Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/
works/12929274.
  Rating:
      Explicit
  Archive Warning:
      Graphic_Depictions_Of_Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
  Category:
      M/M
  Fandom:
      방탄소년단_|_Bangtan_Boys_|_BTS
  Relationship:
      Min_Yoongi_|_Suga/Park_Jimin
  Character:
      Park_Jimin_(BTS), Min_Yoongi_|_Suga, Kim_Taehyung_|_V, Original_Male
      Character(s), Jeon_Jungkook
  Additional Tags:
      adding_tags_as_I_go, Alternate_Universe_-_Modern_Setting, Non-Consensual
      Touching, Recreational_Drug_Use, Drug_Abuse, Emotional_Manipulation,
      Underage_-_Freeform, Abuse_of_Authority, jimin_is_16_at_the_beginning,
      Domestic_Violence, Corruption
  Stats:
      Published: 2017-12-06 Updated: 2018-02-20 Chapters: 4/? Words: 10982
****** the tomorrow we’ve been waiting for (becomes the name of yesterday at
some point) ******
by yoonjiminie
Summary
     Jimin was suddenly pulled out of his thoughts when a strong hand
     gripped his thigh. His eyes widened a fraction and he looked back up
     to see a smirk still plastered on the man’s face.
     “But of course, telling the truth isn’t all it takes for me to be
     generous,” The man whispered in a low voice and Jimin’s anxiety
     levels raised even further when his hand climbed higher—closer to his
     crotch.
     “W-what do you mean?” Jimin squeaked, his voice becoming a pitch
     higher. He quickly glanced at the two-way mirror. There was no way
     this was appropriate or allowed. There were no cameras in the room
     either, Jimin realized.
     “Don’t worry, no one’s watching behind there. Focus on me, yeah? We
     can have some fun,” His other hand came to rest on Jimin’s face, a
     finger tracing his lower lip. “You certainly are a pretty boy, Jimin-
     ah.”
Notes
     Finally posting another fic after 1000 years! And it's yoonmin!! And
     who would I be if it weren't full of dark themes!!!
     So this chapter is basically the prologue that sets the precedent for
     the rest of the story. If it's in italics, that means it happened in
     the past. The next chapters will be set a year after the prologue.
     Anyways, I'm going to post as much as I can! I already have a lot
     written so I'm just going to edit those and keep writing/posting. I
     won't promise to post every week (well i probably will at first)
     because I'm usually pretty busy with work and school and I also write
     best when I'm not under a deadline, but I definitely won't forget
     about this story. Comment and leave kudos pls :))
***** Prologue *****
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes
 
“One pack of cigarettes please.”
Jimin stood at the front counter and spoke without missing a beat, his eyes
betraying how nervous and anxious he actually was. He kept his hands in his
hoodie pockets, to not show how they were fidgeting, and kept a neutral face.
It was hard to when the clerk was staring him down with his arms crossed.
 “Yeah? And exactly how old are you, kid?” He drawled, frowning at Jimin with
disinterest. “Can’t be any older than 16.”
“I’m old enough,” Jimin rolled his eyes and huffed. He took the money from his
pocket and slammed it down on the counter, giving a challenging look toward the
cashier. The amount was definitely more than what was typically paid for
cigarettes. “Do you want the money or not? I can simply go to the gas station a
few blocks from here and they’ll give it to me, no questions asked.”
The man took a moment and stared at the money in Jimin’s hands; crumpled one-
dollar bills, but still money nonetheless.
“Whatever,” He sighed. “Marlow, I assume?”
“I need Briskley,” Jimin answered, knowing they only kept those in the back of
the store. The man raised an eyebrow, but instead of saying anything, he rolled
his eyes and stepped away from the counter to head toward the back.
Jimin leaned over to check if the cashier had already disappeared. He sighed
once he saw that he had.
It was well past midnight and the corner store was empty, as per usual. Jimin
knew that there would only be one person working the store that Tuesday night,
so it was the best opportunity. But he had to be smart and quick about it. He
glanced up at the security camera that he knew was currently broken. The
neighborhood was receiving rolling blackouts at the time and Jimin knew that
the cameras took several hours after those to start working again, since they
were the old and the only kind the store could afford. At least, that’s what he
heard from the information he’d gathered. Either way, from this position and
with his hood up, nobody could identify his face.
Quickly, Jimin jumped over the counter and with a paperclip, he unlocked the
cash register in under 5 seconds—it was amazing what a couple days of practice
could do. Not to mention the low security of the convenience stores in the
area. It must’ve been a slow day because there wasn’t much in the register, but
it was enough for him. He grabbed as many bills as he could and as quickly as
he could without making much noise. He took several glances toward the hallway
to make sure that the cashier hadn’t come back yet. When he finished collecting
all of what he could, he stuffed it all into his pockets and jumped across the
counter, but ended up stumbling a little and crashed into one of the aisle
displays. Unfortunately, everything fell over and the noise echoed throughout
the empty store.
“Hey, what the hell is—” The cashier finally came back with the cigarettes and
stopped in his tracks to find the brunette on the floor with the money in his
hands. The man’s eyes trailed to the cash register and connected two to two.
Shit.
Jimin sprung back up and grabbed what had fallen from the floor as the man
rushed to push the button underneath the counter. Without thinking, Jimin ran
as fast as he could out the door and into the cool night air.
“Get the fuck back here, you punk!” Jimin ran quickly as heard the voice
calling behind him. Despite the man’s appearance to look out of shape, he was
quickly gaining up on Jimin, so he began to run faster. He glanced back to see
if the man was still catching up to him, but he was relieved when he saw he
wasn’t that close.
But for Jimin, relief was always only short lived.
Just as he turned his head forward again, he slammed right into a broad chest
that knocked him to the ground. He fell on his back and groaned at the impact.
He shot his eyes up at the person he just ran into and he widened his eyes.
Fuck, fuck, fuck.
How could I be so stupid, Jimin chastised himself. He’d been so preoccupied
with getting the money and out of the store that he hadn’t realized where he’d
been going. In other words, straight into the part of the neighborhood where
there was a cop on watch duty every night. He must’ve been alerted by the
security button or well, the cashier shouting after him.
“Stop him! He just robbed my store!” The cashier had caught up and doubled over
to catch his breath. Jimin closed his eyes and let out a sigh. He knew he was
fucked.
Jimin ended up spending his night in the police holding cell downtown.
 
