Crystal Academy (JiminXBTS)

{2}

CRYSTAL ACADEMY: CHAPTER TWO

A few hours later, Jimin is up and slipping the dress gently into a box before his mom comes home to head out and give the lady the dress she ordered. He's wearing a pair of black jeans with a gray sweater and a black beanie.

Jinhyun is in their room drawing while Hana is on the living room floor, playing with toys. There is the sound of someone walking up the front steps before the same familiar knock echos throughout the living room.

Jimin heads towards the door, box in hand. When he opens it, his mom is standing there, a tired expression on her face. "Are you alright, mom?" he asks, putting down the box and guiding her to the couch. "Yes, baby. I'm fine," she replies, smiling at her son. "I'm just tired." Hearing that made Jimin bite his lip as a sad expression washes over his face. "Don't worry, mama. It's just a bit longer then you can stop working. I'll get a job after graduation and support us." Ms. Park shakes her head, a sad smile on her face. "I don't want you to waste your life behind a counter. You're talented, Jiminie, and I want you to show the world your talent."

"Well, there's not much of a chance I can show the world my talent. So for now, I'm going to work harder to support you." Jimin gets up and grabs the box. "I'll be back in fifteen minutes. I'll bring you tea and Jinhyun a doughnut. Is there anything else you want me to pick up?" he asks. "I want you to treat yourself, your birthday is in a couple of days," she replies.

Jimin is silent for a minute, "I'll think about it," he says before leaving. Ms. Park lets out a small chuckle, knowing that Jimin would say no to treating himself. While it's nice that he is determined to look after and care for his family, sometimes she wishes he would also care about himself as he cares for them.

***

Jimin is sitting at one of the small, round tables outside the local cafe, waiting for the woman who ordered the dress to arrive. He already ordered a tea with honey and a squeeze of lemon for his mom, and a vanilla dip doughnut for Jinhyun.

Currently, he is just drawing another sketch in his book about a new sweater idea for Jinhyun since his previous one is getting too small for him. And after that, he will have enough fabric to make a t-shirt for Hana.

"Jimin?" a middle-age omega asks. He looks up and smiles. "Yes, that's me, take a seat, Mrs. Kim." She lets out a small relief before sitting down. "So I take it the dress is complete?" she asks. "Yes, just to let you know that around the waist is quite delicate, so you'll need to hand-wash it and let it air dry, or else the leaves will rust." Jimin rips a piece of paper from his book and writes down the instructions in case she forgets. "Thank you so much," she says, pulling her wallet out of her purse. "So it'll be thirty bucks, I'm so sorry it is so expensive," Jimin says. "Because of the leaves, my budget was a bit higher."

Mrs. Kim looks up, a shocked expression on her face. She grabs the box and opens it up again, examining the dress closer. Jimin swallows deeply, worried that she'll complain about the price.

"Thirty?" she asks, looking up. She pulls out a couple of bills and gives it to Jimin. He nervously accepts it and counts them. His eyes widen as he looks up at Mrs. Kim. "Um, I can't accept this much, Mrs. Kim. One hundred is way too generous."

She smiles, "This dress is worth way more than that, I'm surprised you only charged thirty for it. Plus, since you pay for the fabric, you should add that to their payment," she says. "And you made this yourself, right? What about school?"

"I still attend school and come home to do my work and watching my siblings while my mom is at work from eleven to six," Jimin replies. "Wow, you must be a busy kid. Do you participate in any clubs or after school activities?" she asks. Jimin shakes his head. "I don't. It would take too much time out of my day that I would rather spend on looking after my family. Now, if you excuse me, I must get going. My family is waiting." Just as he gets up, she asks for his name, and he gives it to her before heading back home, clutching the money in his hand with a smile on his face. If she asks for another garment, give her a discount, he thinks to himself as he walks home in the crisp evening air.

Around this time, rarely anyone is out, so Jimin takes this time to adore the quiet. Halfway home, he feel's like someone is watching him so he turns his head, eyes scanning the streets for signs of life. When he sees no one, Jimin lets out a sigh of relief and turns back around, hurrying back home, trying not to drop his mom's tea. Once he makes it home, he does the special knock. A couple of seconds pass before his brother opens the door.

"Hey, got you a doughnut," Jimin says with a smile as he enters the house. "Hey, sweetie, how was the sale?" their mom asks from the living room. Jimin pulls the money out of his pocket, flashing a huge smile.

"Whoa, that's a lot of money," Jinhyun gasps. "Yeah, Mrs. Kim appreciated the dress and was shocked that I was selling it for thirty. But normally I would've sold it for twenty. Things are just a bit tight with the beginning of the semester." Jimin puts the money in a jar on the counter. If they receive tips, Jimin and his mom would save it for extra things or if they need a little more money for food.

"Jimin, come sit down," his mom says, patting the spot next to her on the couch. She turns to Jinhyun, and he gasps, running down the hall. Jimin sits down, curious about what his mom and brother are planning.

"Look, we know your birthday is in a few days, but your brother wanted to give you your gift now," she says, a smile on her face. Jinhyun comes in with the present in hand. "We hope you like it," he says, handing the gift to his brother. Jimin smiles, "I'm positive I will love it, but you guys don't need to do anything for my birthday." He unties the bow and puts it to the side before gently tearing the wrapping paper. He gasps when he sees what's inside.

"A new sketch book?" he asks, lifting the hardcover book. It had a blank white cover with beautiful blank white sheets inside. "We know your old book is starting to get a little full, and besides, isn't blank white paper better than lined?" Jinhyun asks.

Jimin lets out a laugh, putting the book to the side and getting up to hug his brother. "Thank you," he says before dragging Jinhyun down onto the couch, laughing as they cuddle closer to their mom.

"Thanks, I love you guys."

I swear I'm not crying guys :'(  it must be those damn onion ninjas, popping out of no where to make me cry  >:( 

Anyways, thank you guys so much for reading! I love you guys so much and I hope you have an amazing day!