Magic Shop - 15
Love cannot live without trust
⤑ pairing: OT7 x witch!reader, Jimin focused ⤑ genre: magic au, romance, angst, hurt/comfort, found family ⤑ rating: 18+ ⤑ word count: 10.4k ⤑ warnings: angst, angst, angst (this is the big one, you guys), implied toxic relationships, implied smut, mages are looked down upon in this universe. ⤑ note: happy 2026! lmao i've been agonizing this chapter since forever, and it's finally here. i don't even want to think about how many times i've tried to rewrite it since the first draft 🥲 on a fun note: i love greek mythology and writing about jimin/mc as cupid/psyche also inspired me to write hobi/mc as hades/persephone in my acorns & thimbles fic 🫡
Chapters: Series Masterlist | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16
A tense silence follows your reveal. Jimin looks between you and the bouquet of flowers you bloomed back to life, as if trying to comprehend what just happened.
He’s shocked, but not in the way that you anticipate. There’s a furrow in his brows that’s neither from anger nor confusion. There’s a small frown on his lips that isn’t exactly disappointment or sadness. There’s a look in his eyes that is so hard to read.
Time agonizingly stretches and suffocates, and you start to regret telling him the truth about your magic tonight.
“Please say something,” you whisper.
Jimin looks at you again. His gaze is piercing. His hand still cages you between him and the wall behind you, resting just above your head. He doesn’t move. He doesn’t recoil back in fear or disgust. But his face is carefully neutral, blank of any assurances you’re hoping to find.
You don’t know if you’d prefer a negative reaction over his contemplative silence.
“What do you mean you’re a mage?” he finally asks. His voice is soft and curious, but still understandably cautious.
“Exactly what I said. I was born with magic.”
It’s something you’ve always been proud of, even when the world tells you that you should be ashamed of carrying such a cursed power.
Magic caused your parents to abandon you – deciding to become strangers in your lives the moment they sent you to Blackstone Castle as a baby. Magic is the reason the Devoted see you as evil – they see you as a threat that’ll cause more harm than good like the stories in their history books claim. Magic shuns you from society, outcasting you as Wicked, and putting you and others like you in danger of judgemental whispers and violent actions.
Despite that, this magic is yours. You’ve worked hard to master it, to control this gift, and to use it for good. Its essence flows in your veins, becoming a part of you, giving you a tool to prove your worth and protect the people you cherish.
Even now, as you face Jimin, you don’t want to hide what you are from him anymore. You’re a mage. You’re not ashamed to be one.
You just hope that he accepts what you are.
“Have you ever used magic on me?”
“Sometimes,” you admit. You touch the silver chain on his necklace. “I put a protection spell on this once. So whenever you wear it, you won’t get sick or hurt. I healed cuts and scars on your hands when you’d prick yourself with rose thorns – like the first time I visited your shop. And whenever you seem like you’re having a rough day, I’d make you something to eat or drink. They’d usually have drops of a potion that’d make you feel happier and make the rest of your day feel easier.”
With his free hand, he briefly touches the necklace as well. His eyes widens, not realizing you’ve been doing this for him all this time. “And when we first met? Did you enchant me to fall in love with you?”
“I hadn’t gone on a real date before I met you, Jimin,” you remind him, laughing in disbelief. “I didn’t know how to love. I never thought I deserved to. Even when the others tried to love me, I didn’t believe them. If I wanted to charm you, it wouldn’t have been then.”
It felt so long ago when you convinced yourself that Namjoon and Hoseok didn’t care about you as much as you cared about them – that your relationship with each of them was only doomed to be unrequited.
When you didn’t think Seokjin would stay after you escaped Blackstone because he had the opportunity to pursue a better future for himself in his guild.
When Taehyung housed you and the others after you lost everything only because you reminded him of a former lover, and when you thought Jungkook would never like you after everything he’s been through.
You remember countless sleepless nights where Yoongi would stay up with you to dry your tears and whisper quiet assurances that you didn’t quite believe.
Then, Jimin came into your life like the embodiment of love.
Through heartwarming words, gentle eyes, and a kind smile, he didn’t shy away from pursuing you. He didn’t care at all if you came off as odd or superstitious. When he first met you, someone who’s been sheltered most of your life behind tall walls and foreboding towers, he showed you beautiful and fun things to do around town. He took you out on dates, brought you flowers every day simply because he was thinking about you, and became a trusted friend that was only a short distance away.
Jimin loved you anyway.
Even when you told him you didn't think things would work out because you had feelings for six other people, he still wanted to be in a relationship with you.
He was everything you imagined love to be. Everything you could ever hope for. To love and to be loved by someone like Jimin – who has been nothing but patient and kind with you, who makes you laugh all the time, who you could confide with your most vulnerable secrets – opened the doors for the others too, and allowed affection, honesty, and trust to come in. Feelings that you’ve once been closed off to and deemed unattainable.
Suddenly, you realize that your feelings for both Namjoon and Hoseok were never one-sided. You see the devotion Seokjin has for you, choosing to be with you the moment he asked you to marry him. There are moments when Taehyung would dream about his future with you instead of being reminded of his past, and when Jungkook would bring down his walls and let you in. When the endless nights of insecurity and uncertainty are replaced with warmth and happiness when you fall asleep in Yoongi’s arms.
With Jimin, there’s no catch.
Except for this.
“Why tell me now? What made you change your mind?”
His voice softens as he lets go of his necklace. Hope makes your heart flutter as he places his hand on your hip.
“I trust you. That’s all there really is to it,” you explain quietly. “I wanted to tell you sooner, but it wasn’t just my secret to share. Namjoon and Hoseok – they’re mages too. Yoongi, Taehyung, and Jungkook are our familiars. Seokjin is human, but he’s one of us. The seven of us are family. We can be yours, too. If you’ll have us.”
Somehow, he seems more stunned at your last statement than everything else.
“Family?” Jimin repeats, more to himself than to you.
“Yeah, if that’s what you want. You’re always welcomed here,” you quietly remind him. Your eyes are downcast, staring at a loosened button on his shirt. “If not, that’s okay. I understand if this… changes everything between us. If you don’t want to see me anymore, and if you don’t want anything to do with us. You’ll still have a place here.”
