Archive of Our Own

It’s another slow day at work as Yoongi looked through his computer, reading through the same batch of emails he had been reading for so many times. Hoseok was sitting opposite Yoongi in their small office, humming a sickeningly catchy tune as he propped his legs on the desk and Yoongi wanted nothing more but to stuff a sock in his mouth. Nothing was going well for him and all he wanted right now was to find a clue, just one bloody clue and he would work on that lead even if it cost him his life. It had been years ever since Yoongi started up this small detective agency, Suga Private Eye, which had cost him his entire savings from his previous job. He started this business with only one goal in mind - to find his missing childhood friend, Chim Chim. He didn’t know his real name, didn’t know any of his relatives, and he didn’t even know where he could begin to start his search. However, as a detective (having gotten his license through intense studying), he managed to get leads every now and then by working cases requested by clients. However, as much as Yoongi (or rather, Suga) excels at his job, word had gotten out that he is not the type of detective who accepts any kind of request as long as there is money involve, but he only takes up cases that piqued his interest, or cases that might give him some lead on finding his friend. Consequently, he often turned down jobs that pay well just because he wasn’t interested in them, and would rather spend all of his free time on finding a lead on his own childhood friend. Working in this line, he had often gotten help from people he had connections with in his hunt for Chim Chim, but due to the lack of information, their leads always ended up hitting a dead end. In recent years, Yoongi had gotten more desperate in his search and had often forsaken many job opportunities just to keep his time free for his hunt. Unable to prioritize, he had allowed his debt to pile up over the years, getting him to a point where he might lose everything he possessed right now, even to the point of bankruptcy.

“Yoongi, I really think we should start accepting requests from more people. There are tons of people waiting for our acceptance through email. I just need one word from you and I’ll let them know immediately.” Hoseok utters as he scrolled through pages and pages of requests. Getting ignored, he sighed, cleaned up his desk and walked over to Yoongi’s desk. Feeling Hoseok’s stare on him, Yoongi snapped.

“What?!”

“Yoongi, look at you. I know you’re desperate to find Chim Chim, but it has been so many years. If whatever you said happened to him really did happened, he might not even be alive anymore. You need to start taking care of yourself and stop chasing after someone who might not even exist on the face of earth anymore. I mean, come on! You don’t even know the kid’s real name, for goodness sake!” Hoseok raised his voice. Yoongi opened his mouth, wanting to shout back insults towards his one and only co-worker, but not desiring to justify himself, he decided against it and returned his gaze to his computer screen. Calming down, Hoseok realized that he might have stepped over the line. Chewing on his lower lips in guilt, he switched off Yoongi’s monitor, turned Yoongi’snchair towards him and caged him in between his arms.

“Look, I know how you’re feeling; I know how it feels to lose a loved one, but you’ve got to stop wallowing in it. Start working for real and maybe you can find leads along the way? I know I shouldn’t have said what I said. I’m sorry. But I believe Chim Chim wouldn’t want to see you like this too. Trust me for once. Just accept some of these requests,” Hoseok pleaded.

“You expect me to accept requests to catch unfaithful husband in action? Or to find their missing pets which are most probably dead or stuck in a tree somewhere?” Yoongi scoffed as he pulled out a cigarette and started lighting it, only to be stopped by Hoseok.

“You know that’s not what I meant. With your reputation, do you honestly believe that you’ll still get those kind of measly requests? Just take some time to look through your emails. I’m sure there will be a case that will catch your eye.” Hoseok assured Yoongi as he stretched to straighten his back. “I’m calling it a day. Give yourself one more night to sort out your thoughts. Let’s start over again tomorrow.”

Humming out an acknowledgement, Yoongi leaned back on his swivel chair as Hoseok bided him farewell. Hearing the doorbell chimed, Yoongi had thought that Hoseok had left until he heard a cough. Glancing up, he saw Hoseok standing beside an orange-haired male who looked adorably timid, holding on to a brown briefcase. He was dressed smartly and it was hard to not assume that this man was of a higher status. Seeing Hoseok signaling him to get into his business mode, he reluctantly sat up straight and adjusted his tie. Gesturing for the man with the briefcase to sit down, he cleared his throat.

“How may I help you today?”

Glancing around nervously, the man decided to keep his gaze locked at his own fingers for awhile as he whispered out a reply so soft Yoongi had to strain his ears to catch them.

“You need my help to find a person?” Yoongi asked in an attempt to confirm what he heard. The man nodded and placed the briefcase on the table.

“Ye… Yes… I’m not sure about your charges, so I brought a minimum sum here as a deposit. If this amount is not enough, I can always get more. I really need your help Suga-ssi.” The man appealed as he opened up his briefcase. It was filled to the brim with 1 000 000 ₩ bills packed nicely. Upon seeing the content of the briefcase, Hoseok gave a small shriek and Yoongi’s eyes widened. Hoseok scuttled over and started counting the amount of money inside while Yoongi kept his gaze on the man sitting in front of him.

“How do I address you?”

“Just call me Jiminie”

“And you work as a…?”

“I’ll rather keep that a secret if you don’t mind.”

Taking a sip from his cup, he was about to reject the man because finding a man is not particularly the kind of case he was fond of when Hoseok pulled him away from his chair.

“Yoongs! You have to take this case! It’s not a difficult case and the amount of money inside is enough to clear all of our debts and to tide us over for a few years with ease!” Hoseok scream-whispered.

“Hoseok, you know we are not that kind of agency. If he has this much money, he should be able to find someone else to help him without much difficulty.” Yoongi argued with slight suspicion.

“But Yoongi….!”

“Enough said, Hoseok. We’re not taking this case. We have many other requests waiting for us, didn’t you just say that?” Yoongi shut Hoseok up and walked back to the man.

“Jiminie-ssi, I’m afraid I will have to turn down your request. I believe with your wealth you’ll be able to find someone else who is more qualified than us and who is worthier of taking your money.” Yoongi said while Hoseok mumbled complains after complains behind him. Astounded, Jiminie pushed the briefcase closer to Yoongi and stood up. Towering over Yoongi across the table, he demanded.

