“The carnival!”

Taehyung suddenly announces in their group and Jimin stared at him questioningly. They're having a peaceful dinner in their apartment and then his friend just had to stood up and shout all of a sudden. He's been quiet for roughly 7 minutes already and Jimin knew it's not going to last any longer than that, and he's right.

“Um, please don't spit food on our faces assho—”

“THE CARNIVAL!” he shouts again, like a second burst of excitement.

Yoongi stands up as well, bringing his bowl of kimchi rice with him. “I'll just eat in my room, or in the bathroom, whatever. See ya arou—”

“No but hyung, the carnival!”

“I don't give a about your damn carnival!” Yoongi suddenly shouts while slamming his bowl of rice on the table. "Just let me eat in peace!"

Jimin just giggles and Jungkook rolls his eyes with a sigh.

“We should totally go to the carnival!” Taehyung finally blurts out what he's trying to say, ignoring the elder’s outburst. “It's only gonna be there until the next weekends! We shouldn't miss it!”

Yoongi sighs in defeat.

“The two of us did go last year, right?” Jimin suddenly asks, remembering their trip to the carnival the same time last year. “And you almost got arrested by the guards when you shouted—”

“This roller coaster is going to crash! We're going to die Final Destination-style!” Taehyung cuts him off and Jimin almost bumped his head on the table laughing.

“Did... Did you really do that?” Jungkook asks, doe eyes showing amazement.

“Judging his mental condition, I think yes,” Yoongi says with another sigh, this time of frustration. “I'll kick your balls into the Han river if I was there.”

“That was hella funny though,” Jimin says, wiping the forming tears from his eyelashes. “I can't forget Krystal's panicked shrieking when she was getting off the roller coaster cab before it starts to move.”

“And she hated my guts ever since,” his best friend adds. “Not that I care though. She's a poker-faced .”

Yoongi suddenly got a slight light-bulb moment with that, although it's more of a gut-feeling than a factual realization. “Taehyung-ah... Are you gay?”

Taehyung's mouth became so widely agape that a train can pass through it while Jimin literally bumped his forehead on the table this time for laughing too much.

“W-What the ?!” Taehyung protests, his hands trying to make random gestures that don't make sense. “I-I'm absolutely not! I mean, I don't have problems with them but I'm as straight as an arrow!”

“You better not have any problems,” Yoongi says with his usual calm and collected expression. “As a biual, I'll find it utterly offensive and unacceptable.”

On one hand, Jimin halted his laughter like someone pressed a ‘pause’ button on him, face suddenly contorted into confusion at first and then realization after.

On the other hand, Jungkook and Taehyung blinks at the elder in a surprised manner before humming in approval and doing a loud high-five with each other.

Yoongi just let out a rather devilish chuckle. “Jimin didn't know? I'm pretty much open about it. What's up with that reaction?”

“W-Well... Not that I find it weird per se... But the fact that you've... opened up to us...” Jimin says in broken words, as if he's about to cry. Jungkook and Taehyung rolled their eyes in unison with the other's overly emotional personality. “I'm just... so freaking touched hyung!”

“Uh, okay, but like I said, I'm open about it with everyone,” Yoongi says in a matter-of-fact tone. “No need to make it such a big deal. See? Even these two idiots know about it.”

“I kinda figured it out on my own,” Jungkook says while resuming on his meal like normal. “And then Taehyungie confirmed it to me.”

“Are you spreading about me to other people?” he glares at Taehyung.

“Of course not!” Taehyung defends himself. “I... I asked around, like your hoobaes and stuff before we move in here. I didn't tell Jimin coz I want him to figure it out on his own.”

“It's not like it's a big deal,” Jungkook adds.

“Yeah,” Taehyung agrees to him.

“Good,” the elder says while nodding. “Good to know that we don't have a problem here.”

“I am still beyond moved though...” Jimin says, hands on his chest as if he's in pain. “I... This is just so heartwarming!”

