5

As the days passed, Jin and Joon found themselves meeting more frequently, relishing every stolen moment of togetherness. They became closer and more comfortable with each other. But Jin still hadn't told his family about Joon. He didn't want to tell his parents right now. He felt it was too soon. He wasn't sure how they would react to his relationship with Joon. He wanted to wait for the right time and the right way to tell them. Plus he knew his parents can get conventional. Once he introduces Joon and they would sure be running around for wedding rings. But for now, he kept his secret and enjoyed his time with Joon.

Jin walked into Namjoon's office with a smile on his face. He was walking beside a tall and handsome man who had a camera around his neck. "Namjoon, remember him? Lee Min-ho, the photographer from the café?" Namjoon looked up from his desk and frowned. He didn't like the way Lee Min-ho was eyeing Jin with admiration. He stood up and shook Lee Min-ho's hand politely. "Yes, I remember him. Nice to meet you, Lee Min-ho. What brings you here?" Namjoon asked.

Lee Min-ho smiled charmingly and said, "Well, I'm here to offer Seokjin a great opportunity. He has the perfect face and body for modeling. Since I took his pictures on the café, the modelling industry is going crazy. I asked him if he was interested in becoming a model and he said yes."

Jin intervened, "Isn't it great Joonie?" Jin chirped happily but Joon just kept quiet as Jin continued, "So, what do you think?"

Namjoon turned to Jin and said, "No."

"No? But why?", Jin was surprised by Joon's revelation.

"Jin, you asked my opinion and I just told you. I don't want you to become a model."

Jin's face fell. "Namjoon. It's always been my dream to be in front of the camera and show off my style, my beauty and personality. Lee Min-ho said he can make me a star. He is giving me a platform. He can get me contracts with big brands and magazines. He said I have what it takes to be successful in the modeling industry."

"And movie industry", Lee Min-ho added excitedly as he continued, "Remember models are becoming actors too in today's world. Who knows? Jin can be anything he wants. He has the charisma, style and confidence".

Jin was super excited and blushing under Min-ho's praise. Namjoon shook his head in disbelief. He couldn't understand why Jin would want to expose himself to the public eye and risk his privacy and safety. He also couldn't stand the idea of other people ogling his boyfriend and touching him inappropriately. He said, "No, Jin. My answer is still no."

Jin's face fell. He looked at Namjoon with hurt and confusion. He said, "Why not? Why are you being so adamant? Don't you want me to be happy? Don't you trust me?"

Namjoon sighed and said, "Of course I want you to be happy and I trust you. But this is not a good idea, Jin. Modeling is not as glamorous as it seems. It's a cutthroat business that will exploit you and use you up. You'll have to deal with a lot of pressure, criticism, harassment, and competition. You'll have to sacrifice your time, your health, your dignity, and your relationship for the sake of fame and money. Is that what you really want?"

Jin bit his lip and said, "But Namjoon, this is my chance to do something I love. This is my passion. This is my dream. Don't you have dreams too? Don't you support me?"

Namjoon felt torn between his love for Jin and his fear for his future. He wanted to support Jin but he also wanted to protect him from harm. He said, "I do have dreams, Jin. And one of them is to be with you for the rest of my life. Look you asked for my opinion and this is mine. Rest I will leave it to you."

Jin felt tears sting his eyes. He said, "How can you say that? How can you think that modeling will ruin our relationship? Don't you love me enough to let me go and follow my dreams?"

Namjoon felt his heart break at Jin's words. He said, "I love you more than anything in the world, Jin. That's why I can't let you go."

Jin shook his head and said, "You're being selfish, Namjoon. You're holding me back from my potential. You're not giving me a chance to prove myself."

Namjoon said, "I'm not being selfish, Jin. I'm being realistic. You're not cut out for this industry, Jin. You're too innocent, too naive, too kind for this cruel world."

Lee Min-ho cleared his throat and said, "Excuse me, gentlemen. I think I will leave. But Mr Kim Namjoon let me tell you are making a big mistake".

