TEXT MESSAGES

Hoseok: Jimin

Jimin: Yeah, Hoseok hyung?

Hoseok: Get your leg ready, because you’ll be in the Flying Monkeys’ main choreography

Jungkook falls out of the bed at the sound of Jimin screaming and hopping on one leg, because the other night, Jungkook threw it somewhere randomly.

“Shut up, Jimin!” Taehyung screams from the room next door. “I’m still moping over the fact that I’m not gay!”

“Mark taught me the dance during today’s practice, Kookie,” says Jimin, eyes crinkling like little moons shining in the night sky. He’s on his crutches while Jungkook cradles his artificial leg, because Jimin gave it his all during practice and applied too much pressure on his artificial leg. The looks people gave them was priceless. Shock. Amusement. Curiousity if it’s an actual artificial leg. It all made Jimin and Jungkook chuckle and make a note to walk home like this again.

“I know. I was there. I’m part of the team, hyung.”

“You should have seen me. I was able to keep up with Mark, and Yixing told me that I was even better than Mark.” Jimin attempts to do the dance steps on his crutches. One of his crutches hits Jungkook’s ankle, and in playful revenge, Jungkook gently smacks Jimin with the artificial leg.

“I did see you. I was there. I’m part of the team, hyung.”

“You should’ve seen Hoseok. He was watching me, and he seemed so proud.”

“I saw him. I was there. I’m part of-”

Jimin stops and abruptly moves in front of Jungkook.

“Hyung,” says Jungkook, almost bumping into his loveable boyfriend. “I could have injured you.”

“Jungkook,” says Jimin less enthusiastically, “Is that your hyung?” Jimin points at a man standing in front of Yoongi’s apartment, wearing faded, ripped denim jeans and a guitar case stationed next to him.

Yoongi’s apartment smells of liquor and cigarettes. It normally smells this way when Yoongi would lock himself up in his room to create music. He doesn’t drink nor smoke. Not since beers and cigarettes almost resulted to him laying in a hospital bed, dead. The smell reminds him of his darkest days, thus, motivating him to work harder. But Jungkook changes the story a tiny bit, eliminating a few parts, so that Yonghwa wouldn’t be concerned that his baby brother might be rooming with an addict.

Jimin comes out of the kitchen, back facing first, before he turns around, revealing an array of snacks in his arms. He drops them on the coffee table and excuses himself, retreating to Jungkook’s studio/bedroom.

When the group first entered the apartment, Jimin and Yonghwa chatted about CNBlue’s return to Korea for a short break and the possibility of a Korean debut.

“Our Japanese label is scared that once we debut in Korea, we’ll want to stay in Korea forever.”

“Ah. That’s a shame, hyung. South Korea would’ve burst with excitement at a CNBlue Korean debut. It would have been like the World Cups.” Jimin nudges Yonghwa, grinning, causing the hyung to beam at the boy’s cuteness.

“That must be Jimin. Your friend,” says Yonghwa happily, ripping a bag of Korean chips open and popping one in his mouth. Damn, he misses Korean snacks.

“Boyfriend, actually.” corrects Jungkook. “We’ve been dating for about four or five months now.”

Surprised, Yonghwa chokes on a chip and struggles to swallow it down. Gasping, he grabs for a bottled water that he fetched beforehand.

Controlling his facial expressions, he says, “My baby brother is growing up.” Yonghwa blushes at the thought of his brother’s romance.

Their conversation turns strange when Yonghwa begins imitating famous Japanese actors and rock singers. Jungkook’s laughing, and he’s about to roll on the floor, clenching his stomach, when Yonghwa bangs his head in the midst of head banging. As Yonghwa rubs the sore spot, Jungkook thinks to himself of the amount of times  he’s been dreaming of this moment. Back when his hyung left, Jungkook would sit by the window panel, watching either the raindrops falling or the sun rays pooling in, imagining himself telling his hyung about high school, meeting Jimin, and possibly falling in love. Yet, at this very moment, when all his dreams are becoming a reality, the words are stuck in his throat, and all he can do is eat the food given by Jimin.

“What’s your college major?” asks Yonghwa. He expects to hear something that involves science and math and basically what their parents would want to hear. He did not expect to hear: Art. Yonghwa’s eyes widen. “Wow. Art. I didn’t think umma and appa would let you pursue art.”

“They didn’t. I left home after a month of dating Jimin,” says Jungkook, grimacing.

Yonghwa opens his mouth but he closes it to rethink, biting on the inside of his cheek. A Taeyang song can be heard from the room. As well as Jimin’s singing. “Appa and umma didn’t approve of either one, I’m assuming,” says Yonghwa, smiling, because Jimin is a damn good singer.

“Jiminie confronted them, and they threatened to send me off to Seoul. I didn’t want to leave him.”

