You're The Meal, Jimin

When Taehyung had chosen LOTTE Tower to grab a quick meal, Jimin thought his old friend had meant the lower levels of the famous skyscraper where food cost just about the same as anywhere else. Maybe they'd go to the cold noodle place he remembered liking or the Chinese shop next door to it. Instead, Jimin was on the highest-level home to one of the most expensive restaurants in Seoul.

A waiter dressed in a tux and black button up shirt underneath eyed Jimin's casual black jeans that hugged his thighs and the loose pastel pink sweater he had paired with it. Jimin just smiled, hoping the little crescent moons his eyes made would win the stranger over enough not to say anything. The waiter blushed.

Jimin looked around the round room hugged by glass walls outlooking the entire city underneath as he tried to find Taehyung. Women and men dangled in jewels, laughing seated at their tables as they held wine glasses by the neck. Chandeliers above them bled warm light onto circular red tables; one of which Taehyung was already sitting at, a menu open in his hands.

Taehyung was dressed in a deep green suit, like the skin of snake or the shadowed glow of an emerald jewel. It matched his tan skin beautifully and brought out the darkness of his thick, styled hair. Catching Jimin's eye, Taehyung flicked his brows up and tilted his head for Jimin to come. The tables next to him were empty. With how pricy this restaurant looked and how packed every table was, Jimin wondered exactly how Taehyung managed to find such a secluded section in the middle of the entire place. Did he reserve those too?

Jimin bit the inside of his cheek, his stomach suddenly whirling as he walked to where Taehyung sat. Alarms blared throughout his system the closer he got, but Jimin swallowed them down. He was here for answers and this was his friend.

Taehyung's hands closed the menu sharply to reveal a grinning mouth - but his eyes caused a chill to run down Jimin's spine. The grin didn't reach even their edges.

Taehyung rolled his right shoulder back as if the muscle were tight.

"Hey Tae." Jimin said with a kindly. Taehyung stood up from his seat politely, revealing just how much muscle the boy had put on. Taehyung pulled Jimin in by the forearm, his suit flashing a coffee colored vest and gold linked chain underneath as he kissed Jimin's cheek in greeting. When he pulled away, his now too strong arm pulled out Jimin's chair, motioning for him to sit.

That's new, Jimin thought.

"Tae I can't afford this."

"Don't worry, SADA funded our dinner already. They paid to reserve those tables around us too. Privacy for their best." Taehyung said and lifted a brow as he watched Jimin's reaction, gaze hard like stone and his jaw clenching at Jimin's confusion, but he slipped some warmth and a grin too fast to notice the change.

"Oh." Jimin replied and paused.

Taehyung's lips tweaked but he settled a smile, rolling his right shoulder again as if it was injured.

"What are your hobbies?" Taehyung asked, changing the subject as he lifted his menu back up.

"I-I don't know. Catching up on movies I guess."

"Hm. Have you seen much of Seoul since your injury?"

"...no, not really. Just a couple shops."

"Strange. Jungkook doesn't let you out of that cage alone a lot. Suspicious, isn't it?"

"What? No - I - there hasn't been much time. He has work and I-"

"Where do you work?"

"....a flower shop."

"Ah." Taehyung said, popping his mouth open in mock interest. "And how is that? They've taken you there, right? Wouldn't want to miss a shift."

"I-no. Actually."

"Hm." Taehyung dropped his smile and flicked open the menu. Jimin rubbed the back of his neck. Thinking about it, it was odd that no one had mentioned the name of the flower shop to him. Or that there were no flowers in the apartment. Or aprons for said flower nameless flower shop.

"I guess." Jimin said slowly, shifting in his seat. Taehyung just lifted his fingers in a small wave for a waiter to rush over and ordered them wine.

"Are you sure that you lived in that apartment with Jungkook?" Taehyung asked nonchalantly - like it was a question about the weather or coffee preferences.

Jimin thought of that missing poster. The paper lingered on his fingertips. As did the sound of the voicemail in his ears.

"Why would anyone lie about that?"

"Just asking. Must be strange not to recognize a lot of stuff in there if it was supposedly yours."

"Memory loss, remember." Jimin said, tapping his head.

"I'm just saying, Jimin, are you sure you even knew Jungkook? Strange to think you have no memories of him if you loved him so much you dropped out of college just to stay with him."

Two red whine glasses were placed in front of them. Taehyung took a casual sip and checked his watch before glancing back up at Jimin.

"I did what?" Jimin said.

"Oh yea. Dumped dear old dad to the curb for him and broke your mom's heart after working so hard for her to agree to a dancing degree in the first place. Hasn't it bothered you that they haven't called? Ever wondered why?"

