The sky had darkened for hours already and chose that exact moment to open its gates.

It began to pour heavily and Jungkook made for the closest secure place, a small coffee shop at the street corner, cursing under his breath. The coffee shop was cramped and people kept arriving, just as soaked as he was. He groaned. It wasn´t that he hated crowds or anything. He just felt... uncomfortable with them. Very uncomfortable. The whole atmosphere made his nose twitch. He could feel hot sticky breath at his neck, bodies pressed against him, wet clothes from the strangers around him drenching him even more. Steam that rose from fresh made coffee and tea added to the hot heavy air pressing down on him. And above all was the sickening scent of various cakes mixed with the customers sweat.

Jungkook looked around with the most relaxed and unbothered expression he could pull. Which admittedly was not even convincing himself to be at ease. In the furthest corner behind a huge room plant he spotted a free space. Not thinking twice, he scrambled there, pushing people out of his way. With a heavy sigh he flopped down. It was just then that he picked up his camera and examined it. There luckily were no scratches or anything but the lense had gotten wet. He fished a napkin out of its holder and tried to dry it in the hope it was the right thing to do. He didn´t really know that much about photography. It had to work for now. Suddenly getting self-aware Jungkook checked if anybody watched him before he switched on the screen and  started looking through his photographs. He had made 71 photos today. All of door knobs. Door knobs. He couldn´t care less.

Well, actually that wasn´t true. It took maybe twenty minutes for him to start having fun with his little task. He ended up walking streets up and down, entering yards, crossing squares for almost five hours. It in fact was quite faszinating to see how many different kinds of door knobs there were, especially at old houses. And maybe, just maybe he got a little too immersed in his doing so he didn´t notice the heavy dark grey clouds gathering until it was too late. Now he was trapped in an overcrowded coffee shop with an unpleasant atmosphere whilst it kept pouring outside. Relucantly, Jungkook admitted to himself he couldn´t change anything at his current situation and therefore could aswell make it a challenge to get better with crowds.

An hour went by as he deleted picture after picture and only 15 remained. An old woman had squeezed in next to him, shoving him even more in the corner. He had been tempted to snap at her for some seconds. The rain hadn´t stopped yet. He played around with his phone, scrolling through his contacts up and down. And it bothered him to no end that he always paused at the number of Kim Taehyung, thumb hovering above the contact as if ready to press down and call him or write a message. Why should he write to the alien anyways? But what bothered him even more was the fact that he couldn´t just contact him as easily because officially he didn´t know Kim Taehyung´s number. It was all part of research. How awkward would it be if he sent the other a message under these circumstances? It would literally scream 'Hey I am stalking you but don´t mind me please' and risk to be found out. Which could not happen. It simply couldn´t. Again, his fingers were twitching, eager to do something.

He kept scrolling up and down the list until it stopped raining.

"...and without another word they both turned around and walked up the stairs, unwavering, not looking back once, not seeing my mask crumble, not feeling my heart shredding itself into ribbons, not hearing my breath hitch, not smelling the rodden stench of death clinging on me, not tasting the sickening darkness seeping out of my pores. But it was alright. I understood. I was fine. I was not fine", the author ended his reading session. His last words faded as the entire room kept quiet. The following silence weighed heavily. It wasn´t an awkward or uncomfortable silence though but one heavy of thinking, reflecting and contemplating. Several seconds passed until the audience clapped in acknowledgement.

As usually, the people got up and left one after another. As usually, Jungkook stayed behind until he was the last remaining visitor. As usually, he tried to make small talk with his target. And as usally, he got completely ignored.

That leads to nothing. I need another 'coincidental' meeting with Kim Taehyung, Jungkook concluded, ruffling his hair. He had made no effort so far. Which was not the norm for him. He was a ing professional, wasn´t he? Okay, this is nothing. Calm down. Deep breaths, remember? He dialed the number of his second.

"Yes?", Yoongi answered with his monotonous voice.

"Hyung, I need you to tell me the collateral´s schedule for tomorrow, please."

 Jungkook pressed the replay button and "Coup d'Etat" by G-Dragon started again. This. Man. Is. A. Genius.

The music store was suprisingly empty. Not that he minded though as he was practically blocking the way, listening to the song for the fourth time. He was about to replay it for the fifth time as Kim Taehyung barged in with a loud "Good afternoon!" directed to the cashier. With the determination of somebody who knows the place well, he headed to the CD section saying 'others'. He scanned the shelf, picked some CDs up and laid them back again. Then the procedure repeated itself with the next shelf. Like that, the older worked his way through the whole shop. At some point Jungkook got bored watching him, so he resumed listening to "Coup d'Etat". Without noticing, he moved his lips to the lyrics, singing along silently as he memorized more and more of the text. Being too absorbed to pay much attention to his surroundings.

"JUNGKOOKIE!!!"

Whoa! He sure had trained to not show any emotions especially fear, surprise or shock but that nearly gave him a heart attack. With widened eyes, the black-haired turned around to the wide smiling brunet.

"No way I meet you here too! What are you listening to? Ah, I see. GD. Funny, Jiminie is a big fan of Taeyang, you know? That´s great, now you both can talk about Bigbang and stuff..."

He went on chatting whilst Jungkook took a mental note: Taeyang could be an ice breaker as talking topic with his target. That might be the first useful information Kim Taehyung had given me. I shall put it to good use.

"...but I have to say I am disappointed", the other complained, one arm thrown around the younger´s shoulder. "I looked you up on the internet and found literally no-thiiiing. Were you lying as you said you are a photographer or what? Everybody has an own website nowadays, y'know." The elder pouted. It made him look quite adorable. Wait, what. Jungkook shoved the thought aside immediately.

"Sh*t, my website!" He smacked his hand against the forehead while scrambling for words. "Actually, I am currently revising it because there was some technical problem and I totally forgot about it. Aish, I am sorry, hyung. It was just bad timing and me being forgetful. Just search me again in one or two days please, okay?" He casted the older a pleading look making big doe eyes and willing his face to redden in fake embarassment.

Luckily, Kim Taehyung seemed convinced.It was almost too easy to lead him on. "Bulls eye! I knew it! HA!" He grinned happily, rather proud with his observing skills.

Obviously trying to change the topic, Jungkook took a step he had originally planned for later. Hopefully it would work out. "But you know... I´m not sure Jimin-shi even wants to talk to me. He lately always ignores me..." He lowered his head.

"Whaaat--- I can´t really imagine that. Why should Jiminie do such a thing?", the brunet frowned.

"I swear it´s true", Jungkook assured, all the cute shy boy in love. "And I don´t know what I have done wrong. Do you--- do you think you can help me there, please? I just-" You mistook the girl´s toilet with the boy´s one at school and had already opened your pants so all the girls could see your micky mouse . Now blush hard. "I just really like him and want to get to know him better...", he ended, face hot and red as a ripe tomato.

Now Kim Taehyung smirked. "I´ll think about it."

"Thank you so much, hyung, I-"

He was cut off as the other checked the time. "Oh, sh*t! I'm sorry Jungkookie but I really need to go now. See ya!" And he stormed away.

Mere minutes later Jungkook stepped out of the shop too, a new CD in his hand and called his second.

"Hyung, I need a website as a photographer til tomorrow. Yes. I don't care how, just make it happen. Why do I even not have an own website? That is a huge gap in my alibi which got unnoticed way too long. Yeah. I know, I know. I will send you some photos, I just have to make some more now. Bye."

He took out his camera and started shooting everything he got past. And he made a point that it was too long to think of the collateral as 'Kim Taehyung' so he would just adress him as Taehyung from now on in his thoughts. Just to save time of course.