Chapter Text
Soft grass tickled at the bare skin on the back of Jungkook’s neck as he lay in the middle of the park, hands cushioning the back of his head and admiring the fluffy clouds drifting through the bright summer sky. He remembered reading once that cloud gazing was beneficial to easing a stressed-out mind, and why else would people go outside than to enjoy nature.
So, enjoy nature he would.
His roommate had kicked him out earlier that morning, complaining about how he was stinking up the apartment as a result of his four-day league binge. While, regretfully, getting up to shower and head out, Jungkook had grabbed a handful of the clothes piled up in the corner of his room and taken a huge whiff, gagging at the stench of dried sweat and other substances mixing together.
Technically speaking, his trip to the local park would have been a relaxing experience if it weren’t for the dozens of families that decided to bring their screaming children and obnoxious dogs out as well. He let out a dejected sigh and closed his eyes, tired of watching the clouds make unintelligible shapes in the sky and hearing the little girl next to him shout at her mother about how there was a fluffy elephant in the sky.
“What the hell are you doing?” A sudden voice interrupted his inner peace and he peeked an eye open to find his childhood friend, Jimin, leaning over him. Jimin’s fluffy blonde hair fell softly over his eyes, his body casting a shadow over Jungkook so he didn’t have to squint up at his friend.
“Becoming one with nature.” Jungkook’s eye fell shut once again as he attempted to ignore Jimin’s presence.
“You’re literally in the middle of a dog park.” Jimin laughed at the confused noise Jungkook let out and nudged Jungkook’s shoulder with the tip of his shoe. “Come on, get up before a dog mistakes you for a fire hydrant.”
Jungkook groaned as he sat up, his bones popping back into place from lying on the hard ground for so long. A small hand reached out for him and Jungkook gratefully grabbed onto it as he pulled himself up, and sure enough, there was a ‘dog park’ sign down by the walkway leading into the park.
“Why are you here? You don’t have a dog,” Jungkook scoffed at Jimin, crossing his arms over his chest. He couldn’t believe Jimin had the gull to question why he was here.
Jimin raised his brows and stared at him like the answer was obvious. Jungkook mocked his expression as he waited for a proper answer. Soon enough he received it in the form of a small ball of brown fur running up to his feet and yipping excitedly. Jimin cooed and bent down to bring the tiny dog into his arms, giggling as it left wet kisses across his face.
“ Taehyung, ” Jungkook muttered under his breath as he saw the aforementioned excited blonde male running towards them with a large grin on his face.
“God, are you still going on about-” Jimin was suddenly cut off as Taehyung barreled into Jungkook's side, wrapping his arms around Jungkook’s shoulders in a suffocating hug.
“Kookie! It’s been so long!” Taehyung’s voice was muffled in Jungkook’s hair and Jimin stifled a laugh behind his hand at Jungkook’s taken-aback expression.
Jungkook lightly patted Taehyung’s back until the other let go, leaning back until he was arm’s length away and bringing his arms to squish at Jungkook’s cheeks as he spoke, “look at how much you’ve grown, you’re so handsome now!”
“What do you mean ‘now’ ?!” Jungkook squawked indignantly. Taehyung ignored Jungkook’s complaints and continued fawning over him, gawking at his height and the appearance of his prominent muscles since they last saw each other over two years ago.
Jungkook and Jimin had met Taehyung in Jungkook’s second year of junior high and instantly hit it off despite the fact that Jungkook was a year younger than them. The three of them were known for being inseparable, and everyone knew that they came as a package deal.
That was until Taehyung met him.
Don’t get Jungkook wrong, Yoongi was a nice guy, and in all honesty, Jungkook should have expected the three of them to drift apart eventually - as do most school friends. He had just hoped that they would be different. Taehyung had met Yoongi in his last year of high school and was basically non-existent in their little friend group from then on, always with his new boyfriend.
Jimin had been nowhere quite as upset with the development as Jungkook. He had even tried time after time to explain to Jungkook that it was normal to want to spend as much time as one could with the person they loved.
And Jungkook got used to it. Sure, he was a bit bitter, but he got used to Taehyung only hanging out with them on Wednesdays and Thursdays after classes. Even when Taehyung and Jimin had entered university and been slammed with assignments and exams, Jimin had made time to spend with Jungkook nearly every day, while Taehyung could go weeks on end without seeing them - yet he always had time for his boyfriend.
