⌜ jeon jungkook ⌟
WE COULD BE ANYWHERE ELSE, but we were here. i told jimin, "we could be anywhere else. why are we here?"
he said, "sentimental value."
i said, "bullshit."
it was raining. murky, about nine at night. the sky had collapsed and we watched the darkness instead; there were a few stars, but not many. seoul's sky is too crowded with pollution for there to ever be many stars.
"look, kook, that's ursa major!" jimin says to me now. i turn my head and see him sprawled out on the ground, a blanket as well as the bag he brought sitting up against the supporting leg of the big playset.
"i want to go home."
he rolls his eyes and i look to namjoon; he's sleeping beside me, unaware.
i grunt.
"and i think behind those clouds is orion's belt. do you see that triad up above us?"
"i see smoke and toxic fumes."
"well, i see spirits and stars."
"spirits?"
"see that sear of pink? i like to think those sears of color are spirits on their way to heaven."
"that's dumb," i yawn, however interested my eyes are upon the slice of pink surrounded by the cold, dark night. it seems.. hopeful. if colors can be hopeful—i guess. i mean, i can't say much; i don't even know whether to consider colors an inanimate object.
"you're dumb!" he snaps back, brushing his chubby fingers through his ratty hair. he hasn't washed it for awhile, i can tell. but i won't say anything. sometimes he just forgets to take care of himself, but we all kind of do in some way. like me. playing video games until four in the morning has proven to be terrible not only for my eyesight but also for my grades and my mental health. but do i care? not really.
"shh, joonie's asleep!" i whisper, glaring straight at jimin. he won't look at me, he's looking up.
"i don't see the moon," he murmurs, sitting up and now wrapping his arms around his knees—holding them tight.
i ignore him. "why did you want us to come here, jimin?"
he shrugs. "i didn't—joon did. for whatever odd reason," jimin says. scoffs. "he's been so... weird since he met that kid a few months ago."
"what kid?"
"uh, the new one we met at the barbecue place? electric blonde hair, those unintelligible eyes, a bit strange," jimin describes, eyes scrunching as he recalls.
the face resurfaces in my mind instantaneously. i know who he's talking about—anyone would. i say, "min yoongi?"
"yes! him! he's kinda awkward, don't you think?"
i nod. "he's like, super robotic. like he doesn't know anything about having fun and acting our age."
jimin nods solemnly. "kinda... inhuman, almost. or am i just crazy?"
"no, you're right." i pause, purse my lips. i'm thinking about it. "he's weird like that. i don't know why joon was so intent on being so buddy-buddy with him when he saw yoongi alone."
jimin snickers. "remember? joon told us he saw the kid in a dream once! that's why he decided to talk to him."
i shake my head, in disbelief. namjoon's a shit. "and then after that night joon continued to hang out with him! without us!"
jimin giggles with me, head also shaking in confusion and the whelming oddness of this situation and the entirety of min yoongi, boy with bleached hair and a robot gaze.
"not gonna lie, min yoongi was pretty hot."
i raise my eyebrows. "you really think so?"
jimin sighs, he's got glitter in his eyes. i roll mine. he says, "a little bit ethereal."
"does jimin have a crush?"
jimin scoffs, kicks me in the leg. we're about ten inches apart or so. "you already know who i like, jungkook."
i bite my lip and whisper, "namjoon."
jimin nods, his face contorts—crestfallen. he tries to hide it, though he can't hide from me. he never has been able to, i know him too well.
so, i change the subject. "how is your cat, my best friend?"
he's able to snap out of his doldrums quickly. "tata! he's good, such a sweetie."
he loves to coo over his cat, tata. with those big brown eyes and tan fur. only problem? his cat likes me more than him, but he refuses to admit it.
"yeah, he's real soft."
jimin giggles, he's looking up at the sky still, his hand hanging above his head and tracing the air.
he says, "i bet it's gorgeous up there."
i scoff. "no, min, i think it'd be lonely."
he coughs and lets his hand drop to his chest. "why? you're surrounded by stars, meteors, planets, beauty..." he trails off, deep in thought. i can tell by that ever-so faint smile upon his lips. even in the night, it's utterly noticeable.
"no, you're surrounded by darkness. nothing. everything is so far apart in space," i prove. maybe my voice is a little whiny.
he grits his teeth—i can hear it. "you know that's not what i meant, jungkook."
"you're too loud. you're going to wake up namjoon."
he sits up and looks at namjoon, beside me, sleeping peacefully on the rock solid ground. his head's up against the bottom of a play slide, but it looks semi-comfortable.
"he's a tired boy today," jimin whispers, his voice light. and his voice is always light—it's just lighter when he's talking about namjoon.
"and he's going to be a cranky boy tomorrow," i add, rubbing my neck self-consciously as i'm thinking about his. "there's no way his neck isn't going to hurt when he wakes up."
jimin shrugs. "he's cute."
"i'm cuter."
"no, you're not," he says; rolls his eyes.
"i don't even know why we're here! joon fell asleep too quick to tell us."
jimin sniffles. "something about the moon..."
i grumble. "bullshit about the moon. bullshit those stars. you're obsessed with places you won't ever go."
jimin whacks me with a stern look in his eyes and in the wrinkles of his forehead. he didn't like what i said. "watch me. i'm going to be up in space one day."
i don't feel like fighting him.
"okay. you can send me a postcard from mercury."
