Never Mind | #yoonmin

1

AUTUMN
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The space is warm to a level beyond my comfort. I hold my cold drink firmly, hoping the low temperature is transferred to my blood stream via the little veins in my hands. It's understandable that the heating is on during this chilly, autumn night, but this is just too much. With so many people in the room it's highly unnecessary to flood the space with extra warm air on top of the body heat that spreads from skin to skin almost directly. The discomfort has made the conversation around me impossible to keep track of, so I just sip my drink and nod politely every now and then while scanning the room with my eyes. Networking events disguised under the name of a party are part of the job, but definitely one of my least favourite parts.

"Yoongi!" A familiar voice calls my name. I look to the side and see my friend Namjoon walk up to me through the crowd. Thank god, a break from networking chit-chat.

"Hey Joon-a, I didn't know you'd be here as well tonight." I say in a monotone voice despite my surprise and joy. Namjoon hates these events almost as much as I do, but he's much better at hiding it. People flock to his wise words and tall figure.

"Yeah, I wasn't planning to, but my manager kinda forced me." Namjoon whispers the last part while hiding his mouth with his hand. He then removes his hand quickly to wave and smile at someone walking by.

"Mmm, same here. I would much rather be at home, or at least outside. It's freaking hot in here." I run my hand trough my lang hair to push it out of my face before fanning my shirt to try and get some air to flow around my body, and decide to just open a button or two. Fuck it. Namjoon chuckles and asks me how the recording of my new Honsool episode went yesterday with Kim Jong Wan. I tell him it went very smoothly, which it really did. Hosting musicians like him on the show are always good days, nothing gets me going like talking about music with someone just as passionate about it. Music has always been a huge part of my life, mostly expressed through different hobbies like writing and producing.

Ever since starting Honsool with JinHit Entertainment I haven't had much time to focus on music though. That's a side effect of these networking events, you might actually meet people like Kim Seokjin and they might actually turn out to be really nice and offer you a job.

Well, it didn't go that easily, I wasn't hired until about two years after meeting him, but JinHit didn't have the budget for it back then. Now they're doing quite well, so six months ago Seokjin called and told me their new concept for a YouTube talkshow would be "perfect for me". Apparently he still thinks I'm good enough, so here were are.

I still thank him regularly for this opportunity, I absolutely love hosting and producing the show. I had spent years at KBZ behind the scenes, working my ass off with the promise that maybe one day I'll be on the other side of the cameras. I don't necessarily hold any grudge against KBZ, I've learned so much there, but I didn't have to think twice about say goodbye to my career there and jump to JinHit. Even though JinHit might not be as large-scale as KBZ, I get to do what I always dreamed of.

"You should come back on the show some time Joon-a, you could talk about your new —" My sentence is cut short by a sudden bump of a warm body against my arm and the cold liquid of my drink running down my shirt.

"Oh shit!! I'm so sorry sir... Oh my god..." The blonde man in a black, sequin cardigan holds his hand in front of his mouth and looks down at my shirt. When he looks up in my eyes, I see that it's him. It's Park Jimin.

The first time I saw him was about four months ago, at one of the first "parties" hosted by JinHit that I joined as an employee. It was hot then as well, but more understandably so since it was summer. I felt nervous to be there, but luckily Namjoon basically took me by the hand and made me feel more confident. I remember seeing Jimin across the room and since he was with Taemin I wondered who he was, so I asked Namjoon. He told me that he's the leader a new dance group Lachimolala that had a pretty viral video a couple months earlier. Not long after they did a dance challenge with Taemin's new solo hit and people loved it, so he assumed Jimin was there because of that.

Later that night when I got home I Googled him and binge watched a bunch his videos on YouTube and Instagram. Shamelessly. Apparently the algorithm caught wind of my activities and a few days later I saw an article about a dating rumour between Taemin and Jimin. I wonder if it's true, Taemin is also here tonight.

"I'm really sorry, let me ehh... let me get you a t-towel and a new drink." Jimin stumbles over his words.

"You really don't —" ...have to... but he already grabbed the empty glass from my hand and left. I watch the shimmering of the squints disappear in the crowd.

"Well, at least you got to cool down." Namjoon laughs. I send a little grunt his way and rub the back of my hands over my shirt in vain, as if I can just slide the liquid right off of me. Jimin returns surprisingly quickly with a fresh, wet drink and a small, dry towel. I wonder where he got that from.

"I'm so, so sorry..." Jimin pushes the drink in my hand and starts pressing the towel against my chest. For a moment I just let it happen. I'm not going to lie, having a gorgeous man like him dry my damp body is not exactly unpleasant, but I soon stop him — since I'm already feeling hot enough — and take the towel so I can continue the drying process myself. I wish I knew what to say to him. I kind of want to tell him that I've seen his videos and how good of a dancer he is. Really, really good. But something is stopping me and I keep my mouth shut.

"I can pay for the dry cleaning." The apologetic man offers.

"That's really not necessary, it's just an old shirt." It's not really, but I don't want him to feel bad.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah yeah, don't worry about it." Shit, should I have said yes so I can ask for his number? Ugh, whatever. Even if the dating rumours with Taemin are false, a man like him is probably dating someone anyway. And even if he would be single, I don't have much to offer him. I don't really do relationships anymore and I doubt a guy like him would be up for a fling.

"Okay..." Jimin fiddles with the ends of his sleeves a bit, then bows politely and mumbles, "Hope you still have a good evening then, Mr. Min." Mr. Min. He knows who I am. A hot flash runs from my chest to my cheeks, causing me to be lost for words once again. Jimin then also bows to Namjoon and wishes him the same. I watch the shimmering of the sequins disappear in the crowd once more while holding the towel against my wet chest.

"Whoa, what a polite guy, just a bit clumsy." Namjoon sips his drink.

"Pff, you're one to say." I huff at him. "Last event you dropped and broke the mic."

"Yaa! That thing was basically falling apart already! Jin should really up the budget on some of the equipment around here." Namjoon sighs. It's true that some things can use a bit of an upgrade around here. Now that JinHit is doing a lot better financially, maybe he will.

"Anyway, as I was saying before, you should come promote your new album on the show." I suggest to Namjoon as I give up on trying to dry my shirt and throw the towel to one of the high tables next to us.

"Oh I'd love that, but wouldn't that be too soon?"

"Soon? It's been six months." Namjoon was the first guest on my show. I still feel the sweat on my palms when I think back to that day. Namjoon and I met briefly before so luckily I knew he was really easy to talk to, but of course I was still freaking nervous. As soon as we sat down and started talking though, things went really smoothly. I still think Namjoon is the main reason why the pilot was such a success. He just makes me so calm and it's so interesting to poke his brain. What an intelligent man. We've been friends ever since that day.

"Six months already? Hmm. Well, let's ask Jin then." Namjoon reveals his dimples.

"Jin hasn't been in charge of that anymore for a long time, Jessi is the executive producer now."

"Oh right, of course!" Namjoon starts talking about Seokjin's utterly busy schedule lately and how much more difficult it has been to get a hold of him. I agree and nod, but my eyes are focused on something shimmering on the other end of the room behind Namjoon. Jimin is laughing and talking with Taemin. They really do seem to have great chemistry together. I hate it.