Call Me "Oppa"

It may be his birthday today but Jeon Jungkook, Bangtan Sonyeondan’s maknae, could just not feel the occasion in his bones. The only thing connecting him to his special day is probably just the greetings and presents he received from his hyungs in the midnight of the first day of September. He had to admit. He was touched seeing them all smiles and giggles despite the fact that they’re undoubtedly dead tired inside after a whole day of practicing their dance routine for their upcoming comeback on the third week of the month. That’s one of the reasons why he loves them- they treat him as family, as someone dear and close to their hearts even with his constant savage ways toward them. They never fail to give him the love and care he lack from his parents after living away from them at such a young age.

“You okay?” Hoseok asked as he approached the younger lad and offered him a towel before sitting cross-legged beside him, his back leaned against the white wall of their company’s dance studio.

“If by okay you mean on the verge of passing out, then yes. I’m okay.”

Hoseok chuckled at the witty remark he received and patted the boy, now turned man, on the shoulder. “Don’t overwork yourself. It’s your special day today.”

Jungkook heaved a deep sigh as he straightened his legs out in front of him and gently massaged his thighs that are aching from the long hours of continuous dancing. “We’re only hours into the day and I already want to head back to the dorm and lie down on my bed, never to get up again.”

“I feel you.”

The two shared amused looks before they focused their attention toward the door where two of the group’s members, Jin and Taehyung, just came in, bottles of water in their hands.

“Who wants to hear my new dad joke?” the eldest of the four exclaimed with his right hand raised and his eyebrows wriggling at the others who only gave him a deadpanned look.

“We’re too tired to deal with your lame jokes, hyung,” Jungkook said as he slumped his form, sliding slowly against the wall.

“If Suga-hyung were here, trying to take a nap, he’d probably stick a piece of duct tape over your mouth,” Taehyung added, making his way over to the two figures, sitting on the floor, clearly exhausted.

“Well, it’s a good thing he found the convenience to stay in his studio instead,” Jin replied while throwing the bottle of water over to Jungkook who successfully caught it with one hand. “…So, who wants to hear the joke?”

“Not today, hyung. Not today,” Hoseok joined in on the conversation, creating a bright pun of their song which earned grins from the other two beside him while Jin could only form his lips into a thin line, not really entertained by the fact that Hoseok made the other boys smile way before he could.

*****

“And 4, 3, 2, 1…bam!”

“Alright! Well done, guys! That was awesome!” Hoseok cheered on the other six members, patting each on the back, as they wrapped up the morning with the last round of doing their new song’s dance routine.

Everyone started dispersing from the final pose and began pampering their worn-out selves either by wiping sweats of their body or gulping hefty amounts of water.

Namjoon, nonetheless, decided to voice out the sudden idea in his head so he stood at the middle of the room and began addressing the members, “Who’s up for some jjajangmyeon?”

“I’m up for anything as long as its food,” Jin answered as he continued fanning himself using the fabric of his pink sweater, the one he just recently changed into but is now, unfortunately, full of sweat after the efforts he put into his dancing.

“Let’s order tangsuyuk, too!” the alien of the group, Taehyung, added while he busied himself with trying to get a pencil (who knows where he got it from) to stand straight up on the floor.

“And it’ll all be on Jungkook, our birthday boy,” Suga, the usually reserved one butted in, suddenly pulling Jungkook, on his side, by the shoulders, causing the said boy to stumble a bit forward despite the difference in their sizes.

“Who said I’m treating you guys?” Jungkook teasingly replied at his hyung who attacked him with hasty efforts of a tickle. Regrettably, with Suga’s smaller and undoubtedly weaker form compared to the younger boy, he ended up being the one at a disadvantage which resulted in him getting carried on the back.

“Put me down or I’m going to reveal your secret!”

All inside the room went perfectly still when they heard the shout given by Suga who was perfectly tucked into place on the back of Jungkook. Neither of them knew what he was talking about but all actually grew curious because as far as they’re concerned, Jungkook never had anything he kept as a secret from the group. That is why hearing that statement shook them and it’s also more intriguing for them because of the fact that out of all the members, it was Suga who knew about it…Suga, the mostly uninterested one.

“Secret?” It was Jimin who reacted first and he directed his gaze at the maknae, giving him an inquisitive look with a hint of a frown. He was actually expecting himself to be Jungkook’s closest among the six of them but as sad as it may seem, it turned out he was wrong.

“What secret?” Taehyung also asked, as he too thought of himself as the member Jungkook could easily open up to.

“What secret?” Jungkook repeated the words, addressing Suga whom he now placed back on the floor.

“Don’t play dumb. I saw you…”

As if in a blink of an eye, Suga found himself completely shut up by Jungkook’s hand over his mouth and he couldn’t help but smirk. He knew Jungkook was bound to keep him shut anyway. He just wanted to see how the maknae would react if he ever brings up the topic he dreaded the most. And truthfully, he was not disappointed with the flustered reaction Jungkook was giving him.

