Beep Beep

The beeping sound of the digital alarm clock on the nightstand keeps on ringing, trying its best to wake the only human in the still dark room. The sun hasn’t risen yet when the clock showed 5.00 AM but since it’s been set to ring at that hour, so at that odd hour it will ring. Maybe if that clock could speak, it would thank that human because its job seemed so easy because after only beeping for five or six times,it’s been switched off.

Jimin always wake up at the third beeping sound, taking some time to adjust to the dark surrounding before switching it off. Most people would stretch like a cat first before waking up from the bed, but Jimin being a robot he is directly waking without a proper stretching, well of course it is not necessary but that is how normal people would do. Then his routine afterwards is the same as yesterday, as the day before yesterday, as the last month and even as the last few years, which are going to the bathroom, showering and then drying himself before picking clothes to the office before eating breakfast while reading news and at 8.00 Am, his driver is ready with the car in front his apartment building to the office.

Today is normal like usual but one thing that Jimin had noticed changing is that he will always come first with the sight of Taehyung and he-so-called Kookie not far from him when he entered the office building, talking playfully with each other.

“Ah, hyung, stop messing with my hair.” Jungkook would whine when Taehyung keeps on ruffling his perfectly styled hair, not that Jimin noticed how charming Jungkook is with his hair being side part, but it does look nice on him.

“Don’t worry. You’re still handsome.” Jimin hears Taehyung said in return.

“But still, just stop it.” Jungkook said while fixing his hair while glaring at Taehyung, suddenly being in defence mode, ready to block if Taehyung try to mess with his hair again.

Well, Taehyung just laugh at Jungkook’s awareness.

“Jungkookie...” Taehyung sing-songs.

“Yes?” Jungkook replys, not looking at Taehyung. His hands are busy with styling his hair back to how it used to be 10 minutes ago.

“Lets have ramen for lunch today.”

“We still have 3 hours and 30 minutes to lunch hour and yet here you are talking about lunch already.” There is a hint of amusement in Jungkook’s voice but he keeps his face straight, sometimes will smile at other workers passing by him. 

“Just saying because later when we’re ready for it, neither one of us can decide where to eat.”

Jungkook opens his mouth to reply back but Taehyung doesn’t give a tiny bit of chance. “You will ask me and I will Hobi-Hyung and then Hobi-hyung will ask Joonie-hyung and the he goes back to you. This circle never end. “ Taehyung’s words got Jungkook to think for a second because there some truth in it. Jungkook hums intead of answering right away, agreed with it. “You’re right. Alright, I will tell Hobi-hyung and Namjoon-hyung.”

They keep on talking about random stuff and Jimin keeps on listening.

Yesterday, they talked about the game that they often play on the weekend. A day before yesterday, they talked about the shark that Jungkook had watched in Youtube before going to bed the night before which Hoseok screamed with fear when Jungkook began talking about how the sharks were when biting humans. Sometimes Hoseok and Namjoon will join them, by sometimes meaning literally everyday but today it seems only the two are there. Maybe Hoseok and Namjoon are running late or early, thougt Jimin.

Both Jungkook and Taehyung are too immersed in talking to even notice Jimin is walking behind them. But different with Hoseok and Namjoon because they completely ignored Jimin just like how Jimin wanted it to be. Jimin would slow down when they are nearing the elevator so that his presence goes unnoticed.

It first happened two weeks ago, one month after Jungkook started working there because Taehyung already became friend with Jungkook during that period.

But today, Jungkook just enters the elevator when his eyes met with Jimin’s eyes, but instead of bowing to show respect, Jungkook genuinely smiled at him, leaving Jimin in stun for a while before he felt something, someone touched his hand that had blocked his heart attempt to send a signal to his brain, maybe his heart was trying to tell the meaning of his racing heartbeat but sadly it didn’t succeed. Jimin looks down to see there is something in his hand and he looks up again to see who and Jimin recognized that back of the head.

A candy is in his hand, something that only Hoseok would give to him. Jimin smiles while putting the candy in his pocket and walked to his office.

Hoseok and Namjoon run to the elevator and shouted to stop it from closing. Luckily Taehyung had pushed the button to open the door again for Hoseok and Namjoon to step inside.

“Good morning, hyungs.” Taehyung greets them first thing first when he sees them.

