Admittedly, 2am maybe wasn’t the best time to be buying instant noodles, but the small campus shop was open 24/7 for a reason. If Jungkook was going to pull an all nighter to finish his essay, he needed some food. 

He barely looked at the labels of the cups as he pulled one from the shelf, internally praying he had picked up a flavour he liked before trudging towards the checkouts. There was only one till open (understandable - it was two in the morning after all) and the cashier was sitting with her feet kicked up and a phone held up to her face.

Jungkook would have laughed when he realised the girl was taking a damn selfie but he really couldn’t be bothered. Instead, he slammed the cup down with more force than necessary to get her attention. She jumped slightly, dropped her feet to the floor and sitting up straight. The bright orange of her hair seemed to blur a little in Jungkook’s bleary vision and does she really need to smile that widely at me?

“Hey! Sorry about that,” she chirped, grinning like she wasn’t the only unfortunate employee to be working a night shift. Quickly, she scanned the noodles through, looking back up. “₩1600 for that.”

Jungkook dropped the exact money into her hands, swiping the cup and practically bolting out the door before the girl could even thank him. 

***

The next time Jungkook saw the girl was at half three in the morning and, once again, he had stupidly left his project context to the last minute. It had only been a few weeks since his last encounter with the cheery cashier and, if he was honest, he didn’t particularly want to run into her again.

Of course, fate had it out for him and the night he walks into the store is the night she is working her night shift. Jungkook mentally groaned as he headed for the instant noodles, picking one at random.

“Oh, this is a different one from the last time! Usually, people just buy the same one over and over,” the girl - Taehyun, her nametag read - noted, scanning it through. “It’s nice seeing someone change it up.”

Jungkook hummed non-committedly, not that Taehyun seemed to mind, and took the opportunity to look at her now that his brain isn’t completely sleep deprived. She was definitely beautiful, no doubt about it, with long hair that was pulled into a messy bun near the top of her head and pretty kohl rimmed eyes. The only thing Jungkook couldn’t get past was that damn smile. How could someone be so happy at half three in the morning?

This time, he thanks her as he walks out the door.

***

“Wow, third time in the past month! It’s not often I see people more than once during the night shifts.”

“What can I say, I’m a real night owl,” Jungkook mumbled, sarcasm slipping into his voice, “or whatever that phrase is.”

Taehyun giggles, a cute and lively laugh that makes Jungkook want to smile too. Not that he did, of course. “Yeah, sure you are.”

***

Taehyun follows him around the store the next time Jungkook finds himself there. He pretends he doesn’t hear her when she exclaims wow, you’re back to see me again? and continues his noodle browsing. No way he was going to tell her that, yes, he was in fact here to see her. He didn’t even have anything due tomorrow.

“You know,” Taehyun smiles deviously, “I still don’t know your name. I mean, I have a nametag so I know you know mine - I totally caught you staring at my s a moment ago, don’t even lie to me - so it’s only fair I get to know yours.”

Jungkook flushed bright red and averted his eyes, kicking his toe into the side of the checkout. He never was good at being inconspicuous. Jimin always told him he was glaringly obvious whenever he found himself staring at her chest. Jimin’s boyfriend, Hoseok, was all too eager too agree with Jungkook on how great Jimin’s chest was though.

“Uh- I wasn’t-” Jungkook spluttered out awkwardly, breaking into a small coughing fit. Taehyun laughed the entire time like Jungkook wasn’t nearly choking up a lung. “Okay, maybe I was… sorry.”

Taehyun rolled her eyes at him but smiled sweetly anyway. “I accept your apology. Now, your name?”

“Jungkook.”

Another wide grin and this time, Jungkook smiled back. 

***

“Which days do you work?” Jungkook asked as casually as he could when he finally managed to catch Taehyun’s next night shift.

He knew he was caught out the second Taehyun smirked. “Did you turn up and find I don’t actually work here every night?” There was a laugh hidden behind her words and Jungkook swore he could feel his heart skip several beats. Hearts weren’t supposed to do that, he was sure.

“No.” A pause. “Maybe.”

“Oh my God, you’re so cute!” Taehyun gushed, reaching forward to ruffle Jungkook’s hair. He batted her hand away half heartedly, a small smile playing across his face. “I work night shifts every Monday, Thursday and Saturday. You better come see me.”

Jungkook snorted jokingly but nodded his head shyly straight after. Taehyun looked gorgeous again tonight, wearing an oversized sweater and a tattoo choker. Without thinking, he moved his hand out, tracing his fingers lightly over the plastic around . He could feel her breath hitch and he nearly melted at the thought that he managed get that kind of reaction from a simple action.

“That’s not a joke, by the way,” Taehyung smiled softly. “Really. Come see me.” 

