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Jimin was adventurous, sometimes, even crazy, according to his friends, but he is young, and all he wants is to live his life to the fullest. So, on his 19th birthday, Jimin was getting on an airplane with Europe as the destination. His parents were completely against the idea. When Jimin had told them he wanted to go backpacking through Europe after completing high school, they were against it. One thing was wanting to do bungee jumping or skydiving, and another thing was putting a backpack on his back and go to Europe all by himself. Unfortunately, for his parents, Jimin was never the type of person to give up on the first no.
Since he was 15 years old, Jimin dreamed of going backpacking through Europe. So, he made up his mind, and for three years, he saved money from his paychecks from part-time jobs he would do throughout the years. When he graduated from high school, he got a full-time job at a small coffee shop, where he worked for over a year. One month before his 19th birthday, he had enough money to travel for at least two months and finally buy the plane ticket from Seoul to Amsterdam, place where his adventure would start. For the first time, Jimin felt like his teenage dream would come true.
The day that he left, his mother cried the entire car ride to the airport. She asked him not to go. He was aware of the impact that his decision to go on this trip would have on his parents. They always had this image of Jimin as someone successful, with a paying job and a stable life. But that wasn’t what Jimin wanted. He wanted to take his youth and make the best of it. He wants to look back, when he's older, and say that he lived.
Jimin sees this trip as freedom and knowledge. Of course, he wants to discover new places and cultures; meet new people with different opinions and lifestyles, but above all, he wants to find who he truly is. He’s still young with no idea who he is as a person. And as much as he contradicts his parents, his actions and thoughts were always, in some way, influenced by them and the environment around him. But this trip was his chance to make his own decisions, learn from his mistakes, find what he likes and doesn’t like, but ultimately find the person that is trapped inside of him, his real self.
After almost two months of traveling and passing through numerous European countries, Jimin could say he had a grasp of his real self. He had come across some difficult decisions and some unexpected situations, but Jimin had solved them the best way he could, never giving up or doubting his capabilities. He had met a lot of people in the process, it fascinated him how cultures have such a significant influence on the way people think. But at the same time, it was fascinating how those same cultures could be so similar in things like the perception of love and happiness. He could say he met good people along the way, and for that, Jimin had hostels to thank for, through them, he was able to meet and interact with people from all over the world. But not everything was flowers and rainbows, he also met very unpleasant people, but he didn’t pay too much attention to them, life was just like that, a balance between good and evil. No matter where you are in the world, you will always find someone that has no idea what manners are.
He also took the time to experiment things he never did before; some Jimin enjoyed, some he didn’t. Yet, his actual discovering was sexual wise. There’s no secret that he was born and raised in a conservative country where people expect him to marry a woman and start a family. But now he was free to do and experiment whatever he wanted. He had a few flings with some girls, nothing out of the extraordinary. But, in Italy, a month into his trip, he met a guy in a bar that he felt attracted to, the guy started to flirt with him, and shyly he flirted back. At the end of the night, he had his first sexual experience with a man. Looking back, he can say he had been attracted to another man before, but because the circumstances were different back home, he had to ignore it. He doesn’t want to label himself. He’s still quite confused, he enjoyed the company of both women and men, but he had never truly loved someone. But that changed. Paris had introduced him to an all-new experience called love.
Jimin had two weeks left from his trip. It was the holiday season, and Jimin had saved those two weeks to stay in Paris. He always had a fascination for the city, the city of lights, the city of love. He had this romantic image of the city. He dreamed of finding love and kiss under the Eifel Tower. But that was a dream, an unachievable and pathetic dream. When he arrived in the city, he was amazed. He expected the city to be beautiful but not that beautiful.
“Fuck!” he hears while he was standing in front of the hostel, admiring it. He had found this hostel on the internet; it was a little away from the center of Paris, but it was cheaper, the reviews were excellent, and the building was beautiful, it had a rustic style that Jimin liked.
