~

Jeon Jungkook felt great, a real sense of accomplishment; he had just ripped somebody off. A rude buff man who had stepped in shouting and screaming to get his car repaired faster. Well sike, Jungkook thought, smirking to himself. He rapped his skeleton ring on one of the wooden tables in his garage and brushed his hair away from his face, turning to grin at the small computer screen in the corner.

Jungkook only ever grinned at the computer screen, not at his customers, never at his customers. The computer in the corner ran the cash register. Happy customers usually felt nervous around him, as they should, because they were happy. Happy, kind people were the easiest to rip off. Other customers, the shrewder half-empty ones, they didn't smile or exchange pleasantries with the mechanic — they were the sort that wouldn't be ripped off. But Jungkook worked the opposite way, he always did.

"That nasty grin on your face tells me you ripped someone off," a voice was heard in the garage. Jungkook turned around, hands greasy and sweat drenching the tight wife-beater clinging to his body. His grin grew wider at the sight of a familiar figure leaning against the wall.

"You're right," Jungkook huffed, wiping the beads of sweat on his forehead with the back of his hand. "He was asking for it anyway. What brings you to my humble abode?"

The man looked around the garage, still grinning, as he started walking towards Jungkook. "Gotta say, no matter how many times I've been to this place, it always feels different — dirtier."

Jungkook laughed, swinging the wrench in his hand at the man, who in turn dodged effortlessly. Jungkook turned his attention back to the car and the man took his time running his fingers along the tools on the table.

"The Supreme One has a mission for us tonight," the man spoke, causing Jungkook to freeze in his spot, ears perked up as he listened more attentively. "The two of us," the man pointed to Jungkook then to himself. "Let's hope target makes our job easier."

"I'd really like to be clean tonight," Jungkook chuckled, turning to face the man. "What about Yoongi? He usually joins us, right?"

"He's got patrol duty," the man said, picking dirt from his fingernails. "It's just me and you tonight Jungkook."

Jungkook was about to open his mouth to ask something else when he noticed Jimin's silhouette approaching his garage. He grinned, raising a hand to salute Jimin with two fingers, this in turn causing the man to look over curiously.

"Bored already?"

Jimin shrugged, stuffing his hands in the pockets of his pants as he looked over at the new person in the garage. He smiled, waving at the man, getting a grin in return.

"Aye he's cute," the man remarked, earning a warning glare from Jungkook.

"Hoseok," Jungkook drawled, his tone laced with heavy warning. "This is my new friend, Park Jimin."

"Friend, okay," Hoseok coughed, trying to hide his smile. Jungkook narrowed his eyes at the man, sighing as he turned back to the car.

"I'm Hoseok," the man muttered to Jimin, "it's nice to meet you."

"He can't talk," Jungkook spoke, not bothering to turn around. Hoseok's eyes widened and he turned his attention back to Jimin, taking in his features.

Oh, Hoseok thought to himself, suddenly feeling his heart hurt. His sister had been mute too, and she had suffered so much because of that, because of him. So when Hoseok heard that Jimin was mute, he felt an overwhelming sense of protection consume him. Jimin reminded him too much of his little sister. Those eyes, filled with dread as Jungkook mentioned him being mute, those were the same kind of eyes that had glanced at Hoseok before they turned lifeless.

"It's okay," Hoseok smiled, albeit painfully. Jimin looked relieved at those two simple words. "It's okay, my sister was mute too."

Jimin offered a grateful smile in Hoseok's direction. The latter reached out, hand hesitant in the air before he decided to pat Jimin's shoulder comfortingly.

"I'll take my leave Kook," he said to Jungkook as he left the repair shop, now leaving Jimin alone with Jungkook.

Jimin wandered around the garage aimlessly, trying to find something fun to look at, considering Jungkook was busy at the moment. He sighed to himself, chewing his lip as he looked over at the mechanic. Jungkook was hunched over, peering into the engine of some car, not even bothering to look at Jimin as he was engrossed in his work.

This was probably the wrong time to come, Jimin thought to himself, fiddling with the hem of his shirt. He's busy with work. Maybe I should just go back home and come sometime later.

