JiMina Collection

A Secret For Two ~ Part 12

               Jungkook sighed at he walked alongside Taehyung. They were heading to the nearest convenience store to buy a few snacks. 

"Hey, do you think it'll always be like this?" he asked. An outsider wouldn't have known what he meant, but Taehyung understood. 

"I don't know. I miss her." he responded, fingering his jacket pocket. Jungkook knew that was where he kept a silly drawing that Sana had scribbled on a scrap of paper. Taehyung didn't have any photos of her, but that adorable drawing of himself was the next best thing. At least Jungkook was fortunate enough to have a picture. He remembered how nervous he was at first, but eventually he found himself completely comfortable around her. They spent ages playing with different filters on his phone, which was something that he definitely didn't regret. His camera roll was filled with her pictures. He kept every single one. As they approached the convenience store, the interior lights were completely off. 

"Temporarily Closed For Renovation" Taehyung read. "Should we just go back home, then?"

"Aww, but I'm hungry!" Jungkook pleaded. With that, they changed course and began their trek to another convenience store. It was slightly farther, but they could do it. As they crossed through busier streets, it became riskier and riskier to be out in public. They had to make this fast. Taehyung pushed open the door, the familiar chime of bells signified their arrival, faintly resonating throughout the store. They grabbed snacks, candy, banana milk, and cup noodles; the usual, then walk back to the counter. The faint tinkle of bells rang through the air once again, but went completely unnoticed as they browsed the aisles for miscellaneous objects. 

               Jungkook's persistent stomach grumbled as he glared at the mini freezer, most of which was awkwardly hidden behind another aisle. "I'm going to go grab some ice cream. Want some?" Taehyung shook his head and kept looking around. Deciding that he wanted a lime-flavored popsicle, he strode towards the freezer and stuck his arm in, only to bump into someone else's retreating hand.

"Oh! Sorry!" They apologized, simultaneously. Then they both froze. Jungkook jerked his head up to look at this new acquaintance, when, to his utter disbelief, he met the eyes of a certain Chou Tzuyu.

"Jungkook?" She said in surprise.

"Tzuyu. Tzuyu, you're here!" Jungkook found it hard to process this information. When he realized that he wasn't dreaming, he lurched forward so as to embrace her, before quickly remembering that first of all, they weren't that close. Second, stores have security cameras. "Meet you at the side of the building?" he asked. Tzuyu nodded.

"Sana's here too. We'll go out first." Despite their words, both of them still didn't move from their spots, staring, lost into each others eyes. The silence was broken by a couple strangled gasps from across the store, notifying them that Taehyung had found Sana without their help. Rushing together, the four exchanged silent looks. Tzuyu and Sana left the store first, closely followed by the two boys. They all turned into the dingy, side-alleyway, so as to provide themselves with more privacy. They quickly split into their respective pairs.

"S-Sana!" Taehyung exclaimed, before crushing her with a hug. She giggled in reply. 

"Tae Tae!" She smiled and jostled around in happiness.

"It's been forever. Even now, we'll have to leave soon." said Taehyung, using a softer, yet more serious tone of voice.

"I know." She sighed.

"Before we do, I have to tell you something." he proclaimed, trying to gather all his courage. He'd practiced this so many times. However, it wasn't so easy. "These past few months made me realize how, h-how much I really liked you. I just... I always felt really sad and worried about you, no matter where I was, or what I did. I-I guess, what I'm trying to say is, uh, do y-"

              Sana cut him off with a peck on the lips, making both their faces flare up. The twinkle In her eyes told him that she already understood, even without his confession. "Of course." she whispered. Laughing in relief, Taehyung kissed her. A proper kiss. Sana only pulled away when she heard the click of a camera.

"Did you just take a picture of us? While we kissed?" Sana questioned a guilty-looking Taehyung.

"It's for research purposes!" He defended.

"You dork." She said, ruffling his hair and pulling him into a tight and enthusiastic hug.

"I'll miss you." He whispered, wrapping his arms around her.

"I'll miss you too." She replied.

         While all that was going down, Jungkook had turned into the alley and walked right into Tzuyu. She reached out her arms to steady him and he quickly looked up to thank her, but the words just weren't coming out of his mouth. He was struck by the fact that pictures definitely could not do her beauty justice. He would know, having spent countless hours just scrolling through pictures. He could feel it getting awkward, but she was looking at him in the same way. 

        Clearing his throat, he stood straight and tried to strike up a conversation without sounding illiterate. It didn't work. "T-Tzuyu. What - I mean, h-how is - no - are you?" Jungkook wanted to facepalm himself so badly. "You know what, I'm not so good at words." Jungkook mumbled. He stepped forward and hugged her tight. By chance, Tzuyu's lips brushed against the side of his face. She gasped, and Jungkook liked to think that she was pleasantly surprised. He could already feel his face turning crimson from close contact. 

        Eventually, he let go and stared at the ground. Tzuyu realized what was going on, a playful smirk appeared on her face as she spoke up. "What's wrong?" She inquisited in an almost teasing manner. To make things worse - or better - she began to tease him even further, giving him a soft-as-air peck on the cheek. Leave it to Tzuyu to be far more blunt and straightforward than Jungkook would ever be. "Feeling shy?" she asked, as she stepped back. 

       Out of nowhere, Jungkook gathered all the confidence he had within him and let a sly smirk play across his face. "Not anymore." he said, before grabbing her waist at the speed of light and pulling her in for a fuller, deeper kiss. Her eyes widened, but she slowly began to kiss back.

           The four of them stayed in that alleyway for as long as they could, trying to catch up with each other and spend time together. They couldn't bring themselves to part. But often times, it's hard to always get what you want. The four of them left the alleyway full of longing, yet also with a newfound sense of hope. If that store hadn't closed down, Jungkook and Taehyung wouldn't have made the trip. If Jungkook wasn't as hungry, they might not have even crossed paths in the first place. It really looked like fate was on their side. But the only problem... is that time was not.