Pretty Boy

3. New Persona

"Is he ready to go? I want to see pictures!"

Jungkook was already having a bad morning at the thought of the agonizing week that laid ahead of him. He was sitting on the couch in his living room with his legs crossed; a bowl of cereal in his hands. Jungkook lifted the lip of the bowl to sip the milk from it as Taehyung - who had showed up at his apartment at the crack of dawn to wake him - was having a FaceTime call with Hoseok and Jimin.

"He's not dressed yet. He's currently eating breakfast in a very unladylike position," said Taehyung as he looked over Jungkook's way. In response, Jungkook brought the cereal bowl away from his mouth, wrinkled his nose, and stuck his tongue out at Taehyung.

Taehyung wasn't phased by the response. He instead laughed and turned his head away from Jungkook again to focus his full attention on his two other best friends that were somehow able to both smush their faces into the same small camera frame.

"I'll send you both pictures when he's ready to go," assured Taehyung. "He'll be ready soon enough since the school is expecting him in two hours."

'I'm going to take full advantage of being a dude for two more hours then,' thought Jungkook as he put the now empty cereal bowl down before turning to lay on his back on the couch; dangling his legs over the edge of the arm rest as his eyes faced the ceiling.

"I wanna start a bet because I bet Kookie can't pull it off," came Jimin's boisterous voice from the video call.

"I'm still in the same room you doofus! Thanks for the support!" shouted Jungkook from where he laid. With his legs dangling over the arm rest of the couch, Jungkook decided to spread them apart, manspreading while he was still able to.

"I bet my lucky flip flops that he won't be able to do it," piped up Hoseok, ignoring Jungkook.

"Gross! I don't want your filthy flip flops!" said Jimin. "Bet something else."

"You are just saying that because you've never been lucky so you don't appreciate lucky things when you see them," said Hoseok.

"I bet that Jungkook will be able to do it," broke in Taehyung. "And if he can't, I'll dye my hair whatever color you want."

"You mean you'll make it salmon pink if you lose?" asked Jimin.

"Whatever color you want," said Taehyung. "If I lose, which I won't."

Jungkook sat up, looking over at Taehyung as he said, "You're insane. All three of you are."

Taehyung looked over at Jungkook, cracking a small smile.

"Yes, but I know that you love all of us so much," said Taehyung; Jungkook getting up and walking towards his bedroom, waving a fist at him on the way by.

Taehyung chuckled, turning his attention back to Hoseok and Jimin on the video call.

"I should get going now. I'll send pictures soon. I've gotta get the superstar ready for his big day."

Taehyung hung up on the call before walking over to Jungkook's bedroom, opening the door without knocking. Jungkook was lying on his stomach on the bed; a pillow sandwiched over his head.

"Get up sunshine! Time to dawn your new persona!" said Taehyung as he walked over to Jungkook and slapped him playfully on the behind. "We need to have time to make sure you're well packed too."

"I don't even know what I'll call myself..." came Jungkook's mumbled voice from beneath the pillow.

"I've already thought of that for you when I called the school the other day. Your new name will be Jeon Aera."