On the fifth day of his island vacation, Park Jimin wakes up very confused.

The sun shines brightly, illuminating his already pale skin as he walks by the beachfront. Unlike the previous days, he didn’t want to be locked inside his room today. Otherwise, he’ll end up thinking more. That was a good thing, especially if he wanted to write music.

But he needs to breathe.

Last night was just—

The dancer-turned-producer leans on one of the wooden fences overlooking the beach. He watches a mother chase her daughter who has a crab hanging on her swimsuit. He wants to laugh, but he’s too distracted.

“Well, look who it is.”

Jimin jumps in surprise at the sound of the familiar voice. At the sight of him, a small smile stretches on his face.

“I’m surprised to see you out and about,” he tells Woo Hyun.

The bartender returns his smile with a sheepish one. “Took the day off. I was supposed to pick my sister up at the airport but her flight got delayed,” he says, “I figured I should make the most out of the day. Luckily, I run into THE Park Jimin.”

It’s weird seeing the cute bartender out of his uniform. Woo Hyun dons the preppy boy-next-door look like a pro; hands in his pockets and a sheepish grin. Jimin can’t help but blush.

“So... are we finally doing it?” asks Woo Hyun.

“Doing what?”

“Hang out,” he answers, “You told me the other night that you’ll talk to me again, but you never came back.” Woo Hyun pouts as he accuses Jimin of ditching him yet again. In his head, the former Bangtan Boy is accusing the bartender of being so tempting.

“Well, we’re both here now,” says Jimin, “Let’s go.”

The bartender lets out a chuckle of delight. “Let’s start the day by taking a walk by the beach, then,” he offers, “Don’t worry; I’m not going to push you in the water. Fanboy’s honor.” He even does that ridiculous scout’s honor sign.

Jimin laughs as they start their walk. Woo Hyun’s appearance is of good timing. Today, fate is kind to him and sends distraction in the form of this y bartender and secret fanboy.

“So, the other night was pretty tensed, huh?” begins Woo Hyun.

“What do you mean?”

“You know... when your bandmate came over.”

“Oh.”

He recalls that painfully awkward night at the bar. Taehyung had just ed him and nothing made Jimin angrier. He was just about to have a good night with the y bartender; who gave his ex the right to ruin everything?

“He’s my noona’s favourite in BTS,” continues the bartender, “Now that I’ve seen him up close, I could see why she and the other guests here are crazy about him. He is painfully handsome.”

“Yeah.”

“But he was also kind of scary,” comments Woo Hyun, “The way he looked at me... if looks could kill, I’d probably be six feet under.”

“I am so sorry about that,” apologizes Jimin, “It was... just an off night.”

Woo Hyun doesn’t say anything. Jimin wonders if he should explain to him the context of the situation. The bartender’s gentle face made him look like a go-to person for people with problems. Plus, he needed someone to talk to.

But I just met this guy.

He hears Woo Hyun clear his throat.

“I... I don’t mean to pry; believe me, prying is the last thing a fanboy wants to do to their idol,” he begins, “But... did you guys fight or something?”

“What makes you say that?”

“The air was cold as ice even when you left,” answers Woo Hyun, “And I swear he glared at me again when you disappeared.” The bartender looks at Jimin. “Do you want some ice cream?”

“I just had some yesterday.”

“Are you on a diet?”

No, it just reminds me of my ex-boyfriend doting on Jung Hana.

“I just think it’s a little too early for ice cream,” replies Jimin, “But I could buy you one.”

“Hey, who says you’re buying?”

“I say so and I have three good reasons to.”

Woo Hyun rubs his chin as he smiles. “Okay, what are your three reasons?”

“One: for that awkward night with Taehyung. Two: for always ditching you, apparently. And Three: because you seem like the nicest guy on this island.”

“And your biggest fan too.”

His cheeks redden, but Jimin refuses to show Woo Hyun. He leads the bartender to the little ice cream kiosk, complaining to the heavens: why can’t it be this easy? Why can’t I just have fun with Woo Hyun?

Jimin orders a scoop for both him and Woo Hyun. Once they got their cones, they walk again. As they enjoy their treats, the former idol can’t help but stare at his companion. The man looks like a demigod as he the strawberry ice cream.

Aisht, my eyes.