“Will I?” he asks, a bit distracted.
You nod your head, but your heart plummets at the thought of not having Jimin around like before. You’ve all gotten used to his presence, hearing his contagious laughter, and seeing his dramatic antics. The others tell you all the time that they think he’s funny and that he might as well move in since he practically lives here – that the last empty room upstairs belongs to him anyway.
It’s always been in the back of your mind that this was a possibility. Humans hate mages. History has proven that time and again.
Perhaps you’re a fool to assume Jimin would be different. That his love for you would be accepting enough, and that he’d easily understand why you had to hide such a huge part of yourself from him.
“Always, Jimin. I love you. We all want you to be with us. And I know it’s a lot to take in, and if you decide you don’t want this – if you wish to break up with me,” you continue, your voice shaking as you feel the burn of his gaze when he realizes what you’re saying, “I hope that we can still be friends. And still visit each other sometimes.”
Another pause of silence. One that feels longer than it really is.
Then, Jimin leans over your ear. “I can’t do that.”
“O-Oh…” You swallow, your voice already thick with sadness.
But then, Jimin kisses the spot just below your ear.
“I told you already. I can’t just be friends with you,” he continues, smiling against your skin as he pulls you close. Mischief dances in his eyes as he meets your gaze. “Every time I see you, I want to kiss you.”
You catch your breath. Your heart stutters as he repeats the words of an old confession. “Oh, Jimin—”
A rush of emotion hits you as the two of you kiss. The lingering sadness twists into hopeful happiness. The honest relief that lifts you from the burden of white lies and half-truths whenever you are around him. The excitement of finally being able to tell him all the things you’ve wanted to say, to show off your magic to him, and to have him officially become a part of your found family.
“I love you. I fight myself all the damn time because I shouldn’t love you as much as I do,” Jimin murmurs between searing kisses. The dull buzz from a night of drinking and the heat of his touch has you dizzy with desire. “You don’t know what I’d give so you could be mine. You have me spellbound, love.”
His words feel like a confession on its own, a partial secret shared within the shadows of your shop. But you’re not able to dwell on what they mean.
Half-undressed but full of sincerity, you hold his face in your hands and breathlessly tell him, “I’m already yours, Jimin.”
He swallows. A flicker of guilt flashes in his eyes.
And then his lips seals yours with another magical kiss.
The story of Cupid and Psyche is a tale as old as time.
A king and queen birthed three daughters, but it was their youngest one – Psyche – who was the most beautiful. Her beauty attracted the hearts of many who treated her like the second-coming of Venus. They pledged their devotion and offered her gifts and praises while neglecting Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love and Beauty.
Jealous and offended, Aphrodite commissioned her son, Cupid, to work her revenge. He is sent to shoot Psyche with an arrow so that she would fall in love with something hideous and unworthy.
Instead, he scratches himself with his own dart, which makes any living creature fall in love with the first thing it sees. Consequently, he falls deeply in love with Psyche and disobeys his mother’s order.
The thing is, Jimin already has a family.
Vague as they are, he has some memories of his parents: his mother was beautiful, his father was charming, and whenever he could, he’d give her a lovely bouquet from his mother’s shop. Behind the glory and triumphs, Jimin’s father was a man in love. He showed a softer, sweeter side to him that only his wife and son would see.
Then, suddenly, they were gone.
Jimin was still so young. He vividly remembers staring down at the hole they laid his parents to rest. The whispers of pity. The crowd dressed in black as he silently stood by his grandparents. The rain that seemed to mourn them as well.
They say it was a mage that killed them.
A bitter, jealous mage who was offended by their love.
Mages don’t know how to love. Their magic taints their humanity, consuming their hearts until it’s nothing but Wicked. Their greed and lust and pride contorts their very beings into monsters, and seeing something as kind and warm as what his parents had for each other is something they simply wouldn’t understand.
His father, who died a hero protecting the town from apostate mages. His grandfather, who raised him and was bestowed nobility for his accomplishments. From birth, their glorified legacy became his cross to bear. And revenge fueled his motivation.
Jimin grew up knowing exactly what was expected of him. He was given a map to success, had the knowledge and skill to prepare against any obstacle, and had already come a long way to reach the end of the road.
He kept his focus. He worked hard and stayed disciplined. He sacrificed a lot and proved himself to be a promising hunter like his grandfather and his father.
He never thought of wanting anything more than what lies beyond the path that was carefully paved out for him.
Until you.
Like wildflowers in full bloom on the side of a lonely, long, dirt road, you suddenly caught his attention, halting his journey to admire you.
Jimin loves the way your eyes light up when a seller at the market hands you a free sample of something tasty from their stand. He loves the sound of your laughter when he tells you a joke, and the bashful look on your face when he’d tease you. He loves the way your smile alone seems to ease his heart, and how the warmth of your touch seeps through the cold and lonely parts of his life like a warm spring.
Never before had he thought a mage could be like you. Someone with magic, but so full of love. He sees it in the way that Namjoon talks to you with bright eyes and a dimpled smile. And how you’re the one Seokjin comes home to after a long day as he spins you around in his arms. The quiet protectiveness Yoongi holds and how he does things for you without asking. The burst of laughter that comes from you and Hoseok when you’re together. The smitten and bashful look on Taehyung’s face when he finds you cute. And how Jungkook pouts when you’re attention isn’t on him.
Jimin never was supposed to fall in love with someone like you. But somehow, he did.
Despite all of the admiration and attention Psyche received, neither nobleman nor commoner demanded for her hand in marriage. Frowned upon by Aphordite, she derived no benefits from her charms. Psyche deplored her solitude and was sick of her beauty that only produced an abundance of flattery but failed to awaken true love.
In fear that they had unwittingly scorned the gods, her parents sought advice from an oracle of Apollo. To their dismay, they received their answer.
“The virgin is destined for no mortal lover. Her future husband awaits her at the top of the mountain. He is a monster whom neither gods nor men can resist.”
On the day of her wedding, Psyche was dressed in funeral attire. Marriage and death were merged together in one right of passage as she was abandoned by cruel destiny, left to be devoured.
However, the western winds gently carried her to meet her fated match. Along the way, she fell asleep, and when she woke up, she found herself in a lovely meadow where the castle of a monster stood.
