Telepathy ☕ Chapter 2: Gifts & Scribbled Letters (Patreon)

Synopsis: Having a one-night stand in a foreign country with a handsome stranger seems like the best way to end Jimin's vacation before accepting his new job offer. Unexpectedly, Jimin meets him again and learns that the man happens to be his boss and... soulmate?

Tags:

• boss yoongi x employee jimin
• soulmates in this au share abilities/senses that manifest in different ways
• yoonmin can read each other's thoughts
• fluff
• sexual tension, flirting
• explicit sexual content 🔞
• aftercare ♡
• side: taekook, namjin
• little angst? hmm...

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PDF and Epub files are available for download!

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telepathy

(noun) the supposed communication of thoughts

or ideas by means other than the known senses.

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Chapter 2

Gifts & Scribbled Letters

The elevator ride to the ground floor is full of tension. Or Jimin should say, filled with mortification as he practically shrinks on himself and avoids any eye contact as the director stands beside him with both hands slid into his pockets.

“You told Hoseok you were sick.”

Jimin resists the urge to slither through the gap of the elevator doors just to get out of this situation. He makes a face before letting out a fake cough. “Yes, sir. A bit.” He coughs again.

A light snort comes from the director. “I can fake a cough better than you, Mr. Park.”

Jimin freezes mid-cough and turns his face away from the elder with a horrible wince that makes his facial muscles spasm. Busted.

Glancing behind him, Jimin gives Mr. Jung a placating and apologetic smile, watching as the secretary presses his lips together to stifle an amused laugh. Great. Even Mr. Jung now thinks he’s an idiot.

(Ugh, I hate this.)

Director Min turns his head to the side to look at him, and for a split second, Jimin wonders why but then he remembers that this guy can actually hear his thoughts.

(Oh, shit.)

Director Min lets out an amused breath through his nose.

“Sir, I mean—”

Jimin tries to come up with an excuse but the man stops him with a casually uttered, “Stop thinking.” And Jimin huffs quietly.

(As if it’s that easy—)

The younger shakes his head to vacate his mind of any thoughts right now. He can’t have his boss know about his annoyed and ill-mannered musings about him. He should get used to this weird situation fast because he still wants to keep his job, thank you very much.

When the elevator doors slide open, Jimin tries his best to walk a few steps behind the director, lowering his head and concealing his face as much as he can from the curious and prying eyes of the employees in the lobby.

It must be weird to see a mere employee like him from the art department walking together with one of the top executives in the company. Jimin doesn’t even belong in Yoongi’s social circle!

(What are you doing?)

Jimin yelps and holds his head when Director Min’s voice directly speaks to his mind. Ugh, really. He should get used to it soon.

Lifting his head, he sees Yoongi standing at the center of the lobby, both of his arms crossed and with an eyebrow raised questioningly in Jimin’s direction.

“Director?” Mr. Jung appears bewildered as to why Yoongi suddenly stopped walking and is now looking back at Jimin with a funny expression on his face.

Jimin blinks. (I—Sorry?)

(Come here.) Yoongi sighs and takes a step toward him, completely catching the younger off guard when he suddenly reaches out for Jimin’s wrist, pulling him closer until he’s standing beside him.

The murmurs around them intensify.

(Walk beside me), Yoongi speaks to his mind, and Jimin feels a light squeeze on his arm before the warmth of the director’s touch vanishes when the man retracts his hand.

His traitorous heart skips a beat, and for five long seconds, Jimin seems unable to avert his eyes from the director’s gaze. “Okay,” he mutters.

Mr. Jung looks confused but Jimin decides to ignore the urge to explain the current situation between him and Yoongi in favor of following the director toward the exit. Once outside of the company, Director Min’s chauffeur bows to him and opens the door for the executive.

Jimin has roughly 0.5 second to digest what he’s seeing in front of him — a luxury, sleek black limo — before the director raises a brow at him, saying, (Get in.)

Jimin swallows thickly before hopping into the vehicle without another word. This is the first time that Jimin got inside a limo and holy fuck, the plush leather seat feels so great under his great ass. Just two great things coming together. Perfect.

Director Min follows shortly and sits by the window while Jimin situated himself in the frontmost seat. When the door shuts closed, Yoongi frowns at him and asks, “What are you doing there?”

“Um…” Jimin puts his thighs together, his fingers fidgeting on a loose thread on his pants. “I’m more comfortable sitting here, sir.” A brief pause. “Where’s Mr. Jung?”

“In front of the car.”

Jimin falls silent. Even if he hasn’t witnessed it before, he knows that Mr. Jung, as the director’s secretary, should have been seated there with them. But for some odd reason, the guy is now sitting in the passenger seat, and Jimin—

Jimin kinda knows why.

Licking his lips, Jimin looks over his shoulder at the black divider completely rolled up to give them some privacy. And really, he isn’t really sure if being stuck inside a limousine with Director Min is good for his receding sanity.

“You’re too far.”

The director’s words catch Jimin’s attention. For a second, he doesn’t speak, and then, he tries speaking to the man’s mind, (Director?)

Yoongi doesn’t answer.

(Can you hear me?)

“Why are you looking at me like that?” asks Yoongi with a slight frown.

‘Oh,’ Jimin thinks. So this telepathy thing between them has a limit, huh. Just like Taehyung and Jungkook’s shared ability.

“Sorry, sir.” Jimin scratches the side of his neck, chuckling awkwardly. “I’m not really comfortable sitting too close to you.”

“Why?” Folding his thigh over the other and crossing his arms together, Yoongi asks, “Because I can hear your thoughts?”

“Yes.” Jimin gestures to the amount of space between them. “This is a safe distance, sir. We won’t be able to hear each other’s thoughts if we’re this far apart. At least, that’s what I think.”

He further explains, “Two of my friends, who also happened to be s-soulmates—” He stutters a little at the word. “Share their tastebuds so they can taste each other’s food within three feet. But farther than that, the bond deactivates.”

Yoongi stays quiet as he comprehends Jimin’s explanation. “So ours is the same.”

“I think so, yeah.” The younger chews his bottom lip, mulling over a certain thought. “But I think our connection is more limited, sir. Instead of three feet, the proximity must be much closer.”

“An arm’s length?”

Jimin nods.

“Okay,” Yoongi utters, shifting slightly in his seat. “If that’s the case, then it won’t be a problem if you sit closer to me.”

At the director’s suggestion, Jimin feels his cheeks burn, and he tells the other man, “Thank you, director. But I would have to decline.”

“I don’t know what gave you the idea that it’s a request, but no…” Yoongi tilts his head slightly to the side. “It’s an order from your boss, Mr. Park.”

Jimin takes a deep breath and tries to stomp down the hint of annoyance he felt at his boss’s authoritative ass. He doesn’t like being ordered around; Jimin would’ve snapped at him if he weren’t his boss.

And so, without another word, Jimin moves to relocate himself beside Director Min far enough to give their thoughts some peace and privacy.

“You sure have a lot of trouble being in the same space as me,” Yoongi notices. “You move as far away from me as possible but I explicitly recall you climbing onto my lap without any problem just a week ago.”

