The Secret Of Cotton Candy

Two innocent hard working young men begin an adventure that takes them down the path of love and romance.
OR

Park Jimin has a secret. One that has him so frightened that he can't risk anyone knowing. Will his new friend Jeongguk figure it out?

Welcome to my pink cotton candy world of clowns, teddy bears, mimes, parades and LOVE. This story runs the span of nine years, starting when Park Jimin and Jeon Jeongguk are both eighteen. Jeongguk is aged up and he and Jimin are the same age.

Have a whimsical time on this magical adventure.

✅Complete

Author's Notes

HELLO MY INCREDIBLE DIAMONDS!!!

I am back again. I wanted to so something fun and silly and light for you. As we start the new year, let me tickle your ribs, give you lots of hugs and convince you to embrace your inner child and believe in the magic of clowns, Ferris wheels and cotton candy.

I am also doing something very different. For the first time, I am dropping the entire fic at ONCE. This fic was meant to be a one shot, but you guys know that I can't one shot for shit...so I ended up with a 93k fic. But in the spirit of a one shot, I dropped all of the chapters at one time just so that you could dig in and get a nice read over the weekend. I hope this pays off and everyone has time to sit and read. As always, if you like this story please shout me out on your social media. You really do help me earn more readers.

Enemy didn't do well, I never even made it to 400 and I feel that was some of my best work. But hopefully with a lighter topic, this one will do better.

Now, I must warn you, even though this story is light and airy, it is not angst free. So protect your heart, but enjoy.

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Chapter One - Mime Depression

It was not unusual for the swells of the salty sea to be swept up by the wind. Anyone walking close to the shore, even those scurrying about the edge of town, were often pelted with the soft mist that traveled from the water’s seafoam. On hot sunny days, the overheated bodies of the visitors who frolicked along the pier, welcomed the respite that came with the dousing of the cool mist.

The boardwalk that sat along the basin of Haeundae beach was filled with color. The dull pastels of the umbrellas embedded in the tan sand, contrasted beautifully against the vibrancy of the turbulent teal ocean. On one end of the landscape, the impossibly tall modern sky scrapers that overlooked the spans of the ocean, stood towering over the seawall. While on the other end, the beautifully antiquated craftsmanship of the country’s largest Ferris Wheel spun slowly along the rotten, wooded dock of the pier.  Like a Norman Rockwell painting, the tapestry of colors and textures blended to form one of Korea’s most scenic views.

Just opposite of the bustling city of Busan, on the other side of the bay, lay a city of a different kind.  In this city fit for children of all ages, clowns, balloons, corn dogs and cotton candy governed the land against the sea wall. And the mayors of this colorful city of sugar wishes and candy coated dreams were two very eccentric twin brothers; seventy four year old Han Suk and his twin brother Han Duk.  For far too many decades, they had been the owners and proprietors of Haenundae Amusement Park.  They operated the park with all of the care and love of a cherished family member.  The two brothers were often credited with reviving that old part of town and saving the antique Ferris wheel that had been built in 1977.   

The amusement park itself, was a must see attraction for tourists from every corner of the globe.  Even the Busan Tourism Association named it as one of Busan’s best hidden treasures. It was a popular place mostly because of its location huddled right next to the sea. There was a carousel stocked with black and white enamel horses, a tent full of spinning teacups, a roller coaster just large enough to thrill the bravest four year-olds, and of course the mighty Ferris wheel. The food was basic amusement park fodder. However, the free smells that wafted through the grounds lured visitors to every stand. There they stood, with wide eyed children with over indulgent parents who were ready to empty their pockets for the sweet taste of a deep fried funnel cake, or the salty savor of cheese gamja, or the buttery essence of fresh popcorn, or the nose tingling spices of jjajangmyeon, or the lightly charred piquancy of grilled chicken skewers, or the sugary barely palatable air of cotton candy. It was always the food that spurred the most giggles. 

But there was more to this rickety old amusement park next to the sea – much more indeed.  What set this amusement park apart from others was its heart.  From the mime that playfully sat on invisible boxes and glass walls, to the bear mascot that gave free hugs to all of the children and their parents, there was a dreamy aura about the place that made visitors never want to leave.

***

Jeongguk stuck his head, and half of his upper body all the way inside of the frosty refrigerator. As far as the eyes could see, there was nothing but the bare white racks where fresh milk, eggs and cold ramen used to be. 

“I guess it’s breakfast at the park again,” he grumbled.

“If you’re looking for food, don’t.  I didn’t get paid last night,” his brother Jun-seo quipped, “so I wasn’t able to do my usual shopping. Can you just eat at the park? I’m sure there’s plenty they plan to throw out.”

“What do you mean you didn’t get paid? How is that even possible?”  Jeongguk retorted angrily.  This wasn’t the first time that his brother’s boss had failed to make payroll at the nightclub where Jun-seo was a janitor.

“He gave some bullshit excuse about the receipts for the night not covering expenses...look I’m sorry.  I know this is tough, especially for an eighteen year old kid like you who pretty much only cares about food and orgasms.”

“Not in that order though,” Jeongguk corrected him with a smile.  “And, I’m not a kid.  I’m a full grown man.  Don’t worry about food, I’ll grab something when I get to work.”

“When are you getting that promotion?  It’s been two years, Duk promised that you were next in line for the position of Sugar Centrifuge Engineer,”  Jun-seo snacked on a pack of sesame chips which he shared equally with Jeongguk.

“Well...first off that was Suk, not Duk.  Secondly, it’s coming.  I work really hard and they owe me this promotion.  I’ll talk to him again today,”  Jeongguk assured him.

“Jeongguk, I work three jobs to keep a roof over our heads and food on the table.  If you don’t get this promotion, you may have to take a second job as well.  I know that’s tough considering you just graduated from high school and these are supposed to be the best years of your life. But I need help around here.  Do you understand?”

“Yeah, yeah I get it.  I get it,”  Jeongguk dropped his head.

“I have to go and so do you.  You better not be late.  The last thing we need is for you to get fired.  Get out of here.  I love you – I guess,”  his brother punched him as hard as he could in the shoulder before leaving.

Jeongguk looked at his phone.  It was an older model iPhone with bare minimum cell service. It kept the time and allowed him to make phone calls and send texts. That was all that mattered to him. Material things weren’t important. He’d learned at a very young age, just after being abandoned by his father, that love, freedom, health, happiness...those were the things that mattered.  He lived his life accordingly.

“Oh shit, it’s getting late.  Jun-seo’s right, I better get going before I miss my bus.” 

The tall lanky young man raced back to his bedroom to retrieve his uniform...well it was more like his alter ego than a uniform.  Jeon Jeongguk had the unique honor of being the official mascot for Haenundae Amusement Park.  His name was Tayo the teddy bear. With a stuffed head approximately 10 times the size of his real one, Tayo was the center attraction at the park.  Jeongguk and his alter ego were virtual superstars amongst the snot covered, pee laden, imbecilic youth of Haenundae. But he never allowed his stardom to go to his head. 

In actuality, after three years as the virtual idol mascot, he had grown tired of the role. Duk and Suk refused to install fans in the back of his mascot suit which meant on searing hot days like the day he was facing, he would be drenched in sweat, barely able to breathe. Entertaining the rude little heathens that surrounded him like toddler street gangs high on cotton candy smoke, was never a pleasant experience. But doing it in sweltering heat with no fresh air and a twenty pound mascot suit, made it even more difficult. 

Jeongguk concluded quickly as he ran through his front door, “I deserve a raise.” 

And considering that it was going to be almost 95 degrees Fahrenheit that day, the urgency of speaking with Suk and Duk about his promotion weighed heavily on his mind.  The heat also meant that he dress scantily underneath his mascot suit if he wanted to survive without having heat stroke.   Accordingly, wearing nothing but a thin pair of boxers and a tank top, he quickly stepped into his blue jean overalls and bright orange turtle neck as he ran towards the bus stop.  He clumsily held Tayo’s bear head under his arms and slid his antique iPhone back into his pocket.  It was already hot, and it was only 9am.

As luck would have it, Jeongguk arrived at his bus stop ten minutes early. No doubt his timely schedule was because he had been forced to skip the ten minutes that he typically took to eat breakfast. And as usual, there was a friend waiting patiently for him to arrive. With a smile that shined bright like diamonds, he hurriedly walked to greet her.

He looked down at her and then reached to lightly touch her ear, “Hi beautiful. Nice to see you again.”

Caillou tilted her head, hungry for more of his tender touch.  She loved Jeon Jeongguk, even though she didn’t know how to properly express it.  She had a feeling though, that he already knew.

“I’m sorry.  I don’t have a gift for you today.” Jeongguk apologized, even though he didn’t have to.  Typically when Caillou came to visit, he would have a piece of pork belly or a bacon to share with her as a treat. But not this time. “Things are tight at the moment, but it’ll get better. We’ve been through this many times before.”

Caillou didn’t care about gifts. All she really wanted was to see him, and take advantage of the few moments they had together before he had to board his bus. Oh and there was one additional thing. She needed his help – well her friends needed help to be more exact. She didn’t want to move away from Jeongguk’s hand, but the bus was scheduled to arrive at any moment. She needed his help right away and there was no time to waste.  She slid partially to the side to reveal two small turtles that stood under her belly on the hot sidewalk. She had carried them on her back all the way to the bus stop so that she could present them to Jeongguk. As she always did when her friends needed help, after presenting them, she sat back on her hind quarters, with her furry bottom flat against the ground, and beat her tail happily as she waited for him to examine them.

“Oh Caillou, more friends?  Who do I look like, Dr. Doolittle?”  Jeongguk smiled happily.

Caillou barked once and licked his hand. That was an affirmative answer.

Jeongguk looked carefully at the two small turtles. One was slightly larger than the other, but they were both undersized. “Hmmm, come here little lady,” he assumed correctly that the larger one was a girl.  He picked her up and held her upside down. Her squat, wrinkled legs kicked wildly as she attempted to upright herself in his hand. But there was no need for her to be frightened and no need for her to fight.  Jeongguk had no intention of hurting her. He pressed his ear against her underbelly in an attempt to listen to her heart. “Oh no...you’re lost?  Both of you...are lost? How in the world did you get all the way over here?  Caillou?”

Caillou stood at attention when she heard Jeongguk call her name.

“Where did you find them? They don’t belong on this part of town. I would imagine that they got trapped in a box full of strawberries that came from the fields and traveled to the market. They have smooshed strawberries all over their underbellies. You poor things.  How do I get you home?”  He found a seat under the shaded overhang of the bus stop and gave some thought equity to the plight of the lost turtles.  Before long he had an answer, “I’ve got it.  You can’t get home on your own, but you can get there easily with a little help from a human...and a bus.”  He spoke to the larger turtle as he placed her back to the ground next to her younger partner.  “Caillou, I’m going to take them to work with me, then I’ll take them back to the strawberry fields after work.  They can hang out in the fish tanks until my shift is over.  Thank you for bringing them to me girl.  You’re the most amazing dog I’ve ever met.  You did great, I’ll take it from here,”  Jeongguk gave the stray dog a strong pat on the top of her head. 

Caillou stood proud as her favorite human sprinkled her with praise.

Once again Jeongguk wished that he could afford to take Caillou home and keep her as his own, but sadly his finances just didn’t allow it. He and Jun-seo could barely take care of themselves, let alone a pet.  Luckily for Caillou, many in the neighborhood chipped in to make sure that she was always fed, had a flea collar, and stayed safe. But it was obvious to anyone who met them that Caillou and Jeongguk belonged together. Sadly, it was just not meant to be.

The bus approached. Caillou, as she did whenever she came to see Jeongguk off, stepped back away from the curb to watch him board.  With his oversized teddy bear head under his arm and his two lost turtles in his left hand, he gave Caillou a sweet smile goodbye. Boarding the bus however, wasn’t so easy. He bounced left and right like a ping pong ball against the narrow bus doors as he tried to force his large teddy bear head inside. It was particularly problematic because Tayo’s head was too big to fit through the narrow bus doors.  But as he always did, he found just the right angle to get in. The bus driver, who was very familiar with Jeongguk’s daily Tayo head struggle, waited patiently for him to insert his bus ticket and find a seat. He gave one final smile to Caillou who still sat patiently with her tail wagging against the hot concrete. 

***

Just as he struggled to get inside of the bus, he also struggled to get out. Taking public transportation to and from work with a big ass bear head was just not it. But Jeongguk never complained. He was so grateful to have a job and steady income that worrying about the burden of carrying Tayo’s head was the least of his concerns. As he sprinted across the parking lot, headed towards the back entrance to the amusement park, he noticed a vintage blue VW bug parked diagonally across two spaces. He found it odd. The car had not been there the previous day during business hours, but it appeared to have been parked overnight. It was odd but nothing to fret over. Besides, he had more immediate concerns, particularly his two scared little friends that were napping in his large hand.

Jeongguk’s first stop before clocking in was to carry the two little turtles over to the fish tanks where they could be fed and hang out with the koi while Jeongguk worked. It was a perfect spot for them, and would possibly become their new home if Jeongguk was unable to find their family in the strawberry fields.   

“Hey Tan, I need a favor,”  Jeongguk walked into a large underground room where a 20 foot glass window held back a pond of swimming fish. He gave the aquarium keeper a high five as he watched the 50 year old koi fish dart and dive through the murky water.

“Jeongguk!  What’s up. Haven’t seen you on this side of the park in a while. To what do I owe this prestigious visit?” Tan teased.

“I have a couple of friends who need to hang out in the pond for a while.  Is that ok?” Jeongguk produced his two lazy turtles who had become quite comfortable sitting in his hand.

“Aren’t they the cutest!  Of course I can turtle sit for a while. They’ll fit right in. We have another family of turtles living on that slippery grey rock near the filters. They can all get to know each other,” Tan smiled as he removed the turtles from Jeongguk’s hand.

“Thanks buddy, I’ll be back tonight to get them after my shift is over,” Jeongguk gave Tan another high five and then headed straight over to the offices behind the concession stands where Suk and Duk were likely to be hiding out from the heat.

The day was miserable. Not only was it hot, but the cool breeze that typically blew off the surface of the sea was stifled by the humidity from a high pressure system that was passing over the shore. Jeongguk needed to put Tayo’s head on, but it was just too warm.  Under no circumstances was he ever supposed to be seen without his full uniform which included his heavy, hot, furry, suffocating teddy bear head. He was careful to dodge the large crowds that were gathering at the gate waiting for the park to open. 

The office where twin brothers Suk and Duk worked was a large comfortable space. With several water coolers, an intercom system that Duk used to make his park announcements, sterile white tile floors and wood paneled walls, it served as the perfect hide out for two old men past their prime. Jeongguk loved visiting the office in the heat of the summer because it was one of the few places on the premises that had air conditioning. 

Suk and Duk were identical twins, but anyone who knew them for more than 24 hours, would easily pick up on the nuances that differentiated them. Suk was an easy going soft spoken man. He only talked when absolutely necessary and since his brother Duk never shut up, the two complimented each other quite well. Despite dedicating their entire lives to the thriving amusement park, both of them managed to have sweet doting wives. Suk had been married to his wife for 48 years and Duk had been married to his wife for 51 years.

As he stepped into the office, he immediately pulled down his overalls to give his balls some air.  In addition to the crisp cool blow of air coming from the overhead vents, the twins also had multiple fans running in the hallway.  Jeongguk was elated. He leaned against the wall directly in front of one of the fans and allowed it to blow over his stomach as he pulled his waistband.

“Ahhhhhhh, soooo hot!”  He complained as he stood there zombie-like leaning against the wooden paneling.

Duk stood behind him, “Pull your pants up Porn Boss, this ain’t that type of party.” 

“But it feels so good,” Jeongguk slowly pulled his overalls back on and pouted over the loss of his personal fan.

“Have you eaten,” Suk asked softly as he stepped around him.

“In fact, no.  I haven’t.”

“There’s breakfast in the break room. Its mime appreciation day so we thought we would do something special for Jack.”

Jeongguk did a double take as he watched Suk walk to his desk, “Excuse me, it’s what?”

“Mime appreciation day.  Jack was feeling kind of low so we did a little something to cheer him up.  It was supposed to be on March 22nd, but we completely missed that shit. Oh well, help yourself to breakfast,” Duk concluded.

“How exactly did you know that Jack was feeling...low?” Jeongguk asked suspiciously.

“Well he kept coming into the office and pretending to be stuck in a box. Then he would do that twisty-fist thing where he would wipe his eyes.  It seemed like a call out for help,”  Duk explained. 

“I’ve worked here for three years.  Jack has never spoken a word. Are you sure you understood what he was trying to tell you?” Jeongguk asked again.

“No. We don’t speak mime. We googled ‘what does it mean when your mime is stuck in a box’ and google said it was sign of mime depression...so we went with it and tried to cheer him up,” Duk explained further.

Jeongguk wanted to laugh but at the same time, he was confused. Mime depression was a new phenomenon for him and he didn’t feel equipped enough to judge, so he let it go.

“Why are you in here boy? Your shift starts soon. We can’t have a gang full of six-year-olds burst through the gate with no Tayo to greet them,” Duk inquired.

“Sir, I still have fifteen minutes. I need to talk to you and to you.” Jeongguk faced both of them.

Suk sat behind a typewriter that had been manufactured in 1962. Each and every single one of his correspondence was birthed on the old machine. Buying ink for the relic was a problem. Finding white out for the relic was a problem. Finding a repairman for the relic was also a problem, yet Suk stubbornly refused to live in the twenty first century and use a computer.  He began the painfully slow process of typing out a flyer to announce the grand opening of the new koi pond. 

The first time Jeongguk had seen they typewriter, he thought it was some sort of Ouija board. It wasn’t until he saw one just like it, sitting in the Busan Cultural Art Center that he realized what it actually was. Still, the machinery was suspicious to him. He kept his distance. Instead he chose to stand closer to Duk who had a Mac Book Air laptop.

“Sirs, I’ve worked here for two years now...unlimited overtime. Always on time, always humble and hardworking and well...I think it’s time for me to be promoted.”

“Promoted?” Suk asked.

“You want more money?” Duk asked.

“I want greater responsibility. It’s time for someone else to become the face of the park. Tayo was a great start for me, but I think I’ve earned the position of Sugar Centrifuge Engineer.”

“What?” Duk said loudly, like the old man that he was, “What the hell is that?”

“He wants to be the cotton candy boy,” Suk explained.

“Ohhhh. Sugar Centrifuge Engineer!”  Duk fell back in his chair laughing.  His black mangled toupee folded backwards, flapping away from the bald spot it was intended to cover, while his dentures loosened and fell over his lip. “You kids these days with your fancy titles,” he said as he used his meaty little hand to push his teeth back into their proper position.

While Duk laughed away Jeongguk’s request, Suk took it very seriously. He grabbed the carriage release lever of his typewriter and yanked it hard to the left to start a new line on his linen paper. “Jeongguk you work very hard, that is true. We love having you here and we appreciate everything you’ve done for us.  We would love to promote you...but...there’s no opening. We have two employees there already and we don’t need a third. For now, you’ll need to continue in your role as Tayo. I know this is disappointing news, but there is nothing we can do. The success of this park is not an accident. We’re very careful with our budgets and payroll and that is how we have survived for decades. As much as we appreciate you, we can’t promote you. Not yet,” the news that Suk delivered was horrible. Yet the way he delivered it was as gentle, kind and loving as Jeongguk could have asked for. 

But still it was not the news that he wanted to hear. He dropped his head and shook it back and forth as he thought about how difficult it was going to be to tell his brother the bad news.

Duk saw how upset Jeongguk was and decided to probe further, “Jeongguk, you’re one of the highest paid employees on the payroll.  Jack would kill to make the money that you do.”

“If Jack killed you though, would you actually die?” Suk asked off-topic.

“Shut-up,” Duk yelled at his brother. He turned back to Jeongguk, “Are things...bad at home again?”

“For the second time this month, Jun-seo didn’t get paid again. It’s becoming a problem and we’re going to end up homeless if his dick-of-a-boss keeps treating him this way,” Jeongguk purged.

“Oh Jeongguk, I’m sorry,” Suk said as he stood to his feet. 

“What he’s doing is illegal. You can’t force people to work for free. I have a few lawyer friends who I’m going to call,” Duk offered but Jeongguk stopped him.

“NO! You don’t understand, Jun-seo can’t lose this job. If we dare report his owner, they will fire him for sure. Please let us handle this. But...if you can’t give me more work, I’m afraid that I may have to find another job that pays more money. Believe me, I don’t want to leave here. This is the best job I’ve ever had and you’re the best owners...but I have to help my brother.”

Duk, normally somewhat shrewd and callous, had a soft spot for Jeongguk. In fact both of the twins treated him like a grandson. They hated to see he and Jun-seo go through hard times. Duk walked up to Jeongguk and suddenly sneezed quite overdramatically, right into his face. He fell against him, slyly stuffing something into his chest pocket.

Jeongguk frowned and rolled his eyes, not because of the fake sneeze, but because of the wad of 50,000KRW bills that Duk had “accidently” dropped into Jeongguk’s overall pocket.

“Not this again Sirs. I really cannot take your money. If you want to give me money, then promote me to a new position. Otherwise, I won’t take it. I’m not a charity case, surely you understand? This is a matter of principle for me,” Jeongguk should not have had to explain, but he did.

Suk walked over to Jeongguk and removed the wad of cash from his pocket and then threw it back at his brother. “This is offensive big brother,” Suk lectured him. Duk was older by 13 minutes. “Jeongguk, if there is anything that we can do to help, we will, just say the word. I apologize for my big brother’s antics. At no point did you ever ask us to solve this problem for you. You simply asked us for the tools to help you solve it. And that is very admirable.” Suk gave him a pat on the shoulder. “Now I do believe your 15 minutes are almost up. You still need to stop by the breakroom and get a good breakfast. And then it will be time for Tayo to greet his guests.” Suk folded his hands behind his back and walked back to his typewriter.

“Yes, sir.” Jeongguk managed a smile.

“Hey Jeongguk,” Suk called to him, “one more thing.”

“Yes.”

“Look in the closet near the front entrance. We have a surprise for you,” Suk said excitedly.

“A surprise? Yeah...ok.” Jeongguk was not in the mood for surprises, but he appreciated it anyway.

As he headed back toward the front, he swung open the closet door. There lying on the floor, seemingly even larger than its predecessor was a brand new, pristine Tayo the teddy bear mascot head. And this one had a built in fan. “OH WOW!  I won’t die of heat stroke!” Jeongguk beamed. Somehow the small gesture felt almost as good as getting a raise.

“No you won’t my boy. Sorry it took so long to get here. We had to order it from China. Now go fill the park with smiles kid,” Suk called out over the rickety strikes of the ancient keys of his typewriter.

Jeongguk was elated. He stopped by the breakroom and had his fill of eggs, cold ramen, pastries and juice. Then he bounced out into the hot sun with his new Tayo head as if he had not a care in the world. He clicked the freon powered fan to the “on” position and then dropped the head over his head. Not only was there circulation around his entire head to keep him from sweating, but there was also a small fan that attached along the side of his overalls to help keep his nuts cool. The day was suddenly turning in his favor.  There was nothing but good things ahead, he could feel it.

***

Getting Tayo’s fur cleaned by a professional cleaner was not cheap. The twins were more than willing to pitch in, but Jeongguk was particularly careful about dirtying up his costume in the first place. The last thing he wanted was to have to send his new air conditioned head to the cleaners, so he had to be extra careful, even more so than usual. But fortunately for him, over the years, he had developed a keen sense that alerted him to filthy children and their filthy deeds. Vomit was his number one nemesis, with snot, pee, and spit bringing up the rear. So when he saw the shaky three year old heading his way, his spider senses began to tingle.

“He’s a hurler,” Jeongguk said to himself, under his breath. Everything in his being told him that the three year old was due for a good old vomit. And Jeongguk wanted no part of it. As Cas, the toy peddler, passed by, Jeongguk grabbed a plastic sword from his cart.

“Hey, Jeongguk you can’t take that,” Cas remarked.

“I’ll give it right back. I promise,” Jeongguk said.

“Ok, you better or I’ll have the twins deduct it from your paycheck not mine,”

“Thanks Cas, don’t worry.” The three year old boy squealed as soon as he saw Tayo standing there with his sword. “I am the Kendo dragon!”  Jeongguk yelled as he sliced his plastic sword through the air.

“Tayooooooooo!” The little boy yelled as he rounded the corner. 

“Halt little creature. I did not give you permission to cross the bridge,” Jeongguk held the sword away from his body and pointed towards the little boy.

“Can I have a hug Tayo?”

“Of course you can, but first you must give me the password.”

“Password?” The kid repeated. He was sweating much too much for a child so young. Not only did he appear to be overfed, but he was also overheated and dehydrated. A bad combination.

“Yes, the password,” Jeongguk repeated.

The kid’s mother and father stood nearby with cameras ready to snap a picture of Tayo and their male offspring in a hug, but Jeongguk’s instincts told him that it was too soon to get that close. He continued to hold the boy at bay, by pressing the tip of the plastic sword into his chest. He kept him a full body length away.

“Password, password?” The boy pondered, “Busan?”

“You’re so close!”  Jeongguk encouraged him.

“Seoul?”

“Getting warmer...,” Jeongguk could see the boy’s fresh green hue. 

Suddenly the little boy was out of guesses. He looked towards his mother and said, “Mommy, I don’t feel so good.” He doubled over and vomited out grilled chicken, followed by blue and yellow cotton candy, all over the hot concrete.

“Correct! That’s the password,” Jeongguk smiled as he watched the boy’s parents dodge the volumes of puke that were pouring from their son’s overstuffed stomach.  “Aw, I’m sorry you don’t feel well kid.  Better get some fluids into you.  See you next time.”  Jeongguk ran away as quickly as possible, leaving the sick kid lurching over the garbage can while his clueless parents tried to figure out what to do. 

Jeongguk found Cas about a 1000 yards away and returned his toy sword, “Here ya’ go.  Told you I would bring it back,” he smiled.

“What did you need it for anyway?” Cas asked.

“Long story. Let’s just say I needed a kid repellant.” 

The blurred machinations of a black and white figure suddenly came tumbling towards them.  Head over foot, over and over, Jack backflipped from the bottom of the Ferris wheel all the way down the side walk, over to where Jeongguk and Cas were standing. By the time he settled, he was dizzy. He fell into Cas’ cart to stabilize himself.

“You know Jack...you could have just walked over,” Cas said flatly.

“Hey Jack,” Jeongguk smiled beneath his large bear head, “you okay?  That was some pretty fancy flipping you just did there.” Jeongguk had never been involved with a mime who suffered from depression.    He wasn’t even sure if mime depression was a real thing or if the twins were just old and confused and didn’t know how to use google. Either way, he tried to be gentle. “Heard you haven’t been feeling your best lately.”

Jack stretched both of his arms out in front of him and wiggled his fingers beneath his white cotton gloves. He snapped his suspenders and then squatted down with his arms around his knees. He began banging his palms against an imaginary box as he tried to escape. Jeongguk watched. The warmth of the day had caused the white makeup on Jack’s face to cake around the creases of his mouth. His red, wool beret was crooked and the black make-up over his eyes had begun to run down his cheeks like wet eyeliner. He looked more sinister than whimsical. Jeongguk couldn’t help but wonder if mime’s could really kill people as Suk suggested.  Jack continued to panamime the act of being stuck in a box, just as he had done for the twins. In Jeongguk’s opinion, being stuck in a box really did seem like a sad emotion to portray. But suddenly Jack stood up, he thrusted his hips, gave a crooked smile, did a handstand and then moonwalked away.

Jeongguk glared as he watched Jack and his black and white striped shirt, backslide right back over to the Ferris wheel from wince he came. “Yeah, I really don’t know what the fuck to do with that,”  Jeongguk said in confused frustration.

“That shit is just creepy, right?” Cas shuddered, “I heard his real name is Calvin and he used to work at the Hyundai plant in Jinhae.”

“REALLY?  I would have thought he was a graduate of mime college,” Jeongguk said seriously.

“That’s...a thing?”

“Well you don’t just wake up one day and know how to pretend to be stuck behind a wall of glass.  That’s a skill that someone needs to teach you, right? Like Glass Miming 101 or the Theory of Box Trappage for Freshmen,” Jeongguk rationalized.

“This entire conversation is bullshit.  I’m going home, see you tomorrow,” Cas was quite done with Mime shenanigans for the day.

 

Jeongguk had managed to dodge three barfing kids,  two snot machines, a pooping baby who pooped completely through her diaper, and a fountain pee-er who wet the front of his khaki shorts just as Jeongguk was about to pick him up. At the end of his shift his uniform was still perfectly clean. That fact made him happy.  

The day was drawing to a close. What had started as a shitty day ended as a less than shitty day.  Despite not getting his raise, Jeongguk still felt like smiling. He just felt happy, excited like his life was about to change for the better.  It was a feeling that he just couldn’t shake. 

In addition it was Friday and that meant parade time.  Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Tayo and his pals hosted a parade that walked along the dock near the Ferris wheel. Parades for Tayo always meant tips for Jeongguk. As the parents lined the parade route to say goodbye, all of the characters from the amusement park would grant final hugs and sweet interactions with the kids before the park closed. Tayo, of course, was the star of the show. His celebrity matched that of any Idol in Korea – at least as far as the kids of Korea were concerned. A little dancing here and there and a few hugs to the most pathetic looking group of the bunch usually meant extra-large tips to take home. If he was lucky, he would end the day with enough money to buy the groceries that Jun-seo couldn’t.  Jeongguk put on his happiest face and headed back up the pier towards the Ferris wheel. He had a good feeling – a very good feeling.

***

“Holy shit!” Jeongguk gawked at the wad of bills in his hands. The visitors were in a very generous mood and Jeongguk was the direct benefactor of their generosity. It was the most he’d made in tips in weeks.  He jumped into the air and clicked his heels before yanking himself free of Tayo’s head. He couldn’t believe the money he’d made. It was enough to buy groceries for two weeks, and it could not have come at a better time. Once again Jeongguk felt validated in his light and cheery mood. The day was finally over and it was time to go home. He felt much better about telling Jun-seo the bad news about his promotion, knowing that he could also drop a wad of cash on the counter at the same time. Life was good.

With Tayo’s head under his arm, he headed back to the aquarium to fetch the bay turtles that Caillou had asked him to rescue. He spotted them sunning themselves on top of the grey rock, next to the other family of turtles. The soft rustling of the running water gave him pause. He wondered if it really was a good idea to remove the turtles, considering how quickly they had adapted to the environment. Once again he watched quietly as the tranquil activity of the pond came to life like a small city. The koi fish swam in concentric circles with their bubble eyes bulging against the glass, the squawking Seagulls sat upon the rocks surveying the sea, a family of the crabs clicked their claws as they waddled along the edge of the pond, and the quaint lily pads floated along the surface providing respite for the tiny frogs. The environment was perfect and although it wasn’t their real home, they were cared for and would probably live much better lives if they stayed. He sat in the basement of the building and watched them through the glass as they dove in and out of the water with their new turtle friends. He needed to make a decision but he wasn’t sure what to do.  After sitting there for almost an hour contemplating, Jeongguk decided to allow the turtles to stay a little longer, just to see how things developed. As long as they were safe and happy, he could take pride in knowing that Calliou would approve. 

Tan found him sitting there on the bench in front of the viewing glass, “Hey, are you here to get them?”

“I was-  but now I’m wondering if it’s better to leave them here.”

“You can leave them as long as you want.  They are so cute and they are a great addition to the new attraction.”

“Thanks,” Jeongguk said, “this isn’t permanent at least not yet. But thanks for giving me time to think about it. See you tomorrow Tan.”

“Bye Jeongguk.”

Jeongguk smiled brightly at his two turtle friends as they swam through the water chasing behind a baby koi.

As the sun set over the sea, Jeongguk walked back through the parking lot, headed to catch the next bus home. He whistled happily as his slightly in-turned feet, jogged across the hot pavement. As he took the final steps towards the bus stop bench, he heard a commotion coming from the far end of the parking lot.  He turned to give it his full attention. The old VW bug that he’d seen earlier was hitched to the back of a tow truck, with two chains from the cross bar, locked behind the front tires. Standing next to the blue car, in an absolute melt down, was a man, who looked to be about his same age, pleading with the tow truck driver.

“Noooo, please you can’t. Please!  You don’t understand, this is my home, this is all I have.  You can’t take it away from me.  I’m out of gas...I-I have no way of moving it. I didn’t intentionally break the law, please, please don’t take my car!” The man was visibly upset. 

“What’s going on over there?” Jeongguk placed Tayo’s head on the bench and walked closer to the tow driver and the horror stricken man as they tussled over the release of the car. 

The tow truck driver was no stranger to sob stories; someone was always trying to talk their way out of getting an expensive towing bill. But something about the desperate urgency in the man’s voice sent chills down Jeongguk’s spine.  He was in real trouble, Jeongguk could sense it. The man with sandy brownish hair, a round face, and slim build kept yelling about the car being his ‘home’ and ‘having no place to go’. Jeongguk didn’t really understand what he meant by that. As he continued to approach the two bickering men, he thought back. The old VW had been there for quite some time, at least 24 hours. The parking lot rules did not allow vehicles to be parked there overnight, yet the blue VW had indeed violated the law. 

The tow driver continued to ignore the man’s pleas, and walked casually back to the front seat of his tow truck. The man’s emotions exploded. He grabbed the bumper of his small car and pulled back with so much force that he broke one of the thin chains that were secured around the tire. When the tow driver heard the snapping crack of the chain, he jumped from his car and stormed towards the man.

“What did you do?  What did you do? Did you break my T-bar? You’re going to pay for this. I’m calling the police.  You’re going to pay for this damage!” The tow driver was beyond angry. Not only had he been bickering and tussling with the man in the heat for over twenty minutes, but the out of control teen had caused damage to his tow truck as well. He was seething, rightfully so.

The desperation in the younger man’s eyes was heartbreaking. The car meant more to him than anyone understood, that was for sure. And given his level of aggression and the fact that he had caused property damage, he was likely going to go to jail if the tow driver involved the police. Jeongguk’s empathetic heart pounded heavily in his chest, muting the rational decision to mind his own business. And - even though he shouldn’t have gotten involved – he did.

“Hey Ryu, what’s going on here?”

“Witness! Witness! I have a witness, you saw it! You saw what he did didn’t you, Jeongguk?” Ryu ran up to Jeongguk as he pointed at the damage to his tow truck.

“I saw someone pleading with you to release his car. Ryu, surely we can work something out here.  There’s no need to get the police involved,” Jeongguk said on the other man’s behalf.

“Work something out! What do you mean work something out? This is going to cost money, possibly a lot of money,” Ryu rattled off.

Jeongguk took another look at the sandy brown haired man. He looked terrified and he was in no condition to barter a deal on his own, so Jeongguk did it for him. “Look Ryu, we’ve been friends for a while now, right?”

“No, I barely know you,” Ryu responded.

“We’ve had some good times,” Jeongguk continued.

“No. Nothing between us can be categorized as a good time.”

“And we can trust each other, right?”

“Why would I trust you? I don’t even know you’re last name,” Ryu held his arms out incredulously. 

Jeongguk heard absolutely nothing Ryu was saying, “You’ve got a kid, about eleven years old, right?”

“She’s two.”

“Whatever.  She must be a huge fan of Tayo the teddy bear,” Jeongguk rationalized.

Ryu thought about it, “Well...yeah...she is...I mean what kid isn’t?”

“Well I just happen to get unlimited passes for guests. Something like that would definitely cover the costs of the damages to your car, plus make your two year old very happy.”

“Are you suggesting a barter?”

“That’s exactly what I’m suggesting. You give my friend here his car back and forget about the tiny damage done to your car and in return, I’ll give you and your entire family unlimited tickets for entry into the amusement park,” Jeongguk smiled slyly.

“Hm. Does that include rides on the Ferris wheel,”  Ryu asked skillfully.

“I think we can work that out,” Jeongguk nodded.

Ryu gave it some thought for a few more seconds, “Alright!” He walked to the back of the truck and pressed the lift button to lower the VW bug back to the ground. With his wrench, he loosened the hitches and then unbolted the chains that encased the tires. The bug slid backwards away from the truck and then rolled to a stop. “I’ll make an exception this time. But you’ve been warned. Get this car out of here.”

“I can’t!”  The young man sprang to life again. He stared directly at the ground, refusing to look at any of the people around him. “That’s what I have been trying to tell you. I ran out of gas and I – I don’t have money to get more,”  the sandy blonde explained.

Jeongguk heavy sighed. Being a good Samaritan was a lot of fucking work. “Ok, I have a plan. Ryu, can you take me to the gas station to get a few tanks of gas in a gas can? I’ll bring it back here, give it to this guy and then we can all go on our merry way.” It was the sandy brown hair guy’s lucky day because Jeongguk had more than enough in tips to get him enough gas to get out of the parking lot.

“You would do this for me? You don’t even know me,” the young man asked.

“I would do this for anyone, because it’s part of being a good human,”  Jeongguk smiled. “Stay here with your car. We’ll be right back. Oh and hey...keep an eye on this for me.” Jeongguk ran to grab his Tayo head and then brought it back. He shoved it into the man’s arms for safe keeping and gave him a sexy wink.  “Everything’s going to be ok.

***

Thanks to long lines at the station, getting the gas can full of gas took much longer than anticipated.  It was well after dark by the time Ryu drove Jeongguk back to the parking lot to meet up with the blonde haired guy and his blue VW bug. 

“Thanks Ryu. I really owe you one for this. Tickets for your family for the entire year will be at the will call booth at the entrance ok?” Jeongguk jumped from the front cab of Ryu’s tow truck. He was very careful not to spill gas on his Tayo costume.

“My kid is going to love this, good doing business with you,” Ryu said

The sandy blonde guy stood to his feet and ran over to Jeongguk. 

“Open your gas tank, let’s get you back on the road,” Jeongguk didn’t want to take any chances of spilling gasoline on his uniform, so he pulled it off. Wearing just his black converse tennis shoes, white socks, boxer shorts and a tank top, he boldly poured the gas into the blonde man’s tank. He seemed absolutely clueless to the fact that he was partially nude in a public parking lot.

“No, no, you don’t have to do that. I’ll do it. I mean you went all that way to buy me gas. I can’t expect you to fill my tank also. The man stepped in front of Jeongguk and took the gas can from him.  He continued pouring the donated gas into his empty vehicle. “I don’t have any money to repay you. I don’t know what I’m going to do,” he looked down sadly as he waited for the contents of the gas can to empty.

“Well,”  Jeongguk smiled joyfully, “you can start by giving me a ride home. I missed the last bus while I was stuck at the gas station. I’m sorta’ stranded myself,” he laughed even though there was nothing funny about his situation. He stepped back into his Tayo clothes – minus the head.

“Absolutely, it would be my pleasure to give you a ride home. I just don’t know how to thank you.  I...,” the man seemed to have trouble speaking. Not because he didn’t have the ability, but more because he was painfully shy. He avoided making eye contact and he often looked towards the ground while speaking. “I’m Park Jimin – sorry almost forgot to introduce myself.” Instead of offering his hand in a handshake, he shoved them into his pockets and stared at his rear tire.

“Oh yeah, I’m Jeon Jeongguk.  It’s nice to meet you.”  Without the luxury of a handshake, the introductions somehow felt incomplete.

“Here’s your head.  I took good care of it while you were gone,” Park Jimin lifted Tayo’s head from the hood of his car and handed it back to Jeongguk.

Jeongguk was curious about him – his story. How had he ended up stranded in an amusement park parking lot.  There was much Jeongguk wanted to know, but the man seemed so withdrawn that Jeongguk assumed he wasn’t anxious to talk much. He was right.

The further they drove away from the ocean, the quieter it became inside of the vehicle. 

“I’m in Uam-Dong, not too much further.  Just keep straight on this street for about five minutes and then take a right on Uam-ro.”

“Ok,” Jimin replied dryly.

Jeongguk tried again, “I appreciate the ride. 

Jimin didn’t immediately respond. He seemed to think carefully about his words, “Least that I could do after what you did for me.”

The only subsequent conversation came from Jeongguk as he provided turn by turn directions to guide Jimin towards his house. Despite Park Jimin’s lack of conversation, Jeongguk decided to try to break the ice.

“You live around here?”

“No.”

“Well, I hope you don’t live too far because I only had enough money to get you a half tank of gas,” Jeongguk smiled genuinely. 

“I’ll figure it out, thank you again. You’re very kind,” Jimin gripped the steering wheel with both hands and stared straight ahead. He refused to even motion towards Jeongguk, let alone look at him.

“Where do you live?”

“I – I um...,”

“You don’t have to tell me. I didn’t mean to pry. But seriously Park Jimin, you don’t have much gas.  I just hope you have enough to get home, wherever home is for you.” Jeongguk leaned forward a tinge to watch the street signs as they closed in on his neighborhood. “You don’t have to take me all the way home. I need to stop at the corner market to get a few things for me and my brother. You can drop me off here and I’ll walk the rest of the way.”

Jimin’s little car was speedy and handled curves very well. The engine was loud and roared every time Jimin shifted the gears of his manual transmission. “Your car is pretty cool. Where’d you get it?” Jeongguk continued to try to break through the shell of Park Jimin.

“Found it abandoned. I fixed it up myself,”  Jimin gave a little bit more. It was the first time he had provided more than two words in a sentence. 

Jeongguk was pleased, he felt it was progress, “Wow! Wish I had that kind of skill. I don’t know how to fix much of anything. Although, my brother got a piece of toast stuck in the toaster once and I was able to use a fork to pry it loose. That was a win, I guess.”

For the first time that evening, Jimin looked at him. “You – uh – you’re not supposed to stick utensils into a toaster. It’s an electrical hazard. I mean really...that’s like toaster operation 101.”

“Really?  I do it all the time. Hmph. You learn new shit every day I guess,” Jeongguk was unphased.  “Here’s my stop. You can drop me here.”  Jeongguk pointed towards the Jagalchi market.

Jimin managed to put more than two sentences together and expressed his concern, “Are you sure?  It’s awfully dark. I can’t just leave you here and make you walk home with groceries. I can wait for you and take you further. I have enough gas for that.”

“You sure?” Jeongguk thought the gesture was very kind. 

“Sure.” Park Jimin actually smiled.

“Ok, then. Give me about ten minutes? I just need to grab some basics. Our fridge is literally empty.  I think I’m going to grill some fish and maybe some spicy ramen,” Jeongguk verbally went through his list of grocery items.

“That sounds delicious. Please shop, take your time. I have no place important to go. I’ll be here waiting.” Jimin turned the engine off and rolled down the windows. He slunk down in his seat and began reading a magazine on cars that he had in his glove compartment.

“O-ok.” Jeongguk found his new acquaintance Jimin to be quite odd, vacant, empty.  There was a cloud of emotional haze that seemed to hover over him. Jeongguk wondered if the guy had ever been happy in his life.   

Jeongguk took a quick glance behind him as he exited the car. His Tayo head was securely fastened in a seatbelt in the back seat. He smiled.

As he entered the grocery store, Jeongguk was met with several happy greetings from the regular market workers. He said his quick hello’s, gathered his items, and then rushed back to the old powder blue VW bug that sat parked at the corner. He was careful to move quickly because he didn’t want to keep his new friend waiting for too long. 

“Whoa that was quick,” Jimin sat up. He had the driver’s seat reclined with his leg propped on the dashboard.  “All done?” 

He threw his mechanics magazine back into his glove compartment and restarted the car. Like clockwork, the punchy little engine of the classic car roared to life.

“All done. I didn’t want to keep you waiting.” Jeongguk pulled the seat forward and placed his bags gently on the floor of the car. 

Even though it only took him ten minutes to gather groceries, he secured a very thorough haul; milk, ramen, seaweed snacks, fresh fish, spices, pork belly, chips, rice, cheese and much more. His older brother was going to be very pleasantly surprised to see that there was suddenly food in the house, despite his failure to get paid.  Once again he verified that Tayo’s head was still safely secured and he hopped in.

“Ok. If you take a right at the stop sign, my apartment complex is the very last one on the block.  We’re not far, less than three minutes I think,” Jeongguk explained as he buckled his seat belt.

“Sure.” Jimin was once again responding in only short choppy phrases.

Jimin pulled up to the curb in front of Jeongguk’s humble apartment building.  Jeongguk quickly grabbed his things.  His apartment building was not the best and he didn’t want Jimin to judge him because of where he lived. So, he gathered his groceries and Tayo’s head and prepared to quickly head upstairs before Jimin got a good look at the place.

“Thanks again for the lift.  I- I truly do hope your gas lasts long enough for you to get home. Bye now.” With his hands full, he nodded a polite goodbye to Jimin and headed towards the building.

“Jeongguk!” Jimin called behind him. “Uh – I – I really don’t know how to thank you for what you did for me today. I can never, ever, ever repay you.”

Jeongguk’s intuition plagued him. Something about Jimin just wasn’t right, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. He was so concerned that he poignantly asked, “Jimin – is everything alright? I mean – are you in danger or something?”

“NO!  NO!”  Jimin looked away.  His eyes focused on the steering wheel in front of him, “Why would you say that? I’m fine. Everything is fine. Good night,” Jimin said curtly.

Jeongguk shrugged. If the guy was in trouble, but not willing to admit it, there was nothing further that Jeongguk could do. He bid Jimin another polite, “Good night,” and headed into his building. He heard Jimin immediately start his engine again and drive off.

***

Jeongguk’s older brother, Jun-seo worked three jobs to keep he and Jeongguk housed, fed and clothed.  He had been the defacto father and keeper of Jeongguk’s well-being since Jeongguk’s biological father abandoned them ten years prior when Jeongguk was eight. His mother was dead. It was when his mother died that Jeongguk and Jun-seo’s lives fell apart. Through no fault of his own, their father, who suffered from mental issues, was no longer in the picture and Jimin and Jun-seo were left abandoned as children.  Without questioning it, Jun-seo took over the household and immediately went to work to keep them from starving to death. But Jun-seo was too young to shoulder such a burden and their worlds quickly began to crumble around them.

Not two months after their father left, they were kicked out of the apartment that they once shared with him and their mother.  Jeongguk eight and Jun-Seo sixteen, wandered from relative to relative looking for a new place to call home. But no matter where they went, they always felt unwanted, like burdens. Jun-seo vowed to get them back on their feet and back into their own home. And within six months, he did it.  Jun-seo even dropped out of school to work full time to support he and Jeongguk.

For the next ten years, the two brothers survived on their own, living just above poverty, but content with their freedom. By the age of fifteen, Jeongguk was also working. He worked part time while going to school to help with the household bills. Jun-seo refused to allow Jeongguk to drop out of school, but it didn’t stop Jeongguk from being able to secure the prestigious job as Tayo the teddy bear at the amusement park. As soon as he graduated from high school, he became a full time employee and began receiving a regular paycheck. The two lived meagerly, happily, enjoying all of the necessities of life without the excesses that often kept others in constant competition with each other. 

Their apartment was a two bedroom unit on the third floor.  Jeongguk’s bedroom overlooked an alley just outside of a massage parlor.  Jun-seo’s bedroom was at the front of the apartment and overlooked the street. The apartment’s decor was sparse, other than some old black and white photos of their mother and his dad in his healthier days. The only furniture they owned was left over from the home that they shared with their parents. The stuff was old, but it was paid for and belonged exclusively to them. Despite the slightly dilapidated nature of the complex, it was clean, vermin free and in a relatively safe neighborhood.  Jun-seo had done everything possible to protect his little brother to keep him from the criminal elements that lurked in the underbelly of Busan. 

But all of that care and caution came with a price. Jun-seo worked constantly, leaving Jeongguk to spend most of his days and nights alone. His brother worked double shifts at the club, worked the graveyard shift as a janitor and then worked as a cashier at a local restaurant during the weekends.  There simply weren’t enough hours in the day for all of the jobs that Jun-seo held. By far his most important and highest paying job was the janitor’s position at the night club. But low attendance and financial troubles often left Jun-seo without a paycheck no matter how hard he worked. It was reprehensible and akin to slave labor, but Jun-seo really needed that job. The elder was frightened to hold the club owners accountable for their wrong doing with not paying him. But something had to change. It was the third time in as many months that the owners had left Jun-seo without a pay check. Their rent was late and the landlord company had already warned them three previous times that they had to pay on time or else be kicked out. 

They needed money and they needed it fast, which was why Jeongguk was all the more grateful for his tips from the Tayo parade. He had pulled in four times the normal amount and he was able to get just enough food to last them until the next time that Jun-seo was scheduled to be paid. It was just short of a miracle, really. 

Jeongguk dropped Tayo’s head on the coffee table and put away all of his grocery items. He placed a pot of hot water on the stove to prepare his ramen and then rushed to put the fish on the indoor grill. He was so famished and ready for real food. He had subsisted on cotton candy and hot dogs for the entire day.  Jeongguk wasn’t a chef, but he was a pretty decent cook. Born out of necessity, he had been the primary chef for he and his brother since he was about ten years old. Back when his meal prep consisted of frozen waffles in the toaster and microwaved pork belly, he had always seen to it that his brother had a decent hot meal before heading off to one of his many jobs. But as Jeongguk grew older he really began to enjoy cooking. He researched recipes on the internet, pried recipe secrets from the ladies who ran his favorite restaurants, and buried himself in experimentation in the kitchen. The end result was an eighteen year old who could throw together delicious meals. When food was plentiful, when it seldom was, he could create fancy dishes that rivaled the professionals.  But most of the time, he simply settled for tasty cheap meals that he could prepare in a hurry.

His fish only needed ten minutes to grill. He decided to use the time wisely. He ran to his bedroom. It was the perfect time to grab a quick nut because while the fish took ten minutes to cook, Jeongguk only required four minutes to cum.  He slathered his right hand with the Somang body milk lotion that he kept next to his bed. About six strokes across his overly hard untrained penis and he was done. His unseasoned cum trickled from his tip, giving him the exact satisfaction needed to wipe away the stresses of his day.

***

After eating his meal, he carefully packed up the leftovers for Jun-seo. His brother would not be home until 4am from his overnight shift. He was so excited for Jun-seo to see the refrigerator full of food and the home cooked meal. He hoped that it would help alleviate some of Jun-seo’s frustration when he found out that Jeongguk had not received the raise he was hoping for. 

A few hours of watching reruns of the K-drama Bitter Peach, rounded out Jeongguk’s evening. It was time for bed.  He dragged himself into the shower, washed his hair, masturbated again and then crawled into his small bed next to the window.  Immediately his eyes fell closed. His thoughts blurred as they bounced around the corners of his brain. A flash of the melancholy man in the blue VW streaked across his mind as the final cogent reminder of the evening. After some time, his thoughts slowed to a stop. Life was full of good days and bad days, and this was definitely a good day. 

It was 2:00am when the screech from several sparring cats shook him awake. He could hear the troublemakers and their friends engaged in a turf war in the alley just below Jeongguk’s bedroom window.

“What the...?” He climbed out of bed and stumbled over to his window, stubbing his toe on one of the barbells that he had peppered along the floor. He opened his window and threw a tennis ball at them to break it up. “Shut up! I have to work tomorrow,” he complained. 

One of the cats was beaned right in the forehead by the tennis ball. It startled and took off running down the alley. The rest of them followed. Once again it was quiet. As he watched the last of the troublemakers round the corner, he noticed a familiar car sitting just outside of the back door of the massage parlor. The red flashing neon sign that said “MASSAGES, MASSAGES, MASSAGES” blinked on and off, allowing Jeongguk to see the car clearly. He squinted, rubbed his eyes, squinted, rubbed his eyes and then quipped.

“No way!”

It was the same VW Bug that had carried him home from work. It was the same car with the same driver – “Jimin?”  Jeongguk whispered. What was he doing there? It had been hours since Jimin had dropped him off and driven away. Was Jimin stalking him? Why was he still there? Where did he live and why had he not gone back home?”

Jeon Jeongguk, never one to shy away from conflict, pulled on his jacket and immediately headed to the alley to confront him. It was two o’clock in the morning, but that didn’t matter. He wanted answers. He needed to know why Jimin was still there and what he wanted. He grew angrier with each step he took. Was this some kind of scheme to rob their apartment? After all he had done to get this weirdo back on his feet, this was how he was being repaid? Stalking him? By the time Jeongguk finally reached the window of the small VW, he was livid. He wrapped his knuckles angrily on the window but...Jimin did not stir. In fact, he was sleeping, soundly with a large blanket pulled over his chest. His seat was reclined, his hair was a mess and he had an empty bag of chips laying on the dashboard. 

Jeongguk stepped back for a moment to really process the scene. Pushed deeply into each of Jimin’s ears were the wired buds of headphones. There was an old iPhone, even older than Jeongguk’s, that appeared to be playing music as he slept. In the backseat of Jimin’s car was one large overstuffed suitcase and a cardboard box. The box appeared to hold random belongings such as, trophies, baseball cards, tools and magazines...typical stuff that a guy would have in his bedroom.  Even though Jeongguk had ridden inside of the car and seen the back seat, he hadn’t noticed the luggage before. Suddenly his mysterious friend was even more mysterious. Why was he sleeping in an alley with what seemed to be his life’s belongings? Why had he not gone home? Sleeping in this area, outside of the massage parlor which was known for prostitution, was not safe. At once, Jeongguk’s anger was displaced by something else – concern. He flashed back to the moment that Jimin’s car was being towed; the absolute terror in Jimin’s eyes when he thought his only possession was about to be taken. The things that he yelled at the time, ‘This is all I have....I have nowhere to go...this is my home...,’ now suddenly and painfully made sense. Jimin was living in his car. 

“Oh no.” Jeongguk’s empathetic heart immediately cried out.He had to do something.

Would it have been better for Jeongguk to just mind his own business and leave Jimin alone? Of course it would have, but when had Jeongguk ever minded his own business? Once again he wrapped his knuckles across the window of the VW – gently this time. 

“Jimin?  Jimin?  Hey dude – wake up.”

Jimin’s eyes suddenly bolted open. He jumped up, hitting his head on the roof of the car. There was fright in his eyes but it only took seconds for him to recognize the handsome kid that he’d met earlier the previous day. His heart settled. He rolled down the driver’s side window.

“Jeongguk?”

“Hey. What are you doing out here?”

Jimin panicked, “I – I – I – uh...fell asleep. Yeah, I fell asleep. I was so tired after I dropped you off that I just pulled over to get a quick nap. So yeah – that,” Jimin stumbled. He nodded to convince himself.

Jeongguk crossed his arms and glared at him. Clearly Jimin was not ready to admit his truth. “Fell asleep? Yeah right. Well you’re awake now, so head home. It’s not safe here. This place is known for drug activity and vicious fights from the worker’s in the massage parlor.”

“Well you seem to be pretty comfortable standing out here at...,” Jimin checked his watch, “...two in the morning.”

