Archive of Our Own

West Bay University

Pasadena, California, 1989

The chill of winter had just begun to subside, overtaken by the rains that almost made Jimin’s day better and Hoseok’s day duller. Despite the sunshine personality Hoseok possessed, he had a deep-rooted hatred for rain, and hence the hatred for February, his birthday month. Jimin felt a little bad, but he enjoyed it anyway. The final year had officially begun. Six months until graduation caps and emotional slow-motion hugs with an old friendship in the background. An internship lined up in May. Dream career within reach. Jimin’s life? Completely colour-coded and on schedule.

Or so he thought.

Because fate, destiny, or whatever cosmic director was in charge had decided that Jeon Jungkook would transfer into the same university. And not just that. Room 109. Three doors down on the same damn floor. Disaster. It had been nearly a year since Jimin stepped into Taehyung’s room and found out his new roommate would be Jungkook,  yes, that Jungkook. Psychology major. Bunny smiles. Suspiciously unfair body. The kind of guy who looked soft and devastating at the same time.

Jimin had first seen him at Seokjin’s New Year’s Eve bash the January before, with messy hair, and awesome dancing skills. Jimin had expectedly spent the entire night ranting about Jungkook’s doe eyes, cute smile, and aesthetic jawline to anyone who would listen. Thankfully, he’d been drunk. Unfortunately, his friends had declared it love at first sight. He hadn’t seen Jungkook again for months. And then one day, Taehyung casually announced in April that his roommate was moving out.

“And guess who’s moving in?”

Cue Jimin’s internal VHS tape screeching to a halt at his best friend’s eyebrow wiggle and nasty smirk. A week later, there they were, unpacking boxes in Room 109. Jungkook in a simple plaid linen shirt and baggy denim, looking like he walked straight out of a campus poster. Nothing flashy. Just devastatingly cute. Jimin stared like the city lights were reflected in Jungkook’s eyes. And just like that, he was whipped. Again. They weren’t strangers anymore, not really, especially when Taehyung adored Jungkook. Stories about him filled Jimin’s days. Jungkook practically lived rent-free in Jimin’s brain. 

The problem? Jimin had zero experience. A few experimental kisses in the past, sure. But actual feelings? Confessing? Love? He was a rookie in a rom-com movie, which he didn’t sign up for. And somehow, he still wanted to press play and act like a professional.

“Let’s get going, Jimin-ah!”

Hoseok’s voice bounced down the room as he muttered dramatic insults at the rain, wrestling an umbrella open with a scowl on his face. Jimin slipped on his socks with a sigh, lips pushed into a pout. He had things to focus on, important things. Like surviving the day. Like, not thinking about a certain psychology major. Like meeting Yoongi later to record a ridiculously sweet Valentine’s message because, apparently, he was “unfortunately blessed” with a good singing voice. Totally manageable.

Except luck clearly had a sense of humor. The second they locked their door and turned around, Taehyung stepped out of Room 109, whistling some old Hollywood tune like he was in a coming-of-age montage, and right behind him was Jeon Jungkook in a powder yellow sweater. Dark blue denim. White sneakers. Soft brown hair falling and curling just right. Basically, glowing like the California sun had signed a contract to follow him around. Hoseok, the menace that he was, poked Jimin in the waist with a stupid grin. 

“Wait up!”

Taehyung called, half-hopping as he tied his laces and jogged toward them. That could’ve been harmless. Could’ve if only Jungkook hadn’t followed. But, of course, he did. Hoseok immediately looped an arm around Jungkook’s shoulders, grinning, and the youngest laughed and, somehow, smoothly slipped himself between him and Hoseok. Jimin swallowed. Hard. He was suddenly hyper aware of everything, the brush of sleeves, the scent of detergent, the way Jungkook’s smile tilted just a little when their shoulders bumped. If hearts made sound effects, his would’ve been an electric drum solo echoing down the corridor.

“Jimin Hyung, you skipped dinner yesterday!”

Jimin almost stopped breathing because there was just something about the way Jungkook said his name, soft but playful. Dinner? Together? For a split second, Jimin’s brain short-circuited before rebooting. Oh. Right. He’d been buried in notes with Namjoon, cramming like graduation depended on it.

“Ah… Yeah… I was with Namjoon Hyung. Had a little run through”

“Always studying! You need to loosen up, Hyungie”

Jungkook teased, bumping his arm lightly, and the nudge shouldn’t have done anything, but Jimin practically glitched, stumbling sideways and colliding straight into Taehyung.

“Your actions have consequences, Jeon!”

Taehyung cocked his brow with a smirk. 

“What?”

“Nothing. Just get to class”

Jimin snapped quickly, shooting Taehyung a warning glare that only earned him a wink in return. By the time they reached the main gate, Hoseok peeled off with a dramatic goodbye. On the second floor, Taehyung vanished with a salute. And then it was just Jimin and Jungkook. Alone in the hallway.

“See you in sociology, Hyung” 

Jungkook said casually, and Jimin’s brain went blank for the second time that morning.  Sociology. Right. The “easy grace marks” elective he’d switched into at the last minute. He was walking into the same class as his crush. Jimin was so unbelievably, spectacularly doomed.

ʚ ˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶ ɞ

“You are buffering again, Minnie”

Yoongi didn’t even look up, fingers lazily strumming his guitar like he had all the time in the world. Jimin sat curled into the worn-out studio couch on the topmost floor of the University, clutching a sheet of pink paper meant for their Valentine’s recording, but instead staring through it like the answers to his doomed life were printed between the lines while his brain was stuck in Sociology class.  Because what kind of psychology major voluntarily takes sociology? Was Jungkook collecting electives like Pokémon cards? Was this fate? Was this targeted at his mental health?

“Just thinking…”

“About Jungkook?”

That made Jimin whip his head, eyes wide open and mouth agape because what the hell? The audacity Yoongi had to blurt it out like that without an ounce of hesitation?

“Excuse me? Why is he in our conversation?”

“He is the only conversation”

Rude, but unnecessarily accurate. Jimin didn’t argue after that, mostly because he couldn’t. He had spent the last year talking about Jungkook like he was a limited-edition vinyl. But today had been worse. The class had dragged on forever, and Jimin tried to look engaged so Professor Brown wouldn’t call on him, but two rows down sat Jeon Jungkook, scribbling in his notebook like he had no idea he was ruining Jimin’s life single-handedly. At first, it was tiny doodles in the margins. Little stars. Swirls. Clouds. Then it became a full galaxy. Moon, constellations, entire universe blooming across the page. Jimin had stared so long with his hearts in his eyes, he forgot to blink. He must consider asking people to fill the front seats in the next class, so Jungkook would have to sit beside him. Then immediately decided he valued being alive. The lecture ended with Samuel sliding past and whispering, “Your crush just crossed the compound,” loud enough for Jungkook to turn his head instantly, and Jimin nearly launched himself off the bench. He also made a mental note to eliminate Samuel from the earth someday.

“And you say you’re not whipped…” 

Yoongi drawled now, pulling him back to reality, making Jimin realize he had just blurted everything out. 

“I am not whipped, Hyung”

“You stared at him for an entire lecture”

“I appreciate art”

“You were appreciating his back muscles”

Jimin threw a cushion at him, lips pulled into a furious pout. 

“Come on… Let’s record this before you spiral again”

Jimin cleared his throat and read from the pink sheet in the softest, sappiest voice imaginable. He somehow was good at mimicking, too… screw him. 

“On this Valentine’s Day, may your cute little heart find its cheery melody…”

He stopped mid-sentence and groaned, running a hand through his hair. 

“This is so cheesy. Who even says this?”

“You” 

Yoongi deadpanned. 

“You, who would write poetry about Jungkook’s underlip mole if given the chance”

“Min Yoongi!”

“It’s for the campus radio. It’s supposed to be sweet. Get done with it”

Yoongi leaned back, smirking. 

“Do not interrupt me. This is hard enough!”

“Mhm. And you panic when the actual love of your life nudges your arm”

“He is not -”

“You almost passed out because he said ‘Jiminie Hyung’”

Silence, and Yoongi strummed a dramatic chord, giving them the chorus, more like giving Jimin the dramatic effect. 

“Face it. You’re recording love messages for strangers while actively dying over one boy in a yellow sweater”

Jimin buried his face in the pink paper. Why did he have a crush, and why was he foolish enough to blurt it out to his friends?

“This is humiliating”

Yoongi’s grin widened. 

“You think this is humiliating? Wait till you confess”

Jimin groaned louder and stared at the paper, focusing on the task and finishing it as soon as possible. Very cool. Very composed. Totally under control.

.

.

.

It was half past five when Jimin left the studio, hugging Yoongi goodbye with one singular goal in mind: collapse face-first onto his dorm bed and not move until morning. He had barely taken a few steps toward the residence halls when an arm slung around his shoulders out of nowhere. Jimin flinched, but only for half a second, because there was no mistaking that scent. Rosemary. Mint. Clean ocean breeze. Davidoff Cool Water. Soo Jungkook.

“I was waiting for you, Jimin-ie”

And that was just unfair. Normally, Jimin would’ve launched into a lecture about respecting the elders and proper usage of “hyung”, but Jungkook had always been exempt from rules Jimin pretended to have. A fatal flaw!

“To… Walk back together?”

“Actually…” 

Jungkook said, rocking slightly on his heels. Jimin was an inch away from combusting. 

“I was craving ice cream. Thought you’d come with me. We had the same last class, and Tae Hyung’s busy”

That was a lot of information. Jimin processed maybe three words. Craving. You. With me. His eyes, traitorous stupid things, drifted mid-sentence, taking in Jungkook’s soft brown hair curling into his eyes, the over-sized sweater sleeves swallowing his hands, the way he looked completely unbothered by existing like that.

“Huh?”

“Ice cream. Right outside campus. Let’s go!”

And just like that, Jimin was being dragged by the wrist across the pavement like the protagonist of the classic rom-com. One day, Jimin thought solemnly, he would perish. And he would leave behind a handwritten note blaming Jeon Jungkook.

.

.

.

The ice cream shop looked like a poorly designed meet-cute place with a neon sign flickering, checkerboard tiles, and some old Madonna track playing faintly in the background. Jungkook pressed his face to the glass display like an excited child. 

“Why are there so many flavors? This is emotional manipulation”

“You’re dramatic. Get your favorite one”

“I’m serious, Hyung” 

Jungkook insisted, pointing at the stacked bowls of ice cream. 

