Chapter Text
Jungkook slides the birthday cake carefully into the fridge, hands trembling but a smile forming.
It stands neatly on the shelf, an unassuming chocolate cake at first glance but also his precious work through the night – hand piped buttercream, M&Ms as decoration, and an icing that reads, ‘Happy Birthday Jimin’ in wobbly strawberry ink. Jungkook shuts the fridge door, glances at the time and swells with excitement.
The clock ticks. 5pm. He still has an hour for decorations.
Laughter erupts from the room, Jungkook’s chuckles turn into a knowing sigh. The members should be fooling around since they’re only supposed to hide at 6 but if only they could be more useful in the meantime. There’s just so much to prepare-
The front door bursts open.
The room frightens then quietens as the members scurry to hide behind the curtains. Jungkook pops out from the kitchen to see Jimin at the door.
“Why are you back?” Jungkook asks hurriedly, his tall build stepping before Jimin to obstruct any further advances.
There’s something off about the smaller today. Jimin doesn’t look up to meet Jungkook’s eyes in his usual cheeky glint nor does he swat at Jungkook’s chest before breaking out in easy, mindless laughter. He just stands there, figure shrinking, head lowered into a whisper, “You said you’ll be out.”
Jungkook looks past his shoulder, eyes the room and repeats louder to stall time, “Yeah but why are you back?”
Jimin’s eyes prick and he swallows down a sob, “I get it Jungkook.” His frame hardens as he moves past the younger, “You don’t have to do this.”
Jungkook stands stumped as Jimin leaves for the room. What is Jimin talking about? Does he know about the surprise?
“Wait!“ Jungkook snaps out of his trance and runs after Jimin. It’s too late. He’s in the room. But there’s no traces of balloons, streamers, and all the party what-not. He sinks in relief, how did the members even- Hold up, are those 5 pairs of feet sticking out from the curtains? Jungkook stifles a laugh.
“Jungkook-”
“Hmm?” Jungkook replies absentmindedly, eyes quickly darting back to Jimin’s. What should he do? Should he do without the decorations? Should he just take the cake out now? Oh my god, is that a single streamer on the floor-
Jungkook suddenly notices the reddened, weary eyes. “Wait- What’s wrong?” Jungkook’s voice softens, his heart churned at the sight that renders him helpless. Was Jimin angry that they ignored him for the whole day? Did they take the joke too far? What must he do to-
“I like you.”
Jungkook’s eyes widen at the sudden confession, his pulse runs, his mind blank.
A bashful laugh rises from Jimin’s chest as he takes in Jungkook’s stricken expression.
“Hey, don’t tell me you didn’t know,” Jimin ducks his head slightly to cover his growing blush, his ashen bangs fall to the front, still slightly damp from the rain outside, his figure shy under his striped sleeved knit, his hands reach into the pockets of his slim jeans, and then out again, restless, gnawing at his sweater’s hem.
Silence settles and Jimin shyly takes in a clueless Jungkook before him. Mouth agape, dressed in the same white shirt he’s had on for days, grey sweatpants and guiltless pink bunny slippers. His crush is quite a sight and he drinks it up fondly.
Before Jimin realises, he has his finger on Jungkook’s chin, clamping it shut. Jungkook’s throat is dry and he’s completely immobilised. His eyes remain on Jimin, willing him to go on, ignoring his nonfunctional body.
“I don’t hide it very well,” Jimin forces a laugh to cover the budding awkwardness. “And I-, I honestly don’t know how to when it’s only natural for me to think of you.” He takes a step back and looks to the floor, “I adore you, I miss you, I always want to be close to you, Jungkook.”
Jungkook reddens, his heart churns, giddied by the words. The members start to shift behind the curtains, anxiously gesturing to Namjoon. What is going on? Namjoon shushes their confused faces.
“But I’m stupid, I couldn’t take a hint. All the things you said about me at the broadcast station-”
Jungkook feels a shrapnel in his chest and Jimin inhales as if for courage to relieve the ache, “It didn’t hurt because I thought you were joking. I thought maybe you were rejecting me for the fun of it. Maybe you wanted to make our promotions more entertaining-” His figure slouches exhausted, defeated, feeling the smallest he has ever been. “But really how more obvious can you be?”
Jungkook stands shaken. What is Jimin on about?
Jimin glances at Jungkook and falls again – freely, wholeheartedly and the last time he’ll allow himself to. He seizes the sight of the boy – face wrought with worry, lips now apart, eyes saddened and questioning.
“See, I’m putting you on the spot again,” Jimin laughs and plasters a smile.
“What I mean is that you don’t have to lie about your whereabouts to avoid me,” he looks at Jungkook tenderly but feels sorrow within and returns his gaze downcast. “If you’re uncomfortable, I get it. I’ll keep my distance from now on. I’ll stop liking you, I promise, so please-“
“What? No- Why?”
Jimin looks up, startled by the sudden question and the shaking voice.
“I mean,” Jungkook asks embarrassed and meekly. “What do you mean? Why do you want to stop liking me?”, he closes his fists to control the tremble, the question out of him fearfully.
Jimin relaxes his stare on Jungkook – this innocence, so beautiful, precious and unknowing of the pain from unrequited love. Jimin finds himself spelled and quickly breaks the gaze, eyes returning to his feet, finding himself pitiable that it hasn’t even been a minute since his resolution.
“Because it hurts me,” Jimin spats in quick anger, surprised at his own bluntness. He looks up to see Jungkook’s broken face and immediately regrets his words. He wants to apologise, wants to tuck Jungkook’s hair behind his ear, wants to feel his chest against his cheek as he admits this foolishness as a lie. But no. He can’t. He won't. He retreats from Jungkook, grabs a bag off the floor and trashes his belongings into his duffel carelessly, grabbing aimlessly, blindly past the film in his eyes.
He needs to move on.
“I’ll stayover at my parents’ tonight so you can have the dorm,” Jimin offers generously without making eye contact. The room is quiet except for the sound of packing.
Jungkook doesn’t move, doesn’t know if he can. His head splits as he processes everything said before him. It hurts for Jimin to like him?
“Oh and you don’t have to come up with excuses the next time you don’t want to see me all right?” Jimin’s voice softens against his will and he smiles weakly when he meets Jungkook’s round, unbelieving eyes, “I’ll try to minimise that okay?”
The defeat in Jungkook’s face hasn’t left him and Jimin wants to stroke his coconut head, give him a reassuring squeeze, flash him a smile with teeth, anything really. But instead he wills up all the courage within him to walk past Jungkook gingerly.
The gate closes quietly.
The silence hangs.
Until one, two, all five members stumble out of their hiding to see a crying Jungkook crouching on the floor.
The rain hard-hitting against the windows grows rapid and heavy, drenching Jimin as he stands in the road outside.