 
 
 
 
 
Jimin stared blankly at the pristine metal table as he nervously tapped his
fingers against his thigh. He looked back up at the clock and sighed.
Almost 2 AM.
They couldn’t keep Jimin waiting there all night. The room he was in was bland
with four grey walls, a square table with two chairs, and a two-sided mirror
staring straight at him. He knew he was being watched and no matter how
uncomfortable that made him, he couldn’t do anything about it.
Jimin wasn’t even sure how long he’d been kept waiting at the precinct. He fell
asleep in the holding cell and the next thing he knew, two police officers had
cuffed him again and dragged him into this room. He was exhausted quite
honestly, and he just wanted to go home and sleep.
But at the same time, Jimin couldn’t stop thinking about what would happen
next. He’s never done something like this, nonetheless get arrested for it. He
wondered what kind of punishment they’d dish out for him. And suddenly, the
thought of getting thrown behind actual prison bars had his palms sweating and
his anxiety levels rising. He wouldn’t be able to survive in there, he was too
young—too innocent. Regret of what Jimin had done started to flood him
immensely, but before he could give himself an actual heart attack, the door
finally opened.
Jimin looked up to see an officer with yellow files held in his hand. The man
was tall and everything about him screamed intimidating and daunting. He closed
the door behind him and took the seat right in front of Jimin. All done with a
smirk. The man hadn’t even been there for a full minute yet and Jimin could
already smell that he was trouble.
“Park Jimin: born October 13th, 1999. 16 years old, born in Busan,” The man
read off the information while Jimin uncomfortably fiddled with his fingers.
After he was finally finished reading aloud, the officer put the file down and
took time to stare at Jimin straight on. He had a small lilt to his lips, as if
all this was amusing.
“Well, Jimin, I’m Officer Kim. And I’m in charge around here,” He smiled at
Jimin as if they were in a friendly meeting. Jimin chose not to say anything.
After not receiving a reply, the officer cleared his throat. “So, Park Jimin.
You don’t have any criminal offenses. Your record is spotless. And that brings
me to my next question—why steal ₩100,000 from a corner store?”
Jimin stole a glance at Officer Kim and looked right back down at his hands. He
was handsome. Incredibly so. He looked professional and well-kept, despite it
being two in the morning. The man’s good looks made him even more intimidating.
  
Jimin was nervous and wasn’t sure what to say. He sure as hell didn’t want to
come off as weak in front of the man. In fact, Jimin didn’t want to share
anything with him. This whole endeavor was mortifying and had him full of
unease. He was wondering if he should come up with a lie or just tell the
truth. Maybe earn some sympathy? He was sixteen—maybe they couldn’t do anything
too bad to him.
“Listen,” The seriousness in the man’s voice made Jimin’s eyes snap up to meet
his gaze. “Based on the information provided, the degree of the robbery wasn’t
that bad. You were unarmed and didn’t pose a threat to anyone. You took the
money and you ran. I could easily get the charges dropped against you.”
Jimin’s eyes widened as he gaped at the man. That couldn’t be possible. Jimin
didn’t know much about the law, the criminal justice system, or theft, but he
was sure that this man couldn’t just drop his charges that effortlessly. No
matter how “in charge” he was. No, he must be trying to trick him. Get him to
confess and then throw him in the slammer. So, with that thought, Jimin decided
to keep his mouth shut.
As if Officer Kim could see the internal conflict inside of Jimin, he spoke
again, “Or you can just not tell me anything. On the that hand, you can be
fined for this kind of crime, get jail time, or receive probation. Your choice
of course.”
The next few minutes were filled with silence and tension. Jimin didn’t know
what to do in this sort of situation. He was scared and clueless. He wished his
mother were there to help him, albeit not in the right state of mind.
Jimin’s time was up however when Officer Kim sighed and stood up from his
chair. Just as he was about to walk away, Jimin shouted,
“Wait!” Officer Kim turned back toward him and raised his brow. Jimin swallowed
nervously as he quickly planned what he was going to say next.
“Yes?” He crossed his arms and looked expectantly toward Jimin.
“I…I robbed the store because I needed the money,” Jimin spoke quietly.
“Stating the obvious here,” A sigh.
Jimin resisted the urge to roll his eyes, “It’s just that my mom really needs
it.”
“Is she sick?”
“No, she’s-she’s unemployed,” He looked down at his fingernails which seemed
much more interesting at the moment. “We’re almost out of money and the
landlord threatened to kick us out if we don’t pay rent this month. I just
wanted to help her. Please, don’t send me to jail, she needs me!”
Jimin kept his head down for a few more moments, wanting to let the information
to sink in. It was silent, and the officer wasn’t saying anything. Jimin
wondered if he bought the story. Well, it wasn’t exactly a lie, but it wasn’t
the complete truth either. His mom and him certainly did need the money for
rent before they were evicted. Jimin decided to finally look up at the man and
he was surprised when he found nothing but indifference and a little amusement
in his expression. He was expecting at least a bit of sympathy.
“Really? Are you telling the truth?” The man was suddenly a lot closer to
Jimin, resting his hand on the table, the other on Jimin’s shoulder as he
stared him straight on once again.
“Y-yes. I swear,” Jimin swallowed hard, feeling tense at the close proximity.
“I-I’m too young to get a job and I didn’t know where else to turn.”
Officer Kim regarded him for a few more moments before he smirked.
“Well, Jimin. I’m a nice guy so I’ll drop the charges—“
“But how?” The boy interrupted before he could stop himself. And why, he also
wanted to ask, but the officer’s eyes narrowed intimidatingly and Jimin shut
his mouth quickly.
“Don’t interrupt me,” He spoke seriously. “I told you—I’m in charge here. I’ll
take care of it.”
The man was certainly a mystery. Jimin wanted to know if he was telling the
truth. How could he trust him? It didn’t even make sense as to why he’d do that
in the first place. But Jimin was suddenly pulled out of his thoughts when a
strong hand gripped his thigh. His eyes widened a fraction and he looked back
up to see a smirk still plastered on the man’s face.
“But of course, telling the truth isn’t all it takes for me to be generous,”
The man whispered in a low voice and Jimin’s anxiety levels raised even further
when his hand climbed higher—closer to his crotch.
“W-what do you mean?” Jimin squeaked, his voice becoming a pitch higher. He
quickly glanced at the two-way mirror. There was no way this was appropriate or
allowed. There were no cameras in the room either, Jimin realized.
“Don’t worry, no one’s watching behind there. Focus on me, yeah? We can have
some fun,” His other hand came to rest on Jimin’s face, a finger tracing his
lower lip. “You certainly are a pretty boy, Jimin-ah.”
Jimin panicked and tried to move away from Officer Kim, but a hand gripped his
shoulder firmly to stay in place. Jimin attempted to push him away, but the man
grabbed the chain dangling between his cuffs and forced his hands behind his
head. Jimin yelped in pain at the force of the pull and was quickly hushed. He
stared alarmingly at Officer Kim and the smile on his face. His other hand was
now placed on his crotch, a whimper passing through Jimin’s lips.
“Please don’t,” Jimin gasped when the man palmed him through his jeans and he
shut his eyes tightly, willing himself not to cry. He wondered if he should
scream, but why was his voice suddenly caught in his throat? Jimin hated how
weak he felt in that moment. How he didn’t have the strength to stop the
assault and could only pathetically whimper instead.
“But you’re already getting hard. Why stop now?” Officer Kim chuckled in a dark
voice as lips trailed toward Jimin’s neck. Jimin jolted when he felt him
sucking a bruise onto his skin, nipping and biting. He could feel a flush of
warmth traveling up to his cheeks. He let out a groan when the man palmed him
harder and Jimin could only think about how filthy he felt. “Am I right to
think that I’m the only one who’s ever touched you here before, huh, Jimin-ah?
You’re so sensitive, look at you withering in the palm of my hand. Literally.”
The man let out a menacing chuckle as Jimin felt his breath catch when the
motions became more intense.
Right when Jimin was on the verge of breaking down into helpless tears, the
ministrations suddenly stopped, and he was startled by the rambunctious
laughter coming from Officer Kim as he stepped back. Jimin opened his eyes to
see him laughing, quite mockingly, at Jimin.
Jimin was alarmed and confused, not understanding the situation at all. His
heart calmed down a little though, seeing as though the man was no longer
assaulting him.
“God, you are so innocent,” Officer Kim finished and looked at Jimin with a
final look of amusement. Jimin was still confused. “That look of helplessness
in your face was certainly satisfying.”
“What?” Jimin frowned as he finally started to catch on to what was going on.
“Was this some kind of twisted joke?”
“Kind of, yes,” Officer Kim smiled, a wicked glint in his eyes. Jimin frowned
further, feeling humiliated and angry. “But don’t worry, kid. I was serious
about dropping the charges. I’ll talk to the owner of the shop.”
“But I-I don’t understand. Why?” Jimin whispered, still mildly confused.
“That’s not for you to worry about,” Office Kim shot him a serious gaze. “Stop
asking questions.”
Jimin remained silent, not able to help the glare aimed at the other man.
“You’re sick,” He squirmed uncomfortably in his seat as he remembered that he
was still semi-hard. He brought his cuffed hands to his lap, ashamed of
himself.
“Anyways, I’m going to take you home. In the meanwhile, you might want to get
rid of that,” The man smirked as he gestured toward Jimin’s crotch and Jimin
internally cursed when he felt a blush creeping on his cheeks.
 
