"What's for lunch?" Yoongi asked Jungkook, order pad in hand.

"Just a Mocha Frappuccino," The brunette said, hands resting on the table.

"Are you sure? I can get you something to eat."

Jungkook nodded, "I'm not all that hungry, Hyung."

"Okay, I can always get you something later."

"Thank you." 

Yoongi wrote the order down and left to go put it through. 

When the brunette was younger, he ate like his stomach was bottomless. It didn't matter what he was eating, he was somewhat always hungry. The older figure in his life had been the same as him. They considered each other eating buddies right up until the end. 

Afterwards, he barely ate. He couldn't eat without thinking of his eating buddy who was no longer there. Then the people who were supposed to provide for him, deprived him instead. The refrigerator got increasingly more empty but only for him. If his fingers even dangled in the direction of the fridge, they were slapped away like a cat too close to the pet fish. He eventually got used to only eating at school and having the occasional slice of bread if he could manage to sneak it. Even after he moved out, the habit followed, trailing behind him like a young child. His stomach wasn't used to consuming the full three meals and he made no effort to fix that. After all, that was his normal. That's how he thought everything was supposed to be. One meal, maybe a quick snack, and that was that. His stomach agreed with it, so therefore, so did his head. 

"Hey, sorry I'm late. Yoongs will be over in a minute," Namjoon said, placing a paper bag on the table and seating himself next to Jungkook, "Where's your lunch?"

"I'm not all that hungry," Jungkook reassured. 

"I brought extra if you do want anything," Namjoon said as he pulled a salad with cucumber and tomato out of his bag. 

"Thank you, Hyung."

"Here's your Mocha Cappuccino, good sir," Yoongi said as he sat the cup in front of the brunette before seating himself across from him. 

Jungkook took a sip while Yoongi looked slightly concerned at him, "What?"

"I can't believe that's all you're having for lunch."

"I ate a big breakfast," Jungkook lied.

"We both know you work through breakfast."

"There's a nice diner next door that serves to-go breakfast and I got something from there." 

"Where do you work, Jungkook?" Namjoon said, taking a break from his salad to break the two up.

"Mooscream, 24/7 Books, and Get er' clean," Jungkook took another sip of his drink.

"All three?"

Jungkook nodded.

"Isn't that too much?"

"Not at all."

"That would be way too much for me." Namjoon said, sticking his fork into the salad he had in a tupperware dish.

"Do you get any sleep?" Yoongi asked, concern in his voice.

"Mhm." Jungkook lied, looking down at his cup, "I'm really okay, hyung. Can we move on?"

"Alright." Yoongi sighed.

"Have you seen Holly recently?"

"No, but my Mom sent me pictures of him. He looks to be doing okay. He's grown quite a bit."

"Do you still have the pictures?" Jungkook asked.

"Yes, hold on." Yoongi said pulling out his phone and scrolling through it.

"Business here is going okay, too. We just got another shipment in to replace everything that was missing and we're trying to update the menu." Namjoon said, taking a sip from his water bottle.

"There's been a lot more customers as well, I've noticed."

"Here he is!" Yoongi turned the phone around and a picture of a fuzzy brown dog sitting on someone's lap was shown on the screen.

"He's so cute!" Jungkook gushed.

"He really is, Suga hyung."

"Thanks. Mom's been doing a great job taking care of him."

"He just looks so happy." Jungkook smiled.

"How's your Mom?" Namjoon asked.

"She's doing good as well. She recently went back to working just one job so she's feeling less stressed than she used to be."

"Your Mom worked multiple jobs?"

Yoongi nodded, "It was kind of rough when I was younger."

Namjoon nodded and looked down at his salad.

Jungkook couldn't help but keep his eyes trained on the picture that was still glowing on Yoongi's phone. He had always wanted a dog. Well, when he was younger at least. He could remember walking by yards with a new puppy or larger dog adorning them and always going on about them when he returned home. He begged his parents for one time and time again only to be told, "it takes responsibility, Jungkook, wait till your older". He would huff disappointedly and march upstairs where he would pout until his Mom called him for dinner. The one he considered closest to him would drag him away after they ate and tell him, "Just you wait, Kookster. When we get older, it'll be you and me together and we'll get as many dogs as you want." His eyes would widen and a smile would spread across his face that was as big as an entire galaxy and possibly the one next to it. 

Sadly, the dream crashed and died and so did his best friend. His wish for a dog soon wasn't as important and faded away from being a want to simply something he was okay not having. If anything, it entered the list of something he would love to disappear. He regretted ever wanting one and all it took was that horrid dog howling on the wrong night. His neighbor's dog was fairly well known for being loud, especially at night and was the neighborhood annoyance. That's what he remained to everyone for years until he had to be put down, and as horrible as it may sound, Jungkook was happy the large blood hound was gone. 

While everyone else had tried to ignore the dog's nightly howls, his parents had treated it as a reason for their nerve to snap. He had grown to not only hate dogs, but fear them too. It was hell when a stray howled anywhere near his apartment. His body was left in a tense state of fear as his eyes watched the door for tens of minutes. The feeling only leaving him when he was sure no one was going to burst through his door. Min Holly was, so far, the only dog that he had seen since his best friend left that didn't give him a sense of dread.

