•Lust of Innocence•

Kitchen doors swept open with full force as Nari tried her best to contain her mixed emotions. No anger fell upon her expression, but one of immense confusion and wonder was evident in her eyes. She almost ran into Joohyuk's back while entering, stopping just before his presence to see him speaking, to as she had expected, Taehyung. Everyone else had been minding their own business and working diligently on the clock.

"The walls look even and we finished those areas with just enough paint to get by." Joohyuk informed the employee. He turns around at the notice of the smaller girl behind him and smiles shortly before bringing her forward to join the conversation. Words are exchanged happily over plans and are rearranged a bit to better the pace of each job required. Walking in from the main room was Yoongi with an automatic face of regret as he sees Nari standing nearby, and he readies himself for a statement to bug her, however, suddenly noticed her change of mood.

Nari did not take the time to absorb everything other than the last order that Taehyung requested. She was so caught up in her head about Jimin and the girl she had seen him with just minutes before. Contemplating the situation to her best knowledge, she had been at a loss for what to think. Yoongi could easily read her expression, scoffing to himself.

"So about the extra paint we need," Joohyuk mentioned, "What do you recommend for us to do?"

  Taehyung quickly took his pen and marked down some things off of his list, scratching down some names and numbers on one of his sticky notes. He pulled out a card with four different shades of gray, handing it to Nari, "Here is the brand and color of the paint you'll need. Second color from the bottom is what you'll be using so try not to forget it. When you guys have the chance, go ahead and take a trip to the store to pick them up so you can finish up the other walls. Here is some money," he said, pulling out some cash from his back pockets to hand over to the brunette, "Boss Man-nim said this could come in handy. It should cover the total."

Nari kept the money and paint sample securely in her hands, simply nodding, "Sounds good."

  Joohyuk was still immersed in talking with Taehyung about the renovation schedule for the next week, so Nari had attempted to step away from the two as quietly as she could to see if she could check on Jimin and the girl. However, she felt a hand grab her arm to pull her to the side, making her stumble rather dramatically when she had seen an unexpected person.

Softly, she said, "Yoongi? Is there something bothering you?" While correcting her posture, she folded her hands together to decrease the embarrassment she had seconds before. He was quick to answer her, "Always, but that isn't the point here, woman." The mint-haired man sighed and contemplated on whether or not he should explain every detail on his mind, but he found no reason to at that moment.

"Listen to me," he ordered, "You don't need to worry about what you saw today. Jimin isn't that stupid, contrary to some beliefs. Alright?"

With that being said, Yoongi left her side and continued his daily work. His back was turned to Nari as he walked off to pick up more boxes, but it was enough to show the girl a new realization. She never expected it, and frankly it almost confused her how much it kept running through her head the more she thought about it. The brief conversation that lasted no longer than a minute, brought much comfort to her mind and heart with just one piece of information. Nari made sure to trust it.

Meanwhile, Namjoon had witnessed the entire scene brought upon him, his lips curving into a delicate smile before something had popped up in his head. When he saw the two part, he made his chance at confronting his coworker.

"Hyung," he called as he made his way over to Yoongi, "Do you wanna tell me what that was all about?" The knowing look on his face would have immediately irked the elder, but he kept his cool. "It was nothing."

Namjoon didn't take that as an answer, "Your expression says otherwise. I mean, last time I've seen you so worried was when—"

"I know, I know," Yoongi cut him off. He placed down the boxes to properly take a deep breath, "I can't let it happen to him again. After that incident, I won't be able to stand the idea of it possibly repeating with Nari in the picture." He lowers his voice as he spoke, words only audible to his companion.

The pink-haired bartender was silent for a moment. His eyes traveled down to the floor, then rising again to look at Yoongi. "That was in the past," he informed quietly, "And you know I'm not one to neglect a story, but you cannot compare someone to another. Clearly, you can see a difference between the both of them."

In unison, they took a glance back at the brunette and her partner still conversing with Taehyung about work progress throughout the building. The kitchen was full of people running in and out to bring frozen goods and new appliances, nothing slowing down their paces. Yoongi sighed again. At that second, Jungkook walks in to greet everyone properly, smiling brightly at Nari and being able to comfortably address her as "Noona" whenever he speaks to the girl. Namjoon nodded his head in approval, "Even our little Kookie sees it."

"That doesn't matter to me," Yoongi sharply replied, eyes locked on the group of people, "Things can change whenever time prefers, so I'm gonna keep that in check."

•••

"And over here, as you can see," Jimin started as he walked by the black-haired girl's side to lead her throughout the club, and he continued when pointing to a room, "This is what we are going to call the Solo Room." The two stopped in front of a red closed door and unlocked it. The orange-haired male placed his hand on the handle and opened it, motioning for the girl to take a look.