The playfulness in Yonghwa’s eyes disappear when he realizes that Jimin isn’t just a damn good singer. He’s a damn good person. Someone who can take care of Jungkook.

“Then you probably will say no to my offer.”

“Your offer?”

“Come live with me. In Japan.”

“Japan, wow.” Jimin falls silent after listening to Jungkook.

“Yeah. He told me that he’s making tons of money from the band and royalties. So now, he can take care of me and provide a good quality education in Japan. The language barrier won’t be problematic, because I’ve been studying Japanese since he left. Just in case.”

“Your hyung comes back after years of being gone from your life,” states Jimin, and Jungkook nods. Base on the statement, Jungkook predicts that Jimin will tell him to stay and decline his brother’s proposition. Yonghwa’s been absent from his life; and yes, he knows that Yonghwa left for a good reason, but he still left Jungkook and hardly contacted him. It’s best for him to decline. Jungkook starts saying that he’ll call Yonghwa and explain his decision until he hears Jimin: “You should go live with your hyung.”

“What?”

“Your hyung’s been gone for years. Life is short, Jungkook, and you don’t want to have any regrets.” Jimin rubs circles on Jungkook’s back, caressing him. “What if this is your one last chance to reconnect with Yonghwa hyung. You’ll probably regret that.” Jimin doesn't want Jungkook to leave him and fly to another country. He wishes he could tell him to stay, but deep down, Jimin knows that Jungkook wants to reconnect with his hyung.

“What if this is our one last chance to be together? What if one of us dies or finds someone else?” Jungkook grabs Jimin’s shoulders and stares directly at him, begging him to change his mind.

“Jungkook,” Jimin peels the younger male’s hands off him to hold them in his own. He takes his cap off and runs a hand through his hair. Strands of his hair awkwardly stands up. “We’ve only been dating for a short amount of time-”

“I’ve been in love with you for years,” cries Jungkook.

“Then,” Jimin softly says, “if we’re meant to be, then we’ll find each other again, and yeah. What if one of us dies? What if Yonghwa hyung dies? He’s older than us, so he’s more likely to die before us.”

“I don’t want to leave you,” croaks Jungkook. The thought of leaving Jimin is too much for him.

“Then don’t. Don’t leave if you don’t want to, but I know there’s somewhere inside of you that’s wishing you could live with Yonghwa hyung.” Jimin wipes a tear from Jungkook’s eye. “Your hyung is your hyung. He’s the last of your family.”

A week goes by, and Jungkook doesn’t attend any dance practices. The new members bombard Jimin with questions of where is he, is he okay, is he in trouble, and did you guys break up. When Hoseok shoos the kiddos away and asks, Jimin tells him that his boyfriend is with his brother.

“Yonghwa hyung is back?” asks Hoseok. He wonders why Jimin doesn’t seem excited.

“Yeah, for a short break,” replies Jimin.

“Then, tell Jungkook that he can take his time with his hyung.”

Hoseok doesn't understand the impact of his words. Later on, Jimin commits seven to eight mistakes during the choreography, and Hoseok’s positive that something’s wrong.

The gang, excluding Jungkook, gathers at Namjoon and Seokjin’s apartment as demanded by Hoseok. They’re sitting around at the kitchen table; Seokjin whipping up a meal. Hoseok reasons that Jimin messing up is somehow connected to Jungkook’s absences, and that something must be wrong.

“Guys-” Jimin waves off “-nothing is wrong. Jungkook and I are happy in our relationship.”

Taehyung touches his shoulder. “But you look so tired.”

“It’s nothing.” Jimin leans forward, hands crossing. “It’s nothing. Jungkook’s brother is back. That accounts for a celebration, right. Yonghwa hyung’s back is a happy event.” Jimin tries to maintain a straight face, but he fails when Taehyung rubs circles in the back of his palm, just as he and Jungkook had done for each other. He breaks down, confessing, “I don’t want him to leave for Japan.” And everyone understands. “But it’s his hyung. His hyung that he hadn’t seen in years. He should see him, right? Right?!”

Jungkook is finishing up his latest sketch, a drawing of Jimin's sleeping face, when there's a knock on the door, and incomes Yoongi, eyes red and puffy.

"Hyung," Jungkook greets him. "Why are your eyes..." He motions to his own eyes.

Swaying back and forth, hesitating, Yoongi says, "Jimin told us."

"Oh," says Jungkook. He bites his lower lip.

Yoongi pats Jungkook’s futon before taking a seat. "Have you thought about it?" he asks, clasping his hands.

"Not really," says Jungkook curtly, returning to his sketch. He adds more shading to the area underneath Jimin's neck. Holding it up, he inspects for any areas of improvement. One eye is slightly off and the face is too round.