A/N: Been wanting to update, but I've been so busy that it's a struggle.

*****

"Jin is nice. I like him. He seems like someone who will draw you out of your shell," Namjoon told Taehyung as they made their second stop during their drive, ordering an iced coffee at one of the stores inside the rest stop.

Taehyung stared at his brother without saying a word. He had been feeling confused during their entire drive. Jin's unusually open and forthcoming responses to Namjoon's questions were unexpected, given Jin's typically distant and mysterious personality.

"I saw they had Sotteok Sotteok (Rice Cake and Sausage Skewers) in one of the shops. I'm going to get one. Do you want?"

Taehyung declined, saying, "No, I'm good. I think I'll grab a burger. Let's meet back at the car." Namjoon agreed with a nod before collecting his iced coffee and heading off.

"Are you not getting any coffee?" the girl behind the counter asked as she stared at Taehyung, who was about to walk away.

Taehyung flashed a polite smile and gently shook his head. "No, I..." he began, intending to express his dislike for coffee. However, he suddenly remembered Jin's love for coffee and changed his mind. "Actually, could you create a custom drink if I provided the recipe?" he inquired, gazing at the girl with a hopeful expression, eager to see if she could accommodate his request.

She smiled and nodded. "Of course, I can do that as long as we have the ingredients in the house. It shouldn't be a problem."

With a bright smile, Taehyung shared the recipe. He was happy when she confirmed they had all the ingredients in stock and could make it.

"Thank you, I appreciate it," Taehyung said as he paid for the coffee and stepped aside to wait.

"It's no problem. So, where are you headed? Are you taking a trip or going home?" the girl inquired while making the coffee.

"We are heading to Yeosu, toward the beach area."

"Oh, that's nice. I only went there once with my fiancé, and I loved it there. We were supposed to take the ferry to Jeju, but the weather had been bad the day we were supposed to go, so we didn't get to go. It was fine because we enjoyed the beaches, and my fiancé loves fishing, so we did some of that at Sindeok Beach. It was a lot of fun. For our honeymoon, we plan to go back there and then to Jeju, so we have been saving a lot."

Taehyung's face lit up with a smile as he attentively listened to her. She was happy, especially when discussing her fiance and their exciting plans. "That sounds great. I'm glad that you had such a great time. It's my first time visiting there, and hearing about your positive experience has made me want to see what it's like there. I also dream of visiting Jeju one day. I hope you and your fiance create special memories when you go."

"Thank you. I hope you get to go to Jeju one day. Also-"

As Jin approached Taehyung, he interrupted their conversation with a piercing glare at the girl behind the counter. "What are the two of you talking about?" he demanded. "I want to join in on the conversation, too, since it seems you have my boyfriend's attention with whatever you are talking about."

"Seokjin-"

"I am not talking to you right; I'm speaking to her," Jin gestured to Taehyung to be quiet as he maintained his gaze on the girl.

She let out a soft chuckle as she noticed the expression on Jin's face, then carefully set the steaming cup of freshly brewed coffee on the counter in front of Taehyung. "Your coffee is ready. I hope you'll enjoy every sip," she said warmly.

Turning her attention back to Jin, she continued, "I was just telling your boyfriend about the memorable trip I took to Yeosu with my fiance last year. I assured him that he'd have an amazing time there."

Jin extended his hand towards the counter and firmly grasped the coffee, all the while still glaring at the girl. "This is mine! And he doesn't need you to tell him he will have a good time. He'll enjoy himself regardless of your input," he informed.

Taking a sip of the coffee, Jin's eyes widened in surprise at the flavor. "At least you're good at your job," he muttered. Then, he turned to Taehyung and declared, "Let's go."

"Thank you very much, and I sincerely wish you all the best with your future husband," Taehyung said as he quickly waved and followed Jin.

"You too. It seems like you will need it more," the girl said while laughing.

"What did she say?" Jin stopped and turned to glare in the girl's direction, even though they were now at a distance.

Taehyung sighed, clearly reluctant to repeat what the girl had said, as he stared at Jin. "How did you know the coffee was yours?"

"Who else would you get coffee for if not for me?" Jin questioned as he redirected his stare to Taehyung.

"You are right. Did you get something to eat?"

"You care to know if I ate now? Where was your care when you spent the last twenty minutes talking to her? I never knew you as a social butterfly; you barely ever say anything around me, but you could laugh and smile with her as if it's nothing."