Jimin gasps out loud as a furious blush spreads across his face down to his neck. “T-That’s— oh my God, sir. Please, can we not talk about it?”

“Then, stop calling me ‘sir.’” Yoongi sighs. “I told you to call me ‘Yoongi’ twice. Don’t make me repeat it for the third time, Mr. Park.”

“How could I ever call you that?” Jimin whines. “You’re my boss.”

“So? That’s only within the company grounds. We’re outside now. I’m not your boss unless I invite you to a business meeting.”

“Isn’t it what this is: a business meeting? Otherwise, you won’t ask me out to dinner, sir,” Jimin says even though Taehyung’s annoying voice keeps replaying in his head.

‘It’s a fucking date, you idiot,’ his best friend told him earlier that day.

“You think this is a business meeting?” Yoongi inquires, his dark eyes sharp and calculating.

“Is it not, sir?”

Silence.

Jimin grows restless in his seat the longer Yoongi stares at him. “You really want me to say it, Mr. Park?” the man utters in a low voice, and Jimin feels something in his gut stir pleasantly.

The air inside the limo shifts, and it’s not the kind of tension that will make Jimin run for his life. No. It’s the same tension he felt at the club when he was in Paris more than a week ago.

He can feel the dull thrums of electricity humming under his skin.

“Jimin.”

A faint crease appears between Director Min’s brows.

Licking his lips and lifting his gaze to the director, Jimin tells him, “I thought I told you, too, to call me ‘Jimin.’ Just Jimin.” The director’s mouth parts a little, and the younger mutters, “Yoongi.”

Perhaps, it’s the lights on the mini-bar inside the limo or the flickering street lights outside but Jimin’s breath hitches in his throat when a dark glint flashes across the director’s eyes as the man lifts a hand to loosen his tie.

“Come closer,” Director Min utters in a low and gravelly voice.

Jimin gulps as he feels a sudden tug in his chest, pulling him right toward the man like a magnet. And before his mind can form a single thought, Jimin finds himself moving closer to Yoongi until they’re merely an inch away from each other.

It feels so natural drifting to one another like this. When Jimin approached him, the director’s body immediately turned to him as if something was pulling them together like two boulders priming for collision.

The air inside Jimin's lungs gets trapped in his throat when he feels the tips of Director Min's fingers brushing against his left cheek. The touch is ghostly, almost too light to feel but the contact is enough to make Jimin's heart flutter incessantly inside his chest.

(Say it again.)

Jimin gasps softly when Yoongi's voice intrudes his thoughts.

As Director Min's gaze falls on Jimin's lips, he hears the man's voice saying, (Call me by my name.)

Jimin's lashes flutter as his pulse quickens, his fingers curling on his thighs as desire simmers deep in his gut. (Yoongi), he communicates back, the name pulling at his consciousness until it revolves around that single word: Yoongi.

Through his daze, Jimin thinks he saw Yoongi swallow as if the man is just as affected by this strange connection between them as he is. (You're starting to learn—) Director Min's thumb grazes against his cheek, the touch a little firmer than before. (Jimin.)

Hearing his name through Yoongi's low and deep voice coils something inexplicable inside Jimin's stomach. The pleasant sensation travels from his chest down to his gut until his abdomen clenches and his knees rub together anxiously.

It's unsettling just how melted Jimin feels by a mere utterance of his name. There are no thoughts in his mind at the moment as Yoongi's palm slides down to the side of his neck, his dark gaze never once leaving Jimin's lips. (Close your eyes), Yoongi's voice says.

And when Jimin does, his heart bangs painfully against his ribs, as he feels the director's warm and soft breath hitting his skin. Closer. Yoongi is moving closer.

After a moment, Jimin lets out a soft and quiet gasp when the tip of Yoongi's nose brushes against his cheek.

(I—)

(Shh), Director Min hushes him as he gently tips Jimin's chin up with his thumb, his palm resting on the side of the younger's neck— hot and burning. (Don't think.)

With both of his eyes closed, Jimin's lips parted a little when he feels Yoongi's face moving closer.

Beep. Beep.

Jimin's eyes flew open at the sound, and he jolts back from the director's touch with a sharp gasp. As his heart races loudly in his chest and the reality of this absurd situation slaps

him right in the face, Jimin sees Director Min scowling at the intercom beside the mini-bar, and the man pulls at his collar for a second before clicking the answer button. "What?" his voice sounds a bit annoyed but Jimin's mind fails to register anything as he keeps a safe distance between them again.

God, that was—

That was fucking close.

"Sir." The chauffeur's voice through the intercom sounds a little unsure at first, probably gauging his boss's sudden sour mood but then, he continues, "We're almost at the restaurant."

Yoongi's eyes slip shut, and he takes a deep breath as if trying to calm himself. "Okay. Thank you." Then, he turns the intercom off.

Both of them know it's too late to salvage whatever was about to happen between them a few seconds ago; not that it's perfectly fine in the first place because no, that moment shouldn't have happened at all.

As the tension abruptly dissipates and gets replaced with awkward silence, Jimin resorts to clearing his throat and asks, "Which restaurant are you taking me to, sir?"

Yoongi looks kinda displeased when Jimin addressed him so formally again but the man just sighs and folds his arms over his chest. "Italian."

"Ah." He forces a chuckle. "I'm not sure if I've eaten Italian before."

Yoongi remains silent with that little irritated frown on his face, and Jimin kinda wants to throw himself out of the window because fuck, it's so awkward. When the limo finally pulls up, Jimin lets out the breath he's been holding in and waits for the chauffeur to open the door.

The façade of the Italian restaurant is magnificent, and Jimin already knows how expensive the food will be just by staring at the establishment. Well, since he's already here, might as well enjoy the free food, right?

Walking by Yoongi's side feels strange especially when the hostess greets them and asked Yoongi's name for the reservation. The big chandeliers on top of Jimin's head give away how high class this place is and as he roams his eyes around to see a couple of customers dining in and wearing suits and dresses as if there's a formal occasion that Jimin wasn't informed about. God, he feels ridiculously underdressed. "I-I didn't know where heading to a fine dining restaurant." Jimin chuckles anxiously.

"You should've told me, sir. I would've dressed properly." Yoongi gives his black coat to the host. "You're fine."

"This way, sir," the host says with a smile and ushers him and Yoongi to their table.

Jimin settles on his seat awkwardly, and really, he's kinda thankful that Yoongi's more than an arm's length away across from him. At least, he'll be able to enjoy the food in peace.

"Here's the menu, sir."

"Thank you." Jimin smiles at the host. "We'll get the best set of dishes."

Jimin lifts his face to look at Yoongi.

"I'll let the chef decide which ones to include," the director simply says. The host bows to him. "Certainly, sir."

Yoongi turns to meet Jimin's gaze. "You can order anything you like," he says, and Jimin hums to look down at the menu in his hand.

Mushroom Risotto

₩ 243,000

Jimin gawks at the insane price.

"You should go easy on the extra dishes though."

