[BTS FF] i work at a convenience store

EP:08 - Shower song

⚠️ swear warning and slightly spicy content ⚠️ 

When I get back to the store Maryn and Cisco still aren’t there. It doesn’t explain the notes that were left for me or why the van was already packed up. 

I hate surprises.

I decide to open the store for a while and hope there’s a little business before I have to go to the gym. I turn the closed sign to open and sit behind the counter. I pass the time by seeing if Jimin would text back. I put his number into my phone and then assign him a contact. But what should I do for his name…?

Tiny Dancer

No, that’s mean. But funny…

Tiny Bitch

Also mean but funny

Park Jimin

I don’t feel like I want to have his full name. 

Jimbles 

That one made me laugh.

Park Jimbles

Okay, that one deserves a gold star and a spot on the Good Noodle chart. I’ll use that one and hope he never finds out about it.

Today

Me

So what did Jungkook tell you about me?

Read at 10:31 AM

So I’ve been left on read.

Fan-f*****g-tastic.

There’s a customer so I check them out and they leave. I check my phone.

Still nothing.

I grab a magazine and a lollipop and wait until I get a message from him. 

An hour passes. Ten customers. No response.

Then an hour and a half. Fifteen customers. No response.

Two hours. Twenty-two customers. No response. 

BING

I rip my phone from its position behind the counter and check it.

Park Jimbles

He said you’re a bitch

“Well that’s nice.” I mumble.

Me

Takes one to know one :))))

And why would he say that about me

Park Jimbles

well eXCUSE mE he said “special b***h”

Me

Like that makes it any better but okay fantastic

Park Jimbles

But he said you’re interesting

And he wishes you would come to the gym more often

Me

Hmm

Well tell him he had better keep his eyes 

to himself or else we gon have some words

Park Jimbles

Okay give me a second he’s right here

Me

WAIT WHAT

Read at 12:37 PM

“f**k!” I hiss and I toss my phone onto the counter. I suck on my lollipop too hard and I end up popping the lollipop off of it’s stick. I finish it and reach for another. 

BING

Park Jimbles

And he said stop eating so many lollipops you’re addicted and you’ll get chubby

…

His words, not mine ;)

Wait a second…

I never ate lollipops at the gym before…I rarely ever eat at the gym. I save the granola bar for the ride home or the homeless man outside on the road. 

It do be smellin’ like fish in here...

Me

Spying isn’t good… :/

Park Jimbles

I know that

...

Obviously he doesn’t 

Me

Where is he

Park Jimbles

Outside? I don’t know

Me

I thought you said he was right there with you

Park Jimbles

Oh

I did say that

“The one thing about lying you need to know,” I mumble to myself, “don’t be dumb.” I laugh to myself. This is hilarious. 

Me

So who’s lying?

...

Tiny dancer or the eye r****t?

Park Jimbles

Who’s Tiny Dancer?

I know who the eye r****t is tho

Me

YOU

ARE

TINY DANCER

BECAUSE 

YOU’RE SMALL

AND PISSING ME OFF

XD

Park Jimbles

Well if you’re calling me tiny dancer I can 

assume my contact name is something else too

Me

It’s Park Jimbles

...

What’s mine

Park Jimbles

You don’t want to know

Me

I feel like I should be okay with that

Read at 12:46 PM

I look around. There hasn’t been a customer in a while. Jungkook probably scared them all off, wherever he is. I think it’s a good time to grab a bite to eat. Or a drink. 

Maryn and Cisco never care if I eat from the store. Mom and Dad didn’t mind all too much, surprisingly. I walk over to the cooler and grab a coconut water. I open it and take a sip. 

Coconut water is so f*****g good. 

I try to find something to eat. I’m not all that hungry, but maybe there’s something that will make me want to eat. 

I find a small pack of four churros. 

“Yes!” I say to myself. I turn the closed sign around and put the little clock sign up to 1 PM when I would return. I run upstairs to my kitchen. I throw the churros in the microwave and grab a cup to put my coconut water in. A couple ice cubes and a loud beep from the microwave later, I have lunch. I sit at my kitchen counter and eat my churros. They’re just the regular cinnamon ones. I can’t tell if they’re filled or not. I could care less though. I drink my coconut water in my glass and when I finish it I wash the cup out and sit it on my counter. There’s still a lot of coconut water left (I grabbed the huge one) so I bring it back downstairs with me. 

