TAE POV:
A few days later Kookie announces he's heading off to the arcade, eagerly pulling on his jacket and shoes and calling out to us from the hallway.
His bright cheery tone fills the living room, pulls us out of our tasks- faces turning away from screens and books to glance upwards, expecting our maknae's cheery face to fill the doorway which it does mere moments later.
"I don't know how long I'll be Jin hyung but I'm heading off now...love you!" he calls to everyone as he steps out of view even as Jiminie and I straighten up at the same time.
"Kook-ah wait!" I call, rushing to scramble off Yoongi hyung's lap who grunts at the sudden movement and the accidental elbow that heads his way as I rush to get to him.
Kookie's paused with the front door open, looking back at us quizzically as Jiminie and I reach him.
"I wanna come too! It's been ages since we've headed to the arcade together." I pout as I throw my arms around his neck and lean heavily onto him. His hands immediately come to hold me at my waist.
"Kook-ah...I wanna play too!" Jiminie huffs and when I turn to look at him he's sporting a teasing knowing smile.
There's something going on that I don't know about.
And then a whiny...
"Jiminie hyung! You don't have to come and meet her you know!" he complains.
Her? Ahh...Kook-ah's arcade friend. The thought hadn't even crossed my mind but now that I know that she might be there makes it all the more of an incentive to go.
And his words rouse the curiosity of Jin hyung who'd been heading out of the living room and turns to face the three of us with a twitching smile.
"Jimin-ah don't tease him!" he admonishes and then almost immediately "I wanna meet her too!" he exclaims mischievously.
"Ahh hyung!" Kookie protests with reddening cheeks, but his protest is a mixture of sweet whine and a serious glint in his eyes.
Jin hyung backs away, raising his hands jokingly as he heads off.
"I'll meet her one day." He calls as he turns to leave.
He's dropped the matter but I want to play games with my baby, I haven't gotten to for a while.
And if the three of us go together it'll be a date! We haven't had one for just the three of us for some time.
"Ahh come on Kookie, like old times, the three of us playing games and feeding each other unhealthy amounts of snacks and junk food." I wheedle, pressing kisses to his neck to try and persuade him, kissing up the column of his throat to his jaw.
His hands tighten around my waist.
"Come on Kookie, take hyung with you." I murmur as I lean back to take in his flustered state.
"And I'm not like Jin hyung. I just want to spend time with you." I say and then he nods, looking down at me with wide eyes.
"Okay hyung, now can I please have a proper kiss now?" he asks.
I lean forward immediately to press our lips together. How could I ever say no to our baby?
----
The three of us scrabble out of our seats, the car pulling up outside the arcade and nearby diner and cinema.
"We can watch a movie too afterwards." Jiminie murmurs, eyes interestedly glancing at it.
But Kookie is already eagerly moving on towards the large arcade, heading in with a bright toothy smile, turning over his shoulder to gesture to us excitedly.
"Come on hyungs!" he calls and the two of us laugh fondly at him before rushing after him.
As we enter it's immediately clear his eyes are roving searchingly, looking for something...perhaps someone and we follow his quick pace to DDR where almost immediately he wilts, drooping slightly when he sees the game is occupied but by these two young girls.
"Looking for someone bun?" Jiminie calls teasingly.
Jungkookie turns, shaking his head but the cute pout that's beginning to form says otherwise. But even so he eagerly tugs the two of us towards the game once the two girls get off the machine, giggling about their dancing.
"We can do games in pairs. Who wants to go first?" he asks and happily cheers and watches from the side-lines as me and Jiminie laugh and stumble our way through the game, the music misleadingly lulling us to believe that we had a grasp on it before it suddenly increased pace and beat, becoming even more quicker and demanding. And by the time the two of us finish, we pant- laughing breathlessly and complaining, Kookie watching with shining bright eyes and hiding his mouth behind his hands as he giggles at the two of us.
And when he steps onto the machine, he turns expectantly but the two of us wave him off- trying to regain our breath and he clicks onto the one player setting. Watching Jungkookie dance for a game is equally entrancing and enrapturing in its own way- it doesn't have the delicate precision and finesse they use to dance professionally but still there's something so hypnotising to see him passionately dance, hair bouncing slightly, eyes narrowed and focused and body twisting and stepping in rhythm, a smile stretching across his lips as he continues to score perfects for every move and by the time he's finished the two of us have stepped closer, Jiminie filming him and he shoots us a dazzling smile- exuberant and delighted.
