𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐆𝐔𝐄𝐒 ✦ jikook

s i x t e e n

Taehyung was never a fan of being a third-wheel. 

He hates it when his relationship, more like a distance and quite unrequited one to be exact, is ruined by someone who is not a rival that suits his level. A cross-dresser who works in a place fogged with cheap weed and slutty males, merely a prostitute.

He shuffles uncomfortably while eyeing a small Jimin, the one who was captured not long ago, eye-smiling and gleefully shaking the others' hands as if he was new to them, as if they forgot what he really was. Once a criminal, always a criminal, you can't brush off the sin you committed no matter how hard you tried. That was Taehyung's only motto when he first came working at the police station. He never had and will never have a liking towards criminals and that's why when one of college his friends stole something, he immediately cut them off, brush them out of his life like they were a sort of obstacle that needed to get rid of, same with having the colleagues working downstairs. They once bullied them and now, he's working in the higher floor while they have to rot in one hell of a boring low-class level.

However, he still acts like everyone. His annoyance reduces from an elephant to an ant due to the fact that Jimin is Jungkook's working buddy and he might need his help soon. Furthermore, he was only pairing up with Jungkook, nothing more, nothing less. What Jungkook's doing is just an act of kindness.

Taehyung's shoulders relax when reassurance dawns upon him. He decides to stay quiet and folds his arms while absorbing the rest chit-chatting with Jimin, then his eyes aimlessly wander to Jungkook since he got bored from hearing Jin's jokes and Jimin's melodic laughter on replay. There, his crush, standing. A few minutes ago, he was laughing. Soft and sonorous, rolling down his rosy bubble gum lips, showing his cute and symbolic bunny teeth. He looks sweet and white like a vanilla scone on a humid and sunny day, innocent and waiting to be tasted. 

"Taehyung, are you coming to lunch with us?" 

Taehyung flinches, hiding his slightly reddened ears due to his thoughts and nods following his stammers. When Namjoon steps forward to take his arm and drag him to lunch, he sees that Jin, Jungkook and Jimin are staying still in their previous positions. Mind fogs with curiosity, he swivels and asks while Namjoon looks at his bae one last time before heading for tummy-reassurances.

"Aren't you guys coming, too?"

"Oh," Jungkook's eyebrows raise and their eyes meet. Brown orbs glistening, one filled with hope and happiness, one filled with callousness and surprise. "Jimin requested to have a look at the evidences and the corpse in the morgue where Jin works."

That Jimin brat again.

"Asan Red Cross? But that's too far babe. And it's your lunchtime, too." Namjoon looks at Jin worryingly, being a clingy boyfriend he is. Taehyung looks at Namjoon and continues to encourage the three to rethink about his decisions. 

"It's okay Joonie," Jin smiles cutely, "I'll have lunch at the canteen later and it's only one or two kilometers away. After all, this case is in the crimson files. It'd be dangerous to the citizens if this continues to lengthen from days to weeks."

Namjoon nods with understanding and with a last goodbye, he continues to drag Tae along with him until Tae swivels and pries his bony hands gripping onto his flesh. He walks over to Jungkook and smiles at him before taking off his glasses.

"Take care of yourself Kooks," He pats the younger male's back and smiles. "I'm sure you'll be so freaking tired if you commit yourself to this too much. Yoongi says you're doing super great with your partner..." 

"Thanks hyung," Jungkook shows his bunny teeth while looking at Jimin talking with Jin. They must be chatting about the corpse and its evidences since it's a vital part of his investigation. "I have to go now hyung, Jimin and Jin is waiting."

"After this you definitely have to go and have lunch with me." Tae pouts. "We've been very distant to each other."

"Of course, hyung. Anything you like." With that, Jungkook winks and rushes over to wrap an arm over Jimin's shoulders, leaving a dead-panned Taehyung being dragged downstairs by his caring friend.

"Oppa Jin, annyeong!" Jimin's eyes detach from the scene of the big hospital they're walking and fix his gaze on a female with long brown hair smiling at them. She's in her usual doctor uniform, one that Jimin expects that every female doctor would wear. A slightly oversized white lab coat that stretches a bit below her knees, which are exquisitely covered by a black skirt, similar to business attire. Two pens dug deep into her left pocket and a name tag with clean and legible writing: "Jennie Kim"

"Good day, Ms. Kim" Seokjin waves and gives her a kiss on both of her cheeks as a friendly greeting which Jennie gladly return the favor with a hug. "How's it going with the patients?"

"Oh yes, the majority of them are fine hyung." Jennie notices the presence of Jimin and Jungkook so she turns her gaze to Jin with a questionable look on her face. Seokjin smiles and beckons the two males over closer for his friend to take a good look at them. At the same time he starts walking further into the hospital to where they're heading. The morgue where Jin ordered them to keep the lifeless body.

"This is Jungkook, the person I always told you about and the pink-haired bud is Jimin, his working buddy." Jin introduces casually while they're passing the baby wing which certainly doesn't smell like babies. At least it smells of nicely scented diapers, not like the baby wing in the hospital near his family's house. It reeks the smell of everything-disgusting-that-an-infant-can-do.

"Hello Jungkook, hello Jimin." Jennie smiles at them, tucking her hands into her pockets. "I'm Jennie Kim but you can call me Jennie. I hope we can get along well." 

"Hello." The two males says coincidentally, earning a smile from the two walking in front of them.

Jimin looks at the cute babies laying peacefully next to their mothers and mentally coos whenever they yawn but his mind can't stop thinking about the fact that he's here to visit a corpse as an important info for his mission with Jungkook. He thinks of it as a contrast and something really hard hits him when they make it to the morgue in no more than ten minutes.

"It's fast." Jimin says blankly which makes Jungkook notices and frowns while asking back. 

"I don't know... Is it just me that I feel the walk is fast or the morgue is very near the baby wing?" 

"You've been spacing out a while ago hyu-"

"Jimin. Told you my name already so don't be too formal a cop."

"Right," Jungkook scratches his nape when he notices that the guard is nearly done with opening the locked doors leading into the morgue. "As I was saying, you've been spacing out so maybe the walk was pretty fast to you and while you were thinking about something, Jin told us that the morgue is completely far from the wings and waiting rooms in the hospital. Secluded, you can say so, don't be worried about it, ok?"

Jimin inhales a breath before Jin and Jennie lead them into the morgue, shaking slightly due to nervousness but Jungkook ever so subtly tugs the hem of his leather jacket making him turn to look at the young lad who's a bit taller than him.

"It's okay. I'll always be near you."

And Jimin lightly smiles at the wrong-timing contrast.

A/N: Hello readers :3 I miss you guys so muchh 

First of all, I'm so sorry about the slow updates and my (almost) forgetting the story :< I got so carried away with all the homework and maybe trips :)) (since i'm currently in Vietnam and it's Chinese New Year my fam is celebrating downstairs *laughs*)

Second of all and finally, wish you guys a happy day and a late Happy Chinese New Year :>>