Chapter Text
The first thing Jungkook noticed wasn't the notification.
It was the smile.
Taehyung sat curled up on the dorm couch, one leg thrown over the armrest, Yeontan sprawled across his lap like he'd personally paid rent to be there. His phone lit up, and before Jungkook could even ask what everyone wanted for dinner, Taehyung's entire face softened.
His eyes disappeared into little crescents.
His boxy smile appeared.
He laughed.
Not the loud, dramatic laugh he gave when Jin told terrible dad jokes.
Not the snort he made whenever Jimin tripped over literally nothing.
This was different.
Quiet.
Fond.
"...What's so funny?" Jungkook asked, trying very hard to sound casual.
Taehyung looked up immediately.
"Oh!" He grinned. "Bogum-hyung sent me this picture."
Of course he did.
Jungkook nodded once.
"Oh."
"He tried making pancakes."
Taehyung turned his phone around.
The pancakes were catastrophically burnt.
"They look like charcoal," Namjoon commented from the dining table without even looking up from the book he was reading.
"They look like modern art," Hoseok corrected.
"They look expensive," Yoongi mumbled.
"They look like a hate crime," Jin added.
Taehyung burst into laughter again.
Jungkook stared at the phone for exactly one second before looking away.
"...Funny."
"It is!"
"Hm."
Taehyung didn't notice the short answer. He never noticed.
"He wants to grab coffee tomorrow."
"Oh."
"And maybe visit that new art exhibit."
"Oh."
"And then dinner."
"Oh."
Taehyung blinked.
"...Are you okay?"
"I'm fine."
"You keep saying 'oh.'"
"Oh."
Jin slowly lowered his chopsticks.
Hoseok looked at Yoongi.
Yoongi looked at the ceiling.
Namjoon closed his book with a sigh that sounded suspiciously like, Here we go again.
Taehyung tilted his head.
"You're acting weird."
"I'm not."
"You are."
"I'm literally sitting here."
"Exactly."
"...That doesn't even make sense."
"It makes sense to me."
Jungkook shrugged.
"Have fun."
Taehyung smiled.
"I will."
For some reason, that made it worse.
—
The next day was somehow even worse.
Because Taehyung came back glowing.
There was no other word for it.
His cheeks were pink from laughing.
His hair was slightly messy from the wind.
He carried a tiny paper bag.
Jungkook had intended to greet him.
Instead, he watched from the practice room floor as Taehyung walked inside humming to himself.
Jimin immediately looked up.
"Ooo."
"What?"
"Someone had a good day."
Taehyung laughed.
"It was fun."
"You were with Bogum-hyung?"
"Mhm."
"What'd you do?"
"We went to the exhibit, then dinner."
Taehyung pulled a tiny keychain from the paper bag.
"He won this for me."
It was a little brown bear.
"He said it looked like Yeontan."
Jimin smiled.
"Aww."
Jungkook looked away.
Yoongi, sitting against the mirror with an iced coffee, watched Jungkook instead of Taehyung.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
—
Over the next three weeks...
It became a pattern.
"Bogum-hyung invited me to lunch."
"Bogum-hyung recommended this movie."
"Bogum-hyung said we should visit Jeju sometime."
"Bogum-hyung bought me this."
"Bogum-hyung texted me."
"Bogum-hyung—"
If Jungkook heard the words "Bogum-hyung" one more time, he was genuinely considering moving to another continent.
—
"You know," Jin said one evening while everyone ate fried chicken, "there are seven members in BTS."
Taehyung looked up.
"There are?"
"I'm just checking."
"What?"
"Because lately all I hear is 'Bogum this, Bogum that.'"
Taehyung laughed.
"Hyung!"
"I'm serious."
"I just hang out with him."
"A lot."
"He's one of my best friends."
Jungkook stabbed a piece of chicken much harder than necessary.
Jimin noticed.
Yoongi noticed Jimin noticing.
Namjoon noticed everyone noticing.
Hoseok decided silence was the safest option.
"So," Jin continued dramatically, "what you're saying is..."
Taehyung blinked.
"...?"
"You've replaced us."
"I have not!"
"You don't love us anymore."
"I literally live with you!"
"Not emotionally."
Taehyung groaned.
"Hyung..."
Everyone laughed.
Everyone except Jungkook.
—
That night, Jungkook couldn't sleep.
Bam had somehow claimed most of the bed.
Jungkook stared at the ceiling.
He told himself it wasn't jealousy.
It couldn't be.
Bogum was nice.
Respectful.
Kind.
Funny.
Successful.
Even Jungkook couldn't deny that.
So why did every mention of him feel like someone tightening a knot in Jungkook's chest?
Why did he hate imagining Taehyung laughing with him?
Why did he wonder if Bogum touched Taehyung's shoulder when he laughed?
If he sat close.
If he remembered Taehyung's favorite coffee order.
If he noticed how Taehyung unconsciously leaned into people he trusted.
Jungkook knew all of those things.
He knew Taehyung preferred oversized sweaters because they made him feel comfortable.
He knew Taehyung got sleepy after long schedules.