“Do you need help?” Jimin offers his help to a struggling man, carrying a tower of boxes.
“No. Thank you, it’s okay.” the man kept walking to the hostel entry, where he put the boxes down. Jimin followed him, ready to help if one of the boxes fell out of the man’s reach. “Oh, hello, I don’t think I’ve seen you before!” the man says, taking a good look at Jimin, now that he didn’t have boxes blocking his vision.
“Oh, I just arrived. I’m Park Jimin. It’s nice to meet you.” Jimin says, extending his hand. The man smiles and takes Jimin's hand in his.
“Jeon Jungkook, It’s nice to meet you too. Welcome to ‘Home Hostel’”
“Oh, you must be the owner!” Jimin speaks just like he had figured it out the biggest mystery of the universe.
“Should I be scared that you know that? Are you a stalker or something?” Jungkook frowned, the younger didn’t look like a stalker. However, he did have the looks of an angel.
“What? No, I’m not. I’m sorry if it came out a little creepy, it wasn’t my attention. It’s just that when I was looking for a hostel, I saw a lot of reviews from Koreans for this hostel, and some mentioned that the owner was Korean, and you’re Asian; your name is Korean, so I just connected the dots.” Jimin explains as best as he could.
“Oh, we got ourselves a Sherlock Holmes here.” Jungkook’s tone was playful, and Jimin understood that because he laughed.
“Well. What can I say.” Jimin says, shrugging his shoulders while making his ‘I’m the best’ face.
“What do you think of Paris so far?” Jungkook asks.
“I haven’t seen much, just some glimpses on my way here.” He came from the airport directly to the hostel, having not enough time to see much of the city. “But, I love it.”
“How much time are you staying?”
“Two weeks, and then I’ll go back to Korea.”
“That’s good. I hope you enjoy your stay here.” Jungkook says, picking the boxes again, letting Jimin go to the front desk to make his check-in.
Jimin spent the first three days in Paris exploring the streets of the city, the tiny, insignificant streets that no one thought of going. He wanted to know the side of Paris that anyone paid attention to, before getting to the famous and most known places in the city. Jimin learned that those little, secondary streets were the places where you can truly get to know the essence of the culture and the people. He was so excited and more and more in love with the city. But on the third night, he was feeling down. It was Christmas eve, and he hated to admit, but spending the holidays season without his parents and his brother was weird and sad. For the first time during the trip, he felt lonely.
“Can I join you? Or is this seat taken?” He hears a voice behind him.
“Oh, of course, have a sit!” he answers, allowing Jungkook to sit next to him. As he was feeling lonely, he decided to go to the joined room of the hostel in the hopes to find someone to make him some company, but he had no luck, until now.
“Shouldn’t you be home with your family?”
“First, I can’t leave the hostel alone, since I gave the staff these two days off. Second, this is my home. My family is back in Korea, just like yours.” Jimin gave him a sad smile. “I guess we can be each other’s family tonight.” The younger was a little taken aback from Jungkook’s words, but he couldn’t help but feel a bit better, less lonely.
“I don’t want to be nosy, but how did you end up here, owning a hostel in Paris?” Jimin was curious.
“It isn’t an exciting story, so don’t expect one.” Jungkook warns, but Jimin smiles, letting him know that he would like to hear it anyway. “I had just finished my military service, and I felt like I wasted my teenage years doing nothing. I guess I was missing excitement in my life. So, I put a backpack on my back and came to Europe. Paris was actually my first destination, the plan was to spend just a couple of days here, and then go to Italy. But as you can see, I never left. On what was supposed to be my last day, I started to explore, just walking with no destination, when I came across this building. It was a hostel already, but because it didn’t have the success that owners thought it would have, they kind of gave up on it. And as cliché as may sound, I kind of fell in love with it. I said to myself, ‘Why not?’. I spent all my savings on it, but I think it was worth it.”