The toll of 3:00AM rings through the small town, and by habit, Jimin is already awake.
By now, he’d patrol the night to keep New Haven safe. Hiding in the shadows and on alert for any signs of something Wicked. Just as he was taught to do. Just as what he is expected to do.
He remembered watching you a lot in the early days, when he was just getting to know you. The mysterious shop – once falling apart and on its last brick – suddenly rebuilt and renovated overnight. The residents are just as mysterious as they are peculiar. No one knows who you are, even though you’ve been seen around town with the boys. And customers who enter your shop leave without much recollection of what they did or what they saw, but their hearts feel lighter, as if they’ve stumbled upon your shop when they needed it the most.
Magic is evil. It’s a fact that’s been drilled in his mind before he could even speak.
But as he watches customers leave your shop with happier smiles and visible ease, he sometimes wonders if magic is really as bad as he believed. He’d wonder if it was a mistake to let you go the night he held an enchanted dagger against you and contemplated killing you.
You were an easy target. Getting you first would be the downfall of the others, too.
Yet, he already threw his weapon in defeat and buried it deep with his guilt and secrets.
By now, at 3:00AM, he’d usually find himself above his shop, alone in his bedroom. His home contains nothing sentimental. The furniture is simple and practical. The rooms look hardly lived in. Whatever is in the cabinets are forgotten and expired, the bread stale and hard, and if lucky, a piece of fruit to eat because he’s hardly home anyway.
Before you, his life was dedicated to the Devoted and with fellow mage hunters. His friends were more like comrades. His dates were never long-term. His business at the flower shop was just an excuse to stay in town and gather intel from customers.
Now, he thinks about that room. The one that felt like it belonged to him.
He thinks about the blooming flowers, the chic furniture, and the elegant walls and curtains that are just his taste. He thinks about how lively the whole shop is when all of you are together; the noisy chatter, the instruments that are being played, the endless amount of food that fills the tables. He thinks about how nice it would be to wake up to you in the morning, and to hold you in his arms through the night.
By now, lately, when the clock strikes 3:00AM, he’d walk to the window of his room and stare at your shop – the same, mysterious one, full of warmth and laughter and love. He’d feel his heart ache with yearning, but knows deep down inside that he’s the last person to deserve it.
Jimin could take your secret to the grave if that meant he’ll be a part of your life. He’s pretended long enough not to know what you are. He’s turned the other way many times when magic slipped around him, and feigned obliviousness when it came to your familiars, your disappearances, and blackened fingertips.
He never expected you to tell him the truth tonight. About you. About the others.
Now, Jimin is awake at 3:00AM like he usually is. But this time, he isn’t alone.
He feels your weight on him – soft, warm, and comforting. Your hair pools over his shoulder and pillow, your lips part with every slow breath, and the tips of your eyelashes touch the top of your cheeks. Love bites that he left mark your neck and collarbone, visible as you hug him in a loose embrace.
During the witching hour, he often has a lot of thoughts that run through his mind – doubts about the path he’s been set on, questions on where he is now and why he keeps going forward, and dreams of taking a different route that’s less lonely.
That fiery passion he once felt to avenge his parents and become a great hunter has faded into dying embers. And the sight of you, like wildflowers blooming in unexpected places, opens a new path for him.
Tonight, as he wakes up to you in his arms, his heart couldn’t be more clear about what he truly desires. He draws a shaky breath as the realization hits him.
All he wants is this. You, and only you.
But he can’t have you.
Carefully, Jimin pulls you off of him and tries to slip out of bed. He doesn’t mean to wake you, but just as he sits up on the edge of your bed and reaches over to pick up his clothes from the floor, he hears your groggy voice ask, “Where are you going?”
“Home, I guess,” he answers. His voice is soft and gentle, masking the guilt and fear that topples over him.
“Why?”
“I don’t belong here, love.”
Behind him, he hears you sit up as well. A tense hesitation follows before you quietly ask, “Is it because of what I told you? Because we’re mages?”
“No, it’s not that at all.” He still doesn’t face you as he admits, “Between the two of us, it isn’t you that’s Wicked.”
When the truth comes out, would you accept him? Would you still let him in, despite being a danger to you and the ones you cherish most? Or would you push him away, unable to see him as anything but a threat?
All his life, Jimin has been told what to do so he wouldn’t lose his way. He’s been given everything he needs to prepare for a hand-fed life of luxury, glory, and victory. He’s sacrificed a lot to get to where he is now, and he can’t dream of taking another step further down that road if that means losing you.
“I know it’s… complicated,” you start, reaching out to touch his hand. “I know it’s a lot to take in. And like I said, I understand if this changes everything. But to me, I love you just the same. Whether you choose to be with me or not, nothing will change that.”
“Don’t promise me something you’ll end up regretting,” Jimin murmurs.
“I mean it,” you insist, moving closer to him. Your hand slips out of his as you wrap your arms around him, embracing him from behind. Jimin closes his eyes and slowly exhales. Your touch feels soothing. “I think, if I hadn't met you, it would’ve taken me a long time to realize that I could be loved. That I deserve this feeling as much as anyone else does. And, for what it’s worth, I think you deserve to be loved too. And you’re very much loved here – by me, by the others, by all of us.”
His eyes sting with an emotion that cuts deep. When he turns to finally look at you, tears fall. Guilt and fear burdens his soul, heavier than the pressure his family had put on him.
But you just hold him tighter, whispering words of comfort like a spell.
He doesn’t deserve this. He knows he doesn’t.
For once, however, he allows himself to imagine getting off that paved road. And he’s the happiest he’s ever been with the pretty wildflowers that led him astray.
“Make yourself comfortable,” a disembodied voice tells her when Psyche enters the enchanted castle for the first time.
Looking around, she sees that it’s made of golden columns, a carved ceiling of citrus wood and ivory, silver walls enriched with sculptures and paintings of exotic and domestic animals, and jeweled mosaic flooring. Rooms are filled with all manners of treasure, full of splendor like it was handcrafted for the gods, rich in art and nature.
This place was her new home, and the voice belonged to her new husband.
Unseen servants tend to her every whim with utmost care and diligence. A lovely bath is drawn with flower petals and aromatic oils. A feast is served before her with the greatest delicacies and most nectarous wines. Music is played to entertain her, and a bed as soft as a cloud is provided for her to rest her head.
