Archive of Our Own

Jungkook shivers and pulls the collar of his yellow jacket a little bit higher. It’s starting to get chilly at night, which he hadn’t factored in when he left the house this afternoon. He closes the door and pulls at the door handle to make sure it’s closed properly, just out of habit. It’s a habit he only developed when he was given the responsibility of closing the bar at night, when Jackson moved back to Canada and he somehow found himself to be one of the more experienced employees, the one who was trusted with all the duties Jackson had taken care of before. It all came with a pay rise that was greatly appreciated, since his scholarship only covered university fees and a little bit of his rent. It was nice to be able to afford a bit of fancy meat once in a while even though it meant that he had to stay and close the place up at night.

The route back home is a familiar one, as he had been taking it to and back from work for almost seven months now, but the world always looks a bit different at three in the morning. Everything is eerily quiet, like it is covered in a thick blanket of tranquillity. The warm, yellow light coming from the street lamps casts shadows that are both soft and harsh at the same time. Everything is sleeping and every one of his steps rings through the streets like a wake-up call.

Jungkook unlocks his phone to answer a message from Taehyung he hadn’t found the time to respond to during his shift and there he sees it again, the last message from his roommate.

Hobi-hyung 18:54

Just in case you change your mind,

here’s the number: 03012074182

Jungkook sighs. His hyung had pestered him since he started working the later shifts because apparently the crime rate in their neighbourhood was on the rise. He gets it, he does – his hyung just wants to look out for him, always has, since they moved in and discovered how much comfort they can find in each other. His hyung just always smells like home.

So, his hyung just wants what’s best for him, but Jungkook is not really convinced when it comes to this new idea that’s supposed to keep him safe on his way home. Apparently there’s this organization that you can call when you’re walking somewhere late at night and don’t feel safe and the people there stay on the phone with you until you reach your home. It’s a great thing, a really good idea but that’s of course not what he told Hoseok.

“Hyung, I’m twenty-three, I don’t need to call someone so that I can go home from work safely!”, he had said instead, choosing to roll his eyes for good measure.

“Jungkook-ah, don’t you think I know that? I also know that you spent so much time in the gym, you could probably bench press me easily but – “

“I most likely could, should we try – “

“But”, Hoseok had raised his voice and schooled his face to his I’m-the-hyung-so-you-should-listen-face, “even you can’t deny that there’s nothing you could do when a whole group attacks you just because they’re drunk or because you’ve looked at them the wrong way, like it happened to Jimin’s friend last week.”

Hoseok might be the biggest scaredy-cat out there, but he always came prepared with arguments and it was really hard to not agree when he was in his stern mood. They called it his instructor-mood, because he became almost as intimidating as he was when he was teaching his advanced level dance class. It also didn’t help that the friend that got mugged a few streets away from their home last week took Kendo with Jimin for a few years – but they were a group of five guys against one. So Jungkook knew what Hoseok would answer if he would bring up that he had a black belt in Taekwondo and knew how to defend himself.

So that’s how he ended up where he is now, crossing the empty street but still looking to all sides, toying with the phone in his hand and almost letting it fall to the ground as a sudden nearby siren makes him jump a bit in the air.

There would be no harm in just dialling that number once, at least for that last stretch of street just two corners from their apartment building, where the street lights have not been working for the last month. He could call the number for those five minutes of his way home where he admittedly always walks a bit faster because the dark street does creep him out a bit.

But –

But calling that number means talking to strangers. Talking on the phone. Talking on the phone with strangers.

He doesn’t like phone calls with friends sometimes because he can be awkward and on the phone, his clumsy way with words seems even more obvious. He just doesn’t know how to do that, small talk and actually feeling comfortable while just talking about this or that. How do people do that? How do they come up with things to say without stumbling over the syllables?

Jungkook pulls the collar of his yellow jacket a bit higher and quickens his pace, not turning around when he hears another siren.

It takes two more nights of Hoseok pestering him, bringing out his best pouty face and telling him how worried he is at night, how he can’t sleep knowing that Jungkook is walking through this dangerous neighbourhood all by himself (as if Hoseok doesn’t go home alone himself after his late evening dance classes). He is definitely too weak for his hyung, it’s starting to become a problem, he thinks, closing the back door of the bar and shaking the handle for good measure.

He dials the number Hoseok texted him again this afternoon. And then it rings, just like that. Jungkook suddenly feels a lump in his throat – because why on earth did he dial the number before actually thinking about what to say?

“Good evening, ArrivingHome here, you’re speaking with Min Yoongi. If you want, you can speak with me for as long as you’re on your way.”

Jungkook’s brain freezes. Okay wow. He did not expect this voice, so deep and rich. Flowing through his veins, soothing like honey.

“Who am I speaking with?”

The voice – Min Yoongi, his brain helpfully supplies – is talking again. Of course, because Jungkook is awkward and hasn’t said a peep yet, oh my god. He can basically feel his face burning with embarrassment.

“Ehm .. Hi, I – eh – I’m Jungkook”, he croaks, clearing his throat. This, this is exactly why he didn’t want to call this hotline in the first place.

