sober | j.jk

9 ‣ not that crazy

The little bells on the front door ring again, making all six people sitting in the shop turn and look, whether it be a quick glance or a longer, more profound stare. You were mid-sip, looking across the booth at Jaehyun, who was telling you a story of him and Yugyeom as roommates their freshman year. Yugyeom had returned to the back, where he'd been working before spotting you and Jaehyun earlier.

"Jungkook." Jaehyun smiles a little stiffly, but not quite as stiffly as you, while Jungkook leisurely makes his way towards where you sit. "Hey." Jaehyun follows, watching as Jungkook slides into your side of the booth. With a quick greeting back from Jungkook, the atmosphere grows a little awkward. "I thought you hated this side of campus." New Friend adds before taking another sip of coffee out of his straw.

Jungkook shrugs. "Well, it's not like I came to stay." He quips, reaching for your drink and placing it in his hand. Jungkook swivels the coffee around in the cup as if it's his, barely bothering to even look up at the young man you walked in here with. "I came to pick her up." He replies to Jaehyun's furrowed eyebrows, making you choke on the bite of muffin you had in your mouth. "You okay?" Jungkook asks, patting your back. You snatch your drink back.

"What'd you say?" You turn to him after getting over your quick coughing fit. With the arm closest to him, you subtly push his away and truly look at him for the first time since arriving here. Jungkook stares back at you as if he had no idea why you'd be glaring a hole through him. You widen your eyes, demanding your answer quicker. Jungkook keeps his clueless face on just to tick you off some more.

"Pick her up?" Jaehyun steals the words from your mouth. The words sound even more ridiculous hearing them from someone else—especially the one individual who you're supposedly getting 'picked up' from. Jungkook nods at him a little shamelessly, looking right at Jaehyun as if he'd asked if his eyes were brown. "We're kind of in the middle of something." Jaehyun adds, playfully, but not enough to hide a certain tone you'd pick up anywhere. "Unless you called him to come g—"

"No." You shake your head, shutting down the very idea that you'd call Jungkook of all people to save you from a 'date' you were actually enjoying. "It's nothing like that, I don't—I'm not sure what he's talking about." You laugh, albeit a little forcefully. Turning to Jungkook, you look him in the eye and exchange one of those stares. "What do you mean 'pick up,' where are we going? D'you even ask me if I wanted to go? What if I'm perfectly fine right here?"

"I don't mean to pry you from Jae's hands. I'm sure you're both having the absolute time of your lives, but there's some place we must go, my dear." Jungkook puts his hand on top of yours on the table. To this, without you seeing, Jaehyun leans back in his seat and shifts his jaw. "Come on." Jungkook slides out of the booth and stands up after you pull your hand free from under his. "You two can get back to flirting some other day. Jae, I'm sure you don't mind me borrowing this one—"

"Flirting?" You repeat.

"JK, I'm gonna have to stop you here." Jaehyun speaks up a little more sternly, slowly but surely leaving that friendly bro-ish undertone behind.

"Hm?" Jungkook raises an eyebrow.

"Jungkook," you interject with an exasperated air plaguing his name as you say it, "what's this about?"

"Are you that busy, Nine?" Jungkook returns the question mark.

"Nine?" Jaehyun mumbles.

"Gina was looking for you, Jae. I told her I didn't know anything. Something about last night and you not calling her back." Jungkook turns to say the random-seeming words to Jaehyun as if you three weren't busy with another confusing conversation. You look over at your seated friend, noticing first how he shifts a teeny bit uncomfortably in his seat. "I need this one to look over an assignment of mine. You should go calm Gina down before she hunts you down again."