Although fearful and without proper experience, she allows herself to be guided to a bedroom where, in the darkness, a being that she cannot see meets her. He lifts her hand and kisses her knuckles.
And that disembodied voice from before – the one that belongs to her husband – is now clear as he says, “Hello, my love.”
Jimin comes to your shop all the time, but rarely does he spend the night.
You all know his schedule by now. He has early mornings. He makes deliveries all around town. He has his own shop to maintain; his own customers to tend. He stops by for dinner because you insist that he eats with you guys, and if he has a slow day, he closes his shop early so he can take you out on a date.
Then, before it gets too late, he’s gone.
Mornings at your shop tend to be busy.
Namjoon is the first to wake up. He draws back curtains and opens windows to allow fresh air in. At the crack of dawn, he does warm-up stretches before his daily jog along the river, and says hello to each of the houseplants that he’s been taking care of.
More often than not, he’s accompanied by Jungkook. The toad-familiar loves to exercise, and often fires them both up before they head out. But his round eyes search the river bank every morning in hopes to find signs of his former guild.
Around the same time, a rooster wakes up a grumpy Seokjin. He’ll get breakfast started anyway, check on the dough that he’s been proofing overnight, and pack up his things if he’s given a quest that day.
With a low, hoarse voice full of sleep and with his fluffy hair sticking up everywhere, Hoseok greets whoever is awake at the kitchen. Even half-asleep, he manages to grab seven mugs – one for each of you – and brews some much-needed coffee and tea the way you all like it.
Shortly after, Yoongi slips through the morning crowd, barely saying a word before the dark liquid is poured into his cup. His only communication before coffee is through sleepy grunts and hums. Once caffeinated enough, he helps out with breakfast and fixing whatever Namjoon broke the night before.
Eventually, Taehyung stumbles in, rubbing his stomach and making puppy-eyes at the food as if that’d make it cook faster. If he isn’t the last one at the table, he’d be in charge of gathering everyone else so you could all eat together. Sometimes, if he wakes up earlier, he’d fly around town and eavesdrop on any juicy gossip or upcoming events that he could share with you all.
You’re one of the early-risers – given that you were able to sleep through the night at all. You greet each of them with a kiss, an attempt to tame their bedheads, and an offer to help with whatever they’re doing. You’d pick out a book for Namjoon to read, match your outfit of the day with Hoseok’s, re-enchant Seokjin’s protection bracelet before he meets with his guild, and open the shop with all three familiars clinging onto you.
The morning after your return from Hawthorn Village starts a little later than usual, but the routines are the same: Namjoon waters the plants, Seokjin bakes bread, Hoseok brews potions, Yoongi starts on breakfast, Taehyung lets everyone know when the food is ready, and Jungkook waits at the table for you.
Magic is used all around them, as it always is. Plates and utensils fly from the cupboards to the dining table. Knives, spoons, and pans animate on their own, assisting with the cooking. Flowers bloom prettily as they greet the day. Drinks stay hot – visible steam still rises from the colored mugs despite being poured out earlier. A broom sweeps the floor without anyone touching the handle.
Footsteps descend down the stairs, but none of the boys look up to check if it’s you.
After all, this morning is like any other. The boys wake up and do their routines, and Jimin should be home. Because Jimin rarely spends the night.
Jungkook straightens up from his seat, a smile already on his face as he begins to greet you. “Good morn—”
However, it isn’t you that’s at the foot of the steps, staring wide-eyed at a kitchen full of moving objects, cabinets and shelves with odd ingredients, and magically-associated men staring back at shock.
Jimin blinks, mirroring their surprised reaction. “Good morning?”
All six of them scream in response.
“JIMIN?!”
“WHAT IS HE DOING HERE?!”
The magic abruptly halts. Plates and cooking utensils fall and clatter loudly on the ground. The broom that was sweeping on its own suddenly tips over. Lights flicker, and Jungkook accidentally turns into a frog from the stress.
Chaos erupts quickly after.
Hoseok is yelling like a siren, dramatically falling over and spilling coffee on the floor. Namjoon clumsily slips and hits a pan on the way down. Seokjin’s scream of surprise morphs to a cry of anguish when some of today’s breakfast lands on the ground. Yoongi gets caught in the cross-fire, barely breaking Namjoon’s fall and grumbling as the mess spilled on his clothes as well. Taehyung holds Jungkook in his hands as he anxiously turns his attention to the others, raising his voice to ask if they’re okay.
In the midst of it all, you hurriedly come down the stairs, startled by the commotion. “What’s going on?”
Before they have a chance to say a word, a small squeak comes from Jimin. His mouth twitches behind the back of his hand, fighting back whatever’s gotten into him, before he bursts into giggles. You look between him and the mess in the kitchen. When you connect the dots, you can’t help but laugh as well.
The others look at you two thoroughly confused.
Taehyung, however, smiles as his golden eyes lock on Jimin. “You know everything, don’t you?”
A question he had asked the night before. This time, Jimin returns the smile and nods.
A collective sense of relief sinks as you start up the magic again. New plates and silverware fly out of the cabinets and onto the dining table, the cooking utensils pick up where they left off, cleaning supplies come to life to take care of the mess. You help Namjoon and Yoongi to their feet, and apologize for not waking up sooner to tell them all about Jimin.
No more hiding. No more secrets.
This day dawns a new beginning.
Psyche doesn’t know what her husband looks like. Yet, every night, shrouded in darkness and mystery, he comes to visit her.
Only by touch could she feel the softness of his lips, the callous of his warm hands, and the defined muscles of his lean body. She only knows him from the sound of his melodic voice and the sweet, poetic things he whispers to her. And it’s through his accents of love that ignites a passion within her; a romantic desire that consumes her entirely when she’s with him.
Psyche doesn’t know what her husband looks like, but she’s starting to fall in love with him anyway.
She finds herself looking forward to his nightly visits, but he only comes in the hours of darkness and flees before the dawn of morning. Although she is treated so well, is given the utmost care by the unseen servants, and is gifted many treasures and riches beyond imagination, it gets lonely in such a big, empty castle.
Her husband grants her anything she could ask except one request.
