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Chapter Text

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I have always loved everything about you. Even what I didn’t understand.

Albert Camus

1999

Digital Chosun Daily News

GOOD DAY breaks viewing records with New Year episode

Posted 1999.01.02. 9:00 AM

39,662 views

GOOD DAY’s New Year episode achieves record viewership at 70.1% nationwide rating.

Filmed in early December, the special episode featured Min Yoongi (7) and his first stage performance of his newly composed song, Autumn Leaves. He performed the song during his first grade’s Christmas Bonanza event.

<Photo of Min Yoongi playing a piano on stage.>

Photo caption: Min Yoongi debuts Autumn Leaves on GOOD DAY’s New Year episode. Digital Chosun Daily News

GOOD DAY is a reality television show starring Min Yoongi, a child musician, and his daily life. Featuring his real family and his real environment, GOOD DAY highlights Min Yoongi’s daily adventures, his music, and the new things he discovers as he grows up. It will enter its fifth year of airing this year.

Showing on KBS2 primetime, the show has well-surpassed its previous viewership record of 63.2% for episode 24. The episode featured Min Yoongi getting his first dog, Holly. The official soundtrack will be released in January.

The previous record viewership was at 66.9% held by MBC’s You and I.

35 comments

1. [+123, -1] I’m already 40 years old but I loved the episode so much that I cried ㅠㅠ Yoongi is so cute and so talented, I wish my child would grow up just like him.

2. [+99, -12] My whole family and I tuned in for this episode! Good work, Yoongi-yah! I feel like you’re my child, too… So proud… Aja, Min Yoongi! Your auntie from Jeju is cheering for you!

3. [+56, -9] Autumn Leaves was so amazing! It made me tear up a little ㅠㅠ How could you be so good at songwriting, Yoongi-yah! I’m definitely buying the album! Please get Sechs Kies to guest in your show next time! 

4. [+38, -13] Aigoo, Yoongi is such a brilliant boy. I always love to see him playing the piano on the show. The country should take care of his talent, he’ll make us all proud one day. 

5. [+12, -1] Yoongi-yah is so charming, intelligent, and polite at such a young age. I can’t wait to see the man he grows up to be! 

2024

Time is the ultimate truth teller. 

Just forty-eight hours ago, Yoongi had told Namjoon that he most definitely wasn’t going to drink today.

The clinking of the soju bottles inside Yoongi’s convenience store plastic bag as he walked back to the apartment building disappointed them both. Mostly Namjoon, because Yoongi had enough self awareness in him to at least expect the worst from himself.

Then again, Korean adults drank about one to two bottles of soju every week, Yoongi mused internally. If he were to be technical about it, drinking these four bottles was just him hitting the national average, given that he hadn’t really drank any alcohol for the past twelve days. 

So. Tonight was going to be that kind of night:

Be sorry for himself, drink himself stupid, feel some remorse, then black out. A path that has been well-traveled for Min Yoongi in the past decades, one that he knew every corner and every alley of. One that he could walk through to the other end with his eyes closed. 

Typically, he got drunk for no particular reason. The craving came whether Yoongi was miserable or felt fine. In the recent years, there weren’t times rough enough that Yoongi had to drink to forget. 

Tonight, however…

Tonight merited a reason.

Yoongi continued to walk through the quiet inner roads of Muak-dong, under the bug-infested streetlights. All the while, he simmered under the almost meditative state of acceptance of the fact that yes: he was most definitely going to get drunk tonight. And he would deserve to be. 

The cicadas were singing. The warmth of the summer ahead was afoot. Memories of summers past followed Yoongi like ghosts.

Hyuga Apartments, the seven-floor red brick building that Yoongi lived in, stood atop a slope in a corner of Tongil-ro, near the Inwangsan trail and a few minutes’ walk away from the main road. Road unpaved and littered with deterrent rocks and an overgrowth of weeds, Yoongi trudged up the pathway to the place he called home. The structure stood old and stubborn, as it was one of the few places in the area that hadn’t been renovated by Hyundai, Parkville, or Kukdong into parts of their modern condominium complexes. Yet for all its mulishness, it seemed to care little about its existence. Neglected plants grew haphazardly within the building’s gray cement walls and ivy vines crawled up the building’s sides, all as if marking the structure as nature’s territory. Hidden underneath the grounds is a limited parking basement that always smelled of mold or mildew, even during the dry seasons.

Sure, Yoongi could afford better. GOOD DAY, its multiple syndications, and its soundtracks gave him enough royalties to last him another generation or two. But Yoongi felt comfortable with the place. The apartment building was safe. Hidden. He never liked those unnecessarily fancy, high-rise buildings, anyway. And he’d been in enough of them in his lifetime to know.

One major selling point for Yoongi, however, was that Jung Hoseok owned the building, and Yoongi trusted Hoseok. He was one of Yoongi’s few remaining friends from his GOOD DAY days, and one of the few who had regularly kept in touch through the years. They met when Hoseok was a JYP trainee and Yoongi was GOOD DAY’s Min Yoongi. Now Hoseok was part of the entertainment company’s flagship boy group under the stage name J-Hope. His group recently released a song that managed a Perfect All Kill across local streaming sites. Meanwhile, Yoongi was still… Yoongi. Just a different kind of Yoongi. A chronically unemployed, depressed, and about-to-get-shitfaced Yoongi.

Before he knew it, Yoongi had reached the seventh floor of the apartment building. He found himself stopping right by the elevator doors, as soon as he saw someone else outside the hallway. Recognizing who it was, Yoongi’s lips curved into a frown. With a small huff, Yoongi trudged forward, hoping that he looked unapproachable enough to, well, not be approached.

“Min Yoongi-ssiiiiiii!”

The unapproachable look did not work, and Kim Seokjin followed him to his door.

Seokjin moved into the unit next to Yoongi’s a month ago. Yoongi had heard that he worked as a paramedic and his occupation clearly showed in his build: his broad shoulders made him appear strong and steady, his height stood a few good inches above Yoongi’s, and his body looked clearly toned and fit. Aside from that, he was also almost ridiculously good-looking, with his clean-cut dark hair, bright eyes, and kind face. He looked exactly like someone who saved lives for a living. The rest of the floor and most of the building’s residents were absolutely smitten by the man; the few days after he moved in were a parade of welcome gifts and curious mothers with single children eager to get an eyeful. 

Now, Yoongi wondered if Seokjin had taken it as a challenge that Yoongi hadn’t treated him the same way. For the past weeks, the paramedic seemed adamant about getting Yoongi to like him: Seokjin had given a moving-in gift, greeted him with at least one shy smile a day, and given him the regular ‘I made more than I could finish’ meals. Seokjin even offered him candy . However, the distance that Yoongi kept between them wasn’t because Seokjin was particularly special or because he did anything wrong—Yoongi simply didn’t want anything to do with any of his neighbors. He’d been able to do just that for the long years he’d been living in the apartment, and Seokjin wasn’t about to break Yoongi’s streak.

So Yoongi ignored all of it. Or at least, tried to.

But Seokjin remained persistent.

He heard Seokjin stop at a respectful distance next to him as Yoongi tried to key in his passcode as fast as he could. In his hurry, his finger slipped and he cursed as the security lock beeped in warning, telling that he entered the wrong passcode.

“I made too much mul naengmyeon,” Seokjin told Yoongi. His voice sounded as friendly as his smile, the way it had been for the past ten or so times this same conversation had happened. If he noticed that Yoongi was trying his best to avoid him, he hid it very well. Completely powering through Yoongi’s disinterest, Seokjin held a couple of medium-sized tupperwares up to him. ‘Too much’ was clearly intentional. “It’ll be perfect for a warm night. I thought I could give you some.”

“Thanks, but I just bought dinner,” Yoongi muttered, not meeting his eyes. He raised his CU plastic bag as if to prove a point, but the isolated sound of soju bottles betrayed him. He wasn’t about to explain himself to a stranger, though. He pressed in the correct code quickly and slipped inside. Yoongi closed the door behind him, not even sparing Seokjin a second look, lest he get the wrong idea.

Back pressed against his cold, gray door, Yoongi let out a tired sigh. After a few seconds of recovering and upon hearing the soft click of the neighboring door, he slid down against the metal into a squat, anxiety-induced exhaustion  weighing him down. 

With a deep breath, he pulled himself up. After checking that his security system had properly locked him in and kept him away from the outside world, he slipped off of his shoes with his feet and kicked them into place in the foyer. Now barefoot, he then made his way inside to start his night.

Yoongi had just finished his shower and had just let out the hiss from his first soju bottle when his doorbell rang. He ignored it and poured himself a shot, then downed it in one gulp. The bell rang again, this time in fast succession, with a faint yet familiar “Hyuuuuuuuuung!” coming from outside. At this, Yoongi rolled his eyes and sighed. This time, it was a call he couldn’t ignore. He forced himself to stand up and walk to the door.

Park Jimin stood at his doorway with familiar tupperwares in his arms. The moment Jimin sniffed out the faint scent of alcohol on Yoongi, he pouted. Already used to Yoongi’s annoyance, Jimin walked past him and made his way inside. He discarded his shoes with an accuracy that one could only achieve from constant practice while he sang a melodic, “I’m letting myself in” to nobody in particular. Jimin was already helping himself to the kitchen whilst Yoongi closed the door behind him.

With a pile of food and bowls cradled to his chest, Jimin sat down in the middle of Yoongi’s living room. He shoved the soju bottles and the shot glass to a corner of the table, and replaced them with glassware. He put a familiar tupperware in the middle and rubbed his hands excitedly.

“I can’t believe you were so rude to Seokjin-hyung again!” Jimin chastised, as he put down the chopsticks and spoons. 

Begrudgingly, Yoongi sat opposite the blonde, right where Jimin had set up his utensils. He watched with what he hoped was his surliest look as Jimin served them Seokjin’s mul naengmyeon which, to Seokjin’s credit, did look and smell good. Yoongi’s stomach growled quietly, and he cursed himself for skipping breakfast and lunch. He’d really been working up to getting shitfaced as fast as possible.

“You’re later than usual today,” Yoongi commented, as he took his now-full bowl from Jimin. “You shouldn’t have just come.” He also reached out for some of the kimchi that apparently, Seokjin was thoughtful enough to also include in his dinner package.

“Nonsense. The restaurant just had a lot of deliveries tonight. Plus our part-timer got in late,” Jimin said. He slurped his food happily, then expressed a satisfied yell. He turned to Yoongi excitedly. “What do you think of it, hyung?” 

Begrudgingly, Yoongi admitted, “It’s good.”

“Right?!” Jimin smiled in satisfaction, as if he'd cooked the meal himself. He dove back into his bowl and spoke in between bites. “You know, I’m sick of the smell of jjajangmyeon and sweet and sour sauce. This just hits the spot.” He shook his head in appreciation.

Jimin’s family owned a popular Chinese restaurant that is a good five-minute drive away from the building. Now that his parents were older, Jimin had taken charge of managing it. He also did deliveries every once in a while.

Despite his busy schedule, however, Jimin had been visiting Yoongi every single day. He drove from the restaurant to the apartment on his old, beaten down scooter each time. It had been that way for the past ten years. Yoongi had been counting. Sometimes, Jimin stayed over for hours, talking, watching a movie, or leaving Yoongi alone and entertaining himself on his phone. On some days like this one, they shared meals. On busier days, Jimin dropped by after a delivery to say hello and left immediately. To an outsider, it might look like Jimin was using Yoongi’s apartment unit as an extended break room. To Yoongi, the visits were maintenance. He knew why Jimin started doing it, so he let him. They never talked about it.

Jimin’s mother had been the head make-up artist of GOOD DAY, and she gave birth to Jimin during the show’s first year. Back then, Yoongi’s parents had refused to work with anyone else, so she was allowed to bring her baby to work. Growing up around his mother’s workplace, Jimin often hung out on the set and spent some time with Yoongi. They would play games while shooting was on break, or sometimes, they’d do school summer reports together. As Jimin got older and started high school, he came to the set less and less, until he stopped going all together.