“Yes. Because I live here and all of these ladies and gents who work here are like family to me. In fact, I started some of the fights just because I like to watch their tits pop out when they fall to the ground and rip their shirts. So I’m different,” Jeongguk joked.  “But you my friend, need to get out of here and go back home. So go.  I’ll wait.” Jeongguk folded his arms again.

Jimin nodded, “Yeah – right. So I better get going then.” He pulled his blanket away, wiped the sleep from his eyes and fumbled for his keys. “Nice seeing you again. Maybe we’ll cross paths again.” Jimin smiled, started his car and waited. His fervent hope was that Jeongguk would disappear back into the darkness from whence he came, so that he could go back to sleep. But the peskily, persistent man stood there with his eyes fixed upon him, tapping his foot impatiently. “Fuck me,” Jimin mumbled under his breath.

Gas was precious and Jimin could not afford to waste it trying to outwit his nosy new admirer.  So he started his car and decided to drive to the end of the block and park around the corner, away from the glaring doe eyes that judged him. He waved as he drove away. About three minutes later, he found another lot, that was well lit with ample parking spaces. He pulled his tired Bug into there, parked, turned off the engine and once again pulled his blanket over his head. Just as his eyes shut, he heard the annoying tapping on his window again.

Jeongguk’s muffled voice came through the raised window, “This you? This is where you live? This is your home?  How stupid do you think I am dude?” Once again Jeongguk folded his arms. He had followed Jimin on foot and watched him as he parked in his new location. Jimin was busted.

“Can you puh-leeze mind your own business.”

“This is my business. I don’t like strangers loitering in my neighborhood.”

“Strangers. Like I’m going to be any worse than the titty masseurs you like to instigate!”  Jimin was sleepy and agitated and weirdly attracted to the dark haired man with the glittering eyes.

Once again Jeongguk was tapping on the window, but this time he was on the passenger’s side, “Unlock the door.”

“Why?”

“So that I can get in genius.”

“In my car?  I don’t want you in my car. I didn’t invite you to get into my car. Go look at titties.”

“I don’t actually like titties. I just like watching them pop out unexpectantly because I find it hilarious.”

Jimin banged his head on the steering wheel. He took a deep breath then reached across the body of his car to flip up the lock. 

Jeongguk stormed his way inside and immediately began giving demands, “Turn left here.”

“Where exactly are we going?”

“Back to my place. My apartment has parking. Since we don’t own a car, you can use our assigned space. Then...,” Jeongguk smiled at Jimin, “...then, I want you to tell me the truth about what’s really going on here.”

***

Jimin parked his powder blue bug in a safe parking space inside of Jeongguk’s underground garage.  As they walked up the three flights of stairs to Jeongguk’s apartment, Jimin argued with him, “I don’t understand what this is about. I was perfectly fine where I was...,”

Jeongguk broke up his sentence, “When is the last time you ate – a proper meal – not chips?” 

Jimin’s eyes scraped the ground. He didn’t want to answer that question. He was so painfully shy.  Shyness coupled with the secrets that he was keeping, made him incredibly hard to break.

Jeongguk continued, “I have a feeling it’s been a while. I cooked a beautiful dinner. I have plenty to share. I also have some snacks and water and a nice hot shower if you want it. Don’t fight me on this. Just let me...help.”

There was so much kindness in Jeongguk’s voice that Jimin couldn’t help but be moved, “Are you going to try to look at my titties once we get to your apartment?”

“Possibly,”  Jeongguk teased. 

“Sounds like a fair exchange for a little food and a hot shower.”

 

Jeongguk was more than happy to share the food he had. He made Jimin a fresh pot of spicy ramen, some flavored rice and a small piece of fish. At first, Jimin was reluctant to accept the plate full of hot steaming food. 

“I can’t take this.”

“Yeah, you can. I can hear your stomach growling. Don’t worry, you can pay me back later. For now, just eat,”  Jeongguk smiled again. His insides felt warm and tingly as he watched Jimin finally lift his fork to begin eating. 

“This is fucking fantastic. You cooked this?”

“I like to cook and I’m good at it,” Jeongguk bragged. Jimin clearly had not eaten in a while because he devoured the full plate of food withing five minutes. “More?”

“Yes please.”

“Coming right up...but answer my question first. When was the last time you had a solid meal?”

Jimin’s eyes fell away again. This time he stared at the wall, “About six days,” he said honestly.  “I’ve been eating snacks and chips. A few restaurants along the boardwalk will give me their leftover meals if they have them. I’ve been surviving off of that...mostly.”

Jeongguk understood.  Poverty had a familiar pattern; and it was one that Jeongguk was very familiar with. Many times before landing his job at the amusement park, he found himself begging restaurant owners for leftovers. Sorting through the trash for edible scraps, and even stealing from convenience stores just so that he could eat. The moment he saw Jimin sleeping in his car, and took a good solid look at his pale emaciated face, he recognized – the pattern.

To Jimin’s surprise, Jeongguk responded with, “Been there.” 

Jimin was slightly shocked. “What do you mean?”

“My dad left us when I was just a kid. My brother has to work three jobs just to keep us in this place.  But before I got my job, we struggled a lot. But do you know one thing I learned when things were at their worst?”

“No. What?”

“I learned that when someone offers you a helping hand, you need to put your pride away and accept it.”

Jimin smiled. 

Jeongguk rubbed his eyes and squinted and then rubbed his eyes again.  His little trespasser was gorgeous. He caught his breath before continuing, “Are you living out of your car? I mean...do you have a home?”

Jimin did not want to address this. He pivoted. “Well thanks for the food. I better get going. I know where you live now, so I’ll find a way to bring some money back to repay you for all of this.”

“No, Jimin don’t go. I’m sorry, I overstepped. I’m sorry.” Jeongguk jumped in front of him and refused to allow him to leave. He was more certain than ever that Jimin needed his help. “None of that is my business. I don’t need to know. What I do know is that, at least for tonight, you need help. Can we agree?”

Jimin thought about it. In his haste to keep Jimin from leaving Jeongguk had grabbed his arm and continued to hold it as he waited for Jimin’s answer.  Jimin could feel the heat from his savior’s fingertips as his fingers curled around his skin. “...just for tonight, maybe I could...,”

“GREAT!” Jeongguk was full of smiles. He went back to the kitchen and began to sing as he made more spicey ramen. “Clean towels are on the shelf in the bathroom, last door on your left.  Soap is in the shower already, so yeah. Water gets really hot though, be careful, Satan lives in the pipes,” he happily rambled off information, too excited that his friend had agreed to stay.

Jimin had to admit, it felt great to take a shower. For the last ten days since he had run out of money, he’d been washing himself in the public restrooms of gas stations. He was able to keep himself clean, but it wasn’t the same as having a full bodied soak. He sighed as he felt the warm spray of water pelt his skin.

“Jimin?”

Jimin heard Jeongguk call from outside of the door, “Yeah,” he turned off the faucet but used a bit too much pressure and ended up breaking it off in his hand. “Shit.”

“Shit? Why did you say that? Are you ok?” Jeongguk said with a grin, “Are you jerking off?  Is that why you’re cursing? Are you jerking off in my shower,”  Jeongguk teased again. He barely knew Jimin, but what he did know was that the man was very shy and talk of jerking off would make him extremely uncomfortable, so of course he continued, “Didn’t mean to interrupt. Nothing worse that someone interrupting your nut,” he fell against the wall laughing.

Jimin paused. He was perplexed. He didn’t know which situation to address first; defend himself against accusation of jerking off, or fix the broken faucet. He chose the former, “I – I would never do that.”

“Well hey – your business. I just dropped by to let you know that your ramen was ready. I placed a few blankets and a pillow on the couch. Make yourself comfortable and get a good night’s rest. I have to work tomorrow so I really need to go back to sleep. And Jimin?”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks for agreeing to stay. There’s some extra clothes that you can borrow on top of the blankets. We’ll talk more in the morning, okay?”

“Yeah, ok?” Jimin stared at the broken faucet in his hand. He inspected the mounting bolts and the sprout rings and realized that they just needed to be replaced. It was an easy fix and he even had some of the tools in his car. He decided to wait until Jeongguk went to bed and then he would sneak and replace it. He didn’t want to have to admit to his gracious host that he had been there for less than an hour and had already broken something.   

Jimin hid the faucet underneath the shower curtain. When he exited the bathroom, the apartment was completely dark. This guy, this Jeongguk, was extremely trusting. He’d left Jimin all alone to wander through the house as he slept, even though they had just met. Jimin took a moment to familiarize himself with the small two bedroom apartment. He stepped gingerly towards the room where he heard Jeongguk snoring. The guy was indeed tired and Jimin felt guilty for raising him from his slumber in the middle of the night. He turned to walk back toward the front of the apartment, where he found a large bowl of piping hot ramen sitting on the counter. There was a single lamp that lit the room. Behind him was an old tattered couch that looked supremely comfortable. There were two fuzzy blankets on top and a thing pillow beneath. After sleeping in he car for the last three weeks, it was going to be nice to sleep on a couch.   

He slurped his ramen and then laid down for a few minutes to think through a plan of what was next. Despite the generosity of his host, this was only a one night deal. He needed to move on the next day and he needed a safe place to park without fear of being towed again. He thought about it for about an hour but came up empty. If he just had a few more dollars in his pocket – but he didn’t and that was his reality. 

It was nearing 4:00am and he really needed to sleep. But first he wanted to fix the broken faucet. He snuck out of the apartment and down to his car to fetch his toolbox. Sure enough, he had everything he needed to repair the faucet that he had destroyed. He even had a new fixture that he could install. Jimin returned to the apartment and immediately went to work. It was about 4:30am when someone suddenly burst into the bathroom. The man was mid pee before he noticed Jimin kneeling in the shower behind the shower curtain. 

The guy screamed. He immediately began pelting Jimin with rolls of toilet paper. His flow of pee stained his pants as he tried to back away from the intruder. Finally he grabbed a toothbrush and yielded it as a weapon, “GET OUT!  WE HAVE NOTHING TO STEAL. GET OUT!” He jabbed towards Jimin with the toothbrush, presumably trying to brush him to death.

Jimin held up both hands defensively, “No, no wait. I’m a friend of Jeongguk’s. I was just trying to fix the faucet. I won’t hurt you, I’m a friend. Jeongguk said I could crash here tonight. Please, calm down.  I’m not here to steal anything. I was just fixing the faucet. The faucet - see?” Jimin pointed to the glossy, brand new faucet fixture that he had just installed. 

Jun-seo calmed down. However, he still held the toothbrush protectively extended in front of his body.  If Jimin dared make a move, he would brush the hell out of him. “Our faucet is not broken,” Jun-seo remarked.

“Yeah, it sorta’ was. I was taking a shower and I guess I just pulled it too hard and it – broke. But its fixed now. Please don’t be angry, it was an accident. I can be rather clumsy at times.  

Jun-seo took a breath and then resumed peeing.  “Jeongguk.  I should have known he was behind this.  Between him bringing home stray animals and now stray humans, it’s never a dull moment around here.  He cares too much, he really does. Annoying asshole.” Jun-seo tapped out at the end of his pee and pulled his pants back up. “May I please use the shower now? I have to be up in four hours to get to my next job.”

Jimin jumped from the shower and bowed, “Oh, oh yes, sir.  It’s all yours. The faucet is better than new. 

“Thank you. What’s your name kid?”

“P-park Jimin,” Jimin stuttered. 

“Well Park Jimin, I’m Jun-seo, Jeongguk’s older brother. How old are you? You look twelve.”

Jimin looked towards the ground, refusing to make eye contact. His emaciated frame did make him appear much younger than he actually was, “I’ll be nineteen in a few weeks, sir.”

“Good. I don’t want any underage kids around here. There are too many prostitute fights and sometimes titties pop out. Kids don’t need to see that shit.”  Jun-seo was strange, just like his brother. 

“Yes, sir?”  Jimin wasn’t sure how else to respond. Quarreling masseurs seemed to be a “thing” in their household. 

Jun-seo made and oddly welcoming statement, “We don’t have much. At times we don’t have anything. But what we do have, we’ll always share. Now get out.”

“Yes. Goodnight,” Jimin scurried from the bathroom and closed the door behind him. Jun-seo and Jeongguk were two of the most peculiar brothers he had ever met. They both welcomed a virtual stranger into their home with no questions asked. Briefly, Jimin wondered if he was going to wake up dead, with his kidneys and penis being sold on the black market. He looked around the apartment again. He didn’t get crazy serial killer vibe, but he remained cautious just the same. The two brothers were - weird.   

But what Jimin didn’t know was that both Jun-seo and Jeongguk were too familiar with poverty.  So familiar in fact, that they recognized it in all of its forms, no matter how it was disguised.  Jun-seo took one look at Jimin and knew that he needed help, a safe place. He also knew his brother very well and knew that Jeongguk had a special empathetic nature that attracted him to the most needy, whether it be animals or humans. If Jimin was there in his apartment, it was for a good reason and he trusted his brother enough not to question him. 

Chapter 2: I Can Fix That

The following morning Jimin awoke from what could easily have been considered the best sleep of his life. As his eyes slowly opened, he didn’t immediately recognize his surroundings. He reached up, expecting to feel the textured fabric of the ceiling of his VW bug, but it wasn’t there. Instead he felt soft, clean smelling, microfiber blankets that cocooned him in extreme warmth. He unconsciously hugged his body, just to pull the soft blankets closer to his skin. Was he back home? NO! He wasn’t! His mind jolted as he suddenly remembered. He was in a stranger’s home. He immediately jumped up and checked his dick and kidneys. Both appeared to be intact. He blew a relieved breath. They weren’t serial killers. It was good to know. 

He sat back down. The smell of bacon danced seductively just under his nostrils. He took a deep satisfying sniff. He wondered where the smell was coming from. Just a few feet in front of him, he turned to see Jeongguk busy in the kitchen. 

Jeongguk had his earphones on, but he still moved quietly, almost in a tip-toe. Jimin wondered if he was trying to avoid waking his brother who had come home late from work. On the surface, the two seemed like a very loving family. He wondered where their parents and other relatives lived and why the two had chosen to live together. It was a question that would have to go unanswered, because Jimin’s time was up.  He had agreed to stay for the evening, but he did not want to overstay his welcome. He needed to get out and start working on a plan for the rest of his homeless days. He had an uphill battle to climb, but he was dead set and determined that he would never return home. Never.

“Oh, hi. You’re awake,” Jeongguk’s voice came from out of nowhere. 

“Good Morning, um, yeah. Great night last night. I slept better than I have in years. Thank you Jeongguk.”

“My pleasure.”

“Hey, um, yeah, so...I met your brother. I scared your brother. He almost stabbed me with a toothbrush. So, there’s that.”

“Yeah, he left me a note. He had to leave a few hours ago to get to his second job. But he seems to like you.”

“Like me? How? He doesn’t know me and neither do you for that matter.”

“I have good instincts, and he trusts my instincts and I like you so he likes you. The math works, trust me,” Jeongguk teased.

“Why are you pacing around so quietly?”

“I didn’t want to wake you dude. That would have been rude.”

“Rude?  This is your home. In fact, it’s time for me to go. I’ve caused you enough trouble.”

“If you’re talking about the faucet, Jun-seo says you fixed it better than ever. Do you like fixing stuff?”

“I do. Very much. It’s one of my – skills. I can fix anything, no matter what it is,” Jimin said confidently.

“Hmm.”

Jimin could see the wheels in Jeongguk’s head turning, “Hmm what?” Jimin’s eyes swept the ground.  He was so awkward that it was almost impossible to hold a conversation without staring off into the abyss. 

“Where will you go? Do you have any money?”

“I – I will go back home. Yeah, I just had a falling out with my uncle and ....uh...he’s probably cooled off my now. I’ll go back tonight. You’ve been great, seriously. I appreciate everything, but now it’s time for me to go.”

Jimin was lying. It was so obvious that he had no place to go. Jeongguk couldn’t understand why the guy wouldn’t just tell him the truth. If he was going to truly help him get back on his feet, he needed to be smart about it. Jimin wasn’t going to admit he needed help if he wouldn’t even admit that he had a problem.

“Drive me to work. Surely your uncle can wait until you drive me to work. I’ll pay you for your trouble. I don’t feel like taking the bus today. It’s too hot.”

“Jimin looked down and smiled. After everything you’ve done for me, I would be honored to drive you to work.” His voice was delicate and full of adoration.

“Great.” Jeongguk was already wearing his Tayo overalls and yellow turtle neck. The bear’s large head sat on the table just where he had left it the previous evening. “Get dressed. I have to get to work by 11:00.”

***

As Jimin drove into the parking lot of the amusement park, he shuddered.  He had come dangerously close to losing his car and he didn’t want it to happen again.

“Ok, well bye. I better get going. I don’t want that asshole of a tow truck driver to find me again,”  Jimin looked around to make sure that he wasn’t there.

“Yeah, so, come with me. I want to introduce you to someone.”

“Introduce me to who? I barely know you, who are you going to introduce me to?”

“A friend.”  Jeongguk turned to face Jimin and spoke his heart – truth and all, “Listen. I don’t know what’s going on with you and your uncle. I have a feeling that you’re not telling me the truth about that. But I respect your privacy and I won’t pry. But what I do know is that you need help. You haven’t eaten properly in days. You’re out of money and you need gas so you can get where you’re going – wherever that is. So I have a proposition for you. Let me help you get back on your feet until you sort things out with your uncle. I know the owners of this amusement park. They can give you – a job.”

“A job?” Jimin’s face lifted in surprise. A job was exactly what he needed. “Here? Doing what?”

“I don’t know yet, but we’ll figure it out,” Jeongguk laughed. 

“Ok.  But I have no experience, no resume.  No...nothing.  Why would they hire me?”  Jimin doubted Jeongguk’s claims.

“I don’t know.  But we may as well give it a try.  Jimin, I’m Tayo the bear.  I’ve got clout around here. I may as well throw it around and use it,”  Jeongguk winked.

“I don’t know about this.  Seems risky.”

“You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.” Jeongguk smiled again at Jimin, but this time the smile pierced Jimin’s fabricated outer shell. For the first time, he truly saw through into the man’s gentle spirit. He was so kind, so selfless and so willing to take risks. Jimin had never met anyone with such a lovely disposition. He felt safe around him, like he could be trusted. “Why do you insist on helping me?”

“Because no one was there to help me. I know how this feels Jimin. I know what you’re going through. I won’t let you suffer if there’s something I can do to stop it.”

“Thank you Jeongguk.” Jimin looked up and came close to making eye contact, but stopped just short. He once again stared towards the floor of the VW. “Are you sure it’s safe to leave the car here?”

“Yeah. As long as you move it tonight, its fine. I won’t allow anyone to touch it. I promise.” 

Jeongguk was like a breath of fresh air. In a world that had been so cruel and unforgiving, how had he stumbled upon such a kind stranger? He pondered. If he ever did get back on his feet, finding a way to repay Jeongguk was going to be the first item on his list.

Jeongguk already had an idea. He spoke quickly to Jimin as they walked across the park, towards the air-conditioned offices of Suk and Duk, the twins who owned the park.

“Jeongguk!” Duk yelled as he saw his favorite employee stepped through the doors with his Tayo head under his arms. “Out of uniform again. I should take you over my knee young man.”

“Did you mean for that to sound inappropriate? Because it did. He’s literally a grown man. At this point in his life, the only people who should be spanking him are those hot masseurs who always fight behind his apartment building.” Suk, always the moral compass, interjected.

Jimin laughed loudly. Uncharacteristically so. This town’s obsession with masseurs tickled him.  Jeongguk turned with a bright smile. He had never before heard Jimin laugh. He liked the sound. His loud chuckle also gained the attention of Suk and Duk who had not noticed him trailing behind Jeongguk.

Jeongguk stepped forward to speak directly to them, “Guys, this is my friend Park Jimin and he’s looking for work. Jimin this is Suk and Duk, they are the twins who own this amusement park. 

Suk began, “Nice to meet you Park Jimin, what kind of work are you looking for?”

Jimin didn’t speak. He had the look of a deer caught in the headlights. He froze.

Jeongguk jumped in, “Well, um, he’s really, really good at fixing things. I mean he can fix anything.”

Suk smiled, “Ok, like what? What kind of things can you repair? Are you certified?”

Jimin was still frozen. He looked at the ground and seemed lost for words.

Jeongguk jumped in again, “He’s really shy. But last night he fixed my faucet. And he has an old car that he fully restored himself. And countless other things that he can fix, right Jimin?” Jeongguk leaned over and whispered, I really need you to help me out here, dude.”

Jimin looked around the room, searching for the right words to say. This was his chance but he was dangerously close to blowing it. Finally his eyes fell upon something he could speak to, “That typewriter.”

“Yeah?  What about it?” Suk said, very interested.

“It’s a 1962 Royal Futura and I would imagine that it breaks every Tuesday. They don’t even make the ink for them anymore. So you’re probably stuck special ordering custom cartridges. Am I right?”  Jimin finally sprang to life. “I can fix that.”

Jeongguk looked on with great anticipation of what Jimin had to say. He stepped behind him and gently nudged him forward to force him to stand closer to Suk and Duk. “You’re doing great, keep going. He loves that thing,” Jeongguk urged Jimin to keep speaking about the typewriter.

“Yes, I do have to order cartridges and their very expensive. How did you know?” Suk asked. 

Jimin continued, “I have a knack for antiques, especially old electronics and cars. And when I was walking through the amusement park, I noticed that there was a frayed hose connected to the carousel.  You’re lucky it hasn’t completely snapped because then your platform would stop rotating. That would make for a lot of unhappy kids. I can fix that. And the cotton candy machine, it’s got a strange hum, have you noticed? That shouldn’t be happening. That’s a sign that your fan underneath it is about to blow out. It needs to be replaced. I can fix that. And your generator that’s running the funnel cake concession stand, it needs a new oil filter. I could see the fluid leaking from the old one.” Jimin looked back at Jeongguk who gave him the thumbs up, “And...if you want, I can install a new pump in the koi pond. The water looked a bit murky.”

Suk and Duk looked at each other in amazement. “You recognized all of this just during the short amount of time that you walked across the park?”

 “I did. I’m very – um – I guess perceptive is the word? Sirs, I’m sure you probably have someone on staff to repair of these things already...,”

“We do,” Duk said forcefully.

“We do,” Suk reiterated.  “But - that team is responsible for the large scale equipment, like the Ferris wheel, tea cups and the mini roller coaster. We don’t have just a plain and simple maintenance guy.”

“Agreed. I think there is a need. Someone to help with office equipment and broken doors, filters, fans and the like. Not so much a mechanic, but a handy man who can help with the smaller things. Typically we don’t call for help until something breaks, but it would be nice to have someone on staff who actually can handle proactive maintenance.” Duk turned to Jeongguk, “Do you vouch for this kid?”

“He’s not a kid.  He’s almost 19 and yes I vouch for him.”

Suk and Duk convened privately in a corner a few feet away. They looked back and forth and both Jeongguk and Jimin as they contemplated offering him a job. Duk’s toupee slipped slightly as he whipped his head back and forth gesturing towards all of the things in the office that needed to be fixed. Finally after what seemed like a lifetime, Suk walked over to them.

“Alright then...kid you’re hired. When can you start?”

“Today. Five minutes ago. Last week,”  Jeongguk answered on Jimin’s behalf.

“Well get to work. I’ll type an official offer and we can talk about your wage.” Suk turned to Jeongguk and gave him a warning, “Tayo, the gates are about to open.  Get your big-head out there and hug those children.”

“Jimin, we’re compiling a list of things around the park that need to be...,”  Duk suddenly stopped talking. There was a thunderous thud against the window and a flash of black and white that startled them.

All of them, every single one of them, trained their eyes on the office window that overlooked the park.  Jack, the mime, was at the window. His shirt was pulled up and his left nipple was pressed hard against the glass. The darkened bud produced a round puddle of sweat against the spot where it was trapped. Jack used his white gloved hands, palms flattened, to pretend to bang against the glass in some type of strange protest.  Jimin let out a small scream. He had never seen a mime before, especially one showing his nipples.

“Why the hell is he doing that?” Duk asked angrily.

“Google it. I would imagine it’s another cry for help.”

“He’s got mime depression,” Jeongguk tried to explain the unexplainable.

“That’s a thing?” Jimin asked suspiciously.   

“Per Google, yes.”

For his own sanity, Jimin chose to move on, “Sirs, if I may start with taking a look at your typewriter?”

“Yeah, that’s a great place to start,” Suk spoke to Jimin but he was still preoccupied with whatever was happening with Jack. The mime seemed to be having an emotional breakdown and the brothers were clueless on how to manage it. Suk spoke to him in a calming voice, “Get away from the window. It’s ok buddy. It’s ok. We see you,” Suk tried his best to convince Jack to remove his nipple from the glass. It was disturbing and he didn’t want to see any more of it.

Duk grabbed a broom and tapped the handle against the window to try to get Jack to dislodge himself. “Shoo. The park is about to open. Get to your proper station.” Finally, after three excruciatingly long, awkward minutes Jack stepped away from the window, lowered his shirt and back flipped back towards the Ferris Wheel. Jack was a great tumbler.

“Yeah, this is bullshit.” Jeongguk rubbed his temples. He turned to Jimin, “Listen, I’ll be around ok?  Around 3pm, meet me at the carousel so we can have lunch. We’ll talk to see how things are going.  Congratulations Jimin,” Jeongguk winked.

“Jeongguk, I – I,” Jimin’s eyes swept the ground again. Looking into Jeongguk’s eyes was a bit too much to ask. His shyness kicked in and he melted.

“You don’t have to say it Jimin. You’re welcome,” Jeongguk gave him a hard tap on the shoulder before dropping Tayo’s bear head over his real head and running towards the gate.

***

Jimin was even busier than he imagined. On top of the list of items that the twins had given him to work on, he also had his own list of needed repairs that he’d noticed while walking through the park again.  There was enough work to keep him busy for at least a month, maybe even longer. He had already accomplished quite a bit for just his first day; starting with some fixes to Suk’s typewriter. He had also changed the filters in the air conditioning unit, and secured three of the loose wooden panels in the twins’ office. 

The pay that the brothers had offered him seemed fair.  But considering that Jimin had never held a real job before, he wasn’t sure if the pay was good or not. Regardless, he was promised a steady paycheck and that was all that mattered. Even a small salary was better than no salary at all. His first check would be enough to get a hotel and secure food. He accepted their offer and began work right away. 

But there was one glaring problem. Amusement park employees were paid on a schedule.  Although he had a job, it would be two full weeks before he actually got paid. Jimin was not eligible for tips, so his pay would be delayed until the brothers made payroll. That meant that for two full weeks, Jimin had to figure out where to sleep every night. He couldn’t go back to the alley because Jeongguk would find him. He couldn’t stay in the amusement parking lot because he would be towed. Every place else was too public and would likely get the police called on him if someone caught him sleeping there. It was a dilemma that he didn’t know how to solve. 

Jimin was so focused on his work, that he barely noticed the time. It was five after three, and he was late meeting Jeongguk for lunch. The carousel was clear on the other side of the park, he needed to run, but the heat was stifling. So although he hated to keep Jeongguk waiting, he kept his pace at a brisk walk.

The carousel itself was an antique.  It had been manufactured in a toy making facility in Gwangju in 1979, and it could spin between five and eight miles per hour. The horses were all ceramic black and white with gold poles that rose to the white canopy. It weighed over 9 tons and ran on a 10-horsepower electric motor. There were lights along the floor board, the canopy, and the aisles. The plethora of mirrors, and sparkling accents made it just as glorious during the day, as it was at night. 

By the time Jimin arrived, Jeongguk was sitting on the bench smiling, watching the ceramic horses go round and round. The children giggled and cooed, marveling at the speed of the large round-about. Jeongguk seemed to rejoice in their laughter. He watched with curiosity as he evaluated which child, or parent, would be the first to throw up. He could detect vomit face from a mile away. On this particular ride, the kids all looked pretty sturdy. So he turned his attention to the doting parents. He determined quickly that the motion sickness banshee had already secured its next victim. It was going to be the mother in the pale pink t-shirt who unwisely chose to sit on the inner horse instead of the outer horse. The horses closest to the center rotated much faster than those on the outer edge. It was a rookie mistake. It was just a matter of time before she barfed.  Jeongguk waited.

Resting his Tayo head on the bench was strictly forbidden because at no point was Jeongguk ever supposed to be seen out of costume. However, he frequently, and boldly, broke that rule whenever he was overheated or needed some air. If the dumb ass kids at the amusement park didn’t realize that there was a real live breathing man inside, then that was on them. Their ignorance was not his problem. Despite the twins’ claim that seeing a dismembered Tayo killed the magic, Jeongguk was more concerned about overheating than the magic of four-year-olds. As such, whenever he was hot, the head came off.

Jimin waved as he approached. Jeongguk was drenched in sweat, but he smiled brighter than the heavens despite his discomfort. He seemed completely unbothered by the fact that Jimin was almost ten minutes late for their lunch date.

“Hey.”

“Hey, you look really sweaty and hot. Are you ok?”

“I’m fine. I’m used to it. In fact, ever since the twins put a fan in my costume, it’s been much better.  Not nearly as hot as it used to be. How’s it going for you?”

“Fine I guess. There’s a lot of stuff broken around here. Makes me question the safety of some of these rides,” Jimin joked.

“Yeah, it’s just the small stuff though. The big stuff is well cared for. The twins have never had a single incident in this park, unless it involved fights over cutting place in line. They run a pretty tight ship.  But there was a need for you. I’m glad it worked out.”  Jeongguk handed Jimin three hot dogs, two chicken skewers and an ice cold Chilsung Cider.

“I, don’t have money to pay...,”

“Relax.  That’s one of the perks of working here. We get all of the carnival food we can eat. Seems like a young adult’s dream, but I promise, you’ll get tired of it eventually.”

“All we can eat?”

“Yep.  Absolutely free. All of the employees get free meals. It’s the twins’ way of making sure that we’re never working hungry. Despite their peculiar nature, Suk and Duk are really good guys. You’re going to enjoy working for them,” Jeongguk bit his hot dog almost completely in half and chewed loudly. “Want a funnel cake?” He said with a mouth full. Bits of hot dog escaping his lips.

“Of course I want a funnel cake. What kind of question is that?” Jimin laughed.

There it was...that laugh again. “You’re smiling Jimin.  Laughing too. I guess the job helped lighten your mood a little bit?”

“It sure did. I just don’t know how to thank you.” Jimin said the words, but he spoke them in the direction of the spinning carousel. It was still too difficult to make eye contact with his new friend. Jimin devoured his first two hot dogs. He ate even faster than Jeongguk who was the hot dog eating champion. 

“Impressive,” Jeongguk said as he watched Jimin scarf down his food, “I was thinking. I know things are tough right now between you and your uncle. So...why don’t you...stay with me and Jun-seo for a while?  At least until you get paid. Pay day is a full two weeks away and since you haven’t had a chance to make amends with your uncle, why don’t you just stay with us until either you get paid or you and your uncle clear things up.”

“Stay? With you?”

Jeongguk explained, “Yeah.  Jun-seo is never home. I get lonely a lot. Having a friend around, somebody to talk to, would be good for me I think. Our place isn’t big but its enough. You’d be comfortable.  It’s just for a few weeks after all.”       

Jimin’s expression was not what Jeongguk had expected. Almost immediately, he regretted making the offer. The moment became awkward and he felt ridiculous for proposing such a thing. He knew nothing about Jimin’s situation and for all he knew, maybe Jimin had been telling the truth. Maybe there was an uncle somewhere and maybe Jimin did have a place to go. 

Before Jimin rejected him, he proactively rescinded the offer and apologized, “Never mind. Forget I said that. You must think I’m some kind of pathetic freak or something. Sorry, just forget it.”

Jimin was about to say yes before Jeongguk cut him off with his apology. “Oh. You changed your mind? Ok.” That was all that Jimin’s shy nature would allow him to say. 

Together they sat quietly on the bench, watching the infinite spinning of the carousel. With pregnant pauses, each of them sat debating whether or not to just confess the truth. Jimin’s truth was that he desperately needed a place to stay. Jeongguk’s truth was that he desperately needed to know if Jimin really had somewhere else to go. Neither spoke. Nothing was resolved. They finished their hot dogs, skewers and funnel cakes and prepared to get back to work.

“Well, I better get going. Thanks for having lunch with me.”

“Sure,” Jimin responded. 

Jimin headed to the left towards the office, and Jeongguk headed to the right towards the Ferris Wheel. They gave casual waves as the distance grew between them. Jimin was irritated with himself.  Jeongguk had offered him a solution to his problem, but Jimin had been too shy to speak up for himself and accept it. Now he was right back in the same position again. He thought about the comfort of the raggedy old couch in Jeongguk’s apartment and how he wished he could spend just a few more nights there until he could get a hotel. But it wasn’t going to happen and it was his own fault.

 

Immediately after the Ferris wheel stopped, the woman in the pale pink t-shirt ran to the garbage can and threw up.

***

Jimin headed back inside of the office. It was so nice and cool in there. But he immediately felt guilty about being able to work under the cool air conditioning while Jeongguk was forced to deal with the insufferable heat - in a Tayo costume no less. But even when he did have to start working outside, he wasn’t bothered because it was a small price to pay for having a steady job.

As Jimin worked through the rest of the day, his hands became a bit fatigued from all of the pressure of manually screwing the pieces to the office chair he was repairing. The twins were out somewhere on the grounds tending to park business, so he chose that moment to take a break. Immediately his mind stalled on his precarious living situation. A full day had passed and he still didn’t have a solution for where he was going to park for the evening. 

Jimin’s eyes were suddenly drawn to the window, towards the mighty Ferris wheel. Jack the mime was there, standing just a few feet away from the rapidly spinning circle. Most of the park goers simply walked past Jack. But there was a crowd of about twenty people who gathered around him, watching as he performed. Jimin was intrigued. He pulled a soda from the office refrigerator and sat in front of the window to watch.

Jack’s runny, smudged make up disfigured him; making him appear as some sort of demon clown.  The black elongated diamonds painted underneath each of his eyes blurred into sweaty blobs of black paint.  It was unsettling. However, despite his dark, creepy, morose appearance, the kids loved him and seemed to be fearless. They gathered close and settled in to be entertained. 

Jack the mine was actually quite good at - miming. His pop-locking skills and crisp, sharp movements really made his gestures believable. Jimin smiled as he watched Jack fall to his knees to act out his “trapped in the box” routine. His eyes moved feverishly while he contemplated his escape. Jack pulled himself into a ball, as he looked up anxiously towards the top of his “box”. His face was sullen and dour as he lamented his predicament. With his gloved palms outstretched, he flattened his hands against the sides of the invisible box, at times banging against it with clenched fists. His facial expressions were emotionally manipulative, pulling the audience in and making them truly believe he was in peril, even though it was just an act. At one point Jack fell onto his back and kicked hard towards the top of the “box” in another futile attempt to escape.  In a performance worthy of an award, he banged his shoulder against the invisible sides, coming away each time holding his arm as if it had been injured.   

It was so convincing that Jimin almost believed there were walls holding Jack captive. Jimin smiled again. He suddenly had a new respect for the odd, overly dramatic individual with all of the white paint on his face. The crowd around him stood captivated, excited by the mime’s every move. Jack continued his act for another five minutes as passersby threw coins and bills into a hat that he’d placed in the ground. Once he finally escaped the box, the crowd roared and scream and applauded him. 

Jimin applauded too. He still didn’t understand anything about the strange character known as Jack, but he did finally understand his allure and why the twins felt he was such a valuable addition to the amusement park. Jimin took another sip of soda. But just as Jack ended his routine, an ear shattering horn sounded. It blared across the amusement park so loudly, that Jimin had to cover his ears. And then it stopped. It its place came the hollow, staticky echo of Suk’s calm voice. He gleefully made an announcement reminding the park goers that it was time for the Tayo parade. 

Jimin stood, suddenly interested, “Tayo? He has his own parade?” Jimin laughed. He absolutely loved that idea. Yes, a parade. It was exactly what Jeongguk deserved. “Oh I’ve got to see this.”

His day was just about over, so Jimin closed up his tool box and headed out into the smoldering heat. The sun hadn’t even fully gone down, yet the amusement park was already dressed in its evening attire.  The dancing lights from the Ferris wheel trickled on in a sequential pattern that reflected over the calm waters of the bay. The purple, green and pink rotating bulbs along the tracks of the mini-roller coaster chased each other around the perimeter of the ride. Every food stand was suddenly lit up with glowing lights above the concession signs advertising their delectable treats. And then there was the carousel. The large rotating platform full of vibrant wood and ceramic horses had quickly become Jimin’s favorite. He wasn’t sure which way to go to enter the parade route, but he knew he had to get his first glimpse of the beautiful carousel at night. Each horse had a spotlight under its belly that highlighted its shiny exterior paint.  Large bulbs that spanned the colors of the rainbow, twinkled on and off in pre-programmed patterns that shone like a sea full of ARMY bombs.  The music seemed to blast even louder as the rickety old antique competed for all of the attention.  Jimin loved it.  The kid in him had definitely been activated. 

The speakers cranked up again, this time blasting silly dance music. After following behind a group of screaming four year-olds, Jimin finally reached the street. It was time for the parade begin and Jimin was indescribably excited. A large float, decorated in a scene from Tayo’s famous cartoon, was parked at the beginning of the route near the sea wall. Jimin admired the float’s construction, curious about how it operated. The float was actually a flatbed truck that had a platform built on top of it. Inside of the faux walls was a fake couch, a rocking chair where Tayo told his stories, and an animated television that flashed pictures of Tayo’s imaginary family. The replica of Tayo’s living room was full of energetic pastels of pink, canary, powder blue, peach and lavender. It was Kindergarten stimulus so breath taking and beautiful that even the ogre hearts of adults were touched. 

The scaffolding that supported the platform extended about three meters high. Jimin felt queasy just looking at it. He couldn’t imagine riding on that thing as it moved. It didn’t seem overly sturdy and Jimin grew concerned when he looked up. The flatbed truck engine purred to life. With a sudden jerk forward, it started down the parade route.

Perched high at the very tippy top of the massive moving structure stood Tayo the teddy bear, also known as his new friend Jeongguk. Every child and every parent smiled as Tayo danced and waved at them from above. Tayo was a great dancer, swinging his hips and bouncing to the beat of the carnival chorus of children singing behind him. Everyone flocked to him despite there being many other mascots in the parade. Jeongguk was magical. Mesmerizing. He was so personable and joyful. From his vantage point three meters above the street, Tayo could see almost the entire park. 

Tayo spotted Jimin in the crowd and blew him a large teddy bear fisted kiss. Jimin’s eyes flitted before immediately sweeping the ground. He could feel his face growing warmer by the minute and it wasn’t because of the balmy temperatures. Not only was he blushing, but he was also sweating. Was it really that hot or did Tayo’s kiss suddenly make him – hot? 

About five minutes into the parade, a group of rainbow clad clowns on unicycles appeared. Jimin wasn’t sure if they were part of the act, but since no one else seemed surprised to see them, he figured it was planned. The float was moving at a pretty quick pace so Jimin found it odd that the unicycles were circling so dangerously close to the moving vehicle. But the clowns seemed to have it under control; well two of them did anyway. The third clown was problematic, choosing to juggle as he wheeled his way beside the large float.   He had very little control of his unicycle, as he wobbled in figure-eights that didn’t seem to be by design. The third clown was so consumed with juggling his eight balls, that he really wasn’t paying attention to where he was going.  Jimin wasn’t sure if the clown was new…or possibly just drunk because he cycled precariously, jetting in and out of the path of the fast moving float. 

As the float turned the corner to head down the final stretch of the route, Tayo began to make his way down the stairs of the scaffolding. His routine always ended with him exiting the float and then walking the last few meters of the parade route so that he could hug and take pictures with the children. The end of the parade was also when he collected his tips. It was the most important part of the day for Jeongguk, because it was where he had the potential to make the most money. Tayo was about half way down when suddenly the drunk juggling clown veered his unicycle right into the path of the moving truck.  The float driver hit the brakes hard, leaving a trail of skid marks. The sudden stop caused Tayo to lose his footing, sending him over tumbling over the side of the float. He fell the full three meters before crashing to the hard street below.  Jeongguk landed on his ankle, twisting it hard in a 90 degree rotation. He also hit his head causing him to temporarily black out. If it were not for his overly large stuffed Tayo head, the fall would have cracked his skull open. It was a terrible incident indeed and it had happened right in front of the large crowd of onlookers.

Screams from traumatized children filled the air. Even Suk and Duk who had been nearby yelped as they watched their friend free fall from the large float.

“Oh my God!” Jimin yelled as he swam through the crowd to get to Jeongguk. He fell to his knees by Jeongguk’s side and called out his name, “Jeongguk. Jeongguk are you alright?”

Suk and Duk ran forward to push the crowd away. Duk was close to tears, while Suk was much more reserved.

Jeongguk didn’t respond or move for the first few seconds. Jimin tried to pull off his Tayo head but Jeongguk suddenly whispered, “No. Don’t touch my head. Leave it on. I’ll get sympathy tips.”

“Symp…what…?” Jimin didn’t understand. “Are you hurt? Oh my God Jeongguk,  that fall was…terrible,” Jimin was upset. Jeongguk had fallen a very long way and he had to be injured.

“I’m ok. My ankle hurts like fuck though. I think it’s broken. Help me up,” Jeongguk grabbed Jimin around the shoulders as Jimin easily lifted him from the ground. The beloved mascot tried to stand but doubled over in pain as he tried to place weight on his injured leg, “Fuck that hurts!”

Suk, Duk and Jimin all surrounded Jeongguk, yelling at him with heartfelt concern, “Are you ok?  Are you ok?”

Even Tan had come running from the nearby koi pond. He had witnessed the entire accident and he was livid, “That fucking clown’s been drinking again,” Tan complained. “I’m totally kicking his ass.  KICKING HIS ASS.”  Tan disappeared and reappeared seconds later in hot pursuit of the drunk, trouble making clown who ran for his life.

“Are you dead boy?” Duk asked with great concern.

“Holy shit Jeongguk we’ve got to get you to a hospital to get checked out. That was a horrible fall.  Are you ok? Can you walk?” Suk asked.

“No.” He wrapped his arm tightly around Jimin’s shoulders, “Jimin is holding me up. I’m in pain sir.  A lot of it.” Jeongguk grimaced. He was still wearing his large Tayo head which bopped Jimin hard in the face with every other word he uttered.    

“Come on. Let’s take you to the doctor.” Suk reached for Jeongguk but the stubborn bear refused to go with him.

“No!  I need my tips, sir. I need the money, I can’t leave now,” Jeongguk’s voice was strained. He was obviously in pain.

“Tips?” Duk was angered, “Jeongguk, you just fell from three meters in the air. Now is not the time to be worried about money.”

Jeongguk gripped Jimin’s shoulder even tighter as he stood upright, “Maybe in your world. But in my world, we always have to worry about money.”  Jeongguk limped as he tried to stabilize himself. He twisted his Tayo head straight which had been knocked askew during his fall.

Jimin didn’t speak. He didn’t feel it was his place but he secretly wished that Jeongguk would change his mind and go straight to the doctor. He continued to support all of Jeongguk’s weight as he tried to assemble himself and regain his bearings. 

“I have to finish the parade. Jimin will you help me?”

“I’ve got you. Please don’t worry, I’ll carry you if you want.”  

“Carry me? Well I’m a bit too heavy for that...,”

Before Jeongguk even finished his sentence, Jimin scooped him into his arms and began to carry him bridle style for the remainder of the parade route. “Nah, you’re light as a feather.” Jeongguk was not as light as a feather, but Jimin’s strength was not to be taken mildly. He complied but with a small lecture, “But promise we’ll go straight to the doctor right after?” Jimin didn’t know much about doctors or medicine but he knew that it was not a good idea for Jeongguk to put weight on his ankle. 

“I promise we’ll go. But tips first,” Jeongguk grunted. “My God you’re strong. You’re not even breathing hard. I’m really heavy.”

“Used to it. I lift heavy stuff all the time.” Jimin smiled as his human head and Tayo’s large teddy bear head collided once again. He could barely see where he was going because the bear’s head obstructed his view.  But still, he powered forward.

Jeongguk immediately turned his attention to the panicked crowd. He lifted a single hand and waved at them to signal that he was ok. At the reluctant direction of Duk, the parade continued. As awkward as it was, Jimin carried Tayo the remainder of the way. Parent after parent, child after child ran up to Tayo to add tip money to his teddy bear purse.  Jimin had never seen such adoration. The kids were truly traumatized thinking they had just watched their beloved Tayo fall to his death. So when he emerged alive and still full of energy, the tips poured in. Jeongguk was right, keeping his head on and finishing the parade was proving to be quite lucrative. 

Suk and Duk, keeping watchful eye over their star, walked behind Jimin as they concluded the parade. So much money had been stuffed into Tayo’s purse that he ended up stuffing the remainder of his bills in his pockets. Without even counting it, Jeongguk knew that this was the largest tip haul he’d ever received in three years of being Tayo.

As soon as they cleared the crowd, Jimin, Suk and Duk ducked behind the row of concession stands and Jimin laid Jeongguk down on the concrete. They could still hear the drunk clown, Namgil, who’d caused the crash, screaming as Tan still chased him and threatened to beat him to death with a pretzel.  Their screaming made Jeongguk laugh.

“Tell Tan not to be too hard on Namgil.  I’m sure careening into the float was an accident.”

Suk immediately chimed in, “Whatever Tan does to Namgil is nothing compared to what I’m going to do to him. This is the second time that he’s shown up drunk. I’ve given him chance after chance just because he’s my cousin’s son. I’m putting him on suspension with no pay. He could have gotten you killed Jeongguk.”

“That’s enough talking! We have to get you to the doctor.”  I’ll go get the car.  Jimin can you carry him again?  He probably needs to stay off of that ankle.”

Jimin spoke shyly, but firmly. He managed to make eye contact, even though it greatly pained him to do so, “Sir, if I may, please let me drive him?”   

Jeongguk protested, “No Jimin I can’t ask you to do that,” Jeongguk protested.  

“The urgent care center is just around the corner.   Let me do this please.  I can’t let you out of my sight until I know you’re ok.  Jeongguk, I owe you.  Please, let me do this.” 

 Duk and Suk looked at each other.  Jimin was quite passionate about his insistence on taking Jeongguk to urgent care. They studied the situation carefully to determine if they truly wanted to leave Jeongguk in Jimin’s care. He was their employee and they had an obligation to see to it that he received treatment. 

As they debated the matter, a flash of black white once again appeared in a blur.  Jack had arrived, backflipping into the midst of their protective circle around Jeongguk. He ran to each person pretending to shove them away. His face was fierce and serious as he flailed his arms and silently insisted they all move back. He continued his gesticulations until he created a large empty space around Jeongguk. He pantomimed a scene that appeared to be an ambulance arriving to care for Jeongguk’s ankle. And just as Duk was set to curse at him, Jack pulled a real first aid kit from his black Fanny pack. 

Everyone quieted. No one was sure if this was going to be real treatment or mime treatment for Jeongguk’s ankle. Jack flexed, rolled his head in circles to stretch his neck and then cracked his knuckles. He knelt down and examined Jeongguk as he lay on the ground.

Jimin had enough. He didn’t bother to wait and see what Jack was doing. Time was wasting and he felt Jeongguk needed medical attention fast. So, he fled to the parking lot to fetch his car so that he could pick up Jeongguk and head straight to the hospital.      

Duk wanted to intervene. As far as everyone knew, Jack had no medical experience. But Suk felt it would be a great show of faith if they allowed Jack to help. He held his brother back and urged him to give Jack a chance.

“Uh, Jack what are you doing?  I’m in a lot of pain and I...,”

Jack covered Jeongguk’s mouth with his dingy gloved hand. He smiled at Jeongguk before lifting the pant leg of Tayo’s overalls.  The greasy painted-faced mime took a good look at Jeongguk’s ankle which had already begun to swell. The injury was bad. Jack made a pouty face and performed his signature mime cry.  Everyone wondered if this would be an occasion where Jack would actually speak, but the strange character remained just as silent as always as he went about the business of treating Jeongguk’s leg. The first aid kit was stuffed with gauze and bandages. Jack removed a roll and tightly layered it around Jeongguk’s ankle.

“Ouch!”  Jeongguk winced. He looked at Jack, hoping to get some verbal response that gave him confidence that the crazy-ass, depressed mime actually knew what he was doing. He did not receive any such assurances.

The gauze was tight. Jack did another mime cry but this one was a bit more mocking. He secured the dressing with a piece a tape.  He moved steadily and confidently as if he knew exactly what he was doing.  Did Jack have more secrets up his sleeve that none of them knew about? Despite being the last on the scene, he was the most prepared.  Inside of his Fanny pack was a baggie full of ice. He’d been the only one astute enough to think to get ice from one of the concessions stands. He placed it over Jeongguk’s dressing and then gave him a thumbs up. Suddenly he sprang forward into a handstand. By this time, Jimin had arrived with the car. He parked it haphazardly up on the curb to get Jeongguk into the front seat. 

Suk and Duk stood by. Jimin was determined to take him to the hospital and neither felt they had time to protest. So they allowed him to take him. Jack and Jimin worked together to lift Jeongguk from the ground. Jimin took it the rest of the way and carried Jeongguk solo and placed him gently in the front seat of his VW bug.

“We’ll meet you there,” Duk called out.

Jimin buckled Jeongguk safely into the front seat and then took off like a speed demon down the street. 

Jack clenched his chest and mimed a heart attack, and then he wiped the sweat from his forehead.  He was relieved that Jeongguk was finally on his way to get medical help. Once Jack was content that the crises had been averted, he cartwheeled into a back flip that dismounted into the splits. Once again he moonwalked back to the Ferris wheel. 

Tan continued to chase Namgil.  He was determined to kick his ass.  He didn’t care if he was related to the bosses, he needed to pay for what he had done. But Namgil was unable to catch him. For a drunk clown, he was fast as hell. 

***

He opened his eyes.  Jeongguk was loopy. The pain medication that they had given him at the hospital was some pretty powerful stuff. On the positive side, he wasn’t in pain anymore. But on the negative side, he was a bit faded and not completely in control. Somehow, he ended up in his bed covered in blankets with stacks of ice bags piled over his legs. He wasn’t sure how he’d gotten up three flights of stairs, but that was not important. He was home, safe and feeling much better. 

“Jimin?” He looked around, wondering where Jimin had disappeared to. 

The doctor had given Jeongguk explicit instructions to stay off of his feet for the next five days. Five days – without pay. The ankle was not broken, but it was severely bruised and twisted and he needed time for it to heal. He wasn’t sure how he was going to break the news to Jun-sae that not only had the twins refused to give him a raise, but he was also going to miss work for a full week. Money was already tight and Jeongguk’s failure to work would be detrimental.

“Jimin!” He said again out of frustration.  “JIMIN!” There was no answer. The apartment was quiet.  Was Jimin even still there? Had he left and gone back to his uncle’s house? “Some friend you are,”  Jeongguk said angrily. 

Partly out of anger, but partly out of hurt, he folded his arms and pouted. Jimin hadn’t even said goodbye. After a few more minutes of silence, Jeongguk realized that he was all alone. How was he supposed to get around without help? He couldn’t believe that Jimin had just tossed him aside and left him to fend for himself.  Jeongguk’s memory was fine, and he clearly remembered Jimin helping him out of his Tayo suit.  However he was a little blurry on how he had gotten into his pajamas. Jun-sae was at work and probably knew nothing of his accident, so it had to be Jimin who had helped him get dressed. He strained to remember...slowly it came back to him.  Jimin had not only helped him get into his pajamas, but he had also iced his ankle and wrapped him in blankets. Next to Jeongguk’s bed were all of his medications from the doctor with handwritten instructions on taking each one. At least Jimin tried to help him before completely ghosting him. That made Jeongguk feel better – but not much. 

“JIMIN!” Jeongguk yelled one final time. No response. He truly was all alone. 

He blew a frustrated breath because he had no idea how he was going to get around. Plus, he needed to pee, plus he needed food, plus, he needed to masturbate.  Jeongguk realized that he could only attack one problem at a time, so he ordered his tasks in his head and prioritized them by importance. The clear winner was masturbation. 

His trusty bottle of Somang body milk lotion sat on the floor, right next to his bed. He needed to bust a quick nut so that his mind would clear and he could figure a way out of his predicament. He leaned precariously over the side of the bed until he was able to grab it. Liberally he squirted the silky texture all into his palm. With his hand overly full of body milk, he crept his pants down around his thighs and began working himself. Even with his sore ice covered ankle, he managed to get down there good and really tug at his cock. He pushed his blankets away and allowed the cool air conditioning of his apartment to breeze through his nuts as he jerked himself. The entire event should have taken about four minutes, so when Jimin burst in right at the four minute mark, it was the absolute worst moment possible. Jeongguk had already begun to squirt and both he and his cock seized as soon as Jimin unexpectedly entered the room.

Jimin stormed in with a tray full of food. He had his earphones in his ear and was completely oblivious to the fact that Jeongguk had been calling him. To his surprise, Tayo’s alter ego, was partially naked from the waist down, yanking on his cock like he was in a strip club.

“JIMIN!”  Jeongguk yelled with horrific surprise. “I – I – I...,”  he jumped.  He tried to cover himself but instead of pulling the blankets back up, he accidently knocked them completely to the ground.  Plan B was to get his pants back up, but he forgot about his bruised and swollen ankle and made the mistake of trying to jump out of the bed to pull up his pajama pants. That ended poorly because the second his foot hit the ground, he screamed in pain and fell to the floor. He writhed around on the ground trying to simultaneously bare the pain while inching up his pants high enough to cover his exposed dick. 

Jimin placed the tray down on the dresser. He removed his earbuds from his ears and rushed to help Jeongguk get back to the bed. Jimin needed to put Jeongguk back in the bed, but he also needed to not look at his jumpy cock. There were too many things – too many things. He flushed red. His every instinct told him to run and hide. But he couldn’t leave his friend in such a state so he had to help him. First, as timidly and respectfully as possible, he pulled Jeongguk’s pajama pants back up so that his hardened cock was no longer staring at him. Second, he lifted Jeongguk and placed him safely in the bed. Once again he stacked the bags of ice over his ankle. 

“Of all of the things that you could have done here, you chose that?” Jimin said shyly.

“I thought I was alone. I thought you had fled the scene and gone back to your uncles,” Jeongguk tried to explain but he was too embarrassed.      

“Not yet. I would never leave you alone. By the way, I spoke to your brother. I called him and told him what happened. I told him to take his time and not to rush home because I was here. You were very badly injured Jeongguk. You have a concussion. You can’t go anywhere for a few days. Plus your ankle is pretty mangled,”  Jimin tried to explain without making eye contact. He stared at the headboard behind Jeongguk’s head.