“I want no one else to take this job. I only want you. If you do not accept my request, I will make sure I’m here every single day to beg you. I need to find this person and you are the only one who can do it. Please.”

Feeling a tad intimidated, Yoongi was about to speak up again when Hoseok beat him to it.

“Alright, we’ll take your case. Please explain this case in greater detail.”

“What the hell, Hoseok? Who gave you the right?” Yoongi exclaimed, startling Jiminie as Hoseok dragged Yoongi away.

“Don’t do that in front of a client, idiot! Come on, he said he ONLY want your expertise. He NEED your expertise. Moreover, you need to get more leads on Chim Chim too! Finding a missing person might also benefit you, don’t you think? Think about it. We need the money, he needs you. It’s a win-win situation.” Hoseok justified quickly, trying to calm his raging boss. Thinking through all his options, Yoongi could not deny that this case could really be something that might benefit him. Sighing in defeat, he walked back to the guy, who is currently walking around the office, looking at every single artifact with awe written all over his face. Clearing his throat once again, he got the attention of the man in question and he walked back towards Yoongi.

“Jiminie-ssi, I apologize for the outburst just now. Please take a seat and we’ll discuss this in further details. I would like to know who you’re looking for, any leads you currently have, what kind of relationship you have with this person and any other information you think is important for me to know,” Yoongi said as he set his tablet in front of him, ready to jot down information essential to this case.

“I’m… I’m looking for Park Jimin. He used to live in Daegu. That’s the last place I heard of him. He moved to another city about 7 years ago but he got into an accident. The last information I got of him was that his parents had died in that accident but he was saved.” Listening to Jiminie relate Park Jimin’s mishap brought about a sinking feeling in Yoongi’s gut. Why does this sound so familiar? Brushing away any kind of thoughts he might have about a certain Chim Chim, he jotted down all the information.

“Alright. I’m sure we’ll be able to help you with that. Come back tomorrow at 8:00 a.m. and we will set off to Daegu. I will keep these money as a promise that I’ll see this case till its end. Thank you once again for placing your trust with us, Suga Private Eye. I’ll see you tomorrow Jiminie-ssi.” Yoongi said as he stood up and extended his hand to Jiminie. Jiminie glanced down at his outstretched hand and back to Yoongi before he shyly took his hand in his and shook firmly. Mumbling a soft thanks, Jiminie left.

“Yoongs… That sounds strangely like your Chim Chim story. Do you happen to know that guy?” Hoseok asked. Shaking his head, Yoongi’s gaze lingered slightly longer at the doorway where the orange-haired man had already disappeared ages ago.

“I’ve never seen him before.”

-

“Yoongi-ssi… are you here?” Jiminie called out as he stepped into the office apprehensively. Hearing a series of clanking noise coming from the back of the office, Jiminie saw Yoongi stumbling out with disheveled hair and tie undone. Seeing Jiminie standing at the door looking so neat and tidy, he cursed and checked his watch.

“Oh fuck! It’s already 8?! Oh god! Jiminie-ssi, I’m so sorry. This is highly unprofessional of me. Just give me 15 minutes and I’ll be ready to go.” Yoongi blurted as he scrambled around to get his briefcase and to straighten up his appearance. Taking all his different documents from different corner of his office, he can’t help but to trip over some of the artifacts that he left lying around. Clean up office. Noted. Yoongi was so preoccupied with trying to get himself ready he didn’t realize that Jiminie's eyes were following his every move, amused. Just as he was about to leave, he was startled by a burst of laughter coming from behind him. Jumping slightly, he turned around just in time to catch Jiminie mumbled something underneath his breath.

“You didn’t change a bit.”

“Erm sorry… What did you say?” Yoongi asked, puzzled at what he heard but couldn’t be sure that he heard correctly. A slight blush flash past Jiminie’s face as he shook his head vigorously, keeping his head down.

“I didn’t say anything… not anything of importance… Are… Are you ready? Shall we make a move?” Jiminie asked as he turned around and headed out of the door. Too flustered to suspect anything, Yoongi grabbed his briefcase, take one last look around his office to make sure he didn’t miss out anything and followed after Jiminie.

-

“Jiminie-ssi, this way please.” Yoongi directed Jiminie politely towards his car. Sighing, he was dreading the moment when he had to show Jiminie his worn out car, considering the fact that he had not been maintaining it properly for the past 2 years due to his lack in the finance area. That surely wouldn't make a good first impression, Yoongi thought. But before he could take another step, he felt a warm hand closed around his wrist and was tugged backwards.

“Yoongi-ssi, if you don’t mind, let’s take my car down to Daegu.” Jiminie offered as he pulled the elder towards his car without waiting for his reply. Yoongi was about to voice out his objections when he realized something peculiar.

“Jiminie-ssi… what did you call me just now?”

Jiminie halted in his step for that one second, seemingly anxious, but the next second he was walking again confidently as he replied Yoongi’s question.

“I called you Suga-ssi. Is there any problem with that? Would you rather I address you in another way?” Jimin replied. Yoongi furrowed his brows as he recalled what he heard just a few seconds ago, positive that he heard his name being called. His real name. But no one in his world now (with the exception of Hoseok) knew his real name. He had already changed his identity to Suga and that’s how he had been recognized and addressed now.

“But… I thought I heard you call me…”

“What did you hear? Suga-ssi?”

“I heard… Ah never mind. It doesn’t matter. Sorry about that.” Yoongi brushed his suspicions away as they stepped into Jiminie’s car. Looking at the interior of the car, being impressed was an understatement. He had already known that Jiminie is someone of a higher status, but his car was very impressive. With leather chairs and the latest sound system installed, his car screams out wealth in every single corner. 

