Cherry Fog & Burning Embers
After training in Paris with an elite French military unit, Jeongguk, a young South Korean soldier, suddenly finds himself discharged and kicked out of the Army after being diagnosed with a debilitating form of PTSD. Homeless and with no place to go, he takes a chance and hops a train to places unknown, leaving his final destination to fate. There he plans to start a new life, with the hopes of forgetting about his troubled past.
He ends up at cherry orchard in the small town of Cerét, France where the rolling green hills converge into a calming tapestry where love and cherry blossoms bloom amidst a perfect backdrop for romance. As chance would have it, Jeongguk meets another native Korean, a gorgeous blonde farmhand named Jimin who also is running from a troubled past. Jimin finds himself intrigued by the young officer and offers him shelter, a new beginning and an adventure of a lifetime. What starts as a pure and innocent friendship slowly churns into steaming hot passion and raw desire between the two men who never expected love to find them.
AUTHOR'S NOTES ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Have you ever been in the mood for just a plain old story of romance? Love found in Paris in the shadows of the Eiffel Tower. A story about small village towns where donkeys are transportation and poems, holding hands and long walks blossom into love and devotion? Where lives or romantisized and destiny prevails no matter what obstacles try to get in the way?
Well this is that story. I wanted something wonderful, light but still bold enough to tackle some pretty tough issues. I just loved writing this. I love writing everything I write (except that a/b/o) so of course I was happy with this one too. I've never been to Paris, but I always imagine it as the most romantic place on earth. This story takes place in a little town known as Ceret which is a few hours outside of Paris. Come fall in love with the cherry orchards and the loving farmers who sustain this fertile land to share its fruit with the world. Welcome to France where lovers walk amidst the Cherry Fog and Burning Embers.
Tags:
🍃Cherry Farmer Jimin
🍃Soldier JK
🍃Voyerism
🍃Public Sex
🍃Sexual Awakening
🍃Sloppy Love Triangle
🍃Bottom Jimin
🍃Bottom JK
🍃Farm Drama and Intrigue
🍃Romantic Paris Setting
🍃Religious Persecution
🍃Extreme Homophobis
🍃Murder/Violence
🍃Domestic Abuse
🍃Grief/Mourning
🍃Hurt/Comfort
🍃Extreme emotional torture
✅ Fic Complete
Chapter Index
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⚠️This fic deals with extreme cases of domestic violence, homophobia and abuse. Please use caution when reading. Protect your heart.
🔞Due to the graphic content, you must be 18+ to read
Chapter Two - An Offer You Can't Refuse
Chapter Three - Jeon Chronicles
Chapter Five - Obligations and Confessions
Chapter Six - Accidentally On Purpose
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Chapter One - Cerét
The warm soft winds slipped through the strands of his hair like a lover’s fingers. The flutter of his blonde bangs tickled his forehead, causing an unwitting smile to stream across his lips. Golden rays beat down on him. His crescent shaped eyes fluttered and his shoulders relaxed as he lifted his face towards the sun’s balmy glow. He could feel the heat on his skin. It was the perfect day, the kind of day where he savored every single moment of working outside.
Thousands of cherry trees stood tall around him; some aged with thick branches and tough leathery bark, others only tiny seedlings at the beginning stage of life. Small droplets of cabernet colored fruit bent each of the delicate branches as the coral-colored blossoms shielded them from the brutal sun. The burlat cherries were beautiful this year, larger than he’d ever seen them in the ten years that he’d been working there. Their perfumed scent, tainted with sugar and cherry blossoms, wafted across the orchard. The morning was still. It began quietly with only the sound of the brisk wind rustling through the trees.
But with each step he took down the perfectly lined rows of the orchard, he could hear a gnawing grinding, clang of rattling metal that didn’t belong. It sounded very much like the distant echo of a train. He looked around for the source of the disturbance, but he was unable to find it. A quick cupping of his ears muted the noise, restoring the holistic harmonies of the orchard.
A flock of blue birds soared overhead, squawking their birdsong as they auditioned for mates. The bushes behind him rustled loudly with a family of bunnies that arrived to feed on fallen acorns. Frogs croaked in the distant pond, splashing the surface of the water as they traveled from lily pad to lily pad. The orchestrated harmonies of the orchard were serenading him and he loved the perfectly pitched sounds.
But once again their symphony was sullied by a single metallic note that threaded through the silence across the valley. The noise was out of place, unwelcomed. It didn’t belong within the calm of his scenic journey. His face contorted in his sleep as the harsh sounds grew louder and louder and more disruptive, causing him to rotate his head left to right over his pillow. The sky above suddenly darkened from a cornucopia of brilliant color to charcoal black.
And just like that, his dream was abruptly aborted and he was transported back to reality...
The alarm clanged again and this time it was louder, more insistent, more urgent. Jimin could feel his body being rocked and disturbed. It took a moment for his sticky eyes to pop open but when they did, there was a familiar dark shadow standing over him.
“Jimin! Jimin, wake up! The alarm is going off. We must get to the Orchard immediately. The temperatures have dropped.” Luke Durand, Jimin’s stable mate, stood over him, shaking his shoulders to wake him from his deep slumber.
Jimin glanced at the brightly lit phone sitting on his nightstand. The time was 3:00am and the temperature was -5 degrees Celsius. Luke’s claim that this was an emergency was grossly understated. This was a catastrophe. An unpredicted cold weather front had snaked its way up the mountain into the cherry vineyards and it threatened to destroy the entire season if Jimin and Luke didn’t get to the orchards in time to light the barrels.
Luke rushed away from Jimin’s bed and headed straight for his wardrobe to begin layering on his multitude of flannel shirts. “The workers are moving too slowly. Ahh, someone is going to get written up tomorrow,” Luke fussed.
Jimin swung his heavy legs over the side of the bed, searching for his slippers with his toes, but instead his large feet encountered a stone-cold cement floor that felt like a block of ice. He scowled and gritted his teeth until his numb skin finally found the warmth of his slippers. The race was on. They had less than five minutes to get to the orchard before the frost would completely kill the fresh blossoms which had peaked much too early.
There was no time for a hot cup of coffee or for hair taming brush strokes through his long blonde hair. This was the emergency drill they had all trained for and an efficient execution was critical to their financial survival because the stakes were as high as they could get. If the frost took the crops, they would all spend the rest of the winter unemployed with no shelter and no income. And the only way to save them from the frost was to warm the blossoms with the heat from steel fire barrels that had to be manually lit by the farmhands. Preserving the blossoms wasn’t just about profits and produce, it was about saving the livelihood of over one hundred workers who had been given employment on the farm.
Jimin rushed to his wardrobe and began feverishly dressing beside Luke. The intensity of the cold snap was unprecedented. Jimin worried if he even had enough layers to protect him from the cold. He slid his feet into multiple pairs of wool socks and then shimmied into a pair of long johns before finally pulling on thick corduroy pants. His flannel shirts were thick, lined with quilted taffeta to protect the core. Of the five years that he had worked for Pierre, this was the first time that he needed to layer two flannels over his body. With the precision of a fire fighter, he slid into his clothes in record time, rounding out his armor with a pair of steel toed Timberlands.
“Hurry up kid, we have to go,” Luke yelled as he tore through the old wooden door to the stable.
Luke was thirty-two years Jimin’s senior. But for a 60-year-old man, he was as spry and athletic as the rest of the crew who were all in their late twenties or early thirties. Luke had been working at Le Verger des Baisers de Cerise, or the Orchard of Cherry Kisses as the foreigners called it, for over forty years since the age of twenty. Le Verger des Baisers de Cerise was his home. He knew no other life than that of a hard-working cherry farmer. He’d taught Jimin everything about the cherry harvesting business and he felt like more of a father than a stable mate. Jimin adored him.
Luke ran fearlessly into the dark night with bright glass lanterns in each hand. Jimin could see him stumbling as he fought against the frozen ground to find his footing. For the ground to freeze that quickly, it meant that the temperatures were dropping fast.
The alarm continued to clang, sending more of the slumbering workers towards the fire barrels. Not a soul questioned the urgency of the situation. As such, they all fell in line as quickly as possible. In the distance, Jimin could already see several barrels glowing orange against the dark sky. Thin grey clouds of smoke lifted into the air, signaling the start of the burn. Jimin had no doubt that it was Luke who stoked the first fire. He raised those cherry trees lovingly like the children he never had. For Luke, this was not just a job, it was a purpose.
Once he was properly layered, Jimin threw a cap over his shaggy shoulder length hair and stepped outside into the frigid morning air. Just as he cleared the stable door, the Pyrenees wind trapped him against the side of the building. Snowflakes were falling and the wind was fierce. This was truly a once in a lifetime storm and it was becoming more threatening every minute. No matter how many years Jimin had been there, he still had not grown accustomed to below zero temperatures. His teeth immediately began to chatter as he pulled his hat further over his head and buttoned his coat. He took a deep breath and forged against the wind as he treaded down the hill into the valley.
By the time Jimin reached the first barrel, multiple barrels across the orchard had been successfully lit by his counterparts. He was one of the last to arrive at his station despite running as fast as possible to get there. He knelt beside the first barrel to check the fuel inside. The barrels were kept stocked with plenty of dry wood, kindling and paraffin. As the wind picked up and the snow blew sideways across his bare stubbled face, he pulled the kindling matches from his coat pocket and struck the first one against the gritty sandpaper finish of the box. The orange flame glowed against his skin as he dropped it into the first barrel of the row. Popping and snapping of the wood pierced the night air. Once Jimin was satisfied that the kindling had started, he moved on to the next.
Luke worked ten rows over from him. He had already lit twenty of the one hundred barrels that were in his territory. Jimin tried to keep pace but Luke was a pro and he moved faster than the evening wind. The valley of Cerét was under attack from a vicious pop-up storm and Luke took that attack very personally. It was him against God as he fought to save his seedlings. Jimin worried about the old man. He seemed much more agitated than normal, sometimes carelessly dropping his matches into the barrels. Despite the frigid wind, he was sweating profusely as he moved along the rows. It was peculiar.
Each row of cherry trees spanned approximately one hundred yards. Every ten yards or so a small barrel was grounded with heavy boulders to keep it in place during turbulent weather. As part of their daily duties in the winter, they prepared fresh kindling in each of the barrels before going to bed each night. In emergencies such as the one they found themselves in, they had no time to gather wood and supplies. So, each burn barrel was prepared in advance.
Jimin was assigned to the five rows in the rear of the orchard. His territory spanned 100 barrels that all needed to be lit within thirty minutes. He had to move quickly. The last thing he could afford was to be the only farmhand who lost trees because he didn’t move fast enough to get the fires started.
The alarms finally silenced as the glowing embers lit up the countryside. Jimin went about his business, never completely losing sight of Luke as he worked in the glow of the orange lights. At times Luke’s entire body was clouded by the wispy grey fog of the embers. With each flame that he birthed, the orange glow illuminated his weathered face. Over Luke’s many years working in the fields, the unforgiving sun had carved deep lines into his dark skin. And on this evening, his age was particularly noticeable as he continued to stumble down the row. He moved from tree to tree, boots crunching over the frozen ground. Something was off with Luke, but Jimin didn’t know exactly what it was.
“You ok old man?” Jimin called out with a bright smile.
“You’re moving too slowly Jimin. We’re losing the crops, can’t you see? The frost is overtaking them,” Luke called back. Worry was plastered all over his face. It wasn’t normal and certainly wasn’t warranted given how quickly the team had moved to warm the blossoms.
“Luke, no. It’s fine. I think we got here in time. Almost all the barrels are lit. Everything will be ok. But are you…are you…ok?” Jimin called back again.
Luke refused to respond. He continued to work at a feverish pace to complete the lighting of his barrels. “No. It’s not ok. We’re losing…them. We’re losing them.” Luke was so upset that the placement of his lit matches grew increasingly arbitrary.
Breathing was not coming easily to Luke. Sweat continued to pour down his face to the point where the fluffy snowflakes stuck to his wet skin. Jimin abandoned his barrels and walked closer to him, sensing that something was definitely wrong.
“Luke? Luke, look at me. What’s going on? Are you feeling ok?”
“I-I’m fine. Get back to your, your, your...,” With an errant flip of his risk, Luke accidentally threw his lit match into the dry grass beneath his feet.
Despite the glaze of frost that coated the ground beneath them, an orange blaze erupted, circling quickly over the parched blades of grass. The fire surged upward, crackling and hissing as it caught a hold of Luke’s pant leg. The searing heat compressed around his ankles while simultaneously burning through the soles of his thick rubber boots. There was no time to scream. Luke immediately lunged forward, trying to escape the growing blaze. But his pants were already engulfed and his flailing and kicking only taunted the flames, causing them to lick the loose fabric of his flannel shirt. Within minutes, the fire was out of control and heading towards the seedling cherry trees while burning through Luke’s outer layer of clothing. Smoke stung Luke’s eyes as the fire spread up his body. He stumbled backwards a few feet seemingly in shock. A veteran farmhand, he dropped down to roll across the ground to extinguish the fire but the flames were relentless and continued to spread.
Jimin’s eyes grew three sizes as he instinctively took off running towards the burning man. He could hear Luke begin to scream as the fire singed his clothes, reaching his skin. At the end of each row was a fire kit that included a fire extinguisher as well as fire blankets. Jimin ran at lightning speed and gathered both items from the kit. He spun on his heels and sprinted through the ten rows of cherry trees that separated him and his friend. Luke was no longer moving and the fire, although partially smothered, continued to burn.
There was no time to think. The scene was too horrific. Jimin’s only tasks were to get to Luke, to put out the fire, and to call for help. Within seconds, he reached him. Because the grass around them was continuing to burn, he had to extinguish the ground that surrounded Luke as well as Luke’s body. He sprayed him generously with the foam, rolling him over to his side and back to make sure that all the glowing embers were gone.
Jimin dropped the extinguisher and fell to his knees to wrap Luke in the fire blanket. The ground was still hot and he didn’t want to take a chance of the fire reigniting, so he once again doused the ground around them. He checked him for vitals, but Luke was not breathing or moving.
“HELP! HELP! HELP!” Jimin yelled to the farmhands who were closest to him.
They had all witnessed the sudden fire and watched as Luke went down. At least twenty of them were already running towards the scene.
“CALL 1-1-2! HURRY, HE’S NOT BREATHING! HE’S NOT BREATHING!” Jimin wanted to scream, cry, panic, but instead he held his composure and did what he needed to do. With one single swift movement, he ripped open Luke’s singed coat and listened to his heart while checking for a pulse. Luke’s body was hot but his burns were mild and most of his clothing was still intact. So why wasn’t he breathing? “Luke, buddy, can you hear me? Can you hear me?” Jimin screamed.
There was no more time to assess, Luke was fading fast, so Jimin immediately began CPR. After each chest compression, he checked to see if Luke was breathing. There was still nothing. He continued.
By this time, the other farmhands had arrived. Several of them worked in tandem to save the seedlings that had been accidentally set on fire. The rest of the men knelt beside Jimin to help tend to the elderly man who was dying right in front of them.
They covered him with the blanket from waist down to protect him from the cold as Jimin continued the chest compressions. Luke was not responding which only caused Jimin to panic even more.
“Please. Please don’t do this to me. You can’t leave, Luke. You can’t go. You’re all I have. Please.” Jimin pleaded for his friend to hear him, to respond, to come back to the world of the living.
But Luke remained perfectly still, his only movement coming from the forced compressions that Jimin pushed through his chest. Wrists aching from the pressure, back screaming from the bitter cold, knees numb against the frozen ground, he fought for Luke’s life. Tears soon began to fall as he realized that his attempts were in vain. Jimin’s delicate teardrops froze against his pale skin and lodged within the fine hairs of his eyelashes. But despite it all, he continued. He was determined not to allow his friend to die in this icy patch of cherry covered land.
The red flashing glow of the emergency vehicles flooded the valley. He looked up to see the farm’s owner, Pierre Groues, running towards the valley, guiding the ambulance down the hill. Because Luke’s condition was dire, the ambulance took the rare step of driving directly onto the orchard to get as close to Luke as possible. Time was of the essence and they were all running out of time.
***
Jimin arrived at the main house. Pierre, the owner of the orchard, had unexpectedly summoned him to come and visit. Jimin had no idea what the meeting was about but he didn’t hesitate to answer the call as soon as he had a break in his work schedule. He didn’t even have a chance to knock because the door flew open and Pierre pulled him inside. They shook hands and exchanged a knowing hug before Pierre fixed Jimin a cup of tea and invited him into his office.
“Sit down, son.” Pierre blew a heavy breath. “How are you holding up since…since the accident?”
“You mean since Luke died?” Jimin responded. He wanted to make sure that Luke’s name was said.
“Yea, since that. You know he was one of my best workers and a great friend. It’s a shame this happened, it really is,” Pierre shook his head in disbelief. His tone was melancholy, a reflection of the high esteem in which he held Luke.
Jimin held back tears. He was not fully cognizant of the extent of his own grief. He just knew that the pain was almost unbearable. “This place will never be the same without him.”
Pierre took that as a segway to say what was really on his mind, “That’s why I called you into my office. I need to discuss something with you, something important that affects the future of this farm. I have a proposition for you.”
“For me? What kind of a proposition?”
“Luke was like family. We treated him like family because of his twenty years of service to this place. He was loved very much by grandfather, father and me. He was like an uncle to little Noémie when she was a child and he taught her valuable lessons about owning this land. His death has left a void, one that I never planned for.”
“Agreed, there is a noticeable void. He was very important to this place. He was an important leader and the men respected him.”
“Yes. All of that is true. However, Luke had another role that was critical to the future of the farm. He was a small minority owner.”
“Owner? Luke?”
“You see, Jimin, I’m old. I’ve been running this place since I left the military. The time is quickly approaching where I will need to move on and establish a new life that is more suitable to my old age. I want to move to Fiji and dance with half naked women. That’s about right for a 70-year-old, don’t you agree?” Pierre did not smile or laugh. He was very serious about his retirement plans.
“Fiji?”
“Fiji.”
“Sounds fabulous, I fully support that. But what will become of this place? I assume with Luke gone Noémie will take over?”
“You assumed correctly. Noémie will be the new manager, owner and operator of Le Verger des Baisers de Cerise. My daughter is very capable of running this place and making it hugely profitable, in fact she’s probably more capable than I am. She’s much more educated, that’s for sure.”
“Ok. Sounds like you’ve got everything in place. So, what’s the problem?” Jimin asked with confusion.
“The problem is that I don’t trust her.”
Jimin stopped him, “Wait, you’re planning to hand over your entire life’s work to your daughter, but you don’t trust her? That makes no sense. You just said that she was fully capable of handling this place and…,”
“I stand by those words. She is fully capable. The problem is that Noémie is a young mind, corrupted by modern day business operations, stocks, KPIs, investments, crypto, liquidity and all those things make her profit driven, not people driven. As important as the money is, it is the people who make this farm successful. For a century this farm has been all about the people and how we treat them. I have no doubt that she will bring this place into the twenty-first century, but at what costs? It’s for that reason that I made Luke 1% owner of this farm. Noémie needs someone to look over her shoulder; a steady hand who maintains a strong connection to this soil. I can help keep an eye on things from afar, but honestly, I want to start a new life that isn’t anchored to every financial decision, every harvest, every employee hire that happens here. I want to be able to just walk away and know that it will be in capable hands.”
“What are you saying?” Jimin asked. He sat forward in his seat and stared at Pierre.
“I’m saying that with Luke gone, I had to find someone who could take his place. Someone who I could trust to put the people and this land above profit. That someone is you, Park Jimin. I would like to make you the new 1% owner of Le Verger des Baisers de Cerise.”
“What does that mean exactly?” Jimin was still confused.
“It means that you will become the new minority owner. That 1% that once belonged to Luke, now belongs to you. Luke taught you everything you know about how to care for and love this farm. I trust you with my life and I know you will always make the right decisions where this farm is concerned. Now, I can’t give you more than the 1% because that would not be fair to Noémie. This is her home, her land and she is entitled to make all of the decisions once I leave. This, by blood, is her rightful inheritance and she will get all of it once I die.”
“So…,” Jimin scratched his forehead, “So the small percentage is worthless? I mean, if the 1% gives me no authority over anything, then what is the point?”
“The point is power. With your 1%, you are the final decision maker for every single deal that comes across Noémie’s desk. She cannot sign anything without your approval. You are the moral compass that will keep her in check.”
“So, I’m a babysitter? I’m here just to make sure that Noémie doesn’t fuck up and get us into a deal that could harm the farm?”
“I prefer to all it a moral compass. I’m not giving you this authority just to buck against my daughter and constantly challenge her business acumen. I’m giving you this power to watch everything that happens and speak up when something goes against the principles and morals of how I run this company. And Jimin, I will be honest with you here, there may come a time when you have to do more than just speak up, you may have to fight with everything you’ve got to make sure that she always does what’s right.”
“Fight. You’re telling me to fight your own daughter?”
“I pray that it never comes to that.” Pierre shook his head, “But there are certain influences around my daughter that only care about the money. I don’t know which voices she’s listening to these days, but she and I have very different opinions on the future of this farm.”
“Influences?” Jimin wasn’t sure what that meant or who Pierre was referring to.
“Pay attention Jimin because this is very important. As 1% owner, you are also entitled to 1% of the profits that come out of this place. And trust me, it is a very lucrative endeavor. You have a vested interest in making sure things go well. Remember, I never said the 1% was worthless. I said it was a minority stake and the other 99% would remain with my daughter. But you will have all the authority you need.”
“And how does Noémie feel about this?” Jimin asked curiously.
“She doesn’t love it. But she understands. Plus, she’s very fond of you, Jimin.”
“And I’m very fond of her as well,” Jimin stared over Pierre’s shoulder to avoid eye contact.
“Yes. For a minute there I thought you two were…um…trying to make a go of it. But then cooler heads prevailed and I realized that you would never make a move on your boss’s daughter. You’re too good of a man to stoop that low.” Pierre lowered his reading glasses and glared at Jimin.
“Of course. I would uh…never do such a thing,” Jimin shifted uncomfortably.
“So, is it a yes? Will you allow me to make you a very wealthy man?”
“Let’s not pretend here Pierre. This deal comes with all kinds of strings attached.”
“Strings indeed,” Pierre laughed as he pulled the agreement and Transfer of Ownership from his briefcase. “Mind you, this agreement only becomes effective upon my retirement. Not a single day prior to that and I have no plans to go anywhere any time soon. Until the time comes for me to move on, I will continue to run things as normal and you will continue to work for us as our most valued employee. Is that clear?”
“It’s clear. And I accept.” Jimin found the lines where he was supposed to sign and quickly added his signature.
Pierre tried to stop him, “Wait. Don’t you want to have your lawyer look it over first?”
Jimin laughed, “To start, I don’t have one of those. Secondly, I trust you Pierre. You’re an honest man full of integrity. I’ve learned just as much from you as I learned from Luke. You took a chance and gave me this job, a home, friends. I owe you more than I can ever repay you. You wouldn’t do anything to hurt me and I know that you only have my best interest at heart. So, no…I don’t need an attorney.” Jimin finished signing all the papers and then slid them across the table back to Pierre. “Now if you don’t mind, I need to go. With Luke gone the work has really backed up…,”
“Yes son. Yes. I understand.” Pierre stood to his feet and shook Jimin’s hand. “Congratulations, and welcome to the family business. You’re now kinda’ rich.” They both laughed. “And Jimin…thank you.”
***
“Hey! Hey kid, wake up. Last stop. Come on, get out. I’ve got a date tonight.” The bus driver punched his last passenger softly in the shoulder to wake him.
Officer Jeon Jeongguk quickly popped open his eyes. “Uh…what?” He blinked as he looked around and realized that he was the only passenger remaining on the bus. “Uh…uh…where are we? This isn’t the train station.”
“No, it isn’t. Sorry kid, there must be some misunderstanding. This bus doesn’t go anywhere near the train station. Newly discharged soldiers are responsible for their own way home. My job is to get you off the base and out of the government’s hair. Korea has no base here, so when you’re released in the middle of an assignment, you’re on your own. This is as far as I can take you,” the bus driver explained in English with a heavy French accent.
“No, there must be some mistake. Surely this isn’t the last stop,” Jeongguk explained.
“I repeat, this is as close as I can take you. If you got a problem with it, call your commander. You can make special arrangements with him. But for me and you, this is where we say goodbye. Now go,” the bus driver laughed casually, “I have a schedule to keep.”
“Yea, yea. Got it.” Officer Jeon hopped to his feet. He reached above his head to grab his large duffle bag from the overhead compartment and hustled quickly to the front of the bus.
The driver returned to his seat and opened the bus door with a loud hydraulic whoosh. The slim double doors parted and Jeongguk jumped down the steps onto the dirt road. He took a quick survey of the land and panic began to set in. There was nothing but dirt roads and vineyards as far as the eye could see.
There was no restaurant or hotel or even a place to grab a quick bite to eat. Nightfall was upon them and the temperature was dropping.
“Wait, where am I?” Jeongguk asked with concern.
“Clos Montmartre in the 18th arrondissement, about an hour outside of Paris. Call your base commander, he can arrange for you to get a ride back to civilization. Sorry I can’t be of more help, but I already went out of my way to get you this far.”
“Fuck this! Bro, I’m supposed to be taken further south not...wherever the fuck this is.”
“Jeez, you and your commanding officer really got your signals crossed. Like I said, this bus does not go to the train station.”
“I just need to get home.” Jeongguk didn’t do a very good job pleading his case.
“Ok, so where’s home?” The driver ran his nails across his deep five o’clock shadow. Notice that all the other soldiers who were on the bus with you had someplace to go…a specific location. You had nothing. In fact, you got on this bus with seemingly no plan other than to…take a nap.”
“No, it’s not like that,” Jeongguk argued.
“Ok, fine then where’s home? And why didn’t you arrange to get off at any of the stops that I made during this entire bus ride?” The driver questioned.
“Home?”
“Yes, home! HOME HOME HOME, the place where you lay your head.”
Jeongguk paused. The answer was complicated. “I-I-I,” his large eyes rolled over the valley of green vineyards. He finally admitted the painful truth, “I don’t know.”
The bus driver removed his hat and balled it in his fist with frustration, “Well kid if you don’t even know where home is, then how am I supposed to help you? And I don’t have time to help you figure it out. Get your commanding officer on the phone and you two come up with a plan.” The driver placed his hat back on his head and summoned his patience, “Listen, I know how military service can fuck with your head, change everything you thought you knew about yourself. I served in the Gulf War back in the 90’s and it took me quite a while to find my footing. I was just as confused as you. But this is the time when you need to lean on your family or friends. Deprogram and find yourself again. Find a job, settle down and fall in love or something. You’re young, kid. And your future is very bright. If you don’t have a home now then make one. This little travel adventure may be just what you need for a fresh start. Now listen, I really do have to go.”
Jeongguk looked around the barren land. He rolled his shoulders back as he swam in his thoughts. “Home.” He said again to himself.
“Bye kid. Good luck.”
Suddenly Jeongguk heard the bus doors slam behind him. Without hesitation the driver pulled off.
Jeongguk spewed profanities. “Fuck, shit, shit! Now what do I do?” He uttered to himself. Still wearing his discharge uniform, he fished inside of the pockets of his cargo pants to find his phone. He tapped the screen only for it to flash and then go dark. “No. No. NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!” The red empty battery icon with the cable light appeared on his screen to alert him that his phone was dead. Jeongguk screamed towards the sky, “No no no no no no! THIS IS NOT FUCKING HAPPENING!” Out of frustration he threw his phone across the dirt road, causing it to crack and slide into the vineyard. “FUCK FUCK FUCK!”
There was no one but himself to blame. He had weeks to plan for discharge. He had weeks to figure out where he was going to go and how he was going to get there. But fear of making a bad plan kept him from creating any plan at all. And this was where he found himself; stranded in a foreign land. Still wearing his discharge uniform, he wasn’t at all prepared to spend a freezing night in a fucking vineyard. As the sun began to set, his frustrated breaths clouded in front of him because of the dropping temperatures. Thankfully he had a coat in his duffle bag, but that was the only thing going his way that night.
He took a few steps forward and tried to dial out again. This time the screen refused to turn on at all. He couldn’t believe his luck and lack of planning. How could he have forgotten to charge his phone? With all the excitement of discharge day, it was something that he simply overlooked. Once again, he berated himself, openly wondering if this was some subconscious form of self-sabotage. Despite the very real possibility that he might quite literally die in the elements, he laughed.
“Great job, Jeon. Great job.”
Fifty-eight minutes passed from the time he was kicked off the bus to the time he hiked back to the main road. Not a single car had come down that dirt road, indicating that it was not a heavily populated area. That made the odds of him escaping his isolated hell very low. Still, he continued in the direction where the bus had traveled. His only hope was to be picked up by a passerby. He stuck out his thumb and hung it there outside of his coat pocket. Surely his mother would turn in her grave if she knew that her only son was hitchhiking.
As the evening grew darker, the enormity of his situation struck him. There were no lights, no houses, no buildings, no nothing, just acres and acres and acres of fucking grapes.
His mind immediately skipped to survival. How was he going to survive a night in negative degree temps with no shelter? His military training had given him everything he needed to survive in a forest but never had any of his commanding officers trained him to survive in a fucking grape vineyard. There were no trees for shelter, no wood to make a fire, no ground to dig up for warmth, no canopies to protect him from the snow or wind. He was fucked.
“SHIT!” He screamed so loudly that the veins in his neck popped. He used his heavy combat boot to kick at the dirt. His situation was absolutely ridiculous.
The distant screeching of the train’s horn didn’t immediately register with him. He was so used to trains passing by his military base that he thought nothing of them. He could hear the iron wheels clacking rhythmically as the train made its way towards him. The rattle of the empty boxcars banging and jolting on their frames filled his ears. The train’s distant headlight cut through the evening haze, slowing gradually as it approached the vineyards. Although it still moved at a dangerously fast pace, per safety guidelines, it slowed whenever it reached populated areas. This gave Jeongguk some indication that people lived nearby - somewhere.
The ground began to rumble beneath him as the heavy train arrived. The air around grew colder as leaves, dust and debris picked up under the displaced wind from the train’s undercarriage. Jeongguk took several steps back. He didn’t realize how close he was standing to the track until he felt the ground beneath him shift. He wondered where she was going. What was her destination, her purpose? He slightly envied her because she had someplace to go and he didn’t.
The train continued to lumber past him as he looked around for shelter. The metal-on-metal clanking of the steel wheels against the rusted track made Jeongguk’s teeth grind. The noise was loud and disruptive, impeding his ability to think. Adding to the metallic orchestration of noise was the repetitive dinging of the warning bell and the long, deep resonant scream of the horn.
She was at least a mile long, carrying one-hundred cars or more. Jeongguk grew tired of waiting for it to pass. He really wanted to cross the track before the valley fell into total darkness, but the passing train hindered his progress and wasted valuable time.
The air around him smelled damp, like rust and rain. The weather was so cold that if any rain did fall, it would likely turn to snow. This was an added layer of complexity that Jeongguk didn’t need. He pushed his black beret further down over his head to cover his freezing ears. Then he lifted the collar of his uniform to protect his neck from the growing wind. The weather was degrading fast but the stupid train kept him from sprinting across to the other side of the vineyard where he planned to take shelter for the night.
“Finally,” he sighed as he saw the last twenty or so trains begin to pass.
The train was heavy and each of the corrugated steel boxcars were filled to the rim with freight, all except the last few cards that fell towards the end of the line. The cars were completely empty and wide open. It was at that moment that Jeongguk had an idea that would forever change his life. His mind flashed back to the bus driver’s advice about starting anew and finding a place to call home, finding new friends and possibly even falling in love. It suddenly all seemed possible, but only if he tried.
“You miss 100% of the shots that you never take,” he said to himself as he mulled over the crazy idea in his mind. “What if…what if I let fate decide? I mean…riding in one of these cards will surely be warmer and safer than sleeping out here in a snowstorm,” he continued to reason with himself.
In the romanticized version of his crazy idea, the train would choose his destiny. Wherever it finally stopped, that would be where he would find his fresh start, his new life, and his new love. He wanted it so badly. After all of the turbulence in his life, he just wanted a happy ending. Without even realizing it, he gathered his duffle bag over his shoulders and began running alongside the speeding train. He adjusted his pace to line up with the first open boxcar that he saw. A quick peek inside revealed stacks of burlap bags, a few cardboard boxes and piles of old blankets. It wasn’t ideal but his chances for survival inside of the old boxcar were much greater than in the isolated vineyard.
He was an extremely athletic man in the peak of military physical fitness. Jumping aboard a slowly moving train was effortless for him. His biggest concern was being seen by the train’s conductors hitching a very illegal ride. But he trusted that under the cover of darkness, alongside the massively long train, no one in the front nor rear would detect him.
He quickened his pace just slightly to perfectly match the train’s speed. With a hard, fast toss, he threw his large duffle bag right through the opening. It landed hard inside of the boxcar, causing a cloud of dust to bellow into the air. He continued pace, running faster as he timed his jump. At this point he was committed because everything he owned was already going along for the ride. The train continued to gain speed. It was now or never.
With one mighty leap, he hoisted himself towards the open door of the boxcar. The jump was slightly miscalculated and his foot landed precariously on the edge of the boxcar’s open door. His hand caught the rusty handle above the door and he grasped it as tightly as he could. He dangled from the side of the train just barely able to hold on. Just then the entire car jolted as it crossed a switch. His feet slipped away from the steel bearing causing his grip to loosen on the rusty handle as the train violently changed direction. Wind wrestled him, pulling at his body as he flailed helplessly along the side of the speeding train. His entire torso was slammed against the outer compartment while the train traveled through the valley.
His frozen fingers scraped against the metal latch with his long legs still swinging freely beneath him. He was seconds away from falling underneath the train where he surely would have been mangled and killed by the heavy steel wheels.
Jumping onto a moving train to be shuttled to an unknown destination to start a new life was no longer as romantic as he had convinced himself it would be. His hands were cold and the rust of the latch was beginning to slash through his skin. His grip was failing. This was the end, a fitting end for a man who had landed himself in such a ridiculous situation.
But then a miracle was offered, one that he never saw coming. The train crossed another switch and jolted violently again, breaking Jeongguk’s tenuous grip that he had on the handle. He screamed for his life as he felt his body moving through the air uncontrolled. He braced, believing that at any moment he would be thrown underneath the train where he would be crushed and mangled to death. But instead, the momentum of the violent redirection miraculously threw him inside of the boxcar where he landed hard on the dusty floor and rolled into his waiting duffle bag.
As the train sped through the frozen countryside of France, Jeongguk lay there on his back staring at the steel corrugated ceiling, contemplating how he was still alive. Once again, he broke into laughter. He had no idea where the train was going and he honestly didn’t care. His new life awaited.
***
The fresh light of dawn crept slowly over the orchard of Le Verger des Baisers de Cerise. Smoke billowed from the extinguished barrels that had not been ignited since that faithful night of the freeze. Like benighted children protected from the world by their loving parents, the delicate pink and white petals glowed softly with a luminous warmth, unaware of the human sacrifice around them that allowed them to exist. The wind gently twisted the delicate blooms left and right, bathing them in hues of rose gold, peach and pale coral, making them appear to sparkle from within.
Jimin sat by the window, face once blighted by darkness, gradually transitioning to light by the steady beam from the rising sun streaking through the glass. He sat with his legs crossed, head down, a large mug of black coffee inches from the curl of his index finger. Just to his right, sat the empty bed that once belonged to Luke.
Jimin was not shy with his tears. Intrinsically he knew that releasing his grief, guilt, and painful mix of other emotions was much healthier than holding it in. Losing Luke felt surreal, especially considering how quickly it had happened. The memory of Luke’s burning body collapsing to the snow-covered ground haunted Jimin. And his inability to save Luke’s life, despite his best efforts, tarnished his soul.
It was difficult to fully grasp how much Luke meant to Jimin. He was the one who found Jimin living in a shelter and working odd jobs across Europe just to survive. Luke introduced him to Pierre, offered him normalcy, a career and a permanent place to lay his head. He schooled Jimin on the principles of life, the importance of honesty and
integrity, and the necessity of survival in a cruel careless world. They had only known each other for three years, but Luke provided more parental guidance and love than Jimin’s family ever did. And for that Jimin was eternally grateful. His emotions amplified in his chest as more tears rolled down his cheeks.
The room was empty and quiet without Luke’s low, raspy voice murmuring in a blend of his native French and broken English, peppered with piss-poor Korean. The stench of cigarettes filled the room, even though it had been days since one was lit. No doubt, it was Luke’s incessant chain smoking that contributed to the massive heart attack that took his life. There were still more questions than answers and Jimin just didn’t want to think that hard. He needed a clock’s tick to gather himself and figure out what life was going to be without his father figure.
Amid his contemplative grief suddenly came a ray of sunshine. Jimin could smell her perfume as soon as she approached the door. Before she even had a chance to knock, he was on his feet.
He swung the door open quickly, startling her, “Noémie, what are you doing here?” He grabbed for her, pulling her into his arms with a subsequent kiss.
Noémie pulled away and rushed into his stable, closing the door behind them. “Stop. You know better. You know how father feels about me carrying on with the farmhands. Let me go.”
“Why should we give a fuck about what your father says? I’m a grown man and you are certainly a grown woman,” Jimin responded.
“Is that a dig about my age?” Noémie said jokingly.
“So what? You’re a few years older than me…,”
“TEN years older than you…,” Noémie pushed back. “And yes, we should give every single fuck because he’s your boss. Don’t piss him off, Jimin.”
“Pierre likes me. I’m sure he would accept me if we were truly in love,” Jimin joked.
“LOVE? Jimin, what the actual fuck? I don’t love you. Sweetheart, sometimes you’re so naive.”
“Not this again.” Jimin rolled his eyes.
“Look, I didn’t come to argue. I’m here to give you some news.”
“News?”
“News. About Luke. The medical examiner provided the final autopsy report. Jimin, the fire wasn’t what killed him. Yea, it singed him a little and created a few first degree burns but it was not anything that would have killed him. Luke died of a heart attack,” Noémie explained.
“That makes so much more sense. That’s why he was so clumsy and careless with his barrels. He was in a crisis and didn’t know it. This is my fault. I should have known something was wrong. He was dripping in sweat, despite it being negative degrees outside. He was stumbling and talking in circles. How could I have overlooked it? Of course he was sick, of course he was. Fuck Noémie, I should have been able to help him.”
“Ok…so um the last time I checked you weren’t a doctor. Jimin how in the hell were you supposed to know that he was having a heart attack?”
“I knew he wasn’t well. I should have done more. I was so focused on lighting my fucking barrels that I didn’t give him the attention he needed.”
“You can’t carry this. You can’t. Luke ate like a teenager and smoked like a chimney and generally took shitty care of himself. None of that had anything to do with you, my love.”
“Your love? I thought you didn’t love me.”
“I don’t,” Noémie quickly insisted.
“Then be more careful with your words because words mean things.”
“Nothing I say will ever mean I love you. Whatever you feel for me, please get over it. There’s nothing between us and there never will be. That night…it was just one time… a mistake. I was drunk and…,”
Jimin placed an index finger over Noémie’s lips. He didn’t want to hear about how she felt nothing for him or how their one night together was a mistake. He only wanted to kiss her, to mute his grief with her tender touch. “What I feel for you isn’t just a crush. If you would just give me a chance, I’m sure that you would discover…,”
She interrupted, “...I would discover that you’re too young for me. I would discover that we’re two different people with different needs, goals, and lifestyles. You’ll always be a great friend, but nothing more. Why can’t you accept that? You don’t need me Jimin. You’re living here in the south of France where the women are beautiful, sensual, stunning and great in bed. I’m just an old lady, an excuse not to go out there and find true love in the real world. I’m convenient.”
“I resent that. I’m not some coward who’s afraid to date. And I’m not attracted to you just because you’re convenient. That would make me a sociopath if I thought that way. Noémie that night meant something to me. It changed me, opened my eyes to a new world. You’re one of the most beautiful women I’ve seen in my life.”
Jimin’s eyes followed her as she walked through his stable, finally settling on Luke’s bed. The fall of her long black hair landed just above her curvy rear end. Noémie was indeed stunning. Tall, shapely with large hips and long statuesque legs. Her piercing green eyes and olive skin made her a stand-out in the small town of Cerét. At her heart, she was a farm girl, hearty, strong with massive round tits that entered the room before the rest of her body. Her tight jeans and rubber band sweater left little to the imagination.
Noémie was very popular amongst the perpetually horny farmhands and that often left her vulnerable. For that very reason, Pierre, her father, was extremely protective. She may have acted as if she were just one of the guys, but everyone bowed down to her Goddess like beauty and ample bosoms. Most were on their best behavior when she was around, but it was not uncommon for some of the farmhands to overstep, making her uncomfortable. It was a touchy situation and Jimin often worried for her overall safety. He made it his duty to be extra vigilant whenever she was around. Pierre took notice of Jimin’s propensity to act as a de facto guard and he appreciated it, often giving Jimin bonuses and extra time off.
But what Pierre didn’t know was that a year prior, Jimin had fucked his precious daughter in the donkey’s stable behind the lake. And the encounter left him quite smitten with the vineyard vixen. But Jimin’s affinity for Noémie went far beyond her physical looks. She represented something much more important - his first time being attracted to a woman.
“You’re whipped, Park Jimin. My pussy is just that good. Probably the best you’ll ever have. Why can’t you just be grateful for that one night and move on? Why does it have to have some deep meaning? Why can’t you just accept it for what it was - a quick fuck when we were both in need.”
Noémie turned her back to him and abruptly changed the subject. “After a few hours of searching, I was finally able to find a couple of Luke’s relatives. A sister and a nephew. I’ve summoned them to claim the body so they can provide a proper burial. They arrive tomorrow by train. I trust that you’ll help us gather his belongings? The least we could do is make sure that his most prized possessions rest with his family.”
“Of course. In fact…,” Jimin’s voice trailed off. He still wasn’t ready to accept that Luke was gone.
“Are you going to be ok?” Noémie asked with heart eyes. She caressed Jimin’s hair.
“I’ll be fine. I just need time.”
“We all do. He’s going to be greatly missed. My father and he were like brothers. I don’t know how we will hold this orchard together without him. He loved every single seedling as if it were his own child. You don’t find that kind of dedication in an employee these days.” Noémie touched Jimin’s hand lightly to show her concern.
Jimin swept both of her hands into his two larger ones and pressed them against his chest. He glared at her with his deep set, crescent shaped eyes. His gaze spoke volumes, noise that Noémie didn’t care to hear. She quickly pulled away, fighting her own urge to kiss him.
It was no secret that Jimin was a stunner in his own right. He was the first Korean man she’d ever met, yet his beauty transcended race, creed, color or ethnicity. He was simply an Adonis; shoulder length blonde hair, muscular arms, and svelte legs with a musculature that she’d never before seen in another man. He stood about 176 centimeters, not nearly as tall as her father, but still an attractive height that towered above her. His skin was like the finest of porcelain and she often found herself daydreaming about falling into bed with him again.
Yet, she knew that this one, in particular, was off limits. Whatever mistakes she had made in the past, they could not be repeated for Jimin’s own safety and wellbeing. If Pierre ever found out that she and Jimin had slept together, it would mean the end for Jimin. With the turbulent, unpredictable recession looming across Europe, she couldn’t allow her father to take out his anger on Jimin by firing him from the orchard. Their secret was safe with her, but she worried greatly about her young counterpart and his ability to remain quiet about their transgression.
“Damnit, why won’t you just give in?” Jimin said in anger.
Before Noémie could respond, there was a knock on the door. The sun was up and it was time for Jimin to get to work.
“Jimin, it’s time. The train is coming.” One of the young farmhands had come to fetch Jimin. It was Wednesday, the day that the train arrived from Paris with new supplies and food.
With Luke gone, it became Jimin’s responsibility to lead the team with unloading the train and restocking all the pantries. He didn’t want to leave Noémie in the middle of their conversation, but work came first. He would have to deal with her later.
“Uh, yeah. Be there in a minute,” Jimin replied without opening the door. It wasn’t a good idea for the young farmhands to see Noémie tucked away in his room. Jimin turned to Noémie, “I have to go. I’m sure you can find your way out.”
Noémie grabbed his arm and spoke directly into his eyes, “Don’t go away mad…just go away.” She smiled jokingly.
Jimin did not find her amusing.
***
The train pulled into the orchard around 6:30am. Workers lined up outside of the locked boxcars and waited for the latches to be released. The majority of the 150 cars would be headed on to the next city but several of them with the labels Le Verger des Baisers de Cerise, belonged to Pierre.
It was their first time unloading a shipment without Luke being there to guide them. Just like everything else around the orchard, it felt weird. The men’s faces were grey and sullen, desperately in need of warmer weather and more vitamin D. But resting upon each face of the young farmhands was also the unmistakable mask of grief. Luke meant everything to everyone, not just Jimin. He was the leader of the team, the joke teller, the father figure, the kind disciplinarian. And he cared more about his men than some of their own families. The days since his death were hard for everyone, but the train arrival seemed to hit them the worst. During the unloading, Luke would always lead them in song or yell dirty jokes down the line to keep them all laughing. That voice was gone, silenced unceremoniously.
The orchard’s family of donkeys arrived to help with hauling the supplies. Pierre always preferred donkeys to horses, claiming they were more tamable with less attitude. However, the entire orchard knew that the real reason he preferred donkeys was because they were cheaper and much smarter.
The men on the farm considered them family. Their names were Euphoria, Muse, Butterfly, Dynamite and Jimin’s favorite, Seven. Seven was the youngest and the only female in the group. She was the gentlest donkey in the fleet and she had a magnetic personality that stole Jimin’s heart. She was also the hardest worker.
Seven strutted over to him and smiled with her crooked mushroom-colored teeth, “Good morning sweetheart. You’re doing well today?” Jimin tussled her hair and rubbed her floppy ears.
Seven was black with a long white dorsal stripe running down her back. She was unique in both coloring and attitude. And she was particularly furry, at times looking more like a large dog than a donkey. Everyone could tell by her strut that she knew she was a beautiful, rare breed. She milked it for more carrots and extra tomatoes at dinner. With a memory as sharp as a blade, she recognized her Jimin immediately. With a soft prodding against his shoulders, she said hello. She raised her hoof to poke Jimin in the butt.
Jimin knew what she wanted. It was the same tired question that she asked every time the train arrived. He responded patiently and with the same answer, “Seven how am I supposed to know how much stuff is in there? I’m going to find out the size of the load at the same time as you. Need I remind you that this is your job? It doesn’t matter how big the load is, Pierre is going to expect you and your brothers to haul it. The job is non-negotiable. The doors will open in a minute so be patient, please.” Jimin laughed and kissed her on the snout.
Seven bayed back at him, “Hee-haw, hee-haw.”
“I’m not having this argument with you,” Jimin folded his arms. He wanted to laugh but he refused to give her the satisfaction of knowing that her charms were working on him.
The latches popped, allowing the crew to open the train’s doors and begin lining up assembly style to transfer the boxes and pack them on each donkey. The load for the day was pretty light which he knew would make Seven very happy.
Jimin turned to her, “See baby, today’s load is nothing. You could probably carry it all yourself.” Jimin joked.
Seven pushed him in the back with her snout causing him to stumble forward. She didn’t appreciate his jokes. He secured her straps across her back and began stacking the items from his cart. She also had a small hitch attached so she could haul the packages more easily up the hill. He went to work emptying his boxcar. By 8:30am, all the boxcars belonging to Pierre were empty. They sent the donkeys up the hill and conversed for a few minutes with the train’s conductor.
Once again, the engine started and the train went through its typical machinations before pulling off. There was a long hiss from underneath the locomotive as the air escaped from the breaks. A metallic clank stirred through the valley causing everyone to cover their ears. Jimin and the crew members waved goodbye.
Just then, something caught Jimin’s eye. One of the boxcar doors was partially open and Jimin couldn’t remember if that was one of the cars they had emptied. It was a bit strange. To be on the safe side, he signaled to the engineer to hold before taking off. The soft fertile ground beneath his boots transitioned to the crunchy gravel ballasts that were anchored beneath the tracks. He stepped closer, slightly apprehensive about what he might find. Peering into the shadowy interior of the boxcar, he froze.
“FUCK!” Jimin stumbled backwards, not sure if the man curled up on top of the cardboard boxes was dead or alive. “Please don’t be dead, please don’t be dead. I’ve had all the fucking dead people I can handle,” he whispered frantically to himself. Mustering up all his nerves, he jumped into the boxcar and headed towards the corner where the man was laying. Before he even reached him, he could hear his loud snoring. With that, Jimin released a huge sigh of relief. “Thank God you aren’t dead,” he laughed to himself. He continued to approach him, careful not to frighten him.
He did not expect what he found; a young soldier, still wearing his uniform, low cropped hair, pale, thin and extremely handsome. Jimin cringed. He was already irritated with himself for noticing the man’s looks. Those days were supposed to be behind him, yet instinctually the soldier’s looks were the first thoughts to cross his mind. And there were even more surprises where that came from. A careful inspection revealed that the man was Asian, and judging from his uniform - Korean. Jimin let out a gasp.
“Hey, are we clear to go?” The conductor called from the front of the train.
Jimin had a dilemma. If the conductor discovered that there was a trespasser on his train, he would immediately have him arrested. Train jumping was illegal in France. Despite knowing nothing about him or his circumstances, there was no way that Jimin was going to allow a soldier fresh out of combat to be arrested. Especially a Korean soldier. He had no idea how he ended up in France, but somehow Jimin felt that he had to help him. But he had to think fast.
“Uh…yea, we’re clear to go,” Jimin lied.
His plan was fool hearty, but it was the only plan he had. He decided to let the train continue as if nothing was amiss. Once the train was moving, he and the soldier were going to have to jump for it. But first he had to wake him.
Once again, he heard the train’s brakes release and the ringing of the crossing bell as it slowly lumbered to life. Jimin turned his attention to the handsome man snoring atop of the cardboard boxes.