“So, about my question,” begins Woo Hyun, smacking his lips, “Will I ever know if that thing with your bandmate is the reason you’ve been coming to the bar?”

Here it is: the opportunity to talk to someone who isn’t from BTS. It’s not like the members have been of no help; their knowledge of the long history between Taehyung and Jimin backed up their sound advices. But it also made everything sound so biased.

Jimin needs a new pair of ears, but should he really tell this y but sweet bartender?

“You’re not the press?” he asks, “Or someone who’ll spill secrets on Twitter the next day?”

Woo Hyun laughs. “I don’t even have SNS.”

The former idol gathers his thoughts. Is this a wise decision?

“I... well... he’s my ex.”

There, it’s out of the bag.

His mind panics—he just let a stranger in on a secret, not minding that Taehyung is still an actor and that this could destroy his reputation. What if Woo Hyun is secretly a magazine reporter? What if he leaks the news? What if—?

“I figured.”

Jimin sees a knowing expression on his companion’s face. Woo Hyun eats the last piece of the cone before turning to him.

“He had that kind of aura,” he continues, “I guess he saw us talking and that might’ve ticked him off.”

“Nah, he was annoyed that I didn’t want to talk to him.”

“Bad breakup, huh?”

“Very.”

Woo Hyun seems thoughtful as he digests the information. “Last I heard from the staff, BTS is reunited because of a special event. That means you’ve been spending the past days with him too?”

“Yeah.”

“Must be hard.”

“The first few days were pretty difficult; I didn’t want to go out of the room,” says Jimin, “But the hyungs were persistent and I had to go.”

“The first few days?” repeats the bartender, “What about now? Is there anything different?”

Immediately, Jimin remembers last night.

Woo Hyun notices his silence.

“Something happened, huh?” he asks.

Something is an understatement. Jimin knows he shouldn’t read into things too much, but this is Taehyung they’re talking about.

Last night began with the four of them booking a private room in the restaurant Hoseok was talking about. After dropping Hana off, the remaining members made their way to have some food, fun, and noraebang.

It started well: Hobi was designated host, which meant he asked everyone about anything—their lives, opinions on current events, and plans for the joint bachelor party.

“... of course we can’t have strippers; both grooms are there,” Hoseok was saying, “Wouldn’t want them to cancel the wedding the next day.”

“No one said we should have strippers anyway, Hobi hyung,” chimed Taehyung, who was comfortably sitting beside the lead dancer, “If you need entertainment, I’ll do it.”

“You’ll strip?” asked Hoseok as he grilled the beef, “No, thanks.”

“Hey, I have a great body.”

“Again, no thanks.”

They all had a good laugh. With Hobi as the life of the dinner (and Taehyung seconding him), Jimin didn’t feel the need to exert any effort. Even Yoongi, who was sullen at the beginning, started to loosen up after two shots of soju.

An hour into it, they talked about their V Live pairings.

“But seriously, Hwagae Market had more substance,” Yoongi insisted as he devoured a piece of pork belly, “We talked about sensible stuff.”

Jimin rolled his eyes. “Sure, talking about face masks saved Korea’s economy.”

“Better than you guys just having random conversations in Satoori!” said Hoseok.

“What’s wrong with that?” pipes in Taehyung, “We broke cultural barriers by helping international fans appreciate our y accents.”

“Which you lost, eventually.”

“WELL YOU CLOSED THE ING MARKET TOO.”

The argument went on for another fifteen minutes. Hoseok and Yoongi teamed up against their dongsaengs, defending the glory of each of their segments. Taehyung’s voice became louder, insisting that Mandakko could’ve saved humanity if it wanted to.

“You know the best way to settle this?” he asked, “LET’S JUST HAVE A ING SING OFF!”

“I like how you guys settle debates,” comes Woo Hyun’s voice, “Noraebang is always the best way to resolve disputes.”

Jimin smiles as he leans over the fence that separates them from the shore. “It was the ultimate decision maker.”

Woo Hyun bites his lip as he recalls something (and it secretly drives Jimin crazy). “From what I remember, Suga and J-Hope are rap line members,” he tells Jimin, “And you and V are vocals, right?”

“Yeah?”

He laughs. “So your hyungs basically went on a suicide mission.”

“One that they entered with passion.”

