Jimin reached into the large cardboard box of mixed chips and continued to load the shelves. He pulled out a bag of Cheetos and a smile crept onto his face before he could realize what he was doing. He thought back to a few days ago when he had formally met Taehyung.

He felt like when he spent the little time with Taehyung that he had made a connection that started to fill a dark hole that had formed in his chest over the years of isolation from the time spent tending to his father. He hadn’t felt like he could relate to anyone with his intensity of emotion that filled him at the mere thought of The Swan. 

He had mentioned only a small amount of The Swan’s deeds and Taehyung had gotten so emotional. Jimin had never met another person with so much heart and empathy. He felt like he could talk to Taehyung about anything and he would understand. Jimin’s stomach dropped when he realized he may never see Taehyung again.

The moment was quick but powerful. He couldn’t imagine the embarrassment Taehyung probably felt breaking down into his arms as he had. He secretly hoped every day that he would see Taehyung’s messy long black locks come wandering in. Would he come back?

He finished emptying the box’s contents onto the shelves and walked to the back to drop the box until he would bring it to the recycling bin outside after his shift. As he bent to drop the box he felt a cool shiver go up to his spine. The cardboard fell from his fingertips and he turned around to go back into the store. Why was he on edge?

He walked back to the counter and took a sip from his drink. He peered up at the monitor from the security camera and spotted someone in the snack aisle where he had been. All he could see was a messy hear of black hair. “Taehyung?” he called out. He watched the monitor and saw the man turn around came towards the front counter. A wave of relief washed over Jimin when he recognized him.

“It is you! How are you doing?” Jimin asked with a smile.

Taehyung walked over shyly and shrugged. “It’s been a rough couple days, to be honest,” he admitted.

Jimin frowned at the thought of Taehyung unhappy. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Taehyung shook his head and placed a bag of Cheetos on the counter. “I’m just gonna let it go and let the Cheetos fix it,” he joked.

Jimin laughed and scanned the bag. “Killing Cheetos is how you cope with problems?” Jimin teased handing the bag back and taking Taehyung’s money. Taehyung let out a small nervous laugh.

“I guess we all cope in different ways,” Taehyung replied. 

“It’s okay, they’re just Cheetos, it's not like you’re murdering people,” Jimin chuckled handing back Taehyung’s change. He watched the color drain from Taehyung’s face. A surge of concern possessed Jimin. “Taehyung, are you okay?”

Taehyung’s eyes rolled to the back of his head and he began to slouch onto the counter for support. “Taehyung!?” Jimin cried rushing around the counter to catch him. Taehyung stayed slumped for a few seconds before coming back to his senses. He blinked his eyes and looked up at Jimin. 

“What happened?” Taehyung asked in a state of confusion. Jimin let out a breath he didn't even realize he was holding.

“I think yo