Interwoven ✔️

18~ Bad Blood

"Jimin, what is it exactly that you do?" I piped up from the couch where I'd been watching Jimin flipping through some papers on the floor.

"Hm?" His eyes flickered up to me. "I do a lot of things. Like last night in bed I—"

"Your job." I threw a pillow at him. "What is it exactly that do for your job? Do you actually train militants?"

Jimin easily ducked the assailing cushion. "This specific district doesn't have official training camps, so not really. Maybe one or two special cases might visit here every few months who might need extra training because they're falling behind in the official training camps."

"And you're the one who trains them?"

He hummed affirmative.

"So like, you teach them how to punch, do combat, handle weapons, all that sort of stuff?" I pressed, intrigued.

It was fascinating to think of the cunning, sharp combative mind hidden underneath that silver hair and sultry eyes.

Jimin laughed a little. "There's much more to the military than fighting," he said. "But yes. If it's combative training they need then I do teach them 'how to punch' as you phrased it."

I pondered his words for a few moments, watching him continue flipping through the papers around him. I enjoyed moments like these the few times he stayed home for work. Usually it was just like this: me sitting on the couch with my online assignments and him working either on the floor beside me or at the kitchen counter. There was a certain allure to watching someone when they were focused on something. 

"Could you teach me how to fight?"

"You're already prepared to lunge at someone's throat in a heartbeat. I'd be terrified if you actually knew how to fight."

"Jimin I'm serious." I leaned forward. "It's just... that night those assassins came in and attacked us..." I involuntarily ran a finger down the slightly raised scar along my palm. "I was helpless against that man. And then you swooped in and disarmed him without breaking a sweat."

Jimin set down the papers to focus his whole attention on me. "That's because I've had a lot of training, Jiyeon," he said quietly. It was the first time he'd really alluded to his background in combat. "I've had years of hard and even harsh training."

I swallowed. "I'm not saying I want to fight as well as you can. I probably never will reach that level. But I just... I want to be able to properly defend myself and hold my own if I ever get in a tight situation again." I quickly looked down at my hands. "I may not have you around to help me if I'm in a tight situation like that again."

Jimin sighed softly and reached over to cover my hands with his. "I won't let anyone hurt you."

"You can't promise something like that."

The silver Outworlder closed his eyes briefly. "Alright, just let me think about it a little, okay? I can probably teach you some basic self defense moves. Though at the moment I'm a little busy."

"What are those?" I nodded over to the papers scattered across the floor.

"Goodness, you are just overflowing with questions today aren't you?" There was no maliciousness in Jimin's voice. "Because of the... increase of tensions throughout the region I've been ordered by my higher ups to increase possible recruit options as well as monitor the ones I already have. Not to mention they want me to start thinking of some new training programs that they can use at the training camps."

"Have you ever trained the recruits at the camps?"

I didn't miss the way his shoulders stiffened a little. "A few times," he replied shortly.