“Hi Jungkook-ssi, how are you feeling tonight? It’s a bit cold for October in Seoul, don’t you think?” Min Yoongi is an angel, not only because of his heavenly deep and soulful voice but because he just doesn’t comment on the fact that Jungkook behaves as if he has never held a conversation before.

“I – eehh, yeah. Yeah, it’s kinda cold.”

Min Yoongi hums, as if Jungkook said something worth pondering about.

“So, Jungkook-ssi, where are you at the moment? You don’t have to tell me, of course, but it is standard protocol to ask you. Sometimes, people feel safer knowing that we are aware of their exact location.”

“No, I – I can tell you. I’m … ehh … Yeongdeungpo, yeah that’s – you know, where Cheonggu-ro gil crosses Dasan gil?”

“Mhm, yeah, I actually lived there a few years ago.”

“You did?” A loud noise from the right startles him and Jungkook tries not to jump. A second later, he sees a stray cat running in the opposite direction.

“Jungkook-ssi? Are you still there?”

“Oh, eehh, yeah, I’m sorry, Yoongi-ssi.”

“Don’t worry, Jungkook-ssi, I was just telling you how I rented a really small apartment in Eulji-ro gil with a fellow student, it was a bit shabby but the rent was cheap.”

“You’re a student?”, he manages to ask after a few seconds of silence again. Another great piece of conversation, wow, be proud Jeon Jungkook.

“Mhm”, Min Yoongi hums again and the low timbre of his voice makes Jungkook shiver, even though he actually brought out a thicker jacket from the depths of his closet yesterday morning.

“I study music production, in my last semester now, actually.”

“That’s so cool!”, just the mention of music makes Jungkook perk up.

“You think so?”, the other one chuckles and even that sound is just beautiful to listen to.

“Yeah”, he squeaks, and now even he can hear how exited he must have sounded. “I – ehh, I thought about going into composition and stuff.”

“And what are you doing now instead?”

“I’m in film studies, in my fifth semester now.” Crossing the street, Jungkook is now almost at the beginning of Hwanin gil, the street Jimin’s friend was attacked a few weeks ago.

“Mhm, that sounds interesting as well, Jungkook-ssi. Does it still excite you?”

“Most of the time”, he answers, hoping it’s enough to keep Min Yoongi talking to him in that marvellous voice of his. When the other one chuckles again, he has to actively stop himself from holding his breath just so that he can hear the sound better.

“Well, can’t really expect more, can you.” Jungkook hums again, wrecking his brain for something else to say. There must be something smart he can say, something about music, he could ask the other something, right? Is that how this is supposed to go? Can he do that? Is –

“Jungkook-ssi, tell me more about why you are out and about at almost half past three in the morning? Again, only if you’d like of course.”

“I work at a bar and had the closing shift, and now I’m on my way home.”

“What – “

“Why –“

Min Yoongi chuckles again quietly. “You go first, Jungkook-ssi. What did you want to say?”

“Why did you choose to study music, Yoongi-ssi?”

“I wrote my first song when I was fifteen and I’ve been writing songs ever since. So, I thought studying music production might help actually get a job as a producer somewhere, but we’ll see about that.”

“And what kind of music do you write?”

“Hmm, nowadays it’s a lot of softer stuff, some melodies that you could use for pop songs actually. But I started out with rap, and my style has evolved a lot during the years.”

“Yeah, the music changes with you. As you grow older, the music grows to reflect that.”

“Wise words, Jungkook-ssi.”

Jungkook snorts. “Well, you must have been the first person to ever call me wise, Yoongi-ssi.”

“Glad I could give you this wonderful experience, Jungkook-ssi.”

He starts slowing down his steps as soon as he sees the door to his apartment. He’s already home, and those twenty minutes have felt like it were just two or three. Probably because he spent half of his way freaking out what to answer to this perfection of a voice that belonged to one Min Yoongi.

The man in question seems to sense that something changed on Jungkook’s end of the line.

“Are you far from home, Jungkook-ssi?”

“I – I’m actually almost there. Just a few more houses to go.”

“That’s good then, you’re probably really tired from work, I guess.”

“Yeah, it’s okay. I actually always need some time to calm down from the shift, from the rush around midnight and then all the things we have to be careful about when closing, putting the cash registers away and everything. It’s tiring but I also need some time to let my thoughts quiet down, I guess.” He’s standing in front of the building now, kicking a few pebbles from left to right with his foot.

“Then I hope you get a good night’s sleep, Jungkook-ssi.”

“Thank you. It – eehh, it was nice talking to you, Yoongi-ssi.”

“Same, Jungkook-ssi. Feel free to call again anytime you want.”

“I – I might do that.” Yoongi’s low chuckle is the last thing he hears before he ends the call and fishes for the keys in his pocket. And it’s the last thing playing on repeat in his brain before he finally drifts to sleep that night.

Jungkook doesn’t think about Yoongi for three full days again (or at least he pretends not to). It’s only on Tuesday when he’s just ready to walk out of the apartment, tying his shoes when Hoseok, who’s been sitting in the living room, slurping his soup, yells out to him.

“Kook-ah!”

“What is it, hyung?”

“Have you thought about maybe calling that hotline on your way home? I know, I know, you hate talking to strangers but none of us is awake so late and – “

“I did”, he mutters.