“You have a nice car.” Yoongi complimented. Catching Jiminie blushing once again, he felt a familiar feeling pooling in his stomach. A familiar feeling that only one person in the world could ever make him feel. Knocking some sense into himself, Yoongi convinced himself that he’s only feeling this way because of the case. The case that was strangely similar to the one he had been working on since a few years ago. Clearing his throat, he leaned back as Jiminie drove out of the car park towards their destination.

-

“So why is this guy so important to you? What’s the backstory? I mean if you don’t mind sharing.” Yoongi probed, trying to make some small talk between the orange-haired man and himself. The air had been tense ever since they left his company and he’s positive he was not the only one feeling it. Trying to ease the atmosphere, he was hoping the question wouldn’t offend that man in anyway and would get him to loosen up a bit. It would certainly help him with the case too.

“He… Hmmm… He is someone who is very close to me, who is very similar to me. After the accident he had, he lost his family as well as someone very important to him. He had been trying very hard to find this person for a very long time and had asked me for my help. But recently, when I had finally managed to find this special person of his, he became the one who went missing. I need to find him to bring him back to that person and I need your help to do so.” Jiminie replied. As much as Yoongi wanted to help and get involved, the orange-haired man’s description was so vague. But there’s this part of him that yearned for something, for anything, of this missing man but he just couldn’t put his finger to it. Focusing on the task at hand, Yoongi threw away all emotional thoughts and replaced them with rational ones.

“We’re here Suga-ssi. This was the last place I saw him.” Jiminie said as he parked his car nearby a park. Alighting from the car, Yoongi looked around his surroundings and for the first time in 7 years, he was back to a familiar place. Daegu had been his hometown, the place where traces of Chim Chim was everywhere. Swallowing down his feeling of nostalgia, he told himself that he needed to focus on his work. At least for now. Yoongi turned towards Jiminie and saw him walking towards the park. Towards the playground. Towards that playground he used to play so often when he was younger. That playground that belonged to Chim Chim and him. With unsure steps, he walked alongside Jiminie.

“This is the last place I saw him. I’m sorry you have to work with such little leads, but I believe in your skills Suga-ssi,” Jiminie affirmed as he sat on the slide. Yoongi hummed out a reply and started to walk around the playground, pretty sure that any leads would have long disappeared, considering this place was such an open area. Scrutinizing every corner, he caught a familiar writing on the bar which was supporting the swing.

Chim Chim and Hyung were here! :)

 ~

“Chim! We have to go home! It’s getting really really late. I don’t want you to get scolded again,” the 10-year-old Yoongi shouted. Chim Chim had been sitting on the swing for the past half an hour and he had refused to get down even with Yoongi’s endless coaxing. The sun was setting and Yoongi was getting more and more anxious. He looked over to his chubby cheeks friend and seeing that Chim Chim was enjoying himself so much, his heart melted. However, he knew the consequences Chim Chim would have to face if he didn’t get him home this instant. Running over to his friend, he stopped the swing and dragged Chim Chim away from it.

“I don’t wanna go home! Hyung… I want to stay with you for awhile more… “ Chim Chim puffed up his cheeks and complained. Adoration bubbled out from Yoongi’s heart, but despite that, his goal was set. Chim Chim needs to go home.

“I’ll still be here tomorrow. We can meet again after school! But if you don’t go home now, your mummy is going to get really mad and she won’t let us meet again! Remember what happened the last time? You don’t want that to happen again, do you? I made a promise to your mum and I have to be a hyung that can fulfill his end of the promise. If not, your mum won’t trust me enough to leave you with me ever again. Chim Chim won’t want that, right?” Yoongi coaxed as he bent down slightly to Chim Chim’s eye level. Chim Chim seemed to be weighing his choices and for one second, Yoongi thought that he was going to fight a hard long battle. He was about to plead his case once again when Chim Chim’s shoulders drooped. Looking up at Yoongi, he pouted. 

“Alright… I’ll go home… But can we just leave a promise here? That this will be the place we will always meet!” Chim Chim said as he held on to Yoongi’s hand, swinging it left and right, puffing his face up and glancing up at Yoongi with those puppy eyes.

“What do you want to do?”

“Let’s carve our names... here! Let’s write… “Chim Chim and Hyung were here!” And we should add a smiley face behind it. Because I always smile when I'm with you.”

Smiling gently, Yoongi nodded his head as Chim Chim ran to find a stone strong enough to carve the hard metal. That night, Chim Chim got scolded once again for reaching home late, but his heart was warm with the promise he made with his beloved hyung.

~

“Suga-ssi… Suga-ssi!” Jiminie called out as he waved his hand in front of Yoongi, who was currently staring into space. Yoongi came back to his senses and muttered a quick apology as he rubbed his temple. Seeing the wordings had brought back a memory he held dear in his heart and he had accidentally allowed himself to indulge in it. Frustrated at himself for being so unprofessional, he cleared his mind and turned to walk out of the playground.

“I’m guessing the people working opposite this playground might have caught a sighting of him. Do you have his photo with you?” Yoongi said. Realizing that Jiminie wasn’t responding, he turned around and saw that he was staring at the same wordings Yoongi was staring at just a few seconds ago. 

“Suga-ssi, does this mean anything to you? You blanked out the moment you saw this.” Jiminie asked as he smoothed out the carving. Jiminie turned around and for that one moment, Yoongi was taken aback. For that one moment, Jiminie looked like him. For that one moment, Yoongi thought he was hallucinating. For that one moment, Jiminie had looked exactly like Chim Chim. That magical moment passed and Yoongi felt a stinging behind his eyes. His heart was beating erratically and his breathing was uneven. What am I doing? 

“It… It’s nothing. It’s just something that I carved with a friend of mine when we were younger. I used to grow up in this town. Come on, let’s talk to the person working opposite the playground. We might get some leads on Park Jimin. We don’t have a lot of time.” Yoongi brushed Jiminie off and gestured for him to follow him. Without looking back, he marched right into the convenience store. Once again, he was struck with familiarity but this time round, his focus was on his job. Despite not having Park Jimin's photo with him, he decided to just approached the cashier with just a name, hoping that maybe this person will know something about him. Unexpectedly, when he mentioned the name, the cashier's eyes lit up with recognition. Just then, Jiminie walked into the convenience store and both of them turned towards him. 

