CIGARETTES AND TULIPS // jikook

4 - into you

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the next few days passed in a blur of lectures, textbooks, and long hours spent helping his mother at the flower shop.

jimin kept himself busy, diving into his studies and house chores as if trying to escape his own thoughts. he worked until late in the evening, arranging flowers, cleaning up the shop, and making deliveries.

anything to keep his mind from wandering back to jungkook and the stress he was feeling. he still hadn't answered his messages. it was easier that way, safer. or at least that was what he told himself.

every time his phone buzzed in his pocket, he felt a pang of guilt mixed with that familiar anxiety. but he never opened the messages. instead, he focused on the flowers, their delicate petals and vibrant colors offering him a small sense of control. instead, he focused on uni assignments.

he just tried to get through his days without thinking about it too much.

by the time he finished tonight's shift, his body ached, and all he wanted was to go upstairs into his room, crawl into his cozy bed, and let the exhaustion pull him under. but tonight, his best friend had other plans.

jimin had just locked up the shop when he saw tae's car pulled up in front. his best friend waved energetically from the driver's seat before getting out, his wide grin visible even from a distance. jimin couldn't help but smile a little, despite his exhaustion.

"hyung!" tae called out as jimin opened the shop door for him. "i thought i'd swing by and kidnap you for a while. it's friday, jiminie! we need to have some fun."

jimin sighed, leaning back in the seat. "i'm tired, tae. i just want to go home and sleep."

taehyung scoffed, waving off his complaint, putting his arm around jimin's shoulder. "come on, you've been working non-stop and i'm not letting you rot away in that flower shop. you deserve a night out and i deserve some jiminie time."

jimin frowned, not in the mood to argue, but tae wasn't having it.

he nudged jimin's shoulder playfully. "seriously, hyung, i'm worried about you. when's the last time you did something just for fun? we can just grab a drink, nothing crazy. no new people, just us."

jimin hesitated. he didn't really want to go out, but tae's concern tugged at him. he knew his friend meant well, and deep down, maybe he did need a distraction. just for a little while.

"fine," jimin muttered, finally giving in. "but just one drink, okay?"

tae grinned, clearly pleased with himself. "that's the spirit! let's go!"

they ended up at a cozy little bar down the street, the kind of place that was just busy enough to feel alive without being overwhelming.

tae kept the conversation light, cracking jokes and talking about his latest escapades. jimin found himself laughing more than he had in days. his friend always knew how to make him have fun.

once he and tae started getting into gossiping, the mood was up. it felt good to get out of his comfort zone and stop bed rotting for a day. it felt nice. 

but then, as tae was mid-story about a disastrous date he'd been on, jimin looked up and froze.

jungkook.

what?!

he was behind the bar, serving drinks with that effortless charm, his sleeves rolled up to reveal his toned arms. he looked so good, too good, and jimin's heart clenched painfully in his chest.this was the last place he wanted to see him, the last situation he wanted to be in. he hadn't answered jungkook's messages, and now here he was, face-to-face with him.

how the fuck is that even possible?

jungkook spotted him almost immediately after jimin had looked at him, and their eyes locked across the room.

jimin's stomach twisted with nerves, a mix of fear and something else - something he didn't want to acknowledge. jungkook's gaze was steady, his expression unreadable.

jimin quickly looked away, his face burning with embarrassment.

tae didn't seem to notice, still caught up in his story, but jimin couldn't focus on anything else. his mind was a whirlwind of conflicting thoughts and emotions.jungkook was so attractive, so effortlessly cool in this bar, and it made jimin feel like he was losing his grip on reality.

how could someone like that be interested in him? 

it didn't make sense. it had to be a joke, a cruel trick. jungkook was probably just a player, someone who would use him and then toss him aside.

but then why did he feel so drawn to him? 

the way jungkook looked at him, it made jimin feel seen in a way that both thrilled and scared him. but at the same time, it filled him with dread. he couldn't let someone get close to him, not again. he'd been hurt before, betrayed by people who claimed to care about him. he couldn't go through that again.

he didn't want to feel this way, torn between fear and longing.

he just wanted to be alone, to keep everyone at a safe distance. love didn't exist. it was just a lie people told themselves to make dependability and violence bearable.

and yet, here he was, his stupid heartbeat betraying him with every glance jungkook sent his way. was it the alcohol? he shouldn't have drank.

as the night wore on, tae finally noticed jimin's distraction and followed his gaze to the bar. 

"oh, damn," tae said, raising an eyebrow. "who is that guy that's eating you up visually?"

jimin stiffened, laughing reluctantly. "just a customer, i don't know him."

tae smirked, nudging him playfully. "he's hot. and he keeps looking over here. you sure you don't want to, you know, go talk to him?"

jimin shook his head quickly. "no. i just... i can't, tae."

"are you not into him?"

jimin tried to dodge the question and change the topic, not ready to think about whatever he felt at this given moment. how could he explain it to someone if he didn't even know himself?when they finally decided to leave, jimin felt a strange mix of relief and disappointment. he just wanted to escape, but at the same time, he couldn't help but feel like he was running away from something he didn't fully understand.

as they reached the bar to pay, the bartender handed tae their check with a smile. "it's been taken care of," he said.

taehyung blinked in surprise. "wait, what? by who?"

the bartender nodded towards the back of the bar. "your drinks were on the house, courtesy of jungkook."

jimin's heart skipped a beat. he glanced around, but jungkook was nowhere to be seen. it was as if he had vanished, leaving behind nothing but confusion and a nagging sense of unfinished business.

tae grinned, clearly impressed. "well, he's definitely into you."

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