“Huh?”

Jungkook clears his throat and straightens from where he had been crouching in the hallway.

“I already did, hyung.”

“Whaat”, Hoseok yells again, jumping up to come stand next to the shoe rack in the hallway.

“When? How was it? Where the people nice? Why didn’t you say anything before?”

That’s actually a really good question. Well, why didn’t he?

(Telling Hoseok means he will insist he calls every time he has the closing shift. Which would mean more talking to Yoongi, potentially. And is he ready for that?)

“It was – it was okay. I talked to a guy, eeehh, he is a student and he used to live a few streets over so he knows the area.”

“Oh that sounds great!”, Hoseok is smiling so brightly at him, it’s almost like looking at the sun.

“So it makes you feel safer to talk to them while walking home?”

“It does”, he mutters. Even though he was awkward and didn’t know what to say, Min Yoongi’s soothing voice made him feel taken care of. And the fact that someone knew where to find his body in case something happens, well, that was also kind of good to know.

“Ooh, Jungkookie, that’s perfect! You’ll call them again tonight, right? Ahh, that makes me feel so relieved, now I can sleep in peace knowing that – “

“Knowing that at least someone at this hotline will know where to find my body?”

He quickly grabs his jacket and makes a beeline for the door before Hoseok can reach him. He’s almost at the staircase when Hoseok yells after him, “Call them, be a good dongsaeng, will you?”

His shift today is slow, as usually on Tuesdays, with just the regulars and a few college kids hanging out, grabbing a few cheap drinks before they head out to the clubs. Jin-hyung and Tae spend the last hour before they close down trying to teach him a card game, making up ridiculous new rules every time Jungkook wins just because they are both really sore losers.

Wiping down tables and cleaning the last glasses, they ask him twice what’s on his mind but he chooses to divert the topic to something else. He doesn’t want to tell anyone that he’s already thinking about what he could speak about with Yoongi later. He was enough of an awkward mess yesterday, stumbling over his words, not knowing what to say. There’s no harm in mentally preparing a few topics – even though there’s no guarantee he won’t forget them all as soon as he actually is in that social situation again. And who knows, Yoongi is obviously not the only person working there, there might be someone completely different on the line now.

Aaand yes, he’s definitely overthinking this simple interaction.

And then it’s two in the morning, their usual closing time on Tuesdays, and Jin is locking the door, still there even though it’s not his turn to close. But as the two hug him goodbye at the closest street corner and then take the road to the left, Jin slinging his arm around Tae’s shoulders, Jungkook thinks that he’s maybe not the only one with roommates who don’t want them to end up alone in the dark streets at night.

Jungkook clicks on his call list and dials the number again, this time freaking out a bit less because he is prepared for what’s to come. This whole ordeal might sound weird to some people, that he feels nervous about calling a hotline that is supposed to be there for when you feel nervous about walking home at night, it’s absurd – at least that’s what Taehyung would say, but Taehyung is outgoing and immediately friendly with anyone while Jungkook needs time, needs to develop a feeling for the people first.

It rings two times and there he is again.

“Good evening, ArrivingHome here, you’re speaking with Min Yoongi. Feel free to talk to me for as long as you’d like on your way tonight.”

“Hello Yoongi-ssi, it’s Jungkook”, he breathes, and then just wants to face palm himself. Why should Yoongi remember him, he probably takes many calls in one night and those other calls are most likely a thousand times less awkward than what he stuttered out during their last conversation. Before he can do anything – end the call, actually face palm, or maybe explain that he called a few days before – Yoongi answers brightly.

“Ah Jungkook-ssi, another late shift at the bar, I suppose?”

“Ahh, yeah, you – you remember.”

“Of course I do”, comes the prompt answer and the other man actually sounds like he means it, as if it is the most obvious thing in the world that he remembers Jungkook and what he told him about himself. His voice is just as he remembers it, deep, calm and rich like honey, soothing to the ears and the soul.

“You’re calling earlier tonight”, comes Yoongi’s voice again.

“Mhm, it’s Tuesday, so we aren’t open for as long as on the weekend. Not many people want to go out that late in the beginning of the week.”

“Yeah, that makes sense. Where do you work, Jungkook-ssi? If you don’t mind sharing, I’m always looking for a good bar, as long as they have some whiskeys I can try out.”

“The place is called Moonbaeju, down on Mallijae-ro gil, you have probably never heard of it, it’s not that fancy.”

“Mhm, don’t think I’ve been there yet.”

The silence stretches for just a split second because somehow Jungkook finds it easier to think of something to say than he usually does.

“Our whiskey selection is really not worth mentioning, to be honest, Yoongi-ssi.”

The low chuckle flows through his veins as if it was made for it.

“That’s a shame, though, Jungkook-ssi, every good bar should have a respectable whiskey assortment.”

“Jin-hyung, that’s the manager, he’s more of a soju kind of guy, so we have lots of those. Could make a whole tasting evening out of our selection.”

“Hm, might have to take you up on that offer, then, Jungkook-ssi. Where is your current location now, approximately?”

“Getting close to Nangyero gil now. Tell me more about music production, Yoongi-ssi.”

