May 2012
The wine filled their bellies and was soon joined by beer. Around midnight Tae and Hoseok disappeared briefly, only to come back to the dorms with champagne in hand. They popped the cork with excitement. They went around doing more and more elaborate toasts until the champagne was gone. Everyone forgot that Jungkook was under age, and he kept up with the older boys.
Hoseok had turned quiet and then turned in, followed by Tae. Namjoon and Yoongi had reached the familiar part of a drunken evening together where Namjoon nodded enthusiastically while Yoongi talked. Jimin lay there, listening happy. Yoongi's ideas flowed so fast it sounded like he was rapping freestyle. He words like a rhythm, like melody. Jimin's eyes drifted closed in comfort...
Ow! He jerked awake to see that Jungkook had basically jumped on him. He quickly realized that the young boy was drunker than he'd ever seen him. And as happy as Jimin was, he could probably be jumped on like a trampoline, and he wouldn't care.
"Jimin-hyung" the words slurred out. Jungkook's long arm slid out, curled around behind Jimin's neck, so that he turned, and now was practically laying in his lap. "Oh Jimin-hyung, I'm so happy you are in the group," Jungkook said breathlessly. "You are the best dancer...when I watch you I hope one day I can dance like that."
Jimin's heart danced with the compliment, like water for the dry soil of his parched self-esteem.
"You really think so?" He asked quietly.
"Yes, Hyung."
Jimin let his eyes meet Jungkook's, tousled hair now laying in his lap, front teeth like a bunny but somehow Jimin couldn't break his gaze away...
"Plus you are so handsome, Hyung." Jungkook's words trailed off but his eyes moved over Jimin's face. Jimin was unsure what to do, his heart started to thump noisily. He moved a strand of hair off Jungkook's face...what was he DOING?!
He bent down and gave the younger boy a playful smacking kiss on the cheek, trying to shift the romantic moment into a joking one. JK responded, laughing and shoving and punching Jimin. Eventually the wrestling match slowed and they fell into sleep.
He woke up the next morning, curled on the couch with Jungkook, head pounding. "Shit," he felt like he had been hit by a truck.
"Rise and shine sleepyheads!" Jin shouted playfully, and Jungkook and Jimin both moaned and grabbed their heads. "Time for us to set up a room for Jimin!"
The events of last night, and Jesus, that amazing song, that amazing song that Yoongi produced, somehow, out of scraps of songs and clips, recorded "for fun" in the studio last week..it all came flooding back. Through his training he had observed that Yoongi wasn't a super amazing dancer or singer, but he was an amazing rapper. In his mind Jimin thought to himself that that was Yoongi's talent area...but now he realized that the older boy was actually a genius at writing and producing music.
I am in a group with this amazing musician. He thought. He looked around the room, at Namjoon, Soekjin, Hoseok, Jungkook, Taehyung... each of them was so talented in different ways. Is this really happening? Thought Jimin.
"Look guys Jimin is crying again," Soekjin pointed out with amusement.
Jimin's hands flew back to his face, but behind them he was smiling through his tears.