“Concussion?”

“Yep. The doctor says your memory is probably going to be a little fuzzy for a while. But other than that, you’ll be ok.”

“I’m sorry for what you walked in on...I just...have to release tension every now and again...you know how it is...?”

“No. I don’t. But I won’t judge. Just sorry I had to witness the um, fruits of your labor,”  Jimin twisted around and turned to face the other wall. 

“What’s all of this?”  Jeongguk asked as he looked towards the tray of food that Jimin had delivered.

“Food. The twins felt awful about what happened to you. They stormed in here about an hour ago with enough food and groceries to last at least three weeks. They said not to worry about your pay because they will make sure that you get your regular check as pain and suffering for your injuries.”

“Pain and suffering?  Ha! They’re just scared that I’m going to sue them for keeping their drunk ass cousin employed, even though they knew he was a menace.”

Jimin laughed. Jeongguk liked it when Jimin laughed. He smiled back at him, searching for a sight of those beautiful crescent shaped eyes that he always kept hidden. 

“The drunk chaos causing clown is a relative of the twins?” Jimin questioned.

“Yes. A distant cousin or some shit like that. Anyway, he’s a drunk. He’s always drunk. He’s not even supposed to be on the unicycle brigade. He’s not even legally certified to be on a unicycle. Makes good money too, just for being a low level clown. Such an asshole,” Jeongguk complained. 

“Wait...you need certification for riding a unicycle?”  Jimin asked.

“In Busan – yes. Otherwise shit like this can happen,” Jeongguk pointed at his swollen ankle.

Jimin wasn’t exactly sure of the connection but he moved on, “Anyway – you have enough food in there to last a very long time.  So since you were stuck in the bed, I decided to cook you some dinner, Jeonggukie.”

 “I called you and you didn’t answer, that’s why I thought you had left me.”

“Left you?  In this condition?  I would never...we’re friends now, aren’t we?  Friends would never leave each other in their greatest time of need,”  Jimin said simply. 

“We are friends, I guess. That’s a nice word. I don’t really have many friends outside of the people I meet at the park.”

Jimin nodded as if he understood. “I have a lot of food here. I kept it simple with some sticky chicken and glass noodles. There’s some rice and mayak eggs. You had those marinating in the fridge already so I just steamed them and added them. I hope I did ok. I’m not as good of a cook as you are but...its edible I think,” Jimin said humbly.

“I’m starving and this looks like it came from a restaurant. You are a good cook, Jimin.” Jeongguk immediately began scarfing down his dinner. “Why did you call me Jeonggukie?” Jeongguk asked casually.

“Did I?” Jimin picked at Jeongguk’s rice, “I didn’t notice. I don’t know why. It just slipped. Is it ok to call you that?”

“It’s ok.  I like it.  My dad used to call me that before...,”

“Before what?”

“Before we had to have him committed. He went crazy after my mom died.”

“Literally crazy?”

“Literally. He had been mentally ill for a while, but it never really manifested until after my mother died. We took him to the hospital to get him some professional help. We thought it would just be temporary and he would come home after a few treatments. But we realized after about a year of being on our own, that he was never coming back. The doctors said he was too sick. He was a danger to himself and others.”  Jeongguk explained honestly.

“I’m so sorry.” Jimin looked down. Jeongguk’s story was a hard one. “Thank goodness for your brother. You’re lucky to have him. He seems to love you very much.”

Jeongguk took the opportunity to say something else that he really wanted to say, “You know, when I offered to let you stay earlier, I meant it. I know you don’t need my help, but this time I think I need your help.”

Jimin laughed again. “Funny you should say that. Your brother said the same thing. He can’t take off of work to be with you Jeonggukie, no matter how much he would like to. He says you guys really need the money, especially with you not working. So he asked if I could stay and help you out for a while, until you get back on your feet. I’ll still go to work every day, but I’ll come back here on lunch and after my shifts to take care of you. Its only for a couple of weeks though. And then I’ll be on my way, as soon as I get my first paycheck.”

Jeongguk smiled. He sorted through the tray of food that Jimin provided and ate until he was stuffed.  “I’m happy to know that you’re going to stay.  I know it’s only been a couple of days, but I really like being around you, especially when you decide to talk – and smile.”

Jeongguk’s compliment was a bit much for Jimin to process. He’d never been appreciated for his mere presence. It was time for him to flee to the comfort of the couch, where he could brood alone and not have to face the handsome man and all of his pesky adoration. 

“Here, take this. It’s time for another dose of pain meds. Drink the full bottle of water.” Jimin waited and watched lovingly as Jeongguk took his medicine. “Need to visit the restroom or anything...?”  He asked shyly, with his eyes burrowed into the poster over Jeongguk’s bed.”

“Yes.”

“Alright.” Jimin lifted Jeongguk completely out of the bed and carried him the full distance to the restroom. “Do your business and let me know when you’re ready.” He emptied Jeongguk at the foot of the toilet and then dismissed himself.

Jeongguk stared back at him as he exited, “You know, I’m starting to think you have a kink for carrying me.”

“It’s possible,” Jimin joked through the closed bathroom door.

After getting Jeongguk settled and back into the bed, Jimin realized that it was late. He needed to get to bed in preparation for an early day at work. It felt awkward to know that he was going back to the amusement park without Jeongguk. But he needed the money and he enjoyed working there, so he was committed. It was time to say goodnight.

“Well I better be going.  After all, I did interrupt something very important...you know...your release of frustrations and whatnot.”  Jimin released a rare giggle. 

“Thanks for being so cool about that. Sorry again.”

“I’m the one who barged in unannounced. This isn’t my home and I need to be more careful.” Jimin pulled the blankets up over Jeongguk’s chest. “If you’re done, I’ll take the tray now. Don’t worry about the dishes, I cleaned up after myself. Yeah, so...goodnight.” Jimin bowed to Jeongguk, overly formally, as he removed his tray and headed away from the bedroom.

“Good night,” Jeongguk called out. Jimin disappeared after quietly closing the bedroom door behind himself.  Jeongguk stared at the door, waiting for Jimin to return. He didn’t. 

***

A little over thirteen days and Jeongguk still had not returned.  His ankle had not healed as quickly as he hoped.  With Jeongguk out of work and forced to rest, the park was without Tayo. This mattered, because Tayo was the main draw for the amusement park. Without him, park goers were much less joyous about being separated from their money. Wallets remained tightly shut and the brothers lost thousands in daily revenue. 

So, in stepped Duk. Duk, the eldest twin by thirteen minutes, tried to work in Jeongguk’s place. It was a fail. No matter how well intentioned he was, he just couldn’t embrace the starring role like his young predecessor. Being an energetic mascot was a young person’s game. In addition, wearing the heavy costume in the inescapable heat was too much for his elderly body. 

Duk was exhausted and close to heat stroke. He sat on the bench near the Ferris wheel with Tayo’s head seated next to him. He wasn’t supposed to be out of costume but it was just too hot for him to survive inside of that death trap. He had a new appreciation for Jeongguk and the hard work it took to cos play as Tayo. 

Suk, who had ventured out to inspect a leak near the men’s restroom, found his brother sitting there looking as pathetic as possible. 

“Big brother. I thought we agreed to wait until Jeongguk was back on his feet before Tayo made his official return.” Suk took a seat next to his elder.

“I know but the kids look so sad. We can’t call ourselves the happiest place in the world if the star isn’t here. So I thought I would give it a shot.” Duk’s feet were hot. He removed Tayo’s large oversized microfiber tennis shoes and sat barefooted with his feet on the hot pavement. “Plus, receipts have been down for days since he left. We need to excite people to spend again. Only Tayo can do that.”

“You’re an old buffoon. You’re killing Tayo’s reputation. Just wait until Jeongguk returns. We only have a few more days. I’ll be honest though. I miss him. He’s the heart of this place,” Suk said sadly. 

Duk agreed, “Yeah.  He is. I’ve been thinking brother, maybe we don’t pay him enough. With Namgil being fired, we have more money on the payroll. Maybe we can give him just a little bit more? I spent 30 minutes in Tayo’s costume with the air conditioning fan on full blast and I still almost died. This kid dances and sings while wearing this thing all day and he barely complains,” Duk explained.

“I’ll take a look at the budget and see what we can do. I agree, if we were to lose him, this place would go downhill pretty fast.”

“Sirs?” Jimin appeared. 

He was wearing a Tayo the clown t-shirt and an old pair of jeans. His tool belt was latched around his waist and his face was smudged with grease. Once again he had been underneath the carousel attempting to repair more frayed wires. 

“Jimin! How’s it going boy? Did you finally finish all of the repairs to the carousel?” Suk asked.

“I did,” Jimin said proudly. “There were seven cables in total that needed to be replaced. They’re all as good as new now. I plan to move on to the broken freezer inside of the chicken skewer stand.” Jimin gave his elders a proper bow even though it wasn’t necessary.

“Good job, Jimin,” Duk said.

“If you need anything, let us know,” Suk bowed back.

Jimin looked at Duk with concern. He was unpleasantly surprised to see the man dressed in the costume that belonged to Jeongguk. He didn’t understand why he had undertaken such a mighty task. The man was overheated and needed to get inside. Jimin worried about him, but kept his thoughts to himself.  Duk’s toupee was stuck mid center towards the back of his head. He had sweated so much that he’d loosened the glue that kept his artificial wig in place. Jimin grimaced.

“Uh, sir may I um…?” Jimin politely pulled Duk’s hair to the front and adjusted it to the correct position. “There, that’s better.” 

“Oh thank you.” Duk grabbed his hair, fully embarrassed. “Suk, you asshole!  Why didn’t you tell me my hair was slipping?”

“Because it’s funnier this way. Maybe now you’ll get rid of that carpet of pubic hair once and for all.”

“Shut up asshole. I look hot. No one wants to look like an old bald geezer like you. I look good and the young chicks love me.”

“What chick has ever, ever, EVER expressed any interest in you? Tell me, I’ll wait,” Suk roared with laughter. He delighted very much in teasing his elder brother and his pathetic toupee. The young chicks laugh at you,” he added.

Jimin watched as the friendly banter between the twins collapsed into a full-fledged argument. He had little desire to watch old people fight. So he excused himself and headed back towards the south side of the park. Suk and Duk were bickering so badly that they never even noticed that Jimin was gone.

“Jimin what do you think? Does this make me look…Jimin?” Both Duk and Suk looked around.  Jimin was gone. “See what you did? You ran him off.”

“Me?” Suk was affronted. “I didn’t run him off. You and your wooly baseball cap ran him off.” Suk said angrily as he once again insulted his brother’s toupee. 

After a few moments of staring at each other, Suk and Duk both calmed down. Duk needed to get inside. He really was too old to be out in the elements under the harsh brutal sun. 

“The heat really is getting to you big brother. We better get you inside to take a break. Can we agree that Tayo will make his triumphant return only when Jeongguk gets back?”

“I guess.” Duk patted his head gently to make sure that his toupee was still in place. He removed his Tayo costume and proceeded in his soccer shorts and t-shirt. He held the Tayo costume under his arm.

As the two walked back towards the office, they noticed a line at the cotton candy house, about 70 people deep. People, as far as the eye could see were crowded around the place yelling and screaming for cotton candy. 

“What’s going on here?” Suk hustled over to the line. Suk stood at the front of the line to address the crowd, “Calm down. Please calm down. We’ll get you all served in just a moment.”  The situation was quickly growing out of hand as parents began pushing towards the back of the line.  They were just short of an angry mob.

The crowd only grew angrier upon hearing Suk’s empty promises. “We’ve been waiting for over an hour just to get in,” several in the crowd yelled.

Duk rushed past the line and headed straight inside to try to get to the root of the problem. Never before had the lined backed up this severely, especially on slower days in the middle of the week. Sure enough, their ace cotton candy sculptor, Duri, was there, working as hard as ever. Despite the screams and abusive language coming from angry parents, he persisted with shelling out as many of his cotton candy designs as possible. But there was a problem. His partner, Gyeong was missing. Duri was there attempting to service all of the customers alone. 

“Hey Duri, where the hell is Gyeong?”

Duri was flustered, upset, angry and overstressed. He was on the verge of tears, “He quit. Walked out. He got another job offer and just left.  I’ve been all alone for over two hours. I tried to call you, but the line is just too long. I can’t do this. I’m glad you’re here. You can take over. I QUIT!”

“Oh no!  Don’t leave, please don’t leave.”  Duk dropped Tayo’s head and costume safely on a table behind the counter and jumped forward to help. He begged Gyeong to stay, but it was too late. The angry, frustrated man stripped himself out of his pink one-piece jumpsuit and stormed out, leaving Duk behind the glass all alone.

Duk wasn’t a sculptor, nor did he know how to operate the cotton candy machine, but as owner of the park, he had to do something to avert the riot that was about to happen. He stepped into the candy kitchen where several cotton candy machines were spinning at once. He stared blankly, not sure of where to begin. He made a quick announcement to the people who were crammed inside of the Cotton Candy House, “Please stay calm. We’re doing the best we can.”

Suk appeared, “What the hell is going on in here? Where’s Gyeong and Duri?”

“They both quit. Don’t just stand there. Do something.”

“We don’t know how to operate any of these machines,” Suk explained.

“What do we do? Do we just close the doors and tell them to come back later?” Duk asked over the growing agitation of the crowd.

“We can’t do that. That will surely cause a riot.” Suk thought for a moment, “HEY.  I have an idea.  I’ll call Jimin. He’s familiar with these machines. He’s fixed them a couple of times. Surely he knows how they work.”

“Great idea,” Duk said as he stared into the spinning cylinder full of crystalized sugar remnants.

Jimin was on the other side of the park when he received the urgent 9-1-1 text from the twins.  “Urgent situation at the Cotton Candy House. Come right away!” He read the text with a slight laugh. What about cotton candy could possibly be urgent?

Other than Tayo himself,  the Cotton Candy House was one of the prime attractions at Haenundae amusement park. The place was as magical as Tayo himself.  

The Cotton Candy House was a slender, two story building that was constructed as a replica of Tayo’s backyard from the animated series, Tayo’s Playland.  There was a large playground where the children could climb up a rope ladder and swing between large felt trees that mimicked the feel of a forest. The floors were soft and pliable, crafted from recycled tires. So if ever a child fell, they would bounce right back up as gently as a feather. Every single feature was designed with kids in mind.

Just below the large tree branches that crawled over the ceiling, there were five life sized gum ball machines that held neon colored capsules full of crazy flavored cotton candy. Each capsule was 6500 Won but contained only a child’s palm worth of the sugary sweet confection. Flavors such as lime booger, bloody fingernail, blue poo and more kept kids guessing and gagging while savoring every bite. In reality the samples were just accidental mixtures from the morning batches that should have been thrown away. But instead, the twins turned them into very profitable mistakes that parents proudly over paid for as part of the Tayo backyard experience.   

The building was white on the outside. But inside, it was a pink paradise with varying degrees of the hue represented. From barely pink walls to florescent pink ceilings, it was sugary sweet. Rare pieces of art hung throughout. But it wasn’t just any kind of art - it was art made from strands of cotton candy. The twins had commissioned local artists to create unique art scenes that matched the whimsy of the eclectic theme. It was the perfect addition to the perfect palace.

There were cotton candy clouds floating on invisible wire. Cotton candy pillows and puffy cotton candy chairs were spaced throughout the first floor where tired parents could steal a few moments of rest.  Colorful kaleidoscope themed mini-tunnels ran in circles around the main floor. Kids young and old crawled through the dimly lit tunnels, bumping into walls and each other with feverish giggles. From the top of the stairs on the second floor, children could haphazardly dropped their little bodies onto a twisting slide that would barrel them at break neck speeds towards a pool full of small, rainbow colored balls.  There they would dry swim, kicking and screeching, hiding from their seeking parents. 

The complexity of the Cotton Candy House was maintained by two sculptors who created unique brands of cotton candy animals. Much like the famous balloon animals created by the Busan clown brigade, the cotton candy sculptors created magical, fluffy, whimsical animal shapes based on the animals that roamed Tayo’s backyard. There were seven different shapes the kids could select: Tata, Mang, Koya, Cooky, Shooky, Chimmy, and the fan favorite - RJ. Each of the designs were created by spinning several different colors of cotton candy and then melting them together to form the desired shape. It wasn’t rocket science but it did require skill to be able to make the animals quickly and true to form. Nothing made a kid angrier than receiving a sculpting that was supposed to be a heart, but actually shaped like a football. Getting it correct was important. Next to Tayo himself, the Cotton Candy House was the most profitable and beloved attraction inside of the park. So when it fell into chaos, it was an urgent situation and a catastrophic event. With both of their primary workers walking off of the job, for the first time, the Cotton Candy House was falling into literal chaos.

Jimin stared at his text for a few seconds. He assumed that one or both of the cotton candy machines had gone down and needed repair. So he grabbed his tool box and went running towards the scene.

As soon as he arrived, he saw the commotion outside. It was chaos.

“Excuse me, one sec, pardon, excuse me,” he said as he wrestled his way towards the front of the house. Duk and Suk stood there, petrified as patrons yelled at them. He spoke over the angry raised voices, “What the hell is going on in here?”

“Both cotton candy guys quit. Do you know how to turn this thing on? Or make it go...or whatever?” Suk screamed.

The angry individuals bumped against each other, fighting for positions at the front of the line. Duk stood on the counter, “HEY!  If I see anyone screaming or pushing, I’m calling the police.”

“The police?” Suk chastised.  “You can’t call the police on kids and their parents.”

“Watch me,” Duk explained. 

Jimin surveyed the cotton candy spinners. Both machines were in perfect working order and operating just fine. He ran over to the sink, washed the smudges of grease from his fingers and popped a white parchment paper cone into the spinner. He rotated his arm slowly in concentric circles as he watched the fuzzy lightly-spun sugar collect over the paper cone. The crowd seemed to quiet.  Jimin’s calming pace and steady hand gave them comfort knowing that the treats would soon be flowing again. The bright fluffy yellow sugar cloud that had taken the previous candy makers minutes to produce, was crafted beautifully within seconds under Jimin’s skillful command. 

“How...how did you do that?” Suk asked with amazement?

“Do what? Make the cotton candy? I – I just did it?”  Jimin shrugged. Jimin was not sure what all of the fuss was about. His sole purpose for spinning the cotton candy was to show Suk and Duk that the machines were working.

“That’s mine! I’ve been waiting the longest,” one of the angry patrons in the front yelled.

“Give it to him and make another one,” Suk yelled.

Jimin stuttered, “But, but, but I’m not sure if...,”

“Just do it,” Duk echoed his brother.

Jimin continued spinning. He made another and another and another, each even more beautifully structured and perfectly rounded than the last. Duk and Suk stood in the front of the house handing each of the waiting customers their serving of cotton candy. Jimin was so skilled with spinning the sugar that he was able to dip a cone in each of the two machines at the same time, making two cotton candy clouds at once.  He could even make all seven of the complicated characters. Suddenly, the line began to move again. Little by little Jimin spun his way out of the trouble. Another painful two hours later, the line was clear. 

As soon as they serviced the last customer, Suk immediately placed a closed sign on the Cotton Candy House. They needed to figure out what to do. Jimin felt for both of the tired, battered old men. He spun both of them pristine white cotton RJ’s as a reward for a job well done.

“How do you know how to do this? Do you have experience working the candy flossing machines?  Sculpting RJ is not easy,”  Suk was mightily impressed.

“I just duplicated the shape of what I saw posted on the menu. It’s not that big of a deal, really. A few spins and a little elbow and wrist action, and voila. You have an RJ. You just have to be careful when spinning him because the sugar needs to be pure white with no color. If you bump against the edges, it can burn the sugar and appear tan instead of cotton white...,”  Jimin laughed as he rambled. He enjoyed his time working the cotton candy spinners.

Suk and Duk looked at each other. Suk was the first to say it, “We have no cotton candy workers anymore. Jimin is the only person who knows how to do this.”

Duk pressed on seriously, “Jimin, as much as we appreciate you for repairing all of our broken appliances, I think we need you here.  We only gave you the repair job because you were Jeongguk’s friend and we wanted to help you two.  But this – THIS is where we really need you.”

Suk nodded, “Yes, Jimin. We need you here. Would you be willing to become our new cotton candy spinner?  It comes with an increase in pay...,”

“...and you get to wear this super sexy pink jumpsuit. The MILF’s all love it,”  Duk added. 

The twins went back and forth trying to convince Jimin to take the job. 

“...and it’s nice and cool in here.  You don’t have to be in the heat, crawling under platforms.”

“...and you can repair the machines whenever they break down.”

“...and did I mention, it’s a raise?  This is one of the highest paid positions in the amusement park.”

“...and you don’t have to deal with the kids.  You’re so fast with spinning the cotton candy, that you can just focus on that.  We’ll hire a hostess or something to work the front and deal with the customers.  We should have done it a long time ago.”

“What do you say Jimin?  Will you take the job?”

Jimin shook his head with a definite no, “You can’t be serious. You want me to work in here? Tayo’s famous Cotton Candy House? I can’t. I mean, I’m not even qualified.”  For the first time that afternoon, Jimin made eye contact with the twins as he spoke. He knew virtually nothing about the amusement park. He had only been working there for five days. He wasn’t ready to take on a position as prestigious as the cotton candy boy. He was a simple repairman and he wanted to keep it that way. He was much too shy to deal with customers every day, face to face. By no means was he the extroverted people-person that made Tayo so loved.  He felt the twins were making a grave mistake. “I can’t do this job.  I simply...can’t.”  Jimin tried to convince them, but they were unmoved.

The twins battled back and forth with him again,  “Yes you can do this job...,”

“...you just did it for two hours straight...,”

“...we watched you...,”

“...you were just as good as Duri and Gyeong, if not better...,”

“...please Jimin.  We need you...,”

“...it won’t be forever, just until we can find a qualified replacement...,”

“...this is our biggest income producer.  If you don’t take the position...,”

“...we’ll be forced to shut it down...,”

“...until we can find someone who...,”

“...who can do the work.”

The twins finished each other’s sentences in their passionate plea to convince Jimin to become their new cotton candy boy. The twins were in a bind. “Please,” Duk said as his toupee once again slipped to the back of his head.

***

Chapter 3: The Pink Jumpsuit

Jeongguk was feeling great. His limp was barely noticeable and his ankle was no longer swollen. He was even back to his regular masturbation routine. The doctors agreed that he was doing, but still insisted that he take at least one more day off before returning to work.  He was only supposed to be off for five days, but his injury was so severe that the doctors kept him out of work for almost two weeks. 

Although Jeongguk enjoyed being home, he looked forward to getting back into his Tayo costume and once again meandering through the amusement park. Even with the twins helping to cover expenses while Jeongguk was down, he still worried about money. Getting back to work was a priority. 

Earlier in the week Jeongguk had broken the news to Jun-Seo about the twins refusing to give him the promotion to Sugar Centrifuge Engineer. Although Jun-seo was mildly upset, he was so thankful for all of the food the twins had provided to compensate Jeongguk for his injury, that the gesture tampered down his disappointment. In addition, Jun-seo’s boss had agreed to pay him for all of the missing pay checks from the last month. Things were looking up for the Jeon family – that suddenly included Jimin.

It was almost 3pm, the designated time that Jimin came back to the apartment each day for lunch. In reality, he just used the time to dote on Jeongguk and care for him. Each day he would bring him hot dogs from the park, rub his ankle if it was sore, replace his bags of ice, help him walk around the apartment, and in the ultimate show of friendship, replenish his stock of body milk lotion. Considering that Jimin and Jeongguk had only known each other for approximately five days, they carried on as if they had been best friends for years. 

Jeongguk anxiously looked at the clock. It was 2:45 and he still hadn’t found a t-shirt that he looked good in.  He also was not thrilled with his hair. It was too straight, and had no volume. He shook his head upside down and tried to make it look bigger, healthier, more robust.  But that didn’t work. His nerves became a bit jumpy as the time ticked on because he still couldn’t find a shirt. They were all either the wrong color, or the wrong style or too immature. He wanted to look good, no not just good, sexy, no not just sexy, hot. He wanted to look hot. But instead, he felt as if he looked like a drifter who had been trapped in the house for too long. Shirt-lessly, he powered up the muscles in his arm by tightly squeezing his biceps.  He twisted left and then right to examine his body. His physique was still nice despite his days cooped up in the apartment with no exercise.

He took a few more glances in the mirror and sighed. His hair was still not optimal and he wasn’t thrilled with the shirt he finally decided upon. But he was out of time because Jimin would be home at any moment. A thought occurred to Jeongguk as he spritz himself with cologne. He realized that he had changed. Up until thirteen days ago, his flat hair was never a problem. Up until about thirteen days ago, he loved all of his t-shirts. Up until about thirteen days ago, he never paid any attention to his muscles or flat stomach. So why did it all matter so much now? After a lengthy moment of contemplation, he concluded; up until thirteen days ago, he wasn’t captivated by Jimin. And that was what caused his sudden change.

“We’re just friends,” Jeongguk shrugged to himself. 

No one had ever given Jeongguk the respect and attention that Jimin gave to him. Even though Jimin claimed it was just out of gratitude for everything Jeongguk had done, Jeongguk couldn’t help but believe there was more to it than that. Did Jimin feel something special for him?  Judging from the way he treated Jeongguk, there had to be more than just friendship on Jimin’s mind.  Jeongguk, himself, was surprised by how much he loved the attention. It almost felt like having a - boyfriend. But reality was real and Jeongguk was smart enough to accept the fact that no one as handsome as Jimin could ever be interested in someone like him.

One of the saddest things about getting well was that Jimin would no longer have a reason to spoil him or provide care. Worst of all, Jimin had vowed to leave as soon as Jeongguk was back on his feet.  Jeongguk schemed and plotted, trying to come up with different reasons that Jimin would have to stay.  However, if the handsome repairman truly had an uncle at home worrying about him, it was probably time that he return.  And that was just the honest truth. 

“Jeonggukie?”

Jeongguk jumped away from the mirror. He took one final look at himself before stepping quickly into the living area where Jimin was waiting with a dozen chicken skewers. They were freshly wrapped and still warm. One of the perks of having a friend with a car was that he could go back and forth between the apartment and the park in only minutes instead of hours on the bus.  

Jeongguk inadvertently limped a bit more than he actually needed to. He didn’t want to appear all healed and risk Jimin thinking that he didn’t need his doting attention anymore. He’d grown to love the spoiling that he received from his very special house guest. 

“Whoa, whoa, should you be on your feet?” Jimin ran to Jeongguk and wrapped his arm around him and helped him to the couch.

“I’m fine. In fact, I can go back to work tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow? Are you sure?”

“Sure. And no need to worry about me. I’ll take it easy for the first few days, mostly sitting and entertaining the kids from the Cotton Candy House.”

Jeongguk’s mention of the Cotton Candy House reminded Jimin of his good news.  “Jeonggukie. I have news to share. Crazy news actually.”

“Really?  Spill.” Jeongguk tore into his first chicken skewer. Even though he had plenty of food in the refrigerator to cook a nice lunch, he missed the greasy, fatty fodder from the amusement park. He greedily ate as he listened.

“I got a raise.”

“Already?”  Jeongguk grinned. “You’ve only worked there for about a week.”

“Yeah, I know. I got a completely new job. Two of the guys quit and they, the twins, just offered the position to me – out of the blue. It pays more money, a lot more. And I don’t have to...,” Jimin stopped mid-sentence and took a good whiff of Jeongguk’s cologne.  “...you smell really good. Like, really, really good.”  Jimin smiled. He didn’t look into Jeongguk’s eyes, but he did focus on Jeongguk’s chiseled chin.

Jeongguk blushed under the compliment. He had purposely bathed himself in that cologne because he knew that it was one that Jimin liked. The fact that his heavily-banged companion noticed, was definitely a win. He leaned in a little closer so that Jimin could continue to smell him. 

“Well congratulations. I’ve been after those assholes for two years to give me a raise.” Jeongguk was genuinely happy.  He found it kind of sexy to know that Jimin had been promoted so quickly.

“It’s not something I wanted, trust me. But it’s just temporary until they find a permanent replacement.”

“Wait a minute, you’re not trying to steal Tayo from me are you?” Jeongguk teased.

“No!  Of course not.” Jimin laughed and punched Jeongguk lightly in the shoulder. “I could never do what you do. It’s amazing really, the way the kids flock to you.” Jimin looked dreamily at his new friend. “I think Duk is finding out the hard way how important you are to the park.”

“Really? What do you mean?” Jeongguk smacked on chicken.

“He tried to perform as Tayo today. But between his swollen feet, his crooked toupee, and the heat, he only lasted about thirty minutes before passing out on a bench near the Ferris wheel.”

“Oh no!” Jeongguk fell over laughing. He accidently, on purpose, fell into Jimin’s lap so that his head rested on Jimin’s firm muscular thigh. Jeongguk’s carefully contrived position was comfortable and made him feel a bit tingly inside.

Jimin’s back straightened and he cleared his throat. He had never been this close to another man before. He still didn’t know Jeongguk all that well. He wasn’t exactly sure how to process the closeness of his proximity. His body became rigid.

“So tell me. What’s the position?” Jeongguk smiled.

“Uh, um, the cotton candy machine. I run the cotton candy machine. The other guys quit in the middle of the job so they hired me because I was the only one who...,”

“WHAT?” Jeongguk jumped up from the couch. “NO FUCKING WAY!”  Jeongguk was so angry that the veins in his neck bulged. It was the ultimate betrayal by the two brothers.

“What? What is it?  You seem angry,” Jimin was confused. He had no way of knowing how hard Jeongguk had petitioned for the position of Sugar Centrifuge Engineer. He was quite startled by his reaction. 

“THAT’S MY JOB!  MINE! They promised that as soon as a position became available it would go to me.   Now you go behind my back while I’m recovering and convince them to give the job to you? I thought we were friends Jimin. I thought you appreciated everything that I did to help you. Why would you do this to me?”

“Do what to you? I don’t understand. I didn’t ask for this job. I begged them to find someone else. I was minding my own business and they asked me to the Cotton Candy House to help because both of the cotton candy dudes quit at the same time. I showed up, helped them clear the lines and then they offered me the job.  How is that going behind your back? It wasn’t my fault. They practically begged me to take it.  I didn’t know you wanted the job. I didn’t know. Please don’t be angry,” Jimin explained.

But Jeongguk was angry.He was more than angry, he was betrayed. He stormed out of the apartment, busted ankle and all, and refused to speak any further to his disloyal friend.

Jimin ran to the door and called after him, “Jeonggukie!  Jeongguk, please come back. Let’s talk about this. I’m sure we can work something out. I didn’t know. I didn’t know about any of this, please.   Jeongguk please?”

Jeongguk marched forward and never looked back. He was seething. After two long years, he finally had a chance to get promoted to a position that paid more money, but the brothers had given it to someone else. How insulting, how pathetic, how disrespectful. Jeongguk felt all of those things. His mind was clouded with despondency. He didn’t even give any thought to where he was going. He just aimlessly walked and walked, with the concentrated rays from the sun beating down on his back. Before long, his ankle began to ache. Although it was better, it was ill advised to take off wandering down the street in a fit of anger.  After about ten minutes of angry walking, he found himself at the bus stop. It had been almost two weeks since his last bus ride. It already felt unfamiliar being there. He took a seat underneath the cool canopy and rested. His ankle wasn’t swollen, despite a dull ache that throbbed just below the bone but he definitely needed to rest.  He looked up and down the corner, wondering what to do next.

Quite unexpectantly, a guest arrived.

“Caillou!”  The beautiful blonde Labrador Retriever ran up to him immediately. 

She had been waiting for days for her friend to arrive.  Jeongguk had been so busy with Jimin and his injuries, and everything going on with work, that he’d completely forgotten about coming to visit his bus stop buddy.  But Caillou had not forgotten him.  As soon as she saw him sit in his familiar spot at the bus stop, she came running with her tail wagging and tongue flapping.  Her coat was thin, likely due to the intense heat, but she looked healthy, well fed and exuberantly happy to see Jeongguk.  She loved him.

“Hey beautiful.  It’s so nice to see you.”

Caillou, in her own doggy way, couldn’t get enough of Jeongguk.  His comforting pats on the back and tickling of her nose was just not enough. She bounded up onto the bench so that she could sit as close to him as possible. Despite the heat, the loving canine cuddled close to him. It had been so long that she worried if she would ever see him again. 

“I’m sorry girl. I know it’s been a while. I’ve been busy, but I didn’t forget about you. I promise.”

Once Caillou was confident that Jeongguk was staying a while, she shifted slightly on the bench to give him some room. But she didn’t go far. She continued to wag her tail before dropping her elongated snout over his knee. She loved him.

Caillou was just the distraction that Jeongguk needed. Almost immediately after rubbing her fur and sensing her heart beat, his anger began to fade. As always, when something was bothering him, he confided in her.

“I was stabbed in the back – by someone who’s supposed to be my friend.”

Caillou seemed appalled. She gave a small growl with a quick flash of her teeth. Betrayal was the worst.

Jeongguk continued, “But...I think I may have taken my anger out on the wrong person. Afterall, it wasn’t his fault. Was it?”

Caillou licked her underbelly. Jeongguk took that as a sign of agreement.

“Jimin didn’t know how much that job meant to me. But the twins...they knew. How could they do such a thing, Caillou? I’m their best and most loyal employee, yet they gave my job, my job to someone else,”  Jeongguk lamented. “I begged them over and over and they just ignored me. Yet Jimin comes along and suddenly he’s the most qualified. That’s bullshit.”

Caillou sensed that it was time to be angry again. Once again she released a low growl and snarled, showing her canines. For several more minutes, Jeongguk continued to rub her softly along her long back.  The furry warm touches were healing for them both. She curled closer to him before barking at the approaching bus. As was her dutiful habit, she jumped down from the bench and sat upon the hot sidewalk, preparing to bid farewell as Jeongguk stepped on the bus to head to work. The bus stopped, released several passengers and then sped off with Jeongguk still sitting on the bench. Caillou didn’t know what to think.  Her human had seemingly disregarded his only mode of transportation. She found that odd and wasn’t quite sure what to make of it. And then a strange smell caught her attention. She turned back to Jeongguk and began sniffing around his ankle.  His injury concerned her. She could smell that it wasn’t right. She lifted her left paw and tapped Jeongguk gently just at the point where his foot sprouted from his bandaged leg. With the saddest, most empathetic brown eyes possible, she stared up at him. 

“Oh...baby girl...don’t worry. I’m fine. I. am. fine,” he said slowly as he tried to convince her that his injury was ok. 

Caillou sniffed his foot and his bandages once again. She wasn’t convinced that all was well. Her instincts precluded her from understanding the mild nature of the injury. In her mind, the only thing she could process was that her friend was not the same. Instead of jumping back up to the bench to sit next to him, she laid over his leg protectively. She loved Jeongguk.

“Aw you sweet thing. You’re worried for nothing. The injury was bad, but it’s much better now.  Much better, almost healed.”

“There you are!” Jimin called through the window as he pulled his speedy VW bug up to the sidewalk.  “I was worried to death.  You took off walking and didn’t tell me where you were going.  I’ve been looking all over this neighborhood for you. Jeongguk, please, come home. You have to believe me, I had nothing to do with landing this cotton candy job...,” Jimin paused when he noticed the large dog lapped over Jeongguk’s feet, “Uh hello gorgeous. Never seen you around here before,” Jimin loved dogs and this one was indeed a beauty. 

Caillou wasn’t sure if Jimin was friend or foe, so she played it breezy by giving one single, “Woof,” as a barked greeting. She turned to him and showed her teeth. She was proud of those.

“You didn’t have to come here. I would have eventually found my way back home,” Jeongguk said warily.

“On one leg? Sure. You’re doing much better, but you still need a day of rest according to the doctors. Let me drive you back home. I know you’re angry, but you can’t run away from your own home.  You belong there, not me. Just let me take you back. I’ll pack my shit tonight and get out. I’ll even quit my job at the amusement park. I’ll leave town and you’ll never have to see me again. Please, just come home,”  Jimin pled. 

Jeongguk stared silently. The man was so attractive, so soft hearted and tender. Being well fed and well rested made all the difference in his appearance. He was no longer frail or emaciated, he looked like the proper, healthy, gorgeous eighteen year old that he was supposed to be. That made Jeongguk happy because he knew that it was partially because of his insistence on taking him in that Jimin had made so much progress.   He couldn’t be mad at him – not him.

Jimin approached cautiously and took a seat on the bench. He gave great consideration to the proper distance to maintain between he and his angry friend. He settled on close, but not too close; just enough for the breeze to pass between them.

Caillou bristled softly and turned to face Jimin. She depended very heavily on Jeongguk’s vibes to help determine how she would react to the stranger. Jeongguk seemed unbothered, so by default, so was she.  She repositioned herself on Jeongguk’s foot and continued to watch the two interact. 

“I’m not mad at you. And I don’t want you to leave. If the twins felt you deserved the job, I’m sure they had a good reason to feel that way.”

Jimin retorted, “But I don’t want it. I begged them not to make me take it. I don’t want to have to interact with people every day. But they were so desperate. You have to understand Jeongguk, both of the workers just quit. No notice or anything. They just walked off of the job, leaving more than 70 people in line, screaming and yelling. It was almost a riot.”

“Really?  A riot? Poor Suk and Duk.”

“Jeonggukie it was really bad.  Duk even threatened the call the police on some of the rowdy parents. The twins begged me to stay and help out because they didn’t even know how to use the equipment. I did a good job, I guess. But its only because I have a knack for these things...you know.  Anyway, it’s only temporary. I’m sure that once you come back and get on your feet, the job will go to you and you’ll be the new cotton candy dude,” Jimin urged.

“The Sugar Centrifuge Engineer.”

“Excuse me, the what?”

“They are too skilled to be considered typical cotton candy dudes. What they do is highly complex.  They have to really know their stuff and understand the chemical reactions of the corn syrup and salt and food coloring. Plus they have to get the shapes right and understand balance. It’s all quite tricky. They’re engineers in every sense of the word,” Jeongguk spoke as if the position were occupied by magic elves from Harry Potter. 

“Oh,” Jimin nodded with interest. “Well the twins just called them cotton candy dudes. I think Suk referred to them as candy sculptors. That seemed pretty fancy.”

“You were able to just waltz in there and make the candy animals?”

“I didn’t waltz. I was ordered. And yeah, they looked ok,” Jimin said modestly.

“That explains why they hired you on the spot. Jimin, making those animals takes months to perfect. How did you manage to do it in just a few short minutes?”

“I don’t know Jeongguk. I don’t know. I just have a knack for these things, I told you.” Jimin turned to look straight into Jeongguk’s face, “If you don’t want me to take the job, I won’t. Nothing is more important than your feelings. Just say the word and I’m out of there.”

Jeongguk lost himself in Jimin’s eyes. He had never really studied them before. Now that they were fixed upon him, he couldn’t help but marvel at their sparkle. 

“I should have never taken my anger out on you.  ou had nothing to do with this. This entire mess is between me and the twins and I will talk to them. The truth is...I don’t know how to work the cotton candy spinners. I would have to go through weeks of training to learn. Clearly you already know how to do it and that’s what the twins need. If they wait for me, they’ll have to close the Cotton Candy House and Tayo’s backyard. That’s the park’s biggest money maker. They can’t do that, so hiring you only makes sense.”

Jimin was relieved to hear Jeongguk being so rational about his decision. But he still worried, “Is this going to make things weird between us? I mean are you secretly going to hate me and wish for a Ferris wheel to fall on me?”

“No. Nothing will be weird. I like you too much.”  Jeongguk smiled and placed his hand over Jimin’s hand.

Jimin pulled his hand away and stared towards the street. Jeongguk realized that he had, once again, moved too fast.  Jimin wasn’t ready for all of the touching that Jeongguk wanted to do.  

Jimin cleared his throat but didn’t speak.

Jeongguk joked, “Besides if I want to kill you, I’ll just hire Jack to do it.”

“Jack kills people?”

“Never tested him, but I mean come on...if you needed somebody off ’ed, wouldn’t he be the first person you asked?”

“Absolutely. I would have great confidence in his ability to sneak up on them and take them out. But...if Jack kills someone, do they really die in real life?”

“Hmm.”  Jeongguk thought for a moment. It was not the first time he’d been tasked with such a riddle.  

Caillou jumped to her feet. Once again she sat her furry bottom on the hot sidewalk and wagged her tail as she watched the bus approach.  Jeongguk continued sitting. The bus came and went, with Jeongguk still attached to the bench. For the second time her human had not gotten on the bus. Caillou was a dog and had no further rational thoughts. 

Jimin knelt down beside her, “You are so pretty.  Such a gorgeous girl. May I tickle you?” 

For the first time since Jimin arrived, Caillou had a chance to sniff him. She had been stuck to Jeongguk, protectively guarding his injury so she had made no previous attempts to get closer to Jimin. But as soon as he approached her and she got her first sniff of his skin, her fur stood on end. She began to welp and cry as she cowered away from him. She growled briefly and began backing away from his extended hand. She made a bold stand for several seconds as she contemplated protecting Jeongguk. But finally, after staring Jimin down, face to face for as long as her wits would allow, she released a painful yelp and sprinted across the street out of sight. 

“Caillou!” Jeongguk stood to his feet and called after her. “What the fuck? She’s never behaved that way. I’m so sorry Jimin. She’s a little spooked by my injury and plus it’s been a while since she’s seen me. I’m sorry she behaved that way,” Jeongguk felt awful. He was embarrassed by how rude his lovely Caillou had been to Jimin.

Jimin laughed, “It’s ok. I’m not very good with animals. No matter how hard I try. I love dogs, but sadly, they don’t really love me.”

“None sense. Caillou is just being a moody bitch. She’ll come around. Just give her time,” Jeongguk confirmed.

“Can we please go home now? It’s hot out here and I have to get back to work.”

“Jimin?”

“Yeah?”

“How are things with your uncle?”

It was the dreaded question yet again. Anytime Jeongguk brought up the subject of where Jimin lived or questioned the status of his family life, the elder became very uncomfortable. He was not a good liar, and he didn’t want to lie to Jeongguk, but he also didn’t have the courage to tell him the truth. He was too scared, and still not sure if he could trust him.

“My uncle and I are fine. I suspect that as soon as I get paid, I’ll be heading back home permanently,”  Jimin lied. His plan was to get a hotel room as soon as he got his paycheck. He felt like a burden to the Jeon brothers and he wanted to get out of their apartment before he overstayed his welcome. His plan was to work as long as the work was available and then move on to the next town. He wasn’t a fan of staying in one place for too long, no matter how incredibly sexy he found his host to be.

“You don’t have to rush off.  Jimin, I’m going to be honest with you. I love having you here. I didn’t realize how lonely I was until you came along. You can stay as long as you need to, ok? Even Jun said it was fine. His only request was that you pay a couch worth of rent.” Jeongguk laughed. 

Jimin smiled too. It was a fair deal. “I’ll stay a few more days. After that...I’ll have to move on.  You’ve been incredible to me Jeongguk and I’ll never abuse your kindness.”

***

By the time the brothers Suk and Duk arrived,  Jeongguk was already there.  With his legs sharply crossed, arms folded and lips puckered in anger, he waited patiently for them. Jimin’s new position in the Cotton Candy House required that he be there two hours before the park opened so that he could mix all of his cotton candy flavors and colors. So unless Jeongguk wanted to take the bus, he had to leave with Jimin to carpool. But on his first day back at work, his early arrival worked to his advantage because by the time the two elderly men stumbled into the office, Jeongguk was ready with a mouth full of words. He was still angered by them giving his promised position to Jimin, even though he agreed it was a good decision.  However, he needed to air his grievances like a man, and not some salty kid. It was important to be professional yet persuasive. He decided not to push to become the new Sugar Centrifuge Engineer. After much reflection and confiding in Jimin about it, he realized that he loved being Tayo the bear. That was the position he wanted to keep. But as the face, spirit and main attraction of the amusement park, he felt he deserved a raise. A big one. And that was going to be his demand. 

As soon as Duk saw him, he immediately ran to him and gave him a bear hug, “Boy! You didn’t die.”  He pulled Jeongguk’s head into his chest and rocked with him for a few seconds before Suk intervened.

“No he didn’t die, but if you don’t let him breathe, you could possibly kill him,” Suk chirped,  “Good to see you Jeongguk. You gave us quite a scare.” Suk was just as happy to see Jeongguk as his brother, but he was much more controlled with showing his emotions.

“Happy to be back, sirs.” Jeongguk was all business and did not want their happy reunion to derail his stern conversation. “Please have a seat. I need to speak with both of you.”

“Have a seat? You’re offering us a seat in our own office? Uh oh. What did we do now,” Suk teased.

“...I don’t know but it must have been really bad,” Duk teased.

“Gentlemen, this is not a game. We need to have a very serious conversation. Now sit, please.”  Jeongguk maintained his stoic nature. 

Suk sat behind his typewriter and Duk sat behind his Mac book Air. They both stared at Jeongguk, giving him their full attention.

“What’s this about boy?” Duk questioned.

“About two weeks ago, I came to you in good faith and asked to be promoted to the position of Sugar Centrifuge Engineer.  You told me no because there was not a position available. Well, imagine my surprise when I discovered that there was not only one but two positions open, yet you never came to me to make a good faith effort to give me the job. I am the most tenured employee in this park other than Jack and the old Ferris wheel operator who sleeps three hours at the controls three hours a day.  I’ve been an exceptional employee.  I’ve never received any complaints.  My character is the face of this franchise and I have elevated it even higher since coming on board to work here. I’ve been so reliable that until last week, you never even had to worry about a backup. In sickness and health, I have been here. Rain or shine, hot or cold, I have been here. You have promised me raises again and again and have yet to deliver.  A few weeks ago, I almost died while performing my duty as Tayo the clown. Can you imagine how upset I was to find that my efforts here at this park were once again overlooked in favor of someone else? By no means am I asking you to fire Jimin. Quite the contrary, I believe he is an excellent hire. However, I do demand compensation for the merit of my work. If I don’t receive a raise, right now, today, I quit!” Jeongguk nodded at the conclusion of his statement. He was proud of himself for speaking so eloquently. It was a bold move to threaten to quit a job that he so desperately needed, but he felt it was the only way to get through to the stingy twins once and for all. 

“Fine,” Suk said.

“Fine,” Duk said.

“How about double the salary. A reduction in hours from 11:00am to 5:00pm. Off on Mondays and Tuesdays. And a brand new fully air conditioned Tayo uniform.”

“Plus, Jimin already installed a new railing and a safety harness on the float, so you’ll never be thrown off again.  Do you accept our offer?”

Jeongguk’s face was frozen in shock. If he had known that it was this easy to get more out of the twins, he would have done it years ago. “Just like that?  No bartering or arguments? You’re just going to give me everything?”

“Everything,” Duk repeated.

“You made several very important points during your little speech there, son. But the most important of all was the fact that you are irreplaceable face of our franchise. We learned that lesson while you were gone.  We couldn’t do this without you. You’re the heart of this place...,”

“...it’s not that we didn’t want to give you a raise before, it’s just that we couldn’t. We had too many on staff. But now that we’ve dropped Namgil and Gyeong and Duri have quit, we have funds available on the payroll and we’ve decided to give a large portion of that to you.”

“Really?” Jeongguk still couldn’t believe it. He stood to his feet and just gawked at both of them.

“Now, we do have to hire one additional person for the Cotton Candy House. A hostess. We made a promise to Jimin that he would not have to interact with the kids or their parents. So we’re hiring a hostess to help him. He’s so fast that he can handle the work of two cotton candy spinners, so we’ll still be saving money.”

Jeongguk was curious, “How did he manage to pick it up so fast? Making the cotton candy animals takes time and lessons and stuff.”

Suk agreed, “We don’t understand it either. But who cares. He can do it and that’s all that matters.” 

***

Jeongguk ran straight to Tayo’s backyard. He burst through the door screaming at the top of his lungs, “I GOT THE RAISE!”

Jimin was behind the glass enclosure where the cotton candy makers spun the cotton candy. His back was to the door and he didn’t see Jeongguk come in. He also couldn’t hear him because of the volume of the music flowing through his earbuds. 

“What in the Smurf nation is going on here?  Jeongguk burst into laughter. 

Jimin was completely blue. His hair, his clothes, his face, his arms – all completely blue. Even the earbuds that were buried inside of his ears were tainted in blue. 

Jimin worked quietly, moving around as if he had held the position of Sugar Centrifuge Engineer for years.  He knew where everything was, how it all operated and how to use it. And that made the mystery of how he had become the strange blue man, all the more intriguing. Jeongguk still laughed loudly. Even Jimin’s shoes were blue. He hurried up to the protective glass and gave it a loud tap.

Jimin immediately removed his earbuds. He ran to the glass and leaned against it. “HI!  HI! Did you get it? What did they say? Did you get it?” He was so anxious to hear Jeongguk’s news.

“Double the salary,” Jeongguk said smugly. He leaned against his side of the glass and buffed his nails on his Tayo overalls.

“THAT’S FANTASTIC!” Jimin yelled. He ran around the glass partition and flew into Jeongguk’s arms. He was so strong and powerful that he pushed Jeongguk back a few feet as he tried to support his weight. The two friends who had known each other for less than two weeks, hugged. The soothing sensation from Jeongguk’s warm body made Jimin uncomfortable. It was not a feeling he felt he deserved, so he backed away. Instead he extended his hand and gave Jeongguk a brisk, overly aggressive handshake. “I am so happy for you. So proud of you.”

“Thanks. You are now looking at the highest paid employee in the entire amusement park. I even make more than that old Ferris wheel operator. He’s been here so long that he’s got a pension from the National Pension Service.”

“You deserve it more than anyone else here Jeonggukie.” Jimin followed his handshake with a high five.  “It’s hard to explain really but this place was lifeless without you.  I’m glad they finally realized how important you are.  Let’s just say, falling off of that float may have been the best thing to ever happen.”  Jimin’s heart was exuberant.  He was truly happy for his friend.  Plus he felt much less guilty about being given the cotton candy job. 

“Now riddle me this?” Jeongguk said glibly. “Why are you blue? Like bluer than my balls when I can’t jack off... that kind of blue. Why? What has gone awry here?”

Jimin looked at his hands and clothes. He shrugged, “Majorly horrific corn starch incident. I’m learning on the job,”  Jimin laughed. Jeongguk absolutely loved Jimin’s laugh. In fact, each time he heard it, he loved it more and more. Jimin continued to explain, “But don’t worry.  It shakes right off. By the time I put on my pink jumpsuit, I’ll be completely clean.”

“Wait.  Let’s celebrate.”  Jimin disappeared behind the glass again.  He reappeared mere seconds later with a large pink cotton candy figure. 

“Cookie?  You made me a Cookie?  How did you know he was my favorite?”

“Don’t know, just figured you looked like a guy who might like pink,”  Jimin teased.

***

Jimin arose early that morning because he couldn’t sleep. Finally, it was pay day. But a day that should have been glorious for many reasons was met with dread by all:  Jimin, Jeongguk, and even Jun-seo.  Because Jimin had made it clear that as soon as he captured a paycheck, he would be moving on and no longer staying with the Jeon brothers. At issue was not just the threat of overstaying his welcome, but the fear of revealing too much to the loving brothers who had shown him nothing but kindness. His past needed to stay hidden, but the longer he stayed in one place, the more he risked revealing secrets about himself that could put him in danger. He didn’t want to go. He didn’t even know where he was going to go. He only knew that it had to happen. 

Jimin’s phone didn’t have many fancy apps. It was an older model and could barely support the latest iOS updates. But he did have a T-Money account so that any money he earned could be electronically deposited. Paper checks were just too risky. He couldn’t take a chance of going into his bank accounts. So Suk and Duk kindly agreed to pay him through the private wiring of funds into his digital wallet. He pulled up the app and saw a decent sum of payment from his two bosses. It wasn’t enough to live extravagantly, but it was enough to keep gas in his car and keep himself housed in a cheap hotel. That was all he needed. 

He told himself that leaving Jeongguk and venturing back out on his own was the right thing to do.  He couldn’t trust anyone. His secrets had to be kept. 

With Jimin’s mind running a mile a minute, he couldn’t sleep. It was 2am, the witching hour. As part of the twins new cost saving measures to be able to afford Jeongguk’s new salary, the park was now closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. That meant that the entire crew had a couple of days off each week. It was the first time in thirty years that it had happened. So, since Jimin didn’t have to work the next day, he decided to get up, get dressed and go for a walk.  Jeongguk had always spouted on about how the neighborhood wasn’t safe, but Jimin had been in much worse conditions and he felt the neighborhood was perfectly fine. Besides, despite his meager and very humble pay check, he had absolutely nothing worth stealing. 

Jimin climbed into his jeans, his Tayo t-shirt, and his converse sneakers and headed out the door. He chose to cut through the alley that ran underneath Jeongguk’s bedroom, then head to the main street and circle the block. Despite the hour, the alley was alive with people. Several of the employees who worked in the massage parlor were outside with their patrons discussing “pricing”.  A few other guys just lingered in the alley, seemingly waiting for their turn to be serviced. Jimin was startled when he heard two of the female masseurs begin to argue. The argument grew more and more intense until it escalated into a physical fight that no one cared to break up. Jimin looked away, fearing that a titty might pop out. He didn’t need to see that. He looked up again only to see the two ladies fall to the ground fighting. Sure enough, not one but two titties had popped out while the ladies were fighting. He suddenly heard raucous laughter from the other side of the street. Jimin didn’t find the situation funny at all. But the person laughing across the alley seemed to find it hilarious.

“Jeongguk?  What are you doing out here this time of night?”  Jimin smiled at him. 

“Same thing you are. Couldn’t sleep...decided to go for a walk. Stumbled into a titty fight which made it all worth it,” Jeongguk laughed.

“There is nothing funny about these women assaulting each other and then exposing themselves.”

“Yeah...like... it kind of is. All of it is quite funny,” Jeongguk retorted.

Jimin crossed the street to join him. He was sitting on a stoop on the other side of the alley, drinking a beer.

“Should you be drinking alcohol? You’re Tayo the bear and you’re only eighteen. You have a reputation to protect.”

“Should you be drinking alcohol? You’re the premier Sugar Centrifuge Engineer from Tayo’s playhouse, you have a reputation to protect as well.”

“I’m not drink...” Jimin’s words were stifled when Jeongguk forced the tip of the beer bottle to his lips and poured beer down his throat. Jimin swallowed and then choked. He burst into a laugh, “What’s wrong with you? You’re insane?”

“Am I? Hadn’t noticed.” Tayo’s alter ego was tipsy.

“You are. Now give me another sip,” Jimin reached for Jeongguk’s beer and took a large swig.  “What’s wrong Jeonggukie? I know I’ve only known you for a couple of weeks, but I’ve never seen you drink liquor before. What’s going on?”