“And you call that not exciting?” Jimin looked at Jungkook with different eyes now, it took a lot of courage to turn a simple trip into a life. But Jungkook had done it. “How long have you been living here?”
“Almost four years.”
“Don’t you miss home?”
“This is my home Jimin.” Jungkook was a handsome man, too handsome for Jimin’s sake.
“I meant, don’t you miss Korea and your family?”
“Of course, I do. But I don’t regret my decision, and I wouldn’t change this for the world.” Jungkook frequently contacts his parents, he knows that it isn’t the same thing as being there, but it’s not like he forgot them.
“My parents would kill me if I did that.” Jimin says, laughing a little after.
“That’s because you’re still a baby.” Jungkook jokes, smiling brightly.
“What? I’m not a baby! I’m nineteen!” Jimin was offended. He hated to be called a baby or being treated like one, probably because his parents treat him like that.
“Well, I’m sorry, mister adult. It wasn’t my intention to offend you.” Jungkook spoke, never losing his smile. And what beautiful smile he had.
“You talk like you’re super old. You are what? Five, six years older than me?” In Jimin’s mind, Jungkook was twenty-five years-old maximum. There was no way he was older than that.
“Eleven, actually.”
“Yeh, right! Nice try, I’m not falling for that!” Jungkook watched Jimin with a confused expression.
“I’m not joking. Why would I joke about it?” Jungkook asks.
“Do you want me to believe that you’re thirty? Looking like that?” Jimin didn’t want to believe, the other looked too young to be thirty.
“I’m flattered, but …” Jungkook took something from the pocket of his jeans. “Here!” the older says, putting a card in front of his eyes. “Do you believe me now?” Jungkook asks, watching the younger read his ID card attentively.
“Uauh. You’re old!” Jimin was shooked.
“Unbelievable!” Jungkook couldn’t believe how quickly he passed from looking too good to be thirty, to being old. “Kids these days have no respect.”
“I’m not a kid!” Jimin says with his eyes big and a small pout in his lips.
“You called me old!” Jungkook could pout too.
“Cute!” Jimin says with a small chuckle, regretting it right away. “I’m sorry, that was inappropriate.” The younger was quick to apologize.
“It’s okay, you’re kind of cute too, just like a baby.” The last part was an attempt to get rid of the awkward atmosphere that had installed between them.
“Stop calling me a baby!” Jimin’s pout was back.
“I’ll think about it!” Jungkook says, and Jimin, as an answer, sticks his tongue out. “I should go to bed now. I have to wake up early tomorrow.” Jungkook speaks, noticing that it was already midnight.
“Yeh, I should probably go too.” Jimin says, watching Jungkook getting up to leave.
“I’ll see you tomorrow then.” Jungkook gives him one last smile, before turning around to leave to his room.
“Jungkook!” Jimin calls him, making the older turn around to face him. “Thank you for today. You didn’t have to, but it meant a lot.” Jimin spoke as Jungkook’s smile grow more prominent.
“No need to thank me. You can come to me at any time. Have a good night Jimin.” And with that, Jungkook was gone.
If Jimin said his relationship with Jungkook didn’t change, he would be lying. Since Christmas eve night that they become closer and closer by the day. Jimin even found himself staying in the hostel with Jungkook, helping him doing things around the building instead of going out to explore the city.
Jimin had grown fond of Jungkook, maybe too fond. Every time he was with Jungkook, he felt something that he didn’t know what it was, but it was definitely something he never felt before.
“So…” Jimin says, appearing out of nowhere, scaring the older that was focused on some paperwork in the reception area.
“I swear to god Jimin, you need to stop doing that. I’m too young to die from a heart attack.” He says eyeing the younger, he knew how much he enjoyed this.
“I’m sorry, but you’re old!” Jimin’s tone was serious, he acted like he was giving Jungkook the worst news ever.
“What do you need, Jimin?”