He knew Taehyung secretly liked strawberry milk more than chocolate milk despite insisting otherwise.
He knew Taehyung hummed when he painted.
He knew exactly how Taehyung smiled when he was genuinely happy.
He knew...
Everything.
Maybe too much.
"...Ah."
The realization settled over him slowly.
He wasn't jealous because Bogum was stealing his best friend.
He was jealous because someone else got to be the reason Taehyung smiled like that.
"...I'm doomed."
—
Across town...
Park Bogum stared down at his own phone.
On the screen was the latest selfie Taehyung had sent.
The caption simply read:
Yeontan stole my pillow again.
Bogum smiled despite himself.
"He really is adorable."
Then another thought crossed his mind.
Jeon Jungkook.
Bogum had met him enough times.
Enough to notice.
Enough to see the way Jungkook unconsciously moved closer whenever Taehyung entered a room.
Enough to notice the little frown whenever Taehyung laughed with someone else.
Enough to recognize longing.
"...You like him."
Bogum sighed.
"That's unfortunate."
Because Bogum liked Taehyung too.
Quite a lot.
He'd tried ignoring it.
It hadn't worked.
He'd tried convincing himself it was admiration.
Also hadn't worked.
Taehyung was warm.
Kind.
Ridiculously handsome.
Thoughtful.
The sort of person who remembered everyone's birthday and favorite snacks.
Bogum wasn't blind.
Neither, apparently, was Jungkook.
The only blind person...
...was Kim Taehyung himself.
—
"He's glaring."
Jimin whispered.
"I know."
Yoongi didn't even look up from his phone.
"He thinks no one notices."
"I've never seen someone glare harder."
"It's actually impressive."
Across the practice room...
Taehyung and Namjoon were discussing lyrics.
Completely innocent.
Jungkook watched anyway.
Then Namjoon laughed and patted Taehyung's shoulder.
Jungkook's jaw tightened.
Jimin buried his face in Yoongi's shoulder.
"I can't."
Yoongi snorted.
"He does this with everyone."
"I know."
"He got jealous of Jin yesterday because Tae hugged him."
"He did."
"He got jealous of Yeontan last week."
"He absolutely did."
Jimin looked over.
"...Should we tell him?"
Yoongi raised an eyebrow.
"Tell him what?"
"That he's painfully in love."
Yoongi took a sip of coffee.
"I'd rather watch."
"...Hyung."
"I'm invested now."
—
A few days later...
Taehyung burst into the dorm carrying grocery bags.
"Guys!"
Jin appeared instantly.
"What did you buy?"
"Food."
"I raised you well."
Taehyung laughed.
"Oh! Also!"
Everyone looked over.
"I had an idea."
Namjoon looked nervous.
Hoseok looked curious.
Jimin looked excited.
Jungkook immediately had a bad feeling.
"What idea?"
"I thought..."
Taehyung smiled brightly.
"...you guys should meet Bogum-hyung properly."
Silence.
Jungkook froze.
"So..."
Taehyung continued cheerfully.
"...I'm inviting him over this weekend!"
Jin glanced at Jungkook.
Hoseok glanced at Jungkook.
Namjoon glanced at Jungkook.
Yoongi didn't bother hiding his amusement.
Jimin quietly whispered,
"...This is going to be a disaster."
"No," Yoongi replied.
"It's going to be entertaining."
—
Saturday arrived far too quickly.
The dorm had somehow become suspiciously clean.
Jin insisted on cooking enough food for an army.
Namjoon reorganized the bookshelf three separate times.
Hoseok put on music.
Jimin helped Taehyung set the table.
Jungkook pretended not to care.
He absolutely cared.
The doorbell rang.
Taehyung practically skipped to the entrance.
"Bogum-hyung!"
Jungkook hated how naturally Taehyung smiled around him.
Bogum stepped inside carrying dessert.
"Hello."
He greeted everyone politely.
Jin immediately liked him.
Namjoon respected him.
Hoseok welcomed him warmly.
Yoongi observed him.
Jimin smiled knowingly.
Jungkook...
Shook his hand.
Firmly.
Very firmly.
Bogum smiled politely.
"...Good to see you again."
"You too."
Neither of them let go.
Taehyung looked between them.
"...Are you guys okay?"
"Fine," Jungkook answered.
"Perfectly fine," Bogum agreed.
Their smiles looked almost identical.
Jimin leaned toward Yoongi.
"They're already competing."
Yoongi nodded once.
"Mm."
"For a handshake."
"Mm."
"I'm making popcorn later."
Taehyung remained blissfully unaware.
"Come on! Let's eat before Jin-hyung starts yelling."
"I heard that!" Jin shouted from the kitchen.
"You were supposed to!"
Laughter filled the dorm.
Everyone moved toward the dining table.
Everyone...
Except Jungkook and Bogum.
For one brief second, they looked at each other.
No smiles.
No jokes.
Just quiet understanding.
You like him.
You noticed too.
Neither of them said a word.
Neither of them needed to.
The competition had officially begun.
And Taehyung...
Still had absolutely no idea.