"Finally! I thought you guys wouldn't make it, geez," Jin remarked with a chuckle. Standing aside, he gestured for them to enter.

The first thing he noticed when he went in was the massive Christmas tree, generously decorated by Jin, no doubt. He always loved going all out on festivals. Well, on normal days, he'd be the same, but Yoongi noted that on special occasions, Jin went even further. Even if the only people present were his closest friends.

"You really outdid yourself this time, hyung. The tree looks amazing," he heard Hoseok remark from beside him. He scoffed as he noticed the smug grin on the older male's face. He loved it when people praised his hard work.

"It does, doesn't it? I worked on it all morning," Jin said with pride, nose held high.

"You mean, we worked on it all morning," Jungkook interjected, entering the room, a bowl of crisps in hand. The younger tossed himself onto the sofa and scarfed down a hand full of crisps into his mouth. Yoongi looked at the younger in distaste. Jin had a similar look of disgust on his face, he noticed.

"Yah, when will you start eating like a decent person," the eldest scolded the other, his hands on his hips. "And I still did most of the work, I'm the one that lugged this tree inside the apartmentㅡ"

"That was Joon hyung," Jungkook interrupted him, "all you did was nag at hyung to be careful not drop the tree when he carried it into the apartment." Another piece of crisps was popped into his mouth as he looked at the TV screen with disinterest. This kid, he thought with a snort.

"Fine, it was Joonie. But I'm the one who decorated the apartment and made dinner for all of you brats, be grateful," the pink haired male countered, flicking Jungkook's forehead before walking towards the kitchen. "Yoongi, Hoseok, you can put your presents under the tree. We're going to open them later tonight. Make yourselves at home. I'm just gonna check on dinner!" Jin called, head popping out from the kitchen.

Hoseok held his hand out, "Here, give me your presents, I'll put them under the tree."

Yoongi shrugged and complied, handing the bags over to the younger, but chose to keep Jimin’s present with himself. He didn’t know how Hoseok would’ve reacted if he showed it the younger. He settled himself down next to Jungkook, helping himself to some crisps as well.

Only a few minutes in, the doorbell rang. Yoongi looked at Jungkook, then at Hoseok to see if they'd get up to answer the door. But neither did.

"Get the door one of you! My hands are a little occupied at the moment. It's probably Jimin and Taehyung with the drinks," he heard Jin call from the kitchen.

Drinks? So they'd arrived before him.

He wasn't sure he could talk to the duo normally. Especially after what happened on Friday. The bell rang again – this time more persistently. A sound from his right caused him to look at Hoseok, who was now standing.

"I'll go," he announced quietly, and without another word, he walked to the front door. Hoseok had an anxious look on his face, and he was well aware of what it meant. The younger had spoken to him on their way to Jin and Namjoon's home.

"I'mㅡI'm going to talk to Jimin tonight," the younger had said so simply. Yoongi had only looked at Hoseok, an unreadable expression on his face.

"Is that so?" He had asked, receiving a hum of agreement in return. Turning back to face the path ahead, he opened his mouth then closed it. He hadn't really been sure if wishing the other luck was the right thing to say. As if it would have made the younger feel better about what he was about to.

So, he'd stayed mum after that. Choosing it to be the best option.

A lot of shuffling later, he heard a pair of soft footsteps (no doubt, those were Jimin's), plus two very loud ones (Namjoon's and probably Taehyung, he guessed).

"Hi hyung," Jimin greeted him, a faint smile on his face. He nodded at the younger and smiled back in greeting.

It felt awkward.

He could tell Jimin sensed it too because he turned to Jungkook immediately after. "Jungkook-ah, mind helping with these bags?" He asked, holding up the numerous bags in his hands. How many drinks did they buy?

Jungkook nodded and stood up from the sofa, reaching for the bags in Jimin's right hand and walking to the kitchen without another word. Jimin followed behind.

Hoseok returned to the living room, with Taehyung and Namjoon behind him, who was carrying just as many bags as Jimin.

"Did you raid the whole store or something? What's with all the bags," Yoongi asked with a snort, brows raised in question.

"Jin wanted to stock up on food since all the stores will be closed from tomorrow," Namjoon shrugged as he made his way to the kitchen as well. That's true, he thought.

Feeling the sofa dip beside him, he turned to his side. A grinning Taehyung greeted him.

"Yoongi hyung, we saw you this morning, with Hoseok hyung. Last minute Christmas shopping?" The younger asked ever so innocently. Though, he could tell there was some hidden meaning behind it. "Why didn't you just join us yesterday? It would've been fun."

"I'm pretty sure Jimin would've felt uncomfortable to hang around (especially after what I said to him)," he muttered under his breath.