Jimin raises his wide eyes to Yoongi, noticing the little smirk curving the corners of his lips. Director Min tells him, "It's your treat."

"WHAT?!"

The sound of clinking plates and wares suddenly deafens into silence as Jimin's voice booms across the room. As the initial shock dies down, Jimin blushes furiously and bows his head to the guests in apology for his behavior.

Can he just melt into a puddle now? For fuck's sake. "B-But, director..." Jimin swallows dryly.

"I deserve compensation for your lies, don't I, Mr. Park?" Yoongi lifts a brow at him, amused. "You're lucky I didn't fire you for lying to me twice."

Jimin takes a shuddering breath as his poor soul shivers at the outrageous prices written all over the menu. He's gonna have to kiss his savings and a month's worth of pay goodbye for this. "Can we go to another restaurant, please?" he whispers over the table.

He risks a glance at the host standing near their table. "Somewhere a little cheaper?" Yoongi leans back in his seat. "I've already ordered the food."

Jimin winces and stares down at the menu again, lamenting his poor savings for the second time.

"Anything you would like to add, sir?" the host asks him.

Jimin pretends to look over the menu before giving it back to the man. "No, it's fine. Just water please."

Yoongi coughs to hide the amused tilt of his lips behind his fist, undoubtedly enjoying the younger's misery.

Jimin is going to fucking strangle him. "Of course, sir. Please wait for your food."

"Um, excuse but—" Jimin stops the host before he could walk away. "Yes, sir?"

"I was just wondering..." Jimin fidgets on the table napkin, unsure whether to bury himself deeper into the hole of shame.

Swallowing thickly, Jimin asks, "Does this restaurant... accept installments?" The host blinks at his question. "S-Sorry? Installments?"

The flush on Jimin's cheeks grows redder. "Yes. Like, 3 months payment?" He chuckles.

God, kill him now.

The host looks confused, and really, Jimin wants nothing but to fling himself over a cliff right now to save him from this embarrassment.

"Sorry, forget that." Jimin laughs again as he feels cold sweat dampening the back of his neck. "It's okay. Thank you."

"Serve every kind of dessert you have here."

Jimin's gaze shifts to the man sitting in front of him.

"Of course, sir." The host bows to Yoongi again before finally ridding them of his presence.

"Every kind of dessert?" Jimin whines. "Director, do you want me to beg in the streets—" "I'm paying." Director Min takes a sip of his wine. "I was just teasing you."

Jimin's jaw drops to the floor. "You—!"

Jimin has to do a double-take before he could spout nonsense in front of the director. "You're so mean!"

Director Min lets out an amused sound through his nose. "Teasing you is fun." Jimin huffs and crosses his arms over his chest. "I hate you."

"I know." Yoongi touches the rim of the wine glass with a finger, looking at the red liquor inside. "You're not the only one who does."

Jimin opens his mouth to retort but the man's reply renders him silent.

Before Jimin could ask what Yoongi meant by that, the director gives him a faint smile that is casual enough to almost fool Jimin into thinking that there was nothing wrong with what he said just a few seconds ago, that there wasn't more to it than what he lets on.

"I'm— Director, I was just joking."

Yoongi hums. "Just have dinner with me tonight." A small pause. "After that, you can go and do whatever you want, Mr. Park."

Jimin isn't sure what to say in return so he keeps quiet. The silence is not uncomfortable or awkward but there's a certain heaviness in it that pulls at Jimin's curiosity, heavy enough to let the director's words linger in his mind for quite some time.

As the food starts to come in one by one, Jimin watches the director thank the waiters and grab his utensils like nothing happened. It almost seems like Yoongi's own words don't bother him. Like he's used to it.

"Aren't you gonna eat?"

Yoongi's voice snaps Jimin back to life, and he reaches out for his spoon and fork on the table. "I will. Sorry." He chuckles, although he can't bring himself to be genuinely happy for some reason.

"You can order more if you want. Don't think about the bill; I'll take care of it," Yoongi says without lifting his eyes, cutting the meat neatly with his knife.

"Thank you, director," Jimin utters with a friendly smile. Yoongi acknowledges him with a soft hum. "You're welcome."

And then, they both eat in silence.

☕

Jimin brainlessly taps on the arrow keys of his keyboard as the blocks in the Tetris game he's playing on his desk computer begin to accumulate at a fast rate. He's gonna lose for the 5th time to this shitty game but it's not like he minds it or something.

"He's at it again."

Jimin ignores his best friend's voice beside him, staring blankly at the computer screen with his chin resting on a palm.

"He's drifting away," Taehyung says.

"Yeah. I can see his soul floating out of his body," Jungkook answers, munching on a donut.

It's been three days since that dinner, uh, 'date' with Director Min but his boss's words still bother him up to this moment. He probably shouldn't be thinking too much about it. Yoongi said he can do whatever he wanted after anyway so, really, Jimin should stop being like this.

But he can't.

"He said the dinner went fine, yeah?"

Jungkook hums. "Yeah. But he's been like this since that date with Director Min. Do you think he got rejected?"

"Maybe." Taehyung rubs his chin thoughtfully. "Or, what if Jiminie dumped the director?" "If Jimin was the one who dumped him then he wouldn't look as if someone died."

"You know what? You're right. You have a brain sometimes." Taehyung hums, thinking. "What if Jiminie got blue-balled by Director Min?"

"That's a valid theory." Jungkook licks his fingers clean.

"He's been brooding in the office for three days, Kook. Help your friend," Taehyung complains with a kick to his soulmate's leg.

"He's your friend, too, dumbass," Jungkook groans.

"Ugh, I can't stand that expression on his face." "Yeah, he's ugly."

"He is."

"You know you're both sitting beside me, and I can completely hear your bullshit, right?" Jimin rolls his eyes at them.

Taehyung scoots his office chair closer and asks, "What happened on that dinner date, Chim?"

Jimin curses under his breath when the word 'Game Over' flashes on his computer screen in big, red letters. Closing the tab, he says, "Nothing in particular. It was fine."

"But you look like something's on your mind," Jungkook reasons. "Did Director Min do or say something weird to you?"

"Not really. But it's over now." Jimin stands up from his seat, picking up his phone and wallet. "The dinner was just a one-time thing."

His friends follow him out of the office and down to the ground floor. Jimin wants to try that banana milkshake that Jungkook has been yapping about two blocks away from his workplace. It's lunchtime anyway so it's not like Jimin is slacking off.

On their way to the exit, Jimin sees a group of people coming out of the elevator just beside the one they took. To his surprise, Director Min is at the head of the bunch, dressed in a black suit as always and walking with both hands tucked in his pockets.

Jimin's heart skips.

Mr. Jung is speaking to him as the secretary tries to match the director's pace. Jimin isn't sure if Yoongi can see him but the group is walking in their direction, probably heading to the exit too.

"Chim." Taehyung holds Jimin's arm to pull him back to make way for the group.

Both of his friends and several employees around the area all bow to the director in respect, and Jimin almost forgot to do the same if it weren't for Taehyung's hand squeezing his arm.