“I only drink when I’m upset,” Jeongguk admitted.

“Upset? Upset about what?”

“I know you’re planning to leave Jimin, but I don’t want you to go.” Jeongguk took his beer back and continued to take small sips. “You’re going back to your uncle’s house?”

“Yes. It’s time for me to go,”  Jimin said convincingly.

“Will I ever see you again?”

“I’m not quitting my job. I’ll still work there for a while until the brothers decide to replace me,”  Jimin explained.

“Don’t you feel it Jimin?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about...,” Jimin diverted.

“You know what I’m talking about. It’s that special little something. That spark...between us. Every time we touch, every time we smile, every time you allow yourself to look into my eyes. There’s something...,”

“No, there isn’t. We’re just friends who met at the right time, right place. Don’t make any more of it than what it is. Please?”

 “Yeah. You’re probably right. This is my third beer, so I’m probably completely wrong about all of this. But – what if I’m not? Are you really going to just walk away? I know you feel it too Jimin, I know it.”

Jimin was silent. He took the bottle of beer from Jeongguk and drank the rest of it. He needed a stiff drink to give him strength. Of course he felt everything that Jeongguk was describing, but he couldn’t admit to it. He couldn’t admit that the extroverted, funny, loving, sincere handsome, hard-working, life sized teddy bear was already beginning to steal his heart. 

Jeongguk continued. His words slurred a bit, “Whatever happened between you and your uncle was major. You ended up alone, stranded with no money. He made no attempts to reach you and help you and make sure that you were well. You’ve been gone for weeks and he hasn’t once showed up at my door to try to bring you back home. What if you go back and this starts all over again? You were lucky to find me Jimin.  We were lucky to find each other. But next time, you may not be so lucky. Then what?”

“Jeongguk, what do you want me to do? Just stay with you and Jun-seo forever?” Jimin laughed, but Jeongguk did not find it funny.

“YES. That’s exactly what I want. I’ve been so happy since you’ve been here. I was so lonely before you came. I’ve tried to make friends but I work long, hard hours and it’s not easy to find new people to hang out with. My old friends are all in college now and they don’t come around much anymore. But you’ve been like a breath a fresh air. We like the same music, we like the same television shows, we like to do some of the same things, we laugh at the same jokes. We have so many things in common. We’re meant to be in each other’s lives. Don’t go Jimin. Don’t go. Stay.”

“It’s just the alcohol talking. You don’t mean any of this.”

“I mean all of it. But if it weren’t for the alcohol, I’m not sure I would have had the courage to say any of it. Jeongguk held Jimin’s hand. Jimin tried to wiggle away, it was too much closeness, too much intimacy from one friend to another. He tried to push Jeongguk away and pull his hand back, but he wasn’t successful. Jeongguk was determine to say his last words to him. “I’m not going to fight you if you decide to leave, but please understand that I’ll miss you so much. You’ve made such an impression on me in such a short period of time. It’s like...destiny.”

“Stop it. Let me go,” Jimin finally pulled away. He was not interested in talking about destiny and holding hands in the back alley under the full moon. He just wanted to get away from the fiery bright eyes that were trying to steal his soul. He needed to breathe, away from Jeongguk. Jimin turned away from Jeongguk and headed back to the apartment. Loathsome loneliness was his only destiny, not love.

***

Jun-seo quietly returned home from his third job. He tip-toed through the apartment and was surprised to see Jimin sitting up waiting for him.

“Jimin? You still live here?”  Jun-seo teased.

“Ha-ha, very funny. Yes, but not for long,” Jimin responded.

“What are you still doing up?”

“I waited up for you. I don’t have to work tomorrow so I stayed up. I need to talk to you,” Jimin said quietly. “Jeongguk is in his room sleeping and I don’t want to wake him.”

“Talk? To me? Ok, what’s this about?”

“No one has ever shown me the decency that...,” Jimin winced. The words spoken didn’t seem like the right ones. He started again, “...what I mean is thank you for everything you’ve done for me. I’ve never been treated this...,” Jimin grimaced again. He was so shy that it was almost impossible to say the heart felt things that he wanted to say. He tried one last time, “...I will always be grateful for what you and Jeonggukie have done for me. So thank you.”

“Yeah, you’re welcome, but Jimin why does this sound like goodbye? You aren’t leaving are you?”

“Yeah. Tomorrow, I’m packing up and moving on. Going back to my uncle’s house.”

“Your uncle? The same man who threw you out and left you homeless? Don’t tell me you trust him enough to go back?” Jun-seo asked poignantly.

“I’m going to tell you exactly what I told your brother, please stay out of my personal business. My choices.”

“Jimin...,”  Jun was irritated. The boy was so stubborn. “Jimin, I don’t believe you have an uncle. I believe that for reasons known only to you, you’ve ended up homeless. You have a little money in your pocket now because of the job at the amusement park, but what happens if you lose that job. Then what?  How will you pay for the flea-bag hotels you plan to stay in? Yeah, I said hotel because we both know that’s where you’re really going.”

Jimin didn’t bother to protest. Jun-seo had read so completely through his bullshit cover story that Jimin didn’t even know what to say. He remained silent for fear of revealing even more information that Jun-seo would decipher through.     

“Jimin listen to me. I need to tell you something about Jeongguk. It’s going to be difficult to understand, but I need you to just listen. My brother can see things, feel things, sense things much deeper and more profoundly than the rest of us. Sounds crazy I know...but it’s like he can read your spirit. Dogs, cats, turtles, even wandering humans such as yourself, he can read you – all of you. He’s empathic, yes, but there’s much more complexity to it. No he’s not some shaman if that’s what you’re thinking. That’s not exactly what I mean. But...he is different. I realized at a very young age that he had a talent for connecting with things, people, animals. His attraction to you is not something within his control. He’s tried to explain it to me and shit, even I don’t understand it. But my brother sees something within you. Only he knows what it is. But one thing is for sure, he feels that you two have a connection, a friendship that could possibly lead to more. I tend to agree with him. I’m not around much, but I know almost everything that goes on in this apartment. I’ve seen you two together.  He’s not the only one who feels a spark.”  Jun-seo forced eye contact with Jimin by finding his eyes and sticking his face within his line of sight. “He’s not ready to let you go. Please consider staying. The job at the amusement park is pretty prestigious and its good money for someone with no college degree. My advice is to stick with it a little longer until they find your replacement.”

Jimin covered his mouth. Behind his speckled dimples was a toothy crooked smile, “You’re not going to believe this. I haven’t even told Jeongguk.”

“What is it?”

“Today, the twins asked me if I would consider being the permanent cotton candy guy.  They said that no one they interviewed was nearly as good as me, so the job is mine forever or as long as I want it,”  Jimin huffed.  It was too impossible to believe. 

“Don’t you see this Jimin?  Its destiny, just like Jeongguk said. I mean what are the odds of this happening? Take the job, keep the job and stay here a little longer with my brother, just to give it a try and see how things go. At the very least, you’ll walk away with a true and loyal friend. At the very most, you’ll find that special someone to share your life with.” Jun-seo shrugged, “My brother is an incredible man. Try him, take him for a test run,”  Jun-seo laughed. “Shit, it’s late. I have to go to bed. I hope to see you still here when I wake up in the morning. But whatever you decide, it was great meeting you. Thank you for giving Jeongguk the happiest two weeks he’s ever had.”

***

“Oh yeah, that’s good. Shit, that’s good,”  Jeongguk moaned as he jerked his cock. His morning nut was taking longer than usual to arrive, but it felt so good that he didn’t complain.

Of course, right when he was about to blow, there was a knock at the door. Jeongguk contemplated giving himself a few more strokes before acknowledging, but he felt it was rude. He knew it was Jimin.

“Yeah?”

“May I come in? I have something to tell you.”

“Just a minute.”  Jeongguk placed his body milk lotion on the floor and pulled up his pajama pants.  “Ok, come in.”

Jimin barged in and sat on the edge of Jeongguk’s bed. “I have something to tell you. But first, put both hands in the air where I can see them.” Jimin demanded. “No jerking off while I’m trying to talk to you.”

“I would never do that.” Jeongguk was still jerking off under the sheets. Watching Jimin’s’ svelte body and perfectly framed face aided in his delight. Jimin could see Jeongguk’s hands still moving under the covers. 

“You are the horniest fucker I have ever met in my life. Like literally.” Jimin frowned. “Both hands where I can see them please.”

“Ok, ok.” Jeongguk removed his slippery lotioned hands from his cock and held them in the air for Jimin to see them.

“That’s better.” Jimin cleared his throat before making his announcement, “The twins have offered me a permanent position as the new cotton candy dude. I have accepted. But, on the down side of things, my uncle and I are fighting again and I will not be returning to his home. Therefore I’ll be hanging around here until I can afford to rent a place of my own and move. Jimin smiled. He was as light, and carefree as Jeongguk had ever seen him.

“You’re really staying?” Jeongguk sat up. He was suddenly very serious.

“Yep. Your brother said it was ok. Is that alright with you?”

“It’s the best news I’ve heard... in my lifetime. But what changed your mind?”

“I told you, my uncle is a pile of dick hairs. We don’t like each other.”

“The truth, please Jimin?”

“I had a conversation with your brother and he feels that it would be good for you – and possibly me – if we spend more time together and enjoy being friends. Plus my uncle really doesn’t want me to come home right now, soooooo.” 

“You can sleep in my bed,” Jeongguk quipped.

“What do you mean sleep in your bed?” Jimin asked suspiciously.

“That didn’t come out right. I mean that we can switch,” Jeongguk palmed his forehead. That didn’t sound right either. “I mean that I can sleep on the couch sometimes and you can have my bed. Or I can sleep in Jun-seo’s bed on nights when he doesn’t come home. That’s what I meant. If this is going to be permanent, we need to come up with a better sleeping arrangement than just the couch,” Jeongguk finally spoke a logical sentence.  

“I can’t even explain how grateful I am for that old couch. If I’m going to continue living here, I need to be as little of a nuisance as possible. I appreciate your offer to switch positions, but I’m perfectly happy on that old couch. Thank you though Jeongguk. You really are the kindest man I’ve ever met. I better leave you to get some rest. Sorry for interrupting. You may resume your rabid masturbation.” 

Before Jimin had even turned to leave, Jeongguk had already started back up again. He jerked himself fast while Jimin was still in the room because he wanted a glimpse of him as he came. Jimin moved as quickly as possible to get out. By the time he landed on the other side of the door, he could hear Jeongguk’s bed shaking, coupled with his powerful orgasmic moans. The man was definitely a habitual masturbator.

***

For the following months, Jimin and Jeongguk fell into a routine. They would have assumed that three grown men being cooped up in a tiny two bedroom apartment would have erupted into arguments, disagreement, even fist fights and tit slips as they all struggled for privacy and space. But the reality of these three randomly thrown together strangers was that they were all so grateful to have each other, that disagreements just didn’t happen. Each one of them understood how special their symbiotic friendship had become. 

From Jun-seo’s perspective, Jimin living with them had many benefits; least of which was him paying rent. Jimin’s new job paid a decent salary and he was able to contribute a small portion to the total monthly expenses. Splitting everything three ways was a relief for Jun-seo because he no longer had to shoulder the full burden himself. He greatly appreciated that the constant threat of eviction no longer loomed over them.  Jun-seo reduced his hours at the night club and extended his hours at the restaurant because he made more money in tips and they always paid on time. But this meant that he spent even less time at home, leaving Jimin and Jeongguk to have the apartment virtually to themselves.

For Jeongguk, the feelings that loomed over their friendship only grew more intense the more time he and Jimin spent together. It was definitely more than a simple crush that would eventually go away. There was something so intense that stirred within him, each time he stared at his very attractive, mysterious roommate. Jeongguk didn’t know if he had the discipline to continue just being friends. His mind was muddled because he couldn’t tell if he was just infatuated with Jimin’s mystery, or if he truly had met his soulmate. Destiny had led them together, he was sure of it.

Jimin had such a peculiar disposition that it was difficult to get him to move into a more intimate space. Jimin’s phlegmatic responses were always disheartening because he truly saw Jeongguk as just a friend.   Yep, Jeon Jeongguk had been inescapably friend zoned. He didn’t mind though, because having Jimin as a close friend and roommate was one-thousand times better than not having him in his life at all. 

Besides, the hyung was so incredibly shy that even if he wanted to make a move, he couldn’t. From Jeongguk’s perspective, it seemed as if Jimin still didn’t trust him. Despite living together for two full months,  Jeongguk still knew little about Jimin. His personal life, family situation, and home life all seemed off limits for discussion. 

And then there was the mystery man himself, Park Jimin. Despite how close he and Jeongguk had become, Jimin always firmly held the line between friends and something more. He knew Jeongguk wanted to test their friendship and explore other things. But it wasn’t safe. There was no place for love in Jimin’s future and he knew it. His terrible secret, his disfiguring malady doomed him to being alone for the remainder of his days. If he had once relented to Jeongguk’s advances, he would have given his friend false hope for a potential romance and that, in Jimin’s mind, was too cruel. He hated his situation so much, that he often cried over it. It was never his intention for Jeongguk to hear him, but sometimes, he was so overwrought with grief that he couldn’t quiet his sobs. He was thankful to the younger for approaching him with grace and never forcing him to talk about the things that ailed his heart. Jimin realized that if he were ever to love, experience deeply passionate love, it would definitely be with the man that had come to be known as his best friend, Jeon Jeongguk. Never in his entire life had anyone stirred him the way that Jeongguk did. Never had anyone made him want to scream his feelings, dance his emotions, and embrace his joy like Tayo the teddy bear.

Jimin knew that Jeongguk had feelings for him. And with that knowledge came great responsibility.  It was up to Jimin to protect the younger and keep things platonic between them. That was not easy because Jimin had to battle his own growing feelings for his roommate. Getting physically or emotionally involved with Jeongguk was just too dangerous. As utopic as their situation seemed to be, Jimin knew that one day, he would inevitably have to move on. Staying in one place for too long risked the safety of them all.

***

Chapter 4: I'll Keep Your Secrets

The Cotton Candy House had always been the prime attraction at the park, but the moment that Jimin became the Sugar Centrifuge Engineer, the place’s popularity exploded. Jimin’s skills at spinning cotton candy were as close to magic as Harry Potter’s wand. No one was sure how he did it, but he managed to create the most unique shapes and animals that the cotton candy world had ever seen. His skill went far beyond the seven basic animals that the park previously provided. Each of his spinning sessions became shows within themselves because he was so entertaining. He even collected small tips, making him almost as popular as Tayo.   

As part of the improvements that Suk and Duk had made around the park, the employees were given lockers to hold their costumes and uniforms so that they didn’t have to carry them home every night. No one was more excited about the change than Jeongguk. Carrying Tayo’s large head home every night had been a pain in the ass for years. Finally, he was able to wear regular clothes to work every day and get dressed at the park instead of being forced to wear Tayo’s hot costume home in the rancid heat. Coupled with his new salary and he and Jimin working together, Jeongguk was the happiest he had been in a very long time. 

 

It was the start of their ‘weekend’ with two days off on Monday and Tuesday, and Jeongguk was ready to head to the beach. Jimin had agreed to go and hang out with some of Jeongguk’s friends that Jeongguk hadn’t seen since high school. With fall quickly approaching, they only had a few more days of warm sunshine beach weather remaining, so they had to take advantage of it. 

The park was scheduled to close in one hour. Tayo’s parade was over and Jeongguk had a pocket full of tips. The only thing he was missing was his best friend. He stored his costume in his locker, and changed into a pair of swim trunks and a t-shirt. Jimin was supposed to meet him in the locker room, but with the park still being so crowded, Jeongguk assumed correctly that Jimin was still busy servicing the last few patrons in line at the Cotton Candy House. Jeongguk slid his feet into his slippers, grabbed their beach towels and headed over to fetch Jimin.

Just as he suspected, the sandy haired hottie was still behind the glass, spinning fibers of sticky sweet cotton candy onto the parchment rolls. Jeongguk squeezed past the waiting crowd to get inside. He moved in closer to the glass as he quietly blended in with the crowd. He didn’t want to disturb Jimin’s concentration. It was greedy and a bit indulgent but Jeongguk wanted to watch him. It was rare for Jimin to still be working while Jeongguk was free. Most of the time his Tayo duties kept him occupied from shift start to shift end, so this was a special opportunity to watch Jimin in his new element.

 

Hums of happiness filled the air as the euphoric children pressed their faces against the glass to watch Jimin work. Jeongguk tilted forward just a bit, to stare over the heads of the children who surrounded him. He noticed immediately that the spinning steel drum was moving at an incredible speed. Typically the steel bowl spun at around 3500 revolutions per minute. But somehow Jimin had mechanically rigged the machine to rotate at twice that speed, causing sparks to fly around the base like tiny fireflies. The machine’s pace created a whirr that sounded similar to the cabin of an airplane; softly mechanical with its fully powered engine.

Each of the filaments of molten sugar were less than 50 microns in diameter, yet they sprouted so quickly through the heated coils that within a blink of the eye, sheets of the colorful fluff were wrapped around the cones. Jimin’s hands worked feverishly, dipping cones into the rotation and then pulling them free within seconds. Each creation was perfectly shaped, perfectly colored, perfectly magical. Jimin smiled as he passed them off to the hostess who gave them to the paying customers. Despite the large crowd, Jimin had no problem keeping them satiated by quickly producing their treats and being entertaining in the process.    

Jeongguk was mesmerized. There Jimin stood in his pink jumpsuit with the polka dot ascot knotted around his neck. He was fully focused, yet he held just the faintest smile trapped between his lips. A light from beneath the counter shined up towards Jimin’s face, giving him a soft pale glow amidst the Pepto Bismol colored walls. To add to his majestic performance, Jimin would randomly clap puffs of colorful corn starch into the air and then gather the dust over the surface of his completed sculptures. The colorful powder lingered all around him, encasing him in a translucent rainbow that made him look even more mystical inside of the perfect up-lighting. Thin remnants of the sweet strands of cotton clung to his soft bangs. The tips of his fingers were stained with multi-colored dye. Jimin was completely immersed in his cotton candy world.  His arm gestures were beautiful, like a conductor leading a symphony as he twirled his right arm around the drum collecting the strands, while rotating more cones with his left. He moved so smoothly, effortlessly. It was as if he had been placed on the earth to spin cotton candy while warming the cockles of tiny little hearts.  In this element, he was not shy. He was the biggest, most interesting personality in the room and his magical persona spoke for him.

Jeongguk had truly never seen anything like it. He knew that Jimin had many talents, but this small talent, as insignificant as it may have seemed, was something special. He watched in awe for several minutes before realizing that he was one of only a few customers remaining in the room. Jimin had served all others and the hostess had already closed the door to the last customer.

Suddenly Jimin’s voice rang out, “And you – the handsome gentleman in the back, what would you like to have?”

“I would like to have you,”  Jeongguk whispered absentmindedly.

“I didn’t hear you?  Speak up a little. The machine is rather loud,” Jimin requested.

“Never mind. Ready to go? The beach is waiting.”

“Sure, just let me shut everything down and get packed up. How long have you been here? I didn’t even see you come in.”

“Yeah, I didn’t want to disturb you.” Jeongguk was still faint. He hadn’t fully come down from the high of watching Jimin work. He couldn’t tell if Jimin’s performance had really been that magical or if Jimin was just hot and he was falling hard for him. He suspected it was a bit of both. “Jimin, I can’t explain to you what I just witnessed.”

Jimin rolled his eyes, “Were you watching porn again on your phone? It’s such an old model, how do you even get cell service to stream out here, you pervert.”

“Noooo, that is not what I was referring to.” Jeongguk held his side as he laughed at Jimin’s bawdy joke. “I meant, you. You’re so much fun to watch. You’ve completely changed the game of cotton candy wrangling. Duk says that the local news contacted him yesterday for an interview. They want to come here and interview you.”

“The news? NO!” Jimin was firm. “I won’t consent to being on the news.”

“But the publicity could really help the park.”

“I won’t agree to be on the news Jeongguk! I’ll talk to the twins myself, but that’s an invasion of my privacy and I do notwish to become some public figure known by millions of people.” Jimin grew angrier as he spoke.

“Ok, ok.” Jeongguk raised his hands in surrender, “We’ll talk to the twins together and tell them this is a no-go. Jeez, why are you so tense about this anyway? It’s just one of those feel good stories that they put at the end of the broadcast. There’s nothing to be stressed about, it’s an honor,” Jeongguk tried to reason with Jimin.

“I said NO!” Jimin slammed his fist so hard against the counter that it cracked, “SHIT! Oh my God.  I’m so clumsy.” He was distressed. He covered his face with his hands and sighed into his palms. After a few seconds, he fetched his tools and began trying to repair the small crack that he’d created.

Jeongguk snapped his body around, startled by the loud noise, “Jimin, calm down. I didn’t mean to upset you. Let’s just go. I want us to have some time alone to surf before my friends arrive. We’re officially on our weekend. Let’s enjoy it. We won’t talk about this again, I promise.”

Jimin assessed the repair. “It’s not that bad...the crack. I guess it can wait until I come back to fix it.  Sorry I got upset Jeonggukie. I’m just not comfortable being the center of attention. I’m just kind of shy, you know?”

“I know. And for the record, I think your shyness is adorable. It’s so sweet...like cotton candy,”  Jeongguk spoke in the language of corny. 

Jimin’s eyes were once again relegated to sweeping the ground. No one had ever called his shyness “adorable”. In fact, his inability to open up and be more extroverted was one of his most disliked features about himself. Yet here was Jeongguk, the constant optimist, telling him that his biggest flaw was actually an asset. Even though Jimin was embarrassed, he smiled. The compliment warmed his insides. 

“You’re incredibly kind, you know that? Why are you that way?”

“I’m not kind. I’m just human.” 

“Most humans suck, you’re very different than most.”

“Maybe it’s because I can feel other people’s emotions so strongly. It’s a blessing and a curse.”  Jeongguk laughed. “Anyway, I never want to be someone who makes someone else feel bad. Because inevitably, it’ll rebound and I’ll feel it too. And that would suck.”

Jimin didn’t completely understand his friend’s perspective. Nor did he understand he and Jun-Seo’s constant talk about Jeongguk’s empathetic nature. But there was something to Jeongguk’s claims. He really did seem to have something special. 

Jimin completed his clean up after shutting down all of the equipment. He peeled off his pink jumpsuit and ascot to reveal swimming trunks and an Under Armour wet suit underneath. He too was ready for the beach.

***

Despite it being late into the fall, the weather was still uncharacteristically warm for Busan. The ocean provided a cool escape from the heat as Jimin and Jeongguk splashed around and surfed on their boogie boards. Jimin was truly having fun. Smiles abounded as his voice carried over the rolling sea, teasing Jeongguk each time a wave took him down. It was the most open and carefree that Jeongguk had seen him since the two months they’d known each other. Of course seeing Jimin so happy, also made Jeongguk happy.   For two hours straight, they rode the mini waves in shore until their bodies became tired and achy. With only a few minutes before Jeongguk’s friends were scheduled to arrive, they pulled themselves out of the water and ate a quick snack while they dried. 

Jeongguk’s five friends arrived in batches, with Taehyung and Hobi hitting the scene first. They were followed by Yoongi and Namjoon. Lastly, Jin, the oldest of Jeongguk’s buddies, arrived with his slinky girlfriend cleaved to his side. Jeongguk hadn’t seen his old high school buddies for over two years. Once they all graduated, most of the crew went away to college in Seoul. Jeongguk and Jin were the only two who had remained in Busan and they never saw each other because of Jin’s hectic college schedule. The reunion was long overdue. Despite it being the first time in a long time that the high school buddies were together,  Jeongguk did not hesitate to proudly introduce all of them to Jimin.    

Poor Jimin did his best. He smiled politely, shook hands and said all of the right words, but inside his stomach was churning. He had committed to the social event without thinking through what it really meant to be face to face with a group of people he didn’t know. He was forced to interact in ways that he hadn’t before and it was truly a challenge for his naturally timid nature. With his palms sweaty and his stomach in knots, he rested his eyes upon Jeongguk. Jeongguk’s glowing eyes were Jimin’s respite from the anxiety. Just looking into his soft, loving, cheerful face gave Jimin the confidence to trust and relax. No one knew his secrets, not even Jeongguk. No one would ever guess his grotesque nature and the horrific sickness he was hiding. Nothing was apparent, nothing was revealed. The evening was a fun time between friends and that was all. It took Jeongguk’s jubilant laughter and gentle ribbing to remind him that he truly was safe and no one was there to expose him. 

The seven of them engaged in brief greetings and cheeky chit chat before Namjoon yelled, “I got first serve!”

“No way you asshole,” Jin’s competitive nature was instantly ignited as he produced a white volleyball. 

“We’ve got first serve. You heard the man,” Jeongguk echoed. “Come on Jimin, you’re on my team.”

“Team?  Wh-wh-what team?  What do you mean team? I don’t want to play. Please and no thank you,”  Jimin planted his butt firmly into the sand as he watched the others run towards the volleyball court. 

“Come on Jimin. You have to play. Didn’t Jeongguk tell you? We were all members of the volleyball team in high school. We even qualified for nationals. But don’t worry, we’ll take it easy on you,” Hobi yelled back towards Jimin to try to coax him along.

Jeongguk was already in position and ready to take first serve before he noticed that Jimin had not followed. “Serve up...hey where’s Jimin?” He looked around only to find Jimin sitting a couple of yards away with his knees propped up and his head down. “Uh, give me a second please.” He dropped the ball into the sand and ran towards Jimin. “Hey. Please play. You don’t have to be good. This is just for fun.”  Jeongguk said as he knelt down. He placed his forehead against Jimin’s bangs and jokingly bumped him several times.  He smiled, but Jimin did not.

“No, go ahead. I’ll watch. I’m uh-uh not good at sports and...well this isn’t for me,” Jimin lied.  “But I’m fine, really Jeongguk.  I’m fine.”

Jeongguk could read Jimin but only to a certain degree. He was so mysterious and he had such strange moods. Jeongguk gathered all of Jimin’s signals both verbal and non-verbal to estimate how far he could push him. He determined very quickly that this was not a situation where Jimin should be coaxed. It was too far outside of his comfort zone. Jeongguk decided to pull back and allow Jimin some space.   

“Ok. No worries. Promise you’ll cheer for me? I mean really cheer loudly, especially if I look sexy.  And score points. Cheer really loudly if I score points.” There was so much calm understanding in his voice.

“I promise. I’ll cheer.” Jimin appreciated Jeongguk for backing off. 

He sighed with relief as he watched Jeongguk jog back to the court. He watched his friend walk underneath the net and then assume his position again. Within a few seconds, the game was in motion.  Watching Jeongguk and his friends proved to be much more entertaining than Jimin expected. Despite his lies to the contrary, Jimin knew a great deal about volleyball. He too had played when he was younger.

“Hey, you stepped on the line you ass munch.  It’s our ball.” Jeongguk yelled towards Jin.

“Who are you calling an ass munch, you butt nugget?” Jin ran full speed towards Jeongguk and tackled him to the ground. They rolled around in the sand, play fighting and pretending to beat each other.  They were the two most chaotic on the field. Each of them screamed like cartoon characters as they gave each other wet willy’s. Their shenanigans lasted about thirty seconds before Namjoon yelled at them to stop goofing around. He was ready to resume the game.

Jimin fell to his side laughing. Jeongguk and his friends really were a great group of guys. Jimin had never really had friends, especially more than one. But somehow, with Jeongguk as his proxy, he felt that he was surrounded by them.  

The ice-cooler full of cold drinks that Jeongguk had prepared for him and his friends was right next to Jimin, so he searched through it looking for a bottle of water. He had just returned to his spot when suddenly, his entire world stopped. From that moment on, everything moved in slow motion. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing.  Jimin released an audible gasp as his eyes ate it up. 

“Holy shit Jeonggukie,” Jimin gasped.

Overcome with heat, Jeongguk decided to rip his shirt off. Tiny droplets of sweat traveled down Jeongguk’s chest, leaving long meandering streaks behind them.  Jeongguk’s physique was definitely that of a volleyball player. But he had always been so heavily clad behind the bulky fabric of Tayo’s costume and baggy pajamas and sweats that Jimin and never before seen the chiseled outline of his body. But it was Jeongguk’s back that Jimin loved the most. As the sun settled, preparing for its grand finale, a compilation of shadows and rays were cast across Jeongguk’s body. The muscles in his back caught every single ray, highlighting the swollen tendons along his shoulders. The place where his trapezoids folded into his spine pulled in the shadows, underscoring the contrast between the peaks and valleys. The muscles in Jeongguk’s upper body tensed, relaxed, stretched, and contracted with every aggressive move that he made. He fell hard on his stomach, causing puffs a sand to dust up around his body as he chased every dig. With his arms locked and fully extended, he bounced the ball up high into the air, setting it perfectly for his team mate to spike. His abs tightened whenever he raised his arms in celebration. And Jimin – watched it all.  It was the first time that Jimin realized that Jeongguk was not just a beautiful soul, and not just a selfless man, but he was also hot as fuck. 

He stared at him with his mouth open, ice cold water spilling all over his chest and into his lap. He couldn’t get enough of watching him. He randomly cheered. Even times when Jeongguk missed the ball, or hit it out of bounds, Jimin found himself standing, hooping, and cheering for his friend. The reality was that Jimin had completely lost focus on what was happening in the game. The only thing he could see was his sexy roommate and the beautiful machinations of his exquisite body. For the first time ever, Jimin allowed himself to consider how fuckable he looked and how kissable his pressed lips appeared. He was delectable.

“WOOOOOO kicking ass Jeonggukie!”  Jimin screamed and then licked his lips.

Jeongguk couldn’t help but laugh, “Jimin, you’re cheering in all the wrong places. You’re only supposed to cheer when I do something good.” He called from the court.

“You’re doing everything good.  EVERYTHING!”  Jimin called back with hearty applause. A bottle of water was suddenly not strong enough. He needed a beer. The beach was mostly empty so he felt it was safe to remove one of the beers that Jeongguk had hidden down in the bottom of the ice chest.

Jeongguk laughed even harder. He had no idea what Jimin was thinking but he found it really cute.

“LOOK OUT!” Yoongi screamed towards Jimin. Namjoon had accidently hit the ball out of play and sent it swerving towards Jimin.

Jimin’s instincts flared. Without thinking, he jumped to his feet and kicked the volleyball as hard as he could. The ball went sailing back towards the water and landed about seven meters into the middle of the ocean. The volleyball game was over.

“Anybody have an extra ball?” Yoongi said angrily.

“Who kicks a fucking volleyball?” Namjoon was angry as well because he and his team were just one score away from winning.

“Why exactly did you kick it?” Tae asked.

Jimin stood there wide eyed. He felt horrible. “I- I- I’m so sorry. I’m just so clumsy and sometimes I don’t know how to control my body and I do these stupid things and I’m just so sorry.”

Tae scratched the back of his head as he watched the ball bobble up and down in the water, “How the hell did you kick it that far? Dude, you literally hit a boat.”

Jimin tried to explain himself again, “I – I am so sorry. I used to play soccer and I was the main attacker...oh guys, please forgive me. I just panicked and acted without thinking.”

All seven of them stared into the ocean as they watched a large wave pick up the ball and carry it even further out to sea. 

“I didn’t bring an extra one,” Jin said.

“Welp, nice reunion. It was good seeing you Jeongguk. Let’s do this again sometime soon ok? No hard feelings Jimin. We all fuck up sometimes.” Namjoon hugged the rest of his high school buddies before saying goodbye. He gave Jimin a soft tap on the shoulder.

“Don’t feel bad Jimin. If anyone is to blame, it’s Jin for not bringing a second ball. Hobi gave Jin the middle finger with the purpose of intentionally antagonizing him. He broke into laughter over Jin’s loud objections. “It was nice to meet you and I hope next time, you actually play with us,” Hobi gave Jimin a  handshake and hugged Jeongguk.

Jin held his girlfriend’s hand and punched Jeongguk in the stomach for no reason. Jeongguk returned the favor by slapping Jin across the face with his open palm. They hugged each other in the warmest goodbye possible, “See you around Jeongguk. If you ever need to talk, just call. I know I’m busy but I can always make time for you. Bye Jimin. You’re a really cool guy, I think young Jeongguk over here may have a crush on you.”

“A crush on me?” Jimin felt himself go pink.

“Yep, because if anybody else had done that, he would have beat their ass,” Jin laughed. 

Jeongguk nodded unconsciously.

“But a bit of advice, next time a volleyball comes your way, try not to kick it,” Jin said unhelpfully. He and his girlfriend waded through the soft sand, headed back towards Jin’s car.

Tae and Yoongi still stared into the sea as they mumbled to each other, “You know, we really need to put together a soccer team. Let’s make him the captain,” Yoongi said seriously as he gestured towards Jimin.

“Hell yeah. My goodness, did you see how far he kicked it?” Tae laughed.

“Definitely a soccer player. I bet he was pretty good too based on his technique,” Yoongi continued.  “Well, how about dinner? Let’s invite Hobi and then make him pay.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Tae gave Jeongguk a hug, “It was so good to see you. We need to do this again.  Now that you have a little more time, maybe you can come visit us in Seoul. We would love for you to come too Jimin. We’re thinking of starting a soccer team,” Tae said kindly.

Jimin was so upset and humiliated that he could no longer make eye contact. He just nodded wordlessly and prayed for the entire situation to be over. Tae and Yoongi both gave him hearty pats on the back.

“It’s ok. It really is. It’s just a ball,” Yoongi shrugged. “Bye Jeongguk, bye Jimin. Be safe.”

All five of Jeongguk’s friends disappeared, leaving Jimin and Jeongguk alone. Jeongguk was quiet.  He had not said a single word about what Jimin had done. Jimin thought about trying to pre-empt his anger with more apologies, but he had apologized so much, that there was really nothing more to say. Jimin closed his eyes. He clenched his fists and tried to stay calm as he nervously stood there waiting for Jeongguk’s explosion of anger.

“Want to get some ice cream?”

Jimin opened one eye. “Some...uh...what?”

“Or should we eat dinner first?”

“Eat?”

“Yeah...before we get ice cream.”

“Did you see what I just did?”

“You kicked the fuck out of our volleyball...and...?”

“...and, aren’t you angry?”

“Jin is going to make me pay for it.  Other than that, who cares?”  Jeongguk tapped Jimin on the cheek. Can we focus on what’s really important?”

“Ice cream?”

“YES!  Now you’re speaking my language. I say we have a really fucked up night, starting with ice cream, then dinner, then beer in the alley. Maybe we’ll see some popping tits. Some of the male masseurs are on duty tonight. Their tit pop fights are funny too”

“I still don’t understand how that entertains you...but I digress. You’re not angry with me for embarrassing you in front of your friends?”

“Those guys? Oh Jimin...first of all...they’re a great group of guys. Many of them have seen me struggle with money issues and the stuff with my dad’s mental health.  But I think they really only come around because they take pity on me. I’ve had a rough go at it, plus I was the only one from our group who couldn’t afford to go to college. They try to be there for me...when they can. But honestly, I think they’ve moved on from both me and Busan. Second, this isn’t anything to be upset over. I guarantee, they’ve already forgotten about this. Jin is having sex with that girl with the fake boobs, Yoongi and Tae are conning Hobi into paying for dinner, and Namjoon is probably already back home studying.” Jeongguk laughed at his assessment of each of them. “And third...you mean a lot to me Jimin. You’re the one who’s been with me through thick and thin, not them. You’re the one who drives me to work, helps to pay the rent, helps cook and clean for Jun-seo. Buys extra salt pork for Caillou. You, Jimin. You do that – not them. You could...,”  Jeongguk suddenly struggled with a bout of his own shyness, “...you could never embarrass me. Never.”

Jimin looked down at his hands as he pulled at his fingers uncomfortably. He was so humbled by Jeongguk’s words. For Jimin, saying the things that he felt deeply in his heart, was difficult. Sharing his inner turmoil and admitting his fears was even more difficult. But somehow, Jeongguk made him feel that maybe it was safe to finally confide in another person. The man was every bit the Angel that Jimin had always suspected him to be. After such a sincere and kind outpouring of friendship, there was only one thing that Jimin could say.

“Ice cream first.”

***

Jeongguk scored four scoops of his favorite flavors on his ice cream cone.  It was needlessly excessive, but infinitely satisfying.  Jimin was more conservative and chose to eat a single scoop from a cup.  He knew there was no way that Jeongguk would be able to eat all of his, considering that he was already full of hot dogs and funnel cake from his day at work. 

“And what are you going to do with all of that?”  Jimin asked out of curiosity.

“Eat it.”

“All of it?”

“All of it.” Jeongguk lifted his brows and rolled his tongue across the very top scoop. His strategy was to work his way down. But his strategy was flawed because the more he licked the top, the faster the bottom three scoops seemed to melt. Eating his ice cream became a ridiculous race against time.

They found a quiet place on the sea wall and sat there to talk and watch the sun go down. 

Jimin started, “I didn’t know you played volleyball.”

“Sure. I’m super athletic and I love sports...at least I used to, before things went south and I had to get a job.”

“Is that why you didn’t go to college? Because you needed to work?”

“I couldn’t afford college, plus you don’t have to have a college degree to be successful in life.  Sometimes you just have to work hard. I’m a hard worker, so in the end, I’ll win.”

“That is a very optimistic view of life. I didn’t go to college either.” Jimin released a small fact that Jeongguk didn’t know about him. “There were too many obstacles.”

“What kind of obstacles?” Jimin clammed up and refused to answer the question.  Jeongguk was back at square one, “Why are you so afraid to share stuff about yourself?  I mean...haven’t I proven that you can trust me?”

“I trust you.”

“Then why won’t you tell me anything? Jimin, we’ve known each other for almost three months - lived together and everything, yet I don’t know any more about you today than I did three months ago. Sure, I know you’re a great guy, a good cook, funny – when you want to be. But I don’t know anything deeper.  Why won’t you talk about your family and where you come from?”

“I was born in Seoul. I’m not from Busan, I just ended up here after...,”

“After...after what?”

“After...an incident. We moved a lot when I was little.”

“We? Are your parents still alive?” Jeongguk pressed too hard. Jimin shut down again.

The horizon over the ocean turned a deep purple as the sun dropped down. The wind picked up, blowing drops of Jeongguk’s ice cream into Jimin’s face. Jimin laughed.

Suddenly Jeongguk yelped, “Help. My ice cream is about to fall over,” Jeongguk was panicked. His tower of ice cream had suddenly turned into the leaning tower of Pisa. The entire scoop listed heavily to the right and was just centimeters from falling to the sandy ground.   

Jimin laughed, “Ok, ok, I got it.” He had to be quick on his feet. He used his pillow soft pink lips to lick the ice cream from the left side while Jeongguk continued to lick it from the right. Between them, they managed to stand it upright again. “This scoop is really good,” Jimin said as he continued to lick.

“The chocolate coffee?” Jeongguk said as he licked sloppily from the other side. 

“Yeah...that one,” Jimin released a rare laugh. 

“Race you to the middle,” Jeongguk mumbled.

“You’re on!” Jimin began to lick faster from his side and eventually began taking small bites.

Jeongguk licked faster from his side as well. Jimin held on to the cone to keep it steady, while Jeongguk held on to Jimin’s hand. The icy mixture of the different flavors dripped over their gripped palms, making a sticky gooey mess. They continued to work their way down the cone, working towards the center and fighting for the title of fastest ice cream eater. But neither of them gave much thought to what would happen once they finally met in the middle. As they both worked either side of the tower of ice cream, they chipped away slowly at what remained. They laughed, completely oblivious to the pending doom.

All at once, there was one lick too many. The sweet flavor of the ice cream was still there, but there was a wall of soft pink, warm lips that greeted Jeongguk as he reached his goal. He had accidently licked Jimin’s lips and it was the sweetest, most wonderful feeling he’d ever experienced. He dared to lick them again. 

Jimin wasn’t quite sure of what he’d felt. His mind moved slowly because of the paralyzing brain freeze that attacked him. He was still in the moment, licking away. Until suddenly, he too ran into a pair of warm soft lips on the other end. His intimacy compass that had always guided him and kept him out of trouble where Jeongguk was concerned, failed him. Warnings that should have blared in his head, were completely silent, possibly even encouraging him to keep going. Jimin felt another soft lick across his lips, and this time, he offered his tongue to be licked as well. Their faces that had maintained a friendly, innocent distance apart were suddenly pressed against each other as they entered an ice cream covered kiss. Neither had much experience with kissing, they only had instincts and pleasure to guide them. They did what felt right and what felt good. Once their tongues were engaged, they sucked each other’s lips. It was absolutely the worst kiss, but without anything to compare it to, it felt like the best.

Their tongues tangled as their lips crashed into each other. Everything happened so fast. One minute they were having a simple ice cream eating contest and the next…they were making out, groping each other on the public beach, clasping their hands together.

About three minutes after the kissing began, Jimin’s frost bitten brain finally jumped into gear. He recoiled, falling backwards off of the sea wall and crawling dramatically away from Jeongguk.

“STOP IT!  Why did you do that? Why would you kiss me?” Jimin was angry with himself but he projected it all towards Jeongguk.

“You kissed me!” Jeongguk insisted. 

Jimin used the back of his hands and his wrists to wipe Jeongguk’s chocolate covered kisses from his lips.  “I would never kiss you. I was eating ice cream - you took it too far!” He stumbled back to his feet and continued to back away. 

“Jimsie, it was a kiss, not a murder. Relax. Besides, judging from the way you licked the roof of my mouth, you enjoyed it just as much as I did. Mmm, I can still taste the pistachio ice cream from your tongue.”  Jeongguk joked but Jimin didn’t find anything funny about the situation. 

“Why would you fucking do this? We’re friends Jeongguk. FRIENDS! I’ve told you over and over and over that we are only friends and that’s all we will ever be. How dare you disregard my feelings and...and…and kiss me.”  Jimin was so upset that he was almost to the point of tears. 

Jeongguk found the situation very peculiar. It was a kiss that they had both obviously enjoyed, so why the hysterics? 

“You’re really angry about this, huh?”

“It was wrong! You knew that I didn’t want this. You tricked me.”

“Tricked you? All of this over a simple kiss?” Jeongguk walked towards Jimin who was still backing away. 

He was so upset that he was trembling. Whatever was affecting Jimin wasn’t just about the kiss.  Jeongguk continued to advance. He watched Jimin closely, refusing to lose eye contact with him, even though Jimin repeatedly tried to look away. As Jeongguk continued forward, Jimin continued backward until he backed into the side of a light post, startling himself. Jeongguk trapped him there. 

“Stay away from me. If you ever kiss me again, I’ll pack my shit and leave immediately. I don’t fucking need this,” Jimin was more upset than Jeongguk had ever seen him. And it was all because of a kiss.

Jeongguk raised his hands in a surrender. Jimin was so spooked, it was uncanny. In an attempt to calm him, Jeongguk gingerly lifted his palm and held it to Jimin’s chest. It was a trick that he’d often used with his frightened animals when they needed to be reassured. The elder’s heart was beating so raucously that it felt like a beat from a snare drum. A pulsating wave of emotion traveled through Jeongguk’s hand, frightening him. He could feel what Jimin was feeling. He could feel the fear, the insecurity, the uncertainty.  It was terrifying. Out of nowhere Jeongguk asked the question, “What are you running from Jimin? What has you so frightened that you can’t even allow yourself to kiss?” 

He continued to hold his hand there against Jimin’s chest until he felt his heart begin to slow and normalize. “You told me that your parents were dead, so who’s after you? This behavior isn’t normal, in fact, none of your behavior has been normal since the day we met. This isn’t just about this kiss. I can feel it.  Something else is going on here. Jimin, I’ve invited you into my home, to live in my house. If you’re in danger, I deserve to know.” Jeongguk removed his hand from Jimin’s chest. The strange vibes were too much, they unsettled him.

Jimin had no idea why Jeongguk had settled on this specific line of questioning or what had provoked it. Maybe he was more empathic than Jimin realized. It was too close for comfort and Jimin wanted distance from the entire episode. He turned away from Jeongguk and marched angrily back to his car. For a second, Jeongguk thought he was going to leave him stranded on the beach in the middle of the night. But Jimin did not leave. He just sat in his car and waited for Jeongguk to get in. Jeongguk grabbed both of their boogie boards, their cooler and their towels and jumped into Jimin’s VW Bug.  Jimin sped off without saying another word. 

***

After a very quiet and anxious ride home, Jimin marched straight into the bathroom and slammed the door. Jeongguk was so confused. How had one innocent kiss led to so much drama? He sat on the couch contemplatively and sorted through the evening’s events. He knew he needed to talk to Jimin, but he gave him some time alone to cool off before approaching. 

About ten minutes later, Jeongguk walked over and stood outside of the bathroom door, “Look Jimsie, I’m sorry. I thought the kiss was mutual. I didn’t do anything on purpose, it was just an honest mistake, something so silly. Please don’t be upset.” Jeongguk leaned against the outer wall and took a calming breath, “But can I tell you the honest truth? Those few minutes when I held you in my arms were the most incredible moments of my entire life. I’ll cherish the brief kiss forever and whenever I’m feeling sad or lonely, I’ll pull that memory out of my pocket and use it to get me through my hard times. That’s how important that moment was to me. So although it didn’t mean anything to you, it meant the world to me. But I’m so sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable. You don’t have to worry about anything like that ever happening again. I know you don’t feel anything for me. I understand that, I really do. Besides why would someone like you, ever fall for someone like me?” Jeongguk kissed the bathroom door and walked away. 

Jimin sat on the bathroom floor in tears. Not only had he crossed the line and ended up hurting the person who cared most about him, he’d also devastated Jeongguk’s self-esteem by making him think that he didn’t find him worthy. 

“You’re such a disaster Jimin. You ruin everything you touch,” he wept to himself. 

For twenty minutes Jimin cried, as he tried to understand how he’d gotten into this situation. He had worked so hard to keep everything platonic and then in one simple unguarded moment, he had tossed it all away. He knew better but he allowed the kiss to happen anyway, even pursuing it. He thought back to their very first meeting on that faithful evening in the parking lot of the amusement park. On the very first meeting, Jimin knew that Jeongguk was a threat. That bright toothy smile, those intelligent dimples, his tenderly arched eyebrows, that silent killer of a body and the glowing soul of an Angel, it was all deadly.  Ironically, he had even warned himself that Jeongguk was exactly the type of man he could fall hard for. But he didn’t listen to his own warnings. 

The tiny apartment only had one bathroom, so as much as Jimin wanted to continue to hide, he knew he had to come out.  He slowly crept open the bathroom door, expecting to see Jeongguk standing in the hallway.  But instead, the apartment was dark and empty. He walked to Jeongguk’s bedroom and glanced through his bedroom window.  Just as he expected, Jeongguk was sitting alone on the stoop, drinking a beer. 

He leaned against the cold glass of Jeongguk’s closed window and whispered, “Shit.  What have I done?  This is all my fault.” 

Jimin headed down to the alley to apologize. It took him several minutes to get down there because he kept stopping to think about how he was going to approach him and what he was going to say. Finally, he reached the stoop were Jeongguk sat staring at the large red neon sign that advertised the building’s massage parlor. The glow of the red lights shone across his face, highlighting his melancholy expression. Jimin quietly sat next to him, wordlessly reaching over him and grabbing one of Jeongguk’s beers from the case.

“What happened to your stance against 18 year old’s drinking?”

“I’m 19 now, so...,”  Jimin smiled.

“Nine-teen? I thought you were only eighteen?”

“I was...now I’m not. My birthday was last week,” Jimin advised.

“Why didn’t you say anything? I would have brought a cake and we could have had a party and invited Jack and the twins.”

“I don’t want two elderly twins and a mime at my birthday party. I’m good though, thanks.”

“Birthdays are important.  You should have told me,” Jeongguk was disappointed that Jimin had kept such important news from him. “Well...happy birthday anyway.” He lifted his beer bottle to Jimin’s in a belated birthday toast.

As their bottles clinked against each other, Jimin took the moment to break the icy chill between them, “You know...someone like me could absolutely fall for someone like you.”

“What nonsense are you spouting about now?” Jeongguk said with a bite.

“You’re handsome, kind, selfless, loving, all of the things,” Jimin nodded as he tossed back a mouthful of beer. “I’m the one who doesn’t deserve you, if we’re being honest.”

“Why don’t you trust me?  If I was going to hurt you, betray you, don’t you think I would have done it by now?  Instead, I’ve done nothing but protect you and make sure that you were good. I knew from the moment that we met that you needed my help. But all you’ve done is lie to me and keep secrets. I don’t deserve that,” Jeongguk stood boldly against Jimin and made his feelings clear.

Jeongguk was right and Jimin knew it. The gig was up and it was time to come clean. “You’re not in danger.” Jimin felt that was the most important place to start.

“Are you a fugitive? Are you running from the cops? Are you a mobster or an escaped convict?”  Jeongguk’s guesses were all fantastic and each one made Jimin smile broader and broader.

“No. Nothing quite that exciting. My parents are dead. That part is true. But that isn’t the full story.  When my parents died, my father’s brother took me in and adopted me. I was only fourteen, but he became my legal guardian. He was a nice man, but he wasn’t like my parents. He was a hard disciplinarian and he had expectations and things that he wanted me to achieve. He was very hard on me and at times, I didn’t feel like he loved me. When I turned seventeen, things got worse and he and I stopped getting along. I couldn’t live up to his expectations. I was awkward and clumsy and nothing like he expected me to be. Finally, when I turned eighteen, I realized that I didn’t want to become what he expected of me. I wanted to be the man that my parents raised me to be. I rejected him and all of his expectations and I didn’t want to live by his rules, so I ran away. Stupid me. I thought it would be easy to just get a job and find my own place. I had no idea how tough the real world was. I drove for days and days trying to figure out what to do but I had no plans. No friends, no family no help. And that’s when I found you.”

“You ran away?  Jimsie, when you realized how tough things were, why didn’t you just go back? He couldn’t have been that bad?”

“I will NEVER go back. Never. I will never let him dictate how I live my life,” Jimin said firmly.  He immediately feared that he had said too much.

“What if I hadn’t run into you?”

“But you did. You keep saying we were destined to meet. I have to believe that.”

Jeongguk contemplated. Something still wasn’t adding up. “So you’re a runaway. What’s the big deal?  That still doesn’t explain why you’re so freaked out about us getting close.”

“I’m a freak Jeongguk. I’ve never been just a normal kid and I’ve always been different. Awkward, shy, a misfit. My uncle used to tell me that people like me have to make sacrifices to be successful and he said that love was one of those sacrifices. I guess after all of these years of repeatedly hearing that, I started to believe it. I’ve never had a kiss. I’ve never found anyone that I even wanted to kiss...until I met you.”

“You’re not awkward. And yes, you’re a bit quiet, but that’s kind of nice. You’re handsome, friendly, smart, and you’re a cotton candy god.”

Jimin burst into laughter. 

“I’m serious!”  Jeongguk insisted. “It’s like watching a magic show when you’re working. It’s one of my favorite things.” Jeongguk paused to look softly into Jimin’s eyes, “Anyway, I think all this talk of love is a bit premature. I just wanted a kiss.” 

Jimin laughed again, this time it was much louder, breaking through the silence of the abandoned alley. With that, they both relaxed. “I’m sorry that I freaked out about the kiss. I know it was just an accident. But if it makes you feel better...I really, really liked it. As far as first kisses go, it was probably the best to ever exist.” Jimin said reassuringly. 

“I will never tell anyone about what you’ve told me tonight. It will forever be our secret. When I said that you could trust me, I meant it.” Jeongguk turned excitedly towards Jimin, “Look, Jun-seo says that you can stay here with us as long as you want. Jimsie, you don’t have to run anymore. You can make this place your home while you figure out what’s next and what you want to do. Stop being afraid to live and just live.”

Jimin drank the rest of his beer and then opened another bottle. He was not an experienced drinker and he was already tipsy. “Each day that passes, I feel more and more comfortable. I’ve been so happy living here with you and Jun-seo. Maybe you’re right.”

“I am right.  I am absolutely right,” Jeongguk smiled. 

“My plan was always to move on. I never intended to stay here. I was going to save up a little money and find my own place. But...can I have some time to think about it?”

“Take all the time you need.” Jeongguk looked back towards the massage parlor. “It’s really been dead around here lately. I haven’t seen a single fight in about a month.”

“Yeah, we may have to find a new form of entertainment,” Jimin said seriously. 

Casually, Jimin stared off into the opposite direction as he slid his hand down. He walked his dye stained fingers across the concrete until he found Jeongguk’s unsuspecting hand resting by his side. With an innocent clearing of his throat, he used his fingertips to work their way through the spaces between Jeongguk’s fingers. Once his hand was warmly cuddled within Jeongguk’s, he gently squeezed them together. 

The sudden warmth surrounding his hand surprised Jeongguk. He lifted their two intertwined hands and stared at them as if they were aliens from the planet Zorn. 

“Are we holding hands?” He asked.

“My hand was cold. Your hand was warm. It’s just a strategic partnership,” Jimin teased.

“Very well,” Jeongguk laughed. He pulled Jimin’s hand into his lap and held it tightly. 

Together they sat in the shadow of the red neon light until the early hours of the morning.

***

Almost two months later and fall was coming to an end. Winter was knocking on the door. Due to the cooler weather, the amusement park closed an hour earlier which always negatively affected Jeongguk’s tips. But he was willing to sacrifice the hour because it meant getting off earlier and spending more time with Jimin. 

Mutually, the two had agreed to focus on just being friends. Despite their admitted attraction towards each other, Jimin needed time to find himself and think about what he wanted out of his life. Jeongguk didn’t think it was fair to cloud his mind with stolen kisses and romantic advances. So he took a step back, just as any caring person would. 

As had become the norm, Jimin and his magical cotton candy spinning were the celebrities of the amusement park. And Jimin loved his job. He was so fiercely dedicated to his craft, that he never closed the doors of the Cotton Candy House on time. There was always one more tired, straggling, little kid who he felt obligated to serve. But Jeongguk didn’t mind that either because it gave him an excuse to sprint across the park and watch as his sexy roommate spun his magical threads of sugar.

 

The evening was drawing to a close yet there was one more child who still hadn’t received her cotton candy. So, Jimin decided to make something extra special for her. Secretly, he knew that if he stayed just a bit past closing time, Jeongguk would come to watch him serve the last few customers. He always loved it when Jeongguk watched him. He always threw in an extra bit of flair and whimsy when he knew that his crush was watching. 

