THE CEDARS [ J. Jungkook & P. Jimin | COMPLETED ]

"All the trees here

They had flown together on the same plane but their seats were far apart, finally meeting up when they landed in Japan to get their rented vehicle. Both Jeon Jungkook and Park Jimin chattered away on the drive to Aokigahara where they would be staying in a private lodge a few miles away from the nearest house. They rented it for the first two weeks of their four week relaxation period before the comeback tour. But the second they stepped foot into the lodge and saw the single bed, king sized no less, something changed in their demeanour. They had previously agreed on one bed, yet now as they stood clutching their bags at the foot of the bed they both seemed awkward. This wasn't the first time things had been awkward between them, simply because a lot of what had happened since the last time they visited Japan hadn't been discussed yet.

Jungkook was the first to set his bag down, immediately unzipping it as he began to shove his belongings into the empty drawers on his side of the bed. Jimin watched him carefully as Jungkook mindlessly shoved things in the first place he could find, which made Jimin smile momentarily before he began unpacking his own belongings, albeit in a much more orderly fashion. The two were quiet for awhile until Jungkook finished unpacking, heading over to open the blinds fully so that the light of day could cascade into the room. There were still a few stray rain drops clinging to the pane of glass, a variety of greenery could be seen outstretching the limited view from the window.

"I forgot how green nature could be," Jungkook said in a breathy mouthful, sighing the last word out, "I'm becoming a city person."

"You've always been a city person, you just dressed differently back then," Jimin said, folding the last shirt before joining Jungkook's side. The sides of their shoulders brushing against each other as they stared out of the window. "I bet there's a better view at the back of the house."

Jungkook nodded, following close behind Jimin as the two began to explore the rest of the lodge that they had rented together. The decor was very folk rustic, there were different metal and iron pieces scattered in various parts of the house, while there was wicker furniture in the living room and oak cabinetry in the kitchen. There was a small wood stove in the living room with a traditional animal fur rug set in front of it, though the species of the animal wasn't clear. It was a small lodge consisting only of the bedroom, bathroom, and the open concept living room and kitchen. Attached to the back of the house was a rather large porch with a hot tub and a sitting area, though the weather was a bit too cool to sit outside for long periods of time. 

After exploring the inside of the house, Jungkook and Jimin slid open the patio doors and eyed the hot tub on the porch, covered by a weather proof tarp. The owners of the lodge had recently chlorinated the water and made sure that it was up to the highest standards if the boys wanted to use it during their stay, something Jungkook mentioned to Jimin as they inspected it further. Jimin, excitedly, mentioned that maybe they should use it later in the evening, knowing fully well that Jungkook had other plans for them in the meantime. 

Funnily enough, Jungkook was responsible for a majority of the activities they would be enjoying in the next two weeks, give or take a few days. The trip had been a mutual decision, played off as a sort of leisurely work trip to write a song together finally, but Jungkook had really went above and beyond to make sure that they would be able to enjoy their downtime between song writing. Jimin tried to play it cool, as did Jungkook, both completely aware that something else was motivating their interest in the trip to Aokigahara. 

It wasn't that long ago that they took their first trip to Japan together, the trip that solidified years worth of ignored feelings. It happened in such a way that neither one knew it was coming, and when it did, neither one knew what to say. The trip had been perfect -- a day spent at Disneyland, filming and laughter, those moments where things felt too good to be real. But when the day came to a close, when Jungkook finally shut off the camera and they retired to their room, the atmosphere changed between them. They had laughed about what had happened through the day, both laying on separate beds with only a few feet separating them, but the distance felt tangible between them.