Never Mind | #yoonmin

25

The empty bottle of whiskey is still standing on my coffee table at home but the consequence is noticeable in my body in the elevator. I'm surprised I made it to the office at a pretty decent time without painkillers. I should really remember to buy some today.

When the elevator passes by the third floor my stomach tickles. I've been seeing Jimin so often in the last weeks that I started to get worried if it has been too much. I'm glad Jimin and I made it clear that this is strictly a friends with benefits situation, but lines could still get blurry. I think not spending any nights together helps though, there's something so clear about leaving someone's apartment at night after having sex. I also just really love sleeping alone.

The elevator pings and I walk to the office. I can't help but notice people staring at me a bit more than usual. Has everyone seen the photo on Reddit? I try to pretend nothing happened and greet everyone with my regular smile and nod.

I open the door of the office and see Jisoo with her hand in her hair. "Morning Jisoo."

"Yoongi! There you are! Why aren't you picking up your phone?" Jisoo sounds quite worried.

"Oh..." I take my phone from my pocket and see it's on silent. "It was on silent, sorry. Did something happen?" I waddle over to my desk and sit down.

"Uhm, yeah?! You happened?! Haven't you seen it yet?"

"The Reddit post? Yeah I saw it last night, I'll explain it later okay? I have a massive headache." I sigh, I'm really not in the mood to explain it all again right now.

"Reddit? No, it's all over the place!"

"W-what do you mean?" I slide my chair over so I can look at Jisoo with a frown.

"All the gossip websites are posting about it. It looks bad Yoongi." Before my brain can process the weight of what she's saying my phone starts ringing. It's Seokjin. I pick up the phone immediately, he usually doesn't call me anymore these days.

"Jin hyung? ... Hmm... Yes. ... Yup, on my way."

Seokjin's office still looks exactly the same from last time I was here, it must have been six months ago already. My leg is shaking as I sit on the couch next to his desk, waiting for him to start talking. He's looking at his screen and the reflection of my photo reflects in his glasses. I definitely didn't think that picture would send me to Seokjin's office, and so soon. It's only been one night. Memories of sitting at my high school principal's office flash through me.

"I assume you've read these?" Seokjin changes his focus to me.

"I haven't, I just saw the original Reddit post last night." I admit.

"It's not looking good Yoongi." He looks back at his screen and starts reading some headlines. "Talk show host talks with his fists. Bad boy Yoongi solves problems with violence. Min Yoongi's true character is not what you'd expect. And there's more. What happened? I didn't expect this from you." His eyes glide to me again as he leans back in his chair.

"I ehh... The picture looks worse than it is, I didn't punch anyone Jin. I really didn't." I try to stop my leg from shaking.

"Hmm... Okay. I'll believe you, but I doubt the rest of South Korea will be so easily convinced. Sanggyu from PR just told me they're already getting calls to ask us for an explanation."

"Shit... I'm sorry Jin hyung, what can I do?"

"We need to get a statement out as soon as possible. So you say you really didn't hit that man?" He tilts his head down to look at me from under his brow.

"I really didn't."

"Can we get a statement from him as well?"

"Oh... No, definitely not." I'm not going to involve Taehyung in this, he's too close to Jimin. I'll do anything to make sure it doesn't leak to the media that Jimin was involved.

"Yoongi..." Seokjin rolls his chair closer to me and rests his elbows on his legs to intensify our eye contact. "Was it a stranger, or are you trying to protect someone by not telling me who he is?"

I purse my lips and stay silent.

Seokjin sighs. "Alright, fine. But just know that if this tarnishes you, it also affects Honsool and JinHit."

I nod slowly.

"Okay, I'm not happy about this, but at least I can tell Sanggyu they should start denying you touched that man, whoever he is." Seokjin pauses while the features of his face soften and rolls his chair even closer. "Yoongs, are you alright?" He asks in a gentler tone.

"I'm fine Jin, it's really nothing bad. I promise."

On my way back to my office I can't get my thoughts straight. Is it all really that serious? Don't things like this usually just blow over after a couple days? And isn't it still a thing to say that even bad publicity is good publicity? Maybe with the cancel culture nowadays that isn't so true anymore. But come on, I can't get cancelled because of that one silly photo, right? Shit, why is my heart beating so fast?

I enter the office and freeze for a moment when I see Jimin sitting on the couch, chatting with Jisoo.

"J-Jimin?" I slowly close the door. It's a bit confusing to see him in the setting of my office again, instead of naked in his or my bed. Or bent over the kitchen counter.

"Hyung!" He stands up and walks over to me. "Are you alright?" He grabs my hands and slowly rubs my knuckles. His concerned tone and expression kind of startle me. I guess he's here because of the photo and the articles.

"Yeah, I'm fine Jimin-ie."

"Are you sure? Those articles are such bullshit, I can't believe they talk so much shit about you without knowing what happened. All because of just one photo!"

"I ehh..." I'm actually not so sure anymore how fine I am. Everyone around me seems to take this way heavier than me, even though I'm the one in the photo. Am I taking this too lightly?

Jimin seems to notice my internal battle and drags me to the couch and sits me down. "Everything will be alright hyung, I know what happened that day. Can't I help in some way? Me and Taehyung could explain to someone what happened." He strokes some hair out of my face and starts drawing little circles on the back of my neck with his fingers. I quickly shake the memory of him drawing circles around my nipple.

"No Jimin-ie, you two have to stay out of this. It's already such a miracle that you two aren't recognisable in the photo."

"But hyung..."

"No buts." I say sternly. Jimin looks at me for a moment and then pulls me in to hug me. For the first seconds I feel a bit uncomfortable with Jisoo in the room with us, but when I start noticing the warmth of his body and his gentle strokes on my back I slowly melt. I allow my face to rest in the crook of his neck and find calmness in the tangerine scent. I close my eyes and hear Jisoo quietly get up and leave the office. Jimin's sweet and comforting words that he's whispering in my ear mesmerise me.

"Never mind what people say, hyung."

"Hmm..." I hum in his neck. "But what if it affects the show?"

"Even if that happens, I know you won't give up on your dream that easily. Everything will be fine eventually."

Just for a bit longer I allow myself to enjoy the warm affection of my friend. I dig my face a bit deeper in his soft flesh and grasp the thin fabric of his shirt on his back. He feels delicate in my arms, but his worry for me feels robust like the muscles under his sensitive skin.

"Thanks Jimin-ie." I slowly lift my head from the comfortable spot in his neck.

"For what?"

"For being here."

"Of course hyung..." His hand appears on my jaw and his thumb gently strokes my cheek. "Aren't we still also friends?"

"Or course we are." I smile. A warm orb appears in my chest which grows exponentially as Jimin leans in to kiss my cheek. His tender lips stay attached to my skin for a bit longer. I want to turn my head and lock my lips with his, but I hold back. Something tells me that would blur certain lines too much. But fuck, I just want to kiss him. I want to feel closer to him, and more distant from the world around us. Just for a moment. Just for a moment I want to risk blurring those lines, but I won't.

"Come over tonight hyung, I'll make you feel good..." His calm voice whispers in my ear.