Perplexing Simplicities

episode㊱

"Oh." She finally says, wiping her own questioning look away. "Okay, well, have fun I guess."

He nods weakly. "Y-yep. I should—I should get back." He starts to back away waving, "It was great to see you..."

She waves back, "We should get lunch some time!" kind and open, with her signature smile painting her face. He just nods, smiling. Part of him is ready to run back to her, leave with her and go at it in some bathroom that will never see the light of day.

But he can't.

So he walks away.

He finds Jin and Namjoon in a bathroom plastered against a wall, and they leave together followed by lots of 'Are you okay's and Did something happen?'s.

They go out to lunch and the whole time, Jin and Namjoon are laughing and being happy together and Jimin wants to burrow into a hole in the ground and die.

They bring him back to the café, and leave him outside where he stands watching Taehyung through the window for a little too long.

He comes inside, where nothing but silence greets him, and he goes upstairs.

Still in silence, as the sun fades from the sky, he packs a suitcase.

+ + +

"I don't understand how you're okay with being this confused all the time."

Hoseok shrugs.

They've been in the studio for over an hour trying to forget that they exist. It's going great.

"You're not in a much better position."

Jungkook scowls, taking a break to grab some water. "Am too. I know for a fact that nothing is ever going to happen between me and..." he pauses grimacing, "either of them."

Hoseok laughs sarcastically. "Yeah, so why are you still sleeping under their roof?" Jungkook pouts. "Or refusing to move on? Or still getting hurt when they fight? Or talking to me about how heartbroken you are when you refuse to do anything about it?"

The pout turns down into a frown and he rolls his eyes.

"Point taken. I still don't understand why you don't just ask him out..."

"Because!" Hoseok doesn't finish and Jungkook gives him a look, hands placed accusingly on his hips.

"What? You already know he likes you... why else would he ask Jimin to set you up with him?"

"I-" Hoseok hesitates. Does he know that Yoongi likes him? Has Yoongi ever made any inkling to suggest that that might be true outside of 'the date'? Cause it was starting to seem like all of Hoseok's suspicions were riding on that... And considering Yoongi had canceled and rescheduled like five times he was beginning to think he didn't even have that.

"I don't know." Hoseok whispers quietly.

Jungkook is quiet, observing his friend's lost expression for a little while.

"Um— forget it. Sorry to question you or whatever, I'm sure everything is on the right track-" he nudges Hoseok out of his stupor, "yeah?"

Hoseok nods slowly, harshly blinking the doubt out of his eyes that was manifesting as little tears of desperation. Shit he felt so helpless. But he brushes it off because that's all he knows how to do and he has Jungkook standing right next to him waiting for a dance lesson and he can't cope right now. At least not in any other way than he knows. Which is basically dance or alcohol, so.

"Yeah, yeah, let's dance."

They wrap up by 7 or 8 neither is really sure when and mindlessly head back to the café managing to catch Taehyung in the middle of cleaning up before closing.

"Hey Tae, you need any help?" Hoseok eagerly asks while Jungkook automatically begins clearing tables.

Taehyung glances up, brushing the hair out of his face and quietly nods. "Sure, Seok, you can take dirty dishes."

Hoseok freezes for a second. Seok.

He silently goes to wash the dishes, but can't help himself from replaying the last time someone called him Seok a million times in his head as he does. It was Yoongi in case you forgot.

Hobi sat down the empty water glass and turned to Yoongi. "What do you think of me Yoongi? Honestly."

Yoongi was taken aback. What the hell? What did he think of Hoseok?

"Um... I-... Nice?" Yoongi furrowed his eyebrows, regretting what he'd just said a lot by Hobi's hurt facial expression. "I- what the fuck type of question is that Seok?"

Hobi got over his initial expression fast, this time replaced by a cooing little smile. "S-seok? Did you just call me Seok?"

Trust me when I say he was smiling like an idiot in minutes, earning annoyed looks from both Jungkook and Taehyung.

It wasn't long before Jimin came down as well, unnoticed by Hoseok and steps into the kitchen asking, "What's that look for?"

Hoseok hums mindlessly, "Yoon-" He freezes. "No one. Nothing it's nothing, I mean nothing." He laughs and scoffs, "Not no one. Nothing."

Jimin snorts. "So, nothing?"

"Yeah..."

Jimin nods not buying a damn word and leans a hand idly on the counter. "Hey, I just wanted to let you know I'm going out of town for a little bit..."

Hoseok frowns, setting down his dish. "What? Why? For how long?"

Jimin laughs easily. You almost wouldn't notice the tenseness in his shoulders. "Just to visit my mom for a few days. I'll be back before Christmas."

"Uh—okay... Have you told the other's?"

Jimin bites the inside of his cheek. "Tae. Not Kook."

Hoseok groans and tries horribly to muffle it with a cough. There was no way Jungkook would take it well given the circumstances. He'd probably find a way to spin it and blame himself. Like his socks were too smelly or some delusional shit. Hoseok shakes his head softly. "Just be gentle, okay?"

Jimin nods curtly but can't stop his eyebrow from ticking up a little, "When did you guys get so close?"

Hoseok wants to laugh in Jimin's face. Was he seriously pulling the fucking jealousy card right now? This turd.

"Huh..." Hoseok chuckles, "We've been spending a lot of time together, I guess. Mostly when he can't stand the yelling around here." Hoseok gives Jimin a pointed look.

It shuts him up.

He nods slowly, looking a little hurt but knowing damn well he deserves it, and is about to leave when he remembers why he wanted to talk to Hoseok. "Hey, right, before I forget, have you decided whether you'll go out with Yoongi? Sense you're both being all weird about this I assume he'll want me to schedule it, so, I need you to tell me if you want to go so I can..." He clears his throat, "...do that."

Hoseok feels like his brain will go numb if he tries to hyper analyze this shit anymore but he's starting to think this whole "blind date" thing is a scam. He doesn't know how or why but it's pissing him off. He turns to Jimin with a firm expression. "Tell him I'm busy. That I'd love to, but maybe in a couple of weeks."

Jimin gives him a look. "O—okay. That's... okay fine, you know what, you do you." And turns to go find Jungkook (and most likely break his heart.)

Hobi lets out a sigh of exhausted relief and finishes up the dishes.

Yoongi could find someone else's heart to play with. Hoseok would be 100% sure Yoongi liked him before rescheduling, and that decision was final.