"Now that you mention it... Jimin seemed pretty down when he came back from talking to you. He tried to dismiss it with a smile, but I can see through his fake ... What did you say to him?ㅡand don't say it's nothing, it won't work on me," The blonde smiled, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Look, Iㅡ"

"Tae, I thought I told you to stop doing things like this," Jimin interrupted them, brows furrowed as he looked at his best friend. Taehyung pouted.

"I will, once you start telling me things yourself – like telling me what you were upset about yesterday," the blonde countered. "What did you Yoongi hyung say thatㅡ" Maybe he shouldn't have said a thing, he thought.

But he hated the fact that Jimin hadn’t thought to question Hoseok's intentions, choosing to trust him so blindly.

"Later!" He shouted, causing everyone in the room to look at him. Smiling sheepishly, he settled down next to Taehyung. "I'll tell you about it later, okay?"

"Good! No takebacks," the blonde added quickly, pointing at Jimin.

"What are you, five?" Taehyung merely stared at the silver haired male with a deadpan expression. Jimin sighed. "Fine." Yoongi's eyes flitted from Taehyung (who looked triumphant) to Jimin (who looked rather defeated).

Suddenly, the blonde pounced on Jimin, head snuggling into the crook of the dancer's neck. It startled Yoongi, if anything. He watched as Jimin's expression changed, a breath of laughter escaping his mouth as a smile broke out on his face.

"Come on, get off of me, you baby," the dancer whined as he tried to push his best friend away. Taehyung merely shook his head and rubbed his head against the dancer's shoulder.

It was an amusing sight.

So much so that he couldn't help the breath of laughter that left his lips. His shoulders shook as he let out a chuckle.

The duo sitting beside him blinked in surprise. He noticed the rest of his friends were looking at him with similar expressions.

"What?" He asked, halting his laughter, brows raised in question again. Suddenly, he felt self-conscious. Clearing his throat, he stood up, "I'm gonna head out for a bit. " And without another word, he left the apartment, hands in his jacket.

What was that? Why had they looked at him so surprised? As if they hadn't seen him laugh before.

Well, Jimin and Taehyung probably hadn't, but. Releasing a breath of laughter, he leaned against the wall outside the apartment. They looked in such awe, it was funny.

Hearing the door open and close, he turned to the side.

Namjoon greeted him with raised brows and a strange smile on his face. Yoongi looked at him in confusion.

"You didn't need to come, I was about to go back in anyway," he told the younger. Namjoon just stared at him, his eyes glinted with something akin to curiosity and amusement. "What?"

"You know, I've never seen you look so fondly at another person – until today," the younger remarked, leaning against the wall beside him. Yoongi looked at his best friend, an expression of confusion on his face. What was he talking about? "Why did you leave?"

"Everyone just looked so surprised...I got self-conscious," he mumbled the last part under his breath. Namjoon snorted in response.

"There's no need to be self-conscious, hyung. We were just a little startled, that's all." He explained. When he looked at the younger with a brow raised in question, Namjoon added, "I mean, yeah, most of us have seen you laugh before. ButㅡI don't knowㅡI guess I wasn't expecting you to warm up to those two so quickly." The younger shrugged.

"What do you mean?" He asked, unable to comprehend what the other was trying to say.

"Remember when we first became friends? It took me almost a year before you even felt comfortable enough to laugh around me."

"That's just cos you weren't funny," he deadpanned.

"Okay, I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that," Namjoon snorted, causing him to roll his eyes. Then, the younger looked straight at him, eyes turning serious. "Hyung, be honest. Do you...like Jimin?"

"Huh?" Was all he managed to say before the apartment door opened again, Jin's head peeking out.

"Dinner's ready," the elder announced with a grin. Namjoon was the first to head back inside. Yoongi stared into the now empty space, blinking once. Twice.

Why had Namjoon asked such a question?

An expression of confusion washed over him as he thought about it, scratching the back of his head. The tone Namjoon used was different, but he couldn't pinpoint the hidden meaning behind it.

"Hyung, what are you doing standing there? Aren't you hungry?" Hoseok called, startling him.

"Huh? Uh, yeah," he answered, slightly dazed. The younger looked at him, brows raised in question. Yoongi dismissed it, walking past the younger to get back inside. "Ah, I'm hungry." He murmured under his breath, causing a chuckle to sound from behind him. God, why was he so awkward?

"You okay there, hyung?" The blonde asked, placing a hand on his shoulder. His shoulders tensed as he halted in his steps.

"Yeah, I'mㅡI'm fine. Why?" He asked, anxious. He didn't really know what he was acting so weird for. It's almost as if he felt guilty towards Hoseok. Which he had no reason to be...right?

Because he didn't like Jimin romantically. Of course not. Surely, he'd have realised it if he felt about the younger in that way.

He paused.

No. That's not it. He was over thinking.

Yeah. Exactly. So, stop thinking over it, idiot. It's nothing to worry about, he assured himself.