“Chocolate fudge brownie is calling me. But mint chips feel loyal. And strawberry is cute”

“You can’t describe ice cream as loyal, Jungkook-ah”

“Watch me!”

Jeongguk smirked and finally ordered a ridiculous triple scoop with all the flavors he had mentioned above, which looked like it might topple over any second. Jimin went safe with vanilla and caramel, though he earned a scowl from the younger. 

“Hyung, where is the adventure?”

“I prefer usual”

“Usual is boringggg”

Before Jimin could retort, Jungkook scooped a bit of his own chocolate and held it up. 

“Try”

Jimin froze. His mind short-circuited.

“This is public!!” 

“So?”

“So…” 

Jimin looked around like the FBI might be watching and realized he was the only one with the crush and uneven heartbeat, where Jungkook was just being the nicest friend. The younger one rolled his eyes and gently tapped the spoon against Jimin’s lips. 

“Open!”

And like an absolute fool, Jimin did. The chocolate melted on his tongue right away, but it was nothing compared to the way Jungkook watched him expectantly.

“Well?”

“…It’s good”

“Of course it is. I chose it” 

Jungkook beamed, victorious, and they ended up sitting on the curb outside the shop, sneakers nearly touching. Jungkook talked with his hands about the stupid affair he had heard about, almost dropping his cup twice. He laughed too loudly at his own jokes while Jimin was just lost. He also got ice cream on his nose. Didn’t notice, and without thinking, Jimin reached forward and wiped it off with his thumb. Jungkook just blinked like a puppy.

“You have something too” 

He said quickly, even though Jimin absolutely did not, and leaned in to pretend to brush his cheek, pinching the soft skin hard. Jimin’s heart malfunctioned, the subtle ache vanishing. 

“You just wanted to pinch”

Jungkook shrugged because again, it was normal between them. The younger one always pinched his cheeks, and Jimin always let him. Jungkook was all limbs and grins and unapologetic chaos. No filter. No pretense. Just warmth and easy laughter and eyes that crinkled at the edges when he smiled. And Jimin was done for. A complete goner. As they walked back, Jungkook bumped their shoulders playfully. 

“We should do this again soon, Hyung”

Jimin swallowed.

“Yeah” 

He said softly, already knowing he’d follow Jungkook anywhere, even to the sun.  Absolutely whipped, and he didn’t want to be saved.

ʚ ˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶ ɞ

It had been a full week since what Jimin privately labelled 'The Ice Cream Shop Date', capitalization included. And since then? Radio silence. Exams were creeping closer like villains, and with them came Jimin’s migraines, tight shoulders, and the overwhelming need to top everything like his life depended on it. Jungkook had disappeared into his own academic black hole, too. In seven whole days, Jimin had seen him exactly three times. Three hand waves and tired smiles. Pathetic.

Now he stood outside the University block with Samuels and Nina, half-listening to campus gossip while mentally replaying the way Jungkook had laughed with chocolate on his nose. Hoseok had gone home for the weekend, Yoongi had tagged along, and for once Jimin was genuinely glad that they’d finally confessed their feelings and stopped acting like a tragic subplot who pinned endlessly. Meanwhile, Jimin was still stuck in Act One. He went all round and round only to end up at the starting point. 

Namjoon was buried in books somewhere. Taehyung and Jungkook would absolutely let him hang around with the biggest smiles, no questions asked. But that was the problem. Jimin didn’t trust his mouth. He might accidentally blurt it out. Just, “Hey, by the way, I’m in love with you”. It would be a social suicide. He needed a plan. A strategy. A dramatic yet confession worthy of a prom night montage.

“When are you going to confess?”

Nina asked bluntly, and Jimin stared at the pavement. He had two months before he moved out. Two months before the internship life swallowed him whole. Two months before, distance could turn this into a what-if? Two months sounded like two minutes, and it felt like a ticking bomb.

“I dunno”

“You’re moody today” 

Samuels observed, poking his arm.

“I’m not”

“You look like a rejected second lead”

“Shut up!”

Jimin didn’t feel right all day; slightly nauseous, slightly exhausted staring at the books, slightly tired, and slightly dramatic for no reason. Maybe it was stress. Maybe it was Jungkook deprivation. Maybe it was the universe testing him. 

“Anyway…” 

Nina said, checking her watch, 

“We’re heading to the café. Wanna tag along?”

Jimin just shook his head, waving them off with an agitated pout. 

“Try not to combust before Monday, Minnie”

Samuels added with a grin, and Jimin turned on his heels, making his way to the dorms just as the sky decided to betray him. Rain. It started as a drizzle, and Jimin didn’t think much of it before it turned into a full cinematic downpour.

“Of fucking course” 

Jimin muttered as water soaked through his shirt within seconds. He sprinted toward the entrance, shoes splashing in the puddles, hair plastered to his forehead. Very damsel-in-distress, except no one was there to hand him a towel. He reached the dorm door, breathless, shivering slightly, and patted his pockets. Left pocket. Right pocket. Back pocket. He patted them, but found nothing. The keys were gone, and Hoseok was out of town. Great!

“No, no, no, no”

He rummaged through his half-soaked bag. Pens. Notes. Lip balm. Zero keys. Rainwater dripped down his hair as irritation bubbled up in his chest. Exams. Confession pressure. Jungkook’s absence. Headache brewing. And now this. Jimin groaned loudly, tipping his head back toward the grey sky and swearing at it for putting him in such a terrible situation. Everything felt wrong. Everything was annoying. He kicked at the closed door, instantly regretting it as pain shot through his foot. 

“Perfect” 

Jimin muttered bitterly and took a glance at the cursed room, 109. It was locked too. He threw his bag beside him and slid down the floor, back to the wall and knees bent as he gripped his hair. If this were a rom-com, this would be the exact moment Jungkook would magically appear with a worried face. Jimin wanted to cry. 

“Hyung?”

Now, he was even hallucinating.

“Jimin-ie?”

Jimin let out a hollow laugh, fingers still tangled in his wet hair. Of course, his brain would choose this moment to play Jungkook’s voice on loop. Why not add hallucinations to the disaster list? But then, footsteps echoed. Familiar brown sneakers stopping right in front of him, and a hand on his shoulder. Jimin flinched and looked up, eyes glossy and tired. 

Jungkook. Very real. Very close. Leaning forward with worry written all over his face.

“Hyungie, you are soaked!”

“Mhmm”

Jimin genuinely had no energy left to pretend he was fine. His social battery was dead, his head was pounding, and his pride was somewhere floating down the rain gutter. Jungkook didn’t hesitate. He picked up Jimin’s bag with one hand and tugged him up gently by the wrist with the other.

“Come on”

“What? Where?”

He knew it was a dumb question, but he asked anyway. Jungkook didn’t answer and was already steering him toward Room 109, unlocking it in one swift motion and pulling Jimin inside. The warmth hit him immediately, along with the faint scent of rosemary and mint. Jimin stood there dripping onto the floor, blinking slowly, brain buffering again as Jungkook shut the door and disappeared for half a second before returning with a hand towel. He stepped closer and draped it over Jimin’s head, rubbing gently.

“You’re going to catch a cold” 

Jungkook muttered, brows furrowed, and Jimin pouted automatically, letting Jungkook rinse his hair without a protest. He loved it, of course. 

“My keys are gone”

“Oh”

“And it’s raining”

“I noticed”

“And I’m dead tired”

There it was. The full confession. Not the romantic one. The tragic, pathetic one, which made him pout a little more. Jungkook’s expression softened at that. 

“Bad day?”

Jimin crossed his arms, towel slipping slightly from Jungkook’s hands as he held it, drying the hair himself. 

“It’s fine”

It was not fine. He was moody. Irritated. Slightly sick for no reason. And standing in Jungkook’s room like some drowned, grumpy kitten. Meanwhile, internally there was a full orchestra going on, because Jungkook was kneeling slightly to meet his eye level, hands resting on his thighs asJimin dried his hair. 

“Hyung… What’s wrong?”

Jimin’s brain screamed ‘you’, but thankfully, his mouth remained under strict supervision.

“Exams, and stuff”

Jungkook hummed thoughtfully, fingers drawing doodles on Jimin’s wet trousers. 

“You look cute when you’re grumpy”

“What?”

“You do” 

Jungkook smiled, small and fond, booping his nose. 

“Like a wet cat”

“I do not look like a wet cat!!!”

“You absolutely do”

Jimin scowled harder, which only made Jungkook grin wider, and despite everything, the rain, the missing keys, the headache, the existential crisis, Jimin could feel warmth blooming in his chest. He sat there for a few minutes as Jungkook slipped into the shower, walking out after ten minutes, which was extremely unusual given how the youngest loved to at least take an hour-long shower. 

“Hyung, take a shower and change. Just grab anything from my dresser” 

Jungkook said, already pushing him gently toward the bathroom. 

“I’ll cook something for us”

Cook. For us. That sounded so domestic. Jimin shook his head off thoughts. 

“I can go back to my room”

“You don’t even have your keys”

“Can let the security know. He will break the lock”

Jiin mumbled weakly. Deep down, he didn’t want to leave. 

“And you look like you’re about to pass out. Go. Warm up. Tae Hyung is on a date with Jin Hyung. He won’t be back soon”

Right. Jimin totally forgot about that. He gave a small nod and shuffled into the bathroom like a defeated kitten, shutting the door behind him. The second the hot water hit his skin, he let out a long sigh, tension melting from his shoulders. His head still throbbed faintly, but the warmth helped loosen the knots. He leaned his forehead against the tiles and tried very hard not to think about the fact that he was showering in Jungkook’s bathroom. Using Jungkook’s shampoo. That was dangerous territory, and somehow that felt ridiculous. He shouldn’t be thinking about that at all. 

By the time Jimin stepped out, wrapped in a towel and milky skin slightly pink from the heat, his mood had softened into something embarrassingly floaty, sleep clouding the senses. He padded toward Jungkook’s dresser, opening it after thinking for a moment.  Rows of neatly folded hoodies and t-shirts greeted him. Jimin had known that Jungkook was a clean freak, but this… It looked so organized that Jimin remembered his messy room with a scowl. 

