“Jungkookie,” Jimin called, his gaze fixed solely on the maknae who was fixated on his phone. Jungkook glanced up and drew back.

“What?”

“I like you too much, Jungkookie.”

“Hyung?”

“Ah, you called me hyung. My heart,” Jimin clenched his shirt and fell over onto Jungkook’s lap.

“Stop being weird and go bug someone else,” he sighed, “I’m trying to play a game.”

“But I love you.”

“And I love beating Yoongi hyung’s high scores.”

“Fine,” Jimin got up and walked out of the room, leaving Jungkook to unsuccessfully attempt to beat Yoongi’s score. It wasn’t going to happen; he didn’t know why he was even trying.

Unsure of what to do, Jimin went to the bedroom and laid down on his bed. He wasn’t lonely and he didn’t want to bug anyone else – he wanted to spend time with Jungkook. The others were great. If it was just a matter of him not wanting to be bored anymore, he could have gone to Taehyung or Hoseok or even Seokjin. He could have gone to anyone but he didn’t.

It made him miserable. Jungkook always rejected him like this; he made it cold and obvious, like frostbite, so that even the slightest warmth from him burned the skin. There was no comfort. That was just how their relationship was, though; even if it was masochistic, Jimin liked it because he liked loving Jungkook. He liked the pounding in his chest when Jungkook called him “hyung”. He liked the burning in his cheeks when he complimented him. He liked the lingering of Jungkook’s touch on his skin; it was warm like ashes after the fire. He liked Jungkook, who could only love him silently and secretly, and that made him feel miserable.

The ceiling distracted him with whispers and silent images of everything Jimin wanted out of love. He could hear everything he had ever thought about the perfect relationship – the perfect love story. It sounded like a fairy tale that would never come true because Jungkook would never treat him the way he wished for and Jimin could never settle for anyone else. Truthfully, Jimin knew that he was a hopeless romantic and too idealistic. That had occurred to him a while ago and every day since had just been a weak attempt to cope with the fact that he was willing to settle for a different story, so long as it was with Jungkook. If he was with him, any story was fine, even this one that left his heart sick enough to die.

Rejection had left Jimin exhausted. He turned to face the wall and fell asleep with its plain white colour etched into his mind.

Jimin remained asleep for a few hours until a soft noise caused him to stir. His hand reached for the phone he had set on the edge of the bed. It was a text from Jungkook, asking him to head to the practice room as soon as possible. For a second, Jimin was afraid that he was missing dance practice but he suddenly remembered that they didn’t have any scheduled until tomorrow afternoon. The request confused Jimin, especially in the state he was in now. They didn’t have anything to do, why was Jungkook asking to meet with him? It didn’t matter. Jimin pulled a hoodie on – partly because of the cold and partially because his hair was a mess – and informed Jungkook that he was on his way.

Curiosity haunted Jimin the whole way there. Everyone else was still in the dorm when he left so it wasn’t a spur of the moment practice. Perhaps Jungkook wanted to work on a special dance just with him. Maybe Jungkook was having trouble with something and needed his help. He didn’t know but the more he thought about it, the less he cared; Jungkook asked to see him. For a short while, Jimin would have Jungkook all to himself.

That curiosity only became stronger when he stepped into a pitch black practice room. Jimin frowned, “Jungkook, I swear if you jump out at me, I’ll scream.”

Jimin heard a quiet clicking sound. Within seconds, hundreds of lights lit up the floor. Strands of bulbs ran from a power socket all around the perimeter of the room; it was just enough to give the room a soft glow. In the middle of the room, Jungkook stood with his hands behind his back. Jimin gave him a strange look. He shut the door behind him and walked up to Jungkook.

“What are you doing?” Jimin asked. Jungkook pulled out a remote and pressed play. A sweet melody began to play. Jimin recognized the song as Eddy Kim’s “Slow Dance”.

“I’m sorry Jimin hyung. I know I’m not always very nice so I wanted to make it up to you,” Jungkook leaned in and kissed Jimin’s forehead.

“Jungkookie,” Jimin whispered.

“I can’t do much in terms of loving you. I don’t know what to do.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I don’t know how to make you happy all the time. I wish I did but I don’t. This is all I know to do. I just want to make you smile every day.”

“Jungkookie,” Jimin bit his lip, he realized what this was. It was exactly what it sounded like – a confession.

“I like you too much to not try to make you feel loved. So I guess I’m asking this: shall we slow dance?” Jimin was right; in his own, uncertain way, this was Jungkook’s confession.