There's no way he didn't top the board again, he's maintained it for so long and so when the leader board comes onto the screen, we all turn to see the top spot flashing triumphantly.
And yet we all freeze when we note that he's actually ranked second, the top spot claimed by someone else. A single initial that tauntingly stands there alone and triumphant, the ruler of the scoreboard. And Kookie's smile is wiped off instantly, staring intently at the initial- glaring at it, competitive gleam in his eyes.
Jiminie stops recording, leaning forward to reconfirm that it actually is someone else who's taken the top spot, staring disbelievingly at it.
I laugh in shock.
"Wow Kookie, you're top spot has been taken. JK no longer stands triumphant!" I tease, nudging him playfully.
But that doesn't stop him from retrying a few times with incredible determination and passion to regain his title, but even after those attempts his name flashes at number 2, still not yet able to breach the margin of points.
And the two of us drag him off the game, steering him to other favourites to help take his mind off it.
But what I don't expect is for us to reach the basketball hoops game and find two girls competitively racing against each other in adjacent positions- speedily targeting the hoop with fine precision and intense vigour whilst a tall broad-framed man cheers them on vocally.
And then the names he's cheering become decipherable and surely my ears are mistaking me right? There's no way the names he's cheering includes (Y/N) but then the man seems to notice the three of us waiting on the side because he turns and then his eyes widen with surprise and shock, the cheers dying on his lips.
"Yah why are you cheering her on more? Habaek I'm betrayed!" the second girl complains as the game continues, turning her head briefly to shoot him a look only to pause when she sees us.
And the second girl still hasn't noticed, continuing to shoot hoop after hoop and when the game ends she turns triumphantly, excitedly jumping up and down, face split with a beaming grin as she looks at the other two. She pauses seemingly noting the distracted expressions and turns to follow their line of sight.
Turns to reveal the (Y/N) I know, cheeks rosy and eyes sparkling and then those full lips parting with surprise, freezing as she takes in all three of us.
I feel bad, because I've just unknowingly sprung two strangers on her, clearly she's surprised given the stiffness to her posture, and the way her eyes stray from mine to look at the other two.
Her head tilts, confused.
And just as I step forward to both reassure her and apologise, the other two step forward too- startling me when I see the looks on their faces.
"(Y/N)...didn't know I'd see you here. Sorry for springing the two onto you." I start.
She smiles softly at me, shaking her head.
But then Jiminie and Kookie turn to me with shocked expressions.
"You know (Y/N)?" Jiminie asks.
I'm confused.
He knows (Y/N)?
"Since when hyung?" Kookie adds.
He knows her too?
I feel lost.
Someone needs to explain things to me.
(Y/N) POV:
I freeze as I see the three of them, standing close, postures and body language clearly indicating that they know each other, are comfortable with each other given the way their bodies naturally curve and lean towards one another.
I feel shocked because it feels like one of two things. One that the world is an incredibly small place and somehow I never realised that the three could know each other, never imagined a coincidence like this. And the second is that I'm not entirely sure what game fate is playing with me, what the universe is conspiring to do by making the net of people I've met wound tighter around me, almost holding me in because of how close they suddenly seem to appear, as if the net might somewhat become constricting. I fear that thought...sincerely hope that it's not so.
But how on earth was I meant to ever realise that Jungkook, Jimin and Taehyung all knew each other? And that of all places we'd meet at the arcade? My eyes dart to Jungkook, teasingly wander if he realises that the top spot on DDR is now mine, whether it's clicked to him that the initial left behind is mine. The S that signifies siren. A little glimpse of me left behind on a game.
I wonder whether he's figured it out, just as I'd clocked that JK stood for Jungkook, that the nicknames his hyungs had let slip had actually just helped me to key it all together. I had been indignant when I'd found out, when I'd recalled our first meeting and remembering his teasing lilt- so silently taunting because I never knew he was JK, never knew that the current winner at the time was commenting.
And it was that what had fuelled my passion to come back and dance until I'd beaten his score, come back on several occasions to dance until the steps became perfect, until there was a distinctly noticeable points difference between first and second place, so he'd have a hard time getting it back.
