note: Namjoon plays a song called Ameno Kaori by Younha in this chapter. you'll know when. also hello i am indeed alive, it turns out.

III.

Namjoon unlocks the door and goes inside, leaving the door open behind him. Seokjin pauses a moment before following, still looking at the outside of the small house.

"You can just leave your shoes wherever," Namjoon says casually.

"Okay," he mutters back. He takes his shoes off, lines them up next to each other on the floor, and follows Namjoon into the main room.

"Your room's pretty small - well, all the rooms are - but I cleaned it out and stuff."

"That's fine, I don't have much stuff."

"If you don't mind me asking..." Namjoon starts hesitantly, pulling his jacket off. "Why'd you need to move so suddenly?"

Seokjin swallows thickly. "Need to know basis," he says instead of explaining.

"Oh, , sorry, dude." Namjoon drops the jacket on the low table. "It doesn't matter. You can live here now. The past is the past, and all that jazz."

"Right..." Seokjin shoves his hands in his pockets. "Thanks again."

"It's cool," Namjoon says, waving a hand dismissively. "All alone here anyway."

Seokjin looks around the room. There's a few shelves along the walls, some crammed full of books, the rest with CDs. The table is between the couch and the TV, and next to the TV is an expensive-looking stereo. With the arm chair shoved in a corner, there's just enough room to sit on the floor at the table.

He looks more closely at the stack of CDS on the table that escaped getting knocked off by Namjoon's jacket. "Oh, you like Younha?" He motions toward the pile, looking back up at him. Namjoon's sat down on the couch in the past minute or so of looking around the room.

"Yep," he says, smiling widely.

Oh, no, he has dimples, Seokjin thinks frustratedly.

"She's amazing. Don't you like her?"

Suddenly not wanting to... disappoint? him, he just says, "Not sure yet." (He's never even listened to a song by her, he's pretty sure.)

Namjoon leans forward to put his elbows on his knees. "Really," he says, not a question, but he sounds curious.

"Mhm," Seokjin says. "I mean, I know her face but not much else, you know?" He properly looks Namjoon in the eyes for the first time since they got here.

Namjoon's voice drops a little. "How about I show you then?" and Seokjin gets nervous, like they're not talking about the same thing anymore.

"Kay," he says. "If you want to." (He feels boring.)

Namjoon picks a CD from the pile seemingly at random. Apparently it's the right one because he nods slightly to himself and goes to the stereo against the opposite wall.

"I want to." He looks back at Seokjin and presses play. The sound of strings, followed by drums, fills the air.

"This is from her latest album," he says, bouncing excitedly on his heels. "It's in Japanese."

"I know Japanese," Seokjin says absently, listening to the song.

"Really?" An exclamation point seems to appear over Namjoon's head.

"I mean. Mostly. I know what she's saying, at least," Seokjin amends modestly.

"That's so cool! Me too. I know English as well, and I had a Spanish phase a while back..." He lets Namjoon ramble about languages for a couple minutes, and then the song ends. "Oh, I missed the whole song..." He laughs bashfully. "Sorry, I don't usually talk this much."

"It's fine," Seokjin says quickly, finally starting to feel comfortable. "Can't be more than Hoseok," he jokes.

Namjoon laughs lightly. "He sure can fill the space around him," he says kindly. "Hey, I'll show you the rest of the house now, if you want? But we can listen to Younha later."

"Sure."

The kitchen turns out to be the most spacious area, since Namjoon never tried to fit a table in there, or much of anything, really, aside from the necessary appliances.

"This is sad," he announces.

"What? Oh, right, hyung said you like to cook. Sorry about... this." Namjoon gestures to the room in general.

Seokjin ignores him as he starts looking in the cupboards. There's... essentially nothing, just a bag of rice and some ramyun packets. The fridge isn't any better: there's a few bottles of lemonade and what appears to be a handful of sauce packets. "This is sad," he says again.

"Yeah, sorry," Namjoon also says again.

Seokjin closes the fridge. "This won't do," he fake-scolds, even wagging a finger at him to be extra dramatic. "Let's go to the store later."

"Okay?"

"There's nothing here," Seokjin tells him.

"Okay, listen, there's at least ramyun-"

"You have precisely jack in here," Seokjin adds to drive the point home.

