Chapter Text
“I’m sorry, Yoongi-ssi,” the department head, Lee Jihoon, is saying. “You’re an extremely talented producer, but your specialties… well, we don’t need them here at BigHit anymore. It really pains me to do this, but at this point, it’s out of my hands. You can always use us for reference, and I hope you find success in future endeavors, but we just don’t see a future for you here.”
Yoongi nods, trying to come off as understanding, but his mind’s beginning to race at a million miles per hour, trying to figure out what the fuck is actually happening.
“I know you’re helping Namjoon-ssi with some of the production and writing on Jungkook-ssi’s upcoming album, so you can finish that, but all of your other projects will be either discontinued or put under fresh minds. We also expect that your studio be cleared of your items by the time your work here is done.” The department head pauses, sighing. “No hard feelings, right?”
“No, of course not,” Yoongi replies, robotic. Of course not. His primary source of income, a job in which he was promised stability and security, just laid him off without much warning. Sure, he can finish his main project, but he’ll be done within the next week. Seven days, and then he’ll be out of a job.
“Great!” The department head grins, clearly unaware of how Yoongi’s currently struggling not to panic. “It truly was a pleasure having you here, Yoongi-ssi.”
“Yeah.”
He’s left alone in the meeting room, fighting the panic that’s running in his mind. He’s already paid rent for this month, so he doesn’t have to worry about that immediately, but there’s everything else: utilities, the apartment complex’s maintenance fee, his cell phone plan, his wifi bill, and so many more. And he has money in his savings, sure. Realistically, he should be able to get by for a while, especially if he rations the way he used to… But that will only get him so far.
Jesus, when did he rack up so many expenses? Why didn’t he save more? Why didn’t he expect this to come sooner or later? There’s no such thing as job security in the music industry—not in the way there is in other more mediocre industries… and even then...
Fuck.
yoongi: hey are you in your studio?
namjoon: yeah, what’s up?
yoongi: be there in 5
Yoongi makes it there in less, a little out of breath from his panicked speed-walking, and Namjoon looks a little concerned at the way the older stomps past him and plops down on his couch.
“Hey, what happened? Why do you look like you’re in distress?”
“Jihoon just fired me.”
Namjoon’s eyes go wide. “Fuck. Really?”
“He said I can finish up working on JK’s album, but you and I both know that isn’t going to take long. And then I’m out of a job. What the fuck.”
“Hey, maybe I can talk to Jungkook. We can try to take a little longer—”
“No!” Yoongi cuts in. “What? No, the fuck. I’m not gonna delay his comeback so I can hold my job a little longer. It’s… it’s fine, for now. I’ve got some savings. I just… I had to tell someone, you know?”
Namjoon frowns, sitting down in his chair. “Hyung…”
“This fucking sucks, but it’s okay,” Yoongi says. “I can get a fast food job to hold me down, but god, I fucking love working here.”
“I know you do.”
“And working with you… Fuck, how am I ever gonna release my second mixtape?”
“Hyung, you have a shit ton of top-tier equipment. I don’t think that’ll really be an issue... “ Namjoon smiles slightly. “Besides, some of our best work has been made in hotel rooms and tiny closets using GarageBand.”
Yoongi sighs. “I know you’re right, but—”
“No buts. Think positively. You’re Min fucking Yoongi. Agust D, if you will. Someone’s going to hire you. It’ll be some time, but they will. Until then—whatever it takes, right?”
Yoongi nods. “Whatever it takes.”
“And you know you can always drop by and use my studio.”
“Yeah…”
“So you’re fine. For now. But that’s all that matters. You’re fine right now, okay?”
It doesn’t do much to absolve his worries about what happens once he runs out of money, if he can’t find a job that pays well. But he at least feels a little calmer. He has a little bit of a game plan for now. He still has a tiny bit of control over what he can do, and that’s enough for the time being.
A knock sounds at the door. Namjoon meets Yoongi’s gaze, and the older nods. Namjoon calls out, “Come in!”
He hears four little beeps for the passcode before the door opens and a certain Jeon Jungkook pokes his head in. “Hi, hyung.” A pause as he spies Yoongi. “Hi, Yoongi-ssi.”
“You know you can call me ‘hyung,’ right?”
Jungkook smiles bashfully and walks into the room, shutting the door behind him. “It feels weird to. We don’t really know each other.”