"While I was waiting for your coffee, I had to explain to her how to make it. Then, we casually talked after she found out we were going to Yeosu. Also, I could say the same for you and my brother. I've learned more about you by listening to your conversation with him than you've ever shared with me. I have asked you similar questions to the ones he asked, and rarely do you ever have a response." Taehyung's annoyance was obvious as he reflected on how easily Jin spoke to Namjoon about anything he asked.

"Today, I have no problem with talking and answering his questions. It's not all the time that I feel like doing that. You ask me things when I don't want to be bothered. Also, why are we even talking about this? Do you want me to ignore your brother when he asks me stuff? Is that it?"

"No, Seokjin, just forget I said anything. I'm going to get a burger, and then we can get back on the road," Taehyung said but didn't move as he waited for Jin to respond.

Jin remained silent at first as he began to walk away, but then he paused and glanced back at Taehyung. "Come on, I'll join you to get that burger," he said.

As they arrived at the burger place, Taehyung moved towards the counter to place his order, but Jin quickly stepped in front of him, insisting, "I'll take care of the ordering."

Upon catching sight of Jin, the man behind the counter flashed a charming smile and greeted him, "Well, hello there! How may I help you today?"

"I-"

Before Jin could even place the order, Taehyung confidently said, "We'll have two hamburgers without pickles and onions and a side of French fries."

The man gazed at Taehyung, offering a strained smile as he took down the order. "Understood. Anything else?"

"No, that's everything," Taehyung replied as he moved to pay, but Jin was quicker, swiping his credit card. Then he turned to Taehyung and said, "I told you I would take care of the order!"

"I didn't expect you to know exactly how I prefer my hamburger," as he averted his gaze from Jin, who had been studying him intently.

"That's all you eat at school when you actually eat lunch there, so how wouldn't I know? Also, when did you stop getting onions and stuff in your burger?"

Taehyung's eyes shifted to Jin in surprise. "How do you know that's what I eat at school? We never have lunch together, and I don't ever sit to eat lunch," he exclaimed.

"Well, it's what you ordered. I didn't say we sit and eat together. Why would I eat lunch with you at school when I have my friends to do that with?"

Taehyung didn't bother to respond to Jin when he was called to take their order.

"Here you go," he said, handing Jin the bag containing a burger and French fries. After taking out one of the burgers for himself, he continued, "I ordered both without raw onions and pickles because I know you don't like the smell of raw onion and are selective about pickles. I wanted to make sure you wouldn't have any problem eating the burger."

Jin took the bag from Taehyung and said, "You didn't ask me if I wanted a burger."

"If you don't want it, I can get you something else."

"No, it's fine. I will eat it. I might as well try to see what you like about it so much."

*****

"Who is that?" Namjoon's curiosity was piqued as he observed the figure in the distance. The man sported an array of tattoos on one arm, which could be seen clearly as he tightly embraced Jin.

Taehyung's jaw was tensed as he gripped tightly to the three suitcases he had been pulling along with one hand.

"That's Jungkook," Hoseok said as he came to stand next to Namjoon. "I am Hoseok, by the way," he added, introducing himself to Namjoon.

Namjoon made eye contact with Hoseok and smiled, extending his hand to greet him. "Nice to meet you, Hoseok. I'm Namjoon, Taehyung's brother."

"Is there a reason why you didn't introduce yourself to me when we were at the rest stop? I saw you looking in my direction multiple times, yet you said nothing," Hoseok questioned.

Namjoon maintained a smile as he said, "Probably for the same reason why you didn't, even though you were also staring at me."

"Well, I rarely initiate introductions. This is a first, except for when I met Seokjin."

"Really? You seemed quite gifted at it just now. I would have never guessed," Namjoon said teasingly as he continued to smile at Hoseok.

Upon overhearing the conversation, Taehyung couldn't help but find it suspicious. However, he had other pressing matters on his mind. He continued walking towards the vacation home with the suitcases. As he approached the entrance, a butler offered to help him, but he politely declined and instead inquired about the location of Jin's assigned room.

He felt no surprise as he reached the third floor, greeted by the vast open space of the bedroom, complete with a connected living room and a seating area offering a breathtaking view of the beach. He carefully hauled the luggage to the closet, unpacking the one containing Jin's clothes. Next, he attended to the second piece of luggage, arranging Jin's toiletries and other personal items. Finally, he unpacked his suitcase before stowing it away to clear the space.

Once he finished, he prepared to leave the room and go back downstairs when Jin entered, which caused him to reconsider.

"Have you seen my suitcase with my clothes? I want to change out of what I am wearing."