"What are you thinking so much about?" Hoseok interrupted his train of thoughts. Turning around, he looked at the other, questioning. He was about to protest but was interrupted. "Come on, let's get some food in our system. I think you could really use some right now."

"What's that supposed to mean?" He asked with crossed arms and a raised brow.

"Well, it's just that you seem so dazed. And it looks like it's since Joon-ah came back from talking to you. What did he tell you?"

Do you...like Jimin?

There's no way he could tell Hoseok. No, he couldn't.

What would the younger think if Yoongi told him that?

"Yah, the food's going to get cold, sit down, both of you," Jin commanded them sternly. They obeyed, since they knew how the elder got when it came to eating meals, especially those he made himself.

He settled down between Namjoon and Jungkook, which was right across from Jimin. The silver haired male smiled at him, which he tried to return, a hint of red painted on his cheeks. This didn't go unnoticed by Taehyung, who snickered at his reaction.

He decided to ignore this, ducking his head, focusing on the meal in front of him. Even if he did sense the pairs of eyes watching him.

The rest of the dinner was mostly uneventful, with the exception of all his friends talking amongst each other. Yoongi only gave input where needed (which hadn't been much), otherwise, he stayed silent, preferring to finish his food quickly.

He and Jin were the first to empty their bowls, so he decided to help the elder with anything that may need to be cleared away.

Whilst he was drying the dishes, he could feel Jin's eyes on him and it was obvious that he had something on his mind. Sighing, he spoke.

"What is it, hyung? You've been glancing my way since dinner. Just spit it out." He remarked. He had a hunch he knew what the elder was going to ask him. He had probably heard Namjoon when he popped out to call them back in.

"You know what I'm going to ask anyway, so," Jin looked at him as if searching for an answer from his eyes, "have you thought about it?" It'd hardly been an hour. Had he really expected Yoongi to have an answer already?

"What are you talking about?" He questioned, trying to avoid the topic. Because he didn't want to talk about it. Not when he was so goddamn confusedㅡabout everything.

Jin merely raised his brows in challenge. Sighing inwardly, he decided to answer.

"I don't know, okay? I've," he looked away, slightly frustrated, "I've never thought about it. And now that Joon brought it up, I don't know what to think. If anything, it's got me confused as beㅡhe told me that I've never looked at someone so fondly, butㅡ"

"But you don't recall doing so," Jin interjected. He nodded in agreement, causing the elder to sigh with exasperation. "Maybe I asked this too early."

"Yeah," was all Yoongi could give as a response as he continued drying the dishes. He needed more time.

"Oh. Jimin-ah, what are you doing standing there? Here, pass me your bowl," the elder said, holding out hand out.

Yoongi's shoulders tensed as he stayed frozen in spot, his back to the younger. Had he...he hadn't heard them, had he? He thought worriedly. He halted, thinking back to his conversation with Jin.

He hadn't said Jimin's name.

He was safe. Releasing a breath of relief, he relaxed. Why was he worrying so much?

Overthinking never got him anywhere.

"Do you need help with anything?" He heard the younger ask.

"Oh no, that's alright. I think Yoongi and I will be just fine. Plus, you're my guest, I'm not going to let you do any work anyway. Just relax and wait in the living room. Oh! And help yourself to the snacks, too. We're gonna start with the games soon." Jin beamed at the younger, who responded with a sheepish grin of his own, nodding before leaving the kitchen.

"I'm your guest, too. Why wasn't I exempted from helping you with cleaning?" He pointed out.

"Because you offered to help. Who was I to deny?" The elder countered, shrugging.

"Jimin volunteered to help as well, though." He argued.

"Unlike Jimin, you've been coming over since I moved in, and you hardly ever helped then. So, who am I to refuse when you offered so kindly?" Jin remarked with a mocking pout. Yoongi snorted in response but decided not to argue because the elder was right. Though, he had initially been there to avoid Jimin.

God, why had Namjoon asked such a thing? He couldn't help being awkward around the silver haired male now. He didn't want to be. But of course, that was not possible for him right now.

Sighing exasperatedly, he directed himself back to wiping the wet dishes. He wished the time would pass by quickly. So, he could go home already. And avoid Jimin to his heart's content. At least, until he'd have to see him again for practice.

"Let's play truth or dare!" Taehyung suggested, a mischievous grin on his face. But his grin was wiped off when he noticed everyone's uneasy expressions and lack of response. Yoongi guessed they'd all learnt from their last round of the game they played last Christmas.

"Yeah...I'd rather we don't," Jungkook was the one to answer, looking traumatised, as if the mere memory of it was too much for him. He couldn't blame the youngest really. Yoongi wished he was able to forget that day. Everyone else, excluding Jimin and Taehyung, nodded in agreement.

"What, why?" Taehyung asked with a pout.

"Did something...bad happen?" Jimin added, slightly hesitant.