He hesitated for half a second before grabbing a charcoal grey hoodie and a pair of soft black sweatpants. The hoodie looked manageable when folded, but it was not even close to manageable when worn. The sleeves swallowed his hands entirely. The hem nearly brushed his thighs. The neckline slipped slightly to one side. Jimin stared at himself in the mirror with a frown. He looked… Small. Ridiculously small. But there was nothing he could do. He couldn’t go and change into various outfits, and so Jimin sucked it up and stepped out. 

Jungkook was in the tiny kitchen, sleeves rolled up, stirring something in a pan. He turned at the sound of footsteps, and then he froze. A long, dangerous pause followed, making Jimin stop in his tracks. 

“…Hyung”

Jimin immediately crossed his arms. He kinda knew what would follow.

“What”

“You’re tiny”

“Excuse me? I am not tiny”

“You are… Oh my…” 

Jungkook insisted, grinning as he walked closer, abandoning the pan. 

“My hoodie is eating you”

“It’s over-sized” 

Jimin argued, though his voice lacked conviction because he knew how ridiculous he looked. Jungkook tugged gently at one of the sleeves, eyes sparkling. 

“You look like you’re hiding in it”

“Stop staring, Jungkook-ah”

“I can’t. You look cute” 

Jungkook said, far too casually, and Jimin melted on the inside like an ice cream under the sun. They ended up sitting cross-legged on the floor with two bowls of simple ramyeon, fried eggs and a bottle of beer because Jungkook preached “comfort food heals everything” The rain tapped lightly against the window now as Jimin complimented the cooking using every nice adjective he had known in his twenty-three years of life. Jungkook laughed and talked about a weird psychology theory he’d read, about Taehyung almost burning toast that morning, about how he’d seen a cat near the library that would definitely love Jimin. 

It went on even after they were done with the dinner. Jimin listened, chin resting in his palm, and God… He forgot how easy this was. How they just clicked naturally. 

“How’s internship prep going?” 

Jungkook asked suddenly, and Jimin blinked. 

“Stressful”

“You’ll do great. You always do”

“You think so?”

“I know so”

And just like that, Jimin felt it again… That overwhelming, stupid, cinematic rush. The way Jungkook’s hair fell into his eyes when he laughed. The way he leaned back on his hands when he was comfortable. The way he talked with his whole body, mimicking and doing silly gestures. Jimin was falling in love all over again. Right there on the floor of Room 109, in an oversized hoodie borrowed from Jungkook’s closet, with rain humming outside and synth-pop probably playing somewhere in the universe.

He had planned a grand confession. A dramatic moment. Instead, he was sitting in cozy clothes, heart pounding softly, watching Jungkook sip beer like it was the most fascinating thing in the world. And he thought… a stupid thought… If this was what ordinary evenings looked like with him… Maybe that was enough to make him brave soon.

ʚ ˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶ ɞ

“How long are you planning to brood like this?”

Hoseok sighed dramatically, giving Jimin’s arm a half-hearted punch as the younger sulked beside him like a scolded and lost puppy. Jimin barely reacted, only dragging his sleeve over his hands and sinking deeper into the couch, pulling his knees to his chest. It had been two days since Hoseok came back to campus. Four days since that ridiculous, heart-melting weekend Jimin had spent hanging out with Jungkook and Taehyung. Four days, and Jimin was still emotionally compromised. Honestly, “compromised” was a polite and decent way of saying he had nearly cried himself to sleep because of how painfully, embarrassingly in love he was.

“You look like someone who got dumped, Minnie”

“I didn’t get dumped”

“Then why do you look like you are enacting a tragic love song?”

Jimin groaned and shoved a pillow at him. 

“Stop talking, Hyung!”

“Nope. I’m diagnosing the situation. It’s my responsibility”

“There is no situation”

Hoseok leaned forward and cocked a brow accusingly. It was February 11th. Valentine’s Day was creeping closer, and Jimin could practically hear the ticking clock in his head. Two months left before graduation. Two months before he moved out for his internship. Two months before Jungkook might just… become a memory of college days. He couldn’t let that happen. 

“You’re thinking about confessing, aren’t you?”

Jimin whipped his head around, eyes wide.

“Do you read minds now?!”

“You’re just painfully obvious, dumbass!”

Jimin groaned again, dragging both hands over his face.

“I can’t just blurt it out, Hyung. It has to be… meaningful”

“You’re literally the guy who’d hold a boombox outside his crush’s window”

“That is romantic! What do you mean?”

“That is illegal in most dormitories. I care about you”

Hoseok shrugged and Jimin shoved him again, scoffing at his friend. 

“Listen… You’ve been in love with the guy for a year”

Jimin didn’t deny it. 

“You stare at him like he invented sunlight. Tae tells me Jungkook talks about you constantly. And yet here you are suffering like a Shakespeare character”

“Wait… He talks about me?”

“He talks to you too… don’t be stupid now. Just do something… You don’t need fireworks. Jungkook likes simple things. You know that”

Right. Jimin knew that as he stared at the floor for a moment. Thinking. Really thinking. And then, slowly, something sparked behind his eyes.

“I’m baking”

“…You’re what now?”

“Cookies!!!” 

Jimin said, suddenly determined and Hoseok blinked. 

“Cookies?”

“Jungkook loves vanilla and lemon cookies” 

Jimin continued, already standing up with a grin. 

“The soft ones”

“How do you know that?”

“I pay attention, Hobi” 

Jimin said proudly, resting his hands on his waist as Hoseok stared at him for a long second, before he burst out laughing.

“Isn’t that…”

“Maybe! But it’s Valentine’s Day. It’s supposed to be cheesy”

Hoseok followed him toward the door, shaking his head.

“You know what? I totally support this”

“You do?”

“Yeah” 

Hoseok said, slinging an arm around his shoulders. 

“Because when Jungkook falls in love with you after those cookies, I want full credit”

Jimin scoffed, though a hopeful smile tugged at his lips. For the first time in days, the knot in his chest loosened. His very first love confession…

.

.

.

Time flew like water, and Jimin had exactly one night. One night before Valentine’s Day.  Which meant the cookies had to work. Unfortunately, the kitchen seemed personally offended by his presence alone. He had spent the 2 days blissfully, basking in Jungkook’s presence, going out to have a nice meal and listening to the youngest yap about his baseball practice. And today, he spent enough time staring and ogling at Jungkook throughout the sociology class like a pathetic fool. Now, he had a task at hand which he had no clue about. 

Flour coated the counter as a small blizzard had passed through. The mixing bowl was tilted dangerously near the edge of the small table. Chocolate chips he had planned to mix had somehow ended up on the floor. And Jimin stood in the middle of the chaos wearing Jungkook’s over-sized hoodie, sleeves swallowing his hands, the hem falling halfway down his thighs. It was the same hoodie he had taken from his dearest crush and hadn’t returned yet. So, the count of Jungkook’s outfits in his closet turned into four, and Jimin didn’t want to answer how or when they arrived there. He squinted down at the recipe on the paper, written by Seokjin with a pout.

“Two cups of flour”

Jimin stared at the measuring cup already sitting in the bowl.

“…Was that two?”

He leaned closer and inspected the bowl, eyes squinting and alternating between the pale mound of flour and the handwritten recipe on the counter. The kitchen light glinted off the metal cup, irritating him further as the recipe page fluttered slightly from the fan overhead, adding to the chaos inside his head. A minute passed, and then another. Jimin straightened abruptly and scooped out the flour again, the mound growing taller, puffing up like a tiny mountain.

He read the instructions, thrice and added sugar followed by butter with surprisingly no issues. The lemons arrived next, and Jimin rolled one against the counter and grated it into the bowl, lemon zest covering the counter, his hands, and his cheeks. The smell of citrus burst through the kitchen air, sharp and sweet, which somehow smelled good, at least close to good. The batter thickened slowly as Jimin mixed, sleeves sliding down over his hands every ten seconds.

By the time the dough came together, the kitchen looked like a war zone with lemon peels on one side, flour dusted across the counter, and a streak of batter dripping down the cabinets. Jimin ignored all of it, at least until Hoseok returned and helped him clean it after raining down curses. He scooped the dough carefully onto the tray and slid it into the oven with a firm push.

Jimin stared at them for a long moment and smiled, his heart fluttering at the thought of confessing as he crouched before the oven like a tiny guardian. Quiet pride bloomed in his chest as he got back on his feet, wiping a bit of flour off his cheek with the sleeve of Jungkook’s hoodie, leaving a faint streak behind. Taehyung would probably still be awake. And his best friend was the only person chaotic enough to help him plan the next step of his Valentine’s confession, given he had already scored a boyfriend. 

Jimin stepped out into the hallway quietly, locking the door. The dorm corridor was mostly silent at that hour, lights dim and the air faintly cool as he had just turned toward Taehyung’s door when he stopped. Someone was leaning against the wall near the stairwell, and of course, it was unmistakably Jungkook. One foot pressed against the wall, head slightly tilted back, dark hair falling over his eyes. Between his fingers was a cigarette, a thin trail of smoke curling upward under the hallway light.

He hadn’t known Jungkook smoked. Jimin stood there for a second longer than necessary before he started walking slowly as if he was approaching a stranger. Jungkook noticed him halfway through a drag, head tilting to the right, eyes widened immediately.

“Oh… Hyung…”

The cigarette disappeared from his lips almost comically fast. Jungkook straightened, nearly fumbling on his feet as he waved the smoke away with his hand.

“I… this isn’t…”

Jimin tilted his head, stopping just one step away from Jungkook. 

“I don’t usually… Well, I mean sometimes…”

Jungkook looked genuinely guilty with a pout forming on his lips. It was… kind of adorable.

“I’m not judging you, Jungkook-ah” 

“You’re not?”

“No”

“Oh… okay”

“I barely smoke. Like… very rarely. Only when I’m stressed or thinking too much”

“You think too much?”

“All the time. It’s exhausting”

Jungkook admitted with a small laugh, and Jimin nodded like that made perfect sense, though his brain was mostly focused on other details. The way Jungkook’s hair fell into his eyes. The way the hallway light caught on the curve of his cheek. The way his over-sized hoodie sleeves were pushed up slightly, exposing his wrists and tattooed arms. Jimin’s fingers twitched. Just once, he thought. Just once, he could push that hair back, tuck it behind his ear or maybe grab the collar of that sweater and…

No. Absolutely not. Jimin forced himself to look away.