“I want to know where we are spending New Year’s Eve?”
“What do you mean, Jimin? Here, I’m spending New Year’s Eve here. I own a hostel, remember?”
“And? The hostel can survive without you for a few hours. I heard there will be fireworks at the Eifel Tower, and I really want to go!” Jimin looked like an excited little kid before midnight on Christmas day.
“And you can go Jimin, nothing is stopping you.” Jungkook stops what he was doing to look at the younger and see his excited face be replaced by a frown.
“But I want to go with you, please, Jungkook!” Jimin pouts, praying it was enough to convince Jungkook.
“I can’t, I’m sorry.”
“But why?”
“Because I have to work Jimin, I can’t just leave and go.” He could, but he didn’t want to. Actually, he wanted, but going with Jimin was complicated.
“Yes, you can, please, Jungkook. I’m leaving soon. I just want to spend some time with you before I leave.” Jimin doesn’t want to think about leaving, he doesn’t even want to go. But he had already bought the plane ticket back to Korea, and he’s not sure if Jungkook wants him to stay.
Jungkook sighs, “Fine! But we’ll be back right after midnight.”
“Deal!” Jimin’s excitement was back. He had thought it would be more difficult to convince him, but it wasn’t. Jumping excitedly, Jimin made his way to his room to create a thousand scenarios in his head about how the next night could go.
On the next day, after dinner, a very restless Jimin was waiting in the reception. Jungkook had told him he would only change his clothes, and then they could go. Jimin wasn’t wearing anything out of the ordinary, Jungkook had warned him that nights could be very cold, so he dressed warmly.
“I’m ready. We can go!” Jungkook says, arriving next to Jimin, who nodded and made his way to exit of the hostel.
They decided to take public transportation to the center of the city, it was faster and more convenient. They were near the Eifel Tower, just enjoying the environment of festivity around them, people dancing and chatting with each other, there were only a few minutes left to midnight, and everyone was excited for the New year. Jimin had a smile in his face since the moment he left the hostel, and Jungkook loved that. He loved to see the younger with a smile in his face and knowing he was part of the reason why it happened, made him happy, too happy.
“Jungkook-ah!” Jimin’s voice catches his attention.
“Yes?”
“I want to stay here with you!” Jimin practiced how to say this to Jungkook in his mind a hundred times, but he only dared to admit it now.
“Jimin!” Jungkook wanted to hear those words, but at the same time, he didn’t “Don’t say that.” His voice was gentle, but his eyes distant.
“Why?” the younger says, trying to meet Jungkook’s eyes. “I don’t want to leave. I like it here. I like to be with you!”
“You have to go back, Jimin!” Jungkook didn’t want him to leave either, but that was the best decision for Jimin.
“I don’t want to.” Jimin argues.
“But you have to go.” Jungkook repeats.
“Why? Don’t you want me to stay?”
“This has nothing to do with what I want or not.” Jungkook’s eyes finally meet Jimin’s. “You’re still too young Jimin, you have all your life to live, why waste it here?”
“Because I like you, Jungkook. Because I want to stay here and waste my life by your side.” Jimin admits, feeling like a weight was lifted from his shoulders.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about! Do you even know how big of a decision that is? The consequences it can have? Have you stop to think about what your parents may think?” Jungkook couldn’t let Jimin make such a rushed decision, he knew how everything seemed too easy at his age, but the choices he makes today have consequences on his future.
“I don’t care about what they think.”
“Yes, you do! Do you think they will accept that their son wants to move permanently across the world to be with a man eleven years older than him?” Jimin’s feelings were mutual. He liked the younger, how couldn’t he? Jimin, despite his age, had a maturity that Jungkook liked, he could be very childish sometimes too, but that was part of his charm. The younger could always put a smile on his face. But he wasn’t stupid, he knew that their age difference was a problem.
