YOUTH. | JK | COMPLETE

trying

FINALLY // BEAUTIFUL STRANGER
HALSEY

Beautiful stranger
Here you are in my arms and I know
That beautiful strangers
Only come along to do me wrong
And I hope, beautiful stranger
Here you are in my arms
But I think it's finally
Finally, finally, finally, finally safe
For me to fall

"Jeongguk. Jeongguk. Earth to Jeongguk. Oh my—Jeon!" The last word is followed by a sharp slap to the shoulder, to which Jeongguk winces and clutches the red skin. He looks up at Seokjin, his boss, who looks unamused.

"Sorry, sorry, sir. Sorry hyung." Jeongguk says, holding back a yawn. He finds it ironic everytime he calls the "older" man hyung, considering he's at least 180 years older than him, but he'd never tell Seokjin that. He wouldn't understand, especially considering he just found his soulmate, a man named Namjoon who owns the bookstore across the street from the cafe Seokjin owns and where Jeongguk works. Jeongguk would never say it, but he sees himself and Jimin in Seokjin and Namjoon: wholeheartedly, unadulteratedly in love. Nowadays being gay is socially acceptable, which is something that never fails to make Jeongguk smile. The one silver lining about having been alive so long is that Jeongguk can see firsthand how much things change.

"Are you still having problems sleeping, Jeongguk? You look exhausted." Seokjin says, concern evident in his face as he gestures to a huge sack of coffee grounds. Jeongguk nods, helping his boss lift the bag into the crate next to the machine. Never would 1870s Jeongguk have imagined working in a cafe, considering he was a farmer back then, but there is no need for farming in Seoul, so a barista he is.

"No, hyung. I just—I simply let my mind wander away from me, that's all." He says. Seokjin gives him a disbelieving look.

"Well I simply don't believe that." Seokjin mocks him. One thing Jeongguk hasn't been able to adapt to over the centuries is how much the language used in daily conversation has evolved. The slang people "his age" use nowadays is something he can't quite pick up, let alone understand. He can hardly decipher what the teenagers that come into the cafe say, let along speak it without sounding like someone's middle aged dad trying to be cool. Seokjin has even told him he sounds like Siri,
whoever Siri is.

"Well you should. I am fine. Well rested." He lies, considering he got around three hours of sleep thanks to his nightmares.

"You know what you need?" Seokjin asks, clearly not accepting Jeongguk's answer. Jeongguk sighs, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans and leaning back against the  counter.

"What?" He answers.

"To get laid." Seokjin answers bluntly.

"Laid where?" Jeongguk asks, brows furrowed. Seokjin chuckles a bit.

"Not literally, kid. I mean you need to have sex. Do the do. Bang. Fuck. Whatever you wanna call it." Seokjin explains, and Jeongguk practically chokes on his own spit. Seokjin pats his back as his coughing fit subsides. Another thing Jeongguk finds strange—how casually sex is discussed in daily conversation.

"I absolutely do not!" Jeongguk protests to his boss.

"You absolutely do. You're so tense. Someone needs to loosen you up. And I can help you with that. Now, I'm not saying I can find your soulmate, but a good hookup would do you some good. Who do you like? Men? Women? Both? Oo, I can totally see you as bi. Don't think I haven't seen you checking out my ass, Jeon." Jeongguk is too shocked to respond, even though he wouldn't tell his boss even if he wasn't. When Jeongguk just blinks at the man, he sighs. "Fine, well if you don't want to tell me, find someone yourself. There are plenty of dating apps."