I flip around the signs and stay open for a few hours longer. People come and go but there’s no response from Jimin. 

Finally it’s 4 PM. There’s no one in the store so I could easily close it. I flip the sign, lock the store doors and call it a day. 

I go back up to my room and change into my exercise clothes. I grab my bag and check myself in the mirror. I look alright so I leave my room and leave my house. I lock the doors behind me and walk out the back door. 

I made it to the gym and now I was walking through the doors. Steph was there at the counter.

“Hey, Ahnie!” She waved at me over her computer. She paused and looked at me funny. “What’s in the bag?”

“Extra clothes.” I moaned, slumping over the counter carefully so I don’t aggravate my head. “My shower broke.”

“Oh, honey I’m sorry.” Steph says. She pats my back. “I’ll let you use the employee’s shower.” Then her voice gets quiet. “You don’t deserve the regular ones to tell you the truth.”

I laugh. “Thanks, Steph.” 

She hands me the keys to the employee’s showers and tells me to return them when I’m done. 

“Oh and look out for Jungkook.” She warns me. “He’s been really pissy recently.”

My brows furrow together. “Why’s that?”

“I don’t know, actually.” She says. “I think I heard something about a friend. What is it...Jim? Jimmy?”

“Jimin.” I breathe. “It has something to do with Jimin.”

“Who’s that?” Steph asks. Her honey brown eyes are wide now. “b***h, you’d better tell me everything you know!”

“I don’t know anything.” I say, my hands going up like I’ve been caught. “I just know he’s friends with Park Jimin, the guy who teaches dance downtown.” 

“Hmmm…” Steph hums. She bites her cheek. “Oh well. We’ll figure this out as it goes, huh?” 

“I guess so.” I reply.

I thank her and walk to my usual locker. When I open it with my locker key a light blue sticky note is attached to the inside of the door. I pull it off and read it.

Ahnie

I can fix your shower

JK

Okay, what’s with the notes? But I won’t lie, at least someone can fix my shower. Cisco and Maryn are still gone. If they don’t come back soon I’m seriously going to start looking. I’ve texted them over and over, called, emailed even. I’m really worried, even though there were notes saying they’re supposedly “fine.”

I toss the note back into my locker with everything I don’t need (my extra clothes, car keys, little backpack with stuff in it, etc.) and close the lock. I head over to the treadmill with my phone and my earbuds. I connected my earbuds, put my phone on the dock and started to run. After my first mile I see Jungkook walk up to my treadmill. He tugs at his ear, miming for me to take my earbuds out. I slow down my treadmill to three and take my earbuds out. 

“What can I do for you today?” I ask. 

“I don’t know, actually.” Jungkook sighs. He slumps onto my treadmill. “Just wanted to say I can fix your shower.”

“So do you keep everyone’s locker as clean as mine?” I ask, stopping my treadmill all together. “Leave them notes and stuff like that?” I add. 

“No…” Jungkook says slowly. He looks down at his feet and then looks back up.

I decide to challenge him. I lean on the treadmill on my side and get closer to him. “And how do you know my shower is broken in the first place?” I point at him, poking his chest when I say you.

“I overheard you talking to Steph.” He shrugs. “You talk louder around people you like.” Then he grins. “No wonder you talk so loudly around me.”

I roll my eyes. “Like you can’t keep your hands off of me.”

Now it was his turn to roll his eyes. “I was helping you.” 

I scoff. “Felt pretty intimate if you ask me.”

“Damn, sorry then.” He says. I get off of the treadmill and we walk to my locker. My head was really bothering me. Pain shoots through my head with every step.

“What’s up with Jimin?” I ask him. “Steph said you’re pissy today because of him.”

He purses his lips and crosses his arms. “Well he was lying to you over the phone. I wasn’t there with him.”