They met again as adults through an incredible coincidence, although Jimin always called it ‘fate’. It was on the day Yoongi had moved into Hyuga Apartments and had jjajangmyeon delivered. With Jimin taking Yoongi’s delivery, they immediately recognized each other, despite the years that had passed. While the incident made Yoongi consider moving again, the reunion elated Jimin and he had begun dropping by every once in a while to give Yoongi free meals or hang out. Having limited real estate choices at the time, Yoongi accepted that he may just have Jimin back into his life. Then somehow, some way, Jimin authorized himself as Yoongi’s caretaker by sheer force of will and by the power of his nagging. Besides, Jimin’s mother had always been nice to him; Yoongi decided just to return the favor. 

“You were planning to drink without eating a meal, weren’t you?” Jimin accused. Correctly. Yoongi refused to incriminate himself and focused on eating. In his defense, he properly skipped all his no-alcohol medications.

In a softer voice, Jimin continued, “Hyung, you know I’ll have to tell Namjoon-hyung this, don’t you?”

At this, Yoongi just shrugged. He’ll get shit from Namjoon during their session the next day, but it’s not anything Yoongi isn’t already used to.

They proceeded to eat the rest of the noodles in silence, the soju pointedly ignored.

When they were done, Jimin took it to himself to clean up their dishes. He took the bowls and utensils and went to the kitchen to wash them. Meanwhile, Yoongi turned on the television to the sports channel. A baseball match was on.

“Why are you so mean to Seokjin-hyung?” Jimin asked, over the sound of the TV. His tone sounded light and it was clear that he was just making conversation. “I like him. He’s nice, and he’s pretty. The whole block loves him, you know? Did you see that article about him that went viral?”

Yoongi scoffed silently.

“I don’t read the news.”

“Well, you should. He was so cool in it.”

Yoongi first met Seokjin right when Seokjin was moving in. Yoongi still remembered the look of surprise Seokjin had upon seeing him. In fact, Seokjin had been so shocked that he had dropped the box he was carrying, shattering something inside. Whatever that was, Yoongi knew that the reaction meant one thing: that Seokjin recognized him.

Seokjin never said anything, though. Never alluded to knowing who Yoongi was—or had been. Never asked about it the way other people did when they found out. Never poked or prodded. Never did anything but be incredibly, almost disbelievingly nice to him.

It unsettled Yoongi, and he didn’t like it.

“He’s annoying,” was all he told Jimin.

“You find everyone annoying,” Jimin pointed out, actually turning around and giving Yoongi a scolding look.

“Why are you attacking me ? The right question is: why is he so nice to me ?” Yoongi shot back.

“Why am I nice to you? Why is Namjoon-hyung nice to you?” Jimin volleyed. “Why is anyone ever nice to anyone?”

Because you’re good people, Yoongi thought. Because you two are good to me even though you know and understand everything. Instead, he said, “Because they’re idiots.”

“Then you just have to accept the fact that you attract idiots like flies to honey, hyung,” Jimin said with a huff before he turned back to his chore.

And that was that. Jimin didn’t bring it up again for the rest of the night. Instead, Jimin decided to talk about something else, something about a new dish at the restaurant that his father decided to add to the menu and how he was going to get Yoongi to try it as soon as it was ready.

After finishing the dishes, Jimin took with him Seokjin’s tupperwares. Before he left, he gave Yoongi a yielding kind of look. They stared at each other for a moment, before Jimin reached out to hug Yoongi lightly. Yoongi stood there stiffly until Jimin let go and squeezed his arm. Finally, Jimin said his goodbyes, and closed the door behind him.

Yoongi pressed his forehead against the door, listening to soft sounds of the door next to his opening, some quiet chatter, and the door closing. He thought he heard Jimin’s footsteps as they slowly faded away into the hallway, disappearing completely from the elevator. Outside, a scooter motor revved softly in the night. Silence once again filled Yoongi’s world.

And Yoongi was alone.

Yoongi counted himself down before turning around, coming face-to-face with his unit and its quiet.

Like the building, Yoongi’s unit was aged. Not in a way that showed character, though. It was just plain old, and had seen better days. But Yoongi had tended to the place and kept it clean and bare. The short hallway from the foyer had nothing—no photos, plants, art, not even a splash of color. Walking on the cold, wooden-paneled floor, Yoongi found his way to the kitchen to check if Jimin had left anything. Nothing was out of place and it was back to the same way Yoongi had left it that night. He checked the bathroom, and after finding what he’d expected to find, he made his way back to the living room. Sounds of the baseball game droned quietly from the television. The green bottles of soju stood out in the otherwise plain, almost bare room. They were the closest to decoration that he had. 

Yoongi thought about how it was clear that a person lived in this apartment unit, but none of the signs pointed to him, specifically. In this house, he was nothing. Unidentifiable. Anonymous. And that comforted him.

With his stomach full with cold noodles and his head blissfully empty, he lost the desire to drink. Unceremoniously, he gathered the bottles and put them in the refrigerator.

Tonight was the first time in fifteen years that Yoongi didn’t drink on this particular day, and for a moment, Yoongi thought he felt that something new was beginning.

He chuckled humorlessly at the thought, and allowed the feeling to pass.

#

Chapter Text

2009

SBS

[Breaking News] “I just hope for a good life for him.”—GOOD DAY Min Yoongi emancipated at 17

Posted 2009.06.30. 3:31 PM

583,764 views

30 June 2009 - Court proceedings have finally concluded GOOD DAY’s Min Yoongi’s (17) petition for emancipation in his favor.

Late last year, Min Yoongi filed for a petition to be emancipated from his parents, Park Sangmi (40) and Min Dongwon (41). The reason has been identified as ‘attaining economic self-sufficiency’ on the side of Min Yoongi.

<Photo of Min Yoongi coming out of the courthouse, wearing a dark suit. He is surrounded by his lawyer and a number of bodyguards.>

Photo caption: Min Yoongi has been emancipated from his parents, court rules. SBS

Min Yoongi starred in the popular GOOD DAY series, which ended last year. GOOD DAY broke records for viewership and album sales, earned international TV spots in over 15 countries, and launched two international franchises. Min Yoongi’s net worth is estimated to be around KRW 13 billion.

“I just hope for a good life for him,” Park Sangmi told the media tearfully during an interview. “My husband and I hope that Yoongi will soon realize his mistake. Our door is always open for our only son.”

A request to issue a permanent financial exploitation protective order has also been filed by Min Yoongi, and is currently being processed by the court. 

The parents are planning to file an appeal against the order, if granted. “It’s not about the money, it’s about the principle,” Min Dongwon stated. 

Min Yoongi has declined to comment.

878 comments

1. [+654, -234] It’s always the talented people who think they’re all that… so what if you can play music a little? So what if you have some money? Min Yoongi has always rubbed me off the wrong way. There are so many other kid actors who are more talented.

2. [+546, -132] What a terrible son. He may be rich now, but if not for his parents, he wouldn’t have everything that he has now. I used to be a fan. I’m f*cking disappointed.

3. [+324, -278] Our justice system is f*cked up. Throwing away your parents like that must be considered a crime. Min Yoongi is an ungrateful brat.

4. [+298, -123] ‘The Nation’s Son’... all bullshit. That’s no child of mine.

5. [+176, -24] It’s only going to get worse for him from here.

2024

Whenever Yoongi ran, his mind stayed empty except for the immediate need to survive. He liked it that way, and made it one of Namjoon’s recommendations that Yoongi actually took to heart. Every day, at six in the morning, he would wake up, put on a sweatshirt, sweatpants, running shoes, pack a bag of dog snacks, and go out to run.

His route was a mix of flat and uphill trails that circled Ansan Mountain. The workout usually took him one and a half hours, maybe an extra hour if he felt hungover or if there were stray dogs to stop him in his tracks for a few pats and a snack or two.

Today, he finished the Ansan circumference back at his starting point at 7:30 am sharp. He decided to take an extra brisk walk back to Hyuga Apartments when someone started jogging by his side.

Recognizing who it was, Yoongi had half a mind to run faster, but his aching leg muscles had other plans.

From the corner of his eye, he saw Seokjin’s face, glistening from the sweat. Seokjin, as if sensing a pair of eyes on him, turned to Yoongi and gave him a toothy smile. “Morning!” Seokjin exclaimed. Yoongi huffed and looked away. He forced his protesting legs into a slightly faster pace, which Seokjin easily matched. Finding nothing more in him to go even faster, Yoongi conceded and jogged alongside his neighbor.

Yoongi hunched over himself, hands gripping his knees from the extra effort he’d put in upon reaching the building’s entrance. Seokjin stood next to him, and much to Yoongi’s relief, he was in the same state of exhaustion. After a loud intake of breath, Seokjin straightened himself and took a sip from his water bottle.

Against his will, Yoongi couldn’t look away.

The man was so ridiculously attractive that Yoongi found it almost offensive.

Yoongi’s eyes followed as a bead of sweat rolled down Seokjin’s neck, followed it even further down to his Adam’s apple that bobbed up and down as he drank. His dri-fit shirt clung to his well-sculpted chest and stomach. His free arm flexed on his side, stretching the material of his sleeve, showcasing toned biceps. Forcing himself to stop going further south, Yoongi’s eyes instead went back up to Seokjin’s face. Curious dark brown eyes met horrified black.

Yoongi almost snapped his neck while turning his head away.

“So you take the Ansan Jarak-gil route,” Seokjin said, mercifully pretending that he didn’t just catch Yoongi staring. Yoongi couldn’t help but notice the pleasant and melodic cadence of his voice. It was friendly, but it always sounded a little timid. Almost as if Seokjin was pushing himself to be friendly. “I usually just do rounds in Muak Park and I’m already beat. Ansan Jarak-gil’s really hard, with all the uphills. You’re pretty amazing if this is your usual way.” He gave a wink, and then let out another sigh of exhaustion. “It’s good to see you this morning, Yoongi-ssi.”

“Yeah,” was all Yoongi said, his voice coming out as a breathless gasp. His reply didn’t even make any sense. He cursed himself internally as he buried his face into his towel. He blamed the heat in his cheeks on his exhaustion.

“Want some water?” Seokjin pushed his large metal flask towards Yoongi. That was when it sunk in that he’d been running while carrying that thing. Was this guy bragging?

Yoongi met Seokjin’s eyes again, this time, on purpose. Seokjin’s smile went bigger, eyes almost sparkling. Yoongi scowled.

“No, thank you,” Yoongi declined firmly, before turning around and making his way into the apartment.

Behind him, Seokjin jogged lightly.

They took the elevator together in heavy silence, the steel box feeling much warmer than it ever was. The rise feeling so much like forever.

On the seventh floor, they walked to their doors together.

When Seokjin reached his unit, he told Yoongi, “I’ll see you tomorrow, Yoongi-ssi?”

“I don’t think so,” Yoongi said in a flat tone. Seokjin laughed a soft, squeaky laugh, as if he found Yoongi’s bluntness endearing rather than discouraging. Yoongi hated the thought of it.

As Yoongi entered his apartment, he resolved to find a new route to run.

▪▪▪

Namjoon’s face came on to the computer screen as soon as Yoongi logged into Zoom.

Kim Namjoon was Yoongi’s regular therapist. In his early years, Yoongi had failed to build rapport with five other therapists. It was after those misses when Namjoon was initially assigned to him as a temporary counselor. He’d been able to stick around. In the past seven years, Yoongi had gotten to know Namjoon through the younger man’s psychotherapy trainings, his Master’s degree, and now his ongoing PhD. Namjoon, in turn, got to know Yoongi through his multiple depressive spirals and his general struggle to open up and do himself good. Sometimes, Yoongi felt like he was Namjoon’s thesis, a problem statement that Namjoon studied and tried to figure out, although he knew there was no truth to the feeling. Namjoon was too kind for that. Despite his reservations, however, even Yoongi knew that Namjoon had been good to and for him.

“Sorry I couldn’t meet you in person today, Yoongi-ssi,” Namjoon said, pushing up his glasses.

“I told you last week that we could’ve canceled,” Yoongi said, noticing that Namjoon was hunched over, clearly not used to the set-up. Instead of his usual office, he was in a hotel room.