“Saw him what?” Namjoon spoke, prying Suga to continue, as his curiosity only rose after seeing how Jungkook badly wanted to keep whatever secret it is as a secret. “Jungkook, what are you not telling us?”

Jungkook, furiously blushing and unable to answer properly, vigorously shook his head. “Nothing. He saw nothing.”

The others narrowed their eyes, unconvinced of the maknae’s horrible lying skills. He was obviously hiding something from them and his face alone is telling it all, not to mention the beads of sweat trickling down his forehead and the way his hands were fidgeting on his sides.

“You at lying,” Jimin commented as he slowly approached the two with Jungkook backing away until he bumped himself on the edge of a table, now cornered.

“Yeah. You want me to tell you the truth?” Suga intervened, proudly raising his hand to catch Jimin’s attention.

“Hyung!”

He gave Jungkook an evil smirk as he wriggled his eyebrows. “I’ll keep my mouth shut if you agree to pay for our lunch food.”

Jungkook scanned the reactions of the other members and he could tell they somehow forgot the secret his hyung was talking about as soon as they heard the mention of food- the one thing they badly needed as of the moment. They gave him approving looks and Jungkook could only sigh. If it meant keeping what he had with Suga as a secret, then his money might just as well be worth it.

*****

“Man, I’m full!” Taehyung uttered as he rubbed his now full stomach while he laid flat on the floor of the studio after finishing the last of his bowl of jjajangmyeon, courtesy of Jungkook.

“I feel rejuvenated and hyped,” Hoseok agreed while he began dancing frantically like some crazy chicken.

“And you owe it all to me,” Suga intervened while he picked his tooth with a toothpick, giving a smug look at the others.

“Yeah. Thanks, bud,” Jin said, patting Suga by the shoulders before turning his attention to the one member who seemed out of their world as he busied himself with the phone in his hands. “What’s up with him?” he asked the others while casting a glance at Jungkook, huddled in one corner of the room.

“He’s probably just checking A.R.M.Y.’s greetings,” Namjoon answered to which the others, except Suga, accepted as the likely sensible answer.

“Pshh…if I know better, he’s really just messaging her,” Suga muttered under his breath, low enough so that the five could not hear him. He’d be dead if Jungkook finds out the others knew his secret by accident. Well, he’s not actually going to kill him. That would be too brutal and illegal. He’s just probably going to hide his Kumamon collection and God knows how good Jungkook is at taking revenges. It might just actually equate with the end of the world for him.

*****

“Jungkook!”

The newly-turned 21-year-old lad looked up from staring at his phone to meet the gaze of Hoseok. It was about time they begin practicing once more and he knew all too well his hyung is always so strict when it comes to practice time. He sighed lowly before rising from the floor, carefully placing his phone aside in the process.

“Jungkook!” Hoseok called for the second time which alerted the younger male. He rushed to his position within seconds, just in time when the music began to play and the first beat of their song reached his ears. However, as he started to dance, the only thing occupying his mind is the worry of not being able to send even a single reply for probably at least an hour or two.

*****

“What’s the matter?” the leader asked her co-member with worry in her tone as she actually took notice of the way the girl was frowning while staring at her phone. It was quite evident something was bothering her. The girl rarely frowns like that and as the group’s leader and as her unnie as well, she took it as a responsibility to relieve the girl of her burden.

“Yuju? What’s wrong?” Sowon asked again as she gently placed a hand over the said girl’s shoulder.

Choi Yuna or Yuju as the members now call her, flinched, only realizing the presence of Sowon at the moment.

“Huh?” she responded to the question with her own, completely oblivious to what the older girl was talking about seconds before.

“I was asking you if anything’s wrong. You seem a little down.”

Yuju casted a glance at her phone, hoping for the final time for any sign of a reply. Unfortunately for her, there was no way that was going to happen. Instead, she looked at Sowon who was sitting beside her and gave a weak and yet sincere smile. “I’m fine. You don’t have to worry.”

The leader nodded albeit she wasn’t entirely convinced of the girl’s reply. She decided not to pry too much though. Yuju knew how to respect her privacy whenever the time comes so she might as well do the same for her.

Silence passed before the girls as neither uttered a word. Sowon simply stared ahead, not really focusing on anything but is rather gazing blankly toward the other end of the dance studio they were in. Yuju, on the other hand, remained fidgety in her seat as she glanced at her phone almost every five seconds to check for any new messages. She almost leaped when her phone vibrated and no longer than a second, she was up on her feet, phone in hand while she read the newly-received text.

Congratulations, it said and she knew already that it wasn’t the text she was expecting. She took in a deep breath and slumped back to the ground.