 
The ride to Jimin’s apartment in Officer Kim’s cruiser was uncomfortable and
tense. Jimin insisted that he didn’t need a ride home—even though walking to
his house would take him until morning—but the man wouldn’t take no for an
answer. So unwillingly, Jimin sat in the backseat of his car and kept his mouth
shut. By then, his little problem had finally gone away, but the previous
events still made his face hot and had him embarrassed.
He was still reeling from those events, and not to mention, still not
understanding the situation at all. He honestly still didn’t know why or how he
was let off so easily. He didn’t understand exactly what Officer Kim’s
intentions were, but Jimin could at least tell that he was a corrupted cop if
his actions were anything to go by.
The officer hadn’t tried to talk to Jimin during and the boy was thankful for
that. The only noise in the car came from the radio reports and him tapping his
fingers against the wheel. Jimin wished he would drive faster, that way he
wouldn’t have to endure this for any longer.
Fortunately, the car finally arrived at Jimin’s apartment complex and he
hurried to take off his seatbelt to get out of the car. He let out a breath of
relief as he got out, but that quickly dissipated as Officer Kim also made his
way out the car.
“What are you doing?” Jimin asked accusingly and the man closed his door shut
and locked the car.
“Making sure you get into your apartment safely, of course,” He smiled and
Jimin felt absolutely disgusted.
“You already did that. I can get to my room by myself. What kind of cop does
these kinds of things?” Jimin swallowed.
“One that takes care of his citizens’ safety,” Officer Kim smirked as he
crossed his arms. “Go on now.”
Jimin pretty much had no choice at that point and he couldn’t exactly keep
arguing with an officer. So, begrudgingly, still incredibly wary of the man’s
intentions, he led him into the building and up into the elevator to get to his
floor. The elevator ride was silent and nerve-racking and Jimin knew for a fact
that the man was staring at him. He felt like a baby gazelle being watched by a
lion. He couldn’t help the way he nervously fidgeted the whole time and was
thankful when they got to the sixth floor. Once again, in silence, Jimin led
Officer Kim to his apartment. It was only when they got to the door did Jimin
remember his key. He frantically searched around pockets, but came up with
nothing.
“Problem?” Officer Kim’s deep voice spoke behind him and Jimin froze up.
“Um, I think I lost my key,” Jimin said quietly and heard the man’s scoff. He
suddenly realized something and tensed up again. That meant he’d have to knock
and his mother was going to open the door and the police officer was going to
see—
“Well, knock on the door. You parents should be home at this time, shouldn’t
they?” His voice was taking on an irritated tone and Jimin didn’t like it one
bit. He was about to say something back when the door suddenly opened.
“Jimin-ah!” Jimin was swiftly pulled into his mother’s arms as she hugged him.
The woman sighed as she hugged Jimin tight and Jimin was completely taken off
guard. “I was worried sick, where have you been? Really, you shouldn’t just
leave your mother like that. Oh my—”
“If I may interrupt,” Officer Kim suddenly spoke and Jimin was released from
his mother. Jimin took a good look at her. Her eyes were red-rimmed and puffy,
but that could be mistaken as previous crying. Her cheeks were flushed, and she
didn’t seem too focused, but she didn’t really look how she usually did. Jimin
was confused, to say the least. He wondered what happened while he was gone.
“Hello, I’m Officer Kim.”
“Oh, Officer. I apologize,” Jimin’s mother said abashedly and smoothed her
hands through her hair and clothes. “Has something happened?”
“No,” Jimin frowned at the seemingly polite smile on Officer Kim’s face. “I
found Jimin here wandering the streets alone, so I decided to give him a ride
home. A boy his age shouldn’t be out there by himself in this kind of
neighborhood.”
He lied straight through his teeth.
Jimin didn’t know whether he should feel relieved or suspicious.
“Wow, thank you so much for helping my son, Officer Kim. I don’t know how to
thank you,” She seemed flustered. “Um, may I invite you in for a drink,
perhaps? Are you hungry?”
“A drink would be nice, actually,” Officer Kim flashed her another smile and
Jimin gawked as his mother blushed.
“Come on in,” The apartment was a mess as usual, and Jimin watched as Officer
Kim studied the room as they walked inside. “Sorry for the mess, I never got
around to cleaning today.” That was a lie. Jimin’s mother hurried to turn on
the lights and went to the kitchen.
“It’s no problem at all, Mrs.…?”
“Oh, I’m not married,” Jimin saw the pained look in his mother’s eyes and he
looked away. “Just call me Ji-eun, please.”
“Ji-eun-ssi, you have a fine boy there. I can tell he gets his nice looks from
his mother,” Officer Kim chuckled as he leaned against the kitchen counter and
Jimin’s mother giggled.
Jimin was disgusted.
“Speaking of, Jimin-ah,” His mother looked at him as if she just realized he
was there. “Why don’t you go to bed now? You must be exhausted and it’s awfully
late. Let the adults talk now, we’ll discuss more in the morning when you wake
up.”
Both of them were now looking at Jimin and he felt like he might throw up. All
he wanted was for Officer Kim to leave. Why was he still here? What if his
mother did something? What if she said something wrong or too much—
“She’s right. You should go to bed, Jimin-ah,” Officer Kim chimed in and Jimin
glared at him. Having no choice, Jimin reluctantly made his way down the hall
toward his bedroom. He opened his door and found his room was just as he left
it a few days ago. Well, he was definitely exhausted. He pulled off his
clothes, save for his boxers and climbed into bed. He could hear the faint
voices talking from the kitchen. Even tired, it was hard for him to fall
asleep. He couldn’t stop worrying about what they were talking about. It
must’ve been more than an hour and a half when Jimin finally saw the lights go
off in the hallway and heard footsteps walking toward his mother’s room. He
heard her door open and shut and that was all he could decipher from his
bedroom.
He wouldn’t have thought anything of it—
If it weren’t for the fact that he heard two pairs of footsteps walk into his
mother’s room.
 
