“Jimin...Jimin...Jimin?” Taehyung repeated, standing over his sleeping friend.

“It’s too early go away” Jimin groaned, sleepily trying to bat Tae away then turned over to face the back of the couch.

“Ya it’s 1pm, you brat!” Tae said, kneeling down and then proceeding to grab at Jimin’s sides and tickle him. It was hardly a tickle, he was jabbing his bony fingers into his ribs with the intent of making sure he wasn’t going to go back to sleep.

“But it’s Saturday…” Jimin half laughed and turned over to try and stop the maniac above him from bruising him.

“Oh fine go back to sleep and ignore this text from your sugar” Tae said monotonically.

“WHAT? WHERE’S MY PHONE!?” Jimin sat up abruptly and started to rub the sleep out of his eyes. As if that’d make any difference.

“You’ll have to get up first!” Tae taunted as he took Jimin’s phone from his pocket and started running to the kitchen.

“YAH COME BACK HERE!” Jimin shouted after him. This kid. Would he ever catch a break?

He made his way into the kitchen to see his friend sat on the counter looking smug and singing happily.

“Yeah, game over hand it over” Patience was running thin and Jimin definitely didn’t like people touching his stuff. Especially when it contained private information!

“Oooooh sugar sugar! Oh honey honey!” Taehyung sang childishly while waving the phone around up high so Jimin wouldn’t reach.

Jimin stood and scowled at his friend for a few moments.

“Oh god that face, such anger! I am so scared...I’d better give it to you…” Tae teased and handed it over.

“THANK YOU” Jimin squinted and started towards the living room

“I don’t think so buddy!” Tae laughed, jumping down from the counter and stood in front of Jimin, blocking his path. “I am essentially a part of this relationship...dude… it’s like, a ”

“Yeah I don’t think so Tae” Jimin said with a stoney face, trying to hold back a smile. It didn’t work, though. A few seconds later laughter erupted from the pair standing in the door frame.
 

“So, what does it say?” Tae asked. “Open it open it!”
“You open it!” Jimin was starting to turn beetroot red. As much as he wanted to read it for himself, he knew Taehyung kind of, sort of, should know the response to the text he sent.

“You’re kidding me right?” Tae laughed, taking the phone from what was once Jimin’s iron grip.

Tae read the message and then looked to his friend who was sat on the counter; biting his nails to oblivion.

“What does it say?” Jimin mumbled nervously.

Taehyung cleared his throat and began “It says, Hi Jimin you’re a total y dickhead and I want nothing to do with you. Never contact me again”

“WHAT? HE GAVE ME THE NUMBER WHAT THE ? I MEAN HE DIDN’T HAVE TO? HOW AM I A ? GOD DAMN HOW COUL-” Jimin shouted. His face and neck painted red again.

Tae maintained composure for a solid 10 seconds before he was doubled over and cackling at Jimin’s response. “God, you are so gullible!” he managed to breathe out as he calmed down.

“I actually hate you, Kim Taehyung” Jimin snapped and grabbed the phone from him.

The text message was still open on the screen and read:

“Hey Jimin. Itaewon Starbucks, 4pm tomorrow? Yoongi.”

“Yoongi…” He whispered. “How...how cute is that name?” he sighed and then the colony of butterflies began to return to their home - Jimin’s stomach. Or wherever feelings of that sort are felt.

“What time is it, Tae?” Jimin asked still in his dreamy state.

“It’s almost quarter to 2” Tae said, looking at the clock then back at Jimin with a ‘-you’d-better-hurry-up’ expression plastered across his face.

“THIS ISN’T HAPPENING” Jimin screeched and sprinted to the bathroom to shower.

Tae stood and watched his short friend whiz around the apartment like Taz the Tasmanian devil.

“What do I wear what do I wear?! and I’ve got roots!” he ranted, trying on 5 different beanies and then decided a snapback might look cooler. Or was it? It was cold outside. Indecisive, he changed it for the beanie he chose and tried on first.

“He’s already seen what you look like on a regular day so why are you going out of your way?” Tae said, not really understanding the fuss the redhead was making.

