"It's about time. I was thinking about leaving you behind."

"Ah, c'mon you wouldn't do that, Yoongs."

"I would. I was about to, actually. You're lucky you got here before I walked home and stole your car."

"Yoongs, you can't drive..."

He complained, but he didn't really mean it. Although Yoongi would never admit to Namjoon that he had been talking with Jimin in his friend's absence, and how much he had enjoyed it, too.

He especially wouldn't make mention of the little "hand-touching" incident either. Yoongi himself was trying to pretend that had merely been in his imagination. For the safety of his own fragile heart, naturally.

As they had planned, Yoongi and Namjoon set out for the shopping plaza after, of course, stopping home to change out of their uniforms and drop off their book bags. Soon enough the two friends were on the road, destination set for an absolutely gorgeous part of town where Yoongi could already feel his favorite coffeeshop beckoning him. The weather was perfect. Warm, but not too warm, being early spring which was Yoongi's favorite time of year when it came to the temperature. He was satisfied riding with the window down, staring out at the passing scenery without saying a word. Namjoon was blasting Jin's latest album whilst belting the lyrics, and Yoongi didn't even mind. He snorted every time his friend's voice cracked at the high notes. And with Namjoon's jesting encouragement, Yoongi was even persuaded to sing along too, because at this point he knew the lyrics almost as well as Namjoon did. And it was nice. Riding in this car every now and again. Namjoon didn't take it to school because it drew too much attention to himself, and it wasn't that he was shy or anything, he simply didn't want anyone trying to be his friend for something so stupid. On top of that, Yoongi probably wouldn't like it, and school wasn't that far from their houses anyway, so there really was no point in driving there.

An hour and a half went by and Namjoon parked in the lot of the plaza. He and Yoongi climbed out of the vehicle, looked at each other, then headed straight for the coffeeshop, The Golden Spoon. This was only their third time coming here. But their first time coming alone. The last two years, Namjoon's older sister had taken them since Namjoon didn't have his license then, and she would always accompany them to the coffeeshop before going her way to let the two friends spend the rest of the day by themselves. Then, when they were ready to go home, she would meet up and drive them back like the kind, responsible adult that she was. Yoongi was quite fond of her. Not in a romantic way, but rather in the sense that he saw her as the older sister he never had.

Namjoon held open the door for Yoongi. Grinning, he whispered, "After you, my king," proceeding to follow his friend in who went straightway to an empty table instead of going to the counter to order. Namjoon stared quizzically at him.

"There's a line," Yoongi responded, digging his phone out of his pocket. "You can wait. I'll have a double espresso."

The blond deadpanned. "Cream and sugar?"

"Hilarious."

So he went to stand at the back of the relatively long line of customers while Yoongi smirked to himself. He turned his phone on.

You have 9 new messages from Hoseok.

You have 3 new messages from Jungkook.

You have 4 new messages from Jimin.

You have 2 new messages from an unknown number.

Again? Yoongi muttered under his breath. If I find out Joon gave my number to some dude in his class I'm gonna strangle him.

Frustrated and just a little curious, he decided to check those messages first.

Unknown: helloooooooo

Unknown: I stole hobi's phone while he went to the bathroom and found this nmbr I didn't recognize so I thought hey why not text it on my own phone

Yoongi: tf

Unknown: oh wow u responded quickly

Unknown: u a friend of hobi's?

Yoongi: who is hobi

Unknown: Jung Hoseok???

Unknown: so u a friend

Yoongi: why r u so curious? who r u anyway

Yoongi: I don't like strangers texting me

Unknown: I'm hobi's best friend

Yoongi: that means nothing to me

Unknown: look I just need to make sure ur a friend not a foe u feel me?

Yoongi paused. He wondered for a moment, fingers hovering over the keyboard as he thought of what to say. Whoever this person was, he (or she) seemed to be testing him, subtly, perhaps with the intention of ensuring Yoongi held no ill will against Hoseok.

And Yoongi knew that there was at least one person who wasn't really a fan of Hoseok. For all he knew, there could be others.

Yoongi: r there ppl still threatening him that ur worried about or smth

Yoongi: I'm no foe ok i even punched a guy in the face for him

Unknown: no way

Unknown: ur THAT guy??

Unknown: hobi told me bout u he rlly likes u. Never mentioned a name tho...

Yoongi: yoongi

Unknown: aw that's a cute name

Yoongi: shut up. what's ur name

Unknown: seokjin. u might have heard of me lmaoooooooo

Seokjin: [image sent]

Seokjin: this is one I had in my photo library, kinda hard for me to take a pic rn ppl might see >.<

Seokjin: ah hobi just got back from the bathroom I'll talk later yoongi

He froze. Seokjin. Kim Seokjin. The Kim Seokjin. Jin. International star Worldwide Handsome. He was Hoseok's best friend? Yoongi's eyes were opened to their full capacity, and he couldn't bring himself to blink as he stared at the unnaturally attractive selfie Seokjin had sent him. Of course, he could have chose to believe a stranger had simply taken this image from the Internet and was claiming to be Seokjin, but a weird, gut feeling told him this guy was the real deal. What are the odds...

