There were moments Jimin genuinely loathed having the memory span of a goldfish and being chronically careless – realizing he had left his wallet in the locked library when paying for his meal was one of them.

He was starving.

Reluctantly exiting the cafeteria, Jimin begrudgingly eyed those who oh-so-freely enjoyed their dinner, didn’t think his night could get any worse. It did.

“Oh, come on.” He was flabbergasted, in utter denial at this point, “Seriously? Of all days,”

Upon reaching the campus entrance, rain started pouring just before he could make it to the bus stand. It wouldn’t have been an issue if Jimin had brought an umbrella – his lack of attentiveness towards the weather forecast to blame. Given how he couldn’t make a run through the heavy rain, not with his precious books and reports at stake, he settled for the only option he could think of.

(Hint : sitting on the stone steps with his face buried in both palms, willing his stomach to tone down its persistent growling while ignoring the judging looks of the few people walking by.)

“Are you alright?” Jimin heard someone ask by the time he silently counted to 299. It was most likely one of the passers-by; who couldn’t ignore a dejected lump of human-being blocking the path.

Jimin scoffed, “No.” He was in no mood to even try hiding his displeasure, let alone give fake pleasantries and forced smiles.

“I’m dying of starvation because I left my wallet behind. But I can’t go home either because the heavens decided to let it rain tonight of all nights so here I am waiting with my stomach being more annoying than my best friend – so yeah – I am not alright.”

No reply came.

Okay, so maybe Jimin had been a little rude. The Good Samaritan deserved some respect for bothering to even ask.

“Look, I’m sorry.” He sighed, straightening his back gradually, “I shouldn’t have-” Jimin looked upwards expecting a concerned stranger, but  found instead Min Yoong’s ever nonchalant expression – the stultifying effect of having just finished two shifts. Though the older male did quirk at the sight of Jimin’s mouth widening into a silent ‘o’.

“W-what’re you doing here?”

Jimin was never one who made friends as easily as Taehyung did, but there was something about Yoongi that made Jimin feel extra uneasy; with his cool demeanour and watchful eyes. Yoongi’s hair, Jimin noticed, had faded from mint green to a shade of ivory blonde. Yet the colour still suited his pale skin impeccably. The younger refrained from asking Yoongi whether he was secretly a mafia or assassin in fear for his life.

After a short period of contemplating not replying, Yoongi began slowly, “Hoseok wouldn’t shut up about wanting pizza. So I had to bring this-” He raised a white plastic bag, “-after work or else that idiot will come knocking at midnight.”

Jimin was afraid but couldn’t stop salivating at the sight of freshly-made pizza before him, barely listening to a word Yoongi uttered, the smell inviting and impossible to resist. He was no savage – but in hunger he could be. And Yoongi seemed to read his mind without trouble (probably because Jimin always wears his heart on his sleeve).

As Jimin’s stomach gave another growl, Yoongi rolled his eyes and sighed, “Here.” He deposited the bag into Jimin’s waiting hands, “Eat up.”

His gaze never leaving the box of pizza, Jimin asked, “A-are you sure?” He devoured it without care as soon as Yoongi gave a small nod.

As a financially restrained college student, Jimin has had his fair share of pizzas in life. But the cheesy, pepperoni filled slices he wolfed down then was beyond compare – a five star gourmet if you asked him.

Yoongi watched him quietly, slightly amazed by the way Jimin’s cheeks puffed like that of a hamster. When the younger patted the seat beside him, motioning for Yoongi to take a seat, it took only one glance at Yoongi’s frown to know that he was more than reluctant. He would’ve declined - rather not taint his last pair of clean jeans - but the puppy look Jimin gave was impossible to ignore.

Yoongi and his soft heart; Letting out a grunt, the blonde male plopped himself down.

 Silence thickened between the two boys, with only the rain and Jimin’s munching heard. “Don’t tell Hoseok-hyung,” Jimin finally grinned sheepishly, the corners of his mouth smudged with sauce, “If he finds out, I’ll never hear the end of it.”

“It was a reject,” Yoongi shrugged, “I dropped it while making a delivery. Didn’t want to waste so-” Pure horror washed over Jimin’s face, eliciting first a chuckle, then a laugh from the older male. “Just kidding.”

Yoongi’s laughter was soft, slightly bashful – like the moon hidden on a cloudy night, only letting others catch occasional glimpses of it if they searched hard enough. It was beautiful, albeit Jimin still being deadly afraid of him.

“Meanie,” The younger male muttered under his breath, lips forming a pout involuntarily while Yoongi gave another chuckle, before reaching into his pocket for a cigarette.

“You mind?” He asked.

Jimin blinked, “No, but smoking is prohibited on campus.”

