Chapter Text
“So what are you waiting for? 'Cause someone could love you more.”
Jin lay on his side, his back facing the door, pretending to sleep. He couldn’t even remember how many sheep he had counted; he must’ve lost track when he hit three digits. Every inch of his body was tired, but he just couldn’t fall asleep. He tugged on his blanket and pulled it over his head. He closed his eyes and started the stupid breathing exercise he had just watched on YouTube that would allegedly help him sleep. He was on his fifth breath when he felt it—his phone was vibrating, and he immediately knew who it was.
Now, the question is, would he answer it?
Jungkook pulled the phone away from his ear and stared at the screen, his face full of dejection.
“You’re aware that some problems can’t get solved overnight, eh?”
“I know,” Jungkook sighed. He shoved his phone under his pillow and lay flat on his back.
Tae rolled over to his side and braced his head on his palm. It had been ages since he last saw Jungkook this restless. If he remembered correctly, the last time was when they were badly burnt out. “Jungkook-ah,” he said.
“Hmm?”
“Do you still remember when we wanted to walk away from all of this so badly?”
Jungkook stayed silent for a couple of seconds, his eyes firmly fixed on the ceiling. “Last year?”
“Yes. And why did we stay?”
“Because Yoongi-Hyung said he loves us?” Jungkook replied.
Tae smiled at the fond memory. “Pretty much. It’s good that you remember that,” he said while lying flat on his back again.
“Why?”
Tae pulled the blanket under his chin. “People don’t walk away easily from the people they love. It would’ve been so easy to leave all of this last year, but we stayed. We stayed even though it was hard. We chose to stay because of the love and respect we have for all of our members,” he paused and seemed to choose his next words carefully. “What you both chose won’t be easy. Things like this will keep on happening because we live a very public life, and people won’t always be kind. I guess what I’m saying is to have a little faith. Jin-Hyung trusts you with his life, and that kind of trust can’t easily be broken by some stupid rumor.”
“Hyung?”
“Hmm?”
“Thank you.”
“Now, sleep. We have a lot of things to do tomorrow,” Tae said with a chuckle.
The next day:
“Hey, have you seen Kook?” Tae asked when he saw Jimin enter the room.
“Yeah, he’s on his way out to do cardio,” Jimin replied. “Why?”
“Is he still pouting?”
“Like a little kid who got his candy stolen,” Jimin confirmed. He then plopped down on the bed and started gathering his things. “You saw the news?”
“It’s hard not to see. Dispatch was having a field day,” Tae deadpanned.
Jimin sighed. “He should’ve been more careful.”
“Yeah,” Tae frowned. “But for goodness’s sake, it was just a hug! It’s not like he kissed her or something.”
“Do you want to make a scandal so we can overshadow his?” Jimin joked.
Tae grabbed his pillow and threw it at his best friend, making the other man laugh.
Jungkook managed to quietly slip through their staff without being noticed; he wanted to clear his head, and he wouldn’t be able to do that while filming. He stopped in his tracks when he noticed that the dog who had followed him earlier was no longer there. He scanned his surroundings, but it was nowhere to be seen. “Even the dog can’t stand my company,” he said to himself. He shoved his hands in his pockets and continued his trek.
The short conversation he had with Taehyung last night helped him put things into perspective. His V-Hyung was right—Jin knew him too well to let one stupid rumor destroy whatever they had, and he should have a little bit more faith. He sighed for the nth time. It was just not that easy when Jin was so near, and yet, it felt like he was a million miles away.
Truth be told, he understood the distance that Jin was putting between them; he needed time to decompress. Heck, if he were in the same situation, he would’ve reacted the same way. Or maybe not. He sure as hell would’ve been worse. His Hyungs always teased him about how possessive he can be, and they’re not wrong. He had already lost count of how many times that shit was caught on camera and how many memes were made out of it. He was not proud of it, and he’s trying his best to change it, especially when it comes to their members. But with other people, though, he still needs to work on that.
A lot.
Taehyung had just stepped out of the lodge when he noticed Jungkook’s figure in the distance. He walked toward their staff, “Did he go there alone?” he asked.
“Yes. He was already halfway when we noticed him,” the staff member responded with an apologetic smile.