“Uh…hello? Guy, um officer…Jeon?” He read his name badge embroidered into his uniform shirt, “Wake up dude. Like this is not a good time to be off in dreamland. Wake up.” Jimin shook his shoulder. “You have to uh…you have to get out of here. If they find you here you could end up in jail.”
The train began to pick up speed as it cleared the first switch.
Jeongguk opened his eyes and was immediately blinded by the hard bright light that was streaming into the car. He squinted as his eyes fixed upon the glow. Looming over him was a beautiful silhouette shrouded in liquid gold like an exquisite corona. Long blonde hair, bright eyes, and the most flawless skin he’d ever seen. What could only be described as a halo crowned his head, blurring the outline of his face.
Instead of panicking, Jeongguk felt the greatest peace he’d ever felt in his entire life. Was this…the afterlife? Was the beautiful creature in front of him an angel? He could feel the angel’s icy hands gripping his shoulder. Words were coming from his mouth but they were all in French.
“Am I dead? Are you my angel?” Jeongguk asked honestly.
His memory was not clear and he didn’t know where he was. In that instant, he assumed he was dead. Part of him wished he was dead because the angel that God had assigned to him was a perfect introduction to heaven. He was ephemeral. Still foggy, Jeongguk smiled back at him.
Jimin began the conversation in French but realized quickly that he needed to speak either English or Korean. He chose English.
“Hey, handsome. Wake up. We’ve got to get you out of here. And…to answer your questions, nope, not an angel and nope, you’re not dead. But you’re going to end up in jail if we don’t get you off this fucking train. Do you understand?” Jimin said firmly. The vineyards outside began to blur as the train moved faster and faster. It was definitely time to jump.
“Train?” Jeongguk popped up. Suddenly it all came flashing back to him. He was on a train and had been riding it for two days since Paris. And whoever this lovely man was, he was there to rescue him. “Jail?”
“Yes, asshole. JAIL! Train jumping is illegal and I do not have the time to explain all of this to you. Grab your stuff and let’s go. I have to get you off here before the train crew finds you. We have to jump.”
“Say less.” Within the blink of an eye, Jeongguk was on his feet with his duffle bag across his back.
“Quickly, quickly. This conductor must have a hot date because he is really hauling ass. I’ve never done this before but I assume we just jump high and clear of the tracks, huh?” Jimin’s stomach tied in knots as he watched the scenic orchards speed by.
His mouth was completely dry and his hands were trembling. He braced himself, gripping the bottom of the boxcar with his boot as the wind rustled through his hair. Precariously he stood at the opening, bracing, planning for the dangerous jump. The sun was bright, making it difficult to see past the heavy reflection against the metal. The ground disappeared so quickly that he couldn’t decide on a landing spot. Fear grew in his stomach. He suddenly didn’t like this idea at all. Jumping from a moving train was absolutely ridic -
“AHHHHHHH!” Jimin suddenly released a blood curdling scream.
There was a delayed thud in his back where the man had collided into him. He found himself swimming through the air with the only solid foundation around him being the body of the soldier who held him in his arms. Jimin continued to scream as the two of them went airborne without any warning. The force of the soldier’s jump propelled them forward, away from the train, landing them violently against the trunk of a large cherry tree.
Jeongguk took the brunt of the force from the collision, knocking the wind from his lungs, causing him to grasp his side in pain. Despite the violent force of the landing, he released Jimin gently, rolling him safely across the soft fertile ground.
Jimin was outraged, “Mind telling me what the fuck that was?” He yelled as he stood to his feet.
Jeongguk winced, “You said we needed to get off of the train.”
“Yea, but not like that. I mean…we needed to prepare first…I mean…I needed to prepare first…I mean…I needed a little warning.”
“Yea Bro. You were turning green. If I had given you a little warning,” Jeongguk said ‘warning’ in air quotes, “you would still be standing in that boxcar about to piss your pants.”
“Oh…uh…well I’m risk averse and not very fond of jumping from moving trains.”
“You’re welcome.” Jeongguk laughed. He grimaced and held his side as he stared at Jimin. “Honestly, I should be the one thanking you. If you hadn’t woken me up, I would have slept my way to jail.”
“You’re also welcome. I saw your uniform and well, I couldn’t, I mean I didn’t think it was fair for you to…get into any trouble.” Jimin splashed a diamond smile that took Jeongguk’s breath away.
His large eyes suddenly narrowed on Jimin’s face. “My God you’re gorgeous. You know when I first opened my eyes, I thought I was dead and that you were an angel.”
Jimin blushed. Never in the history of ever had a stranger called him gorgeous before. He didn’t exactly know how to accept the compliment. So, he ignored it.
“Yea. You asked me if you were dead. Strange place for your mind to go after a long nap,” Jimin teased.
“When you’ve lived the kind of fucked up life that I’ve lived, death definitely becomes an option.”
Jimin felt that sentiment deep down in his soul, but he wasn’t interested in having a heart to heart with the stranger that he’d just met.
“Yeah,” was all that he managed to say. “Hi. I’m Park Jimin.”
“I’m Jeon Jeongguk, Officer of the 31st command post stationed in Icheon.”
“Icheon? So, you are Korean! I suspected it by your uniform and the uh obvious Korean flag on your breast plate.”
“Yes. Born and raised in Busan,” Jeongguk said proudly.
“BUSAN! I’m from Busan. Holy hell what a coincidence. What brings you all the way to France, Officer Jeon?”
“Military exercises and special training. I’ve been training in Paris and I was set to remain there for two years until…until I was unexpectedly discharged.”
Jeongguk dipped his head with what Jimin interpreted as embarrassment. He chose not to pry, “A Korean soldier in Paris. Do you speak French?”
“Of course. Je parle couramment le français. Je me masturbe souvent au son du vin dans le vignoble. J'ai un gros pénis et j'adore la couleur bleue.” [I speak French fluently. I often masturbate to the sound of the wine in the vineyard. I have a big penis and I love the color blue.]
Jimin looked around to see if anyone else heard what he had just heard. Sadly, he was alone and there were no witnesses to the worst French he’d ever heard. “Ah, I’m not sure you meant to say that…? How about you say it again in English, to make sure that I understood.”
Jeongguk repeated himself, “I said that I adore the French people and I was honored to train with their military in such a beautiful city such as Paris with its blue rolling hills.”
“Bro, that is not at all what you just said. Why don’t we park that for now. I think we have higher priorities like figuring out what to do with you. Why were you trespassing on the train?”
“Long story.”
“We have a long walk back, so it’s the perfect time to hear your long story,” Jimin added.
“Ok. You asked for it,” Jeongguk struggled to get to his feet. His ribs were bruised from the turbulent crash into the cherry tree. He winced and grabbed his side, laboring to take a breath.
“Whoa, officer, you’re injured.” Jimin noticed right away that Jeongguk was hurt. “May I take a look?”
“Yea, sure.” Jeongguk untucked his uniform shirt and lifted it so that Jimin could see the area where he was bruised.
“Shit. That doesn’t look good. You need rest and a little TLC. Mind telling me what your plans are and how you ended up here in Cerét?”
“Cerét? Is that where I am?”
“My God you really do fly by the seat of your pants don’t you? YES, that is where you are. Cerét was the first stop for the train you hopped on. You mean, you didn’t come here intentionally?”
“That goes back to my long story.”
“You’re hurt officer Jeon. And I can’t help but think it’s kind of my fault. It was my plan to jump from a moving train and I didn’t exactly give you any other options. I guess it’s only fair that I give you a place to lay your head and rest up for a few days. Can you walk?”
“Yea, I can walk. I’ll be ok. I don’t think anything is broken, just bruised ribs if I had to guess.”
“Do you need a doctor? I can have a donkey carry you into town to see Dr. Dubois.”
“A donkey?”
“Yes, a donkey.”
“Like…we can’t call an Uber?”
Jimin laughed. “You’re in Cerét. Here we prefer slow and steady transport by donkey. But if you insist on an Uber, I guess we could arrange that.” He doubled over in laughter. Twenty minutes into knowing Jeongguk and he’d already laughed more than he had in the last month.
“Whatever, I don’t think I need a doctor. But I do need to rest and possibly bathe. I’ve been on the back of the train for three days. I’m sure I have the plague.”
“Hmm, you may be a little dirty but I can assure you that it’s not the plague.” Jimin laughed again. Third time in twenty minutes. “I can help but we need to get going. It’s getting late and I have to report for work. I’ll carry your duffle bag since you’re hurt. We have a long walk, but I promise it will be one of the most beautiful walks you’ve ever had in your life.”
“Where are we going?” Jeongguk asked as he fell in line beside Jimin.
“Back to the stables.”
“Horse stables?”
“No, not exactly. More like barracks.” Jimin used a comparison that he felt Jeongguk could relate to. “The owner of the orchard where I work converted all the horse stables into individual rooms for the workers. Nothing fancy, but they’re clean, modern, warm, and comfortable. They really feel like home,” Jimin explained.
“Orchard? If I may ask, what exactly do you do, Park Jimin?”
“How should I say…I am a Saisonnier eh vergers de cerisiers.”
“Porn? You film porn?”
“Oh gracious no. What the fuck?” Jimin stopped dead in his tracks to stare at Jeongguk. “There is no way that your French is that bad.”
“I think my French is pretty good.”
“No, my friend. It is not. I said nothing about porn. I said that I’m a worker in the cherry orchards of Cerét. I’m one of 100 farmhands at Le Verger des Baisers de Cerise.”
“That’s not how I understood it but, you do you. What you said works too. So, you’re a cherry farmer?”
“Yes. All of these trees that you see for miles and miles are under my care. Not just me, we have an entire team working around the clock to make sure these little beauties live a full productive life with sweet burgundy fruit that we sell to the markets.”
“Somehow that sounds, romantic. And how long have you been in the cherry business, Park Jimin?”
“Going on ten years. I was just twenty years old when I started. A kind friend found me living in a homeless shelter. I had run away from Busan and fled to Paris for better opportunity and less judgement…,”
“Judgment?” Jeongguk picked up on the peculiar use of that word. “What kind of judgement?”
“I don’t have to tell you how closed-minded Korean society can be. Let’s just say that I felt boxed in, restricted. I wanted to be free to live my own life. France felt like a great place to live the life that I wanted to live. I loved fashion and clothing, so I settled in the Beau Grenelle area. But earning my way in the fashion industry wasn’t easy. One thing led to another and I found myself homeless, without a job, money or prospects. I was too prideful to go back home and that’s how I ended up here.”
“And do you like this kind of work? Cherry farming?”
“I won’t lie, it’s hard work. But the men I work with are like family to me. I have a great boss, free room and board, plenty of time off, and low stress. And some of the most beautiful views you’ll ever see anywhere in the world. So, yea, I like it. It’s home,” Jimin said confidently.
As they meandered through the orchard, they continued to talk about all the things that immediately came to mind. Jeongguk was very easy to talk to and Jimin probably told him more than he meant to, considering that he was a virtual stranger. But with plenty of time to kill and lovely conversation, he didn’t feel the need to restrict himself. It took them an hour to get back to the stables, evidence of just how fast the train was going and how quickly it had moved out of the region. Jimin was grateful that Jeongguk threw him from the train when he did, otherwise they may have both ended up arrested for train jumping. The more he and Jeongguk talked, the more enchanted he became with the soldier. He was quirky and still very handsome. Somehow that made him interesting.
As they approached the final few yards before arriving at Jimin’s stable, he brought the conversation full circle.
“Now can we please get back to the topic du jour?”
“Sure, I guess,” Jeongguk smiled.
“Why are you in Cerét?”
Jeongguk laughed but gave a short and simple answer, “Because I need to charge my phone.”
“Charge your…?” Jimin’s face twisted as he stopped in his tracks again. He stared at officer Jeon. “What do you mean charge your phone?”
“Yes. Hopefully you have an iPhone charger in that stable of yours.”
“Charge your phone? I-I-I-uh yea. I have a charger. But are you saying that you illegally hopped a train from Paris to Cerét for three days just so that you could charge your phone?” Jimin was bemused.
“Yes, that and…to fall in love.”
“What? What are you even saying? Fall in love? What do you mean fall in love? When? With whom?”
Jeongguk smiled and placed his hand on Jimin’s shoulder. He glared deeply into his eyes before responding, “Probably…with you.”
🍒🍃
Chapter Two - Offer You Can't Refuse
Jimin and Jeongguk arrived at Jimin’s stable. The two hours that Jimin had been missing would be docked from his pay if he didn’t get out to the fields immediately. That meant that he didn’t have time to query Jeongguk about his silly poetic claims of falling in love. He rushed him into his stable and gave him a quick tour of the place.
“Look, I have to get to work. But feel free to make yourself at home. You can use Luke’s bed to lay down. He…won’t be needing it any longer.” Jimin grappled with the words he needed to say. “There’s plenty of food in the kitchen, a hot plate, microwave oven and…phone charger on the desk. “He laughed. “The showers are communal, but they’re clean, hot and have plenty of soap. Just head out through that back door and take a left. It’s the last building on the right. I’ll stop in during my lunch break to check in. In the meantime, you’re welcome to anything that I have. Just…relax. Oh, and uh, when I come back, you’re going to sit down and explain your decision to fall in love with random people,” Jimin laughed again. The soldier was just so quirky.
“Thanks for everything. And trust me, I look forward to telling you all about my uh…journey.” Jeongguk nodded. He began to remove his clothes before Jimin even fully exited the room. Within seconds, he was completely naked, flexing his thigh muscles.
Jimin really needed to go, but Jeongguk’s blatant and unabashed willingness to strip naked in front of him needed to be addressed. The man had only been there five minutes and was already throwing around his very, ample and supremely beautiful dick. “Ah dude. Just so there are no misunderstandings, let’s clear the air quickly. I like women. In fact, there is a very particular woman that I’ve been…seeing. I’m not assuming anything about what you may or may not like, but I do want to make sure you understand where I stand. I don’t go that way and I would greatly appreciate it if you keep yourself covered. You have a very nice body but…I think you should save it for the person you actually do fall in love with. And that won’t be me.”
“Oh bro, my bad. Ex-military, we have a tendency to be very free and comfortable with nudity. I didn’t mean to offend you. I’ll make sure to keep myself covered. By the time you return, everything will be much less…gay.”
Jimin laughed, “I’ll deal with you later.” He stormed through the stable door and headed towards the orchard.
***
Jeongguk rifled through his duffle bag looking for clean clothes. He longed to wear something other than his ugly green uniform. For five years, he’d been relegated to looking like a moldy vegetable with no color or fashion anywhere in sight. Given how quickly he ran to escape his father, it was a miracle that he had any civilian clothes at all. In fact, his selection was sparse. It was mid-January and the region was still prone to icy weather and frigid temperatures. He chose a simple pair of jeans, a long sleeve shirt and his only pair of non-military undies. His Calvin Klein boxers had been a gift from an old army roommate. More than ever, Jeongguk appreciated having them because all his military issued underwear were the same putrid avocado green color as his uniform. For once, he wanted to feel sexy, like he belonged to himself and not the country of South Korea.
With his clothes balled in his hands, he looked around. Jimin’s room was a pretty good size. There were two queen beds, two wardrobes that doubled as closets, dresser drawers, a mini kitchen with cabinets, and soundproof walls covered in rustic restored wood. Cowboy hats, horseshoes, saddles and bridles hung sporadically along the walls; possibly an ode to the animals that once lived there. A stone fireplace stuffed with freshly chopped wood was flushed against the opposite wall. There was a homey feel to the place that made it feel like the perfect stomping ground for cowboys.
Luke’s side of the room had intricately framed photos of cherry blossoms from all over the world. They lined the wall from top to bottom creating a museum-like setting over his bed. Sitting on his desk was a loose polaroid of an older woman and a kid wearing styles from the late 80s. The picture was frayed and discolored, giving the indication of age. Jeongguk assumed the people in the photo were Luke’s family.
Jimin’s side of the room was very neat, prim and proper. Jeongguk could tell a lot about him just by studying his setup. There were three large bookshelves that bordered his bed, creating a faux wall between his area and the kitchen. Each shelf was stuffed with books, vinyl records and fashion magazines. There was an old phonograph sitting on his desk that could also play CDs and cassettes. A vintage microscope and a manual typewriter sat at the very top of the bookshelf. Clearly Jimin had an affinity for antiques; the nostalgic lore of yesteryear. Jeongguk found Jimin’s room endearing, the sign of an intellectual man who had taste, thoughts, dreams. He nodded as he continued to walk naked through Jimin’s space.
To Jeongguk’s relief, Jimin wasn’t too locked in the past because he also had a MacBook pro and yes, a phone charger sitting on the nightstand next to his bed. He grinned and then immediately ran over and plugged in his newly cracked phone. If nothing else came out of this adventure, at least he would have a charged phone.
The stable had two doors, one in the front that led straight to the orchards and another, smaller door in the back that led to the communal showers. Since Jimin had already warned him that nakedness needed to be managed, Jeongguk threw his uniform back on to cover himself during his walk to the shower.
He was immediately hit with the cold when he stepped outside. Wearing just flip flops, the brisk wind gathered around his feet causing him to hasten his step. The bath house was warm and comfortable. Just as Jimin promised, the shower was top notch with tile floors and walls, a towel station with fresh warm towels, and a rack full of soaps and shampoo. There were twenty private stalls, ten on each side. Since he was the only one there, he had his pick of showers. He threw his clothes on the bench and stepped in.
“Hot damn!” He bellowed as he shook his butt.
The steaming hot water felt like dope in his veins. He couldn’t believe how much he missed washing. He wasn’t sure if there was a limit on shower time so he washed quickly and vigorously before the hot water was cut like they did in the military. He slowed his pace just long enough to allow the conditioner to sit in his hair. For the first four years of service, he was forced into a buzz cut, but as soon as he was transferred to Paris, he was allowed to grow his hair to the top of his ears. His bangs were thick, jet black and very dull. He hoped that using a little conditioner would help bring back its natural glossy shine.
As soon as he made it back to Jimin’s room, there was a knock on the door. His hair was still wet and his long sleeve t-shirt was sticking to his damp skin. It seemed awkward to answer the door considering that he was just a guest himself, but he didn’t want to be rude and not acknowledge a visitor. The doorknob twisted before he could open it.
“Jimin? Jimin, you here? It’s me.” An olive-skinned woman with long dark hair let herself into Jimin’s room. “Jim…AHH!” She screamed when she saw Jeongguk peep from behind the bookcase. “Who are you and what are you doing in Jimin’s room?” Noémie stepped back, prepared to defend herself if necessary. She immediately picked up a heavy book that Jimin had sitting on the edge of his desk.
Jeongguk wasn’t sure how that could be used as a weapon but he proceeded with caution just to be polite. “Hello. I-I’m a friend…of Jimin’s.”
“A friend? Who are you? What’s your name? Why have I never met you before?” Noémie questioned.
“We just met today. He kinda’ saved my life?” Jeongguk wasn’t exactly sure how to explain his and Jimin’s encounter.
Noémie was not backing down. “Ok fine but why are you in his fucking room without him being here?”
Jeongguk sensed that she still wasn’t comfortable with him. He tried his best to explain further. “I’m injured. See?” He lifted his shirt to show her the nasty bruise on his rib cage. He also inadvertently flashed his eight pack of taut muscles, a scene that instantly drew Noémie’s attention. “I had a nasty collision with a cherry tree and Jimin witnessed the entire thing. I’m a soldier just released from the army. I have nowhere to go…not yet anyway…I’m working on that part. Anyway, Jimin took pity on me and invited me back here to grab a shower and rest before I continue on my travels. My ribs aren’t broken but I do probably need to stay off my feet for a few hours. Oh yea, and I also really really needed to charge my phone,” Jeongguk added that bit as if it would make a difference to Noémie’s overall opinion of him.
“You’re Korean, like Jimin,” Noémie said dreamily.
“Yes. Now I’ve explained who I am. And who are you?”
“I’m Jimin’s boss.”
“Surely you’re not Pierre,” Jeongguk teased knowing perfectly well that she was not the seventy-year-old man that Jimin had told him about.
“No, well, no. I’m his daughter and my family owns this farm so that makes me his boss,” she said authoritatively.
“Wait! Are you…Noémie?”
“Yes. How do you know?”
“Jimin talked about you during our long walk back to the orchards after my accident.”
Noémie sat on Luke’s bed. She stared at Jeongguk, her eyes focusing on his crotch as if she were guesstimating the size of his dick. “Talked about me?”
“Yea, he’s quite smitten with you.”
Noémie rolled her eyes, “Let me stop you right there. Whatever Jimin has told you about us, it is all in his head. We are nothing more than good friends. Please, don’t spread his delusions.”
“Me thinks thou doth protest too much,” Jeongguk smirked.
“What?”
“Nothing. So, do you always barge into the rooms of your employees with your big titties hanging out and your too tight little sweaters? Seems like a HR nightmare if you ask me.”
“My titties are not hanging out and I resent your insinuation. I’m here on official business. I told you, Jimin is nothing special.”
“I’ve known him for three hours and I can assure you he is very special.” Since Noémie insisted on staring at his body, he figured she wouldn’t mind if he put on a warmer shirt. He removed his damp t-shirt and walked back over to his duffle bag. As he expected, Noémie followed him with her eyes, drinking in every centimeter of his semi-nude body. He casually flexed the muscles in his back as he pulled the sweater over his shoulders. “There. Much better. It’s cold around these parts.”
“Where are you from and how did you get here? Does my father know that you’re on his property?”
“I’m from Korea, I thought we already established that,” Jeongguk teased. He acknowledged her disappointment in his putting a shirt back on.
“Don’t play dumb. How did you get to France?” she scowled.
Jeongguk laughed. She was too easy. “Like I said, I was discharged from the military. I was here in France doing some training exercises. I ended up taking the train to Cerét and that’s where I met Jimin. And tell your old man not to worry, I won’t be here long. I just need to grab some food and heal my wounds. Jeongguk sauntered over to her and stood close. He leaned down and whispered into her ear, “Surely you wouldn’t kick out an injured man.”
Noémie laughed. She was a good sport and even she understood that Jeongguk was teasing her. “Alright, alright. I guess you’re harmless.” She held out her hand and gave a formal introduction, “Noémie Groues, and you are?”
“Jeon Jeongguk, 31st Command, Republic of Korea Army.”
“Sorry I was a bit intense before. I’m kind of protective of Jimin, you know? He’s so trusting sometimes.”
“I thought he wasn’t special.”
“I didn’t mean it like that. I meant that nothing between us is special. Stop twisting my words,” she blushed and laughed again. “And tell me something. How is it that you feel Jimin is so special when you’ve only just met?”
“Vibes. First impressions. Destiny. That kind of stuff,” Jeongguk’s answer was vague and difficult to interpret.
Noémie didn’t know how to counter. Clearly the soldier was a fan of Jimin. “You have a girlfriend, soldier?”
“Do you mean a boyfriend? No.”
“You’re…?” Noémie’s eyes bulged at Jeongguk’s casual declaration.
“Gay. I’m in my hot blonde with the big dick era.”
Noémie scowled. The soldier was crass and much too forward. She instantly hated him. He was very attractive, very free and arrogant and the worst part was that he inadvertently flaunted it in her face as if he could already sense her wretched jealousy. “You’re welcome to stay, but don’t make yourself too comfortable. As soon as we replace Luke, our new farmhand will be moving in here and you’ll need to move on.”
“Luke. Jimin mentioned what happened. Seems like it really hit him hard. I gather they were very close.”
“Luke was everything to Jimin. His best friend and his father figure at the same time. Yes, he took Luke’s death hard. That’s why I came by to see if Jimin had finished packing up Luke’s things. His sister is due to arrive this evening to pick up his belongings and claim his body. But judging from the half empty boxes, he hasn’t really gotten around to it. Can’t say I blame him. This must be heartbreaking for him,” Noémie said with sadness.
“What time is his sister coming?”
“Around dinner time, 5pm or so.”
“Jimin is working and because of me, he’ll probably have to work late. So, what do you say I get all this stuff packed up? It’s the least I could do to help Jimin out. Trust me, I know from experience that packing up the belongings of a dead loved one is like grieving all over again. You know Jimin better than me. Do you think he would mind me helping?”
“I think he would adore you for helping out.” Noémie smiled and stood to her feet. “Well, I better get going. See you around?”
“Yea, I hope so.”
She very seductively swept her long hair over her right shoulder. She paused for a moment as if to allow Jeongguk a chance to get a good look at her shapely body. As soon as she swung the door open and took the first step she ran smack into Jimin. He had returned to check on Jeongguk during his lunch hour. He was beyond perplexed to find Noémie in his room.
“Oh!” She clutched her huge left boob and leaned over in laughter, “You scared me!”
“Hey, what are you doing here?” Jimin’s eyes instinctively traveled between Noémie and Jeongguk.
The two of them shared a familiar glance, much too familiar for two people who shouldn’t have known each other. Jimin stepped between them. He glanced around the room, trying to get a sense of why she was there. The first thing he noticed was that Jeongguk looked very different in his tight jeans and fitted sweater than he did in his uniform. He was fifty times more attractive than when he’d found him cuddled up with cardboard boxes in the back of the train.
Jimin’s defenses immediately went up. “Are you going to answer me? What are you doing here alone with him?” He glared at her.
“Whoa take that attitude down 1000 notches please. She was looking for you,” Jeongguk jumped in to keep Jimin steady.
Noémie echoed, “Right. I was looking for you. And to be clear, why does it matter if I was here talking to your new friend? It doesn’t mean anything and you don’t own me.”
“Uh yea, so I think I left my dirty underwear in the bath house. Gross, they’ve got two days’ worth of train dust on there. Well, I better go find that,” Jeongguk made up a ridiculous excuse to get the hell out of that room. He bolted through the back door of the stable with no further explanation. He could feel Jimin’s anger pitching up and he felt that the two of them needed some time alone so that Noémie could explain in her own words why she was there. As innocent as it all was, Jeongguk did feel a small bit of guilt for flirting with Noémie but it was all harmless fun.
Jimin pulled Noémie back inside. “What’s wrong with you, why are you so fiery all the time. I never said I owned you. I asked a simple question about why you were here,” Jimin whispered loudly.
“I didn’t like your tone…your insinuation,” Noémie snapped back.
“Ok, you said you were looking for me. I’m here now. What is it?”
“Your friend is very attractive and funny.”
“You two talked?”
“Jealous?”
“Should I be?” Jimin was irritated with her response. She always liked to play games with his tender feelings for her.
“He said you two met when his train stopped in town. Why didn’t you tell me about him?”
“I’ve known him for about six hours and four of those hours I was working up on the hill tending to some of the older trees that were scorched from Luke’s fire. So, forgive me if I didn’t give you a full breakdown. I didn’t expect you to barge into my room and interrogate him.”
“Yes, we spoke briefly. Just long enough to learn that he’s trespassing on daddy’s property and he shouldn’t get too comfortable here. But that’s all we spoke about.”
“And you missed me so much that you had to come to my room to find me?”
“I needed to speak with you about something…,” Noémie remembered Jeongguk’s kind offer to pack up Luke’s things, so she avoided recounting all of it with Jimin. He was smiling and seemed to be in a good mood and she didn’t want talk of Luke to bring him down again. “It was something about work, but it’s not important.”
“Ok. Well let’s kiss and make up,” Jimin pressed her against the wall and puckered his lips. Noémie whipped her head away at the last minute so that his kiss landed squarely in the middle of her cheek.
“No, Park Jimin.” She laughed heartily and ran back towards the main house.
Jeongguk watched from the bathhouse as she ran away from Jimin’s room. He felt it was safe to return. Jimin rounded on him as soon as he stepped through the back door. His eyes were dark, focused and intense.
“I don’t mind you being here and I meant it when I said that I wanted to help you get back on your feet. But there’s one thing that I need to make very clear. Noémie is off limits. She’s taken,” Jimin said seriously.
“Not according to her,” Jeongguk shrugged.
“You talked to her? About me?”
“A little, yea. She said that whatever claims you made about the two of you were all in your head and you two were just friends. So…mind telling me what’s really going on? Don’t get me wrong, she’s fucking hot, but at the same time, she doesn’t seem like your type.”
“My type? I’ve known you for less than six hours, how do you know my type? You really have no filter, do you?” Jimin said angrily.
“Hey, calm down. I’m on your side. If she’s what you want, who am I to question it? I just…well I have a good sense of who you are and she just doesn’t seem…never mind.”
“You don’t know me or anything about me. How can you possibly have any sense of anything?”
“Sure. You’re right, I don’t know you at all. Forgive me for overstepping.” Jeongguk relented despite having a deep sense of Jimin’s character, like they had known each other for years. “Now come on, spill. What’s the deal with you two?”
Jeongguk plunked down on Luke’s bed. He looked around and found a stack of folded boxes in the corner. His plan was to start packing Luke’s stuff as soon as Jimin returned to the orchards. He kept his promise to Noémie not to disclose any of it to Jimin.
“Ah, the story of Noémie,” Jimin said poetically. “She’s the bane of my existence and at the same time, the light of my life.”
“You’re in love?” Jeongguk cut straight to it.
“In lust?” Jimin laughed. “Ok I really shouldn’t be sharing any of this with you. If this information ever got back to Pierre…,”
“I don’t even fucking know Pierre so why would I ever tell him anything? Consider me a very disinterested third party who has no skin in the game. I promise to keep your secrets, now talk to me. I know you’re dying to brag about that hottie.”
Jimin laughed and fell onto his bed. “I have to get back to work soon, so I’ll give you the abbreviated version.” Jimin relaxed, kicking his shoes off as he prepared to tell his story. “When I first started working here, I was a kid, nineteen years old. I turned twenty about a week after I was hired. In case you didn’t notice, she’s a bit older than me. So naturally, she was a proper adult with a very active dating life. Her mother had just died and she was adjusting to life without her. She had a steady boyfriend, some rich businessman who owned a brokerage firm. She seemed to really like him and Pierre loved him because he was exactly the caliber of man he felt she should marry. Even though she grew up on this farm, she was hardly here after her mother died. Too many memories back then, I guess. Her every moment was spent with her rich boyfriend galivanting across the globe. Although we never really talked about it, I got the feeling that he was controlling, possessive. Anyway, that lasted about seven years before he dumped her. That’s when she came back to the farm and really started to focus on learning the business. There were times when she would work out in the fields right beside us, never falling behind or lagging in her duties. She gained a lot of respect from the guys because of her hard work. Most of us understood the rules and respected her boundaries. But every now and again, one of the guys would drink too much and go rogue and cross the line with her. I think it was about a year ago when I happened to be walking by the bathhouse and overheard raised voices. I recognized it was Noémie so I ran in and found one of the guys getting handsy with her and trying to force her to the ground. Her shirt was ripped off and her breasts were exposed. The guy was drunk and I guess he decided that he wanted to fuck whether she wanted to or not. Noémie was terrified and they were in a violent struggle. But I’m sure that if I hadn’t come along, she would have kicked his ass,” Jimin said modestly. The situation was much worse than he was willing to admit to Jeongguk. He didn’t feel that the virtual stranger needed to hear all the gory details about how close Noémie had come to being raped.
“I sorted him out and threw his ass into a stall. I held him there until the police arrived. Needless to say, both she and Pierre realized how easily the situation could have gotten out of hand if I had not intervened. They appreciated my help. After that, I was no longer invisible to her. We started talking, taking walks, meeting for lunch, that kind of thing. We were friends, solid friends and I was happy with that. I never pushed for anything further.”
“And I assume you two grew very close during that time?”
“Close, yes, but we never crossed the line…until…,”
“...until?” Jeongguk’s eyes sparkled as Jimin finally revealed the piping hot tea.
“Until one night we both got drunk. We were feeding the donkeys and acting silly, milking a bottle of bourbon. One thing led to another and before I knew it, we were kissing and then…fuck…she’s really hot. It was like I was in a trance. I knew she was forbidden fruit but I ate every drop of it. We ended up making love.”
“I beg to differ. You sticking your dick inside of her in a donkey stall is fucking.”
“You really don’t have a filter, do you?” Jimin rolled his eyes while holding back a laugh.
“I don’t,” Jeongguk affirmed. “And how was it? The sex I mean.”
“Magical. It was something like I’d never experienced before. It changed everything about how I felt about her. After that night, I couldn’t get enough of her. I couldn’t stop thinking about her. I wanted her every waking minute.”
“It was that good huh?” Jeongguk grinned like a bestie who was proud of his friend for finally getting some.
“It was. But she didn’t feel the same way. All of a sudden, she became distant. She downplayed the entire night as a drunken mistake. She tried to pretend that she was just worried about her father finding out but I think it was more than that.”
“Really. Why do you think she pulled back?”
“The age difference. The fact that I’m an employee. The fact that she was embarrassed for losing control. The fact that she has deeper feelings than she’s willing to admit…I don’t know. Pick one. Things have been tense between us ever since. Look man, I don’t know if I love this chick, but I do have strong feelings for her and I think we could be good together if she would just let her guard down. I spend every fucking minute chasing her and she spends every fucking minute rejecting me. It’s getting old, you know? That’s probably why I overreacted when I saw you two together. Constant rejection fucks with your self-esteem and makes you see things that really aren’t there.”
“Interesting.” Jeongguk wandered into the kitchen and began rifling through Jimin’s snacks. He was starving and hadn’t eaten in a couple of days.
“Interesting? That’s all you have to say?”
“Hell no, that’s not all I have to say. But it’s all that I should say because my filter is not working at all right now and I don’t want to piss you off. You’re the only one with a phone charger.”
Jimin doubled over in laughter. He slid into the kitchen next to Jeongguk and pulled some ready to eat meals out of the refrigerator. “Here. I have plenty of food. Pop these in the microwave for two minutes. They’re surprisingly delicious. I’ll grab some fresh fruit and vegetables from the market to cook dinner after my shift is over. In the meantime, eat these.”
“Thanks. I’m really, really hungry. I don’t know how I’ll repay you for your kindness.”
“Repay me by telling me what you really think about me and Noémie,” Jimin said hopefully. He didn’t know why but receiving validation from Jeongguk felt important.
“Ugh, you aren’t going to like what I have to say.”
“I asked for your opinion,” Jimin emphasized.
“Ok, but my phone is almost charged. No matter how angry you get, just let me fill my battery.”
“Would you stop it!” Jimin laughed again.
“Ok Park Jimin. Here is my unbiased, ill-informed opinion. Having only heard one side of the story, I can say this for certain. Noémie is an emotionally immature woman who isn’t in touch at all with her feelings. At her grown age, I would expect better. But what really angers me about this situation is that her emotional immaturity has somehow become your problem. You’re questioning everything about yourself, including your value. And that’s not fair. Because let me tell you what I know about you Park Jimin, you’re absolutely lovely. Evidenced by you taking in a total stranger and feeding him and giving him a place to sleep. Further evidenced by you saving my life and getting me off that train. And even further evidenced by the trust you’ve put in me. I’m a stranger yet you have treated me with nothing but kindness. You don’t even know me. I truly could be a serial killer and if I were, I would feel so badly about strangling you in your sleep.”
“Serial killer?” That part caught Jimin’s attention. He had never thought about that.
“I’m not. But you didn’t know that when you brought me home and gave me fresh towels. My point is, I’ve known you for less than a day and you’ve already made an impression on me. And don’t even get me started on how beautiful you are. You’re so perfect that I thought you were a fucking angel!” Jeongguk emphasized his point. “No one, no one should ever have the power to make you question yourself. I understand being confused, I really do. But the way she saunters around here, proudly proclaiming to feel nothing for you, yet refuses to just walk away and spare your feelings, it pisses me the fuck off. I know her kind. I understand women like her. You’re too good for her.”
“Holy shit! Tell me how you really feel.” Jimin’s mouth dropped open. Jeongguk’s read on Noémie was quite nasty. Yet somehow, he felt that he needed to hear it. “Jeongguk, you don’t understand. None of what you’re saying is true. There are so many reasons why a person can’t or won’t commit. True love doesn’t always take the path of least resistance.”
“True love? Surely you can’t be that naive?” Jeongguk questioned.
“Naive. That’s exactly what Noémie says about me. Maybe you two are more alike than you realize. I’m not naive. I’m optimistic. I’m supportive. I’m patient. I know what I feel for her. I think she feels the same. She just needs more time to figure it out.”
“How much more time? Didn’t you say it’s already been a year?”
“Maybe she needs two?” Jimin laughed.
“See…this is just more proof of how kind and gentle you are. Most guys would have moved on by now. But you…you are a hopeless romantic. I’ve always wanted someone in my life like that, you know? Someone who could see the entire forest and the trees,” Jeongguk said shyly.
“I have to get back to the orchards. Tonight we’ll have a great dinner and you can tell me more about your quest to find a hopeless romantic of your own. Get some rest. That damn rib isn’t going to heal itself.”
Jeongguk watched through a small window as Jimin stepped into the cold and headed back down into the valley. There was a smile parked upon his face. He appreciated Jimin’s honesty and his willingness to confide in him. But the entire situation between Noémie and Jimin was troubling. Jeongguk knew that he had no right to feel anything about a relationship that had nothing to do with him. He just didn’t want to see Jimin get hurt and it felt like that was exactly where he was headed.
***
It only took an hour to pack up all of Luke’s belongings. Jeongguk stripped his bed, emptied his wardrobe and pulled all his photos off the wall. With great care, he neatly packed up everything and labeled it accordingly.
Just before 5:00pm that evening, a farmhand arrived to pick up the boxes. Jeongguk watched him stack them in a hitch that was attached to an adorable black donkey. She seemed very focused on her work as she patiently waited for her cargo to be loaded. Jeongguk squinted his nose and playfully rubbed her ears. She was a cutie pie for sure.
“So, you’re the famous donkey that carries everyone around?”
Seven turned her head towards the orchard. She did not talk to strangers. Within five minutes she was all packed up and ready to go. Jeongguk watched as she and the farmhand disappeared towards the main house.
When Jeongguk returned, Jimin’s stable had a different energy. With Luke’s side now barren, he wondered if Jimin would be triggered because of the sudden change or feel more at peace. He was anxious to find out. At the end of the day, it was Noémie who asked Jeongguk to keep it a secret, so if Jimin had a problem with it, he would need to work it out with her.
Jeongguk was exhausted. He tried to wait for Jimin to return from his shift, but he couldn’t keep his eyes open. Before long he had fallen asleep on Luke’s bed. A few hours later, the smell of something incredible wafted through his nose, causing him to wake up. He sat up quickly and realized that the sun had fallen. Where the room was once chilly with the bite of the early spring cold, it was suddenly warm and comfortable. Jeongguk looked around and realized that a blazing fire was burning in the fireplace a few feet away. For a brief moment, he never wanted to leave. Never had he felt so comfortable and so welcomed.
“Hey sleepy head. You’re up just in time to eat. I promised a nice dinner,” Jimin’s soft voice met him as he stood to his feet.
He didn’t sound like his usual chipper self. Jeongguk immediately knew that he was missing Luke. Coming back and seeing all of Luke’s stuff gone was likely disturbing for him.
Jeongguk stuffed his hands in his pockets and walked towards the hot plate that was bubbling with colorful, fragrant stew. “Hope you don’t mind. I cleared Luke’s stuff out. Noémie didn’t think it was a good idea to make you…deal with it. So, I volunteered. Please tell me you’re ok with it.”
“It’s fine. It’s more than fine. Actually, I should have done it myself a week ago, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. Too many memories. I’m happy you stepped in. You didn’t have to do that.”
“All credit goes to Noémie. She was worried about you and didn’t want you to suffer. It felt like a protective gesture and you deserve to be protected,” Jeongguk said seriously.
Jimin artfully avoided the topic, “Dinner is ready. I’m a very bad cook. But you’re probably starving and haven’t eaten in days, so I’m sure you’ll think it’s delicious.” He grabbed a couple of bowls and ladled his stew over a base of rice.
“Is this…?”
“Doenjang Jjigae. Yep. What’s the fun of meeting a Korean friend if you can’t share an authentic Korean dish? That’s what took me so long to get home, I had to stop by the market.”
“You did all of this for me?” Jeongguk asked.
“For us. Without Luke, I don’t get as many home cooked meals as I used to. So, you were a perfect excuse to break out my low vibrational cooking skills.”
“This smells so good. I think your cooking skills might be better than you think.”
“Enjoy,” Jimin offered an artificial smile.
Jeongguk touched his shoulder, “You sure you ok?”
Jimin sat down at the table for two, “I will be.”
“Tell me about him.”
“Luke?”
“Yea. Luke,” Jeongguk said as he sat across from him.
“Haven’t I given you enough dreary news for one day?”
“I can always handle a little bit more,” Jeongguk smiled.
Jimin took a large bite of his stew. He settled back in his chair and spread his legs. “My home life wasn’t good. Like I said this morning, somehow I landed in Paris and that’s where Luke found me living in a homeless shelter. He was there volunteering on his day off from the orchard. We started talking and before I knew it, I had a job and steady income working here. He was just a good man. Honest, caring. He had no kids of his own which was a shame because he would have been an incredible father. There wasn’t a day that went by where he wasn’t singing or whistling or humming. This place was his life and he was truly happy here. He died doing what he loved, so I must be thankful for that. I was only twenty years old when I started here. I had so much to learn about life and he selflessly poured into me and shared all his wisdom. In fact, he warned me about getting involved with Noémie.” Jimin poured Jeongguk a glass of wine.
“I’m sorry for your loss. He sounds like a lovely man. We all need someone like that in our lives. What happened, if you don’t mind me asking?”
“Heart attack. One of the reasons that Luke loved life was because he lived life to its fullest. He didn’t always do a good job taking care of himself.”
“He smoked too, yea?”
“Yea,” Jimin laughed. Before he knew it, a happy grin had settled upon his face. “It hurts to think about right now, but I know that I’ll eventually move on. It’s what he would have wanted me to do.”
“Moving on is always the hardest part,” Jeongguk said knowingly. Jimin wanted to probe about what he meant, but once again, he chose not to.
“I’m going to miss him. It’s going to be hard living here all alone. He was such a good friend and such a good companion. We got along well and he kept me from being lonely. As crazy as it sounds, I’m really happy to have you here. Seems like the energy has changed, you know?”
“I felt it too. There is a lot of heavy energy in grief. But I have bad news.”
“Bad news?”
“My phone is fully charged.”
Jimin immediately began to laugh. “And how exactly is that bad news? Seems to me that’s the best news of the day.”
“It means that I no longer have a reason to be here. I’ll rest up for another few hours and then I’ll be moving on.”
“Moving on?”
“If Cerét is truly where I’m supposed to make a new life, then I need to get started. I have no money, no job and just the clothes on my back. Because of the uh…circumstances around my discharge, I didn’t get a full last paycheck like the other soldiers. I’m broke, so broke that I can’t even pay you back for this fancy dinner. That’s why I ended up hopping the train. I had no money for anything else. I was stranded in the middle of nowhere and my phone was dead. The bus driver who kicked me off the bus gave me some advice. He said to take control of my life and start anew, in a new city. So, I hopped on the train and left it up to her to decide my fate. I opened my eyes and there you were, in this beautiful city of Cerét. But I can’t be a burden to you so tomorrow I’ll be moving on.”
“In search of your one true love, I imagine,” Jimin teased.
“That’s not funny. I’m serious. This is the city where I will fall in love. For a couple of hours this morning, I thought it was going to be you. But after I learned about your situationship with Noémie, I realized that maybe I needed to keep looking and not just settle for the first super hot blonde Korean that I found on the train.”
Jimin fell partially to the floor because he was laughing so hard. “You’re a lunatic. You know that right?”
“But not the serial killer kind,” Jeongguk added.
This made Jimin laugh even harder. It took him three minutes to finally calm down. “So where will you go?”
“I don’t know. Money is an issue, so until I find a job, I may have to borrow another boxcar on the next train that comes through town.”
“Mm. Yea.” Jimin nodded with empty acknowledgement.
“What’s swirling through your pretty little head?” Jeongguk leaned forward to capture his gaze.
“Luke is gone. We’re short staffed and we’re already feeling the pressure of being one man down. We really could use another farmhand. One that is young and fit and can handle the hard work. Someone who is humble and disciplined.”
“You mean me?”
“Yes, you.”
“ME?”
“Yes. You, you, you.” Jimin sat up, eyes sparkling. “I can talk to Pierre first thing in the morning. I can vouch for you, just like Luke vouched for me. That is…if you’re interested.”
“Of course I’m interested. I don’t know if this is what I want to do with the rest of my life, but I do know that it’s a great place to start. Do you really think Pierre would hire me?”
“I do.”
“And what about Noémie?”
“She won’t object as long as you’re a hard worker.”
“Jimin, I don’t know how to thank you.”
“Don’t thank me. Thank destiny. It was destiny who dumped you right in the middle of this place right at a time when we needed you.”
“It’s settled. Tomorrow, you begin your new life.”
“Let’s toast. To a new life,” Jeongguk held his wine glass out to clink against Jimin’s.
“To a new life.”
***
Jeongguk sat across from Pierre’s desk wearing his full military uniform. Jimin was kind enough to wash it for him in the local laundry. Since Pierre himself was ex-military, they felt that wearing his uniform would make a good impression. Military soldiers were disciplined, well trained and well mannered. At least that’s what he hoped Pierre would assume.
He fidgeted, twirling his thumbs as he looked around. Pierre’s office was in the main house which was about a mile from the orchard fields. The house was nothing grand. It was a basic French cottage with three bedrooms and an office that had been added on for Pierre to conduct business. The decor was understated but classy, elegant. Everything was dated, giving Jeongguk the impression that it had once been loved by the woman of the house and everything remained untouched out of respect for her memory. There was a large oil painted portrait above the fireplace. The woman looked identical to Noémie but several years older. It must have been Noémie’s mother, the late Madeleine Groues.
Pierre lived there with Noémie and a poodle who looked just like the little guy from the Wizard of Oz. His name was literally Toto. Jeongguk found it amusing. Just beyond the window, he could see Jimin nervously pruning one of the nearby trees. The tree was not part of the orchard, nor was it his responsibility, nor did it need pruning. But he wanted to give Jeongguk as much support as possible, so he made up an imaginary task to keep busy just outside of Pierre’s office. Jeongguk could see his blonde hair passing underneath the window every few minutes.
Pierre jumped into his golf cart and headed back to the main house. Tending to a fallen tree had caused him to run late for his interview with the soldier. He came highly recommended by Jimin, even though he wasn’t exactly sure how the kid knew him. Pierre always respected soldiers so he was sure that the interview would go well.
Losing Luke was a big blow to the entire team, not just because he was a friend and a leader, but because he was also an incredible worker. He kept the younger kids in line and kept them focused. No matter how skilled and hardworking the new guy was, he would never be Luke.
Pierre fell through the front door full of apologies. Jeongguk immediately jumped to attention as he watched the man race towards him with his hand extended. He was a surprisingly handsome older man. Grey beard and low cropped grey hair. He looked like a model for Viagra. The Groues’ were definitely an attractive family.
Pierre spoke exclusively in French, “Bonjour, bonjour. Vous devez être Jeongguk. Enchanté de faire votre connaissance. Je vous prie de m'excuser pour mon retard. Ces vergers sont comme une bande d'enfants : ils se disputent constamment mon attention. Je vous en prie, asseyez-vous, asseyez-vous. Parlez-moi un peu de vous et dites-moi ce qui vous amène dans cette belle ville de Céret.” [Hello there. You must be Jeongguk. It’s a pleasure to meet you. Please forgive my lateness. These orchards are like a bunch of children—they’re constantly vying for my attention. Please, have a seat. Tell me a little about yourself and what brings you to this beautiful town of Céret.]
Jeongguk took his seat as he spoke, “Bonjour, ravi de faire votre connaissance également. Je m'appelle Jeon Jeongguk. Je suis un soldat du cirque coréen stationné ici, à Hawaï, et je viens tout juste d'être libéré de ma cage. J'ai apprécié vos bananes, et je crois que nous pourrions en déguster ensemble.” [Hello, it’s a pleasure to meet you too. My name is Jeon Jeongguk. I am a soldier from the Korean circus stationed here in Hawaii, and I’ve just been released from my cage. I enjoyed your bananas, and I think we could share some together.]
Pierre’s face twisted in confusion. He wasn’t exactly sure what Jeongguk was trying to say but one thing was for certain, the boy could not speak French. He tried again, “Parlez-vous français? Ou préférez-vous le coréen ? Peut-être l'anglais?” [Do you speak French? Or do you prefer Korean? Perhaps English?]
“Oui.”
“Eh bien, quelle langue préférez-vous?” [Well, which language do you prefer?]
“Non, merci, je n'ai pas faim.” [No, thanks, I'm not hungry.]
Pierre decided to take a different approach. The boy was clearly struggling. “How about we settle on English? Being a military man, I’m sure you’re trained in the language of your allies.” His accent was thick and difficult to decipher but he much preferred his faulty English over Jeongguk’s deplorable French.
“Yes. I speak English as well. Thank you for agreeing to meet with me.”
“Why do you want to work here? In the cherry orchards.” Pierre asked.
“I need a job. I realize this is hard work and I am up for the challenge. I respect the men that I’ve met so far and I think that I could really contribute to your team. I also need a job,” Jeongguk repeated for good measure.
“How…eh…how do you know Park Jimin?”
“He saved my life,” the story of how he and Jimin met became more exaggerated each time he told it.
“I’m not surprised. He is how do you say…? Fearless. There’s no challenge too big,” Pierre said glowingly.
“Indeed. So, when can I start?”
“You’re aggressive, confident. I like that. You can start tomorrow. I’ll pair you with Jimin. Since he has an opening in his stable, you can move in with him. I trust that you two will get along. We don’t allow fighting, and arguments. If you have a problem, then you bring it to me and we settle it like men. Anyone caught fighting, stealing, or any other egregious act will be fired and handed over to the police. There is one more rule that you should heed. Stay away from my daughter. She’s off limits to the workers. We have a strict policy here about fraternizing with your superiors. She is your superior. Jimin will gladly educate you on the rest of the rules. You’ll need proper clothes, especially to keep you warm during the winter months. You can decorate your room however you like. We provide breakfast every morning, but you’re on your own for dinner and lunch. If you need to borrow a donkey to head into town, see Jean Claude, he’ll prepare them for the trip. Uhm, what else? Oh, and payday is every Friday. Welcome aboard officer Jeon. I look forward to working with you.” Pierre stood to his feet and held his hand out for another handshake.