“What do you wanna know?”

“Everything”, he breathes, and immediately cringes a bit. Way to sound dorky, Jungkook.

Min Yoongi at least laughs, low and rumbling. “Okay, not sure I’ll be able to fit it all in your way home, but I can try, Jungkook-ssi.”

The way home seems shorter today as well, and as he ends the call and flips the light switch on in the hallway, he kind of wishes they would have talked for longer. Jungkook has to shake his head. Well, Yoongi is easy to talk to, even for shy people like himself, which is probably a basic skill one needs to have when working at such a hotline. Still, he has never smiled as much on his way home as he has today.

The next time they talk, it’s Friday, as Jungkook usually only works three shifts a week. Min Yoongi is there to talk to him again, telling him all about the composition he has to finish with only a few days left until his deadline.

“So are you one of these people who work best under pressure then?”

Yoongi takes a second to ponder. “Depends, to be honest. When it comes to music, it’s always different because, as corny as it might sound, I need to be in the right mood and there is just no way to force things like inspiration.”

“Yeah, that’s true. I imagine it’s difficult to grade and structure studies in general when it comes to such a creative thing like music composition.”

“Well, true. The reason why I definitely don’t want to stay at my university and teach. I mean, I’ve been a tutor for several of my classes during the years but I am so grateful I never actually had to grade works. I’ll tell you a secret, Jungkook-ssi, my friends always say I have a soft heart anyways and would give all students a perfect grade. And I’ll tell you another secret: I think they’re right.”

Jungkook has to smile. This description suits the voice just right, even though it’s only their third conversation, he can’t imagine the other to be anything but gentle and kind.

“Yoongi-ssi, what do you – “

“Call me hyung”, Yoongi interrupts him.

“Huh?”

“You can call me hyung, if you want. I’ve told you all my secrets about what my friends think about me, so …”

Jungkook knows he’s blushing, but the other one can’t see, so he rushes to say, “Okay, hyung, but does that mean you now want me to tell you a so-called secret of mine?”

“Well, wouldn’t that be just fair, Jungkook-ah?”

“I’m almost home, hyung.”

“Don’t divert the topic, Jungkook-ah!” The other one tries to sound scolding, but Jungkook has always liked to tease.

“I’ll tell you next time, hyung!”, he laughs, patting his jeans pockets for his keys.

“Well, it better be a really good secret then”, Yoongi huffs, and Jungkook closes the door behind him with a smile again.

It’s Saturday and Jungkook is actually looking forward to talking with Yoongi again. He has thought a lot about which so-called secret he should tell him, and has two options, depending on how bold he’ll feel later during their conversation.

The number of the ArrivingHome hotline is one he has saved by now, and it only rings two times.

“Good evening, ArrivingHome here, you’re speaking with Kim Namjoon. Feel free to talk to me for as long as you’d like on your way home tonight.”

Jungkook makes a choked sound in the back of his throat in his attempt to swallow down his energetic greeting of Yoongi-hyung. This co-worker, Namjoon, has a pleasant voice as well, sounds like someone who’s a great source of comfort when one is scared to walk home alone.

“Hello? Is anyone there? Is it not safe for you to talk?”

And of course it would make sense that he can’t always get Yoongi-hyung on the line, there must be several people working at the same time.

“Ah, yeah, eehh – sorry. I’m here.”

“Hello, I’m Kim Namjoon. If you’d feel safer, you can tell me your name and your current location.”

“Ahh, I’m Jungkook and uhh, I’m currently walking down Samildaero, will be at the crossing with Toegyero gil in a few seconds.”

“Thank you, Jungkook-ssi. Feel free to update me on your location whenever you like, for your safety.”

Namjoon’s voice is not as deep as Yoongi’s, he notes. It’s really calm, a voice he wouldn’t mind listening to for a long time. He would make a good professor, he thinks.

“You have the voice of a professor, Namjoon-ssi”, he blurts out, for a lack of more coherent thoughts. And wants to face palm himself again, just like the first time he talked to Yoongi. Great progress, Jungkook.

Namjoon just laughs. “My friends tell me I also have the personality to match that, actually. And to be honest, I wouldn’t mind, I like my job as a tutor and I might stay on as a part-time teacher at the university once I finish, why not.”

“What do you study, Namjoon-ssi?”

“I’m in music composition, with philosophy as a side subject.”

“Ah, like Yoongi-hyung, with the music part at least.”

“You mean the Yoongi who also works at this hotline? Yes, he’s a friend of mine, actually. Wait, Jungkook-ssi, you have called before, right?”

“Ahh, yes. I have.”

He hears Namjoon chuckle, and a weird sound at the other end of the line, like someone threw something at a metallic surface.

“Well, Jungkook-ssi, I’ve heard lots about you already. Feel free to ask for Yoongi-hyung next time you call, at least when it’s a quiet night like this, when we have time for a bit of chitchat.”

Jungkook can feel his face getting red, even though there’s no way for the other man to see that. He wills the blush to fade away (which of course doesn’t work whatsoever) because he doesn’t even know what to make out of all of this. Never mind the fact that he has no clue if Yoongi-hyung even likes guys or is single or –

Holy shit, his brain should stop right now, he’s getting ahead of himself. As usual. He’s talked to this guy for a total of three times so far.