“You’re missing the point!” Jimin mumbled.

It was his first real date in a long time and he wanted to make a good ‘real’, first impression.

2:55pm.

Jimin was still standing in front of the mirror, tilting his head from the left to the right to get a better view of himself.

“I look ok, right?” He asked Tae, a mixture of embarrassment and worry in his tone.

“You look great, Jimminie, but if you’re late I don’t think your looks will be enough to impress him” Tae smiled, gesturing with his eyes towards the clock.

“You’re right... Thanks bro!” Jimin forced out a smile and grabbed the taller boy for a tight hug. “You’re the best”

“Yeah you can thank me properly if it goes well” Tae started “I’m thinking pizza…”  he said, staring off into thin air.

“We literally ate that last night, broaden your tastebuds horizon’s babo” Jimin laughed as he made his way out of the apartment.

“WAIT UP FOR ME!” he called back as the door shut behind him.

Time seemed to be going at a pace that Jimin couldn’t keep up with. The train into Itaewon was uncomfortably warm packed full of tourist travellers and late Saturday shoppers, not really an ideal situation for someone who felt as if their heart was going to burst from anxiety/excitement.

Fortunately for Jimin, he had more or less showered in cologne so hopefully it would mask any perspiration. Awkward, and kinda gross.
 

He went through phases of speed walking, to catching himself walking too quickly, realising he would be too early then slowing down to an uncomfortable pace. After 20 minutes or so of this stop/start nervous march, he arrived comfortably on time at Starbucks. The blonde was nowhere in sight.
 

“Thank god” Jimin sighed to himself as he opened the entrance door.

The cafe wasn’t bustling with people as he had imagined, just a few couples and groups of friends sitting inside. Just the right amount of people he thought. That way they would be able to talk comfortably and if the conversation dwindled the awkward silence wouldn’t be as uncomfortable. This was all theoretical, of course,  as the blonde wasn’t even on the premises yet.
 

“Hi there, what can I get you today?” The barista greeted Jimin.

“I- uh, I’d like two cafe lattes, please” Jimin stuttered nervously. Jimin had a nervous disposition but was never this bad. New situations for anybody can be intimidating but there was something about this first meeting. The first real meeting that had Jimin’s stomach doing backflips as though he was about to take a test that his life depended on him passing.

“To take away?” The barista asked politely.

“No, no. I’m meeting a friend here...I think we’ll be sitting in” Jimin replied. A friend? More like an acquaintance that the boy wished would be more than a friend with him. “Why though?” he found himself asking himself, time and time again. Before the dumb newspaper entry and back when he first laid eyes on him on that Monday morning before class.
 

The feelings Jimin had for Yoongi were brand new. He’d dated before but, this wasn’t even a date. This was a meet up with no promise of anything. No prior conversation other than a text message and a note. All he knew for certain was his name. Nothing more. The rest of the so-called knowledge he’d learned about him was from observation therefore, possibly arbitrary. Something inside Jimin made him want to know every detail about him. This meeting was the first and depending on how it panned out, potentially the last. Jimin had to buck up and at least put on a brave face if he truly hoped of standing a solid chance.
 

After a few moments the barista served lattes and leant over the counter to Jimin.

“The window seat is free, if you’re you know, waiting for a friend” She said kindly.

Jimin’s internal battle was probably written all over his face and she’d sensed the discomfort.

“Thank you” he replied, handing over the cash for the drinks then made his way over to the table.

He sat for a moment admiring the view of the city and watched the people pass by before taking out his phone to check the time.

4:10pm.

He stared out of and sighed. Still no sign of Yoongi. He wasn’t coming, was he? It had got to have been some kind of elaborate mix up. This is embarrassing, he thought. Making sure he didn’t look towards the bar in case the barista lady was giving him some kind of apologetic look.
 

Jimin scrolled through the apps on his phone and started to text message Taehyung. He didn’t really want to waste a coffee afterall. Just as he was about to hit send he heard a voice coming from the seat across from him.

“Bored already, Jimin?” they said.