Autumn Leaves / Park Jimin fanfiction

4. I'll See You Around

Trouvaille
A valuable discovery, or a lucky find; something lovely discovered by chance; a windfall.

-

The air was thick with the aroma of coffee beans as I tie the faded apron around my waist. I loved working at the small, artisan coffee shop just down the road from my apartment. It would be precisely 4 years in November since I'd started working here. During that time, I'd seen the same regular customers come in to order the exact same coffee every time. When Yoongi had worked beside me, he'd roll his eyes at them, claiming they had nothing to live for if they couldn't even spice up their coffee order every now and again. Yoongi used to work with me as a barista, back then we would pour coffee beans down each other's aprons when no one was looking, and compete with each other to see who could earn the most tips. Of course, Yoongi won - every time.

It'd been 3 years since he left, so now it was just me and an old, frail lady named Mimi who kept the coffee shop on its feet. I didn't mind though. I enjoyed relishing in my thoughts as I pour the smooth, brown liquid into china mugs, topping each one with chocolate twirls that muted the bitter taste of the coffee. My eyes wander around the coffee shop until they settle on a boy sat far in the corner reading a book. He looked familiar but was sat too far away for me to be able to recognise any particular features. I find myself shuffling forwards with curiosity, trying to get a better view of him. It wasn't until he lifted his head and attached his lips onto the large mug beside him that I recognised who it was.

Jimin.

How long had he been here for? I'd never seen him in the coffee shop before. Just like before my eyes were frozen on him. I watch as his Adam's apple bobbed up and down as he sipped on his hot chocolate. His nimble fingers flick through the pages of the hardback book laid out on the table in front of him. It takes all of my energy to look away and focus back on the cookies I was supposed to be putting on display. How could someone be nowhere, and then suddenly they are everywhere? One by one, I place the cookies on the wooden counter, giving each different one a name tag. Toffee, ginger, oatmeal, raisin, almond cherry... A dark shadow casts itself over me. I glance up, my eyes connecting with the beautiful boy I'd been gawking at just seconds ago.

He was even more alluring up close. I could detect the scent of his soft, yet masculine cologne which was enough to flood my head with endorphins. Not one feature alone made Jimin the most handsome man I'd ever seen, but his eyes came close to the mark. Poets write entire poems about the colour of their lovers' eyes but I had decided Jimin's would be beautiful in any shade.

His face was strong and defined, it was as if his features had been chiselled from granite. They were accentuated by his tousled, dark brown hair which was thicker and more lustrous than I had first noticed in the art studio. A rose blush seared through my cheeks as I felt my whole face on fire. I attempted to hide my rosy features behind my fingers as I rested my face on my hands. Not only had my cheeks flamed a red hue but my whole face. Though my ears were hidden behind the messy curls of my hair I knew they were just as red as my face.

"May I help you?" I manage to choke out, struggling to maintain eye contact with him. "I just came to return my dirty mug. I thought I'd save you a job." He lightly placed the mug down on the counter. His voice wasn't as low as I had expected it to be. There was no trace of huskiness and there was less power to it than his well-toned body suggested.

"Sorry, do you mind me asking. Do we take the same art class?" He questions after I'd failed to give a reply to his last statement. He'd recognised me? A nervous, giddy wave washes over me. By now my heart was beating twice as fast as it had been minutes ago and my breathing was slowly becoming more and more erratic. "Uh yes. I think so." I murmur, mentally facepalming myself for how awkward I was being.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Jimin." He extends his hand out for me to shake, just like Hobi had this morning. I grab his hand a little too eagerly, dying to feel the warmth radiating from it. I shake his hand weakly before forcing myself to let go. "I'm Autumn," I smile back, this time being able to control the quietness of my voice.

"I guess I'll be seeing you around." He scratches the back of his neck, simultaneously brushing his hair back with his other hand. Before turning on his heel to leave, he shoots me a warm smile, the small golden bell on top of the door ringing, annunciating his departure, and all I could think about was how much I couldn't wait to tell Yoongi.