“Why do you wish to behold me?” he asks her one night, troubled by her curiosity. “Do you have any doubt in my love? Do you have any wish ungratified?”
She often begs him to stay, but he refuses and advises that she makes no attempt to see him. For it’s his pleasure, and for the best of reasons, to stay concealed.
In the darkness, she feels him caress her cheek.
“If you were to see me, perhaps you will fear me. Perhaps you will adore me. But all I ask of you is to love me,” he continues, a note of sadness in his tone. As he brings her lips to his, he says, “I would rather you love me as an equal than adore me as a god.”
Jimin has a lot to catch up on.
Over the next few days, you and the others fill him in with stories about Blackstone Castle and how you all met, how you ended up in New Haven because of Taehyung, and how Jungkook was cursed to be a toad until you broke the spell. Seokjin tells him how his guild takes on missions that help the mages, and Namjoon talks about the recent trip to Hawthorn and what really happened there.
It feels like destiny that you’re all together now. Paths crossed as stories unfold, unveiling before him as the others chime in and take turns speaking. Re-telling your beginnings to Jimin seem sentimental to you all as you, Seokjin, Namjoon, and Hoseok reminisce on your school days and how grateful you all are to have bonded with Yoongi, Taehyung, and Jungkook.
“I spent a long time dreaming about this,” Taehyung quietly confides to Jimin as the sound of your laughter and the others surround them. “This place used to be so empty before she came here. Now, with you here, it feels complete.”
Magic is no longer a taboo.
In your library nook, Jimin opens a spell book with symbols that he can’t understand, but Namjoon can easily decipher. He accompanies Hoseok in the woods to look for rare ingredients for his potions. He’s no longer surprised when the familiars shift between forms in front of him. He’s fascinated when he’d watch you enchant items by candlelight, diligently and meticulously whispering spells on a beaded bracelet before giving it to Seokjin the next morning for his quest.
“Amazing, isn’t it?” Seokjin asks, taking a seat next to Jimin.
From the sidelines, the two of them watch as you, Namjoon, and Hoseok duel against each other. Sparks fly from the tips of your wands as your familiars assist with the battle. Namjoon and Jungkook are a perfect combination of brains and brawns – a formidable and intimidating duo. But Hoseok and Taehyung are clever and unpredictable, often gaining the upper hand with tricks up their sleeves. However, you and Yoongi are nearly an undefeatable pair with spellcasting as your speciality.
Watching you cast spells is mesmerizing. You move with grace and confidence like a performer onstage, caught in the element of what they do best. Controlled bursts of sparks, the heat of flames, and the chill of ice are manipulated by your hands as Yoongi quietly observes with keen eyes and an occasional murmur.
Another victory is under your belt as you cheer and run into Yoongi’s arms. Neither Hoseok nor Namjoon are upset with their loss, laughing it off and blatantly forming an alliance in front of you for next time. And Jimin smiles, eyes shining in awe and pride, as he answers, “Yeah, she really is.”
Things started to fall in place. His mornings are still busy. His days are still full. But he finds himself lingering around you and the others a bit more. During busy evenings at your shop, he’d help greet customers and check them in for a comforting service – whether a hearty meal, a beautiful song, or a drink to lift their spirits. On days when his shop is closed, he’d accompany you and the others around town – shopping and enjoying the festivities at the town square, sunbathing and having a picnic by the river, sneaking you away from the others by a warm campfire so he could steal a kiss from you in the middle of the woods.
Jimin doesn’t move into the mysterious shop, but he finds it harder to leave the longer he stays. Like a siren’s song, the last unoccupied room beckons him to open its door and claim it as his own.
But he can’t. Not yet.
“You know,” you begin, fingers idly tracing the hunter tattoo on his chest. You don’t recognize what it is or what it means, and Jimin isn’t surprised. No one teaches the mages what the symbols of their enemies are. “You could sell flowers here.”
Jimin laughs at your suggestion. “Isn’t this place already a lot of things?”
“It could be a flower shop too,” you insist with a tiny shrug. But you both know that isn’t what you’re really asking him.
You want him to move in with you and the others. To stay more permanently. To call this shop his home as well.
“I’d like that, my love.” He kisses you, grabbing the hand that’s been tracing his tattoo and squeezing it tightly. “But not now.”
“Why not?”
He still has to earn his place here.
“There’s still some things I must do first.”
“What’s this?”
Jimin hands Daniel something that he’s been weighing on for months. Everything changes with this.
“My letter of resignation. I no longer wish to be a hunter.”
Daniel stares at him for a long moment. “You’re making a mistake.”
“I don’t think I am.”
“What about everything you’ve worked for? You’re just going to throw it all away?” Daniel questions, shoving the letter back to him. “What would your grandfather say?”
“It doesn’t matter. He can find another protégé," Jimin states, ready to face whatever consequence his grandfather has in store for him. He knows what he’s running away from – that flowery path of glory and legacy. But his heart is set, and his mind couldn’t be clearer of what he truly desires. “There are plenty of talented hunters out there. His successor doesn’t have to be his own blood.”
“What do you plan to do?”
Jimin shrugs. He thinks about your suggestion.
“I’m going to sell flowers.”
He’ll create his own path.
One that leads to a happy ending with you.
After a while, Psyche had learned to accept her new lifestyle. She lived happy and well in her grand castle of comfort and glory. She fell in love with her nightly visitor, and soon was pregnant with his child.
But the emptiness that surrounded her made her feel lonely and homesick, and it started to feel like she was kept in a splendid prison rather than a cozy home.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea,” her husband disagrees, once again refusing her family a visit. He’s become even more overprotective of her these days, worried of the prophecy of how they’d be their undoing, but he immediately softens when he notices the dejected look on her face and the tears in her eyes. Although Psyche can’t see him, she hears him sigh as he runs his hand through his hair. Then, he brings her to his arms and relents, “I’ll think about it, my love.”
Reluctantly, her husband agreed. In a handwritten letter, he granted permission to let the winds carry her sisters to see her.
Delighted by the news, Psyche welcomed her older sisters with open arms. She led them into her golden palace, where the voices of numerous attendants are committed to serve them, where a feast of delicious food and refreshing drinks are displayed on the table, and where she can show off the many treasures her husband has gifted her.
