longer chapter for all of you! i'm so sorry for being a couple hours late omfgggg i legit woke up at 11:40 today and i was s h a k e n but then i remembered daylight savings and aaaahhhh but please enjoy haha ❤️❤️
-=-=-=-
it's been two weeks since that day at the mall— two weeks of pure bliss, in my opinion. jimin and yoongi's relationship seemed to strengthen after that day as well.
'they're officially my favorite couple.' i thought when i saw yoongi blush at something jimin excitedly said. 'too bad the rest of us are still single.' i knew that everyone else in the room envied the two.
by now, i'd completely forgotten about my frustration with the supposed prank.
everyone that usually works with us is still so shocked that we became so close in which a short amount of time. i couldn't blame them, i was in utter disbelief as well. ever since that day at the mall we broke any wall of hesitation and just... went for it. new people who may have heard we were enemies two weeks ago laughed in the persons face and didn't believe it.
i sipped my coffee on the studio bench outside, knowing i'd accidentally come extra early today.
"hey, bunny." taehyung waved after closing his car door. "you came early too?"
i was already used to him calling me bunny so i paid it no attention besides internal fluttering.
"yeah, i woke up earlier than usual." i answered still staring out into the rainy park across the the street. he sat down beside me without a word and stared out into the calming morning showers. i glanced in his direction and let his peaceful image engrave into my memory.
no words broke the comfortable silence, we just sat and thought about anything that came to our mind.
Compared to the other times we'd hung out, this is a lot more rela—
"have you ever thought that if a toy in toy story died, the kid would never know and the other toys would keep watching the kid play with the corpse?" taehyung asked disturbingly.
"now imagine how last one standing feels." i quipped.
we turned looking at each other for a bit and simultaneously looked back at the park.
"that's so fucked up." he said. "why are we so fucked up?"
before i could reply, the door opened and namjoon's voice cut in.
"you two, we thought you were running late! what are you doing out here? come on, they're waiting."
eventually we'd all gathered in the recording area, and our manager was updating us general company news.
"... also, jeon jungkook and kim taehyung are getting a pay raise." he said happily. knowing we would ask why, he continued. "since you two have been getting together so much lately, your shipping fandom has become very active in purchasing merchandise. please keep up the good work everyone!" he dismissed us and walked to his secluded office down the hall.
"wow, congrats you two~" applauded a cheery hoseok. the others smiled and congratulated us as well, but all i was thinking about is the inevitable fact that they'd all make us pay for stuff since we just got a pay increase.
i could just imagine it...
'jungkookie, treat your hyungs since you're so rich~!'
rolling my eyes at my imaginary version of my friends, i approached taehyung.
"congrats, tae!" i cheered for him.
"hehe, you too bunny!" he replied with just as much enthusiasm.
we then both walked to the actual recording area and got to work for the day.
-=-=-=-
once again in the makeup room after work, we gossiped in our circle of chairs. that's right, guys can do it too.
"anyone want drinks?" i stood up. i wanted to get myself a bottle of water, so i might as well be a courteous maknae.
i got replies of water, then made eye contact with taehyung. he just looked at me and i nodded my head knowing he wanted a coke again.
i grabbed the tray and had a flash of deja vu. frowning at my thoughts, i filled the tray with the requested beverages.
is he still going through with it? should i still be worried about it?
i didn't let myself think too hard and shoved it out of my mind. i pressed the door with my back and walked back in.
"wow, glad you actually made it back to us this time kookie." said yoongi half sarcastically. "i still can't believe you ditched us for such a stupid reason that one time."
"haha... yeah." i internally panicked. i remember escaping the studio, but what excuse did i use for it back then?
did i say that my mom called? did i say that i had to babysit?
i do know that taehyung came short after, so probably not babysitting.
all i can really do now is pray that they don't ask me to repeat it.
"huh?" questioned jin. "i never heard of the reason!" he announced.
"why don't you tell him, kookie?" said yoongi unaware of my panic.
well s h i t, i'm screwed.
"i-i uh... " i trailed off.
come on jungkook! think!
"i had a package that came." i said finally. i knew that i'd gotten a package in that week, but i wasn't sure if that was the right day.
"what?" asked taehyung. "you didn't have any package when i was there..." everyone seemed lost and skeptical.
"huh...? oh, i didn't? well uh i also..." i didn't say anything knowing i messed up.
"did you forget already?" they asked confused. yoongi's confusion left his face in realization and he asked, "isn't it because your mom visited you?"
oh! so it really was my mom!
"oh yeah, that's why. sorry everyone..." i went along and thanked yoongi in my head for—
"you're lying." he stated bluntly. "so why did you really leave that day?"
shit
i felt my face pale when i realized i'd just been played. the room consisting of only us 7 was quiet. namjoon had a certain look on his face that i couldn't explain, but it wasn't a positive expression.
i knew the reason i left that day was because i found out about the prank that tore my heart apart.
"c-can i not talk about it?" i desperately wanted to get out of this situation. i glanced at taehyung's face of sadness and worry. i could feel bits of my long, long past social anxiety coming up.
the room remained quiet as my heart rate sped up.
"jungkook, do you wanna leave?" asked taehyung.
my savior
i only nodded and stood. i knew very well that if there's one thing you shouldn't do in the group of friends, it's lie. each had their own unspoken reason, but all of us were in some unanimous agreement that lying was a taboo in this group. it probably has something to do with the fact that our jobs were quite literally a job where you lie to the public.
in the car, i noticed taehyung following me home. when i arrived he got out of his car and came to my window.
"are you alright?" he asked. i knew he was uncomfortable with the lie, and i admired him for being so kind about this whether it was his acting or not.
"kind of..." the way his hair fell in front of his sad eyes, and the way he bit his lip in worry allowed myself believe that this wasn't all a prank. just for now. "can i tell you something?"
he nodded and walked around the car to get into the passengers seat.
"even jimin doesn't know about this..." i paused. "i want to apologize in advance in case i do anything that might be rude to you... i..." i let out my breath. "i used to have strong social anxiety. my family and friends knew i had dreams of acting one day, and they all supported me until i eventually overcame it." i confessed hurriedly. call me stupid for admitting a secret of my dark past to someone i might not be able to trust, but he was the first person to appear that accepted every part of me and i foolishly loved that. everything from my odd smile, to my cringey jokes, to my weird analogies, to my changing personalities, to my childishness. the two weeks only made me fall deeper in love with all of him. people like that only come by once in a lifetime, and i'm willing to take the chance.
"i understand. that's amazingly courageous of you to get up despite being so uncomfortable." he smiled at me acceptingly, but it faded. "can i tell you something too?" he said very uneasy. i nodded hoping he wouldn't say what i was thinking he'd say. "you probably won't like to hear this, but..." my mind went into a chaotic panic in the blink of an eye— courtesy of my past anxiety habits. he's about to say it, isn't he?! my heartbeat sped up and i blurted out my only known tactic of defense.
"it was all a prank! this f-friendship—" i said panicked. "we're not friends! it's all fake! all... fake..." i held my head in my hands and rested my head on the wheel. the car became silent. i expected his carefree laugh to break the silence, or to once again become victim of his icy smirk, or for him to smack the top of my head, something that makes what i just yelled okay.
my expectations vanished when i heard the car door open and slam shut.
CHAPTER END
*hides again*
sORRYNOTSORRY
ooh 1624 words it's double the usual