Staegma ✧ taejin

17

Park Jimin walked inside the cafe similarly to a model's catwalk, hands on pockets and eyes straight ahead. He was followed by a familiar guy — a customer, no, Hoseok, was it? — who exuded the same aura, only more relaxed.

A couple of heads turned around to look at them, but quickly minded their own business. But Yoongi was too busy watching Seokjin. "What the fuck are you looki — oh," he said as he turned around, "it's Jimin."

"And that Hoseok guy."

The elder was only back to reality when he heard the two customers playing a battle royale game in their laptops holler in the damn cafe. He ignored it.

Yoongi looked at him in question. "Who? Who-seok?"

"Good morning, you must be Seokjin," Park Jimin said once he reached them, taking off his sunglasses. He looked around the cafe, momentarily stopping to the two customers with laptops, before returning to stare at the speaker. "So, RM, huh?"

Seokjin was at loss of words. "Yeah. . ."

"And hey, Yoongi hyung. Haven't heard from you in a while."

Yoongi nodded.

Hoseok walked past them and directly went to the counter. Jimin pointed at him, "That's my friend, Hoseok hyung."

"Oh," Yoongi murmured.

"We've met," Seokjin said conversationally. "Once."

"His dance studio's pretty close here," Jimin commented. "So, are you ready, Seokjin-ssi?"

"We're talking here, right now? Or are we going to a more private place?" Seokjin whispered to Jimin. The latter looked around.

"Too many people. Let's leave."

Seokjin agreed and left for a while to inform Jaehwan about his leave. When he came back, along with his bag, Yoongi and Jimin were engrossed in a conversation, while Hoseok was nowhere to be found.

"Yoongi hyung is joining us for today, Seokjin-ssi. We're heading towards my studio."

-

Jimin took a right turn, and the route was too familiar for Seokjin. He had been using this as his shortcut for numerous times.

"I heard you're a gamer," Seokjin began to break the ice. "And a famous one at that. I'm wondering why people don't recognize you when we're literally sitting next to people who play the same battle royale games."

"I keep it anonymous."

"Why tell me?"

"You're Yoongi hyung's friend, so I don't doubt," Jimin explained. "Besides, this was all my fault anyways."

"Were you planning to release the game?" Yoongi asked from the backseat. "You know, if I was just for practice, you could've just told me."

"I'm really sorry."

"For what?"

"I really can't explain right now."

"Fine," Yoongi surrendered, "but only because you're driving."

The two younger males were later on deep on the conversation — mostly about reminiscing their former high school antics, stories, rants, that Seokjin couldn't relate to. They both tried their best to include him, but Seokjin preferred to sleep.