked him with a red blush running through his body. But Jimin was excited.
For the first time in Jimin's life, he was now normal. He didn't have a mother that was after him. He didn't have crippling debt, and he had a stable job and a stable relationship. His realization made him tear up. It didn't make him sad but it made him happy and relieved. He didn't have any more heavy baggage to carry now and he wasn't alone anymore. Yoongi would always be there for him no matter what.