The top of Jimin’s blonde head paced back and forth beneath the window. He was getting antsy.
“Thank you for the opportunity, sir. You won’t be disappointed. Ah, I better go now. Jimin is so nervous that he’s about to faint,” Jeongguk laughed.
They said their final goodbyes.
Jeongguk bolted through the front door to find Jimin waiting there with a large smile. “Well? Well?” He asked anxiously.
“I got the job, roomie.”
“Roomie?” Jimin repeated.
“Yea. Pierre has officially assigned me to your stable. He says I can move in whenever I’m ready. I start work tomorrow!”
“Yes!” Jimin pumped his fists. “Congratulations officer.” Jimin gave him a friendly hug. “You’re going to like working here. And when you get tired or decide to move on, the world will be yours for the taking. We have so much to do before tomorrow. You’re going to need some warmer clothes. We work all through the night and into the early morning during the early spring. Flannel, lots of flannel. And you’ll need a uniform for the Cherry Festival that comes in the spring. I’ll take you to my favorite shop to pick up a couple of those. Oh, and you also need bed sheets, pajamas, underwear, hats and gloves. So much. So much. Let’s ask Jean Claude to prepare a donkey. We’ll take Seven, she’s a sweetheart. We can be at the shops within an hour.” Jimin talked a mile a minute.
“Not the donkey talk again!”
“WE ARE A DONKEY COMMUNITY.” Jimin couldn’t stop laughing.
Jeongguk smirked, “Or. OR, I can just arrange Amazon delivery. No donkeys involved.”
***
Jimin was incredibly happy to have Jeongguk join the team. He woke up an hour early just to make sure that the soldier got a good breakfast to start the day. Even though farming was hard work, he had faith that Jeongguk’s military background and the grueling schedules that he maintained would be the key to him adjusting quickly.
He plated some eggs, bacon and fresh croissants and placed them on the small table. Still wearing his pajamas, he crept over to Jeongguk’s bed and stood over him whispering, “Rise and shine soldier, it’s time to get to work.”
Despite the hour of 5:00am, Jeongguk was surprisingly easy to stir awake. He opened his eyes to find the angel visiting him again.
“I’m still alive right?” He asked as he stared into the deep crescent shaped eyes that were so effortlessly seductive.
“For sure.” Jimin laughed.
“And you’re still not an angel, right?”
Jimin blushed. Jeongguk was very consistent in his praise for Jimin’s looks. “I’m afraid not. But today is a very important day in the living-life of Jeon Jeongguk. Now get up, let’s get dressed and eat some breakfast before we head out to the orchard.”
“Yep, ok I’m up.” Jeongguk was wearing a long sleeve shirt and a pair of long johns that he borrowed from Jimin. He typically slept in underwear, but it was too cold in the stables to be that casual.
Jimin shook his head, “You know, if you had just agreed to ride into the market on the donkeys, you would have warm pajamas by now.”
“No thanks. Amazon will come through soon,” Jeongguk laughed. He checked to make sure that his phone was charged. He ordered a new phone charger from Amazon as well.
“Come, come. I have breakfast ready. You must be starving.” Jimin pushed Jeongguk over to the table and sat him down. “Let’s start your training by explaining what we do here.”
“It’s not rocket science, I get it. You tend to the orchards and stuff.”
“You’re correct, it’s not rocket science, but it is much more nuanced than ‘tending to the orchards and stuff’,” Jimin explained. He began a long winding story aimed at giving Jeongguk a stronger connection with the region, the land and the responsibility. “This beautiful city of Cerét is known as Capitale de la cerise here in France, the Cherry capital of the world. What makes Pierre’s orchard different from the others is the quality of the cherries we produce here. Because of our location in the Pyrénées-Orientales region, we have a uniquely blended soil that allows our cherries to thrive in this low-density Mediterranean climate. Specifically, we are the only orchard in the south of France that produces the Beg Garreau Burlat, that sweet, rich, burgundy-colored cherry that you see in the grocery stores back in Korea. All that means that we are a very lucrative orchard and this land makes Pierre a lot of money. Along with that comes prestige, reputation, all the things.” Jimin crinkled his nose as he bit into his bacon. “This year Pierre wants to expand and rightfully so. Everything in Cerét revolves around these crops that sit just outside of my window. Even our tourism depends on us producing healthy cherry blossoms for the annual Cherry Blossom Festival in May. And then there’s the honorary first crate of cherries ceremony that’s held with the President. Not to mention the money we make shipping our product to the global markets. We are a big fucking deal which is why we are paid much more than other farmhands and treated much, much better. Pierre and the President are close friends and he has quite a bit of prestige in the community.”
“Wow, all of that just because of the damn cherries?” Jeongguk scoffed.
“YES! Because of the damn cherries. But it’s so much deeper than that. The work that we do represents cultural pride. It is very important to the French people. Think about Arirang and the cultural context, this is a layer that closely resembles that.”
“I get it. If there’s anything that I understand as a Korean, it’s cultural pride.”
“Yes, and if something were to happen to this orchard, it would invoke a national day of mourning because it’s an important part of who they are. And that is why what we do is so important. It’s not easy keeping this orchard healthy and thriving. The same gift that allows this orchard to exist is the same curse that keeps us fighting to keep it alive. Because of the warm spring and soil quality, these little guys can’t wait to bloom. The trees are plentiful and they will pop up anywhere even when not planted. But sustaining them takes great effort because they are highly susceptible to frost and frost kills. Once an early blooming tree has been attacked by frost, it’s nearly unrecoverable and death is imminent. So, during the early seasons of March through late April, we’re on high alert. We have someone monitoring the weather full time to watch for frost or negative temperatures. But even with constant monitoring, we don’t always get it right. There are times when the weather will dip unexpectedly during the night or early morning. When that happens, it becomes an emergency, all hands on deck. The alarm will sound and every farmhand is expected to run to the orchards to begin lighting the barrels. It’s a very intense and frightening situation because we have very little time to get all the barrels lit. If we don’t, the crops will freeze and die.”
“That sounds nerve wrecking.”
“It can be. But we’re all very well trained on how to handle those situations. And I will train you as well. Also, Pierre does everything he can to keep us from being ambushed with sudden barrel lightings. That’s why we work in three shifts. Our goal is to always have someone on duty to handle situations as they arise. Tired farmhands can make critical mistakes including mishandling equipment and losing limbs.”
“Ouch. Still doesn’t sound like anything worse than what we did in the Army.”
“No. Nothing that severe. You’ll do fine here.”
“Sounds easy so far. Where do I start?” Jeongguk said jovially as he finished his hearty breakfast.
“We are in a countdown to harvest. That’s the most labor-intensive part of our season, but also the most rewarding. The second most important time of the season starts in about four months and that’s the annual Cherry Blossom Festival that I was telling you about. It is easily the largest tourist attraction in Cerét and with it comes hundreds of thousands of Euros. The entire region depends on the festival to cover half of the city’s operational budget. It’s a very big event and there’s a ton of work that must be done to prepare for it. We have to prune every tree in the orchard and as you know, the land spans for miles and miles. We also must clear the grounds of all the machinery, tools, sprinklers - that kind of stuff. This is the only time that Pierre opens the doors for tourists to visit the orchard. It’s a rare opportunity and tourists pay big money for personalized tours and behind the scenes looks at the work we do. And that brings me to the uniforms. During harvesting season, at the start of the festival, news crews are in and out, visitors are in and out and so Pierre likes us to have a cohesive look to show that we aren’t just random workers but trained professionals who operate more like a corporation than a farm. It is our time to shine when we get the most publicity. In his mind it helps us maintain that competitive advantage. The more aesthetically pleasing we are to the masses, the more marketable we are. Almost like the feel of going to Disney Land and seeing characters dressed up. He really pushes the visuals and romanticizes the orchards by giving the impression that the work is glamorous or enviable. The aesthetic marketing of the place is extremely important and that is where Noémie comes in.”
“Ohhh, I see,” Jeongguk already knew where Jimin was going. “He puts the pretty girl in front of the cameras.”
Jimin laughed, “You got it. He definitely uses her looks to his advantage. Coincidentally, when cameras are here, she suddenly appears wearing very low-cut expensive corporate suits that leave very little to the imagination.”
“She seems like more of a jean and t-shirt kind of girl to be honest. I can’t imagine that side of her.”
“She is. But she is also very business savvy and she understands how all this works. She’s a college graduate with an advanced degree. I’ve learned a lot from her about marketing and product placement even with our tiny little farm. It makes her kind of hot,” Jimin smirked. “She is the heir to this fortune and she has the grit to run this business very well. There’s not a single task on this farm that she hasn’t done herself. She knows the operations inside and out. But there is one significant difference between her and Pierre. Pierre likes to give the appearance that this is a well-oiled machine like any other corporation. But at the heart of it all, he values people over processes. He wants humans with heart and free will to care for his crops. He wants humans making the tough decisions. He wants humans to be employed and able to make a living for their families. Noémie feels quite differently. She has already started looking into ways to automate processes and reduce reliance on human staff. In her perfect world, machines would do what we do at a much lower cost. Her mind works differently than her father’s. He’s all about the love of the orchards. She’s all about the profit. I don’t blame her for that but…,” Jimin shook his head.
“I guess all of us better have a plan B,” Jeongguk said seriously. “Maybe you can bend her over real good and change her mind,” Jeongguk laughed.
Jimin glared at him. He was very serious suddenly and didn’t think Jeongguk’s crass joke was funny. “She’s not just a fuck, Jeongguk. We have something special, years of friendship and a connection that you’ll never understand.”
“Sometimes I worry that you don’t understand it either,” Jeongguk responded. “Nope…sorry…sorry. I didn’t mean to say that. My filter is totally fucked up again.” He preemptively apologized, realizing that he’d pissed Jimin off again.
There was more about Noémie that Jimin wanted to say. Instead, he said something else, “Get dressed. We have about ten minutes to get to the orchard. I’ve got a few flannels that you can borrow since we’re still waiting for slow-ass Amazon to deliver your new clothes,” he was able to joke despite being miffed with Jeongguk’s digs at Noémie.
“Thanks. First paycheck I’m taking you out for a nice dinner as a formal thank you for all that you’ve done. You can even bring your faux girlfriend if you want. We’ll have a great time.” Jeongguk cut Jimin off just as he was about to counter, “Kidding! Just kidding. Give me five minutes and I’ll be ready to go.”
***
The weather was still quite chilly. And although Jeongguk was bundled up in Jimin’s oversized flannels, the weather didn’t really bother him. As a former soldier, he was accustomed to far worse conditions. He trailed behind Jimin as they headed for the mature trees at the end of the orchard. The walk was long, but it gave him and Jimin time to talk again.
This was the exact location where he and Jimin had jumped from the train. The serenity and beauty of their surroundings were not lost on him. The rolling hills of delicate pink and white blossoms spanned as far as the eye could see. Bordering the sunken valley were sprawling green mountains reaching high towards the spring clouds. Snow caps topped each peak, making the entire landscape look like a scene from a movie or an oil painting from a museum. Jeongguk took a few seconds to draw it all in. His large eyes scanned as much as possible as he recorded each sight within his mind, frame by frame. Korea was beautiful and it would always be his home, but there was something about the French countryside of Cerét that made him feel welcomed, free. Had he finally escaped the past that he dreaded? For good? Had the train done its job and delivered him to the place where he would find his new start…and his new love? Just as the thought rushed through his mind, he heard Jimin’s voice.
“Here are your gloves. We always wear them to protect against bug bites, cuts, dismemberment, that kind of stuff.” Jimin said seriously. “These are the loppers and these are the pruning saws. Depending on how big the branches are that you want to cut, that will determine which tool you use.”
“And how do I know which branch to cut?”
“Ah that is where the magic happens. For the most part, the tree will tell you,” Jimin said whimsically.
“What?”
“Just watch. You see this branch here? We call this the central leader. This is where most pruning starts. I typically prune back the shoots and leave the heavy twiggy kind of growth. See this? It’s pretty obvious what needs to be removed. Cut in an angle like this to form a pyramid shape along this main branch. We start about 60 centimeters in and then work our way out, shaping the tree as we go. Of course, you also want to snip off any dead leaves. Make her look pretty. Dead leaves use up too much energy and the trees need that energy to feed their healthy living parts. You see?”
Jeongguk heard him, he really did. But was he listening? No, because he couldn’t. His large eyes were fixed upon the porcelain skin and sexy soft blonde hue of Jimin’s hair. The hair in the back was long, brushing over his collar, while the hair in the front was braided into two loose braids that kept it out of his face as he worked. Jimin’s button nose, puffy lips and soft eyes made him appear almost genderless in his beauty. How was this man a farmer? He appeared unscathed by the brutal elements. No bruises, no nasty bites, no scratches, no missing fingers. He was nothing like the vision that Jeongguk had of farmhands.
“Did you hear me?” Jimin stopped and turned to make sure that Jeongguk was paying attention.
“Yea, yea I heard you. Make her pretty,” he smiled.
“Good. I’ll do the first couple of trees and you can watch. Then I’ll hand it off to you to do the rest of the row. I’ll work a couple of rows across from you and together we should be able to get everything all trimmed up.”
“Yea, sure. Sounds like a plan.”
“Hello Matilda. I brought you a new friend.” Jimin walked gingerly around the base of the tree that he called Matilda.
His dulcet tone was soothing, alluring, perfect for making a cherry blossom pop. Jeongguk wanted to hear more of it.
“Matilda? Did you just call a tree Matilda? You have names for them?” Jeongguk laughed.
“Not all of them because I haven’t met all of them. But the elder trees that live here in the back have had the pleasure of making my acquaintance,” Jimin said cheekily. “Give me your hand.” Jeongguk spread his fingers and held them in front of Jimin’s chest. Jimin gingerly took his hand, “Feel that nodule right there on the branch?”
“Yea.” Jeongguk focused on the calloused tips of Jimin’s fingers pinching together over his.
He moved in closer to see where Jimin’s hands were guiding him along the tree.
With a slight shift in the breeze, he was suddenly hit with a fragrance. It was something subtle like a mixture of lavender and musk. At first, he thought it was coming from the trees, but gradually he realized it was coming from Jimin. Possibly his hair or maybe a sprig of cologne, he wasn’t sure, but whatever it was it caused Jeongguk to lean in even further for a healthy whiff. He accidentally touched a few strands of Jimin’s hair with his nose, causing Jimin to swipe at the back of his head, thinking it was a bug. Jeongguk quickly backed away. No matter how enchanting Jimin’s fragrance was, this wasn’t the time to indulge in it. With an acknowledgement of understanding, he refocused on the tree nodules that Jimin was trying to show him.
As promised, Jimin took his time showing Jeongguk how to properly prune the trees including which branches to leave and which to take. He casually spoke about the balance of the earth and the planets and the moons and the stars as if it were a vital part of the lesson. And for Jimin it was.
It was late in the day before Jimin finally allowed Jeongguk to go off on his own. Jimin still kept him under his watchful eye because pruning was a delicate practice that was unforgiving of mistakes. They worked into the late evening until it was time to return to the stable for dinner.
They repeated the routine day in and day out for several weeks until Jimin was able to trust Jeongguk enough to work completely on his own. Still, they stuck close together discussing mundane things about their favorite foods, favorite colors and themes for decorating Jeongguk’s side of the room. They decided on a motorcycle theme since Jeongguk loved motorcycles.
To their surprise there was a visitor standing in front of their door when they returned to their stable. She clearly had an attitude and expected to be assuaged with apples, peeled and cored and fed to her directly. She batted her eyelashes as they approached. It was her first time seeing Jimin and Jeongguk together which lowered her defenses as the stranger stepped closer.
“Seven! Nice to see you sweetie,” Jimin gave her a hug and nuzzled her ears. “I see you have packages.”
Sure enough, Seven had several packages strapped to her back. Every single one of them appeared to be from Amazon and that didn’t help her mood. As if she could read the names on the boxes she turned towards Jeongguk and scowled.
“Hello Seven. May I give you a hug?” Jeongguk was careful not to upset her and elicit a kick to the nuts.
She was already pissed off about hauling Amazon boxes. She turned and faced Jimin. He gave her a reassuring smile that served as permission to let the stranger hug her. Her air of indifference was palpable, but she refrained from kicking and allowed Jeongguk to get his warm hugs.
“Thank you for bringing my packages to me. You know if it wasn’t for you, I would freeze to death out here. I’ll bring some apples to your stall later tonight. Is that a deal?”
Seven heard the word apples. She made eye contact with Jeongguk for the first time as she perceived him. Apple was the codeword for being best friends.
🍃
Chapter Three - Jeon Chronicles
The hours melted into days and the days turned into weeks. Sometimes the two roommates were inseparable, working side by side in silence as they enjoyed the simplicity of each other’s presence. Other times they would wander off to work in isolation when the field leader assigned them to different areas. Still, no matter how far apart they were, they never took their eyes off each other. In their own way, they became each other’s comfort.
Pierre respected Jimin’s hard work and he was so impressed with Jeongguk that he felt Jimin deserved more recognition. As Jimin continued his tenure, he was given more and more responsibility until he became one of the team leaders. That meant he became Jeongguk’s boss which allowed him to quietly assign Jeongguk to his permanent team. No longer were they moved around or sent to different daily assignments, because Jimin made sure they were free to work together, side by side for as long as they wanted.
As the harvest approached, it was more important than ever to keep the two highest producers on the farm happy and producing so no one objected to the two best friends becoming permanent work mates.
It was a random Thursday. Jimin and Jeongguk were working in the farthest reaches of the orchard, doing some last-minute pruning and planting of the new seedlings when they noticed an unfamiliar truck driving down the road towards the farm. The truck said LCD Farming and Agriculture on the side.
Jimin flicked his hat up as he stared at the truck. “Hmm, what are they doing here?”
“Who are they?” Jeongguk asked as he stopped what he was doing and stood beside Jimin.
“A very large company who is technically our competitor. They shouldn’t be here. This is private property. Something’s up. I better go see what this is about,” Jimin said as he peeled off his work gloves.
“Yea, I’ll go with you for back up, just in case we need to kick his ass.”
“We won’t need to do that bro. Like, not at all.”
“You don’t know that. He may get mouthy or disrespectful,” Jeongguk cracked his knuckles.
“Aish,” Jimin laughed and shook his head.
They watched as the stranger leaned down and took several measurements. He walked back between the rows of trees, taking pictures, kicking dirt, and snipping samples of the blooms.
“Hey, hey, don’t touch that!” Jimin ran towards him. “Who are you? What are you doing here?” Jimin was livid. He was incensed by the man, whoever he was, trifling with their private property. He rushed up to him and jumped into his face, “I said who are you?”
“Oh, it’s ass kicking time,” Jeongguk interjected. He cracked his neck and began bouncing around as if ready to throw a punch.
Jimin didn’t stop him because for the briefest moment, he agreed that they needed to kick the man’s ass for blatantly trespassing.
The stranger was wearing a blue jumpsuit that had the initials LCD sprawled across the back. He was clean cut with a sharp part down the center of his feathery red hair. His face was round with small piercing green eyes that seemed to focus on everything around him. There was a slight bounce in his step as he hummed while switching out his camera equipment. He had a belt full of tools that looked like a land survey kit.
“Oh hello. How are you two doing on this lovely morning?” The man leaned closer to one of the pale coral-colored blossoms to get a closer picture of it.
“Not going to be so lovely for you in a few minutes pal unless you start talking. Now answer my friend’s fucking question. What are you doing here?” Jeongguk stood much too close to him and breathed down the side of his neck.
Suddenly the stranger noticed that the two were not there for a peaceful chat. He jumped, “Oh, ok. Yes, I’m Jules LeBoucherie. I’m here from LCD. Weren’t you told I was coming?”
“Jules, look at our faces. Do we look like we were fucking told you were coming?” Jimin snapped. “Now what are you doing here and why are you molesting my blooms?”
“I have permission to be here. And I’m not m-m-m-molesting them, I’m just taking pictures. You two are awfully uptight,” he said uncomfortably. “I can assure you that I have permission to be here. Ms. Noémie Groues signed a waiver to allow me to look around the place.” The man smiled, seemingly agitated by Jeongguk’s threatening scowl.
“Look around the place? And what, may I ask, are you looking around for?” Jimin asked angrily.
“Confidential business matters that I’m not at liberty to disclose. But I can show you the signed waiver and then if you still have questions well…you can take it up with your boss, Ms. Groues.” Jules said finitely. He didn’t appreciate being threatened by a couple of farmhands when he was just doing his job.
“Hand it over,” Jeongguk gave a single nod and pounded his fist into his palm.
“Here. I’m sure that you’ll see that everything is in order,” Jules gave them a signed waiver.
As Jimin read through it, he began to relax. “So, you’re just here to capture pictures and a few measurements? What do you plan to do with that information?”
“For our records of course. It’s really nothing to be concerned about. This is quite routine.” Jules advised. “Now if you don’t mind, I have many measurements to capture. I’m going to be walking through the entire property. Am I safe to do so without getting attacked by a bunch of overprotective cherry-sitters?” He joked.
“Yea, whatever but I’ll be watching you,” Jimin warned.
“Me too,” Jeongguk added needlessly.
They watched him make his way further down into the valley, capturing photos all along the way.
“What do you think that’s all about?” Jeongguk asked.
“Nothing for us to worry about. If Noémie gave him permission to be here, then I have no concerns. She’s probably just trying to get a loan or something for new equipment,” Jimin concluded.
Although he found it strange that Noémie hadn’t mentioned anything about a ‘business transaction’, Jimin trusted her to be honest and forthcoming about anything happening on the farm that he needed to know. He was still just an employee and business matters were really none of his business. Besides, with Pierre still managing the day-to-day operations, Jimin trusted that whatever was going on was under control.
***
Late April typically marked the easiest time on the farm, however there was one constant threat that taunted them all and that was the threat of frost. The cherries were at full bloom with the fruit seated at the end of each stem. It was the time when the crops were most vulnerable and everyone was on high alert. So it made sense that Jimin was particularly sensitive to everything happening on the farm.
The metallic clanging of the alarm was skin grating. Jeongguk gritted his teeth as it startled him awake. It was unsettling, unpleasant and loud. Even his military wake up calls weren’t as annoying as this. But despite his irritation, he understood the urgency of what he had to do.
By the time he sat up fully, he could already see Jimin moving in the darkness. His pajamas were still on as he pulled his thick flannel shirts and work trousers over them.
“Surprise,” he said with sarcasm. “We must light the barrels, there’s frost. I had hoped you wouldn’t have to deal with this during your first few months here, but no one can control the weather but God, so here we go,” he glanced over at Jeongguk to make sure that he was moving quickly.
“I can handle it. Bet I’ll beat you getting dressed,” Jeongguk laughed.
“Oh, you’re on. Challenge accepted,” Jimin responded.
The room was dark and the two could not really see each other. They inadvertently kept themselves shrouded in partial darkness whenever it was time to change clothes. It was an unspoken fail-safe built into their roommate agreement to keep them from staring too long at the other’s incredible body. Neither consciously realized they had established that pattern but it existed and seemed to keep them from crossing boundaries. It mostly came from Jimin’s side because he was modest at best with showing any kind of nakedness in front of Jeongguk. The entire situation stemmed from the very first day when Jimin insisted that he was not gay and that Jeongguk needed to manage his nudity. Months later, they were still abiding by that silly non-verbal agreement to never see each other fully naked.
“DONE!” Jimin yelled as he headed for the front door.
“SHIT! You beat me by two socks,” Jeongguk said as he headed out behind him.
It was 4am and daylight was already beginning to break. The clouds sat passively in the forefront of a peach and lilac colored backdrop that was the sky. The light had not yet reached the ground and the orchard was incredibly dark but they could already see the glow from the barrels that had been lit by the other farmhands.
Jimin and Jeongguk ran quickly to their stations. Jimin took his usual rows in the middle and Jeongguk took Luke’s old assignment. There had not been an emergency barrel lighting since the night that Luke died which made it very difficult for Jimin to focus. He looked back and forth at Jeongguk for any signs of distress or difficulty. Even though he knew that Jeongguk was well trained and that everything would be fine, he couldn’t get the picture of Luke burning and writhing on the ground out of his mind.
“You good?” He yelled several times across the rows.
Jeongguk didn’t answer because he was too focused on the careful placement of his matches inside of the barrels.
Jimin yelled again, “Jeongguk are you ok? Is everything ok?”
Jeongguk continued to focus, he didn’t hear Jimin’s voice over the sound of the roaring flames. This was not what Jimin needed to calm his nerves. Over and over, he replayed the scene of watching Luke catch on fire. Trauma had quietly developed over the months since the accident and he never realized it until that very moment.
The orchard seemed to tilt and his breaths became more labored. His heart beat rapidly in his chest and everything moved in slow motion. He wasn’t sure what was happening to him, but he knew that Luke was in danger. Jimin screamed again, “Luke are you ok?” He suddenly saw Luke standing there, reaching for him, his body engulfed in flames. “Luke, Luke, I’m coming.” The entire orchard narrowed until it became a dark tunnel.
Jeongguk continued to count down his barrels. He wondered if Jimin was interested in a little race to see who could get their barrels lit first. He turned to look back towards Jimin’s row and that’s when he saw Jimin stumbling. Jimin was pale and disoriented, as if he had just seen a ghost. And he was yelling for Luke.
The last thing that Jimin registered was the frozen ground rushing up to meet him as his body finally surrendered. “Luuuuuu,” his friend’s name lingered across his lips as he fell forward.
Jeongguk immediately dropped everything and ran towards him. Like a gazelle, he gracefully leapt over four different barrels to get to his roommate. He watched in horror as Jimin’s limbs went slack and his consciousness slipped away. And just as Jimin fell forward, Jeongguk extended his arms like a cradle and caught the entire weight of his body.
“Jimin! Jimin!” He yelled at him as he slapped Jimin’s face and tried to revive him. “Get him some water. Get him some water, hurry. I think he’s having a panic attack,” Jeongguk yelled to their team.
With Jeongguk being ex-military, he knew how to care for fallen men on the field. He was prepared to begin CPR but a closer inspection revealed that Jimin was breathing just fine. He was obviously suffering some kind of traumatic response that caused him to faint. There was a crowd of workers surrounding them, praying that they were not witnessing the death of yet another teammate.
It was too cold in the orchard. If Jeongguk was going to revive him, he needed to get him back to his stable. He scooped him into his arms with ease like he was a bag of apples. Jimin was still passed out, but the color was returning to his face. He looked to be regaining consciousness. Jeongguk ran with Jimin sprawled in his arms. They arrived at Jimin’s stable within minutes and Jeongguk placed him carefully onto the bed. As soon as his head hit the pillow, Jimin’s eyes flew open.
“What happened? How did I get back here? Where’s Luke?” Jimin sat up and looked around.
Jeongguk smiled and pushed him back down to the bed. “You fainted, you drama queen,” he teased.
“Fainted?”
The door to Jimin’s stable flew open. Noémie, eyes wide, skin flushed, hair tossed, stormed into the room screaming for Jimin.
“Jimin, oh my God. I saw you fall. Are you ok? Are you ok?” She ran to the side of the bed, displacing Jeongguk and causing him to fall to the floor.
“Ah hey, I was sitting there,” Jeongguk said angrily.
She turned to Jeongguk and barked an order, “Get my father. Tell him we need an ambulance!”
“Ambulance?” Jimin sat up again to protest. “I’m fine. It was just a little fainting spell. I don’t need an ambulance.”
Jeongguk shrugged and agreed with Jimin, “Yea, that’s a little extreme. He’s ok. I think we can skip the ambulance.”
“He just fainted in the orchard. We don’t know what caused it or why it happened. He needs to go to the hospital,” Noémie insisted.
“No. He doesn’t.” Jeongguk shrugged.
“You’ve known this man for what? Three months. And now you’re suddenly diagnosing him? What medical training do you have?” Noémie snapped back.
“Alot actually. Enough to know that he’s fine.” Jeongguk refused to back down. “If nothing else, at least respect his wishes. He’s a grown man and he doesn’t want to go to the hospital. You’re not quite old enough to be his mother, but you are close.” Jeongguk wagged his finger at her.
“JEONGGUK!” Jimin tried to intervene but really wasn’t up to dealing with their bullshit.
Noémie seethed, “Jeongguk may I see you outside for a moment?”
“Yes boss,” he winked at Jimin as he and Noémie stepped outside.
She immediately lit into Jeongguk as soon as they were out of earshot of Jimin, “I don’t know who you think you are, but this man just had a major incident and he needs medical attention. You can’t just waltz in here and take control and talk to me like I’m a child.”
“We both know you’re not a child,” Jeongguk smirked.
“I knew you were going to be trouble. I knew it. Daddy never should have hired you!”
Noémie listen, “Jimin is fine. He’s grieving and probably under a little bit of stress. Luke was a huge part of his life and now he’s gone. It was just a panic attack.” Jeongguk stared back towards Jimin’s door as he thought about what Jimin must’ve been going through. This was probably the first time that he’d done a barrel lighting since Luke died. “Can’t you just give him some space to work through this?”
Noémie was not swayed, “He’s going to the hospital and that’s the end of this conversation,” She began dialing emergency services on her phone. Just as the operator answered, the phone was suddenly snatched from her hands.
She turned to scream at Jeongguk only to find Jimin standing behind her, holding her phone in his hand.. He smiled at her gently, “Thank you for caring. Thank you for wanting what’s best for me. But in this particular case, Jeongguk is right. I don’t need to go to the hospital. It was just a fainting spell. For a fleeting moment, I thought I saw Luke burning in front of me. I guess watching him die was just a little more traumatizing than I was willing to admit. I was overwhelmed and my mind just went blank. But I’m fine now. I feel fine, I’m thinking clearly. I’m ok.”
“Oh Jimin,” Noémie grabbed him and embraced him in a hug. “I watched you drop into Jeongguk’s arms. You scared the shit out of me.” She was trembling.
“Good catch by the way. Thanks for not letting me go belly up in the frozen dirt,” Jimin smiled softly at Jeongguk. Their eyes met briefly until Jeongguk pulled his gaze away.
“Just protecting my interests. You’re the only one with a phone charger in this entire fucking city,” he joked.
Jimin turned back to Noémie, “Sorry to scare you.” He ran his nose through her hair and buried his soft lips along her scalp. She was finally giving him the attention that he wanted, but it took him fainting in the middle of a frozen orchard for it to come.
Jeongguk smirked again, happy to have won the battle of wills against Noémie. Satisfied that Jimin’s wishes were going to be obeyed, he walked back to the orchard to allow the two of them to be alone. Watching them cuddle made him feel kind of queasy, like he was going to be the next one to faint. Besides, he still had more barrels to light. He gathered all the farmhands who were standing around and convinced them that Jimin was fine and they could return to the orchards. He was more than happy to get away from the two faux love birds because the more Noémie came around, the less he trusted her.
***
Cherry Blossom Season
Before they knew it, five months had passed and the Cherry Blossom Festival was upon them. Opening day drew tens of thousands of tourists and media outlets from around the world to the small city of Cerét, where they converged to empty their wallets in exchange for a slice of local flair.
Neither Jimin nor Jeongguk could believe that five months had passed since Jeongguk started working there. They’d taken a great risk, daring to room together and work together so quickly after their first meeting, but as fate would have it, it all worked out. They were truly friends with similar interests, similar backgrounds and fond memories of Busan.
There was nothing torrid about their relationship despite Jeongguk’s persistent attraction to Jimin. He was a true friend, publicly agnostic to Jimin’s situationship with Noémie while privately wanting to vomit every time he saw them together. Jeongguk’s restraint only came because of his respect for Jimin. Despite Noémie’s attempts to constantly push him away, Jimin seemed to fall deeper for her every day. Jeongguk couldn’t understand it so he mostly ignored it.
Jimin continued to be the snow white of the orchard; talking to trees, flirting with the birds and mesmerizing donkeys. Pierre fast tracked him to management, assigning twenty workers under him. With the upcoming harvest, it was more important than ever to have someone skilled and knowledgeable at the helm who could lead the men through the grueling work ahead. Jimin had worked hard and been a loyal farmhand for ten years. There was no one better to take Luke’s place than him.
Many people were counting on the success of Le Verger des Baisers de Cerise to line their pockets. If opening day was any indication of how lucrative the harvest was going to be, they could all bank on taking very nice vacations when the fall came around.
Jeongguk fiddled with his suspenders, trying to get them to lay straight across his shoulders. “I feel like I’m about to give a very gay Broadway performance. What’s up with these outfits?”
Jimin laughed. He walked over to help untangle Jeongguk’s suspenders, “I told you, this is Pierre’s idea of creating a romantic aesthetic. He loves these fuck-ass uniforms. But don’t worry, we only have to wear them for a few weeks while the tourists are in town. I sat down and had a talk with him and convinced him that these were not the safest or most efficient clothes to wear during the harvest. The temperatures can get very hot and wearing black trousers just makes things worse. He agreed.”
“I guess I owe you a thanks.”
“There, you’re all untangled. You should be able to snap them to your belt loop.”
“God, I’ve never worn suspenders in my life. What in the sixty-year-old man kind of outfit is this?” Jeongguk fussed.
The more irritated he became, the harder Jimin laughed. “You’re cute, you know that?”
Jeongguk paused. “Thanks.” He closed his eyes and willed his cheeks not to turn rouge.
Even though he knew that Jimin didn’t mean anything by it, he was still flattered by being called cute. But the moment was fleeting because he was much more concerned about figuring out the lore of suspenders.
“Hurry up. It’s show time. The doors open in ten minutes. Pierre likes for all of us to be at our stations working hard when the tourists first arrive.”
“I still don’t get it. What are we supposed to do exactly?”
“Work. Just like you do everyday.”
“I can’t work wearing this. I look like a 1930’s usher at a movie theatre.”
“And I told you, this is just temporary. Two or three weeks at the most.”
“Two or three? You said two weeks max a few minutes ago, can we stick with two?” Jeongguk complained as he finally got his suspenders snapped on the right belt loop.
Jimin opened the door and stepped outside. His men were all gathered in the clearing in front of the orchard. He had called them there for a pep talk, to get them motivated for the day.
Jeongguk looked over his shoulder at all of the motorcycle art that he had decorating his side of the room. He longed for a day when he could dress just as cool as they did, instead of looking like something out of Steamboat Willie. But he had faith that as soon as the excitement from the Cherry Blossom Festival calmed down, so too would their ridiculous uniforms. He dropped his newspaper boy hat over his head and stepped outside next to Jimin. Despite Jimin being his roommate, he was also his boss, so Jeongguk took his rightful place in the crowd with the other farmhands.
Jimin cleared his throat, “Gentlemen.” Everyone stopped their chatter and focused on Jimin. “Look around you. We are surrounded by the fruit of your labor. It is only because of your hard work that we made it here. Welcome to cherry blossom season.” The men all cheered and gave each other high-fives. “We are only a few weeks from the harvest and then we can wind down and prepare for our vacations.” There were more cheers from the crowd. Jimin continued, “I know this year hasn’t been easy. We suffered a heavy loss when Luke left us. But we persevered and we continued to work harder than ever before, all in his honor. We welcomed new friends,” he stopped momentarily to find Jeongguk. There was an underlying appreciation in his gaze. Jeongguk felt a chill flow down his spine, despite the warmth of the day. He shook it off and refocused as Jimin continued to speak. “No one ever promised us that this fucking life would be easy, but you men have shown your true grit and dedication to this orchard. Today is opening day. Get out there, have fun, and then tonight we party. Good luck to....,”
Something caught Jimin’s attention, making him lose his train of thought. Jeongguk followed his line of sight to find Noémie dressed in a stunning skin-tight blue dress talking to an older man in a suit. Jimin had mentioned to him that she was the face of the business, especially during the blossom festival, so he couldn’t understand why he seemed so interested in who she was talking to. From Jeongguk’s point of view, she seemed to just be doing her job.
Since Jimin seemed too preoccupied to finish his last few words, Jeongguk decided to create a diversion, “Oh I think the gates just opened. Everybody to your stations. Good luck!”
He pretended to spread out into the orchard, but he double backed and confronted Jimin about why he was so concerned with Noémie conducting business.
“Ok, spill. That guy must be pretty important for you to stare at them like that. Potential investor? New buyer? What?” Jeongguk asked.
“Ex-boyfriend.”
“Ex? What the fuck?” Jeongguk spun around to get a better look at the guy. “Wait, who’s ex?”
He asked for clarification.
“Hers. His name is Francois Boulanger.”
“Oh, that’s a big dick name. Jeez. I can see the money oozing off him.”
“Yea. He’s the rich ex that she dated for five years before she and I hooked up. They were both much younger back then.”
For her part, Noémie was her typical inappropriately flirtatious self, touching his arm and grinning with those big white teeth. She batted her eyelashes while tossing her hair and bobbing her titties up and down.
“Ick,” Jeongguk said inadvertently.
“Wonder what he’s doing here,” Jimin continued to stare daggers through them.
“You jealous?” Jeongguk asked, engaging absolutely no filter at all.
“Jealous? Me? Of him? Pshh. Don’t be ridiculous,” Jimin rolled his eyes.
“Yes, you. Jealous of him. Be straight with me Jimin. For almost two years now, you’ve pursued her with absolutely no reciprocation on her part. Now this super rich ex comes sniffing around at a time when you’re more confused than ever. Jealousy would be the natural play here.”
Jimin clenched his jaw. Jeongguk had an accidental way of cutting him where it hurt the most. His voice softened as he watched Francois and Noémie walk together towards the main house. “He was terrible to her. He was unfaithful and controlling. He cheated. He left her for a woman who was ten years younger without giving Noémie so much as a goodbye. He even had a baby with is mistress. She’s a resilient soul and very brave to be able to be civil with him after the way he treated her. I can see the pain in her eyes.”
“BRO! We do not see the same thing.” Jeongguk grew angry. He walked a few feet closer to them and watched as they laughed and chattered. She threw her head back every few minutes while making a point to run her fingers down his chest. He held his hand there on her lower back, floating dangerously above her butt. “The fuck? Let’s go kick his ass,” Jeongguk ripped down his suspenders and started towards them.
“What? Kick whose ass? No, sir. There will be no ass kicking. What’s wrong with you?” Jimin grabbed his arm.
“He’s stepping to your girl and she’s not doing anything to stop him. So we’re going to stop him by kicking his ass.” Jeongguk was outraged and ready to rumble.
Jimin couldn’t help but laugh. He absolutely adored his roommate. “Settle down, soldier. I know it looks bad, but I’ve seen this before. She’s obviously trying to close a deal. There’s nothing going on between them, I assure you. But hot damn, I really appreciate your willingness to go to battle for me. Especially considering how much you hate our relationship,” Jimin stood in front of Jeongguk as a precaution to keep him from running down poor Francois.
“Fine.” He pulled his suspenders back up, tangling them again. “But if you want me to rip his nuts off, just say the word,” Jeongguk huffed.
“I appreciate it. But I promise, I will never request your nut ripping services,” Jimin said politely. “Let’s get to work. I see the tourists streaming through the front gate.”
***
There was no mistaking the thunderous boom and plank rattling bass coming from the old wooden barn. Every hip twisted, every leg kicked and every toe tapped from the raucous salsa music being played by the DJ. All 110 of the farmhands and a few of the supervisors were stuffed like cattle in the large space, surrounding the bonfire that burned in the center.
Jeongguk sang at the top of his lungs. With his shirt long discarded and his suspenders spanning his sweaty chest like a stripper, he rolled his hips with pinpoint precision while holding his belly and doing his best salsa moves. In his large hand he held the icy remnants of a mixture of cognac, rum, Cointreau, and lemon. This was his tenth one so he was feeling quite in control of his naughty hips.
Jimin refused to be out done. Dancing just a few feet away from his roommate, he moved like an exotic beast, hips dipping and gliding in every direction. His thrusts were powerful as he simulated naughty circular motions like he was delivering the fuck of his life. Sweat seeped through his unbuttoned shirt. His suspenders swayed from his hips, keeping time with the sensual beat. The hypnotic salsa rhythm sliced through the air, possessing Jimin like the devil himself as he belted out the words:
🎶Come on, shake your body, baby, do the Conga
I know you can't control yourself any longer
Come on, shake your body, baby, do the Conga
I know you can't control yourself any longer🎶
Jimin held two drinks, one in each hand; a glass of expensive champagne in his left and an entire bottle of whiskey in the other.
Both men were so inebriated that they didn’t even realize how sensually they danced one against the other. Jeongguk placed his arm on Jimin’s shoulder as they faced each other in a battle of rolling salsa hips. Their eyes locked as they playfully exchanged drunken smiles. With each roll of the hips, each arch of the back, their chests moved closer creating an electrical surge between them. Jeongguk closed his hand tighter on Jimin’s shoulder in an attempt to bring him closer. For the briefest of seconds, Jimin moved with him, surging towards his burning hot body. But one quick glance over Jeongguk’s shoulder gave him the reality check that his liquor tainted brain overlooked. They were in a room full of people, many of whom reported to him.
The sobering truth was that Jeongguk was an employee and the two of them were making a scene. The drunkenness was to be expected and would easily be overlooked at such a jubilant event because everyone was drunk. But his dancing, especially his suggestive dancing with another farmhand, may have been over the top, potentially sowing the seeds of nasty rumors. Jimin stopped dead in his tracks, pushing Jeongguk’s hand off his sweaty shoulder. He felt it was best to pull away and sit out the rest of the night.
Jeongguk’s naked chest glistened while his black hair matted to his forehead. They had been dancing and drinking for hours and he didn’t want the party to stop. But the moment Jimin pulled away, he knew something was wrong. He watched Jimin disappear in the crowd and move towards the door. He could just see the top of his blonde hair as he exited the building.
The cold night air felt good. Jimin took several deep breaths before collapsing on a large pile of hay just outside of Euphoria’s stall. He whisked away the sweat from his forehead as the chilly temperatures quickly evaporated the wetness from his skin. His long blonde hair billowed over his face in messy wet strands. The long blonde tips dripped sweat down his back and over his shoulders. For the first time in a long time, his hair was free and not pulled back into a ponytail or partial braid. He looked very much like a lion with his golden mane surrounding his face.
He could see small puffs of mist billow from his lips. It felt good to sit down because he’d been dancing for hours, something he’d never done before. But when Jeongguk pulled him to the dance floor, all conservative caution went out of the window. He didn’t hesitate to boogie with his bestie because that’s the playful side that Jeongguk brought out of him. This was his ninth year celebrating at the Cherry Blossom Festival After-party, but never in his history of attending had he ever had this much fun. He folded his legs under him and leaned back against the side of the building. The music was so loud that he could feel the vibrations thumping against his back. Who knew that the party of the century was right there in the small town of Cerét.
“Thanks for abandoning me. Who the hell am I supposed to dance with now? Simon moves like a Neanderthal and Jacob’s got moves like Jagger. I’m going solo without my dance partner roomie.”
Jimin looked up to see Jeongguk standing over him shirtless. His hair was pushed away from his face and his dark nipples were adorably hard.
“You’ll catch cold out here, flashing that superman looking chest all over my orchard,” Jimin teased.
“Superman?” Jeongguk began flexing, tightening his abs and contracting his biceps. “I look that good huh?” He breathed as he turned around to flash his trapezoids.
“You actually do look that good,” Jimin said honestly. “You were in great shape when you got here, but I think the arduous work kinda’ defined your muscles even more.”
“That’s for sure,” Jeongguk took a seat close to Jimin, sharing the same bale of hay. He produced two Pelforths. “We better slow down with the heavy liquor since it’s getting late. These Pelforths are a little lighter. We don’t want to get so wasted that we end up begging Seven to take us back to our stable.”
“Shit we do not want that. She went to bed about two hours ago and if we dare wake her…,”
“Kick straight to the balls…,”
“Indeed,” Jimin took a swig of his Pelforth and laughed.
“Seriously, why did you leave? We were just starting to have fun.”
“We were having a little too much fun. Jeongguk, I’m one of the farm leaders now. I must be…careful.”
“Careful with what? We were just dancing. Why are you so hung up on what people think? You’re not gay. You’ve proclaimed that to the world and anybody else who will listen. So why do you act so fucking guilty all the time?”
“I do not act guilty. You sound ridiculous.”
“Do I? I’m not even allowed to get undressed in front of you because you’re worried it’s gay. You even make me keep the lights off when you’re putting on your pajamas. Seriously, it’s like you’re a raging homophobe and usually people who act like that are secretly…,” Jeongguk immediately clamped his mouth shut.
“Don’t fucking go there, soldier.”
“It’s just that…it’s kinda’ weird how you turn completely normal things into something scandalous. Two bros changing clothes in front of each other is not the gay scandal you want it to be,” Jeongguk said maliciously.
“Filter?”
“Damnit, I don’t have one.” Jeongguk shook his leg and drank a swig of his beer.
“Am I really that bad?”
“Yes.”
“Ok, then, new rule.” Jimin gave it some thought. “I guess it’s ok for you to change in the room without turning all of the lights off.”
“Woo-hoo!’ Jeongguk’s voice rang through the orchards. “Does that mean I can walk around ass-out naked at all times?”
“NO! That’s not what that means at all. See, you take too many liberties. That is not the agreement…,”
“Woo-hoo, here’s to ass-out naked freedom!” Jeongguk clinked his beer bottle against Jimin’s with a toast that Jimin did not consent to.
“You really are an absolute joy, you know that?”
Jeongguk looked around, behind him and under the pile of hay, “Who? Me?”
“Yea, you.”
“Me?”
“Yes, you.”
“ME?”
“Yes. You, you, you, you!”
“I’ve been called many things. Joy is not one of them.”
“Well allow me to be the first. You’re an absolute joy to have in my life. You know, after Luke died, I wondered if I would ever have a friend again who could understand me and keep me company. I found much much more than that in you. We have a bond that’s different.”
“It’s that Busan thing,” Jeongguk nodded.
“I think that’s part of it. But we’re like Yin and Yang. We just work well together.”
“We do. I would agree with that.”
There was a pause, a comfortable one as they gazed out over the valley and sparkling moon lit sky.
“Any more news on that Francois guy and why he was here visiting Noémie?” Jeongguk asked.
“Nah. It’s nothing to worry about though. So please drop it. Worry about something else.”
“Jimin, it’s me you’re talking to. I know when you’re upset. You don’t spend five months as someone’s roommate and not learn everything about them. You weren’t yourself today. As soon as you saw them together, your entire mood changed. It bothered you. Just admit it.”
“Yea, it fucking bothered me. But only for a while. I got over it, especially after hitting the dance floor with you,” Jimin laughed. He quickly changed the subject, “Now, I need you to be honest with me about something.”
“I have no trouble being honest,” Jeongguk responded.
They both laughed because that was the absolute truth. Jimin said the words quickly, “Where is your family? You said yourself that Paris was never meant to be a permanent stop, it was just an assignment for a couple of years. So, when your assignment was up, why did you jump on a train to nowhere instead of going back to Korea?”
“Are you sure you want to go down that dark and winding road?”
“Well, when you put it that way, I’m not sure. But since I’ve already opened that can of worms, we may as well see what crawls out,” Jimin teased.
“I’ve told you many times that our paths were similar. I had a bad home life. My father went to prison for killing my mother. He stabbed her to death right in front of me when I was sixteen years old. I was left abandoned. My mother had some insurance and my dad had some savings, so I was able to survive for a while on my own. But then…my father’s conviction was overturned due to a formality and he was released. He was allowed to come back into our family home, the place where he killed my mom. His mental issues were well known and I tried to get him some help. But who was going to listen to a teenage kid? The system was broken and very fucked up. There was no one to protect me from the monster that was my biological father. I tried for several years to make it work. But the resentment, the hatred, the fear, it was all too much. He was violent and unpredictable and at times, I wondered if he was going to kill me like he killed my beautiful, sweet mother. I have no other family and I had no place to go. I was terrified, scared for my life. Finally at the age of twenty, I fled into the welcoming arms of the military. I spent the first five years stationed in Icheon. Military life suited me well. The friends I met were such good people and most of us are still close today. I decided to re-up for a second deployment and that’s when I was transferred to Paris to be part of a military training program. By that time I was twenty-six and I was scheduled to stay for two years. Claud Gaston was my new military commander. And he was quite a man. Just like Luke was for you, he became like a father figure to me. He took me all around France and introduced me to the culture. He protected me, taught me everything he knew about how to be a good soldier. He saw something in me that no one else ever did. He took quite a few risks to make sure that I was given opportunities that others weren’t. And then one day we were in the field running a routine military exercise, except it didn’t feel very routine. We were in a terrorist simulation where we were boots on the ground, exchanging fire with the bad guys. I tried over and over to tell myself that it was just a simulation, just training, not real. I said it over and over. But real bullets were flying over my head. The fight simulations looked so real, too real for my own good. One of the simulations had us take down a woman who had a bomb hidden under her dress. She was supposed to be a terrorist and I was ordered to kill her. I refused the order. She looked like an innocent older woman - like my mom. My mind froze and all I could think about was my mother and how my father had so brutally taken her life. I refused to take the shot. I was pulled from the field and forced into mental evaluation. That’s when I was diagnosed with non-military PTSD. My services were no longer needed at that point. The shit that had happened with my parents had to manifest at some point. And it all happened during that training assignment. Commander Gaston did everything he could, but at the end of the day, I was dismissed from the military and sent on my way. Korea didn’t feel like home anymore. I fell in love with France and I decided to stay. I hopped a train to nowhere and the rest is history.” Jeongguk finished his beer and then leaned against the heavily vibrating barn door.
“My God. That explains so much. Jeongguk I’m so sorry for your loss. I can’t even imagine what that must have been like for you.” Jimin leaned forward. He could see teardrops falling from Jeongguk’s eyes. He wiped them away and then massaged his short dark hair. “Was there no way to appeal your dismissal?”
