__TWELVE__
On a rainy Saturday afternoon, Yoongi knocked on the door of his room, asking him if maybe, he would like to come to the studio for a recording session along with Jimin. He has a few demos he wants to test and play around with, and has previously handed him the lyrics without committing a time, saying dismissively that maybe he'll decide to throw them all to the garbage instead.
But as the rain platters heavy against the windows of their dorms, Yoongi finally made his decision it seems. And usually, Jungkook is happy to help his hyung out, really. But today, he wishes he'd ask Taehyung or Seokjin instead of him.
But Jungkook doesn't say any of this. He gives a positive answer to Yoongi, because in the end, saying no to Yoongi is impossible for him.
But still, he really wishes he could be anywhere else right now.
Or maybe just by himself. That would've been fine.
But Yoongi is a rather cunning man when he wants to be, and he knows that's what Jungkook wishes, and won't let him procrastinate and certainly not brood by himself. He most definitively planned this carefully, with skills only wield by Min Yoongi.
The rapper knows the air between the two vocalists has been tense for some time now and probably wants them to finally get over it once and for all.
What better opportunity to get them in the same place than inside the recording studio where they can't really ignore one another. And Yoongi gets some work done at the same time, a win-win situation for him.
Not so much for Jungkook because yes, he's been avoiding Jimin as much as possible while living and working alongside him, not always an easy task, especially since they've been constantly busy these past few months.
But he's gotten better at it. And has successfully parried all of his members' attempts to reconcile their relationship.
Except for that time Taehyung invited the whole group to a karaoke evening and no one else but Jimin and Jungkook coincidentally showed up, leaving the two of them awkwardly alone inside the private room he'd rented for the night.
Before, it wouldn't have been an issue. They would've had a fun night filled with jokes and laughter. But now...
Now Jungkook has learned his lesson and doesn't trust Taehyung's polite invitations and friendly smiles anymore. And he wishes his members wouldn't force them to work things out. He feels bad enough to have somehow ruined their impeccable teamwork, although he does think he's professional enough in his attitude whenever work is involved.
And professional he tries to be, with his polite face on as he steps inside Yoongi's studio, even if he wishes he could be somewhere else right now. And Jimin looks the same. Even with his poker face on, Jungkook knows him well enough to read behind the mask, to see how uncomfortable he actually is.
But that's not Jungkook's problem.
I can understand how hard it is for you, but don't be immature about this, Yoongi had warned him months ago, and Jungkook tries hard not to let his feelings affect their work, to follow his hyung's counsel.
"Jungkook? Are you ready?" Jimin asks, bringing back to his present situation. He looks at him, concerned, and always with a dose of apprehension in his eyes. It's ever so present these days whenever they're in the same room.
"Yeah." He nods at Yoongi sitting on the other side and the older man nods back.
They put their headphones on and when Yoongi judges them well in position, the music starts playing.
It starts well enough. Jungkook studied the lyrics for hours yesterday until they flew out of his mouth naturally, until he feels like he unearthed all of their secrets, although knowing Yoongi, he probably didn't. So when he starts to sing and goes through his verses, it sounds good, at least to his own ears.
Maybe that high note was too flat, maybe he could've held it longer. He might've not gone high enough at the end. Maybe he breathed too much in the middle. Things Yoongi will most definitively note, but that's okay, he'll do even better during the next take.
Jimin, on the other hand...messes up. A lot.
That's so unlike him that Jungkook momentarily forgets his resentment toward the older man as he stares at him with wide eyes. If maybe they're filled with a bit of worry, Jimin would never know since he's staring hard at his shoes.
He steals a glance at Yoongi who's frowning. He's gently demanding that Jimin restart his part, but the following result is even worst than before.
Jungkook watches Yoongi gets up from his chair the moment Jimin stops singing, and he enters the recording room, almost hesitantly. Jimin immediately removes his headphone, speaking before Yoongi has the time to open his mouth. "I'm sorry. I know I messed up, I'm sorry."
"Are you...alright?"
"I'm fine... I'm sorry, I just... I messed up. Can we try again?"
"Of course."
Jimin turns his back to them, walks to the wall, hands fisted at his sides. He stands there for a moment, and Jungkook stares at the ground, giving him what little privacy he can. When he finally moves back in position, his eyes are clear, but his shoulders are slumped and it's with a dissatisfied sigh that he puts his headphone back on.