Last night saw the comeback of Hwagae Market’s version of Homme’s I Was Able to Eat Well. Jimin can’t remember the last time his stomach hurt so bad from laughing.

They also had solo performances. Hobi entertained them with Park Ji Yoon’s Coming of Age Ceremony, which came with a matching dance number. Taehyung tried copying the dance, but he did so sloppily (despite his good dancing skills).

Yoongi, after six shots of soju, ended up screaming to Tears. He didn’t allow his difficulty in reaching high notes to stop him; he sang the out of that song. Jimin fed him bits of meat as he scratched his vocal cords.

Of course, Team Mandakko wasn’t going to let the older guys beat them.

Taehyung’s first choice was so obvious. Once the first notes of Cypher 3: Killer blared from the speakers, he couldn’t control himself anymore.

“But I don’t care, you can’t control my . Bulsineul chamanaen ninjaga dwae dasi dorawatji~!” he sang with passion.

It’s been years since he heard his ex-boyfriend rap so passionately. While he killed (or murdered, that’s more accurate) Hoseok’s part, Jimin fondly remembered those times Taehyung would perform Cypher 3 by himself. It was his favourite and damn it if anyone stopped him from expressing his love.

Once he got to Yoongi’s part, however, the hyung still didn’t give him a break.

“AH HYUNG!”

“YOU’RE NOT KILLING MY RAP, KIM TAEHYUNG!”

Hoseok and Jimin laughed out loud as the Daegu boys rapped the last verse of Cypher 3. For a 35-year old, Taehyung has not outgrown his love for dabbing while rapping. Watching him, Jimin realizes he still has not outgrown laughing at his ex-boyfriend’s antics.

Finally, Jimin ended up with the microphone.

“SERENDIPITY!”

“No More Dream, solo version, plus abs!”

“That song we made three years before we disbanded.”

Due to the influence of alcohol, Jimin ended up with Gloria Gaynor’s I Will Survive. Despite his crooked English, the older 95 liner hit all the high notes while twirling. The remaining three danced along, raising their glasses. Taehyung’s necktie had come undone and was already wrapped around his head as he hummed like an idiot.

“You must’ve sounded great.”

Jimin rolls his eyes. “I don’t think so,” he says as he finishes his ice cream, “But I did get the high score.”

“Perks of nailing the high notes always.”

They’re taking a stroll by the cabanas now. As they walk, Jimin notices how tall Woo Hyun is—and how good-looking too. Hands in his pockets and eyes ahead, the bartender is clueless to the producer’s gaze. The wind brushes his hair, giving him that windswept look that Jimin is a er for.

Especially when Taehyung wears it.

“So... I’m guessing you also had a duet with your ex?”

Jimin sighs. “Yeah, it was only fair.”

Woo Hyun glances at him. “Did you have fun?”

“Sing Outro: House of Cards, damn it!”

“WE’LL NEED THE OTHERS.”

“Can’t it be a duet?”

“NO.”

Jimin is busy perusing the music book to see any duet worthy song with his ex. He was too immersed with the song choices, he didn’t mind that he’d be singing with Taehyung. Besides, the younger 95 liner was arguing with Hoseok about Jungkook’s whereabouts.

“I’m telling you—he’s probably in Daegu, running his own lamb skewer business!”

“Why would he do that in Daegu? Can’t he do that in Busan?”

“Well it sounds more probable than him being a pro-wrestler training in the Jeolla Province!”

Yoongi sighs as he takes another shot.

“Hey Jimin-ah, still don’t have a song?” he asked.

“I’m looking for one.”

“This ain’t a competition, kid,” said the hyung, standing up to get away from the bickering, “Why don’t you just randomly select?” He approached the karaoke machine and started keying random numbers.

Before Jimin could complain, Yoongi had pressed enter.

“Taehyung-ah, come up here!” he exclaims, throwing the mic at his dongsaeng, “Look, it’s that song you sung with Jin hyung.”

V wobbly proceeds to the machine, staring hard at the screen before exclaiming in surprise. “THAT’S THE SONG I SANG FOR HWARANG!” he yelled.

“God Tae, sing... don’t scream,” complained Yoongi as he returned to the table to pour himself another shot, “C’mon guys, let’s get this over with.”