“Don’t worry about it, even I wouldn’t be able to catch up with him. That guy walks fast,” Tae replied with a reassuring smile. He then raised his hand and waved at his friend, “Hi!” he called out loudly.
“Look what I’ve got!”
“Are you alright? You went up there?” Tae asked.
“Yes, but I didn’t get all the way where I wanted to go, so I just broke this one off,” Jungkook said, showing off a huge chunk of snow he had carried down.
“You’re crazy,” Tae laughed, clearly entertained by his antics.
Jungkook placed the block of snow on the bench and started peeling off his jacket. “It’s so hot.”
“I can’t believe you brought this down with you,” Tae said as he crouched down to take a picture of the snow.
“I’m going to get a drink, I’m thirsty,” Jungkook said. He was halfway to the main door when he saw Jimin walking toward him.
“You’re back?” Jimin asked.
“Yes.”
“Aren’t you cold? We were worried about you.”
“I’m fine,” Jungkook replied with a smile.
“That’s good. Breakfast isn’t ready yet, but there’s cereal there, so go eat something,” Jimin said before walking towards Tae, who was still busy taking pictures of the snow.
Hoseok made his way to the common room and instantly spotted Namjoon. He let out a loud yawn as he approached him. “Morning, bro,” he greeted.
“Morning,” Namjoon responded, his voice hoarser than usual. “They’re still cooking breakfast, but there’s cereal there.”
“It’s too early to eat,” Hoseok said as he sat down. He leaned towards Namjoon, “Is it looking good?” he whispered while subtly pointing at Jin.
“I have no idea, but I’m hoping for the best,” Namjoon whispered back.
“They’ll figure it out,” he paused and grimaced when he noticed an awkward Jungkook lurking around Jin, “And hopefully soon, that kid looks like a wet puppy,” he added.
Namjoon followed Hoseok’s gaze and instantly winced, “Yeah, this is too painful to watch.”
“Fuck my life,” Jin thought when he realized he’d poured the wrong cereal into his bowl. He then let out a defeated sigh before scooping a huge dollop of yogurt on it, “Whatever,” he mumbled to himself. He knew Jungkook was standing behind him, but he chose to pretend that he didn’t see him. It was too early for drama. He sat down and started shoveling food into his mouth, not caring that it tasted like paper.
Namjoon placed his bowl on the table and sat down right in front of Jin. “Hyung, I think breakfast is ready.”
“I’m eating this,” Jin said, pointing at his half-eaten bowl.
“That doesn’t look appetizing.”
“Tastes like paper.”
“It looks like paper,” Namjoon responded with a chuckle. He then turned to his side, “JK, let’s eat,” he said.
Jungkook nervously approached the table, “Err, no, I’ll just eat when you guys go,” he responded before turning toward the breakfast table.
As if on cue, Jin stood up from his seat and grabbed his bowl, leaving without a single word.
“Do we have any milk left?” Jungkook asked.
“Yeah, it’s here. It tastes like goat milk, though, like concentrated milk,” Namjoon replied.
Jungkook turned around and was surprised to see that Jin was no longer at the table. He was about to ask Namjoon where he went but instantly snapped his mouth shut when he noticed Jin walking back toward them.
“Hyung, I think it’ll be better if you have a proper breakfast first,” Namjoon said.
“How long do you think they’ll take?” Jin asked as he strolled toward the other table.
“I haven’t seen Yoongi-Hyung yet,” Namjoon replied. He then turned his gaze to Jimin, who had just walked in, “Food is ready.”
“I just finished my walk; I don’t think I can eat yet,” Jimin responded. He stopped beside Jin and followed his gaze, “Are you eating, Hyung?” he asked.
“I’m still thinking.”
“Do we have Americano?” Jungkook asked loudly, “I’ll make a latte,” he added before walking towards the other side of the room, not even waiting for a response.
Jimin turned to look at Namjoon, both of their faces full of amusement.
“Taehyung, have you eaten?”
Tae looked up and saw a bundled-up Yoongi staring at him. “I ate earlier, Hyung. Did you eat?”
“Not yet,” Yoongi responded. “That puppy just won’t leave your side, eh?”
“I think he likes me.”
“It looks like it,” Yoongi agreed. He then placed his hand on his waist, “I think we’re about to head up to film. You should change; it’s going to be cold up there,” he said before turning on his heel and walking away.
