You Never Walk Alone || VMIN

EIGHT

"I'm going to the vending machine, it won't take long."

During the entire meeting with Jimin's dance team, he tried to come up with an excuse to leave the room, even if just for a moment. No matter how much he tried to focus on the planning around him, all he could focus on was Taehyung's presence.

If truth be told, he felt really bad.

Taehyung had tried to apologize for something he didn't even need to apologize for, yet Jimin had just been rude as a response. The entire meeting he had done everything he could to look unaffected. Cold, almost. And he didn't even know why.

Why did he feel such a strong need to give Taehyung a hard time? 

"Take Taehyung with you," Namjoon said, not taking his eyes off his laptop.

"Come on, it's just around the corner. I think I can make it on my own."

"It's an order," Namjoon half-teased, half-stated.

Great. The only thing Jimin wanted was to get out of the room in which Taehyung was. Instead, he managed to score one-on-one time with him. Just the two of them. Great.

The entire way over to the vending machine, Jimin made sure to walk in front of Taehyung, eliminating every chance of starting a conversation. It wasn't until Jimin tried to force his wrinkly money into the ever so unwilling vending machine, that Taehyung finally spoke up.

"Who even uses cash these days," he tried, followed by a hesitant smile.

Jimin shot a surprised glance upon him, puzzled by the sudden attempt to a normal conversation. He didn't think Taehyung would want to speak with him, the way Jimin had acted. He suddenly felt very undeserving of Taehyung's kind eyes, carefully gazing over at him.

"Uhm, it's um..." Jimin blurted out before pulling himself together, "Namjoon and I like to make a lot of bets..." He took a moment to observe Taehyung before continuing, "We realized it was more fun with actual, visual cash, so... Yeah, I have a lot of cash..." 

Jimin spoke quietly, still unsure about how to act. He found it hard to look straight into Taehyung's welcoming eyes, so most of the time he kept his gaze locked on the machine.

"I take it you're usually the winner then?" Taehyung questioned, speaking in a warm, calm tone.

"Uhm, sometimes... But he also bribes me with cash when I'm being lazy."

Jimin felt the corners of his lips turn slightly upwards by the memories with his manager. 

"So let me get this straight," Taehyung began, a slight smile teasing his lips, "You're telling me the Park Jimin who could basically buy whatever he wants, will obey his manager for what, 10 000 won?"

"Hey, I'm not that rich..." Jimin tried, both of them knowing that he definitely was, "I don't know, sometimes this piece of paper just feels more worth, I guess. I can see it, touch it..."

"But not use it, apparently."

Jimin could have easily become flustered by his own clumsiness, hearing a comment like that paired with Taehyung's wide grin. But that smile was so contagious. He simply couldn't do anything than reciprocate it, shyly lowering his gaze.

"Here, let me help you."

Jimin swiftly felt his entire body freeze as Taehyung suddenly reached over to gently place his hands around Jimin's. As the tips of his fingers smoothly corrected the money to make it go into the machine, his palms rested softly around Jimin's hands, fitting like the most perfect gloves. The warmth radiating off his skin appeared almost addicting to Jimin. His soft yet determined touch was something different. Something new. 

"There..." Taehyung uttered with a shy smile as the machine finally swallowed Jimin's money. 

His hands seemed to linger around Jimin's for a moment before letting go, leaving the idol cluelessly glaring into the machine, his hands still in the air. They suddenly felt so cold. So lonesome. 

After managing to get himself a water bottle while nervously clearing his throat, Jimin noticed himself retract to the same distancing behavior he had shown earlier the same morning. He swiftly felt a strong need to act cold towards his lifeguard, despite not wanting to. It was as if the warm, unfamiliar sensation in his stomach that Taehyung had triggered, was inevitably followed by the opposite response. As if he needed to balance it out. To conquer the inner warmth by acting cold on the outside. All because of something that had made him feel good.

That's when Jimin realized it. Everything about last night suddenly made sense.

All the shame, the embarrassment, the problems with Taehyung's mere presence, it wasn't because of what Jimin had seen the night before.

It wasn't even because Taehyung knew he had seen it.

No, Jimin now realized it was because of what had gone on in his own head after seeing it.

Because he had enjoyed the sight.

Hello dear reader!!!

I'm so surprised some people are actually reading and voting for this little story of mine...

I really enjoy writing it, but I feel very uncertain as to what you wish from it... I just don't want to disappoint the few of you reading!

Either way, THANK YOU for reading, it makes me so happy!

/alvimin♡