“No worries!” Namjoon chirped. “I made sure to have time before my conference. I wouldn’t miss our session for the world.”

Yoongi’s lips went into a tight line. 

“So!” Namjoon said, clapping his hands and breaking the terse silence. He gestured for Yoongi to go on, palms open. “Report, please.”

Yoongi braced himself, then droned out, “Didn’t miss any of my daily physical activity. Skipped some medications one day this week, but went back to routine. Drank a shot of soju.” At this, Namjoon tilted his head curiously, but said nothing. He just kept writing in his notebook. “Didn’t get any work assignments earlier this week so I just watched TV and played games. But I got a new job notice this morning. It’s a three-week assignment, so there’s that.”

“Okay, got it. Good work on the physical activity and the drinking. Your streak is impressive,” Namjoon remarked. “And congratulations on the assignment. It’s good that you have something to keep you busy. Could you tell me more about it?”

It wasn’t like Yoongi needed work, but Namjoon had suggested that he try to find something that made him feel productive. So for the past years, Yoongi had been freelancing digitally for overseas clients, doing virtual assistance, data entry, translation, and writing. Much to his chagrin, it was another one of Namjoon’s bright ideas that did help. Even Yoongi knew that this was better than him just rotting in bed and feeling sorry for himself, even if Yoongi found himself unable to stick to something that required him to commit for longer than a month.

“It’s a temporary virtual assistant job for an Australian company. They’re holding an event in Busan and I just have to manage the RSVPs, do some bookings, some coordination with suppliers, and some translation work. Nothing too hard.”

“I see, that’s good.” Namjoon smiled, and his dimples deepened. “You know, this is progress. When you were just starting a couple of years ago, you told me that you found this set-up overwhelming. You even said that you don’t see yourself doing it in the long-term. Well, here we are now. You seem quite used to it.” 

“I suppose.”

Yoongi watched Namjoon flip through his notes. He stopped at a page and looked at Yoongi through the screen. Yoongi knew that expression. They were about to talk about Something Important.

“We both know that there was a special date this week.”

Yoongi’s mind instantly went to the four bottles of soju in his refrigerator, still untouched.

When Yoongi didn’t follow through with the prompt, Namjoon continued in a gentle voice, “A few days ago was the anniversary of your emancipation.”

Yoongi nodded.

“How do you feel?”

The court ruling had been granted fifteen years ago. So much time had passed since then. What else was there to feel? 

“Like usual,” Yoongi shrugged. Like shit.

Namjoon leaned closer to his laptop’s web camera. “But you’ve broken a habit. And that’s not usual. I’m proud of you, you know?” he said. Jimin had told Namjoon about the soju Yoongi had bought. Yoongi had just inadvertently told Namjoon that he had barely drunk any of it. The two of them had agreed a long time ago that they should both accept good will, so Yoongi nodded his acknowledgement.

“Do you want to talk about them today? Your parents?” Namjoon prompted again.

At this, Yoongi chuckled. “What’s there to talk about?” he said. The news had been everywhere. Thinkpieces were aired on the radio, the Internet, and television. His parents granted multiple interviews. Yoongi’s been seeing psychiatrists, therapists, counselors for most of his life. “Everything’s already been said. I didn’t drink.”

Giving Namjoon no chance to prompt it again, Yoongi immediately followed up with, “No, I don’t want to talk about it.”

Feeling bad about his tone, Yoongi backtracked and said softly, “Not now. Maybe next time.”

Namjoon accepted the unsaid apology. “Another time, then,” he said. He went back to his notes. “Now, Jimin told me about a new neighbor. I heard that he moved in a month ago. You didn’t tell me about him yet.”

“I didn’t think that it was important enough to tell you,” Yoongi said honestly.

“Don’t worry about that. You know you can tell me everything, even if it feels trivial. So, tell me about this neighbor.”

Yoongi sighed, and massaged his temples with his hands. The last thing he wanted right now was to think of Kim Seokjin. Again.

“He moved into the unit next to mine. He keeps offering me his dinner leftovers.”

“Yoongi-ssi, c’mon, that’s not what I heard.”

Yoongi rolled his eyes. Fucking Jimin and his loud mouth. “Fine. He keeps offering me food. He always says he ‘made too much’ but it’s obvious that he makes a lot on purpose. He says hello whenever we see each other. I keep trying to ignore him, but he’s persistent.” Yoongi felt his shoulders tense. “He jogged my route this morning, and wanted to join me tomorrow. He probably knows who I am and is trying to be self-righteous. How annoying.”

“Why do you find it ‘annoying’?”

“I… don’t know.”

“Please. Try to think. One reason.”

“Maybe because…” Yoongi played with his hands on his desk. I think he feels sorry for me, he thought lamely. 

Yoongi was itching to just leave the Zoom meeting, but he knew better. He conceded. “He’s too bright. Too nice. Too… perfect.” Yoongi threw up his hands.

“Why is that a problem for you?”

“Because he doesn’t have a reason to be,” Yoongi said. “And because everything that seems good for you will let you down later on. Nothing can be too good to be true.”

Namjoon was silent for a moment.

“Am I like that to you?” Namjoon asked, sincerely concerned. “You said you found our sessions to be ‘good for you’. Do you think I’ll let you down later on?”

At this, Yoongi laughed out loud. Namjoon was not like Seokjin. Yoongi thought back to their first meeting, when Namjoon was still his counselor and was fresh out of getting his bachelor’s degree. From their first few sessions, Yoongi figured him out already. Namjoon could be a little insecure. He could be plenty neurotic. He could be often melancholic. He would deny all this, but he also cared too much about what people thought. He cared what Yoongi thought about him, though Yoongi could never understand why. Namjoon wanted to be a good therapist, a good person, so much that it was almost a fault. It made him almost addicted to bettering himself.

No, Namjoon was not like Seokjin, at least from what Yoongi knows about him. Not at all.

Namjoon looked sheepish at Yoongi’s reaction. “I suppose not.” For good measure, he added, “Thanks, I guess.” Still flushed, Namjoon reorganized his notes and then continued with, “Now, how’s it going with your psychiatrist—”

▪▪▪

Eight in the evening rolled around when Yoongi finished his initial tasks for his new work. He had started right after his session with Namjoon and hadn’t realized that he worked through lunch and dinner. He felt better, finishing the work he planned to do for the day. He begrudged Namjoon for the good suggestion but decided to tell him that in their next session. After all, he knew that Namjoon liked validation.

Yoongi took off his glasses and was deciding on skipping dinner altogether to just go to sleep when the doorbell rang.

Not again , he thought with a groan, already imagining the same bright eyes, the same set of tupperwares, and the same ‘I made extra!’ line that was going to be thrown at him.

Nursing his annoyance, he stood up from his chair and decided to finally give Kim Seokjin a piece of his mind. Before now, Yoongi had tried to be civil. Now, Yoongi planned to ask him point blank to leave him the fuck alone. Maybe he’d call Seokjin a stalker for good measure. After all, hadn’t he and Namjoon covered setting boundaries already?

But instead of Seokjin, Jimin stood there, surprised at the expression on Yoongi’s face. He must have looked ready to bite Seokjin’s head off. Jimin’s shock dissipated into a look of realization and a sly smile came up his face.

“Expecting someone else, hyung?” he teased.

Yoongi, face heated, said “Shut up,” before marching back into his apartment unit, leaving Jimin to close up for himself.

“Don’t be like that, hyuuuuuung,” Jimin moaned, hints of amusement underlying his complaint. “I brought you braised chicken feet! Mom made it just for you!”

Yoongi made a dismissive noise.

“But first, tell me who you were expecting!” Jimin called out happily, as he skipped into the kitchen. 

Yoongi sat down at his work station as Jimin chatted in the background about Seokjin-hyung this, and Seokjin-hyung that. About how he could picture him and Yoongi being friends. About how Yoongi could stand to be a little nicer.

Oh, it was going to take weeks for Jimin to move on from this, Yoongi thought miserably, as he buried his face in his hands.

#

Chapter Text

2024

Pann > Talk > Trending

Handsome paramedic in action today at my workplace

Posted 2024.02.24. 9:23 PM

342,764 views

Yah… what is this… with that face, you should be in an entertainment agency, not risking your life ㅠㅠ

<A screenshot from the public National Fire Agency of Korea Emergency Medical Services team Instagram account featuring a group photo of their newly-assigned paramedics. Seokjin’s face is digitally encircled.>

But seriously, we had a scary emergency at work today and he was one of the people who responded. I thought I was watching a medical drama. He looked so cool. I think I fell in love a little…

<Three grainy pictures of Seokjin attending to a passed out person in an office lobby attached. The face of the person in distress is covered with a mosaic. Seokjin’s face could be seen in all the photos.>

Fighting, handsome paramedic-ssi! Thank you for the good work you’re doing for our country!

213 comments

1. [+823, -12] He doesn’t even need to do anything. He just has to stand there and I will revive myself from the dead.

2. [+712, -15] I’m a straight man, but my heart totally skipped a beat right now… 

3. [+687, -34] Wow, SM Entertainment, what are you doing? Get this guy right now!

4. [+356, -1542] Cosmetic surgery is at this level these days, huh?

5. [+209, -21] Is he single? He looks like someone I’d like to be my son-in-law.

2024

“You’re still unpacked ?!”

Seokjin looked at his feet ruefully as his two workmates entered his apartment. It was a one-bedroom unit, its default fixtures and furniture untouched. It looked just like how it did during Seokjin’s viewing, except with a few things already unpacked and set-up—a TV, a gaming console, and a photo frame of Seokjin’s parents—and a large pile of boxes in a corner of Seokjin’s living room.

Seokjin hadn’t planned on having visitors, but Jeon Jungkook had insisted on a housewarming.

Jungkook was Seokjin’s childhood friend from Gwacheon. He came with Kim Taehyung, an EMT in Seokjin’s department and a close friend of Jungkook’s. Taehyung was the one surprised at the state of Seokjin’s affairs.

“Hyung, you’ve been in Seoul for almost two months now! You should’ve given me a call if you needed help moving!” Jungkook added on. He actually sounded hurt and looked a little sorry for Seokjin, as if asking, Are you having a hard time? Seokjin shook his head to assure him that things were fine.

“I’ve been busy,” Seokjin said. “And it’s a pain to unpack.”

He watched as his two younger workmates put down their housewarming gifts on his dining table. Even without invitation, they moved around the place to inspect the unopened boxes.

In truth, Seokjin hadn’t really felt like unpacking. He never ever felt like unpacking. Some of the boxes in the room had already been stuck in boxes in Seokjin’s previous apartment. Some haven’t been unboxed since Seokjin had moved out of his grandparents’ house. He felt safer with having his things easy to bring out if he needed to. 

Jungkook pouted at his excuse. He rolled up his sleeves and declared, “We’re helping you finish moving today. Then lunch is your treat! I want fried chicken and pizza!” Taehyung whined and immediately countered with, “Jjangmyeon is the best when moving! Extra egg! No peas!”

The low-stakes argument continued as Jungkook went straight to the closest box to him. Taehyung gave Seokjin a wide grin in the middle of the debate before diving into the work himself. 

Seokjin sighed at the sight and sounds of his colleagues, but eventually relented. Seokjin approached the towering boxes and followed suit. He took one particularly bent box and let out a small gasp as soon as he opened it. He’d almost forgotten about it.

“Woah, what happened to that ?” Jungkook asked, jumping over boxes and looking down into Seokjin’s box. Carefully, the younger man reached into it and pulled out broken pieces of a Dooly plate and cup set. Some of the other plates inside the box were in almost the same condition. They were old ceramic plates that survived Seokjin’s childhood. His grandparents must have packed them for him when he moved out.

“I dropped this box when I was moving in,” Seokjin explained. 

“You aren’t usually clumsy,” Taehyung commented from the side.

“I…” Seokjin smiled tightly. “Came across someone I knew. Got a little surprised.”

“Living in this building?” Taehyung pressed, looking at him curiously. “An old friend?”

Seokjin thought of Yoongi scowling at him and laughed a little. “Something like that.”