Instead of acknowledging what Namjoon just said, Jungkook moves on to telling him his location and talking about the stray cat he sometimes spots around this corner, the one that also sometimes gives him a little scare because it jumps from or around the dumpsters without a warning. The time on his way home flies by, and when he opens the door to their apartment, he thinks that Namjoon is almost as easy to talk to as Yoongi-hyung.

(Still – next time his call connects to Namjoon, he does just that, ask if Yoongi-hyung is in a call right now. He isn’t, and even though he can’t really place Namjoon’s laugh as he transfers their call, Yoongi-hyung’s questions about his shift and the short essay on the development of sound in cinema he has to submit next week make him feel at ease instantly.)

All the different topics he had prepared days before don’t come in handy at all during the next few weeks as talking with Yoongi-hyung just comes easy. It’s different from Hoseok who just made him feel at home immediately with his bright smile, or Taehyung, who included him in the conversation as if they’ve already known each other for years instead of seconds. With Jimin being from Busan, the two had an instant connection there, talking about how much they miss the beach and which street food vendor at the seaside sold the best hotteok. With a lot of other people, it had been difficult, as some mistook his shy demeanour for a lack of interest or aloofness. Yoongi on the other hand always knew when to just let Jungkook think for a few seconds after asking a question, and he asked such interesting questions that Jungkook always had the feeling he learned a bit more about himself while they talked, talked about everything – music, of course. Their favourite dishes (lamb skewers, easily agreed on), favourite hobbies (Yoongi liked to go fishing with his hyung, labelling Jungkook as a gym rat after he admitted that he liked to work out), most memorable experience in Seoul so far, Yoongi even once asked Jungkook what kind of vegetable he would be (really difficult to answer, though, although he settled on tomato after a few minutes of thinking while Yoongi took a few days to finally settle on cucumber as it’s grown close to the ground) …

At the end of November, the weather turned to be less forgiving, even though Jungkook just put on his favourite beanie. And he maybe also took a quick detour around the block, so that he could talk to Yoongi for a bit longer.

There was one thing he still needs to ask though.

“Hyung?”

“Jungkook-ah?”

“Why are you working at this hotline? I’ve always wondered. I mean, not that you’re not great to talk to, I mean, you’re doing a great job, just – “

“Stop rambling, Jungkook-ah, it’s a great question”, Yoongi interrupts him quietly.

“I actually started here because of Namjoon, you’ve already talked with him once or twice, right? He has been working here since his first semester and when they were short on volunteers, I agreed to help out. And kind of ended up staying, as I really like it. It’s a good thing we’re doing and I don’t mind the late hours. I would be up working on music anyways.”

“Oh, so you’re all volunteers there?”

“Hm, not everyone. Henry, the coordinator, is the only one who does this as a full-time job. The rest of us are volunteers though.”

“That’s really cool, hyung, really nice of you to do something like that for free.”

Yoongi just hums noncommittally, as he always does when Jungkook lets it shine through how much he admires the older boy.

“So, what are your plans for the weekend, Jungkook-ah?”

Another thing Yoongi does when being complimented is divert to a different topic.

“Not much planned, hyung. I’ll probably hang out with Jimin and Hobi-hyung, and we’ll probably eat too much ramyeon, then watch a crappy movie because we can’t agree on what to watch and then we’ll all fall asleep on the floor in our living room.”

“Wow, that sounds really comfortable”, Yoongi laughs.

“I don’t mind. The other two are real passionate cuddlers – “

“Sounds like a nightmare”, Yoongi mutters, loudly.

“It’s not that bad, hyung”, Jungkook replies. “At least, not anymore. It was a bit weird when I started rooming with Hoseok but I kind of like it now. It’s comforting, to hold them or be held by them because they are basically like my home here in Seoul.”

“But all the hair in your face and all those limbs and stuff.”

“Wow, you sound as if you’d rather run a marathon than cuddle, hyung.”

“Nah …  Maybe it’s just my friends and their gangly limbs. I usually associate cuddling with hair tickling my face and a stray arm hitting me in the stomach.”

“You just need to find a person that has the right height then, and one that doesn’t move as much.”

“Maybe. Not like I have a partner right now I could test that with.”

Jungkook’s breath hitches. Okay, Yoongi is single. And why would he tell him that? Does he like Jungkook, too? No, that can’t be. He shouldn’t get his hopes up. Yoongi is just being friendly and open, because they’re … friends? Are they?

Jungkook doesn’t know what to say, he only knows that with every second ticking by, the silence gets more and more tense.

“Shouldn’t you be home soon, Kook-ah?”

He looks up from where he was staring at his feet. “Yeah, just a few more houses to go, hyung.”

He’s been pacing up and down in front of his building for a few minutes but that’s a secret he plans on taking with him to his grave.

“Sleep well, Kook-ah.”

“You too, hyung. Sleep tight.”

“You’re kind of quiet tonight, Kook-ah? Did something happen at work?”

Jungkook was hoping Yoongi wouldn’t notice that his mood had been off since last night, but Yoongi is of course way too perceptive for that.