It was small, but is sufficient for the purpose of the room. A crimson red coated the walls with dim lighting right in the middle. A seemingly comfortable couch sat against the wall with gray carpet right underneath. A small side table sat next to the only other piece of furniture in the room, obviously for alcohol. Eunjae walked in comfortably, taking in the surroundings and nodding her head as her eyes scanned the interior. She turned to the man behind her and gave him a knowing look, smugly closing her eyes for a moment.

Letting out a small 'hm,' she said, "This is right up my alley. You're making the right adjustments, I see."

Jimin nodded in agreement and crossed his arms, taking a look at the surroundings and allowing a look of satisfaction to cross his features. After motioning toward where the lock on the inside of the door was, the two walked out and as he was shutting down the room for now, he said, "This is just to test the waters and see how much profit we can get from this," turning towards her, he continued, "Though being the only exotic dancer here who does this, I'm sure business will be just fine."

Eunjae smirked to herself and quickly looked him up and down before inching towards him and saying, "So you're insinuating I'm skilled enough to keep clients interested?"

His expression remained stoic, seemingly unbothered by her close proximity and persuasive eyes. Shrugging, he responded, "You're the only female here, it won't be difficult to suggest lap dances and send clients your way, though those can only be requested after your performances." Eunjae nodded in understanding and followed Jimin to the main room. While maintaining a slow pace, the man explained, "If the Solo Room doesn't work out the way it's supposed to, it'll be used for storage anyway."

As the two approached where everyone else was working on their designated tasks, Jimin's eyes stopped on Nari, whom was close by and grabbing her purse and keys. He chose to avoid staring and decided to focus on training the new stripper, until he caught a seemingly taller and handsome man approach the shorter girl with a kind smile.

"You leaving to go to the store already?"

Nari looked up at him and nodded, pulling out a card with different shades of gray on each line and responding, "Yeah, although Taehyung said it's the second shade from the bottom, knowing me, I'll forget the moment I walk in there," she chuckled to herself at her last statement, for failing to remember such small details is a bad habit of hers that she hopes to fix at some point in the future.

Joohyuk playfully scoffed and shook his head with a hint of a smile on his face. Pulling out his keys from his pocket, he looked down at her when saying, "How about I drive us there and go inside with you to help refresh your memory?"

Jimin's eyes slightly widened at what he overheard and a cold expression graced his features. Looking at his new co-worker, he quickly said, "I'm sorry but I have something to do." She couldn't even respond to him, for he walked with heavy steps towards the pair that stood in front of the bar. Nari was first to notice the orange-haired male and looked at him with noticeable confusion. Maintaining his cold facade, the shorter male stood close to the girl, and looked at Joohyuk with hard eyes when saying, "No need, I'll be going with her."

Reaching over the bar to grab his keys, the man gripped Nari's hand and cocked his head to the side when asking, "Second shade from the bottom, right?"

"Y-yeah, but-"

"Great! Let's go!" He pulled her with him as Joohyuk glared at the pair that seemed as though they just vanished. Nari was at a loss for words as his grip was tighter than normal and he failed to spare her a glance throughout their entire walk in the parking lot. Once they were in front of his car, he released her and opened the passenger door to let her in. She couldn't deny his chivalry, though his expression was relatively blank.

•••

What was supposed to be a short drive to the home improvement store felt like it dragged on forever. The atmosphere was awkward and tense as Jimin gripped the steering wheel with one hand and took frequent glances at the girl beside him. She stared out the window, still replaying the events that took place with Jimin and another female. There wasn't any anger at the thoughts, just confusion, and it felt as though even Yoongi's words didn't provide any solace. This was a new world for her and seeing that didn't help her adjust in anyway. Somewhere within her boggled thoughts, Nari realized how if there was music playing, it wouldn't be so painfully quiet and awkward. But to her dismay, it was completely silent, nearly drowning her.

The girl barely noticed the car jolted to a stop as the man put it in park. He looked at Nari, opening his mouth to say something, but she had already been opening the door, causing him to close his mouth in dismay. Jimin shut his eyes and clenched his fist in confusion at their current state before sighing and following suit by exiting the automobile. He simply followed her all the way into the store and towards the section where buckets of paint can be acquired. Needless to say, his expression showed obvious puzzlement as he stared at the girl walking in front of him.

It was clear she was confused too, but he wasn't completely sure as to why. Jimin had a theory that he conducted in his mind on the way to the store. It had to do with the fact that perhaps what he and Eunjae were doing might have looked strange from an outside perspective. Nari was all that was soft and innocent in this world while still being well-endowed with knowledge and common sense, but he understood their current circumstances was new to her. He figured she had never been romantically involved with a guy before and seeing him touching another woman in such a way is bound to cause confusion, though he hoped she knew it was all for work.

Letting out a deep exhale, the two approached the counter where a female employee was working. Her eyes lingered on the orange-haired male before looking to Nari and nicely asking what she could help her with. The shorter girl gave her a kind smile and took out the shade card, holding it in front of the worker and saying, "I need two buckets of paint in..." she trailed off, annoyed at herself for forgetting something so simple... again.