“Morning to you too. Here...” Hoseok holds out two candies in his hands for Jungkook and Taehyung but only Taehyung reaches for it. Jungkook looks like he was out of space at the moment that had Hoeok to shake him back to where they belong before placing the candy in Jungkook’s hand.

“Sorry, did you say something, hyung?”

Hoseok just chuckles at Jungkook’s confused question. “No, just want to give you that.” Hoseok said while pointing his lips at Jungkook’s hand.

Before, when Jungkook met with Jimin’s eyes, he felt something foreign in his heart and his mind kept on urging him to smile at Jimin and he did exactly what his mind had told him except that he did it more lively than ever. Was it because the sad look on Jimin’s face or how lonely Jimin’s look at that time, either way, Jungkook doesn’t have a right answer to it.

“Hyung, Taehyung said we should ramen for lunch today.” Jungkook decides to return back to the right track and stop thinking about Jimin.

“Really, ramen? That..that...that is so random.” Hoseok laughs, can’t believe what he had heard but Taehyung follows after him, laughing along.

Jungkook and Namjoon give them a pointed look. “You guys can go and enjoy your ramen but I’ll pass.” Namjoon rejects the offer.

“Ah, hyung, why?” Taehyung whines. “I’m having lunch outside with Jimin..I mean with Director Park. Mr. Lee insists it.” Namjoon reply but Jungkook doen’t like the sound of Jimin’s name on Namjoon’s mouth because it almost sounded so close and very fond.

What are you thinking, Jungkook-ah. Get a grip of yourself. Jungkook thought that maybe something is wrong with him becasue Jimin managed to take a tiny space in his brain since he first saw him that night.

Once the elevator door opens and they walked out of it, everyone busied themselves with nothing but work. Handphone goes on silent and the only sound produces was the clicking sound when typing something on the keyboard. Jungkook was busy with reviewing last six months profit to even notice that they only had 40 minutes left until lunch hour. When his eyes start to lose focus, then Jungkook know it was about the right time he should stop.

Jungkook was relaxing while massaging his sore muscles when his desk phone ringing.

“Jungkook-shi.” He heard first. Jungkook recognized that voice. “Please come to Director Park office now.” Having to heard it multiple times was enough for Jungkook to know that voice belong to Jimin’s secretary, Lee Mina.

“Do I need to bring anything with me?” Jungkook asks because usually Mina would inform him right away if he need to bring something along but today she’s not doing it. Maybe she forgot was what Jungkook had thought but Mina replied with a simple no. “Be quick or you’ll miss your lunch.” She adds before ending the call, not buying any times.

Reluctantly, he stands up and walks to Jimin’s office, hoping that it won’t take much time, seeing that there is only 30 minutes left for lunch hour. After 3 minutes of walking or more like jogging, Jungkook reached in front of Mina’s table. She smiles at him before motioning her hands to Jimin’s office. Jungkook just rolled his eyes in return to receive a faint chuckle from Mina.

Come in. Jimin’s honey-like-voice could be heard from the inside after Jungkook knocked the door.

“Good Morning, Director Park.” Jungkook greets him. Well, literally it still morning since the clock doesn’t stop at 12 yet. “How can I help you.” Even Jungkook himself feels so amused to hear his own words because it sound almost like how waiter in the restaurant would ask when taking their customer’s order.

“Please sit down first.” Jimin invites. Jungkook takes a glance at his watch while walking. There is still 25 minutes left.

I hope it is not taking too much time or Taehyung will kill me.

Jimin was writing something when Jungkook took a seat. He was ready to ask something when Jimin stopped writting while slowly putting the pen on the table.

“So, Jungkook-shi.” It’s start to creep Jungkook out because suddenly Jimin had stood up and circling the table to stand right in front of him. Luckily there is still enough space between his knee and the table or else Jimin would end up standing with their knees touching each other.

“I heard that...” Jimin slightly leans down to match with Jungkook eyes. “...you prefer...” Jimin puts his hand on Jungkook shoulder and slowly moving it to reach for Jungkook’s tie before pulling it to shorten the distances between their faces. Jungkook could see every single detail of Jimin’s face. He saw how thick Jimin’s pouty lips are, how small his nose is, how sharp Jimin’s jawline and also how deep Jimin had stared at him.