“Hyung …”, he trails off, not sure what to say.

“If you don’t want to talk about it, we can talk about something else, Kook-ah.”

“Something else … if you don’t mind, hyung?”

“Of course not, Jungkook-ah. Don’t you think that it’s absolutely baffling that there are more stars in the part of the universe we can see than there are grains of sand on earth? Over 70 sextillion stars. And we are living on one tiny planet.”

“Oh that is … wow, yeah that is just crazy.”

“And on Saturn and Jupiter, it’s raining diamonds.”

“Now you’re just trying to bullshit me, hyung.”

“Nooo”, Yoongi whines and he sounds like he’s pouting. Jungkook doesn’t know what he must like pouting as he still has no picture to go with the voice, but he is endeared nonetheless.

“I’m not kidding, Jungkook-ah, it’s true! You can look that up!”

“Did you watch a documentary on space or something?”

It’s silent for a heartbeat. “You did, hyung!”

“Yes”, Yoongi sighs. “They are really calming though. Did you know that rocks on Mars are named after sweets?”

“Why is it calming to hear that there is just so much out there, in the depths of the universe, that we have no clue about and will probably never be able to find out?”

“Doesn’t it make everything on earth a little less … nerve-wracking?”

“What do you mean, hyung?”

“Well, how should I put it? There is just this gigantic space out there, with so many stars, and so many planets made out of different matter. And maybe there are other forms of life out there that we can’t even begin to imagine. Or maybe there aren’t but you’re right, we might never find out. It all has been there for many millions of years and even when we are gone, when the whole planet is gone, destroyed by a sun storm or something like that, then the universe will still exist. Will still be out there. Will still be enormous and mysterious and enigmatic. I think that’s beautiful.”

Jungkook exhales and looks at his breath escaping his lips in tiny little clouds.

“I’ve never thought about it like that.”

Yoongi hums.

“Hyung?”

“Yeah, Kook-ah?”

“I – I don’t even know if I want to talk about it. But … My parents had a huge fight with my grandfather yesterday and it kind of still puts me in distress when I think about it.”

“That’s a completely understandable reaction, Kook-ah. Fights like that can affect you even if you were not directly involved.”

“What makes it so difficult is … Ah I don’t know if I can find the right words.”

“Don’t stress yourself, Kook-ah. If you want to say something, do it, but if you don’t find the right words, then that’s okay, too.”

“I mean, if I was to take sides, I would definitely agree with my parents. But it’s not really about taking sides, it’s just – my grandfather is so old, he won’t change. He never listens and he doesn’t really care about any other opinion than his own. And I just sometimes wish I could make him listen, could make him understand how much pain it causes my parents when they fight and when he just doesn’t treat them like they are worth being listened to, you know?”

Without wanting to, the words are just tumbling out almost too fast to actually understand what he is saying but Jungkook feels relieved once they’re out there. It’s always difficult for him to put his feelings into words and he isn’t sure what he expects Yoongi to answer to that.

“That sounds like a difficult situation, Kook-ah. But from what I gather, the only thing you can do is be there for your parents and try to ease their pain as much as you can as their son, you know? They can be happy they have you by their side.”

“Hyung ….”

“Kook-ah?”

He doesn’t really know what to say. He’s been feeling off since he talked with his parents last night and he still does. But hearing Yoongi say that did take the edge away, because even though Yoongi is not physically here, he sees him. As a person. Sees his thoughts and his pain and somehow, this is all he needs right now.

“Thank you”, he mutters, but he is sure that the other heard him nonetheless.

“Will you call after your shift tomorrow as well?”

“Yes, hyung. I’m working tomorrow and the day after as well, Soobin is still sick so I’m taking over his shifts for the week.”

“Speak to you tomorrow, then, Kook-ah. Sweet dreams.”

“Good night, hyung.”

His shift on Wednesday passes without Jungkook calling, leaving Yoongi confused. Over the past two months, Jungkook’s calls have become his favourite part of the night, even if they bring with them lots and lots of teasing from Namjoon. His friend is always talking some crap about how Yoongi is supposedly smiling wider than he ever has before when taking that special call, whatever. Namjoon just doesn’t know shit and Yoongi chooses to politely throw pencils at him whenever he says things like that.

So sue him but he is confused. Jungkook told him the night before when he would be working this week to cover for his sick co-worker, so it doesn’t add up. But then again, there could be other circumstances, change of plans that Yoongi is not aware of because they don’t talk outside of this hotline context – Yoongi doesn’t even have Jungkook’s number (the system they operate the hotline with lets them call their clients back but doesn’t show any numbers for data privacy reasons) and for that matter, he doesn’t even know his last name (was too shy to ask).

He shouldn’t worry. Should he?

“No Jungkook tonight, hyung?”, Namjoon asks as they are shutting down their computers, ready to go home and fall into bed.

Yoongi hums, still not sure what to think.

“He … “, he starts.

Namjoon looks at him expectantly, one eyebrow raised.

“He said he’d be working tonight, but he didn’t call. And I don’t know, it’s … it’s probably just a change of plans, so I shouldn’t read too much into it.”