Jimin leaned his shoulder against the wall beside Jungkook instead, arms loosely crossed, actively restraining himself from committing romance crimes in a dorm hallway. Jungkook flicked the cigarette out into the bin by the stairwell after burning it out and popped a mint into his mouth before moving closer to Jimin.

“So anyway… Tae Hyung tried to cook breakfast this morning”

“That sounds dangerous”

“It was. All he made was a toast”

“That’s not cooking”

Jimin chuckled at Jungkook’s amused expression, eyes dramatic as he explained how his best friend had prepared the toast. 

“It was burnt, and he blamed the toaster”

“Classic”

“And then he blamed me”

“Also classic”

Jungkook nodded with a huff paired with his usual bunny laugh, leaning his shoulder against the opposite wall now so they stood facing each other in the quiet corridor. The conversation drifted easily after that. Or rather, Jungkook drifted, and Jimin followed wherever he went with the biggest hearts in his eyes. Jungkook talked about his psychology professor who kind of favored him, about a puppy that had started hanging around the campus gym and how he was definitely going to adopt it soon, and about a movie he watched last night that had the worst ending, leaving him in tears.

Jungkook’s hands moved constantly when he spoke, and somehow could picture the youngest in the movie theatre, wiping his tears and sniffling because he was sensitive from within, a softie who looked like a Greek god. Absurd. As he spoke about everything and anything, his eyes lit up. He laughed at his own stories, waving his hands and sometimes nudging Jimin. And Jimin listened. Completely and hopelessly. Every few seconds, he caught himself staring again, like Jungkook was the most fascinating person ever created.

The way his nose scrunched when he laughed. The tiny scar on his cheek, which Jimin wanted to kiss. The way his voice dropped softer and giggly when he was talking about something he liked. Jimin had seen Jungkook a thousand times before, and he fell in love a thousand times already. But moments like this… quiet hallway, late night, soft lights, Jungkook talking felt dangerously intimate and given how much his heart craved for a single touch, Jimin almost found himself on the verge of tears. 

“A few puppies are rude, though”

Jungkook gasped softly like Jimin had insulted his entire family.

“Not this one, Hyung. I know it likes me”

“You fed it half your sandwich… Of course, it likes you”

“That’s how friendship works, JImin-ssi”

Jimin shook his head, smiling faintly. God. He was so gone. The name alone sent tingles under his skin. Jungkook kept talking animatedly, about music, about random childhood stories, about how he’d tried learning guitar once but quit after three days because his fingers hurt. And Jimin just watched him, completely enchanted. He didn’t even notice how long had passed, and the purpose of even stepping out of his room, and after a while, Jungkook noticed, cocking a brow at him. 

“You’re very quiet today” 

Jungkook whispered and Jimin just blinked.

“Mhm?”

“You’re just… listening”

“That’s because I like the sound of your voice. I like listening to you”

Jimin had opened his mouth to reply something normal or back it up with a funny remark, but what came out was something else entirely. The words slipped out like a truth that had been waiting too long to be said, and everything stilled. He could hear the distant hum of someone’s music behind a closed door. Even the air between them seemed to pause, and Jungkook’s eyes widened just slightly, his ears turning a faint shade of pink and then  Jimin realized what he had said, his answer slamming back with full force. He wanted to cover it up, but nothing came out, and Jungkook stared at him for a second longer before he laughed softly, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Hyung… that sounded way too romantic”

Right. It was indeed romantic and they were just… Friends. Jimin felt pieces of his heart chip away.

ʚ ˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶ ɞ

The morning rays of sun hit Jimin like a shock, making him stumble out of bed with hair sticking out in all directions as he reached their little table and stared at the cookies which looked a little crooked, but they were golden. They smelled like lemon and vanilla. And for someone who had almost burned down the kitchen a few hours earlier, they looked… kind of amazing. Jimin folded his arms and inspected them like a proud but cautious scientist, a smile stretching his lips. He picked up one, turning it between his fingers before taking a tiny bite. They were soft, sweet, and a little citrusy. Exactly how Jungkook liked it. 

“Oh…”

He took another bite immediately. Okay. They actually tasted good. Jimin grinned to himself, suddenly energized and excited as he separated five cookies onto a small plate. Those would be for Hoseok, Yoongi, Seokjin, Namjoon, and Taehyung… His brutally honest taste-testing committee. The remaining ten were far more important. He reached into his drawer and pulled out the small tin box he’d bought two days ago after pacing around a gift shop for nearly forty minutes. One by one, he placed the cookies inside like fragile treasures, and wrapped the tin in beige paper. A pastel ribbon followed, tied into a cute and lovely bow. Then a tiny bundle of dried flowers was tucked gently beneath the knot.

Simple. Cute. A little bright, but very Valentine’s. Jimin stepped back and admired his work with a small, satisfied smile. Jungkook would love it. He hoped with all his heart.  With a tiny bite of his lip, Jimin grabbed a pen and leaned over the wrapped tin. His handwriting curved neatly as he scribbled a small message in the corner. With love. He stared at the words for a moment longer than necessary before quickly closing the tin and getting ready for the day. 

.

.

.

The campus was already buzzing with Valentine’s Day chaos when Jimin arrived. He almost hated, a different kind of hate and jealousy combined as he spotted the couples instantly. Pink and red balloons tied to benches. Paper hearts taped to notice boards. A cassette player somewhere blasting an old love song far too loudly. Students moved around with flowers, chocolates, and envelopes. He even found a guy holding a large stuffed toy. Jimin sighed and kept his head down. The tin box was tucked carefully inside his tote bag, and he could already feel his heart beating louder… He didn’t need to see everyone’s gifts. 

His destination sat near the student union building… Rows of small wooden lockers used by the sophomore students are numbered. That was it. Jungkook’s locker was 13. Jimin never knew why the youngest chose that number, but he slowed as he approached the hallway, peeking around the corner like the cutest spy. Two girls walked past giggling. A guy leaned against the lockers, reading a letter, and Jimin waited.

Two minutes later, the hallway cleared, and he darted forward with a racing heart, opened locker 13 quickly and slid the tin inside before anyone could catch him. The locker door clicked softly shut, and Jimin exhaled. Mission accomplished, but curiosity got the better of him. Just a tiny peek wouldn’t hurt anyone. He opened the locker again slightly, and inside sat his carefully wrapped tin. And next to it… An envelope. Decorated with glitter hearts and absurd amounts of stickers. It almost gave Jimin diabetes. The more he stared at it, the more his stomach twisted slightly. Of course.

Jungkook was… Jungkook. Cute. Funny. Gentle. Kind, Hot and warm. The kind of guy people noticed and liked. Why wouldn’t someone else write him a Valentine's letter? Of course, they would. Jimin stared at the envelope a second longer than he should have as a tiny, irrational spark of jealousy flickered in his chest. For a moment, he wanted to take it out and yeet it away, but everyone deserved a chance as cruel as it sounded. He shut the locker quickly with a pout resting on his lips. 

“Ridiculous” 

Jimin muttered under his breath, rolling his eyes, adjusting his bag and walking away before anyone could see the lines of frown forming on his face. Still, as he walked down the hallway filled with red paper hearts and cassette love songs, which would soon be replaced by his own stupid message, he had recorded. Jimin couldn’t help hoping Jungkook would like his gift the most.

ʚ ˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶ ɞ

Jimin waited. He waited so long that the late afternoon light had shifted across the dorm room floor, the sun slowly sliding from the window to the edge of his bed like it too had grown tired of his anxious pacing. The sky turned grey, indicating the rain that would fall and probably crush his hopes. He sat on the chair. Then the bed. Then stood up again and paced like a kitten with hot feet. Jimin’s nails were already halfway destroyed when Hoseok finally leaned back against the desk with a long sigh, watching Jimin stare at the door, swatting his hand away from his lips. The only bad habit Jimin possessed. It had been two hours since classes ended. Two hours since Jimin had sprinted back to the dorms.

“Is this ever gonna end?” 

Hoseok groaned, and Jimin rolled his eyes without even looking at him, though his leg kept bouncing nervously. His heart had been pounding nonstop since morning… actually, since yesterday. 

“The cookies tasted good. I’m sure he’ll like them”

Hoseok whispered, and Jimin blinked up at him, eyes glossy and full of unspoken feelings, hope lingering in streaks. 

“Jimin-ah, it’s not gonna work like this… Did you sign your name?”

Jimin stilled, his shoulders stiffened, and his face went pale in a way that made Hoseok sit up straighter.

“…No”

“You’re joking!! You must be genuinely joking right now”

Jimin shook his head weakly, tears ready to spill from his eyes as Hoseok slapped his own forehead with dramatic despair.

“Then how the hell are you gonna know if he liked it?! And how the hell is he gonna know who it’s from?!”

Jimin’s shoulders slumped because that, unfortunately, was a very good and logical question.

“I thought about it, Hyung… I was going to write ‘JM’ in the corner. Just tiny. Cute”

“And?”

“I didn’t”

“Why?”

Jimin sighed deeply, rubbing his face with both hands and pushing his hair back. 

“Because what if he saw it and started thinking too much about it? What if he didn’t know what to say? What if it made things awkward?”

Hoseok frowned slightly as Jimin’s voice softened further.

“I didn’t want him to feel pressured just because it was from me”

“So you decided to emotionally torture yourself instead!” 

Hoseok concluded, and Jimin didn’t argue. Because… well. That sounded about right. He knew he was stupid, but all the what-ifs ruined his rational train of thought, and now all he could do was hope for the best. 

.

.

.

By evening the group had gathered for dinner at their usual campus diner. Taehyung had jokingly said they would celebrate Valentine's Day and maybe read a letter or two, since all of them had received gifts, Jimin included. The place was loud, but comfortable and familiar. Jimin hadn’t touched the four letters he had received with two gifts and two cakes. They sat prettily on the table top while Jimin apologized for whoever it was who had put so much thought into them. The more he thought about the events of the day, the more Jimin felt even more anxious.

Namjoon was halfway through a dramatic retelling of a professor’s meltdown while Hoseok laughed across the table, eating fries with hearts in his eyes. Yoongi sat quietly with his coffee, chatting away with Seokjin, who was busy cracking silly jokes. Everything looked and sounded normal until Jungkook walked in with Taehyung. Jimin’s spine straightened instantly at the sight. God. There he was. Hair slightly messy. A leather jacket slung over his shoulders, on top of the black tee he was wearing. Looking like he had absolutely no idea he had been the centre of Jimin’s emotional breakdown for the last eight hours.