"Sir, you said you're looking for Park Jimin? But he's..."

"SUGA-SSI! CAN I TALK TO YOU FOR A MINUTE OUTSIDE?" Jiminie yelled, causing Yoongi to miss out on the rest of the sentence the cashier said. Annoyed, he signaled Jiminie to be quiet before turning back to the cashier. But before he could say another word, he was dragged out by the orange-haired boy. 

"Not to be rude, BUT WHAT IN THE WORLD WAS THAT? That person might have a lead on where Park Jimin might be and you dragged me out because you wanted to speak to me? What else is more important than that?" Yoongi snapped at a flustered Jiminie.

"I... I... I actually... Know that person. Let me talk to him. You stay here." Jiminie replied with a guilty look on his face. Bewildered, Yoongi rejected his suggestion, because wasn't that his job? And he's paid really handsomely for this. It doesn't make any sense for his client to do his job! 

"Suga-ssi... Please. Just trust me. I got this." Jiminie pleaded. Without giving Yoongi any chance to respond/object, he went back into the convenience store alone. 

-

"Suga-ssi! I've got our next lead!" Jiminie announced to Yoongi who was currently lying down on a bench outside the store, enjoying the soft breeze while waiting for Jiminie to be done. Stifling a yawn, he sat up and walked towards the car, ignoring Jiminie. He knew that he was acting really unprofessional and childish, but a part of him felt so comfortable with Jiminie and unconsciously, he had allowed himself to throw a tantrum, showing his displeasure towards his client. Running to chase up to Yoongi, Jiminie kept quiet, not knowing how to deal with an angry Yoongi. Seated inside the car, Yoongi gestured Jiminie to move but the car remained still.

"Did I make you angry?" 

Taken aback by the bold question, Yoongi was caught off guard and without thinking, he nodded in response. Jiminie's eyes drooped as he apologize over and over again.

"Do you even know why am I mad?" Yoongi finally asked after the millionth time Jiminie had apologized. Staring at his steering wheel, Jiminie shook his head timidly and Yoongi sighed.

"If you asked me for my help, I need you to trust me. To trust that I can do my job well and not try to do anything you're not needed to." Yoongi explained as he ruffled his already messy hair. 

"If I made you feel that you're inadequate, I apologize. I don’t think you're inadequate. It's just... I have my reasons for doing that." Jiminie replied in response and apologized once again.

"What reasons? Is there anything I can help with?" 

"It's just... personal reasons. I promise you'll know in time to come but not now. I'm sorry Suga-ssi." Jiminie brushed Yoongi off and started up his car. Ashamed at his own childish actions, he made known to Jiminie that everything was fine. Though the journey to their next destination was still a bit awkward, mainly because of what had happened previously, Yoongi had tried to redeem himself by creating small talk once again. He got to see how Jiminie's eyes wrinkled up in literal crescent every time Yoongi said something that made him laugh. Before long, they passed by a familiar neighborhood and Yoongi's heart clenched. Knowing that he was getting nearer to a house that he used to frequent so often, he instructed Jiminie to stop. He knew that this wouldn’t help their current investigation but now that he's back to Daegu, he had to come back to this place. Stepping out from the car, he walked towards the now abandoned house. Noticing that the door was ajar, he stepped into the house and was surprised that everything remained the same, except for the cobwebs that had found their way around the furniture. Smiling, Yoongi walked over to the wall above the tv stand and took down a photo on the wall. In the photo was a young Chim Chim smiling brightly with a bandage across his face, his arms around a grumpy looking Yoongi standing beside him.

~

"This is so stupid!! Why will you want to take a picture with that huge bandage on your face?" 17-year-old Yoongi snapped at a 15-year-old Chim Chim who was prancing around his living room with a camera around his neck. He had been trying to persuade his best friend to take a photo with him to commemorate the day where he got his first injury on his face and Yoongi had felt that it was stupid because HE was the one who had put that injury on his face accidentally. Just a few minutes ago Chim Chim had been bawling his eye out when Yoongi had accidentally scratched his face with a penknife when they were doing their art homework and Yoongi had felt so guilty. Chim Chim's mum had quickly salvaged the situation and Yoongi had sat beside a tearing Chim Chim, mumbling apologies and cracking jokes. Not long later, Chim Chim got his sunshine smile back and took a camera wanting to take a rare photo with his hyung.

"It's not stupid! This is to blackmail you in the future, because now you owe me one!" Chim Chim said jokingly and Yoongi groaned loudly. After begging and pleading to no avail, Chim Chim said, "hyung... I thought you love me."

Blushing a bright red, Yoongi coughed and spluttered as Chim Chim continued, "as a friend. What are you thinking about hyung?" 

Laughing hysterically at his hyung's reaction, Chim Chim shouted out for his mum and grabbed Yoongi by his shoulder as they posed for his mum, with Chim Chim smiling brightly and Yoongi looking grumpy beside him.

"You brat."

~

"Suga-ssi, shall we go?" Jiminie asked as Yoongi placed the photo back on the wall. Nodding, Yoongi turned and walked towards the front door, being cautious of a faulty tile near the sofa when Jiminie suddenly shouted.

"Watch out! That tile is not safe!" 

Startled, Yoongi turned around and eyed him suspiciously, while Jiminie covered his mouth reflexively. Walking towards him slowly, Yoongi tucked his hand into his pocket.

"How did you know that tile is faulty? Have you been here before? Were you related to this family in anyway?" Yoongi interrogated as Jiminie backed himself against the wall.

"I... I... It looks unsafe?" Jiminie murmured unconvincingly. Looking at his watch, he ran out, saying that they don't have much time left to go to the next destination and had left Yoongi alone in the house.

Who is he? Why does he feel so familiar? Could it be that he knows who Chim Chim is? He... Just who the hell he is?

