The Magic Shop: A BTS Short Story Compilation

2: Romeo & Juliet

Almost everything that occurred yesterday had a perfectly logical explanation. The reason he fainted out of nowhere? Stress, the paramedics said, easily cured with a good night's sleep. And the strange visions he saw? Flights of fancies induced by fatigue. Almost, however, did not equate to all. And, because he couldn't get Kim Yeoreum's tear-stained face out of his mind, he spent the night tossing and turning instead of resting as the doctor prescribed.

Why did she cry?

Stifling a yawn, Yoongi trudged across the wide marbled expanse of his office building's lobby still mulling over the question. As someone who thought excessive expressions of emotion was a waste of time, he rarely showed what he felt even to his friends. Of course, not everyone agreed with him, but Kim Yeoreum wasn't even a friend. She was just a coworker. Was it normal for a mere coworker to cry over another? Why did he even care?

The thing was, the act of crying itself wasn't anything special. Except that, no one has ever cried for him before. Not his father when he kicked Yoongi out of their house, nor his mother when she shut the door in his face after Yoongi came back months later starving and begging to return. So, he concluded, it wasn't that Kim Yeoreum was anything special. It was just the novelty of the experience that fascinated him.

If that was the case, then why did she affect him so?

"Yoongi-hyung!" A resonant voice called from behind.

Yoongi stopped and turned around. Kim Namjoon, the station manager, jogged towards him, his long limbs quickly eating up the distance between them. Even though Namjoon was technically his superior at work, Yoongi was older. So as not to make things awkward, they decided to dispense with needless corporate formalities. Besides, they've known each other long enough to do so. Instead, they've developed a casual friendship that extended beyond the radio station. By that, he meant sometimes going out for drinks and on rare occasions, even having enough patience to listen to Namjoon vent about his parents pressuring him to get married or have a girlfriend at least. Namjoon was 30. Whether that was too old or too young entirely depended on whose perspective was used. Frankly, Yoongi didn't care. He barely had the energy to live. The effort required to develop and keep a relationship was simply beyond him.

"Hyung-nim, how are you feeling?" Namjoon asked when he caught up.

Yoongi shrugged, resuming his steps toward the elevators. "Fine."

"So did you get some rest? How many hours did you sleep?" Probably used to Yoongi's one-liners, Namjoon continued, undeterred.

"The usual." Yoongi pressed the up button then slouched against the wall.

Namjoon gave him a horrified look. "Hyung! Your usual is not enough. That's why you fainted. You need to sleep for six hours at least.  A healthy body is a healthy mind."

"Yeah, yeah." A dinging sound signified the elevator's arrival. They both stepped inside. "Stop worrying. My mind and body are healthy enough."

Namjoon sighed, pressed the button to their floor, and refrained from saying anything else. Yoongi almost felt sorry for the guy. He knew Namjoon only worried because he cared, but Yoongi always did as he pleased and right now, sleep was the least of his priorities. There were playlists to prepare, photos to edit, articles to write, and---

"---Kim Yeoreum-ssi..."

"What?" The name instantly pulled Yoongi away from his thoughts. Did Namjoon...

"Kim Yeoreum-ssi---"

...read his mind? Was he that obvious? Impossible! There was nothing to show and nothing to read. Absolutely nothing. Yoongi eyed the numbers in front of him with wary eyes. Three floors to go. He pulled the brim of his cap lower down his forehead, ready to avoid a certain someone who, as soon as he got to the office, would normally assault him as an excited puppy would to a reluctant master. And he was very reluctant. Most definitely so.