“You know, your face really doesn’t say you’re fine,” Sowon spoke as she now returned her attention to the frustrated girl by her side.

“Unnie…” Yuju began. Sowon shifted a bit closer to tell the girl her ears were with her and she smiled. “…Do you ever get that feeling like you want to say something yet you can’t because you know you don’t have the right to do so?”

A questioning look made its way to Sowon’s face. It was the first time she was hearing her co-member mention anything like this because the last time she checked, Yuju wasn’t really one for sharing her feelings with the others so easily let alone be this emotional. So, why now?

“Can you be more specific with that?”

Yuju’s mouth formed a thin line as she concentrated on how she should put her thoughts into words. Sowon, being the understanding and patient leader that they know her to be, silently sat still, waiting for the other girl to organize what she wanted to say properly at first before speaking up. Being rash could possibly cause some misunderstandings between them and they both knew that well enough through that experience they shared in the past- one Sowon doesn’t want to remember or think about anymore.

“How do I put it?” Yuju mumbled, her brows almost meeting as she continued thinking hard to which the older girl completely understood since opening up feelings and thoughts to someone after not getting used to it could be quite a difficult task. Although she can’t say she has once felt the same way as Yuju since she basically doesn’t know the entire thing the girl is going through, she could at least say that she can somehow relate to what she was talking about because there has been a time in her life where she, too, felt that kind of dilemma- the uncertainty of voicing out when you know you’re not in the right position to be doing such a thing.

“You don’t have to tell me now if you can’t.”

Yuju gazed at her unnie who was now grinning at her genuinely. Seeing how assuring Sowon looked somehow lightened up her mood, causing a small smile to form on her lips. “I just feel so frustrated and I’m not even sure why.”

“It’s okay. You’ll realize it soon enough.”

Sowon patted Yuju once more before she stood up and offered a hand for the girl to take.

“Thanks, unnie.”

*****

“I feel like a walking dead person,” Jin complained while he massaged the sore muscles on his arm. They have just finished the last round of their practice and have now decided to call it a day. It was already past eleven in the evening and everyone was getting ready to leave, eager to return back to the dorm, take a warm shower, and feel the comforts of their beds. However, one wasn’t exactly keen on doing those things as of the moment for his mind was occupied by something else.

Jungkook hurriedly packed his stuffs into his backpack which earned him a few unusual glances from his hyungs. They don’t know what’s up with their maknae as to why he looked so rushed like he’s late for something. Although they really didn’t talk to each other, the six thought the same. They knew not to ask the youngest anymore though, giving him the privacy he needed.

“Is it okay if I leave first? I need to go somewhere,” Jungkook asked Namjoon, who’s held responsible for their overall welfare, as the leader of the group.

“Sure,” he answered almost hesitantly. He didn’t know where Jungkook was going nor what he was planning to do but he reckoned that the lad was old enough to take care of himself. He was no longer the little boy they had to constantly watch over. He was a man now and whatever business he’s having is his alone. They can ask him about it once he’s ready to tell.

“Don’t be home so late,” Jin added before Jungkook could completely make his way out of the door.

The maknae looked at them one last time, grinning despite the tired look on his face. “Yes, mom!”

*****

Yuju tightened the jacket around her form as another gust of cold evening wind came sweeping through the park where she was currently staying. She rubbed her hands together for some heat while blowing warm air to them.

It was almost midnight and she wondered why she still even decided to wait this long. It wasn’t like what she had was really something important. She just knew she needed to do it personally and on time and seconds were ticking by fast with the person she was waiting for still not in sight.

“Ten minutes more,” she mumbled while looking at her wristwatch. A huge sigh escaped her lips after. The other members might be worried about her now but they do know where she is and she made sure to tell them to check on her when one o’clock comes and she still isn’t home. Also, their dorm is just a walking distance away from her location. It isn’t such an inconvenience on her part, contrary to the person she is meeting who probably needs a cab to come and see her.

She felt a bit guilty choosing the park nearby their dorm as a meeting place but at the same time, she knew it was the safest location where prying eyes aren’t around the place. She knew this park is mainly isolated at night and it puts her…them…at an advantage even though they do have nothing to be afraid of. Friends can meet with each other anytime, right? There really isn’t nothing wrong with that.

Unless you’re idols…

“Sorry, I’m late.”

Yuju looked up from her seat and was met with the figure of the person she was just thinking about. His hair was somewhat disheveled which means to tell that he probably ran all the way to the park from the taxis’ drop-off area. Trickles of sweat also showed on his neck, one she sees to be quite hot although she won’t say and admit that out loud.

“It’s okay.”

“Did you wait long?” The lad asked while he took a seat beside Yuju on the bench, his face hinting a bit of guilt knowing well the answer to his own question.