-

Standing in front of a small apartment, Yoongi rang the doorbell. They had already been out here for close to 15 minutes and Yoongi was positive no one was at home. Just when he was about to turn and leave, the gate opened. Without thinking, Jiminie walked straight in with Yoongi tagging behind him. Standing outside of the wooden door, they waited patiently, hearing scuffling from within. 

“Hi, can I help you?” a middle-aged lady asked. She was dressed plainly, in a simple T-shirt and shorts. Her hair tied up in a bun, she looked comfortable and in her own element. Clearing his throat, Yoongi asked formally.

“Hi, I am looking for someone called Park Jimin. I was told that his grandmother lives here?”

“Park Jimin’s grandmother? She’s currently not in. She had left to Seoul to find her grandson. I’ve never seen her grandson before but I’m pretty sure that’s who you’re talking about.” The middle aged lady replied. 

“Seoul? Park Jimin is in Seoul? Do you know how we can find him?” Yoongi asked excitedly. Somehow he’s pretty sure whoever Park Jimin was, he’d find him soon. But he couldn’t shake off the feeling that this case was way too easy. Everything fell into place so naturally it’s like he’s just being brought around in circles. It’s like Park Jimin was never missing. But why would Jiminie pay him such a huge amount of money to find someone who’s not lost?

“Of course! Her grandson is the CEO of Yoonmin enterprise. I’m pretty sure you’ll be able to find him there.”

Astonished, Yoongi looked over at Jiminie suspiciously as Jiminie kept his head low. Thanking the middle age lady, Jiminie turned back towards his car. Following behind him was a confused Yoongi, who was trying to link together what had happened that day and his suspicion grew. He was almost certain he got roped into a ride. And he was almost certain… No he couldn’t be certain. Clicking his seatbelt safely into place once again, Jiminie drove off back to Seoul.

“Jiminie-ssi, it seems like we will be able to find Park Jimin very soon.” Yoongi commented. Jiminie nodded and kept his eyes on the road, seeming more and more burdened by the second.

“So why do I not see you being excited about it? I mean... If this person is really as important to you as you claimed he is.” Yoongi added on subtly, trying to dig out whatever he could from Jiminie. He racked his brains and tried to recall everything he could remember from the past, but he’s pretty sure he had never seen Jiminie before in his life. Never. So why was it that he felt such familiarity coming from him and why was it that he seemed to know things from Yoongi’s past? Not to mention this morning, when Yoongi was certain he heard Jiminie called him Yoongi instead of Suga.

“I’m excited… I’m just… really nervous.” Jiminie replied. Taking in a deep breath, he tapped his fingers on the steering wheel and said,” Suga-ssi, can I ask you a question?”

“Only if I get to ask you one in return.” Yoongi replied, then added on, “and we must be honest with our answers.”

“Alright. Fair enough. So… here goes nothing. Suga-ssi, why did you start up a detective agency?” 

Yoongi never expected his question to be so… normal? He was contemplating between saying the truth, which would in turn cause him to bare his heart out, or to say his politically correct answer. Before he could even make a decision, it’s as if Jiminie knew what he was thinking.

“Remember. You said to be honest.”

Sighing in defeat, Yoongi ran his fingers through his hair. Licking his dry lips, he prepared himself to pour out an important part of his life that only Hoseok knew.

“It’s going to be a long story. Be prepared for that.” Yoongi said as he gave a dry laugh. Clearing his throat, he continued, “As I’ve told you earlier today, I used to live in Daegu. When I was younger, I didn’t have many friends, because I’m not exactly the type of person people would love to be around. But there was a boy, a boy whose name I don’t even know, who stayed with me and liked hanging around me. I only know him as Chim Chim. It was a nickname I gave him and it had stuck on ever since. It had never crossed my mind that one day I would lose him so I’d never found the need to ask him for his real name. It felt like that was our thing. Either way, that’s not the point. When I was around 18 years old and Chim was about 16 years old, their family had to move away from Daegu because of his father’s job. The news came very suddenly and within a day, they moved. The news didn’t reach me in time, so I wasn’t able to send him off, nor was I given the opportunity to exchange our contact details. You must think it’s dumb, for me to have known him for so many years but yet I knew nothing about him. I just never thought that there would ever be a day when he would leave me. I thought that he would be with me forever." Yoongi smiled a bitter smile as he looked out of the window. Hearing a hum from Jiminie, he continued his story.

"A few days later, I heard from people who were living in my neighbourhood that their car had crashed on the journey to whatever destination they were supposed to go and his parents died on the spot. No one knew where Chim Chim went after the accident because he wasn’t there when the ambulance arrived. I was devastated. He was important to me. He is. I always thought that he’s just my best friend, but that day, when I heard the news that he might’ve died, I knew the ache I felt was a different kind of ache. Since then, I made it a point to study hard, and I moved to Seoul - where information is the most abundant, got a detective license and committed everything into finding Chim Chim. I had spent 7 years ever since and yet all the leads I got of him always ended up at a dead end. For all I know, he might already be dead, but I just couldn’t give up without knowing for sure. And that’s the reason why I opened a detective agency. The main reason at least.”

The car was silent for awhile, with only the humming from the radio being heard. Leaning back onto the chair as he made himself comfortable, Yoongi let out a sigh. 

“That was… a very meaningful reason, Suga-ssi. Thank you for being honest with me.” Jiminie said.

“I didn’t expect myself to tell you everything as well, but you make me comfortable. There's just something about you that makes me feel like I can tell you my entire life story. A feeling that somehow we know each other for a very long time, somehow I can be honest with you. Jiminie-ssi, you’re really something special.” Yoongi laughed. He turned to his side and looked at Jiminie closely for the first time. He was a fine young man with gorgeous features and a gentle look in his eyes that Yoongi was sure woman everywhere would fall for.