"Gee, tell me how you really feel," Namjoon snorts. "Fine, I leave the fate of the kitchen in your capable hands."

"Thank you," Seokjin says primly. They laugh at each other for a moment and move on.

"Your room is over here, by the way," Namjoon says, motioning for him to follow. "And my room too but yours is at the end of the hall."

The window is open, so there's light even without turning them on. It's got a closet next to the hallway door and there's a futon on the ground.

"My spare. I didn't know if you'd have one, so..." Namjoon trails off.

Seokjin just smiles at him.

They don't actually make it to the store that night, but have a perfectly fine meal of ramyun, both sitting on the floor instead of the couch with the pot on the table in the main room. Seokjin nags him for not having any food; Namjoon tells him he's "more of a take-out kind of guy."

"I'm not allowed near any knives," he adds.

"Says who?" Seokjin laughs disbelievingly. "You're a grown adult who lives by himself."

"Says me." Namjoon shivers. "And Yoongi hyung. You really don't want me near them. Or hot oil, or fire, or anything sharp, or-"

"Okay, okay," Seokjin interrupts. "I understand."

"Good thing you're here," Namjoon says.

"I might poison you," Seokjin says, trying to make a sinister face but failing. Namjoon laughs as he adds, "Anyway if you think you're getting away with me making all the food, think again. You can at least wash rice."

Namjoon salutes and says, "Yes, sir." He smiles again. He's been doing that a lot in the past couple of hours.

Younha's album plays on repeat in the background, all but forgotten.

IV.

In the morning, Namjoon is still sleeping when Seokjin gets up. It's not like he expected anything else; he does get up pretty early, even on his days off like today. 

He doesn't want to do a full shopping trip without extra hands, but he's hungry so he decides to find a store nearby and buy a few things to make breakfast. When he gets back, Namjoon still hasn't gotten up.

He's got a few texts from Hoseok he missed from last night, so he reads those while the rice is cooking.

Hobi [21:55]
duuuuuuuuude wahts up

Hobi [22:17]
oh i see ur too busy lol have fun

Hobi [22:18]
be safe my child o(^▽^)o

Seokjin rolls his eyes.

To: Hobi [7:58]
you're weird

To: Hobi [7:58]
are you coming over today or what?

Hobi [7:59]
ummm duh :D

Hobi [8:00]
roll out the red carpet in preparation

He snorts and slips his phone in his pocket.

Namjoon appears not ten minutes later. He's got bedhead and Seokjin tells himself it's ugly. "I could get used to this," Namjoon says sleepily. "I mean. Not that I don't appreciate you being here for other reasons too. I mean-"

"Here's some food," Seokjin says, shoving a bowl into his hands. "Don't worry about it, I understand what you're saying."

"Nice," Namjoon says. Then there's loud knocking on the door, making him almost drop the bowl.

"Go put that down somewhere, I'll... see who's at the door?"

Namjoon nods, so he goes to the door, only to practically get barrelled over by two guys.

"Uh?" Seokjin manages, grabbing the back of the couch to stay upright.

"Hello!" the light-haired one yells.

"Hi? Um... uh, are you... hungry?" is the only thing Seokjin thinks to ask.

The shorter guy is kind of gaping. Actually, maybe both are. "Wait, who are you?" he asks.

"Who are you?" Seokjin responds, raising his eyebrows in the fakest dramatic way. He gains his composure as if he didn't almost get knocked over or killed or something.

"Ok, that's fair," he says. The strangers both sling themselves over the couch.

"Wait, you're that guy!" the taller guy bursts out suddenly.

"That guy?" the other one gasps.

"That guy!" the first guy says happily. "Wow, this is you? Where did Hobi even find you?" He's laughing, looking up at Seokjin upside down.

"What does that even mean?" Seokjin snickers.

"Just ignore him," the other groans.

"Okay... so, you guys hungry?"

"Yes!" they both say.

"Also, who are you?"

"I'm Jimin, this is Taehyung," Jimin says before Taehyung can get a word out.

"Yeah, what he said," Taehyung grumbles.

"Look, I know what you were going to say, just be thankful I stopped us all from the embarrassment," Jimin says flippantly. They start to argue, so Seokjin goes back into the kitchen. He passes Namjoon on the way.

