https://youtu.be/pXRviuL6vMY

Stressed Out- twenty one pilots

Honking caused Jungkook to frown as his car got stuck for the third time since morning. "How do you and Appa travel every day in such a rush?" He asked Minsoo, who was sitting beside him in the passenger seat.

"You'll get used to it, too, Jungkook. I know it's taking some time, but you'll hear from at least one place within this week." The young woman answered, sensing Jungkook's agitation which she assumed was not essentially because of traffic, but the fear of not hearing back from the employers again.

Jungkook's father advised him not to share too much about himself with the interviewers, but he thought it would be best to be transparent. He didn't want to hide his flaws firsthand. Honesty cost him when no one selected him for the job. From the start-up offices to restaurants, he went everywhere, but one look at his current condition and they all parted ways with 'I'll call you back with an update' which he never received.

Three weeks of hustle and he was close to the Silver Jubilee of interviews. "What did you say was the name of the owner again?" He asked Minsoo about the firm they were going to. It was an Art gallery.

"Jihyun," Minsoo answered.

Jungkook sighed, looking out the window again as silence fell between them and the car resumed the drive.

About twelve minutes later, the vehicle entered through the huge gates of a modern skyscraper of multiple corporations. Jungkook felt it was an odd setup for an art gallery, but he didn't question it. After losing six years of his life in the facility, he wasn't exactly up to speed on what was happening outside. Just the other day, he was shell-shocked on seeing the studio for social media influencers. The place provided studios to young influencers on hourly rent. He thought it was creative of the person to think of creating a common space for the people who didn't have enough resources to have their working area.

Minsoo walked step by step beside him, her heels clicking confidently against the floor as they reached the reception where the man behind the desk asked them to look in the camera. He took their details and handed them lanyards for access with the same picture they had taken moments ago. The two swiped the badges at the turnstile before they stepped into the huge elevator where soothing music was playing.

Jungkook was anything but relaxed. He let the big box take them to the thirty-second floor. His left hand shook and both palms turned clammy as he approached the big office. He gulped as Minsoo introduced them to the office receptionist and told her their purpose of visit. "Please put the lanyard around your neck," the young man handed another visitor badge to Jungkook. "Straight through the door and then take the last left."

Thanking the receptionist, Minsoo walked inside, and Jungkook followed. The noises that suddenly seemed to halt earlier resumed their way back to his ears. "Go through that door and someone will be with you," Minsoo gestured towards a heavy glass door.

Jungkook nodded, peeking inside to see a few men in suits and a few younger people in formal attires. This definitely didn't look like an art gallery. He wanted to question Minsoo, but before he could, a young male stuck his head out from inside the glass door and called for him.

"Yeah," Jungkook raised his hand. "It's me."

"Please come," the man opened the door wide.

Lowering his hand, Jungkook looked at Minsoo and she beamed, raising both her thumbs to encourage him. "All the best!" She whisper-yelled. "You are gonna get it!"

He didn't believe her words. His life had been a string of pain and failure. He didn't think cheering would turn around his luck, but he was thankful for her presence at any rate. He understood now why his family was fond of her. She was capable at her job with many connections in the art field.

Despite himself, as he followed the man inside, his mind was blank, forgetting everything he had prepared for the interview. "Please take a seat. Mr. Park will be with you shortly."

Jungkook's head short-circuited for a moment. He flinched. Hearing Jimin's surname wasn't uncommon. Many people shared the same surname, but that didn't change anything for Jungkook. He associated the word with the one and only. The man who was still safe in his memories, a beautiful, shattered dream.

When the man left him alone in the airy, big, cabin, he looked around at the sunlight filtering through the big pane. Inside the air was conditioned, yet Jungkook found himself sweating under his cream-yellow shirt's collar. He wore a cream-yellow suit sans tie. With his left hand shaking, he tapped his right foot against the rug anxiously.

"Mr. Jeon Jungkook," the voice from behind him caused him to urgently get up and turn around. "Please, be seated." Jungkook saw a tall man with a welcoming smile sauntering towards him. Forgoing any physical contact, he walked around the table and sat down on the chair.

Jungkook also lowered himself onto the soft, leather, rotating chair. His eyes went straight to the man's hands carrying a folder. "We've gone through your paintings and drawings and we are quite impressed."

"You are?" Jungkook asked timidly, suspiciously, his heart beating hard inside his chest.

"Oh yes. I am glad you could make it today. With the concert going around the block, it must have been difficult with the traffic."

Right. Concert. "It was no problem. Thank you for taking out time to meet me." Jungkook faked a polite smile, trying to recollect the man's name. Minsoo had given him a detailed memorandum to him on which the names of interviewers were written, but he hardly paid any attention to it.

"I am only disappointed we didn't meet you sooner," the man said while looking straight at Jungkook's nervous face.

"Who all are going to be part of this interview?" He asked. "I am sorry... I couldn't go through the details entirely."

"That's fine," the man leaned ahead on the table and put his phone there. "It's me... Hyun-sik. I am the manager of the gallery. You'll meet the boss for the next round of interviews if everything goes in your favor today."

"Oh... Where's the Gallery?" Jungkook took his chance to ask.

"It's a few kilometers from here. This is the corporate office and we do a lot of things here. We generally schedule the first rounds of interviews here."

"Makes sense," Jungkook nodded. Things didn't entirely change after all. He still had to clear this round to get the next one, and there was a good chance he would receive rejection.

