Chapter Text
“What, really?” Jungkook couldn’t believe what Hoseok was telling him from the other end of the call, “Park Jimin? That Jimin hyung?”
“Yes, that Jimin! The one you always followed around when you were young!” Hearing Hoseok so animated over the phone was not a surprise, but still Jungkook couldn’t contain the bubbles rising up in his guts. “Jimin’s mom told me that he lived with his friend but now he lives alone so,” the older paused for a moment, “look, I sent you a screenshot of the chat. He was looking for a roommate, so I reached out to him and told him that you can room with him.”
Jungkook opened the screenshot and read it one time, two times, three times; still it was hard to believe. Maybe it’s a dream, it had to be, right?
“Kook-ah? Are you there? Hello?” Hoseok’s voice broke up Jungkook’s train of thoughts, “If you don’t want to-”
“There’s no way I don’t want to!” Jungkook heard himself shout on the phone; another one to add in the ‘most embarrassing things’ he has done where Park Jimin is concerned.
~~
Flashback: start-
“Oh my, you’re here already, Jimin-ah!”
“Hello, Ahjumma,” Jimin bowed with a polite smile.
“Eat dinner before you go, okay?” Mrs. Jeon beamed at the middle schooler.
“Thank you,” Jimin’s eyes roamed the house, “Where’s Jungkook?”
“Oh, Jungkookie. He is-”
“JIMIN HYUNG!” With the loud scream, Jungkook ran down the hallways of his house heading towards the living room at full speed, a cheek-hurting grin plastered on his face.
And when Jimin’s eyes caught glimpse of little Jungkook, a smile light up his own face. “Jungkook.”
“Hyung, I’ve done all my homework. Come and see!” Jungkook took Jimin by the wrist and dragged him to his room while Mrs. Jeon only laughed fondly behind.
“Tadah! See?” Jungkook held up his notebook to Jimin, “I finished it as you told me to! The teacher praised me!”
“Ah, really?” Jimin smiled as he watched the little one narrate his day with pride. “You’ve come such a long way, you used to hate doing homework. I am so proud of you,” Jimin praised the little guy as he petted his head. Jungkook felt great, this was his ideal best day ever, if it could be written down in a diary. Everything was so perfect, Jungkook almost wished time stopped and-
**Knock knock**
“Ah,” Jimin got up from beside Jungkook, startled, “Yoongi hyung!”
“Hey, Jimin,” Jungkook’s older brother entered the room with a kind smile, “Are you having fun?”
Jungkook’s slightly unpleasant gaze went from Yoongi to his Jimin hyung, and he hated how Jimin’s face was turning red, his pupils almost forming heart shapes; and all of it wasn’t for him at all. It was for Min Yoongi.
“You can have this while you play, here,” the oldest in the room handed a tray of cookies and juice to Jimin. Jimin kept staring at the tray, couldn’t look up because his face was all heated up, and he hoped Yoongi didn’t notice it.
“Thank you for the food, hyung. You’re home early today.”
“Yaa, I told you to speak comfortably with me,” Yoongi nagged a bit, as he ruffled up Jimin’s hair a bit, and Jungkook just watched it all unfold from his seat. “Jungkook is not giving you any problems, right?”
“Oh, not at all, he’s doing very well.”
“That’s good to hear. If you have any questions, feel free to ask them.”
“Thank you, hyung,” Jimin bowed a little as Yoongi nodded in acknowledgement and left the room, leaving Jimin’s eyes glued to the door in a daze.
“HYUNG, JIMIN HYUNG! I’m not doing it!”
“Huh?” Jimin’s trance broke as he went back to sit next to the little one, confused at the sudden outburst. “Jungkook-ah, do you mean you don’t want to study?”
Jungkook hid his face in his arms on the table, didn’t want to show Jimin hyung the tears forming up in his eyes, and for what? Because he was talking to Yoongi hyung? It was a pathetic excuse. He didn’t know why he was feeling this way, but it made him feel like he was being very selfish, and yet he couldn’t help it.
“Hmm,” Jungkook heard Jimin right next to him, “Should we eat the snacks then, and study later?”
“I’m not eating the snacks.”
“But Yoongi hyung gave us these, Jungkook-ah-”
“Don’t want to!”
Jimin was surprised because Jungkook wasn’t the type to throw baseless tantrums; there must be a valid reason behind it, and maybe he just doesn’t want to share that right now. “Kook-ah, then, should we go out to play,” Jungkook peeked from behind his arms and saw Jimin smiling, “Let’s go have a little fun at the arcade, hmm?”