"Take your time," Yoongi calls through the microphone.
Several breaths later, Jimin finally nods toward Yoongi, and the music starts again.
The next try doesn't get worse at least, but there's no big improvement either. Yoongi is rubbing his fingers on his forehead, and Jungkook can only shuffle his feet as he listens to Jimin singing, uncomfortable.
The old Jungkook would've comforted Jimin, try to cheer him up with silly faces and bad jokes, maybe give him pointers. Now... now Jungkook can only watch as Jimin sings with no emotions, his voice so empty of feelings it hurts his heart.
That's not Jimin singing.
It's just the shell of Jimin's body going through the motions.
He stops mid-verse. Looks down, frowning at his shoes.
Yoongi stops the music, then gets up to join them inside the room once again. He carefully places a hand on Jimin's shoulder, but Jimin steps back with a shake of his head. "I'm sorry. You should ask Seokjin instead of me. I think he's free today."
And without waiting for a reply, he leaves. Without a look back, he leaves.
Jimin doesn't act this way, and Jungkook wishes he could stop caring, but he can't. Of course he can't. It's Jimin after all.
But he can't go after him either.
"Should I text hyung?" he asks instead, already reaching for his phone in his back pocket.
"Jungkook..."
"No? Okay, we can try again later, I don't mind."
"That's not the point here. I know things have been...estranged between you, and that's your business, but... hasn't he suffered enough? He misses you. He's hurting.
"I'm hurting too, hyung. I'm sorry, but I still can't look at him the same way. I want to get back to how things were, but that's not how it works."
With a tired smile, Yoongi beckons him to follow him out, hand massaging his temples.
Guilt once more rises up at the sight. He's worrying everyone and ruining their mood, but he's doing his best. Works hard every day to move forward with his life.
He hates seeing Jimin struggling, even if his feelings toward him are precarious.
He needs more time.
"You can replace me too if you want. I'd understand," he says softly as they enter the elevator to head down to the underground parking.
"I'm not replacing anyone. We're going to try another time, and we'll try as many times it takes until I'm satisfied. I chose both of you, it's going to be both of your voices on that damn demo."
The elevator dings as it reached its destination.
End of discussion.
Jungkook knows when he's being dismissed, so he grabs his bag and takes off, his manager scrambling to follow after him.
Once in the car, his manager asks him whether he's going to the dorm or his own place, and Jungkook is about to name the former when he pauses.
He grabs his phone and sends a quick text.
Today's been shitty on so many levels, he just wants to forget about it all.
He doesn't need to wait too long for the answer.
Can't, we have a photo shoot.
His mood plummets down.
"My place."
If he can't see Chaeyoung, he isn't interested in being with anyone else that might be at the dorm right now. Jimin probably escaped somewhere else, but everyone will know by now that they were supposed to record today, and he's not interested in their questions.
Traffic is fluid so before long he's already there, thanking his manager before leaving, nodding to the security guard standing next to the elevator.
His apartment, when he enters, is silent.
He stands in the middle of his living room, and for a rare moment in his life, has no idea what to do.
It's a nice apartment, spacious with large windows and modern furniture, with paintings and decorations chosen by a professional that all fit well together.
There are personal touches, like some picture frames with his family, his friends, and his members. But his games and music collection are all at the dorm, except a few stranglers he brought back the last time he was here.
He likes and hates it here.
He yearns for solitude sometimes, but wishes his members were around when he's alone here.
He would sometimes invite Jimin over with him, and those were some of his favorite moments in this place.
Those days are long gone.
Unnerved, he reaches into the pocket of the jacket he hasn't even bothered to remove and takes his pack of cigarettes, lighting up one immediately.
The first drag is divine. He lets his head fall back on the couch's cushion, eyes closed.
If Seokjin could see him now, he would nag at him endlessly at how unhealthy this was, how stupid of him as a singer to smoke really. Just like his mother would.
But he's been so stressed lately, and usually drinking with his friends helps relieve some tension, but he can't always drink, so he started smoking.
Nicotine calms his mind, helps him relax.
Lately, Park Chaeyoung has been helping him relax too.