 
 
 
Chapter End Notes
     Finally posting another fic after 1000 years! And it's yoonmin!! And
     who would I be if it weren't full of dark themes!!!
     So this chapter is basically the prologue that sets the precedent for
     the rest of the story. If it's in italics, that means it happened in
     the past. The next chapters will be set a year after the prologue.
     Anyways, I'm going to post as much as I can! I already have a lot
     written so I'm just going to edit those and keep writing/posting. I
     won't promise to post every week (well i probably will at first)
     because I'm usually pretty busy with work and school and I also write
     best when I'm not under a deadline, but I definitely won't forget
     about this story. Comment and leave kudos pls :))
***** Present *****
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes
Autumn was nearing its end and the temperature outside gradually became colder
as the days passed. The sky was dark as the clouds covered most of the sun and
the wind blew strong, whipping Jimin in the face even as he sat on the steps
outside his apartment. His cheek was aching, tears brimming in his eyes, but he
was determined not to cry. He wouldn’t let Byungho get the best of him that
way. Jimin gripped his own arms tightly, feeling his fingernails digging into
his skin even through his coat.

It was freezing.

But Jimin couldn’t go back inside. He didn’t want to see the face of the man
who was ruining his life—the cause of his pain. It probably wasn’t a good idea
to go back inside anyway. Because there was no chance that Jimin would keep
quiet and not say anything, and how could he?

“I hate him,” Jimin whispered to no one as the wind picked up even more. He
shivered and hugged himself tighter. It was then that he felt the powerful
rumbles coming from his stomach. He could usually ignore it, but honestly
speaking, he was actually really hungry. When was the last time he ate? It
must’ve been several days. Lately his mother was never lucid enough to even
care for him like a mother should. And the other presence in his home surely
didn’t give a shit about him either.

Jimin sighed and despite the pain lingering in his sides, he slowly stood up
from the steps. He shakily made his way down to the sidewalk and leaned against
the building to compose himself. He was so tired. But he was starving, he
needed something to eat. So, with that thought in his mind, he took off walking
down to the nearest store a few blocks away.

The sun had set by the time Jimin made it to the storefront. There were people
loitering around the sidewalk, side-eying Jimin as he walked past. He lived in
a bad neighborhood and it was almost surprising how easy it was to get mugged
or assaulted. But he always made sure to avoid eye contact and unnecessary
interaction with people he didn’t know. He usually stayed clear of any trouble,
so the most he’s ever received was a few shoves and insults thrown at him.
Fortunately.

Jimin made his way inside, the bells jingling above him signaling his entrance.
The store owner glanced at him briefly before looking back down at the magazine
she was reading. Jimin immediately walked over to the snack aisle and stared at
the appetizing food, his stomach weeping with emptiness. Suddenly, a thought
occurred to him and he widened his eyes as his hands came up to his coat
pockets. He quickly checked both of them, a small groan escaping his lips when
he realized that of course, he left his money back in his bedroom. Jimin left
the apartment in such a hurry, he hadn’t even thought of bringing it along with
him. It honestly wasn’t much money, considering he never received any or had a
job, but it would’ve at least been enough to buy a snack. Jimin frowned as he
gazed at the shelves of various candy and chips staring back at him, beckoning
him with their deliciousness.

Jimin bit his lip nervously and looked over his shoulder at the store owner who
was still staring down at her magazine. In a bout of riskiness and foolishness,
Jimin quickly grabbed a chocolate bar and stuffed it into his pocket. He looked
down at his shoes and prayed that he wasn’t noticed. Casually, he walked around
the aisle for a few more minutes so he wouldn’t seem suspicious. After that, he
decided that he was good to go and was about to make his way toward the exit
when a voice called out him.

“Yah!” Jimin turned around, eyes wide in surprise as he watched the store owner
come from behind the store counter to walk toward him.

Oh, no, no, no.

Jimin stumbled back as the large woman gripped him by his coat collar and
glared at him.

“You think you can just steal from my store like that, you punk?” The owner
reached into Jimin’s pocket and fished out the chocolate bar, not looking at
all pleased. “Little bastard.”

“W-wait—” Jimin stuttered as the owner grabbed his arm and hurled him out the
doors. He landed onto his hands and knees with a gasp, but luckily didn’t plant
face-first into the concrete.

“You’re lucky I’m not calling the cops on you! Now stay out of my store, you
thief!” She yelled at Jimin and cursed under her breath before the door was
slammed behind him.

Jimin sat up to his knees, his face flushed with embarrassment and shame, but
most importantly he felt disappointed in himself. He was such a failure—how
couldn't he handle something as simple as stealing a measly chocolate bar? Then
again, he was never great at that. He chuckles bitterly at the memories from
last year. Jimin didn’t know why he tried.

Jimin must’ve stayed that way for several minutes wondering what he’d do next
when he watched a pair of sneakers suddenly come walking right toward him.
Jimin blinked as he glanced at the black shoes that were in front of his face.
The way that this person was deliberately stopped in front of him made Jimin
anxious, but also curious. His eyes slowly slid up the person’s frame and
stopped as they came in contact with the male’s face who was also gazing down
at him. Jimin froze, the eyes holding him in place and he held his breath.

The thing that really caught Jimin’s attention was the boy’s striking silver
hair. It was definitely unique—he’d never seen anything like it before. His
skin was pale and flawless, his nose small and button-shaped, and his lips pink
and soft-looking. But what intrigued Jimin the most were his eyes—dark and
intimidating despite his other features. His black eyes reminded Jimin of a cat
and they were staring at him with an intense sharpness that made him unable to
look away.

Jimin wasn’t sure how long the other stared at him for, regarding him almost
thoughtfully and indifferently at the same time, but it soon ceased as the man
broke contact and walked away. Jimin whipped his head around and watched as he
entered the store Jimin just got thrown out of. He swallowed nervously as his
mind came back down from the intense interaction. Jimin wondered if it had been
the wrong move to stare back at the other boy. He rarely ever made eye contact
with strangers because that was the sort of thing that could get someone jumped
in this area.

Jimin sighed and finally stood up off the ground. He glanced down at his watch
and saw that it was nearing around eight o’clock already. But Jimin didn’t want
to go back to that hell hole just yet. He decided he’d wait at least until he
knew that only his mother would be home. So, with that, he walked toward the
building complex across the street and sat down on the sidewalk. He could’ve
walked back to his own apartment building, but he didn’t want to be spotted by
a certain someone. Jimin brought his knees to his chest and sat silently, lost
in his own thoughts. The hunger was still there, unfortunately, and didn’t seem
to want to go away. He could still feel the pain on his sides from earlier. He
was certain that there’d be bruises later on.
It’s not like the concept was new to him anyway.

