Mind Games

The two of them sat at the table, across from each other - ideal date position. The cafe was empty enough that they wouldn't be disturbed. They'd be able to speak in uninterrupted peace, much to Yoongi's advantage. He leaned back in his seat, offering a small smile to the man across from him.

Jimin, he said his name was. Yes, he was free for lunch, and yes, he was interested in a date.

The trap had already been set by the time they sat down. Yoongi asked Jimin all the right questions, Jimin unknowingly playing right into his hands. Almost half an hour before the question Yoongi had been anticipating was asked.

"So, what do you do for work, Yoongi?" Jimin asked. Yoongi tapped his finger on the table once, then twice, before answering, sitting up to speak to him.

"By night, I'm a stage hypnotist. And by - well - also by night, I take requests for live shows online. It gets people interested, even if it's not very profitable." He tapped his finger on the table again.

Jimin, of course, gave the response most people gave. "A stage hypnotist? Does that really work?"

Yoongi tapped his finger on the table.

"Only if you believe it does," he replies. He times his responses to make sure Jimin can still hear his fingers tapping against the table. The tricky part was catching Jimin's subconscious attention without drawing suspicion from his conscious mind. "Although, some would disagree. Some people believe that it only works if you want it to, even if you don't know it."

Jimin laughed, leaning forward. Without knowing it, he'd already let his guard down. "Is that so? I'll have to come see your show, then. Just to make sure you aren't faking it."

There it was. Curiosity. Yoongi smiled to himself, tapping on the table.

"We'll see. Let me know when you come so I can pull you up on stage. Have you ever been put under before?"

Jimin shook his head. "I've only seen that kind of thing in movies. I didn't think it had a place in reality. Not to discredit you or anything -"

Yoongi tapped his finger on the table.

"You've seen it before? You must know what kind of effect it has on people, then. It's hard to think for yourself, like your edges start to blur and fade. Your thoughts melt into nothing but a puddle, but it's easy to let someone else take the reins for a while. Right?"

Jimin blinked once, twice. "Huh? I'm sorry, I think I must have zoned out. What were you saying?" He should really order another coffee - he was starting to feel lethargic, and falling asleep on dates was rude.

Yoongi tapped his finger on the table, leaning forward a bit.

"I was just talking about how easy it is to have your mind stolen from you if you're not careful. Someone might come along and ease you into sleep. Is that how you're feeling now, Jimin? Sleepy?"

Jimin could barely bring himself to nod. He tried to focus on Yoongi to keep himself awake, his head feeling too heavy to shake himself awake.

"That's alright." He tapped his finger on the table again. "You can sleep, Jimin. Let go."

With that, Jimin's body fell slack. He could hear someone talking to him, distantly. He couldn't quite make out what they were saying.

By the time he woke up, Yoongi was gone. Only Jimin's vague memories of their encounter and the check for lunch remained.