"Let's just say that it was bad enough for us to never want to play it again," Yoongi replied, lips set in a straight line. That's when he spotted the Wii console on the cabinet shelf under the TV and turned to Jin. "Why don't we play Mario Kart?" He suggested with a lopsided smile at the elder, who blinked at him in surprise before smiling back.

"Oh my god. I love that game! Dibs on Yoshi!" Taehyung exclaimed with excitement, having completely forgotten the tense atmosphere mere moments ago. Yoongi shook his head as he released a breath of laughter, thinking how much the younger resembled a hyperactive puppy.

"Take whoever you want, but in the end, Princess Peach and I will come out on top," Jin said smugly, arms across his chest. He snorted in response, rolling his eye before turning to Taehyung, who raised an eyebrow in question.

"Jin's never really lost a game yet," Namjoon helping informed, which merely aided in boosting the older male's ego more. It was true, though. He didn't understand how the elder was so good, when he at every other game they played. Yoongi could beat Jin in any other game, really. All except for this one.

And he would honestly be fine with that, if the elder didn't always gloat in his face. It annoyed him to no end.

Once. Just once, he wanted it to be the other way around. It didn't even have to be him, anyone would do.

"Well, maybe that day's finally come," Taehyung remarked with a smirk, "Jin hyung, get ready to lose." The younger grabbed one of the controllers, settling onto the sofa comfortably.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, Taehyung-ah," The eldest snorted, grabbing the other controller and sitting down next to the blonde.

"Oh, I'm not. I'm gonna be ahead of you, if anything," Taehyung added, the confident smirk still plastered on his face. He raised an eyebrow at the younger, surprised by how confident he seemed about winning. He liked this kid, he thought, smiling as he heard Jin scoff in disbelief at the remark.

Maybe, today will be that day, he thought with lips pursed.

As the pink haired male started up the game, he heard Jungkook sigh from beside him.

"What are we supposed to do while you guys play? I don't want to just watch you and do nothing. That's boring," the youngest complained. That's true. He didn't want to stand by and watch, either.

"Okay, fine," Jin said, pondering, "let Tae and I finish this round, and then, we'll play in teams. How about that?" He suggested, to which the younger grumbled in agreement.

So, they watched on the side-lines as the two of them raced.

At times, Jin would be in the lead, which elicited a satisfied chuckle from the elder. Until Taehyung managed to whiz past him, then it was his turn to laugh at the other's demise. This caused Jin to move forward in his seat on the armchair, looking more determined, yet still trying to keep his calm because he knew he would win. Yoongi was amused to say the least. It'd been a while since he'd seen the elder look uneasy, even if by a little. It continued back and forth between the duo. Neither was giving the other an opening. Yoongi was just waiting for it to end already so that he could play, too.

"What, no! I almost had it. The stupid robot got in the way – I want a rematch," Taehyung exclaimed indignantly, bottom lip jutted out. Jin only smirked as he celebrated in victory, shaking his head at the younger.

"Told you not to get ahead of yourself, Taehyung-ah," the eldest chuckled, "we can have a rematch, but not now. I told Kookie he could play, so that's what we're gonna do." Jungkook beamed in response and held his hand out for a controller, which Jin passed over with a smile.

"How are we deciding the teams though?" Jungkook asked, brows knitted together.

"Why don't we draw lots? That way it will be fair." Namjoon suggested. When nobody moved to get paper, he sighed and stood up. "I'll get some paper."

Once everyone had written their names into their piece of paper, they tossed their chits an empty cup. Namjoon pushed the cup in front of Jungkook, who was right next to him.

Jungkook whipped his hand inside, stirring the chits inside before pulling one out. He unfolded it slowly and peeked at the name until it was in full view to him. His shoulders slumped as let his hands fall on his lap, paper still in his hand. Yoongi raised a brow at the younger, curious about the name he pulled out.

"Who did you get then?" Hoseok was the one to ask, his eyes trying to focus on the name written. Jin, who was seated above Jungkook snorted as he read the name. Namjoon, who was leaning against the armchair Jin was sitting on, leaned over to check the name and slowly returned to his place.

"He got me," Namjoon uttered with a sigh, which elicited a laugh from Hoseok and a pursed lipped Yoongi. "Stop laughing. I'm sensitive." He said, frowning. This only resulted in more snickers from Hoseok.

"Stop laughing at my boyfriend. He's not even that bad." Jin tried to argue, though the trickle of laughter that was threatening to escape said otherwise.

A pause.

Jin and Hoseok burst into laughter right after, unable to contain themselves. Yoongi just shook his head, feeling slightly sorry for Namjoon. Though he did have a smile of his own in display at the scene in front of him.

"Really though, is Namjoon hyung that bad?" Taehyung asked, pulling Jin and Hoseok out from their small laughter session. Jin nodded in reply. "Cos, Chim's pretty bad at these games, too." Jimin gasped, slapping the younger's shoulder in response.

