ᴀʙᴏᴠᴇ ᴀʟʟ ᴇʟsᴇ || ᴍ.ʏɢ + ᴘ.ᴊᴍ ✔️

chapter twenty-four .

It was nearing August now. Before long, summer vacation would be over, and students would have to put aside their summer activities and get back into a school mood. Yoongi groaned inwardly merely at the thought of it. He had been quite enjoying these past couple of months, whether he was lazing around the house doing nothing in particular, or on those occasional days when he would venture outdoors for one reason or another.

On July 28th, Yoongi woke up shortly after nine o'clock, checked and replied to his text messages, then went to get breakfast--as became his typical morning routine. And Yoongi would usually scroll nonchalantly through his social media feed, not having much else to do as he ate. However this morning he received a call. People hardly ever called him. Setting aside his toaster strudel, Yoongi answered his phone.

"What do you want, Joon?"

Namjoon scoffed. "Gee, is that how you greet your best friend?" He said, sounding mildly offended by Yoongi's tone.

"That's how I always greet you."

"...true, I guess."

"So what did you want? You usually text. You know I don't like talking on the phone."

Namjoon hummed softly. "I know," he replied after a short while. "I just felt like calling. Well, I mean I had a reason, but you know-"

"Spit it out already."

"I was going to ask if you wanted to play basketball, Yoongs."

The mint-haired boy looked into his phone, as if his friend would be able to sense his expression of puzzlement that way. "Why, all of a sudden?"

"Oh, I don't know," Namjoon chuckled, "just in the mood for it, I suppose-"

"You have a reason, quit playing with me."

The blond was quiet for a moment, soon to release a heavy, thoughtful sigh that only furthered Yoongi's confusion.

"There's something I wanted to talk to you about, Yoongs. Something really important."

Yoongi hesitated. "Are...you sick or something?"

"What? No. Just-...are you coming or not?"

"Yeah...yeah, I'm coming. When and where?"

"Noon, at the park nearest to your house. The one we used to play at when we were in middle school. Is that okay?"

"That's fine, Joon."

"Alright, great...I'll see you then, Yoongs. Bye."

"See ya."

--------

By the time Yoongi arrived at the park--it was a little after noon but he didn't think it was that big a deal--Namjoon had been waiting for almost half an hour. He was shooting baskets when the mint-haired boy found him.

"Hey."

Namjoon spun around at the sound of a familiar voice, which caused him to undershoot a basket. Yoongi laughed in spite of him.

"You're late," he said. His friend shrugged.

"By like, two minutes."

"I know, I know. I was only kidding, anyway." Walking over to the net where the basketball had rolled, Namjoon picked it up and tossed it to Yoongi, then smirked. "C'mon, Yoongs. Like old times."

Suddenly experiencing a rush of nostalgia, Yoongi returned Namjoon's smirk with an equally determined one. Then he began to slowly dribble the ball, eyes locked on the boy several yards in front of him, mind solely focused on this friendly little rivalry of theirs and completely disregarding Namjoon's main reason for calling him out here. Although right now, that didn't seem to matter to Namjoon, either. He was just as enveloped in this moment as Yoongi. Often times in their youth, the boys' relationship had rooted and deepened over games like this, on days like these, sweet summer days when most people were on vacations or at the beach, so they had the park to themselves. The two truly had grown up together. Almost like true brothers, though they saw each other as so much more. From the first day they had met in first grade, their personalities mixed. They blended so well, as strange and surprising as that seemed to many. But there was no denying it. Namjoon always did see something special in Yoongi's eyes, and the fire inside them that was hidden beneath layers and layers of self doubt and fear intrigued him. Even as a child. Namjoon had wanted to get close to the mint-haired boy before anyone else could--well, he didn't have mint-colored hair back then. Jet black. During the summer of their third year of middle school, however, Namjoon casually made a comment that he thought Yoongi seemed like the type who would look cool with dyed hair, especially something different, like silver or mint green. One week later, he discovered his friend had gotten his hair dyed. Mint green. If he were to put it into words, Namjoon would say that it was the moment he realized Yoongi truly valued him. Perhaps more than anyone else. Perhaps more than anything else. And he was right. That was exactly what Yoongi thought of him.