Jungkook slid into the booth beside Taehyung, greeting everyone with his usual bright, bunny smile. Jimin tried to act like it didn’t actually floor him, which meant he immediately started drinking water like he had crossed a desert. 

“Jimin-ie Hyung, I didn’t see you in Sociology today?”

Right. Jimin was too excited and nervous to stay put. He didn’t have the courage to see Jungkook’s reaction or accidentally hear him talk about the gift he had left which was absurd because Jimin had dropped the cookie box with an intention. 

“Was feeling nauseous. I took a nap”

Jimin watched how Jungkook’s doe eyes, sparkly little galaxies, dimmed at his answer, concern flashing over them. 

“I am alright now, Jungkook-ah”

The conversation carried on easily for a while. Until Yoongi casually leaned forward, stirring his glass of beer. 

“So…” 

Yoongi said calmly, glancing at Jungkook, and Jimin’s heart skipped a beat.

“Did you get any Valentine’s gifts today?”

Jimin’s fingers tightened around his glass. He dreaded that question and was curious about it at the same time. The table continued moving normally, Seokjin now bickering with Namjoon, but Jimin felt like someone had hit pause on his entire nervous system. Taehyung and Hoseok’s eyes were zeroed on him as Jungkook shrugged lightly.

“Yeah, a few, Hyung”

A few. Jimin’s stomach dropped at the uninterested answer. He remembered the pink envelope in the locker, the glitter hearts with the neat handwriting. Of course, Jungkook got gifts. He probably got dozens of them. Jimin stared down at the table, suddenly wishing he hadn’t come.

“Oh?”

Jungkook leaned back slightly, stretching his arms.

“Just the usual stuff, Hyung… You know how it is. Letters. Chocolates. Some flowers”

Jimin’s chest tightened, and then Yoongi asked the question Jimin was both desperate and terrified to hear.

“Are you interested in any of them?”

Jungkook thought for a moment, eyes going into slits, and then he shook his head.

“Not really”

Jungkook chuckled with a shake of his head and reached for a fry from Hoseok’s plate.

“I mean… they’re nice. But I don’t really know who most of them are from. So it’s kinda hard to feel anything about it”

Jimin’s chest felt strange. It was not a relief, nowhere close to it… Just something heavy and confusing.

“So you’re rejecting them all?” 

Taehyung teased, and Jungkook laughed softly.

“I’m not rejecting anyone, Idiot! I just… don’t feel interested”

Jimin’s heart slowly sank somewhere deep in his chest. Because Jungkook had received gifts. Many of them. Jimin didn’t exactly know the number, and he didn’t want to either. That sparkly letter crushed him enough. And none of those gifts mattered to him. Which meant… Jimin’s probably didn’t either. Maybe, he should’ve signed… Maybe he should’ve straight-up confessed instead of being an old-fashioned hopeless romantic baking cookies.  He swallowed hard, forcing a small smile when Hoseok nudged him to join the conversation. But the warmth he had felt that morning while tying that pastel ribbon… Had quietly faded into something much colder.

ʚ ˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶ ɞ

The days slipped by with absolutely nothing changing. A whole week after Valentine’s Day, and Jimin still had no clue what had happened to the cookies. No sign. No hint. No suspicious lemon-vanilla crumbs on Jungkook’s desk. Not even a casual “someone gave me cookies” comment during dinner. Nothing. Life carried on like it always did. The sun shone brighter, and rain drenched the soil in the evening. Four sociology classes a week, where Jimin sat two rows behind Jungkook, pretending to take notes while actually writing the same sentence three times because his brain refused to cooperate.

Five group dinners where Taehyung argued with Seokjin cutely, Hoseok complained about assignments,  Yoongi looked tired of everyone, and Jungkook laughed at everything like the world was a comedy show. In fact, Jimin’s life was a comedy show. And occasionally, Jungkook would appear beside him with that bright grin and say something like…

“Hyung, ice cream?”

Which Jimin had privately started calling ‘their ice-cream dates’, even though Jungkook treated them like completely normal outings between friends. Jimin went along with everything. He smiled when Jungkook told a story, laughed along to the jokes, and teased when necessary. But inside, he felt like a puppet whose strings had quietly been cut. His hope had folded in on itself like badly made origami, creased in the wrong places, edges collapsing, shape impossible to fix anymore. 

Jimin still showed up everywhere, having not enough courage to put distance between himself and Jungkook. But the brightness had dimmed just a little, and Taehyung noticed immediately.

“You look like a half-baked croissant" 

Taehyung said one afternoon as Jimin stared blankly at his notes in the library. 

“I don’t even know what that means”

“It means you’re sad and flaky”

“Leave me alone”

Across the library, Jungkook glanced back at him, tutoring his junior. Jimin instantly straightened up and smiled like everything was perfectly fine, which, unfortunately, worked a little too well. Because Jungkook smiled back, all teeth, a little longer than necessary, and Jimin looked away before he could read too much into it.

.

.

.

It had been twenty days, and the tragic part was that Jungkook hadn’t changed at all. If anything, he seemed… more attached to Jimin lately. Not surprisingly, but everyone went with the flow. Not that Jimin noticed anyway, because Jimin was far too busy mourning the death of his romantic courage. But everyone else saw it. They saw Jungkook gravitate toward Jimin during group dinners. They saw him save the seat beside him without thinking. They saw how he instinctively reached for Jimin’s sleeve when he laughed too hard. They saw how Jungkook’s eyes searched the room for Jimin the moment he walked in.

Yoongi noticed first, and soon everyone followed. Even Namjoon pointed it out on a random night when both Jimin and Jungkook were missing. Which meant it was painfully obvious, except to the one person who mattered. Jimin. To him, Jungkook was simply… Jungkook. Friendly, kind, adorable, and comfortable. The same boy who laughed easily and talked endlessly about random things. Like right now… They were walking across campus after class, Jungkook animatedly explaining about a kid near the cafeteria that he had apparently befriended that morning.

“And then he followed me all the way to the library with the biggest pout… He looked so cute” 

Jungkook said excitedly, and Jimin nodded.

“Mhm”

“I think he likes me, and I also think he is the son of some worker here…”

“Mhm”

Jungkook slowed his steps slightly, glancing sideways at him, worry dancing in his eyes.

“You’re very quiet these days, Hyung”

He poked the elder’s waist, and Jimin forced a small smile.

“Just tired, Jungkook-ie”

“You should sleep more. Rest that cute brain of yours”

Jungkook swung his arm across Jimin’s shoulders as the latter chuckled softly.

“Yes, sir!”

Jimin smiled, but he didn’t notice the way Jungkook kept glancing at him after that. Or the way Jungkook slowed his pace so they could walk together longer. Or the way his voice softened whenever he said Jimin’s name with so much tenderness, because Jimin was too busy convincing himself that the cookies meant nothing. That the anonymous gift had disappeared into the pile of Valentine’s clutter in Jungkook’s room, like it never mattered.

Meanwhile… Jungkook had eaten every single one of those lemon-vanilla cookies and kept the tin box on his desk like it was a treasure.

ʚ ˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶ ɞ

Jungkook had never really been the kind of person who thought too much about relationships. Crushes and love at first sight happened to other people. Dramatic love stories happened in movies, in songs playing on the radio, in those cheesy romance novels Taehyung occasionally left lying around the dorm. Not to him. Never to him. He had always been busy with classes, and random hobbies he picked up and dropped within a week. Life had been simple, uncomplicated. 

And then Park Jimin happened.

Jungkook still remembered the exact moment his life had been ruined for good. The day he moved into Taehyung’s room. He had barely stepped inside the dorm building with two bags and a head full of worries about new roommates when the universe apparently decided to punch him directly in the heart. Because standing in the hallway had been the prettiest human Jungkook had ever seen grace the earth. Small. Soft looking. Hair falling perfectly around his face like it had been styled by the wind itself. Park Jimin. Jungkook had stood there for a full five seconds like a malfunctioning robot.

Oh.

That was his first thought. Followed immediately by…

Oh no.

Because from that moment on, Jungkook’s brain had been permanently occupied by one Park Jimin. And it had only gotten worse with time. Jimin was kind to him instantly. Warm and extremely easy to talk to. Smiling in that gentle way with plump lips that made Jungkook feel like he had just been handed the sun and moon altogether. Which was deeply unfair. Because Jungkook had always been good at talking to people. 

Strangers? Easy. Parties? Manageable. Random conversations with classmates? No problem. But talking about his feelings? That was where his brain shut down. Especially when those feelings involved Jimin. Because Jungkook was hopelessly and catastrophically in love. And it showed. At least to everyone except the one person who needed to notice, who Jungkook was dying to get noticed. Every single day, Jungkook woke up and thought about Jimin. When he saw the elder in the morning, his entire being rewired. 

When Jimin laughed, Jungkook felt like someone had set off fireworks inside his chest. When Jimin casually touched his arm during conversations, Jungkook nearly forgot how to breathe. It was honestly embarrassing to the point that he had to hide himself in the restroom because he felt too much and was on the verge of tears. If love were a sport, Jungkook would be losing spectacularly. Taehyung had noticed almost immediately, but decided to keep his mouth shut for everyone’s well-being, leaving the suffering to Jungkook, and promising, almost reluctantly, that he wouldn’t spill a word to Jimin. 

“You’re staring again” 

Taehyung had said once during dinner.

“I am not”

“You are”

“I’m literally not”

“Your eyes haven’t left Jimin in three minutes”

The problem was that Jungkook didn’t even realize when he was doing it. He just… gravitated toward Jimin like a lost puppy who had accidentally found its favorite human. If Jimin walked into a room, Jungkook’s attention followed automatically. If Jimin laughed, Jungkook wanted to be the reason. If Jimin looked sad… Well… That was when Jungkook felt something twist painfully in his chest. And lately…Jimin had been looking sad a lot. It was awful, and it confused and crushed Jungkook simultaneously.

Because from his perspective, everything between them had been great. They hung out constantly. They shared the sociology class. They had their random ice-cream outings where Jungkook talked too much, and Jimin listened with that soft little smile that made Jungkook feel like the luckiest person alive. Jungkook treasured those moments, pushing the thoughts of squishing and smooching Jimin’s cheeks to the back of his mind. He replayed them in his head later like scenes from a movie. 