"Jimin and Taehyung are here," he tells him.

"KIM TAEHYUNG!" Namjoon suddenly yells, running the way Seokjin came from. He ignores all the commotion and pulls his phone out.

To: Hobi [8:12]
jimin and taehyung say hi

Hobi [8:13]
BETRAYAL

To: Hobi [8:13]
???

Hoseok provides him with no further information so Seokjin just shrugs it off. The four of them finally start eating food.

"I don't think I've ever actually eaten real food at Namjoonie hyung's house before," Taehyung says with a full mouth.

"This is the best day of my life," Jimin tells Seokjin.

"I love you," Taehyung adds. Jimin hits him on the thigh before saying, "Same."

"I love both of you, too," Seokjin says, not missing a beat.

"W-Wait, wait, wait, I'm glad we're all getting along b-but..." Namjoon stutters, "I thought I was your favorite."

"Oh my god, Taehyung isn't that easily swayed," Jimin says.

"Shows what you know," Taehyung mumbles.

"I heard that!" Namjoon says. "I can't believe this... You come into my house..."

Seokjin once again ignores them in favor of texting Hoseok.

To: Hobi [8:35]
where u at

Hobi [8:35]
time for you to get a map!

Hobi [8:36]
wait i ed up

To: Hobi [8:36]
omg

Hobi [8:36]
SHHH

Hobi [8:37]
we're almost at ur pad

To: Hobi [8:37]
*frog emoji*

To: Hobi [8:38]
wait, we?

Within a few minutes, he's got a second round of visitors. Jung Hoseok bursts through the door like the house is his stage and throws his arms around Jimin, who just happens to be the closest to the door.

"Wow, your house sure is a popular tourist destination today," Seokjin murmurs to Namjoon.

"They're here for you," Namjoon says back.

Hoseok then brings his right to bear arms into Seokjin's personal space and hugs him, too. "I missed you," he says brightly.

"It hasn't even been a whole day," Seokjin laughs, rubbing his back.

"Also we brought your crap! You're finally moved out! I'm so proud of you." Hoseok pulls away and reveals two more strangers standing awkwardly near the door with some boxes. One of them has green hair and the other looks a lot younger.

Seokjin jumps up from his seat and goes toward them. "Oh gosh. You guys didn't have to do that."

Green-haired guy shrugs. "This kid did most of it."

"I'm nineteen," he says half-heartedly, like he's had to say it a million times before. Then he bows to Seokjin and introduces himself as Jungkook.

"Oh, wow, you're so tall," Seokjin says, unable to stop himself from reaching out and patting his head.

Jungkook blushes and says, "Thanks."

"Then you're Yoongi?" Seokjin turns to the last guy.

Yoongi nods. "Where's this stuff go?"

"I'll take it, I'll take it," Seokjin protests, trying to take a box from Yoongi.

"I can carry it," Yoongi says, not letting go.

"It's my stuff, I shouldn't make someone else carry it," Seokjin responds, also not letting go.

"It's that spare room," Namjoon throws in.

Yoongi and Jungkook head out of the room. Seokjin accepts his fate and goes to the kitchen. Hoseok's there making more rice, bless his heart.

"Thanks," Seokjin says quietly.

Hoseok shoots a smile at him, practically blinding like always, and says nothing.

Yoongi and Jungkook come into the kitchen, already done.

"Jungkook, my sweet summer child, you've returned from your duties," Hoseok says. He blows raspberries at Jungkook.

"You're not my real dad," Jungkook helpfully informs him.

"When will I be loved?" Hoseok gasps. He winks at Seokjin, silently letting him know it's a gag. Seokjin just feels even more left out.

"Never," Jungkook says bluntly. "Food?"

Seokjin provides them both with like a load of food and sits between them on the couch, everyone else crowding around them. Hoseok brings the fresh rice out and then everyone's eating again. He talks some more with Yoongi, absentmindedly petting Jungkook's hair because he's just too cute and Jungkook is letting him.

"Hobi told me he never introduced me to you for my safety," Seokjin says.

"Hobi sure is a funny guy," Yoongi says. They both look across the room where he's tickling Taehyung's chin.

"Yeah," Seokjin agrees, sighing.