“Refusing a direct order is a crime. I could have ended up in jail if not careful. That’s why Commander Gaston insisted that I undergo a psych eval. Getting the diagnosis meant that I had to leave, but it also meant that I would not be thrown in jail for insubordination.”
Jimin grabbed his hand. He wanted so much to soothe him, to fix it, to take away the pain. Trauma was yet another thing they had in common. And then he had a sudden realization. “That’s how you knew?”
“Knew? Knew what?”
“Do you remember that night a few months ago…the night I fainted?”
“Who could forget. Me and your faux girlfriend almost went to battle over how to care for you.”
“Thanks for taking my side by the way.”
“Always,” Jeongguk winked.
“I was always curious about something I overheard you say to her. You said that I was grieving and that my fainting was likely a trauma response, a panic attack. You were so certain. I couldn’t understand how you knew. But now I think I understand.”
“Because I understand trauma. I’ve been there. I’ve done the same things, reacted the same way…all because of grief that I didn’t know how to digest. I could clearly see it was happening to you. Textbook panic attack. I’ve had my share of them.”
“Incredible. We really were destined to be friends, weren’t we?”
Jeongguk laughed, “I guess so.”
“Do you want to talk about it…about what your father did?” Jimin asked.
“Forgive me but…I’m not ready for that conversation. And neither are you, to be honest.”
“Got it. I won’t push. When you’re ready…I mean if you ever want to talk about it, I’m here. Especially after all the hours I’ve spent pouring my heart out to you over Luke. The least I could do is return the favor, when you’re ready,” Jimin caveated.
“Now it’s my turn to ask a rather personal question,” Jeongguk said timidly.
“Anything. I’m an open book, mostly.”
“You said that you and Noémie only ‘made love’ once. Why haven’t you done it again? I mean have you even tried?”
“You know the drill. She has a dictionary full of excuses why she won’t sleep with me again. I’m too young, it was a mistake, we were drunk, it was a one-time thing…blah blah blaahhhhhhh,” Jimin said with frustration.
“Yea, so…how…I mean once you’ve had a hottie like that it’s kind of hard to move on. What do you do to keep yourself…uh…err…satisfied. I mean it’s only been four months and I’m pulling my hair out. If I wasn’t so disciplined because of the Army, I don’t think I would have made it. What do you guys do to get off around here?”
“Some of the men are married or have girlfriends and they meet up whenever they can. Others go into town and hook up with the locals that they meet in bars or clubs. Everybody does their own thing, you know?”
“And what about you? What do you do, especially since Noémie is not open for business.”
“I do what most guys do.”
“You jack off in the shower?”
Jimin laughed, “Yea, that amongst other things.”
“What other things?”
“Wow, it’s really getting late. I better shut this party down so we can get some rest. It’s almost 4am. Thank goodness Pierre gave us the day off tomorrow.” Jimin hopped to his feet, eager to avoid Jeongguk’s question.
“Do you know what I do?” Jeongguk continued with his thoughts, “I masturbate in my bed, while thinking about you.”
“What?” Jimin spun around. “Why would you tell me that?”
“Because it’s true.”
“Filter Jeon Jeongguk. Filter. That’s not something I need to know. I could have gone the rest of my life without knowing that shit. That’s just going to make things awkward between us.”
“Only if you let it. Newsflash, there’s nothing wrong with fantasizing about things that turn you on to help you…bring it home.”
“Bring it home? I don’t want to help you bring it home. Oh, dear God. And why am I the one who gets called to service?”
“Because you’re the only real-life angel I’ve ever met,” Jeongguk said honestly.
Despite being uncomfortable with Jeongguk’s admission, Jimin felt flattered by knowing that Jeongguk found him attractive. His anger was immediately extinguished. “I’m not…worthy of your fantasies. Jeongguk please don’t do that. Don’t build me up to be something that I’m not. I’m not special…I’m just Jimin.”
“You’ve been very fair with me from day one. I have no chance with you and I know that. But sometimes, just listening to you talk as you drift off to sleep or hearing the cute way you breathe or the little moans you make when you’re having a dream, it draws me in and makes me feel close to you. Jimin, I would never cross the line.”
“Fantasizing about me while you fuck yourself is crossing the line!”
“Ok, ok, I’m sorry I said anything. Forget I said it.”
“How? How can I ever forget that? This is a little game you’re playing. You’re trying to test me, to push my boundaries with the hope of me giving in. It’s not going to happen. I told you that I’m not gay. You’re really treading on thin ice here with your advances.”
“Advances? I never…,”
Jimin yelled over him, “...and if you keep this up, I’m going to move you to another room. I’m your boss, soldier. And you better start acting like it.” Jimin threw down his beer and marched back into the barn.
Within minutes the music was cut and the entire orchard reverted to peaceful silence.
***
Noémie sat at her father’s desk reviewing the latest counteroffer from LCD, the company that had submitted a bid to buy the farm. The latest offer was a good one, more money than her family had ever seen in their years of business. It was a deal of a lifetime that would make her and her father millionaires many times over. Thanks to Francois working as her broker, she had several companies vying for ownership of the farm. But LCD was by far, the best offer of the ten that Francois had put in front of her.
Selling the cherry farm was not something Pierre had ever seriously considered but with his retirement looming, Noémie was finally free to close the deal that she had been working on for almost two years. The offer from LCD was the type of deal that would create generational wealth where neither she nor her father would ever have to work again. Still, it was not an easy decision.
The orchards had been in her family for one-hundred years. It was not something that they could easily just walk away from. The blood sweat and tears of generations were all entombed in their land. But with LCD accepting her latest counter, including several provisions regarding staffing, she could no longer resist. The key was keeping her father from finding out about the deal. She had been in secret negotiations for two years without him knowing anything about it. Her only other obstacle was Jimin but she was sure that a few months of flirting and empty promises would keep him under control and willing to support her decision without causing trouble. She dropped the reading glasses over her nose as she flipped through each page of the fifty-page contract.
There was a knock at the door. She quickly opened the front door where she found a lovely bouquet of pink Lilys, carnations and roses sitting in front of the step. She picked them up before glaring out towards the orchard.
“Show yourself, Park Jimin. The coast is clear, daddy took Euphoria into town.”
Jimin popped out of the bushes and rushed towards her. “Now how did you know that bouquet was from me?” He said as he wrapped his arms around her.
“Because you’re the only one with such exquisite tastes. These are lovely Jimin, thank you. Come in, we have a few minutes before daddy returns.”
Jimin followed her inside. “Missed you at the party last night.”
“Jimin, that’s not exactly my kind of event. Besides, you know that I don’t like to be around the guys when they drink. Too many bad things can happen,” Noémie explained. “What brings you to the main house, with flowers no less?”
“I missed you. I was thinking about you.”
“That’s very sweet. Hey listen, I have great news. Early numbers are showing that this year’s Cherry Blossom Festival has been the most profitable in history and we’re only two days in. We still have almost two weeks to go. We’re going to cash in.”
“That is good news.” Jimin couldn’t hold it any longer, “What other exciting information do you have to share?”
“That’s about all I have.”
Jimin crossed his fingers, hoping that she would be honest about the fact that her ex was back in town and had visited the farm. He probed again, trying to give her one last chance, “No surprises or special guests that you want to tell me about?”
“No, I’m afraid not. Just business.” Noémie looked away to hide her dishonesty.
She was lying and Jimin knew it. His blood boiled knowing that the lying, sleezy, cheating Francois Boulanger was welcome to walk in through the front door anytime he wanted, but Jimin himself could only visit when Pierre was away and most of the time he was relegated to sneaking in through the back door. For the briefest moment, he heard Jeongguk in his head telling him what a fool he was to allow himself to be treated that way. But just as he was about to speak his mind and voice his frustrations, Noémie grabbed his hand and pulled him to the couch.
“How have you been feeling? No more fainting spells right?” She kicked off her shoes and folded her legs under her as she leaned against Jimin, stroking his shoulder length hair and twirling the edges around her finger. She stared at him as if he were the love of her life.
Her flirting only made Jimin angrier, “I’m fine. I told you it was nothing,” he said curtly. “It was a panic attack. Jeongguk already explained it to you the night that it happened. I had a flash back about Luke’s death and I was just overwhelmed. Next thing I knew I woke up in Jeongguk’s arms. Thank God he was there.”
“Yes, thank God,” she said facetiously. “I won’t lie, I’ve been worried about you. Worried that maybe you’ve been taking on too much.”
“You mean my promotion? Why would that be too much? You’re being ridiculous. I’m fine. Are you sure you have nothing to tell me about yesterday? No visitors?” Jimin could feel himself losing his temper.
“I already told you, the Cherry Blossom Festival is a hit, thanks to you.” She could sense that Jimin was getting agitated about something, but she didn’t know what it was. “What’s wrong baby?”
“Don’t call me baby,” Jimin said tersely.
Noémie’s eyes widened. Jimin had never snapped at her before. “Something’s wrong, you’re very cranky today.”
“I’m tired of this. I’m tired of being the sad little puppy who always runs after you. It’s been a year and a half since we last made love. I’ve been begging you to give yourself to me, begging like a pathetic dog. You’re nothing but a fucking tease. No more,” Jimin said sternly.
“You’ve been listening to Jeongguk. I know that he doesn’t like me. We’ve been at odds since the first day we met.”
“I need to go.” He pushed her off him and stood to leave.
Noémie realized at that moment that Jimin meant business. She also knew that if she let him leave while he was still angry, he would likely never speak to her again and this could mean trouble at the final contract signing. She had to do something. So, she blocked him and trapped him in the foyer in front of the door. “You’re right. I haven’t been fair to you. I’m confused, Jimin. One day I think I know exactly what I want and then the next day I realize that I can’t have it. Don’t leave.”
She paused for a moment to make eye contact with Jimin. Her eyes narrowed with the dangerous allure of a siren as she stepped back and slowly began to unbutton her sweater. She wasn’t wearing a bra and Jimin could see the fleshy peaks of her nipples pressed against the thin fabric. He took several steps back as she undressed right there in her father’s foyer. Her body was incredible.
Jimin was so enthralled by her beauty that he began to tremble, “Wha-what are you doing?”
“I’m giving you what you’ve been begging for.” She lifted her skirt to reveal that she wasn’t wearing any panties. She licked her fingers and began rubbing herself between her legs.
“Ah fuck,” Jimin whispered as his eyes bulged.
She approached him slowly, looping her arms around his neck and guiding his hands to tickle her soft, deep wetness. She pushed him to the ground and climbed on top of him, ripping at his clothes. Suddenly her guard was down and she felt herself wanting him more than she ever had before.
Jimin was not quite sure how to respond. Before he knew it, his shirt flew over his head, his pants were shimmied off and he felt a soft hand caressing his cock. The beautiful Noémie, the woman of his dreams was naked, grinding on him so hard that her wetness coated his skin. She fumbled, falling all over his lips with her wet kisses. He tried to help her get his cock out of his pants, but she was moving so fast that they worked against each other.
It was finally happening. After all this time, he was going to take her again, the most captivating woman to ever enter his life. He focused on her kisses and the soft feel of her body, and her tight round breasts dangling over his chest. He liked it but felt under stimulated and unfocused. He didn’t know where to rest his hands or how to hold her. Most importantly, he didn’t know how to make her feel good. This was only his second time making love to a woman and the first time he was drunk and she did all the work. The pressure was mounting and he found it difficult to find pleasure in her touch.
As Noémie finally pulled his cock free, he realized that something was wrong. Despite everything she was doing to him visually, she wasn’t moving him the way he expected. His dick was as soft as his days before puberty. He had nothing. The more she flailed on top of him trying to give him an erection, the less stimulated he became. She tried sucking him, stroking him, even grinding against him with her bare wetness, but nothing worked. After five minutes of trying every way she could to get him hard, she finally pulled away.
Her face filled with humiliation. “What’s wrong? Don’t you want me? Why aren’t you…?” She didn’t want to say the last words because she didn’t want to embarrass him. This was the first time in her sexual history that a man had been unable to get hard when it was time to fuck her.
“I don’t know…uhm…keep trying,” Jimin was mortified. After months and months and months of trying to get her in bed again, he couldn’t get it up. “Fuck! I don’t know what’s wrong. This has never happened before. Don’t stop, let’s keep trying,” Jimin pleaded for his dignity and hers.
Noémie wasn’t interested. She took Jimin’s inability to perform as a personal insult. She stammered to her feet and covered herself with her discarded clothes. “You should leave. Daddy will be home soon.”
“But…but…but…,” Jimin begged for her to keep trying, to give him another chance. “I’m just nervous. That’s all. I think you’re beautiful and I’m so attracted to you. Of course I want you. I want you; I do. This is your father’s office and he’s my boss. It’s perfectly normal for me to feel anxious. Let’s go back to my place and then we can…,”
“...then we can, what? Fuck in front of your roommate? Pass. Look baby, it happens. No hard feelings ok? We’ll try again another time when you’re not under so much stress.” Noémie was already dressed. She had no intentions of giving Jimin another chance to humiliate her with his soft dick.
Jimin got to his feet quickly and pulled his clothes back on. He tried one last time to reason with her, “This has nothing to do with you. It’s me.”
“Yes, it is you. We’ll try again. For now, go before my father finds you.”
Jimin knew he’d just been dismissed. He swung the front door open and rushed back towards the orchard. He was too embarrassed to even look back.
***
Jeongguk loved the new clothing optional rules. He was vague on exactly how naked he was allowed to get so he kept on his pants. But his chest was free. This was important because as the weather grew warmer, he wanted to be restricted by less clothes. He danced around the kitchen singing as he prepared a traditional carbonara ramyeon dish. Jimin was still miffed with him for admitting to the whole masturbation business so the fancy Korean lunch was a peace offering.
He wasn’t exactly sure where Jimin had wandered off to, but since it was their off day, he knew he hadn’t ventured too far. All the donkeys were in their stables and he had to be on the premises somewhere.
Just as the ramyeon began to boil, Jimin returned. He kicked the door open and rushed over to his desk.
“HEY! You’re just in time. Look, I’m sorry about last night. I know it was a bit of a shock for me to be so open about my dick habits. Forgive me, yea? I made you something special as an official apology.” Jeongguk rambled on, not realizing that Jimin was gravely upset. “Here, the broth is finally ready, give it a taste. I’m about to…,” Jimin was sitting at his desk shaking his head. His face was sullen and he looked defeated. “Hey, Jimin, what’s wrong? Talk to me. Did something…happen?”
“Everything happened.”
Under no circumstances did Jimin want to reveal the truth about the most embarrassing moment of his life, yet at the same time, there was no one on earth he wanted to confide in more than Jeongguk. He had to weigh his two opposing options. He decided to confide in his friend, no matter how awkward it was going to be. If there was one thing he could count on, it was that Jeongguk would tell him the absolute truth no matter how difficult it was for Jimin to hear.
“Talk.”
“I couldn’t fuck her. I tried. I really tried. I needed more time I guess.”
“What?” Jeongguk’s mouth gaped open. He was so shocked that he dropped his spoonful of sample broth. “Oh Jimin, you need to give me more than that. Tell me everything. You and Noémie hooked up? How did you get her to drop her panties? You just said last night that she wasn’t willing to even consider it. I thought fucking again was off limits or some shit.”
“It was, until it wasn’t. I don’t know, I just got tired of her bullshit, and the teasing and the manipulation. I threatened to walk out for good and she knew that I meant it, so I guess as a last-ditch effort she came on to me. She wanted to go right there in her dad’s fucking office. Completely out of the blue. We started kissing and groping and next thing I knew, she was on top of me.”
“I can smell her on you,” Jeongguk was unusually giddy despite his friend recounting one of the worst experiences of his life.
“I always thought that if we could just make love one more time, it would cement things between us. She would loosen up and not be so cautious. But when the time came…,”
“...you couldn’t get it up? Holy fuck!” Jeongguk tried to maintain a blank expression, but his eyes bulged in complete shock.
“I don’t know what happened. Everything just felt so rushed,” Jimin explained.
“Well did it at least feel good?”
“I guess?” Jimin shrugged.
“You guess?” Jeongguk ran his fingers down his face. “You…and…but…this…what do you mean you guess? This was everything you’ve been ranting about for almost two fucking years. Why didn’t you score? I’m going to need more here.” Jeongguk posted his hands on his hips like an old Korean grandmother.
Jimin walked over to stand closer to his roommate. He needed help unpacking all of it because he was just as confused about what happened - or what didn’t happen. “I enjoyed the kissing and everything. But in the back of my mind, I couldn’t get into it. This beautiful woman was giving herself to me and I couldn’t respond.”
“Yea, yea ok. Let’s talk through this. There’s a lot of shit that was thrown at you at once. You were in your boss’s house. He was due home at any moment. You weren’t expecting any of this to happen. You probably didn’t have condoms. It’s cold outside. There were a shit load of mood breakers. But Jimin, you know how our unpredictable little willies work. They get rock hard at the most inconvenient times and then hide like caterpillars when we need them the most.”
“Yea, yea, your points are all valid. Maybe it was the discomfort of doing it right there on the floor of the boss’s office. Yea, yea, this isn’t my fault. Not at all.”
“Nope. In fact, I blame her. You’re a sensitive type. I would imagine that foreplay matters. Am I right?”
“I do love foreplay.” Jimin nodded.
“Exactly. She’s the bad lover here, not you.” Jeongguk pulled the chair free so Jimin could sit down. He sat across from him with a deadly serious expression, as if he were about to strategize over war plans. “We can’t dwell on why this happened. But we do need to make sure that it never happens again. So, other than the wrong place and the wrong time, what else freaked you out?”
“Her kisses were nice, her body was warm. But there was nothing deeper. I’m telling you, it was completely different than the first time. Everything was different. She looked different, she smelled different, she felt different. None of it had the same allure that it did the first time. We fucked in a donkey stable for God’s sake, that was setting the bar pretty low. So why was this time around such a disappointment?”
“Uh oh.”
“Uh oh? What uh oh?” Jimin leaned forward over the table.
“Jimin, weren’t you two drunk the first time you did it?”
“Yea, so?”
“I’ve seen you when you’re drunk. You’re a totally different person. It’s possible that the alcohol lowered your inhibitions, allowing you to get it up much more naturally without the need for so much, um, extra care.”
“Extra care?” For the first time Jimin laughed. Only Jeongguk could bring humor to such an emotionally debilitating situation.
“You’re a romantic. Long walks matter. Poems whispered softly in your ear matter. Touches, stares, smiles - they all matter.” Jeongguk placed his hand over Jimin’s. “For you, it’s never about the single physical act, it’s about the love that stands behind it. You want to be in love so bad, but Jimin, you just aren’t in love with her. Only someone who truly loves you can give you the sex that you’re looking for.”
There was silence; a pregnant pause perfectly timed to allow their hearts to fill the quiet spaces. There were things that they were both thinking, things that would never come to light or be uttered from their lips. This was the moment that threatened to crack the fragile line that existed between friends and something else. All it took was for one of them to say the unimaginable. Neither of them did.
“You think you know so much about me,” Jimin smiled.
“Nothing like that. I just…understand who you are inside. Everything else after that is easy.”
The moment was too heavy. Jimin was instantly besotted by Jeongguk’s words, adding an unexpected layer to their already cherished friendship. He felt trapped, like he needed to find a safe space that wasn’t so filled with emotion. Their hands clasped in the middle of the table, neither feeling the urge to move them.
There was so much softness in Jeongguk’s eyes. Butterflies pinged and panged against the inner lining of his stomach as he thought about all Jeongguk’s idiosyncrasies and how eager he was to learn all of them.
🍃
Chapter Four- The Bentley
The Harvest Season
Late May marked the start of harvest season, the most dangerous and laborious time for cherry farmers. Harvesting cherries meant baking them on the trees while monitoring each one meticulously until it peaked at the perfect ripeness. Because of their delicate skins, most of the cherries at Le Verger des Baisers de Cerise were picked by hand. Occasionally they would employ tree shaking machines for bruised cherries that were headed to the chocolatier, but for the fruit chosen to send to the market, they were gingerly processed by the workers themselves.
Each day began at 4:00am and continued for ten hours through temperatures stretching in the 90’s. Pierre kept sprinklers going in the orchards to keep them cool as they worked, still several succumbed to heat exhaustion despite his efforts. Breaks came every hour, with extended lunches. Conditions were brutal and they could not afford to lose any of the workers at such a critical juncture. Each market had deadlines and prepaid orders that needed to be filled. The pace was steady and relentless, which it had to be if they were going to meet their obligations.
Standing, walking, and bending while carrying heavy loads on their backs made for some of the hardest work that Jeongguk had ever done in his life. Some of the cherry satchels exceeded fifty pounds. Even military hikes in the summer heat were less grueling than climbing up and down ladders with heavy satchels fastened over their backs. And the work didn’t end in the orchards. Once the cherries were picked, they had to be sorted, washed, buffed and packed. And just as one truck was filled and sent on its way, they returned to the orchard to start all over again. If there was any silver lining in the harvest season, it was that they no longer had to wear the ridiculous Cherry Blossom Festival outfits.
Harvest lasted from May all the way through August. Serious injuries were common. A reminder of the tough conditions came when Eduardo, one of the workers from South America, had to be hospitalized for extreme heat exhaustion. And he was not the only one. A record thirty workers had to be treated for everything from strained backs to broken bones to nasty falls. One worker even suffered a snake bite. The entire crew was pushed to the brink during one of the most pivotal seasons in the farm’s history. Much was at stake.
With so many workers out, the supervisors had to adjust on the fly, rotating different workers to different parts of the orchard to fill the gaps. The change resulted in Jeongguk being pulled off Jimin’s team and assigned to work the older orchards behind the main house where Pierre and Noémie lived. Javier’s team worked the entire north side and that was where Jeongguk was assigned for a few days until the injured men returned.
Always a good sport, Jeongguk had no objection to working away from Jimin in a different part of the orchard. He was in high demand because he was the best climber in the entire squad. The way he gracefully and fearlessly scaled the massive ladder was impressive which meant he was always called in when they needed to pull the fruit from the taller trees.
It was late in the evening when Jimin set out to find him. Jeongguk was still at it three hours after his shift should have ended. It was so late that the sun had set, once again casting the orchard in complete darkness. Jeongguk had promised Javier that he would finish the last row and he was determined to do it. Darkness didn’t deter him, instead he lit one of the warming barrels and used the light of the fire to guide him through the trees.
And that was where Jimin found him, walking through the trees like some mystic character from a fairy tale. The cherry whisperer; a man so dedicated to his craft that he seemed deified, shrouded in the ultimate peace. The random train to which Jeongguk had surrendered his fate, had surely hit its mark. It was remarkable to witness what he had become in just nine months. Jimin stood there peacefully for a few moments without announcing his presence. He basked in the shadows as he watched his roommate scale up and down trees, carrying a weight equivalent to a small person on his back.
Maybe it was the glow of the fire, but his large doe eyes were hypnotic, as were his slanted dimples and thin lips. The hard labor had definitely changed his body. His arms were the size of pythons and his chest was stuffed with bundles of tight muscles that made him look two sizes bigger than when he first arrived in Cerét. Clothes that he and Jimin had once been able to share, now barely fit over his broad shoulders and rounded bosom. The transformation was majestic. Jimin shamefully found himself attracted to it. And their new rule about freely changing in front of each other made the entire situation even more difficult for Jimin who was already struggling with so many different feelings.
Jimin continued to watch him. He laughed at the large pair of white headphones that blasted French hip hop through Jeongguk’s ear drums. Jimin could only hope that the music was teaching him proper French and not more of the gobbledygook he so often spouted. Jeongguk was in his own world and from Jimin’s vantage point, his world was beautiful.
After more than five minutes of watching him like a stalker, Jimin finally spoke, “You still at it?” Jeongguk didn’t hear him, so Jimin walked directly underneath him and stared up into the tree, “Hey! Are you hungry?” he yelled.
Jeongguk ripped the headphones from his ears when he spotted Jimin on the ground. “Oh hey!”
The darkness of the orchard lit up as soon as he smiled. Jimin inadvertently touched his hand to his chest to soothe the excited beating of his heart. When, exactly, had Jeongguk become so beautiful? “I brought some dinner. It’s not much, just a bowl of soup, a few croissants and some deli meat. That’s all.” Jimin’s voice receded as Jeongguk slid down the ladder.
“You came all the way out here to bring me dinner? After you worked all day in this heat?” Jeongguk asked.
“You have to eat. We can’t let our best climber get sick. You, ok?” Jimin asked tenderly as he handed the small, packed dinner to Jeongguk.
“I’m as good as I can be considering that I have about ten more trees to pick clean. But I made a promise to Javier. I want him to see just how well you train your workers and how disciplined we are,” he smiled.
Jimin nodded. “So, you’re doing all of this to make me look good,” Jimin teased.
“You don’t need any help from me to look good.”
Jimin stared at the ground. His roommate definitely had a way with words. “Stop that.”
“Sorry, that was one of the grey area comments you warned me about,” Jeongguk laughed. “Thanks for dinner. Sit with me for a few minutes while I eat? It’s kind of lonely out here at night.”
“I would love to.” The two of them sat beneath the smudge pot like two scouts around a campfire. The temperature had dipped considerably, leaving the air crisp with a chilly bite. The heat felt good even in the heart of summer. The flames between them were mesmerizing, shifting from vivid crimson to bright orange, to golden yellow. Just above them, the grey smoke billowed, lingering over the tall branches of the cherry trees.
Jeongguk stuffed his food into his mouth, barely taking a breath. It was already 7pm and he still had at least another hour worth of work to do. There was a long night ahead that included showering and preparing to start all over for another 4am shift. Time was of the essence.
He and Jimin made small talk, speaking words that really didn’t matter. Because it was the unspoken words that held all the secrets. For the first time in nine, almost ten months, they had worked separately without their usual banter and warming conversation. They missed each other as well as the interactions and the shared silence that felt like home. Jimin had come to find him not just to feed him dinner, but also to scratch the itch of solitude that he felt while they were apart.
Jeongguk finished all his food in a record five minutes. With a boost of energy and a renewed desire to get back to his room, he hopped up and prepared to continue his work. “You better go. You need your rest. We’ve got another 4am wake up call,” Jeongguk laughed.
“Don’t remind me,” Jimin rolled his eyes. “Jeongguk you’re heading into a seventeen-hour day. Are you sure you’re going to be ok?”
“I’ll be fine. I’m almost done here, I promise. Besides, you’re my boss, you’re supposed to be pushing me to work harder”
“Push you harder? At the risk of losing my roommate to exhaustion? No thanks,” Jimin said softly.
There were several more moments of silence between them. Jimin stuffed his hands in his pockets and tried to think of more ways to stall. He really didn’t want to leave even though he needed to. He walked back and forth in front of the fire, trying not to look so obvious.
Jeongguk accepted what the glowing fire gave him; a stunning silhouette of Jimin’s chiseled jaw, long eyelashes and beautiful teeth. His skin was darker, a warm beige tone from all the hours in the hot brutal sun. How he maintained such a svelte, petite physique despite the intensity of the farm work was beyond Jeongguk’s understanding. He was a manly man with brute strength, yet his delicacy projected just as strongly. Eight months had passed without a trim, so his blonde hair dipped playfully along his upper back. The habitual tucking of hair behind his ear was Jeongguk’s favorite gesture.
As someone who appreciated soft, understated beauty, Jimin checked all Jeongguk’s boxes. There was something effortlessly genderless about him that made him a perfect fit for all Jeongguk’s fantasies. And just as his mind began to wander through all the possibilities, his brain offered him a cruel reminder; Jimin’s heart was already taken.
***
Jeongguk’s path back to his stable took him right past the main house. The lights were dim indicating that Pierre and Noémie were likely having dinner or already in bed. Harvest season was tough on everyone and they were not exempt from the challenges of the long days.
As Jeongguk headed towards the front of the house, he noticed a black Bentley parked on the dirt road. He recognized it as the car that Francois, Noémie’s ex, had driven to the orchard on opening day of the Cherry Festival. He found it odd that Pierre and Noémie had a visitor that late in the evening. It was a moonless night and his image could barely be seen as he walked around the front of the car and headed towards the main path that led back to his stable.
Noises and the gentle rocking of the car caught his attention. A sinking feeling punched him in the stomach. Someone was inside of the car and whatever they were doing didn’t sound innocent. He froze. There was no other path home so if he was going to get back to his stable, he had to continue on. The sounds grew louder. Despite it being a chilly evening, the windows were down. If Jeongguk had any doubt about what was happening before, the filthy moans and profanity made it all very clear.
He recognized Noémie’s voice and the sound of another man who he assumed was Francois based on Noémie growling his name several times. The lantern from the front porch cast a bright light through the car window that allowed Jeongguk to see what was happening in the back seat. He could see the two of them shamelessly fucking with not a care in the world. Noémie was naked on top of him, tit dangling from Francois’s lips as she bounced up and down. Her head was thrown back and a string of profanities poured from her mouth as she climaxed right at the exact moment that Jeongguk ducked past the car. The clapping from their bodies disgusted him. Jeongguk could smell the putrid smell of sex wafting from the expensive car’s leather interior as he lowered his head and broke into a sprint. All he wanted was to get as far away as possible.
Despite running as fast as he could, he could still hear the man moaning with pleasure, enticing Noémie to ride him faster, harder. Jeongguk had caught them red-handed in a betrayal so deep that he could feel it in his empathetic soul.
It was clear from that moment that Noémie was not anything she had presented herself to be. The fact that she dared to fuck another man while Jimin opined for her just a few miles away, was diabolical and evil. All this time, she had been playing games. But what was her motive? What would entice a woman to toy with a man as gentle and kind as Park Jimin?
Jeongguk was stealthy in his getaway but not stealthy enough. Just as she leaned down for a post orgasmic kiss, Noémie heard distant footsteps hitting against the gravel. She looked out of the window and could faintly see the outline of a man as he disappeared further down the road. And although she couldn’t be sure because of the dark, her instincts told her that it was Jeongguk. It didn’t take her long to realize that he had seen her and Francois having sex in the car. Of all the people who could have seen her commit her greatest transgression, it had to be Jeongguk; the person who hated her the most. She climbed quickly off Francois and gathered her clothes. Partially dressed, she jumped from the car and began to pace.
“Hey, where are you going?” Francois, still basking in the afterglow, called out through the window.
Noémie didn’t answer, she simply swore under her breath and kicked the side of the car door.
Francois jumped out of the car. He shoved his wet cock back into his expensive trousers while tucking in the tail of his dress shirt. He managed to grab Noémie’s arm and spin her around as he tried to understand her sudden change in mood.
“Babe, what’s wrong with you? Why did you jump out of the car?”
“I think we were just seen,” she said nervously as she strained her eyes again to capture the faint image of the man running away.
“Seen? Well congratulations to them. Because what we just did was porn worthy. They can go back to their pathetic little stalls and jack off,” Francois bragged like a pompous idiot.
“No. You don’t understand. This is bad baby, really bad.”
“You’re the boss. No one has any right to judge anything you do.”
“FUCK! Listen to me.” Noémie stopped pacing and squared up in Francois’s face. “The entire LCD deal could be in jeopardy if certain people find out what we just did.”
Francois laughed, “Don’t be ridiculous. No one has the authority to have any say over an ownership deal, not even Pierre. Who could you possibly be afraid of?”
“Jimin.”
“Who is Jimin?”
Noémie clenched her fists with frustration. She didn’t feel like explaining every single thing to her clueless fiancé, “The silent partner that daddy put in place to keep an eye on me. As long as I play nicely, Jimin won’t be a problem. But if I piss him off or do anything that he thinks is immoral, he can blow up this deal.”
“Wait, wait, what are you talking about? Your father gave some farmhand a stake in ownership of the farm?”
“Yes.”
“I still don’t get it. Why would he care that you’re in love?”
“Because…I think he’s in love with me.”
“In love with…oh fuck Noémie what are you talking about?” Francois was growing agitated with the conversation. He could already sense that somehow she had gotten them both into trouble.
“I learned about my dad’s plan to bring Jimin into the business about two years ago. I didn’t object because I knew Jimin was easy to persuade and would do whatever I wanted him to do. He was certainly better than Luke, the other farm hand who had originally been given the deal. I knew that as long as I kept Jimin on my side, he would stay out of my fucking way while I closed the sale. So, I…I coaxed him a little…gave him a little something to make sure he stayed loyal.”
“You slept with him?” Francois shook his head. Noémie was well known for abusing her greatest asset, her body, to get what she wanted.
“I need him on my team. I needed to make sure I could keep control over him.”
“So, you fucked him?” Francois rounded on her in anger.
“Yes, but I never thought he would fall in love with me. I just needed to keep him satisfied and out of my way. And it worked. He thinks that I have feelings for him but Francois I feel nothing for him, I promise. This was all just a play to keep him under my control. I never expected him to go all love-sick-puppy on me.”
Francois glared at her through the glow of the porch lantern. He knew when his fiancé was lying and she was definitely lying about something.
He shook his head, “Fuck, you give me a headache Noémie. Now I remember why we broke up.”
“We broke up because you fucked some college kid and got her pregnant three months before our wedding. You prick.”
“You and your grudges,” Francois teased cruelly.
Noémie slapped him in the chest. “Sometimes I really wonder why I agreed to give you another chance. I accepted your new marriage proposal because you convinced me that you had changed. Don’t make me regret that decision. I’m still scared to death about becoming a stepmother to your little bastard child,” she folded her arms.
“I’ve apologized one hundred times about how I behaved back then. I was young and stupid and I’ll never cheat on you again. I love you Noémie and I’ve learned my lesson. Besides, you’re going to be a great stepmother and a wonderful wife. We just have to make sure that this sale closes so that we can get away from this place.”
She appreciated Francois’s words, but she had much bigger concerns. She refocused on Jeongguk, “That guy who just saw us in the car, he’s Jimin’s roommate and he hates me. If he goes back and tells Jimin what he saw, it will make things much more difficult for us.”
Francois placed his hand gently on her shoulder, “Then do whatever it takes to keep him quiet.”
***
Jeongguk rushed through the door, out of breath. He was surprised to see Jimin still awake, listening to one of his old vinyl records on the phonograph.
“Whoa.” Jimin jumped when Jeongguk barged in. “What’s gotten into you. You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“Jimin! You’re still awake. I told you that you didn’t have to wait up.”
“I know. But I wanted to uh…are you ok?”
“Fine. Everything is fine.”
“You don’t look like everything is fine,” Jimin surveyed him. “Ok. Well now that I know you’re home safe, I need to get to bed. Goodnight.”
“Wait!” Jeongguk’s voice projected much louder than he intended, “Uh, got a second?”
“Sounds urgent, so yea.”
“I have something important to tell you about Noémie.”
“Ahh Noémie, you must be reading my mind. She called, just a few minutes before you arrived home. She wants to meet me to talk. She says she has something to confess.”
“A confession? What do you think she has to say?”
“It sounded really promising, Jeongguk. She apologized for the way she’s been behaving the last few months. She agreed that we needed to talk about our future. And she says that she’s made up her mind about some very important things. Jeongguk, I think she’s finally come around. I’m so excited about the possibilities. You know I thought a lot about what you said…about me being a romantic…about my desire for true love. And you’re right. This feels like my chance. She and I have something incredible and now we can pursue it.”
“Pur-pur-pursue it?” Jeongguk stuttered. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. It contradicted everything he’d just seen in the back of that black Bentley. “Are you sure that’s what she wants to talk about?”
“I’m pretty sure.”
Jeongguk’s mind did somersaults. Whatever mind game Noémie was playing, Jimin was falling for it. He was so excited and so hopeful that Jeongguk didn’t have the heart to crush him. He was sure that Jimin was misreading Noémie’s reasons for wanting to talk. He hoped for the best because maybe, just maybe she was going to confess about her rekindled relationship with Francois. Jimin deserved to know the truth, but the more Jeongguk thought about it, the more he realized that the truth had to come from her. At that moment, he made a very difficult decision not to say anything about what he had seen in the backseat of Francois’s car.”
Jimin’s beautiful innocent eyes bore into Jeongguk’s as he patiently awaited the news that he had to share. “Ok so what did you want to talk to me about? You said you had something to tell me about Noémie.”
“Ah yea. I was just going to tell you that I saw her on my way back here and she said to tell you hi.” Jeongguk made up a quick unconvincing lie.
“That’s it?”
“That’s it. Well, I better hop into the shower. I have a long day tomorrow and so do you. Night Jimin.” Jeongguk quickly grabbed his pajamas and bolted towards the shower.
“But…wait…yep…ok…never mind. Goodnight then.” Jimin shrugged, “Such a strange bird,” he murmured as he crawled into bed.
***
Jeongguk’s mind raced. Twice he almost fell from the ladder because he was so distracted over what he’d witnessed the previous night. Jimin needed to know that his faux girlfriend was a whore. She likely had been back with Francois since that day at the Cherry Festival when Jimin first spotted them. Yet she continued to deceive Jimin by giving him hope that they had a future. Jeongguk’s blood boiled.
“Name your price,” a voice suddenly rustled through the trees.
Jeongguk looked all around, left and right until he found her standing about a few feet away. “What are you talking about?”
Jeongguk slid down the skids of the ladder, returning to the ground within seconds. He walked towards her as she continued to speak to him.
“I said name your price,” Noémie repeated.
“Nice to know that you’re not going to try to lie your way out of this. Can I consider this a confession? The same confession that you plan to give to Jimin?”
“Jimin cannot know anything about what you saw. I’m willing to pay you whatever it takes to buy your silence. Now name your price,” Noémie said patiently, tears streaming from her face.
Jeongguk sighed. She really was pathetic. Over the many months that he’d been there, he tried and tried to like her, to see her good qualities, to see what Jimin could see. But there was absolutely nothing redeemable about her whatsoever and her little tryst with Francois was proof of it.
“It’s your lucky day babe. Because I don’t have a price.”
“What have you done? You didn’t say anything to him did you…?”
“No and I don’t plan on it. You see sweetheart, this is not my rodeo. It’s yours. When Jimin learns what you’ve done, the life is going to drain out of him. He’s become obsessed with you, placing you on a pedestal that you don’t deserve. I refuse to be the one to knock you off because that would only turn his anger towards me when you’re the villain in this story. I refuse to be the one who has to watch him suffer the first time he hears those words. You’re the one who broke his heart and you will be the one to tell him how you did it. So, keep your money. Keep whatever threats you and your rich boyfriend plan to throw at me. Keep all of it. I care too much about him to get involved with this.”
“I have your word? You won’t say anything about what you saw last night?” Noémie repeated.
“I don’t care how you do it, but you have twenty-four hours to come clean and tell him the truth about what you did. If you tell him, there will be no need for me to get involved. But I swear to God if you keep playing these games and you try to cover your ass with more lies, I’ll expose you in a heartbeat,” Jeongguk said angrily.
The fact that Noémie was willing to pay him a large sum of money to keep his mouth shut was of real concern. There were layers to this thing, whatever was going on with her and Francois. He wondered if it had something to do with the Cherry Blossom Festival and the deals that Noémie had been working on. Why was she so anxious to keep her relationship with Francois secret if she had no feelings for Jimin. It was perplexing and Jeongguk’s instincts told him to tread lightly.
“You’re right. This is my mess to clean up. I’ll tell him. But Jeongguk, I’m begging you not to say anything. Let the news come from me.”
Jeongguk looked away, “If you’ll excuse me. I have work to do.” He turned his back to her and climbed back up into the tree.
***
Vacation Season
Twenty-four hours came and went. Before Jeongguk knew it, two full weeks had passed with no confession from Noémie. Every single day, he awakened wondering if this was the day that Jimin would learn the truth. And every day was a disappointment, not because he wanted to see Jimin hurt, but because he wanted him released from Noémie’s evil clutches. Jimin had made it clear that he and Jeongguk had no chance at a relationship, but that didn’t mean that Jimin couldn’t get out there and find someone else who truly deserved him. He had wasted enough time dedicating himself to that whore. Jeongguk just wanted to see him be free.
By the end of the two weeks, Jeongguk began to wonder if Noémie actually had any intention of telling Jimin the truth at all. Her promises to Jeongguk were starting to feel like more manipulative lies. Jeongguk began to mentally prepare himself for the fact that he may be forced to reveal Noémie’s secret.
***
The orchard was quiet, but the stables were all buzzing. The weather was starting to cool down and the end of harvest was near. Everyone was looking forward to packing the last shipment that would officially close the season.
Jeongguk rotated back to his normal assignment. He couldn’t wait to get away from the main house and get back to working beside Jimin. Although, when he returned, Jimin was nowhere to be found. Jeongguk thought nothing of it because with Jimin’s expanded duties, he was often called into town or called to specific parts of the orchard to handle issues.
The day was uneventful. As soon as the clock struck 6pm, the entire team bolted for their stables. With less than a week left before the end of harvest, everyone was in a good mood and ready to get the job done.
As Jeongguk approached he and Jimin’s stable, he noticed his new black suitcase sitting in front of the door. His army duffle bag was there too. He knelt to examine them and both were stuffed with his belongings; his gloves, hats, field pants, flannels, pajamas, shampoos, magazines - just about everything he owned.
“What the…,” he barged into the stable to find Jimin and Noémie sitting together on his bed. Noémie was crying and Jimin was too. He spun around to glare at Jeongguk as he walked through the stable door.
“Hey. What’s going on? Why is my stuff in front of the door?” Jeongguk asked innocently.
His large eyes scanned the room. Most of his motorcycle decor had been taken down. His toiletries were haphazardly thrown into a box and the energy in the room felt very off and unwelcoming. Never had he felt that way, not even after Luke died.
Thoughts slowly popped into his mind. Was this it? Was this the day that Noémie had finally kept her promise and confessed about her relationship with Francois? Yes, that had to be it. That had to be why they both looked so sad and miserable. The expression on Jimin’s face was beyond sad, it was something that Jeongguk had never seen before. Noémie’s confession had hit him hard and just as Jeongguk expected, the life had drained from Jimin’s eyes.
“Jimin, what’s going on? Why is my stuff outside?” Jeongguk asked.
“Noémie told me everything.” Jimin shook his head, “How could you do this to me? I trusted you. I confided in you. I gave you a job, a new start. I thought we were friends, best friends,” Jimin rubbed his eyes.
“What are you talking about? Do what to you?” Jeongguk began to feel queasy. Something wasn’t right. What was Jimin accusing him of and what did it have to do with Francois and Noémie?
Noémie lifted her head. Her face was beet red and her eyes were puffy. Her hair was pulled back into a tight bun that made her look every bit of her forty years. She held Jimin’s hand tightly in her lap as she proceeded to morph into the face of evil.
“He knows Jeongguk. He knows everything,” Noémie said sadly.
“Good. Thank you for telling him. He deserved to know the tru…,”
Noémie interrupted, “...he knows that you and I slept together. I told him everything about how you cornered me and came on to me. I gave in because I was attracted to you. I told him how we made love in the main house. We don’t have to lie anymore Jeongguk. The truth is out.”
“I’m sorry, what?” Noémie’s statement was so ridiculous that Jeongguk actually laughed. “Ok, what’s going on here? Is this a joke?”
“It’s not a fucking joke!” Jimin stood to his feet protectively in front of Noémie. “You’re fired. Get your shit, and get out. I’ve already packed as much as I can. Wherever you get settled, I’ll send the rest.”
“Ok, ok, ok, ok this isn’t happening. There’s been some mistake. Jimin, whatever she told you, it’s a lie. I have never touched her. She cheated on you but not with me. Noémie, tell him the truth. Tell him about Francois.”
Jimin spoke again, more softly this time, “She warned me that you would try to blame someone else. All this time, you tried to make it seem as if she and Francois had something going on when it was you all along who was sneaking behind my back. You were the one plotting to take her from me.”
“Jimin and I talked. I’ve taken responsibility for my part in what happened between me and you. I wasn’t disciplined and I didn’t reject you like I should have. I let you seduce me into having sex with you. But he has forgiven me and we’ve decided to try to work things out and start a future together. But we can’t do that with you here. It’s clear that you have feelings for me, Jeongguk. That’s why you have to go.”
“FEELINGS! FUCKING FEELINGS? FOR YOU? Does hatred count? Because I fucking hate you lady. I wouldn’t piss on you if you were on fire, that’s how much I hate you. That is the only FEELING that I have for you. HATRED! Jimin, come on. You can’t possibly believe this bullshit? There’s no way. We’ve been side by side for almost a year. I would never betray you. I would never hurt you. And I would never, ever slide my dick into that grandma’s old, withered pussy.”
Noémie jumped to her feet. “HOW DARE YOU!” She slapped Jeongguk hard across the face.
“Hey, hey, stop it you two,” Jimin stepped between the two of them. “Jeongguk, I think you should go. Like I said, I’ll send your motorcycle collection and the other stuff that I couldn’t pack.”
“So that’s it? I’m fired? Without even hearing my side of the story, you’re just going to choose her over me? I’ve been by your side, your best friend through thick and thin. And now this lying whore pops in here and spouts her whore nonsense and you’re going to just throw that all away?” Jeongguk walked up to Jimin and stood nose to nose with him. “Fine. But I’m not leaving here without telling my fucking side of the story with no fucking filter. I never touched her. I would never touch her not just because I’m not attracted to her but because I love you. I worship the ground you walk on and I know what she means to you. I would never hurt you that way. I would never stake claim to something that belongs to you. That’s just not how romance works. I would die for you Jimin. Noémie and Francois are seeing each other again. I caught them fucking in his fancy black Bentley. They were doing it in public and anyone could have seen them. It just so happened to be me who saw the entire disgusting thing. I wanted to tell you right away, but you were so excited about the possibility of a second chance with her that I just couldn’t do it. But I made her promise to tell you everything. She promised. Instead of telling you everything, she told you lies to get rid of me. She begged me not to tell you. She offered me a blank check with any amount I wanted if I just agreed not to say anything. She promised that she would tell you the truth. Instead, she fed you lies and you believed them. I can see it in your eyes, you know that I’m telling the truth. Remember, no one understands your heart like I do.” Jeongguk poked Jimin in the chest, right over his heart. He broke down and began to cry, shaking his head in disbelief. “How could you pick her?”
Jimin’s lip trembled. His eyes bore into the ground because he could no longer stand to see the pain on Jeongguk’s face. Jimin’s tears were so large and heavy that they puddled loudly when they hit the cement floor.
Noémie looked between them. She could feel it, every bit of it, every bit of the desperate unspoken love between them. She was sad that it had to come to this. But she couldn’t be deterred because she had a deal to close and getting rid of Jeongguk was the only way.
“You better go,” Jimin finally spoke.
Ironically, Jeongguk’s phone was charging on Jimin’s nightstand. He quickly ripped it away from the chord and stormed through the front door. Jimin watched him throw his duffle bag over his shoulder and grip his luggage. Without turning around to say another word, officer Jeon Jeongguk disappeared into the orchard.
***
Without Jeongguk, the team struggled to close out the last few weeks of harvest. His absence did not go unnoticed and everyone had a different theory about why he was no longer there. Despite being asked repeatedly about what happened, Jimin refused to discuss it with his workers. It was best for everyone to just forget the name Jeongguk and never mention him again.
Jimin did a good job shutting down the talk about Jeongguk amongst the field workers, but he was not so lucky when it came to Pierre. Approximately a month after the close of the season when all of the farmhands had been sent away for vacations, Pierre summoned Jimin to the main house for a conversation. No doubt it was going to be about Jeongguk. The invitation was timely and just what Jimin expected. He vowed to use the time wisely.
Pierre was full of smiles. He greeted Jimin at the door and pulled him inside with a hearty handshake, “Jimin, Jimin, entre donc, mon fils. Quel plaisir de te voir ! Tu as bonne mine. Avant de commencer, je dois te féliciter pour cette excellente saison. Jamais, dans toute l'histoire de ce verger, nous n'avons connu un tel succès. Le nom « Le Verger des Baisers de Cerise » est désormais sur toutes les lèvres, celles de tous les dignitaires de France. Bravo. Quel beau travail ! Je savais que j'avais fait le bon choix en te choisissant pour m'aider à diriger l'entreprise.”
“Monsieur, je suis flatté, mais vous me donnez trop de crédit. Toute l'équipe a travaillé incroyablement dur. Nous l'avons fait pour Luke.”
“Ah, Luke.” Pierre switched to his dirty mix of French and English, “I didn’t know how you were going to hold up after we lost him. But you proved to be just as resilient as I had hoped.”
Jimin followed suit and switched to English as well, “Why did you call me here, sir? Is everything ok?”
“Everything is not ok. I hear through the cherry trees that you fired one of our best workers. About a month ago. Jeongguk. Explain.”
“It was just time for him to move on,” Jimin said curtly.
“Did he break the rules?”
“He did. It was a minor infraction but serious enough to send him on his way. We have to run a tight ship and I chose to make him an example for others. They need to know that insubordination will not be tolerated.”
“Insubordination? Interesting use of words. Are you going to tell me what was so egregious that he had to be dismissed?” Pierre pressed.
Jimin stared down into his hands. “It doesn’t matter, sir. It’s over and I’ve dealt with it.”
“Jimin, you know that I don’t like things to be done behind my back. Firing Jeongguk was a very serious matter and I was not consulted. Whatever he did, I’m sure it could have been forgiven and he could have been let off with a warning.”
Jimin dropped his head even lower and continued to fiddle with his fingers. He cleared his throat, “No. It could not.”
“Mr. Park, under normal circumstances I would not allow you to be so flippant when I question you about what goes on in my orchard. However,” Pierre leaned back in his chair and smiled, “however, as of yesterday at noon, what happens here is no longer my concern. And you now have every right to make decisions without consulting me.”
“Sir?” Jimin was confused. He leaned forward over the desk and tried to read his boss’s expression.
“The clause. It kicked in. You are now 1% owner of Le Verger des Baisers de Cerise. I am officially retired.”
“Why so soon? I thought you would wait at least another few years before leaving.”
“No, my son. I’m a tired old man and I want to travel before I get too old to boogie on the beach with hot blondes,” Pierre said seriously.