Taehyung, despite hearing Jin's question, chose to momentarily ignore it as he had something more important to talk about. "Seokjin, can I say something to you?"

Jin nodded in response and made his way to the closet. "Oh, you've already unpacked my stuff. You—" Jin's words trailed off as Taehyung joined him in the closet, standing so close that it caught him off guard. After pausing to compose himself, Jin took a deep breath and said, "Whatever you have to ask me, you can ask me while waiting out there. I need to change my clothes."

"I would rather have your undivided attention as I express my thoughts. I'll be brief, but I want to make it clear that, despite my limited experience in dating and relationships, I don't feel comfortable seeing the person I'm with being greeted the way Jungkook greeted you."

"It was a friendly greeting and he caught me off guard with it. But since I wouldn't want someone to hug you like that, I'll be mindful of it next time."

Taehyung was surprised by Jin's response. It was entirely not what he had been expecting, but he felt good, so he smiled and said, "Thank you for understanding."

"Sure, can you please leave so I can change?"

"Oh, right. Sorry," Taehyung said as he immediately stepped out of the closet, closing the door.

As soon as he did, Jin leaned against the door, placing a hand over his chest and inhaling deeply.

****

Taehyung was taken aback when he felt a strong, muscular arm wrap around his shoulder. Turning to his right, he was met with Jungkook's smiling face. "You're Taehyung, aren't you?"

He stepped back, his gaze traveling up and down Jungkook, who was standing shirtless in swim shorts and a cup with alcohol in hand. "Yes, I am Taehyung," he confirmed.

"Cool. It's great that you came even though your wrist is broken. I met your brother, and he's cool. Do you know his workout routine? His thighs are solid. I've been working to get mine like that. Do you work out? You look like you have your days. We should go to the gym together. My parents think I need better friends, and you always look studious in class, so maybe they will approve of you as my friend."

Jungkook rambled on, pausing briefly as he placed a firm hand on Taehyung's shoulder. "But let's just set the record straight - since I saw you with him, I want you to know that Jimin is mine. He may act like we're not together, but that's only temporary."

"I have no interest in Jimin," Taehyung responded clearly as he pushed Jungkook's hand away.

"Why do you say it like that? What's wrong with Jimin?"

"Nothing is wrong with Jimin; he is one of the kindest people I have met at school. However, he is not someone I have a romantic interest in."

"Oh, cool, cool. Jimin is kind when he wants to be, but he is a brat underneath all the kindness, trust me. It's why we keep breaking up. So, it is a good choice not to like him. But since you are here, you must like someone... oh, shit, you like Jin?" Jungkook's eyes widened. "You do, don't you?"

Taehyung didn't say anything, and Jungkook laughed. "I'm not surprised. I even liked him at one point, but he and I couldn't date. Our personalities don't go together. I'm intense, but he is super intense, and I never know what he is thinking. Probably only Jimin and Hoseok know.

Since you are here, he might also like you. He probably won't tell you, though. I know his ex-boyfriend. He said Jin was among the most challenging people he had ever dated, but he also said their chemistry in bed was the best. He regretted the day Jin dumped him and would love to-"

"I think you've said enough," Taehyung said firmly.

"Jungkook, have you been drinking?" Jin questioned as he approached the two of them.

Jungkook shrugged and said, "Well, someone had to start things. By the way, did you know that Taehyung likes you? He didn't tell me, but I saw it in his eyes just now. He looks like he wants to punch me, too. Tell him that's not a good idea, as I am a trained boxer."

Jin rolled his eyes and reached toward the outdoor table on the patio. He grabbed a water bottle and handed it to Jungkook, saying, "Drink this. It's too early to be drinking. Also, where is the guy Hoseok invited? I thought he would be here."

"I don't know. I guess he couldn't make it. Who is he anyway? Is that the guy who outbid me for that car? I definitely want him to come here so I can-"

"I can take over from here," Jimin said as he approached Jungkook and took his hand. "Let's go for a walk. We need to talk."

As Jimin pulled Jungkook along, Jungkook turned his head and yelled out to Taehyung, "I have condoms if you need them, just in case you get lucky."

Before Taehyung could even muster a response, Jin pointed a stern finger at his chest, his voice filled with warning. "You better not entertain any thoughts like that for a second. If I catch you even considering it, you'll sleep outside."

"I didn't, and I wasn't. He seems drunk and is just saying whatever he wants to. I don't even know him like that," Taehyung explained, not thinking Jin's warning was necessary.

"Okay, good. And stay away from him; he is not a good influence."