Namjoon glared at Lee Min-ho and said, "You stay out of this. This is none of your business."

Lee Min-ho shrugged and said, "Fine by me. But again....let me tell you that if you don't let Jin pursue his modeling career, you'll regret it for the rest of your life."

"Enough." Jin was angry and frustrated. He looked at Lee Min-ho. "I am sorry I don't want to pursue my modelling career. I love Namjoon and this is just getting out of hand. Thank you but I won't model again."

===============

Jin was posing for a photoshoot with Lee Min-ho in a studio. He was wearing a leather jacket and jeans, looking cool and confident. He smiled at the camera and followed Lee Min-ho's instructions.

Lee Min-ho was impressed by Jin's natural talent and charisma. He said, "You're doing great, Jin. You're a natural. You're a star."

Jin felt a rush of adrenaline and excitement. He said, "Thank you, Lee Min-ho. You're amazing too. You're the best photographer ever."

Lee Min-ho said, "No problem, Jin. It's my pleasure to work with you. You're the best model ever. Now take a break. You deserve it."

As Jin sat in his room, he reminisced what happened the week before. He smirked about how he made Joon into feeling guilty for breaking his heart and crushing his dreams. Ultimately, Joon had no other option but to give in to Jin's demands. He was Seokjin and he always gets his way.

Flashback:

As Lee Min-ho left from the office, Joon grabbed Jin's arm and pulled him into his cabin. He closed the door behind him and faced Jin with a pleading look.

"Jin, please, listen to me. I'm sorry for what I said. I didn't mean to hurt you. I was just worried about you. You know how much I love you, right?" Joon said, trying to sound sincere and apologetic.

Jin looked at him with cold and distant eyes. He felt a surge of anger and betrayal in his chest. He couldn't believe that Joon would try to stop him from pursuing his dream of becoming a model. He thought Joon would support him and be happy for him. But instead, he found out that Joon was jealous and insecure, trying to control his life and choices.

"Save it, Joon. I don't want to hear your excuses. You don't love me. You love yourself. You only care about your own feelings and needs. You don't respect me or my dreams. You think you know what's best for me, but you don't. You're just a typical man who thinks he can own me and tell me what to do." Jin said, his voice dripping with contempt and bitterness.

He pulled his arm away from Joon's grip and walked towards the door. He didn't want to waste any more time with Joon. He wanted to leave and never look back. He wanted to follow his passion and achieve his goals. He wanted to be free from Joon's suffocating love.

"Jin, wait! Don't go! Please, don't do this to us! We can work this out! We can talk and compromise! We can find a way to make this work! Please, Jin" Joon cried out, his voice cracking with desperation and fear.

He reached out for Jin, hoping to stop him from leaving. But it was too late. Jin had already opened the door and stepped out of the cabin. He turned around and gave Joon one last look. A look that pierced Joon's heart like a knife. A look that said it was over.

"Goodbye, Joon." Jin said, without any emotion in his voice.

He turned around and walked away, leaving Joon alone in the cabin. Joon slumped in his chair, feeling a wave of pain and sorrow wash over him. He knew he had messed up. He knew he had lost Jin. He knew he had broken his heart.

He took out his phone and dialed Jin's number, hoping to hear his voice and apologize again. But all he got was a voicemail message.

"Hi, this is Jin. I'm not available right now. Please leave a message after the beep."

Joon hung up and tried again. And again. And again. But Jin never answered or replied to his messages. He ignored Joon's calls and texts, cutting off all contact with him.

Joon felt helpless and hopeless, not knowing what to do or say to make things right. He felt guilty and ashamed of himself, wondering if he had pushed Jin too far and hurt him beyond repair. He felt a deep sense of loss and regret, realizing that he had let go of the best thing that ever happened to him. He loved Jin more than anything in the world, but he had failed to show it in the right way.

Joon decided to make one last attempt to reconcile with Jin. He called Jin again. This time, he picked up. "What do you want Namjoon?"