Tae watched his Yoongi-Hyung’s back disappear around the corner fondly, “Yep, he’s still the reason why I stayed,” he said as he stood up with a small smile.
“Do you want some more?” Jimin asked.
Namjoon stared at his plate. “Just a little.”
“Jimin, can you get me that?” Jin asked, his eyes fixed on the food.
“Here’s the latte,” Jungkook said as he approached the three men standing by the breakfast table. He shifted closer to Jin, hoping he’d take the hint, but Jin didn’t even bother to look up.
Noticing the awkwardness, Namjoon decided to step in, “Let me taste it,” he offered.
“Just try it, it’s a latte,” Jungkook repeated as he raised the cup toward his Namjoon-Hyung instead.
Jin skirted around the two and made his way toward the table.
“It’s good,” Namjoon nodded in approval.
“Yeah, right?” Jungkook said with a faint smile. He felt a hand on his shoulder and saw Jimin standing nearby, “Want to try? It’s warm,” he said.
“I’ll take a sip,” Jimin said with a sympathetic smile.
Jin felt bad. Really bad. He knew he should stop being irrational and be mature about it. It’s not like he got cheated on, so there was no reason to continue acting this way. Yes, the news felt like a sucker punch to his gut because he was blindsided by it, but it’s not like Jungkook planned it. Things like that had always been out of their control. He knew that, so really, he should just let this go.
“That was a little bit… rude.”
Jin put his fork down. “I feel like shit for doing that,” he said as he watched Yoongi take the seat beside him, facing the opposite direction.
Yoongi braced his back against the table as he slid his hands into his pockets. “Why keep doing it then?”
Jin winced at his former roommate’s blunt question. “Because I’m a brat,” he admitted.
Yoongi snorted. He pulled his right hand from his pocket and ran it through his hair. “This trip could go one of two ways. One, you can continue your bratty ways and make this trip a living hell,” he paused and let his hand fall to his side. He turned his face toward Jin, looking straight into his eyes, “Or two, you make the most out of it. Your call, Hyung,” he finished before breaking eye contact. “Where’s J-Hope?” he asked Namjoon.
“He was already up earlier. Maybe he’s getting ready. Have you seen V?”
“Yeah, I already told him to change.”
Jin stood up. “I’ll just brush my teeth,” he said before taking his plate and walking away.
Namjoon took the seat Jin vacated. “Did you talk some sense into him?”
“Yep.”
“Did it work?”
“Hopefully,” Yoongi replied. He then let out the breath he’d been holding in, “Ya! Why do I always have to be the sacrificial lamb?”
“Because you’re Grandpa,” Jimin piped in, “You’re the only one here who’s allowed to call him out.”
Namjoon nodded in agreement. “And brave enough.”
“Hold on, Hyung, were you actually scared?” Jimin asked.
“It’s Jin-Hyung, who wouldn’t be?”
“You looked cool,” Jimin said with two thumbs up.
Namjoon threw his head back and laughed.
Today’s schedule was a little jam-packed. They needed to get shots of them trekking up the mountain, bungee jumping, and camping. They had to get things done, which meant Jin had to stop his temper tantrums and start being a man again.
“Guys, we think it’s best if you walk by twos so we can get a good shot,” the director instructed.
“We can walk with whomever we want to walk with, right?” Jimin asked.
“Yes.”
“Great!” Jimin grabbed Tae’s jacket and started dragging him along. “Please take good shots of me. I need to post it,” he said.
“Hobi-Hyung!” Tae called out. “Let’s do the Chicken Noodle Soup on top.”
“I was about to ask you that,” Hoseok said, “Wait for me!”
Namjoon threw Yoongi a look before walking toward Jungkook. “JK! You’re with me,” he said a little too cheerfully.
Jungkook took a quick glance at Jin before nodding. “Yeah.”
Yoongi fell into step with Jin. “I guess you’re stuck with me,” he said.
Jin zipped his jacket. “You getting tired of me, old man? I thought it was SIN forever?” he asked with a smile.
Yoongi blinked a few times, clearly surprised by Jin’s change of demeanor. “That was fast,” he thought.
Jin rolled his eyes and unceremoniously looped his arm around Yoongi’s, knowing full well it would irk him to no end. “I should feed you a wrap later when I make Samgyeopsal. It’s been too long, Min Yoongi-ah!”
