✔ || Save Me [[SEQUEL to DISTRACT ME]]

Chapter 24

Jeongguk slowly roused and then squinted in the smoky morning light filtering in through the window. He sat up with an achy groan - without Taehyung in his dreams, he slept poorly - and turned to his alarm clock. It blinked an astonishing 11:49 AM, and Jeongguk pushed himself up with a sigh. He didn't actually want to lose his entire day-off to slumber, but it seemed that was what had almost happened.

He dragged himself into the kitchen, still shirtless because he couldn't find it in himself to care, and Namjoon looked up from the book he was reading. He had earbuds in, but he pulled one out as he greeted the maknae. "You were dead to the world in there. Everything okay?"

Jeongguk shot him a dark look, yanking open the refrigerator. "Everything's peachy keen, why do you ask?"

"There's no need for that," Namjoon muttered.

"Sorry," Jeongguk said, finding an apple that would satisfy his hunger. "I just - you know."

Namjoon nodded. He knew. Of course he knew. All the members knew. Taehyung and Jeongguk hadn't really been on speaking terms since they got back, and however hard the other members pushed for an explanation, neither would say why. Taehyung because he was a prick (Jeongguk sighed at himself - he didn't really think that, but it felt good to pretend that he did), and Jeongguk because he honestly didn't know.

After a beat of silence, Namjoon pulled his phone out of his pocket and tapped furiously at the screen. Eyebrows knitted together, Jeongguk asked, "What are you doing?"

Instead of answering, Namjoon turned the phone towards him. Jeongguk's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates at the headline on the small screen.

What happened to the maknaes? An analysis of BTS's youngest members and the evolution - and fall - of their relationship
Jeon Jeongguk and Kim Taehyung, the maknaes of BTS whose fans lovingly refer to as "Taekook," seem to have faced some difficulties in their friendship recently. What could be...

Jeongguk looked back up at Namjoon, swallowing. "I guess I don't understand what's wrong. I thought we tried to ignore conspiracy stuff like that."

Namjoon blinked slowly, unable to properly express out loud how stupid the maknae was. "Look where the article came from."

Jeongguk squinted at the screen. "Dispatch?! Why are they posting stuff like this?"

"Because to the rest of the world, it's true." Namjoon pocketed his phone with a sigh. "It really looks like you two had a fallout. Are you trying to tell me that's not true?"

Jeongguk squirmed, and then said softly, "You know it is."

"Good," Namjoon nodded. "Acceptance is the first step to fixing a problem. What do you need from us to help you? I don't like how sad both of you have become, but none of us know how to fix it."

"I just -" Jeongguk pursed his lips thoughtfully. "If I could just talk to him, you know? Privately. But he never gives me a chance."

Namjoon sighed. "I think we can help with that."

With that, he stood and left the kitchen, pulling out his phone again. Jeongguk watched him leave, biting a chunk out of his apple. His tongue was dry as chalk, though, so he ended up throwing half of the fruit away. Groaning, he made his way into the living room.

Taehyung and Jimin were cuddling on the couch, the former's legs thrown over the latter's lap. Jeongguk pursed his lips at the display. Was Taehyung trying to make him jealous? Or was he trying to show that he'd moved on from their relationship, and that Jeongguk should too?