Jimin sat with his head down in his knees, only half awake due to his fatigue.
He tended to sleep with one eye open anyways, but he became more aware when he
heard footsteps approach him again. He tensed up, but didn’t raise his head.
Perhaps the person wasn’t coming specifically in his direction. He was wrong
though when he heard the footsteps stop directly in front of him and a soft
thud as something dropped to the ground. Jimin slowly looked up and startled as
he came face to face with the boy from earlier. He was staring at Jimin again
and Jimin wondered what he could possibly want. It seemed as if the other knew
what he was internally asking because his gaze slipped to the ground
expectantly and Jimin followed it. He was shocked to find the same candy bar he
had attempted to steal earlier lying in front of him. His eyes shot back up
toward the boy and Jimin could only see blankness in his eyes, as if he hadn’t
done anything at all.

Jimin licked his lips nervously and opened his mouth to finally speak.

“I-is that for me?” He asked quietly, gesturing toward the candy bar. He was
surprised as he scoffed and rolled his eyes.

“Well, I obviously didn’t take it for myself,” The man’s voice was deep and
rough, speaking in a hint of a dialect that indicated he definitely wasn’t
originally from Seoul. Jimin frowned and looked down at his feet.

“You didn’t have to do that. You don’t have to waste your money on me,” Jimin
said, his fingers digging into his thighs. There was no way this man just did
that out of the kindness of his heart. There was no way he did that without
somehow wanting something in return. Jimin didn’t know this person and there
was no way he was going to accept being in debt to him for a simple candy bar.
He was certainly aware of the kind of people out there.

“I didn’t exactly pay for that, kid,” He slightly narrowed his eyes at Jimin,
possibly not liking his attitude. Jimin looked up at him with surprise again,
then quickly irritation at the name given to him.

“Don’t call me a kid,” Jimin frowned again and that caused the other to quirk
up an eyebrow.

“Aren’t you like, what—fourteen?” He asked as he dismissively stared toward the
road.

“I’m seventeen!” Jimin scowled.

“If you’re desperate for food, then you should really learn a thing or two
about how to steal properly,” The boy redirected the conversation.
Jimin frowned as he glanced around them.
“What? I-I’m not that desperate.”

“It’s pretty obvious,” The man fished a pack of cigarettes out of his back
pocket and stuck one between his lips. He took a lighter to ignite the end of
it, immediately breathing in. Jimin fidgeted nervously, not being a big fan of
the smell of tobacco. “Just take it. I already stole it, so you might as well.
‘Cos I sure as hell don’t need it.”

Jimin stayed silent and made no move to take the chocolate bar off the ground.
He still had some dignity left in him and he was uncomfortable with this
person. A silence stretched between them for a small while as the other
continued to smoke, Jimin being glad he wasn’t blowing it toward his face. He
didn’t look at all bothered by the silence, he actually just looked quite
bored. Jimin wasn’t sure what he himself looked like, but he did feel uneasy.

“What’s your name?” The quiet was interrupted as the other’s eyes slid toward
his. Jimin hesitated for a few moments, but decided it didn’t hurt for him to
know his name, at least his first name.

“It’s Jimin,” He said quiet and looked at the other expectantly. He seemed to
hesitate as well, although more subtly.

“Just call me Min,” The boy, Min, said afterward. Jimin raised his eyebrows,
confused at such an odd request. He was sure that must’ve been his surname and
wondered why he offered that one instead. In lieu of overanalyzing it too much,
Jimin simply nodded as he absorbed the information. After all, he didn’t think
it’d be wise to question Min too much.

“How old are you?” Jimin tilted his head curiously. Despite the mature and
intimidating aura the man gave off, he couldn’t be that much older than Jimin.
He was probably not all that taller than him either.

“Don’t worry about my age,” He answered simply and took another puff out of his
cigarette. Jimin was slightly deterred, but took this time to take a closer
look at the other. It was obvious that Min was young, even more so with his
soft, but somehow also hard features. He wore a leather jacket for the biting
cold and ripped black skinny jeans, paired with the black high tops Jimin saw
from earlier. He didn’t look like one to be living off the streets, he actually
seemed like he had some money. Unlike Jimin, who still wore the same coat he’s
had for the past two years and a ratty pair of sneakers. Min shifted and looked
down at Jimin. “Are you really seventeen?”

“Yeah, I am,” Jimin responded and frowned once again.

“You should really eat more. You’re too skinny,” Min commented as he looked
toward the dimming streetlights. Jimin raised his eyebrows at the statement.

“You’re one to talk,” Jimin shot back without thinking and then quickly shut
his mouth. He couldn’t see much of Min’s form underneath the big leather
jacket, but he surmised that the other was on the skinny side as well. He was
about to say more again when Min gave him a look that made him back down.

“You’re young. You should be feeding yourself more often,” Min watched as Jimin
shifted uncomfortably. Jimin wasn’t going to tell the other that the act was
easier said than done. If he had the option, he’d honestly eat more often. It
was bad enough he was already small for his age, but being skinny really didn’t
help either. “Anyways,” Min threw his cigarette onto the ground and put it out
with his shoe. He threw Jimin one last look before stuffing his hands into his
pockets. “I gotta go. Maybe I’ll see you around.”

Jimin stayed silent and watched Min walk away into the other direction. He kept
gazing at his retreating back until he turned the corner and was gone, and
Jimin was there all by himself. Jimin sighed and looked down to remember the
candy bar was still there. He stared at it for a long while and thought it
wouldn’t hurt to accept it now that Min was gone. For all Min knew, Jimin
could’ve probably thrown it away.

Well, he decided not to dwell on it.

When it turned 10:30, Jimin decided that it was finally okay to head home. By
then, he’d finish the chocolate and was pleasantly delighted by the feeling of
having something finally settled in his stomach for the first time in days even
it wasn’t much food. He secretly wished that the older boy had gotten another
one for him. But of course, he’d never admit that.

The temperature dropped even lower by that time of the night and Jimin furrowed
deeper into his coat as he walked the short way home. He walked quickly, just
wanting to sleep in his warm bed already. His home wasn’t something he could
really call “home” necessarily anymore, especially with the stranger there, but
at least he still had his own room to retreat into when things got rough.
 
Sometimes.

Jimin got off the elevator after entering his building and took his keys out to
unlock the door. The apartment was dark when he walked inside and Jimin
absentmindedly flicked on the light switch. He shrugged off his coat and went
to walk toward the fridge when he immediately froze. His eyes landed on the
familiar pair of shoes by the door, his blood turning cold at the implication.

“Where’ve you been, Jimin-ah?” Jimin widened his eyes and jumped up, his heart
rate picking up as he turned around to see Byungho standing in front of the
pathway leading to his bedroom—he was blocking it. Jimin instinctively stepped
back as he came forward.

“W-what are you doing here?” Jimin stuttered and shrunk back when the man took
long strides over to force him against the wall.