"You have a meeting with Chairman Joo at 2 PM," Jimin hears Mr. Jung saying as they approach.

Jimin shouldn't do it but as Director Min walks closer to them, his head turns to the side to sneak a peek at the man's face. It's been three days since he last saw him, and oddly, Jimin feels uneasy at the thought of not catching a quick glimpse of the man even from afar.

Yoongi's schedule must have been packed with business meetings and other things that require his attendance and attention. Jimin sometimes forgets how busy and tiring the life of an executive director can get no matter how unaffected or prim they look on the outside.

Jimin's gaze never leaves Yoongi's face as the man draws near but the thing is, the director doesn't look at all in his direction and just passes by them as if Jimin isn't there, standing merely an arm's length away from him.

The connection is instant, like a quick brush of hair against skin. Because before Jimin could stop himself, a thought forms in his mind and the word comes tumbling out. (Yoongi?)

Director Min's footsteps halt on the marble floor.

"Director?" Mr. Jung inquires, stopping short in his tracks at Yoongi's sudden lack of movement.

Jimin lets out a slightly trembling breath as he stares at the back of the director's head. He doesn't know what he's expecting but maybe a little 'hi' is fine? Or is it not?

"Is there something wrong?" the secretary asks.

Jimin watches as Yoongi slides a hand out of his pocket to loosen the collar around his neck a bit. He hears the director say, "Nothing." Then, the man proceeds to walk toward the exit without glancing back.

Jimin's heart sinks. "...im."

"Chim!"

Jimin jolts when Taehyung's voice snaps him back to life. "Yeah?"

"You have a weird look on your face," Taehyung comments with a frown.

"Are you really losing your mind? Don't murder usss." Jungkook laughs and drapes an arm around Jimin's shoulders.

Jimin huffs and elbows the youngest's side to shove him away from him. "I'm fine. Come on, I'm dying to get that banana milkshake."

Yoongi's car has already driven away before the three of them emerged from the lobby. Out in the streets, Jimin can't help but think.

Does Director Min hate him? Maybe, but no. He probably doesn't. Yoongi is just... putting things back the way they were. The way they should be. It's just that. Nothing more, nothing less.

With a sigh, Jimin frowns and kicks a stray pebble on his way to the dessert shop.

☕

The next day, Jimin rushes through the lobby and speeds past a bunch of employees to get to the elevators because it's 10 minutes past 8 in the morning, and HE. IS. FUCKING. LATE. Jimin wants to smack his face for forgetting to set his alarm last night.

Jimin murders the elevator button with his index finger until the damn thing starts moving down and for heaven's sake, if it takes another stop on its way down, Jimin is gonna pull all of his hair out. "Faster," he mutters impatiently as he tries to catch his breath.

"Finally!" he exclaims once the elevator dings and the doors slide open.

"Oh, Mr. Park," Secretary Jung greets him with a sunny smile behind a tall stack of gift boxes.

"Good morning, Mr. Jung." Jimin quickly bows to him. "I won't keep you; you're probably late— oh shit!"

Jimin gasps and reflexively catches one of the boxes when it fell from the very top of the stack. "Are you okay, Mr. Jung?" he asks, suddenly concerned at the secretary's apparent struggle. "Do you want me to help you?"

"I'm fine; I can handle it. Can you just put the box on top?"

As Jimin does what he was told, he hears the man sighing heavily, and then he tells Jimin, "I've been taking a lot of boxes out of the director's office for 4 days. It's tiring but don't tell on me." He laughs.

"If I may ask, what are these for?" Jimin inquires, staring at the gift boxes with names of high-end luxury brands printed on the carton.

"Gifts from Director Min's business partners." The secretary sighs defeatedly. "But he always asks me to take them or throw everything away."

Jimin chuckles. "The director probably has everything, that's why."

"Not really." Mr. Jung shrugs. "I've known him for 7 years, and Director Min only buys the things he needs. He's not the type to brag around his wads of cash."

"Ah." Jimin licks his lips as he remembers that moment when Director Min ordered every kind of dessert available in that Italian restaurant. If he's not the type to waste his money on things he doesn't need, then maybe, he's the type to indulge himself with good food?

"He makes exceptions on special occasions though." Mr. Jung chuckles. "I'm pretty sure you were surprised when Director Min ordered almost every dish in that Italian restaurant, right?"

Jimin chuckles awkwardly. "Yeah. I was taken aback a bit."

To this, Mr. Jung lets out a smile. "His grandfather and older brother are both in Busan for an expo, so I thought the director would celebrate his birthday alone again this year but I was shocked when he suddenly asked you to come with him."

Jimin freezes on his spot. "What?"

The secretary blinks and tilts his head to the side. "What do you mean 'what'? Didn't Director Min tell you it was his birthday?"

"I— no. He didn't." Jimin's gaze falls to the floor, still trying to digest this shocking fact. "He didn't mention anything."

As a brief moment of silence passes by between them, Secretary Jung lets out an understanding hum and tells Jimin, "It's fine, Mr. Park. It's not your fault. Director Min doesn't really talk much about himself."

Jimin knows Mr. Jung is right but he can't help but feel guilty for acting like an ass to Yoongi on his special day. He even tried to dodge their dinner! "Oh my God," Jimin whispers as he rubs his temple. "I'm such a jerk."

"Hey, don't blame yourself! How could you have known?" Mr. Jung smiles at him. "It's okay. I'm sure the director didn't mind. He's a nice guy. A little scary sometimes, but a nice guy."

Jimin pouts. "Thank you, Mr. Jung."

"No problem." The secretary chuckles. "I should go and take all of these to my car. I'll see you around?"

"Take care, Mr. Jung." Jimin waves at him as Hoseok walks away with the boxes of gifts clutched safely in his arms.

Any form of urgency that Jimin felt earlier that morning suddenly leaves him, and now he's left wondering about what could have happened differently if he only knew that it was the director's birthday that day.

"Just have dinner with me tonight." A small pause. "After that, you can go and do whatever you want, Mr. Park."

Jimin lets out a breath as he waits for the elevator to stop on his floor. Shit, he should have prepared something for the director.

"That's it!" Jimin exclaims with a snap of his fingers, feeling something similar to a 'eureka' moment. It's been 4 days so anything he does now would probably look weird but it's better late than never, right?

As Jimin steps out of the elevator with a smile tugging at the corners of his lips, he finally starts to feel lighter. Glancing at his wristwatch, Jimin notes his clock-out time today and mentally enumerates some of the shops he knows in Myeongdong.

That's right. Jimin is going to buy a birthday gift for Director Min.

☕

The thing is Jimin doesn't have so much money with him right now especially when he wasted more than half of his savings just to get to Paris and now, just about a week into his new job, his first payroll is yet to be given to him on the 15th of the month.

So to say, Jimin has ₩40,000 and a dream to spend on Yoongi's birthday gift.

"He probably has everything he needs though," he mutters with a pout as he looks through the window of a flower shop. Should he give him a bouquet? What kind of flower does the director like?

