As Jungkook wore a mask, no one could see his expression. His head raised, he was still as he stared at the LED advertising board. His clear and dark pupils reflected the lights across the street and glittered like stars.
"Sir? Sir?" The shop assistant suddenly called him.
"Mm?" Jungkook turned his head only after a while and looked at the shop assistant.
The shop assistant passed the bag to him. "Your rabbit heads."
He was distracted as he took the rabbit heads. He turned and walked towards the advertising board as if pulled by an urge to be closer to it.
The shop assistant panicked. "Sir, you haven't paid yet!"
"Sorry." Jungkook returned to make payment.
After paying, he carried the rabbit heads and sprinted to the riverside. He stood behind the railing and stared at those words. His chest was burning hot and he was so stirred that he was trembling slightly. He was about to melt from being too touched; it was as if the world snowed sugar and even the breaths he took were sweet. Jungkook was certain that if he was to go for a blood test at this moment, his blood would be sweet as well.
He had the wild urge to see Taehyung immediately, to hug and kiss him.
However, at the same time, he was afraid that if he saw Taehyung right now, his tears might start falling...
The LED confession caused numerous passers-by to halt their steps and linger by the riverside with entertained looks. Besides Jungkook was a couple. The guy said to the girl, "Jungkook must have saved the galaxy in his previous life." There was envy in his voice.
Jungkook sighed in agreement. "That's right."
The couple tossed him odd glances. What a weirdo. This guy must have been single for too long that he was lonely enough to cut into strangers' conversation.
The couple held hands and left hurriedly. Jungkook stood on the riverside and called Taehyung.
"Jungkook, where are you?"
"Where are you at?"
"I'm at where we arranged to meet. Hey, don't tell me that you're not here yet? If you dare to say 'yes', I'm going to break your stupid legs. I—"
As he rambled, he turned casually and suddenly entered someone's embrace.
Taehyung did not see this person's face. However, he was familiar with its smell.
Taehyung was a little embarrassed to be hugging in public. "Jungkook, let's spare a thought for all those who are single on this street. This is their day after all..."
"Taehyung," Jungkook interrupted him. He used his chin to nuzzle Kim's neck. "I think that life has been good to me."
"It is. Your mom is a domineering CEO."
"I'm not referring to that."
Taehyung's lips curved. One side of his face resting on Jeon's chest, he gazed at the advertising board across the street and said, "Jungkook, do you know that this is the most expensive advertising board in Rain City? Because of the festival today, it's even more expensive than usual."
"I know, thank you."
"No, what I mean is..." Taehyung was suddenly a teeny weeny bit guilty. He felt that he might be one of those legendary male wastrels. "I want to inform you that there are only six won and five cents left on your card."
"I love you."
"...." Caught off guard by the confession, Taehyung forgot what he wanted to say. His mind went blank and he was dazed for half a beat. Then, he buried his thoroughly red face into the ravenette's chest quietly.
Afterward, the two of them held hands and strolled down Itaewon Street for a while. They bought trinkets, a couple of t-shirts, a couple of pinky rings and even a couple of spectacles. Jungkook wore the couple's pinky ring but refused to wear spectacles as he felt that it was too excessive. Taehyung took off his mask and wore the spectacles, instantly feeling that it was easier to breathe.
After they were exhausted, they went to an eatery with three floors. The top floor was a small balcony with only two tables and the tables were separated by a screen.
As they ate, a group chat notification flashed across Taehyung's phone screen. He opened it and saw that it came from 'Taehyung's Fan Group 1'. This chat consisted of his roommates and Eunwoo.
When Taehyung clicked in, he saw a passer-by's video of the advertising screen tonight. Several girls could be heard gasping in the background of the video. Jungkook was attracted by the sound and leaned over to look as well.
After watching the video, Jeon swiftly kissed Kim's cheek while he was not paying attention.
Then, he did not look at Taehyung. His eyes were lowered and there was a smile hanging on his lips.
When Taehyung exited the video and returned to the chat, Jungkook's smile froze.
Jungkook held one hand to his head. That Nayeon was such a drama queen. He complained, "This roommate of yours is kind of weird."
Taehyung said, "Consort Im is so adorable. You're not allowed to besmirch her."
No, Jungkook was not willing to let things rest like this. He pointed to Taehyung's phone screen. "Add me into the group."
Taehyung was puzzled. "What?"
"I'm your fan as well. I want to enter the group." Jungkook fished out his phone and set it with a heavy thud on the table, 'persuading' Taehyung like how ministers would force the emperor to abdicate. "Hurry."
Taehyung could only add him to the group. The moment Jungkook entered the chat, everyone recognized him. Everyone came out to make their presence known and suck up to him.
Only Eunwoo sounded like an old man talking to his nephew.
Taehyung was utterly speechless. You accuse others of being weird when you're not that normal yourself!
With that one sentence, Jungkook managed to cause dead silence in the group chat. This silence sustained for a minute before Jihyun suddenly started the ball rolling again.