Shortly thereafter, Tayo’s alter ego came bounding through the front door. He found his usual spot in the corner, near the glass and watched as Jimin built an incredible spectacle of a cotton candy figure. The figure he created was the shape of a doll’s head. Jimin clapped and several different colors of corn starch flew through the air. He twisted the cotton candy figurine in different directions, to catch the color in just the right places. She had long blonde hair, large black button eyes, and rosy cheeks. The doll also had a perfectly round face, pink little lips and a pink bow in her hair of cotton. The little girl who was waiting danced on either foot, anxious for him to place the completed masterpiece into her hands. She held her screams of excitement and joy as she watched Jimin clap again, dispersing even more clouds of color into the air. He made sure to blow the pink cloud over the top of the glass, so that it sprinkled down into the precious five year old’s hair. Jeongguk’s brown bangs took a pink dusting as well. After an excruciating six minutes, he placed the fully completed work of art firmly into her hand. She let out a loud gleeful scream that caused Jeongguk to cover his ears. Her parents insisted that Jimin take a photo alongside his masterpiece. Reluctantly, the shy man agreed. He smiled, showing all of his teeth.

Jeongguk stood back watching as Jimin had his moment. He loved seeing him so happy. He loved the way his little dimple wilted into his skin as Jimin stretched his full lips. He loved the rainbow shades of cornstarch that settled between his light brown strands of thick hair. He loved the stained fingertips that he used to make the piece sign for his photo bomb. He loved the shape of Jimin’s perfect little nose and his golden skin. He loved his tilted eyebrows and crescent shaped eyes. He loved the shape of his full round face that sat beneath his heavy bangs. He loved – Jimin and everything about him. 

“Thank you, thank you and goodnight.” Jimin waved goodbye after accepting a hefty tip from the little girl’s father. “This is very generous, thank you.”

The sound of Jimin’s voice pulled Jeongguk out of his malaise. He ceased his incessant staring and walked behind the counter.

“Ready to go home? I have a new recipe that I want to cook for you,” Jeongguk smiled. He looked directly into Jimin’s face, but expected the elder to look away. Instead, Jimin stared straight back at him. It was progress – a definite sign that layers of trust had collected between them. 

“You’re cooking for me again? What did I do to deserve a roommate like you?”

“Exist,” Jeongguk said softly. It was overtly flirtatious, but not intentionally so. As Jimin cleaned up, Jeongguk grabbed a parchment cone and began to play around with it. “How do you create such masterpieces?  You’re an artist Jimsie. Do you realize that? The things you make in this machine are works of art.”

Jimin blushed. “Don’t be silly. Anybody can do what I do.”

“I can’t,” Jeongguk insisted.

“Sure you can. Stick it in, but gently.” Jimin immediately blushed three shades of pink. He didn’t mean for his instructions to sound naughty. So much sexual tension had built between the two of them over the months of them living together, that sometimes their conversations just went off of the rails. As two young, highly horny men, they often fell into sexually suggestive banter, even though it wasn’t intentional.  Jimin tried to quickly course correct, “...I mean, place your cone inside the hole. No. No, I mean it needs to be entered through the hole. Fuck that is not what I meant.”

Jeongguk burst into laughter. “I’ll stick it in. Gently, I promise,”  Jeongguk responded.

Jimin pulled his pink polka dot ascot away from his neck. He was suddenly really, really hot. He finally found the proper words to give as direction, “Place the cone into the spinner and hold it towards the middle of the heat extractor. This thing right here. I slowed it down so that you can work with it much easier.” 

Jeongguk did as he was told. He placed the cone into the cotton candy machine and watched as the strands began to collect around the cylinder.

“I think I’ve got the hang of it.”

“You sure do.”

The individual strands of woven cotton began to collect into a large round pink ball. Jeongguk’s smile grew wider and wider as his creation took shape. Jimin stood behind him, very close behind him, so close that Jeongguk could feel his breath on the back of his neck.

“You’re doing well, but keep it even. Hold your hand up, like this.” Jimin leaned into him from behind. He grabbed Jeongguk’s arm and held it in the proper position to keep his sphere from collapsing under its own weight. He wrapped his left arm around Jeongguk’s waist and pressed firmly into his back. “You have to keep spinning the cone and pull it up to keep it from losing its shape. Like this.” Jimin was suddenly even closer. He had an erection, but didn’t realize it. However Jeongguk could feel every bit of it pressed against his ass.

“Uh, Jimin?”

“Yeah?” Jimin looked at him with fire in his eyes. He had no idea that his body was revealing secrets.

“Never mind.” Jeongguk rather liked the feel of the stiffy in his back. He carried on and decided not to mention it. But within the few seconds that he had been distracted by Jimin’s woody, his cotton candy ball had gone flat. It was now rounded at the bottom but completely flattened at the top. It was a disaster.

Jimin laughed softly behind him. “Well you win some, you lose some. It was a really, really, really good job, for your first time.”

“My first time,” Jeongguk found an entirely different meaning in Jimin’s innocent words. “I really hope that nothing goes flat during my first time.”

Jimin furrowed his brow and looked away with a sly smile. “I’m sure everything will remain...in perfect shape when that happens. Out of nowhere, it seemed like invisible, sexually-charged, nut busting fairies suddenly appeared in the room, turning every single word they said into something it wasn’t meant to be. The tension was palpable – much more than it had ever been before. 

“You’ve got cotton candy in your hair. Can I get it?”

“You can get anything you want. All you have to do is ask.”

“Fuck, do you mean to be this...?” Jimin stifled himself. 

“This what?  What did I do now?” Jeongguk knew perfectly well what he had done. He was maliciously seductive.

Jimin refocused and began to pull the errant strands of cotton candy from Jeongguk’s pink dusted bangs. “You spun cotton candy for five minutes, yet somehow you’re already covered in cum.” Jimin’s eyes bulged.  He was shocked at his own mistake,  “FUCK.  I mean covered in candy – candy – I meant to say candy. What the fuck?” Jimin placed both hands over his face. 

Jeongguk blinked absently for several blinks. He decided not to acknowledge Jimin’s flub. He felt around his head, searching for more strands of cotton candy. As he found them, he pulled them free. But the stuff was super sticky and began to collect around his fingers like spider webs. 

“How the hell do you deal with this stuff?” He said as he grew more irritated by his inability to free himself from cotton candy hell. 

“It can be messy, but after a while, you learn how to handle it. Let me try.” Jimin grabbed a wet cloth and worked the cotton candy and the corn starch out of Jeongguk’s hair. He then turned to his fingers. “So tell me about this dinner you have planned for tonight.”

“Dakttongjip. I was at the market trying to get some pork belly for Caillou and they had it on sale. I did a few internet searches and found some great recipes. I think we should try it.”

“You won’t believe this. My grandma used to cook that when I was little. I’m looking forward to it. Let’s be adventurous. Besides, anything you cook is going to be delicious. You’re the best chef I know,”  Jimin smiled. 

Jimin held both of Jeongguk’s hands trying to get the web of cotton candy off of them. Jeongguk pulled his left hand free to boop Jimin’s cute nose. But as his fingers touched the soft skin of Jimin’s face, he suddenly found himself unable to pull them away.  

Jimin lifted his face to meet the brushing of Jeongguk’s fingertips. Quite unexpectantly, he pursed his lips and kissed away the spindly strands of cotton candy between Jeongguk’s fingers. Before he knew it, he had Jeongguk’s entire finger inside of his moist mouth. Jimin sucked the finger free of everything sticky, released it and then gobbled up another. He had no idea what he was doing or why, but it felt devilishly good.

Jeongguk stood there, breathing nervously, watching as Jimin did naughty things to his hands. He moved in closer, not sure if it was ok to make the next move. But he didn’t have to. Within the flutter of a bee’s wings, Jimin was on him, pressed hard against his lips in what would forever be known as their second kiss. Most immediately, Jeongguk held his hands up in a show of surrender. He wanted to make it very clear that he was not the aggressor and that the kiss did not start with him. But as Jimin’s attack grew more intense, he realized they were in a totally different place from their last disastrous lip encounter. Jimin wanted him – somewhat urgently. Between the raging woody stuffed between them and the force with which Jimin was pulling him towards him, Jeongguk concluded it was ok to kiss back. 

Hand placement during a make out session was not something that Jeongguk’s glimpses of porn had ever taught him. So he went with his instincts which were to just slide his palms over Jimin’s butt. It was comfortable, easy to grip and a nice resting place to hold steady.

What was happening? And why was Jimin suddenly all over him with a dick so hard that he could have used it as a golf club? They had absolutely agreed that this would not be part of their friendship, yet there they were, spinning out of control. But Jeongguk’s pin point instincts told him to stop overthinking and just go with it. Jimin felt too good in his arms. It was all so natural, like he belonged there, like he had been born there.

The longer that Jeongguk kept his eyes closed, the brighter the fireworks exploded inside of the darkness. He was losing himself in Jimin’s touch. Slowly, he felt himself begin to rise. A substantial woody had developed beneath his jeans and it was quite persistent. He was enjoying the kiss so much, that it physically turned him on, making him even hornier than he already was. He wanted Jimin so much and had waited so patiently for this moment. He never wanted it to end. 

But eventually it did end. Jeongguk was unpleasantly surprised when Jimin pulled away. He was so nervous about how Jimin was going to react. Their second kiss was much longer, and much more intense than their first kiss had been. Was Jimin going to be even angrier? Jeongguk’s eyes popped open. His first sight was Jimin standing there in his pink jumpsuit; lips swollen in a dark rouge. He had the brightest smile on his face. He was summarily satisfied. Their faces were only centimeters apart and their eyes were locked. For the shy man from Seoul, it was a daring move to allow Jeongguk to stare into his soul. The trust was definitely there. 

“Are you ok? Was this ok? Are you ok? I didn’t do it. I swear...this was not me,” Jeongguk was immediately defensive. “You kissed me. You totally and completely kissed me. Plus your dick is hard. I didn’t do that ether.” He made sure to cover all bases.

“I kind of think you did do that second part. Ok, I’m attracted to you. Very attracted to you. I admit it. I know that was sudden but I just couldn’t help myself. You’re so handsome and sweet, and loving and did I mention handsome?”

“You did mention that.”

Jimin suddenly screamed as if startled. Jeongguk turned to see what had startled him, and then he screamed as well. Jack, the mime, was standing about a foot behind them. He was so close that they could smell the white paint on his face. He stood there with his eyes bulged and his mouth wide open. At one point he covered his mouth with his gloved hand and then pretended to faint dead away. He fell to the floor as if in shock. He then made a spectacle of himself by jumping to his feet and running around the room, bouncing around the pliable floors. He ran from wall to wall, fixing his mouth in the form of a scream. He was clearly trying to panamime his version of shock and awe. And what he had seen was indeed a big deal. The two top employees at Haenundae Amusement Park had been caught kissing and Jack wanted to make sure they knew they had been busted. Once again he ran up to them with his eyes flitting between them. He really did look faint, even behind the piles of white paint patched over his skin. 

“Jack!  Why are you here?” 

Jack began to fake cry. He twisted his palms against his eye sockets and turned his mouth into a frown. Then he formed a heart with both of his hands and pulsated it against his chest. He pointed at Jimin and then pointed at Jeongguk before forming the heart shape again.   

“Yes, Jack. We like each other. I don’t know if we can say love yet. But we like each other and it’s our business. Not yours,” Jeongguk said firmly.

Jimin was mortified, which caused him to once again clam up. He may as well have been a mime himself because he had no words to describe how embarrassed he was to have been caught kissing. He covered his face with both of his hands and just stared at the ground.

Jack saw how upset he was and rushed over to him. He gave him a hug and then a strange creepy smile. From their best interpretation, he was telling Jimin not to be embarrassed and that it was ok if he and Jeongguk were a couple. Jack wouldn’t talk so this was all very wild speculation on their part.

“Jack, this is all kind of new and we don’t really want others to know.” Jeongguk stepped forward and placed his hands on Jack’s shoulders. He made certain eye contact with the creepy man, “Can we trust you not to say anything?”

Jack doubled over in silent laughter. He laughed so hard that he fell to the ground holding his sides.  The irony of all ironies was that Jeongguk had asked the company mime not to tell anyone about what he had seen. Clearly they had forgotten that mimes didn’t talk, even when they had juicy gossip to spread. 

Jimin finally spoke in their defense, “I think what he is trying to say is, please don’t act out anything you’ve seen here. Keep all of this to yourself. I’ve always respected you Jack and knew that you could be trusted. Please don’t let me down,” Jimin said genuinely.

Jack ran over and hugged him again. He then fell to the floor and pretended to be in a box. Jimin and Jeongguk were sure that he was about to panamime something deeply profound, but neither was interested.  They wanted urgently to get home and start working on their third kiss.

“Yeah, this is bullshit. Keep your mouth closed about what you saw or else I’m kicking your ass.  Let’s go Jimsie.” Jeongguk grabbed Jimin’s hand and they ran through the door. “Lock up when you leave.”

***

The ride home was quiet as both men swam in their own thoughts. They held hands in the middle of the console as Jimin drove through the emerging darkness of the early evening. Every few minutes, Jimin would lift Jeongguk’s hand and kiss it, just to let him know how much he needed him. They pulled into Jimin’s regular parking space in the apartment’s parking garage. He turned off the ignition and then stared straight ahead.   

“I – I already chopped the onions and the parsley. I have fresh ginger too. I picked up some miso paste and boiled the base last night. It won’t take more than ten minutes to throw the rest of the ingredients together...,” that was not at all what Jeongguk wanted to talk about. But everything else that he wanted to say was much too naughty, so he stuck to talking about food.

“Good. That’s good. I’ll help gather whatever else we need. It should be a lovely dinner,” Jimin cleared his throat. A signature move when he was uncomfortable. 

“Jun-seo is um, staying at a friend’s house tonight. He picked up an extra shift and his friend lives closer to work so...,”

“Yes. He wrote his schedule on the board. He won’t be home tonight. Got it,” Jimin nodded and cleared his throat again. Jimin appreciated Jeongguk’s not so subtle reminder that they had the place completely to themselves.

“Dinner’s not going to cook itself. Are we going to just sit here...or are we going to get...started?”

Jimin looked up and then turned to fully face Jeongguk, “I really, really want to get started.”

They entered the apartment and Jeongguk immediately began to wash up and start dinner. Jimin mulled around behind him, mind racing. He couldn’t concentrate on anything except the kiss they had shared minutes earlier.  

“I’ll dice the carrots and stuff,” Jimin offered. 

“Yeah perfect, thanks.”

For ten minutes, they both gave award winning performances as they pretended that they were actually interested in eating dinner. But behind the walls of their horny young minds was an intense desire to hold each other, to touch, to kiss, to push the boundaries of anything that either of them had ever experienced before. But they continued to play their game until dinner was complete. They held a delicate balance as they walked the line between fully controlled discipline and all out debauchery. 

The first fated domino fell when Jimin accidently twisted the spigot on the sink too hard, causing the pipe to break. Water gushed into the air.

“Shit! Oh my God. I am so...,” Jimin clenched his fists in irritation as he shielded his face from the raging surge of water. “Fuck, why am I like this? I’m so sorry Jeonggukie, but don’t worry, I can fix it.” He spoke between breaths as the water pounded him in the face and chest. 

“Oh no,” Jeongguk laughed. Jimin’s occasional clumsiness was one of his most endearing qualities.  But even he had to admit this was a mess. “What do you need me to do? How can I help?” He ran over to the sink to try to help Jimin fight back the surge of water that was now puddling all over the floor.

“We’ve got to shut off the valve before we flood the apartment beneath us,” Jimin continued to fight against the flow of water as he opened the cabinet drawer. The network of pipes that controlled the water to the entire apartment were all congregated in a tight space beneath the sink. He crawled underneath and crammed his upper body into the tight space so that he could reach the pipes. He wrapped his hands around the weakened fixture. His grip was so tight, that he managed to temporarily quell the gush of water. But heavy leaks continued to escape between his fingers. Jimin was soaked completely through. The darkened buds of his nipples lay pressed against the wet fabric of his white t-shirt. His wet bangs splintered over his forehead as he fought to keep the water from stinging his face. “My tool box. It’s next to the couch. I need the wrench.  Hurry.”

“Right.” Jeongguk stepped away, leaving Jimin alone to battle the watery dragon that he had unleashed.  Jeongguk found the wrench and returned to the fray. “Now what?”

The water continued to go everywhere, making it difficult for Jeongguk to stand without slipping.  Jimin continued to hold the busted pipe.

“Do you see this area where my hands are?”

“Yes,” Jeongguk yelled over the loud sounds of water pouring from the counters.

“Use the wrench to tighten the bolt. I’ll hold it, just get in there and tighten it as much as you can.  You’re going to have to kind of crawl over me. I know its tight in here, but squeeze in as best you can. I can’t let this thing go.”

“Got it,” Jeongguk had to wedge his body beneath the sink, and crawl between Jimin’s legs to get to the bolt. It was the most awkward position imaginable. As soon as he reached the correct spot, he was drenched by the water that continued to pour out of the broken pipe. He could barely breathe as he wiggled his way into position and began twisting the bolt clockwise. Jimin’s thick muscular body beneath him occupied most of the space. The bottom of the sink was never meant for two people. But he did his best. 

“Twist baby, twist. You’ve got to stop this water.”

“I’m trying...but it’s hard to maneuver. Could you scoot over...just a...,” he grunted as he tussled with the broken fixture.

“I can’t scoot over, this is it. This is all the space we’ve got. Now hurry. You can do it, I believe in you,” Jimin giggled. 

Their bodies were crammed against each other, neither able to really move. Jeongguk was positioned between Jimin’s open legs as Jimin laid on his back looking up at the pipes. Water continued to pour down over them, trapping them in the most suggestive moment imaginable. There was no way they could avoid getting erections; not in that position, not the way they were feeling. As embarrassing as it was, they could both feel each other rise. They were too inexperienced to be able to control surging dicks so they had to let it happen. The dominoes began to fall.

They tried to remain focused on the busted pipe despite their bodies being focused on each other.  Jeongguk rotated his arm as quickly and forcefully as he possibly could to get the busted bolt back into position. But with each turn of the wrench, his body rubbed harder and harder between Jimin’s open legs. 

“Fuck, could you not...uh...,” Jimin couldn’t help but laugh.

“Do you want this fucking pipe fixed or not? I’m almost done. I’ve almost got it. Just a few more twists and...,”

Suddenly the water stopped. Everything grew quiet. It was done. They had managed to fix Jimin’s clumsy mishap.

“I did it!” Jeongguk said with surprise.

“You did. I’m so sorry. I am so fucking clumsy. I promise to clean up this mess. Thank you for the help,” Jimin said humbly.

Without the surge of water pouring over them, they were able to process the moment. They were soaking wet with their faces less than six inches apart. The thick wet fabric of their jeans emphasized the lengthy hardness between them. And both of their dicks quivered under the pressure of the foreign touch. 

Jimin curled his fingers through Jeongguk’s hair, pulling him forward and forcing their lips to once again bind to each other. Kissing was still unorganized and wet. Neither understood where exactly to place their lips and tongues or how to move their heads. But even the clumsy, sloppy attempts were richly fulfilling.  As the next domino fell, they shared their third kiss.

Every time Jeongguk took a breath, he inadvertently rubbed their cocks against each other. He wanted to stop, but he couldn’t because Jimin didn’t allow him to. 

Jimin gripped the younger’s hips and guided them into a slow rotation as their kiss intensified. He had no plan or no intention other than enjoying the moment. He didn’t know what they were doing, he only knew that it felt incredible. He could feel something happening deep inside of him and he didn’t want it to stop. He needed more. Jimin opened his legs slightly wider and encouraged Jeongguk to move faster with more rigor. He gripped the back of Jeongguk’s shoulders and massaged his hands up and down his back, lifting his wet shirt so that he could feel his wet skin. They continued to grind each other underneath the sink, with the lower half of their bodies oddly protruding from the crowded space. Neither of them had ever felt such a satisfying sensation and neither of them knew it was possible to cum this way. The next domino fell.

“What’s happening?” Jimin whispered as his groin began to warm. There was heavy pressure in the area and the tip of his cock pulsed.

Jeongguk began to take shallow breaths as if he were climbing a flight of stairs. His gentle inadvertent collisions into Jimin’s body suddenly became violently purposeful as he worked them both to orgasm.

“Oh GOD what’s happening?” Jimin cried out. 

Jimin had had orgasms before, but none like this. He didn’t recognize this feeling. It was all brand new. He grabbed Jeongguk’s ass and did everything he possibly could to make the collisions even more aggressive. He couldn’t get enough. He needed more, more, and more. He was cumming and he didn’t know how to handle it. When the muscle contractions began, he could no longer speak.

“Holy shit!” Jeongguk whispered. 

He wanted to kiss Jimin again. It felt right, but he couldn’t coordinate his lips, his hips or his surging dick because they were all moving in different directions. The cum felt so good. Thrusting against something other than his own fist made his lips quiver. It was his first time embracing a warm body that embraced him back. It was too good to be true. Being with another man was everything he could have wished for, so complete, so intense. Jeongguk kept his head down and continued to pump at the direction of Jimin’s guiding hands. 

They frotted through their jeans for another five seconds until both of their cocks erupted, leaving darkened circles of moisture behind the zippers. The simultaneous climax was quiet. With the exception of breathy moans and silent gasps, they trapped all sound within their trailing kisses. It was over. The dominoes had all fallen, thrusting them into an entirely new phase of their relationship.

Unbeknownst to either of them, they had stumbled into a form of sex unfamiliar to them. They were no longer virgins, in the strict sense of the word. 

“What was that?” Jeongguk asked, like a stunned child who had just seen a shooting star.

“I – I honestly don’t know. But we’re doing it again.”

As the afterglow waned, they once again processed their surroundings. They were laying in a puddle of water that had gathered beneath the cabinet. They were both wet and now also – wet. There was water all over the counters and all over the floor. Yet, they only had eyes for each other. None of it bothered them.

“Dinner is ready,” Jeongguk said as he pushed Jimin’s wet bangs to the side. “Are you still hungry?”

“For food? No. For more of...whatever this is...yes.”

“You don’t think this is weird right? I mean, you’re ok with this, right?”

“Let’s clean up, take a quick shower and then we can talk about our feelings – later,” Jimin gave him one more small kiss.

***

While one showered, the other cleaned up the puddles of water. And then they switched until the kitchen was mostly back to normal. There was still a piece that Jimin needed to fix, but it wasn’t urgent. The disaster had been averted. They ate, despite Jimin’s insistence that food was not needed. They laughed over dinner and complimented each other for a satisfying meal.   

Taking the time to slow down and talk, provided a great deal of comfort and further solidified their trust in each other.  Jeongguk could still sense strange vibes coming from Jimin, but he correctly concluded it was apprehension and fear of the unknown. Neither had ever been in a relationship before, and they had certainly never been physical. But suddenly, in the span of one single night, they had taken a huge leap forward. 

“Well, there is one thing that we’ve learned,” Jimin stated.

“Oh yeah, what’s that?”

“If you ever need to jack off, I can help,” Jimin said shyly. He looked down at his plate and rubbed the back of his neck. 

Jeongguk found him to be so cute. He felt free to kiss him without fear of misunderstandings, so that was exactly what he did. The peck on the lips was loud and made Jimin giggle. “Yeah so gotta’ tell you, what we did earlier...I didn’t even know that was a thing.”

“It’s definitely a thing,” Jimin nodded as he took several sips of water. He was flushed and getting hot just thinking about it. “Do you think...there’s more we could do?”

“There’s a lot more that we could do. But should we? I mean, are you ready for all of that? We’ve been doing pretty well with just kisses and tight hugs,” Jeongguk laughed.

“I’m more than ready. This is what life is about. Pleasure. This is what people do when they care for each other. It’s a natural step, right?”

“I think so,” Jeongguk shrugged.

“But Jeonggukie, do you think we maybe need a book or something to help us figure all of this out.  I mean, I’ve never...I have no experience at all...my dad died and my uncle...I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing.” Jimin fidgeted.

“We can watch porn. Tan from the koi pond exhibit says that assmunchingdudes.com is a great place to learn new stuff. I’ve glanced at it a couple of times. Seems credible.”

Jimin pondered. “Maybe we should stick to more professional sources? I mean I’m sure that site is great, but it may be a bit too advanced. We’re kind of new to this aren’t we? Do you have...experience...?”

“When it comes to dick wrangling with my hand, I’m an expert. Beyond that, I have no clue.”

Jimin loudly laughed. He slapped the counter much too hard, cracking one of the tiles. “Oof, I’m so clumsy. Sorry. I’ll fix that.”

The broken tile sent Jeongguk into a fit of laughter. “It’s ok. Good thing you’re so handy and can fix all of your destruction.”

They held hands. There was comfortable silence. But then suddenly Jimin began to turn red for seemingly no reason. His thoughts were so explicit that he couldn’t hide it.

“What’s going on? Why are you blushing?” Jeongguk was curious.

Jimin stared at the ceiling, he wanted to say it, but he couldn’t say it. He covered his face and burst into laughter. 

“Jimsie! Tell me,” Jeongguk tried to coax the words out of his adorable love interest.

Jimin finally said it, “Can I...see you?”

“See me? You’re looking right at me. Hi.”  Jeongguk waved.

“No...I mean seeeeeee you.” Jimin hid his face again, even his fingers were blushing.

“Yeah, I’m going to need a little bit more. I’m confused. See what?”

“You’re so beautiful. I noticed it when we first met. But that day on the beach during the volleyball game, when you took your shirt off, I think I peed on myself.”

“Peed? That’s not good, we should have that checked out,” Jeongguk said seriously. “So, you’re saying that you want to see my chest?”

“For starters, yes,” Jimin said boldly. His face was wrought with mischief. Jeongguk could tell that he was already imagining him naked - hence all of the blushing.

“Starters? I thought you said we needed to take it slow?” Jeongguk clenched his theoretical pearls.

 He looked down at his own body. He was wearing a ratty old t-shirt, soccer shorts and socks with holes in them. He definitely didn’t feel desirable. He wasn’t ashamed of his body by any means, but he had never been directly asked to show it off before either.

Jimin thought about his request and immediately rescinded it, “Holy shit. I’m so sorry. I can’t believe that I just asked you that. I don’t know what’s happening to me. That thing we did under the sink. You made me cum...you know...it felt so good and now I think I’m losing my mind.” Jimin held a glass of water in his hand. He took a few sips to once again cool off.

“You’re definitely losing your mind,” but as Jeongguk said that, he stood in front of Jimin and dropped his robe. He took one last look at his t-shirt before swinging it over his head and throwing it to the couch. He revealed himself proudly. “I work out...with mostly isometric exercises to keep my pecs defined. I don’t do much for my arms other than push-ups and pull ups. For my abs, its mostly sit ups, planks and stuff like that. Wearing Tayo’s heavy costume keeps me in the best shape...,” for whatever reason Jeongguk felt it necessary to share his work out tips. He awkwardly turned so that Jimin could see his full upper body.  Playfully, he bounced each of his tits by twitching the muscles underneath. That made him laugh.

But for Jimin, it was no laughing matter. He gawked, and then cleared his throat, “Whoa.” He gripped the glass so tightly, that it exploded in his hand, spilling water on the carpet. “SHIT!” He looked down at his hand which had begun to bleed from a small piece of glass that had cut him. “Why am I like this?  I’m so fucking clumsy. Sorry Jeonggukie, I hope this glass wasn’t important. I’ll replace it, I promise.”  Within a flash, Jimin gathered all of the broken pieces and cleaned them up. 

“You hurt your hand,”  Jeongguk didn’t like seeing Jimin’s blood. It bothered him. He immediately ran to get a wet towel and bandages to dress the small wound. “Let me see.” He kissed it, despite smearing blood on his cheek as he did so. 

“It’s nothing. Nothing at all,” Jimin whispered.

But Jeongguk didn’t treat it as ‘nothing’. He applied pressure until it stopped bleeding and then wrapped it well with two sterile bandages. “Is that better?”

“Good as new.” 

They stared into each other’s eyes and Jeongguk used Jimin’s hand to massage up and down his chest. He used Jimin’s index finger to trace circles around his erect nipple. “How does that feel? Have you seen enough?”

“I don’t think I’ll ever get enough – not of this. You’re incredible. You’re the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen.”

Jeongguk teased him, “You’ve never seen all of the men. So I think you’re greatly exaggerating.”

The moment became intimate again, but this time it was intentional. Jimin asked without shame, “If we do that thing again, do you think it’ll feel as good as last time?”

“I think it’ll feel better. But first, it’s your turn. Take off your shirt,” Jeongguk requested. 

Jimin loved his own body. If there was anything in his self-deprecating life that made him proud, it was his physique. He didn’t do much to maintain it because he didn’t have to. It was a naturally occurring phenomenon born of his superior genetics. His muscles were so cleanly defined that his entire eight pack was visible. He happily removed his shirt.

Jeongguk stared for a while, “My God you’re stunning. No wonder you’re so strong, you’re fucking ripped. You look like Hercules.” Jeongguk grinned his bright toothy smile. He walked forward and kissed Jimin’s shoulder blade. By far that was the sexiest body part.

“I’m not sure that I can maintain control if you keep kissing me there,” Jimin said honestly.

“Who said you had to stay in control? Lose yourself with me. Trust in me. You can do it, I believe in you,” Jeongguk laughed as he used Jimin’s own words.

Both of their erections were back. Jimin’s grey sweatpants could barely contain his outstretched cock as it crawled down his leg. 

“I honestly don’t know what to do...how to start,” Jeongguk admitted.

“It’s ok. I don’t either,” Jimin kissed up and down Jeongguk’s neck, “but if it feels good, I say we go with it. If it feels bad, then we stop. Is it ok if I touch you – down there?”

Jeongguk panted, “Please, please, please touch me down there.”

They stood in the middle of the living room, not even capable of walking the few steps to the couch.  Their experiment began right there, in that very spot that became the perfect spot. Jimin pulled on the elastic band of Jeongguk’s shorts and slid his warm hand down his happy trail; walking his fingers over his soft hairs until he felt his hardened lump.

“Tell me if you like it, but stop me if it hurts.” Jimin cuffed Jeongguk’s balls before massaging Jeongguk’s cock. “Ok?”

“Grab it. Don’t be shy...but don’t break it like you break everything else,”  Jeongguk whispered. 

His words made Jimin laugh in the middle of their intimate exchange, “I’ll do my best.” Jimin figured that the combination of stroking Jeongguk’s cock, while tickling his neck with his tongue was a great way to start. But what he didn’t realize was that it was also a great way to finish, because just seconds after he began rubbing Jeongguk’s cock with his hand, the human teddy bear was already about to shoot his load. “Do you like it? Am I doing it right?”

“Hoooo, yeah, fuck,” he whined, “That is so right, so, so right.  Ji...,” Jeongguk tossed his head back and staggered his breaths. He thrusted into Jimin’s hand and came.

Jimin smiled as he massaged the wet deposit between his fingers. “WOW!  Did I...?  I mean did I make you...?”

“Holy shit, you sure did. Imagine how good this is going to feel once we actually figure out what the fuck we’re doing.”  Jeongguk laughed. He watched as Jimin removed his hand from his shorts. It glistened with his cum. “Oh, I made a mess. Let me get that.”

Jeongguk immediately grabbed the towel stained with Jimin’s blood and wiped away the cum from Jimin’s fingers.

“I’ve never done that before.” Jimin smiled as he watched the tenderness and care that Jeongguk took with cleaning his hands.

“You did it like an expert, I would have never guessed it was your first time,” Jeongguk said kindly.  “Did you cum too?”

As they continued to stand in the middle of the living room, Jimin checked his sweats and peered down at his own dick, “I don’t think so. Not this time.”

“Oh no.” Jeongguk was disappointed. He automatically assumed that when one of them orgasmed, so would the other. He was saddened to know that wasn’t the case. “I know what to do. You really liked that other thing so can I do that to you?”

Jimin replied, “Please, please, please do that to me again.”

“Got it.” Jeongguk grabbed Jimin’s hand and pulled him to the kitchen. He opened the cabinet door and crawled his partial body inside. Then he pulled Jimin down with him. 

“Uh, Jeonggukie? Do we have to do it in this exact same location every time?”

“I think so... if we want it to work. I think we do,”  Jeongguk said naively.  “Now, how did I do it last time?”  He repositioned both of them within the tight space to try to replicate exactly how they were the last time. He crawled between Jimin’s legs and settled on top of him. He stared at Jimin, captivated by his incredibly good looks. He was so enthralled that he almost forgot to start pumping. 

Jimin lay there, in the bottom of the dark cabinet, smothered by the one he most adored. It was a moment that he knew he would remember for the rest of his life. He reached up to engage another kiss, but as their kisses grew in number, they also grew in passion. Jimin smiled as he felt Jeongguk’s tongue push forward into his mouth. He opened wider to accommodate him, as spittle dripped from their stretched corners. He could feel the light grind of Jeongguk’s lower torso as he focused on his kisses. 

It didn’t take long, however, for Jeongguk to remember why they were there. He needed to make Jimin cum and he was determined to duplicate each of his previous actions to make sure it happened. His cock was limp at first, but gradually stiffened as he rubbed his crotch against Jimin’s. Jimin began to writhe under him, spreading his legs again while forcing Jeongguk to grind harder. Doing it in the exact same spot was paying off because once again Jimin felt that familiar tingle in his groin. Although not as fast as Jeongguk, he was already cumming after only two minutes. This orgasm seemed bigger, possibly because of all of the foreplay, but he braced himself as Jeongguk continued to grind him. He was careful not to touch any of the pipes because he didn’t want to burst them again. Instead he burrowed his small fingers into Jeongguk’s back and held on.

“You feel so good. Don’t stop.”

“I won’t,” Jeongguk promised.   

The pressure swelled. It was so tremendous that Jimin had to release a small scream just to breathe.  He massaged Jeongguk’s heavenly body, tapping his smooth skin beneath his fingertips. Quietly he whimpered as his orgasm slowly swirled into a dramatic explosion. The dark grey stain was undisputable, he had wet his sweats with his cum. 

***

Despite the sporadic and rather aggressive start to the physical part of their relationship, the two really did take things slow. They kept their promise to each other to learn more about their bodies, their likes, dislikes and how the whole sex thing worked. They even visited Tan’s suggested porn site, assmunchingdudes.com.  Jeongguk found it a bit aggressive. But Jimin loved everything about it. Still, they both agreed that they weren’t ready to take on so much so soon. They had started with dry humping, but had advanced to innocent rubbing and more kissing. Every now and again, they still insisted on crawling under the sink to grind each other blissfully. Neither was in a rush to go much further than they already had because they were both deeply satisfied with their sexual expression. 

But as Jimin and Jeongguk experimented and tried new things, more and more trust developed between them. Jeongguk gloated that he had been right about them being destined. Because that was exactly how they felt. They got along well and never argued because they adored each other’s company. They knew how to communicate and how to give each other space. They were great lovers and even better roommates.  They were as perfect of a couple as two people could be. 

Eventually, however, deeper, less predictable emotions developed between them. Jeongguk called it love. But Jimin was terrified of using that word, so he didn’t. His uncle had always told him that love was not for him. He told Jimin that a person like him would never know true love because no one would ever accept him for who he was. Jimin feared that if he dared to call what he was feeling for Jeongguk, ‘love’, then it would somehow be taken away from him. So he refused to use that word. Refused. 

Although Jeongguk wasn’t one to keep secrets from his big brother, he had tactfully decided to keep the news of he and Jimin’s intimacy confidential. He didn’t want Jun-seo worried about how it would affect them as roommates. He also didn’t want his brother to know that he was becoming more sexually active. He dreaded the day that Jun-seo would force him to sit down and talk about the birds and the bees. It was better if the elder was just kept in the dark.

To make sure their secret was kept, Jimin, with the greatest of discipline, continued to sleep on the couch. It was hard for them because they were maturing and they wanted to hold each other and share a bed.  Jeongguk was now nineteen and Jimin was just a few months away from turning twenty. Every night, it became more and more difficult to kiss each other goodbye and go their separate ways. 

***

It had been ten months since Jimin and Jeongguk first met in the amusement park parking lot.  Jimin’s stay was only meant to be for one night, but somehow it had turned into almost a year. And it was by far, the happiest year of his entire life. With the exception of Jack, no one at the amusement park knew that Jimin and Jeongguk were romantically involved. They secretly called themselves boyfriends, even though they were much more than that. 

By late February, business at the park had almost drawn to a standstill. Winter was always the slowest time of year and most parents were not too keen on prancing around in the cold with their Tayo love-sick children. The days were increasingly rainy and cold. There had even been a few heavy snow storms which forced the twins to shut down the park for the protection of the rides. But despite the chilly weather, on most days, the happiest place in Korea remained open rain or shine. 

Whenever it rained, Jeongguk refused to allow his Tayo costume to get wet. On those days, he stationed himself inside of Tayo’s backyard. Not only could he stay dry within the walls of the Cotton Candy House, but he could also hang out and spend more time with Jimin. Thanks to Jimin’s popularity, the park was raking in even more money than ever before. Everyone benefited from the increased profitability, even the Ferris wheel operator and Jack. 

 

When Jeongguk arrived at the Cotton Candy House, he was already dressed in his street clothes.  He hopped inside quickly to escape the pounding rain. “Hi!  Ready?”

“Hi.”  Jimin stopped briefly just to stare in Jeongguk’s direction. “Wow, you’re incredible.”

“Stop flirting. When we get home, you can show me just how incredible you think I am.  Jun-Seo is going to be out again tonight. We’ll have the entire place to ourselves. Maybe...we can...,”

“Share a bed?”

“Yep. That.”  Jeongguk smiled.   

“When are you going to tell him about us? He’s not stupid Jeongguk. He has to know that something between us has changed.”

“He’s not paying attention Jimsie. He’s living his life and working himself to death. The last thing he needs is to worry about us.”

“I’m going to stay out of this because its none of my business, but I really do wish you would tell him. I would hate for him to get angry and...,” Jimin didn’t finish his sentence because he didn’t want to say it out loud.

“What? Make you move out? Is that what you’re worried about?  He would never do that Jimin. Remember, he’s the one who convinced you to stay in the first place. He’s the one who told us to give this a chance. If there’s anyone who is on our side, its him.”

“But he doesn’t know how intimate we are. He doesn’t know how serious this has become. He doesn’t know that we’re in lo...extremely fond of each other.” Jimin narrowly avoided using the word love.

“I’m a grown man. I’ll be twenty years old soon. He no longer has a right to know those intimate details about my life,” Jeongguk said boldly.

Jimin nodded, “Ok. Just let me clean off the counters and then we can go.”

“The park is completely empty. I can’t believe the weather is so awful. Really fucks up my tips,”  Jeongguk said. 

“I’ll tip you when you get home if you make me cum as hard as you did yesterday,” Jimin joked.

They both laughed. There were discarded puffs of cotton candy sitting on the counter, remnants from one of Jimin’s earlier creations. 

“I wonder if I could use my dick as a cotton candy cone.”

“Sure, if you want to burn it off. That rotating drum heats to over 300 degrees to cook and refine the sugar. I don’t think you want your dick in that,” Jimin advised.

“I wonder what kind of animal you could create using my twigs and berries.”

Jimin fell over the counter. He was laughing so hard that he shook both of the cotton candy machines and rattled the glass. “Twigs and berries?  What’s wrong with you?”

“Horny. All the time.”

“Other than that?” Jimin smiled.

“Sometimes a man just gets curious about these things,” Jeongguk shrugged.

Jimin stopped everything. He walked over to where Jeongguk was standing and examined the left over cotton candy remnants that he had laying around. There weren’t enough for what he had in mind, so he started up the cotton candy spinner and quickly produced a few more clouds of candy. He piled it all up into a large fluffy cloud and allowed it to rest on the counter. 

“Hey what are you doing? I thought we were ready to go home?” Jeongguk was confused.

Jimin stepped out of his pink jumpsuit, folded it and placed it under the counter. He stood there, partially nude wearing just a pair of soccer shorts. Despite being freezing cold outside, it was overly heated inside of his small building. He bit his lower lip as he stared at Jeongguk.

Before he even spoke the words, he turned bright pink. Jeongguk knew that his boyfriend was having naughty thoughts.

“Jeonggukie?” 

“Yes Jimsie.”

“Can I see you...?”

“Yeah, but see what?”

“You know...it.  I’ve never really seen it - hard.”

Jeongguk realized this was progression. Out of the months and months of them dating, fondling and playing around, they had never actually seen each other’s dicks. They had felt them, teased them, pleasured them, but never actually kissed them or sucked them or even laid eyes on them. So when Jimin asked to see it, he knew exactly what he meant. Jeongguk briefly questioned himself, wondering if they were ready for where this was going. He hesitated, but eventually nodded.

“You can have anything you want Jimsie.” He unbuttoned his jeans and exposed his lower body.  The act of exposing himself made his cock hard, which was a good thing because the last thing he wanted was to introduce a tepid cock to his boyfriend. 

Jimin’s eyes were large. He was anxious and ready. He felt bold and silly and he just wanted to have fun. As he watched Jeongguk strip in front of him, he took one last look around Tayo’s playground to make sure that Jack wasn’t lurking. Jeongguk pulled his cock free and stood there boldly, completely nude from the waist down. 

“Can I touch you?”

At this point, Jimin asking for permission was just to tease. He knew darn well that he had full consent to do anything he wanted to his horny boyfriend. He walked up to Jeongguk, gazing at the taller  man’s mid-section. “Your dick is already a work of art. But if you’re really curious about what I could do, let me show you.”

“I love everything about this,”  Jeongguk squealed. He too looked around to make sure that Jack wasn’t lurking. 

Jimin began simply by glaring at Jeongguk’s stiff pole. It was much longer than he had anticipated.  He was very impressed, although a little frightened. “Sit on the stool and spread your legs. I need full access to it. You have to stay hard ok?”

Jeongguk sat down. “Stay hard? That will not be a problem.” He slouched over the stool as he waited to see what Jimin had up his sleeve. 

Jimin began tearing the pieces of the fresh cotton candy and forming it into different shapes. He giggled as he began wrapping the colorful layers around Jeongguk’s cock. 

“This feels so fucking erotic. Holy shit Jimsie.” Jeongguk wiggled a little, but he was careful not to disturb Jimin’s work. 

It felt so good. He opened his legs just slightly and leaned his head back as he held on to the sides of the stool. Jimin was driving him crazy. This wasn’t anything they had ever read in books. This was shear eroticism, and imagination from his personal cotton candy spinner. He stared down at his own junk as he watched what appeared to be a flower take shape around his long erection. 

Jimin was in a zone, working fast, shaping and spinning the different layers all around his boyfriend’s dick. The light from underneath the counter shined on him, illuminating him like an angel. He worked quietly with gracefully extended fingers, as the conductor of his own cotton candy symphony. Jeongguk was simply in awe of him. As silly as it was, it was so beautiful. He was being turned into an intimate piece of art. 

“I’m making a rose. And your pink tip is the pistol at the very center of the flower. This is where all of the sexual power is held in every rose. Right here baby.” Jimin continued to work, smiling every now and again as he watched his progress. 

But as fun and playful as it was to watch what Jimin was doing to his body, he couldn’t take his mind off of the soft warm cotton as it was layered around him. The sensation was unlike anything he had ever felt before. He had to restrain himself because watching Jimin’s face so close to his dick and feeling his fingers crawl over him, was making him want to cum. 

Jimin must have known what he was thinking because suddenly he warned, “Don’t cum. It’ll melt the sugar.”

“Damnit!” Jeongguk clenched his butt cheeks to try to hold back the pressure that was gathering in his loins. The more layers that Jimin piled on, the more aroused he became. Finally, after about six minutes, Jimin’s masterpiece was complete. 

“Voila!” He grabbed his phone and took a picture of Jeongguk’s dick rose. “You stayed hard the entire time. That’s kind of incredible,”  Jimin complimented. “I have to get pictures before you cum all over it.” They both broke into laughter at the mere sight of it. 

“Are we weird?  Is this weird?” Jeongguk laughed.

“It’s weird. But when has being normal ever been any fun?” Jimin took more pictures. He admired his own artwork. 

“Ok this was fun. But now, how do I get this big cotton candy dick rose back into my jeans so we can go home?”

“That part is easy. Just pull it off. Like this.”  Jimin pulled the flower free and it remained perfectly intact, with a single round hole in the middle where Jeongguk’s cock had been.   

“That was simple. But now my dick is sticky and covered in cotton candy threads. What are you going to do about that Jimsie?”

“That part is easy too. I’m going to eat it off.” Jimin flirted.

“Eat-eat-eat it off?”  Jeongguk stuttered.

“Yes. I’m going to take you right here in Tayo’s house,”  Jimin said seductively.

“Can I tell you that I love you? Am I allowed to say that? Because that is really what I’m fucking feeling right now.”

“No. You aren’t allowed to say that,”  Jimin said as he knelt down in front of Jeongguk’s cock. 

Oral sex was new. They had read a lot about it but never tried it. The rules for how to properly suck a cotton candy cock weren’t exactly clear. But there was one steadfast guideline and that was - no teeth. Per usual, figuring out how to start was a bit of an unknown. So Jimin just dove right in. He opened his mouth wide and covered Jeongguk’s entire cock, pushing it towards the back of his throat. 

He had read enough to understand that he wasn’t supposed to actually blow on the dick during a blow job. But sucking was very necessary. Jeongguk’s cock was longer and thicker than he was prepared for, but he adjusted. He bobbed his head up and down with the shaft in his mouth. He had no pace, no technique, nothing. Just an abundance of spit, the warmth of his tongue, and an innocent desire to make Jeongguk feel good. Jimin had no idea what he was doing, but he loved the feeling of having Jeongguk’s cock in his mouth. He wanted so badly to pleasure him and show him how much he loved him, even though he wasn’t allowed to say it. Hearing his boyfriend’s breathy moans stimulated him and made him want to work even harder. He closed his eyes and tried to concentrate, and really get into it. However, after about ten seconds he felt his mouth fill with an unfamiliar liquid. Jeongguk had already cum in his mouth, even though Jimin had just started. He orgasmed so quietly that Jimin was not prepared. He sat wide-eyed with a cock between his lips and a mouth full of fluid that he didn’t know what to do with.

Jeongguk came to the rescue. “Shit that was...that was...we are definitely doing this again. That was...yeah...,” He was unable to finish any of his sentences. Casually, he pulled his cock from Jimin’s mouth and then handed him a towel. “Here.  I don’t know if we ever talked about what to do when the deed was done. You better spit it out until we figure out how we feel about that.” He laughed loudly. He was the sweetest most loving partner ever. Jimin cleaned his mouth out and laughed too.

“Yeah, I wasn’t sure how to handle that part. But you tasted really good. Next time, I think I’ll just swallow it?” Jimin was such a tease.

“Holy shit. You’re hot. Are you sure I can’t say I love you?”

“I’m sure.” Jimin tidied up a bit more. As Jeongguk redressed, Jimin made sure that all of the machines were shut down. It was Sunday evening which meant they were off for two days. He pulled on his jeans and coat and announced that he was almost ready to go.

“When we get home, it’s going to be your turn,” Jeongguk said suddenly.

“My turn?”  Jimin moved twice as fast. He couldn’t wait to get home. With Jun-seo away for the night, it was destined to be an incredible evening alone.   

“Yeah baby. Your turn,” Jeongguk said lovingly. “The weather is shit out there. Jump on, I’ll give you a piggy back ride.”     

Jimin blushed because his boyfriend was the most adorable, “Ok.” 

Jimin jumped onto Jeongguk’s back and hugged him as Jeongguk went galloping through the pouring rain towards the car. He wrapped his arms and legs tightly around his boyfriend’s body and buried his face in the back of his neck. The rain was freezing cold but he barely felt it. Love was a restricted word, but at that moment love was the only thing he felt.

***

Jeongguk had Jimin’s legs spread wide and thrown over his shoulders. His head was buried in Jimin’s crotch and Jimin’s cock was completely down his throat. For someone who had no experience giving blow jobs, he was giving one hell of a blow job.

For the first time in his life, Jimin felt the warmth of a mouth surround his cock. He didn’t know what to think or how to control himself. His legs shook as Jeongguk sucked him, fondled him. Although Jimin lasted longer than Jeongguk’s notorious ten seconds, he was about to explode. He was incapable of holding it any longer. He clawed the arm rest of the couch, ripping through the fabric with his fingers as his orgasm arrived in dramatic fashion. He was trapped behind his climatic haze and didn’t even realize what he was doing to the couch.

Jeongguk was a student of sex. He liked everything about it. Learning how to give a good blow job had become his latest homework assignment. For someone who had been a lifelong, voracious, masturbator, he appreciated the art of transferring his sexual energy to someone else. He loved hearing Jimin scream and watching him tremble and lose control. Pleasuring his newly minted boyfriend in that manner, fed Jeongguk’s horniness unlike anything he’d ever experienced. It was even more powerful than his own orgasm. He loved dick sucking and he loved Jimin.

And now it was Jeongguk’s turn to swallow. With each of Jimin’s pulses, he deposited another squirt of fluid that splashed against Jeongguk’s cheek. There was something about swallowing Jimin’s fluid that just turned him on. His dick jumped hard as soon as he felt the taste on his tongue. He wanted to cum again, but he was willing to wait until Jimin was ready.

Jimin rolled over to his stomach as soon as he came. He needed to get away from Jeongguk, just for a second, just so he could breathe and process how good he had made him feel. He covered his face and just laid there.

Jeongguk found a wet towel and used it to clean them up. “We have definitely found a new thing.”

Jimin burst into laughter. “Yes, this is definitely our new thing.”

The joy of sex for both of them was about the exploratory nature of understanding themselves. Not only understanding who they were as a couple, but appreciating who they were as individuals. It was a journey that every young man had to take, but they were lucky enough to take it together as lovers who truly cared for one another. One of the reasons they never felt pressured to do more was because of how much pleasure they found in their own modesty. There was no push for the next thing, bigger, better, nastier.  There was something important about allowing their sexual intimacy to grow at the same pace as their love. Even though both knew that one day, they would desire more - that day had not yet arrived. The result was a stress free relationship that deeply satisfied them both. 

For two men who had been largely deprived of affection, the art of a simple hug and wet kiss meant more to them than one thousand orgasms. Holding hands comforted them. Stroking each other’s hair, galvanized them. Reading their favorite books together, thrilled them. And long slow walks in the rain, re-energized them. Their relationship was not like any other. They were special, unique – destined.

“Let’s go.”

“Go? Now? Don’t you want to watch a little television or play some music?”

“Nope,”  Jeongguk crossed his arms.

“How about a snack...?”

“Nope.” Jeongguk smiled lovingly, “Jimsie, are you scared?”

“To sleep in your bed for the first time? Yep terrified.”

“I changed the sheets. They smell like Downy infusions. I think you’ll like it,” Jeongguk joked to calm Jimin’s nerves. “Come to bed, with me.”

“You found me stranded in a parking lot. Are you sure I won’t harvest your dick and kidneys while you sleep?”  Jimin joked.

“It’s been almost a year since I found you in that parking lot. You’ve had plenty of time to harvest my kidneys. If you haven’t done it by now, I have to assume that you don’t really want them.”  Jeongguk sat on his knees in front of Jimin. “This is a big step, I know. But Jimsie, I can’t go another night without holding you in my arms. I want your face to be the last thing I see before I sleep and the first thing I see when I wake up. I’m head over heels for you. I can’t imagine a life without you. What is there to be afraid of?”

Jimin reverted to his shyest state. He stared down into his hands. A single tear fell, “I’m afraid that if I fall asleep with you in my arms, I’ll wake up one day and you won’t be there. What do I do then?”

“You’re obsessed with those sick mind games that your uncle played on you. You can’t even say you love me because of some irrational fear that it will jinx us. I’m never going anywhere Jimin and neither are you.”

“Jeongguk, you don’t understand. I’m not...I’m not like other people. My uncle was right, I’m not lovable. I was never meant to stay in one place for this long. I create havoc wherever I go.” Jimin was distressed. He wrang his hands together and rocked gently, “Don’t you get it? I’ve fallen in lo...,” he stopped before saying the word.  “I’ve grown really fond of you and that was never supposed to happen. It could destroy us both,”  Jimin said overdramatically. His uncle had truly convinced him that love was forbidden.

“Nonsense. This is just more bullshit from your uncle. Why can’t you see how toxic the shit is that he’s fed to you? You’ve loved me for a very long time, even though you never wanted to say it. And nothing bad has happened Jimin. We’ve grown happier and happier every single day. It’s been almost a year. You love living with me, you said it yourself. So there is no need to consider going anywhere else. We’re together and I hope we’ll be together forever. But for now, you just have to trust me.”  Jeongguk grabbed both of Jimin’s hands. “Now please, come to bed with me. I’ll do that thing you like.” Jeongguk winked.

“Don’t we have to be under the kitchen sink for that to work?” Jimin asked curiously.

“I’ve been researching that. Seems like it can be done anywhere. Let’s try to recreate it in the bed.  It’s worth a try. My bed is much more comfortable. If it doesn’t work, then back to the kitchen sink we’ll go.” 

“And you’re sure that Jun-seo is going to be gone all night?”

“I’m sure.  It’s on the board where he keeps his work schedule. It’s just you and me tonight.”  Jeongguk stood Jimin to his feet. “Don’t worry Jimin. We’re going to tell him everything. We have to, because I want you in my bed every night from now on.”

Jimin stalled.  He glared into his handsome boyfriend’s eyes, “Can I...see you?”

“Yes, but only if I can see you,” Jeongguk said as he removed his pajamas and robe.

Jimin took a deep breath. From head to toe, he examined Jeongguk’s naked body. He couldn’t believe that it belonged to him. It was his own personal version of Tayo’s playground. He stepped to Jeongguk and stood in front of his naked body.

“Undress me,” Jimin whispered.

For every layer of Jimin’s clothes that Jeongguk removed, he replaced them with a single kiss. Once Jimin was finally nude, they held hands and walked into Jeongguk’s bedroom. 

“We’ve never done this without clothes,” Jimin said as he climbed into the bed and laid on his back. 

“No, we haven’t. Are you worried about trying it?”

“No. Yes. No.”

Jeongguk laughed, “Which is it? Because I can just suck your dick and then go to sleep,” He teased.

“What if we rub too hard?”

“Then we should stop rubbing too hard.”

“What if it doesn’t feel the same?”

“I don’t think it’s going to feel the same. Touching each other skin to skin is going to be much more intense, don’t you think?”

“Intense? In a good way or a bad way?”

“In a good way?” Jeongguk laid on top of Jimin. He gently spread his legs, “Let me in. We have to assume the exact position to make sure that it works. Wait. Let me get something.” Jeongguk found the bottle of his body milk lotion that he kept next to his bed. “I forgot this was even here but we should use it. You know, I haven’t jacked off in months. Since we’ve started dating, I haven’t needed to. You’re always there to satisfy me. But I think tonight, this will help us.”  He pumped a large mound of the lotion into his hands. “Can I touch you?”

