Mine (Jikook/Kookmin)- Complete

3

Jungkook stood frozen for a moment when he found Jimin sitting at his doorstep, hands covering his face as his shoulders trembled. The quiet sobs of his neighbor broke through the silence, and Jungkook's heart clenched at the sight. The usual cheerful, resilient Jimin was now a fragile figure, broken down and lost.

“Jimin, what happened?” Jungkook's voice softened with concern, his protective instincts kicking in as he knelt beside him.

Without waiting for a response, Jungkook helped Jimin up gently, guiding him into the house and onto the couch where Jae, their little three-year-old, was waiting. The moment Jae saw his appa in tears, his own small eyes filled with worry, and before anyone could stop him, the boy climbed into Jimin's lap. His tiny arms wrapped tightly around Jimin's neck as if trying to absorb all the sadness away.

“Jiminie Appa...” Jae's quiet voice was laced with confusion and sadness, his lip trembling.

Jimin quickly wiped his tears away, trying to put on a brave face for his son. The last thing he wanted was for Jae to see him like this. He was supposed to be strong, the pillar of Jae’s life, but today, that pillar had crumbled. Despite his best efforts, the weight of everything had finally caught up to him.

Jungkook sat on the edge of the couch, his jaw tight, his fists clenched. Whoever or whatever had caused this pain—he wanted to know. He had never seen Jimin like this, and the idea of someone hurting him made his blood boil.

“Tell me what happened, Jimin. Who made you cry?” Jungkook’s voice had shifted, taking on a low, protective edge.

With a deep, shuddering breath, Jimin finally spoke, his voice barely above a whisper, “I got fired...”

The weight of those words hit Jungkook like a punch. Fired? His mind immediately swirled with thoughts of how much Jimin relied on that job, how he worked tirelessly to support Jae and give him a stable life, even when Jimin himself was struggling. And now, that lifeline had been ripped away without warning.

“They fired me because... because I was late too many times.” Jimin’s voice cracked as he explained, guilt evident in his tone. “I tried to beg them to reconsider, but they wouldn’t listen. I didn’t even get my paycheck...”

Jungkook's fists clenched tighter. He understood being late was wrong, but for them to deny Jimin his salary—his rightful earnings—was utterly unfair. He fought the urge to storm out then and there. Instead, he focused on calming Jimin and making sure he was okay.

“Let’s go,” Jungkook said, his voice firm.

Jimin looked at him, confused. “Go where?”

“To get your paycheck. That’s your money, Jimin. They can’t just take it away.”

Moments later, Jungkook and Jimin were walking into the convenience store where Jimin worked, Jae still clinging to his appa. As they entered, Jungkook’s eyes darkened as he spotted the manager, a smug-looking man who seemed entirely unbothered by the injustice he had just committed.

“Call your manager,” Jungkook barked.

“I’m the manager here,” the man replied arrogantly. “What do you want?”

Jungkook's body tensed with anger, but Jimin’s hand on his arm kept him grounded. Without Jae there, he might have thrown a punch, but for now, he had to keep it together.

“You’re going to give Jimin his salary. It’s his right,” Jungkook said through gritted teeth, doing his best to remain calm.

The manager scoffed, crossing his arms. “Right? He should be lucky I didn’t cut more of his pay. He’s always late. He should be grateful for what he got.”

Jimin’s head dropped, his shoulders slumping even further. He felt small, like the entire world was crumbling around him. Jungkook, however, wasn’t about to let this go.

“If you don’t pay him what he’s owed, I’ll take this to the employment tribunal. You know you’ll lose.”

The manager hesitated for a moment, clearly not expecting to be challenged. Begrudgingly, he pulled out his wallet and handed Jimin a crumpled $100 bill.

“Are you kidding? That’s not even half of what he’s owed!” Jungkook snapped, his voice rising.

“I’ve already deducted for his lateness and excessive leaves. That’s all he deserves,” the manager replied coldly.

Jimin tugged on Jungkook’s sleeve, his voice barely a whisper. “Hyung, please. Let’s just go...”

Jungkook looked down at Jae, who was now clinging tightly to Jimin’s neck, his small sobs echoing in the quiet store. The sight broke Jungkook’s heart, and he knew Jimin was right. This wasn’t the time to start a fight, especially not with Jae there, scared and upset.

“We’re not done,” Jungkook growled at the manager as they turned to leave.

Back home, Jimin sat down with Jae still on his lap, exhausted but grateful for Jungkook’s support. As the door closed behind them, Jungkook felt a surge of determination. No one was going to mistreat Jimin like that again—not while he was around.