"How's both of your Moms doing?" Yoongi asked breaking the silence and turning his phone off.

"My Mom's doing great. She and my Dad recently went on vacation just to get away from Ilsan." Namjoon said, swallowing his bite of salad to answer the question.

Yoongi hummed, "Kook?"

"Um- M-My Mom's well. I haven't seen her since I moved out. My Dad, too. I-I'll have to plan something with them soon."

"That would be nice for the three of you." Yoongi smiled.

"Since we're on the topic of families," Namjoon started, "do either of you have any siblings?"

"Nope, only child." Yoongi said.

 "I have a sister, though we aren't as close anymore."

The two looked expectantly at Jungkook who bit his lip nervously. What was he supposed to say?

"I- Uh- I don't have any siblings." At least not anymore.

"Hey! Fellow only child!" Yoongi cheered.

Jungkook looked down at his lap. It had been a while since he was reminded that his brother truly was gone. That he wouldn't see his face anymore. That he wouldn't be cheered on anymore by his biggest fan. That his birthdays would always be missing that special song his brother had invented when Jungkook was only two. That the future the two had planned for each other was far beyond their reach. So long late night talks, hello self loathing filled silence as he tried so hard to fall asleep. Goodbye a best friend that never left his side, welcome a loneliness that could never be filled, not by anyone. Goodbye, brother, though I hope we'll meet again soon.

Your brother is dead, 'Kookster'. If you even deserved that nickname. You know why he's dead, right? Because of you. Because you were foolish enough to do what you did. You lost him. You cost your family everything by what you did. You made them hate you and you deserved every second of being surrounded by it. You can never make up for what you did because there's a hole in the world where someone should be. It's your fault. Your fault. Your fault. Your fault.

"Jungkook!"

SSSSSCCCRRREEEEEEECCCHHH 

"Jungkook, are you okay?" Yoongi asked.

It was only then that Jungkook felt his heart pounding way faster and harder than it should be and his breaths that were coming too fast, too soon. His hands that were shaking around his cup and the fact that he had two pairs of worried eyes staring him down.

Jungkook nodded and stood up, collecting his things, "I-I'm gonna go home. Thank you. Bye-"

As he tried to leave, he was interrupted by a pair of hands slamming him up against the wall by the edge of the door frame. They held him there as a man's hot breath burned into his face.

"You thought you could get away with punching me, huh? You think that I'll just let you go after you hit my beautiful face?" The man pushed Jungkook harder against the wall, "Hate to break it to you, but you're wrong, bub."

Jungkook could hear chairs squeaking somewhere close and assumed Namjoon or Yoongi had stood up and was possibly approaching. He didn't want them involved in this.

"Let me go." Jungkook hissed.

"You think this is that easy-"

"You really want to know what I think, don't you? Well, here's what I think, I think you have your head way too far up your own ass to realize the world doesn't rotate around you. Take it out for once and look around, would you?" Jungkook said pushing the man off him.

The man stumbled back a couple of steps before stopping and pointing at Jungkook, "You're really testing me, kid. I should pummel you right now." The man balled his fists before loosening his grip, "but I'm not. Because we're in a public space and I don't roll like that. You should meet me in an alley, pretty boy. We can drop that 'pretty' real easy."

"Maybe I could slug the arrogance out of you." 

"Glad to see you're back to threat making. Maybe we could make use of those threats in an actual fight, huh?"

"Any time, any place." Jungkook said, getting up in the guy's face.

"Alright." The guy went around Jungkook to the door where he stopped, "Next time you're walking alone, be careful of the alleys. Someone might jump you." The guy smirked before exiting the café.

Jungkook took a deep breath and gritted his teeth, he'd had enough of today.

"Jungkook, are you okay?" Yoongi asked rushing up to him.

"As good as I can be." Jungkook said through his gritted teeth.

"I swear, I'm going to have to put a sign up that says we sell fights, too. My God." Namjoon groaned making his way over to the two.

"Be serious, Joon. Do you realize what just happened?"

"Yeah, one of the many fights we sell."

Yoongi slapped Namjoon's arm causing the younger to grab where he was hit and pretend he was fatally wounded. Yoongi rolled his eyes as Namjoon got to his knees.

"Get up, you big baby."

Namjoon huffed and got back on his feet, "You okay, JK?"

Jungkook nodded, "Just a bit worked up. I really want to go home."

"We'll walk you." Yoongi said, earning a surprised glance from Namjoon.

"That's not necessary, hyung." Jungkook reassured.

"After what that guy said, I'm not taking any chances of you walking alone."

"I have to agree with Suga hyung on this one." 

Jungkook sighed, "Alright, if you insist."

"Great. I'll grab mine and Yoongi's coat and I'll be right back." Namjoon said, heading to the back room.

"I hope you're ready, Jungkook's apartment, because Namjoon and Yoongi are on their way."

Word Count: 2044

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This chapter is kind of random, sorry about that. I really liked the slight fight scene. It's one of my favorite things that I've ever written.
Also, new group suggestion: Fanxy Red. They're a four-member Chinese girl group who are considered a boy group. They started out as Acrush based in China but recently relocated to a Korean based company so their debut title track "T.O.P" has a Chinese and Korean version and is performed on Korean stages. They're really cool so I hope you'll check them out!

Thank you for reading and I'll see you all next week!