"Okay," Jungkook said all of a sudden, turning around to look at the shorter male, surprising the latter. "This is not working."

Jimin frowned, cocking his head to one side and staring back at the mechanic.

"You're clearly bored and you can't talk—" Jungkook noticed the change in Jimin's expression and he wanted to kick himself. "No, no, that's not what I meant. I mean— I don't want you to get bored. Do you want to help me with this?"

Jimin gazed back and forth at Jungkook and the car he was pointing at before he made a move towards it. The mechanic watched silently as Jimin reached him and glanced with furrowed brows at all the tools at his disposal.

"So you take the wrench and twist this thing here," Jungkook handed a wrench to Jimin, smiling as Jimin did what was told, tongue sticking out the tiniest bit as he concentrated.

Fucking cute, Jungkook thought to himself, before shaking his head to get rid of that thought. He went back to his own work, looking over to his right at Jimin every now and then, the sight making him feel pleasant. He reasoned it was probably because he finally had some human company in the garage, and not just cars and tools. Once Jimin had finished what Jungkook had asked of him, he moved a step back and stared at what Jungkook was doing with wide eyes. The mechanic took in his wide eyes and laughed.

"It's not that hard you know?" He started, a small smile playing at his lips as he tightened the spark plug. "I've been working here since I was fourteen." Jimin's eyes widened, wondering why such a young child would decide to work in such an environment. "Didn't really have a choice, I was on my own."

Jimin was instantly reminded of when he was fourteen years old. He was lucky he had his grandmother, otherwise he would have been on his own as well. To some extent, he could understand what Jungkook could have gone through. He placed a hand on Jungkook's forearm, the touch gentle and surprising.

The mechanic whipped his head around at the touch, eyes staring at Jimin's small hand on his arm before moving to Jimin's eyes. The smaller male smiled at him, eyes turning into crescents. Jungkook let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. Then he chuckled to himself, almost in disbelief.

"I was okay," he smirked, looking at Jimin. "I could manage well enough on my own. I didn't need anyone."

Jungkook scoffed as his eyes met Jimin's. What was that he saw — understanding? Jungkook would never admit he went through a hard time. He had been lying to himself for so long that he started to believe the lie at some point. He had started to believe that he was fine on his own, that he didn't need anybody, that he was strong enough to get through anything by himself. So the emotions in Jimin's eyes irked him for some reason.

It's okay to not be strong all the time, Jimin thought to himself, wanting to convey the words to Jungkook but not finding himself able to do so. The smirk on Jungkook's face wasn't teasing at this point, it was a facade to mask his true emotions. And Jimin would be lying if he said Jungkook didn't look frightening.

"You didn't wear black today huh," Jungkook changed the topic, glancing at Jimin from the corner of his eye. "I was reminded of myself when I saw you wearing all black in that sweltering heat yesterday. That's something I would do."

Jimin smiled, tip of his ears flushing as he brushed his bangs away in embarrassment.

"Black is my favorite colour," Jungkook grinned, causing Jimin to nod along enthusiastically. "Yours too, hm?"

Jungkook could not remember the last time he had initiated and continued a conversation this long. He was not used to talking about himself. He was the sort of person who preferred listening to others instead. So he surprised himself when he found himself continuing the conversation with Jimin.

Something, there was something about the man that made Jungkook behave differently. The mechanic couldn't quite put a finger on what it was. Maybe it was just the sympathy he felt for the mute male, yes, that might be it. Jungkook convinced himself that was it, a habit developed since he was young, believing his own lies. Yet when he looked back at Jimin and saw him smiling at the rays of sunlight sneaking in through the cracked window, Jungkook undeniably felt a little voice in his head tell him he did not enjoy the smaller male's presence due to sympathy.

~

note:
hoseok knows what's up lmao.
i hope you guys like the update. i'll start introducing characters from now so that i'll have enough chapters to maybe go back to their pasts as well.
hoseok loves jimin already because come on who can't love that little bean?
let me know what you guys think uwu