"So... Tell me something about yourself that isn't on your resume, Jungkook-ssi."

Jungkook sighed, recollecting his father's words not to overshare anything and the numerous interviews where he did the opposite. "Where do I begin?" He chuckled lightly. "If I didn't meet with an accident, I would be a doctor today."

"I am so sorry," the man turned sympathetic in a moment. "I hope you are doing well now."

"Not really," Jungkook grabbed onto the fabric of his sleeve underneath where he had gotten the word 'hope' inked.

**

Jimin trodded down the stairs and marched towards the ICU in the hospital corridor. "He came with the pain yesterday," one of the nurses immediately began to brief him about a patient. He lurked ahead and picked up the monitoring chart to review the data while hearing his nurse talk to him.

"Angina," Jimin supplied, looking at the nurse for confirmation. She nodded. "When did you last give him the medicine?"

"Four hours ago," she answered.

"I am fearing it's not Angina anymore. Immediately prepare for the angiography and I want to talk to his family."

"Yes, doctor." The nurse took the notepad from Jimin's hand and motioned for a junior nurse to follow the man out.

The young boy dragged his legs behind Jimin as the doctor walked really fast. "His sister and father are in the waiting room, sir. I can take you there."

"No," Jimin turned and put an arm over the nurse's shoulder. "I'll find them. You go and get me the details of the patients in room number 19 and 21."

"Sure, doctor." The young boy bowed his head before swiftly turning back.

Jimin continued to walk until he was in the waiting room. He would've asked, but the patient's sister resembled her brother, so Jimin confidently edged towards them. "Are you Woo-Bin's sister?"

"Y-yes, doctor. Is he okay?" The girl stood up from the chair and an older male followed suit. "I am afraid the worst case scenario is that we need to prepare for angioplasty or an open heart surgery for Woo-Bin. We are going to get the tests done first. But with my experience, I am telling you this first hand so you can mentally prepare yourself. It's more severe than what we initially thought."

The girl broke into tears. "Doctor," she quivered. "Please save him, doctor."

"I will try my best," Jimin held her hand assuringly. "I only wanted to get the informed consent signed. We are taking him for the tests."

"Okay," she nodded quickly.

"Please follow me to my office," Jimin was almost jogging again with the two people hot in his heels when his phone rang.

He would've disconnected the call, but somehow he answered it. "Yes?"

"Okay... Send me the interview recordings and I'll get back to you at night."

**

Jungkook's father, Mr. Jeon entered the room and closed the door behind him. Juliane, his wife, was standing in front of her wardrobe organizer, zoned out completely. He stalked up to her and hugged her from behind.

"Honey!" she protested, but the man pressed a soft kiss to the crook of her neck. She moaned softly, almost in a whisper. "What are you doing?"

"Loving my wife," Mr. Jeon teased. "She looks like she can use some of my help and relax."

"Jungkook is at home," Mrs. Jeon tried to push him, but he held onto her, pressing another kiss on the opposite side of her neck.

The beautiful woman lost to temptation and turned to face her husband who was smiling. "You know how to convince me of anything. Don't you?"

"I try, madam." Mr. Jeon held her face and kissed her lips, slowly deepening it and tasting her. Every time he kissed her, he remembered their vows. She was the most beautiful woman he'd ever known. When she cried at the altar, he'd held her and whispered sweet nothings in her ear. He'd kissed her like he could do it for decades, and after twenty-five years of marriage, he still kissed her like he could do it for a thousand more years.

Picking her up, he paced towards the bed and gently lowered her. Juliane was lovesick. She raised her arms and the man took off his blazer before hovering above her and holding her.

He started kissing her again and they made gentle love.

Tired but satiated, Mr. Jeon brought his wife's fingers to his lips and kissed them. "Let me take you out on a dinner tonight, darling." He asked, slipping his hand under her head and pulling her close.

"Let's all go. Jungkookie-"

"Shh," Mr. Jeon pressed his index finger to her lips, cleared his throat, and turned silent for a beat. "I... I am sorry, darling."

"Why are you suddenly apologizing?" Mrs. Jeon took in the sudden shift in her husband's demeanor and her face fell when she saw his eyes were covered in sorrow.

"I know I was tough on him. But know that I don't want to see him in a situation where he is on his deathbed again. I'd be damned as a father if my son dies in my arms, darling. I wasn't only tough on him. I was tough on you, too. I am sorry. Forgive your husband, please."

Mrs. Jeon felt her throat constrict. It was true after all. The years that Jungkook was away from them also created distance between them. As her husband, he was always mellow and talked to her, but she couldn't overlook that he let Jungkook go. Sure, Jungkook decided to stay in that damned facility, but if his father fought for him harder or didn't give his permission, Jungkook wouldn't have been able to stay away for six years.

Nonetheless, all was good again, she thought. "All's forgiven, Honey." It was time she entirely let go of that resentment. Lifting over her elbow, she aimed for her husband's lips.

The man's hands went around her body to pull her on top. Their kiss turned passionate and before they could go about round two, their door was banged.

"Appa! Eomma! What are you doing in there?!"

"Fuck." Mr. Jeon cursed softly. "Give us a minute!"

"No! OPEN THE DOOR RIGHT NOW!"

"A minute, Jungkook!" Mr. Jeon cautioned, jumping down the bed to find his wife's dress.

"I GOT THE JOB!" Jungkook's voice rang in their ears and they looked at each other as they exchanged beaming smiles.

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19 Dec, 2024