“What’s the matter? Thought I’d be down by the station right now?” Jimin
swallowed nervously and casted his eyes down low, unable to look at his face.
The proximity made Jimin more anxious than usual. He chose not to answer, he
most likely already knew the answer to the question anyway. “Speak when you’re
spoken to, Jimin-ah,” The man gripped his chin tightly and forced Jimin to make
eye contact.

“I’m s-sorry,” Jimin said and he could hear the insincerity in his own voice.
“I was out—with a friend.”

That elicited a loud chuckle from Byungho and Jimin didn’t like the cruel smile
on his face.
“Don’t lie. You don’t even have any friends,” He laughed again. He forced Jimin
to turn to the clock on the microwave. “You see what time it is? What’d I say
about staying out late, hm?”

Jimin closed his eyes for a brief moment and inhaled shakily. “Please don’t. It
hurts.” Jimin always despised how vulnerable and weak he’d become around
Byungho. He also hated to admit to himself that he was afraid of him. But in
all honesty, Jimin wasn’t looking to pick another fight that day, considering
how he was too weak to even put up with more pain. “Byung—”

“Don’t,” The grip on Jimin’s chin became tighter and Jimin resisted the urge to
slap the hands away. “If you really want to be let off easy, you know what to
call me.”

Jimin stared at the man pleadingly and his stomach churned at the thought of
playing one of his sick games. The man only smirked though and shifted as his
eyes gazed at Jimin with something that made his stomach churn even more.

“Or maybe you can get on your knees for me and call me ‘oppa,’ just like your
mother,” He grinned wider and released his grip to trace Jimin’s cheek. “Such
pretty lips. You’d have me com—”

“Please. Stop,” Jimin whispered, feeling sick and not wanting to hear the dirty
words coming out of his mouth. His cheeks grew warm and he wanted to throw up
in that moment. He breathed out, “Sir.”

“That’s more like it,” Byungho smiled in satisfaction and put a finger to his
chin as if in thought. “But I think if you begged, that would really convince
me,” Jimin couldn’t hold back his glare this time and gritted his teeth. He
chose not to make this any harder than he had to though.

“Sir…please, please forgive me. I promise I’ll be good,” Jimin whispered as he
stared into Byungho’s eyes, unable to keep the redness of shame off his face.

“Who will you be good for?”

“You. Only you, sir. Please,” Jimin watched as the man’s smile grew wider and
he stepped back.

“That’s a good boy, Jimin-ah. Run along now before I change my mind,” He said
with his arms crossed. Jimin didn’t have to be told twice and pushed off the
wall to make his way to his bedroom. He sucked in a breath though when he felt
a hand rub against the back of his neck. He paused, chills running up his back,
but decided not to dwell on it because that’s just what Byungho would want.
“Sorry. I couldn’t resist,” Jimin clenched his jaw, but quickly resumed walking
to his room and shut the door behind him, letting out a big sigh.

Jimin didn’t bother with taking off his shirt and instead left himself in his
boxers as he climbed into bed.

