When Jimin spent a week in Finland and she realized she missed a certain chicken little, she felt the need to drink a headache pill.

“I’m just not feeling well” she told herself, popping a pill, downed it with some water, then proceeded with her schedules at the composing camp.

Then one of the guys there made a joke and she laughed out loud. And afterwards, she thought that Jae would crack up even more.

The thought shocked her, and she shook her head to pull herself together and focused more on the conversation.

That evening, as she lied in her bed, she watched the clip of Day6’s performance at a university. It’s nothing uncommon for her. They’re friends after all. He also always watched her performances, saying he’s strictly monitoring her for progress.

Jae was cool, she thought.

But it’s normal. He’s indeed cool and talented. It’s ok for friends to acknowledge each other’s good points.

He’s cute at that performance.

Nothing uncommon either. He was indeed cute. It’s weirder if she couldn’t admit that.

But he’s………he—he looked handsome.

At Dongguk performance.

Was it the short sleeves shirt that made him looked less skinny, or he just suddenly grew a different aura?

Or or or, had he always looked that good, but she just never admitted it?

All of a sudden, her phone vibrated, and a text from Jae came in, saying, “Yo! How’s Finland? How’s the composing camp?”

Jimin was so surprised her hand slipped and her phone hit her face.

She groaned “ow!” then rubbed her face forlornly.

“I hate you, Chicken Little!” she groaned, before texting, “Pretty place. Awesome peeps. Gorgeous guys”

Jae replied with an, “Ew!”

“What’s your problem boi?” she texted back.

Jae video called her and she watched her screen for several seconds, hesitating on what to do. She had video calls with Jae so often already in the past. That evening though, she was afraid of what she would feel if she clicked yes.

Sighing, she sat up and clicked her screen.

“Yoooooooooo!!!” Jae greeted noisily. “Where you at, Girl?”

“Bed” she smiled, feeling sheepish. It’s not the first time she received his video call before bed, too, actually.

“How’s it goin’? Wrote any cool songs? Ate any cool stuffs?”

“Yup. Everyone here is so fun and I ate tons of yummy stuffs”

“That’s lit” Jae grinned.

“Going somewhere?” she asked, as she saw Jae holding his phone as he walked out of what looked like his dorm.

“Yeah. Gonna go for lunch”

“With?” Jimin asked, hoping her face and tone were normal.

But Jae suddenly turned to her.

“With? Why do you ask? You never asked who I was with before”

“It’s just a question, Jae” Jimin replied, doing her signature roll of eyes, her heart beating faster inside.

“Which sneakers should I wear today? Geez, can’t decide. Oh, and by the way, I’m gonna have lunch with Momo and Somi”

Her phone nearly slipped off her hand again, but she held tight to it. Too tight, even.

“Why would they want to have lunch with you?” she asked, masking her usual cheekiness.

“The question should be who doesn’t want to have lunch with me, Jamie, excuse you”

Her heart weirdly twisted in a……painful way, but she just blinked and mumbled, “Arrogant chicken”

“Do I look ok already?” Jae asked, wearing a checkered flannel shirt and a t-shirt inside, with his usual jeans.

“Not bad”

“Thanks. Gotta go now. Sleep tight, Baby J!”

He’s going to have lunch with Momo and Somi. Ok. Ok. There’s no need to – to get your eyes wet just because –

A text came again from Jae five minutes later, saying, “I lied. It’s lunch with Bernard”.

“I hate you” Jimin replied.

“Nope. You love me” Jae texted back cheekily.

Love was never an uncommon word between them. They threw it at each other easily ever since they first started being friends. They’re that close and that comfortable with each other. But that night, it finally hit her that she’s not just liking him as a friend. She’s falling for him. Hard. Maybe she had always been. She just never realized it.

She contemplated on replying “Yeah, I really do”, yet stopped herself, and put the thick bedcover to cover her whole body then screamed as loud as her lungs let her.

***************************************

Author's Note:

Because I need more Jae and Jimin in my life. 

And have you seen the teaser images of Jae, YK and SJ for Sunrise album? 

JYP, fyi, I ain't ready to die yet.