“My parents may think this trip was an act of rebellion, of recklessness. But for me was a journey to find myself, I’m still figuring it out. But one thing I already learned and that was love. I really like you, Jungkook. I don’t care about what my parents think or that you’re eleven years older than me. I don’t like your age, I like you as a person, I like how you make me feel. So, why should I give this up and go back to a place where I wasn’t happy, where people made me feel like I had no saying in my life’s decisions? I want to stay where I’m happy.” Jimin had never opened his heart like this before, but he would do anything for Jungkook to see that this wasn’t just some childish crush, but real, genuine feelings.
Jungkook didn’t have time to reply to Jimin’s felt speech, people around them started to shout the countdown to midnight. With the conversation, neither of them paid attention to the time. Both men kept their mouths shut, eyes fixed on each other, while people around them screamed ‘Happy new year’ to each other. Soon after, the voices were replaced by the sound of the fireworks.
“Happy new year Jungkook!” although the show in the skies, and in the Eifel Tower itself, was stunning, their eyes were still fixed on each other.
“I want you to stay.” Jungkook finally admits watching Jimin’s eyes sparkle with hope, “But I don’t you to make a rushed decision just for me. I want you to be sure that this is what you really want. I don’t want to end up with a broken heart. I know what it feels like to be left behind, and I don’t want to feel that again.”
“This is what I really want, it’s for you, but it’s for me too. Here is where I’m happy!” Jimin hugs Jungkook as he speaks, feeling for the first time the older’s arms around his body.
“You know this won’t be easy, right? Your parents won’t be happy about this and living in another country is not easy. You will miss your parents and friends, you will question yourself if this is what you really want, you’ll think about going back. Are you ready for that?” Jungkook knew the struggles of living in a strange country away from everyone he knows. He had all those doubts before, and he will have them again. He needs to know if Jimin is ready for that.
“I am. As long as you are with me, I’m ready for everything.”
“Then, stay with me, Park Jimin!” Jungkook looks down to see the Jimin’s cute face, a smile spread on it, while his chin rest against his chest.
“Only if you kiss me!”
“Gladly!” their lips touch for the first time, but definitely not the last.
“Welcome to ‘Home Hostel’ how can I help you?” Jimin says in his gentle voice, finishing typing something on the computer.
“Hyung!” Jimin didn’t expect to hear that word or even see the person in front of him when he heard the door opening.
“Dae-Hyun? What are you doing here?” it was hard to believe that his little brother was standing in front of him.
“I came to see you!” he missed his brother and his parents; he hasn’t seen them since he went back to Korean to take care of some papers. It has been four years already.
“Do mom and dad know about this?” he can’t even imagine the breakdown his mom must be going through with her two sons away in a foreign country.
“Of course, who do you think that paid for the trip?” Daehyun laughs a little. “They miss you. You know?”
“I miss them too, but I call them once a week, it’s not like I don’t talk to them.”
“You know it’s not the same!”
“But that’s not my fault, if they didn’t refuse to meet Jungkook, I would have visited them before.” Jimin calls his parents and talks to them, but their relationship is not the best. His parents never accepted Jungkook, even after 4 years.
“Baby, have you seen…” Jungkook's voice sounds, making a sudden stop. He had seen that face before in Jimin’s pictures, he knew who the person in front of Jimin was.
“Oh, Jungkook. This is my brother Daehyun. And Daehyun this is my husband Jungkook!” the younger, who resemble Jimin a lot, smiled and extended his hand to Jungkook, who took it, grateful to be accepted by Jimin’s brother.
Jimin watched the scene in front of him, smiling. His relationship with Jungkook may be seen as something terrible by Jimin’s parents and some people, but he will never regret his decision. His dreams became a reality, thanks to Jungkook, even the one Jimin thought it was stupid. It took three years, and a marriage proposal for Jimin to finally be kissed under the Eifel Tower.
Jimin didn’t regret his decision of staying, just like Jungkook never regretted loving Jimin.