I could use a hug-Park Jimin 🌸
You looked at the clock in your living room, that informed you it was almost 7 pm. It was way too early to go to bed, but all you wanted to do was lay in bed and curl up. You weren’t exactly the girl who cried easily, given your unhealthy habit of bottling up emotions and trying to hold them till you inevitably exploded at the wrong time. You felt a lump in your throat that seemed to be lodged in there pretty well. You turned off the tv, that was providing background noise to your misery and trudged to the kitchen of your shared apartment. Your roommate was in her room, probably watching a drama, and you didn’t want to go interrupt her, in your attempt to find a distraction.
You poured yourself a glass of water and opened the fridge to see if there was a snack to be seen. Nothing seemed to tickle your fancy particularly and you closed the door, dejected. Walking to your room, you closed the door and leaned against it.
“Ok Y/n, it’s okay. Calm down, what’s wrong with you?” you scolded yourself.
The truth was, you felt far from okay. Your best friend, who happened to be a worldwide super star was leaving for a tour tomorrow. You had seen him off for multiple tours, many times at this point, but the fact remained that you would get immeasurably sad every time the day he was to leave came closer. To top it all off, you had exams about a week from now, so that meant you’d be busy preparing and Jimin would try to avoid calling you as often, so as not to disturb you. You knew that.
That was just how he was. Always caring and protective. It seemed that he had taken over so many roles in your life, away from your home in Busan, where both of you had grown up. Despite his hectic schedule of working almost 28 days every month, he always assured that you were attending your classes, you were eating your meals, were scoring good in your tests and were physically and mentally well. The boy was an angel in human form and you smiled slightly, knowing that millions of girls across the globe would agree with you.
You picked up your phone and plopped down onto your bed. You opened his chat and were about to type a text before stopping yourself because he would probably be packing, or going over tour schedules with his members and you didn’t want to interrupt. You made sure to extend as much care and courtesy to him as he did to you, even though at times it felt lacking, simply because it was so hard to get on his level. But he understood your little gestures of restraint and affection that were reserved for just him since you both were little kids. That unspoken understanding and double sided forgiveness and affection was what had kept your friendship alive well over 20 years. You locked your phone and let it fall beside you. Sighing, you opened one of your course books and tried to study.
After about an hour, you looked up from your book because your phone had vibrated with a text. The screen lit up and the notification read, “Mini 🤪”.
Had dinner yet?
A smile tugging at the corners of your mouth, you typed back, “Not really hungry yet.” And sent it.
Whyy? 🥺
“Umm… no reason.”
Y/n, you ok?
“Yes, yes!”
If you say so…
You fell back onto your pillows. He’d believe you, no matter what you said. It was one of the many many reasons you hadn’t been able to stick with any one of your temporary boyfriends. Not to say that they weren’t trusting or trustworthy, but there had always been a gap in connection. There had never been the complete acceptance and blind trust you and Jimin shared. Staring at the roof, you felt the pangs of sadness coming back. He’d be on the other side of the world for a whole month. Saying that you couldn’t function without him, would be an exaggeration for sure, but you did enjoy him being only a 15 minute drive away. That was closer than even your university campus and you loved hanging out in his apartment when you were free. Your heart hurt thinking it would be empty for the next month.
Making up your mind, you slid your feet into your slippers and headed to the closet, changing into a fresh pair of sweats and tying your hair into a ponytail. You knocked and peeped into your room mate’s room, telling her you were going to head out. Getting into your car, you headed to the nearest shop, getting some tteobokki and soju, then headed to his apartment.
Parking in his apartment complex, you couldn’t help but smile involuntarily. You loved it here. And not just because it was one of the safest, most secured places in Seoul.
Entering the lift, you watched the number change as you ascended, till his floor.
You knew his passcode, but since you hadn’t let him know that you were coming you rang the doorbell. You heard shuffling behind the door and your smile continued to grow.
The door opened and there stood your favorite person in the whole world. His hair was messy, and his clothes were mismatched, probably because he had thrown on the shirt at the last moment before opening the door. His eyes widened in surprise and then disappeared almost completely, immediately afterwards as his face lit up in a huge grin.
“Y/n?” he giggled. “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?”
“Surprise!” you said weakly, the smile still on your face.
It was miraculous how electric his presence was. There was only happiness when Park Jimin was around. He was a “happy virus” in his own words, and he had an infinite supply of good vibes which he radiated at all times. You already felt happiness creeping in where there had only been bitterness earlier.
He stepped aside, looking at your hands with eyebrows raised. You shrugged and stepped in. “I was hungry,” you mumbled.
“You were hungry?” he asked incredulously. “I asked you if you had eaten and you said that you weren’t”
“Well, Mr. Park I wasn’t at the time.” You snapped back playfully.
He took the shopping bags from your hands and laughed brightly as he made his way to the kitchen. You looked around at the orderly living room, making your way to his bedroom door, and sure enough, just as you expected, the bedroom was chaos.
Jimin had always been a chaotic packer, and you knew he loved to pack as many outfits as he could ‘just in case’ and don’t even start about skincare. The boy was religious when it came to taking care of himself, and you loved that about him. You also loved that he had great products which you would nick sometimes.