Yoongi lifted his head. Namjoon wasn't quite at the front of the line yet. So he opened Hoseok's messages.

Hoseok: hi yoongles !!!

Hoseok: I don't have work today so I won't see u if u do :,,(

Hoseok: i was actually gonna take off but then I found out I wasn't scheduled and I was like ooooo

Hoseok: of course I love my job but it's convenient is all I'm saying loool

Hoseok: I'm hanging out with my bestie today

Hoseok: he has an off day today too, so it all worked out

Hoseok: we're actually downtown rn at a shopping plaza

Hoseok: (it's sooo pretty here there r so many trees which is rly surprising but im not complaining)

Hoseok: if it wasn't so far away I'd ask u to come join us b4 ur shift :,(

Yoongi: u couldn't be referring to the same plaza the golden spoon is in right

Approximately one minute passed. Yoongi didn't expect Hosoek to respond since he was now aware the boy was hanging out with his friend. But he did.

Hoseok: that's the one!

Hoseok: have u been there b4??

Yoongi went back to Seokjin's contact.

Yoongi: where r u

Seokjin: a restaurant called Sanyeol's Kitchen

Seokjin: did u follow me here to get an autograph looooool

Yoongi: don't be so full of urself I was already here

Seokjin: I'm in disguise you'll never find me

Yoongi: I don't want an autograph

Yoongi glanced out the window next to him. Sanyeol's Kitchen was right across the parking lot on the other end of the plaza.

"Here's your double espresso, your majesty."

Yoongi watched, unexpectedly, as a medium-sized, Styrofoam coffee cup was placed in front of him, sweet scent and steam rising from a small opening. Namjoon lowered himself to sit in the chair across from his friend. In his hand he held a coffee of his own. Yoongi turned off his phone and set it on the table.

Perhaps a little too suspiciously.

"You know, if you're texting someone you don't have to hide it, Yoongs. I'm not gonna steal your phone and check your messages."

"I wasn't trying to hide anything."

"Mm. I'll bet you weren't." Namjoon hummed softly, taking a long, careful sip of his Americano. "Well, if you insist. I'm not gonna pressure you into telling me what's up, because, as your dearest and bestest friend in the whole wide world, I have confidence that you'll tell me if there's anything going on, especially if it's important, since I know for a fact that you wouldn't keep anything of vital importance from me, Kim Namjoon, your bestest and dearest friend in the whole wide wor-"

"Hoseok told me he was at this plaza, okay?" Yoongi reached over the table and gave Namjoon's forehead a hard flick. "You're so annoying."

"Wait, for real?"

"Don't look so excited," Yoongi hissed. His bitterness dissipated briefly as he tasted the espresso. Strong and unsweetened. Just the way he liked it.

"Why don't we invite him to hang out with us?"

"Can't. He's with a friend."

"Girlfriend?"

"No. Just a friend."

"Then we can invite his friend too."

"Can't. His friend isn't comfortable around people."

"Oh, really?" Namjoon's expression went blank. "Did Hoseok tell you that?"

"Yup. Hoseok tells me everything."

"Gee, I wish I had a friend who told me everything."

"Mm. Would be nice, wouldn't it..."

Just then, Yoongi received a text message, his phone emitting a quiet sound as the screen went on. Namjoon, thinking and acting quickly, snatched the device before Yoongi could even flinch.

"Joon, I swear-"

" 'Yoongi, you're here too? What are the odds? Do you want to meet up? Jingles and I just started eating but when we're done we can do something together. I'd love to introduce you two.' "

Yoongi's heart stopped momentarily. He pretended to be indifferent to the situation, though, staring out the window and ignoring the demanding glances Namjoon fired his way.

"Hoseok seems fine with it," he said, forcing a smile. "What a little devil, you are, Yoongs. I still love ya, though." He sighed deeply, looking back at the message. "Jingles, huh...well, I'll tell you what, Yoongs, since Hoseok and his friend are in the middle of something, why don't we go pick up the gifts for our parents, and maybe by then they'll be done. You already had in mind what you wanted to get for them, right?"

Yoongi nodded.

"Great. Then let's go."

"No, I'm finishing my coffee first."

"No, take your coffee with you. We're gonna go to the jeweler's first. I wanna get my mom a necklace."

Namjoon ended up dragging a very reluctant Yoongi out of the shop, failing to hide his cheeky smile which earned him yet another flick to the forehead. He thought about flicking him back but soon decided against it, suspecting that Yoongi would not deal well with his revenge and probably take it to the next level with a crueler action, maybe dumping coffee on his sweatshirt. Namjoon's coffee, that is. Yoongi wouldn't waste his own precious coffee just for that.

The two of them made their stops at several stores, not taking much time at all to pick out what they wanted for their parents. Namjoon purchased a beautiful necklace for his mother and a watch for his father-they were a tad expensive, but his sister specifically told him to buy something more expensive this year, and she would help pay for it as a joint gift. Yoongi picked out a picture frame and had printed a photograph of his parents to put inside. His mom, especially, was a sentimental person. So he knew at least she would appreciate it.