Jimin laughed. He could absolutely visualize the handsome, greying Pierre, all tan and debonair, dancing on the beach surrounded by hot blondes half his age. “Congratulations Sir. You’ll be missed around here. No one will ever love this orchard like you do.”
“Is that a slight insult to my daughter?”
“No. Of course not. In fact, I look forward to all of the things she is going to do.”
“You do remember our deal, don’t you Jimin? You must keep an eye on things. You must continue to be the voice of reason, compassion, integrity. Not to say that she isn’t all of those things, but I think you know that she and I have very different views on the future of this place. That is why I have installed you as 1% owner. She will never be able to make a move without your complete consent,” Pierre emphasized.
“Understood. I don’t plan to get in her way, but I will respect your wishes to keep an eye on things. That brings me to another favor that I must ask. Could you possibly provide another copy of my ownership agreement? I accidentally dropped my copy in the fireplace. So silly of me.”
“Jesus Boy! I give you a deal worth hundreds of thousands of dollars and you drop it in the fireplace? Not very business savvy are you? Ever heard of something called a file cabinet?”
Jimin laughed, “Yep, ok so I deserve that. You’re absolutely right. It was very careless of me. I promise to do better and this time I’ll store my copy in a safe. I ordered a brand new one from Amazon,” Jimin couldn’t help but laugh at the reference.
“Good, see that you do,” Pierre let out a large raucous laugh. “Getting you another copy shouldn’t be a problem. I have it in the file cabinet in the back room. I can make a quick copy for you - or maybe two copies just in case you get careless again. Make yourself at home, I’ll be right back.”
As soon as Pierre disappeared from the room, Jimin was on his feet rifling through the desk drawer. He knew, based on their conversations, that Noémie kept all of her most important documents in the top drawer on the left and she never locked it. The drawer quietly slid open. His eyes focused, looking for anything that referenced the company LCD. He remembered seeing a business card on the ground the last time he was in Francois’s office and that was how he began piecing it all together. The only thing missing were the details of what exactly Noémie had planned. And that was what he needed to find in her desk drawer.
Thanks to a nosey farmhand, Jimin knew that she was out for the evening with Francois. They had been seen leaving together in Francois’s black Bentley. With her being out, Pierre was the only one Jimin had to worry about.
He worked quickly, careful not to leave any traces of the drawer being disturbed as he sorted through the papers. Just as he expected, the fifty-page document titled LCD/Le Verger des Baisers de Cerise Purchase Agreement, was sitting right on top of the other papers that Noémie had copied for her lawyer.
“Got cha’.” Jimin whispered with a devious smile. He removed his hand scanner and began scanning each page as fast as possible. “Come on, come on, hurry up,” he whispered as the blue light moved up and down the white pages.
He could hear the copy machine going as Pierre made copies in the next room. Jimin knew he didn’t have much time.
The scanner that he used to scan the contract was another lucky find on Amazon. Everything was going well and in less than two minutes, he had scanned almost the entire contract. But suddenly when he got to page 47, the scanner went dark.
“What? No, no no,” he whispered in a panic.
He wasn’t sure if the battery was dead or if the entire thing had just conked out, but it was the absolute worst time for it to stop working. He could hear Pierre pulling the copies off of the printer and closing the door behind him. He was coming. Jimin had a fraction of a millisecond to decide; keep trying to get the scanner to restart or give up and be thankful for what he had. He chose the latter. In a flash, he slid across the desk and landed back into the chair just as Pierre reentered the room.
“Ah, here we go my friend. Two copies stamped and signed just for you,” Pierre passed the copies over to Jimin.
Out of the corner of his eye, Jimin realized that he’d left the desk drawer wide open with the contract partially visible. He had forgotten to close the drawer. Pierre noticed too.
“What is this? I don’t remember leaving this drawer open. Old age. I would forget to piss if it were left up to me.” He chuckled. “This is Noémie’s drawer. I try not to touch anything in there. She’s very particular about how she keeps things organized. Women,” Pierre scoffed.
He slammed the door shut as if nothing was amiss. He never suspected that Jimin had been the one who left the drawer open.
Jimin quickly moved on, “Thank you. Thank you for the copies. I promise to take better care of them this time. Uh…Pierre, before I go, can I bother you for one more thing?”
Pierre bloviated in his native French, “Tu es un sacré pot de colle ce soir. Heureusement pour toi, je suis de bonne humeur. Tout ce que tu voudras, Jimin ; qu'est-ce qu'il y a?”
“You were in the military for many years, yes?”
“Yes. Fifteen years to be exact. I left to return here to the orchard to take over the business from my dad and grandfather. The military made a man out of me. It’s one of the reasons I was so fond of the young Jeongguk. He reminded me of myself at that age. I do wish you would reconsider his firing.
“It wasn’t my sole decision. Your daughter felt it was time for him to go as well. Please stay with me, sir. This is very important. I need to find someone, an old Commander. His name is Claud Gaston.”
“Claud Gaston?”
“Yes, do you know him?” Jimin anxiously slid to the edge of his seat.
“French soldier?”
“Yes, do you know him?”
“Claud Gaston…is he still active?”
“Yes. Active duty.”
“Claud Gaston…what unit?”
“I-I don’t know. But he was over military training for foreign soldiers. That’s about all that I know.”
“Military training. Yes! I know about that.”
“So you know him?” Jimin’s eyes widened with excitement.
“No.”
“Shit.” Jimin banged his forehead on the desk.
“Language my son. I don’t know this Claud Gaston, but I do know how to find him. Take down this address and phone number. This is the 31st command post in Paris located in the 15th arrondissement. Call their office. If this Claud Gaston fellow is still active, I’m sure they can tell you where to find him.” Pierre handed his handwritten note to Jimin with a fatherly smile. “Well I guess this is it. By the time you return from vacation, I’ll be half naked on a beach somewhere practicing my macarena.”
“I don’t know what that is, but I wish you the best of luck. I really don’t have the words to explain how grateful I am for all you’ve done for me. You’ve given me a wonderful life here and I appreciate you for it. I’m going to miss you.”
“You won’t be completely rid of me. I’ll visit often and check in on that stubborn daughter of mine.”
Jimin stood to his feet and reached out to hug Pierre. The handsome grey man returned his hug lovingly and with appreciation. Jimin hurried towards the door with Pierre following him. They said their final goodbyes as Jimin stepped out into the crisp fall air. Pierre had a few last words for Jimin before he faded away.
“Enjoy your time off. Next year’s season is going to be even more brutal than this one. Relax for the next four weeks and really enjoy yourself.”
“I will,” Jimin smiled.
“Oh and Jimin, you never told me. Where are you going for vacation?”
Jimin turned around and smiled, “Some place where I can charge my phone.”
***
It was late, almost 10pm when Jimin knocked on the door of the flat in Neuilly-sur-Seine. There was no light coming from beneath the crack in the door; a good indication that the inhabitants were sleeping. He hated to visit so late in the day, but it was important. What he had to do could not wait another day. He stirred in the hallway for about three minutes before finding the courage to knock again. He knew someone was there because he could hear footsteps.
The man who answered the door looked exactly as he envisioned. Tall, about 188 centimeters, straight back, cleanly shaven with a prominent jawline. His eyes were sharp, clear and focused, like a wise man who knew a little bit about everything. He found Jimin’s face in the dim hallway.
“Yes, may I help you?”
“Commander Claud Gaston?” Jimin asked meekly.
“Yes. Do I know you?”
“No, sir, you don’t. My name is Park Jimin and I’m here to claim one of your soldiers.”
“I don’t understand,” Commander Claud Gaston shook his head.
“I’m looking for a soldier err…uh…ex-soldier that was once under your command. His name is Jeon Jeongguk and I must find him. It’s urgent.”
“Jimin? What are you doing here?” Jeongguk stepped in front of Commander Gaston.
“Is everything alright here Jeongguk? Do you know this man?” The Commander asked.
“I do. And everything is fine. Give us a minute, please.” Jeongguk stepped into the hallway and closed the door behind him so that Jimin couldn’t see inside. He expected the conversation to be short because he and his ex boss didn’t have anything to talk about. Other than to find out why he was in Paris, Jeongguk wanted nothing to do with him. He clenched his jaw and folded his arms; anger and hurt coursing through his veins. He lifted his chin bravely and stared straight into Jimin’s eyes, “What the fuck are you doing here? We have absolutely nothing to say to each other.”
Jimin didn’t answer. There was silence and this time it wasn’t comfortable. The air in the hallway was thick with resentment and regret as the two glared at each other through the low white light. Without warning, Jeongguk was shoved hard against the door. Tufts of his hair were balled into both of Jimin’s hands as their crotches collided against each other. His lips were taken, possessed, forced apart as Jimin rolled his tongue into the soldier’s mouth eliciting a lustful kiss. There were no words uttered, no apologies, no explanations, just pure unprovoked passion that left Jeongguk reeling, struggling to remember his own name. It took minutes for the kiss to calm down. By the time Jimin pulled away, they were both sprouting embarrassing erections that were not meant to be seen in public.
Jeongguk was at a loss for words. “I-I-I,” he bashfully placed his hand over his crotch to hide himself. How destiny had delivered them to that moment in time was a mystery to him.
“Tell your Commander that you’re leaving and won’t be back. Get your shit, you’re coming with me,” Jimin said seriously. There was absolutely no levity to his tone. His eyes were dark, focused and calculating.
Chills trickled down Jeongguk’s spine. He had never seen this side of Jimin before and he was both frightened and turned the fuck on. He scurried back inside as Jimin waited in the hallway and within a flash, he was back with his duffle bag and suitcase. Jimin grabbed the black suitcase with one hand and Jeongguk’s hand with the other. Jeongguk hurried to throw his duffle over his shoulder as Jimin dragged him hard out of the building. The young soldier knew instinctively not to say a word. Before he could even process what was happening, they were in an Uber speeding towards the hotel that Jimin had booked when he arrived in Paris.
***
Jimin hustled Jeongguk into the elevator and up to his hotel room without providing any explanation for his presence, nor for the sudden and very public kissing and kidnapping shenanigans. Fed up with Jimin’s lack of communication, the salty soldier refused to go quietly and demanded to know what Jimin was up to and why he was there. He yanked his arm away from Jimin before launching into a profanity-laden, grown man tantrum that came with no filter.
“What the fuck is going on Jimin? How did you even fucking find me? What kind of fucking games are you even playing? And what is this bullshit about?” Jeongguk fussed.
Jimin kicked the door open to the hotel room and dragged Jeongguk inside. “Will you be quiet? You’re going to wake the dead. Just give me a second to explain.”
“NO! In fact, where’s your girlfriend? The love of your life. The stupid conniving whore bitch that you chose over me. Where is she? And what was with that kiss? You’re committed to her but you’re kissing me in random hallways? What are we a throuple now? Poly in and poly out? What the fuck?” Jeongguk was enraged and the more he complained, the more upset he became. He threw his duffle bag which landed heavily on the bed.
“I can explain.” Jimin wanted so badly to laugh.
But the situation was too serious, especially considering that Jeongguk had absolutely no idea what was going on. He needed to know the truth because it was the only way for Jimin to calm him down, but he also needed to calm down so that Jimin could tell him the truth.
Jeongguk couldn’t stop talking, “And another thing, how dare you just show up uninvited. What are you, a stalker? You stalking me now? Is that what’s happening here?”
Jimin was done. He ran over to Jeongguk and slapped his palm over his mouth to keep him from talking, “Stop, stop. STOP! Will you please shut up just for a second? Let the moment breathe, calm down. I promise to tell you everything but you’ve got to calm down.”
“Don’t you tell me to calm down! You show up here after a month with no phone calls, no apology no…,”
“Fuck.” Jimin had no choice.
He rushed him again, knocking him into the wall. In an instant, he was pressed against him, kissing the life out of him. His kiss was so raw and ardent that Jeongguk’s legs were shaking. By the time Jimin pulled away, the younger had to grab on to the edge of the desk to keep from falling.
“What is happening?” Jeongguk was dizzy, he couldn’t even open his eyes. Never had a kiss affected him the way that Jimin’s did.
“Now will you listen,” Jimin whispered, his breath falling over Jeongguk’s wet lips.
“You have the floor,” Jeongguk laughed.
Jimin proceeded to tell him the entire long winding story. “Your acting is about as good as your French.”
“What does that even mean?”
“It means that I couldn’t tell you anything about what was going on. I never wanted you to get involved with any of this. I knew that if you found out about Noémie and Francois, you would lose your shit. I know how protective you are of me but these two are not to be toyed with.”
“You mean you knew? You knew they were back together?” Jeongguk was flummoxed.
“Of course I knew. I figured it out on the day of the Cherry Blossom Festival. No one knows Noémie as well as I do. I could tell just by the way she touched him that they were fucking.”
“And you still didn’t let me kick his ass?”
Jimin rolled his eyes, “No. Because I didn’t want you involved. But thanks to my little faux girlfriend and her inability to keep her legs shut, you and everybody else on the farm knew about her carrying on with Francois in public. Trust me, you’re not the only one to catch them in the act. However, you were the only one that she was afraid of.”
“Me?”
“Yes, you.”
“ME?”
“Yes, you, you, you!”
“But…why would she be afraid of me?”
Jimin sighed, “Sit down.”
Jeongguk sat on the edge of the bed and Jimin pulled up a chair to sit in front of him. He lifted Jeongguk’s chin so he could gaze into the beautiful doe eyes that he’d missed so much. “Pierre retired. He told me back before the Cherry Blossom Festival that he was calling it quits and turning the business over to Noémie. As luck would have it, Pierre understands his daughter very well. He knows that if she’s not careful, she can make very bad decisions in pursuit of profits. In order to keep that from happening, Pierre installed a fail safe, a babysitter if you will.”
“A what?”
“Someone who could keep an eye on her. Someone who had just enough authority to stop her if she ever made a poor decision that wasn’t in the best interest of the company. That someone would be a small minority owner with very few powers except for one - to stop her when she needed to be stopped. In exchange for 1% of the business, that person would be assigned as the guardian of Le Verger des Baisers de Cerise. That person is me.” Jimin pointed at himself.
“YOU? You’re part owner of the orchards? Holy fuck, Noémie must have been livid.”
“Livid. No. Calculated, yes. I truly cared for her, I’m not going to lie. I truly thought that we could have a future. None of that was an act. She was so kind to me, and so compatible. I wanted her. That is until you came along and pointed out something that I had never noticed, she was stringing me along. Never letting me get too far out of pocket where she couldn’t influence me, but never officially committing to me either. I was stuck in this strange nether world not knowing which way was up and which way was down. None of it became clear until you came into the picture and saw right through what she was doing.”
“Yes. Sometimes it takes an outsider to see the truth,” Jeongguk smiled lovingly.
“It took me a while to see it, but she was manipulating me for the sole purpose of being able to influence me. Jeongguk, Noémie has a very lucrative offer on the table for the sale of the farm.”
“She’s trying to sell the farm?” Jeongguk was gobsmacked, “How do you know?”
“It was right in front of us the entire time. Remember back in early April where that guy from LCD showed up out of the blue?”
“Yes, of course I do. I bet you wished you had let me kick his ass.”
“I sorta’ do…but that’s not the point. Remember when he was taking pictures and measurements and stuff that just didn’t make sense?”
“He gave me the ick. I knew something was up with that guy,” Jeongguk pondered.
“Well you were right. He was taking inventory of the land. It was all being used to evaluate how many acres were part of the farm so they could assess the value. It was part of the sale. But I didn’t put the pieces together until that day I took her flowers to Pierre’s office and I saw the business card for LCD laying on the floor near her desk. She was so busy trying to seduce me that she didn’t even notice that I grabbed the card and stuck it in my pocket. Seeing that company’s name a second time gave me a really bad feeling. So I called to find out more about why they were visiting the farm and what business they had with Pierre and Noémie. They wouldn’t tell me much, but they did tell me one very important piece of information.”
“Ok, what?” Jeongguk’s eyes widened with anticipation.
“They had no business at all with Pierre. The only parties involved were Noémie and get this…Francois. That means that whatever Noémie was doing, she and Francois were doing it behind Pierre’s back. That left it up to me to figure out what was going on.”
“So LCD is…?”
“The company that plans to buy Le Verger des Baisers de Cerise. And they are willing to pay an insane amount of money. If everything goes smoothly, Noémie will be a millionaire many times over. The problem is that the deal is not a good one. It’s not good for the farm nor the workers. And the worst part is that Pierre knows nothing about it. She was waiting for him to retire before finalizing the deal because that would allow her to close it without his signature. Now that he’s living life in Fiji, she can finally make her deal.” Jimin paused for a moment to pull his stolen copy of the contract from his bag. “This is the contract and it’s terrible. The new owners plan to automate the farm and add grapes to the southern end of the orchard so they can enter the fine wine market. This land is not meant for grapes. Nor are we ready to automate. It’s too soon. Francois is in the deal with her and he’s the one pushing it because he stands to earn a very hefty brokerage fee that is in the millions of dollars. Noémie knows this is a risky move but she’s blinded by the money and her love for Francois. They both stand to make a fortune from the sale. If they go through with this, Le Verger des Baisers de Cerise will be completely out of business in about six years. That’s how long I estimate it will take before the crops begin to fail,” Jimin conceded.
Jeongguk flipped through the pages of the contract. “How did you get your hands on this? It looks like an official attorney’s copy.”
“I stole it.”
“You what?” Jeongguk smiled approvingly. He had no idea who this new Jimin was, but he really liked him.
Jimin smirked, “I stole it. Right under Pierre’s nose. I suspected that there was an offer on the table, but I needed to know the details of it before I acted. I snuck into his office and distracted him. While he was in the other room, I made copies of the entire contract.”
“You’re a thief now? That’s so fucking sexy,” Jeongguk squinted his eyes and pursed his lips.
“I don’t know if thief is the right word…,” Jimin laughed.
There was silence. Jeongguk’s smile disappeared and reverted back to that bitter frown that Jimin had discovered when he first knocked on Commander Gaston’s door. He reached out and grabbed Jeongguk’s hand to encourage him to say what was on his mind.
“None of this explains why you fired me,” Jeongguk brought the conversation full circle.
Jimin tried to explain, “Oh Jeongguk. I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry for hurting you. So sorry for making you think the worst of me. But I had to fire you to get you out of harm’s way. I had to make Noémie think that she had won and you were no longer a threat. As long as she thought you were gone for good, she wouldn’t come after you. Jeongguk, I knew she was lying about you two having sex. I knew she was accusing you of something you would never do. Soldier, you’re so gay. So, so gay. There’s no way you would be interested in sticking your dick anywhere near her. Plus, you’re just not that kind of dishonest man. But I had to play the role to convince her that I was still on her side. And that brings me to your bad acting. If I had told you what I was doing and that your firing was not real, your reaction would have given us away. I needed your reaction to be as real as possible. I just didn’t realize that playing the role would hurt so much. I’ll never forget the look in your eyes when I told you to leave. I’m pretty sure I damaged my heart forever. The tears I cried for you that night were very real.”
“Your tears for me were real?”
“Very real. I knew that I had hurt you. I knew you were suffering, thinking that I chose her over you. And most of all, I knew that I had to stay away from you while I sorted this shit out. You told me you loved me, Jeongguk. Those were very powerful words that you just dropped on me suddenly and I couldn’t do anything about it or say anything back. I had to just let you walk away. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life. And that’s why I’m here now.”
“That still doesn’t explain how you found me.”
“Pierre. He helped me find Commander Gaston. He didn’t know why I needed to find him nor did he really care. I knew from our many conversations in the fields that you had no family, no one in Korea that you trusted. The one person you spoke of fondly was your Commander. So when I kicked you off of the farm, I knew you would come back to Paris to find him. That’s why I didn’t worry about you because I knew he would take you in until you got settled. Once I found him, I knew I would find you. As soon as vacation started and Pierre and Noémie left the farm, I headed to Paris to find you. And that, my beautiful best friend, is why I’m here.”
“So I’m not fired?” Jeongguk asked for clarification.
“Nope. You certainly are not. In fact, I’m putting you on a new assignment effective immediately. I need your help.”
“My help? With what?”
“I’m going to challenge Noémie and Francois and keep them from selling the farm. With my little 1% of the vote, I’m going to be the moral compass that Pierre hired me to be and shut this deal down. But I can’t do it without you.”
“What happened to keeping me out of it?” Jeongguk teased.
“You stepped in it the night you saw Noémie and Francois fucking in that car. You’re knee deep in it now baby,” Jimin teased back.
“Fine. I’m in.” They shook hands. But Jeongguk still desperately needed to revisit a much deeper issue; Jimin’s sexuality and the origin of all of the sudden gay kisses. He didn’t know the best way to broach the subject but he couldn’t rest until he knew the whole truth. There was a time when he used to feel free to say whatever was on his mind, but given the awkwardness of the last month, he felt restricted.
“I don’t know how to ask this without sounding…selfish…judgemental…nosey. Whatever the fucking right word is.”
“You can talk to me about anything. You know that,” Jimin responded. He already had an idea of what Jeongguk was going to say.
“Why the kisses? You steadfastly denied being gay or having any homosexual feelings. What changed? You don’t just go gay overnight. I’m confused and frankly a little offended. You’ve avoided any kind of intimacy for a year, even shunned me when I was honest about my feelings. And now you want to play kissy face. Explain. Let me in.”
Jimin already knew that he was going to get emotional. He covered his eyes in anticipation of the tears that would surely come. But Jeongguk deserved to know his full story and why he reacted like such a raging homophobe whenever he felt uneasy. He began slowly and allowed the story to build, taking pauses whenever he felt he might break.
“Ever since I can remember, I felt feminine energy inside of me. I spent my early teen years in a state of androgyny. That was fine when I was young because everyone was trying to find themselves, emo, goth, cyberpunk, nerds, band geeks, trannies. Everybody had a zone. But as my friends grew out of their phases, mine seemed to intensify. I had no trouble admitting that I was queer and I liked both sides of me. But what became more challenging was that…I also liked boys. I had no interest in girls at all, other than to curl their hair and share their make up. And then when I started to have sexual attraction for men, that’s when I realized that something was different about me. My very religious parents were understanding at first. By the time I reached sixteen, however, they were fed up. They tried setting me up on blind dates and guilting me about finding a girlfriend. They even pushed me to think about marriage and having children even though I was still just a teenager. They made it very clear that homosexuality would not be accepted in their household. Keep in mind, I had never mentioned anything to my parents about being gay. But they knew their son and they knew my truth without me telling them.”
Jeongguk moved closer. “Were you scared…about them finding out?”
“Not at first. I thought they would support me, love me, no matter what. I was very naive and I assumed they would love their only child unconditionally. I was so, so naive,” Jimin repeated.
“What happened, Jimin? What did they do to you?” Jeongguk held Jimin’s hand when he noticed his speaking voice begin to tremble,
“This is hard,” Jimin stared up at the ceiling as tears dripped from the corners of his eyes. He blinked several times before fanning himself with his small hand to try to stop the tears. He puckered his lips to release a long pressurized breath, “in the summer before my eighteenth birthday, I was sent away to what I thought was going to be a religious camp.” The tears snuck up on him and he wasn’t expecting to get so emotional so early in the story. His shoulders shook with sadness as he sobbed openly in front of Jeongguk.
“Oh baby. Jimin you don’t have to say anymore. You don’t have to revisit this.” Jeongguk wasn’t sure he was strong enough to hear what Jimin was about to tell him. He could see the pain manifesting as it overtook Jimin’s body.
“No. No you need to hear it. I promise, you’ll understand so much more if you just listen to what I have to say.”
“Ok. Yes, of course, please tell me.” Jeongguk found a box of tissues and began vigorously wiping away Jimin’s tears.
“The camp was a Christian camp. What my parents didn’t tell me was that it was a conversion camp. A place where they supposedly prayed the gay out of you. The entire purpose of the camp was to cure me of my homosexuality through the teachings of the Bible. Except they weren’t real teachings, they were twisted interpretations of it that justified mental abuse and mistreatment. Nothing in the real Bible would have ever condoned how they treated me.”
“Jimin, I am so sorr...,”
Jimin talked past Jeongguk because he didn’t want to lose his courage to tell his story, “My parents told me that if I didn’t get cured, then I could never come back home. I didn’t want to be abandoned so I tried to fit in, but the abuse that I endured was too horrible to imagine. I was shamed, taunted, emotionally abused and belittled all in the name of religion. There were times when food was withheld. Times when I was called names. There was never any physical abuse, but the brain washing was sadistic and never-ending. They took great pleasure in telling me how worthless I was because my feelings went against the teachings of the Bible. After a few months, the rhetoric started to stick. I began to believe that homosexuality was a sin that needed to be removed at all costs. I was held there for six long months. By the end of the stay, I was willing to say or do anything to get out. I recounted all of the right scriptures and all of the right anecdotes. I rebuked homosexuality and my natural love of other men. I said all the right things. I professed my love for women and I was finally released. Of course, nothing inside of me had changed and I still wanted boys, but I never spoke a word about it.”
“They let you go? Just like that?” Jeongguk said optimistically, hoping that the story had a happy ending.
“I was released and allowed to go back to live with my parents. They thought I was cured. Hell, I even thought I was cured, or at least had control over my urges. But within a year I was dating men again. I wasn’t cured because there is no bullshit cure for being who I truly am. I kept my new boyfriend a secret from my parents. I thought I was smarter than they were. I thought I was doing a good job hiding my true desires. Until…one day, the guy I was dating saw my mom in the grocery store and accidentally told her about us. He didn’t know any better and he had no idea that my parents didn’t already know we were dating. My mom and dad were outraged. They gathered me up and sent me directly back to conversion therapy that same night.” Jimin started to shake. His voice grew thick with anguish as his words surfaced through painful wails. “I cried and I cried and begged them not to send me away again. The moment I got there, I knew there was no way out. I decided to k-k-k-k-kill myself.”
“What? Jimin surely you didn’t seriously consider…,” Jeongguk lost control of his senses.
He grabbed Jimin with a suffocating hold and began to rock with him in his arms. He held him so tightly that he squeezed the breath out of him. They cried together for two completely different reasons; Jeongguk, unable to face the thought of ever losing Jimin to death, and Jimin unable to face the embarrassment of being so desperate to escape that he wanted to die. Somehow, they met there, in that terrible space where an intertwining, emotional attunement was birthed.
In Jimin’s mind, the universe shifted. It was the first time he realized that he needed this man - this stowaway that he’d found hiding in the back of a train. Destiny had done her finest work yet and delivered him straight to Jimin’s doorstep. And oh, how cherished he felt.
Emboldened and grounded, he managed to continue. “I was going to kill myself. I couldn’t take it, Jeongguk. I felt hopeless. You, more than anyone else, understand how it feels when your parents don’t want you. At least you had your mother for a short time. I was hated by both biological parents that the world gave me. I had no idea how long they were going to leave me in there the second time around. But I am happy to say that my suicidal thoughts eventually faded because I was able to escape. One night while the conversion coaches were all sleeping, I snuck out of the facility and ran away. I never looked back and I haven’t seen my parents since. I emptied my savings and sold all of my belongings to purchase a one-way airplane ticket to France. You know the rest.”
“You made it out. But I still don’t understand why you still have so much resentment towards homosexuality. I mean, even when you got away from your parents, you still refused to accept who you were.”
“Because as I grew older, I felt shame and guilt. I understood why my parents didn’t want a gay son. I didn’t want to be gay. I didn’t want my parents to be ashamed of me. I saw how terribly gay men were treated by Korean society. Even the families of gay men were treated like pariahs. I didn’t want that, so I closed my eyes and pretended that my desire for other men didn’t exist. You asked me over and over again why I was so attached to Noémie and why I thought I was falling in love. It’s because she was my first experience with a woman. It was the first time that I shed the stigma of being a gay man. I fell into the world of heterosexuality because I thought she had cured me. I thought that if I could make it work with her, then I could one day go back to my parents and present myself as a married man in a loving relationship with a woman. My fantasy of gaining their acceptance all depended on my ability to make our relationship work. I became obsessed with it and her.”
“You never really loved her. You just loved what she represented,” Jeongguk said wisely. It was something he always suspected from the first time Jimin shared the details of their relationship.
“I was drunk as fuck the night we had sex. I barely even remember it. I think she sucked my dick and then rode me until I came. I was so drunk and horny that even a warm towel could have gotten me off that night. She was nothing special. I’m not even sure I realized I was having sex. I was passed out drunk, Jeongguk. She had to remind me the next morning of what had actually happened. There was evidence that I had been with…a woman…and a vague memory of it happening. Yet somehow in my mind, I built it up to be the best moment of my life. When in reality, it meant nothing. That’s why I pushed her so hard to make love to me again. Because I needed to prove that it wasn’t just a fluke. I needed to prove that I really enjoyed having sex with her. And the moment that I got my chance, I couldn’t even get hard. Yet, five seconds of watching you dance shirtless in those black suspenders made me want to cum on myself even though I wasn’t being touched. I knew then that I was in denial. I no longer wanted her. I wanted...you.”
“Me?”
“You.”
“ME?”
“Yes, you, you, you! From the very first moment that I saw you huddled up in the back of that train, all of those old feelings of being attracted to men came rushing back. Feelings that I had suppressed for years. No other man tempted me, not even close. But you were something special. And right when I was trapped, swimming through all of those crazy feelings, you started spouting off about falling in love and me being your destiny. I was doomed from the fucking start. And now, here we are,” Jimin laughed. He wiped the last few tears away as a sense of relief escaped his body. Finally, he was able to share the trauma that he’d held inside for so long.
Jeongguk stared at him, “My father killed my mother in a drunken act of rage, yet somehow, your parents still sucked even worse.”
There was silence until Jimin suddenly burst out laughing. “What is wrong with you? Filter Jeon Jeongguk.”
“I. Don’t. Fucking. Have. One.” Jeongguk burst into laughter as well. “Terrible comparison, huh?”
“Yea, very, very terrible.”
The room filled with comfortable silence again. They watched each other with pride as if they’d survived a violent killer storm and still remained standing.
“So now what?” Jeongguk asked.
“We stop Noémie and Francois from selling the farm.”
“How?”
Jimin blew a breath, “I don’t know. But the answer is somewhere in this stack of legal documents that I stole from Noémie’s desk.”
“Spread out over the bed.”
“What?” Jimin snapped his head up to glare at Jeongguk. His eyes widened due to his misinterpretation of Jeongguk’s request.
“The papers. Spread them out over the bed. I’ll help you read through them. I promised I would help and I meant it. Plus…I need my fucking job back. I’m broke, so we’ve got to get this figured out,” Jeongguk laughed.
The evening kicked off with them dividing the stack evenly with Jimin taking the first half and Jeongguk taking the second. Neither of them were lawyers and the fancy legalese was difficult to interpret. In fact, they had to stop every five minutes just to google some of the more complicated sentences. After three hours, they’d had enough. Their eyes were crossing and they were tired of reading, yet they still hadn’t found what they needed to devise a plan.
Jimin stood to his feet and stretched, releasing a loud yawn while walking to the window. He ripped the curtain back to reveal a stunning view of the Eiffel tower as it glowed brightly against the Paris sky. It was so close that he felt as if he could reach out and touch it.
“Whoa! Is that our view?” Jeongguk jumped up and joined him at the window.
“Yea. The shelter where I used to live is just down the street. I used to pass this hotel every day on my way to the government office. I promised myself that one day I would have the money to come back here and stay at this hotel. Naturally, this is where I decided to book my room when I came back to search for you.”
“It’s beautiful. It’s absolutely beautiful. I called Paris home for a very long time, but I’ll never tire of how stunning she is,” Jeongguk said as he stared up towards the Eiffel Tower.
Jimin simply nodded. He rolled his neck and placed his palm over his left shoulder. Jeongguk could tell that he was tired and sore from the strenuous last weeks of closing out the harvest. He stepped forward and gently pushed Jimin’s hand away, replacing it with his own. He stood close, digging his long fingers into the tight bundle of muscle that stretched from Jimin’s neck to his shoulder. With the perfect amount of pressure, he kneaded away the fatigue that Jimin had stored along the arch of his neck. His thumbs circled inward, walking up and down the sharp blade of the elder’s left shoulder.
Jimin released a satisfied moan. He closed his eyes and dropped his arms to the side to succumb to Jeongguk’s magic fingers. They stood there, both facing the grandiose spectacle of the Tower as Jeongguk continued to work his magic on Jimin’s achy muscles.
The more Jeongguk touched him, the more relaxed he became. He placed his palms on the window, fingerprints slowly embedding into the glass as he felt his erection start to press against the inner zipper of his pants. Jeongguk’s touch felt different, uninhibited, and intentionally provocative. Jimin’s mind told him to fight the feeling and step away. But his dick told him to lean in, pull him closer and explore the art of the possible.
And then he felt it; the sweetest most delicate tickle along the nape of his neck. It was a kiss then a nuzzle followed by another kiss. Before he knew it, his head fell backwards, landing on Jeongguk’s shoulder. Briefly his eyes opened to grab a hint of the Tower’s shadow before quickly falling shut again. The massage was no longer focused on his shoulders because both of Jeongguk’s hands were now snaking down the front of his jeans.
The incendiary words that Jeongguk spoke into his ear were deliberate, calculating and unfiltered, “I can spread my legs for you and make you cum harder than she ever could. I’m tighter and more satisfying than she will ever be.”
“Jeongguk,” Jimin released his name with a breathy, uncontrolled moan. He knew deep in his soul that every word Jeongguk had whispered to him was true. His mind immediately initiated a cock blocking campaign to sort through all of the reasons that he shouldn’t fuck his employee. “I’m your b-b-b-boss.”
“You fired me.” By this time Jeongguk had Jimin’s pants completely unzipped. They dipped to his waist, revealing a rugged cock that fought against Jeongguk’s large controlling hand. “Tell me you want me as badly as I want you.” His massage transitioned to hard repetitive strokes as he pulled hard on Jimin’s cock, stretching it and releasing it with unrepentant force.
“Shit,” Jimin couldn’t come up with any more excuses, nor did he want to. “You’ll let me?” Even though Jimin’s lust filled sentence was incomplete, Jeongguk completely understood his sloppy incoherence.
“Yes Jimin. You don’t know how badly I want you inside of me. Take me. Let me be your playground and let’s explore this together. Let me show you how fucking is supposed to feel.”
“Oh God!” Jimin ripped Jeongguk’s hand away for fear of cumming right there at that moment.
There was an impenitent growl unlike anything that Jeongguk had ever heard before, especially coming from Park Jimin, the Snow White of the cherry orchards. Jimin glided effortlessly through the room, walking backwards while pulling Jeongguk with him in an incredible display of strength.
The only light in the room came from the glow of the enormous Eiffel Tower who indiscriminately peered at them through the window as she anxiously waited for them to start the show. They continued to make their way across the room, moving their bodies like a heated dance. Jimin stumbled on the corner of the bed, causing both of them to topple over the mattress with Jeongguk landing on top.
In his haste to get to his naked body, Jimin ripped open the fabric of Jeongguk’s thin white shirt, causing the buttons to pop like popcorn as they scattered over the bed. Their jeans tangled, trapping around their feet as they frantically kicked them off in every angle. Jimin ripped his tank top free as he straddled over Jeongguk’s pelvis before leaning down and pinning his arms above his head. Naked body against naked body, their skin pressed together for the first time. And that’s where the magic began.
Jeongguk relaxed his jaw, allowing his lips to be harshly pried open as Jimin had his way with them. This kiss was different from the first time. No longer experimental, this kiss was supremely executed, like the perfect opening to their twisted tale of longing. This kiss was important, laying the foundation for all kisses that would follow. There was lust, passion and comfort, all of the things that a kiss should have. But there was also a layer of love they had never shared with each other before. This kiss broke through the boundaries of friendship. The words didn’t come, not at that moment, but the kiss spoke for both of them, crescendoing into a release that had been building for almost a year.
“Take me from the back,” Jeongguk whispered raspily. He knew that position would make Jimin feel empowered and get him off immediately. He wanted to succumb to Jimin’s every whim with the hope of making it the best experience of his life. He didn’t know if Jimin would ever relent again, so he had to make the most of the moment they had.
“Oh God, Jeongguk,” Jimin groaned again as he watched the big bulky officer climb to his knees and offer his ass for the taking.
“Hurry, fuck I want you,” Jeongguk teased again.
“Wait. Wait. Fuck,” Jimin fell away from the bed and landed on the floor. He scrambled, partially on his knees, partially in a run as he found his luggage. “I need, I need, I need…,”
“What?” Jeongguk said angrily. His cock was so hard that he was starting to ache. He reached down and rubbed himself to keep himself hard as he demanded Jimin come back. “Fuck, I’m all you need. Get over here.”
“Got it,” Jimin yelled triumphantly as he scurried back to the bed where he found Jeongguk still resting on his hands and knees.
“Hurry. I can’t wait any longer, my dick is about to explode,” he whined like a baby, begging Jimin to fuck him.
“Are you sure…,”
“FUCK!” Jeongguk yelled again. He backed into Jimin, trying desperately to chase his cock. All at once he felt two tiny fingers probing him, coating his entrance with what he realized was lube. His irritation settled when he realized that Jimin was just trying to protect him and make him comfortable.
“I’m big. I don’t know if you can take all of me,” Jimin politely warned him. “That’s why I had to prep you a little.” His cock bounced over his upper thigh, hard and straight with droplets of precum wetting his skin.
Jeongguk heard another moan, followed by a quick, sharp thrust. “Oh fuck,” he closed his eyes and steadied himself on the bed. The bump from Jimin’s hips was so strong that it caused his knees to slide along the mattress. It had been years since he was fucked by another man and no man was more worthy than Jimin. He wanted to give himself completely to him and pleasure him like only he could. But first, he needed to survive the entry. His eyes bulged as he felt the tip quickly impale him. “Fuck,” he said again as he clenched the sheets to try to distribute the pain.
Even though Jeongguk was big and powerful with the strength of an elephant, he was still susceptible to being hurt. Jimin wasn’t exaggerating when he said his cock was big so he proceeded with caution, breaking the seal with one large thrust just to get his tip through the rim. He could feel Jeongguk flinch in front of him. He quickly pulled out and rubbed more lube into his space while massaging the officer’s military hole and fingering it open. In the meantime, he also rubbed the lube up and down his shaft. The last thing he wanted was for the entire thing to end with Jeongguk a bloody and bruised mess. He cared too much about him to be that callous.
It was time to go again. And once again he lined up the tip of his cock with Jeongguk’s entrance. Holding his long shaft in his hand, he fed the first couple of inches into him, pushing until he met the resistance. And then all at once, he forced his way through, hard and fast without hesitation.
“FUCK!” Jeongguk screamed again.
“Shhhh, it’s the only way, you know that.” Jimin reminded him why the force was necessary. Even though it actually wasn’t.
Jimin couldn’t calm himself down. Desire surged through him like heated lava. He wanted to take him hard, push him to the extreme because he knew he could take it. It was one of Jimin’s very well kept secrets that Jeongguk was discovering the hard way; Snow White liked it rough. Bruising, biting, slapping, thumping, tapping, humping, scratching - he loved it all. It was one of Jimin’s favorite parts of being with other men. They could match brute strength against brute strength and give each other everything.
“You ok?” He whispered as he rolled his hips backwards to pull his cock out once again.
Jeongguk’s head moved up and down in a “yes” motion, indicating that he wanted Jimin to keep going.
With another roll of his hips, he pushed his cock forward again, splitting Jeongguk’s flesh with a powerful surge. He pushed hard until he finally bottomed out, resting his long dick in the middle of Jeongguk’s body like a heavy weight. He stared straight ahead, hardly able to believe that his months of frustrated longing was over. Still resting inside of him, he used his hands to palm and slap Jeongguk’s ass cheeks, while occasionally pulling them apart so he could examine his throbbing dick as it protruded from the younger’s quivering hole. It was too good. He hadn’t even fucked him yet and it was already too good.
“You’re so tight,” he whimpered as he leaned over and kissed Jeongguk’s back.
“I can take you like a man. She can never make you feel like I do,” Jeongguk said seductively as he arched his back and prepared for Jimin’s first stroke.
“Fuck, you’re incredible,” Jimin’s body shivered as he fought to hold his hips steady.
He had to make sure that Jeongguk was ready, adjusted to his girth. He could feel the young soldier’s walls pulsate over his shaft. The intense pressure compressed the long vein on the underside of Jimin’s cock. He took several deep breaths to stave off his orgasm. He was ready to explode.
Jeongguk hissed, “It burns, oh shit you’re big. So fucking big.”
“I’ll be gentle.” Jimin’s voice was smooth and loving but his malicious movements completely contradicted his comforting tone. He began fucking him, rotating his hips quickly, clashing against Jeongguk’s bottom, causing his balls to swing back and forth with a slap against his thighs. He partially pulled out with a brief pause to slather more lube on his cock. He wanted to fuck him harder, to possess every angle of his ass and claim it as his own. He rocked back and forth, faster and faster thrusting his cock to varying depths, shallow then deep, then shallow again. In and out and then around and around, he stretched his hole mercilessly, leaving it soft and wilted. It took less than five minutes for him to find his rhythm, the one he would ride all the way to orgasm.
Once again he leaned over Jeongguk’s back, kissing along his spine as he fucked him generously, giving him all of his cock. With one hand on each of Jeongguk’s ass cheeks, he spread him open again to watch through the dim light as his dick throttled up and down, sliding in and out of Jeongguk’s hole at a dizzying pace. The stars were aligning. It was happening. He was about to cum, his first orgasm with another man in almost ten years. The clapping was steady, perfectly timed with his heavy breathing.
“Shit, Jimin…,” Jeongguk’s voice went hoarse. His legs became unstable as he dropped his forehead to the mattress and moaned into the sheets. Jimin’s fucking was like something from a porn movie. Jeongguk couldn’t believe that Snow White’s stroke game was so strong. He could feel himself losing control as the burning in his ass suddenly turned into a pulsating sensation so good that it made his lips quiver. The hot pools of lava bubbled in his stomach and soared through his legs, nuts and dick. “That’s it…right there, harder, that spot right there. Fuck what are you doing to me?” Jeongguk’s moans turned into pitiful cries as his pleasure toppled over.
“You’re taking me so well. Earn your job back my little soldier. Come on, earn it.” Jimin was out of breath, thrashing his hips about so wildly that Jeongguk was being pushed to the edge of the bed. “Fuck, fuck, fuck. If I wasn’t in love before, I am now,” the fuck was so good that Jimin really didn’t know what he was saying. Words had meaning and saying the word ‘love’ while the living soul was being fucked out of him was risky but he assumed that Jeongguk never heard it. “You’re my big handsome stud, taking it up the ass for me. So sweet of you. I promise to return the favor,” he whispered.
Suddenly he heard Jeongguk scream, “FUCK I’M CUMMING OH GOD DON’T STOP BOSS. FUCK YOUR LITTLE SOLDIER. SHIT! FUCK!”
Tremors tore through Jeongguk’s body causing the bed to shake on its frame. Jimin reached around to grab Jeongguk’s shaft. He milked him as the younger one climaxed with creamy squirts of liquid that soared across the bed with each of the powerful pulsations from his dick.
Jimin clenched his eyes shut. He could feel Jeongguk’s cum coating his fingers as he stroked him clean. He placed his cum covered hand back onto Jeongguk’s ass and gripped him there as he quickened the pace of his pounding thrusts. He was almost there, so close. He could already feel his cum surging through his veins. The buildup was almost supernatural, like a demon was controlling his body. Every neuron erupted as his orgasm finally settled in his crotch causing him to explode with a thunderous eruption of cum that puddled inside of Jeongguk’s ass. He screamed a scream he had never screamed before.
“HOLY SHIT! WHAT THE FUCK? SHIT SHIT SHIT!” Jimin repeated over and over as his orgasm hit him like a tidal wave in the Indian ocean. He convulsed for several seconds with his head buried in Jeongguk’s back. His hips froze, his legs trembled and cum flowed like a broken fire hydrant. Never had he ever felt this way with anyone.
Jimin fell to the side, gasping for air; his body still tingling from an orgasm so powerful that it stopped his heart. Somehow in his crazy mixed-up world, destiny had delivered the perfect sexual symbiote via a dusty old boxcar from a freight train. The miracle of it all was not lost on him. He scrambled across the bed quickly to pull Jeongguk into his arms. After the way he had just made him feel, he never wanted to let him go. The large, heavy man was still laying on his back with his large eyes surveying Jimin’s every move in the dark. He rolled over a couple of times to meet Jimin underneath the blanket as they fell into another kiss. It was hard to fathom that just twenty minutes prior they were just roommates and best friends. Now they were something much more complicated, but just as beautiful. It was too soon to define anything, nor did they want to. They had plenty of time to figure it all out.
🍃
Chapter Five - Obligations &Confessions
Jeongguk awoke the following morning to the smell of bacon and hot coffee. He squinted, partially opening one eye. “Shit, is it morning already? Did I fall asleep?” An angel appeared standing over him, with a halo of light encircling his head and his long golden locks brushing just below his shoulders. Jeongguk gasped. His eyes opened wide to take it all in. It was the same angel that had followed him everywhere over the last year. He reached his hand out to touch it, to make sure that it wasn’t a fantastical dream. “I assume I’m still alive?”
“You are still alive.” Jimin knelt and kissed Jeongguk’s mouth open, inserting a coffee-tinged tongue as a welcome to the world of the living. “You ok? Is your body hurting…I mean are you hurting anywhere?” He brushed Jeongguk’s short black bangs aside and kissed him on his bare forehead. “Drink your coffee. I mixed it just right, four creams and four sugars. There’s also bacon and croissants and biscuits and eggs. A proper Parisian breakfast.” Jimin felt clingy and a bit anxious.
Both had fallen asleep without taking time to process what had happened. It was a bit overwhelming for Jimin considering how much was at stake.
Jeongguk propped himself up on his elbow and gripped the hot mug of coffee, taking it from Jimin’s hand. “You never told me that you liked it rough,” Jeongguk smiled, his dimples collapsing beneath his skin. He had a particular glow, one that could be achieved through very satisfying fucking.
“I wasn’t that rough, was I?”
“You were exactly what I needed.” Jeongguk fell into shy giggles. He closed his eyes and sipped his coffee, barely able to believe it. For months he’d longed for Jimin physically, mentally and emotionally. And within the flutter of a hummingbird’s wings, destiny delivered. It was surreal at best, magical at the least.
Jimin rolled him over to his stomach, “Mind if I take a look?”
Jeongguk grinned, the doting was the icing on the cake. A little aftercare after a less than gentle evening. The attention gave him butterflies. He thought it was very apropos that Snow White wanted to treat his wounds.
“Sure, examine me all you want but I’m fine. What’s the purpose of sex if it isn’t a little painful,” he said naughtily.
Jimin moved his face close to Jeongguk’s rear end. He ran his fingers up and down the crack feeling for bruises or cuts. He spread his ass cheeks again and used the tip of his index finger to circle the rim, causing remnants of his leftover cum to seep through the wrinkled slit.
Jeongguk laid on his stomach, sipping coffee awkwardly and chomping on a croissant. He could hear Jimin snickering behind him. “What’s so funny,” he spoke over his shoulder.
“Nothing…just you made me cum really hard. I don’t think there is any fluid left in my body, I deposited all of it in your ass.”
“And I loved it. You felt so good. You’re everything that I imagined. All those nights jerking myself off, pretending that it was you who was pleasuring me, none of it compares to how insane it felt to finally be with you. Thank you Jimin. Thank you for…I don’t even know what I’m fucking saying,” Jeongguk buried his face in the pillow. He suffered from another bout of shyness that he couldn’t explain.
Jimin kissed him again, this time in the arch of his back, “You look fine. Some swelling and redness but nothing a little ice can’t handle.” He paused briefly to trace the line of muscles along Jeongguk’s back before pulling the covers over his naked body. “You’re a fucking Adonis, you know that? Your body is…like wow.” The bright light of the sun shining through the window allowed him to take his first real look at Jeongguk’s nudity. He loved everything he saw. Jimin carded his fingers through Jeongguk’s short black hair, this time grabbing it gently to force his head back so that he could kiss him again.
Jeongguk nodded, “I better get dressed. We have work to do. I’m only halfway through those documents you gave me. I found some good information but nothing we can really use to stop the sale.”
“Yea, same here. There must be a way, we just have to find it,” Jimin watched as Jeongguk gingerly rolled to his back and then sat up on the edge of the bed.
Jimin’s eyes betrayed him. Instead of focusing on the conversation, his expressive eyes dipped to the ground to admire Jeongguk’s large feet and perfect button toes as they stretched over the fluffy rug. Jeongguk’s thick muscular thighs looked like the mini tree trunks of the elder burlat cherries that grew on the far end of the orchard. The white bed sheet rested in his lap, covering the most intriguing portion of his torso. Without warning, Jimin gently swept the sheet to the side so he could gawk at more of Jeongguk’s naked flesh. His eyes danced across Jeongguk’s crotch, falling still over his wilted cock. Even in its most docile state, it looked like a mighty serpent crawling down his leg. His gaze finally reached Jeongguk’s chest, boring into each of his small dark nipples that always seemed to be hard.
The truth was this was Jimin’s first time actually experiencing Jeongguk’s naked body. Their roommate rules had been so strict that seeing nudity of any kind was rare between them. The younger’s body was so beautiful that Jimin released a heavy sigh, blinking several times as he focused on his dick again. Jeongguk said many words. Jimin heard none of them because his eyes were too busy feeding him pornographic views of his roommate.
“Shit,” Jimin suddenly swore and then turned his back.
As embarrassing as it was, he was hard again and standing there naked made it impossible to hide. Quickly, he found a pair of sweats in his luggage and pulled them on. It didn’t matter because his erection was so thick that it embossed the crotch of his sweats, leaving little speculation about what was happening down there.
Jeongguk laughed. “After all we’ve been through, now you want to hide from me?” He stood to his feet, towering over the smaller man who just hours ago had bent him over and made him his bitch. “I guess this means you like what you see?” Jeongguk spun around and walked slowly towards Jimin. “You look like a man who needs to be fed.”