Yoongi waves off the statement. “We’ve worked together enough times.”
“Well, then, you need to stop calling me ‘Jungkook-ssi’. It’s kind of hypocritical, don’t you think, hyung?”
“Touché.”
“What’s up, Jungkook?” Namjoon says.
“Oh, I was wondering if we could work on the interlude? I thought of some lyrics last night, and I really think they’d make the bridge a lot better, but I can’t decide if they should replace some lines or just add on to it?”
“Sure, sure. Do you want Yoongi-hyung to help?”
Jungkook glances over at Yoongi and then quickly looks away when he finds the older already looking. Yoongi bites a smile. Cute.
“If he wants to?” He looks at Yoongi again, still bashful but trying . “Honestly, hyung, the more input I get, the better. And I love your ideas. So if you want to help… you can. If you want to.”
Yoongi smiles. “Okay, sure.”
And it’s an endearing process. Jungkook clearly has as much of a passion for this as he and Namjoon do, which is something Yoongi has always known somewhere in the back of his mind but never really processed until seeing it now, with his own two eyes. The way Jungkook is completely engaged, the way he bounces ideas off of both of them but doesn’t just take everything they say as truth and fact. He takes their feedback, takes their ideas, and builds from them. Or he disagrees with them and works away from what they tell him, clarifies what he’s actually striving towards. It’s a cool process to watch, and Yoongi finds himself a little endeared by this... almost -friend.
It’s almost a shame, he thinks when he leaves for the day, that they’re never going to be more than almost-friends or former coworkers. Jungkook is fantastic at his craft and a cool person to be around, as is evident from the times they’ve worked together. And he likely won’t get to work with him in the future, unless Jungkook specifically branches out from the company to work with him. Which Yoongi doesn’t really expect, since he probably won’t see him around in the future.
He hopes they’ll at least run in the same circles in the future, if Yoongi’s able to get back into the industry.
Jungkook shoves Namjoon hard in the shoulder the second Yoongi leaves the studio.
“Ow! Not fair—you’ve got a heavy fucking hand.”
“You didn’t tell me he was going to be here!” Jungkook accuses.
Namjoon raises his hands in defense. “I didn’t know he was going to be here until five minutes before he got here… I also didn’t know you were going to be here. I’m innocent.”
Jungkook’s ears go bright red. “I was completely caught off-guard. So embarrassing.”
“Hey, you did well though. He still thinks you’re just shy and easy to fluster. And you are , but he thinks that’s the only reason you’re like that around him. He doesn’t think it has anything to do with him.”
Jungkook shakes his head. “I’m a mess. It’s a miracle he doesn’t know yet.”
“Yeah, Yoongi-hyung is pretty oblivious. Kind of funny to watch, to be honest. You’re not very discreet at all.” Namjoon laughs, and Jungkook can already tell what he’s going to bring up next. “I mean, I’m almost as oblivious as Yoongi-hyung, but I still managed to notice your little crush on me.”
Jungkook groans, covering his face with both hands. “Please stop bringing that up. I was a different person then.”
Namjoon laughs. “It was cute.”
“Fuck you. I still can’t believe… but that’s behind me, you know? I’m a man now. And I recognize that you’re not nearly as cool as I thought you were.”
The older smacks his arm. “Shut the fuck up. I’m still pretty fucking cool.”
Jungkook laughs and blushes, because yes, he definitely is, but he’s not about to admit that out loud. “Anyway. I’ve accepted that I’m never going to have a chance with him.”
“Don’t say that.”
“Hyung, I have zero experience. Zero. I’d never be able to, you know, pick him up. It’s just not a possibility.” Namjoon gives him a disbelieving look. “Ha. Actually… you know, I’ve been thinking about trying to find someone to teach me, you know? But, like, I’d have them sign an NDA since I’m famous or whatever. And I’d pay them, probably. You know? But I don’t know how I’d find someone. I don’t even know that many people, much less someone who could be my… I don’t know, sugar baby?”
Namjoon raises a brow. “You’re seriously considering getting a sugar baby?”
“Don’t judge me!” Jungkook averts his gaze. “Everyone I know is experienced. First kiss, first time, first everything. I haven’t done anything, you know? And I know everyone does things at their own pace, but it’s pretty fucking embarrassing that I can’t even talk about kissing. I feel like getting a sugar baby is the easiest way to do it.”
