But I Still Want You {Taekook}

9. Jeongguk

Meanwhile, Jeongguk was in literal hell and didn't have a single clue what on Earth he'd done to get so immensely fucked by karma. As if seeing Taehyung again after seven years wasn't enough, as if having their mutual best friends happy and in love and their two circles merging wasn't enough, now, he had to endure Taehyung at work too, twice a week. And he couldn't even relax on Saturdays with his squad like he used to, no, because those days were apparently over now. Yoongi and Jimin were attached at the hip, Seokjin was becoming fast friends with Namjoon, and Hoseok was being Hoseok and was adored by everyone.

Everything about that situation frustrated Jeongguk. Not only did he feel like Taehyung had come back only to raise hell on him, but he resented him for taking away the most important pillar of his life, his friends.

And so, for the past three weeks, little by little, he had been withdrawing, pretexting urgent stuff or inventing plans with Eunwoo to skip the weekly Saturday gatherings, and spending the night alone in his apartment, watching TV and blaming the entire world.

Saturdays, which were before the days he was looking forward to the most during the week, were now becoming the days he was dreading the most. Which was why he didn't expect much from today either, since Jimin and Taehyung were throwing that stupid party at their place and everyone was going, of course.

Except him.

Sorry, I've got plans, he texted Yoongi when his friend asked him if he was coming.

You had plans last week and the week before that too, Yoongi replied immediately. Can't you make time, just this once?

Jeongguk sighed. His friends had noticed something was wrong with him, of course, and were frequently sending messages asking if everything was all right, and telling him they were here if he needed to talk, but that was the thing; Jeongguk couldn't tell them, and Yoongi even less. Your lover's soulmate is my ex-boyfriend whom I hate. Yeah, that was going to fly so well.

I can't, sorry, he texted him finally, feeling guilty.

Yoongi didn't reply after that, and Jeongguk thought that was the end of it. He left work after his last coaching session, later that afternoon, and headed home, wondering if he should call Eunwoo just so he wouldn't be alone once again on a Saturday for the third time in a row, before shaking his head. Eunwoo was going out with friends too, and even if he was free, Jeongguk didn't really want to see him.

It was a common occurrence these days.

When he arrived home, his door was unlocked. Closed, but unlocked. On high alert, he stepped inside the apartment, wondering if he was getting robbed - and in that case, why would someone want to rob his tiny studio.

He had the beginning of an answer when he spotted a pair of shoes in the entrance, neatly placed next to his shoe rack. He knew who the shoes belonged to, and wasn't too surprised, after removing his own and crossing the tiny hallway, when he saw Seokjin laying on his bed, reading a manhwa.

"Hey," Seokjin said, smiling. "You've been MIA, so I thought I'd come to you."

Jeongguk sighed. He sensed an intervention. "Yoongi send you?"

"Nobody sent me. I sent myself," Seokjin replied haughtily. When he saw Jeongguk staring at him, he caved and added: "Yeah. Yoongi sent me."

Suddenly feeling very tired, Jeongguk plumped down on one of his two chairs. The layout of the place was simple enough; a single bed on one side, a table and two chairs on the other, with shelves. At the other end of the bed was Jeongguk's minimalist kitchen, consisting of one hotplate, an oven, a sink, and nothing else. Behind the kitchen, next to the hallway that led to the apartment door, was the most minuscule bathroom existing. At the head of the bed, a sliding window led to a balcony with a nice view of the city, which was the only redeeming feature of this rat-hole.