To view such celestial delights and seeing their youngest sister possess such a state and splendor caused envy to blossom within the two sisters, especially as it far succeeded their own. They asked her many questions, including what kind of man her husband was.
But Psyche couldn’t tell them if he was a young man who spent the daytime hunting in the mountains, or an older man whose hair is starting to turn grey. She couldn’t tell them the color of his eyes. She couldn’t describe the quirk of his lips when he smiles or the furrow of his brows when he’s angry. Only by touch alone could she even imagine what her mysterious husband looks like.
Discovering this, the sisters plant seeds of doubt in Psyche’s mind. They remind her that the oracle predicted she would wed a monster whom neither men nor gods could resist, and that the villagers claimed that her husband is a terribly vile and beastly winged serpent, who nourishes her with dainties little by little until he can devour her and her child.
“Take our advice,” they say, devising a plan. “Provide yourself a dagger and a lamp, and conceal them so your husband doesn’t find them. When he is asleep, bring forth the lamp and see for yourself if what they say is true or not. If it is, do not hesitate to use that dagger and cut off the monster's head.”
Winter is around the corner. It’s felt in the cold, crisp air and seen in the remaining dead leaves falling off barren branches. The days go by faster and the nights last longer. Snowflakes gently fall from the sky as fires burn in the hearths of homes.
But for Jimin, there’s a nagging dread that comes with the winter.
Year end marks a time of high expectations, unfinished goals, and the burdens of his failures. Winter is when the peace and quiet feels too loud and too lonely. When missions become a distraction and when the company of others isn’t enough. It’s a reminder of his progress as a hunter, and how he’d only be compared to his father.
Jimin looks at a pile of letters that has been accumulating at his desk with disdain. He spots the invitations – the waxed seal with his family’s crest stamped on the colored envelopes.
He considers burning them all into the fireplace.
The door to the flower shop swings open, and just like that, all his fears and worries melt away the moment he sees you walk in.
This winter will be different. Because now, he has you.
“My love,” he murmurs once he has you in his arms, dropping everything to kiss you properly. “What brings you here?”
“Slow day,” you explain, pulling back slightly to look around at the empty shop. Business is dead for him as well. “The guys and I are going to close early to play in the snow instead. Do you want to come with us?”
“Sounds tempting.” Jimin thinks about it for half a second. “Okay. Give me five minutes to close up.”
Before either of you could move, another person enters the shop. The chime of the bell and the burst of cold air catches his attention, but when Jimin turns away from you to see who’s at the door, his heart stops.
“Am I interrupting something?”
“Sorry, Daniel. I’m about to close the shop now,” Jimin informs him. His hand tightens around your waist protectively. “If it can wait, you can pick up fresh flowers tomorrow.”
Daniel ignores him. His full attention is on you.
“You must be that girl he’s been seeing.” He takes your hand and briefly presses his lips on your knuckles. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”
“Nice to meet you, too,” you reply, offering a polite smile and withdrawing your hand. Jimin immediately snatches your hand and tugs you closer to him.
You must suspect something is off. You’ve never seen Jimin react this way.
“Jimin and I have been friends since we were kids,” Daniel further explains. He meets Jimin’s eyes and clasps his shoulder. “We’re like brothers, you know? We grew up together since we were kids, were part of the same circles of friends, shared the same goals and dreams. We’d always compete against each other too – who’d hold their liquor longer, who’d get the best score in our games, who’d get the girl we’d both be eyeing to go home with.”
“Really?” You turn to Jimin, surprised. It dawns on you that he never really shared his past with you at all.
“We even have matching tattoos. They once meant the world to us,” he states, pulling back his sleeve to show the same hunter symbol permanently marked on his arm. “Though, I doubt it means anything to you now, does it Jimin?”
“I guess things are different now,” Jimin states, his eyes piercing and cold.
“I guess they are,” Daniel agrees, fixing his sleeve. “I won’t take up much more of your time. Despite your… decision, I’ve only come to inform you about a situation you might be interested in.”
“What situation?”
“The missing hunters. A small group of them suddenly vanished from their campsite recently. Their supplies were still there. They still had a fire going. It didn’t seem like an animal or any bandits ambushed them,” Daniel explains, and Jimin feels your body stiffens. “We’ve been searching for weeks, but the others and I agree that this isn’t an ordinary disappearance. It’s magic. A powerful mage is out there, and we could be its next victims.”
Jimin’s thumb brushes the back of your hand. The Devoted are strict about what’s taught in the towers – mages learn just enough to be useful, to lead the forefront if Wicked creatures from the Veil slip into this world. But a spell that banishes and trades souls for power is forbidden. Dark magic and an act of Wickedness.
“I’ll keep an eye out,” he replies, nodding his head in thanks.
Daniel nods back. “I’ll be on my way. Don’t be a stranger, Park.”
He regards you as well – your name uttered from his lips, followed by a smile.
As Daniel exits, a long sigh that Jimin hasn’t realized he’s been holding falls from his lips. The two of you have a lot to talk about. But when he turns to you, there’s a pensive look on your face.
“What’s wrong, love?”
You look at him with a frown. “Have you told him about me?”
“He only knows I’ve been seeing someone.”
“Have you told him my name?”
He frowns as well. “No, I haven’t.”
Daniel shouldn’t have your name. He shouldn’t know anything about you.
Yet, as he was leaving, he said it. He knows exactly who you are.
“Neither have I.”
There are a lot of things Jimin wishes he could tell you.
For years, he’s put his life on the line to fight mages, their familiars, and other Wicked creatures. He’s been living in the shadows of his father and grandfather, and all the other great hunters out there. Jimin had believed that protecting people from magic was heroic, and that those who use such evil powers should be punished.
But then, he met you.
You offered him things he never thought he wanted – things he didn’t think he’d need or deserved: a new perspective on life, a confidence with your most vulnerable secrets, a place in your heart and your home, and a love that blooms and grows so beautifully.
He wishes so desperately that he could tell you all that.
Unfortunately…
“Jimin?”
“Yes, love?”
He comes to you – the lack of sleep and the stress evident in his eyes. Ever since Daniel entered his shop, he’s been worried about you and the others. How long has he been tracking you? How much does he know? Do other hunters know about you all? Will you be safe by his side, or is he putting you in more danger?