"Or maybe, something practical?" Jimin rubs his chin in thought. A pen? Nah, Yoongi probably has a luxury pen. A tie? That's nice. Although he can only afford a cheap one; what if Yoongi's employees mock him for wearing an easily worn-out tie?

"He can tie me with it though," Jimin snickers and sneakily looks around him for a bit to see if anyone heard him. Okay, that's a bit out of line. Director Min is hot but he can't go around having a boner for his boss! That's not an ingredient for a peaceful office life.

"Oh, hi."

Jimin jolts when he hears a young lady's voice. "Ah, hello," he answers with a smile.

The lady returns the gesture and opens the door of the flower shop wider. "You've been standing in front of our window for 10 minutes, sir. Do you want to have a look inside?"

Jimin chuckles apologetically and rubs the back of his neck. "Sorry if I seemed like a creep. But sure, I'll have a look at your flowers. Thank you."

"There are also a variety of plants at the back of the room," the lady says, ushering him to the potted flowers first.

"This is pretty." Jimin touches the petal of a pink tulip. "Do you need a bouquet, sir? For what occasion?"

"Not a bouquet. Just... a little something for someone's birthday."

"Ah, if you're looking for a cute gift, I know something that might interest you."

Jimin follows the lady to the back of the room where little potted plants are placed on top of the racks. "These are called succulents, sir. It's pretty famous for home or office display apart from requiring minimal maintenance."

Jimin hums appreciatively. They look adorable.

"This one looks cool." Jimin points at the spiky little succulent.

"Oh, haworthia. Nice pick, sir. I love that plant too." The lady picks up the pot. "Anything else?"

"Just that one in the meantime. I'm not even sure if the person I'm giving it to is into plants." He laughs.

"I think anyone would love a little bit of nature in their life. We're living in a city so it's kinda hard to appreciate nature from here," the lady says with a good-natured hum as she walks toward the counter.

"You can pick a pot for your succulent, sir. You can browse through that shelf over there."

Jimin follows her instruction and goes to the shelf where several pots of different shapes and sizes are all displayed for the customers to see. After half a minute, Jimin utters, "Ah."

A playful smile tugs at the corners of his lips when he picks up a white kitty pot with its eyes shut closed as if the animal was sleeping. A fond memory suddenly plays in Jimin's mind where he sees Yoongi's kitten-like eyes fluttered shut under the bright morning light.

An amused breath comes out of Jimin's mouth before he walks back to the counter with the kitty pot in hand. "I'll get this one," he tells the florist.

"You can design your own pot, sir! Do you want to add anything?"

After a moment of deliberating with himself, Jimin smiles at the lady and asks, "Do you have a little Eiffel Tower to come with the plant?"

"Oh, yes! I think I have one here." After rummaging behind the counter, she stands up and places a steel miniature tower on the counter.

"That looks perfect." Jimin chuckles at the miniature Eiffel Tower, trying not to reminisce too much about his worthwhile and wild adventure in the City of Love in front of the pretty lady.

"Do you need a card and a box, sir?" He nods. "Yes, please."

Jimin's gift is perfect.

Jimin shifts restlessly on his feet as he rides the elevator up to the 31st floor, fiddling with the ribbon of the small box containing his precious gift for the director. What would Yoongi say when he sees it? Will he like it? Or get disappointed? Fuck, Jimin is nervous.

When the elevator dings open, Jimin takes a deep breath and walks on the short corridor leading to Secretary Jung's reception desk. "Good morning, Mr. Jung," he greets Hoseok with a wide smile.

"Oh, Mr. Park! What brings you here? Do you have an appointment with the director?"

When Hoseok motions to grab the director's schedule book, probably wondering if he missed out on any appointment for him, Jimin immediately tells, "No! I'm just here to give Director Min this." He shows the box to the secretary, blushing when he adds, "For his birthday."

At this, Hoseok lets out a bright chuckle. "You're so thoughtful, Mr. Park."

"Director Min treated me to dinner on his birthday so... I'm giving this gift as a thank you." He puckers his lips a bit. "I'm not sure if he'll like it."

"I'm sure he will," Mr. Jung assures him with a kind smile. "Although, you would have to wait for a while. Director Min is currently busy entertaining the Vice President in his office."

"Oh." Jimin looks at the closed double doors. Director Min's older brother is there with him? "Um, will I be able to catch the director sometime this afternoon?"

"Hmm, let me check." Mr. Jung opens the schedule book, flipping through the pages. "Director Min's schedule is fully booked today so I'm afraid not, Mr. Park," he utters apologetically.

"I see." Jimin tries not to look disappointed even though he kinda wants to knock on the door and see the director. That would be rude though, and he'll probably get his ass fired by Vice President Min if he does.

Crestfallen, Jimin places the box on the secretary's desk. "Mr. Jung, can you give this for me please?"

"I can but are you sure?" Hoseok's eyebrows furrow. "Don't you want to give it yourself?"

"It's okay. It can't wait." The plant might die if it stays in the box for too long.

There's a hint of sympathy in the secretary's eyes when he says, "I understand. I'll be sure to give this to the director once he finishes his meeting with Vice President Min."

"Thank you, Mr. Jung." He bows to the secretary. "And, oh, please call me Jimin." The secretary laughs. "Okay. Jimin."

The younger returns the smile and bows his head again, glancing at the closed doors one last time with a sigh before turning around to take the elevator down to his office. He still has work to do.

☕

"I have a gift for you, brother," Yoongi hears Junki say from the black leather couch as he flips through the documents that he'll need for today's meeting with an important client. "Ceramics from Busan."

"Thanks, just leave them there," Yoongi utters — apathetic.

"Just act a little bit happy, will you?" Vice President Min chuckles. "You wound me, little brother."

"I'm busy. If you have nothing to say, I'll meet you at the estate next week." Yoongi takes his pen and affixes his signature to the bottom part of the paper.

Junki huffs and rests his arm on the backrest of the couch, staring at his little brother behind the desk. "You've been a bit uptight since you came back from Paris. Did something happen?"

Yoongi's hand on the pages pauses. "What do you mean?" he asks, finally glancing up.

"You tell me." The vice president snorts. Then, his expression morphs into genuine concern. "What's wrong, Yoongi?"

Director Min looks down at the papers in his hands, contemplating for a moment. "Do you..." he begins. "Believe in soulmates?"

His brother seems surprised at the choice of topic. "What brought this on?" he asks. "But, yeah, I do."

"It's just..." Yoongi sighs and places the document down on his desk, clasping his hands together under his chin. "I found my soulmate."

"What?!" Junki exclaims in shock.

"I think I've always believed in soulmates but I just didn't have faith in it." Director Min licks his lips, his mind suddenly plagued by the images of a certain man with golden skin, dark brown eyes, and plump rosy lips. "It feels weird finding the supposed other half of me."

As the initial shock does down, Junki lets out a hum as he settles back on the couch. "What are you gonna do about it?"

"Nothing." A small frown appears on Yoongi's face. "Should I be doing something?"