“Is it an ex?” Taehyung asked, tilting his head to the side, mischief starting to color his expression.

“ Not like that.” 

Taehyung had the gall to look disappointed. He didn’t let it ruin his mood, though. He smiled and said, “Why don’t we ask him to join the housewarming party then?”

Seokjin grimaced. Yoongi was clear about disliking him for some reason. Seokjin highly doubted he’d want to come over. “We’re not really close. He’s just someone I know. In any case, I don’t think he’s available.”

With a shrug, Taehyung let the topic slide and went back to his chore. Not shortly after, he pulled out a gold plaque and raised it for everyone to see. “Woah, what’s this!” Taehyung gasped. “A police recognition award?”

Taehyung was about to read the inscription out loud when Seokjin immediately jumped up and walked over to where he sat. He took the plaque from the EMT’s hands and shoved it back into the box, with a little more force than he’d intended. “I’ll keep this here, with the rest of it. This box goes in my storage,” he explained, resealing the box and putting it away as far away and as quickly as possible. 

Jungkook watched him curiously.

As if he sensed Seokjin's desperation not to talk about the plaque, Jungkook changed the topic. “By the way, hyung, I had something I wanted to ask,” Jungkook began. Jungkook went back to his spot and started unpacking Seokjin’s extra beddings. Meanwhile, Taehyung had moved on to a different box and inspected a Mario figurine that Seokjin hadn’t laid his eyes on since he was in elementary school. “You’re going back to Gwacheon soon, right?”

“Yeah,” Seokjin said, unpacking a box, himself. “I’m just staying overnight, though.”

“What’s happening in Gwacheon?” Taehyung asked, looking up from his now-lined up pile of small MapleStory gaming figures. Seokjin wondered if he really intended to help or just wanted somewhere to play for the weekend.

“Gije,” Seokjin said. “My parents’.”

“Oh,” Taehyung said, voice soft. He put down a Potted Sprout figurine and lowered his eyes. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Seokjin assured, giving Taehyung a smile that he hoped would deter him from asking more about it. Seokjin quickly turned to Jungkook. “Why do you ask, Gguk-ah? Want me to bring anything back for you? I can drop by your parents’ house if you’d like.”

“Wah, that’d be great. I’m planning to send my parents some health supplements. Give some to halmeoni and haraboji, too. I bought boxes of the stuff.”

“You’re worrying too much about them. Those two are stronger than I am. They still do trail hiking every weekend, you know,” Seokjin said. But he added, “Thanks, Jungkook-ah. They’ll appreciate it.”

After a beat, Taehyung piped up with, “So, you two really know each other from way back, huh?”

Seokjin grinned at Jungkook’s direction. “I’ve known Jungkook since he was a baby. I practically raised this kid on my back.”

They had been neighbors in Gwacheon, and they studied in all the same places until high school. They did drift apart sometime during Seokjin’s teen years, and eventually Jungkook had to move to Chungnam when he entered the National Fire Service Academy. Meanwhile, Seokjin studied and trained in emergency medicine in Seoul. 

“He says that, but he never got in touch,” Jungkook said.

“What’s up with that?”

Seokjin considered Jungkook as his oldest friend. Even so, they rarely messaged each other, and had just silently kept up with each other through social media. Not that Seokjin was active on social media, either. He and Jungkook only got their real reunion when Seokjin got reassigned to the Seoul Metropolitan Fire and Disaster Headquarters this year, where Jungkook was already a fire captain.

“We’re not active texters,” Seokjin explained. “Jungkook prefers video calling, so we do it once in a while, but I hate it.”

“We do better if we’re close by. Glad we work at the same place now.” Jungkook reached over a pile of things with a closed fist, and Seokjin bumped it with his own. 

“Yeah,” Seokjin affirmed. “And for the past years, we’ve both been doing different things. I lived in Gongju before this, completing my paramedic and management training. Before that, I worked as an EMT in Incheon. That’s where I got assigned after my EMT training. So there wasn’t really a chance to hang out and stuff.”

Taehyung oh -ed, nodding. He pulled out his phone from his pocket. “You know what, I’ll rehabilitate you both. I’ll create a group chat with the three of us.” After a few clicks, Seokjin’s and Jungkook’s phones let out simultaneous ka-talk notifications. 

Seokjin raised an eyebrow at the notification. “Fire Flowers?” He read the group name out loud.

“‘Cause we’re in the fire department and we’re pretty,” Taehyung said, making a flower pose.

Jungkook threw a sock at him and it hit him right on the nose, earning a yelp from his victim.

“For that, Seokjin-hyung has to follow me on Insta,” Taehyung declared, nursing his nose dramatically. He went back to his phone before showing the room Seokjin’s Instagram account. “And he has to post something today.”

Seokjin groaned in complaint. “Do I have to?”

“What do you mean?!” Taehyung gasped at his reaction. “Your last post was in 2013! Hyung, stop being a boomer!”

Seokjin went “Yah!” and they all burst out laughing.

Fire Department - Jeon Jungkook

Today was so fun! Thank you, hyung!

[five photos attached]

[sticker]

20:12 pm

Yeah, it was great having you guys over.

Thanks for helping me unpack and for the pictures.

Even though you only sent the ones you look good in.

20:12 pm

Fire Department - Jeon Jungkook

LOL

Anytime!

20:12 pm

By the way…

You’re doing okay, right?

20:33

Of course. Why would I not be?

20:33 pm

Fire Department - Jeon Jungkook

Around this time…

Maybe things are a little harder than usual.

You can talk to me whenever you need to, you know?

20:34

I know. Thanks, Gguk-ah.

20:34 pm

Fire Department - Jeon Jungkook

Okay.

I really missed hanging out with you.

20:35

Me, too.

Now go to bed!

20:35 pm

Fire Department - Jeon Jungkook

Fine, fine.

Good night, hyung! Sleep well.

See you at work.

20:35

▪▪▪

Seokjin had a nightmare.

He dreamt of fire, fire truck sirens, a phone ringing, and someone screaming.

Seokjin stood there, a few feet away from a burning house. He was paralyzed, stuck in place, and forced to helplessly watch the house in front of him fall apart in flames. As the fire blazed, the sirens kept blaring, the phone kept ringing, and the person kept screaming. He fell to his knees and screamed.

Finally, Seokjin woke up in cold sweat and with tears streaming down his face. His phone alarm rang gently next to him.

He reached out and turned it off. He sat on his bed for a while, nursing his head in his hands as he counted himself down. He took a deep, long inhale. Held his breath. Then let it out. One , two , three. And repeat. 

Once calm, he decided to throw off his covers and start the day.

The first rain of the summer season was falling the moment Seokjin stepped out of Hyuga Apartments. He didn’t feel well, but he knew he’d feel better with some physical activity. Seokjin had meant what he told Yoongi yesterday and had full intentions of taking the Ansan Jarak-gil route for his morning jog, but he had no choice but to concede to nature. Instead, he decided to head to the nearby gym for a day pass.

It was still early, so he didn’t expect a lot of people.

He was right.

There was just one other person there, running on one of the treadmills.

Seokjin smiled to himself.

Min Yoongi. He was in his usual dark sweatshirt and sweatpants. His neck-length dark hair was tied into a half ponytail. Sweat dripped down his pale cheeks, down to his sharp jawline. He had on headphones and he looked lost in the workout. He looked good. 

Min Yoongi, Seokjin thought again, testing the sound of the name in his head.

Seokjin had grown up hearing that name, all in different tones at different points of his life. At the start of it all, Korean mothers said this name with envy, or at least Seokjin’s had. From the other side of the television, Seokjin had grown up watching this kid his mother thought Seokjin was supposed to be: smart, friendly, loved, and poised towards success. 

And Min Yoongi was indeed the entertainment industry’s brightest success, but he was also its biggest tragedy. His was a face Seokjin had grown up watching with his whole family in his childhood home in Gwacheon, and his was a name two generations of South Koreans knew but had kept at the back of their heads, like a curse they only brought up as a bad example.

Seokjin swallowed back the last thought before approaching.

“Min Yoongi-ssi,” Seokjin greeted. He walked onto the empty treadmill next to Yoongi. Seokjin was about to turn the machine on when Yoongi’s treadmill made a beeping sound, signaling that he was done. Seokjin turned and watched Yoongi dismount the treadmill, taking with him his towel. The dismissal stung, but Seokjin tried to not let it get to him.

“I’ll see you around, then,” Seokjin called out, trying to sound as friendly as he could.

Yoongi stopped in his tracks and turned to stare at Seokjin. He looked livid as he pulled his headphones down to his neck. Seokjin went down the treadmill to face Yoongi, worried.

“Why do you keep bothering me?” Yoongi asked coldly. “It’s fucking weird.”

Yoongi’s anger made Seokjin’s blood run cold and Seokjin instinctively apologized. He knew that he had been insistent about his approaches. He hadn’t realized that he overstepped. He didn’t think things through. But maybe, Yoongi would understand if Seokjin just explained himself. “I just—”

“Are you some kind of stalker? Do you even have a reason for doing all this?”

“I do,” Seokjin said, voice firm. “If you could just—” He reached out to touch Yoongi’s arm.

Yoongi visibly bristled at the touch, paled, and marched his way out of the gym.

Like in his nightmare, Seokjin found himself frozen on the spot as Yoongi walked away.

▪▪▪

Seokjin still thought about how Yoongi reacted that morning as he went through his work break. Yoongi sounded definitely angry. But Seokjin sensed something else at that moment—Yoongi was afraid. He was afraid of Seokjin. 

A slow-burning anxiety formed like a vice around Seokjin’s chest. The last thing he wanted was for him to be a threat to Yoongi’s well-being. As calmly as he could, he mentally went through options on what he could possibly do to make things right.

Ka-talk!

He almost jumped out of his skin at the sound. He’d been too preoccupied by what happened that he forgot to put his phone on silent. He checked the notification.

Unknown Number

Hey Seokjin-ah, this is Lee Won Geun from high school. Remember me? It’s been a while. I read your viral article. I can’t believe you’re some kind of a celebrity now.

I saw you on Jeon Jungkook’s Instagram post so I asked him about you. He gave me your KKT. I hope you don’t mind.

Our classmates based in Seoul meet every few months to catch up. Our next one is in three days. Let me know if you want to come. It’ll be great. The guys are excited to see you again.

15:33 pm

Lee Won Geun. He’d been one of Seokjin’s closest friends in middle school and high school. They used to be attached by the hip, together with a few other boys. They’d lost touch when Seokjin left their group in favor of doing better in school. 

Seokjin pressed the edge of his phone against his forehead.

He shook the dark thoughts away.

He was better now.

He was an adult.

He could do this.

Hey, Won Geun-ah. Thanks for getting in touch.

I’m interested in going.

Text me the address, I’ll be there.

15:35 pm

#

Chapter Text

2008

KBS

Two dead in Gwacheon-si fire

Posted 2008.07.11. 8:19 PM - Revised 2008.07.13. 10:00 am

2,764 views

11 July 2008 - A fire destroyed two residential houses in Gwacheon-si this Friday afternoon, killing two people and injuring four.

The Fire Department’s investigations show conclusive evidence that the cause of the fire was a gas leak. The fire started at around 4 PM and quickly spread due to the heat wave. The initial explosion from the leak prompted the people living in the neighboring houses to evacuate.

<Photo of the site, after the fire has been put out.>

Photo caption: Two houses have been reduced to debris after a fire today, killing two people and injuring another four. KBS

As of 8 PM, firefighters have confirmed that two people have been found dead. The two casualties were a married couple. Their bodies were found in their bedroom. The bedroom door was blocked by a large panel of wood, locking them inside. The firefighters were not able to get through the room. The couple left behind two children, 21 and 17. Both were not inside the house during the fire and have been reported safe.

Four other people were reported to have minor injuries from inhaling smoke. They are currently being treated.

0 comments

2024

The reunion party was held in a small fried chicken and beer restaurant in the Hongik area. The place was bustling with customers, and the group was tucked away into a private rented room.