"That - that makes no sense. Why would I do that?"

"That's what I'm saying. If you loved Jeon that much, wouldn't your feelings for him come back by now? Or any memories if you have six years of them? Are you sure you ever really loved him in the first place?

"I - I don't get to pick and choose what memories I lose or gain back. That's not how amnesia works."

"Just making observations."

"Why are you doing this?"

"It's not fun to mess with, huh?" Taehyung asked, his voice suddenly low and that slight amusement he had tilted his words with was gone. Taehyung leaned back in his chair, his face shadowed and the warm light bleeding into his hair and skin from the chandelier above. There was nothing youthful in his sharp features and the strength of his gaze. "Kinda sucks, not knowing what's real and what isn't. To trust someone only for them to make you question every single moment you spent together. Wonder what was real? How well you knew them? It's not fun Jimin. Is it?"

"Tae. Stop. Look I came to you as a friend hoping for some answers. What happened six years ago? Why is there a missing poster out for me!"

Taehyung blinked. "It's funny that you can't remember much, Jimin. A blessing really. See the way our sophomore year ended, I'll never forget."

Jimin shook his head, standing up to leave. He had enough of Taehyung's riddles; enough of his taunts rattling his brain. So he stood up, his chair scratching the ground with a loud enough creak that the too fancy denizens of the rich ass restaurant looked his way. Their eyes wide and brows furrowed. Taehyung rested his chin on his hands, looking at his watch with disinterest and for the strangest reason Jimin wished Jungkook were here with him then.

"Took you long enough." Taehyung said as Jimin saw a waiter with a gold mask tied around his eyes walk up to them with a platter. On it was a small business card with the words S.A.D.A Official Invitation and a location underneath it.

Besides the waiter were three large men and a woman with half her hair shaved. The four of them wore similar masks though theirs were silver and they took the empty seats of the tables around them. Jimin could see a gun strapped to the woman's leg and the men's muscles were tense as if prepared to launch into action at any moment.

"Tae. What the fuck."

"SADA stands for Seoul A Dance Academy." Taehyung said casually and the waiter presented the card. Jimin slowly picked it up. "We're a professional dance orgnaization that operate both with in universities and outside of it. You were supposed to join us your freshman year, Jimin. You would have been a star. The President Seokjin, now the chair of the entire network outside the college chapters, he's still willing to take you back. You'll find all your answers there - ugly or not. SADA will hand you the truth, you just have to come and finish the initiation you left freshmen year."

"Taehyung. No I can't, that's crazy. I need to get home to my family-"

"SADA is your family. When you left freshman year you never contacted your parents and fell off the grid completely. Do you know what Jungkook really does for a living? You should really ask him. It'd probably explain a lot. Look Jimin, your family hasn't heard from you in six years and presumes you're missing or worse. SADA is the only place for you to return to. We'll be honest with you there." Taehyung's face finally softened and he placed a hand on Jimin's forearm, standing up as well. "Come back to us."

The woman reached for the gun on her ankle and Jimin didn't know what to make of it.

"Think it over. Ask Jungkook what I asked you and when he lies, because he will lie to you Jimin, come back to SADA and we'll take care of you. The location is on the card or give me a call and I'll pick you up."

"If SADA is supposed to be my family, why do you have body guards surrounding me?"

"Well yes, I can see how that might be an issue but it's just a precaution."

"An issue?!?!"

"Jimin." Again Taehyung rolled that right shoulder like it had a knot that needed to get pressed out.

Jimin heard the safety slide out of place.

"We had to take precautions, Jimin. Don't take this personally, you'll understand soon enough. You're dangerous like this. Unpredictable."

Jimin looked back at the masked waiter and the silver masks of the strange guards only for something to click in his head. Jimin knew the shape of that golden masquerade mask, an identical one to what was stuffed in that grey box in Jungkook's apartment. Maybe Jungkook was keeping more secrets than he had let on. Just how tied up with SADA had the two of them been?

Taehyung gave the smallest nod, sharpening his already razor gaze.

"Go back to Jungkook and see who you trust more. We may have strange means, Jimin. But we don't lie. Ask him what I've asked you and then come back home."

___________

A/N

How's you week been you guys?? Hm what story I can leave off with 🤔🤔 well I ran into not one, not two, but THREE people I rejected this semester at the bar ON THE SAME NIGHT. It was like a team up of rejected power rangers villains to install me with panic and guilt 😭😭

No worries tho, found a new person to kiss the awkward away 🤚🤚

- Vio