“I already ate breakfast,” Jimin cleared his throat. He knew damn well that Jeongguk wasn’t talking about food.
Neither their roles nor positions had been openly discussed but for Jeongguk, there was something supremely erotic about the smaller Jimin tossing his large body around the room, bruising him, caging him, dominating him in his own little Snow White fashion. He was turned on and wanted to be fucked again.
Jeongguk placed Jimin’s hand around his shaft and urged him to stroke it, “Let me take care of you.”
Jimin immediately objected, “You should let your body rest. Plus, we-we-we have work to do.” He looked away and tried to get his own cock to behave.
“I can make you scream, Jimin. Get me hard again and I’ll let you fuck the soul out of me,” Jeongguk’s soft request landed more like a hard demand.
They were on the fifth floor with a clear view to the street and the large picture window in their room left little to the imagination, allowing everyone who was passing by to see what they were doing. In Jeongguk’s mind, that made the moment even better.
“I feel so greedy.” Jimin said with a twinge of guilt.
“And I’m needy, nice to meet you,” Jeongguk responded naughtily.
“Are you sure you can handle me again?”
“I guess we’re about to find out,” Jeongguk whispered.
Jimin smirked and then fell to his knees and opened his mouth, sliding all of Jeongguk’s mass over his tongue.
Jeongguk didn’t dare look down to watch Jimin suck him because that would have made him cum too fast. Instead, his large eyes dropped towards the street, focusing on a random man carrying a large bouquet of flowers. As Jimin continued to suck him, Jeongguk did what he could to distract himself and delay his orgasm. He wanted to cum immediately, but he had to show some discipline so he forced his mind to focus on the fate of the random flower bouquet. Were those Juliette roses and custom orchids? Who were the flowers for? What was the occasion? He gulped several times before finally closing his eyes. He could hear the squelching and gurgling as Jimin sucked him. He reached out his hand to brace himself against the chilly window. Heat rose in his groin. Jimin’s warm saliva cascaded down his crotch, puddling in his pubic hairs and dripping down his leg. He made the mistake of glancing down at him, only to see Jimin’s soft pink lips pulled taught in suction around his shaft.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” Jeongguk hiccupped.
Once again, he quickly peered through the window, desperately scanning the street for the random boring man with the random flowers. Anything to preoccupy his mind so he wouldn’t cum. After seconds of scanning, he finally located the man again, further up the street. He focused on the flowers. There were daffodils in the bouquet, he was almost sure he had seen daffodils.
Just then, a young couple walking down the street passed underneath their hotel room. They seemed to immediately recognize what was happening in the very large public window. Their eyes locked on Jimin who was down on his knees with his face pressed into Jeongguk’s crotch. Jeongguk could see their stunned expressions as they lapsed into giggles. For several seconds, they watched, seemingly getting more into it with each moment that passed. Others passed by the window with noncommittal glances, but the couple refused to look away. It was almost as if they wanted to join.
Having an audience did nothing for Jeongguk’s stamina. He made eye contact with the couple on the street. A man like Jimin on his knees, sucking him off for the world to see was so arousing that Jeongguk knew he wouldn’t last much longer. A quick check of the street allowed him to see the large bouquet disappear into a nearby building. He tried not to look back at the couple who was watching them but he couldn’t help it. They locked eyes again. Jimin felt so good on his dick. The slurping and sucking grew louder as more spit dripped from the corners of Jimin’s mouth. Jeongguk found himself wrapping his large hands around the back of the elder’s head and guiding him over his shaft. The hip thrusts started small at first but as his pelvic floor contracted, his thrusts became more violent and disrespectful, gagging Jimin with the tip of his cock as he shoved it down his throat.
A pitiful childlike whine escaped his tongue, “I’m about to cu-cu-cum…,” he announced to Jimin as well as the couple on the street who still had not moved on. They were invested in watching him finish.
He bracketed both sides of Jimin’s face and held him in place as he began fucking his mouth. It was so good that he squealed while clenching his eyes shut. Just before he exploded, he glanced down at his voyeurs to give them a knowing nod. They could visibly see him shaking as his knees weakened. His hips rotated around and around, stealing Jimin’s breath as his huge cock gagged him. After less than five minutes, he released, pumping warm salty cum into the back of Jimin’s throat. It felt so unreal that he could hardly fathom the prodigious pleasure.
“Oh Jimin…,” he whispered one more time as he felt Jimin’s smooth lips milk him.
And then all went quiet. By the time he opened his eyes again the couple on the street were gone and Jimin had him bent over the couch fucking him raw. And he was not gentle. Mr. Snow White was focused and determined to unleash his inner beast.
“Uh shit,” Jeongguk called out as his hand searched for something to hold on to. The pounding caused an ache in his back while his ass burned hot from the intensity of the semi-lubed fuck.
There were too many sensations to process at once: Jimin’s fingernails digging into his skin, the burning stretch as Jimin rearranged his guts and the anxious curiosity about whether the couple would come back to see the finale. But what plagued him the most was his overwhelming urge to scream the words I love you to Park Jimin.
As fate would have it, Jimin didn’t last long either. Three minutes inside of Jeongguk’s ass was all he could take before falling apart. His body seized once again while squirting his useless seed. He slapped Jeongguk’s thighs and ass cheeks mercilessly, leaving red handprints and bruising. Seconds after his release, Jimin pulled out, backing away with his dick still hard and remnants of cum dripping from his tip. He stared at Jeongguk’s gaped open hole as he calculated how soon he would be able to take him again. The young farmhand was nice and stretched and supple. If left up to Jimin, he would not get much of a break over the three weeks he planned to remain in Paris. He had discovered his utopia.
Jeongguk was thankful for the rest because Jimin was quite a little savage. His body was spent and he needed his coffee and bacon.
***
It didn’t take long for them to shower, dress and get back to work. They still hadn’t taken the time to emotionally unpack the new trajectory of their relationship but they remained committed to not introducing drama into the situation.
It took another three hours to comb through the contract. It was around noon when Jeongguk asked a simple but devastating question.
“Uh, Babe?”
“Yea?” Jimin looked up from his stack of papers.
“Where’s the rest of it?” Jeongguk shook the contract in the air.
“The rest of…what?”
“The page markings call out the page number for each page. This says this is page 46 of 50. But there are no other pages. Do you have them?”
“No,” Jimin shook his head and he sorted through all of the papers in his stack. No, I don’t.”
“So where are pages 47, 48, 49 and 50?”
“Oh no,” Jimin went pale. It suddenly occurred to him why the last few pages were missing. “These are copies of the documents that I found in Noémie’s desk. I used a portable hand scanner to capture each page…,”
Jeongguk interrupted, “...the one that was featured on Amazon?” He asked excitedly.
“Yea, that one,” Jimin laughed. “Anyway, the thing conked out on me at the very end when I was almost finished. It just stopped working. I managed to get it going again but I ran out of time. Pierre returned to the room right in the middle of me scanning this contract. I had to stop and put it back to avoid getting caught. I didn’t have a chance to finish the scanning. That’s why the last four pages are missing.”
“Jimin, we need those pages. I think I found the answer to how she kept this deal a secret from Pierre.”
“You did?”
“It all starts here on page 39. The potential new buyers of the farm have a Board of Directors. They’ve been privately meeting for almost two years to discuss this sale. This acquisition is complicated and there are many hurdles she has to jump through. She’s expected to produce income statements, marketing strategies, expense reports, environmental studies, viability statements and even land assessments. I think that’s where Francois came into the picture. She must have reached out to him for help because there was no way she could have done all of this without Pierre finding out unless she had outside help. She’s been working on this for a very long time through this secret Board of Directors.”
“Does it say if she provided all of that documentation?”
Jeongguk shrugged, “I don’t know for sure because the last few pages are missing. But it seems like she provided most of it?”
“Viability statement, Environmental report and Fit for Use clause.” Jimin read over Jeongguk’s shoulder. “The land assessment is probably the stuff that the worker from LCD captured when we caught him taking measurements back in April. If she provided any of these other documents, then she faked them because there’s no way that this land is fit for use based on their plans for turning it into a winery. The environmental study would have proven that. Just like I said, I know this land better than anyone. If they try to grow grape crops, the soil will be stripped of the nutrients needed for the cherries. The chemistry of the soil will be changed forever. The orchard won’t survive and the crops will be dead within five or six years.”
“Something strange is going on here. How can the sale proceed if all of this is true?” Jeongguk questioned.
“Noémie is a hard worker and she knows the land well. But she is nothing like her father. She doesn’t have the knowledge that he has. He understands this orchard inside and out and he knows what could happen. He would agree with me about the environmental reports. But Noémie has kept him out of this entire process.”
“Should we tell him?” Jeongguk asked.
“It’s too risky. We could start World War III without any guarantees of the outcome. We could accidentally show weakness to LCD, resulting in them swooping in and taking control while Noémie and Pierre battle it out. We don’t want that. My best bet is to fight this on my own, with my one single percent of ownership. This is exactly why Pierre thought to give me this power.”
“Ok, well then there’s more that I need to tell you. Right here on this page, the contract outlines each of the dates that the board convenes. The dates start here but continue on the missing pages. See, we can see all of the past dates, but the future dates are missing. We need to know those dates so that you can show up and contest the sale. Damnit, we need these last few pages.”
“We do.” Jimin paced.
“But how do we get them without breaking into Pierre’s office again? You may have gotten away with it once, but you won’t fool him twice,” Jeongguk said knowingly.
“I don’t know but maybe this is a possible lead,” Jimin opened the contract to the first page where the buyer’s legal information was printed. “Do you see this? It’s the address to the attorney who drew up the contract. The business is based here in Paris and so are their attorneys.”
“Ok…so?” Jeongguk wasn’t sure what Jimin was thinking.
“So…what if we can get in contact with them?”
“You think they’d tell us anything?”
Jimin pondered, “It’s a chance I’m willing to take. Let’s give them a call and see if they’re willing to speak to us.”
“That could really turn into something. In the meantime, while you’re working on that, I’m going to try to get my hands on the real environmental report. Since we suspect that the report Noémie and Francois provided is a fake, we need to find the real one. That’s the proof we need to stop this.”
“Yea, agreed.”
***
For two days, Jeongguk called around Paris, speaking with old military buddies who were well connected in the government. He left messages, sent emails, dropped texts and even considered sending carrier pigeons just to find someone who could help him get his hands on the official environmental study that was done on the orchard. Every lead was a dead end.
It was finally Commander Gaston who provided the most useful information.
“Hey. I’ve got something,” Jeongguk whispered to Jimin who was on the phone trying to raise the attorneys who were handling the contracts.
“I’ve already left three messages. This is an urgent matter about a very lucrative business transaction and I need him to call me back. Please, can you pass this on with urgency?” Frustrated, Jimin disconnected his call and threw his phone on the bed. “I really hope it’s good news because these assholes at the law office refuse to cooperate. They won’t even return my phone calls. It’s been three days.”
“Oh, baby, it’s very good news. Commander Gaston has high level contacts at Agence de la transition écologique. [Agency for Ecological Transition]. He reached out to them this morning and they promised to get back with him by the end of the week. They just need to do a little research to determine which unit did the evaluation on Le Verger des Baisers de Cerise. This is really good news, Jimin. We’re getting closer.”
“That’s fantastic. I’m positive that the report will validate everything I have been saying about the orchard and the soil. How can I ever thank you?”
“Don’t get too excited yet. Let’s just wait to see what Gaston comes back with. We’ve got to find that report first.”
Jimin agreed, “Yea, yea good idea. Let’s just stay breezy about the whole thing. Regardless of how this turns out, thank you.”
“I promised I would help.”
Jimin plopped down next to him on the bed. Jeongguk continued to flip through his phone checking for messages. Jimin burst into laughter when he realized that Jeongguk’s phone was being charged by his phone charger.
“It’s been a year, you still don’t have your own phone charger?” Jimin asked jokingly.
“I have two. But this one…is connected to you and that makes it…special,” he replied softly.
Jimin didn’t expect such romantic words about a phone charger. The sentiment tickled his heart as he realized that Jeongguk personified Jimin’s phone charger into a physical connection between them. It was both sensual and childlike at the same time. He was moved. He stroked Jeongguk’s soft black hair, running his fingers over each strand. He gazed at the side of his face, focused on his powerful jawline, beautifully anchored teeth, golden skin and mesmerizing eyes. His handsomeness extended far beyond that of a farmhand who worked for meager wages and a place to lay his head. In Jimin’s mind, his profile was that of a model or actor. Jimin found him more attractive at that moment than he’d ever before.
He felt the need to speak from the heart, “Why did I spend so much time denying my feelings for you?”
“Only you can answer that.” Jeongguk placed his phone down and turned to face Jimin.
“It all seems so stupid, looking back.”
“It was stupid and I tried to tell you but you had your nose stuck up that old lady’s ass and you were blinded to everything that I was trying to say.”
“Thank you.”
“For…?”
“For respecting my attempts at a relationship with her. I accused you of trying to pressure me into pursuing something with you. But even back then, I knew you were too honorable to be that manipulative. You showed nothing but loyalty and support the entire time. You even tried to fight Francois when you saw him being too flirty with her.”
Jeongguk shrugged and shook his head, “She wasn’t the right person for you. But that didn’t automatically mean that I was. I don’t know Jimin, I wanted you from the moment I saw you, but it was so clear to me that you didn’t have a clue what you wanted. So there was no purpose in pressuring you. The respectful thing to do was to just back off. Besides, what mattered the most was having you in my life and being your friend - even if I wanted more.”
“You’re a good man.”
“I am. I really am. And one day, I’ll be your man.”
Jimin blushed three different shades of pink before settling on a beet red. “We need to focus.”
“I am,” Jeongguk lifted Jimin’s calloused hands and kissed each of his fingers.
Jimin allowed it despite trying to get their conversation back on track, “We’ve got three weeks to find the missing pieces about the sale of the orchard.”
“Why three weeks? We don’t know the dates of the next Board meeting.”
Jimin countered, “But we do know how long Noémie will be away. She’s in America with Francois. The entire orchard is shut down for our annual vacation. All of the farmhands are on holiday and the farm is completely closed. It’s the only time that we have off during the year. She won’t be back for a while which means there will be no Board meetings being held because she has to be present.”
“Isn’t it pretty bold to run off to America with her lover when she just committed to you? What happened to her claim that she wanted a relationship? What is she thinking?” Jeongguk asked a reasonable question.
“She thinks I’m a passive cuckold who doesn’t know any better. She told me about her trip to America, but never gave any details. She was terrified that I would ask to go with her, so she had a thousand different excuses as to why she needed to make the trip alone. Never did she think I would find out the truth.”
“How did you find out the truth?”
“Easy, I stopped by Francois’s office and had a lovely chat with his secretary. After a little flirting, she was more than willing to tell me his complete schedule, including everything about his trip to America with Noémie. I suspected that they would be together and she confirmed it. It was very convenient for me that she chose to leave the country because I needed her out of the way while I plotted behind her back,” Jimin laughed. “I have to be very careful. She has to believe that I’m still on her side and willing to support all of her decisions.”
“Do you think she knows that you know about her plan to sell the property?”
“I don’t think so. And she has no intention of sharing that information.,” Jimin responded.
“Then why schmooze you and make you think she loves you if she was going to do this behind your back?”
“It’s her plan B. She needs to make sure that I’m on her side so that I don’t get in the way. Noémie is very intelligent. She knows that she can’t keep this information from me forever. Her intention is to keep this purchase under wraps until everything is final. She has one goal, get this contract signed. She’s hoping that by the time I find out about it, I’ll just go along with it and keep my mouth shut because of our ‘relationship’,” Jimin said in quotes. “She has to keep me under her control so that I won’t fight her on this. Little does she know that I already know about it and I plan to fight her all the way to the end.”
“Oh we have to stop that elderly bitch,” Jeongguk seethed.
“I know you’re not her biggest fan, but please stop attacking her age. She’s a beautiful woman, extraordinary, made even more so because of her age, not despite of it.”
Jeongguk folded his arms. Even though Jimin had made it clear that he didn’t want her, his casual, sometimes protective, attitude toward Noémie was triggering for Jeongguk. He couldn’t tolerate Jimin having a single sympathetic thought for her.
“Nice of you to defend the lady that’s trying to put you out of business and leave you homeless,” Jeongguk pouted.
“Let’s get something straight. Just because I don’t agree with what Noémie is doing doesn’t mean it’s wrong. She’s trying to make money for her family for generations to come. And that includes me. I stand to be very wealthy as well if this sale goes through. My 1% may not seem like much, but it’s pretty substantial in the scheme of things. I’m getting involved because I don’t think this is what is best for the orchard and the workers, not because I don’t respect her right to do it. I mean, do you really think I would get involved with this if I didn’t have to? I don’t want to spend another day in her orbit if I can avoid it.”
“Then why are you always making excuses for her? It’s like you’ve already forgiven her for the emotional hell she put you through for almost two years.”
“Listen. I don’t like how she manipulated me and played with my heart, but much of that was my own fault for allowing it. I don’t like her plan to sell this property, but I understand why she’s doing it. I don’t like that she’s a cheater but is it really cheating when we were never together? So yes, I can be sympathetic but it doesn’t mean that I’m defending any of this. And it doesn’t mean that I’ll go running back to her instead of exploring my future with you. I have forgiven her because the alternative is to hate her and I don’t have time to hate when I’m trying to fall in love.” Jimin glanced into Jeongguk’s eyes when he said the word love.
Jeongguk nodded. He felt stupid for being jealous. He tried to explain, “Last night was great. This morning was even better. I can make you happy in bed, I can make you feel loved and wanted. I can do all of the things for you. But there is something that she has that I don’t.”
“I doubt that. Enlighten me.”
“She’s a woman who can give you credibility. Having a relationship with her will get you back into the good graces of your parents and I know you want that more than anything. If you show up with her on your arm, you’ll be a hetero hero. But if you show up with me on your arm…,” Jeongguk shook his head. The thought was sobering and unpleasant.
“True. There was a time long ago when all I wanted was for my parents to love me. To accept me. But age and maturity have taught me that I deserve acceptance on my terms, not theirs. If acceptance means pretending to be something that I’m not, then I don’t want it because it means their love is conditional. Even though they’re my parents, I have to recognize that their love comes with a toxic mental price tag. I don’t want that. I want happiness and that means choosing what makes me happy…and that’s you.”
“Me?”
“You.”
“ME?”
“Yes, you, you, you. For the love of God are we really going to do this again?”
“You fell for it though,” Jeongguk smacked Jimin’s cheek with his lips.
Jimin attacked the side of Jeongguk’s stomach with his small fingers in a tickle that caused Jeongguk to fall back on the bed while kicking up his legs. His head tilted up, revealing two rows of perfect teeth and tinted lips. Suddenly, he was irresistible. Jimin rolled over the top of him, smothering him with kisses. It felt so good to be free without the limitations within his own mind. He just wanted to hold on to him forever.
Jeongguk continued to giggle like a school girl. He loved the attention. It was quite a drastic change from when they first met in the orchard.
“Jeongguk!” Jimin suddenly popped to his feet. “I just had a thought.” He turned to peer through the large picture window. “The weather is beautiful. It’s not too hot, fall is coming. We have some money, we have free time. What about doing a little sightseeing?”
“Sightseeing?”
Jimin explained, “We’re at a stand-still with this contract stuff. We need somebody to call us back. Until that happens, there’s nothing we can do but wait. We may as well enjoy ourselves while we’re here. A few fun dates, some good food, visits to our favorite places, and definitely more sex.”
Jeongguk winked, “You had me at the word sex.”
***
They arrived at Champ de Mars well after the sun had set. Jimin spread the cashmere blanket over the freshly cut grass and removed his shoes as he stepped over the soft fabric to set up the food. The picnic basket was filled with all of Jeongguk’s favorites: M&Ms, seaweed chips, gourmet cheeses, french baguette sandwiches, cookies and of course cherries. The champagne was from a vineyard that Jimin worked at briefly while he was living in the homeless shelter in Paris. The wines there were reasonably priced with great flavor. He felt it was the perfect pairing for the stew he found at the Korean cafe near the hotel.
“And why are we having a picnic in the middle of the night?” Jeongguk asked for clarity. He removed his shoes and sat cross-legged in the center of the blanket. He watched Jimin scurry around him, stacking containers full of food.
“It’s not the middle of the night. It’s only 10:00pm. We waited until now because the crowds are gone. We can have the place to ourselves and take our time.”
“Got it.” Jeongguk said as he looked up at the massive underbelly of the Eiffel Tower. The lights began to flicker, creating mini sparks along the steel frame. “This is fucking beautiful. I never really paid much attention to this thing while I was here for training.”
“Well tonight we get to spend a little time with her, up close and personal.” Jimin took another look at his spread. “Dig in. I think I’ve got everything.” Content that he had fully unpacked their dinner, he took a seat between Jeongguk’s legs and leaned back onto his chest. He sighed serenely when he felt Jeongguk’s warm lips caress his neck. With his eyes closed, he rolled his head in a small circle to absorb as many of Jeongguk’s kisses as possible. “You can eat now.”
“Are you on the menu because I really want to eat you,” Jeongguk replied.
“Me?” Jimin clarified.
“You.”
“ME?”
“Yes, you, you, you,” they joked.
A cool breeze whizzed through the sculpted frame of the base, lightly shuffling the items on their blanket. Jeongguk closed his arms around Jimin, trapping him against his chest in a hug that was full of affection and warmth.
Jimin felt safe. For the first time in a very long time, he felt emboldened to tell him exactly what was on his mind. He gulped before floating a very provocative idea, “Have you um…um…like…I mean…do you always like to uh…bottom?”
“I’m verse and I don’t really have a preference. I can get off either way. If I was forced to choose, I would take your long dick slithering up my ass any day. But I’m fully equipped to give you whatever you need. I bottomed for you because it felt like that’s what you needed at the time. Notice how seamlessly we fell into those positions? But if you want to experiment and try new things, I’m always ready and willing. Park Jimin, I can give you anything you want.”
“Holy shit where have you been all of my life?”
They took a moment to laugh as Jimin poured both of them glasses of champagne. Still sitting between Jeongguk’s legs, Jimin relaxed and laid back on Jeongguk’s chest again. He could feel the younger one’s warm breath over his shoulder.
“I hate to bring this up during such a romantic outing, but we still have a problem,” Jeongguk transitioned quickly.
Jimin was enjoying himself too much to talk about problems. They were in the most romantic place on earth, huddled in each other’s arms and Jeongguk wanted to talk about problems. How could there be a single problem in a moment like this? But if Jeongguk needed to talk, then he vowed to listen. “Ok, what is it?”
“I know I’m un-fired, but where do I go? I can’t exactly march back to the farm after the blow up I had with Noémie.”
“True. We need her to think that you’re our common enemy. We have to keep you hidden for a while longer…until it’s safe for you to come back.”
“Until it’s safe? Jimin that could take weeks or months. We have no idea when this deal will be finalized so we can make our move. I need a job, I need a place to live. Life goes on and I can’t wait forever while we figure this out.”
Jimin shuddered. He realized at that moment that he’d put Jeongguk in a difficult spot. He couldn’t very well expect him to live with his Commander. And he needed to work to survive. Jimin took a minute to give it some thought. He scooted away from Jeongguk and turned to face him.
Gently, Jimin rested his palm on Jeongguk’s cheek and caressed his golden skin as he made a promise to him, “I’ll take care of you. I won’t let anything happen to you. If we have to put you in a temporary flat or something, then that’s what we’ll do.”
“I can’t let you do that. I can’t let you pay for all of my expenses. That’s not…that’s not something my pride will let me do,” Jeongguk argued.
“Look. I got you into this situation and I’ll get you out. The sale of the farm has been in the works for two years now. They’re ready to make a move because Noémie wants her money. It won’t be long, I promise. Until then, let me take care of you. We’ll find a nice flat or hotel. Let me take care of you,” Jimin repeated.
“It scares me to have to depend on someone else. After living with my abusive father and seeing the control that he had over our family, I just never want to feel helpless again. Sitting around and waiting for you to pay my rent and buy me food is just not something I’m comfortable doing. I’m going to have to find another job.”
“No. Jeongguk no, please don’t leave the orchard. We’ll figure this out. How about a compromise? Give me one month. If we can’t get this settled and save all of our jobs in one month, then you’ll be free to do whatever you need to do to survive. I won’t stop you. But give me at least one month to fix this. You owe me that much,” Jimin pleaded.
“I owe you much more than that, Jimin. But I have to look out for myself too. I have no one in this world to depend on, except me.”
“And me. You can depend on me.” Jimin’s eyes turned to bright orbs as he studied his countenance. Once again, he could feel the earth shifting beneath them. Something was changing and it was happening fast. In just the few days since they’d reunited, Jimin could feel the intensity of his attachment to Jeongguk deepening to terrifying depths. He felt like he was on a wild ride that he just couldn’t stop. Out of nowhere, he suddenly couldn’t imagine life without him. He wanted to do everything and anything to hold on to him. It was a desperation not born out of fear of being alone but fear of letting this one particular man go. Destiny had sent him but it was up to Jimin to keep him. “If this goes sideways and we can’t save the farm, I’ll let it go. I won’t keep up this fight. I’ll simply take my money from the sale of the property and I’ll find another place to settle. And you’ll come with me…if you want to.”
“You’d do that? Take me with you?” Jeongguk asked.
“I would and I will. Don’t you understand? This is bigger than both of us. What I feel…,” Jimin grew irritated with himself because he couldn’t come up with the right words to express the intensity of his feelings. Love was the word he wanted to use, but that word was much too powerful. He balled his hands into fists and stared back at the beautiful Eiffel Tower. “You have to trust me.”
Jeongguk still felt vulnerable when Noémie was involved and trust was not something he handed out easily. With some trepidation he finally agreed, “I trust you. Just don’t hurt me, ok?”
“Never,” Jimin promised.
***
Jimin’s lips burned crimson, covered in the sweet juice of the burlats. His face looked like a bloody and bruised crime scene, but in actuality he was just the victim of some very raunchy cherry play. He lay on his stomach, forehead pressed against the mattress, sheets twisted around his hands, teeth chattering.
He could feel the leathery texture of the small cherry bounce against his opening. His breathing was hectic almost to a point of hyperventilating. The sensation was so good that his vision blurred.
“Fuck,” he panted as he felt the small cherry press dangerously against the wilted slit of his hole.
His paramour hovered behind him, using his tongue to roll the cherry up and down Jimin’s back, maliciously positioning it in the very tender yield that was Jimin’s asshole. Applying just a touch of pressure, Jeongguk used his teeth to bite the cherry open, causing its succulent juice to trickle down between Jimin’s ass cheeks and puddle against his tight entrance. Without hesitation Jeongguk chased the juice with his tongue, lapping, slurping, gobbling it all up.
“Fuck!” Jimin screamed again. “Oh God.”
He’d fantasized about getting his ass eaten but never had he imagined it would be like this. Jeongguk’s tongue was relentless, never resting for the slightest moment. He flickered it in and out, breaching Jimin’s hole and wetting his rim. Once again he reached for the glass of champagne, the very expensive one that he’d been using all night to lick off of Jimin. He spilled a few drops, just enough to wash the red cherry juice stain away. He slurped again causing the cherry juice-champagne mixture to swirl in his mouth.
Jimin was apoplectic, unable to contain his pleasured moans. He was almost to the point of crying when he felt Jeongguk press two long oily fingers inside of him. He squirmed but Jeongguk held him down by pressing his weight against his back.
“Take it baby. You know how this works. It’s only going to get worse before it gets a whole lot better,” Jeongguk teased as he began fingering lube into Jimin’s ass.
“Shit. It hurts.”
“Yes, it does,” Jeongguk laughed in his ear. He grabbed both of Jimin’s arms and held them with one hand as he continued to finger fuck him with his other hand. “Don’t fight me. Just relax and let it happen. If you’re tense, it’ll hurt much more. You’re the one who wanted to bottom. Just wait until I fuck you, then you’ll really have something to cry about.”
“Shit, shit!” Jimin pressed his entire face into the mattress to stifle his screams. He could feel Jeongguk flexing his fingers inside of him, pushing even more lube into his space. It went on for several seconds as Jeongguk prepared him. And then he heard a whisper that both terrified him and aroused him to infinite depths.
“It’ll go quickly,” was all that Jeongguk said.
Jimin instantly felt a tremendous bump against his back, followed by the most painful pressure inside of his rear that he’d ever experienced. There was no gentle rim taming or flowery words of encouragement, just a straight fuck. He didn’t know which was worse, the fiery burning or the engorgement of his insides. He lay there on his stomach, slapping his palms against the mattress begging Jeongguk to stop. He knew in his mind that this was the most merciful method for getting his cherry popped, but for Christ’s sake it fucking hurt. Jeongguk mounted him like a horse, grabbing onto his long hair like a mane. He twisted it around his hand, pulling Jimin’s head back so he could kiss him along the back of his neck. Jimin felt a huge rush of breath against his ear as Jeongguk settled inside of him. He was right, it did go quickly.
And then came the apologies, “Sorry, sorry, sorry. I know that wasn’t comfortable.” Jeongguk’s pleasure was escalating quickly. He released an uneven moan followed by a raspy murmur, “You did it. I’m all the way in. All the way in. Ohh Jimin, fuck. Can you feel it? Oh shit, cumming.”
Jimin could feel the expansion and retraction of Jeongguk’s cock followed by the vibrating pulse of cum hitting his inner walls. Jeongguk was already having an orgasm and he hadn’t even fucked him yet.
In a desperate move to slow himself down, Jeongguk began rotating his hips, fucking Jimin with wild strokes from every direction. He groaned and trembled as he glided through the tunnel filled with his own cum. Jeongguk’s cock still stayed hard despite already shooting his load.
Jimin felt the world spin. He was tossed about and rearranged on the bed. Before he knew it he was laying on his back, looking up at the Eiffel Tower as she watched more of their filthy porn. His legs were raised and forced against his chest to expose his hole to the soldier who was all about business. Jimin closed his eyes and braced to be entered again. Within the blink of an eye, he felt the hard tip of Jeongguk’s dick press against his slit. This time the entry was smooth and almost painless. He couldn’t understand how Jeongguk still had so much power and control over his dick when he’d already cum so hard.
Jimin felt all of the things as his insides expanded once again to accommodate his aggressive lover. The way Jeongguk moved his hips felt very much like his dancing. The second entry was much more soothing, allowing him to focus on the motion and the internal massage that caressed every single neuron in his body. He watched the gentle engorgement in his stomach as Jeongguk’s dick moved through him. He loved the feel of Jeongguk’s big hand when he grabbed his shaft and began to stroke it. There was so much concentration and focus on making Jimin feel good. Jeongguk’s kindness, his care, his affection, it was all there with each stroke that felt like a miniature tidal wave flowing through his body.
“A little softer,” Jimin whimpered.
“You’re so beautiful. So so so beautiful. My God I can’t believe this is happening. Fuck,” Jeongguk’s eyes were wide an expressive, even in the dimly lit hotel room. He glared at him as if he were watching his favorite angel carry him to the after life.
His strokes softened as Jimin commanded. Jimin felt his knees being pushed harder into his chest as Jeongguk leaned between them to kiss him. And that was the triple threat that triggered it all: the kisses, the beautiful words, and the fucking. It was happening; his first time being carried to ecstasy by a man making love to him. As the sensations merged, he felt as if he were falling into a pit. His body was no longer his own, it belonged to Officer Jeon Jeongguk.
Jeongguk continued to fuck him while masturbating him at the same time. “Cum for me, you’re so pretty when you cum all over me.”
“B-b-b-baby, never leave me. It’s yours, it’s yours,” Jimin spouted senseless drivel. He fell deeper and deeper into the pit of nothingness until his back arched and he released a hedonistic scream. He came hard, cum percolating from his tip and flowing down Jeongguk’s hand like melted ice cream.
Jimin opened his eyes to find Jeongguk smiling down on him, white pearly teeth practically glowing in the dark. The Eiffel Tower rested over his shoulder, seemingly unimpressed with their display of filth. The kiss that Jeongguk planted on him felt different than the rest. He was sure that it was powered by love, the ever increasing love that seemed to grow day by day.
“I know that hurt a little, but I’ll give you a hot bath and feed you more cherries.”
“Ok, but not the ones you put up my ass though,” Jimin clarified.
Jeongguk burst into laughter, “No. Not those.”
***
Another two weeks passed without any communication from either the attorney or Paris’s office of environmental studies. But that didn’t stop them from turning their time in Paris into a romantic vacation. Promises had been made for the future, but neither of them took their time together for granted.
Every enchanted dwelling in the city made their list of places to visit. From the lavender field sunrise in Provence, to the Private Château in the Loire Valley, they moved throughout the city like two men in love; two men who had a limited time on earth, even though they had all of the time in the world.
Jimin leaned in to show Jeongguk his phone, “This is where we’re going next. A hot air balloon ride that will float over the entire region of Montmartre. There’s a famous cafe too, La Bossue. They’re famous for their matcha filled croissants and since matcha is your favorite we have to stop there. Then it’s on to do some shopping at the market. Oh, oh and I almost forgot, then we’ll head for an evening stroll along the creek. And then…,”
Jeongguk interrupted, “Slow down. You have all of that planned for one day?”
“One spectacular, incredibly romantic day. With you.” Jimin blushed under Jeongguk’s gaze. It was an unexpected reaction that left him feeling hopelessly whipped.
They settled outside on the rooftop patio of Le Consulat restaurant as Jimin continued to fill their day with more and more sightseeing activities. From their table, they had a breathtaking panoramic view of the French landscape, thick with green rolling hills and lush vineyards. The scenery was stunning, however Jimin only had eyes for Jeongguk which is probably why neither of them noticed the growing number of foreboding dark clouds that gathered overhead.
Jimin gestured for the server to bring them a lunch menu. They ordered quickly and then sent her on her way. The restaurant was not nearly as crowded as Jimin expected. He wondered if they had just chosen to visit on a slow day. Either way, they appreciated having the romantic space all to themselves.
Jeongguk leaned over the crooked table and pulled Jimin into a kiss. The passion of the moment far outpaced their discernment, resulting in a tongue twisting, open-mouth, moan-laden, french kiss. The kiss lasted for untold minutes, neither of them willing to be the first to pull away.
The server arrived with their order, a large tray balancing on her shoulder as she contemplated where to place their dishes on the table. She stood there much longer than she should have and watched them kiss. Never had she seen two men who were so incredibly handsome have the hots for each other like they did. It kinda’ turned her on and reminded her of her fan fiction reading days. She watched a little longer with the heavy tray fatiguing her arms before her boss did a smooth drive by and gestured for her to move it along. She didn’t know the customers sitting at her station, but something about them felt so genuine and pure. She could tell they were in love and that made her want to watch them forever. But with her boss on her ass about getting to the next table, she begrudgingly had to interrupt.
She cleared her throat to announce her arrival because they were so into each other they didn’t even notice that she was there. “Your lunch,” she said sweetly.
Jimin and Jeongguk both startled, pulling apart quickly and wiping their mouths. But the evidence was already there with both displaying swollen lips, red cheeks, starry eyes and guilty smiles. Jimin looked away and focused on the view.
“Thank you,” Jeongguk bowed. He wiped his lips again, self-conscious of the evidence left behind. As soon as the server walked away he leaned over the table and berated Jimin, “You made my dick hard.”
“No you made my dick hard,” Jimin giggled into his glass of wine.
“I guess we’re both fucking guilty,” they both laughed as if they’d heard the funniest of jokes, when in reality, they were simply high on each other.
For the next hour they continued to enjoy their lunch, feeding each other healthy spoonfuls across the table and providing commentary on the things they liked the most.
Jimin settled back in his seat and patted his stomach. He glanced up at Jeongguk who was perusing the dessert menu. “Hey. Can I ask you a question?”
“Sure.” Jeongguk nodded, “But first, creme broulee? Will you share it with me?”
“Yea, I guess.” Jimin suddenly felt shy. Jeongguk’s large doe eyes always made him feel seen and heavily perceived which fucked with his confidence.
“What’s your question?”
“Nevermind.”
“Jimin,” Jeongguk leaned forward, he spoke with great authority, “you can ask me anything.”
Jimin blurted it out much too loudly, “How do you stay hard even after you cum?”
“JIMIN!” Jeongguk cupped Jimin’s mouth with his hand and looked around to make sure that no one had heard him. He feigned outrage, even though he wanted to break into laughter. “That is so random.”
“You said I could ask you anything.”
“Yea but I didn’t know that’s what you were going to ask. This couldn’t wait until we were alone?” Jeongguk laughed so hard that he fell over the table.
“Look around, there’s hardly anybody here. We are alone. Besides, everytime I remember to ask about it when we’re in bed, you distract me and make me cum again.”
Jeongguk couldn’t breathe. He snorted, “Jimin!”
“What is so funny? Tell me the secret,” Jimin began to laugh as well.
Jeongguk continued to snicker as he tried to calm down enough to explain, “It’s mental. You really don’t believe me when I tell you that you’re the most beautiful man I’ve ever met, do you? You really, truly are my angel. You just do it for me, I don’t know how to explain it. Full disclosure, remember when I told you about how I fantasized about you when we were roommates?”
“Yes, I actually will never forget that.”
“I meant it. When we were roommates, I would watch you undress in the dark. For some reason my mind filled in the blanks and it became an erotic whole-body experience, mind, body and soul, you know? I looked forward to it every night. I would go to sleep with my dick hard and it would stay hard while I slept. After a few weeks of that madness, my nuts started to hurt and that’s when I started masturbating while watching you. It was the only way to get some relief.”
“Yea, somehow I still feel that you should have never told me that,” Jimin looked uncomfortable.
Jeongguk continued quite boldly, “I would pretend that you were awake listening but not saying anything. I would pretend that you could hear all of my moans and my whimpers. Just the thought of us experiencing it together made me cum even harder. It’s been you from the very beginning and that’s why I can’t get my dick to calm down when I’m with you.”
“I wasted useless time, didn’t I? Being stubborn,” Jimin said regrettably.
“I tried to tell you…,” Jeongguk laughed again. He reached his large hand underneath the table and poked his fingers through the fashion hole in Jimin’s jeans, touching his warm skin and making circles with his fingertips.
They were just about to kiss again when Jeongguk’s phone rang. He looked down at the caller ID, “Oh my God! It’s Commander Gaston.”
“Answer it!” Jimin’s eyes bulged.
Jeongguk picked up the call, “Commander, thanks for calling, Sir. Please tell me you found something.”
Jimin jumped up and began to pace as he strained to listen to both sides of the conversation.
Jeongguk continued, “Yes. Yes, someone from the university? Ok. Ok. Really? It’s restricted? You mean, the government doesn’t allow divergence of crops? Yes, yes of course. Send it over. You have my email address. This is exactly the news we were looking for.” Jeongguk’s expression softened, “No, sir. I’m ok. I’m quite happy actually. Yes. Yes, I’ve been with him and it’s going well.”
Jimin looked away and pretended not to be eavesdropping when he realized that the Commander was asking about him.
A low rumble crossed the horizon like a freight train. Simultaneously the brooding clouds darkened, blithing the sun while instantly turning day to night. The first bloated drop hit Jimin’s forehead like a pebble. The second drop struck his cheek and the third violently crashed into his eyes. Gradually the drops intensified, sounding against the aluminum table like kernels of popcorn. It was then that Jimin realized he and Jeongguk were the only two still sitting outside on the patio. Clearly everyone else had gotten the memo about the weather, except them.
Jeongguk rushed his phone call when he realized that it was starting to rain. He squinted, lifting his head towards the sky, “Uh yes. Commander, thank you again for this information. I can’t explain right now, but you’ve just saved hundreds of jobs and some very special land. Thank you. Thank you, I’ll be in touch soon.” Jeongguk disconnected the call quickly. His eyes were big and his smile was even bigger. “You were right. Not only can the cherry orchards not support new crops, it’s actually forbidden by the French Ecological Oversight Department. Gaston is sending a copy of the report as we speak. As soon as you present this to the potential buyers, this deal will be dead in the water. You did it Jimin. You did it!”
“It feels good to be vindicated. Now all we have to do is get the full copy of that contract so I know where to show up and when. I can’t fight this from my couch,” Jimin laughed jubilantly.
The storm that had just been a threat suddenly became violently real. The sky opened up causing frog size droplets of rain to pour over them.
“Come on, we have to get out of here!” Jeongguk screamed over the loud claps of thunder. He grabbed Jimin’s hand and pulled him across the patio towards the back stairs that led to the alley. The rain kept hammering, relentless, almost biblical, drumming on car roofs and turning every street into a shallow, rushing stream. Lightning cracked again overhead, followed by thunder so loud it rattled the windows.
Jimin screamed “Go go go!” He hurdled onto Jeongguk’s back and yelled, “Giddy up!” He commenced to ride his boyfriend similar to how he rode Seven when she took him into town.
Jeongguk laughed so hard that rain slid down his pearly teeth, filling his mouth with water. He ran full speed with Jimin on his back making sure to gallop through the puddles.
Eyes closed, face nuzzled into Jeongguk’s neck, Jimin wrapped his muscular arms around Jeongguk’s chest, clawing into his ample mounds of flesh to keep his balance while the warm summer rain soaked them all the way through. Never had he felt more alive than at that moment as they escaped the silver, churning blur of water.
The rain still fell in heavy buckets, but the tin overhang in the alley was just wide enough for both of them to take cover and catch a break. Even though it was only four o’clock in the afternoon, the skies were indigo with the only hints of light coming from encapsulated bolts of lightning that shuddered within the clouds. The alley was dark and empty with no one on the street because of the forecasted weather. Sounds of the rain pummeling the tin roof popped overhead as the rain continued to pour.
They found themselves fully soaked through, wet white shirts clinging to their stomachs and messy wet bangs covering their eyes. Every step felt labored by their heavy wet jeans that clung to their skin, weighing down their stiff erections. The outer wall of the small French bakery shook when Jeongguk pinned Jimin against it. The desperate feral kiss was almost inconsequential, just a temporary cease fire in the act of war. And this was war because once again, they lost their ability to measure themselves, fighting the battle against their urges to yield to passion.
Jeongguk was crazy with love, so much so that he didn’t even realize what he was doing. He dropped to his knees with a hungry growl and twisted his fingers through the loops of Jimin’s jeans, tugging them down into a puddle around his ankles.
Jimin gasped sharply, his face flushed with arousal as he began to plead for Jeongguk to take him right there. “Baby, oh please. Don’t stop. Please, don’t stop. All I want is you.”
The rattle of the tin roof was so loud that Jimin’s voice sounded like a whisper, but it was enough to embolden Jeongguk to keep going - even though they were in public. The naughty soldier remained on his knees, feverishly stripping away Jimin’s clothes. He managed to peel the wet Calvin Kleins away from Jimin’s waist, revealing a cock that was harder than a brick.
It was not the right thing to do, but he did it anyway. With a single gulp, Jeongguk opened his mouth wide and swallowed Jimin’s entire shaft. He proceeded to mouth fuck Jimin’s dick right there in the alley as he bobbed over Jimin’s cock, sucking him so hard that his cheeks collapsed inward. Hands wet, he reached behind Jimin and worked two of his longest fingers into his ass while he sucked him and prepared him for being fucked in the warm summer rain.
Jimin’s pleasured moans filled the alley, layering just beneath the popping of tin. As Jeongguk sat upon his knees working Jimin’s cock, the elder grabbed the back of Jeongguk’s head as he wiggled his right leg out of his jeans.
“Don’t make me cum yet, not until you’re inside of me,” he begged. Jimin’s message was clear. He wanted all of Jeongguk’s cock inside of him, right there in that abandoned alley.
Jeongguk stood to his feet and turned Jimin around to face the filthy wall. He ran his lips up and down the back of Jimin’s neck, savoring the salty sweet flavor of perspiration mixed with the rain. His hands worked quickly to unzip his jeans and free his eager dick. There was no desire to take it easy or slow. There was no time to even worry if Jimin was ready. The choice was no longer his because his baby wanted it rough and he wanted it now. Jeongguk looked down to see Jimin twisting around to grab his steel pipe of a dick. He ran it between his own ass cheeks, teasing himself with it like it was a dildo.
At the point where Jimin couldn’t take the teasing anymore he demanded, “Fuck me.” Jimin placed his hands flat against the wall and closed his eyes as he waited with baited breath to feel his lover inside of him.
A brutal shoulder slammed into his upper back with the force of a wild animal, followed by an intrusion that burned straight through the middle of his body. Jeongguk pushed hard into him and immediately began to fuck him, bucking like a charging bull, driving the air from Jimin’s lungs in sharp involuntary grunts.
“You’re so good baby, you’re so good. All I’ve ever wanted was you,” Jeongguk growled into his ear, biting his lobes and tangling his fingers through his long blonde hair.
With each nasty thrust he slammed Jimin against the wall, causing the owners of the shop to startle from the noise. Jimin’s ribs ached with every shallow breath as Jeongguk fucked him with fervent intent. And every stroke was perfect. The vile clapping of their wet bodies echoed through the alley and reverberated across the tin roof. Not even three minutes into getting his brains fucked out, Jimin felt dizzy. His legs, trembled and his knees knocked as he took the brutal, savage fucking from the man he was falling in love with.
He called out as if he needed Jeongguk to save him, rescue him from the orgasm that was sure to kill him, “Oh God. Oh God. Oh God help me,” he repeated as he rapidly pounded his fist against the wall. In record time, Jeongguk had fucked him into climax. His cock pulsed causing his creamy cum to percolate from his tip.
“Hey! Hey, is someone out there?” A voice came from the other side of the bakery wall.
Jimin’s eyes popped open. Several realizations hit him at once and none of them were good. He emerged from his haze of orgasmic ecstacy to realize that he was naked from the waist down in an alley, in public, with his big bulky boyfriend fucking him through his back door. The rain had stopped and people were once again gathering along the streets. He could hear the voices of strangers as they casually passed by.
“Oh shit. Did we just…,” he asked as if he had no memory of his sins.
“Someone’s coming,” Jeongguk pulled out and stuffed his cock back into his jeans. He zipped his pants so quickly that he caught some of the skin in the zipper. “Fuck, shit, shit,” he bounced around in pain as he tried to rezip himself without catching his dick meat in the slider.
Jimin had an entirely different set of problems; getting his wet jeans back on and covering his cock premier amongst them.
They could hear the voice getting closer, “Is someone here?” The person asked again.
“Shit, I can’t get…my pants…,” he hopped on one leg as he tried to get his jeans back up his legs.
“Shh…”
“Shit…”
“Shhhh.”
“Shit.”
“Shhhhhh”
“SHIT…”
Jeongguk, still in pain from his skin being snagged by the zipper, leaned down to help Jimin get back into his pants. Jimin’s hands were trembling. He was so afraid of getting arrested for indecent exposure that he couldn’t even focus. What if news of his dalliances with a worker got back to Pierre? It was a disaster in the making, and it was of their own doing.
“This is all your fault,” he giggled in tiny whispers.
“My fault?” You’re the one who told me to fuck you right now. ‘Oh please baby, please, I need it.’,” Jeongguk imitated Jimin’s begging.
“We have to get out of here,” Jimin giggled.
“Yea, we do,” Jeongguk scooped Jimin off of his feet and threw him over his shoulder.
They laughed like two lunatics as they ran towards the Uber station. They managed, just barely, to disappear from the alley without getting caught.
***
The clouds cried for three more days, stealing precious time from their Paris sight-seeing adventures. However, neither of them cared because being stuck in their fancy hotel with 24/7 room service and constant fucking was a pretty good back up plan.
There was an old black and white movie on television. Jeongguk laid his head in Jimin’s lap while the elder fed him popcorn. Neither of them knew what the movie was about, but there was something alluring about the romantic and timeless fashion of French women in their cinched waist dresses with the padded shoulders and minimalist jewelry.
For whatever reason, Jeongguk decided to talk dirty to Jimin in French. It did not go well, “Plus tard ce soir, tu pourras me rejoindre dans la machine à laver et on se sucera comme des pastèques dans une fontaine. Un 69 parfait.” [Later tonight, you can join me in the washing machine, and we’ll suck each other off like watermelons in a fountain. A perfect 69.]
Jimin sat straight up, knocking Jeongguk off of his lap. His raucous laughter sent Jeongguk’s popcorn spilling all over the bed. “Ok. I’m just going to fucking say it. Your French is terrible. I mean who in the hell taught you how to speak it? Was this the language you chose in primary school? Did the military not even teach you basic pronunciation for your own survival while you lived in Paris? I don’t even know what you said but it had something to do with watermelons and a sixty-nine. Sweetheart, stop. Just stop. You’re an embarrassment to yourself and offensive to the proud people of France. They don’t like to see their language butchered. You’re incredibly adorable and you can speak your crappy French to me every day of the week. But when you speak to others, you need to take it more seriously. So…how about we work together to improve? Yea?” Jimin was light hearted and jovial. He had no idea that he had just stepped into a mine field.
Jeongguk stood and walked to the large picture window. He stared at the massive base of the Eiffel Tower as he lost himself in his thoughts. Jimin walked behind him, curious about why his mood had suddenly changed.
“My mother always wanted to travel to Paris. It was her dream. That’s why I chose to transfer here when I decided to do military training. I wanted to see France as kind of a tribute to my mom.”
Jimin didn’t understand where this was going. But he took a seat and then pulled Jeongguk into his lap. He stroked his hair, with a gentle coaxing for him to talk, “Your mom?”
“She was a housewife. She could have worked, she could have done alot of things, but my dad didn’t allow it. He hardly ever let her leave the house unless she was going to the market. He was so controlling and I honestly think he was jealous. She was a very beautiful woman. I get all of my looks from her,” Jeongguk smiled and flashed his dimples. “She was smarter than he was; kinder, gentler, nicer. She had so many friends but she kept them at arms length because she didn’t want any of them to know the horror she suffered at the hands of my father.”
“He was abusive?”
“Yep. He beat her often in front of me. I knew at a very early age that I had to get her away from him. I knew in my gut that he would kill her eventually. He was a beast and I hated him, but I loved him too because he was my dad.”
