⊱Je ne peux que t'entendre⊰

I can only hear you

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I didn't realize how much of a constant Jimin had become in my life.

I was often alone. Although my aunt and especially Aerin tried to keep me company, I was often seeking comfort in myself. I always sought for someone or just something to stay with me, but I never imagined that a stupid celebrity who looked like he's nothing but trouble would be with me despite my complaints.

"You dragged me out of my home for what? Coffee? I don't even drink coffee, you idiot," I rambled, frowning at Jimin who was smiling victoriously in front of me. How I wanted to wipe that stupid smile off his face.

"If you wanted alcohol, you should've just said so," he chuckled, making me suck in a breath out of exasperation. He apparently began to enjoy teasing me at one point and had been doing that ever since.

Before I could lecture him about how coffee is bad for my health, he dragged me out of the cafe and somewhere else he wanted to go, making me question why he was taking me there instead of practicing for his performances.

"I've lived this life before and it's ... pretty much lonely," he said, his expression rather somber from the side as we walked. "I'd rather try to do other things."

I scoffed, not understanding why. "And why are you dragging me?"

"You're free all the time. And you'd be bored staying at home all the time." He grinned at me.

True, but... "I'm not sure that makes sense."

"Jimin! That's Jimin!"

Roars of men startled us and I looked around before finding a group of people with huge cameras ready in place to snap pictures of us. As if on reflex, Jimin immediately grabbed my hand and tugged it to start running. It was sudden but my legs strived to keep up with him while my heart started pounding. We ran into a narrow alleyway and Jimin's hands slammed against the brick wall on either side of me, our bodies nearly touching and faces merely inches away which made my brain malfunction.

"Park Jimin!"

"Who's the girl with you?"

"He went this way!"

With bated breaths, we stood there in silence, hoping to be hidden from the cameras. I tensed up when the paparazzi ran past us, yelling and snapping pictures of nothing. I finally let out deep breaths as the jarring voices grew distant.

I lifted my face to run my eyes over his furrowed eyebrows and clenched jaw that was so sharp, it could cut me. "You must hate dispatch."

"What kind of a celebrity would like dispatch?" He broke into laughter, dropping his head before shaking it. The action made his silky hair brush against my cheek in soft strokes, tickling it.

I shrugged but it went unnoticed by him. After practically pinning me against the wall in this cramped space, his eyes never glimpsed at any part of me. His form was somewhat rigid and his arms kept pushing against the wall, trying to widen the distance between us, the muscles of his biceps flexing under the thin material of his black cotton shirt.

Glad to know it's not only me who's feeling awkward in this situation.

"I can see your hair is dying," I muttered, inspecting his roots to distract myself from the firm body pressing against mine.

A sharp gasp left him and his eyes finally found mine. They were always so hypnotizing, able to entrance anyone watching him perform, but from so close like this, they also made my heart seize in my chest.

"That can't be! Ugh, I asked for scalp treatment but the staffs are ignoring me," he whined, clenching his eyes shut in pain. "Can't you ask your dad to save my hair? This is ridiculous."

"Bald by thirty," I couldn't help myself and snorted.

He gave me the stink eye before brushing his hair back, looking down at me. "Ladies fall for me when I do this. Can't have me losing my charm, can they?"

"The only thing falling is your damaged hair, Jimin," I laughed, making him huff out and slip out of the cramped alleyway. Our roles were reversed.

"I'll stop accompanying you to your ice skating if you make fun of me like this," he said grumpily but his voice still sounded mellow and light.

I trailed after him, apologizing but my surroundings shifted dramatically and I was standing in a dark room illuminated by the neon lights that danced behind the window that looked over the... dance floor?

"Are we in a club?!"

"Looks like it," Jimin said beside me and lo and behold, he was still with me.

We were sitting in a booth on the second floor and honestly? What was the context? Why was I there in a club with him, dressed in a silky shirt and ripped jeans? I never went to a club before and for good reasons.

"I can't be here." I sighed, dropping my head back on the couch thingy we were sitting on.

"You're a human now. It's fine."

"I mean... alcohol is really bad for my body."

"Then I won't let you drink," he said so easily, smiling lazily as if he was exhausted. I wondered if he just got off work assuming it was late in the evening.

"And I'd have to take care of you when you drink?" I frowned at him.

He rolled his eyes and his smile widened. "What do you want to do then?"

I thought for a moment. We could just go home but since we're already here, there was no harm in staying there for just a little longer. My father wouldn't notice even if I was gone in the midnight.

I hummed and stood up on my feet. "Let's just dance."

"I can't be seen in public."

I scanned the booth and pressed a switch that put on the disco lights in there. "Dance here? A little dancing wouldn't hurt."

With a smirk, he got up and eased into the loud music that reverberated in my chest. I closed my eyes, about to let myself loose when bright light against my eyelids, making me open them. I was, once again, in a different time and place. Before me, Jimin was dancing and watching himself on the wall mirror with sweat beads all over his forehead, some gliding down his neck.

His eyes found mine in the reflection and his mouth stretched into a smile. "Watch this move."

I tilted my head, mumbling, "I'm not interested, Jimin."

"Aren't you a fan?" He pouted but continued dancing, earning giggles from me. I would have never thought that I would be watching him practice from up close with only the two of us in the room. I was a fan and I knew things would have been different if these happened back then.

When the song finished, Jimin shuffled to the phone he was recording himself with to monitor how he was doing. I didn't notice the door opening, but when someone shoved his face near mine, I was well aware of the male staff who used to give me the creeps staring at me whenever we passed by.

I moved backwards from him but he leaned just as closer, laughing under his breath. "You're so cute when you're flustered. Am I making you nervous?"

My eyebrows twitched and I couldn't deny that shivers were running down my spine. Still, I was about to push him away when his body was pulled off from me by another figure. Jimin clutched his shoulder, glaring at him with his jaw clenched.

"What are you trying to do? She's clearly uncomfortable, hyung."

The man laughed. "Uncomfortable? Stop joking, you bastard. I know she likes me. If she didn't, she would have pushed me away."

Jimin scowled and opened his mouth to speak but I beat him to it. "Like? I don't even know your name. You're gravely mistaken if you think I like you."

The man turned to me with a frown. "What? You-" He lunged at me but abruptly halted with his eyes unfocused. I was confused but looked up at Jimin to see his eyes glimmering with gold and immediately realized.

"What are you doing?" I whispered.

"Making sure he doesn't come to you again."

"I can handle myself perfectly well," I said, still confused about why he was doing that.

"I know." He smiled and the gold in his eyes faded back to black. "But a thank you is nice."

"I'm not thanking you." I crossed my arms and flinched when the man clicked his tongue before darting out of the room. "What did you make him see?"

He shrugged and walked back to his belongings before collecting them and carrying them with himself as he walked to the door. "Bye, Sae."

My eyes widened. "Are you leaving?"

He turned around, confusion crossing his features. "Yeah. I'm very busy with work today. My manager messaged me just now. Gotta shower first."

Somehow, seeing him leave made my heart clench. We were always together so I shouldn't be feeling... sad. But I still did. I didn't realize how much of a constant he was becoming in my life. Parting with him felt wrong.

"We'll be together before you know it anyway. And you know it," he chuckled, referring to the time skip.

"Yeah... You'll come back to me." I agreed, letting him open the door and walk out with a wave towards me.

It would have been simpler if we could stay like this. If we could continue living like this and savor the moments as if we were actually in them. But this wasn't real. This would never be real.

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Hope the time skips are not too confusing 🚶‍♀️

Thank you for reading 🌸