Love Story Short | Jikook/Kookmin

Chapter 13

What is there to even fix, Jungkook doesn't know. Nothing happened. And then he thinks, that might be the problem after all.  

Fuck that.

He reads the signs hanging off the shops' entrances through uncountable human heads and a baby on his father's (or on a kidnapper's) shoulders. Finally, he spots that familiar sparkling sign ahead of him.

It's a tiny dot as of now, but he zooms into it from the back of his memory instantly, can see himself standing in front of it with Jin, Kevin and Jimin any week, walking through its doors for a Thursday Regular, cracking jokes and pushing each other around. 

Give him a few minutes and he is there in person, staring at the big wooden doors to the ground floor of the steakhouse. He came because he didn't want to have any regrets. And also because he can't not go when Jimin tells him to come somewhere. Jimin said he had a surprise as well, and he sounded oddly cheerful, which Jungkook assumed was a lame coverup of the sulky mood between them these days (he can tell when Jimin is faking it). But he still came here because... it's Jimin. 

Jungkook's world stops when it's Jimin. 

It always did, and it always will.

Even if he doesn't attend the goodbye party his coworkers are throwing for Jimin in the room next door because it's too hard to face reality, Jungkook will still be thinking about him. Thinking of whether he is feeling the same bundle of knots on his throat at the prospect of not seeing him everyday, whether he is worried about still not having figured his life out, whether he is going to work an odd job until he finds the perfect position where his star can shine, whether he will move back to his mother's house where he isn't the happiest, whether he is and will be okay.

Jungkook cares about Jimin like he cares about his family. Yes, that's too deep. And that's Jungkook for you. Deep, tenderhearted, and very, very emotional. When it comes to Jimin, double everything.

He takes a deep breath. 

Decides not to think too much of it.

It's just a meal. Things can't get any more awkward between them. They need it to make amends and go back to being... normal. Hopefully Jimin will be open to meeting often even though he is leaving the workplace. If he won't... then Jungkook doesn't know what he is going to do. If this turns out to be a goodbye meal he'll probably have palpitations there and then, and check himself into depression right after that, if he survives thank you.

He exhales, cheeks puffing.

He walks in.

The restaurant is busier than usual. It's a popular destination among office workers in this downtown area due to its delicious food and casual ambience. Even then it's not as crowded. Jungkook looks around for a few seconds, realizing that Jimin must have taken a seat upstairs.

He slides through the commotion in the ground floor, and climbs up the stairs to the rooftop dining area. 

He doesn't have to look too hard to notice Jimin. The man is sitting on the same seat they have shared with their coworkers every week. It sends jolts of emotion through Jungkook. Jimin had become one of them. Everybody loves him so much, to the point that a few members of the team came to Jungkook to ask whether Jimin can be hired full-time after his contract ends. 

That speaks mountains of the reputation he was able to build in a matter of three months. 

Jungkook braces himself and walks to the table.

Jimin notices him and the big laughter on his throat melts into a stutter. He buckles up, like trying to remember a line he memorized,  and silently acknowledging Jungkook's presence like telling himself, I invited him in the first place. Then there is this person sitting next to him — someone Jungkook wouldn't take seriously if he saw on the street, not because he doesn't care but because what are the chances.