They were talking loudly when Seokjin entered their room and said hello. Members of the small group of alumni stood up and squealed in excitement at his appearance. People he only vaguely remembered started clapping him on the shoulders and back, calling him ‘Mr. Handsome Paramedic’ and welcoming him into the group. They spoke to him familiarly, as if he hadn’t gone off their radar for the past decade. 

When they finally let him go, he took his seat next to Won Geun. 

There were only traces left of the Lee Won Geun that Seokjin knew in the face that greeted him, now tinged with lines that aged him around the eyes and across the forehead. His hairstyle, which used to be long and permed, was now side-swept and styled conservatively. He was stockier now. Seokjin had heard that he worked in construction right after high school while completing courses at a local liberal arts college. He eventually got a job in Seoul as a writer after moving out of Gwacheon. Age and experience had made him look so much like an adult, and the troublemaker that Seokjin was friends with was almost completely gone. Seokjin gathered that Won Geun might also be thinking the same, as he sat still next to him, staring at Seokjin’s face.

“How the hell do you look good at our age, you asshole,” Won Geun finally said, the sentiment catching Seokjin by surprise. The rest of the class backed him up with lighthearted complaints. Won Geun squeezed Seokjin’s shoulder, and gestured for a hug. Seokjin accepted and they squeezed each other familiarly.

Seokjin was handed a large beer glass and a plate of chicken drumsticks and was asked to lead a toast.

“To Gwacheon Central High School’s class of 2009?” he said, raising his glass shyly.

“Cheers!” came the enthusiastic response.

There were fifteen people at the reunion. They all used to run different crowds in high school, but found themselves all coming together in one group as adults working in Seoul. There was their top student and the only person in their batch who’d gotten into SNU. She was now a professor at the university. There was a singer who had done idol training in high school. He eventually dropped out and became a radio announcer. There was also a doctor, a civil servant, and a teacher. Seokjin learned that there were other similar alumni groups from their school across the country—a lot of people had moved out of their hometown after high school.

As much as he hated the feeling, being around them didn’t make Seokjin feel good about the present day. Instead, they reminded him of the person he had been, mindlessly going with the flow and surrounding himself with people who didn’t make him a good person. Seeing them together, Seokjin felt all the burdens of the past coming back to haunt him.

“Wah, you’ve changed a lot, haven’t you,” Yi Kyung mused. The shy student who used to sit in front of Won Geun was now more animated, working in insurance sales. “I thought Won Geun-ah changed the most, but I think Seokjin-ah is a lot more surprising.”

“Oh, they’re just the same. They were both such terrible delinquents, weren’t they?” Yongsun, who sat opposite Seokjin, added on. Seokjin remembered her. She was also one of their best students and had been good at music and home economics. She works as a lawyer now. “The teachers just ignored them, and we tried to avoid them because we were so scared they’d do something bad to us.”

“Why would you be scared of us?” Won Geun laughed. “We were harmless. We just did stupid things. We cut class to game in PC bangs, got bad grades, did other small stuff.” He made drinking and smoking gestures, and made the group laugh. “But we weren’t bullies or anything, and we just minded our own business.” He then slapped the table and pointed at Yongsun accusingly. “Hey, Kim Yongsun-ssi. You talk big about being scared but you even confessed to Seokjin-ah during our last year of high school, didn’t you? Who’d be stupid enough to do it at the basketball court? The whole school saw you get rejected!” 

“So what,” Yongsun said coolly. She turned to Seokjin. “Yah, Kim Seokjin! You were so handsome then, too. And I don’t regret confessing to you one bit. The other girls who liked you weren’t as brave as I was back then.” She made a face and showed her ring finger. “Too bad you rejected me, though.” The table cheered and hollered.

Seokjin bowed in thanks, embarrassed, and followed it up with his congratulations. 

Back to Won Geun, she shot back, “Seokjin-ah stopped hanging out with you guys eventually, anyway!”

This earned Yongsun an elbow to the side by Moon Byulyi, their resident SNU graduate. Byulyi cleared her throat and pushed up her glasses. Realizing her mistake, Yongsun gasped softly and apologized to Seokjin.

Seokjin had stopped hanging out with their group in July of 2008. It had been after his parents had passed away from the fire. No one from their group, not even Won Geun, had asked him to come back. Eventually, as the college entrance exams approached and the threat of the future looming on the horizon, the other members of their small crowd of slackers started falling off one by one, too.

“It’s okay,” Seokjin said, laughing lightly and waving them off. “I’m okay now. Don’t worry about it.”

Won Geun patted his thigh and Seokjin nodded at him in acknowledgement.

Before, Seokjin and Won Geun were troublemakers who sat at the backmost row of the classroom, either asleep, texting, or generally messing around. Now, Seokjin’s a first responder, and Won Geun works in the media. And they sat next to each other again as adults for the first time in years, this time among their peers.

Seokjin tried to ignore the lump in his throat through the rest of the night.

When the group began to pack up to go to their afterparty, Seokjin said his goodbyes, with the excuse that he had mid-shift the following day. Won Geun piggybacked on Seokjin’s retreat saying that he’d drunk enough and that he needed to go home. Before the group could ask Seokjin for one last round of selfies, Won Geun pulled him out of the restaurant.

They stood next to each other as they waited at the closest bus stop.

Seokjin knew that Won Geun wasn’t close enough to being drunk. He barely finished a glass of beer. As he stood there, leaning against the bus stop wall and hugging his work bag, Won Geun just looked worn out.

“Somehow, it’s not surprising to me that you’d be popular,” Won Geun mused. “You were popular even back then, you know, with the girls we used to hang out with. And it wasn’t just around our crowd. Even the good girls like Kim Yongsun liked you.” He nudged Seokjin with an elbow. Then, “So, you’re still single?”

Seokjin nodded.

“Aish. You gotta get married, man. We’re not getting younger.” He straightened up. He took out his wallet and opened it to show Seokjin its contents. Amidst the receipts and tickets and cards inside stood out a family picture. “Look at this. I have a wife and a kid. My kid’s name is Eunji. She’s three. Very smart. Likes being read to a lot,” he said, pocketing the wallet again. “She’s a pretty nice kid, too. Her personality’s great. She always greets me home with a hug. Her first word was ‘appa’. She adores me, you know.”

“That’s good. I’m happy for you,” Seokjin said sincerely.

“It makes me sad that she thinks I’m such a good person, when I’m not. Maybe if I did better in school instead of fucking around, work wouldn’t be so hard right now. I could’ve gone to university. I could’ve gotten a better job. I could’ve been giving Eunji a better life,” Won Geun said, shoulders sagging visibly as he looked out at nothing. “I know you regret a lot from our past, too. After all, we ran in the same crowd back then.”

At this, Seokjin stiffened. He crossed his arms over his chest.

“And you know what makes it all worse? I hate that I can’t tell my daughter much about the time I was younger. I was such a brat in middle school and high school. Eunji’s starting preschool soon. Before I know it, she’ll be a teen and going to high school. I hate that every time I’ll be asking her to study hard, I’d know that I didn’t do the same. Damn. I feel ashamed just thinking about it. What would she think of me?” he continued. “Delinquency isn’t hereditary, right? She won’t grow up like me?”

“We weren’t that bad. Like you said back there, we just minded our own business,” Seokjin said, trying to lighten the mood. He clasped Won Geun’s shoulder, both to assure him and to hold him steady. “And for the record, it’s not hereditary.”

This made Won Geun laugh. But the mirth didn’t stay for long. “I really wish things were different. I wish I did things different,” Won Geun said, voice thick with emotion.

The lump in Seokjin’s throat grew bigger, so much that he felt like he couldn’t breathe. How many times had he wished the same thing? For things to be different? For him to have done things different? He tightened his hold on Won Geun’s shoulder, this time for himself.

“If things had been different back then,” Seokjin said quietly, loosening his hold onto Won Geun, “then things wouldn’t have turned this way now. You’ve got a good life now, Won Geun-ah. Everything that happened to you led you to your wife, and led you to all of this, with Eunji. Now it’s up to you to shape what you have now into the future you want. You can make her proud of the present Won Geun.”

“It’s hard. It’s hard to make an honest living these days.”

“Doing the right thing isn’t always easy. This just means you’ve grown up to be a good adult, Won Geun-ah.”

Won Geun turned to him, eyes glassy, and asked, “How about you?”

“What about me?”

“Are you doing that now?” Won Geun gestured vaguely around him. “Doing what’s right? Shaping whatever this is into the future you want?”

Seokjin smiled tightly, and shrugged. “I’d like to think so.”

“Of course you are,” Won Geun said, smile not reaching his eyes.

As if on cue, Won Geun’s bus arrived. He gave him a tight-lipped smile. “Let’s keep in touch, Seokjin-ah. One of these days, you can come over and meet Eunji and the missus. She makes great bossam.”

“Sure, Won Geun-ah. Let’s work something out. Take care.”

Won Geun boarded the bus. Through the bus window, he gave Seokjin a wave. Seokjin waved back.

After watching the bus disappear into the next corner, Seokjin took out his phone.

Yah, you gave Lee Won Geun my number without permission.

Hyung is disappointed.

21:35 pm

Fire Department - Jeon Jungkook

AAAAHHHH sorryyyyyy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You don’t go out a lot so I thought it’d be good for you to go to your reunions…

21:35 pm

I was kidding, Gguk-ah.

It’s okay. I had fun.

Everyone was nice.

It felt good to see them again.

I’m coming to the next one.

21:36 pm

Fire Department - Jeon Jungkook

[sticker]

That’s good, I’m glad to hear that, hyung.

You should do a lot of fun things!

You have to be happy!

21:37 pm

Happy.

Seokjin mulled over the word and what it meant. He thought of Won Geun, his wife, and Eunji. He thought of the way things used to be. How they turned into the way things were now. He stayed in the bus stop for a while longer before calling for a taxi.

▪▪▪

On his way back to Hyuga Apartments, Seokjin found a figure lying flat in the middle of the dirt walkway. Alarmed, Seokjin quickly ran to it to respond.

It was Yoongi. He laid splayed out on the ground, unconscious.

Seokjin immediately checked what he could of Yoongi’s vitals. Balmy skin, shivers, quick pulse. He did a quick respiratory check and cleared choking. He checked Yoongi’s head, neck, chest, legs, and arms for any sign of injury. Aside from a few abrasions from his fall, there were no major wounds. He just reeked of alcohol. Seokjin sighed in relief after finding out that he appeared physically okay, but drunk out of his mind. 

Seokjin then checked the surroundings. A cap and a plastic bag had been dropped a few feet behind, and bottles of soju laid scattered on the ground. Had Yoongi fallen on his way back? Was he planning to keep drinking all of that alcohol? Where had he drunk beforehand?

But those things didn’t matter now. Seokjin paused, assessing the situation, wondering if he could just carry Yoongi to his apartment, and let him sleep it off, or—

Blearily, Yoongi opened his eyes and upon seeing Seokjin, Yoongi immediately pushed him away. Seokjin was caught off guard by Yoongi’s strength, and he fell onto his backside.

Meanwhile, Yoongi had managed to sit up. His hands carded through his hair, and his eyes opened wide. He gasped for breath and shook all over.

Recovering from his initial surprise, Seokjin scrambled towards Yoongi and placed a steady hand on his back before stroking him in gentle, circular motions.

“Breathe slowly,” Seokjin instructed, and began counting Yoongi down.

Yoongi tried but in a choked voice, he said, “I can’t. Can’t swallow.” He held his throat, and then his hand moved down. He began beating his chest. His forehead glistened with sweat. “Can’t breathe.”

“Yoongi-ssi, you’re having a panic attack,” Seokjin told him. “I’m here. I’ll help you.”

Tears started streaming down Yoongi’s cheeks. “My fault.”

“It’s not your fault.”

“My fault.” Yoongi gasped for breath as he sobbed. “Something’s wrong. Everything’s wrong. I can’t breathe. Can’t. Won’t stop.”

“This is temporary. You’ll be okay.” Without letting go of his point of contact with Yoongi, Seokjin took out his phone and dialed 119. “Yoongi-ssi, I don’t have any first aid with me right now. So I’m calling an ambulance. I’ll take you to the hospital.”