“Right, forgot bout’ that annoying rule.” Yoongi murmured, “Been so long since I left school.”

“No one’s around anyways.” Jimin’s voice soft, “Though I must say, cigarettes are bad for you.”

Yoongi only smiled while lighting the stick of nicotine up, “Just one then.”

From the corner of his eyes, Jimin watched the puffs of smoke Yoongi exhaled while he nibbled on his pizza. The older male’s gaze was glued to the ground, as if he had much troubling him even though there were no apparent traces of worry displayed. There were, however, faint bruised circles beneath his eyes only visible up close. Nightmare marks. Jimin had seen those before.

“You-” Jimin started, accidentally biting his tongue in the process. “N-nothing.” He fell silent as soon as Yoongi faced him with a questioning look.

“Usually people hide the fact that they’re scared of me – or try at least.” The older male smirked, tilting his head in amusement, "But you're an open book."

“I-I’m not scared of you!”

Yoongi snorted, “Yeah, and unicorns are real too.”

“They may be…” Jimin quietly added.

Besides thanking Yoongi for saving his life, Jimin had wanted to repay his debt by lending a listening ear, but couldn’t. He was the worst possible candidate when it came to starting a casual conversation; let alone asking others about their personal problems. Yoongi seemed like the type that finds comfort in silence rather than words too.

So Jimin gathered what little courage he could muster, ignored the subtle look of surprise on Yoongi’s face, scooted closer till their shoulders were barely an inch apart and said nothing.

Yoongi did not move away.

……….

“No, no don’t worry.” Namjoon smiled despite fatigue washing over every vein and bone, “I’m fine.”

Over the speaker, Jin’s concerned voice could be heard ushering him to have a proper meal and rest after pulling three all-nighters. Namjoon just didn’t have the heart to tell him that piles of paperwork, financial reports and project proposals lay untouched on his desk; despite being cooped up in the office for days.

“Yes, I promise I’ll eat as soon as I’m done with this report.” Namjoon sighed. What would he give to have Jin by his side, even for a second? He hated having to cancel yet another date almost as much as he hated the disappointment embedded in Jin’s tone. “I love you too.”

After Jin unwillingly hung up, the young director rested his forehead against what little space was left on the table. The smooth, cold glass provided temporary relief to his growing headache.

“Here,” As gently as possible Lucy, his assistant, set a glass of water and some aspirin down; earning a mumble of thanks. “You have to take a break, young master.”

Namjoon sighed for the umpteenth time, “Not when there are dire problems to solve, I can’t.”

“There will always be problems to solve.” Lucy said while tidying his desk, extra careful to not topple the wobbly stacks of paper over. “But there is only one you. I do not wish for your health to worsen, young master. It was never excellent to begin with.”

“I’ll manage,” He offered a grateful smile, “Seems like I worry everyone these days. First Jin, and now you.”

Lucy paused to survey the look of frustration Namjoon had, before questioning. “Maybe Seokjin-shi wouldn’t need to worry if…you explained things to him?”

“I can’t.”

Most people had choices in life. Namjoon – and all who had the ill-fate of being born in his family – did not have that luxury.  At a young age, he was taught that everything came in the form of mutual benefit, that nothing was freely give – not even love. And sometimes lies, deception were necessary if it meant achieving a goal. Namjoon was thus no saint, he himself knew well.

The end justifies the means; his grandfather whispered by his ear every day.

“Young master,” She tried again after he avoided her gaze, “He will not judge you. You cannot keep hiding this part of your life from him.”

Namjoon turned to her composed, but his eyes wavered; frightened, “The world I live in is cruel, ugly. You of all people should know. I have done horrible things for the sake of my family. If he knows of my identity he'll...I don’t want Jin to hate me.”

“But-”

A knock brought their conversation to a halt, giving Namjoon just enough time to recollect himself before the doors opened. A well-dressed man ambled into his office with a frozen smile that was anything but friendly, accentuating the fine lines on his face. Not averting his gaze, Namjoon quickly motioned for Lucy to take her leave, rather not have her caught in the midst of their inevitable fight.

“Namjoon-shi,” The man greeted with a curt nod, not bothering to offer a handshake, “I hope I’m not disturbing your work.”

Namjoon simpered, “Of course not. To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Well I merely wanted to see if you’ve considered my business proposal.”

“I believe I made myself clear and rejected-” Namjoon fixed him a look; his sharp-jawed, stoic face icy cold, “-multiple times.”

The man was unfazed, sinking comfortably into a chair despite the heavy, choking atmosphere lingering between them both. “I was hoping you’d change your mind,” He smiled, “considering how it would benefit both our companies. Think of what good it’ll bring us. Even President Kim seems to agree-”

“Do not bring my grandfather into this.” Namjoon spat through gritted teeth, anger so apparently boiling that the man finally fell silent, the forced smile wiped into oblivion. “What he sees fit does not concern me or affect my decision.”

