TAEKOOK | HOPE

• 23 partner

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They arrive in Hawaii on a Saturday morning, with plans to stay until the following Sunday. It had taken a lot of caffeine and hourly reminders on everyone's phone to check for Namjoon's passport, but somehow, they make it in one piece. And now they're in a van on their way to the house they'd rented, with Hoseok and Jimin giggling hysterically in the back seat over the string of dad jokes Seokjin is making about "getting lei'd." Namjoon is smiling faintly as well, and even though Yoongi looks like he wants to die, Jeongguk is pretty confident that's mostly for show.

They've rented a house in one of the more secluded areas of Maui, and when they arrive it's immediately clear that the pictures online didn't even fully do it justice. It's simple but beautiful, with a large, comfortable common area and expansive windows offering views of the ocean. The beach is just a short walk away, accessible by a path that cuts through the house's colorful back garden, and they also have a pool and an elegant stone patio. In short, it's stunning, and Jeongguk can't wait to spend a whole week lounging around and doing absolutely nothing.

Taehyung arrives a few hours after the rest of them, announcing his presence with a loud "I'M HOOOOOOME!" as he bounds through the front door. Jeongguk is in the kitchen making himself a sandwich when this happens, and not thirty seconds later, two hands appear from behind him, covering his eyes.

"Guess who?" a person who is very obviously Taehyung asks.

"You literally just shouted that you were here to the whole house," Jeongguk says flatly.

He senses rather than sees Taehyung pouting. "Come onnnn, guess," he whines.

Jeongguk sighs. "Robert Downey Jr."

Taehyung knees him gently in the ass, dropping his hands. "You wish."

"I do," Jeongguk agrees, turning to face him. Taehyung gapes at him, offended.

"Now I'm never introducing you to him in person."

Jeongguk shrugs. "Whatever dude, he invited me to dinner."

"Yeah, well, I have his number. I'll text him right now and tell him to uninvite you."

Jeongguk laughs, shaking his head. "Hi, Tae."

Taehyung beams at him. "Hi yourself."

Jeongguk's stomach does a funny little flip, and suddenly he's very aware of just how close Taehyung is standing. That's why it's probably good timing that Jimin and Hoseok come bounding into the kitchen right at that moment.

"Taehyungie!" Jimin cries, flinging himself into Taehyung's arms. "Thought I heard your voice. How was your flight?"

"Easier than yours, I'm sure," Taehyung responds, allowing Hoseok to ruffle his hair. "Although no one would share their pillow with me, so I didn't really sleep."

"Rude," Jimin frowns. "But speaking of, now that you're here, we can pick rooms!"

He calls for the others, who had been exploring various parts of the house and back garden, and they appear quickly, pulling Taehyung in for warm hugs. Once greetings are exchanged, Yoongi writes out the numbers one through four on scraps of paper, doubling up on one through three, and dumps them all into his hat. The house has four bedrooms, three doubles and one single, so the people who pull matching numbers will be roommates, with the person who picks the lone four scoring their own room.