Seokjin could already hear the ambulance siren blaring when Yoongi’s panic attack abated, and he finally passed out.

#

Chapter Text

2011

SBS

[Breaking News] GOOD DAY Star Min Yoongi involved in illegal drug bust

Posted 2011.01.12. 10:47 AM - Revised 2011.01.12. 5:00 pm

123,662 views

This afternoon, the Seoul Metropolitan Police seized a residential penthouse in Hannam-dong and recovered KRW 5,000,000 worth of illegal drugs, including marijuana and LSD. The primary suspect is the owner of the penthouse, Shin Dongshik (23), popularly known as R8KIE from Cube Entertainment idol group CHLD. Shin is the youngest son of Shin Pharmaceuticals’ CEO, Shin Minhyuk.

<Photo of five men being led out of a high-rise apartment in shades and face masks. Police are surrounding them.>

Photo caption: Shin Dongshik (R8KIE), Min Yoongi, and three civilians, caught in an illegal drug bust, being led by police to the Gangnam Police Headquarters. SBS

Disturbance reports were made by neighboring units due to the loud music playing from the said penthouse. Shin was accompanied by four other individuals: three civilians (23, 22, 20) and Min Yoongi (19) of GOOD DAY fame.

According to the initial police reports, the drug test conducted on Shin Dongshik and the three civilian companions yielded positive results. Min Yoongi tested negative for illegal drugs. However, all parties involved were found to have high levels of alcohol in their system. The police are continuing their investigations.

231 comments

1. [+812, -11] Didn't Min Yoongi seek independence from his parents a couple of years ago? Did he do that so he can hang out with trash and do drugs? His parents’ hearts must be crying right now... I feel bad for them, seriously... Min Yoongi and these trash should go to jail and be taught a lesson.

2. [+548, -124] You guys really suck at reading comprehension. Instead of focusing on Min Yoongi, the police should look into Shin Pharmaceuticals closer. R8KIE's the prime suspect but Min Yoongi's on the headline... He’s just a washed up child actor, they’re probably using him to cover the crime up. I heard that R8KIE already booked it and is on his way to the US. There’s a conspiracy happening here. I’m sure of it.

3. [+399, -81] This makes me too sad. I really liked Yoongi on GOOD DAY when I was younger... I even wanted to marry him. ㅠㅠ He seemed so sweet and bright back then, and it breaks my heart to see him like this now.

4. [+225, -23] There’s really a growing problem with child celebrities. We need to put laws in place to mandate that all minors get proper counseling if they’re gonna work in the entertainment industry. How many more Min Yoongis will this country create? I feel bad for those children.

5. [+195, -2] If I were Min Yoongi or his parents, I'd just be too ashamed to even be seen in public now.

2024

Yoongi hated hospitals, and he knew immediately he was in one the moment he woke up. There was no mistaking the oppressive sterilized smell, the bright lights, the sound of frantic footsteps, the hurried voices, and the white. All the white.

Jimin’s was the first face Yoongi saw. He looked furious. He angrily went to close the small gap in the privacy curtains. The metal frames shook from the force of the pull.

“You got me so fucking worried, hyung,” Jimin cried, hitting Yoongi on the chest. “It could’ve gotten so much worse! You idiot! You stupid asshole! You, you—”

Yoongi tried to sit up and winced when he felt the IV drip stuck on his arm. “What happened?” he asked. His mouth ran dry, and his head felt heavy. It took a moment for his vision to fully clear up and the sight of the IV drip needle poking through his skin immediately made him feel nauseated. “What time is it?”

“You drank too much again,” Jimin said sharply. “And it’s 9am.”

Well, Yoongi thought. Shit. He was missing memories of the last eleven, twelve hours, at least. He rubbed his face tiredly.

Jimin then eased Yoongi back down, guiding his head back on the pillow. He smoothed Yoongi’s hair from his forehead and in a gentler voice, Jimin said, “The doctor said you had a really bad panic attack last night. You weren’t given any medicine except for the IV drip because you were too intoxicated.”

“I drank that much?”

“You tell me,” Jimin sighed as he adjusted Yoongi’s blanket. Jimin’s anger seemed to have abated. Instead, it was replaced with weariness. “Anyway, I’m just glad that you’re alright now. You can go home as soon as you’re ready, the nurse is coming back to take off the IV drip. Then we’ll drop by the restaurant first. Mom made you breakfast. You have to eat, even if you hate me for it.”

Blurry flashbacks of the night before started coming back.

He truly hadn’t meant to drink. He had just meant to go to the grocery store and quickly pick up a couple of essentials. But a drunk, middle-aged man had approached him and recognized him, despite his cap and his face mask. Kept pestering him about his parents. Kept berating him about doing drugs and about how he should be in jail. Kept following him with his phone camera and even snatched away his mask. Yoongi had to run and hide in a park before he could reach the apartment. Yoongi felt scared and upset and ashamed. He needed something to wash all of it away, and it took about four, five bottles of soju. It all went downhill from there.

He vaguely remembered the panic attack, vaguely remembered the white flashes and the dizziness, vaguely remembered someone rubbing his back and counting him down. There were lights, and sirens, and then nothing. At the recollection, pain shot up in his temples, and Yoongi squirmed.

“Didn’t you go home early last night before I left the apartment?” Yoongi asked tiredly, squinting against the light to look at Jimin. “How did you even find me?”

Jimin shook his head as he sat back down. “It wasn’t me. Seokjin-hyung found you. You passed out in front of your building.”

Yoongi closed his eyes, groaning internally. Of course. Of all people, it had to be him.

“Don’t make that face,” Jimin reprimanded, hitting Yoongi’s arm again. “Seokjin-hyung stayed here watching over you all night. He just called me when he had to leave and you hadn’t woken up yet. I think he even had to skip a shift,” Jimin said. “He’s required to get eight hours of sleep before every shift, you know. He even asked me to tell you he felt sorry he couldn’t stay long enough to see you out.”

“He didn’t have to do any of this.”

“But he did,” Jimin countered. “And you owe him one, hyung. So be nice.”

Yoongi sighed. Jimin was right, and that made Yoongi feel even more terrible.

“Please just call the nurse for me, Jimin,” Yoongi said tiredly, covering his eyes with an arm, blocking the harsh lights of the ward. “I want to go home.”

▪▪▪

Yoongi stared at his computer screen, hands buried deep inside the pockets of his hoodie. He pulled his knees up to his chest and he curled his toes, as if he was trying to fit his whole body in his computer chair. Ever since he got back, the apartment unit felt suffocating and dangerous, like there was an intruder in his home that he’d let in because he’d forgotten to close the door. He was nursing a hangover, but he itched for a drink.

He tried to work. Displayed in front of him was a spreadsheet of names, numbers, and emails, people he didn’t know and will never know, people he had to organize into neat little lists for his client’s upcoming event. This should be a no-brainer, yet he sat frozen. Among the hundreds of entries, all he could think about was a name that wasn’t even there.

Kim Seokjin .

Last night shouldn’t even be that big of a deal. Seokjin probably worked the same cases every day, helping people down on their luck and had somehow put themselves in danger. And for all intents and purposes, Yoongi was objectively just one of them last night. Yet there burrowed a persistent nagging in Yoongi’s chest, a familiarity that he couldn’t quite put a finger to, that told him otherwise.

What made everything worse was that, in truth, he was a little relieved it was Seokjin who found him black out drunk and panicking, not some random person who’d probably sell the story to the press. Yoongi hated to admit it but he trusted Seokjin. For what reason, he didn’t know.

He groaned and reached up to muss his hair in frustration, and then slammed his hands on his computer desk.

Who was he kidding?

The truth was that he was mistaking familiarity for something else.

The truth was that he knew what this was. What it had been all along.

He didn’t mind Kim Seokjin.

Maybe he’d even go as far to say that he liked him.

But Yoongi wanted to resist.

Of all people, Yoongi was the one person who couldn’t—shouldn’t—want more people involved in his life. He should’ve learned from a long time ago about wanting more than you should have. Should’ve kept his expectations from himself and from other people low, and focused on living an ordinary life. A safe, predictable life. He shouldn’t be thinking dangerous thoughts. 

Because of this, Yoongi had worked all these years to put up all of his defenses. He’d successfully built walls to guard his heart by keeping to himself and the few people it had taken him years to trust. However, for some goddamn reason, Kim Seokjin seemed insistent on breaking all of them in record time.

Deciding that stewing in this state didn’t help, he put his computer to sleep and pulled himself out of the chair. He couldn’t work on his freelance job like this. He checked his doors and windows, and after making sure that he did in fact lock everything, he then walked over to his bathroom. There, he popped an ibuprofen for his hangover headache and splashed his face with water.

After drying up, he padded purposefully into his kitchen.

In front of his sink, he rolled up his sleeves and put on an apron and gloves. Willing his mind empty, he started to work on something else.

▪▪▪

That night, Yoongi waited for an hour outside his door.

He carried a lunch box set packed inside a thermal bag in his arms. Instead of working or nursing his hangover, he spent a good chunk of the day cooking Seokjin a packed lunch. He even made all the banchan from scratch. It took him three hours to make.

Finally, at around 7PM, a uniformed Seokjin came out of his room, backpack slung over his shoulder, ready to go and report for his night shift. He first looked surprised to find Yoongi outside, and then worried, and then apprehensive. Yoongi winced. He knew he had been terrible to Seokjin at the gym—he’d apparently gotten his message across loud and clear.

Yoongi made his approach. Instead of returning the favor of all of Yoongi’s previous attempts at antagonizing him, Seokjin just stood there. Unlike their previous meetings, Seokjin looked guarded.

He almost laughed at the thought of how ridiculous they must look to an outsider. Seokjin had dutifully avoided him after their encounter at the gym. Now, Seokjin looked at him like he was a wild animal that he had to be careful not to agitate.

Once they were at an arm’s length away, Yoongi held out the bag.

“It’s tuna bibimbap. I made it today,” Yoongi said. He cleared his throat. “For you.”

Seokjin just continued to look at him, confused.

“I don’t like owing favors,” Yoongi explained. “I asked Jimin about your allergies, so everything there is safe for you to eat. When you come back, you can just leave the bag in front of my door. You don’t have to wash the lunch boxes, either. I’ll do that.”

Seokjin stared at the bag hanging from Yoongi’s hand, before looking past it and meeting Yoongi’s eyes. Or at least, looking somewhere close, like Yoongi’s forehead.

“How are you? Are you feeling better?” Seokjin said, tone overly polite, completely unlike the typical friendly tone he had insisted on using with Yoongi ever since he moved in. 

“Yes,” Yoongi said simply. And then, flushing, he added a quiet, “Thanks to your help.”

To Yoongi’s relief, this made Seokjin smile. He thought he saw a flicker of the old Seokjin, and almost smiled back when Seokjin reached out to take the lunch box. But to Yoongi’s surprise, Seokjin instead held onto Yoongi’s wrist. On impulse, Yoongi pulled away. Seokjin held on. 

“A few days ago, you asked what was my reason for bothering you.”

“Forget it,” Yoongi said, face flaring in embarrassment. “I don’t need to know. It doesn’t matter.”

“It does. Bothering you was never my intention, Yoongi-ssi. I’m not stalking you, either. I’m really sorry I made you uncomfortable,” Seokjin said, voice and hold firm but kind. “But the truth is, I am interested in you. And I have a good reason to be.”

Seokjin’s grip was strong. Yoongi decided to stop fighting against it.

“It’s GOOD DAY.”

Of fucking course, Yoongi thought, letting his arm hang limp in Seokjin’s grasp. Seokjin tightened his hold onto Yoongi’s wrist, forcing Yoongi to pay attention and not drift off.

“When I was doing my EMT training, something terrible happened and…” He looked away for a moment, before finding it in him to go on. “After it did, I somehow found myself buying and listening to the final GOOD DAY soundtrack. The one with all the songs you wrote and produced by yourself.”