Jimin smiled to himself at the girl's bad habit and walked closer to them, purposely making contact with Nari by letting his arm graze hers and saying, "Second shade from the bottom, please." The brown-haired girl looked up at him at the same time he looked down at her, and he kept on the same small grin he had before to provide her with small reassurance of what seemed like everything. Her lips tugged upward at his stare and she shyly looked away, feeling as if now wasn't the time to get all cutesy with him just yet. She was still in a state of uncertainty.

The two snapped out of their little daze when the female employee set up two buckets on the counter. Nari took out the money Taehyung gave her, which the other girl graciously took. After completing the transaction, Nari bowed to the worker and placed one hand on each handle of the buckets. Jimin quickly stepped in and did the same as her. She snapped her head up at him, and he said, "It's okay, I'll carry these," his eyes averted to the girl across the counter, and he thanked her as he dragged them off the counter. Nari subtly pouted at how he wouldn't let her carry the paint, but in order to help him out, she held the door open to let him out since he had his hands full.

By the time Jimin pulled out of the parking lot and turned onto the main road, he told himself he wasn't going to go through this drive without getting any closure, which he was sure she wanted as well. Wasting no time, he suddenly said in a clear voice, "So let's talk," Nari turned her head in slight surprise and let out a small 'yeah' that seemed to have dragged on awkwardly. The orange-haired man glanced at her and sighed, "What you saw wasn't what you were probably thinking."

She gave him a side glance when asking, "What do you suppose I was thinking?"

Biting his lip in slight nervousness at this serious conversation, he made a right turn before saying, "Judging from how quiet you are, you probably thought I was having an intimate moment with someone who wasn't you," Nari blushed at how suggestive his tone sounded and decided to look out the window for the time being. Jimin noticed this and continued, "But I'm just training her, nothing more. In all honesty, I can barely even focus on a girl who isn't you."

The brunette pursed her lips, trying to keep the blood from not flowing towards her face. This was killing her inside, but in a good way. Calming herself down, she looked straight ahead and noticed they were entering the parking lot of the club. Letting out a sigh, she softly said, "It's just hard for me."

Jimin swung the car into a parking spot, quickly put it in park, and completely turned his body towards her to offer Nari his full attention. Scanning over her features for a moment, he quietly said, "Tell me what's on your mind."

Her eyes glanced at his for a moment before looking down at her folded hands and biting her lip before responding, "I mean... look at you. Who wouldn't go for you?" Jimin closed his eyes and sighed, clearly seeing where this was going. Instead of refuting whatever she was going to say, he decided to hear her out. Continuing, the girl looked at him when saying, "I just... I can't help but feel a bit insecure. I trust you, I really do, but seeing how you were touching her just startled me, I guess?"

He nodded at her every word, truly attempting to allow himself to understand her feelings. Giving her an intense look, Jimin let her continue, "Everything just confuses me. How I feel for you confuses me, how you can touch another girl like that without catching feelings confuses me, and even what we are in whatever this is confuses me."

Jimin inched a bit closer and slightly tilted his head to the side when saying, "Since we're having this conversation, I think it's safe to assume you're my girlfriend."

Her eyes widened and she gulped as his features softened and his dark eyes lingered on her lips for a moment before averting back to her eyes. With all seriousness, the orange-haired man softly continued, "Everything I do with that girl is business-related. Besides, after training, she won't be needing my help much anymore," Nari looked away from him and nodded, understanding where he was coming from. Jimin put his hand on top of hers that were folded on her lap, causing her to look at him once again.

"I really like you and I would never screw around with some other girl when I'm clearly invested in you," she felt the blush rise in her cheeks again and he scanned every part of her face before continuing, "I'm your boyfriend now and I want you to be able to feel confident being with me, as I am with you. You understand?"

She chuckled at his straight forwardness and looked at his lips when saying, "I understand," then looking back up at him with a smile. He grinned at her and let his hand lay gently on her cheek, brushing her skin with the pad of his thumb. Jimin looked at her eyes before directing his gaze on her mouth and leaning in to peck her lips. It was short, but the reassurance in his expression was enough to make her feel a whole lot better.

•••

"Wow, what a man," Hoseok said as he watched his friend from the window go in for a small kiss in the car.

Namjoon kept his arms crossed and grinned at the scene. A proud expression was prominent on his features as he chuckled and walked away from the window, knowing from the start that everything was going to work itself out. Meanwhile, Jungkook stood shocked and surprised they couldn't see them blatantly creeping on their romance. Nonetheless, he let out a small smile, clearly happy for his hyung.

Taehyung sighed in exasperation and commented, "Wah... They better finish up quickly. These walls aren't going to paint themselves."

•Lust of Innocence•

•••~ Ash here! I bet you all thought we weren't going to update until around Christmas time, huh? Well, surprise mothafuckas! Comments and criticism are much appreciated! See you all in the next chapter~

•••~Hola! Soy Milly! Find my comment and let meh know whatchu think~ Let's end this with our annual text of the chapter where I get food and Ash is still lonely af :)