"Has Hoseok texted you yet?"

Yoongi took out his phone. Hoseok had sent him a text three minutes ago.

Hoseok: we finished :) jingles and I are gonna wait for u outside Sanyeol's kitchen kk? Don't worry about keeping us waiting, we don't mind

"They're waiting by Sanyeol's Kitchen," Yoongi said.

"Sanyeol's Kitchen? Alright, cool. How 'bout I put all our stuff in the car and you can go tell them I'll be right there?"

Yoongi didn't really want to be alone with those two. But he agreed anyway, and before he knew it, he was making his way towards the restaurant in question, feeling a strange rush of anxiety at the thought of standing face to face with Seokjin. It wasn't that he was scared of him, and he certainly wasn't a big enough fan that he would faint in the idol's presence, but Yoongi was Yoongi, and Yoongi wasn't yet fully comfortable with...well, meeting people. But maybe it would be okay. Namjoon would still be there.

Wait. On second thought, that might not be a good thing.

He tried his best to dismiss the thought, eyes spotting the overly enthusiastic Hoseok waving wildly to him, a hooded, sunglasses-wearing stranger standing at his side. Although he wasn't a stranger at all. And to be completely honest, Yoongi had a feeling he would have been able identify the idol even without knowing ahead of time. Maybe it was his distinct lips. Or Seokjin's infamous necklace spelling out Jin in sparkly, silver letters. Or the converse, which also spelled out Jin.

Of course, he could have been mistaken for an avid fan. If you were an idiot.

"Yoongi, hi!!"

Oh, boy. "Hi," Yoongi said to Hoseok flatly. He pretended not to notice Seokjin was even there. "I came with Namjoon, he'll be here soon."

"Uwaaah, Hobi, your hero's really cute."

Next thing Yoongi knew, Seokjin's face was two inches from his own, glasses no longer shielding his brilliant blue eyes from view-he was wearing contacts. Yoongi was too close if he could see that. He stumbled back a few steps and would have fallen on his rear, had Seokjin not caught him by the wrist just in time.

"Did my handsomeness startle you?" The idol brushed himself off needlessly. "If that's the case, I'd understand. Sometimes I look in the mirror and get startled too. It's only natural. You're cute, too, though. You've got those cheeks that look like they were meant to be squeezed."

"I respect your status, Seokjin, sir, but please do not touch my face."

"Please, call me Jin."

"We're not that close."

"Oh, but Jin's super friendly, Yoongi," Hoseok chimed in, as though the mint-haired boy needed assurance. "Really, he doesn't bite."

"I do hug, though, which some might argue is deadlier." Jin smiled. He had a strangely kind smile, radiant, similar to but as soft and warm as Jimin's. Not that Yoongi was comparing them or anything. That just happened to be what came to mind.

"Don't hug me either."

"Kiss?"

"Don't even think about it."

"What if I blow a kiss? It's the least I can do for the person who saved my precious Hobi. Really, though, I'm glad you were there, Yoongi. If it were me, there might not have been anything to stop me from killing the guy with my own bare hands." Jin took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. "I might not look it but this gorgeous piece of man can hold a grudge."

"How old are you?"

"Nineteen."

"Old enough to go to jail."

"I know. Precisely my point."

"Hey, Yoongi, I think I see your friend coming."

Yoongi spun himself around. Surely enough, Namjoon was jogging towards him, looking oddly out of breath, despite having supposedly only gone to deposit a few things into his car. Truthfully, that hadn't been the only thing he did. Some old lady stopped him to ask for directions, and for a solid minute she commented on how much he reminded her of her son who lived in North Korea.

But finally he was here. And it took a moment before his vision steadied itself on the last person he expected to see today. He didn't say anything at first, disbelieving what his eyes were trying to show him. Luckily for him, though, Namjoon didn't have to say anything.

"It's you!"

Seokjin pointed a finger directly at his face.

"I remember you!"

Namjoon blinked. Those were the last words he thought he'd hear from this man.

"You're always at the concerts I do in South Korea!" Jin clapped his hands excitedly, unable to wipe the joyful, toothy smile off his face. "And you always come to the fan meetings, and the meet-and-greets, and you're always so friendly and smiley and you compliment me and tell me how handsome I look and how well I performed. To think I'd meet you here of all places! What's your name? Even after all the times we've talked you've never told me."

He was tongue-tied. Yoongi stared at his friend, waiting for the moment Namjoon would snap. But he was frozen, utterly dumbstruck by the fact one of the most important people in his life, who he had believed didn't know he existed, remembered him. Like he actually remembered him. And Jin looked genuinely happy, that gorgeous, sun-lined smile aimed at him and only him.

"Yoongi, what's his name? I don't think he can hear me."

"Try grabbing his hands."

"His hands? Okay." Jin reached for Namjoon's hands and took gentle hold of them. "Hello? Could I have your name?"

He was so close.

"Namjoon."

"Namjoon..." Jin's smile softened. "I'm glad I could finally put a name to your face..."