“You can do anything you want to me.”

“Tell me how this feels.”  Jeongguk sat between Jimin’s legs and rubbed his shaft with the lotion. 

“Oh Jeonggukie, I love it.  Kind of like lube right?”  Jimin moaned as Jeongguk worked his hand up and down his cock. 

“Something like that. It’s just to make sure that it feels good when we...start.”  Jeongguk watched Jimin’s face light up.  The red neon sign glowed across Jeongguk’s bedroom, making the moment feel even more amatory. “Ok.  I’m going to start.”  Jeongguk crawled between Jimin’s legs. He positioned himself so that their cocks sat right on top of each other. Slowly he began his grind, just as he had always done. 

“Oh GOD Jeonggukie. This feels different.”  Jimin closed his eyes and bit his fist. 

The touch of his boyfriend’s hot skin was all encompassing. He had never before felt Jeongguk’s stiff cock rub against his in the raw. Jeongguk used his large hand to masturbate them both while pushing his hips against Jimin’s body. He squeezed their dicks together with his hand, creating a soft clapping sound as he massaged the smooth lotion over their skin. He continued to push his hips against Jimin’s groin.

“I know.  But you have to cum with me ok? We have to do it together. Oh fuck I love you Jimsie...,”

***

For the first time in three years, Jun-seo had been sent home due to illness. He was someone who never got sick, even avoiding COVID at the height of the pandemic. But the thermometer at the restaurant had randomly detected a fever when Jun-seo walked by, so his boss forced him to leave for the evening.  Because he was only part time at the restaurant, he did not have sick pay. The missing hours from his pay check were going to be brutal, but he was happy to know that Jimin and Jeongguk were home to help care for him and help him recover quickly. At least with both of them working and contributing to the household, he didn’t have to worry about missing rent payments. They were pretty good roommates to have and he felt fortunate to have them.   

It was 3am when he exited the train station and walked through the apartment parking deck. Sitting there in its usual spot was Jimin’s powder blue VW Bug. The living arrangement with Jimin staying with them had worked out better than anyone could have imagined. Jimin truly felt like a member of the family.  Although he wasn’t as in tune to everything going on with them, he could tell that his brother and their roommate were growing close. Jeongguk needed a friend and Jimin fit the bill nicely.        

Jun-seo’s fever had spiked to 39 degrees Celsius or 103 Fahrenheit. He was definitely ill.  He felt like shit and couldn’t wait to get to his bed to go to sleep. As he walked into his apartment, all was quiet, just as he expected it to be. The lights were dimmed and the place was spotless. 

Immediately however, he noticed that Jimin was not on his couch. Sometimes, when Jimin couldn’t sleep, he would wander down to the alley and sit on the stoop and stare up at the sky. Jun-seo assumed he was either there or in the restroom. He knew he had to be someplace close, because he had seen his car in the parking garage. He didn’t give it too much thought. 

The bathroom was empty and the lights were turned off. Jimin wasn’t there. It was just as well because he needed to shower. He immediately jumped into the shower and allowed the hot water to stab at his aches and pains. Even though the water was on full pressure, he thought he heard a strange noise in the background. He ignored it. A few minutes later he stepped out of the shower. He heard the noise again, and this time it was much louder. It sounded like screams? Moans? Cries? Someone having sex? Despite living across the alley from a massage parlor that was a known front for prostitution, he had never heard the employees and their customers before. Besides, it didn’t seem as if the noises were coming from outside. As Jun-seo dressed in his pajamas, the sounds grew louder. And when he opened the door, he realized the noise was coming from Jeongguk’s room.

“Oh my God.  Jeongguk?” 

Jun-seo couldn’t imagine what his brother was doing or who he had in his room. Jeongguk always flew solo with just him and his hand. There was no one special in his life that Jun-seo knew about. Besides, if there were, Jeongguk would have told him about it. So Jun-seo immediately assumed that he misunderstood the sounds that he was hearing. 

Jeongguk’s door was closed, but the noise was not contained. Still refusing to believe that Jeongguk had a guest, Jun-seo pressed his ear against the door to listen closely. He could clearly hear the sounds of two people being intimate. Two people, not just one. Suddenly it dawned on him, where was Jimin?

“Oh no. Oh nooooo. Is this really happening?”  Jun-seo covered his mouth in shock. He continued to listen. The high pitched, colorful moans were definitely coming from Jimin. “Holy shit.” The moans grew louder and louder. Were Jeongguk and Jimin actually having sex?  It sure sounded like it.

Suddenly a loud noise came from the bedroom that made Jun-seo jump. It sounded as if something had fallen against the wall. He quickly hurried to his bedroom. He didn’t want to get caught eavesdropping on his brother’s sexcapade. Something was going on with Jimin and Jeongguk and it was happening right under his nose.

***

The next morning Jimin rolled over and opened his eyes. He was still in Jeongguk’s bed and Jeongguk was still next to him. He helplessly smiled like a kid in a cotton candy store. Just as they had promised, they had held each other all night. It had been one of the best nights of Jimin’s life because not only did he love sleeping in Jeongguk’s warm cozy bed, but he loved sleeping next to Jeongguk.   

It had also been a very sexually satisfying night. Jeongguk had spent the entire evening doing that thing Jimin liked. That thing that they used to do under the sink. That thing that made him cum so hard that he bit his own tongue. That thing that made him accidently punch a hole in the headboard as he climaxed for the third time. That thing that validated how deeply in love he was with his boyfriend. Jimin smiled as he wrapped himself inside of Jeongguk’s sleeping arms. They didn’t have to work, so if they wanted, they could spend the entire day in bed.

Jimin closed his eyes again, when suddenly he heard a noise from the kitchen. He popped up immediately. Jun-seo was at work. There should not have been anyone else in the apartment.

“Jeonggukie. Baby wake up. I heard something.” 

Jeongguk sat up. They both heard the noise again. “What was that?”

“I don’t know.” Jimin was already out of the bed. If there was one thing that Jimin definitely wasn’t afraid of, it was a fight. He pulled on his sweats and a t-shirt and opened the door.

“Wait!” Jeongguk whispered, “You can’t go out there alone.”

“I can. If there’s someone out there, I’ll kick their ass. You stay here.”

“No,  Jimin. WAIT!” Jeongguk was naked. He wasn’t going to face an intruder with no clothes on.  But by the time he got out of the bed and got into his robe, Jimin was already gone.

It was quiet. Jeongguk sprinted to the kitchen only to find Jun-seo and Jimin standing face to face.  Jun-seo had a blanket over him and a thermometer in his mouth. He also had an ice pack on his head to help fight his fever and his headache.

“Jun-seo?” Jimin questioned, “What are you doing home?”

“Clearly, you two didn’t expect me. I came home around three and was quite surprised to find you two in Jeongguk’s bed.” Jun-seo addressed them head on. He had no interest in playing games.

Both Jimin and Jeongguk squirmed. They had been busted. Jimin immediately made up an excuse. “I – I – I thought I heard a noise so I went into Jeongguk’s room last night and we fell asleep watching a movie.”

“Jeongguk doesn’t have a television in his room.”

“PHONE. We were uh watching a movie on my phone.”

“Cut the bullshit please Jimin.  Jeongguk are you going to just sit there and let him lie to cover for you?”

“No. I’m not. But before we continue this conversation, let me state something for the record. I’ll be twenty years old in a few months. What goes on in my bedroom is none of your business. I pay my fair share of the rent now and I can do as I please. I’m an adult Jun-seo. So please don’t treat me like a kid.”

Jun-seo looked sternly at both of them, “Based on what I heard you two doing last night, I would definitely agree that you’re not a kid.”

“It’s not like that. It’s not what you think,” Jimin was concerned. He didn’t want Jun-seo to think the worst of them.

“Jimin.  I have the flu. This is why I’m home. Can you please run to the store to get me some medicine? I think me and my brother need to talk,” the elder requested.

“Sure.” Jimin ran back to the bedroom to wash up and fully dress. He returned a few moments later and grabbed his keys. 

As a show of defiance, Jeongguk grabbed him and kissed him passionately on the lips before he left. “Give us just a few minutes, ok?”

“Yeah. Take your time. I’m going to stop by and see if Caillou will let me feed her some bacon.”

“She won’t, not unless I’m with you,” Jeongguk joked.   

Jimin shrugged. Jeongguk was probably right. He made himself scarce to allow Jeongguk and Jun-seo time to talk.

As soon as the door slammed closed, Jun-seo started in on Jeongguk, “How long has this been going on?”

“About nine months.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I didn’t want to worry you. Besides, I didn’t know how you were going to react.”

“Why didn’t you confide in me? Why didn’t you talk to me? Do you know how shitty it felt to find out about you two by walking in on you?”

“I’m sorry. But you have enough on your plate. You don’t need to concern yourself with me and Jimin.”

“Do you even know what you’re doing? You’ve never had sex before Jeongguk. There are things you need to know.”

Jeongguk held his hands up as a signal to stop, “I know all of the things. Thank you.”

“You’re so arrogant. Why won’t you even listen?”

“Because this bullshit conversation that you’re trying to have with me right now is about five years too late.”

“I have been working my ass off trying to keep a roof over your fucking head. Forgive me if I’m a little tardy with teaching you how to use your dick.”

“I don’t need your lessons. We’re figuring it out.”

“Relax little brother. Let’s rewind. I don’t mean to sound as if I’m angry about this, because I’m not.  I don’t care about you and Jimin dating. In fact, I’m happy for you. I just wish you had told me, that’s all. This is not just about you. This relationship affects all of us. You and I are brothers, we’re best friends, we’re in this together. You shouldn’t keep secrets from me. It scares me to know that you couldn’t tell me something so important.”

“I know. I’m sorry. But Jun-seo...I’ve never been so happy in my entire life. Something about him is so special. I knew it. I knew it from the moment our hands touched. He was meant to be mine. Yet, at the same time, I feel this sense of foreboding. I think I was just scared to tell you because I thought you might ask him to leave or force us not to be together.”

“I would never do that. I’m the one who convinced him to stay remember? I’m the one who knew he would be good for you.” Jun-seo watched the worried look on Jeongguk’s face carefully. “Oh, oh Jeonggukie. Are you in love?”

“Yes. I think so.”

“Ok, I didn’t see this coming.”

“You’re not upset are you?”

“No, of course not. Now I am a bit shocked that you’re fucking, but happy for you none-the-less.”

“We make each other feel good, but it’s not what you think. We aren’t ready for that step yet.” 

“So what did I hear last night?”

“Two people in love, making each other feel good the only way we know how. That’s all you need to know.”

“Are you being safe?”

“We’re both virgins, but when that time comes, he and I will make sure to have that discussion.  We’re very open and we talk about everything.”

“Yeah, I’m not comfortable here. Let’s talk about this again in five years.”

Jeongguk laughed. “I want him to move into my room. Are you ok with that?”

“Eww.  Just keep it down when I’m here. I don’t need to hear all of that shit, I’m too old,” Jun-seo complained, even though he was only twenty-eight. “I’m going back to bed. Bring me some soup and orange juice. I’m fucking sick.” He punched Jeongguk in the shoulder, “I love you... I guess.”

From that moment on, there was a significant shift in the love affair between Jimin and Jeongguk.  Jimin abandoned his couch and permanently moved into Jeongguk’s bedroom. Just as they had always dreamed, they went to bed holding each other every night.

 

***

Chapter 5: Missing

Since Jeongguk rode to work with Jimin every day, there was no longer a need for him to take the bus.  And although that was good news initially, after a while it began to affect his ability to see Caillou. After months and months of Jeongguk being missing, Caillou had begun to believe he was gone for good and she no longer visited the bus stop every day waiting for him. In fact, he had to make special visits to see her, and sometimes she would not bother to even come and see him. She was definitely suffering from a broken heart. 

The owners of the convenience store on the corner had decided to adopt her. Jeongguk was relieved to know that she finally had a family who could care for her. Every day, Caillou sat in the door greeting the customers who shopped at the market. Whenever Jeongguk came to visit, her new family would give him updates on how she was doing. 

With money being a little better, he was often able to bring her favorite meats and dog treats. He even found a place that made dog ice cream. It took a while to win her back over, but he made sure to establish a new routine that she could adjust to. By the time spring came along, she was back to bringing him lost and injured animals. She even tried to rescue a fish from the fish market because she felt he was in danger. Sadly he was already dead by the time she got him to Jeongguk. He wasn’t sure there was much he could have done for the fish anyway, other than take him home and cook him for dinner. 

Despite the temporary strain in their relationship, Caillou and Jeongguk eventually found their way back to each other. Strangely, enough however, Caillou still did not accept Jimin. Jun-seo teased that it was because she didn’t like the competition. But the reality was a bit more complicated. There was something about Jimin’s energy that spooked her. Eventually, she did stop running away from him every time he approached.  But, she still maintained a healthy distance whenever Jimin was around.   

“Can I... see you?” Jimin spoke into the darkness.

Jeongguk called back from around the corner, “You sure can.” 

Music started. DJ Roots, Baby featuring Jinhyeong and Camo suddenly played through the blue tooth speakers. Jimin sat up in the bed, breath bated, chills tingling down his spine. Jeongguk was teasing him. The bedroom was completely dark, with the exception of the bright red neon sign that glowed through the window. He sat there naked, dick impossibly hard, as he anticipated Jeongguk’s fully naked body dancing into the room. The first glimpse of his beloved appeared in a long muscular leg. Jeongguk had teasingly revealed his leg in the doorway, while hiding the rest of his nude body. The leg was followed by a buffed arm.  Jeongguk continued to provide glimpses of his different appendages without allowing the full view of his body. It was a strange strip tease that made Jimin even more horny.

“Are you ready for me?” He whispered just above the seductive melody of the music.

“I’ve been ready for you my entire life,” Jimin whispered back.

A shadow suddenly appeared amidst the red neon light.  Jimin gasped because it was not at all what he expected. Jeongguk was completely naked, but he was wearing Tayo’s teddy bear head. He sauntered into the room and did his Tayo parade dance to the beat of the sultry music. Jimin laughed so hard that he literally fell out of the bed. He kicked and screamed as Jeongguk continued to dance seductively, with his cock flopping in front of him. 

“What is wrong with you?”  Jimin screamed as he laughed so hard that his sides began to hurt.

Jeongguk turned and shook his butt. Each time he shook, Tayo’s head wiggled loosely, bobbing back and forth, “You know you love it. You know this is your fantasy.” 

“No, this is more like a nightmare. I can assure you I’ve never fantasized about this at all!” Jimin was so tickled that he couldn’t stop laughing. He climbed back into the bed so that he could get a better view. He was so in love...but he still didn’t dare say it out loud.   

Jeongguk ran out of the room. When he reappeared, he had a small cake covered in strawberries and whipped cream. There was a single candle sticking from the middle. And thankfully, he was no longer wearing his Tayo head.

“Happy 20th Birthday, my special one.” Jeongguk climbed into the bed and settled beside Jimin. 

“You remembered?”  Jimin’s eyebrows crinkled and the corners of his eyes wilted. He was overwhelmed with emotion.

“I remembered. I vowed last year that I would never, ever forget. Who would have ever thought a year ago, that we would be at this place in our lives? I’ve never been this happy and it’s all because of you.  Park Jimin, thank you for rescuing me.” Jeongguk gave a partial bow that was both deeply respectful and opulently romantic.

Jimin laughed, “Rescuing you? I think you’ve got that backwards, but yeah ok. You’re welcome,” he joked. “I was going to leave. I was so scared. I didn’t trust that I would be safe here. But I was wrong. I’m so thankful to you and Jun-seo for convincing me to stay.”

Jeongguk leaned in. Through the glow of the red neon light, Jimin could tell that Jeongguk was staring directly into his eyes, “What do you mean safe? You said we were never in danger, so why did you need to be ‘safe’?

Jimin didn’t mean to say that word. He had inexplicably blundered and raised Jeongguk’s suspicions.   He quickly covered, “Yes, safe. The world is so cruel, it’s hard to know who to trust. People will try to steal from you, bully you, all those bad things and I was afraid that would happen here, but it didn’t.” 

The younger reluctantly accepted Jimin’s explanation, but both of them knew that Jeongguk’s higher self could see right through the lie. Mercifully, he let it go.

“It’s your birthday, which means you get anything you want. So what will it be tonight? How can I serve you?”

“I always get anything I want, whether it’s my birthday or not because you spoil me. But Jeonggukie...have you given any thought to what we talked about a few weeks ago?”

“Doing it? All the way?”

“Yes. Do you think we’d like it?”

“Probably. But...there’s so much to consider. Are we ready?”

“I’m happy with everything we give each other right now. I don’t need anything else. But from everything we’ve read, that seems like a different level of intimacy that could bring us even closer.”

“In other words, you’re curious?”

“Maybe...just a little. With a side of FOMO too.”

Jeongguk laughed. “We’re in no rush. We’ll get there in time, when its time. Don’t rush, remember? Our number one rule. Besides, we’ve only been dating for a year, we have forever.”

Jimin agreed, “I guess when we really need to take that step, we’ll know. It’ll just happen?”

“Everything else between us has worked that way. So yeah, it’ll just...happen.”

“Do you think I’ll cum really hard?”

“Depends on how much it hurts,” Jeongguk teased. “I love you Jimsie.”

“I adore you a ridiculous amount Jeonggukie.” Even after a full year together, Jimin was still too afraid to say the ‘l’ word out loud.

***

One Year Later...

 

Fall was once again winding down. Almost two full years had passed since Jimin and Jeongguk first met. Both were now the age of twenty-one and their relationship was more powerful than ever.  Jimin still refused to say ‘I love you’ even though sugary sweet love sickness ailed him infinitely. It was all in his touch, his smile, his glow. His Jeonggukie was perfect and Jimin was living a life that he never thought possible. 

Nothing much had changed at the amusement park, but that was by design. The twins had a winning formula and they were smart enough not to tinker with it. Business was at its absolute peak. The combination of Jimin as the cotton candy wizard, Jeongguk as Tayo, and Jack as the crazy mime was the triple threat that the park needed for that extra boost in revenue. Long lines formed outside of the gate every morning as Haeundae park maintained its spot as one of Busan’s top tourist attractions. 

Jack continued to push the boundaries. He did everything possible to annoy Suk and Duk. He escalated from pressing his nipples against the glass of their office window to pressing his bare ass against the glass of their office window.  He would often write notes on his bare butt cheeks that said random things such as ‘I want a raise’ or ‘did you watch the Masked Singer last night?’ or ‘we’re out of hot dog buns’.  It was so disturbing that Suk and Duk felt they needed help. Eventually the twins hired a therapist who sadly advised them that they were being conned because mime depression wasn’t really a thing. From that point on, the brothers had much less patience for the mime and his silly shenanigans. On several occasions Duk threatened to shoot him.  Jack remained unbothered.  He was a quirky character with a dark sense of humor and having him around was everyone’s joy.

Jack continued to be a superstar amongst the visitors to the park. He took his craft seriously and with each year that passed, he became more and more skilled. He even incorporated stilts into his act. Each weekend during the Tayo parade, he would walk behind the float, perched two meters in the air, wearing pants that covered his stilts, making him look like a titan with incredibly long legs. As much as the twins were annoyed by him, they realized how lucky they were to have him. 

Jimin and Jeongguk were not immune from Jack’s wicked, dark humor. He was still the only one at the park who knew the truth about their relationship and he took great pleasure in chiding them about their secret love affair. Every chance he got, he would corner them near the Ferris wheel and mime graphic sex scenes. They were so realistic that Jimin always came away feeling a bit horny. And of course that always ended up with Jimin sucking cotton candy from Jeongguk’s dick while they hid behind the chicken skewer concession stand. He always swallowed.

Their lives were as vibrant and colorful as the sculptures of cotton candy that Jimin spun magically every day.  Jimin had even become friends with Jeongguk’s old college buddies. He was so good at volleyball that he became the captain of their team.

After two years of being together and being incredibly happy, they both began to wonder if they had truly found their forever homes within each other. For the first time they discussed possibly moving out and getting their own place. Both of them were making decent salaries and they wanted to start building a long term future. Everything for the two destined lovers was perfect.

***

Jimin and Jeongguk playfully chased each other around the carousel. The park was closed for the evening, but the beautiful lights of the spinning structure lured them in. They threw snowballs at each other and weaved in and out of the horses as they circled around. The carousel was always Jimin’s favorite. The first snow of the year had come early and the structure was about to be shut down for winter maintenance. Jimin was going to miss it for the three months that it would be out of commission. So as their final goodbye, they took one last glorious ride. They rode around in circles for hours, taking short breaks only to eat hot dogs, kiss and munch on cotton candy under the dusting of snow.

The night had started with good weather. But as the evening grew, a chill fell over the amusement park, signaling to the two lovers that it was time to go. They clutched gloved hands as they headed back towards the car. As they passed the observation benches, they saw a man sitting there, cloaked in darkness, wearing a large wool coat. Puffs of smoke from his vape pen billowed into the air, blending with the frosty mist of the evening.

“It’s nice to know that love still exists,” he called out to Jimin and Jeongguk as they passed.

The two froze and looked at each other. It was nighttime and it was very dark. The only light was from a light post a few yards away. They could barely see the person who was sitting there. Nor did they recognize his voice. The park was closed, so it had to be an employee. But that didn’t make the figure any less creepy. Cautiously they approached.

“Can we help you?” Jimin stood protectively in front of Jeongguk and addressed the stranger.

“It’s me kids.”  Jack puffed on his vape pen, and blew perfect smoke rings into the air.

Jimin moved closer, pushing Jeongguk even further behind him, “Jack?”  The white matted paint on Jack’s face was barely visible. Most of it had rubbed off.  Jack’s pale natural skin could be seen between the remaining white blotches.

“Hey Jimin.  Hey Jeongguk.”

They both freaked out. No one in the history of Haeundae amusement park had ever heard Jack’s real voice. And they definitely had never seen his real face. But on this creepy, dark winter’s night, the two of them were experiencing both.

“Jack, is everything ok?  Why are you sitting here in the dark? You were supposed to be off work hours ago.”  Jeongguk walked quickly and sat next to Jack

“Stop looking at me like I’m a ghost. I’m a real man,” Jack teased them. “I’ve got a hot date tonight with that chick who works in the popcorn concession stand. We’re meeting here.”

“You asked her on a date?” Jeongguk asked.

“She asked me.” Jack leaned in and whispered, “She’s got a mime kink. She flashes her tits at me almost every day. She’s been teasing me for weeks. She finally came right out and said that she wanted to fuck me but only if I wore my full mime costume. That, my friends, is my kind of freak,” Jack released a sinister giggle.

Jimin grimaced. He was out of his league. He had no idea how to have a conversation with a mime who was suddenly talking about mime sex and smoking a vape pen. He bowed out, and sat on the other side of Jeongguk. His brilliantly emotive Jeonggukie was going to have to handle this weird ass conversation. 

“I thought you were married?” Jeongguk asked.

“Married? Who told you that?”

“Tan.”

“Tan? He doesn’t know a damn thing about me. Rumors. I’m happily single. Don’t believe anything you hear from him,” Jack puffed. More perfect vape circles danced around his head. “What else have you heard about me?”

Jeongguk found Jack’s voice incredibly intriguing. He had never heard it before, but in his mind he imagined it to be rather high-pitched and goofy. Instead, it was low, melodious and quite normal. “Well,”  Jeongguk said boldly, “I heard that you once killed a man and hid him in your basement.”

Jack slapped his knee in laughter. “Nope.”

Jimin took a moment to speak as well, “I heard that you keep an escaped lion from the circus in your living room.”

“What the fuck?”  Jack laughed again.  “Nope.”

“And I also heard that you have orgies with some of the elderly ladies from the nursing home,” Jeongguk added.

“Where does this ridiculous shit even come from?” Jack palmed his forehead. “That’s a no.”

“You can’t really blame people for believing strange rumors. You kinda’ don’t talk,” Jeongguk advised.

“And, you’re weird as fuck,”  Jimin added. His shy mode was activated and he chose to look anywhere but Jack’s face.

“So what’s the truth? Set the record straight. I would love to know more about the real Jack,”  Jeongguk said kindly.

“There’s nothing to tell really. My real name is Kim Jaeg-woo. I used to be a paramedic in Gwangju.  I got tired of seeing disfigured bodies in car accidents, so I moved here and began training as a mime. I’ve always been fascinated with them. As silly as it is, it’s always been my dream. I live a few blocks away in a normal apartment. Because of the makeup, no one knows who I really am. So outside of work, I live a perfectly normal life. I support myself by doing voiceover work. What I do here at the amusement park is really just a hobby. The twins gave me a chance by hiring me - and the rest is history.”

“Did you go to mime college?”  Jeongguk didn’t miss his chance to clear up that mystery.

Jack laughed, “No. I have a degree in acting. I also used to street dance. The two random skills make for great mime performances,” Jack laughed. 

“Jack are you ready?” The popcorn girl with the blue hair suddenly appeared.  Despite the chilly temperatures, she was wearing a short skirt with exposed legs.

Jack smiled, “Hey baby, you look HOT.”

“Thanks. Hi Jimin, Hi Jeongguk,” the popcorn girl greeted both of them. They didn’t really know her but she knew them.

“Hi,” they both waved with knowing smirks.

Jack stood to his feet. He was wearing regular street clothes, jeans, a hoodie and his signature white cotton gloves. “We better get going. Nice talk. And hey...I know this is going to probably sound strange, but...I’m really happy for you two. Don’t ever stop loving each other. Love is...so important.”  Jack dropped his red beret over his head and escorted his date to their car.

Jimin and Jeongguk followed in the direction where Jack had disappeared when Jeongguk suddenly received a phone call. He didn’t recognize the number but he answered right away.

“Hello.”

“Jeongguk. Have you seen Caillou? Is she with you?” It was Caillou’s new owners. The dog was missing.

Jeongguk was calm, “No. I’ve been at work all day. When did you last see her?”

“About one hour ago. The weather is so cold and I’m afraid she may have run off.”

“Don’t worry. I’m on my way. I’ll help you look around the neighborhood. We’ll find her,” Jeongguk said lovingly.

“Did something happen to Caillou?” Jimin asked.

Jeongguk nodded as he disconnected the call, “She’s run off. Can you drive me to the bus stop near the market? She’s probably somewhere around there. I’m not too worried. She’s a smart dog. But I do feel sorry for her new owners. They seem panicked.”

***

Grace Guk -joo was a news anchor for KBS station channel 9. She had just been fired for her third occurrence of being drunk during a live broadcast. She sat in the front seat of her old beat up sedan. She had already consumed one full bottle of Vodka and she had just opened the other bottle that was hiding under her seat. Drinking away her anger was the only way she knew how to cope with the loss of her job. The streets were dark and deserted, adding to her overwhelming feeling of despair. It was so cold. She sat there for another thirty minutes pouring Vodka down her throat. By the time she stopped, most of the bottle was gone. She would have preferred to sit there all night, drinking until she was completely numb. But she had to get home. Her tiny apartment was only four blocks away. She could have walked, she should have walked.  But she chose not to. She felt she could make it home. So she started up her car and decided to drive the short distance. It was only a five minute drive. It was a decision that she would regret forever...

 

Jimin and Jeongguk parked the car and decided to look for Caillou on foot. They had been searching for thirty minutes and the dog was nowhere to be found. 

“Jeonggukie, it’s cold out here. I don’t think she’s here. Maybe we should head back. We can keep looking for her but from the car. There’s heat in the car.” Jimin giggled through his chattering teeth.

“Good idea. We’ve been out here for thirty minutes looking for her. If she were here, we would have found her by now. Let’s go.” 

The two turned back towards the car that Jimin had parked in the parking lot. The streets were dark and empty as the chilly weather had driven everyone inside. Jimin ran across the street towards his blue bug, but just as Jeongguk was about to cross the street behind him, he saw a shadow behind the alley of the bakery a few feet away.  He called to Jimin across the street.

“Jimin. Is that her? That looks like her.”

“I – I can’t tell. It’s dark...but no Jeonggukie, I don’t think that’s her,” Jimin called from across the street.

“Let me check.” Jeongguk ran quickly and approached the dog. He called out to it, “Caillou?  Caillou?” But when he reached the spot, there was a man standing with the dog, holding it by a leash.   

The man turned around, “You have the wrong person. I don’t know anyone named Caillou.”

Jeongguk took a good look at the man’s dog. It was not Caillou. “Oh, sorry.  I thought I recognized your dog,”  Jeongguk bowed in apology.

“It’s ok.” The man smiled and then quickly disappeared into the building to escape the dark frozen night.

It was another dead end...

 

Part of Grace Guk -joo’s intoxication was her inability to measure speed. Her situational awareness was also muted and she was unable to recognize the dangerous conditions. The posted speed limit around the area was a conservative 40km per hour in order to protect the plethora of kids who frequented the neighborhood. But Guk-joo was traveling at an incredible 105km per hour. She swerved around curbs and barreled through lights, barely stopping even when they had turned red. The screech of her tires could be heard for blocks as she abused her tiny sedan. If just a few more people had been on the streets that night, maybe someone could have seen her, stopped her, reported her. But as fate would have it, she traveled recklessly unhindered in her destruction. There were no other cars traveling with her, just slick black roads that were beginning to ice. She was emboldened to drive even faster. She just wanted to get home...

 

Jeongguk was frustrated.  He called across the street to Jimin. “Fuck this. I give up. We’ll head back to your car and if we don’t find her, we’ll start the search again tomorrow. She’s a smart dog, I know she’s ok.”

“Sounds like a good plan. Plus my balls are frozen...so there’s that,” Jimin yelled back across the street. 

Jeongguk stepped to the curb. He removed keys from his pocket, “I’ve got your car keys. Why do I have your keys?” Jeongguk laughed as he started back across the street.

Jimin stood on the sidewalk on the opposite side. He shrugged, “I have no idea, you prob...”

That abbreviated sentence was the last time that Jeongguk ever heard Jimin’s voice. The sudden sound of screeching tires exploded in Jeongguk’s ear. Grace Guk-joo’s speeding sedan was headed straight for him.  He was blinded by the headlights that were just inches away from him. He couldn’t see anything. The car was going too fast to stop. In the fractional millisecond that Jeongguk had to think, his life flashed before his eyes; his parents, Jun-seo and most importantly, Jimin. This was his final breath, his final moment, his death. He knew he was going to be hit. With his eyes frozen open in terror, he instinctively placed his arms out in front of him to protect himself.  But his eyes shut closed as he braced.

Everything happened in slow motion. There was a tremendous explosion. The hood crumpled in large waves as it collapsed into the front seat, just above the squealing tires. Every window inside of the vehicle shattered, even the rear windows and the headlights. Glass flew forward, raining over him as he braced in his huddled position. Bits and pieces from the fiberglass bumper were thrown into the air, littering the ground like confetti. The crunching sound of twisting metal was horrific and it was all around him, burning his ears. He could feel the heat from the cracked radiator and smell the toxicity as the car’s heated fluids exploded through the front of the undercarriage. The noise was deafening, heart stopping, terrorizing.  It was so loud that the cataclysmic collision could be heard for miles. The tiny sedan was almost cut in half, right down the center as the clashing steel around Jeongguk’s body imploded. Sparks of light popped through the air as the car’s main body scraped against the asphalt. Both of the front doors flew off and traveled one hundred feet beyond the point of impact. The car’s forward momentum had been completely stopped, reversing the kinetic energy back into the vehicle. It was as if the car had suddenly hit a brick wall.  The result was complete destruction.  

Guk-joo, the driver, was slammed into the airbag as it rapidly deployed over the steering wheel. Her face and nose were severely burned from the impact. The restricted grip from her seatbelt cut through her clothing completely, burning an impression into her skin. Her left arm and right arm were broken as the car severed around her. 

And then abruptly, everything went quiet. The only audible sound was the slow drip of fluid from the cracked radiator. Grey clouds billowed from the busted engine, cloaking the crumpled up car behind a wall of smoke.   

Jeongguk waited for the pain to hit. He didn’t know where he was or where he had been thrown. He didn’t know how bad his injuries were. He only knew that there were a pair of arms around him, gripping him with superhuman strength. He had been held by those same arms enough times to recognize immediately that they belonged to Jimin. Somehow Jimin had gotten to him. Jeongguk opened his eyes. Had Jimin not had him so securely fastened against his body,  Jeongguk would have stumbled back and fainted. Not from injury, but from shear disbelief of what he was seeing. Somehow, instead of the car hitting him and killing him, the car itself had been obliterated. There was a large dent through the center of the vehicle where it had curled around Jimin and Jeongguk in the collision. The left and right sides of the car where completely separated by the incision. It was something out of a comic book, or a superhero movie. As the smoke from the vehicle continued to dissipate, Jeongguk could see the driver’s bloody face through the windshield where the glass had been blown out. She was unconscious. Jeongguk once again checked his body. Why had the pain not hit? Why did he seem completely uninjured? There was so much that he didn’t understand. 

“Whaa-what happened?” Jeongguk whispered.

Jimin was crying. He shook his head back and forth as tears poured from his face. He released Jeongguk and cried as loudly as he could.

Jeongguk’s mouth was agape. He was in shock. His arms and legs began to tremble as he tried to face the incredible. “You saved me?  You – you- how the fuck did you do this?” He looked back and forth between the destroyed vehicle and Jimin, “How did you do this?  Jimin, Jimin please. What did you do?  Tell me!”  Jeongguk asked desperately. What Jimin had done could not possibly have been done by a human. The strength, speed, agility that he had displayed was supernatural, impossible. There was no way that his meek, petite, loving little Jimsie could have done it. Neither Jimin nor Jeongguk had a single scratch on them. Yet the car that had hit them was completely destroyed. 

Jimin began to scream, “OH GOD!  WHAT HAVE I DONE? WHAT HAVE I DONE?” His eyes were wide and he was shaking.  “I LOVE YOU.  I LOVE YOU.  I LOVE YOU. I’M SO SORRY. I’M SO, SO SORRY.  NEVER FORGET THAT I LOVE YOU.  NEVER FORGET THAT I LOVE YOU JEONGGUK.  I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU!  I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU!  I WILL ALWAYS BE WITH YOU! I’M SO SORRY!  HE’S COMING.  I LOVE YOU!” Jimin screamed his words as if his life depended on it. He screamed I love you as many times as he could, as fast as he could.

Jeongguk couldn’t think. He couldn’t breathe. There was too much happening.  Jimin had never before said those words, so why was he saying them now? Why was he apologizing. Why did his words feel like a goodbye? 

Jeongguk took several steps towards Jimin who was only feet away from him. Mere milliseconds before their hands touched, a loud boom ripped through the silence. The dark sky lit up like a firework as a single streak of light raced towards where they were standing. The gust of wind that accompanied the light streak was so powerful, that Jeongguk was blown to the ground. The bolt of lightning traveled straight through Jimin’s body lifting him off of his feet. As he was pulled through the air, kicking and flailing, he continued to scream, ‘I love you!’” Whatever the force was, it carried Jimin high into the sky, until he finally disappeared into the clouds. The light left a condensed trail of smoke behind it as it flew his lover into the abyss. And then suddenly everything went quiet again.  Jeongguk could hear the screech of ambulance sirens in the far distance. Jimin was gone. 

***

Jeongguk laid on his back staring into the sky.  He had seen the entire thing despite being knocked back hard and hitting his head. His skull was rattled and his head was pounding. He lay frozen to the ground just long enough to gather his wits about him. The sky was once again dark. Whatever had come down and grabbed Jimin, was gone. 

Jeongguk slowly rose to his feet as the ambulance grew closer, “Jimin?” He said quietly at first. He touched the aching spot on the back of his head, it was bleeding. Nothing serious. He had scraped his head on the asphalt when the ray of light blew him off of his feet. “Light? What was that light?” He looked towards the sky again before looking around the empty street. “Ji-Ji-Jimsie? Where are you baby? Where are you?” He rolled over and crawled to his knees as he attempted to stand. “What was that?” He began to question aloud as the recollection of what he had witnessed slowly crept back into his conscious. “What the fuck was that? Did you see it? Did anyone see it?  Jimin?  Jimin?  JIMIN!” He screamed to everyone and no one.  Jimin didn’t answer. 

The cacophony of noise from the violent car crash had been so disruptive, that the citizens who lived in the neighborhood ventured out into the cold to investigate what had happened. Screams immediately rang out. The destruction was paramount, as if a bomb had gone off right in the middle of their quiet neighborhood. In the center of it all lay Guk-joo, who for certain, appeared to be dead. The car was split right down the middle as if it had melted.

“JIMIN!  JIMIN!  JIMIN!” As Jeongguk continued to stumble to his feet, he became even more panicked. Where was his Jimsie? What was that thing that had come from the sky and grabbed him? Was it a rocket or a helicopter or had Jimin been hit by lightning? What was it?

“Sir. Sir. Don’t move.” The paramedic called out to her partner, “Sung, bring the stretcher over here.  Sir, you’ve been hit by a car. You’re bleeding. Sit down. Don’t try to walk.” One of the paramedics responding to the scene was by Jeongguk’s side, trying to give him medical assistance.

“No. No, I wasn’t hit.  I’m not hurt. I’m not hurt at all. I just have a small scratch. But my boyfriend.  My boyfriend is somewhere around here and I can’t find him. Please help me find him. JIMIN! JIMSIE JIMSIE WHERE ARE YOU?” Jeongguk kept looking towards the sky, hoping and praying that the flash of lightning would somehow drop Jimin back down to earth into his arms. “JIMIN!  JIMIN!”

“Sir, I need you to calm down. There’s no one else here. It’s just you and the victim inside of the car. 

Jeongguk looked over towards the mess of steel and glass. A woman that he had never seen before was in the front seat unconscious. “This lady, she was coming straight for me and...and...and she hit me...but them Jimin came from out of nowhere. Oh my God. What’s happening? Where’s Jimin?”

The paramedics were gravely concerned with Jeongguk’s behavior. No one had seen anyone else at the scene. Even the witnesses who arrived just after the accident were certain that they only saw Jeongguk laying in the street and the person who was in the car. Although, admittedly, no one on the scene had witnessed the actual accident itself, just the aftermath. 

The paramedics tried to pull Jeongguk down to the stretcher. But he refused to allow anyone to touch him. “I’m fine. I don’t need help. I need to find my boyfriend.” Everyone was telling Jeongguk that Jimin wasn’t there, treating him as if he had never existed. Jeongguk begged them to listen, “He was taken, or kidnapped or something...please. PLEASE HELP ME FIND HIM!”  Jeongguk was hysterical. 

“SIR. THERE WAS NO ONE IN THIS ACCIDENT EXCEPT FOR YOU. THERE IS NO ONE ELSE HERE!”  The paramedic was stern. She needed to get Jeongguk to the hospital to get checked out.  She feared that he was going into shock.

By this time, the group of nosy and concerned onlookers had grown to almost one hundred people. They all stood at the corner watching as the Jaws of Life were used to remove Guk-joo from the mangled wreckage. Never had an accident so horrific occurred on the quiet streets of that neighborhood. 

Jeongguk looked through the crowd, searching for the sandy brown hair and kind round face of his lover. He walked towards the gawking strangers, screaming Jimin’s name, “Jimin?  Jimin where are you?” No one responded. But then Jeongguk saw a familiar stranger. It was the man with the dog that he had mistaken for Caillou. He had been there on the street before the accident. He had seen Jeongguk and Jimin together.  Surely he could be a witness to prove to the police that Jimin had indeed been there. 

“Excuse me. Excuse me, I need your help please.” Jeongguk was too aggressive. He trapped the man against the front window of the bakery and refused to let him leave. “You remember me don’t you? I mistook you for someone else, just a few minutes ago. You remember me don’t you?”

“I- I guess.” The man was under too much pressure to say no. He vaguely remembered being stopped by Jeongguk but it was so cold and he was so focused on getting inside. But he gave Jeongguk his best recollection.

“You saw me and the other man who was standing here with me? Right? The other man who was standing on the other side of the street. You saw us, both of us right? I need you to tell the police that he was here.”

“I-I can’t tell them that. I never saw another man, buddy. I just saw you. There was no one else with you, or if there was I didn’t see them. It was cold, I never bothered to look across the street,” the man said apologetically.

Jeongguk was deflated. By this time, the paramedics had involved the police. Jeongguk’s behavior was too sporadic. They were concerned that he might hurt himself or others. He was spouting off about another person who clearly did not exist. They decided to take him in for evaluation both physical and mental.

“Son. Come with me. We need to get you checked out. You may be suffering from hallucinations.  Do you have any family that we can call?” The police officer gently grabbed Jeongguk by the arm and pulled him away from the frightened man he had cornered.

“I’m not leaving here without him,” Jeongguk said defiantly. 

“Yes, you are. Son, if there is anyone else here, we’ll find them...I promise. In the meantime, let’s get you to someplace safe. Ok?”

Jeongguk decided not to fight. Once again he looked towards the sky, waiting for the large bolt of light to return. Everything that had happened was too incredible, it was too unbelievable. Even if someone agreed to listen to him, no one would believe him. For a brief second Jeongguk wondered if he was hallucinating. Had he imagined it all? Was Jimin home safe, waiting for him to return? 

As the police officer led Jeongguk to the ambulance, he took another look at Guk-joo and her mangled car. He could clearly see where the car had completely bent around the area where Jimin and Jeongguk had been standing. It was a miracle of epic proportions. A show of superpower. Jimin had saved his life. But Jeongguk had no idea how.

***

The next morning Jeongguk awoke in his own bed.  “JIMIN!  JIMIN!  JIMIN ARE YOU HERE?”  He immediately jumped out of bed and called for his boyfriend. “It was a dream. It was just a dream. It was just a dream. Jimin is ok. Jimin is just fine. He’s here, with me. He’s ok. JIMIN!”  He screamed as he tried to convince himself that the entire situation had just been a nightmare.

Jun-Seo came running to his room. “Hey, get your ass back into bed. You took a nasty spill last night.”

“Jun-seo, where’s Jimin? Where is he? Where did he go?”

“I was hoping you could tell me. I haven’t seen him. I got a call from the hospital that you had been hit by a car. I took off of work to get to you. But Jimin was nowhere to be found. His car was just sitting there in the parking lot, untouched. You had his keys in your pocket so I used them to drive his car home while you were sleeping. I looked all over for him. I even went back to the amusement park. But Jeongguk, I have no idea where he is. I was really hoping that he would be here. I need him to help care for you while I go back to work.” Even Jun-seo was concerned.

Jeongguk’s eyes bulged. He was frantic. He grabbed the front of Jun-seo’s shirt and balled it into his fists as he pulled his brother close to him. The fear in his eyes was something like Jun-seo had never seen before. 

“Jimin was kidnapped. Or stolen or abducted...fuck I don’t know. But I saw the entire thing with my own two eyes. This ray of light came from the sky, out of nowhere and just swooped him up. Right after he saved me from being hit by the car. You believe me. You believe me don’t you?” 

Jun-seo shook Jeongguk off of him. He immediately made him lay back down. “You’re not making any sense little bro. Say it one more time. Sloooowly.”

Jun-seo sat on the edge of the bed and gave Jeongguk his full attention. Despite the nonsense that Jeongguk was spewing, he sat and listened to every single word. Jeongguk recounted his entire tale from the beginning. He told him everything, even the details of Jack’s date and why they had decided to search for Caillou. He explained how Jimin had shielded him from being struck by the woman’s car and how he had simply disappeared moments after. He told his big brother everything with the hopes that he would not think he was insane.

Jun-seo allowed him to finish. “This is a wild story. I’m not going to lie. Did you tell any of this to the police?”

“Yes. But they think I’m crazy. They don’t believe that Jimin was ever there. None of the witnesses saw the accident, nor did they see that crazy light thing yank him into the air. I was the only one who saw it. I’m not crazy Jun, I’m not. Please tell me that you believe me,” Jeongguk implored his brother. 

“I don’t believe you,” Jun-seo said immediately. 

Jeongguk’s entire expression sank. He shook his head and glared at his brother with sad eyes. If his own flesh and blood didn’t believe him, then why would anyone else?

“Let me finish...,” Jun-seo continued, “...I don’t believe that any of this realistically could happen.  But I do believe in you. You’re not crazy. You wouldn’t make this up. The doctor said you were unscathed.  Not a scratch on you, other than a small cut on your head. So we can rule out hallucinations. You saw something. Whatever it is has you freaked the fuck out.”  Jun-seo began to pace around the room, “If we look at the facts, they add up. Jimin is missing. He lives here, this is his home. He would never abandon you or that car that he loves so much, not willingly anyway. That supports your theory that he was taken against his will. Secondly...I saw the car that hit you Jeongguk. It is indisputable. Something stopped it with such force, that it imploded upon itself, leaving you completely unharmed. Only a serious act of love and power could have done that. But you see that all the time, moms who can lift cars to save their babies. Or elderly men who can pull buses with their teeth. These things happen and are not out of the realm of possibility.  Maybe that’s what happened with Jimin.” Jun-seo looked a bit pale when he said the next few words,  “Jeongguk, I could literally see the car split in half around the spot where you has been standing. That supports everything you said about Jimin shielding you. I know you’re telling the truth, at least you think you are. But I don’t know how to help you prove it.”

“That’s all I can ask Jun. It’s all I can ask.” Jeongguk had a chance to catch his breath. He looked around the room. Jimin’s belongings were everywhere. It was solid proof that he wasn’t crazy. Pictures of the two of them sat framed on his dresser. Jimin’s empty suitcase sat lodged under Jeongguk’s bed. His box of trophies, magazines and tools were on the top shelf in the closet. His clothes were in the drawer. His coats were in the closet. His shoes were all over the floor. But Jimin himself was gone. Jeongguk began to hyperventilate, “Oh no. O-o-oh no.  Nooooooo.  Jimsie, nooooo. Come back. Come back to me. Where are you? Where are you baby?  Where are you?” He screamed and screamed and screamed as the reality hit. 

Jun-seo melted. He had never experienced love himself, but he knew it when he saw it. His brother was in love, deep everlasting love. And Jun-seo’s heart broke watching him suffer. For two years Jun-seo had watched their impenetrable bond strengthen. Only to be pulled apart in the cruelest way possible. With no understanding of what had happened and no goodbye. It was an impossible situation and he had no idea how to fix it. He grabbed his distraught little brother and held him tightly in his arms. 

There was nothing Jun-seo could offer, except pacifying lies, “He’s fine. We’ll find him. He probably just got lost or something. You know how Jimin is. Whatever that thing is you saw last night, it was probably a helicopter or something picking him up to take him to safety. He’s probably on his way back to you right now. He’s fine. The one thing you have to promise me is that you’ll never give up hope.” Jun-seo released Jeongguk and then looked directly into his eyes, “Now let’s get busy finding him.”

***

Even the police were stumped trying to figure out how Jeongguk had walked away from the car accident.  There were no skid marks, attempts to swerve, nothing.  The woman who had almost hit him was so drunk at the time of the accident, that she barely even noticed Jeongguk crossing the street. Several teams of investigators had repeatedly reviewed the scene of the crash.  All of them had come to the same conclusion - someone or something had stopped the car dead in its tracks, saving Jeongguk’s life.  But none of them understood how it had happened.

 

As for Jimin, there was one thing that had finally been established;  Jimin did exist, and he wasn’t just a figment of Jeongguk’s imagination. After interviewing several people including Suk, Duk, Jack and Jun-seo, it was established that Jimin was indeed missing. It was also established that Jimin considered Jeongguk’s apartment his permanent home. 

However, with Jimin being twenty-one years old, the police were not rushing to open an investigation. They assured Jeongguk that Jimin had just run off. They tried to convince him that Jimin’s disappearance was simply the result of a lover’s quarrel or a boyfriend who wanted out of the relationship.  They blamed everyone and everything, instead of just following up on Jeongguk’s leads and trying to find him. For his brother’s protection, Jun-seo discouraged Jeongguk from giving too many details about the flying flash of lightning scooping Jimin up and carrying him away. Jun-seo felt it was best to focus on the bigger picture which was that Jimin was missing. 

Almost every day, Jeongguk went down to the police station with new pictures. He wanted to show Jimin in different poses, with different angles and wearing different clothes to make him easier to recognize.  He hoped that the police would circulate the photos to get help from the public. But, because the police didn’t officially consider Jimin missing, they refused to alert the public. 

Jun-seo wanted to help. He was just as worried about Jimin as Jeongguk. He did what he could to spread the word about Jimin’s disappearance. But with Jimin no longer living there to contribute to the rent, Jun-seo once again needed to pick up more hours. They needed more money to make sure they didn’t face eviction again. 

So with Jun-seo tied up and the police indifferent,  Jeongguk was on his own.

***

The twins were worried about Jimin too. However their concern was more complicated. The accident was a financial disaster for everyone. Jeongguk aka Tayo the most important character in the park, couldn’t work because he spent his days and nights searching for Jimin. And Jimin, the ace cotton candy spinner himself, was nowhere to be found. 

Things got so bad, that the twins had to semi- permanently close the Cotton Candy House. They were hemorrhaging money as they waited, hoped, prayed for Jimin to show up. Three weeks went by and Jimin was still missing. Finally, after days and days of sleepless nights, they made the difficult decision to replace him.

***

Six weeks after Jimin’s disappearance and the police still were not willing to help. So Jeongguk finally decided to put up flyers on his own. He even drew pictures of the bright light that had come down that night to capture Jimin. He showed it to everyone, even taking it to government officials with the hope that someone in the military could help explain it. He talked to everyone who had known Jimin while he was in Busan. He called every known phone number and even petitioned court records to try to find distant family members. All of it led to nowhere. 

He realized painfully that he had actually known very little about the man he loved. And the things that Jimin had told him about his past, were mostly lies by omission of the truth. 

Jeongguk sat down and carefully searched through Jimin’s belongings. Eventually he found a picture of Jimin as a little boy in Seoul. He was standing in front of a small house that said “Park” on the mailbox.  There was also an address visible. It was a clue. When he looked up the address, he found that it was in Seoul and currently occupied by a woman named Hayoon. He decided to travel to Seoul by train to visit her.  Jeongguk wanted to talk to her to see if she was a distant relative or old friend. He was looking for any lead possible to get a clue on where Jimin had been taken. 

Hayoon, the woman who lived in Jimin’s old house, did in fact know Jimin’s family. She was a family friend and had known Jimin as a child. She verified much of Jimin’s story about his parents being dead, although she wasn’t sure how they had died. She also spoke about Jimin’s doting uncle, his father’s brother.  According to her, the man loved Jimin very much and took him in as his own son after Jimin lost his parents.  She painted a very different picture of Jimin’s uncle than what Jimin had shared about him. According to her, Jimin’s uncle was one of the kindest, most accommodating people she had ever met, and he and Jimin got along quite well.

But the most interesting thing that she shared with Jeongguk was about Jimin’s peculiarities. She said that Jimin was always breaking things, moving things, lifting things five times heavier than he was. According to Hayoon, he had an odd strength for a kid and she found it unsettling. Jimin’s parents ignored it and tried to normalize him as much as possible. But it was the uncle who encouraged his peculiarity and even tried to teach him how to use it to his advantage. She didn’t remember much more than that, but the details that she did have, sparked a realization for Jeongguk.

Memories of certain irregularities flooded Jeongguk’s mind. Like puzzle pieces, they all started to come together. Jimin could lift him with ease even though Jeongguk was much heavier than he was. Jimin was always breaking things with his brute force, because he didn’t know how to manage his own strength.  He blamed everything on clumsiness, yet he had never fallen, or bumped into things or displayed any truly clumsy behavior. Even when he orgasmed, he would accidently destroy things around him: the headboard, the shelf, the couch fabric, the wall. The platform that supported the carousel weighed thousands of pounds, yet Jimin used to crawl under there and hold it up with one hand while he replaced the cables. No one realized how he was doing it until another repair men told them about it.

“What the fuck!” Jeongguk jumped to his feet. “I-I have to go.” He apologized to Hayoon, his lovely host. “Thank you for the tea. Thank you. I’m sorry, but I have to go.” Jeongguk hated to be rude, but he had to get back to Busan. He had to tell Jun-seo what he had found. Was it possible that Jimin’s weird quirks had something to do with his disappearance?   

As Jeongguk fled, Hayoon gave him a warning, “I don’t know why you’re looking for that boy, but be careful. His uncle is very protective of him and he’s not one to cross.”

***

Jun-seo wasn’t available to come to the phone.  Jeongguk thought about just barging into the restaurant and demanding to speak with him. But he was pretty sure that would get his brother fired. He had to wait patiently until Jun-seo returned home before giving him the news. 

As soon as he returned to Busan, he commenced with putting up his missing person flyers. He had about ten different versions, all based on pictures that he had taken of Jimin. He even had one of him in his pink jumpsuit. Since the police still refused to help, Jeongguk did it all on his own. 

 

It was starting to get dark, and Jeongguk still hadn’t finished putting up all of his flyers for the day.  He decided to turn down Nampo-dong street to post his last few flyers on the large bulletin board in front of the market. When suddenly, he felt a heavy thud in his back. He was kicked to the ground. He spun around to see who had attacked him and he was met with a pale, unassuming man dressed in all black. He was not much taller than Jimin, but he had black hair and very rough skin. He was older, about sixty, with a slim build.  The man seemed to hover over the ground as he raced towards Jeongguk again, this time pinning him against the brick wall. With one single hand around Jeongguk’s neck, he held him three feet off of the ground.

The man uttered sixteen threatening words that would stay burned in Jeongguk’s memory forever.  He said, “He doesn’t belong to you. He’s safe now. Stop looking for him or I’ll kill you.”

The man ripped down the posters of Jimin that Jeongguk had just hung. He released Jeongguk’s neck and allowed him to fall to the ground. Just as he had appeared on the night that Jimin went missing, he disappeared the exact same way. A bolt of lightning streaked towards the sky until it disappeared in the horizon. 

Jeongguk burst into tears. It was true, Jimin had been taken. And to make matters worse, he was being guarded by someone who didn’t want him found. This left Jeongguk in an impossible situation.  Judging by how violent the man had been during their brief encounter, he had no doubt that he would kill him if he continued on the path of trying to find Jimin. Jeongguk didn’t know what to do. He didn’t know how to get his boyfriend back.

***

Money was gone. Jun-seo was patient and tried to be understanding of Jeongguk’s emotional state, but the truth was that he needed Jeongguk to go back to work. Jimin’s absence had caused things to go from bad to worse. Once again they were on the verge of eviction. 

Finally, eight weeks after Jimin’s disappearance, Jeongguk felt strong enough to go back to work. But before heading in, he stopped at the bus stop to see Caillou. The night that Caillou had gone missing, had been the last time he had ever seen Jimin. The trauma of the event had kept him from seeking out his favorite puppy. In some way, he blamed her for Jimin’s disappearance, even though it was not her fault. The dog’s owners had been sadly mistaken, Caillou had never actually been missing that night. A kind neighbor, who was worried about the dropping temperatures, had pulled her inside to keep her warm until her owners could retrieve her. He and Jimin’s entire search had been for nothing. 