He'd started the game, and I had no intention of letting him win it. I only wish I could've seen the look on his face.
The thought makes me smile.
"(Y/N)...she's the dance member on our team." Jimin says to a confused looking Taehyung.
The confusion fades slightly, his expression only brightening significantly when Jungkook leans shyly towards him, whispering something into his ear.
Eyes widening as he looks at me with newly obtained information.
"Ahh...I met (Y/N) ages ago at the library." He comments in response to the silent question on the other two's faces.
Habaek oppa and Mi-sun unnie have come to stand near me, Habaek oppa's face reflects slight bemusement and wonderment- as if the chances of this happening had never occurred to him either whilst Mi-sun unnie just looks perplexed- only recognising Jimin as the dance teacher.
"(Y/N)...why do all three of them know you? How?" she whispers in a hushed voice.
I shrug my shoulders, knowing that now is not the time nor the place to divulge those stories- mentally prepared to be tackled when we get home.
But then Jungkook cuts through the awkward stilted silence with a hopeful voice.
"Do you want to play ice hockey?" he asks, head ducking down slightly when everyone's eyes go to him.
Feeling and knowing the discomfort that comes from combined stares on you, I nod quickly already heading over to the table, hand snagging Habaek oppa's; when it comes to these games, there are systems in place. And this particular game calls for Habaek oppa to be my partner.
Jungkook stands on the other side, whilst the other two heatedly discuss in loud whispers who should be the one to play and it's Taehyung who steps up next to him, the sight still slightly surprising to my eyes, still processing that somehow they know each other. It makes me wonder whether Hoseok knows Taehyung and by that extension, Namjoon? It feels like some intricate web of connections, where surprisingly connections keep being formed. And I feel like the web is wounding its sticky ensnaring strands across me, weaving me into this intricate pattern.
"You ready (Y/N)?" Jungkook's voice comes through, challenging and teasing. The traits I've quickly associated with him, always poking at those nerves to try and elicit an equally competitive response.
And like always, knowing that he does it intentionally, I let the words touch those silently stirring competitive instincts. And Habaek oppa nudges me, eyes silently conversing and knowing as we stand side by side. On the other side Taehyung grins, boxy and bright at me, clearly not taking this as seriously as we're about to.
For a moment I feel bad for him. He doesn't know what he's roped himself into.
----
Habaek oppa and I relentlessly shoot the puck off to the other side, hands darting out with speed as he prevents the puck from shooting into the gap and I send it careening over, sliding smoothly and rapidly over. The game is now silent, the loud commentary and cheers from the other side have quietened down, everyone intensely watching the puck zip from end to the other, the unwillingness to let the other team win driving the arm movements.
And just as the puck comes sliding towards our end, Habaek oppa shoots it back effortlessly, long arm adding to the distance just as my own arm slides back to defend. And we watch as the puck slides in easily, points flashing to declare us the winner.
Mi-sun unnie cheers loudly, shouting happily as she hurries over, the three of us a mess of entangled limbs as we celebrate- albeit my celebration is quieter and the small giggles muted between the two of their rambunctious voices.
My eyes find Jungkook on the other side and where he droops wilted and sad into Taehyung's arm, leaning in for a consolation hug, watch as Jimin moves over to appease the two ruffled boys who look disgruntled with their loss- it had been the tiebreaker match after all.
But the side glance he shoots me is promising to even the score later, likely when perhaps the two of us find ourselves in the arcade alone sometime in the future. And despite the heated huff, I can't wait to battle it out with him again, he might be a victor in human terms but he'll never realise the decades I've spent in mastering the arcade games.
Though I do feel slightly bad at the sad look, the sight of his pout somehow making me feel the urge to make him smile instead but I watch as the other two easily make him smile again; and that alone lets me let out a small smile at the sight, hidden from view because of the two pairs of arms that wrap around me.
And when we all finally traverse out of the arcade, there's a high buzz of excitement, the three of them waving cheerfully at me, saying they'll be in touch soon.
The knowing glints in their eyes makes me wonder...in touch about what?
But the thought is banished when Mi-sun unnie tugs me into the car and demands for me to spill as Habaek oppa drives us back- his eyes comforting and reassuring as they glance at me in the rear-view mirror, he already knows the three of them.
