kicks ✓ || namgi || k.th

011: enchant

chapter 11: enchant
location: madison, wisconsin, day 2

The next morning, the boys drove around downtown Madison until they found a quaint diner to eat breakfast at. They all sat together, which got them lots of strange looks, but thankfully there were no police to be found. To ensure there was no more debauchery (and no more mimosas), Namjoon ordered the exact same sampler platter for everyone.

"I've never tasted orange juice this sweet," Hoseok said in shock.

"The woman said it was fresh," Namjoon stated as he took a drink as well. "We're used to either grabbing coffee in Korea, or Snapple from the corner mart."

"We should try to get some fresh food item from every province," Jungkook said.

"State," Jimin corrected.

"Actually," Hoseok said, "my maps say there are states that aren't called states! How about that?"

"Now I'm confused," Jungkook said as he ate a piece of toast.

They then climbed back into the big purple van of fun and drove south, to cheese country. There were several small hometown cheese factories in the area. Every billboard that the van passed was for a different factory. "We have a little time before our tour," Namjoon said as he drove. "Hoseok, does your handy dandy map say anything?"

"They have a visitor center museum thing we can stop by," Hoseok said, and they drove there first. It was a small museum with lots of information on the area. The place was packed; the boys buddied up and walked around. The brochures were in several different languages, thankfully including Korean.

They then got back in the car and drove north. Yoongi had been expecting a huge building, but was surprised when they pulled up to a smaller homey building that looked like something out of an Oktoberfest. "There's a special kind of cheese that they only sell here," Hoseok said. "We'll all have to try some!"

They paired up; Hoseok and Jimin, Jungkook and Jin, and Taehyung and Namjoon. Yoongi dragged his feet, entering the factory behind the others. When he walked in the room, the smell was so strong that it knocked him off his feet. What was that? Surely that wasn't the cheese...right?

"Yoongi?" Namjoon turned. "You coming?"

"Yeah, I just...uh...I think I might sit out this one."

"Well, you can't sit alone."

God damnit. "But Namjoon --" Yoongi leaned forward. "I can't do the smell, man. Don't know what it is."

"It's probably just the cheese, dude. Can't you hold it together?"

"Ugh, I'll try, but this sucks." But when they turned, the other five boys were gone, already on the tour. Namjoon looked around for someone else to help, but the only other person was in the next room.

He walked in; Yoongi followed. Thankfully the smell was much less in here than in the tour waiting area. This looked more like a gift shop, and it even had a small cafe. Yoongi, true to form, hovered over the menu looking for coffee items. Namjoon spoke to the girl behind the counter.

"We do not allow people to enter the tour late," she explained. "But you're welcome to sit here."

"I'm sorry I made you miss the tour," Yoongi said as he sat down at a table.

"Eh, you're fine. I could use a little time to myself anyways." Namjoon sat across from Yoongi. "Sometimes taking all of you around can be a little...noisy. I love it, but I'm glad for the sleep at the end of the day."

"Especially when Jimin and Seokjin are fighting over something?"

"You would think Jimin would learn that since he's younger than Seokjin, he's supposed to respect him!"

"Yeah, well, this is America. If there's one thing I've learned, it's that people don't play by those rules around here."

Namjoon leaned back. They were seated along the wall, and there were windows to his right that led out to the parking lot. Soft muzak intermingled with factory noises. An air conditioner whirred in one corner. A bookshelf in another corner held books on cheese making and local lore.

And in front of him was the most handsome human being he had ever laid eyes on.

The girl from behind the counter brought them food. "Okay, I got one cherry soda and one iced coffee, and two free samples of our Limburger cheese."

"Thank you," Yoongi said in English to the girl. Then, he turned to Namjoon. "You bought me coffee?"

"Of course I bought you coffee. What else are we gonna do while we wait for the crew to get back?"

For the first time since they had left New York, Yoongi smiled, and it was authentic.