Work Text:
Jimin is sitting in front of a camera, the crew getting ready, people coming and going, setting up everything. Next to him, Taehyung, one of his favourite co-workers, is typing away on his phone. Jimin fixes his hair, looking at his reflection on the phone screen. He knew they were going to record something today so he put a bit of makeup on before leaving home.
“Did they tell you what this is about?” Tae asks, pocketing his phone.
Jimin looks at him and shakes his head. “Do they ever?”
Working for a big online magazine with a Youtube account that has over 3 million subscribers, they’re used to recording a lot of videos such as challenges, curiosities, food recipes, hacks and much more. The crew usually lets the video be a surprise to get their best reactions on camera, and today is no different.
Taehyung has been working there for far longer than Jimin, with only a one-year long experience while his 95er buddy has been there since he was in university. Since they work together, writing articles for the online magazine, the pair quickly became close friends.
A voice calls San, the guy responsible for all the cameras, and Jimin turns around to watch Jungkook, his high school best friend and the director of most videos the magazine produces, walk into the studio. The boy with dark hair and bunny smile waves at him and he promptly smiles and waves back.
Jungkook and Jimin studied together all throughout high school, even though they knew each other since middle school. It wasn’t until they found themselves in the same classes that the friendship really began. They went to the same university and while Jimin studied journalism, Jungkook graduated in film production - something he’s always been passionate about.
One can say Jungkook is the very reason why Jimin works there now and although Taehyung would say otherwise, it’s definitely not because Jimin has been nurturing a secret crush for best friend. When Jimin lost his job at a radio station, Jungkook was the one who hyped him up to send his resume to the online magazine, always telling Jimin how much fun it was to work there, the great payment and benefits they offered so of course they were both thrilled when Jimin got the job.
“Ready?” Jungkook looks at both Jimin and Taehyung, who promptly nod, as he also instructs the crew to start the recording.
“Okay so today,” Yunji, the producer, starts. “We have a challenge for you. Are you up for it?”
Competitive as he is, Taehyung immediately nods, “Yes!”
The crew laughs, as well as Jimin who rests his head on his hand and nods.
“It doesn’t involve food though, right?” He asks, remembering his last experience with a video involving different foods and how he had to leave early and almost passed out from throwing up so much. Luckily, Jungkook noticed how bad it was and decided to take him home and ended up staying to take care of him.
Yunji laughs but waves her hand. “No, nothing of the sort. Don’t worry, Jimin-ah.”
“Okay,” He smiles, quickly looking at Jungkook, who’s also grinning at him. “I’m in.”
Yunji seems excited as she looks at something in the papers she’s holding and then back at Jimin and Taehyung.
“Today you’re going to pick up your phone, call your crush and tell them you like them.”
Before Jimin even has the time to process what the producer said, he hears Taehyung laughing, hiding his face in his hands.
When the reality of what Yunji said finally dawns on Jimin, his whole face turns red and he panics.
“W-what do you mean?” He asks dumbly.
He feels dumb.
And terrified.
Oh god, he’s dizzy. Is he going to faint?
It’s Taehyung’s hand on his back that grounds him, snapping him back to reality where he sees the crew laughing at his reaction, Jungkook included. They probably think he’s just overreacting and doesn’t want to reveal his crush but the truth is that his crush is sitting right in front of him and if Jimin calls him, everyone will know.
“I’ll go first,” Taehyung offers, certainly knowing how much Jimin is panicking.
It’s easy for him to do it, Jimin thinks. He already flirts with Seokjin, his neighbor, on a daily basis and the older man has also certainly shown interest.
Jimin tries to pay attention to the conversation, keeping his face straight because they’re recording this and he doesn’t want to look so alarmed in the recording.
“Hi, hyung,” Taehyung says, with a smile that is taking over his whole face. “I’m calling to tell you something very important.”
“Taehyung-ah, I’m all ears,” Seokjin answers, his voice ringing through the studio since Tae turned on the speaker on his phone.
Taehyung clears his throat, his cheeks clearly turning crimson red as he tries to focus solely on the phone in his hand.
“I really, really like you,” his tone is very soft and it makes Jimin smile. “As in more than just friends or neighbors,” he adds shyly.
“I would hope so with all the flirting we do every time we talk,” Seokjin jokes and everybody laughs. “Am I on speaker?”