"Hey! You said I was getting better!" The silver haired male yelled indignantly, a look of betrayal on his face as he turned to his best friend.

Yoongi watched as the younger's bottom lip jutted out and crossed his arms, glaring at his best friend. So cute, his mind supplied unconsciously.

Goddamn it.

Stop it. Stop thinking that. Stop looking at him. You're just confused.

Confused, that's all.

He continued to reprimand himself as Jimin and Taehyung continued to argue.

"I only said that so you'd stop pestering me to play League with you. Sorry, Chim." Taehyung placed a hand on the older male's shoulder as if that would console the other. Jimin simply shrugged the hand off and huffed in disbelief.

"Forget it, I don't want to talk to you right now," he scoffed before adding, "oh and good luck on getting inside the house, cos I sure won't be letting you in."

"Chim, I have my keys today," Taehyung deadpanned. He could see Jimin falter and he wished he hadn't found it so amusing.

"Whatever. I'm still not talking to you." And with that, the dancer turned his body to face away from the other.

"Fine, I'll see how long you and your overdramatic  last this time without me," Taehyung huffed in reply, turning his attention to the others in the room now. "Don't mind him. He gets like this often. He'll go back to normal soon. Can I pick a name now?"

Namjoon blinked in confusion, shaking his head once before holding the cup out to the younger.

The blond was quick to open his chit and read the name out. "I got Hoseok hyung." He said with a straight face.

Yoongi couldn't help feeling uneasy. He still hadn't forgotten what the younger had told him. And from what he could see, Jimin seemed to feel the same, too.

"Chim, your turn," the blond said, taking the cup from Namjoon and holding it out to Jimin. Begrudgingly (from what he could see from the expression on the younger's face), Jimin twisted his body and reached inside the cup, pulling out the small piece of paper.

"I got Yoongi hyung," he said, surprising the older as he looked at the younger. Jimin smiled at him, though he could tell it was strained. The smile he sent in return wasn't far from resembling Jimin’s. The universe hated him, didn't it?

There goes his plan to avoid the other down the drain. Sighing inwardly, he decided to accept his fate for now.

Wait.

"Then, what about Jin? Is he joining one of our teams or...?" Jungkook asked with what he thought was hope.

"Nah, I'll be fine on my own. I prefer working by myself anyway," the eldest answered with a nonchalant shrug. Of course he did, Yoongi thought, snorting under his breath. "Good, now that that's decided. Any team want to go first?"

"Can my team play first?" Jungkook asked, raising his hand.

"Oh, oh, can we play against you, Kookie?" Taehyung suggested, excitedly bouncing on the sofa. Then, turning to Hoseok, "Hyung, I'm gonna play first, yeah?" Hoseok just nodded, displaying a thumbs up at the younger.

"I'm playing this round," the youngest said, turning to Namjoon who sighed and nodded in response.

"That's probably best," the green haired male stated, leaning against his boyfriend, who caressed his hair gently. Yoongi smiled at their interaction before realising something.

"Hold up," he called out, "if Kook and Tae are playing against each other, doesn't that mean me and Jimin are gonna be playing against Jin hyung?"

"Yeah, so?" Jungkook asked.

"Scared I'll beat you, Yoongs?" Jin asked, laughing. The corner of his lips twitched in annoyance.

"No. I just think we need to do this fairly," he countered with a grunt.

"Then, let's do rock, paper, scissors. Whoever wins gets to choose the team they want to play," the youngest suggested with a sigh, holding his fist out.

Yoongi exchanged a glance with Jimin, asking if he wanted to play, but the younger just shook his head and urged him to go ahead. He held his fist out, whilst Taehyung did the same.

The game finished as soon as it started to Yoongi's disbelief. He blinked once. Twice. Staring at the hands. Taehyung ended up being the winner. Unbelievable, he thought to himself.

"I win!" The said winner exclaimed, giggling. "Kookie, let's play." Yoongi groaned, head hanging low. What had even been the point of playing rock, paper, scissors then?

He could do nothing but watch the two youngest play, in silence. Both were neck to neck in terms of skills, neither allowing the other to take the lead.

At the end of the first lap, Taehyung took the first position, much to Jungkook's annoyance. He became even more determined to speed ahead. Which was exactly what he did in the second lap, causing Taehyung to groan before he moved forward to the edge of the sofa, focusing solely on one goal – winning the race. The last lap had them neck and neck again, Jungkook inching just a bit ahead of Taehyung.

The incessant pressing of buttons grew louder and faster, as if Taehyung believed it would help him accelerate. Alas, it only aided in causing him to miss one of the turns, watching Jungkook's red kart whizz past him to the finish line.

Jungkook whooped in celebration with a toothy grin, pushing his fist out to his teammate and then to Taehyung, who looked at him with a pout, "Good game, hyung." Sighing, Taehyung bumped his fist against the younger's, smiling.