“..man over woman, is that right?” finally Jimin finish his question.

Jungkook just freezes in his seat since his brain couldn’t fucntion well to even answer that one question because of their close proximity. Jimin smirks when he saw how nervous Jungkook’s adam apple had bobbed when Jungkook tried to subtly swallow the nervousness away. Jungkook desperately wants to answer with yes, because now I’m with Taehyung but he couldn’t say the exact word so he nodded in exchange.

“Well, what do you think about me? Am I attractive?” Jimin’s hand never release his hold on Jungkook’s tie.

“Err...I can’t-no I mean that-“

Knock Knock. Someone had knocked the door from outside and Jungkook is ready to thank whoever outside, probably Jimin’s secretary trying to inform him about his lunch appointment. Of course Jungkook would remember Jimin’s schedule, not because he wanted to but just because Namjoon had told him, them before.

“Come in.” Jimin says while moving back to his seat.

Namjoon entered, had already been informed that Jungkook was in there but what he was not being told is the reason why Jungkook was sweating and looking all red when he entered the room. He just shrugged it off since Jungkook hurriedly walked passed him while giving him a small smile in return. But the awkward tension was not gone unnoticed by Namjoon.

“Director Park, we have a lunch appointment with Mr Lee in 30 minutes. I’ve prepared the car for you.”

“Alright, lets go.

Jungkook was already outside, slowly closing the door before dashing out of there in a hurry, not even sparing a glance at the secretary who was too busy with her phone. Later, when he was having lunch with Taehyung and Hoseok, Jungkook got one text message from an unknown number that got him to choke on his food.

X Bar, 9 pm tonight.

Meet me there.

-P.J.M-

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“Have you told Jimin what we have discussed, Hoseok-ah?”

“No, not yet. I just don’t know how.” Hoseok replies Namjoon’s question, suddenly doesn’t feel like eating anymore.

Today, they decided to just eat at home. So, Hoseok being the one who is good with cooking more than Namjoon volunteered to cook their dinner. Luckily Hoseok had learnt some simple recipe from their friends to have him to cook a simple dinner which is kimchi friend rice for both of them. Hoseok was eating his food when Namjoon brought that topic. Immediately he stopped eating because he knew it is a very important stuff to deal.

Namjoon feels guilty for bringing it that time but he doesn’t have any choice since they should not discuss about it at office.

“Or should I do it?” Namjoon voulnteers.

“No, no. You will only worsen the situation.” Hoseok rejects his offer for a good reason.

“But really, you should do it as soon as possible. I don’t want his condition to get worse.” Namjoon didn’t mean to push Hoseok in doing it but Namjoon couldn’t be relaxed thinking about Jimin’s condition. He’s been getting the nightmare more often than he used to. Jimin had stopped getting the same bad dream for a year but it came back a few weeks ago and it is not the same as before in which he got it more often than how it used to.

They already found the right doctor that could Jimin but Hoseok still couldn’t bring himself to talk about it with Jimin. He loves Jimin so much and Hoseok really wanted to help him but persuading someone to meet a psychiatrist is not an easy job. He’s afraid that Jimin will think bad about them because they had forced him to meet with a mental health doctor.

“But what if he refuses? Jimin is not crazy, Namjoon-ah. Don’t you think it’s too much for him. You know we can—“

Namjoon heavy sigh stopped Hoseok from his rambling. He knows Hoseok got a soft heart but delaying it won’t help to fix that issue. “I can’t see Jimin hurting like that anymore, Hoseok-ah. That nightmare had taken our innocent Jimin little by little. I don’t want to completely lose him, Hoseok-ah.”

“i-I...”

“He keeps on addressing everyone else as a monster. He used to only call his grandpa like that, but now when he saw some criminal in TV, he would call them monster too. Look, I know you’re worried about him too and doesn’t want him to think badly about you but if we don’t take the action now, someday Jimin will see us as a monster too.”

There is a long silence after Namjoon had finished talking.

“Okay, I’ll talk to him but I can’t guarantee he will agree.” Finally, Hoseok says after thinking deeply about what Namjoon had said.

“Thank you.” They continue to eat again. “By the way, Jin-hyung said that he will visit us next week. Tomorrow I’ll tell Jimin about that.”

“It’s okay. I’ll tell him that since I’ve promised to go shopping with him tomorrow.”