It Was Only By Chance (Jungkook x Cool Ranch Doritos) BTS Fanfiction

Chapter 4: The Stars Above

Ring...

Ring...

"Ugh!" he groans, "It can't be time already!"

It was 6:00am when Jungkook's phone began to ring and vibrate on his bedside table. He begrudgingly motivates himself to leave the comfort of his bed and heads to the bathroom. As he brushes his teeth his mind wanders back to the situation at the mall the day before. All his life, and especially since his debut, he had people constantly flirting with him but for the first time in his life he thought he might be interested in someone else. He quickly spits and rinses the tooth paste from his mouth before lightly drying his mouth with a small hand towel.

Being a member of one of the most popular South Korean pop groups comes with a lot of responsibilities so Jungkook makes an effort to create a rough to-do list for the day in his planner. He knew that he had vocal practice and dance rehearsal until the afternoon. After that he had a meeting with his management and an hour break before he needed to go to the recording studio. His schedule has been more packed lately as they all prepared for their next comeback in less than 2 months. 

Jungkook continues preparing for the day and enjoys his breakfast—a generous omelette filled with diced ham, bell pepper, and cheese, a personal favorite. As he indulges in the flavors, he catches up on some TV, savoring the moments with just a dash of salt and pepper to enhance the taste. He clears his plate and heads out the door to ensure that he makes it in time for the train but he is a bit ahead schedule and takes his time walking past a few neighbourhoods before boarding at the platform.

Seated on the slightly worn, visually vibrant fabric adorning the benches, he retrieves his phone, greeted by a notification. His heart skips a beat for a moment —could this be them? But, his heart sinks, a sensation of disappointment washing over him as he reads the name.

Jimin :)

i thought i'd make sure u are actually on ur way since you tend to sleep in on mondays lol

Jungkook was a bit upset not solely because his closest friends thought of him as irresponsible but in part because he was hoping to receive a message from someone else. He does not take the time to respond to the message since he was already almost to the studio and honestly he did not even know what to say. He gets off the train and tucks his phone into the front right pocket of his pants partly hoping it would buzz as he did so and completed the short walk to work.

Practice was very uneventful but just as draining as it always was. Jungkook loved his job, he trained for years before his debut and had been in the group for almost as long but at times he felt that the expectations from his company were a bit harsh. Luckily working with his best friends really helped to ease the pressure he was under and keep him motivated but he would be lying if he said he had never considered giving up or breaking his contract.

He really liked the choreography for one of the songs in particular that they even filmed a dance practice video with. Even though it was a lot of pressure, what aspect of his job was not difficult?

Later in the afternoon after practice was done Jungkook went to fill up his water bottle when V came up and leaned against the wall next to him with his arm above his head.

"So what's got you so happy today?" he says with a giant grin on his face.

"Umm, I'm not sure I understand?" Jungkook responds, his gaze briefly shifting to V before refocusing on the fountain. He did not notice a change in his behaviour but he could leave it up to his friends to discover when he was acting differently.

V leaned a bit closer adding, "You are going to tell me that nothing is going on, and you just happen to have shown up on time today," Jungkook opened his mouth to prepare for a retort , but he continued, "and, you have been checking your phone all day."

He did not even know how to respond. He had not even noticed , but now that his friend was calling him out, he was connecting the dots but still unsure if he should tell the truth. Silence lingered in the air for several seconds, with only the sound of rushing water and ambient noise from the others in the dance room reaching this far into the corridor.

"Fine." V says, finally breaking the silence, "You don't have to tell me. Just make sure you are being safe because you should know better than anyone the consequences that can happen when people interfere with your lifestyle."

What he said sent shivers down his spine. He knew how traumatic that topic was for him, and even if he was trying to look out for him, it did come across as a bit uncalled for. He did not have to mention them. He tried to shake it off as V turned to head back to the dance room when cold water began to rush over his hand. The bottle had overflowed, and honestly he had forgotten that he was even filling it.

This situation is nothing like what happened before he tried to tell himself. He tightly screwed the lid on and wiped off some of the excess water. He could not possibly be naive enough to fall victim to the same thing again. He couldn't.

Jungkook sat through all of the boring meetings he had to after practice ended. He wondered how such influential and powerful people could waste so much time saying so little but at least it gave him some time to relax a bit. He just could not wait for it to end so he could go on a walk and get some fresh air.

As his meeting drew to a close, the sun had begun its descent, casting a tapestry of exquisite hues across the sky with stars peaking through as he takes a moment to take it all in. Jungkook takes a stroll through a park and spots a time-worn bench stationed in a peaceful clearing—a spot often deemed impractical during sweltering summer days but now absolutely what he desires. He admires the intricate metal frame as he grows nearer before placing his hand firmly on the back.

"I didn't expect to see you here." says a familiar voice prompting him to cast his gaze downward toward the occupied seat. 

He could not believe his eyes but shyly smiling at him was none other than Cool Ranch Doritos.

 "I-I don't bite, come sit down." they say beckoning me to join them. With a mixture of surprise and eagerness, Jungkook eases himself onto the bench, his attention shifting from their eyes to the vast expanse of stars overhead.

 Neither willing to break the serenity of the moment, they share a mutual silence, basking in the atmosphere that surrounds them. Jungkook wonders for a fleeting moment why Cool Ranch did not contact him throughout the day but ultimately decides to enjoy the tranquil air.

(Authors note: This chapter is for the celebration of the one year anniversary of this story. Sorry for the break, I lost my password and could not write more but I should be updating again. This chapter is more so a filler piece but I have bigger plans for the next one! Also, special thanks to all my friends that have been supporting this it really means a lot that you are finding it entertaining!)