“Hmm, can’t blame you for worrying though, hyung. We just were on the phone for hours with people all over the city who were scared to walk home by themselves. Would be weird if you were not worried, to be honest.”

They close the office doors and start walking towards the nearest bus stop. Most people boarding it are on their way to work, while they are on their way home, and will arrive there way before the sun even thinks about rising on this dark winter day.

“But I agree, hyung”, Namjoon starts again when they arrive at the bus stop.

“Agree with what?”

“You can’t know for sure why he didn’t call tonight. Probably someone else took over his shift. You didn’t exchange numbers yet, did you?”

Yoongi looks down at his feet while shaking his head, knowing full well that Namjoon is grinning like an idiot right now, like he always does when he suggests that he should ‘man up and just ask Jungkook out’.

“Well, next time he calls, you have a valid reason to do just that. Tell him how worried you were.”

“Shut up, Joon-ah”, Yoongi mutters and doesn’t hide his relief when the bus pulls up and he can change the topic.

This relief doesn’t last long though, as Jungkook also doesn’t call the following night (Yoongi traded shifts so that he would be the one working), and also doesn’t call the night after that, even though it should have been his regular shift. From the moment he arrives at midnight up until they close shortly after four, he can’t stop staring at the clock, looking up at Namjoon whenever the other one answers a call, just to sag down on his seat when Namjoon shakes his head.

“You’re really worried, aren’t you, hyung?”

“It’s just … he definitely said that he would be working and that he would call, and like you said, Joon-ah. Given the matter of our work here, I can’t completely shake the worries off.”

“Well, is there a way you can find out if he’s okay?”

Yoongi sighs. “There is only one I could think of so far.”

“And what is it?”

“I know the name of the bar where he is working. I could technically go there and ask for him.”

“But that’s great, hyung! What’s stopping you?”

“Well, I don’t want to be a fucking creep, Joon-ah! What if he’s completely fine and hasn’t even thought about what he told me about his shifts and then I show up at the place he works?”

“It’s not like you would show up at his home, hyung. It’s a bar, and you guys have been talking so much during the last months that I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t mind meeting you in person, hyung.”

“I don’t know, Joon-ah.”

“I can go with you, if you want!”

“What”, Yoongi looks at his friend in disbelief.

“We can go together and if we don’t see him there, we can just grab a drink and ask some of the staff if they can tell us when he’ll be working again. I think that sound like the perfect plan. The perfect finding-Jungkook-plan!”

“Oh please stop giving it names, Joon-ah.”

“But every good mission needs a catchy name, hyung! Do you like getting-hyung-and-Jungkook-together-plan more?”

“Kim Namjoon, I swear to god…!”

He grumbles a lot about it during their bus ride home but in the end, Yoongi has to admit that going to the bar is the best possible plan if he wants to calm his worries. Well, at least the best plan they have right now.

So that’s why he finds himself outside of Moonbaeju at just after six o’clock, waiting for Namjoon and whishing he had brought his gloves as winter is really starting to seep into his bones now.

For some reason, Namjoon is still one of the crazy people who drive their bike in this terrible weather, so Yoongi just shakes his head when Namjoon skitters to a halt in front of the bar. He should be happy that his friend made it here in one piece, without any body parts frozen off.

“You ready, hyung?”, Namjoon beams, and he looks so genuinely excited that Yoongi just wants to scream and run in the other direction. He doesn’t though, because he’s a good friend. And because he really, really, really wants to know if Jungkook is okay.

The bar is not a huge place, just one big room with a sleek wooden counter to the right, a few more secluded booths to the left and an array of different couches, stools and tables in the middle. About half of the tables are occupied, nothing out of the ordinary for an early Saturday night. Namjoon points to a few vacant stools at one side of the bar and they make their way over. Yoongi can’t stop eyeing the staff he sees and he should have been expecting this feeling of being lost – he has no clue what Jungkook looks like, he only has the face he imagined would perfectly fit his angel-like voice.

“What can I get for you two?” The sudden voice startles him and he turns back to the counter.

This person is not Jungkook, that much is clear from the sound of the voice, but the man in front of him is handsome enough for Yoongi to be a bit lost.

“Eeeh”, he supplies helpfully, until Namjoon jumps in. “Hi, I’m Namjoon”, he beams, dimples on display, and Yoongi is focused enough to notice how the other one straightens a bit in his seat. (And is he flexing, too? He’s definitely flexing. Oh my god, he’s going to give him so much shit for that later.)

“We’re actually looking for someone, don’t we, Yoongi?”

“Yes”, he croaks, and then clears his throat, because yes, they are on a mission. He’s already here, he’s already made a perfectly awful first impression on this guy – probably one of Jungkook’s co-workers – so now there’s nothing else to do than go through with their plan to find Jungkook.

“We are looking for someone who works here? His name is Jungkook and I – we just wanted to talk to him.”

“And what exactly do you want to talk to him about?”, the bartender eyes him. Yoongi feels a bit taken aback but is also grateful that this person seems to be looking out for Jungkook.

Namjoon elbows him, prompting him to actually answer the question. Yoongi takes a deep breath.