Jeongguk stopped by for about five minutes to visit with Caillou. He gave her a piece of bacon and a hug and then apologized for avoiding her. But not even greeting his beloved dog was enough to dull his tremendous pain. Jimin was still gone.

***

Jeongguk was indeed unhappy. He had cried so much that he had no tears left. His soul was weakened. The only light came when he would inexplicably feel Jimin’s presence around him, behind him, beneath him, in front of him, as if he were still there, watching. His most unstable moments left him searching through crowds and chasing familiar faces that looked like Jimin - but weren’t Jimin. It was the complete lack of closure that drove him the most insane. 

Whenever he was alone, he would wear Jimin’s shirts, or pajamas, just so he could smell him. He would cry ugly tears as he masturbated himself, surrounded by Jimin’s scent. His wails were so painful and tragic, that even his brother could hear them from his bedroom.

But as the weeks, months, years passed, his lover’s scent began to fade. He would press his nose deep into the fabric, desperate for just the faintest whiff of that familiar fragrance. The intoxicating scent became his dope, his addiction, his method of survival. It was the only hope he had left. But, eventually, time deprived him of it, leaving him left with nothing.

The pain of being back at the amusement park was, at times, too much to bear. How could he work at the happiest place on earth, when he was so unhappy? By no means was he capable of going anywhere near the Cotton Candy House because that was akin to psychological torture. The carousel was carefully avoided as well.

Suk and Duk, with his permission of course, finally hired a replacement for Jimin. He wasn’t able to produce the artful masterpieces that Jimin did, but he was proficient at making large pink cotton candy balls.  The people were not impressed. Gone were the beautiful colors, exquisite art designs, colorful presentation and big personality that had made the Cotton House famous. But Jimin was gone and so was his art.

After telling Jun-seo about his encounter with the strange man in black a few weeks prior, Jun-seo had urged Jeongguk to give up his search for Jimin. Jimin clearly did not want to be found and Jun-seo worried that if Jeongguk persisted with trying to locate him, he may be putting Jimin in even greater danger.  No one knew how the man in black was associated with Jimin, but Jeongguk suspected that it was his uncle.  Jimin had been honest about the fact that he had run away, but he made it seem as if he had done so to escape a tyrant. In reality, his uncle had likely been searching for him for years, eager to bring him home safely.

Jeongguk felt that he had no right to intervene in Jimin’s family...no matter how much he missed him. No matter how much his heart broke every time he thought about him. And no matter how much he loved him. So, with a broken heart and shattered mind, Jeongguk decided to move on.

***

Six Years later...

 

It was October of 2025. The busy summer season was slowing down as fall swept through the city by the bay. Jeongguk was now a handsome man of twenty six. Life and loss had matured him slightly beyond his years. In fact, after Jimin went missing, everything about Jeongguk changed; his smile, his warm heart, his spark and overall contentment were dulled to the point of being unrecognizable. After losing Jimin, he fell into a severe depression, one that crippled him for many years. Jun-seo tried to get his brother help, but Jeongguk resolved himself to being unhappy. 

Even though it had been six long years since Jimin’s absence, Jeongguk never fully gave up his search for him. The police never agreed to report him missing due to the fact that Jimin’s uncle had attested that Jimin was well, even providing a statement that Jimin had supposedly written. And although Jimin’s uncle had specifically warned Jeongguk not to look for him, Jeongguk spent his free nights roaming around the neighborhood looking for any sign of his beloved boyfriend. He checked his missing person posters monthly to make sure they were still in place and still legible. Whenever it rained or they weathered, he would replace them with fresh new ones. It was the only way for him to survive day to day. It was the only way for him to feel as if he were doing something that mattered. For years he followed that depressing routine until an unexpected emotional assist came from the most unlikely sources.

 

As Suk and Duk aged, they realized that they needed more help around the amusement park. Their bodies were growing old and their brains were growing tired. Walking the park daily, managing repairs, payroll, employee vacations, food orders – it was all too much for the two elderly gentlemen who just wanted more time with their wives. They needed someone young who understood the park’s operations inside and out. They needed someone who had the same love and passion for the place and would treat it like a member of the family. They needed Tayo’s spirit amplified ten-thousand times over. They needed Jeongguk.

Jeongguk had retired as Tayo’s mascot one year after Jimin disappeared because he no longer had the joy in his heart to entertain the children. The brother’s had hired a replacement, a girl, who had a similar empathy and excitement for the kids. She wasn’t as spirited or as naturally magnetic, but she was a good fit and they had no complaints.

Continuing to work at the park took a lot out of Jeongguk emotionally, but he couldn’t afford to quit. It was the only business he knew and he was good at it. So the twins moved him inside and promoted him to assistant manager. It was a hefty promotion that came with a hefty salary increase. They taught him everything about managing the finances of the park. It was a necessary skill and Jeongguk learned it quickly. Little by little they mentored him, teaching him about business, finance, money management – all the things required to make him an astute businessman. Jeongguk thrived under the new challenge. He had always prided himself as being a hard worker. But the unexpected byproduct of Jeongguk’s new job was a refreshed and more positive outlook on life. He had a new passion, some place to drown his sorrows. He finally had motivation and drive again. 

Adding to his improved mood was Jack’s friendship. After years of working in the amusement park together, he and Jack had grown to be good friends. Even though he was about eight years older, he supported Jeongguk as a true friend. Jack was the only one who knew about the true relationship that existed between Jimin and Jeongguk. He missed Jimin as well. But he made a point to never leave Jeongguk’s side after Jimin disappeared. Whenever Jeongguk needed someone to talk to or to reminisce about his days with Jimin, or just cry about how much he needed him, Jack was there. 

***

All was well until January of 2026. While walking through the park, checking the Ferris wheel for needed repairs, Duk, the oldest brother by thirteen minutes, fell over dead of a heart attack at the age of 80. It was Jeongguk who found him. As if Jeongguk’s heart wasn’t already devastated over the loss of Jimin, he had to deal with the death of his mentor, friend and grandfather figure. His heart was ripped into pieces. But instead of allowing the amusement park to once again become a place of dread, he poured his energy into honoring Duk’s memory.

After Duk’s death, the amusement park was never the same. Suk retired, leaving Jeongguk in charge of everything. And Duk, having no children of his own, left his entire share of the park to Jeongguk in his Will. Jeongguk was now the partial owner with the aging Suk, who no longer showed any interest in the park’s operations.  Suk was the majority owner at 70%, while Jeongguk owned a modest 30%, but it was a substantial financial lift for the young man who had only known poverty most of his life.

***

With his new job and greater responsibility, Jeongguk was finally able to move into his own apartment. But he never ventured too far from his brother. In fact, he moved into the apartment right next door to Jun-seo. And since Jeongguk could not operate the park alone, he eventually hired Jun-seo to work alongside him. Jun-seo was finally able to stop working his life away and settle into a standard nine - to - five like normal people. The two brothers shared the same office that had once been occupied by Suk and Duk. They didn’t bicker as much as the original twosome, but their love for each other was just as strong.

“I want to be an uncle. Can you do that?” Jeongguk asked as he searched through the file cabinet.

“What are you rambling about?”

“I want to have kids in my life.”

Jun-seo rolled his eyes, “Then get pregnant and have them, leave me the hell alone.”

“I’m serious big brother,”  Jeongguk shut his MacBook and glared at his older brother who was now age 35. “You make good money, you don’t have your little brother living under your roof anymore and you work normal hours. It’s time to get that doctor girlfriend of yours pregnant, fall in love, get married.”

“But not necessarily in that order,” Jun-seo laughed.

“You’ve been dating for a year, surely marriage is in the cards?”

“Leave me alone,” Jun-seo smiled as he returned to his work.

Suk’s old typewriter sat on a shelf behind them, along with all of the awards and honors that had been bestowed upon the amusement park when it was operated by the twin brothers.

Jeongguk stood to lean against Jun-seo’s desk, “I’m serious big brother. This park can’t become your life. It’s the first thing that the twins taught me. You have to put love first, family first,” Jeongguk spoke passionately to his brother. 

“I could say the same thing to you. At least I’m dating someone special. Jeongguk it’s been six years since Jimin left us. You haven’t even looked at another man. Don’t you think it’s time you start to date again?”

“I’m not ready,” Jeongguk said firmly. “But...it doesn’t mean that I’ve given up on love or dating. It just means that I need a little more time. A love like mine and Jimin’s only comes once in a lifetime. I have to accept that anyone else who comes after him, will pale in comparison. I’m not there yet...but I’ll get there,”  Jeongguk said optimistically.

His words gave Jun-seo hope and comfort, “I say you hit the dating scene. Maybe go on one of those dating apps?”

“Those are just for hook-ups. You can’t find true love there.”

“Hooking up is just as good, sometimes,” Jun-seo laughed.

Jeongguk looked through the office window, “The weather is getting worse. It was a good idea to close down the park during the typhoon.  When did the weather service say it was expected to hit?”

“Not supposed to be for a couple more hours.” Jun-seo was preoccupied.

“But...it seems like it’s hitting the shore much earlier. The winds are too high. This doesn’t feel good.  I think we need to finish up this paperwork quickly. I better run over to the Ferris wheel. I want to make sure that Jiwon remembered to secure the trailer chassis and the exit stairs before he left yesterday. We don’t want anything blowing away.”

“Yep.” Jun-seo gave a casual acknowledgement.

He was head’s down designing a fancy new flyer to be sent to the printer. It was an announcement introducing the new clown fish that would be joining the aquarium. But just before Jeongguk walked out into the storm, Jun-seo noticed the howling wind and the violent waves that were crashing against the sea wall. He had an unsettled feeling. The weather was really dangerous. Even the office windows were beginning to rattle

Jun-seo gave his brother a casual warning, “Hey, it’s really, really bad out there. I think I’m going to call it quits for the night. As soon as you’re done, let’s head home and get out of this mess. This wind is heavier than I’ve ever seen it. You be careful...,”  he went back to working on his poster design.

***

The windy hail storms from the incoming typhoon were so aggressive, that Jeongguk had to hold on to light posts, benches, and fences, just to make his way across the park without being blown away. He finally reached the Ferris wheel after a turbulent ten minute walk where he was pummeled with ice cold rain and flying debris. His rain poncho and boots barely kept the water out. With his eyes heavily squinted to avoid the swirling grains of sand, he made his way over to the base of the Ferris wheel to check the security lines. For safety, his maintenance team had removed the seats of the large structure to keep them from being damaged. But the turnbuckles and harnesses still dangled from the steel plates. He moved as quickly as possible to get to the base of the Ferris wheel. The situation was growing more intense as each moment ticked by. The brunt of the storm was not due for another few hours, but it seemed to be peaking early. He knew that he needed to get out of there.

With the exception of a slight rattle at the very top, the Ferris wheel seemed unimpressed with the ferocious storm. Her durability and craftsmanship was unparalleled. She had stood in that exact spot for over fifty years. Much larger storms had challenged her – and lost. And although Jeongguk wasn’t worried about her, he was growing increasingly concerned about himself. Twice he had been lifted into the wind. If he hadn’t been holding on to the base, he would have been blown into the ocean. The situation was precarious at best. As he feared, Jiwon had forgotten to secure the base to the concrete slab underneath the Ferris wheel’s loop. Under normal conditions, it was a three minute job. But hindered by the wind and flying debris, it took substantially longer. He pulled the heavy chain from the ground and made his way across the platform. 

The concrete slab had several steel pulls that each chain could be buckled into. Doing so would keep the bottom of the Ferris wheel structure from blowing into the ocean. It was a critical security measure that had to be done. Jeongguk was able to get the entire base secured. But he wasn’t done. The rear stairwell that riders used to exit the ride was shaking violently on its hinges. He needed to get that chained down as well.  He swam against the windy currents, parting the air with his arms and straining to reach the rail. Once in place, he leaned down to lift the heavy 40kg chain. The weight of the chain helped him keep his footing as the wind continued to whirl around him. The stairwell shook even more violently. He moved as fast as he could but it wasn’t fast enough. 

The weakened cable that was holding the back of the stairwell in place, snapped. The entire structure lifted into the air, slamming into Jeongguk’s chest and knocking him over the seawall. He fell backwards into swells of turbulent ocean 50 feet deep. The chain that he had in his hand became tangled around his arms and legs and pulled him fast towards the bottom. Somehow the heavy links had wrapped around his body. He tried to swim back up, but he was tossed back and forth by the currents that were under the hypnotic control of the pounding typhoon. He was jerked back and forth, up and down, forward and backwards as the waves tossed him around like a washing machine. He was a strong swimmer, but fighting against the weight of the chains and the turbulence of the current was starting to tire him out. He strained to pull his arm free, but accidently inhaled a mouth full of salt water. There was no sound underwater. So even though he tried to scream, no one could hear him. Or...so he thought.

Long muscular arms wrapped themselves around Jeongguk’s waist. As if they were plucking cotton candy from a parchment cone, the arms effortlessly pulled him free of the chains that were tangled around his body. Jeongguk couldn’t see. The water was dark and cloudy, but he could feel the arms that held tightly around him. He hugged them back along with the sleek, slim, muscular body that was attached to them. Suddenly he could feel himself traveling through the water like a torpedo. Within milliseconds that were too brief to even register, he and Jimin together breached the surface, breaking through the rolling waves. Jeongguk could feel himself leave the water as he was carried high into the sky. He fought for breath as the air thinned around him. He soared into the atmosphere, traveling through thick clouds that froze his eyelashes. Beneath him he could see a trail of fiery light that looked like a freshly launched rocket exploding out of their feet.  

Even though he had no idea what was happening, he wasn’t scared. In fact, he was exhilarated, relieved to be alive. The speed at which they traveled was still too brisk for him to be able to speak. His voice disappeared in the chilly atmosphere every time he tried to scream his savior’s name. After what seemed an eternity of travel straight up through the heavens, they started back down. Jeongguk was powered to the ground just as fast as he had been rocketed out of the water. As they landed, and their feet hit the ground, the asphalt beneath them cracked, forming thin crooked lines that traveled for meters in different directions. The spot where Jimin touched him down, was sunny with no clouds in the sky. But just over his shoulder, the typhoon continued to ravage Haeundae beach and the amusement park where Jeongguk had almost died.

Jimin still held his arms around Jeongguk tightly, “Are you okay?  Did you swallow too much water?”

Jeongguk gawked, his knees buckled. Jimin had to catch him before he fell. After six years, six long years, he was standing face to face with the love of his life. But instead of asking where he had been, he screamed maniacally as if he already knew.

“Oh my God, Jimin?”  Jeongguk said breathlessly, “How did you know? How did you know I was in danger? How did you know that I needed you?  You were watching me weren’t you? WEREN’T YOU?  I knew you weren’t gone. I knew it. I could feel it. I could feel it right here.” He punched himself in the chest, “I could feel you watching me at night, sometimes I would even swear that I had seen your face in my window. You were always here, always. Weren’t you?  JIMIN!” Jeongguk screamed a combination of tears, anger and relief as he fell to Jimin’s feet and cried his entire heart. “I can’t believe you’re here. I can’t believe it's you. How did you do this? How? What is this?”

“Listen.” Jimin pulled Jeongguk to his feet. “I have to go.”

“Noooo, you will not leave me again. Not until you explain what the fuck this is. NO!’ Jeongguk grabbed Jimin violently and pulled him into his arms. He wrapped them around him with the grip of a vice. He squeezed him so tightly that he left prints in Jimin’s skin.

“I’ll be back. I’ll be back. It’s an emergency, I have to go.” As if picking a piece of lint from a sweater, Jimin lifted Jeongguk by the rear collar of his raincoat and pushed him aside. A small concave indention formed beneath Jimin’s feet before he bounded up into the sky once again, like the familiar rocket that Jeongguk had seen the night of the car accident.

Jeongguk only had a few seconds to look at him. But the changes in Jimin’s body and face were profound. He was a different person. He was wearing all black, cargo pants and a long sleeve black shirt, just like his uncle had worn before him. His hair was much shorter and pulled back from his forehead and his face was sleek and chiseled like a Greek statue. Jeongguk stared into the air as he watched Jimin spiral into the atmosphere before disappearing beneath one of the large typhoon clouds that sat over the amusement park.  He wondered if he was ever going to see him again. Jimin had promised that he would be back, but would he really? 

Jeongguk began to pace. He didn’t want to have to experience all of the hurt and anguish all over again. If Jimin had saved his life, just so that he could turn around and disappear again, then he should have never come back. Even if it meant allowing Jeongguk to die. He looked up to the sky. He kept his neck craned in the exact position where Jimin had disappeared. He stood there so long, that his neck began to hurt.

In the distance, he could see the swirling typhoon hover over the Ferris wheel. He continued to stare upwards, watching for the fiery light to reappear. He heard a scream. It was coming from above but getting closer and closer every second. Jeongguk continued to look into the sky, but he could see nothing, yet the scream persisted until eventually it was right behind him. He whirled around to see his brother, wrapped in Jimin’s arms. Jimin dropped him delicately, just inches away from where he had dropped Jeongguk.

“WHAT THE FUCK? WHAT THE FUCK?  NO! NO! I WILL NOT! NO!” Jun-seo was losing his mind. He had just been carried for miles through the clouds and he understood nothing about how it had happened. And on top of that, Jimin was back. It was too much. Jun-seo fell to the ground. He fainted dead away. 

Jeongguk stepped over Jun-seo’s unconscious body to move closer to Jimin. He knew his brother was fine, but the conversation he needed to have with Jimin couldn’t wait. 

Jimin explained before Jeongguk could even ask, “I had to go get him. He needed to get out of there.  The storm is really bad and I just...didn’t think he needed to be there. I knew he would go looking for you at some point, so I just brought him here to make sure he was safe. All of the rides are holding up fine and the storm will be over soon,” Jimin explained. He should have looked away. His eyes should have swept the ground. He should have avoided all eye contact as much as possible. But instead, he looked right into his lover’s face to make sure that he had his attention. “I told you I would be right back,”  Jimin smiled jokingly.

“You’ve always been here haven’t you? Please Jimin, tell me the truth, tell me everything. I have to know. I deserve to know! Please tell me I’m not crazy. The feeling that you were watching me was so strong. Please tell me, was I right? Have you always been here?”

“I never left you.”

“Why didn’t you come back sooner? Why didn’t you say something, anything, to let me know you were ok?  Why did you let me suffer?”

 “I couldn’t. Jeongguk my uncle loves me very much. He’s a fierce protector. If he for one second thought you knew the full truth about me, what I am, he would have tried to destroy you to protect my secret. I couldn’t let that happen. I had to keep you safe. That meant that I had to lie.” Jimin leaned down to check Jun-seo. He was still unconscious from pure shock. But he was breathing fine, so Jimin didn’t worry. 

“You could have just come to me and explained all of this. Why did you have to break my heart?”

“I had to protect you, even if it meant breaking your heart.” There was so much that Jimin needed to explain, but it didn’t feel like the right moment to do so. Jimin fought the desire to run and embrace Jeongguk and squeeze him until he could no longer breathe. It had been so long since he’d been able to talk to him and touch him. He wanted to revert back to the way things were, but he knew it wasn’t possible. 

“HOW THE FUCK CAN YOU FLY?”  Jun-seo had awakened. He was still woozy and still in shock. But at least he managed to form a few sentences. “YOU COULD HAVE BEEN FLYING ME TO WORK INSTEAD OF MAKING ME TAKE THE TRAIN?  ASSHOLE!” He added.

“It doesn’t work that way hyung,” Jimin laughed. He helped Jun-seo to his feet.

Jeongguk grew irritated with their light banter. The situation was much too serious for them to make jokes. Six fucking years needed to be explained. Jeongguk was so angry that he saw red. “Tell me the truth. If I had not almost been killed, would you have come back?” Jeongguk asked bitterly. His frustration towards Jimin was beginning to show. The six years of anguish suddenly felt so unnecessary. All of it could have easily been avoided if Jimin had just been honest. Once again his anger and his heartbreak fused but the anger spoke the loudest, “WHY DIDN’T YOU JUST LET ME DIE?  Death would have been better than finding out that you just fucking walked away from me.” He cried and cried as he was suddenly faced with unbearable pain.   

 

In an instant, Jeongguk was flying through the air again. He kicked and punched at Jimin to force him to let him go, but the man’s strength was other worldly. Jimin had always been strong, but this was not human. Jimin was not human, so what was he? Jeongguk wondered why he had come back just to torment him again. As the two rose higher and higher into the sky, the ground beneath them grew distant, turning all of the moving parts into tiny little ants. Out of fear of being dropped, Jeongguk decided to stop struggling and hold his rage until Jimin had placed him safely on the ground again. He wrapped his arms tightly around Jimin’s waist. He didn’t want it to feel so good – but it did. Even as the rapidly moving air rushed over them, he could smell Jimin’s familiar smell; his dope, his sustenance. It was the same intoxicating scent that he had smelled one thousand times. The scent that he loved. The rocket of fire continued to explode from Jimin’s feet. His body felt so different, as if it were designed for battle. There wasn’t a single part of Jimin that was not clustered with thick contracting muscles. Jeongguk gasped for air as the atmosphere thinned again. He buried his face into Jimin’s neck and closed his eyes. Being in his arms felt perfect. He didn’t know where Jimin was taking him, but he quietly went along for the ride. He had no choice, after all.

 

 They landed softly in front of Jeongguk’s apartment building. But Jimin still didn’t let him go.  Jeongguk had no idea what he was planning to do. “Put me down. I don’t forgive you Jimin. I don’t.”

Jimin’s refusal to respond to him only made Jeongguk angrier. He had no earthly reference for what he was experiencing. He didn’t know what Jimin was or what he was capable of. But one thing was absolutely certain, not a single ounce of love had diminished between them. Jeongguk could feel it, just as he had felt Jimin’s presence for all of those years. And just as he had known that Jimin would one day return, he knew that Jimin still ached for him. 

Jeongguk yelled again as Jimin carried him up the stairs to his apartment. Jimin even knew which apartment belonged to Jeongguk, which was further proof that he had been watching him all along. He repeated his demand, “Put me the fuck down!”

Jimin put him down, but only after he had kicked Jeongguk’s door in and pulled him inside. “Calm down. We need to talk in private. The things that I have to say to you cannot be heard by anyone, not even your brother.”

Jeongguk continued to scream, “FUCK YOU!”

Jeongguk hurled curses and anger at him. Jimin closed the door behind them and used a chair to secure it. With a slight flick of his wrist, he grabbed Jeongguk by the collar and lifted him from his feet, pinning him against the wall. He kissed him with all of his might. It was the kiss of longing. The kiss of six sad and lonely years. He had missed Jeongguk so much that he couldn’t contain himself enough to talk first.

Jeongguk kicked and punched at Jimin until the stronger man finally released him. He screamed at the top of his lungs, “YOU DON’T GET TO FUCKING DO THAT JIMIN!  YOU DON’T GET TO COME IN HERE AND JUST PRETEND THESE SIX YEARS APART NEVER FUCKING HAPPENED!”

Jimin did not back down, “I don’t care how angry you are. You’re going to listen to me.” Jimin’s lips were dangerously close to Jeongguk’s face again. He knew he only had minutes to explain before Jeongguk would be ready to fight. “He would have killed you Jeonggukie. I couldn’t let you know anything that was going on. You have to understand, I had been missing from him for two years. He was out of his mind with worry. I ran away because I didn’t want to face the truth about what I really was. For two straight years he had been looking for me. He wasn’t a horrible person. He was an amazing man who was much more patient with me than I deserved. He loved me like his own child. He would have gone to the ends of the earth to protect me, even if that meant making you disappear. No matter how much I told him that we were in love, he didn’t accept it. He didn’t believe in love...not like the love between you and me. He thought falling in love was too dangerous, he thought you were too dangerous. I had to convince him that you weren’t a threat and that you knew nothing about my truth. He was scared to death that you would expose me. That’s why he never wanted me to fall in love, with anyone. If I had left again or tried to come back, it would have put you in grave danger. He.would.have.killed.you.” Jimin took a breath.

Jeongguk was still so angry that he grabbed a chair from his dining room table and threw it across the room towards the wall.  But it never made it to the wall.  Jimin moved so fast that he caught the chair and gently set it back down to the ground.   

“STOP IT!  WHY WON’T YOU LISTEN TO ME?” Jimin yelled.

“BECAUSE YOU BROKE MY FUCKING HEART. YOU WERE THERE ALL ALONG. THE ENTIRE TIME AND YOU NEVER CAME BACK!”  Jeongguk attacked him again. 

He was so angry. Even as Jimin tried to hold Jeongguk still, the younger flailed and screamed and kicked. With one single pinky, Jimin could have completely subdued him, destroyed him, even killed him. But he knew it was important to allow Jeongguk to vent. Jeongguk had to purge the hurt, all of it. He needed to scream and cry and curse. Jimin understood, at least he thought he understood.

Something snapped.  Jeongguk’s attack suddenly felt different. It was much less angry and much more - lustful.  The flailing resulted in Jimin’s shirt being completely torn off. The kicking and writhing resulted in Jimin’s pants being forced open and pushed down. What started as angry cursing morphed into soft breathy pleadings to fuck.  Jeongguk’s hands were all over him, like an octopus trapping prey. The pace of the attack was so dizzying that it took Jimin a few moments to even realize what was happening. Within seconds, Jeongguk had managed to peel off his own clothes: poncho, boots, shirt, pants. Nothing but his underwear remained and in the blink of an eye, that too was discarded. 

Jimin tried to slow him down, “Baby...wait are you sure about...this?”  His words were wasted because it was happening. All he could do was enjoy the ride.

“I have to have you Jimsie, please.  Say yes, say yes, please say yes.”

“Yes.”  Jimin’s mind was a blur. He wanted Jeongguk just as much as Jeongguk wanted him. What was happening was incredible.

With vitriol and contempt, Jeongguk pushed Jimin to the ground. They tussled briefly until Jeongguk rolled him over on his stomach. Jimin had to control himself to subdue his power. Jeongguk was too aggressive, too emotional and too horny. It had been a very long time since Jimin had been manhandled and his instinct was to take control and fight. But he didn’t want to hurt his Jeonggukie. The restraint that it took to allow himself to be submissive created even more erotic tension between them. There was no time to think. There was only the parting of his ass cheeks as Jeongguk forced his way through Jimin’s tightly slitted hole and entered him from behind. 

They had always discussed this kind of sex and they knew what they wanted. It was something that Jimin had always begged for, but Jeongguk always resisted. They had never penetrated each other in all of their years, but now suddenly it was happening. Five minutes back together and their intimate desires had picked up, just where they left off.  Jimin crawled to his hands and knees as he felt Jeongguk begin to fuck him.

Jeongguk, in his dazed confusion, decided that the best way to unleash his anger and frustration was to take it out on Jimin’s ass. This was his villain origin story. He thrusted his cock hard into Jimin, bypassing all of the care and concern that should have come with their first time. He cried as he felt Jimin’s insides compress around his cock. Their first time was never supposed to be like this, but for his own sanity, he had to have him. He had to validate their love. It was urgent. He was so happy to have him back in his arms again that it had to be done.

Jeongguk was so hard that he could see his own cock bulging in Jimin’s stomach. He whispered angry cries into Jimin’s ear as he fucked him from behind, “I hate you for leaving me. I hate you for what you did to me. I hate you for hurting me. I hate you for watching me suffer. But I love you so fucking much.”

Jimin offered his ass generously to feed his lover’s appetite. With the carpet clenched between his fingers, he watched over his shoulder as Jeongguk worked him doggy style. Over and over Jeongguk shoved his dry hard cock into Jimin’s ass, showing him little mercy.

“I love you too. I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry, please forgive me. I didn’t want to leave you,” he said.  He could no longer stand to hear Jeongguk cry, not without holding him in his arms. He momentarily paused him so they could reposition. He just needed to be closer, so they could kiss, and hold each other and cry together. He pulled away, leaving Jeongguk’s hard dick without the comfort of his warmth. Then he pushed him down to the ground, much harder than he intended to, and sat in his lap, straddling him. Their new position allowed him to kiss him, hug him, hold him, watch him as he made him cum. He knew it was risky and he had to be careful, but he began to ride him. 

As he pumped his body up and down, he stared into Jeongguk’s eyes and held his face between his palms, “I know I hurt you. I know it. I’m sorry. I only wanted to protect you. Please forgive me.” 

Jeongguk continued to weep. 

One of Jimin’s powers was his ability to move fast – really fast. Whenever he moved beyond the speed of light, his image appeared as a glitch; much like watching a television channel with a bad connection.  It was innate and often, he didn’t even realize that he was doing it. So as he rode Jeongguk, he began to glitch. For him it was natural, but for Jeongguk it was the most intense feeling he had ever felt. Every time that Jimin glitched, it felt like one thousand simultaneous strokes over his cock. The movement was fast enough, where Jeongguk couldn’t fully see it, but he could feel it.

He immediately stopped crying. He stared down at the space where his dick throbbed in and out of Jimin’s hole and watched the strange blurry movements that felt like fire burning in his nuts.

“Holy fuck. What is this?  FUCK!  Fuck, what are you doing?”

“Shh, it’s ok. It won’t hurt you,” Jimin reassured him. He glitched again. And then again.

Jeongguk could feel the movement. It squeezed his base and traveled all the way to the tip as Jimin rode him. They had only been fucking for five minutes and he was ready to cum. But this was not just any regular orgasm. This penetrated his back, his legs, his stomach and his arms. Jimin was fucking him so mysteriously that it was making Jeongguk’s nuts swell with cum, larger than he had ever seen them swell before. This was definitely not like fucking a regular human. It was insane. 

Jimin moaned as his ass filled with his lover’s cock. He only used his powers for good. This was definitely a great way to rehabilitate his super villain.

Jeongguk began to scream.  His orgasm attacked him, “WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?  WHAT’S HAPPENING?”  His entire body shook uncontrollably. His skin turned pink as the heat traveled through every nerve in his body. 

Jimin consoled him, “It’s ok, just cum for me. Relax and go with it. I love you.”

Jeongguk’s eyes bulged. He stopped breathing. His dick exploded. Jimin slid himself up, so that Jeongguk’s geyser of cum could shoot into the air. And then without warning, Jimin went down and sucked his cock, trapping all of Jeongguk’s cum inside of his mouth. He glitched again causing Jeongguk to scream at the top of his lungs as his climax overwhelmed him. Arrogantly, Jimin wanted Jeongguk to see the true power of how hard he could make him cum.

Jeongguk’s screams were not natural. Neither was anything else about fucking Jimin. Jimin continued sucking Jeongguk’s cock with his incredibly strong jaws, until he was fully milked. It took him almost a full minute to empty all of the cum from his famous teddy bear.

 

Jeongguk collapsed. He lay there on the carpet, quietly reflective.  Jimin lay over him, holding him in his arms. Jeongguk looked up at him; really took a good long look at him. Jimin’s crescent shaped eyes were just as beautiful as they had always been. His pink lips were just as alluring as they had always been. His aura still glimmered with a soft white glow. His beautiful and loving soul was still there. Even though so much of him was different, the man that he deeply loved was still there.  

Jimin wasn’t sure what any of this meant. Their first time making love had happened within the blink of an eye, totally unexpected. He chose to be silent and allow Jeongguk to dictate everything. He was deathly afraid of saying the wrong thing.

Jeongguk’s voice was cold, “This doesn’t change anything. We needed to do this to keep from killing each other. But this doesn’t solve anything.”

“Kill each other? My love, you would not have won that fight,”  Jimin quipped. “Besides, I never said this would resolve anything. But for the record, having you inside of me was beautiful, better than I could have ever imagined. No matter where we go from here, I’ll cherish this for the rest of my life.  Also for the record, I’m still in love with you.”

Jeongguk changed the subject, “You broke my fucking door? What am I supposed to do? Who’s going to fix...,” Jeongguk didn’t even bother to finish his sentence. The mere question was ridiculous. Of course Jimin was going to fix it. 

Jimin glared at him incredulously. It really was a dumb question.

“Why didn’t you just come back? Why did you let me suffer for so long?”

“He would have killed you. Don’t you understand?  He would have not even given it a second thought if it meant protecting me. Please believe me.”

“Ok. I believe you.”  Jeongguk finally admitted that he knew what Jimin was saying was true. He knew all about his uncle’s nasty little temper. Jimin’s uncle had already made an unwelcome visit, warning Jeongguk not to continue to look for him. He had roughed him up good because of Jeongguk’s persistence with talking to family friends.

“Why couldn’t you have just told me all of this with a note or something? You could have gotten a message to me. I loved you Jimin. I would have never exposed your powers or whatever the fuck this stuff is called.”

“Do you honestly think that after losing me for two years, he would have taken his eyes off me again? Once he got me back, he watched me like a hawk, everything I did. He never let me out of his sight. I couldn’t get a message to you without him knowing. I was so scared that he would come after you, I just couldn’t risk it. The male Parks who are born with these skills are also born with trackers – almost like beacon signals. It’s nature’s way of making sure our families can always find us if we’re in trouble. He had a tracker on me and the entire time I lived with him, he always knew where I was and how to find me. But the signal only activated when I used my powers. So when I ran away, I figured out how to evade him. As long as I didn’t do anything that registered on his radar, I could remain invisible to him. For two years, I evaded him by controlling my powers and never doing anything that could compromise my location. Lifting a few things here or there, breaking a few things here or there...it was all so mild that he never picked up on where I was. But the night of the car accident...,”

“...you used your powers in a very big way. You cracked a speeding car in half. It was such a show of force...that you went completely on his grid.”

“Yes. Yes. You understand. You understand exactly. That’s how he found me.”

Jeongguk relaxed. Jimin took this as a good sign. He continued with Jeongguk eagerly listening, “When I saw that car coming for you, I just reacted. If I had been better trained, I probably would have known to just whisk you out of the way instead of creating the violent collision that I did. But that was how he found me. And...well you know the rest.”

“Where have you been? All of this time, where have you been?”

“Training.”

“Training for what? The ultimate showdown against Thanos?” Jeongguk shrugged. He secretly hoped that his boyfriend had Iron man’s phone number. 

Jimin palmed his forehead, “No Jeonggukie. Thanos isn’t real. That only happens in the movies.”

“As someone who is fresh off a rocket flight with you where we sored across the sky with just you and your black Nike’s, I can confirm that this is exactly like the movies!”  Jeongguk said in frustration. “You pulled me from the bottom of the ocean and flew me through the sky! You can fucking fly Jimin! What are you?” His voice pitched up at the end of his sentence. The entire situation was getting weirder and weirder and he just didn’t know where it was going to all end. He repeated it again, “What fucking are you?”

“I’m just a man. Please don’t treat me any differently.” Jimin tried not to notice how hard Jeongguk was staring at him. “I’m not a freak if that’s what you’re thinking.  It’s just a rare condition that...,”

“...allows you to fly.  Yeah, I get it Captain Korea.”

“No. I’m not really flying. It’s more like a jump. A really high jump. My musculature is slightly different than average. I can produce much more power in my legs, and because I’m so strong, I can generate that energy through my lower limbs and jump really high.”

“And the rocket boosters...?” Jeongguk asked impatiently.

“Just the friction from the speed and sparks that mix with the atmospheric gases.”

“How did this happen to you?  How did you get like this?” Jeongguk had a slight look of repulsion in his eyes. 

“It’s a genetic condition and I don’t know anyone else in the world who has it. I’m the last of this breed. Unless I have children, I will be the last Park with this ability. Legend has it that the Parks were exposed to some chemical back in the 1700’s that caused genetic mutations of our DNA. It has passed down through the generations. There has been at least one male in each family who possessed this. But I’m the last. My father had it, but he squandered it and never learned how to use his skills. He bumbled through life trying to pretend that this shit didn’t run through his veins and he eventually destroyed himself. My parents were killed in a simple robbery that went bad. If my dad had just known how to use a fraction of his skill, he and my mother would still be alive today. But he refused to ever train properly with his father, thinking that he could just live without knowing. Furthermore, he refused to teach me how to use my skills. He was content to pretend that they never existed. My uncle was notgoing to let that happen to me. From the womb, he would sneak me away and teach me certain things. But my power had not yet peaked, so I was relatively harmless. If it hadn’t been for my uncle...I would have self-destructed just like my dad.  By my teens, I was getting too powerful and I didn’t know what I was doing or how to harness it. Our abilities begin to really increase around age eighteen and we become more powerful as we age. I was twenty-one when he finally took me back, so you can imagine how strong I was becoming. If my uncle hadn’t found me when he did, I would have probably ended up accidently hurting you.”

“You really think you could have hurt me?”

“Not intentionally, but yes. You once asked me if you were in danger. I told you no. But it was because I truly didn’t realize how dangerous I was. It was me who was the biggest threat to you. It took six years for me to learn how to control my body. When you put someone like me in a room with someone who is a weaker human, very bad things can happen. I’ve seen it with my own two eyes. My uncle has shown me what generations before us have done when they weren’t properly instructed. I had to learn to have full and complete control. That’s why I was away for so long.”

Jeongguk looked down at his hands. There was an indention around his palm from where the chain had snagged. He was reminded of the miracle that had just happened. Despite spending much too long at the bottom of the ocean, he had walked away unscathed. “Thank you...by the way...for saving my life...again.” He managed to smile.

“You’re welcome?” Jimin smiled and looked around, “Nice place by the way. I’m proud of you for moving out on your own. Did you notice that I fixed your window last week?”

“Fixed my what...? I thought the apartment maintenance man did that!”

“No baby it was me. Your maintenance man sucks. I fix everything around here when you’re at work.” 

“Baby. No one has called me that in six years. So you admit that you’ve been watching me? I’m not crazy?”

“Almost every day. It was the one thing that Uncle Jongdae allowed. I knew you were hurting, but I was helpless to stop it. Don’t you understand? If I could have come back to you, I would have.”

“So then answer my question. Why are you here now? Did you only come back because you saw that I was in trouble?”

For the first time since they’d been reunited, Jimin was overcome with emotion. “Yes. If this had not happened to you, I would have never shown myself again.”

Jeongguk erupted into tears, “So you were just done with me?”

‘No, not at all. I don’t know how it’s possible, but I love you even more today than I did when I left.  But I didn’t want to cause you any more pain. I saw what you went through when I disappeared. I watched how hard you fought to try to find me and get me back. Most people would have given up after seeing what you saw that night. But you didn’t. You kept fighting despite your broken heart. Eventually you accepted that I was gone. You made it through. You healed and you pulled yourself back together. Even if I had to watch you fall in love and walk down the aisle with another man, I was never going to bother you again. It was a small sacrifice for your happiness. I knew that seeing me again would just reopen old wounds. But I hope you understand that I had to come back today. I mean, what was I to do? Let you die?”

“Yes. You should have let me die. Because watching you walk away again, would be like death by ten-thousand paper cuts.”

“How can you even think about allowing me back into your life after what I have put you through.  You can’t possibly still love me, not after all of this.”

“It’s always been you. It will always be you.” Jeongguk held Jimin’s hand. Jimin’s fingers were strong, veiny. Jeongguk could feel his power just from the flex of his joints. “What’s going to happen when your uncle finds out that you saved me? What’s going to happen next?”

“What happens next is a decision between me and you. My uncle is dead Jeongguk.” Jimin looked down. He held back more tears.  “That was why he was so desperate to make sure that I was trained and knew how to use my strength. He knew he was getting old and he still had much to teach me. Even though we have unique genetic structure, it does not make us immune from illness or old age. He had a heart attack, a few months before Duk. He was only sixty two. Somehow I feel that me running away took years off of his life.”

“Jimin, I’m sorry. You truly are alone.”

“It’s ok. He and I repaired our relationship before he died. I apologized for being a pain in the ass and running away. He forgave me by teaching me everything there was to know about who I am.”

“Why didn’t you embrace this special power?  Why did you run from it?”

“I was too afraid of being different. My parents had always hidden this and made me feel as if it were something to be ashamed of, so therefore, I was ashamed of it. But when my uncle took me in, he insisted that I love myself. He made me appreciate this strange gift. I feel so stupid saying this, but if my parents had lived, I would have never understood how special I really am.” Jimin kissed Jeongguk’s hand. “I’m sorry about Duk. I watched the funeral from across the street,” Jimin admitted.      

“I could always feel you. I always had this feeling that you were watching, but I thought I was going bat shit crazy.  Good to know I’m sane.”  Jeongguk pondered for a moment. He stared at Jimin as if he had fallen from the sky. Technically he hadfallen from the sky.  “Wow, you look so different.  You’re so thin and muscular.”

“It’s part of the condition. I’m much lighter, more active. My muscles are self-defined and I don’t have to do much to maintain them. It’s a perk,”  Jimin laughed. “You don’t look any different to me, probably because I’ve seen you so often. Not a single change occurred that I didn’t already know about.”

“What do you do all day? Hang from a spider web and watch for criminals to start criminaling?”

“Hmm, no baby, that’s spider man. He isn’t real either.” Jimin smiled, “I’m a mechanic. I fix cars. I opened my own shop.”

“You don’t save people?”

“If they need it and I see it then, yep. Otherwise I live a nice quiet life here in Busan. I’m not a super hero. You shouldn’t expect that of me. I wear black because it makes me less visible in case I have to travel into the atmosphere.”

“You mean fly?”

“I told you, it’s not flying.  I’m going to need you to tone down your super hero fantasies,” Jimin was irritated.

“Where have you been living? Why has there never been a sighting of you despite all of my posters?”

“I stayed hidden in Seoul for a very long time. My uncle and I didn’t come back here until I was further along in my training. By that time, I no longer looked anything like those posters. I watched you and I checked up on you, but only when I could travel here. Once I moved to Busan, I took a job miles and miles away from here, so there was little chance that you and I would have ever crossed paths.”

“I kept your car.”

“And you look really cute driving it. I hope you and Jun-seo found it helpful. I have another car.”  

“You can fly. You don’t need a car,”  Jeongguk teased.

“I can’t use that as my main source of transportation.  Jeonggukie, I have to live a very modest life under cover.  I’m just a normal man, please get that through your head. People are strange and they don’t always like others who are different. That’s why my uncle fought so hard to protect me because people can be unpredictable. This is a secret that my family has carried for centuries. You’re probably the only non-Park to know about this. I can’t live lavishly or reveal my powers openly. I keep it a closely guarded secret. I don’t want to end up in some lab, treated like an animal where scientists can experiment on me. Keeping this secret is how I keep my freedom.”

“Ohh like Superman. Mechanic during the day, super hero at night. You’re more of the DC world.  I get it.”

“Nope. Nope that is all wrong. All wrong. I’m Park Jimin. I don’t belong in any super hero category.  I’m just a man who has certain...talents.”

Jeongguk turned serious again, “Jimin. What am I supposed to do? I don’t know how to handle this. I don’t know how to be in love with a superhero...I’m sorry...I meant to say...a talented man such as yourself.”

“The first thing to remember is that I’m still Jimin. Start there. I don’t know if I deserve a second chance with you. Not after the way things ended. But I never stopped loving you. Never. And if you ever decide that you want to try again. My uncle is gone and I’m free to truly live my life the way I want. I’m here. If not, I will walk away and you’ll never hear from me again. Next time, I will let you die,”  Jimin said softly.

“Let me die?  That would be pretty fucked up.”

“Well you’re the one who wanted it that way, not me...so,”  Jimin reminded him.  He laughed.

“I just had sex with a superhero...I mean a super...talented man.”

“That was some really kinky shit right? It’s called glitching.  I hope to tell you more about it some other time. I took it easy on you, but that process can get rather um...intense,” Jimin teased. “Take all of the time that you need to think about what you want. I’m in no rush. But, for now, I do have to go. I just remembered that I left your brother. I need to go back and get him.”

“What about my door?”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll take care of it.” Jimin smiled as he left Jeongguk’s apartment.

“How do I get in touch with you? If I need to talk? Do you have a special light that I can shine into the sky?”

“Nope. That’s batman. He’s not real either, nor is his bat signal. But I do have a new cell phone. I’ll text you my new number.” Jimin bounded down the stairs and instantly disappeared into the setting sun.  Nothing remained of him, except a trail of condensed smoke that rose to the sky.

Jeongguk nodded to himself as he stared upwards, “Yeah, I definitely want to fuck that again.”

***

It took Jeongguk at least two hours to finally calm his brother’s nerves.  Jun-seo was not a fan of Jimin’s new mode of ‘transportation’.  He was breathing so fast, that Jeongguk had to place a paper bag to his mouth to keep him from hyperventilating. It took Jeongguk an additional hour to explain where Jimin had been and why he could suddenly fly. 

Jun-seo had always questioned the specifics of Jeongguk’s story from the night of the accident. He always felt there was a reasonable explanation for everything his little brother had seen. The supernatural nature of it all always seemed a bit dramatic. But six years too late, Jun-seo finally understood that everything his brother had said had been the absolute truth, down to the finest detail. Jimin was...was…he wasn’t sure exactly what Jimin was.

Jun-seo pulled the paper bag away from his face, “What did you say he was again?  Like Aquaman?”

“No, he seems to get angry when I compare him to those kind of creatures. He says he’s just – ‘a man with a few talents’.”

“A few talents? Like flying? Breathing under water? Swimming through a typhoon? Crushing cars…not a typical man!”  Jun-seo breathed into his paper bag again. It was all just too much.”   

“I need you to pull yourself together. We have a lot to talk about, starting with...he asked for another chance.”

“Another chance? At what? A relationship? Even after everything you’ve told me, I don’t know about this. What if he’s dangerous? What if he accidently hurts you. Or even worse, what if he gets caught up in one of those Infinity war things.”

“He says Thanos isn’t real.”

“Superman?”

“Nope.”

“Batman?”

“Nope.”

“Spiderman?”

“Nope.”

“Harry Potter...?”

Jeongguk paused, “I actually didn’t ask about that one.”  Jeongguk fell back onto Jun-seo’s couch, the couch that had belonged to Jimin for so many years. “What am I supposed to do? This is real life, but if feels like a fucking movie.”

“You know what you want. Stop kidding yourself. I saw the way you looked at him. It’s still there, every single spark. The problem is, how can a regular human coexist with someone like him? I don’t know the answer to that question. But I think you do.”

“What do you mean?”

“Would you die for him? Still this very day, would you die for him?”

“In a heartbeat, still to this very day.”

“Well there’s your answer. Danger only exists in our minds because we fear it could lead to death. If you’re not afraid of dying because he’s by your side, then there is no real danger.  You’re ready to take the risk.”

“Jun-seo. I said I wasn’t afraid of dying by his side. But big brother, there are many layers of pain, torture, dismemberment and suffering that can happen between death and happily living life. That’s the shit I’m afraid of.”

“I can’t make this decision for you. I realize it’s very complicated. First you have to decide if you can forgive him for disappearing for six years. That’s your biggest obstacle. My advice is to stay away from him for a while. Give yourself time to think without his influence over you. I can’t help but notice that he’s fucking hot these days...plus shit...he can fly.  That’s even hotter.”

“Technically it’s just a really high jump...,”

“WHAT THE FUCK EVER!  My point is...give yourself time to process all of this.”

Jeongguk twiddled his fingers. He was beyond embarrassed about what he had to tell his brother.  “Jun-seo...I have a little bit of a problem.”

“You have a lot of problems, how can there possibly be any more?”

“Yeah, this one’s a big one. I may or may not...have just fucked him in my apartment.”

“WHAT?  After six years apart you let him just march right in here and stick his dick into you?”

“I technically stuck my dick into him...but yeah.”

Jun-seo lost his point, “Oh – is it like that? I somehow would have thought it to be the other way around...but STILL!  What’s wrong with you?”

“I don’t know. He was there and we were fighting and I don’t know what happened. Six years of loneliness and frustration just poured out of me. Damnit, you said it yourself. He can fly and that’s so fucking HOT!”  Jeongguk covered his face with embarrassment.

“You don’t even know what he is or how his sex works! What if he’s an alien or something? Superman may have been a decent guy, but he still was a fucking alien. What were you thinking?” Jun-seo admonished.

“I wasn’t. My heart exploded and took over my body. I needed to be with him, inside of him. I was so fucking angry, yet at the same time, I was so scared that he would leave again. Back when we were dating, before he disappeared, he had asked me countless times to make love to him. He wanted it as our final show of love. But, I always put it off because I thought we had forever. We didn’t have forever.”  Jeongguk thought back to his moment with Jimin, “I had to have him, at least once, because I didn’t know if it would be my last chance. At least now, I can die knowing that I made love to the love of my life.”

“Made love my ass. You fucked,” Jun-seo said angrily.

As Jeongguk sat there talking, Jimin’s text came through. The message was simple, but heart wrenching. The text read, ‘I’m just a man who loves you very much’.

Jun-seo continued to fuss, “He’s been back for 13 seconds and you already gave it up!” He shook his head in disgust, although secretly he was happy for his little bro who had been so lonely for so long. He could tell from Jeongguk’s expression that making love to Jimin had helped him heal. Jun-seo sat down next to Jeongguk and placed his arm around him. “As careless as it was, I’m happy you two had that moment. I know it meant a lot to you. None of us know how this is going to end.” Jun-seo gave his best brotherly advice,  “But it can’t happen again. Not until things are resolved. Don’t make any decisions based on a few minutes of ecstasy. You weren’t in your right mind when you allowed that to happen. You need time to think about this. He was gone for six years. If he still loves you, he’ll be willing to give you some time and space to make a decision. And when you’re ready, just shine the cotton candy symbol into the night sky, and he’ll come running.”

“He doesn’t have one of those. He said that I have to text him.”

Jun-seo blew a frustrated breath, “He’s really a discount superhero isn’t he? Definitely not name brand.”

“Hey, watch it.” Jeongguk laughed and punched Jun-seo. “I’m in love with that discount superhero.”  Jeongguk’s voice trailed off.

***

By the time Jeongguk returned to his own apartment next door, his front door had been repaired.  Jimin had quietly fixed the thing without making a fuss. Jeongguk suspected that over the years, Jimin had repaired many other items without Jeongguk’s knowledge. In its purest sense, Jeongguk found that endearing. Jimin truly had kept an eye on him for many, many years without ever making himself known. As miserable as Jeongguk was without him, he couldn’t imagine how it must have been for Jimin knowing that he could never be with the man he loved, even though he was right at his fingertips. His heart ached for him. As much as he had suffered, Jimin had suffered too. No one was a winner in this strange twisted tale.

 

Every single day for a month, Jeongguk opened and then closed Jimin’s text that simply said, ‘I’m just a man who loves you,’ with his phone number. He knew that Jimin was watching him. He also knew that, out of respect, Jimin was keeping his distance. 

It should have been an easy decision. Yes or no. But there was so much ‘maybe’ in the middle that it clogged Jeongguk’s headspace. He didn’t know what to do. The issue was not whether or not he still loved him, because he did. The issue was whether or not he knew how to nourish a relationship with a fucking superhero...or man with talents as Jimin liked to call it. He still had more questions about Jimin’s capabilities and this genetic condition. How would it affect their everyday lives? What would happen if someone found out about it? Did he have enemies? Were there more secrets he was keeping that would cause him to disappear again? So many questions. 

So as always, when he was troubled, he went to visit Caillou. He sat on the bench at the bus stop for almost five minutes before she finally came sauntering down the sidewalk. She had something in her mouth, no doubt, another injured animal.

“Hey girl. What do you have for me today?” 

Caillou had a small kitten hanging by a collar from her canines. She placed it in Jeongguk’s hands and then gave a hearty bark that was full of doggy sentences with doggy explanations for why she had gifted him a kitten. 

Jeongguk cradled the kitten in his palm. He massaged her back. “Oh you’re so cute. I take it you’re lost?” He spoke to the kitten while examining her. She was healthy, well fed and had an identification collar around her neck. “This one should be easy. She actually is wearing her address. I’ll return her. I wonder how she got all the way over here.” Jeongguk removed a large stack of bacon wrapped in butcher’s paper and fed a few pieces to his friend “Good job Caillou. Now sit up here. I need to talk to you.” He tapped the bench next to him. Caillou jumped up and rested her snout over his thigh. The kitten crawled into his shirt pocket and made herself comfortable. “Well, I guess you can hear this too, but promise to keep this information between us,” he said to the eavesdropping kitten.  He took a breath and just said it, “Jimin is back.” 

Caillou barked. Jeongguk couldn’t tell if she was barking at the sound of Jimin’s name or barking at the pigeons that had landed next to her bacon. It was the bacon but Caillou played it off as if she cared about Jimin. The Labrador retriever was more mature than she had been in her puppy days. The owners of the market across the street had officially adopted her, so she was no longer considered a stray. However, she maintained her love for Jeongguk and he was allowed to see her and visit her often. How she felt about Jimin was an unknown because she hadn’t seen him in years. But it was her reaction to his name that sparked understanding for Jeongguk.

“You knew. Didn’t you? You knew what Jimin was hiding?”

Caillou rolled on her back and exposed her stomach for Jeongguk to rub it.

“That’s why you were so afraid of him. You could feel that he wasn’t like me...like regular people.”

Caillou licked his face. She liked kisses.   

“But you gave him a chance at the end. You stopped running from him because you knew he loved me?”

Caillou knew no such thing. She liked it when Jimin brought her food. That was about as much thought as she had ever given to it.

“I have to make a very hard decision Caillou and I don’t know what to do.” 

Caillou sniffed around his chest and placed her paw to his heart. She barked.

“You’re so smart. Yes. This is a decision that could hurt my heart. I need to talk to him. It’s the only thing to do.”  Jeongguk jumped to his feet, “Sorry for the short visit Caillou. I just needed to see you. I’ll be back soon ok?” He fluffed her coat and ran back towards the blue VW bug that he had illegally parked on the sidewalk. As he walked, the tiny kitten poked her head out of his pocket. “Don’t worry sweetheart, I’ll drop you off at home first.”

***

The amusement park had been closed for hours. The parking lot was completely empty. Frost from the chilly evening settled on the hood of his car.  Jeongguk sat in the backseat on the passenger side of Jimin’s VW bug. He had been there for hours, just thinking, reminiscing about old times and trying to figure out what he should do. He knew what his heart wanted, that was loud and clear, but he didn’t know what was right for his long term future. 

Even more time had passed and he still hadn’t found the guts to talk things through with Jimin. Once again he opened Jimin’s text and read it, just as he had done every day for the previous month. ‘I’m just a man who loves you very much’ the text read.

After one full month of limbo, Jeongguk finally had the courage to text back, ‘I guess we should talk?’

He laid his phone down on the seat next to him and waited. He looked around at the empty parking spaces around him and thought back to the first time he’d seen the sporty little powder blue car parked there.  Jeongguk was parked in the exact same spot, taking up two spaces, for old times’ sake. Even back then he had known that Jimin was different. Looking back, all the signs were there. But Jeongguk was too new at recognizing his own cognitive perceptions to really understand. 