But now he's alone. Alone with his thoughts.
He sighs, closing his eyes to hide the view of his empty apartment, and tries to imagine himself elsewhere.
He shouldn't have come here.
But instead of leaving, he falls deeper on the couch and opens the TV on a random channel, lighting up a second cigarette when the first one is finished.
An American movie is playing and he decides to watch it because there's nothing else to do, and if he doesn't do something, he'll keep on thinking, and he doesn't want to think.
He just wants to forget.
<><><>
Over the course of the next month, the girls slowly start to become accustomed to Hoseok arriving at their dorm in the evening and eating breakfast with them the next morning. Sometimes he comes thrice a week, sometimes they don't see him for a whole week.
After enduring endless torture from her members, Jisoo finally confessed that she initiated a kiss during a dance coaching session, a rather impulsive action for her part as she admitted. But he reciprocated and then, she quoted, we couldn't keep our hands off each other after that. She insists that they're not dating, just enjoying each other's company in more than one way.
She said all this like it's no big deal, but in the six years they've lived together, it's still the first time she brought a boy back home. But her members don't confront her about it. Even Jennie is being supportive.
They have all grown to like Jung Hoseok. It's impossible not to after seeing him smile a few times. Maybe even after just once.
It's also always him who comes over, she's never been to his dorm. He says it's easier this way since she has her own room and he doesn't.
It's all very cute. And Jisoo, who is always a person who gives a smile easily, is definitively smiling more these days.
It's one of those mornings where he must have spent the night because Chaeyoung wakes up to find Jung Hoseok in the kitchen, trying to make breakfast. He has an egg in his hand and is trying to crack it delicately against a bowl.
Chuckling at the sight, she immediately takes a picture because it's just too adorable, and sends it to Jisoo. The oldest immediately replies with a don't stalk!!! that has Chaeyoung snickering in glee.
"Put a bit more strength, otherwise, there might be bits of the shell that'll mix," she advises as she takes pity on him.
"O-oh. Okay. Like this?"
The poor egg has no chance against Hoseok's strength and it ends up dripping in his hand. She giggles at his horrified expression.
"Awww, you ruined it!" Jisoo appears in the kitchen in time to witness his attempt at cracking an egg. "You should leave the cooking to Chaeng and Jennie."
"I've been eating here so often I wanted to return the favor," he explains sheepishly.
"How about me and Chaeng cook, and you help," Jennie proposes as she joins them. She ties her apron and starts rummaging in the fridge, taking out ingredients swiftly.
They start cooking, with Hoseok as their assistant. Jennie's totally bossing him around, but he doesn't complain and is executing all her orders perfectly. Chaeyoung can see Jisoo watching him, a small smile at the corner of her lips.
The sweetness of it all makes her want to squeal.
It's all very domestic the way he synchronizes with them as they put the utensils and plates on the table, perfectly swirling his way into their well-established dynamic.
Breakfast has become much livelier with him around. He engages them all in some topic or another, never leaving one of them out, and they've returned the favor by including him in their talks.
He always seems to have a topic of conversation ready, be it dancing, music, something he read online, or funny moments with his members.
Today Hoseok somehow brings Taehyung into the conversation after chewing a mouthful of porridge. "Taehyung told me he talked to you at some party," he says to Lisa who looks flustered. "Said you were talking to your phone, which he found really cute by the way, and said that based only on that, he could feel great potential for a grand friendship between the two of you."
Jennie grins at Lisa. "A grand friendship, huh? You sneak, you didn't tell us that!"
"See, I have access to inside info now," Jisoo pipes in. She shares a gleeful glance with Hoseok which is followed by them giggling together.
Yeah, they giggle together. Jennie fakes-gag in front of Chaeyoung, her face twisting hilariously, so much Chaeyoung almost coughs back the cereals in her mouth.
"It's not a big deal," Lisa whines after throwing a glare at Jisoo. "We talked for like two minutes."
"Aww, trying to deny it, how cute," Jisoo teases, fluttering her lashes at the youngest with a creepy smile.
Lisa immediately starts ranting about how useless assumptions can harm an innocent person, with Jisoo only nodding her head mechanically, without paying any attention to her words.
