The Discovery of Jeon Jungkook’s First Love

Jungkook/Yeri {bts/red velvet}

PG, High School!AU, Romantic Comedy, 4502w.

Kim Yerim has just reached six when The Jeon moved into the empty house next to theirs. She really wished that they’re nice people because the old ones weren’t much friendly, and they despised little children like her and her older brother Taehyung.

As curious as she will always be, she decided to tag along when her mother made roast beef pie for the new neighbors, and she wondered if they have little children so that she and Taehyung can have new playmates.

And she was happy when she found out that the neighbors were as friendly as her parents or maybe, even friendlier than she thought, but nothing can beat the fact that she’s happy to see the new neighbor’s son was hiding behind the skirt of Mrs. Jeon when she opened the door.

Jeon Jungkook’s raven hair was as dark as the color of his eyes; they’re round, wide and she thought that she could actually see small stars inside them. His mother told that he’s really shy because he didn’t have any sibling and he rarely made friends at school. Yerim wondered if she’s the only kid that wanted to be his friend right now.

“Oh, Jungkook is going to be eight next year? If that so, Yerim needs to call him oppa because she just started six a few weeks ago.”

She heard what their mothers talked about and she ran into his direction, held his hand even though Jungkook was surprised at her brave little act.

“I don’t want to call you oppa because I already have Taehyung oppa. Can I just call you Jungkook?”

Jungkook frowned at her question but he didn’t see that as something wrong, instead he held her hand back with a toothy little smile, “why not?”

(Years later, she has never called him oppa despite on how many times her mother told her to because of their two-year . Well, that’s kind of fair when he doesn’t really address Taehyung as hyung because “the ‘-hyung’ at the end of Taehyung’s name is enough” and she laughed every time Jungkook says that. They’re still best of friends where they’ll come to each other’s house for Christmas dinner every year and the friendship has still remained bonded.)

“Are you sure you and Jungkook sunbaenim are just best friends?”

Jaein asked warily when Yerim rushed to her seat inside the class before the first bell rung in the next few minutes. She was almost late to school but thanks to Jungkook for barging in her room this morning.

Her eyebrows knitted of confusion as she tried to fix her messy ponytail that he had failingly tried to make when they were running their lungs out to schools; her hands were too busy doing the ribbon around the collar of her uniform that time while he was kind enough to tie her hair.

“Why are you suddenly asking this and why not?”

(The question popped up after some wild eyes witnessed at how Jungkook casually applied lip balm across her lips in front of her school gate just now with her kept jumping on the balls of her heels, afraid that she’ll be late while he carefully coats her lips like a professional makeup artist, and they’re too busy to even notice the stares and whispers from the bystanders.

She scrunched her nose; it’s peach, and she just didn’t understand why he’s so obsessed with that Nivea flavor and she sprinted off to her class before he could lecture her about the importance of lip care.)

Jaein rolledher eyes seeing how her best friend will always get so oblivious every time people question about her close relationship with Joseon Boys High School’s Busan Prince Jeon Jungkook. Yerim just didn’t see the big deal of people envy her for being Jeon Jungkook’s only girl best friend.

“Don’t you see? He doesn’t treat you like any other girls.”

She didn’t get her chance to snap at Jaein when their teacher had already walked in but the question had got her wondering if there’s something more between Jungkook and her. She couldn’t entirely concentrate in class when she started to think about it.

Especially when Jungkook waited for her in front of her school (they were really sad when they needed to go to different high schools but thank god, their schools were just a fence apart and they had no problem about that). He laughed at how clumsy she was when she forgot to bring her umbrella but he didn’t mind sharing with her, it happened like all the time. She tried to not think about how close they were with their arms were pressed together under the small umbrella as the snow sprinkled down the earth and the warmth tingled at her heart more when it supposed to be on her arm.

Maybe, there’s nothing more between them; she didn’t know how to think about it.

Jungkook came to her house like every day even after Taehyung moved out from the house to college. He said his company was still needed and Yerim would snort at his proclamation but she doesn’t really deny it, in which made him think that he was right.

Her mother would peck a kiss on his cheek every time he came, ask him how his day was at school and tell him Yerim’s whereabouts; today, she was doing homework in the living room.

