On-Way Passage || ᴠᴍɪɴ

Extra 6

Taehyung had clearly apologised to Jimin, but his face had yet to smooth out, and he didn’t even look at Jimin when Jimin approached him.

Jimin’s mood, on the other hand, remained completely unaffected. “I thought you were going to prepare roses and candles,” he said as he walked up to Taehyung. 

Only then did Taehyung cast a glance at Jimin’s face. “Are you insane?”

“Didn’t you come here to apologise?” Jimin reminded him. 

Taehyung remained silent, tilting his head to the side and slightly raising his head to gaze off at a distant point.

Jimin let out a sigh. “You never acted like this back when we barely knew each other.”

The Taehyung of the past had always been direct and upfront with his apologies, going about them with poise and elegance.  

“Back then—” Taehyung broke off. He pursed his lips and changed the subject. “Are you coming back with me?”

Jimin studied Taehyung for a moment before saying, “Let’s go then.”

“What are you going to do about your grandpa? I can help—if you need it.”

Jimin shook his head. “Grandpa refuses to live in the Seoul with me, but we came to an agreement. I’ll be hiring a part-time caregiver to look after him once I get back to work.”

Taehyung nodded and said nothing further.

Hiring a caregiver for his grandpa cost Jimin several thousand won a month. As it was, his savings were pitiful, and for a time his days appeared to be increasingly difficult.

However, it was also around this time that two different allowances were added to his monthly income, which Jimin initially assumed came from the company. It wasn’t until much later did he find out that the money had come from Taehyung’s own pockets. 

But by the time he discovered the truth, there was no longer any need for him to return the money.

-

Autumn had arrived without Jimin’s knowledge, and the osmanthus flowers outside the laboratory building were in full bloom. Because the weather had cooled and air conditioning was no longer required, all of the laboratory windows were open, and the scent of osmanthus flowers wafted in, its muted fragrance sweet and refreshing. 

Jimin and Taehyung spent many late nights in the lab together. The extraction of the pseudo-pheromone transmitter went smoothly, but the most challenging part—developing the fragrance and conveying its corresponding pheromones—could only be left to Jimin.

The betas in the lab lacked the ability to perceive pheromones, whereas the alphas and omegas weren’t immune to their emotional influence—they had issues with clashing pheromones and their preferences were too subjective.

Taehyung was equally unable to help in that regard, but the man was a constant fixture at this side, waiting until Jimin finished his work every day before leaving the lab with him, driving Jimin home before going home himself. 

Jimin had countless memories of them turning off the lights in the corridor and slowly making their way downstairs. In all of them, Taehyung would always walk behind him, their footsteps echoing in the empty stairwell.

He had even more memories of the osmanthus flowers outside. 

Sometimes, Jimin would lean over the window ledge to gaze at the osmanthus flowers, and at some point in time, Taehyung would also make his way across—the two men would then stand there together, looking out the window in mutual silence.