But Mi-sun unnie gasps in wonder and makes comments about how it's such a lucky twist of fate that has brought all three of them intertwined towards me. I can't help wonder though...there aren't any other surprise connections right?
HOBI POV:
I straighten up from where I've been helping...forcing Yoongi hyung and Namjoon into manoeuvring their bodies into yoga poses when the door opens and the sound of the maknaes chattering excitedly filters through. I hear two barely muted sighs of relief and when I turn the two have already scrabbled away, clutching at each other as they sink onto the couches, mats abandoned.
I huff at them but turn to scoop the three maknaes into my arms by turn to press a flurry of kisses and hugs on the babies, smiling when I see how happy and content they all look. Looks like their date went well then.
"How was your date then?" Joon asks, from where he's happily reclined onto Yoongi hyung's lap, looking at them with a dimpled grin.
"It was great!"
"I had more fun than I have had at the arcade for some time."
"Better than expected."
Come three voices chiming in with their opinions but even so there's something secretive, hidden between the three as they shoot each other meaningful looks- unable to be questioned because then Jin hyung calls out for us to eat dinner.
But after we've all eaten and lay around the living room, scattered off with one another, I lay against Joon's chest, drawing random shapes onto his torso as he tries to read when I hear a drift of conversation, Jin hyung and Yoongi hyung chatting as they curl up on the other end.
"You should really get baking tips from her hyung...who knew (Y/N) would prove to be a challenge to our all-rounder chef hyung?" he teases.
My ears prick up. Did he just say (Y/N)?
Surely not.
But then Tae is chatting with the maknaes, talking about something as he fiddles with a phone in his hand when I hear her name being mentioned again. I straighten up.
"Tae...what did you just say?" I ask, calling out to him.
He turns, surprised and confused.
The others have stopped talking.
"What do you mean hyung?" he asks, looking puzzled.
"You mentioned (Y/N)...I'm not hearing things am I? And you did too hyung." I say, turning to face Yoongi hyung who's carefully watching the scene.
He nods, almost imperceptible. Almost guarded in his expression.
"How do you know her Hoseok-ah?" he gently treads.
The response to his words has everyone straightening and looking perplexed. Each person having a reaction.
And by the looks of it, it seems like there's much to talk about.
And surprisingly enough they all centralise one name...(Y/N).
Maybe we're not the only ones who've come across the shy sweet girl.
(AHH! HOBI SWOOPED IN AND STOLE THE DETECTIVE BADGE AND IS ON A MISSION! GO HOBI, GO HOBI! AND AHHH! I WONDER WHAT'LL HAPPEN NOW- WHAT WILL BE REVEALED! I HOPE IT WASN'T AN ODD WAY THAT THE TRUTH GOT REVEALED, I HOPED IT SEEMED NATURAL FOR YOU ALL- BUT IF IT WASN'T, DO LET ME KNOW MY LOVES! AND THOUGHTS? REACTIONS? AND THE ARCADE WAS THE BEGINNING OF IT ALL...WHO RECKONS JK'S CLOCKED BY NOW? THAT HIS TITLE HAS BEEN SNATCHED BY NONE OTHER THAN (Y/N)! AND I IMAGINE THE TWO OF THEM SECRETLY SNEAKING OUT TO THE ARCADE TO CHECK THEIR NAME IS STILL THERE- SUCH CUTIES! HONESTLY KOOK AND (Y/N) ARE JUST BABIES- ONE OF MY FAVOURITE INTERACTIONS ARE THEIRS BECAUSE TWO SHY LOVELIES COMING OUT OF THEIR SHELLS TO BE FRIENDS IS JUST *CLUTCHES HEART* TOO SWEET FOR ME! LET'S SEE WHAT HAPPENS THE NEXT CHAPTER! AND LOOKS LIKE ALL SHALL BE REVEALED! STAY SAFE!)
QUESTION...SOMETHING THAT FRUSTRATES YOU AND HOW YOU RESPOND TO IT?
Mine is...there's a few haha but I HATE when people *cough my little sister especially cough cough* neglect their chores when it's their turn to and the sight of the mess or stuff lying around gets me so annoyed and frustrated that I vent out those feelings by doing the cleaning myself. *sigh*
Borahae! 💜💜💜
PurpleQueenie <3