If ever Hoseok were to find out about Jungkook and her, he wouldn't tell her members...right? Even more now that Jisoo is seeing him, it shouldn't matter that Chaeyoung is casually seeing Jungkook too.
But somehow she still can't find it in herself to tell anyone else. Even though Jisoo already knows. It should be easy to come clean to Lisa and Jennie.
But she remains silent.
"Hey Hoseok. My iPad keeps on shutting down. Can you take a look before leaving?" Jennie asks suddenly.
"Yah, don't abuse our guest's presence!" Jisoo throws a piece of bread in Jennie's direction at the same time Hoseok agrees to take a look at it without promising any positive result.
"I'm not sure I'll be able to fix it. I'm no expert... maybe I'll just worsen the problem more," he says as the bread hits Jennie's head before bouncing off.
"Bullseye!"
"Oww!" Jennie scowls before turning to Hoseok with a smile. "Don't worry, I'll just buy a new one if it comes to that, but I'd rather not bring it to the shop for repairs..." she says with a pout as she watches Kuma and Dalgom race to reach the fallen bread on the ground. She then glares at Jisoo. "I'm not abusing anyone's kindness, I'm asking nicely! And my dog is totally faster than yours."
"It's not Dalgomie's fault! He's still sleepy!"
Chaeyoung watches Hoseok as the bickering between the two girls has him all smiles. It's easy to see, even from someone like her who doesn't have much experience in romance, that he's completely smitten with Jisoo. His eyes shine like stars in a cloudless night sky every time they fall on her. They search for her when she speaks, never straying away.
She doesn't think Jisoo noticed. But since her eyes are the same, Chaeyoung thinks it's okay.
But with the high-profile life they lead, the company recommended that they stay away from the entanglements of romance.
Still, if a boy looks at you the way Hoseok looks at Jisoo, complications might be worth it, she decides.
<><><>
Hours later and the dorm is eerily quiet. Lisa left for a Celine magazine shoot and the two oldest went to an outing organized by one of their mutual friends, leaving Chaeyoung alone in the dorm, with all their pets as company.
Play with my babies! Lisa told her. Don't forget to feed Dalgom! Jisoo told her. Take walks with Kuma and Kai! Jennie told her.
Chaeyoung doesn't mind, she loves them as if they were her own, but what if she had plans too?
Well, she doesn't, but she could've!
Bored, she plays with the three dogs and all of Lisa's cats, raking her brain to find herself an activity to do. She could watch a drama, play guitar or even draw, but none of these things appeal to her right now.
Instead, she keeps eyeing her phone on the living room table, desperately trying to get rid of this urge she has of texting Jungkook.
They last saw each other nine days ago. She was disappointed when he texted while he was unable to free herself, and there haven't been more opportunities, both of them with full schedules the following days, but if she remembers right, he should be free.
Maybe he's hanging out with his friends. Or maybe his dorm is full of people which is why he's not texting her.
She bits her lip, leg shaking with nervous energy.
It's just a text. If he says no, then it's no. Won't be the end of the world.
Before she starts thinking too much, she grabs her phone and quickly lets her fingers dance on the screen.
I have the dorm to myself. Are you free?
She squeals after pressing send and throws her phone on the couch as if it burns her hands, heart racing. "I'm so silly. Lucky there's only you guys witnessing this," she says to the inattentive animals, who clearly don't care about the huge step she just took by inviting him over for the first time.
Seconds feel like hours as she stares at her phone, waiting for a reply like it's a matter of life and death. Only one minute has passed by, but she already feels dejected, then frustrated by her reaction.
It's fine if he doesn't answer, it's fine if he can't come, it's fine if-. Her phone vibrates, scaring Kuma who's laying next to it. It scares her too, her heartbeat going wild, for a completely different reason.
She stares at it, mouth dry, both dying to read the message and dreading it at the same time.
What if it's not even him? Maybe someone else texted her. Maybe it's spam.
Kuma sniffs her phone with indigence, then growls at it. Chaeyoung takes it as a sign to stop delaying the suspense and grabs it before the dog decides to play with it.
I'll come. I remember the way. ;)
She eyes that winking emoji, unable to fight the grin that plasters on her face and even less the little victory dance that she improvises, scaring all the animals away with her exuberant moves.
But as she shakes and twirls, her eyes spot the dirty dishes on the counter and a couple of socks discarded lazily around the living room.