 

About five minutes later. The VW rocked gently as a small thud came from the rooftop. Jeongguk looked through the windshield just in time to see Jimin step down onto the hood. He jumped down, opened the door and sat in the front driver’s seat. Jeongguk stared at his profile from the rear of the car. He still wasn’t accustomed to seeing his sleek chiseled face. Jimin was an absolute dream in the looks department.

Jimin turned to the back seat and gave Jeongguk a smile. “Why are you sitting in the backseat?”

“I don’t know...felt safe back here, I guess.”

Jimin turned forward to admire his old car, “She looks great. You’ve taken such good care of her.” He rubbed his fingers along the steering wheel and the leather dashboard that Jeongguk had just replaced.

“This car was my only lifeline to you - of course I took care of it. As if it were my child. I even found a vintage set of original hubcaps from eBay motors. Last year I installed a new engine. The interior is all new.  I found a restoration place in Seoul that replaced all of the leather seats. She’s been my pet project since you’ve been gone.”

“You repainted her too?”

“She was fading. The color is a part of her mystique. That vibrant powder blue. It reminds me of cotton candy,”  Jeongguk managed a smile. He had not called Jimin there to talk about their car. What he needed to know was much more important. He jumped right into it, “I need to know more about you and what you are.”

“What am I?”  Jimin sighed. “What am I?” He repeated with a pained voice. His eyes became misty as he shook his head. For several moments, he just stared through the windshield. 

“Yes. What the hell are you?  What kind of...,” Jeongguk stopped speaking. As he stared into the darkness of the front seat, he thought he saw tears coming from Jimin’s eyes.

 Jimin opened the car door and stepped out, “I think this conversation is over.” He started off across the empty parking lot, walking towards the ocean. The parking lot was dimly lit, but Jeongguk could clearly see that he was crying.

Jeongguk didn’t understand why Jimin had suddenly stormed off. He ran after him. “Where are you going?”

“Leave me alone Jeongguk. This isn’t going to work. I understand that now.”

“Jimin! Jimin!” Jeongguk continued to run behind him. He called to him over and over but Jimin just continued to walk away. Finally Jeongguk stopped in his tracks. He spoke just loud enough for his voice to carry over the sound of the loud crashing waves, “If you’re going to leave then - fine. But please, don’t do this to me again. Don’t walk away without a proper goodbye.”

Jimin stopped and turned around. One look into Jeongguk’s face and his heart fluttered. The large doe eyes were still just as piercing as the day they met. Jeongguk’s face had matured. He had a wizened look, like a businessman. His hair was shorter, and the lines in his face made him look distinguished. No one would have ever guessed that he was once Tayo’s alter ego.

But despite Jeongguk’s beauty, Jimin was hurt. He couldn’t get past the words. He said what was on his mind. “I finally understand why my uncle was so fucking protective of this secret. And I completely understand why my father hated this power so much that he tried to wish it away. You want to know why my uncle never wanted me to fall in love? Because he knew the truth, that even people who claimed to love me wouldn’t understand me. He knew that I would always be looked at as a thing instead of a person - a what instead of a who.”  Jimin’s tears began to fall rapidly down his face, “But I never, never thought I would get that from you. I never thought you would look at me as if I were some kind of alien. I thought you were the one person in this world who could understand. But I was wrong. At least a hundred times since I revealed myself to you, you’ve asked me ‘what I am’.  You’ve never once asked about ‘who’ I am. 

You’ve never once asked how I’ve been feeling. What are my favorite books. What new recipes I’ve tried. You’ve compared me to your fucking marvel characters and never once looked beyond my abilities to try to find the man you fell in love with. You want to know what I am? I’m a man who was dealt a raw fucking hand in life and I’m doing the very best I can to manage it while fighting for the only man I’ve ever loved. Loved! Loved! I love you. Despite all odds, despite being told that love could never exist for me, I found it anyway. Do you know why? Because none of this other shit ever mattered to you. You knew I was different...deep in your soul you always knew I was hiding something. But you fell in love with me anyway because you chose to love me for me. I’m no different today than I was back then. Do I understand myself better? Yes. Do I know how to control this shit so that I don’t accidently kill people? Yes. But that doesn’t make me a ‘what’ Jeongguk. I’m not some fucking marvel character. I’m just a fucking man,” Jimin cried.

Jeongguk understood exactly what Jimin was saying. He didn’t blame him for walking away. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I never meant to make you feel that way. Of course I love you, for you. But can you give me a little grace here? You’ve had your entire life to process this information. I’ve had exactly 34 days.  Forgive me if I’m a bit politically incorrect.” Jeongguk closed the distance across the parking lot until he was standing face to face with the handsome man. “All I’m trying to do is understand. I need to know how this works.” Beneath the street lamps of the parking lot, Jimin’s eyes were strikingly beautiful.  Jeongguk stood quietly, hoping that his apology had been accepted.  He finally admitted his ultimate truth, “I’m scared Jimin.”

Jimin’s face softened. He wiped his tears and sniffled. He wasn’t sure if hearing this helped or hurt, but he had to deal with it. “How can you be frightened of me? After everything I’ve done to protect you...,”

Jeongguk interrupted him, “...you protected me by staying away from me. But now, you’re back, expecting us to just pick up where we left off six years ago. I have so many questions. This is all so strange.”

“What can I say?  What can I do to prove to you that I would never hurt you?” Jimin asked desperately.

“I’m not worried about me. If I had to die at your hands, it would be the best death possible. Jimin, I’m worried about you. How do I protect you? How do I help you keep this secret? How do I avoid accidently revealing something that could put you in danger? I don’t even understand what...I mean who...you are and why you’re this way.”

“I already told you, it’s genetic. I’m not from space, I’m not deformed, I’m not a freak – well maybe in bed – but not in my day to day life. Loving me now will be no different than loving me back six years ago. You don’t have to protect me. It’s not like that. Baby, my true power is in not using my strengths. My excellence is in keeping my strength contained, invisible and fully under my control so that I can live a normal life. Generations before us have taught us that modesty is the only way to live in peace. That’s why it was so important to be trained.”

Jeongguk nodded absently, “Tell me more...everything.”

“Come closer.”

Jeongguk moved quickly. He stood almost nose to nose with his former boyfriend.

“Ok. I’ll try to explain everything. Starting with the obvious, I’m incredibly fast. As part of the genetic mutation of my fast twitch muscles, my bones and muscles are slightly denser so my body can support the pressure and all of the compression.” Jimin lifted his arm and allowed Jeongguk to touch it. “You always wondered why I was so magical when making cotton candy sculptures. It’s because I was using a tiny, tiny bit of my strength to control the machine. I was able to spin the drum at speeds much faster than it was manufactured to operate. I moved faster than the eye could register, that’s why there always seemed to be sparks flying around me. It was a small thing really. Small enough that it didn’t show up on my uncle’s tracker.”  Jimin could see the intrigue in Jeongguk’s eyes. He felt it was safe to continue.

He once again gestured towards his arms, “I’m also quite strong. I don’t think I can lift buildings or anything. But, cars, trucks, large animals, people...those are all fair game. My uncle and I were still experimenting with the limits of my strength when he died. He believes I may be the strongest our breed has ever seen. I was much stronger than him.”  Jimin smiled, “The true limit of my strength is a question that remains unanswered. I can combine my speed, agility and strength to do something that resembles flying. Although I have no ability to glide or travel horizontally. My uncle could hover, but I don’t seem to have that ability or maybe I just haven’t learned how to do it yet. It takes a lifetime to truly master everything that we can do. I’ve only been at it for six years,”  Jimin shrugged.  He continued, “My jumps are done with so much power that sparks from the friction ignite flammable particles in the atmosphere and it looks like rockets are coming out of my feet. That’s probably my favorite thing. And one more thing, I have a slightly advanced lung capacity, so I can maintain myself under water for four or five times longer than the average person. That’s why I was so easily able to pull you out of the ocean. That’s about all I can do. Nothing strange like x-ray vision or shit like that,”  Jimin rested nervously.  He didn’t know how Jeongguk was going to react to everything. He could tell that he was still undecided on where their relationship was going to go.

Jeongguk stood there, pensive in thought. “You can fix anything. Literally anything. Is that part of your – skillset?” He was careful not to use offensive superhero language.

“No. I’m just smart.”

Jeongguk asked another question, “About three months ago, the latch to my mailbox broke. I came home the next day and it was repaired. Were you the one who fixed it?”

“Of course I was.”

A smile crossed Jeongguk’s face, “You’re so cute.” He had another question, “Do you do that jumpy thing a lot?”

“No. I can’t because each time I do it, I risk being seen. But sometimes – there are emergencies. In which case, I try to do it during the evenings or in low cloud cover. That’s how I go undetected. In general, it’s best for me to stay on the ground as often as possible as normal as possible,” Jimin explained. “Any more questions?”

“Hundreds. But I guess that’s enough for today.”

Jimin took a turn, “I have a question of my own. Why did you never date anyone else Jeonggukie?”

“Because my ex was stalking me. I didn’t want to bring a new guy into that drama,” Jeongguk teased.

Jimin roared with laughter. “Be serious. And it wasn’t stalking. I just needed to know that you were ok.”

“So you watched me...all the time?”

“Not every second, not every day. But sometimes at night after work. I would travel here to watch you, yeah. I would sit on top of the neon sign across the alley and watch you through your window,” Jimin admitted sadly. “It was my way of being a part of your life.”

Jeongguk had a terrible realization. He had to ask, “Did you watch through my window when I would...pleasure myself?”

“I’m not going to lie. I did. You have to understand, I missed you so much.”

“What would you have done if I had brought another man to my bed?”

“Watch.”

“Yep, this is getting a little weird.”

“Ok, I wouldn’t actually watch you fuck another man. I wouldn’t violate your privacy like that. What I mean is, I would enjoy seeing you in a happy relationship. No matter how much it hurt me. Let me explain.  There’s something that happens to me whenever I see you smile. It’s like a part of me that was broken, suddenly heals. I fix stuff. But your happiness fixes me. If you ever found another man who could make you happy, bring you pleasure, I would be so happy for you. Because I need it just as much as you do. The greatest gift you’ve ever given me is showing me how happiness is supposed to look.”

“Oh Jimsie. I love you...WHOA!” Jeongguk was suddenly soaring into the sky. Jimin was so fast that Jeongguk didn’t even see the glitch.

The bright rocket boosters sizzled beneath them as they raced through the clouds. Jeongguk could hear his ears popping. The cool wind rushed over them, stealing his breath. Lights of Busan suddenly came into view as the images grew smaller and smaller in the distance. The city was beautiful, but not nearly as beautiful as the man who carried him. He wrapped his arms tightly around Jimin as he stared into his eyes.  They continued upwards into the sky, boosted by Jimin’s power. The air was not quite as thin this time.  Jimin didn’t jump as high because he wanted Jeongguk to be able to breathe comfortably. They reached their highest point before they began to fall back towards the earth. It was an exhilarating free fall that descended as quickly as they ascended. Jeongguk threw his head back and savored the feeling of his knotted stomach. It felt like falling from an airplane. He was euphoric. 

As soon as they hit the ground, Jimin flexed and barreled them upwards toward the sky once again.  “Come back to me. Say you’ll give me another chance.”

“You had me at hello,” Jeongguk spoke in the language of corny again.

“I never said hello – literally never said those words.”

“Ok, yeah.” Jeongguk struggled to talk. The air whisked all around him, making it difficult to project his voice, “You had me at - the moment you rescued me from the bottom of the ocean.”

“That makes more sense,” Jimin teased as they soared through the sky. “I love you Jeonggukie.”

“I love you too Jimsie.

By the time they landed in the parking lot, they were embraced in a kiss so passionate that they didn’t even think about being in public. Jeongguk opened the door to the powder blue VW and pulled Jimin into the backseat. They didn’t speak. There was absolutely no discussion about what they were about to do. They were in their mid-twenties, yet both of them had unwittingly saved themselves for each other. For the second time in a month, they were about to commit the act.

Clothes flew everywhere, with Jimin’s cargo pants getting tangled in the steering wheel and Jeongguk’s jeans getting wrapped around the rearview mirrors. The space was tight, but it only enhanced their senses because both of them thought back to their first experience in that small cabinet beneath the kitchen sink.

The windows steamed behind their breaths. The temperature had fallen outside, but there was nothing but heat inside the small car. Everything was so quiet. Nothing but their hectic breathing and the sound of the crashing waves could be heard. Jimin ripped Jeongguk’s shirt open to expose his chest. He attacked his nipples with his tongue and tickled the buds with his wet tip. He kicked his own underwear down and allowed it to dangle from his ankle as he crawled into Jeongguk’s lap. 

Jeongguk knew everything that Jimin was thinking. They communicated through their hearts and their actions. Jeongguk’s default was to begin to grind him, pushing their cocks against each other. He clawed at Jimin’s back and pulled on his arms. He wanted him so badly. He needed to lick his skin, kiss his lips, taste his tongue. He wanted to crawl inside of him and just stay there in his warmth. He wanted to be under his skin, intermixed with the veins that ran through his body. He wanted to embody him. He was so in love that it possessed his mind. Nothing mattered at that moment except for his Jimsie.

But Jimin stopped him. He bracketed Jeongguk’s face within his strong hands and then laid his forehead against Jeongguk’s forehead as they stared at each other with their eyes wide open. He held Jeongguk in place, never allowing him to look down. He spoke again with his eyes, delivering a very important message that Jeongguk understood.

There was only silence, even as Jimin lowered himself over Jeongguk’s hard dick. There was nothing but quiet as Jeongguk began to tremble when he felt himself being forced deeper and deeper through Jimin’s entrance. Peaceful taciturnity was maintained when Jimin began to ride him with his full body. Every lip was sealed as Jeongguk bucked against Jimin’s hips. Purposeful reticence ruled as they fucked like they had done it a million times. Quiet, everything was quiet.

They dared each other to speak, to moan, to break the silent night. But both were too disciplined.  Their nights of silently making each other cum while Jun-seo lay just feet away in the other room had trained them well for moments like these. They spoke through their eyes and their greedy nibbles along each other’s skin. They had full conversations through the intertwining of their fingers and the soft rustling of each other’s hair. Pleasure was communicated by the offering of their tongues and the sucking of their lips. Even the words I love you had been muted in favor of the intense quiet. 

Once again, Jimin took his fucking like a man. No lube, no prep work, just raw and dirty penetration that skewered his insides. He rode his teddy bear’s shaft up and down, arching his back to force the dick even deeper. He loved every second of it. If felt as if he had waited all of his life for this moment. He was different down there which allowed him to do things sexually that other men could not.

With his back humped over and his hand still holding Jeongguk’s soft face, he kissed him and mumbled silently into his mouth, “Cum for me.” But there was no voice with his words, just the movement of his soft pink, pillow lips.

Once again, Jimin had to control himself. No matter how insane it felt to have his lover’s cock inside of him, he couldn’t give in. It felt so good. But maintaining himself, burying his impulse, rejecting his cum was the truest test of his discipline. He had to be submissive. Besides, busting his super hero nut in public would surely get them caught. Hold it, don’t give in, don’t let go, he screamed inside of his own head. He also had to be careful not to glitch over Jeongguk’s dick. He had done it the first time they made love, out of shear desperation, but he knew better than to do it again. He didn’t want Jeongguk to cum so hard that they accidently flipped the car over. More glitching would come, once he got him home.

Jeongguk could no longer hold it. Fucking a man like Jimin, the love of his life, his destined soulmate, was overwhelming. He was appreciative of the ten full minutes that his body had given him, but time was up. The pressure in his nuts was beginning to build as every single stroke was magnified. He pumped his dick into Jimin, holding nothing back, bouncing him up and down to the point of bumping his head against the car’s ceiling. He grabbed Jimin’s hips, daring him to fight against him, forcing him to take his full length in all of its thick glory. He kissed his powerful bottom with the knowledge that Jimin could destroy him in the blink of an eye. It exhilarated him to watch Jimin struggle to remain submissive. Jimin sacrificed himself to pleasure him, taking the dry, hard, dick quietly, like a form of punishment.  Jeongguk was as mentally aroused as he was physically.

The tiny blue bug held them in its protective custody, even though it rocked almost beyond its capacity to remain upright. It supported their rhythm as squeaks from its chassis filled the back seat. Cloaked by the hot passionate steam that arose from their colliding bodies, the windows conspired with them to hide their dirty little deed. The parking lot was empty, but anyone who happened to pass by would have no doubt what was happening inside. 

An ecstatic scream knotted in Jeongguk’s throat, eager to escape. But at Jimin’s forceful insistence, he swallowed it back down. He huffed in even staccato breaths. It was the only noise allowed. He breathed through his climax, like a sprinter running up a hill. He held his voice quiet as he came like never before. He shivered like ice water had been poured down his back as he dug his fingers into the skin around Jimin’s waist. He knew that Jimin could take whatever he wanted to give him. He knew that he could fuck him so hard that he risked flipping the car over. He knew that making love to his man like this for the rest of his life was his destiny.

The full volume of his sexual fluids disappeared inside of Jimin’s body. He could feel his own wet juices fall onto his thighs as his cum dripped from Jimin’s opening. He wanted to cry. The experience had been everything, nothing was lacking. They whispered long awaited I love you’s into each other’s lips. The six years completely disappeared.

It was the sweet teddy bear who finally broke the silence, “Why did you not do that glitching thing?”

“Because that’s a little too powerful to do in a car. We would have burst all four of these expensive tires,” Jimin explained.

“You’re going to do it to me again though right?”

“Every hour if that’s what you want.”

“How can I make you cum? I mean...you can cum right? Or does your condition affect that?” Jeongguk asked timidly.

“You’ll have your chance, don’t worry. It’s a bit more complicated. But like everything with us, sometimes we need to take it slow and not rush. There’s still a lot to explain about the sexual side of things,” Jimin smiled lovingly. “Being apart for six years was a necessary sacrifice to make sure that we can be together forever.”

“Do I need to worry? I mean...you can’t get pregnant or any shit like that right?”  Jeongguk suddenly realized that he had fucked Jimin twice without a condom.

Jimin laughed, “No...nothing like that. Although I would love to have your little babies swimming around inside of me, I don’t have that kind of magic. I’m just a regular man. I’m a virgin and I’ve never been with anyone else. But, I should warn you, when I glitch while you’re penetrating me, it does multiply your sperm count and your amount of semen. Your nuts will swell like two baseballs. That’s what happened the first time we made love in your apartment. But I promise its harmless, and only makes your orgasm even more mind blowing.”

They kissed again and Jimin climbed off of Jeongguk’s wilted cock. They sat naked in the backseat, processing their reunion. With hands tightly clenched, they glared at each other through the darkness. Jimin rested his head against Jeongguk’s shoulder and laughed as he contemplated the amount of cum they had spilled on his leather seats. 

Jeongguk kissed Jimin’s strong fingers, “Come back to me.”

“I’m already back.”

“No, I mean come back...to the amusement park. Work beside me again. I’m one of the owners now. Me and Jun-seo are planning an expansion next year. We need help. You don’t have to work in the Cotton Candy House. I just want you to be by my side. I love you so much Jimsie. Now that I have you back, I want you next to me forever.  If you don’t want to be a manager, then pick a job, any job. Anything you want.”

“Can I be a mime alongside Jack?”

“Hm, ok, that’s a no. He would mime murder you. I think he considers that a one-man job. You could be a manager. We need someone to oversee all of the mechanics who work in the park.”

“I would love to work with you. And I love that idea. But Jeongguk, I have my own business now. It took a lot of really hard work to get to where I am today. I have great clients. I restore vintage cars and it’s my passion – next to making cotton candy.”

“So is that a no?” Jeongguk frowned.

“Not a no...but maybe we can compromise? I need to maintain my business. I’m proud of it and its my dream. I make really good money because there are no other mechanics in the area who can do what I do. But I have plenty of spare time between clients. How about, I make special appearances in the Cotton Candy House? We can make a big event of it and even invite the media whenever I come. You can charge a premium and really take it to the next level. We can make it fun, plus I’ll get to make cotton candy.”

“That’s a really good idea.”

“And if you ever need a mechanic for hire, I can help out,” Jimin said lovingly. He stroked Jeongguk’s hair.

“Can we really do this?  Can we make it work this time?”

“We can,”  Jimin said confidently.

“I love you so much Jimsie,” Jeongguk sighed.

“I love you too. Always,” Jimin reciprocated as he kissed Jeongguk’s shoulder.

 

***

Chapter 6: Super Dick

This chapter is for adults only.
🔞Please 21+
🔞Graphic Sex
🔞Adult situations

The sex was so inconceivable that Jeongguk couldn’t believe it was really happening. He convinced himself that he was dreaming because there was no way that his human body was capable of feelings this intense. The pleasure bordered on physical pain because it innervated his entire body, leaving no senses untouched. The heat that rushed underneath the surface of his skin was so fiery, that his temperature actually increased by two degrees. There was trembling, spasms, quivers, all of it completely out of his control. He released a series of screams. He couldn’t stop. Jimin typically would cover his mouth so as not to frighten the neighbors, but not this time. He allowed him to unleash his passion untethered, unfiltered. 

This was a fuck that was never meant for human consumption. Jimin had warned him that this was the most dangerous act that the two of them could do. Jeongguk was just a normal man but Jimin was something - beyond that. But Jimin also assured him that he had complete control. Still Jeongguk wondered, was he really going to be ok after Jimin finished riding his dick? Was it possible for him to literally break it off because of how hard he was shoving it into his muscular ass? 

Jeongguk sat on the floor, against the wall with his legs open. Jimin was in his lap, sitting on his dick, DEVOURING his dick.  Every time Jeongguk blinked, he found himself in another position. Jimin moved so fast that he never saw it or felt it. He just tossed him around like a feather in the wind. After four blinks, Jeongguk found himself pounding Jimin from the back while Jimin moaned on his stomach.

Jeongguk knew not to look down at his nuts. He knew better, he absolutely knew better. But he had to see it. This was the largest they had ever swollen, it meant that when he did finally cum, it was going to take a very long time to empty his seed. The more Jimin glitched over his dick, the better it felt, the more swollen his nuts became. With balls hanging like two weighty baseballs, his skin began to flush pink, from his toes to his fingertips to his face.  He could see the nerves under his skin pulsating against his flesh. He was about to blow his load. He tried to do his breathing exercises like Jimin had taught him. He didn’t want to faint, but he was about to cum so hard, that fainting was a very real possibility. Jimin was lubed for the first time, and that only increased the speed of his glitching. Jeongguk watched his dick dance in a blurry circle as it disappeared and then appeared through Jimin’s hole. He concentrated on his breathing, the screams started again. It was time.

“FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK JIMSIE FUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!”  He bounced up and down as the orgasm tore through his body. His legs kicked in a spasm, causing him to accidently kick over the nearby coffee table. 

Jimin whispered an evil laugh into his ear as he watched Jeongguk lose control,“Sssss nobody will ever take your dick like I can. Love me forever, stay with me forever.” He continued to ride up and down his boyfriend’s pole, clapping like thunder against his body.

Despite Jeongguk’s writhing lower body, Jimin glitched again, changing their position. He suddenly was on top of Jeongguk, leaning over his stomach as he continued to ride him like a savage beast. Jeongguk was pushed to the very edge of his human capabilities. There was a thin line between orgasm and death, and Jimin controlled it all like a sinister puppet. “Tell me you love me, you’ll love me forever.”

Jeongguk could only scream. He was cumming so hard that he convulsed, arching his back and clawing into the carpet. For three minutes, his cum shot into Jimin’s hole. Normal orgasms were quick, thirteen seconds at the most, but nothing about cumming with Jimin was normal. The larger his balls became, the longer his orgasm would last, they were directly proportional.  The release of the climactic pressure lasted three full minutes, leaving Jeongguk absolutely spent by the time it was finally over. Being with Jimin challenged him physically and mentally, forcing him to give his all.

The apartment finally quieted.  Jeongguk lay there quivering, dick partially limp, still leaking onto the carpet. 

Jimin mercifully climbed off of him, “You ok?  Here, drink your water.” He reached for a chilled bottle of water that he had nearby and pressed it to Jeongguk’s lips. “Can you honestly handle this the rest of your life.”

“YES!”  Jeongguk said without hesitation. He was drowning in sweat and his thighs were killing him. They were covered in red bruises where Jimin had been pounding against his lap. Jeongguk breathed heavily, barely able to move, “Hye-hye-hye love uuuuu.”

“I love you too.”  Jimin laid next to him and stroked his hair. He laughed into his lips as Jeongguk closed his eyes and caught his breath.

Sex with Jimin required recovery time. Jeongguk couldn’t just hop right up and go again, even though he wanted to hop right up and go again. Fucking Jimin and his ‘skillset’ had changed his life. It had become his new addiction and only Jimin could fulfill it. He wanted to fuck all the time, every day just so that he could experience the emotional pull and physical intimacy.

But Jimin was careful to care for the human side of his eager lover.  Jeongguk needed down time. His balls needed to completely empty and return back to their normal size. The blood from his dick needed to recede. And his mind needed to unblur. Simply put, his human body and very human physiology needed to rest.

“Let’s keep going. I don’t want to stop,” Jeongguk complained.

“But you have to stop,” Jimin laughed. “There is such a thing as over doing it. You just orgasmed for three minutes straight. That’s a lot of strain on your heart.” Jimin left Jeongguk laying on the floor. He retrieved a cool towel and held it against Jeongguk’s red bruised skin. “You need to cool off, you’re so hot. Drink more water.”

“I’m fine. Would you stop fussing over me?” Jeongguk pulled Jimin into his arms. “These last few weeks have been the best weeks of my life. Sex with you...is incredible. I’m not overheated, I’m not exhausted, I’m fulfilled, ecstatic and in love. All good things,” Jeongguk assured him.

“Sorry. I’m over doing it. You have to understand Jeongguk, I’ve never been with another person.  I’ve never let go before, not like this. My uncle was only able to explain so much about this...before it got...awkward. He had no children and no wife because he was afraid of what could happen. He says my dad and my mom had a very difficult time because my dad was just too ashamed to learn how to handle this shit.  It got so bad that after I was born, they just stopped having sex.  So, you can’t blame me for being overly cautious.”

“I don’t blame you at all. But your dad had no idea what the fuck he was doing. You said it yourself.  You, however, know exactly what you’re doing. You know how to release it all with me and keep me safe at the same time. Trust me. This is all fine. Besides, I’m perfectly capable of speaking up for myself if something doesn’t seem right. This has been fucking amazing and I can’t wait to do it again and again and again and...again,” Jeongguk said lovingly.

Jimin continued to pat the cool wet towel against Jeongguk’s skin. His exhausted lover was finally starting to cool off. He sat up and pulled Jeongguk to the couch, then placed a robe over his lap. Jimin pulled on his robe to cover his muscular body. 

“As long as you can take it, I can give it.”  Jimin smiled. 

“So are you excited about tomorrow?  Your debut as the Cotton Candy Magician?”

“I know this sounds dumb...but I’m so excited,”  Jimin clenched his fists and kissed all over Jeongguk’s face.

“We’ve got everything ready.  The DJ, your equipment, everything.  Jimin, thank you for doing this.  Business has been booming ever since we announced your return.”

“I think this is going to be good for both of us.  I have something to show you.” Jimin wiggled.

“Ok.”

“I cooked it up in your kitchen.”

“Ok,”  Jeongguk smiled as he watched Jimin disappear into his kitchen. 

Jimin reappeared with four bowls full of strangely colored mixtures. Inside of each bowl was a tiny sample of cotton candy.

“What’s this?”

“The mystery flavors for tomorrow. You’re going to be my taste tester.”

“Ok, this is going to be fun.”  Jeongguk sat up and gave Jimin his full attention.  Jeongguk loved cotton candy.  He opened his mouth wide, ready for the first sample.

“This is the first one,”  Jimin dropped a large perfectly round pinch on Jeongguk’s tongue, “it’s called bloody sock.”

“Ew bloody sock?  That’s disgusting! The kids are going to love it. Jeongguk gave it a taste and smiled.  This is fucking delicious? Is it....strawberry?”

“Sour Cherry.  I actually got the cotton to spin this deep blood read color. It’s never been done before, at least not in Busan anyway. Now this one.”

Jeongguk opened his mouth again.

“This one is called, soiled diaper.”  Jimin stuffed another round pinch of the woven candy into Jeongguk’s mouth, it was a brownish green color and he thought it was terrifically disgusting.

“This is good too. What is that? Chocolate? Did you make chocolate cotton candy?”

“I did. I told you I was excited about this. I’ve been secretly working on these new formulas for weeks...behind your back.” Jimin placed another one of his devilish samples into Jeongguk’s mouth.  It was a very pale yellow, “This one is ghost pee.”

“Meh. This one tastes like regular old cotton candy.” Jeongguk was not impressed.

“Ok. I’ll go back to the drawing board on that one. Well let’s try this one.  I saved the best for last.  The cotton candy actually had a rather gross texture and an odd color. It was definitely not something that looked edible. It was a dark pink with chunks of taffy mixed in. “This one is called, dog barf.”

“Yuck,” Jeongguk laughed heartily. This one was his favorite. He chewed on it as his face lit up with a smile. “This is perfect. I love this. I love them all. This is going to be the most successful comeback ever.”

***

Jeongguk whistled as he walked across the park. It was a spectacular day. An incredible day. A stupendously happy day. Jun-seo was at his girlfriend’s apartment and he was running late, so it was up to Jeongguk to get the day started. Even though it was only 9am, two hours before the park opened, the line stretched for miles. The news about the return of the ‘Cotton Candy Magician’, as Jimin had been dubbed, had definitely created a buzz. Anxious customers and their kids waited patiently in the searing heat, with their eager faces pressed against the gate.   

To keep them cool and hydrated, Jeongguk sent Tayo, the new Tayo, out to dispense ice cold water to the visitors as they waited in line. It was going to be another record breaking day for attendance and they owed it all to Jimin.

As Jeongguk approached the front of the office, he noticed an aged man, completely bald, humped over outside of the door.  Jeongguk doubled his step as he ran to hug his former mentor and boss.

“Suk?” Jeongguk felt teary. Suk had aged greatly since the death of his brother, but he was still just as handsome and witty as ever. “What are you doing here?”

“Now why would I miss the return of the best Sugar Centrifuge Engineer this park has ever seen?” Suk smiled. “This is a historic day. Historic indeed,” Suk laughed. He held on to Jeongguk’s arm so that he could lean on him as they walked inside.

“So...you heard?”

“Heard? Who hasn’t heard? It’s the talk of Busan. Saw it on the news. I always knew that boy was a superstar. From the first moment you dragged him in here and begged me to give him a job, I knew he was something special. But not as special as you – how are you boy?”  Suk’s face was covered in brown liver spots that faded towards the top of his bald head. His cheeks were wrinkled, forming small bags of skin that hung all around his face. He was slow, barely mobile, but he was still the sharpest knife in the drawer.

“I’m fine, sir. I’m better than fine. I’m great.”

“He’s back. You know I thought he was dead. Oh goodness, me and Duk were so worried about you. I just knew that you would never be the same after that kid left. I don’t know where you found him or how he ended up back here, but my prayers have been answered.” Suk looked as if he were going to cry.

“Thank you, sir. I won’t go into detail about how we found each other again, just know that it was a miracle,” Jeongguk walked Suk to his old desk which now belonged to Jun-seo. He made sure that the old man was properly seated and then gave him another hug.

“So is that the only reason you came to see me? To lay eyes on Jimin?”

“Of course I wanted to see the great Cotton Candy God, but that is not the only reason I’m here. I have an official business matter to discuss with you,” Suk found a bowl of candy on Jun-seo’s desk and helped himself.

“I’m all ears.”

“I’d like to sell my part of the business to you. It’s time. You and Jun have done a tremendous job with this place. Even weathering that typhoon and getting the park opened a few days later. I want you to have it,” Suk said softly.

“That is very humbling to know that you have faith in me, but I’m not sure I’m ready to let you go.  I still need your advice. I still have a lot to learn.”

“No you don’t. Stop fibbing. It makes your hair fall out.” Suk laughed as he rubbed his wrinkled bald head.

“Well then,” Jeongguk gave it some thought, “how much? I’m sure that I don’t have enough money to buy you out.”

“1 U.S. dollar or 1300 won.”

Jeongguk laughed. “You’re being silly. Your half of this place is worth millions of dollars U.S. You can’t sell it to me for a dollar.”

“I can. I will. Do you accept?”

Jeongguk fell into his seat. He was stunned. “Why are you doing this? First Duk leaves me his share of the park, and now you’re giving yours away. Why? Why do you two have such faith in me? Why do you think I deserve this?”

“Because you do. You’re the heart and soul of these grounds. Long after you’re dead and buried, your spirit will haunt this place because you brought it to life. It’s yours Jeongguk. Now do you accept my offer?  Besides, there is nothing more that I can do here. I’m so old that I can’t even remember where my dick is.”

“Did you check between your legs,”  Jeongguk joked.

Suk grabbed his old nuts with his hand and squeezed them, “Oh there it is!” He laughed so hard that both the candy and his teeth fell onto Jun-seo’s desk.

“Are you sure about this?”

Suk reached into his pocket and retrieved an envelope.  “I’m very sure. I’ve just been waiting for the right time.  Now that business is better than ever, I think this is the right time. The paperwork is all done.  You just need to sign and pay me my damn dollar,” Suk sniffled. He began to cry. “This old man is so proud of you.”

Jeongguk leaned down once again and hugged Suk. The front door to the office creaked open.  Jun-seo could be heard down the hall.

“Oh GOD.  I just had the best sex of my life. I fucked her so hard, I’m sure she’s pregnant with twins, like Suk and Duk. You’re definitely going to get those nieces and nephews if this chick keeps fucking me like...OH GOD SUK!  Sir. Hyung...I-I didn’t realize you were here,”  Jun-seo aborted his pornographic ramblings in order to show respect for his elder. He bowed.

“Tell me all about it later big brother,” Jeongguk snickered under his breath.

“No tell us now. I didn’t realize that twins were the result of ‘hard fucking’ Suk teased.  I should be more impressed with my parents. He laughed at his own joke, slapping the desk with his palm. “Does she have large breasts?  My brother always loved large breasts. He felt that the tits were the eyes to the soul.”

“He was a wise man,” Jun-seo agreed. “Yes, sir, her boobs are huge. But she’s also a doctor. So, I have the best of both worlds, brains and beauty.”  

Suk leaned forward and slapped Jun-seo on the shoulder. “Good job boy.”

“Well. I’m off. I’m going to take a casual stroll around the park, for old times’ sake.  Maybe find Jack and see if he’ll teach me how to escape an invisible box. I’ve always wanted to learn that. Take care of that special envelope Jeongguk. See you in a couple of hours at the Cotton Candy House when the show begins.”

Suk excused himself and set out for his walk. 

Jun-seo immediately turned to his brother, “What envelope? What happened?”

Jeongguk stared down at his envelope that signed over complete ownership of the park to him, “I’m rich.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m now the full owner of this place.” Jeongguk stood and walked towards the window. He could see Suk crouched down towards the ground, slapping at pretend walls, while Jack gave him useless silent instruction on how to escape a box that didn’t actually exist.

“He – he sold it to you?” Jun-seo smiled happily.  

“Yeah...something like that.” 

Jun-seo jumped into the air and screamed for joy. It was what his brother deserved. He grabbed him around the neck and gave him a strong loving hug. This was good news for everyone.

“I owe it all to him,” Jeongguk stared with great adoration at Suk who was now patiently sitting on the bench as Jack slathered white make-up all over his face. The old man was smiling from ear to ear.

***

All fifteen of Jimin’s Cotton Candy Magic shows were sold out. Jimin could only perform three days a week. The rest of the time was spent running his own business. And because the Cotton Candy House could only hold 200 people safely at one time, the demand far exceeded capacity. So, Jimin kindly agreed to do five shows per day, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Jimin’s anticipated return was so popular that Jeongguk and Jun-seo were able to sell tickets at $30.00 each or 38k won per ticket. Every penny went to the Turtle rescue fund that Jeongguk had started to help rehouse sea turtles that were sick, lost or injured. It was a modest charity that was born after adopting the two turtles that Caillou had rescued six years prior. Finding those lost turtles marked the most important day of his life, because it was the day that he first met Jimin. So naturally, he had a soft spot for turtles. But the charity made good sense given how many turtles washed ashore. His own two adopted turtles had grown into full adults and were thriving under the care of Tan, the Koi pond curator. It was a charity close to his heart.

 

As the DJ set up in the corner, Jimin could be seen behind the glass tinkering with the cotton candy spinners. In order for his show to really be magical, he had to add his own special “touch” to the equipment.  He sorted through all of his cornstarch colors and heated his candy extractors. He was so excited, too excited to be back in the place where he’d first fallen in love. He couldn’t stop smiling. He smiled and smiled, until his smile was replaced by a panicked scream. He rubbed his eyes and did a double take. What he saw was horrific, and weird and horrific.  Jack and a much smaller, older, wrinkled Jack were mooning him from outside of the window. They both giggled when they heard Jimin scream. The younger Jack ran off. The older Jack just walked very slowly back towards the carousel. 

“I wonder if I should call the police on that situation?” Jimin mumbled to himself.

“No. Let them have their fun,” Jeongguk said in a low sultry voice as he entered Tayo’s backyard inside of the Cotton Candy House.

“For the record...what the fuck?” Jimin scowled. The fact that he’d seen old man ass did not sit well with him

“Jack is teaching Suk how to mime.”

“Indecent exposure has never been endorsed by the mime community,”  Jimin quipped.

“Shut up and kiss me.”

“Here?” Jimin smiled.

“Here.”

Jimin kissed him on the lips and then whispered seductively so that the hostess could not hear him, “You know that always leads to us doing kinky shit behind the chicken skewer concession stand.”

“Not this time. You have a show in two minutes. The line outside is forever. I’m sure there are more than 200 people out there. But only 200 of them are getting in, I don’t care how hard they cry. I don’t need the fire department up my ass for violating code,” Jeongguk grumbled.

“Up your ass? I’d like to get up your ass.”

“Whoa! Where did that come from? And yes, my ass is open for business,” Jeongguk giggled with a bright toothy grin.

The DJ began playing. He started with a brisk, electric house beat that caused Jeongguk to begin dancing.

Jimin yelled over the music, “You should have taken over as Tayo, just for today. So we could live our best lives.”

“Don’t need to wear that big ass bear head to live my best life,” Jeongguk said as he danced towards the door. “Are you ready to get this party started? Can I let them in?” He continued to dance with his best house rhythm. 

“Let’s do it.”

Jeongguk and the hostess opened the double doors. The hostess welcomed them all as Jeongguk found his regular spot in the corner, in front of the glass. It was the first time that Jimin had performed to music. The vibe was fun, energetic and enchanting. 

Before Jimin learned to hone his skills, he was an incredible cotton candy spinner. But after honing his skills, he became something of a legend; truly not of this world. He was considered a magician not only because of the beauty in his sculptures but because of the way he owned the crowd. As the tiniest tots rushed towards the front of the glass, the adults gathered towards the back of the room. Jimin, who was wearing a wireless mic, introduced himself and welcomed them to his home, Tayo’s backyard. 

To start, he clapped twice. But instead of the colors rising above his head, they rained down from the ceiling, covering all of the customers from head to toe. He had moved so fast, that no one saw him actually enter the audience and spray the rainbow of colors over each of them. And that was where the magic began.  The crowed screamed with glee and they shook the colorful starch from their clothes. No one had any idea how he’d done it. Even Jeongguk was in the dark. 

The whirling spinners began, rotating so fast that sparks flew. Jimin moved his hands in large circles, with his palms facing forward. Without even touching his hands, a ball of fluffy white cotton candy began to grow. And it grew and grew and grew until it was three times bigger than Jimin’s body. He tilted the entire ball forward and blew a small breath. The entire ball separated and dispersed through the crowd, landing on each of the faces, giving them each cotton candy beards. They all applauded and yelled as they licked their faces free of the sugary sweets. More sparks flew, as the up lighting from beneath the cabinet highlighted his fine features and his slick blondish hair. He danced around in his pink jumpsuit, bopping to the music as he worked. And each time he clapped, more color would fall from the sky. Each time he clapped, he would steal another young heart. Each time he clapped, Jeongguk fell more in love.

To the adults in the crowd, Jimin appeared to be nothing more than a clever illusionist.  Someone skilled in mass hallucinations. But to Jeongguk, he was one of God’s most incredible creatures, capable of powers that seemingly had no limit. He watched as Jimin once again spun another huge ball of cotton candy, this one rotated over the heads of the crowd like a growing rain cloud. They all looked up, watching the cloud grow bigger and bigger. And then suddenly, water sprinkled down on them as the cloud darkened and shrank underneath the indoor storm that Jimin had created. This was the trick that drew the greatest applause. They were all wet, until Jimin produced a large ball of cotton candy that erupted into flames and sent a warm savory heat across their bodies. None of them realized that it was all just Jimin moving quickly throughout the room, creating awe inspiring effects and moving so fast that the naked eye couldn’t detect him.

Jeongguk took the brunt of all of Jimin’s tricks. Not accidently, he was the wettest, and then the driest and then the one with the biggest cotton candy beard. 

“You’re amazing,” Jeongguk whispered to himself. 

And then came the finale.  It was time for Jimin to create the sculptures. The assistant stepped forward and took each of the orders, passing the information back to Jimin. And that was when the sparks really started to fly. The cotton candy spinner spun at a dizzying pace, so fast that Jimin had to keep his foot on the base to keep it from lifting into the air. For each elaborate sculpture, he wove a fresh mound of warm cotton candy. The children were encouraged to use their imaginations. There was almost nothing that he couldn’t produce: elephants, pigs, castles, hello kitty, horses, dragons, flowers, rainbows, wands, dolls, even sculpted replicas of their own little faces.  Jimin did it all...within seconds. He truly was a show.

Every now and again, the DJ would take a break so that Jeongguk could lead the children in silly songs, most of them part of Tayo’s theme song. He would pick his favorite child and challenge them to do Tayo’s dance, bopping around in silly circles as he worked the crowd. He was in his element and had once again discovered his joy, becoming a special part of Jimin’s magical show.

Jimin knew all of the words and would sing along with them through the mic. The shy man who was afraid of his own shadow was no more. Jimin’s confidence in himself, his body, his talent and his relationship had changed him into a different person. 

Jeongguk was more in love than ever. And like the love sick millionaire that he was, he stood front row, watching it all, patiently waiting - for his turn.

***

The day had been as magical as they had hoped. But being together again, working together, watching each other in their elements, had burned them up inside. They were so horny heading back to Jeongguk’s apartment that they could barely contain each other. With their lips pressed against each other in heated passion, they bickered as they stripped each other along the stairs; arguing over who loved the other more. By the time they got to Jeongguk’s front door, they were both shirtless with hard dicks throbbing through their jeans.

Jeongguk whispered the naughtiest things, “I’ve been a good boy, now let me take your love stick up my ass.”   

Jimin choked, “What?”

Just hearing Jeongguk talk about taking his love stick drove Jimin crazy. They knew, even back when they were younger, that they wanted to be a switch couple. But this was back before Jimin fully understood how sex worked for his breed. Ever since they’d been back together, they had made love countless times, but Jimin always was the dick catcher because he thought that was the safest way for them to be together. With the greatest of discipline, he mostly ignored his own needs in favor of pleasing Jeongguk. It was by design. But Jeongguk had grown more and more adamant that he wanted the tables to turn, and this night he was intent on making it happen.

Jimin tried to slow him down. There was a lot that Jeongguk needed to understand about being penetrated by someone like him. They couldn’t just go at it in the backseat of a car or randomly fuck behind the concession counter. But Jeongguk was growing impatient, relentless because he wanted it. He attacked Jimin mercilessly, using all of his sexual wilds to lure him and win his way.

“No rushing remember? Our number one rule.” Jimin stalled as they fell through the doorway of their apartment.

“When we were younger maybe. Not now. Please just let me experience it...,” Jeongguk pleaded..

“This is something we’re going to need to work you into slowly. Thank God we never tried to do this when we were younger, before we fully understood what I was capable of or before I was properly trained.”

“Your uncle trained you how to fuck?” Jeongguk laughed.

“My uncle trained me how not to kill you.”

“Oh!”  Jeongguk’s eyes broadened. He was starting to understand what Jimin was trying to explain to him.  “This is going to be the best experience of my life isn’t it?”

“Probably.  As long as you’re prepared.”

“Let’s go.” He pushed Jimin hard to the ground, “Fuck me now.” 

Jimin’s cock was raging, but he had to slow things down, “Just let me prep you first. We have to be very careful.”

Jeongguk jumped on top of him and began kissing him again. “Fuck being careful. It’s been weeks, you’ve promised me a big stiff cock for weeks. I want you now, NOW, NOW! No more stalling”

“You have to calm down. Jeonggukie, I don’t think you understand,”  Jimin crawled backwards trying to get away.  Jeongguk was acting just a little bit psycho. He laughed at his teddy bear, “Oh my God, you’re high on cotton candy and it’s making you so aggressive! Fuck - I like it though.”

Jeongguk dove on top of him again, “Stop talking and let’s go.”  He released a low growl as he wrestled with Jimin to finish getting him undressed. He bit at Jimin’s pants with his teeth, pulling them away from his taught muscular body.

“But, but, but there’s stuff I need to tell you.” Jimin tried to give a few more warnings. “I have to lube you really well,”  Jimin said.

“Ok. Whatever.”

“Once I start, I can’t always stop,” Jimin said.

“Why would I ever want you to stop?”

“Sometimes my dick engorges right before I cum.”

“The bigger the better.”

“It can get as big as twice its normal size,” Jimin said.

“Whoa what?” Jeongguk finally paid attention.

“And if I get stuck, I may have to stay inside of you until my dick goes back to normal”

“Stuck? What do mean stuck?”

“And I can stay hard for up to six hours.”

“SIX FUCKING HOURS?”

“I’m kidding,” Jimin whispered, “...mostly.”

 

It should have taken at least three minutes for them to get from the front door to the bed, but Jimin glitched which moved them faster than the speed of light. Jeongguk barely felt it and by the time he completed a full blink, they were laying on the bed and Jimin already had lubed fingers inside of him.

He pushed both of Jeongguk’s legs backwards so that he could stare down at his lover’s hole and watch as he massaged him open, “You’re so pretty down there. Is this good?” He whispered.

“Oh fuck that’s good. Yes. Don’t stop. Get me ready.” Jeongguk held on to his own legs, cradling them in his arms to expose more of himself. “Faster.”

Jimin smirked. ‘Faster’ was a very dangerous request. Jeongguk was more pliable than Jimin expected, he took his fingers well. Jimin slathered him with even more lube as he punched three full fingers inside of him. Delicately, he rotated his fingers in and out, watching them as they glistened in the low light of the room. He glitched, quite accidently, moving so fast that Jeongguk quivered. Jimin could feel himself slipping. He was so turned on by finger fucking his Jeonggukie, that he was becoming undisciplined. His cock was fully extended, sitting atop his balls with a slightly upward curve.

“Fuck what did you do?”

“I glitched. I need to get inside of you, I don’t think I can hold it anymore.”

“Just do it baby, what are you waiting for?”

Jimin rushed his words as he positioned himself.  “Keep your legs together.”  Jeongguk closed his legs, locking them from his thighs to his ankles to hold them together.  Jimin trapped Jeongguk’s legs in the air, forcing the younger to hold his knees even tighter against his chest. His ass was fully out, fully exposed.  Jimin removed his fingers long enough to lean down and give Jeongguk’s wrinkled slit a small kiss. “You ready to lose your innocence, Jeonggukie?”

“Just fuck me.” Jeongguk was growing increasingly impatient.

Jimin laughed, “This is the best position for your first time, until you get used to having me inside of you. You can push against me and hold me back if I’m too strong. If you need more lube, tell me. If it starts to hurt, tell me. If it’s too much, tell me.”

“Now,”  Jimin’s little teddy bear was starting to ache. He could feel Jimin’s heat, his searing cock was just centimeters away. He writhed against him, yearning for the fucking to begin.

“You have to trust me.”

“I do.  Just do it, please. Make love to me, I can handle it.”  Jeongguk closed his eyes. He could feel Jimin’s fingers enter him again but he wanted the cock. His hole had never been pleasured before and he was so anxious that he was about to jump out of his skin. “Please hurry baby.”

“Trust me.”  Jimin entered him. 

Jeongguk released a loud groan. Even though he knew it was coming, it still shocked him when it finally arrived.  Jimin pushed himself in, but only in small increments at a time. For every inch he traveled, he checked to make sure that Jeongguk was ok.

“Fuck this is so intense, I already love it.”  Jeongguk’s eyes were closed. His knees were pulled in and tucked so tightly against his body that he was able to touch them with his lips. “Don’t hold back, just give it all to me,” Jeongguk moaned as if he were being punished.

Jimin fed his pipe to his lover, little by little. With his eyes closed, he took shallow breaths as the warmth engulfed his cock. He held back his power, his speed, his instinct to fuck all the way through. He withheld himself with the greatest discipline possible. But he was so turned on by making love to his one true love, that his body went haywire. He wasn’t fully inside of Jeongguk but his dick had already started to throb.  He glitched.  But the simple movement was the equivalent of one-hundred concentrated strokes inside of Jeongguk’s body. Exponentially, the fuck intensified, almost to a point beyond what Jeongguk could humanly handle. “Fuck. Hold on baby.” 

“Holy shit.” Jeongguk’s eyes popped open. He found Jimin’s face in the dim light, “Something feels different...what’s happening?”

“Ohh fuck,” Jimin began to moan. He had more pipe to give but it was already too good. He was only half way inside of his sexy lover’s ass, and even though it was too soon, he started fucking him. 

“HOLY SHIT!” Jeongguk writhed. His legs fell out of position and fell on either side of Jimin. He pushed his palms against Jimin’s chest. “FUCK, this is intense.” He said loudly. Suddenly Jimin’s dick felt twice as big as advertised. He held on to the sheets to try to absorb the entry, but Jimin was already fucking him with a dick so thick that it frightened him. “More lube!”  Jeongguk said firmly.

Jimin was in a daze, his lover’s ass felt incredible. It was his first time ever penetrating someone in real life, other than the toy dolls he had used to practice. With one eye closed and the corner of his lip gripped firmly between his teeth, he controlled his hips, delicately fucking into Jeongguk as if he were fine china, at least he thought he was delicate. In reality, the glitching and his powerful strokes were tearing into Jeongguk like a jack hammer.

Jimin passed the point of no return, he was rounding the top of the mountain as he felt his orgasm begin to grow. He continued fucking until his tip reached the furthest point possible and his balls clapped against Jeongguk’s thighs. He couldn’t stop. But he didn’t have to because Jeongguk was so strong and pliable that he took him with ease, every inch.

“More lube, baby. This is rough,” Jeongguk called out again. He gripped Jimin’s waist with his thighs, trying to control the rabid intensity of his stroke.

Jeongguk’s panicked voice finally broke through Jimin’s malaise. He quickly pulled back and poured more lube over his cock. But the pause was only temporary. He entered Jeongguk again, plundering his way through as he resumed his delectable pace.

“Oooooo I love you, fuck you feel so good. This is fucking incredible,” he breathed into Jeongguk’s ear.

Where their reunion fuck was completely silent, this one was loud and raucous like the clashing of symbols. Their screams filled the entire apartment as they explored their pleasure. Jeongguk still couldn’t believe the size of the dick that was intruding upon him. He squirmed, trying to replace each breath that was fucked out of him. It took several minutes to adjust – but when he did – his entire world opened up. 

At once, he found himself wrapping his legs around Jimin, bucking against his rhythm, swallowing his large angry cock with his entire body. Jeongguk didn’t even recognize his own moans. They were pathetic and needy. He begged for his superhero to never stop.

Jimin glitched, even more intensely this time.

“WHOA SHIT!” Jeongguk’s eyes bulged open again. He looked around and realized that he and Jimin were hovering just above the surface of the bed. So much for Jimin not believing he had the ability to hover. Jeongguk grabbed on to him to keep from falling, but there was no way that Jimin’s cock was going to pull out. They were impossibly trapped together in a sinful fuck more powerful that either had ever experienced.

Jimin glitched again, and they rose higher into the air. He glitched twice more before he finally released an orgasmic scream that was so loud, it shook the walls. After one hour of feeding his superhero dick to his boyfriend, he sprayed his fluids deep inside of his teddy bear.

Bruised and exhilarated, their bodies fell back to the surface of the bed. The glitching had caused Jeongguk’s balls to swell again. At first he wasn’t sure if he could cum while Jimin was fucking him, but as soon as they fell to the bed, he realized that he was just a few strokes away. The pressure was growing in his stomach, he could feel himself already losing control.

He held on to Jimin and begged him, “Glitch, just one more...,” he didn’t even need to finish his request. Jimin glitched twice, causing Jeongguk to clench his entire body as his cock sprayed cum all over the bed. He released another scream that surely his brother heard from his apartment next door.

With his skin red and warm, Jeongguk broke into a string of profanities. He truly could not believe what had just happened.

“WHAT THE FUCK? I JUST HAD SUPERHERO DICK. WE FUCKED AND FLOATED! HOW CAN ANYONE ELSE EVER COMPETE?” He screamed happily.

Jeongguk’s temperature was again elevated so Jimin once again returned with cold towels. He placed several of them all over Jeongguk’s body to help cool him down.

“You made a very good choice by giving me another chance,” Jimin teased.

“I fucking love you.  I mean, I really, really love you. Do I get to have this the rest of my fucking life?”

“Yes, for the rest of your life.” Jeongguk blinked and Jimin was fully dressed in his all black “jumping” attire.  “Get dressed.”

“Dressed?  Ok, but can I have more that 6 milliseconds. I’m just not that fast.”

“Take all the time you need,” Jimin said it, but didn’t mean it. Within another blink of the eye, he had pulled a black t-shirt and black pants over Jeongguk’s flushed body.

“You dressed me?”

“You were taking too long.  Let’s go.” Jimin grabbed Jeongguk’s hand. They rushed out of the apartment and down the stairs. 

“Are we going to...?” Jeongguk asked, like a kid on Christmas.

“Yep. I know how much you love it. Ready?”

“Re...,” Jeongguk was snatched through the air with a violent jerk. He held on to his lover as tightly as possible as the cold breeze rushed over him.

Jimin soared through the sky with Jeongguk in his arms. As the rainbow of city lights glistened beneath them, they shared a beautiful, love filled, kiss.

Jeongguk’s voice was barely audible amidst the full moonlit sky, “I love you Jimsie.”

And with a smile as bright as the wolf moon herself, Jimin whispered back, “I love you too Jeonggukie.”

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