EATJIN! | KSJ & PJM

- serendipity -

Jimin shifted around in his bed, adjusting the blanket so it draped around every part of him, nothing but his head exposed to the air. He lay beside his phone, waiting for Seokjin to call him, like he promised, as soon as he reached his house.

So far, there wasn't a single sign of him. Jimin didn't blame him, Seokjin being a public icon, and owning his own restaurant. He must've been tired. But even though Jimin fully understood, he felt a pang in his chest whenever he glanced at his phone. He shoved it underneath the pillow frustratedly.

The scraping at the door should've been a regular occurrence for Park Jimin.

Every night, there would be a be a scrape on the wood that made up the door to Jimin's single-level house. And every night, Jimin would bury his head in his covers and try to block out the noise. He wasn't going to change his habit so abruptly. He'd never really discovered what was really outside his door, and never really intended to. After all, his neighborhood wasn't the best one to live alone in.

Yet, Jimin's parents were too busy with work to care.

So Jimin joined his phone underneath the pillow, pressing the fabric to his ears.

Seokjin snuck into his apartment, walking lightly on the balls of his feet. He peeked inside the room where Namjoon slept and furrowed his eyebrows at Namjoon's absence.

"Strange," Seokjin muttered. "He should be home by now."

He searched the house, but Namjoon wasn't there at all. Seokjin tried to brush off his worry. He was probably just working late. The chef had something important to do, anyway.

It had been several hours since the call had started, and Seokjin's phone looked like a patient hooked up to an IV drip. Seokjin was lying next to it on his bed, legs propped against the wall.

"Jimin," Seokjin mused. "Can you promise me something?"

"Yeah, what?" Jimin asked, groggily.

"Call me when you run into your friends again," Seokjin told him, through the phone. There was no response from the boy on the other end. "Jimin?"

Nothing. Seokjin put the phone beside his ear, trying to hear something more. Silence. "Are you sleeping?"

Seokjin smiled. "Goodnight, Jimin." And with that, he hung up.

Jimin crept towards the sound, slightly curious, but wary. He walked in a pattern that closely resembled the elegant movements of a ballerina, feet crossing in the graceful manner known only to the dancers. The scraping continued, echoing through the door and into the room.

"Park Jimin," He tried to reason with himself. "What is wrong with you?"

His conscience completely ignored his valid question and continued to push Jimin's body forwards. Soon enough, without even wanting to, Jimin's small hand was wrapped around the doorknob and was beginning to turn it.

"One,"

What?

"Two,"

Wait, no-

"THREE!"

The door flung open, and a scrawny calico cat scrambled backward, jumping into a potted plant situated on the porch. It looked like a runt, smaller than intended, and not so well fed. Jimin let out a shaky breath, clutching his chest in relief. It had been a cat at his door, not thugs. A cat. He hadn't realized how much tension had built up in his chest until he'd relieved himself of it.

The cat quivered, hiding behind a plant that sort of looked like a pot filled with grass blades if blades of grass could be the size of rulers. Jimin squatted in front of it, cocking his head to the side. The cat backed up, unaware that there was nothing to back up onto. In a split second, Jimin saw the possible scene in his head. The scrawny cat falling on its side, mewling in pain. Jimin dove, arms reaching out to cushion the cat from the ledge the plant was sitting on. His shoulder ached a little, on the ground.

But the cat had landed in his hands. Jimin brought the cat close to his chest, cradling it like it was his child. Jimin took it inside, placing it on a pillow on the floor, and setting up two bowls for some milk and water beside it. The kitten mewled softly, taking cautious licks from the bowl of water.

Jimin watched the cat in awe, eyes twinkling a little, in the dark. He'd decided the cat was a she, in a matter of a few minutes.

"You need a name," Jimin declared, aloud. He didn't exactly know what, though.

He pondered the statement, for a second. When he looked at the cat, he saw fragments of himself, for some reason. She was small, scared, alone, and in desperate need of a family.

"Park," He muttered. The people who had given him his name had practically abandoned him. But when Jimin glanced down at the kitten, he felt a sense of responsibility, and a need to protect her. Like family should.

The kitten looked up at Jimin, at the mention of his last name, and meowed in agreement. Jimin's eyes widened in surprise, then collapsed into that lovable eye smile.

Park.

Park, and Park Jimin.

They sounded like a family.

The next morning was uneventful and dry, at most. The mornings had turned chilly and had discouraged Seokjin's usual walk outside. It was also a weekend, meaning Seokjin had quite a bit of time on his hands. Jungkook only came to train after school, and Jimin was probably still sleeping.

But one thing that worried him was that Namjoon still wasn't home.

Seokjin knew Namjoon worked late sometimes and knew that Namjoon could get caught up in his job. But this had never happened before. Namjoon had never been absent in the mornings, ever.

They hadn't even finished their game from a few days ago.

Seokjin sat down on the couch, picking his legs up, so they were folded underneath his thighs. Seconds ticked by, on their clock that was always behind by 15 minutes. Then minutes went by too.

And soon enough, an hour. It was an hour and a half when faint shuffling could be heard from behind the door, and the jingle of keys unlocking the front door became more distinct. Seokjin's eyes suddenly rid themselves of their glaze, and he finally zoned back into the world. Namjoon stepped inside the apartment, eyes locking with Seokjin's immediately. Seokjin started to get up, reaching out a little.

His eyes flitted away from Seokjin's in an instant, and before Seokjin could stand up properly and greet him, Namjoon just slipped inside his room, pretending Seokjin was invisible.

And all Seokjin could do was just sink back into the cushions silently, hand falling at his side.

---

a/n: alright, this is where things start happening, guys! @WINEGGUK- IM SORRY I TOLD YOU I WAS GOING TO BREAK THAT NAMJIN HEART OF YOURS

sksksksk

also- i really love park the cat uwu

on another note, i've probably/probably not mentioned that i'm studying for a huge entrance exam, which is in two or so weeks, on february 2. it's to get into an advanced program called IB, or international baccalaureate in highschool, so i'm studying really hard. i've decided that if i do end up updating, it will almost always be EATJIN! my reasoning is that this is the story i'm super committed to, and the story i'm most organized with.

and since i'm studying, i probably won't be on so much. i'm going to judge a few awards and try to keep going with mochi's reviews (@-HOBIHOLIC) and i'll write, but that's about it. i have so much on my plate rn and keeping up with everything is just- 

crazy.

also, i'm in charge of the most influential assembly that's ever going to take place at our school, and it's a huge responsibility. i managed to get a special guest to come to our school ( a guy student council met at we day, he posted a contest that if we spammed our school name, he'd come to our school. i was the first to see- 11 seconds in- so i sent it to like everyone, and we won.) the assembly is about loving yourself, and i'm so happy i'm the one in charge of it. i'm glad i'm going to make a change as a student, and a person. my friend told me she was proud of me, and another girl was really happy that i did what i did and sent it everywhere.

i hope one day, i can make bangtan proud too.

-ri