No, he could not let things continue like this. Taehyung felt that if he allowed the conversation to continue, everyone might go insane and their whole group would up becoming ward mates in a psychiatric hospital instead. This was a lose-lose situation. Thus, he changed the topic forcefully.
Jungkook sprawled across the table, his head buried and his body trembling with laughter. His shoulders shook vigorously and Taehyung was embarrassed. "If you laugh again, I'll invalidate your title and let you be a palace maid, no, a eunuch instead."
Jungkook turned. Pillowing his head on his arms, he looked at Taehyung with a grin. His eyes shone brightly like stars. "If I become a eunuch, the one crying will be you."
Taehyung did not know where Jungkook got his confidence from. Forget it, he should go back to eating his rabbit heads.
......
When Taehyung went back to his dorm that night, he brought some late-night snacks for his roommates. When Nayeon saw the food, she immediately snapped out of palace harem mode and returned to her silly, sweet self. She swung her legs and gnawed on the rabbit head merrily, the movement of her legs syncing with every bite.
As she gnawed along, she said, "My king, Eunwoo and I will be there to cheer you on for next weekend's competition. We're free that weekend."
Jihyun and Hyojung both raised their hands to indicate that they were free as well.
Taehyung nodded. "That's great. By the way, because today is Singles' Day, I suddenly recalled something that I promised you."
"What is it?" His roommates all turned to look at him.
"It's the matchmaking event, have all of you forgotten? There are plenty of hot guys on our ice hockey team. I'll bring everyone to have your pick."
"Ha!" Jihyun clutched her chest. "I approve deeply! Taehyung, from now on, I've got your back."
"Don't mention it. What about both of you? Hyojung, you have a boyfriend so I don't think you'll be going... Consort Im?"
"Uh..." Nayeon seemed to give the question some serious thought. Finally, she replied, "Sign me up for it first, my king."
——
The next day, Nayeon mentioned casually that she was going for matchmaking while having lunch with Eunwoo. When Eunwoo heard this, he slapped his chopsticks onto the table.
"You're not allowed to go."
Nayeon lowered her head and stirred repeatedly the bibimbap in her hot stone bowl. In a tiny voice, she said, "Why can't I go."
"Nayeon, do you have amnesia? Have you forgotten what you did to me? You still have the guts to go for matchmaking?"
"I..."
"Doesn't your conscience hurt!" Eunwoo's face was full of accusations.
"But I heard that all the guys in the ice hockey team have eight packs."
Eunwoo opened his mouth but was at a loss for words. Finally, he looked to the side disgruntledly. "You'll be the death of me."
......
That night, when Nayeon returned to the dorm, she informed Taehyung that she wanted to withdraw from the matchmaking event.
"Sure." Taehyung nodded before turning to clasp Jihyun's shoulders. "You're the only one left out of three. Comrade Jihyun, do you know what this means?"
"What?"
"This means that it's no longer a matchmaking event. It's now a talent selection."
Jihyun, Hahahahaha!
Taehyung helped Jihyun to take a photo. After he was done, the four of them crowded together and photoshopped the photo for a good half of the day. Of course, they did not mean to deceive anyone intentionally. These days, for a girl/boy to send a photo without any edits was like asking them to go out without any clothes. Both decisions made them feel rather insecure.
After he was done with the photo, Taehyung sent it to Jungkook.
Jungkook's immediate reaction:
Jungkook deeply felt the might of the sorcery that was Photoshop. He was... in awe.
However, if he had to choose between his boyfriend and his brothers, he would, of course, choose his boyfriend. Therefore, he did not comment further and sent the photo to Yoongi and the rest silently.
After the single dogs in the ice hockey team saw the photo, they were greatly excited and all came to flood him with questions.
Jungkook was beyond pestered. He was only a messenger and knew very little, to begin with. In addition, his desire to not be killed meant that he could reveal even lesser. Thus, to cut down on communications, he delegated Yoongi to be his messenger and only conveyed the information to him in person. Yoongi was then in charge of passing on the details of the matchmaking event... wait, no... talent selection to the rest.
Yoongi created a WeChat site account with the same display photo as Jungkook. He then spun fake conversations with himself and screenshot those to share with his brothers. After doing this for several days, he started to feel a little mentally unsound.
However, his efforts did not go unrewarded. The payoff was clear—his brothers in the ice hockey team were all tricked to another place with him as the messenger. On the day of the talent selection, everyone thought that the meeting place was a bar and all set off for it after preening themselves. Only Yoongi, after preening himself similarly, went to the café that was the real meeting place.
Mwa ha ha haha! Here I come, goddess!
After Yoongi rushed to the café, he immediately spotted Taehyung and Jungkook. Sitting with them was a chubby girl.
"Hey, Yoongi, over here." Taehyung waved to him. When Yoongi walked over, he pointed to the chubby girl and said, "This is my roommate, Kang Jihyun... Why are you the only one here? Where are the rest?"
Yoongi looked at the photo on his handphone screen and looked in front of him. The difference was astoundingly big.
No, this can't be real.
Why does life treat me like this?
Jeon, you big fat liar!