✔️ Cruise ➳ jungkook

🚢 11 🚢

Given no context, Chaerin would had asked herself what the hell she was doing standing outside her room with a hot, sort-of acquaintance in tow.

(Three weird encounters involving seagulls, falling and sitting together on the ship's walkway surely made them more than strangers, right!?)

This already sounded wrong on so many levels, but even with a valid reason, there was no doubt that if Taehyung saw them right now, they were going to get more than just stupid eyebrow wiggling. 'He-saved-me-from-killer-gulls-and-stopped-me-from-falling-into-the-sea-so-I'm-taking-him-in-'cause-he's-broke-poor-thing' sounded more like a pathetic excuse than anything, even though it was actually the bizarre truth.

Jungkook was definitely not helping — he looked endearingly apprehensive at the prospect of sharing a room with a girl, the tall boy watching Chaerin fumble with the key card like how a bunny would watch a fox. She didn't know which was worse: Suffering Taehyung's jibes or being alone with Jungkook. Both were equally mortifying.

However, once the door swung open, it was clear that Taehyung was still off on his escapade. Left in its haphazard state, their tiny room looked even more cramped than it actually was. The beds occupied most of the space, jammed so near to each other that they looked more like a queen-sized than two singles. Opened like dead clams on the sheets were the sibling's suitcases, their stuff strewn across the room with careless abandon.

Jungkook peered over her shoulder at the carnage. "Don't bother calling Marie Kondo, she'll have a heart attack seeing this."

Chaerin tried not to get sidetracked by his adorably obnoxious grin. Careful to hide her humiliation, she turned and backed into the room.

"Then 'scuse me while I find things that spark joy."

As she brought the door behind her, she nearly didn't see Jungkook's hand out of the corner of her eye.

"Chaerin, wait! 'Lemme take a pic, it's a mess of art-"

"NO." The girl said, stony-faced as she watched his face become smaller and smaller in the diminishing crack of the door.

After a lot of shoving things into nooks and crannies, Jungkook joined her, all signs of his cockiness suddenly replaced by a sense of self-consciousness. He glanced around, obviously feeling a bit lost.

"I'll just dump this here, yeah?" The shy boy dropped his purple sleeping bag unceremoniously onto the patch of floor next to the toilet door. He'd taken off his thick down jacket and was now decked out in his oversized white hoodie and jeans. His hair, still in an atrocious bird nest, actually looked good on him. Chaerin fought hard to resist the urge of grabbing a brush and combing out the tangles in his brown locks.

"Mmmm," she answered distractedly, wondering how on earth she was going to break the stilted awkwardness between them.

"H-Hey, Chaerin."

"Hmm?"

Jungkook sat down on his sleeping bag and exhaled, looking like he was summoning all the courage inside him.

"So, uh... what's your favorite colour?"

Silence.

"...That's the lamest ice breaker ever, idiot. Come up with something better."

"Oh, oh- sorry. I'm... bad at this, ok!? I'm awkward, I can't talk to, g-girls, I dunno what to say, y'know. Sorry."

Chaerin sighed. This boy could not possibly get any cuter. "Yellow."

"Huh?"

"My favourite colour's yellow, Jungkook. Now tell me yours."

❂

"Okay, okay, Kook, if you were a gal, who would you date from the MCU?? You know, like your super secret Marvel crush."

Chaerin and Jungkook sat opposite each other on the purple sleeping bag, snacking on yoghurt almonds from the ships' vending machine. Littering the floor were empty crisp packets and candy wrappers, obviously the duo's doing.

"Personally, I think Ironman's hot. You know, in a dude way. If I were gay, I would date him." answered Jungkook as he tossed an almond in the air and caught it in his mouth.

"Come on, honestly Loki is wayyyy hotter."

"Ew, Rin. I didn't know you had such bad taste."

"Maybe that's why I started talking to you."

"I distinctly remember someone hungry for my ass."

"Well, one tends to make poor life choices."

❂

"You know what?" Chaerin chuckled, her voice slurring slightly as she suddenly felt sleepy. The two have been talking about random nonsensical topics until the wee hours of the morning. "I hereby decree that Tae's bed is now yours for the taking, Kook."

"'Ye sure?" replied Jungkook, his body language saying otherwise as he scrambled off the floor, flopping onto the adjacent bed with a pleased squeal (Chaerin died a little bit inside).

"Yeah, doesn't look like he'll be coming back anytime soon tonight."

"Fine, you've convinced me."

Jungkook flashed her a bunny-like smile before burrowing into the sheets, falling asleep almost instantly.

Chaerin climbed into her own bed, grateful that Jungkook did not see her beet-red face.