As the first notes of It’s Definitely You hit, Jimin realized his grip on the microphone tightened. He didn’t know what was affecting him: the fact that he was about to duet with his ex or that they were about to sing along to the song that triggered Taehyung’s dreams of being an actor (which cost them their relationship).

“Are you ready, Jiminie?” sings Taehyung in his microphone, “One, two, three—!”

He didn’t even have time to back out; his ex was already singing his parts and Jimin had to fill in Jin’s parts.

“This damn love, because of you I can’t move even if I’m hurt. Even if I die, it’s only you,” sung Taehyung, obviously feeling it.

“Without you, tears fill up my heart. It’s just black hell. To me, that’s who you are,” followed Jimin.

“Don’t leave me, don’t leave me here. Turn the footsteps of your heart back to me.”

“I really want you, I put my life on the line. Take me into the scattered light, to the end of the world.”

At first, Jimin enjoyed nailing Jin hyung’s parts perfectly. He loved the sound of his voice, bopping to the piano keys of the song. Taehyung was also feeling it, holding on to his microphone like it was dear life.

But once they reached the second verse, the lyrics started hitting him.

“This damn love, because of you, I can’t quit even if I’m hurt. Even if I die, it’s only you.”

And it didn’t help that his ex-boyfriend was also staring at him.

“Without you, I have no blood or tears. I become a dangerous shadow. To me, that’s who you are.”

His years as a singer taught him the difference between emotionless tunes and ones filled with passion. Their vocal coach used to scold him when Jimin sang minus the feelings; the audience, said his coach, should be able to feel everything.

That was effective singing.

And Taehyung was doing just that.

“Isn’t it possible that he was just really into it?” suggests Woo Hyun as they pass by the bridge that overlooks the beach.

Jimin scoffs. “If you knew Taehyung, you’d know if he’s acting or not,” he says, “I swear... there was something else.”

“You’re sure?”

The former idol doesn’t reply. Instead, he admires the view.

“Where is this?” he asks his companion.

Woo Hyun smiles cheekily. “The path towards the best place in the island if you want peace and quiet,” he tells Jimin. He looks around before offering a hand, “Take it?”

If it were anyone, Jimin would’ve been turned off with the brazen attitude. But for some reason, Woo Hyun’s offer (and his warm hand) is something he couldn’t refuse. Without thinking twice, he allows his new friend to envelope his small hand in his.

“Aisht, would you believe it if I told you I’m lucky I took a shot this morning?” says Woo Hyun.

“You drink during the day?”

“Just a shot and not always,” explains the bartender, “For some reason, I felt like having a shot of tequila today. Maybe it’s because the deities knew I’d run into you today and believed I needed a pick-me-up to boost my confidence. I wouldn’t do this on a normal day; trust me.”

Woo Hyun leads him to the small garden hidden behind one of the cabanas. It’s a nice break from the wild and vibrant vibe of the beach; the greenery is colourful, but the soft kind. Jimin’s eyes relax at the sight of the flowers.

“It’s beautiful,” he says.

“Told you so.”

Woo Hyun takes him to one of the lone benches, inviting him to sit. Jimin obliges, still fascinated with this private sanctuary.

“People go here when they are troubled,” says his new friend, “I visit when I have a bad day at the bar.”

“What’s that like?”

“Customers puking on me, unsolicited flirting, or someone asking me for a body shot for the nth time.”

“Yikes, I feel bad for you.”

Woo Hyun’s hand is still wrapped around his. He doesn’t understand why he’s not turned off by this; is it because the bartender is the escape he needed from all this madness?

“Is that why you brought me here?” he asks, “Because I’m troubled?”

The bartender chuckles. “That and you’re confused,” he answers, “Probably because your ex did something last night.”

“TAEHYUNG-AH! OH MY GOD.”

Hoseok’s worried scream did not faze the dongsaeng as he laughed his head off. He was on the ground, surrounded by broken pieces of glass, and sporting a wound on his arm.

“This is the reason you’re not allowed to have more than two shots of soju,” complained the 94 liner as he knelt beside Taehyung, “Does it hurt?”

The younger hiccupped and glanced at the blood. “I think it does, but I can’t feel it,” he answered before giggling again.

Jimin shook his head as he lifted up the table his ex fell from. Taehyung was having too mu