“I thought so.” I laugh. “He’s pretty terrible at lying.”

Jungkook laughs as well. “Yeah, he is.” 

“So? Is that it?” I ask.

“Well, not exactly.” Jungkook says. He looks down at the ground.

“What?” I say loudly.

“When he said I think you’re a b***h I didn’t say that.” He breathes out. He looks... nervous? “And I didn’t say that you’re going to get chubby either. For eating the lollipops.”

“Sure beats smoking...” I mumble. “But how does he know I have a lollipop addiction? I mean, he’s not lying about that.”

“Oh, Hoseok went to your store today.”

“Who’s that?” I ask. 

“He works at the dance place too. Teaches b-boy stuff like popping, locking, all that kinda stuff.” 

“What’s he look like? I might have seen him.”  

“He has red hair,he’s like, my height, brown eyes looks like a f*****g horse.”

“What?” I laugh. “Why does he look like a horse?”

“His face is long. But that’s not the point right now. Did you see him?”

I think back to when I was stocking the vending machines at the dance place. I did in fact see him. I saw the backside of him, but I didn’t see his face. 

“I saw him when I was stocking the machines at the dance place. He got a Sprite. But you said he came to the store today?” 

“Yeah, he went to the store to see if you were there and what you were doing. For Jimin.”

I try and recall a red-headed man at the store.

“No, I didn’t see him. Maybe he wore a hat or something. I don’t remember anyone with red hair like his.”

“He said he would disguise himself and blend in. Apparently he did alright!” Jungkook laughs. “Usually he sticks out.”

I laugh too. “I mean if your hair is that red I would hope you would stick out!” 

So Jimin is using people to spy for him. Sounds like he’s running his own underground mafia or something. 

“Oh, and you keep eating those lollipops.” Jungkook says quickly. “You won’t get chubby.” 

I smile. “Thanks.” My head starts throbbing again. My ears start ringing. I put my hands to my ears and I feel like I’m about to fall over.

“Are you okay?” Jungkook asks me. He grabs my shoulders, steadying me. 

“Sure. I’ll be okay.” I smile up at him, clearly in pain. “I think today just isn’t a good day for me. I’m going to take a shower. Steph said I can use the employee one.”

“You gonna be able to get there?” He asks. “You just almost fell over. Did you hit your head or something?” 

“I’m going to be fine, don’t worry.”

“Well I’m still walking you there.” He tells me. “And I’m going to sit outside so if you fall over I can help you.”

“But I’ll be naked…?” I think in my head. 

“Fine.” I mumble. I dig my stuff out of my locker and grab the key. Jungkook wraps an arm around mine giving me some much needed support. I don’t think the running helped at all. My head is still throbbing and my eyes aren’t wanting to work correctly. 

We make it down the hall and Jungkook leads me to the women’s bathroom.

“Anyone in here?” He yells while knocking. No one answers. He opens the door and there’s a cute little bathroom waiting for me. A toilet and sink with a large counter and a small tub/shower with tile floors. Nothing too fancy but it’s a hell of a lot better than the regular showers. 

“You going to be okay?” He asks me. He still has a strong hold on me, making sure I don’t fall over.

“I think so.” I respond. “If you hear a catastrophic noise and a loud ‘f**k’ you should probably get in here.” 

“Will do.” He smiles. I open the door and close it behind me. I hear Jungkook slide down the door and sigh. So he wasn’t lying about sitting here for me. I put my stuff down on the counter and sit on the toilet lid. My head is still throbbing and I feel like s**t. I bend down and start to untie my shoes. I take them off along with my socks. I come back up.

“Oh no-“ I say and the room spins around me. I’m lightheaded and I feel like I could tip over. Everything is spinning and my head hurts so much. Like someone’s hitting me with a sledgehammer.

“Jungkook!” I cry. He immediately opens the door and sees me out of breath and lightheaded. He closes the door behind him. I think I hear the click of the lock.

“What’s the matter?” He asks me, kneeling in front of me. “Did you fall?”

“No. I got my shoes off and now I’m lightheaded.” I mumble. Jungkook looks down at my bare feet. He sighs and puts my socks and shoes in my bag.