“There are people in front of your shop,” you inform him, nodding toward the window.
The truth is inevitably bound to reveal itself.
Jimin takes a peek and dread sinks into his heart when he sees a carriage with a familiar crest. One that looks identical to the tattoo on his chest.
“I need to go,” he suddenly says, drawing back. His head is spinning and he looks pale. “Stay inside. Don’t open the door for them.”
“Are you in trouble?” you ask worriedly.
Love cannot live without trust.
He cradles your face in his hands, gentle but trembling. “I love you. Always remember that. Okay?”
“Okay.”
Jimin kisses you. Perhaps for the last time.
When it ends, he makes you promise not to get involved. Then, with an apology, he sneaks out of your shop, leaving you and the others confused and worried.
Seokjin, however, peers out the window and frowns at the strange but vaguely familiar crest he sees on the carriage.
When Jimin arrives at the flower shop, his grandfather is waiting inside.
The elderly man looks strong for his age, carrying himself with an aura that commands respect. Years of combat and fighting mages has hardened him, evident with the burns and scars on his skin. But his clothes are woven with the finest fabrics and colored with rich and rare dyes.
A warrior turned nobleman.
Ever since he moved to the capital city, he hasn’t stepped back into New Haven. Swept up with duties of being a war-front advisor, a commander to an army of mage hunters, and the constant soirées of a nobleman’s lifestyle, he seems out of place standing in the middle of the quaint and empty flower shop. Yet, he always manages to keep tabs on his only grandson.
“Hmph. I’m surprised this old place is still standing,” he comments with a frown, looking at all the modern changes Jimin has made to the family shop.
“Grandmother wouldn’t have been happy otherwise,” Jimin replies.
It once belonged to her, and she taught him everything he needed to know about the language of flowers, how to grow them from seed to plants, and how to take care of them in full bloom. For a hunter, it’s the only sentiment that Jimin has. A front that makes him feel more human – making customers smile, bringing small joys in forms of bouquets – than as a pawn on a mission for his grandfather’s plan.
“She’s well-off without it,” he dismissively retorts. Values that Jimin and his wife shared mean little to him. “Why have you not been making any progress on those Blackstone mages?”
“They’ve been more difficult to keep a track on than I anticipated,” Jimin informs, keeping his tone neutral through his lies. “I’m not sure if they’re still in New Haven.”
“Then why are you still here? If there were signs of magic in this town, why stay in the area with little foot-traffic and no intel? Why not delegate Daniel and the other hunters to assist you in your search?” he questions. It isn’t like Jimin to take this long to complete a mission. “Need I remind you why we became hunters in the first place?”
“No,” Jimin softly answers.
He knows all too well about the death of his parents, and how their fates were cut short by a mage that was offended by their love. How that motivated him down a path of revenge and guided him to become a great hunter like his family expected.
Then, Jimin met you and his world flipped upside-down.
“I heard you no longer wish to become a hunter. Care to explain yourself, boy?”
“I don’t think this is the right path for me anymore, grandfather.”
“Don’t be a fool!” he spats, eyes ablaze with fury. “Mages are on the loose. Hunters are going missing. People depend on us to protect them from the Wicked. I will not allow you to throw away everything I worked so hard to build for you!”
“I’m sorry, grandfather.” Jimin lowers his gaze. He hates to disappoint the man that raised him and molded him into the perfect hunter. He fed that flame of anger, twisting it into a blaze that scorched down that path paved for him. “But I stand by my decision to withdraw from the hunters.”
A long silence stretches between the two. But the tension is thick, anger simmering within the elderly man before him.
“I do wonder what led you astray,” his grandfather finally speaks up. “Hearsay? Those damn mage-sympathizers? A woman? Daniel mentioned that she changed you.”
Jimin’s jaw clenches. His grandfather knows about you.
He’s been too greedy hanging out with you and the others. He should’ve warned you that it wasn’t safe here; he should’ve told you the truth – that being with him was putting you all in danger.
“Grandfather, please…”
“Did you think I’m stupid, boy? I know everything that goes on around this town. I know you’ve been slacking. You haven’t been attending the meetings or the hunts. You’ve given up your fate in the Devoted. You’re a fool to think I wouldn’t find out about that girl and your new friends.”
“Leave them out of this,” Jimin begs.
“On the contrary, I’ve ordered the hunters not to interfere with your affairs. I had trusted your sense of judgement and for you to take action when needed, but it seems that I am wrong,” he explains coldly. “Perhaps you do need to step down and return back to the capital with me. Daniel will take over your area, and your friends will be the first people he’ll investigate. Is that what you want?”
“No, sir.”
“Then prove it to me.” He pulls out a letter from his coat pocket and hands it to Jimin. On the envelope is a wax seal with their family’s crest.
“What is this?” he asks, turning it over to see his name neatly written on the front.
“An invitation. One I felt I should deliver to you personally, given that I haven’t received your response back,” his grandfather answers, nodding at the pile of letters that’s been accumulating on his desk. “I hope to see you there. You know how important this event is to me. This year will be quite a show.”
“How will my attendance prove anything?”
“Because you are my grandson, I am willing to… overlook this poor lapse of judgement. Hunters from all over will be attending this event. Many want to meet my star pupil,” the old man explains. Pride is in his eyes at the surprises he’ll host.
Jimin frowns. He never enjoyed his grandfather’s events. It’s why he never bothered to open any of the letters he received about it.
But if it gives him a chance to warn you. To maybe get out of New Haven while you still can. To help the hunters stay off your trail.
“Fine. I’ll go.”
“Excellet. I’ll see you then.” As his grandfather makes his way out of the shop, he adds, “I hope you don’t make me regret this, boy. You will get back on track.”
“Understood.”
Curiosity is a deadly thing.
It’s a festering thought that grows over time, that seeks answers. It’s an innate desire to explore and test boundaries. And it’s a mere mortal’s nature to always wonder.
After her sisters left, Psyche tried to push her curiosity away. She should trust her husband. She had promised she wouldn’t attempt to look at him.
But what if?
What if her sisters are right? What if the rumors they told her are true? What if she really did marry a vile and hideous winged serpent, and he is only biding his time until he can consume her and their child?