His brother shrugs. "I don't know; it's up to you. My wife and I aren't soulmates but we learned to love each other. I just want the same happiness for you, little brother."

At this, Yoongi's gaze falls on his desk. Then, he utters, "I don't think he wants me to do anything."

"How did you know? Did he tell you not to?"

Yoongi shakes his head. "He didn't but he doesn't like being around me."

"Maybe, he's just as confused as you are. Give him time. After all, finding your soulmate changes your life forever."

Standing up from the couch and fixing the button of his coat, Vice President Min tells him, "I know you, brother. You're wise. You know how to handle things like this." He grins. "And while you're at it, I demand to meet him once things are settled between the two of you."

Yoongi huffs as he watches his brother walk toward the door. "Ah, I almost forgot." Junki's hand on the handle pauses. "Your presence is needed at the company's party this Saturday. No excuses."

Director Min groans as his brother exits the room with an amused smirk. Yoongi hates company parties.

"Director?" Mr. Jung enters the room with a small box in his hand. "There's a gift for you."

Sighing, Yoongi takes another set of papers and says, "You can have it." When will their business partners stop sending him gifts?

It's already been 5 days since his birthday for God's sake. "I think you might want this one, sir."

His secretary's suggestion causes Yoongi's eyes to travel up, noticing the mysterious smile on the man's lips. "Who is it from?"

Placing the little box on his office desk, Secretary Jung tells him, "From Mr. Park Jimin."

Yoongi's lashes flutter as his mouth gapes open at the mention of his soulmate's name. "What?"

Hoseok chortles. "I'll leave you to it director. We'll head to your next meeting in 15 minutes."

When the door closes behind the secretary, leaving Yoongi entirely alone in the office, the director grabs the box and pulls the ribbon without a word.

What could this be? Why would Jimin even give him something—

Yoongi's brows go up to his hairline when he sees a little succulent plant inside the box. "This..." he mutters and notices a little greeting card beside the pot.

As he takes all of the contents of the box out, an amused chuckle comes out of Yoongi's mouth when he sees the kitty pot and the miniature Eiffel Tower that comes along with the succulent. "What is this?" he laughs, the corners of his eyes crinkling happily.

Yoongi opens the card next and almost splits his face in half right there from smiling too wide as he reads the short note scribbled in neat handwriting:

A little something to accompany you at work. Happy birthday :)

— J

Placing the card down, Yoongi reaches out to touch the succulent with his fingers, still chuckling at the kitty pot that Jimin chose for the plant. "That and Eiffel Tower, huh," he mutters with a smile. "You really wanna play like this, Park Jimin?"

Then, after placing the succulent and miniature on his desk, Yoongi looks at it fondly one last time before ringing the telephone to his secretary. "Director?" Mr. Jung answers.

"What's my schedule at 5 PM?"

"You have a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Dalmajung Appliances." "Cancel it."

"What? B-But director—"

"I need to go somewhere. You're coming with me."

"I—" Mr. Jung sighs in defeat. "Okay. I'll inform the organizer." "You're the best, Hoseok." Yoongi smiles and hangs up.

☕

Jimin spends the last 10 hours worrying about the succulent. What if Mr. Jung forgot to give it to the director? What if Yoongi hated it? What if his boss got offended by the kitty pot and the Eiffel Tower? Was Jimin too bold for doing that?

"Argh!" Jimin ruffles his hair in frustration on his way to the office. There's no point in worrying about that now.

"Chim!" Taehyung calls for him with a wave of his hand, his best friend already seated behind his work desk. "There's something here for you."

"What?" Jimin utters grumpily as he dumps his bag on his table. He barely has three hours of sleep because of excessively worrying about— what is that?

"Wow, someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed," Jungkook teases him. Frowning at the box on his table, he asks, "What's this?"

"Uh, I don't know? Did you have something delivered to the office?" Taehyung inquires. "No." Jimin's frown deepens as he opens the lid of the box. Who placed this thing here—

"Oh, no. That's so cute." Taehyung laughs as Jimin's jaw drops at the white kitty mug inside. Taking the accompanying card, Jimin opens it and reads the note:

For your morning coffee. I have the black one. Thanks for the succulent

—Y

"Oh-hooo." Jungkook elbows Jimin on the side, looking at him with a knowing smirk. "'Y' as in the first name of Director Min?"

"Hoe, you didn't tell us you're already banging him," Taehyung says with one eyebrow riased.

"I'm not!" Jimin huffs. "I— I didn't expect this."

"What's that?" Jungkook points at something lying at the bottom of the box.

Still recovering from the shock, Jimin takes the 'thing' out of the box and hears a simultaneous gasp come out of his friends' mouths.

"Is that...?" Jungkook begins.

"A premiere movie ticket," Taehyung finishes for him, looking over Jimin's shoulder to read the title of the movie, time, and place. "Oh my God, it's at Megabox!"

"What?! That's fucking expensive!" Jungkook gapes at the ticket.

"I-I—" Jimin stammers out. Oh my God, he doesn't know what's happening. "The director's asking you out." Taehyung giggles. "Here's your chance, Jiminie."

"Yeah, go get that rich dick!" Jungkook guffaws at him.

As Jimin's mind tries to wrap around the fact that Director Min liked his gift so much that the man went to the trouble of giving a gift back to him, Jimin swallows and licks his lips as the ticket in his hands trembles a bit, feeling his heart galloping wildly in his chest.

Even though Jimin's mind tried to find another explanation for this, he knows it'll only be a futile one. Because there's only one evident reason for this ticket in his hands, and it's glaring right at his face: Director Min has asked Jimin out on a movie date tonight.

☕

Jimin found himself sitting in Director Min's limo for the second time in a span of one week, and he wasn't sure if it was a good idea to spend so much... extracurricular time like this with his boss after working hours.

On their way to the car, Jimin tried not to mind the curious eyes pointed in their direction as Mr. Jung personally fetched him from the office and ushered him out of the building where the limo was parked. Yoongi was already inside the vehicle when the chauffeur opened the door.

At the sight of the man's pale and handsome face, Jimin felt his heart stutter inside his chest, and he said, "H-Hi."

"Hm." Yoongi acknowledged him with a nod and a slight tilt of the left corner of his lips.

Jimin blushed.

Sitting on the plush seat, a 'safe' and polite distance from the man, Jimin says, "Thank you for the mug and movie ticket—" He catches the word 'director' before it rolls out of his tongue. Instead, he utters, "Yoongi."

The smile on Director Min's mouth grows. "Thank you for your gift, too."

Jimin chuckles. "You already thanked me on your note."

"I know. But I want to personally tell it to you." Yoongi holds his gaze. "Thank you, Jimin." Jimin bites his bottom lip. His name sounds much better when Yoongi says it.

"Did you like the mug?"

The younger nods with a smile. "Yeah. How did you know I usually get my morning coffee?" Oddly, Director Min just shrugs and looks out the window. "Just a guess."

Jimin raises a curious brow. A guess, huh.

Jimin has never been to The Boutique Private; he's seen pictures on the internet but actually witnessing the place firsthand with his own two eyes is a whole lot different than the fancy pictures posted on Naver. Needless to say, it's nothing short of luxurious.