“I said it's not a big deal!” Yoongi almost shouts in frustration, noticing how Jimin has been wiping his eyes frantically. “What the ? Are you going to cry?”

“This is the second time somebody came out to me, so I admit I'm a little touched too,” Taehyung adds while munching on his food. He and Jungkook already resumed dinner like nothing happened. “I'm moved with how great of a person I am for people to open up to me.”

“What a jerk,” Yoongi hisses with a glare. “But who's the first one who came out to you if I'm the second person?”

“Oh, well…” Taehyung replies, feeling Jimin staring at him blankly. “It's... not someone you know. It won't interest you.”

“I see...” the elder just says with a shrug before resuming on his own meal.

“Anyway! To celebrate Yoongi-hyung's coming of age, I suggest we all go to the carnival next weekend!” Jimin announces, this time with the same excitement as Taehyung when he first shouted at them while eating.

The elder just sighs in exasperation before slightly smiling, eyes all squinted and gums showing a bit.

And another light-bulb moment occurs, this time for Jungkook. Yoongi's reaction is a 360-degree opposite of the way he reacted to Taehyung's nagging, although it's also more of a gut-feeling than a factual realization.

“I take that as a yes!” Taehyung butts in. “So it's all set! We're going to the carnival Final Destination-style!”

“Stop that, you maggot,” Yoongi hisses, and the other just giggled cutely as if he was called with a pretty nickname when it's meant to be an insult. “And don't spit food on our faces when you talk, for 's sake.”

“I like maggots,” Taehyung tells himself, inciting a collective grunt from his three friends.

---

Weekends came along rather quickly for Jimin as he juggle his time between attending classes and showing up on their dance team, which are starting to get a little busy and stress-inducing. They're nearing the start of May and midterms are starting to make its way into the students’ busy lives. Study groups are progressively growing and the libraries are starting to get more crowded than the malls and shopping centers nearby. Jimin knows their free time is going to be very limited over the next set of weeks so having fun in the carnival would be like a last breath of fresh air before the impending toxic air pollution.

It doesn’t help too that he has commitments in the university registrar's office twice a month as a student assistant, every 15th and 30th. The office needs more manpower on those specific days due to the amount of work they need to accomplish, so they accept students to work part-time and Jimin thinks his time management can allow one more commitment to be inserted into his already busy life.

And it's currently one of those days that Jimin needs to help out. He usually stays there for the whole day until nighttime if he's free, but today is different and he excused himself around lunchtime to meet with his friends.

He left the office wearing a simple sweatshirt, washed out jeans and a cap to protect his eyes from sunlight. The weather is on their side for today as it feels perfectly warm without being sticky and humid.

The carnival is only one train ride from their university, so he quickly got into one while sending Taehyung a quick message to let them know that he's already going. He's excited and feeling giddy to spend time with his apartment buddies, knowing that it's only the second time that they get to hang out as a group.

He eventually arrives in the carnival to be greeted by terror; the place is too crowded and busy. He suddenly remembers that it's a Sunday and it's basically the last day of the carnival so he should've expected it.

He sighs in worry, bringing out his phone to check any new messages from his friends. No one likes to spend too much time waiting in line for the rides and he hopes the number of people eventually start subsiding.

“PARK JIMIN!” a voice suddenly shouts from his side, but it's not the undeniably familiar voice of his best friend. He turns around to see a square-shaped jaw below an out-of-place cowboy hat. “What're you doing here?”

“Hey, Hoseok-hyung,” he greets back. “I'm supposed to be with my apartment buddies but I can't find them. Have you seen Taehyung around?”

“Ahh, beats me,” their dance team leader says. “This place is hella crowded I lost my own friends too. I might have seen him already but didn't realize that it's him, you know?”

“He's not replying to my text messages too...” Jimin says as he checks his phone again for any notifications. “We all agreed to meet here in the entrance but I can't see any of them.”