The way Jimin laughed at his dumb jokes. The way he said “Jungkook-ah” when he was pretending to be annoyed. Jimin would never get annoyed. Jimin would never say no. The way the elder absentmindedly tugged at Jungkook’s sleeve when he was deep in thought. Jungkook lived for those tiny things, thanking the heavens every day for making Jimin his friend, at least until he mustered the courage to ask him out. Which was why the Valentine’s Day locker situation had destroyed him.

Jungkook had opened his locker expecting nothing. He wasn’t exactly the romantic type, after all. But inside, there were letters, gifts, chocolates, flowers and cookies. Lemon and vanilla, his favorite. Wrapped neatly in a little tin box with a pastel ribbon and dried, soft flowers. Jungkook had stared at it for a long time. He had checked the box three times for a name. There was none, just two tiny words in the corner.

With love.

Jungkook had taken the box back to his dorm like it was made of glass. Something about it tugged at his heartstrings. It stood out like the moon among the stars. Taehyung had immediately tried to steal one, only for Jungkook to slap his hand away.

“They’re mine”

“Who are they from?”

“I don’t know”

“Then why do you look like you’re about to propose to them?”

Jungkook had ignored him because those cookies had tasted like heaven. Sweet and bright with lemon, exactly the way he liked. And somehow… they reminded him of Jimin, which in turn was a completely ridiculous thought. Jungkook had eaten them slowly over three days and kept the tin box. Because somewhere deep in his very hopeful, very foolish heart… He wondered if they had been from Jimin, which was again absurd. Jimin would never… Right? RIGHT?

Still…

Every time Jungkook saw him lately, something felt different. Jimin smiled and laughed. Jimin talked to him like always. But there was a softness missing, the usual Jimin magic that sprinkled like fairy dust and bloomed every day. A sadness Jungkook couldn’t quite understand, and it made him want to follow Jimin around like a worried puppy. Which, if Taehyung were asked, was exactly what he was already doing.

Hopelessly. Pathetically, and completely in love.

.

.

.

“Jimin-ie’s been quite moody these days…”

Jungkook whispered, like saying it too loudly might somehow make it worse and make Jimin even more closed off. The night air on the dorm terrace was cool, carrying the faint buzz of campus chatter below. Jungkook leaned against the railing, exhaling a thin trail of smoke into the dark sky before passing the cigarette to Taehyung, who took it without batting an eye.

“Hyung…”

“Mhm”

“Did he tell you why? Even in class, he looks… I don’t know. Sad? Spaced out?”

Jungkook frowned slightly, eyes drifting toward the distant lights of the dorm buildings.

“Ask him yourself, Kook”

Jungkook immediately groaned. Technically, Taehyung wasn’t wrong. Jungkook could ask Jimin. They talked all the time. They hung out constantly. They were, by all definitions, the closest. Maybe after Taehyung and Hoseok, or not… Jungkook had no clue. But this felt different. Something about the quiet sadness in Jimin’s eyes lately made Jungkook hesitate. Still, Taehyung was Jimin’s person. His soulmate. The guy who knew everything about him. There was absolutely no way he didn’t know what was going on.

“You must know the reason. It’s been almost a month…”

Taehyung whipped his head, cocking a brow as a mischievous smirk crept across his face.

“We’ll get to that later. But have you thought about White Day?”

That made Jungkook’s blood run cold. White Day. Of course. It wasn’t even a big thing here in the US, but Jungkook had learned about it years ago during a trip to Busan as a kid. The idea had stuck with him ever since… Valentine’s Day for women, White Day for men. Silly, truly, but romantic. Which was exactly why Jungkook had been secretly planning something stupidly dramatic for it. The idea had sounded cute in his head… Confessing to Jimin on White Day. Adorable. But now… Jimin looked sad half the time. And Jungkook’s chest twisted every time he saw it. 

Finding out why Jimin looked like a gloomy character came first, and Jungkook sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.

“I was thinking about it…

“But?”

Jungkook stared down at the cigarette between his fingers.

“…Do you think he would even like me back?”

Taehyung nearly fell off the terrace. He physically lurched forward, grabbing the railing like gravity had suddenly increased. What a stupid fucking question…

“WHAT? HYUNG?”

Jungkook caught himself mid-yell, grabbing Taehyung by the shoulders and staring at him with wide doe eyes. 

“Are you serious right now, Jeon Jungkook?”

“What?”

Jungkook looked hopelessly lost, and Taehyung stared at him as if he had just discovered a new species of idiot.

“You’re asking me that? Really?”

“Well, yeah? You’re his best friend. Soulmate, whatsoever”

Taehyung dragged a hand down his face, his patience dying a quiet death.

“You both are going to kill me one day”

“Huh?”

“Nothing”

Taehyung inhaled slowly, looking up at the sky, asking for strength before he glanced back at Jungkook.

“Let me ask you something…”

“Okay?”

“That anonymous tin you got on Valentine’s Day”

“The cookies?”

“Yeah”

Jungkook’s ears turned faintly pink as he remembered how delicious they were. 

“They were good. Yummy” 

Taehyung snorted.

“Good?”

“They were amazing. Like, insanely good”

“Lemon and vanilla, right?”

“…Yeah? What’s with those cookies now, Hyung?”

Taehyung leaned casually against the railing again.

“You know… I once watched someone spend an entire night destroying the kitchen trying to bake something with lemon zest”

Jungkook frowned, clearly lost because why were they having this conversation?

“Ohh?!”

“Flour everywhere. Butter on the walls and whatnot… And that box, did it really have nothing else? No sign, no note, nothing?”

Jungkook’s lips slowly curled into a pout as he tried to remember. His brows knit together, eyes narrowing slightly as he replayed the moment in his head.

“Nothing. Just ‘With love’. That’s… pretty normal though. Everyone writes that on gifts”

Taehyung nearly rolled his eyes into another dimension. Of course, Jimin would write the most painfully generic thing possible. He resisted the urge to march downstairs and smack his best friend.

“Just… look at it properly, okay, Jungkook-ah?”

“Look at what?”

“The box”

Taehyung gestured vaguely.

“Hold it. Stare at it. Use that brain of yours for a minute. The handwriting especially… You’ll figure it out”

And before Jungkook could ask anything else, Taehyung simply turned around and walked down the stairs like a man who had done his civic duty. The terrace door slid shut behind him, leaving an extremely confused Jungkook alone. The youngest stood there for a solid thirty seconds, blinking at the empty doorway. Jungkook ran a hand through his hair, letting out a small groan.

“That explained absolutely nothing, ugh!”

Eventually, he flicked the cigarette away and headed back downstairs. His brain, however, refused to shut up.

Look at the box. Look at the handwriting.

“What handwriting?” 

Jungkook muttered under his breath as he walked down the hallway and entered his room, his eyes immediately drifting toward his desk. The tin box sat there. The same beige wrapping paper was still loosely folded around it, the pastel ribbon slightly crooked from where he had opened it weeks ago. Jungkook picked it up and turned it in his hands. The little words sat in the corner.

With love.

Simple and soft. Neat handwriting. Jungkook stared at it, squinting his eyes to find answers. His brain ticked like a clock. Once. Twice, and then suddenly… His eyes widened.

“Wait!”

He straightened abruptly, heart starting to thump in his chest as his mind rushed to process everything. That handwriting. He had seen it a lot before. Jungkook whipped around and grabbed the nearest textbook from his desk. Sociology. He had borrowed Jimin’s notes a day ago. Jungkook flipped it open with trembling fingers… eyes darting across the page and back to the tin. 

Back. Forth. Back. Forth.

The same soft loops. The same gentle curves on the letters. Same elegant writing. In the same way the “W” in With dipped slightly lower on the right side, and Jungkook’s mouth fell open.

“No damn way!”

The realization crashed into him like a lightning bolt, short-circuiting every functioning nerve in his body. 

“Oh my god”

Jimin

Jimin baked the cookies. Jimin wrote those two words. Jungkook stumbled backwards slightly and collapsed onto his chair, running both hands through his hair.

“I’m an idiot” 

He whispered to the empty room, heart pounding a little too fast it almost hurt. Jimin liked him. Jimin had spent an entire night baking those cookies. Jimin had wrapped the box. Jimin had written With love. His all-time favorite Human. Jungkook suddenly felt ten different emotions at once. Stupid. Excited. Overwhelmed, and ridiculously happy. His chest felt so full it was almost unbearable as tears threatened to spill. A helpless laugh bubbled out of him.

“I’m actually the dumbest person alive”

“Actually, you both are”

Taehyung stood leaning against the doorway, a small smile curving his lips, and Jungkook bolted in a heartbeat, pulling Taehyung into a hug. 

“…He likes me, Hyung”

“Took you long enough”

ʚ ˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶ ɞ

“Today’s White Day”

“So?”

Jimin didn’t even look up. He shoved the last bite of his sandwich into his mouth while hopping on one foot to shove the other foot into the sneaker. His sling bag was already halfway over his shoulder, movements quick and mechanical like he was trying to outrun something. Or someone. Hoseok watched him from the doorway with a deep sigh.

“Will you try again, Minnie? Maybe… say it properly this time?”

Hoseok tried again, face pulled into a concerned frown.

“And what exactly do you expect, Hyung? Watch him struggle to answer?”

“Jimin-ah, the worst thing that could happen is him saying ‘no'”

Jimin let out a quiet laugh that held absolutely no humor.

“Yeah. And I’d rather not put him and myself through that”

Because Jungkook was kind. Too kind, and Jimin knew the boy would hesitate, stumble, worry about hurting him. The mere thought of Jungkook feeling burdened because of him made Jimin’s chest ache. Hoseok crossed his arms.

“I still think it’s ridiculous. That idiot is glued to you every second”

Jimin didn’t answer. He just bit his lip, forcing his emotions back down where they belonged. Because the truth was humiliatingly simple. Jimin loved him. It was just that. Loved him in the way that made his chest physically hurt sometimes. Loved him so much that it made breathing difficult when he imagined Jungkook holding someone else’s hand. But love didn’t mean possession. If Jungkook chose someone else, Jimin would still want him to be happy, even if it shattered him. He exhaled slowly, straightening his jacket.

“I’m going to be late! See you at dinner, Hyung”

Then he walked out. 

.

.

.

