Jaerin stared at nothingness as she felt her soul leave her body, starting tomorrow, she's going to live with boys.
"Jaerin?" Hoseok asked as he waved his hand in front of her face to get her attention as she shifted her look to Hoseok, confused.
"Are you okay?" He asked as Jaerin nodded and rubbed the back of her neck,
Again, an awkward silence surrounded them but this time, it's longer and it's suffocating Jaerin and the boys. They just looked at each other, telling them to break the silence.
Seokjin cleared his throat as his cheeks flushed red due to the attention that he got when he cleared his throat, "It's already late," He looked at his wrist watch and looked at the members again, "We should head out and maybe help Jaerin to pack her things."
Jaerin shook her head and immediately waved her hands in front of her, "You d-don't have to, I can do it by myself." She sent them a small smile as everyone looked at her as she pressed her lips into a thin line.
"I'll help Jaerin, do you want to come Jeongguk-ah?" Taehyung said as he looked at the youngest boy with a smile on his face that doesn't seem to fade.
"M-Me?" Jeongguk pointed at himself as Taehyung nodded and waited for his response,
"But.. Hyung," Jeongguk said as he scratched his head, he wanted to reject Taehyung's offer but he don't want to leave a bad impression on Jaerin.
"So, Jeongguk and me are going to help Jaerin!" Taehyung said without waiting for Jeongguk's confirmation as his eyes widened.
Taehyung stood up as he looked at his two dongsaengs, "Let's go so that we can eat Seokjin Hyung's food!" He enthusiastically said as he pulled the two outside the studio as they walked behind Taehyung,
Jeongguk and Jaerin let out a sigh as they let Taehyung drag them,
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The lights flickered open as the three went inside Jaerin's dorm, she kicked her shoes off of her feet as she went straight to her room and took out her luggage.
"Your dorm looks so different from ours," Taehyung said as he looked around Jaerin's dorm, the interior is really different from theirs, their dorm is bigger than Jaerin's as it can fit nine people.
Jeongguk stared at the figurines that's placed on a small cabinet beside Jaerin's dorm as he held it, eyes sparkling due to amazement and excitement.
"Taehyung?" Jaerin said as the latter shifted his look as he raised his eyebrows as an answer, "Can you start packing my figurines and other stuffs there? Please be careful with the figurines." She said as Taehyung nodded and picked up a small bag that he saw on the living room.
Him and Jeongguk started placing the figurines and some comic books and other stuffs in the bag as they heard a zipping sound from the bedroom, telling them that Jaerin is finished packing her clothes.
She came out of the room and sat down beside Taehyung and Jeongguk who's reading some of her comic books that's been untouched since forever.
The dorm was soon surrounded by an icy silence as Jaerin played with the hem of her shirt as she bit her lip, she's slowly getting suffocated by the silence, she closed her eyes tightly as she waited for someone to speak.
The silence was broken by a phone notification as Jaerin's body was filled with relief, she can't handle another minute of that suffocating silence.
Taehyung took his phone out of his pocket as the screen's light reflected on his face as Jaerin and Jeongguk looked at him,
"Who is it?" Jeongguk asked in a nervous manner, not used in speaking with a girl literally beside him.
"Seokjin Hyung.." Taehyung said as he pressed the message and read it before delivering the message to the younger ones.
His eyes travelled to every characters of the message as he nodded to himself and closed his phone, putting it back on his pocket.
"Seokjin Hyung made dinner, he told us to go home early.." He looked at Jeongguk who only nodded and closed the comic book he's reading before placing it inside the bag where they got it.
Taehyung shifted his look at Jaerin as the latter only raised her eyebrows and tilted her head, confused, "Seokjin Hyung told me that you should come with us,"
Jaerin's eyes widened as she pointed at herself, "Me?"
Taehyung looked at her in disbelief, "No, me!" He smiled sarcastically as the girl pouted and nodded, clasping her hands together.
"You and Jeongguk-ie are really alike, you'll get along well, I know it." Taehyung said as Jaerin and Jeongguk made eye contact but instantly looked away, flustered.
Taehyung laughed and ruffled the younger ones' hair as he stood up and picked up the small bag that contains figurines and comic books, "Let's go before Seokjin Hyung eats all the food," He laughed as Jeongguk and Jaerin stood up too, brushing their pants and looking at Taehyung afterwards in sync, surprising Taehyung.
"Yah, that.. that.." Taehyung's lips were agape as he covered his mouth with his palms, playfully.
Jeongguk and Jaerin looked at each other as they both let out a chuckle but soon stopped when they realized what they just did.
"I'm sorry.." Jaerin mumbled as she rubbed the back of her neck and picked up her pace, walking behind Taehyung.
Jeongguk soon followed and now he's walking beside Jaerin, both of them still embarrassed as Taehyung unknowingly smiled because of the cute interaction of the two youngest.
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Taehyung opened the dorm as he kicked his shoe off of his feet as he ran inside, the smell of Seokjin's cooking filled their nostrils as hunger filled their insides.
Jeongguk also went inside the dorm, leaving Jaerin who's holding her shoes with her right hand and placed it on the corner, just beside their shoes.
Jaerin's eyes widened in amazement as she saw how neat and clean their dorm is, far from what she expected.
