withering leaves ❁ yoonmin

XXIII

"You look happier."

Yoongi looked up from his lunch, a bit of surprise in his eyes from being disturbed.

"Min-soo-Noona," he said in greeting. "I didn't hear you come in."

Min-soo sat down on the floor besides Yoongi, leaning up against the wall. For a few moments, they both watched Jimin dance. His moves were still fluid and powerful, yet more emotional. It was as if Jimin channeled his experiences into his dancing and brought the stories to life with his body.

"I feel happier," Yoongi said finally, setting down his cup of ramen, feeling Jimin's exhaustion and euphoric state-of-mind wash over him. It was the same whenever he danced, a million emotions running through Jimin's body even as he expressed them in dance. "I never feel alone anymore. I always know he's there."

"That's good."

Min-soo lifted two thin chains from which a single pendant hung on both. "I thought I'd get you this."

"What for?" Yoongi asked, taking the necklaces when they were handed to him.

"For you. And Jimin," Min-soo said simply.

Yoongi took a closer look at the pendants, identical in size and shape. A thin golden wire made up the entirety of the small image. The wire had been twisted and molded into the shape of a single gladiolus.

"This is beautiful," Yoongi breathed out, rolling one of the pendants between his fingers. "Where did you even find this, Noona?"

"I made it," she admitted sheepishly, a dusty pink color coming to rest on her cheeks. "It's been almost a year since you and Jimin completed your soul-bond. This is my gift to the both of you."

A grateful smile lifted up at the corners of Yoongi's lips. "Thank you, Noona."

"You two are perfect for one another. And your story is like a drama!"

Yoongi had to chuckle at that, still tracing the delicate lines of the gladiolus in his hands. "You've got that right. I heard that they are actually making Jimin-ah's story into a drama. Jiminie just read through one of the first scripts to approve it a few days ago."

"It's not just his story," Min-soo shifted her legs so they lay straight out in front of her. "It's yours too."

"No," Yoongi chuckled. "My story is about writing until my hand cramps, running errands for Seokjin-Hyung, and having to sneak Jiminie and I in the back door of my step-mom's restaurant. His story is the interesting one."

Min-soo watched the lines on Yoongi's fave soften until he was entirely relaxed. She wondered if he knew how he looked when he watched Jimin; he looked utterly entranced. Like nothing else could matter if Jimin stood there.

"You've overcome a lot of struggles, too. Your step-mom and dad's relationship? Depression? Those things shouldn't be overlooked, Yoongi."

He just shrugged, still rolling the pendant between his fingers. "Maybe. My story's not that good. I mean, a lot of people cut ties with their parents, not just me. I have Jiminie's parents now, anyways. It's like my dad was never there."

Min-soo hummed, standing up from the floor. She pointedly eyed the golden ring around Yoongi's fourth finger, and the diamond ring already sitting around his neck on a chain. The two people who mattered most in his life, forever held close to him. "I think your story is good, too."

"You think so, Noona?"

"I know so."

Yoongi glanced down at his mother's engagement ring. "My step-mom told me that I have my mother's heart. Her determination. I'm stubborn and loving and won't give up on the things that matter."

Min-soo gestured vaguely to Jimin's form, still moving and breathing as the song slowed to an end. "So don't give up on him. You two deserve one another."

With that, she left the room.

Yoongi's relaxed face made way for a bright smile once the song ended. Yoongi pushed himself off the floor and made his way over to his soulmate, gripping the two necklaces in his palm like a lifeline.

"Jiminie! Look what Min-soo-Noona made the two of us!"

Maybe Jimin's bright laugh and sunny personality directly contradicted Yoongi's usual demeanor. Maybe they were complete opposites. Yoongi like bitter coffee and Jimin like sugar and cream, light and frothy.

But together, they were perfect. They worked in harmony. And their hearts forever held the feeling of love.

"It's perfect, Hyung!"

"Just like you are."