There are only eight seats in total in the private viewing, and as Jimin follows Yoongi to their seat in front of the screen, he looks around the place with a baffled expression on his face. "Where's everybody?"

Yoongi sits down on the left center seat. "We're the only ones here."

Jimin blinks at the director. "But... aren't the seats of a private viewing like this supposed to be taken?"

"Yes," Yoongi says as he opens the bottle of champagne. "I reserved all of them." Okay. Jimin doesn't get the mindset of rich people sometimes.

Letting the matter go, Jimin traverses the small aisle and places his bag on the right center seat. "Why are you there?" he hears Yoongi ask.

"Uh..." Is Jimin not supposed to seat there?

"Sit beside me." Director Min indicates the empty seat to his side with a light jerk of his head. "I don't bite," he teases with a little smirk.

Jimin huffs amusedly at that and resists the urge to roll his eyes at his boss.

As Jimin takes his bag, two cinema staffs come into the room carrying trays of food in their hands. Placing the food on the end table between their seats, one of the ladies says with an amiable smile, "Please ring us if you need anything, sir."

"Thank you," Yoongi tells her with a nod.

As the ladies proceed to walk out of the room, Jimin lets out a sigh at the comfortable cushion pressing against the sore muscles of his back. It's tiring to sit behind his work desk all day.

(I wish my desk chair was like this.)

Yoongi turns to look at him. "What's wrong with your desk chair?"

The younger jolts a little at the sudden response. Shit. Right, Yoongi can hear his thoughts from this close.

"Um, the backrest is a bit stiff. But it's fine." Jimin takes the offered champagne glass with a 'thank you.'

Yoongi hums and swirls his glass, watching the effervescence inside. "You can put in a request for a replacement," he tells Jimin. "I'll approve it."

Jimin's eyes widen. "Ah, no! It's fine, really." He lets out an awkward chuckle. "It's no big deal. Please don't bother yourself with a trivial problem like that."

"You can have back pains with a defective chair," Yoongi reasons. "And it can interfere with your work."

Jimin doesn't really know what to answer to that so when he remains silent, Yoongi nods with finality and utters, "I'll have someone deliver another chair to the art department tomorrow morning."

"I—" Jimin's lips touch the rim of the champagne glass, feeling the heat on his cheeks burning hotter. "Thank you, sir."

"Don't call me 'sir' when we're alone like this," Yoongi chides him lightly.

Letting out an amused breath through his nose, Jimin takes a sip of the champagne and says, "Sorry. You sounded like a real boss earlier."

"I am a real boss." Yoongi lifts a brow.

"Yeah." Jimin licks the bitter taste off his lips. "Your authority is... compelling." Yoongi takes a moment to digest the last word. "Compelling — in what way?"

There's a subtle shift in the air, and Jimin knows Yoongi can feel it too. "In a good kind of way."

Yoongi's rises are glinting in the cinema lights. "Would you care to elaborate, Mr. Park?"

There's a teasing tone in the director's voice, one that makes Jimin shift a bit restlessly in his seat, and Yoongi notices it. If the smug upturn of the corners of his lips was any indication. "When you talk..." Jimin begins. "You sound sure and decisive."

Yoongi waits.

Jimin's knees rub together under the blanket, and then, he speaks into the director's mind with a bright flush on his face, (It's hot.)

A low chuckle scratches the base of Director Min's throat. (You think I'm hot?)

Jimin grabs the stem of the glass with his other hand, clutching the thing steadily on his lap. He's trembling, and the place suddenly feels warm despite the AC on full blast.

(Yes.)

Director Min keeps his gaze trained on Jimin's face beside him, wordlessly staring at him for quite some time before he says, (If you had been honest like this right from the start, then things would have been much simpler.)

Jimin's lashes flutter at the man's words, and he sees something strange swimming in the other's eyes. He can't quite put a finger on it but there's power and intensity lurking behind that emotion in Yoongi's dark eyes.

(Jimin, can we—)

The lights all turn off.

Jimin's head turns to the big screen in front of him, and whatever Yoongi was about to say gets swallowed by the sound of the movie blasting through the high-quality speakers mounted on the walls around them.

He hears a soft sigh from the director before the man settles back on his seat without another word.

It's a superhero movie, an international one. Jimin has read a few articles about it and originally, he was planning to ask Taehyung and Jungkook to watch the film with him.

Well, that was until Director Min gave him that surprise gift together with a premiere ticket to the said film. However, halfway into the movie, Jimin starts to doze off. It has been a busy day at the office, and with the comfortable cushion behind him together with a steady supply of good food and champagne, Jimin couldn't help but feel sleepy despite the exploding cars and buildings on the screen in front of him.

When Jimin's head slips off the edge of the seat for the fourth time, he feels a gentle hand touching the side of his head, pulling him close until his temple rests on a firm shoulder.

(You're gonna fall.)

Jimin gasps at the sense of familiarity that those words evoke in him.

“You’re gonna fall.”

Jimin gasps softly when Yoongi places a hand under his head to pull him up.

Instinctively, Jimin clings to him until the man pulls them back to the center of the bed, laying Jimin’s head on the mattress with a kind of gentleness that isn’t really a requisite for wild one-night stands.

“You’re a sweet guy, aren’t you?” Jimin jokes with a smile. “Your future partner will be lucky to have you.”

Because of the sudden replay of that certain memory, Jimin lets out an amused breath and says, "You're really a sweet guy."

He hears a low hum beside him. "I'm sure my future partner will be lucky to have me."

Jimin has to bite his bottom lip to suppress the laugh that was threatening to burst out of his mouth.

Yoongi remembered.

"I'm not sure about that. You can be a handful at times," Jimin tells him.

A quiet chuckle. "So are you." Then, Jimin feels the director's hand reaching out for him, twining their fingers together on the armrest between them.

(Sleep), Yoongi says. (I'll keep you from falling).

Yoongi's fingers are longer than his, and the skin of his palm is soft and warm. Jimin can't hear anything but the loud pounding of his heart despite the chaos happening on the screen. And when he feels the director lightly squeezing his hand, Jimin squeezes back.

I'll keep you from falling, he remembers Yoongi telling him. But as his lashes flutter closed and all the sounds around him become muted to his ears, Jimin wonders.

Despite Director Min's firm hold on his hand, why does Jimin feel like he's still falling?

☕

Jimin has been standing in front of their office for 5 minutes now, fiddling with the strap of his waist bag and worrying his bottom lip with his teeth. He kinda doesn't want to enter.

"Jimin!" a high-spirited voice greets him in the corridor. "Good morning." Jimin returns the greeting with a smile. "Hi, good morning."

Jin drapes his arm over the younger's shoulders. "Why are you standing here outside? Come with me; I have to give something to your manager anyway."

"Jin—" The elder grabs his wrist and opens the office door.

Walking through the short corridor leading to the art department, Jin pats his shoulder before going to Manager Kang's office, leaving Jimin in the presence of his colleagues who are all giving him odd glances and side looks. "Jiminie!" Taehyung beams at him.