“Ah the famous love hate parental relationship. I’m all too familiar with it. Not a fan,” Jimin managed to make Jeongguk laugh even in the middle of his terrible story.
“As early as I can remember, I started planning our escape. We were going to move to France, far from Korea where he could never find us. She played along with me and we would study the maps and place red pins in all of the locations that we wanted to visit. I learned French from her. We studied and studied but we had to do it in private because dad didn’t like it. He felt threatened by it, I guess. Sometimes he would beat her so badly that she would be in too much pain to give me my lesson, so I would study for both of us. I worked really hard to learn how to pronounce the words. I used YouTube alot when mom was…,” Jeongguk nodded. He quickly wrapped up his journey down memory lane because talking about his mom was too painful, “Anyway, the last few years of her life were very bad. Dad became enraged over the smallest things and she just wasn’t in the mood to study French anymore. I took up French and decided to learn on my own. Even if mom wasn’t able to…I…uh…she died before I could finish my lessons, so I stopped trying to learn anything new. My French isn’t great but I didn’t realize it was quite that bad,” Jeongguk shrugged.
Even in the dark television lit room, Jimin could see the wet glistening in Jeongguk’s eyes. His innocent teasing had accidentally touched upon very real emotional trauma and he felt terrible about it.
“Your French isn’t that bad. I was mostly kidding. But I meant it when I said that I would help you improve. We can practice whenever you want…,”
Jeongguk interrupted him. “...remember when you asked me to tell you what happened? That night he killed her?”
“Oh Jeongguk, no. Y-y-you don’t have to relive that. I…you were right when you said…,”
“I’m ready to tell you. So please let me tell you.” He didn’t wait for Jimin to acquiesce, he launched right into his story with the hopes of getting through it as quickly as possible, “He came home late one night, drunk. Alcohol and his mental health issues were not a good mixture. Mom had dinner waiting for him on the stove. She and I were both in bed. We had tried to wait up for him because mom was worried that he was out drinking which always made the violence worse. Sadly, she was right. He had been out drinking half of the day and well into the night. I never heard him come home, but I awoke to a loud commotion and her horrific, terrifying screams. At first I thought the noise was coming from next door and I tried to go back to sleep. I convinced myself that what I was hearing couldn’t possibly be coming from my own home. But then I heard my mother scream my name. She was begging me to call the police. It was her voice, no doubt about it. I jumped out of bed and went running through the apartment to try to find her. By the time I found them, he was standing over her with a huge bloody knife in his hand. She was on the floor dead, laying there with her eyes open and fixed towards me. I froze. I’d never been so scared in my entire life. I should have tried to help or call the police, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t move. He looked like a crazed maniac standing over her. I didn’t even recognize him as my dad. We made eye contact and he just stared at me. I thought he was going to kill me. I could barely even see him through the tears in my eyes. And then suddenly, he just dropped the knife and ran off. I rushed to my mother’s side and tried to give her CPR, but she had open chest wounds. He had butchered her. You know the rest.” Jeongguk took a breath and looked down into his trembling hands. “Sometimes I still see her mangled body in my sleep. Those are the nights when I need you the most,” Jeongguk started to cry. He placed his hands over his face, unwilling to let Jimin see him in such an anguished state of mind.
“And those are the nights that I will always be there,” Jimin said without thinking.
He used the tail of his t-shirt to wipe Jeongguk’s tears away. The man of steel with his vulgar personality, hard muscular exterior and sharp tongue, was conversely a hopeless romantic, mired in vulnerabilities and childhood trauma that gripped his soul. He was a deeply complicated man who just wanted his pain to stop. That was the hidden, unspoken element that made Jeon Jeongguk so endearing and captivating and - lovable. Jimin wanted to hold him and protect him for the rest of his life so that he never had to relive those terrible moments again.
Jimin bracketed his face and placed their foreheads together, “I’m so sorry this happened to you. I’m so sorry that he took your mother. I’m sorry that she never got to see Paris. But she would be so proud of you if she were still here. You’re a kind man, and gentle…just like she was.”
“I didn’t realize how affected I was by her murder until I joined the military and had to see life or death situations. Watching my mother be killed has stuck with me for all of these years and it ruined my military career. I would still be a soldier today if it weren’t for my PTSD. My father took so much from me.”
“Yes he did. And I’m happy to hear you place blame where it belongs because none of this is your fault. You were just a baby, a kid. There was nothing you could have done differently to protect her. And she’s not dead because of you. She’s dead because of him. Please don’t carry this burden on your shoulders. If we need to get you some help…someone to talk to…then we will. But you have to let the guilt go, no matter what it takes,” Jimin explained.
“Thank you Jimin. I hear you.”
“Wow, so how did the two kids from Busan win the lottery for the worst parents to ever exist?”
Even through his tears Jeongguk laughed. He shrugged, “I really don’t fucking know.”
Jimin stroked his hair again and then trailed his fingers down his cheek, “I shouldn’t have said anything about your French. I’m sorry for that, but I think it’s so admirable that you continued to learn French without your mom. My God, you’re an incredible human being. And, I’m glad that I got you to open up and tell me the things that I needed to know. I’m here for you, Jeongguk. I’m here.”
***
The rain fell hard. Jeongguk stood there boastfully with his dick swinging back and forth, slapping against the window. That’s just how hard Jimin was drilling him from behind. He anchored himself by standing spread eagle with his palms resting on the window. The temperature gradient between inside and out caused steam to fog up the outer arches of the window pane, reducing the visibility from the street. Even so, Jeongguk knew they were there; the couple that had become his own personal voyeurs. He knew they were watching his ass get drilled open. He knew they were about to see him cum. The most exciting thing about being watched was showing the world that Jimin chose him. It was a bragging right indeed.
As the naughty voyeuristic couple stood in the rain, staring up into the room on the fifth floor, they held their umbrellas to the side to keep them from obstructing their view. One thing was for sure, they were always guaranteed a show whenever they passed by the fancy hotel. They wondered if hotel management knew about the porn being produced in the picture window for all the world to see. The other passersby didn’t seem as interested as they were, because semi-public fucking just wasn’t as exciting as the local football match.
Jeongguk loved being the center of Jimin’s world with all of his affection and love being fucked into him. Each time his rough little fuck buddy slapped him on the ass, Jeongguk winced from the sharp pain. Jimin had a thing for ass slapping and it intensified while fucking his young farmhand. Jeongguk’s boss loved everything about rough sex, taking it and giving it. It was a match made in heaven because Jeongguk had the ‘man of steel’ body that was strong enough to give Jimin anything he wanted in bed.
Jimin’s hands were all over the front of Jeongguk’s body, sliding up and down his abdomen and plucking his over-stimulated nipples. Sticking his finger into his belly button and yanking his floppy cock. He bit into his shoulder and sucked the veins in Jeongguk’s neck and licked the sweat from his hairline. There was nothing that was off limits, Jimin wanted all of him. Jimin was a different kind of lover, unlike any that Jeongguk had ever experienced before. He had an eccentric balance between snow white and a porn star. He rolled his hips with the tender touch of a man who couldn’t hurt a fly, while simultaneously leaving deep red teeth marks on every inch of Jeongguk’s skin.
Jeongguk twisted around, unevenly smashing their mouths together in an over-the-shoulder kiss that was more tongue than lips. Spit dribbled between them as the clapping of their bodies grew louder. Jeongguk was being fucked so hard that his vision blurred. He reached back to squeeze the base of Jimin’s cock to slow him down.
“Right there, oh you’re fucking me so g-g-g-good with that massive cock,” he said dreamily, voice shaking.
Just before his body convulsed, Jeongguk glanced through the window one last time to taunt his audience. His cum shot across the window as Jimin’s small hand vigorously stroked him. When he opened his eyes, once again they were gone.
***
They were in the middle of another kinky cherry situation when there was an unexpected knock at the door. It wasn’t room service because the do not disturb sign was out. So who was there visiting them at 7pm? They glanced at each other, slightly anxious about who it could be. No one knew where they were, in fact no one knew they were together. Jimin was registered in the hotel alone, so whoever was visiting was there to see him.
“Who is it?” Jimin called from the bed. He stood quickly and draped his robe around him.
“Uh, Park Jimin?”
“Yes?”
“Je m'appelle Gary Moreau; je travaille pour le cabinet d'avocats Moreau and Beckworth. Vous avez appelé mon bureau pour poser des questions concernant le contrat du « Verger des Baisers de Cerise ». Je viens tout juste de rentrer de l'étranger et je me suis dit qu'il serait plus simple de passer vous voir en personne. J'espère qu'il n'est pas trop tard.” [My name is Gary Moreau; I work for the law firm Moreau and Beckworth. You called my office with questions regarding the "Cherry Kiss Orchard" contract. I’ve just returned from abroad and thought it would be easier to come see you in person. I hope it’s not too late.]
Jimin looked around. The room was a mess, with random cum covered cherries all over the bed. He giggled, “Oh my God. It’s the attorney from the law office that’s handling the sale of the orchard. He’s here. He’s actually here. Hurry, help me clean up.” He turned back toward the door and spoke again, “Oui, oui, bien sûr. Un instant, je suis en pyjama. Laissez-moi juste une seconde pour avoir une allure présentable.” [Yes, yes, of course. Just a moment—I'm in my pajamas. Give me a second to make myself presentable.]
“Should I hide?” Jeongguk asked.
“Uh…yea. You better hide in the bathroom just to be safe.”
“Got it.” Jeongguk scooped up the cherries, wine glasses and food containers and threw them all in the bathtub. He grabbed a pair of sweats and tripped over the elastic as he tried to pull them on while running to hide in the shower.
Jimin pulled on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. He took another quick look around the room to make sure that it was presentable before opening the door. Everything was as good as it was going to get. Considering the attorney had been standing out there for almost five minutes, he needed to let him in before the man got frustrated and left.
“Bonjour, ravi de vous rencontrer. Je m'appelle Park Jimin. Parlez-vous anglais?” [Hello, nice to meet you. My name is Park Jimin. Do you speak English?]
“Of course. If you prefer,” Gary stepped into the hotel room.
Gary Moreau was the Senior Partner at Moreau and Beckworth. In his early fifties, he was a tall man, well over 190 centimeters with mousey grey hair and a large bald spot right on the top of his head. He had a thin mustache, yellowing teeth and a prominent nose that took up most of his face. He was also unusually pale, as if he’d hadn’t seen the sun in decades.
“Come in and please have a seat. My apologies about the room, I’ve been working,” Jimin couldn’t come up with another excuse for the condition of the room.
“Working?” Gary knew that Jimin was a farmhand, so he was confused about what kind of work he could have been doing in a hotel.
“Would you like something to drink? Or I can order room service,” Jimin asked nervously.
“No. Mr. Park. I don’t want to take up any more of your time then I need to. I received all thirty-two of your phone calls over the last few weeks. My apologies for taking so long to respond. My law firm is rather small and my partner is overwhelmed, especially when it comes to my specific cases. And I’ve been away caring for my sick uncle, so I’ve been out of the office for weeks now. I just arrived in town and thought it would be best to visit you straight away since your issue seems urgent.”
“It is urgent. You’re working on a deal to buy Le Verger des Baisers de Cerise. The contract has been offered, but I have not seen a copy. I would like to request a copy,” Jimin said bluntly. “I’m partial owner of that property and even though I don’t have signing authority, I do have a right to evaluate the deal that affects my stake in the company.”
“Part owner, yes. When I first received your message, I pulled the deed and certificates of ownership and you are indeed a small, very small, minority owner with your 1%.” Gary downplayed Jimin’s stake as if it were inconsequential.
“It’s still 1%, Mr. Moreau. That makes me more vested than you,” Jimin pushed back. He was offended and didn’t like the tone of the pale, balding man.
“I represent LDC, the company that plans to purchase Le Verger des Baisers de Cerise. We have delivered a fair offer and it has been accepted. There is really nothing left to discuss.”
“I don’t want to discuss anything. I just want a copy of the contract. I’ve already evaluated the Ecological report and now I need the contract.”
“Then why did you not request this from your partners? Why are you calling us? I represent the purchasers in this deal, not the sellers” Gary asked curiously.
“My partners are busy and traveling abroad. They don’t have time to fetch paper copies for my benefit. Now, will you provide a copy or do I have to get Noémie on the phone to tell her that the buyer is being uncooperative,” Jimin dealt a checkmate.
“Be reasonable. There’s no need to get Francois and Noémie involved. I came with a copy of the contract which shows I was prepared to cooperate. But I had to ask questions before just handing it over. We look forward to closing this deal. It’s going to make all of us alot of money, including you Mr. Park.” Gary snapped the tumblers on his briefcase and handed Jimin a full original, stamped copy of the contract. “It’s late. I should go. We’ve worked hard for two years to come to an agreement that was fair for both sides. You’ll see that everything is in order. I trust that you will welcome this purchase.”
“Thank you. Thank you for bringing this to me,” Jimin said genuinely.
Gary closed his briefcase. He swung around to head for the door and accidentally bumped against the large green duffle bag that was sitting on the desk. It fell to the ground, spilling some of the contents. “Oh, forgive me. I didn’t see that sitting there.” He read the embroidered stitching on the side that said, ‘Jeon Jeongguk, 31st command’. Gary blushed. He realized at that moment that there was another person staying in the room. Jimin had company that was likely hiding in the bathroom. He felt sick knowing that he’d interrupted Jimin’s evening which, from all appearances, was just heating up. He looked around again, the empty bottles of champagne and the pungent scent of strawberry lube suddenly made sense. “Oh my. I feel I’ve interrupted something.” He rushed to the door and exited quickly. “Call if you need anything else,” he stuttered and then raced towards the elevator.
Jeongguk ran from the bathroom, his sweats hanging from one leg and his dick flopping about his thigh. He rushed Jimin and picked him up, swinging him around in circles. “Did you just get the entire fucking contract?” He screamed.
“The entire fucking thing!” Jimin screamed back.
They embraced in a tight hug, while jumping up and down in a circle. “We did it?”
“We did it! We have everything we need to stop this sale. Oh God, I can’t believe it. I couldn’t have done it without you. I just could NOT have done it without YOU!” Jimin was still screaming from excitement. “I just love you so much that I never…,” Jimin paused.
Jeongguk paused.
They stared at each other, each replaying Jimin’s excited utterance in their heads.
“You love me?” Jeongguk repeated.
“I mean…I…uh…did I say that?” Jimin questioned.
Jeongguk beamed. He could feel his heart rattatatting in his chest. He braced because this was a pivotal moment. Had Jimin just confessed to being in love with him? Were they really there?
“I’m sure you didn’t mean it. I mean this is a big day. Emotions are all over the place. Yea. That’s all,” Jeongguk smiled and flipped through the last few pages of the contract.
He didn’t like Jimin’s trepidation and refusal to admit what he’d said. To protect his feelings, he decided to let him off the hook by pretending that it never happened.
***
The time, location and date were all set. The official signing of the documents was scheduled for October 1st. That gave Jimin time to return to the farm and continue working as if nothing was amiss. Jimin was right when he speculated that Noémie was ready to close the deal as quickly as possible. She wanted everything signed and delivered by the start of The Burning Season.
But that also meant that Jimin would have to keep Jeongguk out of sight for another month until they were ready to attend the Board of Directors final meeting. Jeongguk was accepting of the plan even though a month seemed like a lifetime for him.
Amidst all the good news, there was some sadness; vacation was over. The three life changing weeks that he and Jimin had spent together had come to an end and neither of them were happy about it. Jimin booked a train ticket for him and Jeongguk to return to Cerét. This meant separation for weeks while Jimin returned to work in the orchard and Jeongguk stayed out of sight. Jeongguk tried not to pout, but this really wasn’t how he hoped this would all end. Being away from Jimin with no job, no income and nothing to do wasn’t the utopia that Jimin made it out to be. He just wanted to work and go to bed every night with Jimin by his side. It seemed like a simple request but it wasn’t because once again, Noémie was standing in the way of everything he wanted.
“Are you all packed,” Jimin said with a loving smile.
“Yea. I’m good,” Jeongguk retorted.
Jimin grabbed his luggage and Jeongguk grabbed his. He threw the army green duffle bag over his shoulder and pulled his black suitcase behind him. They walked to the curb in front of the hotel and stood there waiting for the Uber to arrive and drive them to the train station.
“Look babe, I know this isn’t ideal, but I promise it’ll be over soon. A month is going to go by so quickly. Plus, I found you a wonderful flat. And I’ll be there to visit every weekend and as much as I can during the week. It’ll be ok, please don’t look so sad.”
“I know it’ll be fine. But that doesn’t mean that I have to like it. This entire thing makes me nervous. I just need everything to work out so we can move on with our lives. Sometimes I wonder why you’re fighting this at all.”
“You know why I’m fighting this. For me, for you, for the workers, for the land. We’re doing what’s right here, Jeongguk.”
“Yea, I guess,” Jeongguk was despondent. Even though he fully supported Jimin, he couldn’t get over the sacrifices he had to make for it all to work out.
Jimin continued, “We’re going to miss you working beside us. You really are the best worker we have. But soon, you’ll be back to work, making your own money again. We’ll be together and you can shove as many cherries up my ass as you want.”
Jeongguk finally laughed. Cherry ass jokes had become their favorite. He looked up at the incredible steel structure above them. “I’m going to miss our beautiful view of the Eiffel Tower. She was my best friend for three glorious weeks,” Jeongguk lamented.
“I thought I was your best friend.”
“No, Jimin. These days, you’re something…else.”
“What am I?” Jimin inquired.
“I’ll let you know when I figure it out.”
***
The drive to the train station was only twenty minutes from their hotel. The Uber that picked them up was a small grey Honda driven by an older man in his late sixties. They settled in the backseat after storing their luggage in the small trunk.
The driver greeted them kindly, “Bonjour. En route pour la gare,” [Hello. On my way to the train station.] he said after jumping into the driver’s seat. He twisted the dial to a jazz station where French love songs played softly in the background. Traveling at the speed limit, he started down Voie Georges Pompidou casually monitoring traffic in front of him.
“Bonjour,” Jimin replied.
Jeongguk played on his phone, while Jimin anxiously stared through the window at the steel wall of grey that seemed to span from the ground to the sky. Their last day in Paris was cloudy and overcast, and it was going to rain soon. He could smell it in the air. Despite being in their own worlds, the two lovingly clasped hands as they sat in the back seat of the Uber.
Jimin’s voice suddenly crept to life, heavy with anticipation, “I have something to say,” he stared at the side of Jeongguk’s face.
It was Jimin’s tone that made Jeongguk’s head snap up and meet his gaze. “Say it. I’m listening.” Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, Jimin saw a blur of dark metal speeding towards him. Instinctively, he turned, “What the…,” before he could say another word, a large black Land Cruiser with dark tinted windows barreled into the rear left bumper of the car.
Both Jimin and Jeongguk violently surged sideways with Jimin’s head slamming against the window. Their bodies were whipped from one side to the other as the small car attempted to over-correct and recover from the barbarous collision.
“Shit!” Jeongguk yelled as he grabbed the back of his neck. He looked around to get his bearings, but the black SUV had fallen back out of sight. “Did he just hit us? We need to pull over and get his information. Shit, that hurt and he damaged this guy’s car,” Jeongguk rattled on, not fully comprehending the moment. “Fuck, baby you’re bleeding.”
Jimin felt the warmth of liquid dripping down his head. He pulled his hand away from his temple to see his fingers covered in blood. “I’m hurt. There’s no way that was an accident,” Jimin’s voice trembled with a tinge of fear as he frantically looked around to see where the large SUV had disappeared to. He didn’t have to search for very long because in the distance, they could hear the engine of the SUV roaring as it sped towards them again. “Oh Shit, shit, shit, he’s coming for us again!”
The same SUV crashed into them again, tearing into the exact same spot on the Uber’s rear bumper. There was a cacophony of sound; twisted metal, screeching tires, and panicked screams. Despite having their seatbelts on, Jimin and Jeongguk were still tossed around, jolting violently from side to side with the seatbelts pulling so tightly across their chests that they could barely breathe. This time the collision pushed the entire car forward several feet, causing the Uber driver to lose control of his small Honda and veer off onto the sidewalk.
It was after the second collision where everyone somberly realized that this was not an innocent accident. The hits were intentional.
The Uber driver screamed, “Oh God, please. Stop it, stop it please,” he yelled in vain as if pleading with the SUV driver would make a difference.
He twisted the wheel left and right with frenzy, trying to get off the sidewalk and back onto the road. Bystanders on the sidewalk had to dive for cover to avoid being struck by the out-of-control grey Honda. Whoever the person was attacking them, they had no regard for human life.
They could hear parts of the car falling off and hitting the street as the smaller vehicle succumbed to the force of the collisions. In their desperation to locate the SUV, Jimin and Jeongguk both twisted around to look through the rear window. They hoped to be able to get a good look at the person driving, but he was fully masked like a coward, making himself completely unidentifiable with nothing but cold black eyes visible. It was at that point that both Jimin and Jeongguk had a moment of clarity; not only was this situation not an accident, but someone was also actively trying to kill them and the two of them were likely the target.
The Uber driver continued to scream at the top of his lungs. He managed to get the car back onto the road while pressing his foot all the way down on the gas pedal to speed away from the powerful Land Cruiser.
“What the fuck?” Jimin screamed as blood continued to stream down the side of his face, sullying his white shirt and pooling on the fabric seat beneath him.
“Hold on, he’s going to hit us again.” Jeongguk held Jimin protectively against the seat with his arm.
“Fuck, what the fuck?” Jimin screamed again.
“Drive! Drive faster! He’s coming for us again!” Just as Jeongguk screamed the words, another brain jolting crash came from behind. This caused them to lunge forward again.
“GO GO GO GO GO!” Jimin screamed.
“I’m going as fast as I can, I’m going, I’m going,” the driver yelled back at them. His bald head was covered with sweat, and his face was pale with fear. He was terrified and had no idea how to escape the lunatic behind them.
Jimin and Jeongguk never stopped holding hands. They gripped each other tightly, leaving red impressions in each other’s skin. The entire left side of Jimin’s blonde hair was now red with his own blood. They braced as they saw the SUV suddenly appear again at top speed. Another collision came and this one impacted the Uber on the right rear quarter panel. Once again everyone in the car was jolted sideways. The rocking and jerking were becoming more painful with each hit.
“Oh God, oh God,” Jeongguk screamed as he saw the SUV coming for them yet again. “He’s coming again. Hold on baby, hold on. HOLD ON!” He saw his life flash before his eyes. He could feel death. He was certain that this was the end and they weren’t going to survive because whoever their attacker was, he was determined to kill them no matter what it took.
“Go, please drive faster, drive faster,” Jimin begged.
Suddenly, the SUV disappeared again, falling back out of sight. Jimin used the critical few seconds to dial 1-1-2. There was nothing they could do to get away from the lunatic, so his only other option was to try to alert the police that they were being chased.
“Come on, come on, come on,” he screamed into the phone pleading for someone to answer. As soon as he heard the click on the other line, he began to scream for his life, “Someone is chasing us. They’re trying to run us off the road. He’s hit us at least four times and he’s coming back again. We don’t know who he is, he’s wearing a mask, but he’s driving a black Land Cruiser, license plate number 1AA-11-ARI, France. We just crossed over uh, uh…,” Jimin was so frightened that he couldn’t think and just as he glanced to his right, he saw the SUV coming towards them again at an ungodly speed. His mind finally clicked into gear, “uh Voie Georges Pompidou. Please hurry. Please, we need help. We don’t know why he’s doing this. Please help us.” He screamed one last time to Jeongguk, “Hold on baby.” They intertwined their fingers and held on to each other as tightly as they could. It was at that moment when he knew they were going to die, Jimin ordered his words and spoke to them quickly, “I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU JEONGGUK! I’ve loved you since the first day…,” Jimin never had a chance to complete his very emotional confession.
The last collision hit so hard that it caused Jimin to drop his phone. The final hit was the collision that sealed their fate. The SUV once again drove into the rear of the small Honda, but this time it didn’t just crash and pull away. The black Land Cruiser rammed the front of the SUV’s bumper over the rear of the Honda’s bumper, causing both cars to lock together. The SUV driver increased his speed, pushing the Honda to almost one-hundred miles per hour. Screams came from the small grey vehicle as they helplessly held on, praying for survival. The Uber driver tried desperately to pull away from the SUV but the larger car was too powerful and moving too fast.
The Uber driver made the mistake of jerking the steering wheel to the right which caused the out-of-control Honda to dislodge from the black SUV before going airborne, propelling the Honda over the guardrail. The terrified screams intensified. The Honda flipped five times with a horrific metal crushing impact that demolished the roof, ripped away the doors and stripped the hood before sliding down an embankment and rolling to a stop.
Everything went quiet. The screeching tires, panicked screams and crushing steel were no more. A steady stream of grey smoke rose from the ashes of the disabled vehicle as it lay upside down in the ravine.
The driver of the black SUV briefly jumped out of the car to look over the embankment. He pulled out his cell phone and snapped a few pictures as proof that no one had survived. Once satisfied, he jumped back into his car and sped off. The Honda exploded just seconds after he pulled away.
🍃
Chapter Six - Accidentally On Purpose
Noémie barged into Francois’s office and threw the newspaper down on his desk. The headline read, Tragedy Strikes in Paris as Two-farmhands from the Famous Orchard Le Verger des Baisers de Cerise Killed in Fiery Crash.
“TELL ME YOU DIDN’T DO THIS. TELL ME YOU HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS! THE NEWSPAPER SAYS THE ACCIDENT WAS SUSPICIOUS AND WITNESSES BELIEVE THE CAR THEY WERE RIDING IN WAS INTENTIONALLY RUN OFF OF THE ROAD!” She screamed at the top of her lungs, voice thick with grief and anger.
Francois casually glanced over at the headline. “Accidents happen. Why would you think I was involved?” He shrugged casually and refocused on his computer.
Noémie studied him carefully. She took a few life altering breaths to process his casual response. It was at that moment that she knew. She shook with rage, “YOU DID IT! YOU DID! I CAN SEE IT IN YOUR EYES! YOU DID THIS. YOU FUCKING DID THIS. YOU MURDERER. YOU FUCKING MURDERER! FUCK YOU! FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU! YOU DIDN’T HAVE TO KILL THEM. YOU DIDN’T HAVE TO MAKE THEM PAY WITH THEIR LIVES. WHY? WHY? WHY DID YOU DO THIS?”
Francois spoke without giving her the respect of eye contact, “Calm down before someone hears you. Jimin was becoming a liability. There’s something that you don’t know, something that I kept from you for your own good. Moreau called me from Paris a few days ago. He said that somehow, Jimin found out about the sale of the orchards. He knew what we were planning and he was going to try to stop it. He was sticking his nose in places he didn’t belong. He had flown to Paris to get a copy of the environmental report that we submitted to LCD. Jimin was on to us.”
“ON TO US? SO WHAT? SO WHAT IF HE KNEW ABOUT THE SALE. IT WAS ALL LEGAL, THERE WAS NOTHING HE COULD DO. HE WOULD HAVE NEVER TRIED TO STOP ME. WE COULD HAVE TALKED TO HIM, NEGOTIATED, GIVEN HIM A BIGGER PIECE OF THE DEAL. YOU DIDN’T HAVE TO DO THIS! HE WAS NOT A THREAT! HE LOVED ME!” Her shrill voice shook with terror, anguish, grief, disbelief. She absolutely could not believe that the man she loved could do something this evil to someone who was so innocent. Her fiancé, Francois, was a murderer.
“Loved you?” Francois laughed. It was true and he knew it, there was something particularly intimate between the farmhand Jimin and Noémie, Francois’s soon-to-be-wife. He wasn’t sure how long it had been going on, but it was becoming increasingly clear that she too had feelings for Park Jimin. That was more reason that Francois felt confident in his decision to get rid of him. He was cool as a cucumber as he reasoned with Noémie to help her frail mind understand why Jimin and Jeongguk had to go, “I think we both know that it was best that it ended this way. Now there are no threats standing in our way.”
Noémie fell to her knees and cried. She continued to sputter, “You d-d-didn’t have to do this. You d-d-didn’t. They were in-in-innocent, especially Jeongguk. He was just here to work. He fell in love with Jimin, that was his only mistake. You could have spared them.” She could barely stand to look at Francois, but she bravely faced him, “When you came back into my life two years ago, I thought God had given us another chance. When you asked me to marry you, it was the happiest day of my life. Never, never did I think you were capable of something like this. OVER MONEY!” Noémie was inconsolable.
“One day, years from now, when we’re married and have children of our own running around, you’ll appreciate why I did this. Right now, you’re too emotional and you’re unable to think clearly. You’re an intelligent woman, Noémie. Surely, you understand how this deal will change your life. You’ll be rich. Pierre will be rich. And because I brokered the deal, I’ll make millions as well. My company will be pulled out of bankruptcy. You’ll get rid of this terrible burdensome farm and everyone will win.” Francois pumped his fists, pleased with his plan.
Noémie continued to weep, slumped over the ground, unable to process the reality of what was happening around her.
There was a sudden knock at the door. Francois placed his arms around her and pulled her from the ground. He led her to a chair near the window before beckoning his visitor. “Pull yourself together, now.” Francois glanced at the door, “Come in.” He was beyond shocked to see the tall, handsome and debonair Pierre Groues breeze into his office.
“Good morning, Francois. I hope you don’t mind me coming unannounced. Your secretary said you were here with Noémie. I have urgent news.” Pierre looked around the office where he found his daughter weeping in the corner. He watched her struggling for breath, struggling to remain upright and struggling for sanity. Wrenching sobs tore through her, each one deeper and more pain filled than the last. Coincidentally he saw the headline of the newspaper that was sitting on Francois’s desk. He spoke the words softly, lovingly to his only child, “You’ve heard?”
Noémie’s eyes widened as soon as she saw him. “Daddy!” She ran to him and collapsed in his arms. “Tell me it’s not true. Tell me that Jimin is ok. Please God! Please tell me he’s ok.”
Pierre held his daughter tightly, heartbroken for her. “Oh, my princess. I’m so sorry. I’m so, so sorry. I’m afraid it’s true. I received the news last night from the coroner’s office. I’m listed as Jimin’s next of kin. I didn’t want to believe it either, but I made a few phone calls and reached out to my contacts at the Paris police department. They verified it. There were three people in the car, Jimin, Jeongguk and the Uber driver who was the father of six kids and eleven grandchildren. According to the Uber records, they were on their way to the train station to travel back to Cerét at the end of their vacation. That’s when the accident happened. Someone hit them from behind, the driver lost control and they crashed down an embankment. All three of them were killed instantly when the car exploded. That’s all I know right now.”
Francois, jittery about what Noémie might say in the throes of grief, stepped in to control the conversation, “Yes, we heard the devastating news. Tragic really. I didn’t know the young man very well, but he was a good worker and my beautiful fiancé was quite fond of him.” Francois spouted bullshit, pretending to be shocked over the news.
“This is heart shattering. I can’t even explain what Jimin meant to this family.” Pierre was overly tan, thinner and even more handsome after just a few weeks of retirement. He glared at Francois, already irritated by him. “Jimin was the kindest and most sincere person I’d ever known. Troubled past but he fought through it to become an incredible man with great integrity. I don’t know how this farm will survive without him.”
“Pierre, what are you doing here? You’re supposed to be in Fiji, enjoying your retirement.” Francois questioned Pierre further. He didn’t fully understand why Pierre had returned just to deliver news of the death of a farmhand. This was his first indication that maybe Jimin meant more to Pierre and Noémie than he anticipated.
“Surely you don’t understand the seriousness of this situation. Not only are we mourning a beloved friend, but we’ve also got to figure out how to keep this farm going without him. We’ll never be able to replace him. The moment I verified the news; I took the first flight back so that I could be here for my daughter and the workers. I’ve postponed my retirement indefinitely. I’m moving back to the main house to help Noémie manage the farm in Jimin’s absence. The Burning Season is about to begin and we can’t get behind on the crop maintenance. We need to hire new workers, stage the crops, complete the fall pruning, all of the duties that Jimin used to manage for us.”
“You’re staying daddy?” Noémie’s face lit up. Knowing that she didn’t have to go through this alone suddenly gave her hope.
For Francois, Pierre coming back was not good news. The last thing he wanted was for Pierre to be back in the business full time, noseying around the finances and questioning Noémie’s business decisions. They had managed to keep the news of the pending sale from him for two years. His return threatened to uncover information that they did not want him to know.
“Nonsense. Pierre, there’s no need for you to be here. Noémie isn’t alone. She has me. Now mosey on back to Fiji and enjoy your retirement. She and I can handle things here.” His attempt at shipping Pierre back to Fiji fell flat.
Pierre glared at Francois with hatred and contempt. He did not like being dismissed from his own business. “My daughter needs me. This farm needs me. Why can’t you understand? This is going to affect everything. Not only is Jimin gone but the entire orchard is also at risk. There will be no more talk of me returning to Fiji until things are settled here. I don’t care how long it takes, I’m staying. Fiji can wait a little while longer.” Pierre was firm, authoritative. He had no patience for Francois and his ignorant assessments of their situation.
Noémie was silent for a clock’s tick until she finally said a few words, “Arrangements…for Jimin? A-a-a-a funeral I mean. His parents need to know…,”
“Yes, his parents. I don’t really know what the relationship is between them these days. I don’t think he has spoken to them for almost a decade. Sweetheart, I’m not sure he would even want his parents to come. At any rate, I’ll handle everything, all arrangements. First, we must retrieve the bodies. I assume he would rather be buried here, as opposed to Seoul,” Pierre pondered.
“He doesn’t have good memories there. Don’t take him back there, daddy.” Noémie questioned him again, “And Jeongguk? Have you found his family?”
Pierre answered again with confusion, “His life is a mystery as well. The hospital asked me to help find his next of kin. He’s ex-military so that should give us a good start. I’ll figure it out. With or without their families, I’ll make sure that both men are buried with the dignity and respect they deserve.”
“Thank you daddy,” Noémie said sadly. She began to cry again.
Pierre sniffled, “It’s still so early and we just don’t have all of the answers. There are questions about the accident and how they died. The crash is under investigation. I won’t let this go until we know for sure what happened.”
***
Several weeks went by with no further information on Jimin and Jeongguk’s accident. Despite Pierre coming back to work, Noémie continued to keep the sale of the orchard confidential. Even she could see the wonderful things that retirement had done for her father. She wanted him to enjoy the later part of his life without constantly worrying about the farm. Besides, Francois had convinced her that telling Pierre about their plan would have only made the situation more tense and possibly ended in war.
What had started as an opportunity of a lifetime had suddenly become a nightmare resulting in the death of one of her best friends. She had so many decisions that she needed to make, the least of which, her future with Francois. She had to understand more about why Francois had been compelled to kill three innocent men. Why did he consider Jimin such a threat? What did Jimin know? What had he found out that was so detrimental that Francois felt he needed to be silenced? How had Jimin even found out about the sale?
She decided to start at the source, the attorney for LCD, Gary Moreau. Since he was the one who started the chain of events by telling Francois that Jimin was investigating the sale, maybe he was also the one she could hold accountable for getting Jimin killed.
The following morning, Noémie waited until Pierre left for the orchards before making her move. Huddled in her office, she quickly dialed the law firm, where Gary Moreau answered directly.
“Mrs. Groues, what a surprise. It’s so lovely to hear from you. I recognized your number on my caller ID. Is everything well? How are you doing? How are the wedding plans going for you and Francois? Ready for our big day on October 1st?” His anxiousness made him rattle on senselessly. He didn’t understand why Noémie was calling and it wasn’t a good sign, especially so close to the closing of the orchard deal.
Noémie remained focused, “Everything is fine. I have a few questions for you regarding a meeting you had about three weeks ago.”
“A meeting?”
“Yes, a meeting with Park Jimin. I’m sure you’ve heard, he died in a car accident in Paris shortly after meeting with you.”
“Yes. Tragic. Simply tragic. He seemed like such a nice man,” Gary replied.
Noémie jumped straight to the point. “You called my fiancé shortly after meeting with Park Jimin in Paris. First, how do you even know Jimin?”
“He called me. Repeatedly. Made a nuisance of himself while I was away on sabbatical. He wanted a copy of the contract,” Gary explained.
“The contract? Can you tell me more about that?”
“Yes, I remember the night vividly. Mr. Park had been calling non-stop for almost a month, requesting copies. He left the name of his hotel, room number, phone number, that sort of thing. He begged me to contact him. I had just returned from the airport when I received all thirty-six of his messages in my voicemail. His hotel was on my way, so I stopped at the office, made a copy and then stopped by the hotel to deliver it in person. That was the end of it,” Moreau explained carefully.
Noémie tapped her fingers on her desk, “What did Jimin say to you?”
“The visit lasted less than ten minutes. We made small talk. I gave him a copy. And that was the end of it. Oh, and he did mention something about obtaining an environmental study? I wasn’t sure why he was bringing that up since we already received the study almost a year ago. Mrs. Groues, is something wrong? You’re not cross with me for giving him a copy, are you? I did my due diligence; his name was on the certificate of ownership. By law, he was entitled to a copy of the contract. Even though he’s a minor owner, his request was valid and lawful. Everything was done by the book.”
“No, of course I’m not angry with you. I’m just trying to put the pieces together, that’s all. The man ended up dead within 72-hours of speaking with you. Don’t you find that odd?” Noémie wondered how much Moreau knew about Jimin’s death.
“It’s disturbing, yes. But it was just a very unfortunate coincidence.”
“Did Jimin mention how he knew about the deal with LCD? And why did he want the Environmental Study? That matter was closed a year ago, just as you stated.”
“No. He didn’t give me any details. I really don’t know any more than what I’ve told you,” Moreau was as firm as he could be.
Noémie pondered the entire situation. This was the third time that someone had mentioned the environmental study, a document that had no relevance. Or did it? Francois had mentioned it several times during his denial about having anything to do with the deaths. But why? Noémie was familiar with all aspects of the contract and the Environmental report; she’d read the entire study multiple times. There was nothing exculpatory in there. There was nothing that would have stopped the contract. In fact, LCD had already reviewed the study and made their final offer based on the results. So why was everyone talking about it suddenly? Had something in that report gotten Jimin killed? Was there something that she had overlooked?
“Gary, why did you call Francois? Why didn’t you call me directly to tell me that Jimin was demanding a copy of the contract?”
“Because Francois made it very clear that I was to contact him immediately if anyone came snooping around. He gave me a small…uh…financial incentive…to secure my cooperation. Even though Park Jimin was a partial owner and had every right to the paperwork, I felt that Francois still needed to know that someone was asking questions, so I told him about it. Mrs. Groues, Francois assured me that he would talk to you and tell you everything. If he failed to give you this information, you surely can’t blame it on me. Once again, I’ve done everything by the book.”
“I’m not blaming anything on you Gary, other than being a little sleazy for the sake of money. But what else would I expect from a lawyer? And no, Francois told me nothing about Jimin contacting you. It wasn’t until after Jimin died that he mentioned any of this. Did Jimin say anything else? Did he mention why he was in Paris?”
“No, nothing. Although…,”
“Although?”
Moreau cleared his throat, “This probably doesn’t matter and it’s inappropriate for me to even mention but, I got the sense that he wasn’t alone in the hotel. He had a visitor. I realized it when I knocked his duffle bag down.”
“Duffle bag? Who’s duffle bag?”
“An army duffle bag. The name on it said, “Officer Jeon Jeongguk.”
***
Noémie stormed into Francois’s office full of rage. She found him talking suspiciously to someone on the other line.
Francois barked angrily at the person on the phone, “What do you mean they’re still investigating. It was an accident, the police already closed the case and…,”
She walked up to his desk and made her presence known, “Who are you talking to Francois?”
Francois jumped. He knocked over a cup of coffee sitting on his desk as he realized that he’d been caught in a rather nefarious conversation. He closed out his call quickly with a threat to the person on the other side of the line, “It’s in your best interest to cooperate with me. I’m a very powerful man. I’ll be in touch.”
“Not trying to bribe the Paris police into dropping the investigation, are you?” She said angrily.
“My conversations are none of your business sweetheart. And do be careful with your tone. I won’t tolerate you speaking to me that way. Your mind is playing tricks on you, making you believe that I had something to do with that terrible tragedy in Paris.”
“Don’t gaslight me you asshole. I know what you did. You admitted it you fucking bastard.” Noémie was stunning with her dark locks curled and falling softly over her shoulder. Her yellow dress was intentionally form-fitting, her way of taunting Francois with the terrible realization of what he was about to lose. She marched up to his desk and leaned over, making sure that he could see the deep golden cleavage of her shapely bosom. With eyes that bore through him like daggers thrown against a wall, she said firmly, “The wedding is off!”
Francois jumped to his feet. He grabbed her by the arm and spun her towards him, “What? What do you mean the wedding is off. You can’t just walk in here and fucking dump me. Noémie, I love you. What is this about?”
“I meant exactly what I said. The wedding is off. I don’t want to marry you and the only reason you want to marry me is because I’m about to be rich. You think I’m a fucking cash cow. Well it ends here.”
“That’s not true. How many times do I have to explain? I was just looking out for you and making sure that we protected our future. I love you. I fucking love you,” Francois said desperately. He pulled her into a hug and held her tightly against his chest.
Noémie coldly whispered into his ear, “I know why you killed Jimin. I have the proof. Gary Moreau told me what he told you. I may not be able to prove it to the police, but I will go to my grave knowing that you did this. You took away one of the most important men in my life. You panicked after learning that Jimin was looking into the details of the sale, so you had him killed. I will never forgive you for what you’ve done,” Noémie unleashed on her former fiancé.
“You can’t do this. I love you Noémie.”
“You don’t love me. You want my money and it’s so clear to me. But don’t fret you piece of shit. I’m going through with the sale of the orchard. Not because I care about you, but because I’ve worked my ass off over the last two years to negotiate this deal. I still believe that selling this property is best for my family. You’ll get your brokerage fees; you’ll be able to save your fucking company.” She pulled away from Francois and peered at him with disgust, “But you’ll do it all without me as your wife.”
Noémie stormed out of his office and never looked back.
***
The funerals for Jimin and Jeongguk were nonplussed. Some would even say they were awkward and unfeeling. There were no members of either family there to say goodbye which felt deeply perfidious. But Jimin and Jeongguk had more than just biological ties to the earth, they had a full family of farmhands, friends who loved them.
The orchards were closed that day to give the workers a chance to mourn and say their last words. Pierre and Noémie did what they could to put together a respectful ceremony. Pierre said a few kind words, however Noémie was too distraught to even speak.
The two caskets sat side by side outside of Jimin’s former stable. Seven and Dynamite were chosen to carry their caskets to their final resting place on the far end of the orchards near the elder trees; the trees that Jimin cherished so much. It was also the place where they first met on the day that Jimin found Jeongguk hitching an illegal ride on the freight train. It was Noémie’s idea to bury them together in the location that they both considered sacred.
***
The Burning Season
October 1st, the day of the contract signing, arrived just as the weather cooled and the leaves darkened. Noémie and Francois were no longer engaged, but they remained cordial because Noémie agreed to go through with the sale of the orchard. In her heart, she hated him for what he did, yet she vowed to keep his secrets out of fear of his retribution. He was a murderer and she feared that he would not hesitate to come after her if she ever told anyone what she knew.
The meeting was held in a large conference room on the first floor of LCD’s office building. It was the same room where the previous meetings had been held so she was familiar with how to find it.
What should have been a joyous celebratory day was mired in sadness; Jimin was gone, her engagement was broken, her fiancé was a murdering maniac and her father still knew nothing about the deal that was about to make them all millionaires. She felt sullen and despondent, trapped by a series of very bad choices. Despite the money she was about to walk away with, it wasn’t enough to mend her heart and make up for all of the losses that she had endured.
She still hadn’t decided how she was going to tell Pierre that she had sold the farm. Surely, he would find her reprehensible for keeping such a large business decision secret from him for two whole years. But he was the one who chose to retire, leaving the future of the property in her hands to manage at her discretion. He had no right to question her decisions. And with Jimin gone, she was free to do what she felt was best without interference.
Her back stiffened when Francois entered the room. He sat at the table in the seat right next to her. He had the audacity to plead his case again, “I know you think you know what happened but you don’t. Forget about what you heard and let’s just put this behind us. I love you Noémie, we can still be married. I’ll be a great husband to you. We’ll have kids, we’ll live a lavish beautiful life together, in love. Come back to me.”
Noémie refused to look at him. Instead, she stood to her feet and switched seats. Gary Moreau, the attorney for LCD was the only other person in the room, so she chose to sit next to him and make small talk.
Moreau turned to her and smiled. He was a bit perplexed as to why she refused to sit next to her fiancé, but he didn’t think this was the right time to question it. “This should take less than thirty minutes. Everything is in order. We just need a few signatures and we’ll give you the check. Congratulations Mrs. Groues.”
“Thank you Mr. Moreau.”
Several other members of the board filed into the room, including the Chief Financial Officer and a few other signatories that were required to close the deal.
“I believe we have everyone we need. Let’s get started. I’m sure Mrs. Groues and Mr. Boulanger are anxious to close this deal and move on.” Moreau opened his briefcase and pulled out several copies of the infamous contract. It was time to sign. Legally, Noémie was the only signature required to close the deal. Even though Jimin’s name was listed as a seller, he had no signing authority.
Noémie had plans to flee France as soon as the paperwork was signed. She was headed for a new start in America, anxious to leave the cherry orchards behind. There were too many memories in Cerét and her grief over Jimin’s death would not resolve itself any time soon.
There were six signature lines requiring six signatures from the Executives at LCD. Noémie nodded politely at the men in the room. She stacked the contract in front of her and began reading each of the pages that required her signature.
There was a low chatter coupled with the arrival of someone else entering the room. Noémie was so focused on her review that she didn’t even realize that Pierre had joined the meeting. Everyone in the room stood to greet him, welcoming him to the meeting. It took several seconds for Noémie to look up and realize that he was there. She was stunned to say the least.
“Daddy!” She exclaimed, her face white as a sheet. “What are you doing here?” Her large green eyes filled with fear. Someone had raked the information to her father and his presence at the meeting did not bode well. “How did you find out about…,” she quieted under the disapproving gaze of her father.
“I wish I could say that I found out because you told me. But sadly, that’s not how it happened. Noémie, what are you doing? How did you think you could get away with selling this property right under my nose?”
Francois dared to speak, “It’s a good deal Pierre. Your family will be very wealthy…,”
Pierre turned on him with a face full of vitriol, “SHUT UP! How dare you open your mouth to say a single word after what you’ve done. This conversation is between me and my daughter. Say another word and I’ll throw you through that damn wall.” Pierre was not a weak old man.
He’d spent his entire life working in the fields. His body was that of a man half his age and if he threatened to throw Francois through a wall, he had the strength to do it.
“Gentlemen, this doesn’t have to get contentious. I’m sure we can work this out,” Moreau tried to calm everyone down. They were seconds away from closing the deal and Pierre showing up at the last minute was a disaster.
Pierre lifted his hand in a steady but powerful gesture to quiet the room.
“Daddy, daddy, you left this business to me. You walked away. You told me that you trusted me and that I could run the business however I saw fit. Now you’re berating me because I made a decision that you don’t agree with?”
“A decision that I don’t agree with? Young lady, are you going to sit there and claim that selling our heritage, our family’s land that has been in our family for centuries is just a simple matter of making a decision that I didn’t agree with? I raised you better than that. Your mother would be mortified, ashamed of how you’ve handled this. Two years, you kept this from me. You waited until I retired and transferred ownership before executing the deal. How can I ever trust you again?”
Noémie did not back down, “Daddy, we will discuss this later. This deal is done and there is nothing you can do about it.”
Pierre scoffed. He was incredibly calm considering the level of betrayal displayed by his only child. You’re so incredibly naive. I have not survived this long in this business without knowing what I’m doing.” Pierre looked across the room, making eye contact with every person in the room, “This deal is dead and we will not be selling the farm.”
The room erupted in chatter, sighs and gasps. Mr. Moreau had a minor breakdown. He jumped to his feet, “No, no there is a misunderstanding. We, we, we will proceed. We just need the signatures. We’ll work out the details later. Your conflict is a family matter that is unrelated to this deal. Mr. Groues, I’m going to have to ask you to leave. take this up with your daughter and stop wasting our time.”
Pierre was unmoved. He turned his attention to Francois who cowered in his seat. “Francois, does Noémie know how you managed to get the final approval on this deal despite the environmental report results and the land assessment?”
“The report was fine. I read it myself. There were no issues and LCD approved it a year ago,” Noémie interjected.
“Francois, are you going to tell your fiancé the truth? No? Then I will.” Pierre cleared his throat. He sat back and uncrossed his legs as he looked towards the glass doors, “You may come in.”
The glass door swung open again. Jimin walked in first, followed by Jeongguk. They were dressed in dark suits with briefcases and fancy shoes. Noémie fainted dead away. Jeongguk was on crutches and Jimin was wearing a walking boot. Both had various bandages and slings over their arms.
“Who are these people? Why are they here?” Moreau didn’t recognize Jimin. He looked so different wearing his suit that he didn’t realize that he was the same man he’d met in the hotel in Paris. And he’d never met Jeongguk, so he was summarily confused.
Jeongguk glared directly at Francois as he walked into the room, “Surprise asshole!” He was not authorized to give commentary, but ‘Mr. No filter’ always said what was on his mind.
Francois rose to his feet and attempted to leave the room, but Jeongguk was stationed at the door. Despite having a broken leg, he used the bottom of his crutch to push Francois back into his seat.
“How? How?” Francois was gobsmacked, stunned. “But we buried you. You had a funeral,” he sputtered, trying to make sense of why Jimin and Jeongguk were both still alive.
Jeongguk stared at Noémie who was still unconscious on the ground, “Is anybody going to check on that?” He pointed at her.
Moreau managed to pull her up and get her back into her seat. He gave her a bottle of water and then turned his attention to the visitors who had just joined the meeting.