Yoongi full-on grimaced, not even caring about the camera pointed at them. “NO!”
Jin laughed, his famous windshield-wiper laugh returning. “You can’t say no to your Hyung!” he teased.
“Ugh!” Yoongi whined, but a small smile still appeared on his lips.
They made it to the lake after an hour of trekking and quickly went into professional mode. They took all the necessary shots for the show, so their team gave them some time to explore on their own without being filmed.
Hoseok announced that he was going to look for a good spot to shoot his dance challenge, so Jimin and Tae followed him. Namjoon volunteered to join them so he could take the video, plus he loved watching them dance.
“Yoongi-ah—” Jin paused. “Where did he go?”
The staff pointed in the other direction. “Err… he said he’s going to look at something.”
“I should’ve figured he’d be interested in those weird stones,” Jin cocked his head to the side. “He wanted to be a stone in his next life; maybe he’s already getting ideas,” he sniggered, clearly impressed by his own joke. He then shoved his hands in his pockets and started looking around, his eyes automatically stopping on a familiar figure standing near the edge of the lake.
Jungkook threw another stone and felt frustration build up when the stone didn’t skip. “Stupid stone,” he mumbled as he bent forward to get another one.
“You shouldn’t be calling those stones stupid.”
Jungkook froze.
“One of those might turn out to be Yoongi,” Jin said as he fell into step with Jungkook. “And you can’t call your Hyung stupid.”
Jungkook gently placed the stone back on the ground and stood up straight. “We’re still in this lifetime, so I think I’m safe,” he responded, his voice neutral.
Jin slipped his hands inside his pockets and stared at the landscape in front of them. “The sun is beautiful, isn’t it?”
Jungkook moved so they were standing side by side. “Breathtaking,” he said, his eyes fixed on Jin’s face instead of the view.
Jin turned his eyes toward Jungkook. “I meant the view,” he snorted.
“I know,” Jungkook responded. He then folded his arms on top of his chest, his face a mixture of sadness and apprehension. “Are you going to break up with me?” he blurted out.
Jin seemed taken aback by Jungkook’s question. “Did you want to break up?”
“NO!”
“Then why are you asking me that question?”
Jungkook shifted his weight from foot to foot. “Because you said, ‘The sun is beautiful, isn’t it?’”
Jin, clearly confused by what he was getting at, turned to face him. “I’m lost. How is that connected to breakups?”
Jungkook looked down. “That’s what they say when people want to break up. I’m sure I read that somewhere. That means ‘I love you, but I’m letting go,’” he mumbled.
It took a couple of seconds for Jin to register what Jungkook was saying. Before he could stop himself, he threw his head back and laughed.
“Do you think it’s funny?” Jungkook snapped, his voice tinged with a hint of anger and hurt. “Stop laughing, Kim Seokjin!”
Jin braced his hands on his waist, his face still full of mirth. “That’s sunset!”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“I’m not going to let you live this down,” Jin said. “Jungkook-ah, ‘The sunset is beautiful’ is what you meant; you’ve got it all mixed up!”
“Oh,” Jungkook said as realization dawned on him.
Jin reached out and ruffled Jungkook’s hair. “You’re silly, but I love that you’re starting to read,” he said. He then let his hand fall back to his side, his eyes still fixed on Jungkook’s gaze. “I’m not breaking up with you unless you want to—”
“I don’t,” Jungkook said, not letting Jin finish.
“Will you let me finish?”
Jungkook smiled sheepishly. “Sorry.”
“I know you weren’t cheating. I knew that from the start,” Jin paused. “I’m not good at dealing with emotions. I trust that you know that?”
“I know.”
“Seeing that out of the blue after the break, in the middle of a shoot with a huge audience, I—I didn’t know how to handle it. It was too much.”
Jungkook had to pin his arms to his body to stop himself from grabbing Jin and pulling him into a hug. “I—I’m sorry.”
Jin shook his head. “You don’t have anything to be sorry for. I am sorry for the way I acted,” he said, sincerity seeping through his voice.
“I love you,” Jungkook blurted out.
Jin’s eyes widened in shock.
Jungkook shifted and stood right in front of Jin. He made sure to keep a respectable distance so they wouldn’t attract any unwanted attention from the staff. “I know I haven’t said it, but that’s the truth. I love you. I always have.”
