"Cutie, today I just want to relax by the pool."
Jimin’s heart did a little leap of joy at those words from Mr. Kim. For the past two days, he'd been glued to his side, trailing him through a whirlwind of activities: shopping, golfing, dining, and even meeting Mr. Kim's friends. He was exhausted—his body screamed for rest and sleep.
"Where are you going?" Mr. Kim asked, watching as Jimin opened the door of his room.
"You said you wanted to relax at the pool, so I don't need to follow you, right?" Jimin replied, a glimmer of hope in his voice.
"Cutie..."
"My name is Jimin," he corrected, for what felt like the hundredth time. Jimin still couldn’t understand why this strange man insisted on calling him 'cutie.' It made his cheeks burn every time.
"Okay, Jiminie Cutie," Mr. Kim teased, smirking. He loved seeing Jimin’s face scrunch up in irritation—it only made him look cuter.
"I’ve told you before," Mr. Kim continued with an exaggerated sigh, "you have to follow me everywhere I go."
"But the pool is literally next door! I don’t have to go," Jimin groaned, desperately clinging to the idea of a nap.
"I pay you to be with me," Mr. Kim reminded him, the playful tone replaced with a firm one.
"So, if you go to the bathroom, I have to follow you there too?" Jimin shot back, rolling his eyes. He was, after all, a normal human being who needed sleep.
"If you want to follow me to the bathroom, I’d be very happy," Mr. Kim grinned, clearly enjoying himself. Jimin’s expression of pure disgust at his joke was the cherry on top. With no further argument, Jimin reluctantly followed him to the pool.
"What’s this?" Jimin asked as Mr. Kim handed him a bottle.
"Sunblock," Mr. Kim replied.
"I know what it is. I don’t need it," Jimin replied, confused.
"It’s not for you. It’s for me. Put it on."
"W-what?" Jimin stuttered, his eyes wide.
"There you go again. ‘What’ is your favorite word, isn’t it?" Mr. Kim chuckled. Jimin did seem to say it a lot, particularly when Mr. Kim was involved. Everything about him was a mystery that Jimin couldn’t quite wrap his head around.
"What do you mean?" Jimin asked, his face a mix of shock and disbelief.
"See? Again!" Mr. Kim laughed as he began taking off his shirt and lay back on a lounge chair. "Well? What are you waiting for? Apply the lotion."
Jimin's hands trembled as he kneeled beside Mr. Kim and began rubbing the sunblock onto his skin. His face flushed—this was beyond awkward. He had never applied lotion to another man’s body before, not even his brother’s.
"Thanks, Cutie. Now, how about a swim?" Mr. Kim asked, getting up and stretching.
"What?" Jimin blinked, still trying to recover from the sunblock situation.
"Gosh, again with the 'what'!" Mr. Kim exclaimed before dashing off and diving into the pool with a powerful splash, soaking Jimin in the process. Mr. Kim’s laughter echoed across the water as Jimin stood there, dripping wet and fuming.
"Patience, Jimin. You need to have a lot of patience," he muttered to himself.
After Mr. Kim was content lounging in the pool, he casually instructed Jimin to go clean his room. When Jimin entered, he was met with a disaster zone. Empty cans, cigarette butts filling the ashtray, and clothes scattered across the floor.
"Sir, you're a mess," Jimin mumbled, wrinkling his nose in disgust. "How can you live like this? The air in here is awful. You're going to get sick."
Mr. Kim didn’t respond. He just smirked, enjoying Jimin’s grumbling. Despite the chaos, Jimin tidied up quickly, the room now pristine and organized.
"Thank you, Cutie. You can go now."
"Really?" Jimin asked, disbelief in his voice. It wasn’t often that Mr. Kim let him off the hook this early.
"If you want to stay, you can. Come, lay down here," Mr. Kim said, patting the mattress beside him, a mischievous glint in his eye.
"Weirdo," Jimin muttered under his breath as Mr. Kim burst into laughter and disappeared into the bathroom. Once the door clicked shut, Jimin took the opportunity to open the pizza box Mr. Kim had ordered. He spread spicy chili sauce all over it, smirking to himself.
"Goodnight, Mr. Kim. Enjoy your dinner," Jimin giggled as he slipped out of the room.
---
Later that evening, Jimin was ready to collapse into his bed. His muscles ached from head to toe, and the thought of sleep made him smile.
"Ahhh, my bed... I missed you."
Just as his eyes fluttered shut, his phone buzzed with a message.
Weirdo:
Come to my room. Now.
"What? Now?" Jimin groaned, reading Mr. Kim’s text. He had a sinking feeling this had something to do with the spicy pizza prank. Begrudgingly, he threw on some clothes and hurried to Mr. Kim’s room, half expecting to be scolded.
"Sir, what is it?" Jimin asked as he entered the room. Mr. Kim was rummaging through his things.
"My watch. It's missing."
"Huh? What’s wrong with your watch?"
"It’s gone! I left it on the table, but now it’s nowhere to be found," Mr. Kim said, his tone sharp with irritation.
Jimin’s heart sank. "Oh no... the trash," he whispered, remembering how he had cleaned the room earlier.
"Did you throw it away? Are you trying to get revenge on me for making you follow me around all day or because I soaked you by the pool?" Mr. Kim's voice grew harsh as his frustration bubbled over.
"I... I'm not sure..." Jimin stammered, guilt gnawing at him.
"I don’t care. Find it, or you’re fired."
Jimin’s heart raced. "Y-you can’t do that. I need this job."
"Oh yes, I can," Mr. Kim said coldly before pushing Jimin out the door. But as soon as Jimin left, Mr. Kim smirked, amused by his own little game.
YOU ARE READING
Winter In My Heart (Jikook/Kookmin)
FanfictionJeon's family is a happy family, despite having only one son named Jeon Jungkook. They were content with their biological son, who was a good boy and respected both of his parents. Mr. and Mrs. Jeon knew their son was lonely at home and needed frien...