Jimin had a broken foot and a broken arm as well as several hundred stitches on the side of his face. Despite his walking boot, he strutted into the room and took a seat right next to Pierre.
Pierre smiled at him and gave him a pat on the back. “When I gave you that 1% ownership, I knew that I wouldn’t regret it. Jimin, please tell the team at LCD what you found?”
Jimin leaned forward. “The environment report that was submitted a year ago is fake. It was doctored to hide the original findings by the French Ecological Oversight Department. Francois’s secretary is quite chatty if you compliment her enough. She, unknowingly of course, provided the proof that we needed to provide the paper trail of how you changed the documents to hide the truth about the findings. This land does not qualify for this sale. Under the Fit for use clause, nothing that LCD plans to do is legal.” Jimin removed his copy of the environmental report and slid it over to Moreau. “If you go through with this deal, you’ll be complicit in fraud. This report is the original. The report you used to approve this deal is a fake. And if you don’t trust me, you can contact the Department yourself.” Jimin sat back in his chair.
Pierre took over, “Thank you Jimin. Thank you for doing the due diligence that my own daughter didn’t think to do. Noémie, you know this land like the back of your hand. I suggest that you read the real report to understand why we can’t sell. How could you let this get past you? Was the money really that important? Enough to throw away your legacy? This land is protected by the historical society and cannot be sold under the conditions that you offered to them. If this deal goes through, the land will be barren in five years. LCD stands to lose everything and we, in turn, will be sued for every penny that we got out of this deal. Jail is a real possibility too. So, as I said at the beginning, this deal is dead. We’re walking away.”
“The ecological report is fake? Fake? You gave me a fake report?” Noémie glared at Francois. She suddenly snapped, “YOU SON OF A BITCH!” She jumped over the table and went after her ex-fiancé.
“Where is the popcorn when you need it?” Jeongguk took a seat at the table so he could have a close-up view of Francois getting his ass beat by a girl.
She continued to scream, “I COULD HAVE GONE TO JAIL BECAUSE OF YOU!” Just before she landed on Francois’s head, Jimin grabbed her and wrestled her back down to her seat. “FUCK YOU! YOU ASSHOLE I’LL KILL YOU!” With one shoe missing and her jacket pulled askew, she cursed at Francois with her entire being. Her neatly piled bun had come loose and half of her black hair was matted on the side of her face due to her tussle with Jimin.
The room was in absolute chaos. Pierre pulled out a cigar. Jeongguk was looking for popcorn. Jimin was holding Noémie in her seat with his one good arm, and Moreau was huddled in the corner with the members of LCD Corp. The deal was falling apart right in front of their eyes and they needed a way to salvage it. But if Pierre and Jimin were telling the truth about the report, then Jimin had just saved their company from financial collapse.
While the others huddled, Jimin turned to Noémie and Francois. “I know you’re shocked to see me alive and whatnot,” he grinned. “Next time you order a hit on someone, you should insist on proof that they’re actually dead.”
Francois was adamant, “I had nothing to do with your accident. You can’t prove anything. And I should sue you for making these allegations.”
“Noémie, do you believe him?” Jimin asked her gently.
Noémie dropped her head. She was sickened by what she knew. “You’re alive. You’re alive. Thank God,” she cried tears of joy, grateful that Jimin was ok. But she had so many questions. “The police told us that you were dead.”
Jeongguk summarized, “We almost died. If Jimin hadn’t remained conscious and pulled me from the car, we would have blown up with the driver. He saved my life by pulling me from the car and into the water.”
Jimin continued, “After the crash, I could smell gas. I knew we only had seconds to get out. We hid in the water, too afraid to show ourselves because we didn’t know where the asshole was who ran us off the road. We were in bad shape. Jeongguk broke his leg and had a major concussion. I broke my arm, my leg and my clavicle. I had to get over 300 stitches to close a cut on my forehead. We both had broken ribs. Jeongguk fell unconscious for a few hours. We were a fucking mess and we almost died. Sadly, we couldn’t save the driver. We just couldn’t get there in time given all our injuries. After the ambulance took us to the hospital, we realized that whoever had tried to kill us thought we were dead because of the explosion. When the police told us they had a lead and suspected someone close to us was involved, we knew we were still in danger. We needed help laying low and staying off the grid so I decided to reach out to the only person I knew we could trust. Pierre. He helped us hide out for a month in a flat that I had rented for Jeongguk. He helped cover for us and hired round the clock security to keep us safe. He was a real hero. We’ve been hiding out for the last month, waiting for the day where we could finally reveal the information that almost got us killed.”
Noémie shook her head in disgust, “Daddy you knew all this time? You knew they were alive and you didn’t tell me? You let me grieve for them?”
Pierre responded, “Yes, I knew. I even faked the newspaper headline to make the story of their deaths more believable. Jimin called me while they were still in the hospital and told me everything. And honestly my sweetheart, I didn’t tell you because I didn’t know if I could trust you. I love you Noémie, but the first decision you made after I left the business was to sell the company from under me. You and your fiancé are very close and I didn’t know how involved you were with all of this. I had to sort it out before telling you anything. I faked the funeral and the burial, just to throw you off track and to keep Francois from running.”
Francois stood up again, “What do you mean keep me from running? I had nothing to do with this. NOTHING. I resent your insinuation.”
Jeongguk had enough. He lashed out angrily, “Cut the bullshit you absolute, total and complete asshole. We know it was you. While we were being hunted down like animals, Jimin was able to give the police a complete description of the car and the lunatic who was driving. The police were able to find the guy who ran us off the road. They arrested him and questioned him and he sang like a canary and told them everything. He even produced proof of the payment that your secretary gave him to pay for the hit you put on our heads.”
Francois had an explanation ready, “Surely you don’t believe the words of an alcoholic secretary and some thug in a SUV over mine? I’m a businessman with a multi-million-dollar business. I was not involved with what happened to these two. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have business to handle. Expect to hear from my attorney regarding your baseless claims.”
Jimin’s blonde hair rested neatly over his shoulders, tucked behind his ears, coiffed and slick in brilliant blonde. It had grown unbothered for almost a full year, framing his delicate face with dark roots. His small dimple popped as he swallowed before posing his question again, “Noémie, do you believe me when I tell you that Francois tried to have me killed?”
Noémie began to cry. She couldn’t speak; she just nodded her head. She was the first to know what Francois had done. She was the first to accuse him and get him to confess. She was the first to be sickened by the man she almost married. She absolutely knew that he had done it.
Jeongguk provided more commentary. “Oh, what luck, your ride is here,” he opened the glass door to allow the police to enter the room. “Take him to jail and throw him in a cell with a murderous ass-lover with the nickname Big Meat.”
“Jeongguk! Filter!” Jimin fell across the table laughing. He really loved that crazy ass soldier from Busan.
The two police officers calmly stepped forward and spoke to Francois, “We have a warrant for your arrest.”
Francois jumped back, panic flooding his eyes. He scanned the room, looking for a possible escape. He barked at the police as if his threatening tone would persuade them to not haul him to jail. “What are you doing here? Do you know who I am? Surely you can’t believe these lies?” He protested as the police tried to arrest him. He struggled and refused to cooperate, flailing his arms and attempting to punch them.
“Please don’t hurt him,” Noémie cried.
The cops were already tired of this arrogant rich prick and they had every intention of hurting him. The larger of the two officers pushed him down hard against the table and trapped his head against the surface. The smaller officer wrestled his arms behind him, bending his hands backwards as Francois continued to fight. Finally, they secured him in the cuffs, but that didn’t stop Francois from kicking and screaming like a mad man.
“Damn, can’t you just be arrested with dignity. Such a loser. Ick,” Jeongguk complained.
Gary and the other C-suite executives watched in shock as the broker of their multi-million-dollar deal was arrested right in front of them. They all glared at Gary Moreau as if he were to blame for the entire mess.
***
Jimin sat at his desk, reading through some paperwork that Pierre had left for him to sign. It was cold outside. So cold that he had several extra blankets layered across his bed, the bed he shared with Jeongguk. The last few embers in the fireplace burned as the orange pulsing lights slowly faded.
Jeongguk had gone to bed hours ago, exhausted by the new work schedule and the added responsibilities. Still, it was not a peaceful night for him. The younger one was restless and Jimin didn’t know why. He noticed several times that Jeongguk seemed to be tossing and turning and at times, shaking in his sleep. He assumed it was just a dream, until he heard Jeongguk’s quiet utterances fall over his pillow.
“Mom, don’t die. Don’t die, they’re coming. The ambulance is coming,” Jeongguk repeated.
Jimin moved closer to listen more carefully to what Jeongguk was saying. He realized within seconds that Jeongguk was not just dreaming, he was having a nightmare; the same nightmare that had haunted him since he was sixteen years old; the nightmare of watching his mother be stabbed to death in front of him. Jeongguk had always told him that those were the nights that he needed Jimin the most.
Jimin turned out the lights and then slid into the bed to scoot over next to him. He positioned his soft pink lips over Jeongguk’s ear and began whispering lovely things to him.
“Your mother is ok. She’s not hurting anymore because she’s safe. You’re a great son. You did everything you could and you’re a great son.” As soon as Jeongguk heard Jimin’s voice, he immediately calmed. The shaking stopped; the murmuring stopped. Jimin wasn’t sure but he thought he also saw Jeongguk’s apple cheeks lift with a slight smile. He continued, “You’re in love now. You’re loved now. You’re safe from everything that hurt you in the past. Safe. Park Jimin loves you. Your mother loves you too. And she is safe. Jimin will protect you forever,” Jimin continued to utter the positive affirmations into Jeongguk’s unconsciousness. He needed to defeat Jeongguk’s guilt laden brain by countering it with the beautiful truth. He continued his affirmations for another ten minutes until Jeongguk grew completely still. “Good. Good.” He kissed him in his sleep, lingering around his bottom lip and puckering around his dimpled cheeks. There was absolutely no intention to wake his lover, he just wanted to be close to him and stop his pain.
Jeongguk lifted his hand and massaged the back of Jimin’s head. He only said a few words, but they were some of the most important words that Jimin had ever heard in his life, “I could hear you. You made it…stop,” he said softly.
“I didn’t mean to wake you,” Jimin was so happy that he was awake.
“You didn’t wake me. My mother did. She told me to tell you, thank you,” Jeongguk said sleepily.
Jimin wasn’t sure if Jeongguk was hallucinating or still partially trapped in his dream, but as long as his young lover was calm and serene, it really didn’t matter.
“You’re welcome…both of you,” Jimin smiled.
“I need you,” Jeongguk said, almost in tears. He was only wearing pajama pants despite the chill in the room. He slid them down to his ankles and grabbed his cock to show Jimin his erection.
Jimin nodded in the dark. It was the best thing that Jeongguk could have ever asked him for and the one place where he knew he could please him. He kissed the overly sensitive buds of Jeongguk’s nipples because he wanted to. He whispered poems into his ear and tickled the tender spot on his neck because it pleased him. Jimin wasn’t interested in any pain, not on that night. He wanted to make love, slow, deep and meaningful love. He wanted to meld their bodies so neither could determine where one soul ended and the other soul began. After ripping away his pajamas, he poured lube on his hands and rubbed the oily fluid between the padding of his fingers. It dripped down his hand and onto Jeongguk’s bare skin.
Using his small powerful fingers, Jimin kneaded the area around Jeongguk’s entrance before inserting his thumb and index finger. He played there for a while, inserting more fingers as the tight hole relaxed and allowed him in. Leveraging his powerful Snow White magic, he tamed his big beast of a baby while still whispering, “I love you,” into his ear. Jimin continued lubing him, stretching him, and preparing him in the most loving way possible. He whispered as Jeongguk grew restless, “No pain, not tonight.”
Jeongguk moaned loudly with an uneven tremor in his voice, he stuttered, “Yea, yea, that’s good bb-bb-boss.”
They were still healing from their horrific crash, so it was important to be gentle. He pushed Jeongguk to his side and nuzzled in behind him creating two tightly bound spoons with no space between them. Kisses were sprinkled along the back of Jeongguk’s shoulder and neck as the smaller man held the larger man as his captive. He wrapped his arm around his upper torso and positioned his fingers so that he could pinch his nipples at his will. He pressed the taught skin of his abdomen into the small of Jeongguk’s back, while pressing his chest against Jeongguk’s trapezoid so the younger could feel Jimin’s warm perky nipples rubbing his skin. Their knees locked in the exact same angle to fulfill their need for being as close as possible. Even though Jimin was smaller, he dominated him protectively from behind.
Jimin grabbed his own dick at the shaft. He handled it like a large snake, rubbing it between his fingers and squeezing the tip. Without a word, he pressed it against Jeongguk’s entrance and held it there with the full intention of teasing him. Just one small breath, one minuscule flip of the hips and he would be inside of him. But not quite yet. He held his tip there, frustratingly close to the quivering wilted hole that he planned to demolish. He held it and held it and - held it, forcing Jeongguk to feel its warmth stalking him.
Jeongguk closed his eyes and savored the moment. His heart beat fast, like a ticking time bomb as he anticipated the first thrust that would send him to ecstasy. Normally he wouldn’t have this level of deified patience, but fucking his angelic Snow White had changed him. He wanted everything that Jimin had to give him no matter when he chose to give it.
A soft, subtle movement came when Jimin slid Jeongguk’s top leg forward. He simultaneously said, “I love you,” as he thrusted his hips forward and stabbed the tip of his cock through Jeongguk’s oily entrance. The bed shook with the first thrust that bolted through Jeongguk’s body, bottoming out seven inches later. Jimin’s rhythmic hips immediately found a demonic pace that pulled his entire cock back and forth, in and out, round and round, back and forth, in and out, round and round. The loud squelching of their oily skin on skin fucking reverberated against the wooden walls as Jimin worked his cock through Jeongguk’s tight space, fucking him like he owned him, like he possessed him, and like he loved him.
Jimin closed his eyes as he bit hard into the back of Jeongguk’s shoulder, creating a new mark over countless other love bites that had long since faded.
“Oh shit,” Jeongguk released a moan amidst a trail of emotional tears. He had begun to cry and didn’t even realize it. Jimin truly was his protector; there for every moment where he needed him the most. “Kiss, kiss, kiss I need you to kiss me when I cum,” Jeongguk said quickly as he tried to hold his orgasm just long enough to switch positions.
Jimin laughed softly. His boyfriend was nothing if not needy. He pulled out, dick glistening and wet, and sat on his knees as Jeongguk repositioned himself. Jeongguk flipped on his back and lifted his legs to expose his entrance again. Jimin crawled in between them and leaned down to kiss him. He was too eager and pushed his tongue so deeply into Jeongguk’s mouth that he could feel the back of his throat. They fell into the kiss at his boyfriend’s demand, whilst Jimin slowly re-entered him again. The glide in and out was so smooth that it made Jimin shiver. The rhythmic clapping began once again but this time it was layered with kisses and a loving gaze that could not be broken. Jimin’s long hair fell messily across Jeongguk’s face, their breathing heavy and ragged as Jimin pulled Jeongguk’s lips through his teeth.
“I’m about to cum, oh fuck me baby,” Jeongguk growled.
His climatic quivers set off a contagious chain reaction that spread to Jimin. Both of their eyes widened when they realized they were climaxing at the same time. Jimin couldn’t speak, he could only grunt as he dropped his forehead against Jeongguk’s chin. His hips moved faster and wider, the thrusts turning sloppy and untamed. Jimin suddenly felt a spew of warmth against his stomach as Jeongguk squirted his velvety milk. The young one bucked against Jimin’s thrusts, greedily chasing every inch of pleasure.
Jimin’s release was much faster and much more violent. He slammed a single palm hard against the headboard as his body floated into the abyss. He leaned into Jeongguk, pushing himself forward as deeply as he could, seating his heavy cock in the middle of Jeongguk’s warmth. He released hard and fast into the tight hole that convulsed around his shaft.
Within seconds they were kissing again with confessions of love falling from their lips between every roll of their tongues. They embraced tightly before finally rolling away from each other and staring at the ceiling. Somehow destiny had delivered the perfect moment, the perfect couple, the perfect place and all at the perfect time. Silently, they held hands until they both drifted off to sleep.
***
After LCD Farming and Agricultural completed the review of Jimin’s evidence, they decided, under the advice of their attorney Gary Moreau, to walk completely away from the multi-million dollar offer to buy Le Verger des Baisers de Cerise. The deal was indeed dead, with Pierre, Noémie and Jimin remaining as the only owners. Under Pierre’s guidance, Noémie took a different route for cashing out. Instead of trying to sell it, she took the company public and offered a lucrative IPO for investors. By doing this, she was able to get more cash flow to operate the business without cutting employees or fully automating. Although automation would eventually come, it would come at a pace that was appropriate for the business and without decimating jobs for the people who had been so loyal to them for years.
Having investors also meant that she was no longer required to be there every waking moment to run the day-to-day operations. The company stayed in the family and Jimin, Noémie and Pierre were all named to the Board of Directors. Noémie was President and CEO, while Jimin was named the Operations Manager. With Jimin’s agreement, he became the only owner to remain behind and manage the farm, becoming the sole person in charge of the day-to-day operations. With Jeongguk by his side, they took complete control of the orchard and the employees. In essence, he became the new boss.
Pierre returned to his retirement villa in Fiji. With the creation of the Board of Directors, he would never again be left out of critical decisions regarding the ownership of his company.
And for Noémie, she was heartbroken. She never quite got over being victimized by Francois a second time. She made the decision to follow through with her initial plan to leave France and start anew in America. But before she left, she had some very important business to tend to.
***
Noémie knocked on the stall door. She was not pleased when Jeongguk answered. He rolled his eyes, aren’t you late for an American baseball game or something?”
“Hello to you too Jeongguk. I need to talk to Jimin. Can you leave us alone for a few minutes please?” She pushed him aside and entered their stall without any further consideration.
“Noémie, this is Jeongguk’s place just as much as it’s mine. If you insist on being disrespectful then you can get the fuck out. He stays,” Jimin course-corrected her entitled behavior. He made sure to remind her that the dynamics had changed and Jeongguk was his first priority in his life with her ranking dead last behind Seven, Euphoria, Dynamite and the elder burlats. He turned to Jeongguk with a sweet warning, “However, you do promise to behave, right my love?”
“No. I don’t promise that at all. Fuck her and the donkey she rode in here on,” Jeongguk said with no filter. He angrily took a seat in the corner where he could watch her very closely with his large judgmental eyes.
“Ok, then,” Jimin shrugged. “I love you by the way.”
“Ditto,” Jeongguk flipped through a magazine to appear disinterested even though he was very interested in what the evil witch had to say.
Noémie and Jimin sat at the small kitchen table for two. They could feel Jeongguk’s large doe eyes boring into the backs of their heads. They chose to ignore it, but they were on notice.
“I came to say goodbye. My flight leaves in a couple of hours and I just wanted to see you before I go.” Noémie looked back at Jeongguk who had his legs crossed and his eyes still focused. She was apprehensive to say what was really on her mind because she didn’t know how he was going to react. “I uh…I need to apologize. I know it’s too little too late. But I won’t be able to sleep at night unless I speak to you from my heart and tell you the whole truth.” She looked over her shoulder at Jeongguk again. She took a deep breath before releasing it all, “I manipulated you and I used you for my own selfish needs. I played with your heart and that was the cruelest thing that one person could do to another. But I need you to know something. My feelings for you were real.”
“Real?” Jimin laughed. “Real?” He repeated. “You dare say that after what you did?”
“Yes, but you don’t understand why I behaved the way I did and that’s what I need to explain. It’s true that I was trying to keep you under control so that you wouldn’t oppose the sale of the land, but that was just a small piece of it. Jimin,” she glanced back at Jeongguk before saying, “I was falling in love with you. I-I-I couldn’t stop it from happening. All those years we spent together as friends and all the long talks, and long walks, and sharing of our feelings, it did something to me. I began to see you so differently. My first break up with Francois almost destroyed me. His cheating made me feel worthless and used. I was looking for love again, validation that I was worth loving. You and your big heart, bright smile and gorgeous body showed up just in time to get caught in my web of low self-esteem. You changed me and made me feel beautiful again and I needed that so, so much.”
“You were falling in love with me? Forgive me if I have a hard time believing that.” Jimin looked over at Jeongguk whose eyes suddenly softened. “You knew that your fiancé had tried to kill me, yet you said nothing and you were perfectly content with allowing him to get away with murder. You knew what he had done yet you didn’t call the police, you didn’t tell Pierre, you did absolutely nothing to make sure that he received justice for what he tried to do to me and Jeongguk. Not to mention the innocent grandfather that he killed. And now you tell me your feelings for me were real? And you loved me? Oh, fuck you. How can you sit there and say that?” Jimin’s anger percolated. It was only through staring at Jeongguk that she remained calm because each time he looked at Noémie he wanted to strangle her.
Noémie looked down shamefully, avoiding Jimin’s eyes. “I…It’s not what you think.”
“Ok, if you loved me so fucking much, why didn’t you ever mention this before? Why did you string me along and choose to break my heart instead?”
“I wasn’t stringing you along. I was trying to break things off. I chose to pull away from you for your own good and mine. You’re gay Jimin. I knew it, you knew it, but we both tried to bury it under the rug. I made love to you once and it was enough to know that you felt nothing for me sexually. You were drunk that night in the stable and I forced it to happen. People do things when they’re drunk and I was no exception. I wanted you so badly, I wanted you to want me just as much. I thought…well I don’t know what I thought. That night meant nothing to you. You didn’t even remember it. You only got hard because…you were drunk and I seduced you. I was hurt, really hurt and those old feelings of self-doubt came flooding back. You just don’t understand how much I wanted you to be attracted to me. But you weren’t and that’s why I avoided being intimate with you ever again. And once again you arrived right on time as the one who held space for me and validated everything I wanted to be. Somehow you built up this twisted fantasy that you were attracted to me because that’s what you wanted too. We both wanted it for different reasons and I foolishly went along with the fantasy. But there was nothing there, Jimin. And if it wasn’t clear enough the first time we had sex, it became very clear the second time we tried. You weren’t attracted to me. I didn’t want to be in love with a man who could never love me back. I know you think you wanted me, but you never did. The desire of proving something to your terrible parents far outweighed anything you legitimately felt for me. We both knew it, Jimin. You were running from your true self and using me to do it. I was well on my way to becoming a beard for your homophobic family’s amusement and I didn’t want that for myself. I didn’t want that for either of us. So whatever love I felt for you had to be buried. And that’s when I opened my heart to Francois again.”
Jimin blinked. For the first time since she arrived, he looked Noémie in the eyes. You knew? You knew that I was gay.”
“I knew. Women have instincts and it was abundantly clear to anyone who was paying attention,” Noémie said wisely. “Know what else I knew? I knew that you were in love with Jeongguk from the first moment you laid eyes on him. He was yours, marked with your name since birth as the one who was destined to mend your soul. I could see it just as clearly as I could see my own reflection. He had influence over you. He had your respect. Meanwhile, I was losing you day by day and my pride couldn’t take it. I was worried that he would see through my act and turn you against me. It’s one of the reasons I was so terrible to him. I was trying to keep you under my control while he was trying to free you. Do you know how powerful that is? I was jealous, hurt and angry that he could have you but I never could. I made terrible decisions and hurt a lot of people in the process. I almost got you killed. As for my unwillingness to turn Francois in to the police, even after he confessed to me - I was scared. It’s just that simple. That’s why I didn’t say anything. After learning what he was capable of, I knew that he would come after me if I dared to say anything to anyone. I had to protect not just myself, but daddy too. Francois loved me and that’s the only thing that kept me alive. But if getting rid of me could have kept him out of prison, then he would have gladly done it.”
For the first time, Noémie said something that both Jimin and Jeongguk could understand. Francois was dangerous and she was in a tough spot. No doubt that he had threatened her and demanded her silence. Although Jimin didn’t forgive her for not doing the right thing, he did have a better understanding.
“If there is any silver lining to this pathetic story, it’s that you got away from that dick head Francois. He was just, not it…,” Jeongguk added. Once again, he was not invited into the conversation but took the liberty to speak his mind.
“That is one thing we can agree on Jeongguk,” she smiled at him. “You’ll be happy to know that he can never bother us again. He was found guilty by the way; fraud, murder, attempted murder, falsifying documents, bribery, embezzlement, and being a complete asshole…guilty on all charges,” Noémie gave a shallow smile that did not reach her eyes.
“You still love him! Iiiick,” Jeongguk grimaced with a childish frown.
“I may always love him. That’s that terrible part. I can’t turn off my heart, and those years together will always be some of the best of my life. He was good to me and we had fun together. He protected me and wanted the best for me. Even his push for this stupid land deal was out of love and wanting to see me happy. But just because we loved each other, doesn’t mean that we were meant to be together. He was a deeply flawed sociopath, but he was my sociopath,” Noémie laughed.
“Sociopath? Takes one to know one,” Jeongguk added even more commentary, finally raising Jimin’s ire.
Jimin gave him a hard stare. Without saying a word, he pleaded for him to show some mercy. He then turned once again to Noémie, his heart full of pity for her, “Thank you for telling me the truth or at least your version of it. I hope your conscience feels clear now. And…I forgive you.”
“I don’t forgive you. You’re a terrible person. Ick,” Jeongguk crossed his legs and went back to reading his magazine.
Noémie had no hopes of winning Jeongguk over. But the better she got to know him, the more convinced she was that he was perfect for Jimin. She glanced down at her watch, “Look at the time, I better get going.” She stood to her feet and threw her purse over her shoulder. “Thanks for listening. Goodbye you two. I’ll send you a postcard from New York.”
***
Jimin sat up. The alarm was blaring across the orchard even though it was slightly muted in their stable. Another frost had arrived and his men had to get to the fields to light the barrels. Long gone were the days where Jimin and Jeongguk were responsible for stopping the frost because since the last burning season, Jimin had been properly installed as the new boss. So, he could comfortably sit back and rely on his men to handle the emergency.
He rolled over to see his beautiful boyfriend still sleeping. It was wrong to wake him, especially since it wasn’t necessary for the two of them to go, but he very much wanted to experience the first barrel burning of the season with Jeongguk by his side. He knew that his soldier wouldn’t be happy about it but he leaned down and whispered softly in his ear despite it.
“Baby. Wake up. Wake up,” Jimin kissed him lightly on the mouth. Jeongguk’s lips were warm and slightly dampened with drool. Jimin laughed and kissed him again.
“What? What is it? What time is it? Is that the alarm?” Jeongguk stirred awake. The muted metallic clanging of the alarm immediately registered in his ears. After years of hearing it, his instincts kicked in, causing him to jump out of bed to start getting dressed. “Ouch, ouch, shit. Ok, I’m coming.” He swore as his bare feet touched the freezing cold cement floor. “We really need more rugs in here to cover these fuck ass floors.” He yawned sleepily as he navigated his naked body around the stable.
The two beds that once sat on opposite ends of the stable were pushed together so that he and Jimin could sleep together every night, make love to each other every night and talk until they fell asleep every night. They were officially a couple and even though they didn’t parade their relationship around town, those in the know understood they were deeply in love and even more deeply committed to each other.
“No rush. My guys have this under control. Eduardo has them all in the orchards already. Remember, that’s not our job anymore.”
“Oh…,” Jeongguk yawned again. He walked back over to the bed with his arm partially inserted into a flannel shirt. “Yea. I always seem to forget. If we’re not needed in the orchard, then why did you wake me?”
“Because…this is the first barrel burning of the new year. It’s so nostalgic and it reminds me of the day I fell in love with you.”
“You’re such a hopeless romantic Snow White.”
“I kind of like it when you call me that.”
“It’s mostly during sex but it applies everywhere,” Jeongguk teased.
Jimin stared through the window and watched as barrel after barrel, row after row lit up. “Oh, there they go.”
“Well, what are you waiting for? Get dressed, let’s go,” Jeongguk said happily.
“Really? Are you sure you don’t mind?” Jimin asked, eyes full of enthusiasm and a bit of whimsy.
“Bet I can beat you out there.”
“Oh, fuck you sweetheart, you’ll never be faster than me,” Jimin said happily as he sprang from the bed and ran towards his wardrobe.
The race was on. Clothes flew all about the room as they rushed to get dressed, each keeping a careful eye on the other. As usual, Jimin was the first through the door.
“Damnit!” Jeongguk playfully complained, “Beat me by a sock…,” he ran out into the frigid air, temporarily taken aback by the sudden change in temperature.
Jimin was already running towards the rows. Jeongguk could see the happiness in his gait. He truly loved this place and it was truly his home. Jeongguk jogged a bit faster to catch up with him. They sat on the frosted ground beneath a barrel and stared out over the rolling hillside. Row by row, the hills came alive with flickers of soft orange light that glowed like fireflies as far as the eyes could see.
The orchard lay under a crystalline hush of frost with the branches of the ancient trees etched in silver as if the moon had breathed her chilly breath upon them. The air itself felt brittle, sharp enough to cut their lungs. And oh, how bright was the full moon as she dominated the sky with her pale glow, leaving no room for anything else.
They shivered, clasping gloved hands as their faces were toasted by the burning fire. Jimin pulled a flask of whiskey from his pocket and poured them a drink. The aged whiskey coated their tongues and lingered in their throats with a stinging burn that caused them to wince. But it was the comforting warmth in their stomachs that coaxed them to take more sips.
Down the slope, a long row of steel barrels stood like ancient sentinels, their rusted sides glowing from within as they protectively guarded the new year’s crops. The grounds were still dark because the sun had not yet risen, yet there was a faint hue of pink just above the horizon. Every barrel burned fiercely with hues of orange and gold stretching upward into the churning sky. They watched as the waves of heat slowly reached the branches, melting the ice into shiny droplets that fell in soft, rhythmic plinks onto the frozen grass below.
The scent of woodsmoke mingled with the faint sweetness of the cherry blossoms, creating a perfectly balanced perfume, subtle yet inescapable. For a moment, the orchard seemed neither fully winter nor spring, but something suspended between seasons, a fragile, glowing sanctuary where fire and frost danced together in perfect harmony that fostered the greater good.
Jeongguk sat close to Jimin, pulling him into a kiss for all the world to see. They took a peaceful moment to reflect. They sat in silence.
From the moment Jeongguk jumped on the train to nowhere, he knew that his fate was in the hands of destiny. And from the first moment that his eyes opened and spotted Jimin, he knew that they would fall in love. Nothing in life was perfect but perfect moments did exist in life. Possibly, Jimin was his perfect moment in a world full of flaws and imperfections that had followed him since birth.
And possibly, Jeongguk was the perfect man to finally help Jimin understand his own perfection. There was so much power in accepting yourself as whole with infinite value as opposed to someone who was a flawed embarrassment. Jeongguk pulled those feelings deep from within Jimin and allowed him to live with contentment in his satisfying truth.
“I love you my angel…just as I promised that I would,” Jeongguk murmured quietly.
“And I love you my lost soldier…just as you promised that I would,” Jimin leaned in for one more loving kiss.
🍃🍃🍃
Epilogue
Seven’s nostrils flared unevenly as she crept up to the large tree to examine the fruits. She had already eaten, but she was still hungry because Jimin had only allowed her to have carrots, snap peas and tomatoes. She didn’t get her usual barrel of apples and that meant that she was hungry and the red things on the trees smelled delicious.
She pulled back her grey lips and jetted her mushroom-colored teeth forward, closing around a cluster of the small burlats. Sweet bursts of juice filled in her mouth, dissimilar to anything she’d ever tasted before. With her hearty choppers, she chewed carefully, trying to figure out what it was that she was eating. Apples were her favorite, but this taste was somehow even better. Pleased with the first sample, she twisted her head sideways and burrowed through the pink and white blossoms as her eyes spotted another cluster of the burgundy colored burlats sitting further back on the branch. She grabbed them, pulling seven of them into her mouth at the same time. Once again, her hard teeth went to work chomping the fresh new delicacy and mashing it to smithereens, pit and all. She bayed with satisfaction and swallowed the bunch. Before long, she spotted another cluster and grabbed those from the tree as well.
Never before had she been allowed to feed from the ornately colored trees without Jimin scolding her and making her eat her carrots. But this time, since her handlers were nowhere to be found, she continued munching from the tree. The individual hairs on the back of her neck bristled with happiness at her newly discovered delicacy. For years she had seen these things, but never had she been allowed to taste them. In fact, the more she ate of them, the more of them she wanted. For a full hour, she fed uninterrupted, living her best life. She was too satisfied with her ad hoc meal to worry about where Jimin and Jeongguk had disappeared to.
Harvest season was known for the gentle breezes that whispered around the trees and tickled the farmer’s skin, providing brief but crisp respites from the searing heat.
But this particular day was different. The Pyrenees wind moved like a living animal, angry and aggressive, snaking through the valley, bending back the tall grass, even pulling clusters of cherries from the delicate branches. It cooled the valley like an electric fan blowing through a window.
No one noticed the two delicate white shirts that blew through the open field, landing at the feet of the elder burlats and wrapping around the bark. Two pair of cotton boxer briefs were blown upward, snagging along the branches. The wind blew striated waves across the surface of the rogue clothing that seemed to come from nowhere.
The heavy jeans and even heavier boots were the only items that remained affixed to the ground, despite the wind’s best efforts to abscond them as well.
Just a couple of meters away, the newlyweds huddled together as the wind swirled around them. A random checkered blanket that once belonged to Luke was the only layer between them and the wind-whipped grasses that covered the warm ground.
Jeongguk opened his eyes and was immediately blinded by the hard bright light that streamed overhead. Looming over him was a beautiful silhouette shrouded in liquid gold like an exquisite corona. What could only be described as a halo crowned his head, blurring the outline of his face. It was exactly like the first time, however this time, he didn’t have to ask if he was an Angel because he already knew that he was. He was his Angel, the one that destiny sent as a gift, the universe’s apology for all the fucked-up things that had happened to him as a kid. The man was his Angel on earth, his Jimin.
The strands of Jimin’s long blonde hair were lifted and tossed by the gusts of wind, streaming horizontally behind him and across his face. Each time a stronger gust would come along, the entire length would be whipped into dramatic sweeping arcs, crisscrossing over his ears and forehead. Jeongguk was quick to push the hair away because he refused to miss even a single second of the pleasured expressions on Jimin’s face. The wind had already stolen his moans and cast them into the sky, he wasn’t going to allow it to taint his view.
Jeongguk laid on his back with Jimin straddling him. They lay there completely nude in the middle of the open field near the elder trees.
“I love you, I love you, I love you,” was all that Jeongguk could say as he watched his new husband sink down onto him, enveloping his rock-hard cock.
The elder’s thighs trembled slightly as Jeongguk’s tip penetrated him, causing his body to seize from the discomfort. As he pushed the thick cock past his sphincter muscle, the pain intensified. But he continued to push down, inserting him and taking it all until he couldn’t push down any further. His trembling finally stopped as soon as Jeongguk was fully seated inside of him.
“You’re in, baby,” Jimin whimpered.
“Are you ok?” Jeongguk asked as he gently stroked Jimin’s wind-swept hair.
Jimin paused momentarily with a helpless look of supplication. He mouthed ‘I loved you’ as a signal that he was about to begin.
“Fuck, I love you too,” Jeongguk said mindlessly as he stared into the face of the man that he loved more than his own life.
With a soft moan, Jimin began to move his hips. Slow, rolling waves created a rhythmic, sensual ride that had a deeply calefacient effect at the point where their bodies merged. Jimin continued to control the pace, the depth and the speed. He reached down several times to kiss his new husband, his long tongue slithering into his mouth and caressing the inside of his cheek. The plumpness of his butt cheeks sat on Jeongguk’s thighs.
Jeongguk held onto his husband’s hips as he began to slowly buck into him. The wind picked up again, cooling all the places where wetness covered their skin. Matching the pace of the gusty breeze, Jeongguk pushed his cock as far into him as he could before lifting him to pull out partially. They continued in that pattern, in and out and then in again before finally pulling his cock out one more time. Jimin relished the sting that came each time Jeongguk re-entered him.
The younger whispered things that only the wind could hear. Once again, his hands moved from Jimin’s waist to Jimin’s face to swipe the feathery blonde hair away as another gust blew it over his eyes.
“Oh, you’re so beautiful,” Jeongguk said instinctively as Jimin’s crescent shaped eyes came into view again. His mouth was slightly open and his pink lips were moist with cum from the blow job that he’d given to Jeongguk underneath the elder burlat trees.
Jimin methodically leaned forward to press his cum covered lips against Jeongguk’s thin ones. He said all the sultry words, making his intentions clear.
“I sucked you clean, now it’s my turn.”
There was a mischievous tone to his growl that made Jeongguk want to cum all over again.
Jimin’s favorite thing about Jeongguk was that he could stay rock hard even after cumming and Jimin strategically used that to his advantage. As the winds continued to swirl around them, Jimin’s movements transitioned into a delicate bounce; not too greedy, not too fast, but sensual like a choreographed dance that drew Jeongguk’s hardness deeper and deeper with each delicious thrust downward. With his hands gripping the rounded mounds of Jeongguk’s chest, he adjusted his angle again until he found the right spot - the magic spot.
Jeongguk could feel it too. He knew what his Snow White was after, “Ohh, that’s good.”
“Shit, baby right there,” Jimin moaned to his young soldier.
His hips moved faster causing a large glob of lube to displace from his hole. It dripped directly onto the hairs of Jeongguk’s balls as their bodies began to clap against each other. He was careful to keep the same position so that Jeongguk’s cock continued to tap against the tiny walnut in the back of his rectum.
“Give me that fucking dick, you sexy beast. Fuck me hard,” Jimin whined. He felt full, satisfied with a euphoric sensation that intensified each time he slammed his husband’s shaft into his prostate. “Fuck, fuck, fuck,” Jimin could feel the blood flowing as his prostate began to quiver and pulse. There was a subtle vibration that signaled he was cumming. “Yes, yes, oh God, don’t stop.” With a brief glance towards the sky, he could see the cherry trees all around him, the green rolling hills, the beautiful white blossoms and the golden sun. The moment felt like a fantasy that he’d dreamed about since he was a teen. His new husband was the love of his life and he was fucking the life out of him. He was overwhelmed by the thought of it which intensified the sensation.
Jimin threw his head back and rolled his eyes into the back of his head as the milk began to pulse from his little walnut. His heart stuttered, missing several beats at the moment his orgasm exploded. He screamed so loudly that his deep resonate tone could be heard, even over the howling winds. His nipples hardened and his entire body fell still. He could feel every inch of the cock inside of him, every pulsating nerve, every bruising grip along his skin, and every violent thrust from his husband’s massive dick.
Jeongguk glowed. Pleasuring his new husband was the ultimate arousal. He thrusted upward into him, lifting his hips from the ground and slamming them into Jimin’s body over and over, up and down, around and around. He abused that sensitive spot because he knew that it would drive Jimin crazy. He could feel Jimin’s beautiful little walnut leaking over his tip. Before Jeongguk knew it, he was moaning loudly as he came for a second time, squirting his cum inside of his very beautiful husband. He never closed his eyes. He watched his husband for the entirety of his climax until his dick stopped twitching.
Jimin fell to the side, leaving Jeongguk’s cock glistening and covered with cum. He plopped down on the red and black checkered blanket and stared up into the sky. It was a perfect day, quiet with only the sounds of the frogs croaking in the background. Blue birds flew overhead and crows settled in the trees. And then came another surprise, bunnies gathered around so that Jimin could feed them.
Jimin sat up on his elbow when he saw the family of bunnies who he had been feeding for the last year. “Hey, uh I’m kind of busy guys, can you come back later?” He realized that he was naked and that probably wasn’t the most appropriate way to greet the young bunnies in the family.
“Damnit, this is my wedding day. Do I really have to share you on today of all days, Snow White?” Jeongguk laughed. “Scram kids, come back another time. This is technically my honeymoon and I’m trying to get laid,” he complained to the bunnies who surrounded them.
“Jeon Jeongguk, filter please.” Jimin laughed at him as he looked around for his shirt and underwear.
“Ain’t got one, why do you keep asking?” Jeongguk giggled as one of the bunnies nibbled on his big toe.
Jimin petted the youngest bunny between the ears, “Besides, stop being greedy. You already got fucked, very well I might add,” Jimin blushed. He realized that maybe he should have been more careful with his language in front of the baby bunnies. “I have some food in my shirt pocket…wherever my shirt is…,” Jimin realized that some of his clothes were missing. “Baby, have you seen my underwear?”
“They were over there right next to mine…,” Jeongguk realized that his shirt and underwear were missing as well. “The wind?”
“Yea, the wind must have blown them away. Great. I guess we need to find them.” Jimin found his jeans and pulled them on despite not having his underwear. He wasn’t interested in his semi-rigid dick dangling freely in front of the young bunnies. He didn’t want them to mistake it for some kind of edible vegetable. He had a few seeds in his pocket, so he leaned down and held his palm open so they could eat them. “Sorry my sweet babies, but this is all that I have,” he said kindly. He spoke to them as if they were all his children.
Jeongguk swooned. He was really, really in love with his little animal tamer. “You’re so kind. You deserve all the best things in the world, and I hope to give them all to you,” Jeongguk said softly.
“I already have all the best things in the world. His name is Jeon Jeongguk and I love him more than anyone I’ve ever loved in my life.”
Jimin turned to his bunnies and shrugged to let them know that he was all out of seeds. He promised to give them more at a later date. Miraculously, they seemed to understand him. Instead of hanging around to wait for more, they simply hopped away, leaving Jimin and his new husband alone to talk.
“Are you ok?” Jeongguk asked. Their first time making love as husbands hadn’t been the gentlest. “Let me see.”
“I’m fine. There’s nothing. I was prepared. I knew you wouldn't even make it to the reception without wanting to take me. And tonight, it’s going to be your turn. I have a very special pair of black lace panties that I plan to wear for you - while I fuck you.”
“My God, you’re incredible. I’m so happy, Jimin.”
“I never thought this day would be possible.”
“Getting married or seeing your parents again?”
“Both?” Jimin said as his eyes began to fill with tears.
“They came to support you. I know they aren’t exactly happy that you married me, but they came. It’s been twelve years and they put their pride aside and showed up. That means something.”
“Yes, but I’m ready for them to return to Korea. All is not forgiven just because they showed up for my wedding. They allowed me to be abused because of their fucked-up homophobia. I could feel them judging me, especially my mother. I’m finally free of them and I don’t plan to rebuild that relationship, not now anyway.”
“I support you. And I’ll never let them hurt you again. You have my word.”
“You can’t control them and neither can I. We can only control ourselves and how we respond. Right now, I don’t feel the need to have them in my life again. But forget them - let’s talk about the real tea. What did you think about Noemie’s new husband?”
“Don’t care. She could go to hell for all I care.”
“Jeongguk, she has apologized. She’s moved on and has a sweet little baby now. Can’t you forgive her?”
“HELL NO!”
“Well, if you didn’t want her here then why did you invite her?” Jimin asked. “I certainly didn’t see a need to have her here.”
“Because I wanted to gloat. I fucking won, she lost. She’s the loser. She can choke on a rock because I hate her. I wanted her to see me take my victory lap.”
Jimin fell backwards onto the blanket. He laughed so hard that he snorted. “That is so petty. God I fucking love you.”
“Her baby is kind of cute though. I don’t hate that little thing even though she is half demon. But I do hate the old lady - still.”
“We were never in a love triangle. And she was never your competition. That was all in your head. I told you the night that I proposed, that it’s always been you and only you.”
“I still won and she can still go to hell on a trolley,” Jeongguk didn’t back down. “So, I think we have a problem.”
“What problem?” Jimin crinkled his nose. There couldn’t possibly be a problem, not on their perfect wedding day.
“I think our shirts are gone…and possibly our underwear too. We have a barn full of guests waiting for us to come and cut the cake.”
“They waited for us this long, they can wait a few more minutes while we go back to the stable to grab shirts and underwear,” Jimin said casually. Jimin looked around again, this time he was more concerned, “Hey, where is our maid of honor?”
“Uh oh. She was right there, tied to the tree. Where did she go?” Jeongguk jumped to his feet and slid into his wedding day jeans. Seven was nowhere to be found. He began to panic.
“I guess she wandered away.” Jimin walked up the hill towards the elder burlats looking for his donkey. “Seven? Seven where are you baby?”
“Seven! Seven! You’re being a bad maid of honor. Where are you?” Jeongguk ran in a different direction to search for their missing donkey.
“Jeongguk!” Jimin yelled for his husband.
Jeongguk ran up the hill towards Jimin’s voice. “What happened? Is she ok?” He asked as he approached them.
Seven was laying on her side. Her mouth was covered in crimson and her mushroom teeth were now pink. She was still wearing her clip-on earrings and her pink bow that Jimin had tied around her neck. Her hair was braided in a long braid that resembled the same braids that Jimin always put in his hair. She was definitely at her cutest and she was a perfect maid of honor. Yet she seemed to be in distress.
Snow White addressed her in his calm and loving voice, “Seven. Look at me baby.” She reluctantly sat up and looked into Jimin’s eyes. She could sense that she was in trouble. “Did you eat all of these cherries?” Jimin pointed into the tree that had been stripped of all of the cherries on the lower branches.
Seven bayed and looked away.
“Don’t you lie to me. Need I remind you that the evidence is all over your body? If this were a court of law you’d go straight to prison. Now tell me the truth, did you eat all of these missing cherries?” Seven turned her head and stared at Jimin. Her eyes were full of regret and apologies. She brushed against Jimin’s bare chest as the wind picked up again. It was her way of admitting to her sins. “You have a tummy ache, don’t you?” Jimin used his small hand to massage her stomach. She was definitely full of cherries.
Seven laid down as she felt Jimin begin to rub her stomach. His touch was soothing and she instantly began to feel better, after she passed gas of course. She smiled to show Jimin her pink, cherry covered teeth.
“You ate all of those cherries. What the hell? You can’t eat the merchandise. We sell those. You’re spoiled, you know that?” Jeongguk parked his hands on his hips. “Jimin, is she going to be ok?”
“She’ll be fine. But she’ll be in a little distress for a few hours until she can work the cherries through her system. See baby, this is why I don’t allow you to eat these. They aren’t good for you.” Seven snapped her head up and pushed Jimin in the back. He spun around, “What do you mean it’s my fault?” Seven wasn’t finished, she walked over to Jeongguk and gave him a good push as well. In fact, she pushed him so hard that he stumbled and almost fell.
“HEY! How did I get in this?”
Jimin laughed, “She thinks it’s our fault for not supervising her properly.”
“I needed some ass; it took fifteen minutes. She couldn’t stay out of trouble for fifteen minutes? Besides, you’re her dad. I’m just a stepfather with mild interest. She can’t blame this on me,” Jeongguk argued.
“Don’t let her hear you say that. Watch what you say, she’s sensitive.” Jimin complained. Seven turned her butt towards Jeongguk and farted. “See you upset her. Apologize. Tell her you love her as if she were your own.”
“But I don’t! We are acquaintances with mutual interests.”
“Jeongguk filter, fuck,” Jimin covered Seven’s ears and gave her a kiss. “She loves you like a real dad.”
“She farted on me!”
“That’s how she shows love. Now apologize and give her a kiss,” Jimin insisted.
Jeongguk turned to see Seven staring at him with the saddest eyes possible. A few seconds of reflection made him realize that he really did love her like his own. “Oh, come here.” Seven strutted over to him and poised herself to receive a hug. “I’m sorry. I do love you, I do. And thank you for being our maid of honor. You carried the rings so well. I was really proud of you. And I’m sorry that we weren’t here to keep you away from the cherries. But you have to understand, when two men love each other, sometimes they like to be together in a special way where they take off all of their clothes and…,”
“JEONGGUK!” Jimin ran over to Seven and covered her ears. “She is too young to learn about the birds and the bees.”
“Oh, well at what age should we tell her?”
“I don’t exactly know, but not today. Come on, we better get to the barn. I can already hear the DJ playing music. Looks like they started the reception without us.” Jimin led Seven by her lead. “Come on baby. Your dads are going to get you back to the stable so you can rest. You’ll be ok, I promise.”
They stopped to put their boots back on before continuing on to the main orchard. Seven needed to sleep off her cherry binge and the newlyweds had a first dance waiting for them but first, they needed to find more shirts and underwear.
***
THE END
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Cherry Fog& Burning Embers | Physical Book
After training in Paris with an elite French military unit, Jeongguk a young South Korean soldier, suddenly finds himself discharged and kicked out of the Army after being diagnosed with a debilitating form of PTSD. Homeless and with no place to go, he takes a chance and hops a train to places unknown, leaving his final destination to fate. There he plans to start a new life, with the hopes of forgetting about his troubled past.
He ends up at cherry orchard in the small town of Cerét, France where the rolling green hills converge into a calming tapestry where love and cherry blossoms bloom amidst a perfect backdrop for romance. As chance would have it, Jeongguk meets another native Korean, a gorgeous blonde farmhand named Jimin who also is running from a troubled past. Jimin finds himself intrigued by the young officer and offers him shelter, a new beginning and an adventure of a lifetime. What starts as a pure and innocent friendship slowly churns into steaming hot passion and raw desire between the two men who never expected love to find them.
Cherry Fog& Burning Embers |eBook
After training in Paris with an elite French military unit, Jeongguk a young South Korean soldier, suddenly finds himself discharged and kicked out of the Army after being diagnosed with a debilitating form of PTSD. Homeless and with no place to go, he takes a chance and hops a train to places unknown, leaving his final destination to fate. There he plans to start a new life, with the hopes of forgetting about his troubled past.
He ends up at cherry orchard in the small town of Cerét, France where the rolling green hills converge into a calming tapestry where love and cherry blossoms bloom amidst a perfect backdrop for romance. As chance would have it, Jeongguk meets another native Korean, a gorgeous blonde farmhand named Jimin who also is running from a troubled past. Jimin finds himself intrigued by the young officer and offers him shelter, a new beginning and an adventure of a lifetime. What starts as a pure and innocent friendship slowly churns into steaming hot passion and raw desire between the two men who never expected love to find them.
**All images created via good old fashioned editing and photo shop. These were not created by AI.