He shook his head of amusement to see a sight of sleeping Yerim who almost drooled over her math homework like usual. It’s algebra and it’s not really a surprise to see this kind of scene because he knew how much she hated subjects that required too much of thinking and counting numbers.

Slowly, he pulled the math sheet under her nestled arms, without trying to wake her up and he picked a pencil before he kindly wrote all the correct answers in the space given. It happened too often and it’s funny how Jungkook didn’t mind doing it for her even though he didn’t really favor the subject, but he could say this was because of her.

Yerim later woke up with her algebra homework had being already completed and she didn’t need to ask who did it because she will always know who — in which suddenly made her realize something odd.

Kim Yerim didn’t understand the point of building two non-coed schools beside each other when most of the time they had the same school activities which involved the students of Joseon Boys High School and Goryeo Girls Art School together in an activity.

Just like this one: Christmas Ball.

But she didn’t want to get involved with the said ballroom dance because she’s still a freshman and she wanted to spend Christmas holiday at home. Taehyung will be home soon for his winter break, and she wanted to spend it well with him because ever since he'd got into college, he rarely came home and she missed her brother dearly.

In which, of course, everyone anticipated at whom Jeon Jungkook will ask to be his date. She clearly doubted that it’s going to be her even though people kept fussing about it and some girls were trying their luck to ask him to be their date.

“Oh, my god. Flash news, girls! Jeon Jungkook sunbaenim just rejected Halla and also the other girls!”

She did partially see this coming, but that’s funny how he rejected the prettiest girls in Goryeo Pretty List; a list of pretty girls that Yerim had never cared about. She’s sure that he might want to attend the ball since it’s his last year in school, and she did wonder a little at whom he’s going to ask.

“I don’t think I can come,” his answer got her surprised and she asked why.

“Because Taehyung is coming home and I promised to play new games with him?”

She snorted at his silly answer and she couldn’t agree more at how Taehyung had always kept bugging him to play new video games with him. Little did she know; she felt kind of relief at the same time.

“Hey, don’t you think Jungkook sunbaenim is gay?”

She’s in one of the cubicles when she overheard a conversation regarding Jungkook in the restroom. She quietly leaned her ear over the door to hear more.

“Kind of. I mean like, why would boys reject Halla and the others when they’re clearly pretty? I really doubt that he’s straight like everyone thought.”

The other girl retorted in admonish while the first girl sighed dismissively, “That’s too bad. He’s so drop dead gorgeous and what a waste.”

She carefully walked out of the cubicle once she heard the gossip girls have already exited the restroom. Her head couldn’t stop thinking about their words when she washed her hands in the sink. Trust her, she’s not into eavesdropping juicy malicious gossip in the restroom, but she can’t help to find a little truth in their words.

Jungkook had never talked about girls as long as she could remember. He’s undeniably popular even during middle school for his good-look and perfect reputation as an excellent student which gains him a lot of secret admirers, but he has never even once mention about any girl that caughr his interest, much to her memory.

She didn’t have any problem with him being different if it turned out to true; he’s her best friend and she’ll still support him no matter what.

“Oppa! You’re home!”

Yerim ran into Taehyung’s arms when he was the one who opened the door by the time she came back home. She thanked God for not letting Taehyung dyed his hair with weird color like how he did during last Christmas when he dyed it with conspicuous orange.

“Taehyung!”

Jungkook appeared and ran over to the elder before tackling him down into a tight hug in which she didn’t see this coming as he hugged her brother into a really suffocating embrace that had left Taehyung breathless, literally.

“Whoa, hold there Jungkookie. You do miss me more than my own sister does. I missed you guys too kiddos. Kook, how about we start with Tekken 6?”

“Deal,” the boys did their secret handshake that wasn’t a secret to her anymore, and she thought that was kind of stupid but right now, she couldn’t stop judging at Jungkook who smiled brighter than the sun when he pulled Taehyung by the hand, dragging him to his house while talking about how he missed out a lot of things about video games.

Or maybe, she was the one who had almost missed out at the sight of how he was actually doing the heart-eyes at her brother.<