With a groan, she starts running around the dorm, cleaning as fast as she can without knowing how much time she has. At least she's presentable.
That doesn't stop her from refreshing her makeup in the bathroom and changing her entire outfit -including her underwear.
When he knocks on the door half an hour later, she's febrile but puts on her best impassive mask ever, hoping he won't see through her.
He got here fast, is the thought that runs in her head as she goes to open the door. Maybe, just maybe, her assumption was correct after all.
"Hi," she breathes out when the sight of him in all black greets her, and she knows he's smirking behind his mask, a clear parody of the first time she went to his dorm.
Lucky for him he looks absolutely delectable, so it's impossible to scold him for making fun of her.
She still pouts when he removes his black boots, showing his black socks.
"Funny. Very funny."
"I thought so too," he says, smirking. "I was shocked to receive your text," he adds as he removes his cap and mask, dumping them on the nearby table. "In a good way. My dorm was especially noisy today."
"Mine was too quiet."
"Don't worry, it won't stay quiet long."
She doesn't have time to register his words before he grabs her by the waist and throws her over his shoulder as easily as a feather bag.
She squeals loudly, clapping her hand over her mouth immediately after, blushing at how much it echoed.
He just laughs and jogs toward her room.
"You remember the way?" She asks, blood rushing to her head from her upside-down position.
"How can I forget? The way we got from your room to the front door was quite memorable," he teases.
"You're mean today," she whines as she hits his butt in retaliation, her hand easily reaching it. It's quite the nice view too from this position, and the thought brings a grin to her face.
"I barely felt that. Hit harder."
She pinches his side instead which results in a satisfying yelp in answer.
She laughs all the way to her room, but when he settles her down in front of him, ever so slowly, her laughter dies.
His hand somehow lands on her cheek, softly gliding over it, then goes to her hair, brushing it back to its original state before they got wild and tangled up from swinging head down from Jungkook's shoulder.
She blinks rapidly, his gentle gesture unexpected. It causes an explosion of warmth inside her, and she unconsciously mirrors his action, her fingers playing with his soft curls.
He closes his eyes at her touch, slowly leaning his forehead against her, and her heart swells at the sight of his contented expression.
Lost in a whirlpool of feelings that his closeness brings, she forgets the outside world. Only he exists.
Him and her. Just two people who somehow found their way here.
Where this is going, what it means, and more importantly, who exactly is Jeon Jungkook, are all questions plaguing her nights.
Maybe she's getting closer to an answer with each time they meet.
And that's fine. This pace suits them.
He makes the first move after their moment of stillness, gently pressing a kiss to her lips. It's nothing like their usual passionate and hungry kisses, it's slow and languorous, spreading a dangerous fire in her whole body.
All of her senses center on him alone. Nothing else exists, nothing else matters.
It makes her wonder.
How could it be possible for another man in this universe to make her feel this way?
<><><>
Night has long since fallen, but Chaeyoung can't fall asleep.
She should be exhausted, Jungkook's stamina is damn impressive, but she's vibrant with energy even if she absolutely cannot move from soreness.
He's a warmth against her side, both of their bodies cocooned under her blankets so it should be easy to fall asleep, but her eyes are wide open, staring at her ceiling while stealing a glance at him once in a while.
How smoothly she offered him to spend the night, and how easily he agreed too. That should propel a long line of points to dig and dissect thoroughly, but right now, she feels too sated.
She did have the sense of having him grabs his boots and jacket from the entryway and he brought them back to her room without question. Maybe he also doesn't want to get caught by her members the same way she doesn't want to be seen by his.
And she's proud of her burst of courage that led to asking him to stay. She hadn't wanted him to leave just yet.
She really should accept that something has shifted between them, compared to when they started.
And it's not just her. It can't be just her.
She sighs, twirling her finger around a strand of her hair.
Should she talk about it, or let things flow naturally? She's too nervous to bring it up, in case she's wrong, but what if during the time she doesn't say anything, another opportunity comes his way and he decides to discard her because she took too long to say something?
She sighs again.
"What's wrong?"
His breath hits her face, and she turns her head, finding his eyes wide open, staring at her with a concerned frown.
"Sorry, did I wake you?"
