Low Stress: Publicity Stunt (Jikook)

Episode Twenty-Eight

I lied, it's a double update day!
- Vio
________

Jeon Jungkook had always wanted to be an actor. Since he was barely able to walk, he'd forced his parts to sit and clap while as he gave the performance of his lifetime using nonsensical words and stuffed animals as props. He'd grown up in theater, working all of high school to afford acting coaches and on-camera acting classes in the city. He'd gotten his first real role sophomore year as a guest on a soap opera, clawing his way through cheesy Netflix roles before finally catching his big break with a world record breaking movie.

As he walked down the street towards a cafe Celeste had told him Namjoon would be at, Jungkook felt a similar rush go down his spine that came with botching an audition. His actor brain was starting to run through the lines that this conversation could go with, trying to come up with the perfect replies to anything Namjoon could throw at him. Would he forgive him? Could he?

Would he curse him out instead?

The cafe was now in view, the sky pitch black behind the pastel green walls and flower pots hanging around it. His breath caught in his throat, looking around as if there were cameras, lighting, and a mic crew to cue him to walk inside. He blushed a bit realizing that there was no such thing. The cafe wasn't a set, the meeting wasn't scripted, there would be no more takes to do after this.

He looked through the window, swallowing as he saw Kim Namjoon drumming his fingers nervously on the table. He had an iced coffee in front of him, his trench coat laid down on the seat next to him. His hair was a mess, bags deep under his eyes, and cheeks slightly sunken. Jungkook watched as his ex fiancé pulled out his phone, checking the time which would say it was only ten twenty, ten minutes before Jungkook was supposed to walk in and their movie scene would start rolling.

But now, standing in front of the door, just one step away, Jungkook found himself frozen in place. Namjoon looked like a wreck. All this time Jungkook was sure it was just him hurting - but here was evidence it was mutual.

What was he doing here? He found the thought echoing in his head. He looked again at the iced coffee and felt a tug in his chest when Jimin brought him an iced coffee on set. It was the first time Jimin had tried to reach out to Jungkook - in his own stubborn way. A part of Jungkook longed for LA again, it was so far from everything that had happened here in Seoul.

Why was he here? He thought again, stepping away from the cafe. If he walked into the cafe now, would his past consume him? Hadn't he worked so hard to move on? How much has Namjoon already taken away from him? Months of being numb, mutual friends, a future he'd fallen for. The break up took time away from Jungkook's job, made it harder to act, harder to move. How much had that man already taken from Jungkook - how much more would he let go?

Jimin.

Jungkook felt a dam break in his head. There was nothing left to salvage with Namjoon. Not only was there no point to it, but Jungkook realized then why he couldn't shake Namjoon off all this time. He felt his ex fiancé's gaze, a stranger's gaze, lift from his cup and land on Jungkook through the window. Namjoon's eyes went wide and Jungkook watched as he winced.

Waking up to Jimin, Jungkook realized, was his favorite thing in the whole world. Because Jungkook would always wake up first - despite the fire that cracked in Jimin's chest, the guy could beat the dead in how much he loved to sleep in. When the sun would finally hit and Jimin couldn't sneak in any extra minutes, his eyes would flicker open. Jungkook loved watching the way Jimin's gaze was always hazed as it landed on Jungkook, a smile spreading on his lips before it would break into a grin when he realized Jungkook wasn't a dream.