The older smiles sympathetically. “I know you want experience, but you know it’s nothing to be embarrassed about.”
“Easy for you to say,” Jungkook mumbles. “You’ve got tons of experience.”
“Just try not to rush into things, okay?” Namjoon laments.
Jungkook flops back on the couch. “I’m just so tired of it. I want to just get it over with… but with someone I trust, you know? It can’t be just anybody, as much as I’d prefer it—just because it’d be easier. It has to be someone I trust. Someone I know but who I don’t have to worry about ruining a friendship with. Someone who knows my line of work and can deal with it but probably won’t be a liability… so to speak. But that’s so many conditions.”
Namjoon laughs. “You know, Yoongi-hyung taught me how to give oral.”
Jungkook goes red. “Fuck off. I can’t ask him.”
“You could.” Namjoon shrugs. “He’d probably say yes. But you probably won’t.”
“I don’t think I’d be able to build up the courage to ask… not that he was ever an option in the first place.” Jungkook pouts. “He’s got pretty lips.”
Namjoon sighs. “Yeah, he does.”
Yoongi’s last day is relatively similar to every other day, except he’s borrowing a company car for pretty much the first time ever to transport most of his bulkier equipment back to his apartment. Everything else that he could bring home on the bus has already been taken care of, and the sight of his mostly-barren studio almost has him emotional. He’s worked here for almost a decade, and now he’s just… done. It’s surreal to think about.
But he’s on his final trip, car mostly empty as a majority of his things have already been taken care of, when he remembers he has some things in Namjoon’s studio. It’s just a few things—a microphone and accompanying stand, a foldable table, probably a couple notebooks half-filled with unused lyrics—all of which he could probably just ask Namjoon to drop off another day, but if he’s already here, why not?
So he catches an elevator going up just before the doors shut.
yoongi: hey, is it alright if i come by to pick up some things in your studio?
He waits for Namjoon’s reply as the elevator makes its way up the floors, but his phone doesn’t buzz when the doors ding open on the fifth floor. Yoongi sighs, typing quickly as he walks down the hall.
yoongi: joon-ahhh
yoongi: eta 3 mins
Yoongi rounds another corner and comes to a stop in front of Namjoon’s studio, eyeing the ‘Rkive’ logo for probably the last time, if he really thinks about it. He punches in the passcode and steps inside.
The first thing he registers is music, flooding into the hall as soon as he opens the door. The second thing he registers is Jungkook’s voice, familiar enough after editing vocal tracks numerous times but still entirely new in its rawest form, the person behind the voice startling hard at the intrusion.
“Oh,” Yoongi says. “Sorry, I didn’t know you were recording.”
“It’s okay,” Jungkook says, glancing from him to Namjoon, who’s pulling his headphones off and reaching for his phone.
“Oops,” he says, glancing at the notifications. “We were distracted. I didn’t even see these.”
Yoongi waves him off. “I can come back later—”
“No,” Jungkook says hurriedly, before going red. “Uh, we were going to take a break in a few minutes anyway.”
Namjoon looks confused. “We were?”
Yoongi glances between the two, brow raised, as they seem to have a silent conversation.
“Ah, yes,” Namjoon says suddenly, stilted and very obviously lying. “Break time. Right.”
“Well,” Yoongi says slowly, still confused, but he doesn’t care enough to figure out why Namjoon is trying, very poorly, to lie to him. “I’m just picking up the last of my things. Do you mind if I grab them?”
“I don’t mind,” Namjoon says with a shrug, moving out of the way so Yoongi can grab whatever he needs to grab. Then, he brightens up, a huge grin spreading across his face. “Actually, I’ve gotta run to the bathroom. I’ll be right back.”
Yoongi nods and glances back as he leaves, notices Jungkook’s eyes go comically wide, watching Namjoon too before he turns to Yoongi. Goes completely red and averts his gaze to the ground.
“I guess since this is probably the last time I’ll see you,” Yoongi says, “it was nice working with you, Jungkook.”
The younger looks up, shy and confused. “What do you mean?”
“Ah… I got laid off. I’m turning in my keys and stuff at the end of the day.”
“Oh.” Jungkook frowns. “I’m sorry, hyung. That’s awful.”
Yoongi shrugs. “It sucks, but I’ll figure something out.”
“But…” Jungkook frowns a little deeper. “This is your passion, isn’t it? What are you gonna do?”
