The Last Boy Scout

3

"Kim Mingyu."

I looked at him wth wide eyes. We used to go bowling with each other. We haven't kept in touch since the army enlisting began.

"What?" He asked. "You don't remember me?"

"I-I remember you, we used to go bowling together with DK and The8 and all them. I remember the group chat..."

"Yeah," Mingyu laughed. "What happened to that, anyway?"

"Remember? BamBam sent a photo and-"

"Oh, now I remember." Mingyu looked sheepish. "Where are you headed?" He slipped his cap back on and hid his face with his mask again.

"The bus stop." I pointed down the street.

"Oh..." Mingyu chuckled. "I'll go with you. Where are you headed?"

"I was going to go home, but then I bumped into you,"

"Oh, I was on my way to stop by at the BigHit studio to say hi, but here you are now,"

I smiled under my mask. Good thing Mingyu didn't see.

"Do you want to come to the Pledis building with me?" He offered.

"Sounds good."

We walked to the bus stop together. Mingyu's phone rang. He looked at the caller ID and declined it.

I was curious who it was, but I didn't ask.

He probably read my mind because he told me it was his girlfriend.

"Since when did you start dating?" I asked.

"About a year now." He replied. "Everyone's starting to date these days,
So I thought, why not give it a try?"

"How is it?" I asked. Dating wasn't something I considered. I saw how stressed Jimin looked when he broke up with his last girlfriend.

"She's really nice." Mingyu replied. "Sometimes it gets complicated, but it works out."

We reached the bus stop. I wanted to know more.

"Have you guys, um..."

I was going to ask if they've kissed yet but Mingyu was way ahead of me.

"Yeah, we did it." He looked at me with a dumb look on his face.

I was shook. My eyes went wide and I stared straight at the ground. I wasn't good when it came to talking about...that. Jin hyung would always cover my eyes or distract me.

I blinked a couple of times. I didn't want to be known as Jungshook or Jungkook or Jungcoc-

All of a sudden, the bus stopped in front of us. Mingyu and I got on and paid the bus driver. We sat near the back.

---

At the Pledis building, Mingyu brought me into his recording room. I sat down on one of the office chairs.

"I'll be back, okay? I need to talk to other members."

He left the room. I sat there, looking out of place in Mingyu's office. It has changed since I last visited the Pledis building.

I look to my side, and see a shelf full of books. Thick books and novels about some wizard or something. I knew Wonwoo liked to read, but I didn't know Mingyu was a reader.

I began to get bored. I pull my phone out of my pocket and go on Twitter. Maybe I should post a selca? Nah...

I open up the App Store. Underneath recommended apps is an app called Instagram. I've heard of it before. A lot of ARMYs post on there. I've heard there are fam accounts and also meme accounts, too.

I had an idea.

I download Instagram. I decide to make an account. I type in nochu as the username but apparently it was already taken. I think of another username.

I type in a username. As the profile picture, I chose a photo of Tae hyung drinking water. That way, no one would think it's me.

After making the account, I edit my bio. I put ireumeun jungkook. I close the app, and check my messages. I have one from Jimin.

Kook, where are you? Are you busy?

I felt bad for Jimin. The way he was very concerned for Yoongi hyung and the way he walked out of the room just like that. It must be hard for him.

I text Jimin back.

I am out with a friend.

I turn off my phone. It was at 17%. What a coincidence.

A few minutes later, Mingyu walks back in. He gestures for me to follow him.

I follow him down the hall. We take an elevator up to the third floor to the practice room.

I enter the room. Vernon, DK, Dino, Woozi and Wonwoo are in the room. Everyone except Wonwoo is on the floor, their eyes glued to their phone screens.

Wonwoo was sitting on a chair, one leg propped up on the other, and reading a novel like the ones I saw in Mingyu's office. The glasses he was wearing made him look very sophisticated.

Wonwoo looked like a father in a waiting room watching over his four children.

He looked up and noticed us. A dark expression covered his face when he saw Mingyu. When he turned to me, his face became brighter.

I felt like I was the doctor and Mingyu was Wonwoo's wife who just had a doctors appointment.

Wonwoo looked either dead inside or...jealous. I couldn't really tell though, until what he said next.

"Oh, it's you."