"Good game," the older of the two agreed before turning to Yoongi. "Here you go, hyung, it's all yours." Taehyung said, offering the controller to him.

He glanced at Jimin, who'd been very quiet during the whole game. "Do you want a go?" He asked, holding the controller out to the younger who now blinked at him in surprise as he sat up in his seat.

"Are you sure? I'll probably make us lose, hyung," the younger stated with a frown.

"It's just a game, Jimin-ah. Just give it your best," he assured the younger with an encouraging smile. Reluctantly, the silver haired male accepted the controller with a small nod, cradling it in his lap.

When he turned back to the TV screen, he spotted Jin and Namjoon looking in his direction, brows raised in question. He chose to ignore the couple and trained his eyes on the screen. He didn't want to think about it.

"Alright, Jimin-ah, I'll make this quick for you," Jin said, smiling at the younger as he set his fingers firmly on the controller.

And so, the game started. Yoongi watched as Jin immediately zoomed past Jimin, leaving him behind right off the bat. The positions remained that way for the first lap and a half; Jimin in 4th place, Jin in 1st. Until Yoongi decided to help.

Standing up, he moved around to settle on the arm of the sofa, beside the silver haired male.

"When you get to the turn, don't go all the way round, go inwards, it's gonna be quicker," he suggested, leaning closer to the younger's ear. "Plus, hyung at those turns so you'll probably be able to catch up to him." Jimin gave a small nod and leaned forward and got closer to the bend.

Jimin did just as he advised, driving his kart inwards and going around the bend. This got him right behind the eldest's kart. He heard the elder curse under his breath and found himself smirking. Maybe Jimin could win this. Maybeㅡ

Just when his thoughts started anticipating for victory, Jimin's kart was thrown off kilter by an obstacle, causing him to be overtaken by all the other karts.

Really now? Did it have to be Jimin's kart that suffered? Out of all the other eight karts?

Sighing, he decided to accept the loss.

Jimin continued to try his best for the last lap, but it was clear he found it hard to catch up when he was so far behind now. And Yoongi only had that one tactic to help the other. Jin was practically flawless at the game.

The younger ended up being 7th. There was now a frown on display on his face, he noted, before he looked up at Yoongi apologetically.

"Sorry hyung," Jimin said, looking dejected. God, how cute, he thought.

When he realised that the younger was stilling waiting for his reply, he smiled at him, genuinely this time, and ruffled the other's hair playfully.

"There's no need to look so upset. I'm not mad," he assured the other, hand still on Jimin's head. When the younger looked at him, unconvinced, he reaffirmed, "Really, I'm not. You did well, Jiminie." The fact that the nickname slipped out so easily from his lips had him freeze in spot because what the , Min Yoongi?

Where the hell had that come from?

Ignore it.

It was just a spur of the moment, whatever the hell that was, he tried to assure himself.

He could feel everyone's eyes on him, but he ignored them, clearing his throat before standing up. "I'm gonna get a drink." He announced, speed walking to the kitchen before anyone pointed out his little slip up.

Quickly opening the fridge and taking a can, he closed the door, leaning against it as he took a large gulp. The cool liquid somewhat calmed his nerves, and he was grateful.

"Yoongi?" He jumped, startled by the sudden call. His head whipped up to see Hoseok standing in front of him. Where the hell did he come from? The younger chuckled. "Calm down, it's just me. What are you so jumpy about?" Oh. "And why aren't you with everyone else?" Oh.

Come to think of it...Hoseok had slipped out of the room when Jin and Jimin had started playing.

Oh, thank god. He thought, relief washing over him. That meant that Hoseok hadn't witnessed what happened a moment ago. Thank god.

"Just, just wanted to get some beer," he said as calmly as he could, holding up the can in his hand. The younger nodded but didn't say anything for a good few seconds.

"Who won then?" Hoseok asked, as if just recalling.

"I think you can guess," he remarked, releasing a breath of laughter.

"Man, he's too good at that game," the younger said, chuckling. He went quiet after that, slotting his hands into his pockets. He looked anxious, Yoongi noted. Sensing that the younger would speak again, he waited. "...I think I'm gonna talk to Jimin now."

"Oh." Was all he could say, looking down at his beer. "Goodㅡgood luck then." He managed to muster. Geez, what was he getting so nervous about?

"Yeah, t-thanks," the younger stuttered, scratching the back of his head, a strained expression on his face. Turning on his heel, he pointed to the living room, "Are you coming?"

"I'll be there once I finish this," he said, gesturing to his can again. The younger nodded in understanding and turned to leave.

Yoongi let out a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding, relaxing against the kitchen counter. He didn't know what would've happened if Hoseok had witnessed him earlier. He didn't even want to think about it.

