"We are hanging out in a car now, great!" Jungkook huffed out, feigning aggravation.

"Why? Did you make reservations in a 5-star?" Jimin asked, side-eyeing Jungkook as he waited for Jin in a driveway.

"Like I would ever take you out to 5-star." Jungkook jabbed.

"Why can't you?" Jimin stretched his arms, turning his frame towards Jungkook as he leaned in. "Am I not good enough to be taken to a 5-star restaurant?" He asked by dipping several octaves.

Jungkook immediately cowered back with sudden red emerging throughout his face as he breathed frantically on Jimin's statement. "My sweet, I found your weakness," Jimin looked at him. "Now I can exploit your cute little ass all I want."

"My a-ass?" The boy's round eyes went rounder as he stuttered. "You are an asshole!" Jungkook tore his eyes around, quickly shifting his weight to look out the window.

Jimin hadn't realized, but his cheeks were also dusted pink. "What am I doing?" His mind asserted when he nervously tapped his feet and looked outside. To his serendipity, Jin entered through the gates.

"Hyung!" He immediately jumped out of the car, breathing deeply and involuntarily rubbing his palm over his face.

Jungkook took in a sharp inhale that had an edge of a growl of a wolf. Surely enough, no one heard him. He looked at Jin's head lurking around Jimin's body with a mischievous glint in his eyes as he waved at him with a smile from outside the car.

Jungkook bowed immediately and smiled back at the older as he saw Jimin's hand punching his chest followed by their laugh about something.

The young boy's heartbeat was like someone pounding metal on an anvil, hard. After coming back home from the states, he thought about why did it hurt so bad if Jimin was with someone else. He had to infer that he had caught feelings for the senior again when his pain wouldn't shift, no matter how hard he tried to chuck it away.

Once they resolved their fights all those months ago, Jungkook started having many butterflies over to dinner and playing ring-a-ring-a-rosies in his tummy. But he second-thought everything, not knowing if what he felt was just admiration like all those years ago, or a simple crush because Jimin was perfect. He couldn't decide what he felt, but in the deepest corner of his heart, he knew that he liked the senior to the point of more than just admiration.

He hadn't the courage to do anything about it because even if he ensured himself that his feelings for the older boy were romantic, he couldn't possibly think that Jimin would like him back, given their chronicles with each other. Also, he couldn't overlook the fact that the boy had slept with someone else.

He jostled out of his deep thinking when Jimin and Jin walked around and the older boy opened the door for him. "Hey, Jungkook-ah! What is it like to get straight A's in school and win a damn trophy?" Jin made a congratulatory remark.

"I would not know. Ask Jimin Hyung..." The boy smiled and swelled Jimin's heart for being modest. They all knew that Jimin was slacking off for far too long in class and Jungkook was getting perfect grades.

"He is being kind, Hyung." Jimin smiled too, a soft one at that. "Why don't we go inside and talk?"

"I have to go now. I only wanted to give you this," Jin pointed at a notebook that he'd given to Jimin a few moments back. "See you at school."

The two saw the oldest walking away with each step and Jimin beckoned Jungkook into the house. Jungkook hesitated at first. It was long since he'd come here. "Jungkook? Is that you?" Mrs. Park asked, leaving her laptop and walking over to the boy.

In the nick of time, she grew fond of Jungkook when he came over for those day-long study sessions on weekends.

"Hello, Aunty!" Jungkook's face lit up and Jimin only smiled, secretly feeling grateful to his mother that she at least showed the guest that she cared or was capable of expressing emotions.

"Why didn't you visit us after the quiz? I thought you would come to see your Aunty?" She asked as the boy's innocent face paled and he struggled, fumbling his hands as he thought of a suitable answer to give.

Jimin felt a knot in his neck as the bitter feeling washed him in the guilt all over again. "Sorry, I will visit often now." He heard the boy say.

"You must," the lady put her hand over Jungkook's shoulder. "You both go upstairs and I will send something to eat."

"Okay!" The boy beamed at the mention of food and fascinated Jimin with how big a glutton he was. If Jimin ever got a chance, he thought, he would love to stuff Jungkook's mouth with food until he couldn't eat anymore.

**

Jimin plopped on the bed, lacing his hands under his head while whistling a tone. Jungkook remained to look around and stand. When their eyes met after an awkward second, Jimin patted his thighs, indicating Jungkook to sit.

The younger grimaced his face, rolling his eyes in a way that was pretty to Jimin and he sat up with legs still on the floor. "Sit here, no need to add ugly on to the already ugly face of yours."

It provoked Jungkook. He lurked and sat beside Jimin. "Like you are beautiful? You are the ugliest boy I have ever seen."

"Yet you are in my bedroom," Jimin's hand toyed with Jungkook's hair and the latter slapped it away before he saw a silhouette of Mrs. Park who entered the room a moment right after that.

"Study well." She kept the tray holding two bowls full of chicken soup on the table before leaving them, unwary that Jimin didn't bring the boy back to study.

"Why am I here?" Jungkook asked, suddenly jigging back a little.

"No reason," Jimin shrugged, picking his bowl to slurp the hot liquid and moaning in the comfort of the taste and warmth. "You shouldn't be too close to Do-Jin, Jungkook-ah. He will bring only trouble for your little self."

"Speak for yourself. I am taller than you," Jungkook remarked. "Besides, I know what you did to him."

"Do you now?" Jimin asked, eyes keeping an extended lock with Jungkook's, sincerity in his words.

Jungkook looked down, he didn't want to hurt the older, but apparently, he did. "I-I am sorry."

Sighing, Jimin put the bowl down and looked at Jungkook blankly. "There are always two sides of the story, Jungkook."

"What could be another side of you stealing his girlfriend?" Jungkook muttered, being salty.

"What do you mean?" Jimin still asked. Deep down, he knew he had a long pending apology to make, but somehow he couldn't find a suitable situation to bring it up. When Jungkook shook his head, he continued. "She was Min Yoongi's friend, apparently his girlfriend, but I didn't know that and I used to be friends with him."

A rush of sudden anger blinded Jungkook. No matter if it was past, no matter if Jimin hadn't acknowledged his secret feelings, he certainly acted as he cared, he acted like Jungkook meant something to him those past weeks, yet he ended up fucking the stranger on their trip. "That's what seems to be your specialty. No wonder why Yoongi doesn't talk to you."

Jimin had two ways to revert to Jungkook, by apologizing for the elephant in the room or dominating. He knew if he apologized, the success rate was lesser than if he took the latter approach, but Jimin went for none of it. He took a third road of threatening and blackmailing the boy. "She came on to me first, I was just caught in the wrong moment," Jimin explained calmly. " And I don't care what you think about me. Whatever happened between me and Yoongi is none of your business but if I see you doing anything remotely close to what I saw today. Guess who will pay a surprise visit to your mother?"

"Asshole," Jungkook mumbled.

"What was that?" Jimin bit his lips, successfully concealing his laughter.

"Nothing."

"Good!" Jimin nodded. "Now finish your soup and get the hell out of the room." He turned, twisted, and lied down on the plush mattress without looking at the boy.

"Why are you such an asshole?" Jungkook asked, louder this time. Jimin didn't move and pretended to snore in sleep. He heard the boy slurping down the soup slowly and it brought a smile to his face.

"Jimin Hyung?" Jungkook mumbled softly after he was done eating.

"Hmmmmm..." Jimin let out a loud and a very long, lazy groan in a sleepy voice.

"You still need to drive me home."

18 Jan, 2022