grim || yoonmin (rewritten)

NINE.

IX.

Jimin had a weekend off when he stepped into a busy coffee shop, phone in hand and ordering something sweet and warm. The days were growing cooler, September turning into October, and the chill in the air was enough to make him wear layers.

The past two weeks had been fairly normal. He and Taehyung saw each other often whenever they could, he was at the elementary school helping out with choreography and vocal direction, and his cats were doing fine. Even Jimin's younger brother had stopped by to hang out with him in the middle of the week, a get together that turned into videogames and fried food in the middle of Jihyun's classes.

Everything had fallen into a place of normalcy so quickly that the spare thoughts of Yoongi that would trickle into Jimin's mind every so often dwindled down to barely there.

Jimin sat down at an empty table once he finally spotted one, people having rushed inside the cafe so quickly when a sudden downpour began.

Jimin had situated himself in a snug corner table, his feet up on the chair across from him as he watched the wind violently fly through the potted plants outside the window ledge. He luckily brought an umbrella with him just in case, an old thing his mother gave him when he first moved to the apartment.

He was scrolling through his messages on hin phone and sipping his coffee when the thunder began to roll in. Against the ambient music, it sounded out of place and somewhat surreal. Jimin had laughed when Taehyung sent him a series of messages, complaining about a guy who had stood him up recently. The last bubble having said "fuck him! he probably had pubic lice anyway 🤧🤢😷".

There was another bassful crash of thunder and then a sizzling crackle of lightning, the cue for the clouds to give and unleash a downpour. Jimin watched those outside scramble under awnings and into buildings for shelter, some drawing out their umbrellas and walking faster than before. Soon, the shop was teeming with patrons in various degrees of wet.

People were ordering food and drinks and sitting wherever was available until the place was practically jammed. Jimin didn't mind crowds, so he minded to his own business and kept inciting Taehyung to trash talk over text.

It was when he sent in his own replies that someone cleared their throat from beside him.

Jimin looked up to be greeted with a sheepishly smiling man, a steaming cup in one hand and a half-pound of bread delicately packaged in wax paper. "Do you mind if I share the table with you? Everywhere else is taken."

Jimin looked around the shop, an idle gauge of how crowded the place had suddenly became. The man was right, though. Most booths were filled and tables were occupied with either sitting people or bags. "Yeah, it's no problem." Jimin shrugged and sat up straighter in his own seat, his feet sliding off the other in front of him.

Swaddled in a forest green trench coat and looking beyond relieved, the stranger breathed out a hurried thanks before plopping themselves down and setting their belongings atop the table.

The first couple minutes were quiet. Jimin went back to texting Taehyung and the man kept to his ordered items. Even if there was a stall in his and Taehyung's conversation, Jimin would aimlessly scroll about their previous messages to seem busy. The table he chose was a bit of a squeeze and lacked much personal space, so the tips of the shoes would clack together if one of them moved forward too much, or their knees would brush if they adjusted how tall they sat in their chairs. It made Jimin hyperaware and want to apologize every second something borderline awkward happened. He didn't want to unintentionally invade a stranger's personal space. And even though his newfound company was all reassured smiles and didn't seem to mind, Jimin kept finding himself on the verge of an apology.