Both of them held each other’s gaze in a challenging manner as if waiting for one to break and admit defeat. It took all the willpower Namjoon (surprisingly) had to remain seated and not throw a punch instead. Unfortunately, he had to consider his position and the repercussions of assaulting an important business partner.

Still, it didn’t make it any easier for Namjoon to control his fury.

The older man’s lips eventually broke into a sly smile, “Very well.” He smoothed out the front of his suit, stood and slowly made his way to the doors.

“It seems you need more time to properly consider my offer after all. Never mind, take all the time you need, Namjoon-shi. I await your good news.”

Namjoon, remembering his status as the future heir and not an emotional teenager playing into the hands of an opponent, returned an equally hollow smile. “That won’t be necessary.” He said, voice a mixture of equal seriousness and threat.

“I will not marry your son.”

……….

“There are a few things you lot need to remember,” Hoseok warned the group after the initial excitement of gathering died down, “But first things first,” He smiled, rows of pearly teeth on display, “Welcome to the dance club.”

The walls of the practice room had all been covered with sparkly streamers and balloons, while a giant banner with the word “welcome” scribbled on hung across the ceiling. The stereos and equipment had been pushed to the right, while tables of food occupied the left side of the room, leaving an empty space in the center as the dance floor.

Jimin looked around and saw many new faces, shy but excited to be formally welcomed. They hosted a party for the newcomers every year, starting it off with a speech from the club leader (often involving tears given how the deliverer always got emotional), before Jackson somehow manages to sneak in liquor and gets everyone drunk.

“Here,” Hoseok surveyed their faces with a proud smile, “We all share a common passion, so no fighting will be tolerated. You wanna punch each other, take it outside. When you’re done you hug it out before you come back.”

By his side, Jimin heard Taehyung whisper lowly, “Hear that, Chim? That means no threatening to murder me as well.” Jimin merely rolled his eyes while his best friend continued to marvel over Hoseok giving his amazing speech.

“5000Won Hoseok-hyung cries like an ugly duck.” Came Jungkook's voice from his right, a sly smirk rendering his lips curved upwards.

“Excuse you,” Taehyung was baffled, “5000Won he doesn’t.”

“-and most importantly. We are a family.” Hoseok wiped an imaginary tear away as everyone applauded, thanking him for the inspiring speech (as well as for not bawling like he did last year).

“Pay up.”

“He cried a fake tear. Doesn’t count.” Jungkook retorted.

 “Well done, hyung.” Jimin ignored the duo’s banter, patting Hoseok on the shoulder once the party officially began. Jackson discreetly poured vodka into the cups of those who preferred something a tad bit stronger than orange juice, careful not to let Mark catch him in the act. His boyfriend would not be pleased if he did.

“Yeah, you did really well.” Taehyung gave a bashful smile, “I knew you would.”

Hoseok beamed at the compliment, “I wrote my speech ten pages long actually, but Jimin confiscated nine of them.”

“I burnt them.” Jimin said before hearing Jungkook’s muffled snort, “We would’ve fallen asleep by the time you’re done.”

Taehyung piped in, “I wouldn’t.”

“Only you, Tae.” Jimin gagged at the sight of both Hoseok and Taehyung blushing.

Over time, they seemed to have moved on from their awkward ‘are-we-friends-or-potentially-more’ stage to the ‘we-can-be-potentially-more’ phase, publicly displaying their growing affection. Sure it was sweet and cute, but an absolute nightmare for Jimin to witness. Jungkook, on the other hand, was beyond amused and way more enthusiastic about their relationship than Jimin was.

They were soon joined by Mingyu and Jeonghan, along with a few new faces Jimin didn’t recognize. The group began chatting about music, dance routines for the upcoming exhibition but Jimin barely caught up with the conversation. He was busy sipping on his drink (which Jackson insists needed a boost of vodka), speaking only when spoken to.

“Go easy on your drink, Jimin.” Jungkook teased softly, “Won’t want you passing out before ten.”

Jimin scoffed, “I won’t. And it’s hyung to you, you brat.”

“If you say so, hyung.” The younger couldn’t resist cooing at Jimin’s frown – a failed attempt to exercise superiority. Jimin looked away, grateful that the dim lights shielded Jungkook from his blush.

It was halfway through the night when Jimin finally noticed how badly the pounding in his head was gradually becoming. Taehyung, feeling tipsy and excited, had dragged him to the dance floor after ignoring the whines of protest Jimin gave.

With the EDM blasting, lights dimmed and color changing bulbs illuminating the room from the fixtures above, one might think they were in an underground club. It was a miracle no one came barging in to file a noise complaint. But that was the perks of having a party in a soundproofed room, in the middle of the night, Jimin supposed.