“Do you need me to...umm.” He can barely finish the sentence without blushing. But I can tell he’s serious.

My face flushed too. “I think so. I don’t want to f*****g die in a shower, for Christ’s sake.” 

“Okay.” Jungkook breathes. He sits back on his feet. “I think I know what to do to make it less awkward and...less...naked.”

“What?” 

“You can hold your towel up and I’ll take your clothes off for you.” He’s still pink in the face but I can tell he seriously wants to help me. 

“Fine. As long as you fix my shower in return.” I say. 

“Deal.” He responds and he sticks his hand out to shake. I feel his soft hands for the second time. 

“You do your shirt stuff first.” He tells me. “Can you do that?” He adds quickly.

“I think so.” I breathe. 

“So he’s a boob guy.” A voice says in my head.

Now’s really not the time for humor, weird voice. 

“Don’t look, pervert.” I joke.

“Sure.” Jungkook laughs back. 

Jungkook turns around and I throw my shirt off and my bra. I’m definitely not as quick as I wish I could be. 

“I can’t lean down to put it in my bag so I’m sorry but you're gonna have to touch a bra.” I tell Jungkook. I hold the towel in front of my chest and he turns around and looks at me for a second.

“That’s fine.” He shrugs. He bends down again and puts my stuff into my bag. “You have good fashion sense.” He tells me.

“Thanks?” I say. 

“Okay. Pants now.” Jungkook says quietly. “Before we get all crazy now, what’s the best way to go about this?” 

I think for a second. “I can stand up and you just have to pull my pants down.” I answer, my voice trailing off a little at the end. This is making my face flush way too much. Why is he being so kind to me? 

“Sounds like a plan.” Jungkook nods. “I’ll turn around while you get situated.”

I stand up hesitantly but it’s easier than I thought it was. I think it was the bending down stuff that agitated my head. If Maryn was here I’d be in the doctor’s office by now. I wrap the towel around my body and stand behind Jungkook.

“Okay.” I mumble. 

He turns around and sees me. He blinks, nods his head and bends down again. I show him where my shorts start. I try and make sure everything is covered down there. 

He grabs a hold of the waistband and pulls down gently. 

They don’t budge. 

“You have them tied too tight.” He looks up at me. He moves the towel aside and reaches for the little bow. He unties it and loosens the waistband. His fingers brush against my stomach and I shiver. Then he pulls on the waistband and they come down with his fingers. He moves slowly, almost taking his time. His fingers grace every part of my legs on the way down. When he reaches my ankles he looks up at me.

“Step out.” He tells me. I do, making sure the towel doesn’t move too much. He puts them in my bag as well. 

He reaches back up to my waist. He moves the towel aside and sees my underwear. I stupidly wore bikini style underwear by accident. They’re low on my waist and the leg holes are very revealing. They’re black and they don’t match my bra at all. 

Damn it.

He looks at my hips and waist for a little bit. I see his eyes map out my lower half. 

“Your underwear and bra didn’t match.” He giggles. “I think it’s cute.” Then he grabs the waistband of my underwear and traces it with his finger.

“And your clothes are all a medium.” He tells me. “But you don’t like it because your natural waist and stomach are small. So you have to tie everything tighter.” He squeezes my hips with his hands. “You shouldn’t be ashamed. You look good in your body.” He holds the waistband in his fingers and pulls down. When he gets them to my knees he stops and looks up at me.

“I’m sorry.” He breathes. “I can’t stand myself either.” 

He kisses my waist on the left side, right where my underwear used to be. It feels like a butterfly landed on my skin. I shiver from being startled by the kiss. 

Then he pulls them down to my ankles and I step out of them. He puts them in my bag too. Then he gets up and gives me his arm. I accept, holding onto him. He pulls me to the shower and I step in. He pulls the curtain behind me and I hear him get my bottles out of my bag. When he places them on the rim of the tub, he walks out of the door without another word. 

I turn on the hot water and throw my towel over the curtain rod. I’m glad I was able to be helped by him. Even if it was a little different this time.

Him.

Jungkook.