***

The sun was far too hot for Autumn and Jungkook was so close to skipping his last class in favour of the air conditioned library. If the sun were a human being, he swears he would be first in line to murder it.

Unless the sun happened to have a bright smile and a ing Naruto shade of orange hair.

Jungkook was nearly sent flying by the blur of colour that crashed into his chest, a shoulder colliding with his ribs. He collapsed to the ground, wheezing for air as Taehyun stood above him, beaming proudly.

“Jesus Christ, noona, did you just attack me?”

Taehyung nodded seriously as she helped him to his feet. “Of course. That is how I greet people I like.”

Jungkook could do nothing but stare incredulously at the strange girl in front of him, shaking his head slightly. “You’re so weird.”

“Mm, but you love it.”

“Who says so?”

“Me, and you too, after our date.”

Suddenly, Jungkook panicked, trying to think of when he asked Taehyun on a date. He was now wondering whether he accidentally visited her while drunk or high out of his mind. He wasn’t quite sure how that would be the case since he hadn’t done either of those things for months, but the fear was there anyway.

Taehyun wasn’t oblivious to the mental turmoil and she laughed loudly. “The date I’m setting up now. We’re gonna date, because I like you and you should pick me up at eight. Or I’ll turn up at yours. Text me dress code and dorm room details.” She a piece of paper into Jungkook’s hand before shifting her backpack on her shoulders and running off.

Jungkook stared after the girl in slight amazement, watching her bag bounce against her back as she disappeared around the side of a lecture building. So weird.

Slowly, he unfolded the paper (a whole A4 sheet of paper for so few details - Jungkook weeped inside over the waste of paper) and read over the words, a smile growing on his face. Taehyun had written her number, dorm and date ideas down for Jungkook. He didn’t even hesitate before whipping out his phone and adding Taehyun’s number to his contacts.

Comfiest clothes you own. Pajamas are acceptable.

Jungkook grinned to himself as his plan came together in his head. He scrolled through his contacts again, stopping at the name Seokjin. Holding the phone to his ear, Jungkook (im)patiently waited for his hyung to pick up.

“Hello?”

“Hyung!” Jungkook cried, putting on his most affectionate voice. “I need a favour!”

A sigh on the other end. “What do you want?”

“Nothing much.” 

***

Jungkook wasn’t lying in the slightest when he said ‘nothing much’ - in fact, this was probably the least effort he had ever put in to a date, ever. He had tidied up the dorm room, if nothing else. 

A knock broke him out of his thoughts and he nearly fell off the bed in his scramble to reach the door. He could already imagine Taehyun’s mocking at the loud yelp he let out when he cracked his knee off the desk.

He yanked the door open enthusiastically and was nearly blinded by Taehyun’s wide grin. She was in joggers and a tshirt, hair pulled up again, and Jungkook was sure he had never been so attracted to a girl in his life.

“You tidied up for me? So sweet!” Taehyun clapped her hands together happily, plopping down on the small bed. She didn’t seem to have any problem making herself at home.

“What makes you think I tidied up for you?” Jungkook huffed but crawled up next to her anyway.

She rolled her eyes at him. “You left the Febreeze on the desk and I could see half the room shoved under the bed.”

“...Smartass,” Jungkook grumbled as he powered up his laptop. He couldn’t have been happier when he saw that Taehyun had written ‘lazy movie night’ on her date ideas list (with several stars and hearts drawn around it… Jungkook hadn’t found it difficult to choose) and he made sure he called his hyung to find out his new Netflix password specifically for the occasion.

It took the two a good twenty minutes to actually decide on a film to watch - Jungkook insisted on a horror but Taehyun was all for Disney. Jungkook relented eventually, pretending he just wanted to let Taehyun have her way (really, he just knew he would lose the argument and would rather save his dignity).

Not that the movie ended up being watched anyway.

“So, I’ll take this as a good sign that you like me back?” Taehyun whispered breathlessly, her arms wrapped securely around Jungkook’s neck. Jungkook lay beneath her, hands on the small of her back to pull her closer while he let her kiss him.

“Depends on what type of like you mean.” He laughed quietly, gently taking her bottom lip in between his teeth. Her shirt had ridden up slightly and her bare skin was warm and smooth under Jungkook’s hands and he couldn’t get enough.

“Like, as in a ‘totally boyfriend and girlfriend’ kinda way, you complete asshat,” she tried to say despite the fact her bottom lip was otherwise engaged. Jungkook released her lip and smiled in delight.

“Then, yes, I like you in a ‘totally boyfriend and girlfriend’ kinda way. Girlfriend.”

Taehyun smiled back just as brightly. “Shut up and kiss me again, nerd.”

“Nerd? You’re the one who wanted to watch a Disney movie-”

“Kiss me.”

“Okay.”