“Come on, Chim.” Taehyung pulled him closer, loosely hugging him by the waist, “Have some fun. I’m making a fool of myself for you.”

Jimin chuckled, “As if you don’t every single day.”

“Touche.”

They danced to multiple songs with Taehyung flaunting weird, exaggerated moves that rendered Jimin laughing till tears pooled in his eyes. Gradually, Jimin abandoned all restraint and began dancing freely; his body flowed with the rhythm without a care for the stares people threw his way. More people began flooding the dance floor and Jimin would normally be a little nervous about having bodies pressing in on him. But evidently the alcohol was leaving him bolder than usual.

When someone else took over the DJ and played a slow song, Jimin vaguely noticed the absence of Taehyung before looking around in search for him. His blurry vision caught sight of his best friend and Hoseok dancing together. Their bodies were practically pressed flush against one another. Albeit the couple being a little hesitant and shy with their movements, the smile on both their faces showed just how much they enjoyed themselves.

A satisfied smile emerged on Jimin’s face.

Deeming himself having enough fun, the woozy lad decided to leave them be and retreat to a darkened corner. The throbbing in his head was too strong to ignore any longer. But before he could push through the few couples that remained slow dancing, he felt a pang of pain that left him momentarily dizzy and tipping backwards. Jimin would’ve definitely fallen if it weren’t for the strong frame behind that caught and kept him upright.

“I warned you,” Jimin looked up in time to see Jungkook sigh, “Come on. Let’s get you home.”

Jimin couldn’t resist giggling, “I don’t wanna go home. Dance with me, kookie?” Jungkook quirked his brow at the nickname, but let it slide seeing how Jimin was neither aware nor sober. But it did, to his surprise, sound right and warm coming from the older male.

“You’re so gonna regret it tomorrow morning when you wake up with a massive hangover.”

“Please?”

“…”

“Kookie?”

“One dance,” Jungkook sighed with a defeated smile, hesitantly reaching forward to wrap his arms around Jimin’s waist the exact moment Jimin excitedly reached for his shoulders. They swayed to the slow, jazzy music, careful not to bump into others. Jimin may have saw Taehyung squinting in their direction, but he was far too tipsy to be sure; or care.

“Don’t throw up on me,” Jimin heard him murmur, tone strict yet teasing. He didn’t need to look to know Jungkook had a wide grin on; could picture it crystal clear in his mind after knowing the younger this long.

They had grown much closer now that Jimin finally got over the initial embarrassment of their first meeting – Jungkook agreed not to bring the incident up again – to the point where Jimin considered him a good friend. Jungkook often sought him out for advice, staying behind to practice together in order to fix the tiniest mistakes. With his fervent desire to make fun of Jimin’s height, Jungkook reminded him of his brother living back in Busan.

Perhaps that explained why Jimin couldn’t help but fret and want to care for him.

“You’re really tall, Kookie.” The older male blurted, burying his face into Jungkook’s torso and felt the younger freeze from the sudden motion. “Why are you so tall?” Jungkook would’ve never let the opportunity to make fun of Jimin go, if it weren’t for the fact that the latter clung onto him so tightly he was beginning to suffocate.

“Thanks,” Jungkook gave a choked chuckle, “Suppose I got it from my Dad.”

Jimin hummed; satisfied with the comfy position they were in. “You must love your dad a lot then.”

“I did.”

Did. Why the past tense?

The brief, forced reply brought Jimin a small wave of concern as he was given the front row seat to a frowning Jungkook. Jimin reached up on his tippy toes to rub his forehead, attempting to rid the frown away and pouting like a child when it didn’t work.

But eventually it did make the younger laugh at his behavior, amused by how adorable and stubborn Jimin became after consuming alcohol. Thankfully, the song ended just before Jimin fell asleep in Jungkook’s hold, “Alright,” He sighed, supporting most of Jimin’s weight once his legs gave out. “Time for bed, baby-hyung.”

“Mmmkay, Kookie.”

Despite being intoxicated and a toe away from entering dreamland, still Jimin noticed Jungkook’s peculiar, unreadable expression lingering ever since his father had been mentioned. He pondered over the possible reasons but soon gave up.

The desire for sleep triumphed over his curiosity.

Notes:

I don't know why but I'm feeling exceptionally happy now ^^ Mainly because I didn't think I would ever write a fic 40k+ words long omggg T.T
I just wanna give a big bear hug to those who continuously encourage and support my writing, despite me not being the best and still improving. THANK YOU & I LOVE YOU ALL VERY BERRY MUCH <3

P.S : Sorry Joonie I promise you'll get your happy ending just hang on