The walk to the university felt longer than usual. It had been weighing him down for some days. Spring had begun creeping into the air; the trees lining the campus paths had started budding with tiny, pastel blossoms, the ones he loved. Jimin kept his head down, hands tucked into his pockets as he walked past clusters of students laughing and talking.

Just act normal.

It wasn’t impossible. Not really, when he had been doing it for weeks now. Seeing Jungkook. Taking classes with him. Laughing with him. Pretending everything was fine. Pretending his heart didn’t twist painfully every time Jungkook smiled at him. Every little interaction blasted fireworks in his chest only for the fire to get put off in seconds when he realized he could never have him truly like he desired. Jimin turned into the media and arts building corridor, and immediately stopped walking. Because of course, the universe had a sense of humor.

Jungkook was leaning against the lockers just ahead in a building he had no reason to be. The youngest was a psychology major which didn’t require him to be present in the building in which Jimin had classes all day long. The moment Jungkook saw Jimin, his face lit up instantly into a bunny smile. Like the sun, and Jimin’s stupid heart betrayed him immediately. It flipped like a pancake. How was it even possible for one person to look this good at nine in the morning? Jungkook pushed himself off the lockers, walking toward him with a bounce in his steps. 

“Hyung!”

Jimin swallowed quickly and forced his expression to stay casual.

“Morning!!”

Jungkook slowed as he reached him, eyes scanning Jimin’s face like he always did, gaze softened slightly.

“You look -”

Jimin cut him off with a wave. 

“I’m fine! Come on!!”

“You say that every time”

Jimin huffed quietly.

“You ask every time”

Jungkook laughed under his breath, scratching the back of his neck, and for a moment they just stood there in the hallway while students passed by around them. Jimin hated how comfortable it felt. How dangerously easy it would be to fall even deeper to the point of no return. Then Jungkook cleared his throat.

“Hyung?”

“Mhm?”

Jungkook shifted his weight slightly, suddenly looking a little… nervous, which was strange. Jungkook was rarely nervous, especially around Jimin.

“Are you… busy this evening?”

“This evening?”

“Yeah. Are you free?”

Jungkook’s fingers tapped lightly against the strap of his bag as he gnawed on his bottom lip.

“I was wondering if you could… meet me somewhere”

Jimin’s heart gave an anxious thud. What was this about? Was Jungkook going to introduce him to someone? Did he realize who gave the cookies and wanted to talk about it? A million questions swirled inside Jimin’s head. 

“Where?”

Jungkook hesitated for a second before answering.

“You know the flower field behind the university? Near the old baseball ground”

Of course Jimin knew it. It was one of the prettiest places on campus, especially in spring when the wildflowers started blooming. He watched students go there for picnics, photography, or quiet dates. A secluded area where nothing was restricted. 

“…Why?”

“I just… wanted to talk to you”

Something in the way he said it made Jimin’s chest tighten. The shy smile, the hopeful eyes. He couldn’t turn him down. Not now. Never.

“Is that okay?”

Jimin’s brain screamed, ‘this is a bad idea’. His heart, however, was already nodding.

“…Okay” 

Jimin said softly, and Jungkook’s smile widened instantly, his doe eyes sparkling like stars. 

“Really?”

“Yeah. Of course, Jungkook-ie”

“Then I’ll see you there after classes, Hyungie”

And just like that, he lunged forward, hugging Jimin tightly and turned and jogged down the hallway toward his lecture, leaving Jimin standing there. Completely still with a racing heart. Because for some reason… Tonight suddenly felt very important.

ʚ ˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶ ɞ

“I don’t freaking know! I’m about two seconds away from shitting myself, Kim Taehyung”

Jimin screamed, crouching down and holding his head between his hands. Taaehyung stood there dumbfounded, mouth agape as he watched Hoseok pull Jimin into a hug. Taehyung stared at him, completely dumbfounded. His mouth actually fell open. Behind him, Hoseok sighed like a tired parent and immediately stepped forward, wrapping Jimin in a hug and rubbing his back. This… this was not how he imagined White Day unfolding. He had spoken to Jungkook. Multiple times.

And yet the younger man had stubbornly refused to reveal anything about what he planned to do. Taehyung had even tried again just yesterday to receive the same answer. Just a mysterious little shrug and a smile. So, Taehyung had assumed Jungkook needed a little time, which was understandable. But suddenly inviting Jimin to the flower field? That had caught even him off guard. And now Jimin was having a full existential breakdown on their dorm floor.

“Jimin-ie…” 

Taehyung said carefully, crouching down in front of him, and Jimin looked up with watery eyes like a kicked puppy.

“Nothing is going to go wrong. Just get up and get your ass to the flower field”

“How do you know nothing will go wrong?!”

His hands flew dramatically into the air.

“He could bring his potential love interest and ask me to third-wheel politely! Do you know how humiliating that would be?! I would rather yeet myself off the terrace!”

Jimin’s eyes turned glossy again, bottom lip wobbling slightly. Taehyung placed both hands on Jimin’s thighs, squeezing gently in an attempt to ground him.

“Jungkook wouldn’t do that”

Hoseok whispered calmly.

“How do you know that? How are you both so sure?”

Taehyung and Hoseok exchanged a glance… They actually didn’t have a concrete answer. Because, They weren’t sure what would go down either. Taehyung cleared his throat awkwardly.

“Well…”

Hoseok scratched the back of his neck.

“It just feels unlikely?” 

“You’re both useless”

Another dramatic sigh left him as he slowly pushed himself up from the floor. He stood there for a moment, staring at the wall like he was preparing for war.

“Okay” 

Jimin muttered. Taehyung and Hoseok straightened.

“…Okay?!”

“If this goes terribly…” 

Jimin announced, pointing at them accusingly, lips in an angry pout. 

“I am killing both of you”

“Noted” 

Taehyung said immediately with a salute. Jimin rolled his eyes but turned toward the mirror near the door. He had already changed earlier into a soft brown v-neck sweater, tucked carefully into a pair of black slacks. The outfit was simple but effortlessly elegant, the sleeves pushed slightly up his wrists, showing off the dangling and dainty silver bracelets. He had even styled his hair, like he definitely wasn’t trying. The more Jimin stared at himself, the more his stomach twisted. 

“I am going to throw up”

“You’re not!” 

Hoseok said.

“I might”

“You won’t”

“…Okay, I guess” 

Jimin whispered to himself and stepped outside. The walk to the flower field felt surreal. The evening sky had softened into warm hues of gold and pink, the sun dipping lower behind the university buildings. The stoney path behind the campus grew quieter the further he walked. Wildflowers had already begun blooming across the open field, tiny petals swaying gently in the spring breeze. It looked almost painfully romantic, which in turn made Jimin’s anxiety multiply by ten. He shoved his hands into his pockets, trying to walk casually.

Like someone who definitely wasn’t about to confess, or get rejected, or emotionally combust. Inside, however… Jimin was absolutely dying. His heart pounded wildly in his chest with every step closer to the field, the anticipation killing him. By the time Jimin reached the small wooden gate, he was convinced his heart might actually explode. Still, he pushed it open. And there he was. Jungkook. Standing in the middle of the field. The golden evening light poured over him, the breeze lightly ruffling his dark hair as he stood with his hands tucked awkwardly into the pockets of his jacket.

For a second, Jimin forgot how to breathe. His eyes darted everywhere. Left. Right. Behind Jungkook. Behind the trees. Behind the stupid bushes. He scanned the entire field like a paranoid security guard trying to find the intruder. No mysterious girl or boy.  No hidden third-wheel situation. No romantic rival emerging from the flowers. Just Jungkook and Jimin exhaled so deeply his shoulders sagged in relief. 

Okay. This was manageable.

Jimin slowly stepped through the gate and walked toward him with a small smile. The closer he got, the more nervous Jungkook started to look. Which was… new. Jimin had even felt it in the morning. Jungkook, who usually spoke like an excited radio host, now looked like someone had unplugged his confidence. His foot kept stomping on the poor grass. His hands kept fidgeting in his pockets, and when their eyes finally met…  Jungkook smiled. Shy and exceptionally soft. And Jimin felt himself fall in love all over again. At this point, Jimin just fell and fell. 

“Jungkook-ie”

“Hi Hyung!”

Brilliant conversation so far. Jimin wanted to kick himself as they stood there awkwardly for a moment, surrounded by swaying flowers and the distant hum of campus life. Jungkook scratched the back of his neck.

“So…”

“So?” 

Jimin echoed.

“Did you… walk here?”

“I mean…Yes”

“Oh”

Jungkook nodded like that was some groundbreaking information when the flowerfield was just ten minutes away. 

“Cool”

Jimin stared at him with amusement dancing in his eyes. 

“You asked me to come here”

“Right”

“Which requires walking”

“Right!”

Another dramatic pause. 

“I like your sweater, Hyung” 

Jungkook blurted suddenly, and Jimin looked down at his brown sweater, lips forming an ‘o’.

“Thank you”

“It’s very… brown”

Jungkook’s ears turned pink, and Jimin had no clue what was happening. 

“Not in a bad way! I mean it looks nice. Like… warm. Like autumn. But it’s spring. Which is also nice. Spring is good”

Jimin was now extremely confused. Jungkook was normally chaotic, but this was next level.

“Jungkook-ah… You asked me to come here to discuss seasonal colors?” 

Jimin asked slowly though he couldn’t hide the fond smile. Jungkook froze, blinking rapidly.

“…No”

“Oh”

“…Actually wait!”

Jungkook suddenly straightened.

“I need a second”

Before Jimin could even react, Jungkook turned around and bolted. Ran across the field leaving Jimin standing alone in the huge flowerfield. 

“Did he just…?”

Jimin turned in a slow circle, half expecting Jungkook to pop out from somewhere like a confused rabbit, but no. The boy had actually disappeared behind the small wooden shed near the edge of the field. Jimin crossed his arms.

“…Great! This is how I die. Abandoned in a flower field”

Right when he decided to sit down, Jungkook came sprinting back, breathless, messy, but devastatingly beautiful, and he also held something. A jar. Glass jar decorated with pink and white bows to be precise. Jungkook skidded to a stop in front of him, clutching it like it was the most important object in the universe.

“…You ran away to get candy?”

Jungkook shook his head quickly.

“No! Well… yes! But also no!”

That cleared absolutely nothing up and Jungkook held the jar out carefully. Jimin squinted a little and inside were neatly wrapped candies, white and pastel colored.