The boy everyone at the gym likes. But no one realizes how...gentle he is. He comes across like a playboy but…

I swear, this boy is going to make me scream. 

When I shower, I sing. I don’t even realize I’m doing it until I realize I’m doing it. I know, it doesn’t make any sense. I usually sing songs I’ve heard on the radio or on my music app and I just switch between songs at random. When I forget a lyric I move to another song.

Sometimes I whistle.

The hot water feels so good on the back of my head. I sigh in relief. It feels so much better. Now I know what helps. I’ll have to heat up the hot water bottle thing when I get home. I put shampoo in my hand and put it on my hair. I scrub and try and get all of it. Then I wash it out and wash my face. I forgot I packed it but apparently I did pack my face wash. I close my eyes and put my head in the water, washing off the face stuff. After that I use a conditioner. 

“So let me, hold~ both your hands in, the holes of my sweater.”

I’m deadass singing sweater weather in a gym shower. 

Wow.

I put the conditioner in my hair and continue singing. Daehyun taught me this one when I was around 11. He was 19. He said you could sing it about anyone you loved. He said he sang it about someone he loved. Dad didn’t like it when he found out who it was.

I let the conditioner rest and wash my body with my body wash and wash cloth. I take the time to get all of the parts and make sure I don’t miss anything. When I’m done with that I wring it out as good as I can and I lay it out on the rim of the tub. I rinse out the conditioner the best I can and then I turn off the water. 

I gather my things on the rim of the tub. I stick my head out. Jungkook is still sitting outside. I breathe a sigh of relief and step out. My towel landed on the counter, thankfully. I stumble over and grab it. My head feels a little bit better. My eyes work a bit better now. I dry off the best I can. I go to dry my hair but think better of it. I decide to let Jungkook do that so I don’t almost fall. My head is feeling better but I’m afraid the stress of driving is going to make me have to pull over several times. I try to forget about that by putting on my clothes I had saved. I wait to put on my jacket for when I leave the gym. I put all my stuff in my bag. I check the time. 5:15 pm.

“Jungkook.” I say, leaning my head back. “Can you help me again?”

He comes in the door and closes it behind him. “What’s up?” 

“The ceiling.” I say sarcastically. Jungkook grins. “I just need you to dry my hair. I don’t want to almost fall over or something.”

He’s leaning against the door as he listens to me and I see his eyes searching me. He’s still searching when he realizes he has to reply. 

“Oh, yeah. O-Of course.” He grabs my towel and throws it over my head so I can’t see. I sit down on the toilet seat, giggling. He gets to work but he’s very gentle about it. I feel his hands working through my dark curls through the towel. He takes the towel off my head when my hair is somewhat dryer than before and then combs his hands through my hair. He tries to get most of the tangles out. He sits right in front of me and I watch his face as he concentrates, his eyebrows furrowed and his eyes darting back and forth. Then he pauses and looks at me. 

“You smell really good.” He quickly says and pulls me into his chest. His lips press against my hair. “You smell so good.” He murmurs. His arms feel secure and strong around my waist. “Like flowers in the breeze…”

“J-Jungkook!” I breathe, surprised by the sudden action. His lips meet my neck and he leaves his butterfly kisses again. I try not to enjoy it too much. I realize what’s happening and I gently push him off of me. “I have to get home. I wish I could stay here with you, but I… I can’t.” 

He sits back on his feet looking a little sad. “Are you going to be able to drive home?” He asks me. “I don’t want you to get hurt…” he trails off with the last sentence.

“I don’t know, actually.” I respond. “My car’s out there in the parking lot and I don’t know how you’ll get back home if your car or whatever is here-“

“I don’t have a car.” He suddenly interrupts me. He looks at the ground. “I don’t have a car.” He repeats quieter.

I sit there, dumbfounded. “Do you take the bus?” I ask him. 

He nods his head. “Yeah.”

“There’s a bus stop outside my house.” I say. “You can use that one.”

“Okay.” He looks up at me. “I’m sorry I kissed you like that. I don’t know what came over me… I just...” he runs his hands through his hair. “I’m not very observant about how other people feel and I just… I don’t know I-“

I stop him by kissing him on the cheek. 

