YOONGI'S FIRST BUS RIDE

“Where are we going again?” Yoongi asked as he sat down beside Jimin on the crowded bus. He was instantly uncomfortable and wanted to be off the bus as soon as possible, he hated being around large groups of people. He was happy he wore his sunglasses today, hopefully they would make him invisible. He felt Jimin shrug, “I don’t really have a destination in mind,” he revealed with a sly smile. 

“So why are we taking the bus? And not my car?” the elder asked in slight annoyance, he was suffering from mild claustrophobia for no reason it seemed. Jimin shrugged again, “I thought it would be fun to watch you hyperventilate,” he impishly answered. Jimin didn’t know it, but Yoongi was giving him the dirtiest of looks through his slightly oversized dark shades, “You are a terrible boyfriend, Park Jimin,” he told him with a shake of his head, his knee began to bounce from a mixture of apprehension and annoyance, “I don’t like you anymore.” 

Jimin threw his head back and laughed, “I’m just kidding hyung. I used to ride the bus around to explore the city, that’s what we’re doing,” he said and at Yoongi’s skeptical eyebrow raise he added, “I promise we’ll have fun.” Yoongi sighed and reluctantly calmed himself, he had nothing else to do today and it was a bit too late to reconsider because the bus had just taken off from the station.

He pulled the lens cap off his camera, which he carried around daily now, and snapped a picture of some store fronts through the window. He may as well document his first experience with public transportation. He made sure to take a picture at every stop; he had to admit that, through the bus window, city life seemed different. “Are you having fun yet, hyung?” Jimin curiously asked him, his back pressed flush against the seat so he wouldn’t obstruct his boyfriend’s view. 

Yoongi nodded, “It’s interesting,” he admitted placing his camera back in his lap. At some point Yoongi had begun to take pictures of the people riding the bus, the passengers were just as interesting as the stops they made. And they didn’t seem to mind being photographed, some of them even winked and threw up peace signs.

At the next stop, Jimin pulled his boyfriend off the bus. “A convenience store?” Yoongi asked freeing his arm from the younger’s hold. “I want a snack,” Jimin simply said before he made his way inside. 

Yoongi chose to stay outside, there was an array of people waiting for the next bus and he wanted to take a picture of their shoes. They all seemed so different: sizes, styles, color, and conditions. He sat down at one of the aluminum tables outside the convenience store and took a few pictures of the people standing at the bus stop on the opposite side of the road, as well as some of the surrounding storefronts. He’d never been on this side of the city before, he found the scenery aesthetically pleasing. The cold crisp air and semi-warm sun made him feel somewhat refreshed.

“I got you a sandwich and a juice box Yoongi-hyung,” Jimin said popping up beside his boyfriend. He eased into the chair beside the elder and hissed when his jean-clad bottom made contact with the cold metal. “Why are you sitting out here?” he asked rubbing his hands together, “It’s the middle of winter.” He could see his breath with every word he’d just said. 

Yoongi bumped shoulders with Jimin, “You’re the one who wanted a snack. It’s a nice day, I just wanted to enjoy the weather while I was waiting on you to come back,” he smugly answered, he was perfectly content in his toasty pea coat and scarf combo. Jimin pouted, but complained no further. He silently watched Yoongi alternate between snapping pictures and eating his sandwich, he liked seeing his boyfriend in his element. 

“See aren’t you glad we took this little excursion?” Jimin asked through a proud eye-smile, he knew some good would come from their spontaneous bus ride. Yoongi fought his grin and stayed mum, he wasn’t ready to admit it just yet. He wasn’t ready to admit that Jimin was right and that he couldn’t wait for the bus ride home so he could capture more of his public transportation experience. 

Jimin smiled widely and rested his cheek on Yoongi’s arm, “C’mon Yoongi-hyung,” he pestered while playfully poking his boyfriend’s cheek, “tell Jiminnie about all the fun you had today. Tell Jiminnie that you’re happy you rode the bus. Tell Jiminnie that he was right.” Yoongi laughed and moved his face away, “Park Jimin, stop talking in the third person you’re getting on my nerves,” he responded.

Jimin hit Yoongi with his super effective aegyo-pouty face, “So you’re not glad we came?” he asked in a faux disappointed tone, he know he would hear what he wanted soon. Yoongi sighed and rolled his eyes, “You know I’m glad we came and you know I had fun. You were right,” he coolly admitted nudging the younger off his arm. 

Jimin smiled victoriously, “I know, I just wanted to hear you say it,” he stated. 

He grabbed Yoongi’s camera off the table and flipped through the photos the elder had taken today, “Wow, these are amazing. How many pictures do you think you took?” he asked zooming in on one of the many pictures. Yoongi shrugged and looked on with his boyfriend as he answered, “I don’t know; maybe around 250, maybe more.” “Wah daebak hyung,” Jimin gasped out, “what are you going to do with them?”

“Edit and print them out and put them in a photo album,” Yoongi answered, he wanted to treasure these photos. Jimin looked at his boyfriend with raised brows, “Photo album?” he repeated incredulously, “Why not a portfolio?” “Why a portfolio?” the elder countered taking his camera back. “So people will want to hire you,” Jimin told him in a matter-of-fact tone, “you need to start putting your work out there if you want people to take you seriously as a photographer. Maybe you should start a website too, or at least make a Facebook page.”

“Whoa, whoa, when did you become my agent?” Yoongi asked him with furrowed brows. “Since you told your dad that you didn’t want to run his company,” Jimin answered back while adjusting his snapback over his dark locks. “Look Jimin I understand that you’re trying to push me in the right direction but, I’m still not even 100% sure that I want to pursue this photography thing,” Yoongi told him. 

Jimin gave his boyfriend a stale face, he hoped that Yoongi hadn’t gone and changed his mind back, “But you are sure that you don’t want to run your dad’s company right?” he asked. He had to make certain.

Yoongi nodded, “Yes, that I’m sure of. Just give me time to become 100% sure OK?” he requested, “Baby steps, just let me take my pictures now and then I’ll figure out where to put them later.” Jimin nodded, it seemed like Yoongi was a little bit afraid, though he wasn’t willing to admit it. Maybe he needed a confidence boost, something that would show him that he was making the right choice…and Jimin knew exactly how to help.