So – thoughts aside – he lifted the can and took a large gulp, feeling the beer warm his throat.

He chose to take as long as he could to finish his beer, just so he'd have longer to brace himself for when he returned to his friends.

And when he did return to the living room, Hoseok and Jimin were nowhere to be seen.

"They're outside," Jin informed, causing him to turn to the older male (he was still playing the game). "Hoseok said he wanted to talk to Jimin, in private." Judging from the elder's expression, he guessed that he already knew what the couple would be talking about. Hoseok had probably told Jin about the matter, seeing as the latter had been the first to notice.

He nodded in response and sat down on the sofa, which had been previously occupied by Jimin.

Feeling another's gaze on him, he turned to Taehyung, raising an eyebrow in question. The younger male continued staring intensely, as if searching for something.

"What?" He finally asked, starting to feel very uncomfortable by the younger's stare.

"Do you know what they're talking about?" Taehyung asked, pointing to the door. Gulping, he avoided the younger's eyes.

"Yeah, I do," he answered quietly, leaning closer to the arm of the sofa. He really hoped the younger wouldn't asked any further because he was pretty sure he wasn't allowed to mention the matter until it was resolved. He hoped everything worked out well for the two, without any hurting. Though, he guessed that'd be difficult.

"I see," was all Taehyung gave as a response. And somehow, those words told Yoongi that the younger had a hunch already.

"Yeah," Yoongi mumbled. He realised there was no sound coming from the TV and saw that the trio that had previously been engrossed in the game, were now focused on the two of them. Or maybe they'd been listening the whole time. Probably.

"It's better sooner than later," Jin voiced out, placing the controller on the side. Jungkook and Namjoon looked on, confusion and curiosity written all over their faces. The eldest sighed, "Though, I can't understand why Hoseok had to go through with something like this, when he could've just grown a pair and confessed like a normal person."

"Even a normal person would find it hard to confess to the one they like, hyung. Remember how long it took for Namjoon to confess to you?" Yoongi remarked with a snort, causing Namjoon to yell in protest, telling them that the timing wasn't right. They all laughed in response, Jin ruffling his boyfriend's hair endearingly. "But I agree that he made some bad choices."

"As long as he learns not to make those choices again," the eldest stated with a sigh, leaning his chin against his palm.

"He won't," Yoongi said firmly. Because he trusted Hoseok.

He trusted his best friend not to make the same choices again. Hoseok wasn't a horrible person, he knew that. He understood that he'd made a mistake and wronged someone's feelings for him, and he was disappointed at the other for that, but. Didn't everybody make mistakes sometimes? Hoseok was human, after all.

And humans always did the most ridiculous things for the sake of their happiness once in a while.

Wanting shortcuts in life to obtain the things they desired because working hard was too time-consuming. Patience had always been a difficult concept for human beings.

"How can you be so sure that he won't?" Taehyung questioned in disbelief, shaking his head.

That's when the younger felt a vibration in his track bottoms. Yoongi watched as Taehyung's expression went blank as he read the message on his screen. Jimin, he thought. Taehyung slipped the device back in his pocket and glanced at Yoongi for a moment, before standing up from his seat. "Sorry hyung, we're gonna have to leave early. I've already put our presents under the tree, we hope everyone likes them! Oh, and thanks for the food and snacks, I had fun."

"It was my pleasure, Tae. I'll pack some snacks for you and Jimin to take home since you liked them so much," Jin offered, standing up as well. "Oh, and don't forget to take the presents we all got you two." And the older male walked to the Christmas tree, picking up some of the gift-wrapped boxes. "This is from me, Joon and Kookie, and this one's from Hobi for Jimin." Jin handed them over with a sad smile on his face, before turning to head for the kitchen to get the snacks, he guessed.

Yoongi took this as a cue to get up and walked to the younger, a hand in his coat pocket, grasping the small box inside. He pulled it out and hesitantly held it out to Taehyung, who looked at the yellow box then back at Yoongi. "Uh, this is for Jimin. They're, um, earrings. He likes things like that, right?...and uh, yeahㅡsorry, I didn't get you anything. I didn't know what you liked." He said with a sheepish smile, scratching the back of his head. Taehyung accepted the box and slipped it into his pocket.

"It's okay, you didn't have to get me anything. And Jimin's going to love them, hyung, thank you," the younger said, offering a small thankful smile.

Yoongi looked at the younger, hesitant. He wanted to ask about Jimin.

"He's going to be okay, hyung. He just needs time," Taehyung interjected before he could ask. Surprised, he opened his mouth to ask how the younger knew what he was going to say, before Taehyung beat him to it. "The worry's written all over your face right now, I'd be blind not to see that, hyung. He'll be fine, I promise." The younger assured.

Yoongi nodded in understanding and went back to the living room. Namjoon and Jungkook had expressions of curiosity and worry on their faces as he sat down on the sofa.