Curiosity is dangerous because it leads to suspicion. It leads to distrust.
Suddenly, the love she received from her husband has twisted to an ulterior motive. It made her wonder if he truly loved her at all.
Soon after her sisters had left and the seeds of doubt had grown, Psyche carried out their instructions. She hid a dagger and an oil lamp in the room she shared with him, and waited.
As the natural darkness obscured her sight, she felt his warm and familiar touch caress her cheek and place soft, tender kisses on his face and neck. “How are you, my love?”
He asks her about her day and the baby, indulges in amorous dalliances, and wraps his arm around her as he always does. Psyche lets the minutes pass as she calms her hammering heart, waiting for his breath to steady until she’s sure he’s fallen into a deep sleep.
She nearly throws her plan out the window when he stirs in his sleep, only to roll on his side and turn his back to her. Slowly but surely, she eases herself off the bed and reaches for the oil lamp and the dagger she had concealed.
For a moment, Psyche is torn.
One part of her tells her to obey her husband. That ignorance is bliss, and she can resist the temptation of finding out who he truly is.
But another part of her – a bigger part – feels that wretched curiosity. After all, she married a creature that no mortal or god could resist.
With a gentle strike of a match, a small flame appears and casts shadows and light within the room. Creeping on her tip-toes against the marble flooring, she makes her way to his side of the bed.
And when she does, she nearly drops the lamp in surprise.
Before her is the most beautiful man she’s ever seen. A cherub face, skin smooth like a pearl tinged with a golden hue, soft hair that resembles the color of morning light, and pink, pillowy lips that match the rosy natural blush on his cheeks.
As she steadies herself, she accidentally grazes herself on an arrow he had discarded by his bedside. And the tiny cut makes her bold enough to look at him closer, to gaze upon a face of a god, to behold him at last and feel at awe that he is hers.
Cupid. Her husband is Cupid. The god of love.
Carelessly, the oil from her lamp sloshes and spills over, burning her hand and falling onto his back. Cupid wakes with a start and he looks at her with hurt and betrayal.
“What have you done, my love?”
Then, he was gone.
As soon as the door swings open, you stand on your feet. “Jimin?”
“Sorry to disappoint you, darling,” Taehyung responds, transforming from a raven to human before your eyes.
Hoseok comes from the kitchen to greet his familiar. “Did you find anything?”
“The carriage left. It looked like it belonged to a nobleman from the city. He left alone, and Jimin hasn’t come out of the shop,” Taehyung reports, glancing over at you with a small frown. After Jimin left in a hurry, Taehyung followed after him to make sure he was okay. “More importantly, we’re still being watched.”
“Still?” Yoongi asks from beside you. He was the first to notice that you and the others have been followed around. Since your return from Hawthorn Village, a group of men would keep their eyes on your every move – what you buy at the market place, who you talk to at the town square, where you go during your time off. None of them have ever approached you. “What do those bastards want from us?”
“Do you think they’re hunters?” Jungkook asks.
“If they were, they would’ve tried to arrest us by now,” Namjoon reasons. Outside of the shop, none of you use magic. With so many hunters in the vicinity now, it’d be risky to cast even the smallest spells.
Yet, they seem to be onto you all more than ever.
Hours pass. As much as you’re tempted to check on Jimin yourself, you’re reminded of his request to stay inside and not open the door for anyone. The others seem worried as well, finding ways to distract themselves around the shop.
Then, the door to the shop swings open again, and this time, Jimin finally steps in.
“You’re back!” you exclaim, throwing your arms around him. Relief washes over you, but only momentarily. He doesn’t hug you back like he normally would. His eyes look red from crying. “Is everything okay? What happened?”
The others emerge to the doorway, sharing looks of concern.
“I’m so sorry. I’ve put you all in danger.”
“What are you talking about?” Hoseok asks.
“Bad people are after you guys – mage hunters,” he confirms, causing your eyes to widen. “It’s best that you all leave New Haven for a while. I might be able to distract them long enough for you to escape. It’s too dangerous to stay here.”
“Why are they targeting us specifically? Has anyone been using magic?” Namjoon asks you and the others. All of you deny using it so carelessly.
“Word got out about those hunters that went missing,” Taehyung brings up, his golden eyes lingering on you and Yoongi. You know he’s talking about the ones you met on the way back from Hawthorn. “Maybe they’re doubling-down on anyone they think is suspicious.”
“It’s my fault,” Jimin suddenly confesses, teary eyes gazing at you. “Daniel found out that I was seeing someone and told the others and my grandfather about you.”
“Who’s Daniel?” Seokjin asks.
“He’s a hunter.”
Your stomach drops. That guy you saw at the flower shop – the one who knew your name – was a hunter?
Yoongi peers at him curiously. “How do you know him?”
“I’m a hunter too.”
A tense silence fills the room as his words sink in.
Hoseok laughs weakly. “You’re joking, right?”
“I don’t think he is,” Yoongi states, holding a steady glare at him.
You hear Seokjin curse when Jimin pulls on his shirt to reveal the tattoo on his chest. Just like the one Daniel had in his arm. “He’s not kidding. That’s the mark of a hunter.”
Betrayal, confusion, disappointment, and grief seem to fill the room around you. But all you could think about is how long Jimin strung you along, how foolish you are to have blindly trusted him, and how your heart aches because you still love him.
“Jimin, what are you saying?” you whisper so only he could hear, still standing closest to him. Out of everyone, he seems focused on you the most.
You feel one of the boys grab your arm and pull you away.
Namjoon – who once ran from hunters that killed his best friend – moves you behind him protectively. “Get out of here.”
“Hyung.”
“Namjoon!”
Both you and Jungkook call out to him at the same time.
“Shouldn’t we hear him out first?” Taehyung reasons, seeming torn. On one hand, he understands the hostility. But Jimin was a friend to you all.
“What’s there to explain? He’s a traitor,” Yoongi retorts, just as angry as Namjoon is.
“Yoongi!” Hoseok warns, but the boys start to argue over each other. Chaos of feelings heighten between you all as you look back at Jimin.
“He’s right, my love. I’m so sorry.”
“Wait, Jimin—”
A burst of cold air slams the door shut, and Jimin is gone.
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