“Jiminie-ssi, you’re really good-looking. If my heart hasn't already been taken up by someone else, I’m positive my heart will be stolen by you.” Yoongi teased. Hearing Jiminie’s gasped, he turned over, wanting to assure him that he’s just joking when he caught Jiminie’s smiling ever so slightly and he swore, he swore he knew that look. He had seen it somewhere. For sure.

“Jiminie-ssi, I was honest with you just now so now I need you to be honest with me too. I know this may sound weird, but can you tell me if you know the Chim Chim I was talking about? Because I swear… You seem like you know something from my past… the past I had with Chim Chim.”

With Jiminie driving into the parking lot, Yoongi then realized that they had reached their destination. Getting ready to alight, Jiminie was pulled back by Yoongi before he could even step out of the door.

“Once again, not to be rude, but Jiminie-ssi, I think you owe me an answer.” Yoongi demanded as he grabbed on to Jiminie’s arm even tighter, adamant to get his answer before they proceeded back to their case. He needed to know the answer. Facing a determined Yoongi, Jiminie didn't know how to escape. Resigning himself to his fate, Jiminie looked at the ground as he chewed on his lower lip and slowly but surely, he breathed out one word.

“Yes.”

-

“Hi, please follow me to Park Jimin-ssi’s office. He will be with you shortly.” The receptionist informed Yoongi, who was currently standing alone at the receptionist counter. Nodding, Yoongi followed behind the receptionist as he glanced around, trying to find Jiminie. After answering Yoongi, Jiminie had flung Yoongi's hand away and rushed out of the car, making Yoongi chased after him. Jiminie had managed to take the lift before Yoongi could reach him and he had lost sight of him ever since. As much as he’s trying to focus on his task, he couldn't shake off the desire for more answers from Jiminie. This is the closest lead I’ve ever found after so many years! I can’t let it go just like that. I can’t let him go. I need answers. 

“Kindly do not touch any artifacts in Park Jimin-ssi’s office. He doesn’t like it when people do that.” The receptionist announced snobbishly as she took her leave, leaving Yoongi alone in the office. Irritated, Yoongi imitated the female’s snobbish face and laughed at himself. I really cracked myself up sometimes. Not wanting to follow the instructions of the snobbish receptionist (because Yoongi is a born rebel), he started to walk around the office and looked at everything in sight. Park Jimin seemed like someone who is very organized and strict, inferring from how his office was kept so neatly. After walking one whole round in the office, he finally came back to his working desk when something bright green at the corner of his eyes caught his attention. Reaching towards the object, he felt his heart thumping loudly against his chest as he slowly recognized the band he was holding. Slowly, he took out his phone from his pocket and placed his phone accessories side by side with the band he took from Park Jimin’s desk and he felt himself hyperventilating. They are the same.

~

“Hyung Hyung Hyung!! Let’s make the friendship band together!!” Chim Chim was jumping on Yoongi who was currently resting in his bed. Forcing one eye open, he was greeted with a chubby smile and he noted that Chim Chim was holding on to a bunch of bright green strings. Groaning, he turned to his side and covered his ears, trying to drown out the excited monkey on his bed.

“Go away Chim. Hyung wants to sleep.”

“Come on… Wake up and make this friendship band with me! Come on! Come on! Come on!” Chim Chim wasn’t giving up. He started pulling the blanket away from his friend and pulled him up to a sitting position despite Yoongi’s numerous groans and complains. Defeated, Yoongi finally stood up and dragged his tired body to the toilet to wash up. By the time Yoongi was back to his room, Chim Chim had already started work on making the “friendship band” but he could see that it wasn't going well for him.

“What the hell is this, Chim? Are we girls?” Yoongi complained but he still sat down beside Chim Chim and read the tutorial together with him. “And why the fuck are we doing a band that has a heart shape in the middle?”

“Because I love you.” Chim Chim replied nonchalantly, eyes still focusing on the piece of instruction paper in front of him, not noticing that Yoongi had turned bright red. Clearing his throat, Yoongi picked up the strings and started on his own.

“Hyung, you’ve got to stop doing that to your throat. Someday, you’re gonna have a raspy voice and there will be nothing you can do about it.” Chim Chim commented while his focus was still on the band, his fingers moving with precision, determined to churn out a beautiful friendship band.

“And you should stop saying things like that so casually.” Yoongi replied before he realized that it was the wrong thing to say when Chim Chim set down his strings and looked at him, gaze strong on him. Yoongi tried to keep his focus on the strings but Chim Chim was moving closer and closer towards him. Feeling cornered, he finally set his strings down and turned his attention to his friend.

“I didn’t say it casually. I meant it. Don’t you love me too?” Chim Chim asked as he placed his hand gently on Yoongi’s thigh. Flustered, Yoongi cleared his throat once again and Chim Chim’s hand shoots up to touch his throat. Surprised, Yoongi gasped out loud and Chim Chim looked at him with furrowed brows. “Hyung! I told you to stop doing that! You’ll spoil your throat.”

Pulling away from Chim Chim, Yoongi picked up his strings and focused his attention back to them, not noticing the dejected look Chim Chim was giving. With that, the two of them worked on their strings in silence. An hour later, Chim Chim decided to take a break from the handicraft and peeped over at the progress of Yoongi’s band and was surprised to see that his hyung’s band was almost done. The bright green band was more than three quarter done and the heart shape could already been seen clearly.

“Oh my god hyung! You’re good at this! Do mine too! I’ll finish up yours!” Chim Chim said as he threw his half-done band over to Yoongi and snatched Yoongi’s band over.

“You brat! Don’t you know that I’m your hyung. How dare you act so rudely towards me?” Yoongi snapped back with no venom in his words and Chim Chim chuckled. “Even so, I wonder why I still love you.”

Chim Chim finished Yoongi’s band at the same time Yoongi finished his. Excitedly, Chim Chim took both their bands together and looked at it lovingly. Turning towards Yoongi, he smiled beautifully as he cradled the two bands in his hands.

“So you do love me huh, hyung?”