"Is Jimin alright?" Jungkook was the one to ask first. "Why're they leaving already? I wanted a rematch with Tae." The younger said, pouting.

"We can have  that rematch another time, Kookie – promise," Taehyung assured with a smile, walking back into the living room. Jungkook deflated, but nodded, causing Taehyung to chuckle. "You're so cute." This caused the youngest to snap his head up in surprise, a hint of red painting his cheeks. "Let's play again soon, yeah?" And with that, Taehyung left with a wave, presents and a bag of snacks in hand.

Yoongi continued to stare at the door after Taehyung left, still thinking about Jimin. And Hoseok. Why hasn't he come back? He thought with worry. Moving to stand up again, the door swung open, revealing a dejected Hoseok. He watched as the younger sat down beside him – but he didn't say anything. Yoongi rested a hand on the other's shoulder as gesture of comfort.

"Hey, you did the right thing," he said, squeezing the younger's shoulder.

"I know, I justㅡI feel so ty for doing that to him. I'm such an ," he said, groaning in frustration as he put his head in his hands.

"And you would've been an even bigger  if you'd continued dating him," Jin voice came as he entered the room. Sighing, he added, "Sorry."

"You don't need to apologise, you're right, hyung… I'm sorry for not listening to you when you first warned me," Hoseok said, removing his hands of his face. Jin's shoulders slumped in defeated, sitting down beside the younger.

"I know I probably sound like a ty friend right now, but it's better this way, Seok-ah. I didn't want either of you to get hurt. I couldn't just watch you trying to deceive Jimin's feelings, let alone your own," Jin stressed.

Yoongi listened as the two exchanged looks of understanding. He had a feeling that Jin knew a lot more than he did about Hoseok. It made him feel horrible because what kind of a best friend was he?

Then, Hoseok stood, looking down at Yoongi. "I think I'm gonna head home, too. You coming?" He asked. Yoongi nodded and got up, following the younger to the door.

Slipping his toes into his shoes, he grabbed his scarf and was about to leave with Hoseok when Jin called them back, two bags in his hands.

"I packed some snacks for you, and this bag has presents from everyone. Hope you like them," Yoongi accepted them with a smile which the older male returned. Nodding, he waved goodbye, walking out the door after telling Hoseok that he'd be waiting outside. He could sense that the younger wanted to speak with Jin, so he decided to leave them alone.

As he waited outside, he wondered whether he should ask Hoseok about the person he liked. Would it be right?

He just felt left out of the loop. Not knowing.

But he didn't want to force the younger into telling him.

Sighing, he decided to subside the thought for now. Maybe Hoseok would talk to him later.

That's when the younger choose to leave the apartment, dressed snugly in his winter attire. Hoseok smiled at him weakly, "Sorry for taking long. Let's go." And he walked past, without waiting for Yoongi to catch up. Yoongi chose to give the other space, sensing that Hoseok wanted to be alone for a while.

The rest of the way to their apartment was spent in silence. Yoongi was okay with that. Although he wished he had other words of consolation for the younger.

Even so, maybe not saying anything at all was better than forced words of comfort.

The younger went straight to bed after removing his clothes.

Yoongi stayed awake for a little longer that night. Not that it made a difference since he slept late most of the time anyway.

He was debating whether he should message Jimin or not. If only as confirmation that he'd be okay.

me:

hey um

i just wanted to check on u

and say, im sorry about what happened

And he was about to put his phone down when a buzz stopped him. A reply from Jimin.

jimin:

hi hyung :)

thanks for checking up on me, im fine

i will be soon dw !!

and i just want to tell u that i probably wont be able to come to practice for a few weeks

finals are coming up so

me:

it's okay, i understand

we still have time anyway

dont work too hard

take regular breaks

jimin:

geez, u worry too much

but i will, thanks hyung c:

ur gonna come right?

me:

to see you practice?

jimin:

noooo to see my final performance silly xD

tho if u can come to practice if u want idm!!

im pretty much gonna be at the dance studio every day

He felt his face burn in embarrassment.

me:

oh

yeah ill come

to your performance i mean

and its fine, i dont want to disturb u

jimin:

great!!

and no u wont dw!!

if anything, i could use a second opinion

esp from someone whos not a dance major

me:

well ig...ill go then

He didn't to ask about Taehyung being an option for a second opinion. He wasn't really...sure why, though. Was it wrong that he felt…happy that Jimin was asking for his opinion over the others'?

jimin:

asdlfksjdfkl, thank u so much hyung!! :D

jus drop by anytime after 5 when u can <3

im gonna get some sleep now so ill talk to u later?

me:

yeah sure

goodnight jimin-ah

Locking his phone, he changed into his pyjamas and slipped under the covers, placing his phone under the pillow. Snuggling in because it seemed especially cold that night, he tried to get some sleep for the night.