"Jin, Please, can we talk?" Joon said, his voice trembling with nervousness and hope.

Jin replied in a monotone voice, "Talk".

"I want to apologize, Jin. I want to tell you how sorry I am for everything I said and did. I want to tell you how much I miss you and love you. I want to tell you that I'm proud of you and your achievements. I want to tell you that I'm happy for you and your dreams." Joon said, pouring out his feelings and emotions but there was no response from the other side.

"Hello? Jin?", Joon asked confirming if Jin had hung up.

"I am there...", Jin replied again.

"Jinnie, please", Joon pleaded.

"You hurt me too much, Joon. You don't get to say that you're proud of me or happy for me when you tried to stop me from doing what I love. You don't get to say that you love me when you don't respect me or my choices." Jin said, his voice firm and resolute.

"Jin, please, don't say that. I do respect you and your choices. I do love you more than anything. I was wrong to try to stop you from modeling. I was wrong to be jealous and insecure. I was wrong to be possessive and controlling. I realize that now, Jin. I realize that I have to let you go and let you be yourself. I realize that I have to accept you for who you are and what you want." Joon said, his voice sincere and earnest as he continued, "I'm not asking you to take me back, Jin. I'm not asking you to forgive me or forget what I did. I'm just asking you to let me be a part of your life again. As a friend, as a supporter, as a lover. Whatever you want me to be, Jin. Just don't shut me out completely." Joon said, his voice soft and gentle.

Jin remembered the good times they had together, the laughter and the joy they shared. He remembered the way Joon made him feel special and loved, the way he kissed him and held him. He remembered the way Joon looked at him with admiration and devotion. He felt a surge of emotion in his chest, a warmth in his hand. He hesitated for a moment, then spoke, "Joon..." Jin said softly.

Joon felt a spark of hope in his heart as he heard Jin's voice. "Yes?" Joon asked eagerly.

Jin took a deep breath and responded, "Joon...I'm sorry too."

Joon felt a wave of relief and joy wash over him as he heard Jin's words.

"You are?" Joon asked incredulously.

"Yes...I'm sorry for being so stubborn and cold-hearted...I'm sorry...I shouldn't have said all those things", Jin said softly.

"I still love you too...you know", Joon said.

"Me too", Jin said smilingly.

"And Jinnie, I understand if you want to model, I won't stop you. I will be standing with you, supporting you 100%", Joon said.

"Thanks Joonah, Umm...listen I need to go. Can I call back later?"

"Jin, wait... I need to ask you something," Joon called out, his voice filled with determination.

Curiosity piqued, Jin turned around to face Joon. "What is it?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Joon took a deep breath, summoning his courage. "Let us go on a date," he declared, his voice unwavering.

Jin couldn't help but chuckle at Joon's straightforwardness. "We've already met a few times, Joon. I don't think 'date' would be the appropriate word right now," he replied, a hint of amusement in his eyes.

Joon refused to back down, his determination shining through. "No, Jin. This time, I want to date you officially. I want to meet your parents and ask for their permission," he said, his words laced with sincerity.

Jin's mouth fell open in surprise, momentarily lost for words. "Um... Joon, don't you think it's too soon to meet the parents?" he asked, trying to process Joon's unexpected request.

Although Joon felt a twinge of sadness at Jin's reaction, he wasn't one to easily give up. "Jin, I want your family to know that you are mine. I want the world to know that you are mine," he asserted, determination burning in his eyes.

"Mmm... Wow," Jin replied, a mixture of astonishment and amusement evident on his face. "Okay, Mr. Kim Namjoon. Let's go on a date but not tonight. Meet me at Jung Mansion at 8 PM sharp this Friday," he said, a proud smile spreading across his lips.

Joon couldn't help but mirror Jin's pride. "See you there, babe," he responded, his voice filled with joy.

Flashback ends

Knock Knock

Jin snapped from his thoughts. "Come in". It was Min-ho. He smiled at Jin, "Shall we?" he said happily, turning towards the man grinning as they returned to their photoshoot.

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TBC...............