Over time it became just Jimin and Jungkook, a bitter taste filling his mouth whenever Taehyung decided to finally tag along when Yoongi was busy as if they were his second choice. Jungkook supposed his cool nature towards Taehyung may have been what finally pushed him away, finally made him decide to move to New York with Yoongi for his last year of university; a promise floating in the air when they dropped him and Yoongi off at the airport that Taehyung would come back home to them soon.
Jimin had always dreamed of traveling the world with his best friends, but shortly after Taehyung moved, he stopped texting them back and eventually they never heard from him. Jungkook could never forgive Taehyung for leaving them behind - for leaving Jimin behind, but it seemed as though Jimin was one to easily forgive and forget.
Jungkook narrowed his eyes and Taehyung continued to chatter away. He was a bit miffed that neither Taehyung nor Jimin had bothered to tell him that Taehyung was back in Seoul, and he voiced exactly that.
Both Jimin and Taehyung’s faces immediately fell, the dog in Jimin’s arms picking up on the sudden mood change and yipping in confusion. At their silence, Jungkook huffed and shook his head.
“It’s just.. the last time we saw each other you barely spoke to me,” Taehyung replied, voice quiet and if Jungkook was hearing correctly, a hint of guilt trickled throughout Taehyung’s words.
“Were you even planning on telling me that you were back in town?” Jungkook asked, a tinge of sadness seeping into his voice as he looked back and forth between the two people he considered his best friends.
“Jungkook...” Taehyung started but trailed off at the angry look that quickly took over Jungkook’s face.
“Somehow this hurts a lot more than when you ditched us for your boyfriend that you had just met.” Jungkook said. Jimin’s pleas for him to come back falling on deaf ears as he stalked away from them.
~~~
Jungkook stared at his TV mindlessly as episodes of ‘Modern Family’ played on the screen. He had shut himself in his room immediately after getting back from the park, the nasty frown on his face scaring his roommate off to his own bedroom.
Papers and photographs were strewn across the floor, small trinkets and other things misplaced beside them; all bittersweet memories from the times before Taehyung met Yoongi. Jungkook gripped an old tattered piece of paper tightly in his fist as he stared at the TV, unfocused. The show played across the screen - the three of them used to binge-watch it together every Friday night during high school.
A soft knock on his door brought him out of his reverie and he slowly relocated his gaze to his bedroom door as it creaked open.
“Kookie?” Jimin’s gentle voice called out, almost hesitant in the way he said Jungkook’s name. A frown marred Jimin’s face when he caught sight of the memories scattered angrily across the floor. His concerned eyes finally found Jungkook, lying on his side wrapped in the blue comforter Jimin had gifted him one year for Christmas. Jungkook stuck out a hand from under the covers, beckoning Jimin to join him in the bed.
Jimin chuckled at him and walked further into the room, taking Jungkook’s hand into his own as he crawled under the covers, his body blocking the TV. “Hey, you big baby. How are you feeling?”
Jungkook closed his eyes, letting himself enjoy the familiar feeling of lying next to Jimin. It was common for Jimin to stay the night, always saying he liked how close Jungkook's apartment was to campus/ Something deep down in Jungkook wished that Jimin liked sleeping next to each other just as much as he did. With a final deep breath, Jungkook pushed himself up to sit cross-legged on the bed. He waited as Jimin mimicked his posture, immediately linking their hands together. He swore Jimin's cheeks flashed a subtle pink, but didn't manage to get a proper look before Jimin was glancing down at the scrunched up piece of paper in Jungkook’s hold.
“Was Taehyung really not going to tell me he was back?” Jungkook asked quickly, noticing Jimin was about to inquire about the paper.
Jimin turned away, the corner of Jungkook's bed was apparently quite interesting. Sucking in his bottom lip like Jimin always did when he didn’t want to lie to Jungkook, he spoke softly. “Tae he… It's complicated. He was afraid that you'd hate him even more where he told you.”
Jungkook laughed scornfully at the words and pulled his hands out from Jimin’s hold, “so, he was just never going to speak to me again while the two of you became all buddy-buddy behind me back? What it so horrible that he didn't want to tell me? ”
A tense silence filled the room as Jimin continued to refuse to meet Jungkook’s eyes.
Jimin shrunk into himself, guilty. He nervously fidgeted with his fingers before finally meeting Jungkook’s eyes. “Tae’s staying in New York, Kook. Permanently.”