He shakes his head, then drops it next to hers on her pillow. "Something on your mind?"
He's tenacious. They've never shared worries before, have barely started talking. But maybe this is her chance to make some progress.
Grab some courage and spit it out, Chaeyoung!
But when she opens her mouth, no words come out, her heart beating erratically in her chest. So she closes it with another sigh.
"It's nothing." He nudges his nose on her cheek, the gesture making her smile. "Just... thinking back to how this started," she finally concedes after seeing his wide puppy-eyes. Impossible to resist.
"Waking up with a naked man in your bed with no recollection of how he got there?" His voice is teasing, and she whines at the memory.
"I was freaking out, and you were all relaxed, like it happened to you every day."
"Trust me, it doesn't. Your reaction was too entertaining for me to freak out."
She hides her face in her hands at the memory with a whine, ashamed that he remembers that morning so clearly. "You know, I thought you were an arrogant asshole at first."
He raises his brow. "Oh? I'm not arrogant though. I don't always make a good first impression, sorry for that... and yet, you didn't ignore me?"
Chaeyoung shrugs, staring away from him. "What can I say, I was horny it seems," she admits with an embarrassed chuckle. And maybe there was something about him, that piqued her interest, even in her drunken state...
His finger pokes her side until she turns back to look at him. "Maybe I'm not arrogant, but I can be an asshole sometimes. I don't have any good excuse to give you, just... I hope you don't think I'm an asshole anymore."
Chaeyoung hesitates only momentarily before shaking her head. "No... I can't pinpoint when exactly, but I stopped thinking it." She smiles ruefully. "We went some ways, I guess... especially considering how we met. I still can't remember what happened exactly."
"I vaguely remember singing Christmas songs with the taxi driver when the driver mentioned his broken radio, that's about it."
"Really? What did you sing?"
"... Jingle Bells? Yah, don't laugh, you sang with me!"
"Christmas had already passed back then!"
He pouts. "I was drunk! What is time when you're drunk? Besides, you kept making fun of my accent, so you tried to sing louder. That's all I remember."
"Are you sure? You're not making this up?"
He just grins, and she has no idea what it means, so she decides that he's just fooling around with her.
Indulging in a moment of weakness, she rolls around closer and snuggles into his warmth. Before, she wouldn't have dared, but ever since the time she slept over at his place, she feels bolder.
His hand immediately goes to rest at the nape of her neck in answer, the gesture making her smile against his shoulder.
It's so comfortable, she could stay that way, without moving, for as long as her stomach allowed it.
"This...arrangement... it's lasting longer than I thought," she admits after a stretch of silence, finally voicing one of the thoughts circling her head. Her heart thumps so loud in her chest, it's impossible he doesn't feel it with the lack of space between them.
"Do you want this to stop?" He asks in a low voice.
"No...do you?"
"No."
She smiles again, feeling giddy, and presses a light kiss against his skin before closing her eyes.
Slumber is just within her reach when he speaks again, hesitant.
"Hey, Chaeyoung... let's not sleep with other people as long as this arrangement lasts..."
"Well, you're a handful enough as it is, I don't have time for anyone else," she mumbles, trying to play coy while dying inside. It's like he's reading her mind, saying all the right things exactly at the moment she was starting to worry.
"You're the horny one here"
"Yah, I'll make you pay for that later," she fights back without bite, suddenly exhausted after the high his words gave her.
"Can't wait." He chuckles, and she'll cheer about it tomorrow, but she's too lethargic to properly react to the meaning behind his words.
Sleep comes easily this time, and she can't wait to wake up with him by her side, in her bed.
This time will be different.
It feels like a new beginning.
---
awww, aren't they cute? but what's going on between jikook? :( also, let's pretend for the sake of fiction that Jung Hoseok, in his 27 years of living, has never cracked an egg before.
that being said, I hope you enjoyed the slightly longer than usual chapter!
I know it took me some time to update, and while it's always nice to see that people are still waiting to read, please please please remember to be polite. I did mention in the notes of this story that this would have slow updates. I work full-time, a demanding and sometimes stressful job, and sometimes when my days off come, I'm too exhausted to write. I'm not giving this up, going on hiatus, or anything, so pleaseeeeeee be patient.
As always thank you for reading, and let me know what you think!