“Jiminshi! Did a bomb go off in here?” you called over your shoulder.
“A little help would be appreciated,” he called back.
You stepped in, shaking your head and dragging one of his suitcases to the foot of the bed and started neatly folding the disarrayed clothes into the carrier.
Folding one of his plain black hoodies, you felt as if you were being overwhelmed with his scent in this room. It hit you again like a ton of bricks, that he was going for real. Shaking your head, you placed the last hoodie in the suitcase and safely zipped it shut, moving towards the next one.
Jimin came to the room, looking for you. “Hey! I was kidding!” he laughed and rushed over snatching his pants from your hands. You smacked his arm lightly, “Im almost done.” You assured him, but he was busy looking into the suitcase, his cheeks heating up in a flushed red, which confused you as you followed his line of vision to the pile of neatly folded undergarments sitting innocently in the corner of the suitcase.
You burst out laughing, your head falling onto his shoulder. Jimin pinched your arm, mumbling something that sounded like “You didn’t have to do that…”
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You gobbled down on the rice cakes as Jimin poured himself another drink, as your first glass was still untouched. His amused eyes looked at you, crinkling at the corners.
“Was my little y/n-ie that hungry?” he asked half playful, half concerned.
You didn’t spare him a glance as you poked around in his bowl to find a piece coated well in the sauce.
“Yaah! I’m talking to you!” he said, annoyed by now.
“Of course I was hungry, I’ve been studying all day.” You retorted.
“Suuure, you were” he said sarcastically, rolling his eyes. “Is there a reason you’re being mean to me?”
You shook your head.
“Won’t you regret being mean to me tomorrow, when I won’t be around?” he asked feigning innocence.
Your chopsticks stopped in the air momentarily, before you gathered yourself. You shook your head again.
“Yah, look at me.” He used his signature soft tone. He knew you got upset when he went away, and he wished he could change that but both the things were beyond his control, his schedules and your moods. So he tried to comfort you, every time that happened.
You looked straight into his eyes, a silent plea in your eyes. He smiled at that, and pinched your cheeks. “Say it openly, go on.”
“Why do you have to go so often?” you asked, pouting.
“Do you want me to stay?” he asked, his voice still kind and soft, even though both of you knew that was impossible.
You scoffed. “As if you’ll stop if I ask you to.” You said.
“I know you won’t ask me to” he said, mirroring your tone.
You smiled softly. You knew how euphoric he felt on stage. How his fans were his life and how he loved performing for them. You would never in a million years ask him to give that away, even for a minute, and he knew that fully. Tears pricked the corners of your eyes.
Oh no oh no oh noo you softly scolded yourself. It wouldn’t be nice to him if you started crying. He’d feel bad, and you only wanted him to feel excited about the month ahead.
“I guess I could use a hug” you whispered, your voice cracking, your eyes fixated on your hands in your lap.
Without a second’s delay, Jimin, the kind hearted boy who was always ready to lend comfort where comfort was needed, threw his arms around your shoulders and pulled you into a warm hug. You rested your head on his shoulder and let a few tears escape.
Jimin felt the wetness on his shirt and his heart broke a little. He hated seeing you sad, but he understood the genuine emotions behind those tears. You found it difficult being without him and he reciprocated the feelings. He felt intensely protective over you, and he worried about you when you were away, making sure to stay in touch virtually. He would be lying if he said he wouldn’t miss you terribly. He patted your head softly, as you sat on the couch in total silence for a few minutes.
“You can stay here for the night.” He announced.
You smiled into his shirt. You’d like nothing better.
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Finally zipping his last suitcase, Jimin looked up at you as you sat with your legs crossed on his bed, a little, tired smile on his face.
“When’s your flight?” you asked timidly, as you made way for him to fall onto the bed and get comfortable. He took a minute to lay comfortably on his pillows, then patted the place next to him. When you had settled comfortably into the crook of his elbow, he replied, “Early morning. I’ll have to leave home at 3am.”
You felt as if someone had gutted you once again. You didn’t think he’d be leaving so soon. It was 9 pm already. “You should get some rest then.” He hummed softly in agreement. You looked over and he had already closed his eyes. You rolled your eyes and turned to face him.
He opened one eye slightly, and smiled at you. “Something on your mind?”
“You’ll be gone when I wake up?”
He laughed, the mirthful sound reverberating in his chest. “Bold of you to think I won’t wake you up with all the ruckus I’ll cause.”
“I’ll kill you if you interrupt my sleep Park Jimin.” You warned him, though deep down you wished he’d wake you. But you knew he’d never disturb you.
He giggled. “I will.” He assured you.
“I’d like to see you try.” You retorted with a punch to his ribs.
“OOf!” he complained and tickled your side, causing you to squirm and laugh.
“Sleep now, Jiminie.” You tell him.
“Yes, ma'am.” He said, mocking a salute in your direction. You rolled your eyes and settled down for the night.
“I’ll miss you.” You said faintly.
“I’ll miss you too.” He answered, his voice sweet as honey, close to your ear, giving you delicious goosebumps and immeasurable comfort at the same time. He flicked the hair from your forehead and hummed a sweet song, as you fell into a deep, peaceful sleep, currently content and not worried about the thought that you’d wake up to an empty bed tomorrow morning.