“He’s... what?”
“Yoongi got offered a job in a good firm. It’s a great opportunity - for them both. Taehyung deserves it. He deserves a proper studio for his art, and Yoongi's job will get him that.” Jimin said, reaching out a hand for Jungkook once again. He gasped softly when Jungkook flinched away from him, his eyebrows drawn into a tight scowl.
“How can you still defend him even after he left us behind? When he’s continuing to do so?” Jungkook hissed. He knew. He knew he was being a bit childish, but he couldn't help but feel resentment for the friend that so easily forgot about them - about him.
“Jungkook,” Jimin scolded, “don’t be like this. He leaves in two days, can’t we just go back to how it used to be while he’s here?”
A sharp pang shot throughout Jungkook’s chest at the words. Two days. Taehyung couldn’t even be bothered to stay with his friends for more than two days before he left them, this time for good.
“I hate him,” Jungkook uttered, his lips coming together in a pout. His eyes stung with tears and he reached out for Jimin, needing his comfort buddy.
“I know.” At the hollowness of Jimin’s voice, Jungkook broke. Jimin pulled him into a firm hug then, the piece of paper falling between the blankets; forgotten.
~~~
The day they helped Taehyung pack up all that was left at his parents’ house and send it off to New York was, once again, full of tears and watery goodbyes. Flashbacks of a similar days events a couple years ago flickering across Jungkook's mind. Taehyung would be boarding a flight in less than four hours, but Jungkook wasn’t too fond of letting his feelings get the best of him. Despite everything, he still thought of Taehyung as a friend. Choosing to look past his resentment towards Taehyung’s actions, Jungkook allowed himself to enjoy their last day together as three.
As Taehyung’s cab drove away from the curb, Jungkook stuffed his hands into the pocket of his hoodie forlornly. He and Jimin watched it disappear from sight, a strange silence filling the air between them. His brows furrowed when his fingers brushed against a crumpled piece of paper. Pulling it out, he was met with the paper he had found the day he ran into Taehyung at the park. He recalled finding it the morning after Jimin had left, torn a bit around the edges from being lost in the blankets, and he had stuffed it back into the hoodie he was wearing for safe keeping.
“What’s that?” Jimin asked, curiously placing his hand over Jungkook’s to take the piece of paper and unravel it. A surprised gasp left Jimin’s lips before a broad smile pushed at his cheeks, no doubt remembering the day they wrote it. “Is this our old bucket list?”
Jungkook nodded silently and shifted to peer over Jimin’s shoulder at the messing writing on the paper. Jungkook hadn't felt like re-reading it when he had found it, so he let his eyes scan down it with Jimin’s, laughs getting caught in their throats over some of the more ridiculous goals on the list.
Jungkook’s eyes lit up when they fell across a particular sentence, one he very clearly remembered an angry Jimin scribbling down a few weeks after Taehyung had left them for New York the first time.
A large grin tugged at his lips and he heavily set his hands down on Jimin’s shoulders, abruptly turning his friend around to face him.
“I’ve got an idea.”
Jimin groaned when he caught sight of Jungkook’s mischievous expression, body slumping in acceptance of whatever Jungkook was about to propose.
He could never say ‘no’ to Jungkook.
“Pack your bags Jimin, cause we’re taking a little trip,” Jungkook said proudly, jabbing his finger onto a point towards the middle of the list in Jimin’s hands.
His eyes shone with excitement while Jimin’s turned as wide as saucers, “Kookie, you’re kidding?”
“I’m absolutely not kidding. You got that huge inheritance when your distant uncle died, right? We’ll have more than enough to do it and then some.” Jungkook shook Jimin’s shoulders wildly, putting on his best pout to win over his friend.
“I don’t know…” Jimin trailed off, looking at Jungkook with nervous eyes.
“Come on! What’s summer for if not to complete a bucket list you made with your best friend? And it’s the best way to forget about a certain someone,” Jungkook continued to beg, a triumphant smile slowly growing as he watched Jimin’s resolution crack and peel away under his insistence.
“...fine. But, if we do this, I get to pick the next one we do, no if's, and's, or but's.” Jimin flinched when Jungkook shouted in excitement, grabbing his hand and dragging him down the street towards Jimin’s parked car.
“Deal!”
# 15. Take the first available flight out of South Korea.