GIRL GROUP | jjk

Chapter 8

"Are you sure?" I ask Nabi—probably for the fourteenth time today.

Nabi doesn't hesitate. "It's time."

Jungkook is out with the other members of BTS, filming Run BTS. He's set to return in about an hour, and the girls and I have a rare moment when we have a few hours to ourselves on a Friday evening.

"What could possibly go wrong?" Jesstina says, weaving streamers through the window blinds. "He doesn't strike me as the homophobic type. I think it'll just be a tiny bit awkward at worst."

"Right," I say, not willing to bring up all that could go wrong. After all, it's Nabi's decision if she wants to come out as lesbian to Jungkook. I'm not one to stand in the way. All I can do as leader is to make sure that Nabi wants to do this—not just because she feels like she needs to.

I catch a short game of League of Legends before returning to the girls to finish off the last decorations of the coming out party. I texted Jungkook that he should leave his manager somewhere else for a few hours or so, while we go over something "top secret." I think it's a very fitting excuse, although I'm sure Jungkook doesn't know what the hell we're going to talk about.

"You're brave for doing this, Nabi," I say. When she first came out to us two years ago, she was in tears and obvious distress. She thought we wouldn't accept her. When Yuna, Jesstina, and I embraced her into a group hug, all of that doubt melted away. After all, we're a team. We won't look down on each other just because of who we want to love.

"It's a little early," Nabi says, "but Jungkook deserves to know, especially since he's a part of our team and we're going to debut so soon."

Next month. Our debut date is set for the middle of June, and it's insane to think that Jungkook will be filming our debut music video with us, and joining us center stage in our debut showcase. I still can't process the fact that Yuna is gone. I must seem like a broken record to my teammates. Each night, we recall a memory regarding Yuna, and we fall asleep waiting for her to message us back.

It's something Jungkook would never understand—BTS has stuck together since their trainee days.

I argue with Jesstina about the best way to make the chocolate cake, and Nabi belly-laughs when Jesstina decides to smear my face with vanilla frosting.

"Don't tell me you don't have a little crush," Jesstina says. "Jungkook is definitely your type."

For a second, I don't know whether she's talking to me or Nabi. Then it dawns on me that it has to be me. "Um. I don't date my team members." Jesstina's type is likely more Namjoon, which is probably the first thing I found out about her when we met two years ago.

"You don't have to be dating to have a crush," Jesstina says, smiling wickedly.

I saunter over to Nabi and help her with setting our tiny dining table with little trinkets—plastic butterflies, pastel pink napkins, and real metal forks and knives for Nabi's favorite steak dinner. The delivery man is fetching the food for us from a Michelin-starred restaurant that Nabi has only been to twice.

"As leader of the Fates," I say, "I command you to stop talking about me and Jungkook in this fashion."

"In this fashion," Jesstina scoffs. "I didn't know you couldn't take a joke!"

I roll my eyes. At the same time, Nabi places a gentle hand on my shoulder. "Is it... okay?"

I know what she means immediately. They know about the boys who bullied me in high school. They know it'll be hard for me to trust Jungkook fully. "It's okay," I tell Nabi.

"Sorry," Jesstina says, immediately sobering. "I know you hate men."

I snort. "I wouldn't say it like that."

Jesstina continues on, "It would probably take you a while to trust Jungkook, but I think he's trustworthy. Not like the other boys, but literally."

Nabi comes beside me and hugs me with her left arm. "Thank you for being our steady leader, Karma."

I can't help but grin. Jesstina and Nabi are like family to me now. They get me in a way that I only thought would be reserved for my parents.

After several more minutes of setting up decorations for our party, the steak is safely delivered. And I can't help but gnaw on my curiosity. "Do you girls... genuinely think that Jungkook could be a long term member of our team?"

Jesstina hums. She's been chewing gum for the past minute, and she makes loud smacks as she thinks. "I mean, it isn't ideal. But he'll give us a good boost, and the fans will definitely love him for it."

"I think..." Nabi leans against one of the four chairs. Her lips curl downwards like they do whenever she's deep in thought. "I think he can possibly be a member of our team for good."

I can't help but jerk back a bit at the thought. "Really? I think—"

Several knocks rasp against our front door. I head to answer it, but Jesstina is there a second quicker. She opens it to reveal Jungkook, who looks a bit tired from a long day of filming. His hair flies a bit wayward, and his jacket is tied around his shoulders as if he can't wait to take off everything and jump in the shower.

Why did I have to think of that?

Nabi grabs her party horn and blows loudly into it. Jungkook flinches before Jesstina leads him in, and his shock turns into a smile as he takes in all our decoration. The chocolate cake, a bit lopsided, sits on the center of the table. Four plates of steak and potatoes fill the dorm with a scent that can only be described as divine.

"All this for me?" Jungkook jokes, but in it is another question—What is this for?

Nabi goes straight for the neck, because she approaches the table with a confident stride, earning Jungkook's attention. "This is a party for me. A coming out party, because I like girls."

Jungkook blinks several times. Then he melts into an adoring smile. "I think that's awesome."

Why can't he be easier to hate?

While eating steak and listening to Jesstina pester Jungkook for all the details about the next episode of Run BTS, I check on Nabi and am pleased to see that she's glowing. She must be relieved that Jungkook, the newest member of our team, doesn't view her any differently.

A/N: Nabi's so precious! This was an emotional scene for me to write. 

I think everyone needs a Jungkook in our lives who'll accept us for who we are. When I write scenes like these, I think about the people who love me unconditionally. 

I'm praying that we all find our Jungkook!