~

Yoongi’s hand shook as he cradled the two bands and he couldn’t believe his eyes. Time had passed and both the bands had become dirty and worn out, but Yoongi could still recognize it. Holding on to the table for support, he accidentally slammed a picture frame onto the table. Startled, he scrambled to place the frame back to its original position when he caught sight of the photo inside the frame. Eyes widened and his breathing speeding up, he covered his mouth and stared at the picture. A picture of Chim Chim and him. Setting the photo frame back onto the desk, his attention was brought back by the knocking on the door.

“Hi Suga-ssi, Park Jimin-ssi is ready to see you.” The receptionist notified and excused herself out of the room, revealing the person standing behind her. Yoongi’s eyes widened even more and he opened his mouth, not knowing how to react, seeing that the person who is walking into the office was none other than his client - Jiminie.

That’s when everything clicked into place. The reason why Jiminie stopped him from speaking to the cashier when he was about to reveal who Park Jimin is. The reason why Jiminie seems to know his way around Daegu so well. The reason why Jiminie knew about the faulty tile in Chim Chim’s house. The reason why Jiminie looked so guilty when the middle age lady revealed that Park Jimin is the CEO of Yoonmin enterprise. The reason why Yoongi was positive he had heard Jiminie called him Yoongi-ssi.

“You… You are Park Jimin aren’t you? But that’s not all… You…But... I have never seen you before...” Yoongi was speechless. The revelation was too overwhelming. He had always been dreaming about the day when he can finally be reunited with his childhood friend, the boy who had been haunting his every thought at every single moment of the day, but never had he expected that their reunion will be like this.

“Yoongi… Let me explain…” Jiminie, or rather Jimin, said. He walked towards Yoongi as Yoongi stepped back, away from Jimin. “Please…”

“Fuck! Don’t call me that! What the fuck is this? Did you take me for a fool?! I bet you must have been laughing at me the entire time! Laughing to yourself at how much of an idiot I am! I took you seriously and this is what you do to me?!" Squinting his eyes with contempt, Yoongi continued to bark out, “Do you find it funny that I’m desperately looking for someone who is right there beside me? Do you?!” Yoongi roared at the top of his lungs, anger blinding his every thought. Jimin stepped nearer to him, stretching out his hand to touch him just to be harshly shoved off. A drop of tear rolled down Yoongi’s cheeks as he wiped it off roughly using his sleeve. He pushed past Jimin and stormed towards the door when Jimin shouted.

“Yoongi please! Don’t go! Let me talk! Let me explain everything to you! Please! I beg you hyung! Please don't leave me again...”

Yoongi stopped in his tracks at the word hyung and heard Jimin sobbing behind him. He turned around slowly and he felt his anger slowly ebbing away. Standing in front of him was a person he couldn't recognize, yet at the same time, someone he was so familiar with. Letting out a breath, he walked towards the couch and sat down, a silent invitation for Jimin to talk. Jimin walked towards the couch apprehensively and took a seat opposite Yoongi, face still wet with tears.

“Yoongi… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to lie to you. I just didn’t know how to face you.” Jimin hiccupped out his words as he looked down on the ground. Feeling Yoongi’s heated gaze on him, he stopped, not knowing how to continue, not knowing how to pacify Yoongi, afraid that whatever he was about to say would not be good enough for him and that once more, he's going to lose Yoongi again.

“7 years. I’ve been looking for you for 7 years. I studied the best I could for 3 years and I finally got the license to be a detective. I used up all my savings just to open up that company to find you. I tried so hard. And yet the moment you found me you decided to play an elaborated joke on me?" Shaking his head, Yoongi tried his best to calm himself down and asked, "Just tell me, when did you find me?”

Jimin was scared. He was frightened. Yoongi was a like a time bomb right now, a time bomb which he had zero confidence in defusing. He couldn’t afford to lose him once again but at the same time, he didn't know what to do.

“I… I swear I didn’t know for long. I found you just a few weeks ago. Hyung… you changed your name. I couldn’t find you." Wiping off his tears, Jimin began to recount his story.

“I can still remember clearly the day my family and I had that accident. We left Daegu at such short notice I didn't have the time to see you for the last time. I was already feeling really upset and yet my parents were still quarreling in the car and at that moment I felt so overwhelmed. All of us were distracted at this huge change in our lives. Before anyone of us noticed, a truck was coming straight at us out of nowhere and my dad swerved, causing the car to flip over. After the ordeal, I opened my eyes, wincing at the pain I felt on my body and I saw my parents burning to death right in front of my eyes. Knowing that the car might blow up any time soon, I quickly climbed out of the car, crying. Even though I was still able to walk, I suffered badly from my injuries. God must have taken pity on me because just before I lost my consciousness along the roadside, a kind lady found me. She gave me shelter and brought me to the hospital, paying for my hospital bills with no complaints. Neither was she expecting me to repay her in any way. The doctor said the burn on my body was minor and could be treated but the burn on my face was serious. I lost most of my skin and it was just raw flesh at the moment. Hearing that, the lady did everything she could by looking for my identity, trying to find out who I was and through her hard work, she found out about the accident and the fact that my parents died. She managed to find out even more information and got to know that I have a huge sum of insurance claim from my parents’ death. Knowing that my condition is severe, she instinctively used my insurance money to pay for all my hospital bills… as well as my plastic surgery bills…” pausing for a moment, Jimin looked up at Yoongi as he slowly touched his own face. 

“When I woke up, the only thing I wanted to do was to look for you. But I needed to heal and that took a very long while. I've been looking forward to meeting you again for so long. I know I looked different, hyung. But I don’t feel any different. I’m still your Chim Chim.” Jimin pleaded with his watery eyes and for a moment, he thought he saw Yoongi's glare softened, but it disappeared as soon as it appeared. Yoongi remained emotionless. Sighing, Jimin continued.