“Not really. Don’t worry about it,” she replied before giving him a smile. “I don’t have much to do back at the dorm anyway.”

He merely nodded, not really convinced with her answer but either way, he decided to accept what she had to say.

“So…” Yuju began, almost in a whisper. A small blush was slowly becoming visible on her pale face as she toyed with her fingers.

“So?”

She gently bit her lips before turning slightly sideward to face the boy beside her who was highly anticipating her next words.

“Happy birthday,” she said before looking away, somewhat embarrassed.

The lad let out a hearty chuckle at Yuju’s awkwardness before he placed a hand on her head, ruffling it lightly, which caused her to gaze back at him, their eyes finally meeting.

He smiled at her with his trademark bunny teeth showing and she bit the insides of her cheek.

“Thank you.”

The hot sensation on her face intensified as she felt it and she quietly thanked the Heavens that it was dark enough for her companion to not see the redness evident on her face.

“I…I left your gift back at the dorm though.”

He chuckled once more before showing off his bunny teeth even more in a large smile. “You don’t really have to get me one. It’s more memorable for you to just be here. Knowing how hard you’re probably working for your comeback as well, you, sparing time to greet me personally, is more than enough.”

Yuju was at loss for words at the boy’s statement. She didn’t know what to reply then. She was confused whether she should renounce his idea or whether to be grateful for it. Her mind wasn’t cooperating with her anymore and she blames it on the fact that her heart, which fuels her thoughts, has begun skipping beats as she gazed at the fine-looking boy before her.

“I’ll give it to you the next time we meet. I’m sorry for calling you out this late when I didn’t even have something to offer as a present.”

He shook his head at her before moving to hold her hands in his, sharing the warmth of his fingers to her cold ones. He could tell she was slightly taken aback by the sudden action but she handled it well. She gave him an encouraging smile and he knew then that what he was doing wasn’t, in any way, taken as an offense, knowing their culture of men properly respecting girls and such. They are friends so it isn’t much of a problem if they hold hands, right?

“You know what?” he started to speak up which earned him a curious look from Yuju. “If you’re really that guilty, there is one thing you could do to make up for it.”

“And what is that?” she asked although a bit skeptical. She knew the boy had a habit of making fun of her whenever he finds the right opportunities. That’s why trusting what he’s about to suggest is quite difficult for her.

He grinned at her with mischief and wriggled his brows up and down. “Greet me again but this time, you have to call me oppa.”

“What?! We’re just a bit over a month in . Besides, going by the Korean way, we’re basically of the same age,” Yuju now complained, words slowly going back to her as she felt herself getting pumped up at his silly request.

“C’mon. It’s just for fun. I just wanted to hear it from you. Please.” He gave her the cutesy eyes they both know she can’t resistant and she could only inwardly groan before agreeing to his idea, giving in to him with the reason that it is still his birthday for there is still three minutes left before midnight comes.

“Fine but I’m doing it only once. Don’t ask me to repeat.”

“Should I record it then?”

She hit him lightly on the arm before they both found themselves grinning from ear to ear. Their eyes were directly locked to each other once more as they stared and Yuju felt her breath hitch. The way he was looking at her was something she couldn’t explain and yet it felt so good to see. It was like he was trying to tell her something from his gaze, something she couldn’t quite decipher yet her gut feeling is oddly telling her that it’s something she’d be glad to know about. Why does she think that way? She doesn’t have an idea either. She just really feels like that thing he was trying to reach out to her is worth smiling for.

“Happy birthday, Jungkook-oppa,” she muttered in a low and timid voice although it was still loud enough for the other to hear.

His grin turned into an endearing smile when the words he asked reached his ears. Somehow, he felt like all the exhaustion in his body after a whole day of practice left him and was replaced with nothing but a soothing kind of warmth. He felt energized and giddy all of a sudden that he wanted to jump in the air. He felt, as strange as it may sound, that strong emotion wherein he knew right there and then that his birthday this year has officially been completed.

Yuju watched in content the reaction of the boy…er, man…in front of her. It was amusing for her how easily excited and thrilled he got just by being called an oppa. She wonders what’s so good there is in that for him. Many are wanting to be considered younger than their real age and then there’s Jungkook, desperate to be called an oppa.

“Thanks, Yuna-ah,” Jungkook finally replied to which Yuju just responded with a satisfied nod. It’s actually also great to hear how he used her real name in addressing her. The people around her most of the time rarely use it nowadays for they grew to love calling her by her stage name. That’s why hearing her being called ‘Yuna’ felt like music to her ears. It reminds her that despite the idol life she is now living, she’s still the same old Yuna from before.

She smiled affectionately at Jungkook and held his hands tighter, only noticing the fact that they have been holding hands all this time. “You’re always welcome,” she said before whispering in the end, “…oppa.”

Happy birthday, Jeon Jungkook! :)