“Fast food and production from home,” Yoongi replies. “It’ll be like the good old days, when I was just starting out. I’ve got better equipment now, though.”
“I… I’m really sorry, hyung.”
Yoongi shrugs again. “It is what it is. I’m just worried about making ends meet when my savings runs out.” Yoongi chuckles a bit. “Sorry, I’m trying not to overthink the situation too much. I’m lucky enough that I can still use BigHit on my resume, and I’ve worked on enough songs for my portfolio to be kind of stunning… but yeah. I just worry.”
“That’s understandable. This isn’t an easy industry to become successful.” Jungkook smiles lightly. “I hope something good comes your way, hyung. You’re really good at what you do.”
It’s unexpected enough that heat rises to his cheeks. “Thanks, Jungkook. I appreciate that. You are too—good at what you do. You’re talented and skilled, and it’s obvious you’ve worked hard to get here. You deserve every bit of success that comes your way. I mean that.”
Jungkook gives him another smile that’s a little toothier than the last, and Yoongi returns it before he goes back to grabbing what’s his. He waits for Namjoon to return and double-check that he hasn’t grabbed anything that isn’t actually his or that he hasn’t forgotten anything before he starts heading down to load the last of it up.
It’s fairly bittersweet, when he comes back to return the car and turn in his keys, but Yoongi tries to think on the bright side. Tries to find some silver lining. Tries to remind himself that he started from nothing and made a name for himself. This isn’t the end of the world. It’s going to be rough, but finding something else isn’t going to be impossible. Exiting the company building and sitting down at the bus stop for the last time makes his heart leap to his throat, but Yoongi takes a deep breath.
Maybe this isn’t an end. Maybe it’s a new beginning.
And Yoongi has never been much of an optimist, but maybe he should try.
Jungkook rubs tiredly at his eyes as he walks down the street, tugging his mask back up when he accidentally shoves it down a bit.
It’s a Tuesday afternoon, and he’s absolutely fucking exhausted. He was up until 2am doing more recording sessions with Namjoon, didn’t get home until 3am, but didn’t actually fall asleep until 5am. Then he had a photoshoot at 11am, which meant he had to leave his apartment at 9am to give the stylists and makeup artists more than enough time to get him in the chair and ready for the shoot. Immediately after the shoot, he was in the practice room, cleaning up choreography for a handful of songs. And then this evening, he has another recording session with Namjoon.
Fuck, he’s so tired.
He ducks into his favorite café, stifling a yawn as he joins the four other people in line. It’s a little bit busier than usual, but Jungkook hardly notices. Just needs some fucking caffeine.
But the face he sees at the counter does a pretty decent job of waking him up.
“Oh.” Jungkook blinks. “Hi.”
“Hey,” Yoongi says, appearing to be a little flustered. “What can I get for you?”
“Oh. Right. Um… My regu—oh, you probably don’t know my regular. Sorry.” Jungkook flushes. “Just a hazelnut latte, with extra sugar? It’s usually a little more complicated, but you’re kind of busy…”
Yoongi smiles lightly, taking Jungkook’s card when handed it. “Just let me know next time. I’ve got a good memory.”
“Okay…” Jungkook swallows his pride. “How’s the new job treating you?”
“It’s fine as far as food service goes, but it doesn’t really pay the bills.” Yoongi laughs a little. “I think I might have to get a sugar daddy soon.”
“Oh,” Jungkook says, laughing a little as his cheeks go red. Debates with himself for half a second before he takes the leap. “That’s funny. I happen to be looking for a sugar baby.”
Yoongi very clearly looks a bit taken aback, and Jungkook worries he may need to backtrack, but he’s not sure how he would even do that. Luckily, Yoongi just kind of laughs and raises a brow at him. “Holy shit. Are you trying to flirt with me?”
The younger blushes harder. “No, I’m trying to get a sugar baby?”
He phrases it like a sentence, but the inflection insinuates a question, and Jungkook has never wished so badly that he could melt into a puddle than this very moment right here as Yoongi just stares at him in disbelief. “I’m sure you would have no problem finding someone to sleep with you without having to pay them.”
“That’s the thing, hyung—I’m a virgin, and I need a teacher. Namjoon-hyung said I should ask you.”
“Oh, really? Namjoon said that?”