Boys can be really messy but the neat dorm surprised her, she's expecting clothes everywhere, messy kitchen but everything is just the opposite.
Taehyung and Jeongguk is right, everything is so different compared to her dorm.
"Hi, Jaerin~" Hoseok sang as she immediately bowed at him politely as she sent him a small smile,
Hoseok, who's shocked because of her action immediately shook his hands in front of his body, "You don't have to bow at me, Jaerin-ah! We're on the same group now, treat me like an older brother." He cheerfuly said as he gently pulled her to the dining area slash living room.
Hoseok pat the empty space beside him, telling Jaerin to sit beside her as she quickly sat down, not wanting to disappoint the cheerful boy.
One by one, the table is filled with members as they greeted Jaerin who sent them a small smile. She can see Seokjin in the kitchen, still cooking food.
"Namjoon, Namjoon, move your head!" Seokjin said as his satoori slipped a little, he's holding a large pot and a small steam is escaping from the small hole on the lid.
"Hi, Jaerin!" He greeted Jaerin after placing the pot on the center of the table as they boys drooled due to the aroma of the food.
"Hi," Jaerin said as Seokjin smiled towards her and removed the lid, the smell of the food filling everyone's nostril as the strong smell of Rabboki made their eyes sparkle.
Jaerin's lips were agape as she grabbed her chopsticks, copying the actions of the boys as everyone waited for Seokjin before digging in.
"Here," Hoseok said as he placed some noodles and rice cakes in Jaerin's plate as the latter thanked him as she gave him a small bow.
The table was soon filled with satisfied reactions as they thank Seokjin for cooking such a wonderful dinner,
Jaerin's eyes sparkled in joy as the strong yet tasty food spread through her mouth, she smiled and continued eating, she was too busy eating that she didn't noticed that the boys were looking at her, smiles on their face as they realized that Jaerin is slowly warming up on them.
They noticed how stiff and uncomfortable Jaerin is when they first met, which is just hours ago. There's a wall surrounding her, that keeps everyone away from her, and the boys knew that they have to break that wall so that she'll be comfortable around them.
"Jeongguk-ah, share your kimchi." Namjoon said as he looked at the youngest boy who pouted,
"Come on, Gguk. Share some," Namjoon said as the latter pouted and handed him some kimchi that he quickly took and placed on Jaerin's plate, making the girl widen his eyes.
"Thank You," Jaerin smiled as she licked the tip of her chopsticks and ate the kimchi happily, making the other members smile.
After eating, they played rock-paper-scissors to know who will wash the dishes as Jaerin giggled continuously, watching the boys do their best just to not wash the dirty dishes.
Her and Jeongguk won on the first round as they unknowingly high-fived, but this time they didn't got flustered.
In the end, Hoseok is the one who'll wash the dishes as he pouted playfully to the members as Jaerin laughed non-stop, making her eyes turn into crescent shape as the other boys laughed, infected with Jaerin's infectious laugh.
Jaerin wiped the tears that formed due to her laughing so hard as she sniffled and stopped laughing,
After the laughing session, the boys went to different directions to do their own businesses, Jaerin went to the kitchen and saw Hoseok sweating while washing the dishes.
Jaerin picked up a towel and dried the plates, helping Hoseok as he smiled dearly, feeling happy because one of his members are kind enough to help him with the dishes that never seems to end.
"You don't have to, Jaerin-ah." Hoseok said as he continued washing the dishes as the latter only smiled, still wiping the plates, making Hoseok smile brightly and sent a flying kiss to Jaerin who's only beside him as she smiled again.
They finished washing the dishes as Jaerin prepared to leave the dorm,
"Jeongguk will accompany you to your dorm, Jaerin-ah." Taehyung said as Jeongguk and Jaerin's eyes widened as they both shook their head, in sync again.
"You don't have to, J-Jeongguk. It's just 3 floors away," Jaerin said as Taehyung shook his head and pushed Jungkook gently towards her direction as their shoulders bumped,
The two sighed as Jaerin wore her shoes and Jeongguk only slipped on his slippers, too lazy to tie and untie his shoelaces when he's only going 3 floors down.
They walked beside each other as they kept their mouths shut, not knowing how to start a conversation or is it good to start a conversation.
"I'm sorry for stealing your kimchi," Jaerin said as Jeongguk shook his head and sent her a small smile,
"It's fine, I'm just not used with sharing," He quietly said as the conversation ended, with just two sentences being shared.
Jaerin stopped in front of her door as Jeongguk kept looking down on the floor, shy.
"Thanks Jeongguk, you can go back now." Jaerin smiled as Jeongguk nodded, turning his heels to the stairs but not forgetting to say something to her that made her feel cared,
"Goodnight, Jaerin.." He mumbled but loud enough for Jaerin to hear,
"Goodnight, Jeongguk-ah," She also said as she went inside her dorm, a smile plastered on her lips as she felt sadness and happiness.
It's been so long since someone told her to have a goodnight, and her Grandfather was the only one who remembers to say her that short phrase yet very meaningful to her.
She smiled as she plopped down on her bed and closed her eyes, unknowingly, tears fell from her eyes as she remembered how caring and loving Jaehyun is, her brother.
"I miss you, Jaehyun." She mumbled as she slowly drifted off to sleep as pitch black darkness surrounded her.
© staerryniights
— kookarchives