“White candy?”

“It’s… for White Day”

Jimin’s chest tightened, his heart dropping to his stomach. Jungkook shifted nervously from one foot to the other, staring down at the jar like it contained his last remaining brain cell.

“I learned that on White Day… you’re supposed to give candy to someone you like…”

Jimin’s heart stuttered and stopped completely when the words left the youngest’s lips. What was that supposed to mean? Jungkook finally looked up from the jar, tongue playing with the lip ring. His eyes were soft, nervous and hopeful. Jimin barely composed himself, but nothing could’ve prepared him for the next line. 

“And…” 

Jungkook continued quietly, taking one more step forward. The distance between them shrank until there was barely any space left, just the soft spring air and the faint scent of flowers drifting between them.

“I wanted to give it to the person who gave me lemon vanilla cookies”

For a moment, Jimin genuinely thought he might be dreaming. This felt too real to be true even when he had literally dreamed of a scenario like this every damn day. Everything around him softened. The field blurred into a blend of colors. The golden light melted into warmth. Even the breeze felt distant, like it belonged to another world, because Jungkook was standing right there. Close enough that Jimin could see the tiny nervous twitch of his lips and the pretty mole beneath the bottom lip. Close enough to notice the faint pink dusting his ears. Close enough that if Jimin moved even an inch… their hands would brush and if he stood on tippy toes…

Jimin’s brain stopped functioning entirely.

He knows. He knows. Jungkook knows.

Jimin felt strangely light like a dandelion, like the ground had quietly disappeared beneath his feet, like he was floating somewhere above the flowers as Jungkook continued talking, voice soft and full of emotion. 

“I didn’t realize it at first, Hyung-ie” 

Jungkook admitted, glancing down at the jar before looking back up again. 

“Taehyung kind of… forced my brain to work. I ate the cookies on Valentine's day… and  I kept thinking about them. Like… why they tasted so good, and why the handwriting looked familiar and why wouldn’t they leave their name…”

He rubbed the back of his neck.

“And then I compared it with your notes and I realized I might be the dumbest person alive”

Jimin’s lips parted, but no words came out. Jungkook shifted awkwardly, still holding the jar out.

“And then I realized something else” 

The younger said quietly, eyes staring at Jimin who forgot to blink. 

“I was actually really happy when I figured out it was you, Hyung”

Jimin’s heart stumbled, tears burning the back of his eyes, because Jungkook was looking at him like Jimin looked at him every second of the day. 

“I thought about it a lot… About you baking those cookies… about you leaving them for me… about you writing that little note”

Jungkook let out a small, embarrassed laugh.

“And then I started thinking about how you always listen to me ramble for hours. And how you bring me food when I forget to eat. And how you look at me like I’m… important” 

He trailed off, cheeks flushing a deep shade of pink. The breeze passed through the field again, making the flowers and leaves sway gently around them. Jimin still hadn’t moved, still hadn’t spoken. His brain was full of cotton and Jungkook took another careful step closer. Now they were really close. One wrong move and Jimin would be kissing him.

“So I thought…” 

Jungkook murmured. 

“Maybe… if you liked me enough to bake cookies all nigh… Maybe I could be brave enough to say that I like you too, Jimin Hyung”

Jimin’s chest tightened painfully, a sob resting at the back of his lips.

“But… Not just like-like. I mean I really like you. Like the kind where I think about you all the time and Taehyung tells me to shut up because I mention you every five minutes”

A shy grin flickered across his face.

“And I get weirdly jealous when other people sit next to you in class. Which is probably unhealthy but…”

Jungkook stopped suddenly, because Jimin still hadn’t reacted. At all. He stood there with parted lips and wide eyes, looking like someone had pulled his heart out. 

“...Hyung?”

Jimin just stared at him, eyes turning glossy, and Jungkook’s confidence wobbled immediately.

“Oh no… Did I mess up?”

Jimin shook his head a little and Jungkook leaned forward, peering at Jimin’s face like he was checking if the man had fainted standing up.

“Hyung, you’re kind of… not blinking at all”

Jimin blinked, and he dragged a shaky hand through his hair and laughed, except the laugh came out somewhere between overwhelming and disbelieving.

“I…” 

Jimin started, then stopped, his throat tightening.

“I’ve been in love with you for over a year, Jungkook-ah”

The words left his mouth so suddenly that even Jimin seemed amused along with Jungkook. 

“I was just… too stupid to say it. I kept thinking maybe you’d reject me. Or maybe things would get weird. Or I would force you into this. Or maybe I’d ruin everything about our friendship and our friend group and…”

His voice cracked into a small, helpless laugh.

“So I baked cookies instead”

“…A year?”

Jungkook stared at him like he had grown two horns and Jimin nodded sheepishly.

Jungkook let out a breath that sounded suspiciously like a laugh, and then he suddenly covered his face with both hands.

“Oh my god!”

“What?”

Jungkook dropped his hands slowly, staring at Jimin with wide doe eyes.

“Hyung… do you realize what you are?”

“…Pretty?”

Jungkook chuckled, shaking his head. 

“I mean, you are ridiculously pretty, but… You’re like a divine intervention”

Jimin let out a snort. 

“What?”

“I swear… I was doing completely fine before you showed up. Just living my life. Minding my business and then you happened”

“Happened?”

Jimin’s lips twitched, and Jungkook nodded. 

“Like a cosmic event. And now I’m completely ruined”

Jimin let out a soft laugh, his earlier nerves slowly melting into something warm and giddy as he slapped Jungkook’s arm. 

“You’re being dramatic now”

“I’m being brutally honest, because you are… you. I just can’t explain, Hyung”

Jimin looked at Jungkook like he was something fragile and precious.

“And you’re the reason I nearly burned down a kitchen trying to bake cookies”

“Those cookies were amazing. Extremely delicious”

“I almost cried three times making them”

“That explains the emotional flavor”

Jimin laughed rolling his eyes and his hand still clutching Jungkook’s sweater whose hands trembled around the candy jar.

“Jimin Hyung?”

“Mhm?”

Jungkook glanced down, then back up again, his ears a bright shade of red. 

“Can I… Can I kiss you?”

The question hung in the air for exactly half a second, because Jimin immediately stepped forward.

“Finally!”

Jimin rose onto his tiptoes in a heartbeat, his hands grabbing Jungkook’s sweater strings, tugging him down just a little… And their lips met. A little clumsy because Jimin was still on his toes and Jungkook had clearly forgotten how human coordination worked. But it was perfect. So soft and so warm. Jungkook made a tiny surprised noise against Jimin’s mouth before relaxing completely, one hand coming up to steady Jimin by the waist. Full of months… years of feelings that had finally found their way out. When they pulled apart, Jimin was still slightly on his tiptoes, breathing softly, being held by Jungkook’s arm around his waist.

“…Wow”

“All good?”

Jimin winked.

“It's heavenly… It’s for you…”

.

.

.

They wandered a few steps away from the center of the flower field until they found a large old tree, its branches casting patches of soft shade on the grass. Jimin plopped down first, crossing his legs, and Jungkook sat behind him, a little closer than necessary, pulling Jimin flush against his chest. It wasn’t new. In fact, nothing was new, they just fit like pieces of a puzzle. Jimin took the jar carefully from Jungkook’s hands. The candies inside were colorful, wrapped neatly in crinkly paper.

“You customized this?”

“…I guess”

Jimin narrowed his eyes playfully.

“You didn’t burn down the kitchen, did you?”

“Excuse me? I am a perfectly capable adult”

“Right”

Jimin giggled skeptically but opened the jar anyway. The candies clinked softly against the glass as he tipped a few into his palm.

“Oooh, they look cute”

Jungkook watched him with poorly hidden anticipation as Jimin picked one and started unwrapping it. But the moment the wrapper came off, a small piece of paper slipped out and fell into his lap.

“…What’s this?”

He glanced at the younger and picked up the tiny rolled paper between his fingers, unrolling the note slowly. His eyes scanned the small yet messy handwriting.

“Don’t stare!”

Jimin looked up at him with wide eyes.

“You wrote notes in them?”

“Maybe…”

“You look the prettiest when you laugh”

Jimin read out loud, his ears turning pink immediately.

“Oh my god… Don’t read them out loud!”

Jungkook hid his face in his hands. 

“You brought it upon yourself, Jeon”

Jimin laughed, taking out more candies and unwrapping them. 

“I first liked you when you scolded Taehyung for dropping my mug”

Jimin burst into a surprised laugh.

“You noticed that?!”

“I am always watching you, Jimin-ssi”

Jimin stared at him for a second before looking back down, heart doing little cartwheels.

“Your eyes disappear when you smile and it’s unfair to the rest of humanity”

Jungkook’s arms only tightened around Jimin’s waist, pulling him closer as the older chuckled. 

“Jungkook?”

“What?! It’s true!”

Another one.

“I wanted to kiss you the day it rained and you wore my hoodie”

Jimin choked on air as if he didn’t want to do the same. 

“You… WHAT?”

“Next one! Read the next one!”

“Taehyung told me to stop writing so many notes but I didn’t listen”

Jimin snorted.

“That sounds about right”

He picked another, and unwrapped it, smile softening again. 

“You feel like home”

Jimin slowly looked up, and Jungkook was already watching him carefully. He leaned back and pecked Jungkook’s cheek once. 

“…You’re ridiculous” 

Jimin murmured fondly, ruffling the younger’s hair. 

“But… I’m keeping every single one of these”

Jimin glanced down at the jar again, still resting between them in the grass, colorful wrappers catching bits of sunlight. His chest felt warm in a way he had never quite experienced before, like something that had been tight and aching for months had finally loosened. Jimin leaned a little closer, amused, and Jungkook hesitated for exactly half a second before leaning in. This time, the kiss wasn’t rushed or surprised. It was slow and gentle. Jimin’s hand slid up to Jungkook’s shoulder while the younger’s fingers found Jimin’s waist, steady and warm.

Their lips lingered this time,  like neither of them was in a hurry to move away. Jimin smiled faintly against Jungkook’s mouth, pecking the rosy lips once more before pulling back. 

“Hi” 

Jungkook murmured, and Jimin laughed quietly.

“Hi…”

And beneath the old tree, surrounded by wildflowers and half-unwrapped candies, they stayed there… hands intertwined, hearts finally saying everything they had been holding for far too long, believing they were losers in love.