Wheels Have Each Other

8. Doesn't make sense

The dinner again went by in silence, but this time, Jeongguk handed Taehyung a new remote for the TV as they ate, giving him the choice for their entertainment. 

"So...Namjoon hyung is a professor at the Seoul University in the field of Artificial Intelligence, right? What's his qualification?" Taehyung asked after dinner when the two of them settled back in the living room minus the food and the mess. 

"He did his post-doctoral research as well," Jeongguk replied and Taehyung could see a strange gleam in his husband's eyes as he talked about his friend, "he'll save the world one day, that man," Jeongguk continued. 

Taehyung realized that the strange gleam was pride. Jeongguk was super-proud of his friend and Taehyung could see it. Well, who wouldn't be if their friend not only finished their PhD but also their post-doctoral research, all in their twenties? 

He knew for a fact that Namjoon was thirty now. Seokjin had complained the previous evening at the wedding that two years into his thirties and he was losing the feeling of youth already. Taehyung remembered Namjoon chuckling at him, calling him old, for which Seokjin smacked his head and reminded him that he was thirty already and that he had no right to call Seokjin old.

He couldn't even begin to imagine how intelligent the man must be to be able to finish his post-doctoral research before even turning thirty. 

"And...what about you? What are your qualifications?" he asked Jeongguk. Jeongguk threw him a glance before looking back at the TV, "Masters in Business Administration. You did Bachelors in Technology, right?" Jeongguk asked back. 

"Yeah...how did you know that?" Taehyung asked, feeling dumb for knowing nothing about Jeongguk when the latter already seemed to know so much about him. 

Even at their engagement party, Jeongguk had already known Jimin before he could even introduce the two of them to each other. He had even known that Jimin was now a choreographer. 

Remembering that he hadn't asked Jeongguk about that either, he opened his mouth but realized that he had completely zoned out on his husband who was now answering his previous question. 

"Sorry, what?" he asked and Jeongguk just shrugged, "I just do."

Taehyung narrowed his eyes at Jeongguk at that, "and Jimin? How did you know about him?" 

Jeongguk took a deep breath and threw another stealthy glance at Taehyung and looked back at the TV, "stop asking questions already," he said. 

Taehyung narrowed his eyes further at that and tried to stare Jeongguk down, but knew it would be of no use if Jeongguk made his mind up not to look back at him again for the night. 

"How long is your leave?" he asked anyway. He couldn't stand the silence. 

"Until New Year," Jeongguk answered with a sigh, realizing that his stubborn husband wasn't going to give up either. "I'm not mad at you anymore if that's what you are trying to test with all these questions," he said. 

"Ohh, goo-Wait!! That's not what I was trying to test!! I was really being curious!!" Taehyung exclaimed, but Jeongguk had already caught on to his initial relief upon him confirming that he wasn't mad anymore. 

With his eyes still on the TV's screen, his lips pulled up a little at the way Taehyung still kept exclaiming some nonsense in his flustered state. 

"-twisting my intentions, you are so funny!! I never-"

"Okay, okay, I get it," Jeongguk said and got up from the couch. He put one of his hands into the pocket of his shorts and scratched his hairy chin with the other as he turned to face Taehyung.