Fake Love 《Jikook》

6

“Okay you sons of bitches, it’s time to hike,” Yoongi shouts in excitement as he hastens his headband.

Jimin quite frankly is stunned by Yoongi’s enthusiasm.

“You hike? Jeongguk had to carry you here because you wouldn’t wake up!” Jimin protests. In his defense, Min Yoongi, really doesn’t look like the athletic type. For an alleged hiker, his legs lack the proper muscle and he’s rather short in comparison.

“He always falls asleep, Jimin. That’s nothing new.” Jeongguk provides, a smile on his lips.

“You’d be surprised. Yoongi used to be the prized shooting guard!” Seokjin praises, busy checking the contents of his bag.

“It’s much too early for you to fossilize my legacy that quick, Jin.”

“Alright, so. The cabin is six kilometers from here and we stay there for a day.” Seokjin dismisses Yoongi’s silent argument and points in a general direction upwards.

“Who allows building on top of mountains?” Jimin is all but confused. He had simply agreed to tag along on what Jeongguk called it ‘the-trip-of-the-century’. It sounded promising but now it just seems like any normal hike. Apparently, Jimin is very famous amongst Jeongguk’s direct company – Yoongi had demanded Jimin to come. Is this what it feels like to be a celebrity?

“I paid for that hut…” Seokjin crosses his arms.

Yoongi really likes Jimin. He does, but goddamn is Jimin cheeky. They had spent the entire car-ride here talking on who exactly was the shortest. Little do the elders in the party know, it was all a devised plan on Jimin and Jeongguk’s part to steal the aux cable. Sadly, they had failed. Yoongi has the eyes of a hawk.

“So, anyone care to bet?” Yoongi claps his hands.

“Bet?”

“Yeah. Teams hike together and the first one to reach the top wins the entire betting pool.” Yoongi explains to Jimin.

Jimin wants to talk against the betting because petty competition is dumb. It doesn’t work. Yoongi and Jeongguk are amidst a game of rock-paper-scissors to decide their partners as Seokjin cheers from behind.

Score. Jeongguk outsmarts Yoongi and yells in triumph. He’s shoved by Yoongi.

“I want Seokjin.”

“Fuck you, I’m going with Yoongi!”

“First one to reach the top wins.”

“I’m going to die… I’m fucking dead.” Jeongguk whispers as he closes his eyes shut. Jimin is very shocked.

Jeongguk being overenthusiastic and needlessly energetic had jumped over rocks and ran across the more easier plains making it hard for Jimin to keep up. They have reached the top in what could very well be a record-breaking time as team Yoonjin is nowhere to be seen.

Jimin really wanted to fight against the idea of team names but apparently, Jeongguk was ecstatic with the idea of team ‘Jikook’. Had they spent any more time thinking about it Jeongguk would have made a banner and a chant. He’s too competitive for his own good but Jimin can relate. He really hates losing too, hence all the effort he put in to keep up.

“Please, tell me they’re here.” Jeongguk does not open his eyes.

Jeon Jeongguk fears heights: the more you know.

“How the fuck did you manage to run across the entire trail if you were this scared of a little height?”

“Little? You call 1664 meters above sea level… a little height?” He finally opens his eyes only to point a signboard behind Jimin that displays the number. There is a smiley underneath the digits – possibly for the more candid bunch of hikers. Jeongguk is nowhere near grateful for the knowledge. He’s terrified.