With a Pinch of Salt ✓

IX

Pretty pretty pretty pretty

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JIMIN locked the door of his tea shop after closing time. Today had been a good day for business; almost all the tables were filled at one point. Yongsun had called him asking if he read the morning newspaper. When he said he didn't, she mysteriously hung up and sent a bunch of eye emojis in WhatsApp.

That woman was weird and that's why he liked her a lot.

"Park Jimmy?" A voice behind him spoke. He jumped. Taehyung really needed to stop sneaking up behind him.

"Goodness, you startled me," Jimin squeaked.

Taehyung grinned widely; something that Jimin had never seen him do when he was under disguise.

"I apologise," he said. "I wanted to pay your shop a visit but I guess I'm late."

Jimin was pleasantly surprised. "Why is that?"

Taehyung cast his eyes down, shy. "I-I wanted to see you, I guess," he said, rubbing his shoe sole on the ground. "Um, do you wish to take a walk with me?"

Jimin was lost for words. Here was the man he drooled over each day (who didn't look twice his way when he dressed as a girl), acting coy and asking for his attention. He gripped his knapsack which contained his outfit for the day and debated his options: return home early to avoid suspicion and coldly turn down Taehyung's kind offer or-

"Sure," he smiled brightly.

A grin as radiant as thousand suns lit up on Taehyung's face.

*

Jimin felt on top of the world. Taehyung was the smoothest talker, his subtle pickup lines offered a worthy match- no, they were on a different level altogether when compared to Hoseok's. Of course, Hoseok was his friend and he thought of him as such, hence they had little effect on Jimin. Had those same pickup lines been hurled at Maits, she would probably be thirty-one weeks pregnant.

When Taehyung revealed that he had written a glowing review for his shop the previous day, Jimin understood why his shop was swarming with customers, why Yongsun had made that call. He had June roses for cheeks the entire time they strolled.

Walking with him underneath the swiftly-setting sun, in the cobbled streets was an experience that Jimin never had. He felt like he had walked right into a book and officially, this was only a day after they had first met. Their hands brushed against each other as lightly as a dewdrop would descend a lily's petals and yet, it left Jimin yearning for each touch. He couldn't find the word to describe the look Taehyung gave him, each time they locked eyes. Whatever it was, it made him want to melt into a puddle of gooey mess.

Would he call what was going on between them sexual tension? Probably.

That is, if his hunch about Kim Taehyung being queer as a two dollar bill was correct.

*

"Well, this was lovely and I wish I could stay for longer," Taehyung finally said after their lengthy discussion on tea blends. "But it is getting late."

"It's only seven," Jimin giggled. Wait, it was already seven? Now he felt like taking his words back.

Taehyung quirked a handsome brow. "My timetable is a bit different from yours, Jimmy."

"I completely understand," he quickly said. "I didn't mean to mock it."

Taehyung immediately gave a warm smile. "Of course you didn't. You didn't know."

'What a complete turn-over from the usual snobbery I see at home,' Jimin noted. 'Yep, he's as queer as a two dollar bill.'

"Are you gay?" Jimin suddenly asked, the feeling to squash all doubts too irresistible as he watched Taehyung board the bus. The man turned, astonished.

A slow smirk spread on his face. The bus began to move then. Cupping his hands, he shouted:

"I'm as queer as you, baby!"

If exploding into crimson was a thing, then that is exactly what happened to Jimin.

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there is one more chapter before this and one more chapter after it, yes! it's a triple update!

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