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It wasn’t supposed to be a science experiment. It was all born out of Jimin’s genuine concern for his bandmate. Yoongi often spent long hours in the studio. No eating, no drinking water, no resting, just overwork galore. Jimin was worried after he saw Yoongi enter the studio at 7 AM, and by 9 PM, no one had seen him emerge.
He decided to take matters into his own hands. Literally. He knew the passcode, so he just let himself into the ‘Genius Lab,’ where he saw shrimp-posture Yoongi hunched over his unfinished beats. Without thinking twice, he inserted himself between the producer and his work, pressing the Spacebar and Command + S, pausing the track and saving the file.
“What are you doing? I’m working!” Yoongi protested.
“Not anymore!” Jimin grabbed Yoongi’s hands and dragged him out of his chair. “You are resting now.”
Yoongi kept protesting, but Jimin was determined. He only stopped once they were both in the elevator, and Yoongi had accepted his fate.
That same scenario happened again and again and again for months. Jimin was proud of his success rate, as Yoongi no longer protested; he just sighed and raised his hands. With an upcoming comeback, it had become more frequent. But today, the late-night hours were shared with the rest of the members to give the new album’s tracklist one last rundown.
All the members sat in the meeting room, working on their first track. Jimin controlled the computer, pressing play and pause and making the changes the members suggested, while a very tired Yoongi leaned onto him. Once they finally agreed on the final arrangement, Jimin paused the song and saved the file, ready for the next one.
Spacebar. Command + S. Yoongi’s tired body acted on instinct. He blindly grabbed Jimin’s hand and got up from his chair. He stood for three full seconds with his members’ confused eyes burning into him until he realized what he had done.
“Where are you going, hyung?” Namjoon asked, blinking.
Yoongi abruptly let go of Jimin’s hands. “Just leg cramps,” he muttered, doing a terrible fake stretch. “Let’s get back to it.”
His members weren’t satisfied with the answer but didn’t bother to dig any further. They had a lot of work ahead of them. Still, every time Jimin pressed Spacebar, Command + S on the keyboard for the rest of the meeting, Yoongi's body noticeably twitched. He even ended up holding Jimin’s hand twice more before the night was over.
It didn’t take long for the members to piece together Yoongi’s instinctive behavior. They were in the car, working on some beats on a laptop. Spacebar + Command + S. Yoongi reached for Jimin’s hands, and this time, the members started teasing. In the practice room, changing songs. Spacebar + Command + S. Jimin’s hands. Hotel lobby. Spacebar + Command + S. Jimin.
The members, now fully aware, started testing the waters. First to try was Hoseok. He sneaked into the Genius Lab and hit Spacebar + Command + S.
"Hobi, what are you doing?" Yoongi just glared at him.
"Nothing," Hoseok sighed, terribly disappointed. "Just seeing if you'd hold my hand."
Then Taehyung tried it and was met with a throw pillow to the face. Jin simply asked what the keyboard shortcut for washing the dishes was.
"It’s fascinating, really," Namjoon mused loudly one afternoon while Jimin was blushing furiously into the sofa cushions. "It’s a localized Pavlovian response. His body has recognized that Jimin equals safety, rest, and comfort. Yoongi-hyung hasn't just memorized the sound. He’s surrendered his autonomy to Jimin's specific brand of affection.”
"Shut up, Namjoon," Yoongi grumbled, his face buried deep in a bucket hat. But noticeably, he didn't deny it.
The constant teasing forced Yoongi to actually reflect on his actions. He wasn’t a dog. He was a grown man with bodily autonomy. So why did he reach for Jimin every single time? The conclusion was simple: He liked it. He liked Jimin’s way of caring for his unsafe habits, the feeling of Jimin’s small, warm hands after long, isolating studio hours. He liked Jimin. He already knew that, but now he had to come to terms with the fact that he liked liked Jimin.
It was late at night when the studio door clicked open. Yoongi already knew the drill, but this time, he’d make a move of his own.
Spacebar + Command + S. Yoongi reached up, letting Jimin take his hands. But this time, he didn’t let himself be dragged off the studio. Instead, he pulled back slightly, holding Jimin close to him.
“I think we should talk.”
“About what?” Jimin asked softly.
“About…” How would he bring this up? ”…The Jimin variable to my behavior.”
“The Jimin variable?” Jimin laughed, but the fond look in his eyes showed he knew exactly where this was heading.
“Yes, the—the reason why it only works with you.” Yoongi's cheeks grew an undeniable, warm blush.
“I have a theory, but I haven’t tested it yet,” Jimin murmured, biting his lower lip as his gaze dropped to Yoongi’s mouth.
“What is it?” Yoongi asked, mirroring the behavior.
Jimin didn’t bother to explain. He just leaned in, capturing Yoongi’s lips in a long-expected, passionate kiss. Yoongi’s hands, already holding Jimin’s, squeezed tightly as he kissed back, the ultimate reward for months of conditioning.
"Hypothesis confirmed," Yoongi whispered when they finally pulled apart, completely breathless.
By the following week, the relationship was firmly established, and the teasing from the rest of Bangtan shifted from scientific curiosity to outright groans of disgust. Yoongi had fully embraced his status as a whipped man, and the reflex had officially evolved.
They were in the green room before a show, Namjoon trying to explain a setlist change over the chaotic noise of the room. Jimin, sitting at the room's computer, paused the background music to let their leader speak.
Spacebar. Command + S. Instinctively, Yoongi raised his hands. Jimin smiled, interlocking their fingers, and pulled Yoongi up to his feet. But before dragging him toward the door, Jimin leaned in and planted a sweet, lingering peck right on Yoongi's lips. Yoongi just smiled into it, perfectly content to be led away.
Across the room, Hoseok threw a towel over his own face. "Okay, the experiment is officially over! The scientific community rejects this level of PDA!"