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"Namjoon, you've been ignoring me for way too long."
"What are you talking about? We just had coffee together yesterday."
Jungkook woke up from his nap, startled by the stranger's loud voice. Taehyung was unperturbed, playing music on his phone and grooving in his own little world. Seokjin and Yoongi continued to snore softly next to each other on the floor. Jimin and Hoseok were nowhere to be seen.
"Look what you did, you're too noisy." said Namjoon, noticing Jungkook.
"Oh my god! I'm so sorry!"
Jungkook waved a placating hand at the short brunette. He seemed intimidating at first but now he looked quite harmless, clinging to Namjoon and apologizing repeatedly.
"Jungkook-ah, this is Jackson from GOT7."
"Nice to meet you, hyung!"
"Oh, this one is friendly. It's a good thing you haven't corrupted your dongsaeng."
"I'm a great influence to my dongsaeng." Namjoon deadpanned, pushing Jackson off of him. A small smile crept on Jungkook's face.
"Honestly though, Jungkook-ah," Jackson said earnestly "You are really great and talented. I can tell you're gonna be big someday by the way the venues explode when you come on stage." He broke into the chorus of 'I Need You' and did an overly enthusiastic version of the point dance, coaxing a laugh out of Jungkook. Namjoon spoke before he could thank him.
"You should stop before you hurt yourself."
"Can you believe how sweet Namjoon is to me?" Jackson said.
"Jackson-hyung we could hear you all the way back there." said a second new voice. Apparently it belonged to a very tall blond boy who was reaching for Jackson when he realized he wasn't alone.
"Oh, uh. I'm sorry." he said, withdrawing his hand and bowing quickly. He looked ready to run away until Jackson pulled him by the wrist to stand beside him.
"Everyone, this is our giant baby, Kim Yugyeomie."
"Ack hyung, please!"
Together they made a comical sight. Jackson had managed to drag Yugyeom down into a headlock, his long limbs flailing as he tried unsuccessfully to wriggle free.
"Heeeyy, coming through please..." said Hoseok's voice from behind the pair.
"Oh! I'm sorry!" Yugyeom said, springing apart from Jackson and bowing repeatedly as Hoseok and Jimin bowed back politely.
"Hey you guys are from GOT7, right?" Hoseok said, smiling brightly at the two. "Your dance is really cool."
"Thank you hyung!" Yugyeom said, his face lighting up with excitement. "Honestly hyung, I've loved your work since you were with NEURON."
"Ooooh! Hang on haven't we met before?"
Hoseok and Yugyeom broke off from the group, chatting excitedly about their days in the underground dance scene. Namjoon had introduced Jimin and Jackson but had evidently zoned out as they started to talk about workout routines and diets. Jungkook went back to sleep.
"Kookie, don't you want to meet any same-age friends?"
"Nope. I'm good hyung." Jungkook said, tapping Seokjin's hip reassuringly while the elder lay his head on Ken's lap. Seokjin looked like he wanted to say something but decided against it in favor of trying to sleep instead.
Jungkook scrolled through the numerous wifi hotspots set up by fans of different groups all around them. Some of the names were genuinely funny, but a hundred refreshes only yielded four new ones so it got old pretty fast.
If he could be honest, he would admit that he was dead bored. He was excited to compete but there was always more waiting than competing done at events like this. He could only take so many selcas.
More importantly, if he could be honest, he would admit that he couldn't stand how his hyungs would leave him like this. (Except for Seokjin, of course, but he was a given.)
All around him his hyungs were scattered, meeting old friends and making tentative new ones. He felt a tiny, tiny pang of envy as he watched Taehyung easily laugh with a total stranger. He used to tell himself that maybe all of these persons were just old friends from school or friends of friends, but he quickly learned that Taehyung really was just that sociable.
Even Yoongi was trading numbers with a boy from Seventeen who looked uncannily like him. For a self-labelled recluse, Yoongi's phonebook was more extensive than that of any other member.
His eyes landed on GOT7 lazing together several feet away from him. It seemed they were done with their fill of socializing as most of them were just sitting together. He couldn't really say he knew them well but he could at least tell that one person was missing.
Scanning the venue, he eventually found their maknae (now with shaggy auburn hair) strolling with Hoseok.
He had once seen Hoseok watching one of his dance videos while passing the time backstage. When he learned they were the same age, he was briefly forced to reflect on what he was able to do with his life at age 13.
Having a same-age friend like that couldn't be so bad, right?
"Hyung?"
"Yeah?" Ken and Seokjin said together, causing them to exchange a look for a split second before Seokjin said again: "Yeah?"
"I'm gonna go hang out with Hoseokie-hyung."
"Okay Kookie, have fun." the elder said, closing his eyes again as Jungkook stood to look for the two.
"Hey Kookie!" Hoseok greeted as he saw Jungkook coming up to them.
"Gyeom-ah, this is the Jungkook I was talking about. Kookie, this is Yugyeom."
"Oh, so you're the guy?" he said, giggling. "It's nice to meet you!"
"Nice to meet you too!" Jungkook said, hoping from Yugyeom's words that Hoseok had only said flattering things about him.
They continued to walk on, Jungkook falling into step with them. He laughed along but said nothing, feeling less lonely just listening to Hoseok and Yugyeom's chatter.
