serendipity [jikook]

(2) aftermath

long-ass chapter for you guys.

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induratize

(n.), to make one's own heart hardened or resistant to someone's pleas or advances, or to the idea of love

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"jungkooooook!" hoseok shouted as he ran and hugged jungkook the moment he saw the younger enter the restaurant. thank god that seokjin owned this or else they'd be kicked out because of being so noisy.

jungkook forced a smile as he hugged him,

"long time no see hyung," jungkook said,

"well, you refused to go out of your house for god knows how long, i'm glad you got over your hermit phase!" hoseok said teasingly, as he put his arm around jungkook's shoulder and led him to their booth,

"woah! look who decided to show up!" namjoon exclaimed as he hugged jungkook, "i missed you." namjoon mumbled "you too hyung," he replied,

"wait 'til seokjin sees you. he's just preparing the food." namjoon said.

"hey you brat." yoongi nodded in his direction and jungkook shook his head,

seems like yoongi still hasn't changed, "hey to you too hyung," he said.

"you owe us a lot of dinner kid, stop bailing on us. you don't know how much whining we got from hoseok and seokjin, they missed you a lot kid." yoongi said as he patted the seat beside him to let jungkook sit, and jungkook fought the urge to cry.

this is still the same booth they used to eat to; the same faded red leather seats, the same vintage displays, the neon sign of the restaurant still in a faint glow, the same six seats, and the same people... except one.

he swallowed the lump in his throat and tried to divert his mind, he can't be looking depressed again in front of his friends, he owes them that much, at least he has to try to seem okay, even for a bit, and so he speaks...

"i'm sorry, you know it's been hard and i just...i miss him." jungkook said, and everyone went silent, nobody knew what to say. they know jungkook is still hurting so they are threading on thin ice, always unsure of what to say,  until seokjin entered the booth with a lot of food in his tray,

"is jungkook already here?! i swear that ki—" seokjin whined until he noticed that jungkook is already sitting there and beaming at him. "oh my god thank the heavens you finally came!" seokjin said as he immediately handed the food to his boyfriend, namjoon, who awkwardly balanced the food and set it on the table, and launched himself to jungkook.

"i missed you jungkook!" seokjin exclaimed which made jungkook smile even for a bit.

"i missed you guys too." he said.

"c'mon let's eat. i missed your food hyung!" jungkook said as he forced a smile.

this scene is so fucking familiar that he can't help but tear up. everything is still the same, like how it was a year ago.

seokjin cooking, namjoon whining about not being allowed in the kitched, yoongi obnoxiously commenting about how namjoon is too whipped, hoseok livening up the scene by his stories, and their group having their usual loud chatter.

namjoon sitting beside seokjin, with hoseok beside them,

and then across from them would be yoongi, and then jungkook, and then...

taehyung.

taehyung used to sit beside him. and all six of them would have a great time.

every fucking night.