“My car is the orange Subaru.” I say. “I’ll go out first so it doesn’t look weird.”

Then I get up, grab my bag and close the door behind me. 

Jungkook POV

After she pushes me away, I sit back on my feet.

“You absolute i***t. Why would you do that?!” A voice screams in my head. 

“Are you going to be able to drive home?” I ask her. “I don’t want you to get hurt…” I say, trailing off a little at the end. 

“I don’t know, actually.” She responds. “My car’s out there in the parking lot and I don’t know how you’ll be able to get back home if your car or whatever is here-“

“I don’t have a car.” I suddenly blurt out, interrupting her. I look at the ground, slightly embarrassed. “I don’t have a car.” I repeat quieter.

She sits there for a second, ingesting the information. “Do you take the bus?” She asks me. 

I nod my head. “Yeah.”

“There’s a bus stop outside my house.” She says.. “You can use that one.”

“Okay.” I look up at her. “I’m sorry I kissed you like that. I don’t know what came over me… I just...” I run my hands through his hair. “I’m not very observant about how other people feel and I just… I don’t know I-“

She stops me by kissing me on the cheek. 

“My car is the orange Subaru.” She tells me. “I’ll go out first so it doesn’t look weird.”

Then she gets up, grabs her bag and closes the door behind her. 

And I’m alone, staring at a white door, gaping like a fish. I feel the spot where she kissed me. 

“Thank you.” It murmurs.

I recline back, leaning against the tub. So I was going to get to drive a Subaru. 

No, I don’t have a car. Yes, I know how to drive. It’s weird, trust me. I just don’t have the money to have a car. And my apartment complex doesn’t have a garage and it’s expensive as it is even though it’s small. 

I wouldn’t be getting a car anytime soon.

Jimin tried to give me his old one but I just couldn’t. Mom and dad always wanted me to earn my first car. They wanted me to earn everything through hard work. So naturally, I declined Jimin’s offer. He was surprised but then sold his car to another guy in my development. 

I wish I would’ve taken it. 

I get up and walk out of the door. I turn around and turn off the lights before closing the door behind me. 

“So,” Steph says to me. “I saw you helping Ahnie today. What’s that all about?” I’m standing at the counter trying to leave but Steph stopped me again. She always wants to talk to me. I wouldn’t have a clue why. I mean, we are co-workers but it’s not like we’re really friends. 

“She hit her head before she got here and it was really bothering her.” I respond with a sigh. “But I gotta go today, Steph. It looks like it’s going to storm and I don’t want to get caught in a rainstorm at the bus stop again.” The bus stop outside the mall strip here doesn’t not have a roof over it. I’ve been caught in several rainstorms before and that one was definitely the worst. 

“Alrighty then.” Steph smiles. “Bye Jungkook!”

“Bye Steph.” I chuckle, waving. 

I step outside and it’s getting really overcast. I stand on the sidewalk and search for her car.

Oh. There it is.

It’s a little far back in the parking lot away from everyone. But it’s bright and you can spot it from miles away. I walk towards her car. When I get there I see she’s in the passenger’s side. 

She’s crying. 

I tap on the window and she looks a little surprised. She wipes her eyes and then opens the door for me.

“You okay?” I ask.

“No, but don’t worry about me.” She mumbles angrily. 

I step in the car and sit down. I close the door and put on the seatbelt. 

“You know how to drive this?” She asks me. She has on a zip up jacket that looks a little bit too big for her. I think it’s a men’s sweatshirt. Does she have a boyfriend?

“I do know how to drive.” I look at her. “You just tell me where to go.”

“I put my address in the GPS.” She blinks at me and a tear streams down her cheek. “Just follow where it tells you to go.” 

“Okay.” I say. 

And we drive.

At the first red light we come to, she looks at me.

“When we get there I have some business to attend to.” She says quietly. I see her fists are clenched. “So don’t hop out of the car immediately or you’ll make it worse.”

“What happened?” I ask cautiously.

She looks out the window when she answers me.

“My parents are f*****g terrible.”