“I slowly recovered and I got a shock when I saw my face for the first time. I felt like I lost everything, everything that connected me to who I am. Who I was. The lady was the one who build me up step by step, and she adopted me as her grandchild. She provided me with the best possible education and kept the rest of the money I got from my insurance claim safely aside until I was 21. Throughout those years, I kept sneaking out, back to Daegu, to find you but you were gone. You were no longer in Daegu. It’s like you’ve disappeared from the face of the Earth. I used your name to find you but I drew up a blank, because hyung, you changed your name. What was I to do? Always keeping the memories of us at the back of my head, I studied hard to become an entrepreneur. I reckoned that if I had the power and the money, finding you would be easy. I was right, it was easier, but it took me a lot longer than I expected. I found out that you’ve moved to Seoul and you’ve changed your name to Suga. After a long search, I finally found your company and I was so excited, thinking that I can finally finally..." Jimin sighed. "See you again. But the day before I went to your office, reality hit me hard. I look like this now. Hyung... I look like this now! I no longer look like your Chim Chim and I didn’t even know if you still remember me. I didn't know if I were as significant to you as you were to me. I didn't know if you would judge me or would you accept me. I was so afraid... And I am still... Afraid. Furthermore, I heard that your company is in huge debts because you hadn't been accepting cases for a long while." Leaning across the table separating them, Jimin said agitatedly, "I was so worried! I wanted to help you so much, but how could I just appear in front of you, expecting you to accept me, a me that you don't even recognize and accept my help to aid your company get through your financial crisis? And so, I went to look for you after coming up with this plan to reveal myself to you in this most subtle way and to help you with your financial crisis at the same time. But… I’m sorry if you felt cheated. That was never my intention. I… I didn’t know what to do, hyung… I just... I missed you so much…” Jimin ended his speech and the tears he tried so hard to keep in came flooding out. 

Yoongi was surprised at what Chim Chim had went through and he felt guilty for flaring up at him earlier, being so self-absorbed. He felt sorry towards him and his heart bled at what Chim must be feeling right now. Hesitating, he finally picked himself up and walked over to Jimin to sit beside him, pulling him into his embrace. Despite the tense situation, it felt so right having Chim Chim in his embrace, it felt so comfortable and so familiar. This is his Chim Chim. No matter what had happened, his Chim Chim is here, right in front of him, right beside him. And at that moment, Yoongi thought, that’s all that matters.

“Chim… Look at me.” Yoongi said as he pulled the younger away from him. “Come on, you look ugly when you cry so badly.”

Choking out a laugh, Jimin wiped his tears away and punched Yoongi jokingly. Patting Jimin’s head, Yoongi let out a sigh and looked at the man in front of him. He looks like a total stranger but he still carries the air of Chim Chim. The way his eyes crinkle reminds him of the Chim Chim he was so used to looking at, though his looks had changed. Cradling Jimin, Yoongi apologized.

“I’m sorry I let my anger get the best of me. I’m sorry I didn’t try harder. I’m sorry it took me so long to come back to you. I’m sorry I made you feel rejected. I’m sorry I didn’t understand you well enough. Chim, hyung is sorry. You have to understand that no matter what you look like; how you look like, you always are my beloved Chim. You have to understand that you are so important to me. I have been searching for you for so long, so so long. I wanted to give up so many times but I can’t bring myself to do that. That's how important you are to me. So what if you look different now? I don't love you for your looks! So what if we've been missing in each other's life for so many years? We have all the time now to get to know each other once again. So Park Jimin, i hope that you'll forgive me, and I am telling you I don't care how you look. You'll always be my Chim Chim.” Yoongi said as Jimin broke into a smile. A look of adoration flashed past Yoongi's face as he tucked a stray strand of hair away from Jimin's face. Jimin's heart melted from Yoongi's honest and genuine confession and he felt so happy. His hyung has finally returned to him and he had told Jimin that he didn't care. He didn't care that he look different!

“Even if I grow four arms around my waist?” Jimin joked as he looked up at his hyung gleefully.

“What the hell, Chim? Four arms?” Yoongi replied, appalled.

“Answer me. You said it… hyung, you said no matter what.” Jimin pushed on, pouting. Letting out a laugh, Yoongi nodded his head as he ruffled Jimin's orange hair.

“Yes, even if you grow four arms.”

“What about if I have two heads? And I talk to myself all the time. Like ALL the time. The two Jimin will always be talking to each other. How about that?”

“Yes, even if so. But I think I'll be a tad lonely?”

“What about... if I have three eyes? Two mouths? Five noses?”

“Chim, I don’t think your face will have enough space for all that.”

“Hyung!"

“Yes, Chim. Yes.”

“What about…” 

“Chim!” Yoongi interrupted Jimin before he can spout out another nonsensical sentence. Clearing his throat, Yoongi was about to speak again when Jimin knocked on his head.

“Hyung! How many times must I say not to do that to your throat? Why do you still not listen to me? You've been clearing your throat so many times the entire day I... Gosh!” Jimin scolded, brows furrowed. Laughing heartily, Yoongi grabbed Jimin closer to him and hugged him tightly, adoration blooming from his chest. He missed this. He missed being scolded by Chim. He missed Chim’s warmth. He missed everything about Chim. And now, he no longer had to miss them, because he’s right there beside him. 

“As much as I love hugging you hyung, I think I’m about to die from suffocation.” Jimin said and Yoongi let go of him immediately, pink tinting his cheeks. Gazing into Jimin’s eyes, Yoongi finally smiled his gummy smile, the smile Jimin love the most. He pulled Jimin’s chin up, tilting his face and after waiting for so long, finally landing his lips on his. Both of them melted into the kiss, and it felt like each other’s lips are the only air they need. The softness of Jimin’s lips took Yoongi’s breath away and the soft sigh coming from Yoongi's mouth melted Jimin's heart. After what seems like hours, both of them parted reluctantly to catch some air. Smirking, Jimin glanced up at Yoongi.

“So you do love me.” 

Gazing at his lover, Yoongi replied.

“Of course I do.”

“And it helps that you look even better after your plastic surgery.”

“Hyung!”