"Hey hyung?"
"Hey Jungkook!"
Jungkook's heart flipped at the boxy smile he received, and a shiver slid throughout his body at the deep smooth voice, a voice that reminded him of warm honey. There was nothing about the beautiful being before him that didn't affect him, that didn't send thousands of butterflies fluttering within his stomach, that didn't send his heart racing.
God, how he loved him.
"Jungkook? Hellooo. Kookie?"
Jungkook blinked slowly, shaking his head, returning to reality, to see Tae waving a hand in front of his eyes.
"Sorry hyung. Since tomorrow's your birthday, I thought we'd go out to dinner, you know, to celebrate. My treat."
"Aw Jungkookie, that's sweet. I would love to! I mean, when else am I gonna get a free meal outta 'The Jeon Jungkook'."
"Aw hyung, I'm not that bad."
Taehyung laughed at Jungkook's pout.
"Aw, don't pout Kookie, I'm only teasing." Tae chuckled, slinging an arm around the pouting boy.
Jungkook blushed at the contact, but did his best to hide it. His heart was beating so loudly, it was a wonder Taehyung couldn't hear it.
✳✳✳✳
Jungkook sat outside the venue, the private concert well underway. He had purchased tickets to Tae's favorite saxophonist. It was the first part of his confession to the older boy. First, the exclusive concert, then a candlelight dinner at a very fancy restaurant he reserved months in advance, followed by a horse drawn carriage ride, which was hard to find in Korea, through the park, where he decorated the path with lanterns to the bridge where he'd confess. Of course Tae didn't know any of that, he was only aware of Kookie treating him to dinner, but he was over an hour late.
Jungkook tried calling and texting, but received no response. Where was he?
Suddenly, his phone rang. Reaching into his pocket, he removed the phone and looked at the caller ID.
Kim Taehyung.
"Hyung! Where are you?"
"Jungkook! I'm so sorry I didn't call you sooner, I guess I got so excited that I forgot, but you'll never believe what happened! Jimin took me out to lunch this afternoon for my birthday, and confessed to me, can you believe it! I've liked Jimin since we were kids, he was my first love, and now we're together. Isn't that great!"
With each word Tae spoke, Jungkook found it harder and harder to breathe. Tears welled in his eyes, and his heart felt like it was being squeezed in a vice.
"Jungkook? Hello, Jungkook you still there?"
"Y-yeah hyung, that's great. I'm-I'm happy for you."
Jungkook tried to sound normal and happy, even though his heart was shattering like glass.
"So, you're not mad right? We can go out to dinner another time, my treat, you know, for bailing on you, it's just-"
"N-no hyung, I'm not mad. It was just a silly dinner, nothing special. You should spend your birthday with your new b-boyfriend."
"Thanks! I've been in love with Jimin since we were kids, I mean we were each other's first love, each other's first kiss, but I didn't know if he still loved me like I still loved him, and that's what kept me from confessing myself, but, he loves me Jungkook! He loves me!"
"That's great hyung. I'm so happy for you."
"Oh, I gotta go, Jimin's coming back with our hot chocolate. Bye Kookie, and thanks for understanding!"
Tae ended the call, not waiting to hear his friends reply.
"Goodbye hyung." Jungkook whispered into the silent phone, before bursting into tears.
✳✳✳✳✳✳✳✳✳✳
Seokjin heard the front door open, and jumped up from the sofa in his excitement to know how the maknae's confession went.
"Jungkook! How did it go? Did he-"
He fell silent when he saw Jungkook's saddened expression.
"Oh kookie, what happened? Did he...did he reject you?"
The maknae broke down into heart wracking sobs.
"Jungkook!"
Jin rushed to the crying boys side, wrapping his arms around him, just as he fell to his knees.
Jungkook's face was buried in his hands, but the moment he felt his hyungs arms wrap around him, Kookie grabbed a hold of him, clinging tightly to the older male, burying his face in the crook of Jin's neck.
"He doesn't love me."
Jin laid his head atop the younger boys, rubbing his back in comfort, his heart aching for the boy.
"I'm so sorry Jungkook."
✳✳✳✳
It had taken awhile, but Jin managed to get the whole tragic story out of Jungkook, and it was truly heartbreaking.
Now, weeks later, he was forced to watch the boy pretend to be okay, that he wasn't broken inside, that seeing Taehyung and Jimin happy and in love, didn't kill something within him.
Jin sighed, he hated seeing his maknae like this, but there was nothing he could really do to ease or take away the pain.
It wasn't Jungkook's fault that he loved Tae.
It wasn't Jimin's fault that he did as well, and it wasn't Tae's fault that he loved Jimin in return.
Unrequited love was the cruelest kind of love, the one that almost kills it's victims, and all Jin can hope for, is that Jungkook survives it's torture upon his heart.