And the tone of Yoongi’s voice definitely doesn’t sound very pleased, but Jungkook’s a little desperate and a lot panicked, so he whips out his best pout. “Please, Yoongi-hyung? Just hear me out? Please?”
“Come on, dude!” someone says behind him. “You’re holding up the line.”
Yoongi purses his lips, studies Jungkook for a moment. “I’m off in thirty?”
Jungkook sighs in relief. “Okay. I’ll be here.”
Yoongi is still a little disbelieving when he slides into the booth Jungkook’s sitting at, still in his uniform, but his apron folded neatly in his arms. Jungkook looks at him with wide eyes, and as innocent as his gaze may be, Yoongi really has a hard time believing he’s a virgin. Sure, never judge a book by its cover, but still. It’s a little unbelievable.
“So you’re actually a virgin?” Yoongi asks. No ifs or buts. No beating around the bush. Straight to the point. Like ripping off a bandaid. “And you look like that ?”
Jungkook goes red. “Hyung, I haven’t really had the time to get any experience.”
And okay, that makes sense. Jungkook’s been doing this since he was, what, fifteen? Some kids start experimenting early, but some don’t. If Jungkook was one of those kids who would’ve started later, and then he became a trainee and all his time went into perfecting his craft so he could debut, that makes sense. Where would he have found the time to experiment?
Suddenly, Yoongi squints at him. “How much experience are we talking here?”
Jungkook laughs nervously. “Uh…”
“You’ve done the whole teenager thing, right? Grinded against someone and came in your pants and everything?” He watches Jungkook blush even harder. “Okay, taking that as a no. So handies? Makeout sessions? If… if I do help you, I need to know what my foundation is, you know?”
Jungkook nods, but he’s averting his gaze, fiddling with the stir stick for his latte. “I, uh… I’ve never been kissed, hyung.”
Yoongi immediately backtracks.
“Woah, woah, woah. Never?” Jungkook shakes his head. “Fuck, I don’t know if I want that on me… Don’t you want your first kiss to be with someone special?”
“I’m tired of waiting… Besides,” Jungkook looks away shyly, “I’ve always thought you were… hot… so…”
Yoongi feels his own pinks brighten. “Well, I’m flattered. I think you’re really hot too, but…”
But what? A really hot, really rich guy wants him to teach him the ropes, and he’s willing to pay. Yoongi can’t deny it’s compelling, and he definitely can’t deny that he might need it more than he’ll admit out loud. He hasn’t gotten laid in a while, and yes, Jungkook is extremely attractive. And okay—maybe Jungkook coming to him to ask for help learning how to do shit from kissing to fucking has a flicker of heat settling in his stomach.
So why is he so apprehensive?
Yoongi takes a deep breath and exhales slowly. “How about this—I’ll go over to your place or whatever, and I’ll teach you how to kiss, okay? No charge, just to see if… if this will work. And then we can go from there.”
Jungkook’s brows furrow. “Um, sure, hyung, but I still want to pay you…”
“It’s just some kissing, Jungkook.”
“Yeah, but—”
“I mean it,” Yoong cuts in, waving him off. “Don’t worry about it.”
To his surprise, Jungkook sighs in exasperation. “I get it, hyung, I do. You don’t want to really take my money because it’s ‘just kissing’. It’s not a big deal for you. But I’m almost twenty-three, and all my friends are sexually active. I would be too, if I weren’t so inexperienced. So it might not be a big deal for you, but it kind of is for me. You’re going to be teaching me something kind of invaluable to me right now, hyung.”
“Jungkook…”
“I don’t have the time in my schedule to build a new relationship with someone, especially with my job. I know you, hyung. You know me through my job. You know what comes with it—what it entails, some of its demands. Doing this with you will be so much better than trying to find someone I can trust. Let me pay you.”
“I don’t know…”
“At least let me cover your rent… Just that, and if you want to continue teaching me, let me cover everything. So you don’t have to work and you can just, I don’t know, save up and do something else? Namjoon-hyung once mentioned you wanted to start your own indie label.”
“Yeah, Namjoon’s gonna have to learn to keep his mouth shut,” Yoongi grumbles.
Jungkook giggles. “What do you say, hyung?”
Yoongi sighs. “Okay, fine. Just my rent. You have my KakaoID, right? Send me a message, and let me know when you’re free, okay?”
The younger smiles at him, and it’s clear that he’s relieved. “Okay.”