It didn’t take long for the boy to finally fall asleep.
Chapter End Notes
     Took a while for me to update because I had to keep changing things
     around lol forgive me it’s been a while since I’ve posted a story in
     chapters :’)
***** Chapter 3 *****
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes
Those days, it wasn’t uncommon for Jimin to skip school. He’s lost count of the
amount of times he just didn’t show up and the school probably lost count as
well. When it first began to occur, they’d call Jimin’s mother to let her know,
but of course there was no point in that. She did try to make her son go to
school and Jimin would, because it was one of the few times that she’d actually
pay attention to him and Jimin wanted to please her. But after a while, she
stopped caring whether the boy actually went to school or not and cared more
about when she could get her next hit. If she wasn’t subdued by alcohol, it
would be her other pastime.
Eventually Jimin stopped caring as well.
There was no reason for him to go to school anyway, where he sat in a class all
day with varying teachers talking about varying subjects that he knew wouldn’t
help him in his life at all. Where the teachers were strict and unforgiving,
and where the students were even worse. Back when his mom still cared enough,
she enrolled Jimin into a school away from their current district, so he could
be in a safer environment. The down side was that he had to take several busses
and walk quite a bit to get there, unlike the other students. And well, taking
the bus required money—something Jimin didn’t always have. While he did have
the option of hitchhiking and going on foot at the same time (the way he would
when he still cared about going to school but couldn’t afford the bus fare), it
was something that he much preferred not doing. It meant having to wake up an
hour earlier than he had to and walking even more than he wanted to. It simply
wasn’t worth his time.
Even though, there were times where school was a much better option than home.
Ironically, those nine hours actually helped in taking away his stress. If he
were like the other kids, he’d probably stay after for extracurriculars or—like
when he was younger—cram school. Most students his age attended hagwon after
school and if Jimin were in a completely different situation, he’d be attending
one as well. But the reality of the situation was that Jimin didn’t get that
sort of luxury. He didn’t have any friends at the school either and many of the
students made fun of him. He was quiet and avoided the others like the plague.
He only spoke when it was absolutely necessary and didn’t like to draw
attention to himself. Unfortunately, that did the opposite since a few other
students began to pick on him for being an outcast. Fortunately, it was never
anything that physical—other than causing him to trip or pushing him in the
halls—so he was mainly subjected to cruel taunting and rude remarks. It could
definitely be worse and Jimin accepted that. Of course, some people did try to
talk to him, perhaps trying to get him to open up, but it was no use. Jimin
wasn’t looking for friends and they’d probably bail out on him as soon as they
found out about what goes on at home. Once again, he uses that term loosely.
But there was one kid Jimin found himself unable to get rid of. His name was
Kim Taehyung and he’d entered the school three months late with a bright smile
and a bright attitude. He at first didn’t know that Jimin was a clear outcast
when he approached him one day. The boy had simply plopped himself in the spot
next to Jimin during lunch and began to talk to him. Jimin always went on his
own at lunchtime and sat outside under one of the trees outside for shade. So,
it was quite a surprise when Taehyung had so carelessly begun to talk to him
with a friendly smile as if they were already friends. It was from then on that
Taehyung had declared Jimin as his best friend, even if Jimin barely did any
talking when they were together. Taehyung had soon found out about Jimin’s
reputation in the school and when Jimin asked if that bothered him, Taehyung
gave him a blank stare and replied with a simple ‘of course not’ as if it was
the most obvious answer in the world. Taehyung, who had so many friends and
gained somewhat of a popularity at school, went out of his way to still be
friends with Jimin—even if the other students didn’t like it and constantly
questioned him because of it. Jimin hadn’t met someone so innocently kind and
generous in a long while and for that, Taehyung gained his respect and his
friendship.
All in all, Taehyung was the one person in the world who Jimin could truly talk
to and who actually cared about him. Even if Jimin didn’t show up to school
every day, Taehyung made it his mission to talk to him whenever he could. And
if Jimin cared enough to regularly attend school, they’d most likely be much
closer.
Taehyung doesn’t know about Jimin’s situation at all. All he knows is that
Jimin lives on the outskirts of Seoul with his mother. There had, of course,
been times when Taehyung asked to go over to Jimin’s house and maybe have a
sleepover, but Jimin shut down the idea time and time again. It wasn’t a good
idea and no matter how nice it seemed to spend time with Taehyung outside of
school, there was no way that he could bring the other boy home. And somewhere
deep down Jimin knew he was afraid of being judged if Taehyung ever found out.
As if Taehyung would stop being his friend and never talk to him again. Jimin
also knew that Taehyung was aware he was hiding something from him. He never
pried more than he should and made sure to allow Jimin his own privacy. He was
curious when Jimin’s presence at school started to become less and less as
their second year of high school came along. But Taehyung was patient and a
good friend, even if Jimin could see the sadness in his eyes from time to time
when he thought Jimin couldn’t see it. And the more Jimin skipped school, the
more distant the two started to become with each other. Jimin felt bad, he
really did, but he couldn’t find it in himself to try for Taehyung. Well, the
only reason Jimin found the motivation to go to school as more time went on was
to see the other boy. But even he could see that things weren’t the same as
before.
So, as Jimin lied curled into a ball on his bed listening to the crying and
begging going on outside his bedroom, he’d much rather be at school than there.
He’d much rather sit in a classroom with people who didn’t like him and
teachers he hated. Because he didn’t think he could listen to another moment of
his mother’s pathetic sobbing. It was still early morning, around 7 AM as his
clock flashed in red lights to him. Jimin closed his eyes tightly and tried to
block the noise out, but it was impossible as the sound suddenly came closer.
That’s when he heard the soft knocking on his door and he immediately knew it
was her.
“J-Jimin-ah…baby,” Her voice was weak and hoarse, either from crying or the
obvious latter. It was clear that she was currently sober, he could tell in the
way she spoke. Jimin gripped his pillow tight in irritation. His mother only
called him that when she wanted something from him. “Could you open up the door
please?”
Jimin wasn’t that foolish.
There could only be a few reasons as to why his mother was asking to see him.
And the reasons were never good. So, like a smart boy, Jimin kept his mouth
shut and eyes closed as he tried to tune the woman out.
“Jimin, please. I just want to talk to you.” His mother begged and began to
jiggle the doorknob. Of course, it was locked. It was one of the few things
Jimin could feel secure about when he was in his bedroom. “Jimin! Open the
door, I know you’re in there.”
It was only a few moments later when she began to bang on the door and start
crying again. A few more minutes later and she started to scream at him.
“Open the door, Jimin-ah! Please, baby, I need you! Come on,” His mother kept
sobbing as the bangs continued. Jimin swallowed hard and shuddered as it
continued. All he had to do was keep ignoring it and she would go away
eventually. “Come out and speak to your mother, baby. I just want to talk to
you. I miss you so much, sweetie. I love you, you know that? You know that I
love you, right? Please.”
Eventually, the noise stopped. Jimin didn’t know how long it took for her to
finally go away, but he breathed out in relief when he was left alone. He
quickly wiped away his tears and wrapped himself further into his blankets.
Jimin didn’t like crying. Once he’d start crying, it was hard to stop. He
didn’t like thinking about the cruel reality he was living in. Crying and
focusing on how cowardly he was made it that much harder to deal with.
If Jimin didn’t cry, he didn’t have to think about the hell he had to call
home.
Chapter End Notes
     yeah i know, i know, I'm like hella late lmao im so sorry. this
     chapter is really short, but it's basically just giving a little more
     insight into Jimin's life. There's supposed to be more to it, but i
     decided i was just going to make it separate into the next chapter
     since it was gonna be pretty long. anyways, i have most of the next
     chap finished so i just gotta tweak some things and it should be up
     really soon! comment and leave kudos pls :)
***** Chapter 4 *****
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes
The day that Byungho had come into his mother’s life had to be the 2nd worst
thing that had ever happened to Jimin.
Jimin didn’t know why, and he didn’t know how, but the man had crawled and
snuck his way into his home like a toxic disease. And well, he was toxic. After
Jimin’s father, Jimin knew that his mother, Ji-eun, had never dated again and
had never even shown interest in another man. So, he was shocked when he found
out about her sudden relationship with Byungho. Jimin didn’t even understand
what his mother saw in that sleazy man. How could he have won her over so
quick? Jimin thought it would at least be a small fling, nothing more than her
loneliness catching up to her. But after the first night, Byungho kept
returning to their apartment much to Jimin’s dismay and discomfort.
Jimin kept his distance at first, not wanting to have anything to do with the
strange man and the relationship he was forming with his mother. Jimin once
again avoided going home and instead either stayed out all day or slept over at
one of their neighbor’s, Mrs. Han, who knew enough about Jimin’s situation to
let him stay over once in a while. Mrs. Han was a little elderly, but very kind
and understanding, and not to mention wise. If she didn’t spend most of her
time in Gangnam visiting one of her daughters in college, Jimin would’ve stayed
over much more often. She had lived in the apartment one floor up from them
with just her dog. She often told Jimin that she didn’t mind him staying with
her since it did get a little lonely sometimes. Unfortunately, she finally
moved a few months after that to permanently live with her daughter and that
was the end of Jimin’s safe place.
Jimin never knew the exact details of how his mother and Byungho got together,
but after a period of two months, Byungho was almost always at their apartment.
He rarely ever approached Jimin or did anything physically during that time,
but he’d notice how the man always seemed to be watching him. It made him
uncomfortable so Jimin tried to stay away as much as possible while he was
there. And it wasn’t until a little after those two months that Jimin finally
understood what was going on.
 
 
 