Yoongi knew all about that soundtrack. He’d poured his heart and soul into that album, knowing it was going to be his last. The GOOD DAY series wasn’t meant to be his life’s work. It had always been the music. The promise that he could do music for the rest of his life was what had kept him going through the rest of that show, kept him signing renewal after renewal even though he didn’t want to.

Now that he didn’t have music anymore, thinking about it felt painful. Hearing about it from someone else stung much worse.

“Ever since then, I wanted to tell you something,” Seokjin’s gaze was so intense that Yoongi had to look away. He tugged at Yoongi gently. Yoongi forced himself to look back at Seokjin. There was nothing but sincerity in Seokjin’s expression and voice when he said, “Your music saved my life. Ever since I met you the day I moved in, all I’ve been doing was to try and pay you back for what you’ve done for me. To use this opportunity to tell you that I’m grateful. That’s all I’ve been doing.”

Yoongi blinked. He opened his mouth to speak, even though he didn’t know what to say.

So, stupidly, he said, “You don’t have to do that. I…”

“Sorry. There’s something else,” Seokjin said, cutting him off. Seokjin smiled at him sadly. He let go of Yoongi’s wrist, and Yoongi’s arm fell to his side. The thermal bag fell to the floor.

Seokjin knelt down to pick it up. He looked up at Yoongi.

And there it was again. The feeling that Yoongi had spent the past weeks, maybe even the past months, resisting.

The liking. The wanting. 

After a moment of hesitation, Seokjin spoke again.

“Min Yoongi-ssi,” he proposed with a small smile. “I’d love it if we could be friends.” 

Yoongi considered it for a moment, or at least, pretended to.

Looking away with a flush on his cheeks, he said, “... six.”

Seokjin looked up at him curiously, then Yoongi held out a hand to help him up.

“I start running at six.”

Seokjin took Yoongi’s hand with a big, pleased smile.

#

Chapter Text

2012

Pann > FanTalk

Has anyone seen Min Yoongi?

Posted 2012.08.14. 9:42 AM

5,662 views

Is it just me or has he disappeared completely? I caught a rerun of GOOD DAY while I was abroad. It seems that foreigners really like it! So I suddenly remembered him and tried to look him up.

I’ve been hearing a lot of rumors, like him going abroad or him entering military service… but there hasn’t been any news about him ever since the drug bust last year.

Anyone who knows something?

5 comments

1. [+125, -3] I hope he got arrested. It’s about time rich people got what they deserve.

2. [+100, -1] Who cares?

3. [+23, -3] I used to want him to be exempted from military service because he brought a lot of pride to our country. Too bad he had to f*ck things up. If he’s in the military, I hope he learns his lesson there.

4. [+19, -2] F*ck, it pisses me off how he’s still earning money without doing anything. F*cking leech of society.

5. [+12, -1] Better stay that way, to be honest.

2024

It had been a week since Yoongi’s visit to the emergency room. A week since Yoongi first cooked dinner for Seokjin. A week since Seokjin’s proposal and Yoongi’s invitation.

Things have significantly changed.

Yoongi started greeting back whenever Seokjin said hello, albeit shyly. Every once in a while, he’d get free fried buns or free dumplings from Jimin “courtesy of your friendly next door neighbor” whenever he ordered from their restaurant. Yoongi had held a conversation with Seokjin long enough for Seokjin to know about Yoongi’s job. Yoongi stuck true to his word and welcomed Seokjin in jogging his same route in the morning, whenever Seokjin had the morning or mid shift. And Yoongi and Seokjin exchanged numbers.

Seokjin enjoyed this change. Although Yoongi remained wary around him like a house cat getting used to a new person entering his territory, Seokjin would take it.

▪▪▪

Seokjin had been uplifted about these changes and had been having a string of good days until he had a minor accident at work.

He and Taehyung had responded to a distress call for an 86-year old man who fell down two flights of stairs at a public park. 

“I can stand up on my own, damn it!” he said, waving Seokjin and Taehyung off as they approached. A growing, prying crowd formed around the flailing man. “I just… I just need space! Give me space!”

Seokjin and Taehyung carefully approached his side and knelt down. Seokjin began inspecting his face, then asked the man to raise his arms for him. The man instead pushed Seokjin off, saying “Leave me alone!”

No slurring, no face drooping, and arm strength still there. There was a risk of stroke, but it was not apparent.

“Sir, where does it hurt?” Taehyung asked, looking around the man’s immediate vicinity for any signs of blood or sharp objects. 

“My back, what else?” the man snapped. “Isn’t it obvious? Now go away!

“No open wounds. No apparent bleeding,” Taehyung reported.

“Good.” They couldn’t completely rule out something internal, though, Seokjin thought. Seokjin gently put a hand on the side of the man’s arm. “Sir, do you have any pre-existing conditions? Diabetes? High blood pressure?”

The man wiggled away from Seokjin’s touch and kept trying to stand.

“Sir, please don’t move. You fell from a significant height, and you may have injured your tailbone or your back. This may be why you can’t stand up. There is also a risk of trauma. Unfortunately, we’re not equipped to help you here. We’ll have to call an ambulance and send you to the hospital.”

“I don’t want to go to the hospital! I don’t want any medicine!” the man cried. “I don’t have money! You tax thieves!”

“Sir, we have to cover all our bases…” Taehyung said softly, trying on a deeper, gentler voice to appease the old man.

Seokjin and Taehyung looked at each other and nodded. They just needed to keep the man seated and calm while they called an ambulance. Taehyung whipped out his radio and looked away from the man for a second to call for a unit.

The man started thrashing about the moment Seokjin took out a glucometer.

“Sir, I’ll need you to please calm down so I can—”

Before Seokjin and Taehyung could do anything, the man was somehow able to grab his cane and he hit Seokjin’s shin with it. The cane’s titanium casing bent at the impact and Seokjin bit back a yelp. 

“Hyung!” Taehyung gasped, and reached out just in time to stop the man from wielding another blow. Gently, Taehyung pried the cane from the man’s hands and threw it far away from him. He didn’t let go of the man’s hand. He looked at the crowd and instructed, “Please give us space.” 

As if on cue, two uniformed patrol officers entered the scene, and made the crowd move three, four steps back. “Stop recording! Please stay back,” they called out.

Ignoring the pain in his shin, Seokjin leaned towards the man and quickly pricked his finger with the glucometer.

After a few seconds, the small machine beeped and Seokjin told Taehyung, “He’s hypoglycemic.” Then he turned to the man, and showed empty hands. “Sir, I’m going to take out a drink from my bag. This drink will help your low blood sugar. I won’t hurt you.”

“Ambulance in one minute,” Taehyung said.

Seokjin carefully took out the packet, tore the corner, and handed it to the man, who looked grieved. “It’s free,” Seokjin assured him. The man took the packet from Seokjin and drank gingerly. The ambulance pulled in.

“Thank you for letting me help you,” Seokjin said, voice steady. He put a light hand on the man’s arm. This time, there was no protest. “The ambulance is here. It’s covered by national insurance. The staff will put you on a stretcher. Inside the vehicle, they will check your blood pressure and other vitals, and they’ll make sure you’re comfortable. Please let them take care of you.”

The man looked up at Seokjin remorsefully.

“Don’t worry,” Seokjin said with a smile, as the stretcher approached the group. He stood up with effort to give them some space. “You’ll be in good hands.”

“I’ll brief them, hyung. Wait for me,” Taehyung said, patting Seokjin’s shoulder. Taehyung followed the stretcher out.

Now that things were resolved, Seokjin finally felt the impact of the hit on his shin. While no bones appeared to be broken, the pain radiated throughout his leg. This will definitely bruise, he thought, as he limped back to their response vehicle. 

▪▪▪

It was not just a bad bruise. Seokjin’s hit was classified as a muscle contusion and he was told to take two weeks off of work. As he had thought, there weren’t any broken bones, but he did find himself leaning on Taehyung and Jungkook as both helped him back to his apartment after their shift.

Just in time, they caught Jimin leaving Yoongi’s apartment unit.

“Hyung!” he cried, upon seeing the crutch. “What happened?”

“Injured on the job,” Seokjin said, grinning ruefully. “I’m good. Oh, you guys haven’t met yet, right? This is Kim Taehyung and Jeon Jungkook. We work together. This is Park Jimin. He manages the Chinese restaurant nearby.”

The three bowed towards each other and Jimin followed them into Seokjin’s apartment.

While Taehyung made them tea in Seokjin’s kitchen, Seokjin gave Jimin a brief summary of what had happened. Jimin looked horrified, and then sorry. He reached out to touch Seokjin’s knee. “Hyung, if you want, I’ll be happy to get your groceries while you still can’t walk properly.”

“Oh no, Jimin. I’ll feel bad. I’ll just get them delivered, no worries,” Seokjin declined. He pursed his lips. “Besides, I’m still young, I’ll recover from this quickly.”

“You’re not young. You’re already thirty-two,” Jungkook said, just as Taehyung came back to the group with the steaming drinks. He served the three cups and sat next to Seokjin.

“If you feel twenty, you are twenty. In my heart, I’m in the spring of my youth, you brat!” Seokjin said with a proud huff. “And I’m thirty- one ,” he corrected.

“It’s not about age, hyung,” Jimin scolded. He looked sincerely worried. “Thirty-one isn’t old, but any injury like that at any age is bad!”

Seokjin found that if anyone else found themselves in the same position, he’d say the same things Jimin did. He didn’t argue further.

“I come here every day, anyway. It’d be no problem. Ah!” Jimin clapped his hands. “I gotta tell Yoongi-hyung about this. Let me give him a call, okay?” Without waiting for Seokjin’s permission, Jimin stepped out into his foyer.

“Who’s ‘Yoongi-hyung’?” Taehyung asked.

“My neighbor.”

“Is he as good-looking as Jimin? Is it a requirement to be pretty to be hyung’s friend?” A glint of mischief sparked in Taehyung’s eyes. As soon as Jimin was out of earshot, Taehyung mouthed, Jimin’s my type.

Seokjin rolled his eyes. “Don’t try. He’s not one for your flings,” he warned. Taehyung looked affronted. Jungkook snickered.

Meanwhile, Jimin came back. His phone was tucked between his ear and shoulder, but he talked directly to Seokjin. “Yoongi-hyung says that if it’s okay with you, he’ll cook us dinner.”

At this, Seokjin was surprised.

Without waiting for Seokjin to respond, Jimin talked back into the phone and said, “He didn’t say no, Yoongi-hyung.” He turned to Seokjin again. “Now Yoongi-hyung’s asking if doenjang jiggae is okay. Those are all the ingredients he has at home.”

“I love doenjang jiggae!” Taehyung exclaimed shamelessly, batting his eyes at Jimin and earning himself an elbow to the side.

“Looks like doenjang jiggae is good, hyung. There are four of us here, by the way,” Jimin told Yoongi. He regarded Seokjin again. “Should he cook here or bring the food over once it’s done?”

“He can use my kitchen,” Seokjin said, yielding to the events unfolding. “I have pork I’ve been defrosting, he can use that.”

“Heard that, hyung? You can cook here. Seokjin-hyung has pork. You have the rest of the ingredients, right? Come over fast, okay? Okaaaaaaay. See you!”

“‘Yoongi-hyung’ is GOOD DAY Min Yoongi?!” Taehyung gasped as soon as Yoongi walked into the apartment, arms full of ingredients. Taehyung shot Seokjin a look of utter betrayal. “Seokjin-hyung, what the hell!”

Much to Seokjin’s horror, Taehyung greeted the man with a long, familiar hug as soon as Jimin pried the ingredients away from his hands. Yoongi looked desperate to get away. He didn’t. 

“This is my first time meeting a real celebrity,” Taehyung gushed, gripping Yoongi’s shoulder tight. “Jungkook-ie, come on, say hello!”

Jungkook gave a respectful bow from where he stood. He’d just been shyly looking at the scene from afar.

With Jimin entering the scene, Yoongi was manhandled to the kitchen, leaving Seokjin behind with Jungkook. From the living room, Seokjin could hear how Jimin and Taehyung kept pressing him with questions about the dish and offering questionable help above the sound of clanging kitchenware.