Jungkook wiped his tears, and got up to get changed quietly; because if his Jimin hyung smiles at him, as if, the smile is only for Jeon Jungkook and not for anybody else, there’s no way he’d say no to that.
**
Every time he hung out with Jimin, Jungkook was reminded of how he was always behind, and watching Yoongi and Jimin wear the same uniform ignited a certain type of fire, which drove him furious for days without any end. So, he’d drink milk, eat a lot, exercise, just to grow up quickly and catch up to Jimin. Only when he entered high school was, he able to tell that the emotion he felt whenever he saw his two hyungs together was jealousy.
The three-year gap was the worst.
**
It was the year when he finally understood everything about his feelings, when the Park family moved away.
“Thank you for everything you’ve done for me, Ahjumma,” Jimin bowed politely, “I’ll go now.”
“Wait, Jimin-ah, let me go get Jungkook from his room.” Jungkook heard his mom enter the room. “Jiminie is about to go now. Are you really not going to say goodbye?”
“I won’t.”
His mother only sighed, and once Jungkook heard the door close, he took another tissue to wipe off his tears which didn’t seem to stop flowing.
“I’m sorry, Jimin-ah, maybe it’s puberty…”
“It’s okay, Ahjumma, bye, I’ll get going now.”
Jungkook still stood by his door to hear that voice for one last time, and he hated the fact that Jimin didn’t tell him about moving away.
He hated Jimin for about a week, and then went back to missing him. Over the years, Jimin had always called and sent letters, but Jungkook always turned them away. And that’s how his first and unrequited love came to a rather tragic end.
Flashback: end-
~~
Checking every landmark, Jungkook kept walking as the navigation on his mobile map was showing. He was feeling all kinds of emotions- he wanted to find Jimin hyung as fast as he can and never let go of him again, and he wanted to run and hide away from him forever. It was flustering just to wonder about how Jimin must look now, all mature and grown up, much like himself. Jimin was still towering over him last time they’d hung out back in those days. Jungkook had grown significantly ever since, and people would often compliment him saying he’s so tall and handsome, but would Jimin think the same? Would he still be towering over me? He’s grown taller than Yoongi, but still, he shouldn’t assume. What is he going to say when he finally sees Jimin, should he be angry at him, or would that be too childish? Should he act it’s all cool and that it’s no big deal?
Finally, he reached the address Hoseok sent him. Breath in, breath out, you can do this, Jungkook. Don’t be nervous, don’t be nervous, don’t be nervous.
“So, what if he looks better now? It’s not like he’s that handsome. I’m pretty sure my memories of him were glamourized. Yes, I’m sure of it,” he mumbled to himself as he climbed the stairs. “Maybe he even grew a beard, who knows? Ha!”
And soon enough, he was standing right in front of the apartment 113, with his heart beat thumping so loud, with all the walking and climbing- that’s what he told himself.
He pressed the doorbell. And, he waited, trying to calm down the heavy thumping in his chest.
Click, the door opened.
Jungkook had considered of seeing a very different face staring back at him with no recollection whatsoever, but, boy was he wrong.
It was the same Jimin hyung, his Jimin hyung, the same familiar face. He’d only grown into his already beautiful features; the pretty eyes, and his fluffy blonde hair was still the same. His lips were as cute as he remembered, and Jungkook felt a punch in his gut at the sudden realization; he’d always wondered about those lips, always thought about it when he hit his peak of puberty, and still does. Nothing has changed, absolutely nothing and Jungkook wasn’t sure if it was good or not. Jimin hyung was taller now, but Jungkook beat him by a few inches. Jungkook couldn’t keep his gaze at the breathtaking man in front of him, he felt his face heating up very fast.
Fuck, it’s Jimin hyung!
“Ah, uhmmm… It has been a while, hyung!” Jungkook managed to utter, his gaze still down on his own shoes. “It’s only been six years, but have you been well?”
When Jungkook got no response, his eyes rose to meet Jimin’s, “I’m here only to bring my bag, anyways…”
Jungkook’s mind stopped working for a nanosecond.
“…please, take care of me, hyung.”
Was Jungkook tripping off of the excitement, or was Jimin hyung really wearing the expression Jungkook was so used to seeing on him whenever Yoongi was around??