Taehyung giggles. “Yeah, sorry.”
“That’s okay,” he replies. “Can you… Can you call me later though?” At this point Taehyung is the one who looks like he’s about to pass out. “I want to ask you out properly but I don’t want to do it while I’m on speaker.”
“You wanna go out with me?” Taehyung asks as if Seokjin hadn’t been very clear about his intentions already.
“Isn’t it obvious that I also like you, Taehyung-ah?”
The call ends with Taehyung promising that he’ll call later while he has the most idiotic smile on his face.
“How did that feel?” Yunji asks.
Taehyung sighs, his dreamy expression revealing how happy he is.
“Kind of amazing?” He says, looking from the producer to Jimin.
As soon as Yunji looks at him, Jimin freezes. Oh fuck, for a second he was able to forget he actually had to do the same. Can he call a random person? Does he even have any random number he can call?
“Hey,” Taehyung calls him, his hand on Jimin’s neck, offering a friendly squeeze actually helps him calm down. “It’s gonna be fine,” he whispers.
Over the months, ever since Taehyung caught Jimin making googly eyes at Jungkook on his first few days at the magazine, he’s always been supportive, encouraging Jimin to confess, assuring him that there’s no way Jungkook doesn’t feel the same.
“Wouldn’t he have confessed by now if he did?” Jimin asked him one day.
Taehyung rolled his eyes playfully. “Well, have you?”
Sure, he had a point, but it does not make this any less embarrassing now.
“Don’t even think about calling a random number, hyung,” Jungkook jokes, making everyone in the studio laugh.
Jimin’s face flushes in a matter of seconds. Can Jungkook just shut up?
When he looks at his best friend, he can see he’s smirking and even raises one of his eyebrows.
“Fine, I’ll call him,” he replies, faster than he can hold his tongue.
Fuck.
He blames Jungkook.
Jungkook and his stupid attractive smirk.
Too late now.
It takes Jimin three seconds to find Jungkook’s phone on his recent calls and tapping on it. He stares at his best friend the whole time, not missing when his face goes from annoyed when he realizes his own phone is vibrating in his pocket, surprised when he sees Jimin’s picture on the screen and finally disbelief when he realizes what is happening.
Jungkook doesn’t hesitate to answer the call, his voice no louder than a whisper, trying not to disrupt the recording.
“Hey,” Jimin says, realizing his voice is shaky. “I have a confession.”
He watches as Jungkook nods. He can tell the younger one is nervous. By now most of the crew has realized what is happening and they all share smiles and looks.
“Confess away,” Jungkook uses his softest voice which makes Jimin smile even though he feels his whole face on fire.
Jimin takes a deep breath before he continues.
“I kind of… sort of, have had like,” He braces himself. “The biggest crush on you ever since high school but I was too afraid this could ruin our friendship.”
The studio is quiet, everyone waiting for Jungkook’s answer. There’s a quiet laugh that comes through the speaker and Jimin loves that he gets to see his best friend’s reaction.
“I’m willing to ruin the friendship if you are,” Jungkook offers and he can hear Taehyung gasping next to him and the crew cheering in front of him.
“What does that mean?” Jimin asks, just because he wants to hear more than that, he’s not gonna let Jungkook off the hook so easily, not when he had to make the call in front of twelve people.
“It means that I have been head over heels for you ever since you asked me for a pencil on our first day together in high school, Park Jimin,” The confession catches Jimin off guard. “I’m sorry I was too much of a coward to confess.”
It’s hard trying to find the words. Not even in his wildest dreams had Jimin thought this would be Jungkook’s reaction. Sure, he dreamt of his best friend confessing, but never like this, never so straightforwardly and in front of their coworkers.
“Now, how about you finish this recording and we’ll talk later when we don’t have so many witnesses and maybe I can ask you out and hopefully finally kiss you the way I’ve always wanted to.”
There’s cheering and whistling through the studio, everyone too excited to mind the fact that the cameras are recording everything.
“I’ll do that, then.” Jimin nods, turning off the phone and smiling at Jungkook who is also beaming behind the cameras.
Later that day, when it’s finally just him and Jungkook, after the younger offered to take Jimin home, they share confessions, smiles and kisses that feel exactly like their teenage dreams.