 
It was past 12 AM when Jimin came home that night. He could already tell from
the voices and the light music playing throughout the apartment that his mother
and Byungho must’ve been home. He sighed, as he wished Byungho would have left
by now. Maybe if he walked quickly enough, he could avoid interaction with
either of them.
But as he walked toward his bedroom, Jimin paused when he saw both his mother
and Byungho in the kitchen, him standing at the counter, and his mother dancing
slowly to the music playing in the background with her eyes closed. Jimin
frowned when he saw Byungho crush up something into powder and slipped it into
a glass of water. He picked up the glass and swished it around a little before
pulling Jimin’s mother toward him and handing her the drink. His mother didn’t
seem to question anything all as she readily accepted the drink. Jimin furrowed
his brows and thought that was way too suspicious tonotsay anything.
“Hey, what is that?” Jimin inquired immediately as he walked toward them and
pushed his mother away from the other man. Byungho seemed surprised, either at
not realizing Jimin had come back already or that he actually spoke to him.
Before he could answer, Jimin grabbed the drink from his mother’s hands and she
seemed to just realize he was there as well. He held the glass to his nose and
smelled the water, only able to distinguish the fact that it had an odd scent
to it. “Mom, what did he just give you?” Jimin asked the question worriedly,
but his mother giggled and waved her hands dismissively.
“Jimin-ah, don’t worryyyy,” She stretched her words with a happy smile on her
face. It was then that Jimin took in her overly relaxed facial expression and
hazy eyes. He opened his mouth in surprise, realizing then that she wasn’t
entirely there. “It’s a happy drink! He made me a happy drink!”
Jimin instantly became angry and turned back towards Byungho who seemed both
satisfied and amused at his mother.
“What the hell did you give her?” He glared at the man who seemed to be
enjoying Jimin’s reaction.
“You heard her; It’s a happy drink,” Byungho laughed as his mother took the
drink back from Jimin’s hands and gulped the rest down in seconds. She sighed
out in happiness and began to twirl slowly around the kitchen while humming
along to the music. Jimin could feel his anger boiling underneath his skin. Is
that how Byungho won his mother over? By manipulating her with drugs? Who knew
the kind of things he’d been giving her?
Without even thinking properly, Jimin shoved at Byungho in anger. He had caught
him off guard, but it was only hard enough to just push him just against the
counter. It was the first time Jimin actually laid hands on the other and it
was reasonable that he never had—Byungho had at least six inches on Jimin and
he was built full of muscle from being a police officer. Even as he pushed him,
Jimin instantly feared for what the man would do to him next, but quickly
pushed that fear down to hold his brave façade.
“You asshole! You got her all drugged up, so you can mess with her, didn’t
you?” Jimin shouted in frustration. “I don’t know who you think you are,
invading our home and trying to manipulate my mom with your games, but I won’t
stand for it! What kind of police officer does this kind of fucked up thing?”
Jimin’s fists trembled in barely contained anger and he resisted blowing up
even more after holding everything in for the past few months.
Byungho had watched Jimin the whole time with another surprised face, but as
Jimin finished, a smile drew wide on his lips and his eyes lit up with an
expression that told him he knew something that Jimin didn’t.
“Jimin-ah,” Byungho chuckled and pushed away from the counter. In one quick
second, before Jimin could even react, the man had their positions switched as
he forced Jimin against the counter with a hand placed beside him. Jimin
blinked up at him and swallowed nervously at the situation. “You do realize I
already know about your mom’s previous “habits,” don’t you?” Jimin sucked in a
breath, never having taken that thought into account. “Come on now. After all
this time, you don’t think she hadn’t told me all of her dirty pleasures?”
“What—”
“Don’t play dumb now,” Byungho barked and glanced back at Jimin’s mother who
didn’t seem to be aware of what was taking place right behind her. He gazed
back at Jimin with a raised eyebrow, “I know everything. In fact, as you can
see, I even indulged her.”
“I don’t understand,” Jimin muttered, utterly baffled. “What’s the point? Why
would you do that?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” Byungho replied with wonder, and then smirked. “I like to
play games.” He stepped away from Jimin’s personal space to pull his mother
into his arms and she giggled as he breathed into her neck. He gripped her
waist and slid his hands down her hips before gazing back at Jimin. “Besides,
she’s fun and surprisingly great in bed. She knows how to take it quite well,”
Byungho laughed as Jimin’s eyes widened and his cheeks grew red. He furrowed
his brows as his mother seemed to embrace him back and smiled at the
“compliment.”
“Byungie, don’t say those things,” She kissed the underside of his jaw before
stumbling out his hold and giggling again as she walked to the living room. A
few seconds later, the music changed to a heavy bass song.
Byungho looked back at Jimin who clenched his fists and glared at him once
more.
“I could get you arrested for this kind of thing,” Jimin suddenly said without
thinking and watched as Byungho approached him again, but left a reasonable
distance between them this time.
“For what exactly, Jimin-ah?” He asked innocently. “I’ve done nothing wrong,
your mother is the one taking the drugs. I just so happened to have access to
them. As if that could be proved anyway,” He tapped a finger to his chin.
“Actually, I’m pretty sure that the possession of drugs is a serious offense.
You wouldn’t want your mom going to jail, now, would you?”
Jimin swallowed hard, his worst fears being realized. He knew that the
consumption of drugs was indeed a serious offense in Korea and he knew that if
his mother had ever gotten caught, it would be over—for both him and her. His
mother would get thrown behind bars and he would most likely get put into a
home. No matter how much he despised Byungho, Jimin would never do anything
that would potentially put his mother in danger. She would never survive in
prison.
“Let me run a scenario for you,” Byungho interrupted his thoughts and Jimin
stared at him warily. “Suppose you had the balls to actually go to the station
and report me. First of all, you have no proof and second, I’m a very trusted
and important member of the police force. It would take a real fool to go down
there and try to ruin my name. No one would believe you, really. Maybe they’d
file out a report and listen to your story, but they’d most definitely forget
about it soon enough. But suppose, somehow, some way you had the slightest bit
of proof or for some reason, they actually did believe you. Well, first, they’d
investigate your mom and it wouldn’t be difficult at all to find that she has
all kinds of drugs in her system. They’d arrest her on the spot. Me? I got
connections all around this city, Jimin-ah. And the police aren’t as goodie-
good as people think they are. I know people and if I got arrested, it would
only be a matter of time before I’m back out on the streets. And who would I be
coming for? The little son of bitch who tried to take me down.” Byungho
finished with a pointed glare at Jimin.
“Why are you telling me all of this?” Jimin gritted through his teeth. The
answer to his question was more than obvious, but Jimin still felt the need to
ask.
“I’m just warning you, is all,” Byungho smiled and leaned back. “Besides, your
mom seems pretty happy. Why ruin all her fun? I mean, she’s been so depressed
since your father and brother—”
“Don’t talk about them,” Jimin quickly cut him off. “Don’t.”
Byungho raised his brows, but didn’t proceed with the topic. “I’m simply
telling you right now that if you get any funny ideas, don’t even think about
it. I’m always two steps ahead even if you think you can outsmart me.”
“Byungie! Come dance with me!” His mother shouted from the living room as the
volume of the music increased.
“I’ll be right there,” Byungho called back and looked at Jimin one last time
with a loaded gaze and retreated to the living room.
Jimin was left to think about the weight of the conversation for the rest of
the night.
 
 
 
 
Byungho’s words constantly rang through Jimin’s mind anytime he’d think of
finally reporting his actions to the police department. He constantly thought
of any loophole that would keep him and his mom safe. But, honestly, Jimin was
afraid. He didn’t think that Byungho was lying when he said he had connections
all over the city. He didn’t think it was a bluff when Byungho said he could
easily get himself out of jail if he was arrested. Because Jimin had witnessed
firsthand the kind of power Byungho holds. In several instances, actually.
After all, he’d gotten those charges dropped from when Jimin got caught robbing
that store. Jimin didn’t doubt that people trusted Byungho and that he was seen
as a reliable officer. And how could Jimin, of all people, prove that idea
wrong? What could he do to challenge that? And if he did, how would he be able
to protect himself and his mom? Running away from it all always seemed like the
best option in his mind. The only problem was that he couldn’t live with
himself if he left his mom with Byungho. But at the same time, he knew
surviving off the streets with his addict mom would be almost impossible. His
best option was to try to find a good paying job where he’d be able to provide
for the both of them, even if that meant having to drop out of school.
At this point, Jimin would do anything to just make sure that him and his mom
were safe.
Chapter End Notes
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