“Please, I can’t work with you two here. Shit, not that kind of bowl, what the hell is that even,” Seokjin heard Yoongi say in a tempered but clearly desperate voice. “Jimin, go away and leave the salt alone!”

Jungkook turned to look at Seokjin. Seokjin gave him a pleading look, which Jungkook nodded to before leaving him to fetch the two. He came back holding Jimin and Taehyung by the collars, and Seokjin handed them his Switch controllers. Mario Kart’s start screen was loaded on the TV. Meanwhile, Jungkook timidly took their place in Seokjin’s kitchen, a change that Yoongi surprisingly welcomed. At least, that’s what Seokjin inferred from the silence that followed.

So, it ended with Yoongi working in the kitchen with the youngest, while Seokjin distracted Taehyung and Jimin with a game. Like kids, the two jumped out of their seats the moment Yoongi announced that the food was ready.

Dinner was unsurprisingly good and surprisingly lively. With Taehyung and Jimin around and already talking like long-time friends, they were able to rope Jungkook into matching their energy and somehow able to cancel out the fact that Yoongi kept to clipped replies for most of the conversation and averted his eyes whenever someone tried to reel him in.

“Oh!” Taehyung exclaimed, clapping his hands. “Aren’t you going back to Gwacheon this weekend, hyung?”

“Un. I’m taking the bus.”

“In your state?” Jungkook said, putting his chopsticks and bowl down. He looked disgruntled, his doe eyes wide. “What about your leg? And I left a lot of boxes of supplements for you to bring home, too…”

“You should just take a taxi,” Taehyung pushed.

To Seokjin, and apparently, everyone else’s surprise, Yoongi said, “I can drive you.”

They all turned to Yoongi. He raised an eyebrow at the group.

“I can drive,” Yoongi insisted, seemingly offended at the thought of the group even doubting the fact. “I have a level 1 license.”

“It’s not that I don’t believe you…” Jimin said, but trailed off.

Understanding Jimin’s point, Yoongi visibly reddened. He looked down at his plate. “I have business near the area anyway. I need to pick up some equipment. And I have a car. I need to get an oil change beforehand, but it should be good.”

Was he still trying to pay Seokjin back for the hospital? Seokjin was about to decline when Taehyung spoke.

“I think it’s a good idea!” Taehyung piped up, not giving any sort of debate about the topic a chance. Taehyung snuggled close to Seokjin. “You should say yes, hyung. Yoongi-ssi will need to be there, anyway.” Jungkook nodded aggressively.

If it was Yoongi paying him back, shouldn’t that make things easier? Seokjin thought, rationalizing the option. It wasn’t like Yoongi had any other reason to help Seokjin. Unless…

“If you’re going that way, then I’d love to be your passenger princess, Yoongi-ssi,” Seokjin said, hoping the joke tided Yoongi over.

Seokjin wasn’t sure if that was a small smile he saw on Yoongi’s face.

And so it was decided.

▪▪▪

Their afternoon drive to Gwacheon that weekend was short and quiet. The only voice had been the AM radio announcer, droning on about the news. Seokjin wasn’t sure if he’d imagined it, but Yoongi drove in an excessively defensive manner, as if he had a newborn baby in the car. Seokjin found it heartwarming. Despite the seeming care during the drive itself, however, Yoongi had made zero eye contact during the whole drive and dropped Seokjin and Jungkook’s boxes of health supplements off unceremoniously. He left without giving his greetings. Not that Seokjin expected him to do otherwise.

His older brother, Seokjung, took the boxes and helped Seokjin inside, where his grandmother and grandfather were already preparing the food and the shrine. Like the past years, it was abundant. 

“You cooked a lot again this year, halmeoni,” Seokjin said, immediately helping her carry a tray of more food as soon as he limped inside and saw the towering plates.

“They were good people,” his grandmother said, smiling sadly as she handed the tray over. “They deserve this much.”

“Oh no, Seokjin-ah! Your leg!” exclaimed a fourth person. Seokjin’s pregnant sister-in-law walked into the room, holding a broom and a dustpan. In her surprise at the sight of Seokjin’s injury, she held them both to her chest tightly.

“It’s nothing bad, noona. I’ll get better in a week,” Seokjin assured. “How are you?” 

“I’m fine! I’m so happy to see you again!” She put down her dustpan and patted him on the cheek affectionately.

After the greetings, the brothers left their grandparents and Seokjung’s wife to tend to the food and cleaning, and they drove out to visit their parents’ grave.

The gravesites stood on a small hill in the outskirts of the city. With Seokjin holding onto his brother’s shoulder as he limped, they slowly walked up the slope.

“How’s work?” Seokjung asked.

“Good. I’m doing well, I think,” Seokjin reported back. “It’s not a lot different from my EMT days. Just busier.”

“But the pay’s better?”

Seokjin nodded.

“That’s good. How’s your new place?”

“A little tight, but good enough. Makes it easy to clean. Jungkook helped me unpack. He brought our workmate with him. Taehyung. You’d like him, hyung. He’s fun to be around.”

Even though they both lived in Seoul, Seokjin wasn’t particularly close with his brother. It wasn’t that they had a bad relationship. They were just awkward . Seokjung had studied abroad on scholarship for university when Seokjin was in high school, and now that he was busy with his own business, married, and expecting his first child, Seokjin saw him even less. 

“How’s noona going along?”

“Healthy. So is the baby,” he said, smiling slightly. “She’s due in three months. I’ll text you so you can come visit and meet your nephew.”

They reached the two grave markers. Seokjung let go of Seokjin, and they both offered their flowers and knelt before the graves. They bowed, before they started cleaning up the site.

It was a few seconds later that Seokjin realized that Seokjung was sobbing quietly. He turned to his brother and reached out to soothe his back. The older brother held back a heave.

“What’s wrong, hyung?” Seokjin asked softly.

Seokjung wiped his face with the back of his hand. Sniffling, he said, “Every year, I just feel so ashamed to face them.” He turned to Seokjin and held his hands. “I’m sorry, Seokjin-ah. I wasn’t here for you after they passed. I should’ve been more present.”

“But you were!” Seokjin exclaimed. His voice turned into affectionate scolding. “Yah, you worked so hard for us, hyung! You paid for my tuition and school fees! You got me through my EMT training!”

“That was just money. I wasn’t there to see it all. I didn’t go to any of your school meetings. I didn’t go to any of your graduations. Not even when you got that award… you all did it by yourself.” Seokjung sniffled. He looked at Seokjin with eyes glassy from tears. “But I’m glad you grew up well, even without me around.” He let go of Seokjin’s hands. Seokjin could see that his tears were pooling in his eyes again. “You do such good work, Seokjin-ah. You grew up to be an upstanding person. I’m so proud of you, you know?”

Seokjin reached around Seokjung’s shoulder for a half hug. “I’m proud of you, too, hyung. You’ve worked hard. I’m sure our dad and mom are, too.”

They stayed silent for the rest of the grave visit.

▪▪▪

To Seokjin’s surprise, Yoongi texted for him to stay put and that he would pick him up from his grandparents’ house soon. Seokjin had fully expected to take a taxi back to Seoul after they’d gone through all the gije rituals.

“Jimin,” Yoongi said upon his arrival, as if that explained everything. Seokjin was starting to suspect that he was going to hear that excuse a lot in the future, so he accepted it graciously.

“So,” Seokjin asked, as he strapped himself into the passenger’s seat. “Were you able to get your equipment?”

“What equipment?” Yoongi asked, confused.

Seokjin blinked, while Yoongi just stared at him, waiting for an explanation. Realizing the truth and the fact that Yoongi completely forgot about his excuse, Seokjin burst out laughing. He had meant to hold himself back, but affection bloomed in Seokjin’s chest at the discovery of Yoongi’s bold-faced lie.

This new information delighted Seokjin. He didn’t want to go home yet and let Yoongi go. And somehow, he felt that Yoongi might just say yes.

So Seokjin dared to ask, “Want to go to the sea?”

Yoongi tilted his head. “Do you need anything from there?”

“I just miss it, that’s all.”

Yoongi, without even taking a minute to consider, nodded, and put his car in reverse.

In another full silence, they drove north to Gangneung. There, they had an early dinner of makguksu and raw fish. Yoongi said nothing about the food, but it was the most Seokjin had seen him eat. 

Afterwards, Seokjin suggested that they walk off their full stomachs along the beach and Yoongi complied.

So they strolled along the light-colored sands of Anmok beach, with Seokjin’s hand on Yoongi’s shoulder for support. Yoongi remained quiet. Meanwhile, Seokjin had started light conversation, talking about his childhood in Gwacheon and his grandparents. As he spoke, Yoongi nodded here and there, a silent assurance that he was listening.

At that late, there were no other people along the beach, and the sea was quiet. There was a mild summer chill in the air. It felt good on Seokjin’s skin.

“My parents passed away when our house burned down,” Seokjin said eventually. He felt Yoongi turn to him slightly.

“I was in high school when it happened. There was a gas leak and an explosion. It was a big fire, and it even spread to the next house, too. I think national news even covered it…” Seokjin trailed off for a bit, recalling the incident. There had been reporters and cameras. There were interviews that he and his grandparents had to decline. “After the fire, our house was in a hopeless state, so I moved into my grandparents’ house. I lived there throughout high school until I moved to Seoul for university.”

Seokjin took a small intake of breath, lest his voice started shaking.

“You got out in time?” Yoongi asked quietly.

Seokjin shook his head. “I wasn’t home. I got back just as the firefighters had already put the fire out.”

Yoongi nodded.

Seokjin stopped walking. He looked at the sea’s horizon, the pale moon hanging full on the dark night sky. A particularly strong sea breeze blew through. Yoongi just stood by his side, keeping Seokjin upright and steady.

“This time of year, I always couldn’t help but wonder… what if I’d been there? Would things have been different?”

From the corner of his eye, he saw Yoongi watching him. When Seokjin turned to give Yoongi a smile to reassure him that he was okay, Yoongi reached out to touch his cheek. He brushed off a tear with a finger. It was then that Seokjin realized he’d been crying.

Yoongi helped him sit down on the sand. He sat next to him as Seokjin cried for a while. The waves crashing against the shore overcame the sound of Seokjin’s soft sobs.

It had been a while since Seokjin last cried. As much as possible, he tried not to. His past therapists had encouraged it, saying it helped with the grief, but Seokjin didn’t like feeling this way. When he felt this way, he stumbled and he wasn’t at his best. Grief held him back. So he tried to bury the regrets and had vowed to live life optimistically.

“I’m okay now, I think. It’s taking a while, and I’ve already talked to people. Doctors. Therapists. Like what they all say, I’m trying to forgive myself. Heal, and all that stuff people like them tell you to do.”

“I think,” Yoongi said, “you don’t have to try so hard.”

Seokjin laughed quietly. “I wasn’t informed that there was another option.”

Yoongi didn’t laugh back. His voice stayed quiet and steady. “The human body was built to heal itself. You’ve already disinfected the wound. So now you can just let it run its course.”

“You think it’s going to get better?” Seokjin asked. He looked back at the full moon. He wasn’t sure if it made the night brighter than it had been earlier that evening.

“It will,” Yoongi said, with a faraway look on his face. He sat on the sand with his knees pulled up to his chest. “If you can tell me all about it, it probably already has, even just a little.”

▪▪▪

It was early in the morning when they returned to Hyuga Apartments.

Seokjin came over to Yoongi's unit. Yoongi let him. Seokjin offered to cook breakfast. Yoongi let him, again. So Seokjin put aside his crutch and started making omurice. Yoongi turned on his laptop and let an online FM radio drone in the background as he set the table. While Seokjin cooked, Yoongi brewed them coffee. While they worked, they listened to the soft ballad coming from Yoongi’s speaker.

They ate across from each other at Yoongi’s table. Sunlight spilled through the dining room window, illuminating everything. Across the dining table, their hands laid close. Underneath, their feet were touching. Seokjin noticed that Yoongi’s unit was bare, but with him there, it felt warm, homey. It was lovely.

In the middle of the meal, Yoongi offhandedly told him, “I’m going to make music again.”

To which Seokjin smiled and responded with, “I look forward to that.”

#