Not too long after, GOT7's leader waved at Yugyeom to come over.
"Guess I gotta go hyung. Text me?" said Yugyeom.
"Yeah for sure!" Hoseok said, flashing him a thumbs up.
Yugyeom turned to him, smiled warmly and gave a little wave.
"Wait!" Jungkook said, stepping a little closer. Yugyeom's look turned curious as he waited for the other boy to say something.
"Uh...you dance good." Jungkook said, aiming to pat Yugyeom on the arm but catching him by the waist instead.
Yugyeom looked amused, but thankfully didn't laugh. "You too, Jungkook-hyung!" he said, waving goodbye and jogging away to rejoin his group.
'Hyung?'
Jungkook rolled the word around in his tongue a few times. He had never been called hyung by anybody in the industry before. He spent the rest of the day pondering the feeling.
That night, Jungkook asked for Yugyeom's number from Hoseok. He just needed to tell Yugyeom to drop the 'hyung', that's all.
"Is it hard being the only 97-liner in your group?"
"Well...not really."
"Oh, okay then." Bambam said, smiling politely.
To be fair to Bambam, he had spent the past several minutes trying to get a conversation running. Yugyeom, seemingly oblivious to the social disaster unfolding before his eyes, chipped in every now and then but mostly just sat back and nodded. It wasn't that Jungkook didn't like them. He just. Really didn't have much to say.
Technically, it wasn't their first time being together. Since texting Yugyeom months ago to stop calling him hyung, the former had invited him into a 97-line group chat on KKT. He had introduced himself and answered some questions from the other idols in the chat, but once the excitement had died down, he spent most of his time lurking in it. He really did mean to participate more. Someday.
A loud noise followed by some yelling grabbed their attention from outside the room.
"What's going on over there?" Bambam said almost sounding relieved as he walked towards where the commotion was.
"I'd bet all my money Namjoon-hyung was involved." Jungkook muttered in his seat.
A quiet little snicker bubbled up from Yugyeom, whom he had almost forgotten was still there.
"You might not win that bet. I have some pretty dumb hyungs." he said, making Jungkook laugh out of surprise.
"I'm glad you stopped calling me hyung, then."
Their conversation was cut short as a group meeting was called.
Shit.
Jungkook ducked his head as Yugyeom looked up across the room from a game he was playing on Taehyung's phone. Hopefully he hadn't been caught.
For all their amicableness, the boys of GOT7 and BTS still felt awkward around each other during down time. It was one thing to share a wry laugh over idol life backstage and another to actually perform together. Everybody dealt with the tension in their own little ways, trying to close the gap between them in the four days they were given to work together.
Yugyeom was no mood maker like Jackson, but he was always ready with a smile. He would know, because he'd been on the receiving end of that smile plenty of times. It was hard not to smile back, but it left him feeling at a loss about what to do next.
He chanced to look up, only to see Yugyeom still watching him. The other grinned and beckoned him over. Before he could decline, Taehyung got up and roped him into their circle.
"This is for your own good, Kookie." Taehyung muttered.
"What?"
Taehyung didn't answer, instead crowing loudly as they approached. "Make way peasants, the top scorer is here!"
"Whaaaat. You're Nochu?" Yugyeom said incredulously.
"Maybe. Who wants to know?" Jungkook replied. He immediately regretted acting cool. He felt Taehyung's grip tighten on the back of his shoulder.
"I do. I don't believe this score. It's a hack." Yugyeom said, unruffled.
Taehyung looked to Jungkook, surprised and excited all at once. "Ooooh! You're just gonna let him say that Kookie? Nochu!?"
"Give me that!" Jungkook said, squeezing into the space beside Yugyeom. Taehyung glanced over their shoulders for a bit before sauntering away, unnoticed by both.
It had been two years since Jungkook counted down to the new year with his family in Busan. He liked to think being away from them at this time of year was a sign of success, but sometimes even he couldn't fight the doubt. At times like these, he felt like he missed himself.
They filed into the space in front of GOT7 in time for the countdown. He greeted each of the members, and reached out to clasp Yugyeom's hand when he got to him.
"Hey, I saw that episode of One Punch Man you linked to." Yugyeom whispered cheerfully, pulling Jungkook in closer by the shoulder
"Yeah, that was pretty cool!" Jungkook said, still lost in his thoughts. "You should check out the manga too."
"I will." Yugyeom said, dancing to the music playing in the background.
He and Yugyeom had started trading recommendations after the end of MAMA. Truthfully, Jungkook hadn't had this kind of relationship with anybody he didn't also have to live with since he was 12.
Everything he did these days, he didn't really do by himself. His music was music Namjoon had also been listening to, his manga were ones Jimin was also reading. Just the other day, Seokjin's family had taken them all out to dinner, treating them all like sons. He loved his hyungs dearly, but to suddenly have something of his own, if he could call it that, was quite nice.
"Hey Kookie." said Yugyeom, breaking into Jungkook's reverie once again. "You dance good." He said, shoving him lightly off the platform.
"How disrespectful! I ought to bring you down in 1.7 seconds!"
Laughing, he wrapped an arm around Yugyeom's shoulder and leaned all his weight downward, pulling the taller boy off the platform with him. He was pleasantly surprised by Yugyeom's steady hands on his elbow, keeping him from falling on his face.
Yeah. This was nice.