“Okay, this might sound very weird, but we just – I just want to know if he’s okay. We work at this hotline, you know, and Jungkook has been calling whenever he went back home from a shift here but he hasn’t called in a while even though he said he will and yeah. That’s, that’s it, I just wanted to know if he’s okay.”

Yoongi doesn’t dare to look at any other place than his fingers while he is rambling but as he lifts his gaze up now, he finds the bartender to be smiling widely at him.

“Aaah, you’re the ArrivingHome-phone-guy, aah, I get it now.”

He keeps on smiling at them, even though his smile kind of resembles the one Namjoon is sporting whenever he is teasing him about blushing with Jungkook on the phone. Yoongi doesn’t like this, doesn’t like this at all.

“Soooo”, he begins again. “You gonna tell us anything about whether he’s okay?”

“You know what, Yoongi-ssi, you and Namjoon-ssi here seem to be okay, and you’re here on a noble quest so I might be inclined to help. It would probably be just easier if Jungkook explained it himself though.”

Before Yoongi can question what he means by that, the other man has taken his phone out of his pocket and is already dialling a number. When the line connects, he is smiling that weird, mischievous smile again and Yoongi’s palms start to sweat uncomfortably.

“Hey, you brat, there is someone here who wants to talk to you”, the bartender says and the next second, he’s holding his phone out to Yoongi. Oh. This is all kind of unexpected and faster than he is prepared for. But then again, this is not the first time he will be talking to Jungkook on the phone, right?

He takes the phone and swallows down the lump in his throat. When he holds it to his ear, he almost slumps down on his stool, because it is really Jungkook’s voice on the other end of the line.

“Jin-hyung? What is happening? Are you there?”

“Are you okay?”, Yoongi croaks, then quickly adds, “I – I mean, this is – “

“Yoongi-hyung”, Jungkook breathes and it might be his favourite sound in the world that he might have kind of missed a lot during the past days so maybe he can feel a smile forming on his face. Seeing the matching grins on Namjoon’s and the bartender’s – Jin is his name apparently – faces, he quickly grabs his jacket and marches in the direction of the door.

“Soo, are – are you? Okay, I mean”, he tries to gain back his composure.

“Yes, yes, I’m okay. I – oh shit”, he can actually hear the moment something clicks into place for Jungkook. “Oh shit, I didn’t call and you didn’t know, oh no, I’m so sorry, hyung!”

“Don’t worry, Jungkook-ah, don’t worry. I’m just glad that you’re in one piece and nothing happened to you.”

“No, no, I’m completely fine, just – Jimin, my friend Jimin. He had an accident while dancing and he fell on his arm so I have been at home, helping him with everything because he has to stabilise his shoulder. A friend of Jin-hyung took over all my shifts for the week but of course you can’t know that oh my god I am so sorry, hyung, I – “

“Like I said, don’t worry, Jungkook-ah, the only thing that matters is that you are okay. You’re a really good friend, Jimin can be very lucky to have you.”

“Hyung, I – were you worried? Is that why – you’re at the bar, right? And you asked Jin-hyung about me?”

“Yes, yeah I – I didn’t know how else to find out why you didn’t call.”

“So you were worried about me.” Is he imagining things or does Jungkook sound smug? Or happy? It’s really hard to tell for Yoongi.

“And if I were?”

“Well, I could give you my number so that you don’t have to drive all the way out to the bar the next time you want to talk to me?”

Yoongi chuckles. Even though his answer was very smooth, enviably so, Jungkook still sounds unsure. As if there is any possibility that Yoongi wouldn’t want his number.

“I would really like that, Jungkook-ah. Hyung would like that a lot.”

Jungkook quickens his pace to catch the green light at the crossing in Daejoro gil. Even though there are almost no cars at this time of the night, half past three in the morning, he still prefers to not cross the busier streets just like that. He presses his phone closer to his ear.

“And did you know that corals produce their own sunscreen? They have their own mechanism to protect themselves from UV rays. Isn’t that really cool?”

Jungkook giggles. Since he discovered this deep sea documentary last week, Yoongi has been spitting out random facts throughout the day and it’s really endearing. He can get enthusiastic about the most random things and even though he is a rather shy person, passionate Yoongi can talk loudly for hours and Jungkook soaks up every one of his words.

“And humanhs only explored around five percent of the ocean so far, isn’t that terrifying and also amazing at the same time? That there is so much we don’t know yet?”

“Just like with the universe and space”, Jungkook adds, already patting his jacket pockets for his keys.

“True, Kook-ah.” He is reminded of a similar conversation, the one where Yoongi told him random facts about space. That conversation was months ago and some things might have changed in the meantime, but some haven’t. Like the fact that he still works late shifts at the bar while Yoongi still sometimes works at the ArrivingHome hotline. But his job as a producer for a small company doesn’t give him as much time to volunteer as he had before. They still talk whenever Jungkook is on his way home, but now it’s mostly because Yoongi has been awake to work on his music until the early morning. He still stumbles over his words sometimes, is still awkward, but less so with Yoongi.

“Almost home, hyung”, he mutters, spotting the building in the distance.

“Hurry up, Kook-ah, I want to show you the melody I finished today.”

“Can’t wait to hear it, hyung.”

When Jungkook ends the call and closes the door to their building behind him, it’s with a smile on his face.