Roses You Left For Me

12

The next afternoon, Jimin has since left, feeling surer that Jeongguk will be okay. The younger had insisted that he was fine, although he doesn't feel it. But he feels like a burden to Jimin to keep calling him in a time of crisis, so he lied and said he was okay, and thankfully, Jimin seemed to believe it.

He felt somewhat okay enough earlier to leave the house, however, as walks through the marketplace that recently opened up near where he lives.

He strolls through without much thought or intent to buy anything, but does so anyway, deciding to treat himself to strawberries and a jacket that he saw at one of the stalls. He's about to leave, however, when he sees a flower stand.

Right at the front, is a black bucket, full of blooming roses. It reminds him of the club and how the place seemed to be adorned with roses, and it has him thinking back to Taehyung. He's yet to thank him, and he's not able to do so with money right now, and so he steps forward and pays for one singular rose. Just one.

Keep it sweet, Jeongguk thinks.

He slips the rose into his paper bag that holds his strawberries and walks the rest of the way home, determined to leave the rose for Taehyung later on when Hoseok's shift starts. Maybe not the best idea, but it's a thank you on Jeongguk's part, which he thinks is just a sweet gesture.

It's later that evening when Jeongguk walks back into the club, dangling the rose by his legs as he goes in, keeping a lookout for Hoseok. As the woman had said before, Hoseok stands by the bar with his trademark red bowtie and a pearly white grin. When he notices Jeongguk, however, he raises an eyebrow in question.

"Fancy seeing you here again," Hoseok greets, watching Jeongguk set the rose down on the bar. "You got a date here?" He asks. "Not the best place to meet someone, just saying,"

"I'm not meeting anyone," Jeongguk says, more snappy and sharp than he had meant to. He feels on edge here, like he's being watched. He probably is by the amount of security, but that's beside the point. "Can you give this to Taehyung? I can't pay him for the first session yet, and I didn't want to give him nothing,"

"He gave you that session for free," Hoseok explains. Jeongguk just looks at him, confused. "He said he thought you needed it. And you don't look like the sort of person to keep scooping out hundreds of dollars for a quick fuck either,"

"I wanted to thank him," Jeongguk says quietly. "And I will pay him for that session too. I just- I need time to get the money. I'll come back when I do,"

"Jeongguk-"

"See you," the younger says as he slips off of the barstool, leaving the rose with Hoseok as he walks out of the club doors. As soon as he's out of the building, he can breathe a little easier, able to think to himself with the cloud around his brain evaporating, allowing his thoughts to continue as they once did. He ponders for a moment before taking out his phone, deciding to call Seokjin.

"Hey Kookie," the elder picks up, sounding cheery.

"Hey, hyung. I, um- I have a favor to ask of you,"

"Are you in trouble?" Seokjin asks, immediately alert.

"No! No, not at all. Nothing like that. I just- I wanted to treat a friend to dinner and- I can't actually afford it as I need to pay rent, and..."

"You wanted your hyung to lend you money," Seokjin finishes with a knowing tone in his voice.

"If that's okay?" Jeongguk asks, sounding somewhat pleading and desperate.

"You will tell me if you're in trouble?" Seokjin questions. Jeongguk just hums. Sounding skeptical, Seokjin murmurs something under his breath. "Okay, I've transferred you some money. It should last you the rest of the month,"

"Thank you so much, hyung! I'll pay you back as soon as I can, and-"

"Don't worry about it,"

"Are you sure?" Jeongguk asks quickly, already feeling like a burden once again. But Seokjin just hums before he's talking to someone else, slightly distracted from the phone call. "I'll let you go, thank you again Jin-hyung,"

Jeongguk ends the call and immediately goes to his bank app to find that Seokjin has indeed transferred a couple hundred dollars into his account. It's hopefully enough to pay back Taehyung and possibly buy another session with him. There's a familiar ache in his chest that he tries hard to ignore. He's desperate to forget again, even if it's only for one night.