Jin opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out.
Jungkook cracked a small smile. “You don’t have to say it out loud, Jin. I know you love me too. I feel it.”
Jin snapped his mouth closed, still eerily silent.
Jungkook leaned forward, pretending to study the zipper on Jin’s jacket. “I know you’re still stuck in the narrative that I’m just still a boy and I’ll change my mind. That one day you’ll wake up and I’m gone,” he paused to look up, meeting Jin’s gaze. “I’m not going to leave you to look for someone better. I already have the World Wide Handsome; why would I look for someone better?”
Jin couldn’t help it; he cracked a smile.
Jungkook stood up straight and shoved his hands inside his pockets. “I’m not asking for forever, Jin, because that’s too much to ask since we’re still young.”
“Ha! You do admit that I’m still young!”
Jungkook smirked. “I was only teasing you because you’re kinda cute when you get all fired up.”
“You’re an ass!” Jin chuckled.
“Yeah, but I’m your ass,” Jungkook said with a wink. He then cleared his throat. “Back to what I was saying before you interrupted me—”
“You interrupted me first, remember?” Jin huffed.
“Ssh! Let me finish!”
“Go on right ahead.”
“I’m with you for the long haul. As long as you want me, I’m yours,” Jungkook said with full seriousness. He then peeked behind Jin’s shoulder, his eyes scanning their surroundings.
“What are you looking at?”
“I’m just checking before I do this,” Jungkook said before quickly leaning forward and planting a quick peck on Jin’s lips.
Jin’s eyes widened in panic. He quickly turned around and started surveying the whole place. “You’re crazy!”
Jungkook laughed and said, “There’s no one around. I saw the last person leave. They’re probably off taking different shots of Hobi-Hyung’s Chicken Noodle Soup Challenge.”
“What if somebody saw us?”
Jungkook just shrugged. “That’s what NDAs are for, Jin,” he said matter-of-factly. “Besides, our staff loves us so much that it wouldn’t even cross their mind,” he added as an afterthought.
“I can’t believe you just did that here!”
Jungkook rolled his eyes as he turned around to face the lake. He stretched his arms up. “You always complained I was anti-romantic, and here I am, kissing you in one of the most beautiful places on earth, and you still complain,” he paused to look at Jin. “You’re lucky I love you,” he winked.
“You brat!” Jin said before launching himself onto Jungkook’s back, clinging to him like a koala.
“Get off me, Hyung!” Jungkook screamed, but locked Jin’s legs around his waist, making sure that he wouldn’t slip.
“I’ll get you for that!” Jin said loudly. He then lowered his head, close enough that his lips were near Jungkook’s ear. “I love you too, brat,” he whispered.
A huge smile curled on Jungkook’s lips. “See? I know you do,” he whispered back before he started running.
“Put me down, Jungkook-ah!” Jin screamed.
“Jin! JK! Come on, we need to take another shot!”
Both of their heads turned towards the voice and saw their manager waving at them.
“Time to work,” Jungkook said before setting Jin back on his feet. He then turned to look at him. “I bet I can outrun you, Old Man,” he teased.
Without thinking twice, Jin flicked Jungkook’s forehead. “Be respectful to your elders,” he said before bolting away, laughing.
“You better run faster, Hyung!” Jungkook said before running after him, his pace slower than his usual sprint.
Jimin elbowed Tae when he saw Jin and Jungkook running in their direction. “I think all is clear,” he whispered.
Tae took a peek. “Yep, back to their normal selves,” he replied.
“Thank God,” Hoseok exclaimed. “I was close to murdering them with all this added stress.”
Jimin and Tae both threw their heads back and laughed.
“I think I need to wash my eyes,” Yoongi said.
Namjoon turned around, his brow raised. “Did something get caught in your eye?”
Yoongi shivered. “I saw something that I didn’t want to see. EVER.”
Namjoon opened his mouth to ask but paused when he noticed Jin running towards them with Jungkook in tow, both chortling with laughter. He then turned his eyes back to Yoongi-Hyung, connecting the dots. “Don’t tell me. I don’t want to know,” he hastily said. “EVER,” he added.
“Are you sure?”
“I’ll help you wash your eyes.”
- F I N -