pickpocket ↞ jenmin

"i don't bite, hon"

JENNIE STARED AT THE NERVOUS boy in front of her.

He wore a plain outfit - just jeans and a shirt - and was fiddling with his fingers, something she noticed that he did when nervous. She scanned him thoroughly, not bothering to be discreet, although she knew very well her effect on him. She noticed that he was relatively muscular, and he had cute cheeks. A weird observation, or maybe she just noticed that because her cheeks were also often complimented.

She was mildly surprised he agreed to her deal, which made her conclude he really must be desperate to learn. So she told him they'd meet every Monday for half an hour, and he agreed.

She gave him another once over before deciding to start.

Jennie went over to Jimin, casually placing her arm around his shoulders. She felt his body automatically stiffen and she bit back a smile. "So..." she drawled, using her hand to turn his face to meet her gaze "What have you pickpocketed so far?"

"Uh, I..." Jimin couldn't process what to say when she was at such close proximity. His mind was a mess, simply put. He could feel her leaning against him, using him like a support, as he racked his brain to think of a coherent response.

"You?" she asked, prompting him on, slyly slipping her fingers into his pocket. He didn't notice, and she knew that, because he was too busy trying to appear calm.

Jimin felt her grab his wrist "Hey, calm down. I don't bite, hon," she smiled cheekily, pulling his hands apart to stop them from fidgeting. He let out an awkward chuckle, focussed more on preventing his face from going beet red.

He was positive he would develop a crush on the striking cat-eyed girl.

Suddenly, just as he thought he was getting a hold of himself, Jennie suddenly let go of his hand and stood in front of him, a serious expression taking over her previously playful one.

"Rule 1: Always be observant."

She then unfolded her arms to reveal his wallet again, the bracelet he had been wearing given from his hyungs, and his packet of gum.

Jimin wanted to smack himself. No wonder she was touchy-touchy - she was stealing from him all the while along.

"Oh, and chewing gum? Really? Why didn't you just buy bubble gum?" She commented, casually opening one and popping it into her mouth like it belonged to her.

"Yah, this is to teach me how to pickpocket, not criticise my preference of chewing gum," he miffed, and she smiled.

"Right, okay, so first let's talk about observance. You, my dear sir, lack those skills," She cut to the point, being a straightforward person since birth.

"Always be aware of your surroundings," She went on, "For example, I noticed you the moment you went to lean against the pole. Standing there for half an hour and then sitting next to me randomly? Pretty suspicious, if you ask me."

His face had a sheepish expression, but he didn't say anything.

"Next, when you want to pickpocket someone, make sure you pick the right target. A suitable target for a beginner is, for example, not me," She teased, and he rolled his eyes.

"Try the older population. Or else, try those wearing pants with large pocket openings or bags that can be unzipped easily. An already unzipped bag is basically asking to be pickpocketed."

"How do I know which type of zippers don't really make noise?"

Jennie smiled "That unfortunately only comes with experience. Of course, the bigger ones generally are more noisy and less smooth."

He nodded as affirmation and she continued "As you picpocket, you will also learn how a pickpocket usually acts, which will allow you to identify them. This city is full of them: you should be careful."

"That's something coming from a pickpocket," Jimin mumbled but she managed to catch it, and chuckled "I know. How ironic, right?"

She proceeded to on, without waiting for his reply "Crowded places are the best areas because people won't be suspicious if you brush against them, or stick close to them. But that's also when you should be careful that you don't get stolen from either."

He nodded again, but he saw that her attention was on his wallet "Real leather, huh?"

He scratched the back of his head "Yeah.. my hyung. He pickpocketed it for me."

"Oh I see.." she trailed off "By any chance, Hoseok?"

"Huh?" Jimin's eyes widened "Wait— how did you know?"

"Ah, I've done pickpocketing with him before. Extremely skilled, he is," she paused "Heard he got caught and is jailed for a few months though."

"Yeah, that's why I'm trying to learn how to pickpocket," Jimin sighed. The brunette looked over at him with a rueful smile on her face. She could definitely empathise with him, knowing how hard it was to survive when you're from a poor financial background. At first, she had searched for a job, but nobody's wanted an illiterate and uneducated 15-year-old. She had had no choice but to pickpocket, if it meant to survive, thus making her one of the most skilled in the city at the age of seventeen.

"Oh, and here, your stuff," She spoke, breaking the heavy mood that had descended on them.

She gave his wallet, bracelet and now empty packet of gum back, "I know it wasn't half an hour today, but I think you should actually try it before I teach you some tricks. The markets in the morning are really crowded and the security is absolutely crap there, so you can try then."

"Oh, um, okay, thank you?" He questioned, taking his stuff back and crumpling up the gum wrapper.

"Wait, aren't you going to tell me how exactly you took these from me?"

Jennie smiled cheekily "It's quite basic really. Not my best feat, but I'd rather you figure it out as time passes."

He could only vaguely guess when she did it. What he really wanted to know was how she managed to take the bracelet and he not notice it - when it was literally in front of him.

He didn't voice it out but just agreed "Oh, okay. Goodbye, I guess," He smiled before turning to go.

She nodded and was about to turn to leave, when she remembered something.

"Hey, Jimin," she called, and he also turned back to face her, but immediately averted his eyes, being the shy kid he was. She walked towards him, until she was only a feet shy.

"Confidence."

She pushed his chin upwards firmly to face hers "You need to be confident. Being openly nervous will make you look suspicious. Don't fidget, or bite your lips as a habit, okay? Just try."

She gave an encouraging grin when he continued looking blank "Plus, you're cute. Use it to your advantage alright? A lot of girls would fall at your feet, trust me."

She gave his cheek a tiny encouraging pat before turning around and walking away, not waiting for his response.

When she didn't hear anything, she turned around slightly to see Jimin looking dazed and flushed, and she fought a smile.

A thought flashed across her mind.

Cute.

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i hope i didn't ramble too much about pickpocketing lol, don't worry the chemistry between them will get better