"We have new chairs!"

Jimin watches as his best friend spins his chair around happily while his soulmate, Jungkook, is lounging on the chair with both arms under his head. "Did all of these come this morning?" Jimin asks, shocked.

"Yeah," answers Jungkook.

Then, Taehyung glances at their officemates for a second before placing a hand beside his mouth, leaning in to whisper to Jimin, "Someone mentioned that the chairs were funded by Director Min's office."

Jimin lets out an awkward laugh. "Were they?"

"Yeah." His best friend smirks and pats his back. "Whatever you're doing with Director Min, keep doing it, Chim."

"We're benefiting from your sugar daddy, too," Jungkook unabashedly proclaims with a laugh.

"Oh my God, he's not my— don't call him that!" Jimin blushes furiously.

"So?" Taehyung crosses his arms over his chest, adopting his 'tell-me-what-I-wanna-know- now' pose with a slight raise of his left eyebrow. "What happened with your movie date?"

Plopping on his seat, Jimin sighs and says, "It was nice."

"Define nice."

The flush on Jimin's cheeks deepens at the memory of the events last night. He would be lying if he says he hadn't laid on the bed and stared at the ceiling for two hours, thinking about the director's long fingers linked with his, his broad shoulder offered to him for support.

"Director Min reserved the entire place to ourselves but I got sleepy halfway through the movie and... he let me lean on his shoulder." Jimin feels something stir in his chest. "He held my hand and waited for me to wake up before taking me back home."

"Wow." Taehyung blinks at him, sharing a weird glance with Jungkook over his shoulder. "Are you dating?" Jungkook asks, upfront.

"No."

"But does Director Min like you?"

"I—" Jimin crinkles his nose. "I don't know. He didn't say anything."

"I'm gonna bet Taehyung's left kidney that the man likes you."

Taehyung lets out an unimpressed noise. "Then, I'm betting both of Jungkook's balls that Director Min wants to fuck you."

"Shh!" Jimin hushes them frantically. "Can you two be any louder?"

To his horror, Taehyung shouts, "HE WANTS TO FUCK Y—HMMMMM!"

"AAHHH!" Jimin lunges at his best friend to cover his fucking big mouth with both hands. "H-Ha ha ha." He laughs as he bows apologetically to the other employees in the office.

Glaring at his best friend, Jimin pinches his cheeks hard. "Ow ow ow!" Taehyung complains, tapping Jimin's arm until he releases his face.

With a huff, Jimin tells both of them, "No one can know, okay? What if Director Min gets in trouble because of me?"

"The only one who's gonna get in trouble—if there'll be any—is you, Jimin," Jungkook responds. "Director Min could care less about his reputation in this company. But you..." He points at Jimin. "You could get fired because you're just an employee."

"Kook's right." Taehyung sighs. "Stop worrying about others and start worrying about yourself. You're too kind sometimes."

Jimin winces at the undeniable truth in his friends' words. Yoongi can do everything he wants because he's one of the bosses of this company. But Jimin...

Jimin doesn't have that kind of privilege.

"Hey, what's the tea?" Jimin sees the assistant manager of the sales department, Jin, approaching them. "Don't leave me out!"

"We're just talking about Jimin's wonderful love life," Taehyung tells him.

"Wonderful isn't the right word." Jungkook smirks. "But luxurious." "I hate you both, you know that right?"

"We do," his friends answer in unison, making Jimin roll his eyes. "Is this about Director Min?"

Jimin feels his whole body freeze.

"Where did you get that idea?" It was Taehyung who asked.

"You know people like gossips, yeah?" Jin shrugs. "Corporate life is terribly monotonous, and when people get bored, they find something to talk about." Resting an arm on top of Jimin's chair, Jin gives him a knowing smirk. "Besides, Director Min isn't being subtle at all."

"I fully agree." Jungkook nods repeatedly.

"I heard rumors that the enigmatic and unapproachable Director Min went to your office to see an employee," Jin tells them. "They said that he and said employee hopped into the director's limo and rode off somewhere after work hours."

Jimin sinks a little into his brand-new work chair.

"I don't judge." Jin laughs and pats Jimin's shoulder. "If you're both happy, then it's alright, yes?"

"We're not together," Jimin utters through a pout. "Why is everyone assuming we're together?"

"Because you're clearly interested in each other besides the fact that you're soulmates," Taehyung answers matter-of-factly.

"You're what?!" Jin exclaims in surprise. "Wow, that's— congratulations on finding your soulmate, I guess?"

"It's a pain in the ass." Jimin grimaces. "I'm talking about the shared ability." "They can hear each other's thoughts," Jungkook clarifies for Seokjin.

"Huh, that's interesting." Jin rubs his chin thoughtfully. "Can you hear everything?"

"What do you mean?" Jimin asks.

"Like," Jin waves his hand in the air. "Can you hear what he thinks about? Can you hear his feelings?"

"No." Jimin shakes his head. "Only the spoken thoughts, I think."

To this, the assistant manager hums. "Fair enough."

Jimin has always wondered when their soulmate telepathy 'switched on.' He distinctly remembers Taehyung telling him that his 'soulmate switch' with Jungkook turned on after they shared a very spicy meal at a restaurant. As for him and Yoongi, well...

(Hungry.)

Jimin gasps.

Was it that moment? When he heard Yoongi's voice in his head the next morning after their one-night stand? If that's the case, then the trigger for their soulmate switch was... sex?

"Mr. Park Jimin?"

Jimin turns to look at the guy standing in the doorway of their office. "Yes?" he says as he walks toward the man. "Do you need anything?"

"A delivery for you, sir." The man offers a box to him. "From Scarlet Treats."

"Scarlet— huh?" Jimin's lashes flutter in confusion, looking down at the box of... something in his hands.

"Enjoy your treats, sir!" Then, the guy turns on his heels to walk away, probably off to go back to work.

"What's that?" Jungkook asks as Jimin settles on his chair again, placing the mysterious box on top of his work desk.

"Did you order food?" Taehyung asks.

"No, but..." Jimin opens the cover and sees 6 adorable cupcakes inside, all looking tasty and freshly made. There's a little yellow sticky note on the box, and Jimin takes it off to read the neat handwriting inked on the surface:

Good morning

—Y

"Whoa!" Taehyung grins. "Chim, can I have the one with the white bear?"

"A box of cupcakes and a handwritten 'Good morning' note from Daddy Y." Jungkook snorts amusedly. "That's so sweet I'm having dental caries."

Jimin would have said a retort to that but his cheeks are currently busy fanning the flames on his face especially when he turns the note over and sees the same handwriting inked on the back of the paper.

A snicker comes out of Jin's mouth. "Not subtle at all," he utters.

With butterflies fluttering inside his stomach, Jimin feels his heart jump a thousand miles upon seeing the 11 figures scribbled on the note. Not a business card, but a handwritten note.

A. Hand. Written. Note. "Oh," Jimin whispers.

Yoongi wrote down his number for him.