Tell Me Without Telling Me || Sope

Chapter Six

It's just Jungkook, lying in bed with wet hair. More often than not these past few months, Jungkook has been the only one calling.

He smiles brightly, top teeth popping out. "Hyuuuuuung, I miss you. What—are you in a kitchen?" He pulls the phone close to his face.

"Yeah," Hoseok chuckles, "I'm helping... uhm... some friends move into a house they're renting."

"Who're you talking to?" Jimin asks, sidling up to him to peer over his shoulder. He waves at Jungkook. "Hello—wow. Tae, get over here. Hoseok-hyung has a hot guy on the phone."

Tae's head perks up, and before Hoseok can say anything they're all crowding around him. His heart races, but he keeps his hand steady.

Jungkook laughs. "Hi. Which one said I was hot?" 

Jimin raises his hand. "Me."

"That's Jimin-ssi," Hoseok mumbles. It's harder speaking with everyone in front of him than it was last night sending the voice messages to Yoongi. "He's... um... he's..."

"The word is homosexual," Jimin whispers loudly.

"I think he was going to say 'obnoxious and nosy'," Yoongi says, even though he's eyeing Hoseok's phone with as much interest as the rest of them. "Introduce us. I'm nosy too."

Hoseok looks around at them all, then at Yoongi. "Uhm, this is Jungkookie. He's one of my friends studying in America. Jungkookie... uhm... this is Yoongi-ssi, Taehyung-ssi... you know the homosexual one," —Jimin gives him a wide eyed faux-offended look— "and this is Namjoon-ssi."

They all wave and give a chorus of 'hi's' and 'hello's.'

Jungkook hides his face in his pillow, letting out a high pitched giggle. "I can't believe I'm finally meeting your friends! He's always too busy to call when he hangs out with you guys. It's been over a year!"

"No, we only met Hoseok-hyung last week. Different friends—better friends," Jimin corrects, coming dangerously close to putting his chin on Hoseok's shoulder.

Hoseok's heart drops sickeningly, but he forces himself to keep smiling. "Yeah, different friends, Kookie."

He glances at Yoongi, trying not to betray his worry. Just a casual glance. Nothing more. Casual. Easy.

Yoongi smiles faintly at him, but his eyes look far away.

He hadn't told Yoongi he's never had friends here, just that he didn't have any at the time they met, but it really doesn't take a genius to deduce the obvious.

"What happened to the other friends?" Jungkook asks, crestfallen.

Hoseok pulls a face, cringing internally with every word. "Didn't work out. Nothing interesting, just... they found other people to hang out with. And I found... these guys."

The last thing he ever wants is to have to start lying to Yoongi and the others about friends that never existed, but now the lie is truth to them. They'll think he had friends here before he met them unless he comes clean and it'll spin and spin and spin, the lie growing bigger just like it has with Seokjin and Jungkook. He's never given his 'friends' names or anything, he's always avoided mentioning specifics. Just 'we got drunk this Friday night' or 'we went here' 'we went there.' But still... what is he even doing?

He edges away from the others, lowering the phone. "I-I'm gonna..." He gestures at the kitchen door.

Jungkook boos. "Don't take me away!"

Jimin and Taehyung join in, and Yoongi elbows them both, rolling his eyes. "Yeah, go. We'll order food."

He shoos Hoseok out the kitchen.