Low Stress: Puppy-Love (Jikook)

[EXTRA] Chapter One: The Return

Hey guys! As I mentioned in the end note, I wrote a completely different first chapter for this fic that got scrapped. I thought it would be fun to post it here at the end of it for anyone who likes the insight-y side of fanfics.

It's also a way to celebrate the conclusion of another low stress fic! Can't believe this is my third one! You'll definitely recognize parts of it that got repurposed for chapter five. Anyway, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy seeing what could have been <3

- Violette

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[SCRAPPED] Chapter One: The Return

Jeon Jungkook was on his second beer of the night. His throat was sore from laughing and his cheeks were starting to hurt from how hard he was smiling in the Korean Barbecue restaurant.

A year had passed since all of his friends had been able to see each other in the same place at the same time. Min Yoongi, who was in the middle of grilling meat for everyone, had toured America to work on an album he was producing while Kim Seokjin, the eldest out of the friend group who was currently laughing at a joke no one at the table understood, had only just gotten back from his military service. Seokjin's shoulders had grown even wider from the new muscle mass and Jungkook couldn't stop staring at them - it made Seokjin that much cooler in his eyes.

Then there was Kim Namjoon, who was even happier than Jungkook for Seokjin's return. The second Seokjin returned home, Namjoon moved in with him and now the two were attached at the hip.

Kim Taehyung, the friend closest to Jungkook's age other than Park Jimin, caught Jungkook's eye across the table and flicked his brows up. He was leaning against Jung Hoseok who had his arm draped around the younger's shoulders as he talked with Yoongi. Jungkook stared back at Taehyung, throwing him a smile at Hoseok's arm as he sipped on his beer and Taehyung just sent back a tata-mic one in return.

Everyone was talking over each other, jumping to share the next story about their year or memories the group of them had made together. Jungkook was happy just sitting in it, soaking in the love there without having to actively engage. It felt so precious, getting to have all of them there together again.

Well - almost all of them.

"Are you going back to Busan?" Yoongi asked Hoseok, referring to the dance academy Hoseok was helping out there with Jimin. Both of them had graduated with a dance master's and went on to not only get their own fame as recognized dancers, but also as choreographers. Hoseok was one of the most sought after professional choreographers in South Korea. Jimin was also growing more well known, though his fame was rising from modeling just as much as from dance.

Jungkook took a long sip of beer at the thought of Jimin. He could feel his absence at the table like a weight hanging over it. It'd been a full year since Hoseok and Jimin left for Busan.

"I think I'm staying in Seoul for good." Hoseok said, having come back to the city last week. "I got an offer to work on my own music from Yoongi's label and I think I'm going to take them up on it."

"Shit, that's awesome. Congrats." Namjoon said and Hoseok grinned.

"What about Jimin?" Seokjin asked, his cheeks flushed from the hours they'd all been drinking.

"Where is he?" Namjoon added and shifted to put his hand on Seokjin's lower back, looking him over to see if it was time to take him home. Seokjin pouted, immediately catching on, and scowled that as the oldest he was allowed to drink as much as he wanted even if he blacked out.