They're standing in the middle of what seems to be an intersection—one side leading to the extreme rides, one side leading to the nearby parks with food stalls and the other side leads to the ticketing booth where the staff and the luggage counters are located. Loads of people swarm the whole place and it's going to be difficult to look for people you can't even contact.

A sudden tap on his shoulder from his back startled Jimin before jumping in excitement when he turns around to see who it was. “Yoongi-hyung!”

“Why is there so much people running around like headless chickens?” he complains in his usual grumpy demeanor without even greeting the younger. He then notices the guy beside Jimin who's looking at him with a seemingly expectant smile. “...Who's this?”

“Oh, this is Jung Hoseok,” Jimin says, “he's our leader in the dance team, he's our club president.”

“Oh, okay,” Yoongi deadpans, “but why is he with you?”

“Well, you see...” Jimin starts to explain the situation but trailed off when he sees another familiar figure walking towards their direction while waving like a lost child. “Oh! Taehyungie!”

The usual contagious smile isn't present in his best friend's face though as he walks alongside a rather tall young man wearing a pink hoodie and white pants.

“Why the hell is that guy here?” Hoseok suddenly hisses on his side. Jimin remembers that their dance team and the drama arts club has some sort of cold war going on.

“H-Hey guys...” Taehyung says with a frown on his face that looked so out of place, considering how they've gotten so used to his silly-smiling expressions all the time. “Um, Seokjin-hyung saw me and bought cotton candy for me so now he wants to tag along.”

“Hello guys,” the senior smiles to their group and Jimin can't help but notice how soft and tender his skin looks under direct sunlight, like he's glowing on a stage to perform despite wearing everyday clothing. “Nice to meet you all!”

“I'm getting a headache,” Yoongi says while supporting his forehead with his palm, as if he's going to catch a fever.

“W-Well, the more the merrier, I guess!” Jimin announces and Taehyung smiles in relief. “Nice meeting you too, hyung!”

“Thank you!” He beams at him excitedly like a teenage girl. “I can't wait to spend time with Taehyung and convince him to join our group project!”

“...Pardon? What group project?” Jungkook suddenly asks from behind them, startling everyone.

“H-How long have you been there!?” Jimin exclaimes. “I almost got a freaking heart attack!”

“Pardon?” The youngest replies, looking way more smug and proud than ever.

Everyone is just confused at this point, with the exclusion of Yoongi who looks like he's ready to kick a rabbit sadistically.

Another guy approached them after that and places a hand on the youngest's shoulder. “That's it! That's how you use that word. Pardon.”

Jungkook smiles cheekily while doing a thumbs up to everyone.

“...Namjoon?” Yoongi suddenly says in a rather irritated tone. “What... Why are you here? How do you know this bunny teeth?”

“Oh! If it isn't the great Suga!” The guy replies to him enthusiastically. “I didn't expect you to hang around with these kids!”

Jimin remembers that name: Suga. He heard it being cheered back in the underground performance when Yoongi was rapping on stage.

“Um, hyung? Do you know him?” Taehyung asks Yoongi in bewilderment. Seokjin just quietly stands there beside him, illuminating their group with his natural glow like a lamp in the sidewalks.

“Long story,” the elder replies with a frustrated sigh. “Hey bunny teeth, don't tell me you're—”

“First of all, my name is Jeon Jungkook,” the youngest cuts him off, inciting a surprised gasp from Jimin. “Second of all, Namjoon is going with us coz he needs to teach me more English catchphrases and words to widen my vocabulary, okay? Pardon?”

“Um, you don't need to add 'pardon' in a sentence like that, Jungkook...”

“...Oh, really?”

Taehyung's jaw dropped drastically and Yoongi looks like he's about to faint. “Is... Is this kid... for real?”

“W-Well...” Jimin attempts to break the impending awkwardness (and war) within their small group by forcing a cheery statement. “T-The more the merrier, right?!”

Nobody answers him beside Jungkook though. “Pardon?”

--

all of bts meeting up is REALLY hard to write lol

i thank the v app so much for giving me ideas for this fic