𝑨 𝑺𝒖𝒅𝒅𝒆𝒏 𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 🌻 𝐍𝐀𝐌𝐉𝐈𝐍

30

The karaoke studio was only a couple bus stops away from the school, nestled deep within a local shopping mall. On the weekends, it was densely packed with families milling about running errands. In stark contrast, the weekdays only saw a handful of students trickling in from the nearby schools, and the entire mall echoed with silence.

As soon as they walked through the sliding doors, they were welcomed with a lovely smattering of goosebumps, as they were suddenly enveloped in freezing artificially produced air from the air conditioner. Jin shivered involuntarily, and rubbed his hands up and down his arms in a futile attempt to keep them warm.

Right away, Namjoon noticed, of course. However, before he could do anything about it, Hobi slung his arm over Jin's shoulder.

The two laughed and smiled together. It had been so long since they had been able to spend time with each other in person. Texting and calling would never be enough to suffice. Everytime they did get to meet, they would always cherish every last moment they had together, because none of them knew when there would ever be a 'next time'.

Namjoon knew all this, so he kept his mouth shut, and his itchy hands under control. Besides, he was almost positive that Hobi might already have a special someone in mind... If he remembered correctly, Jin had mentioned it once or twice before too.

Jin's laughter filled his ears. That stupid, annoying, adorable cackle. Nothing ever sounded more beautiful. The sound of his happiness was enough to bring a smile to his own face.

He looked on at the duo walking ahead of him, clinging onto each other for dear life as they laughed until their knees buckled. If he hadn't known any better, he would have assumed that they were completely and utterly wasted.

But he did know better. They were just Kim Seokjin and Jung Hoseok. The echoing silence from earlier had been completely replaced by the sound of their hysterical guffaws and giggles, which reverberated through the empty expanse of the mall.

Taehyung, who he just realised was walking behind him this entire time, suddenly quickened his pace and walked briskly to Jin's side.

The smile caressing Namjoon's lips vanished, but he kept his cool. He knew he was being overly sensitive about everything... but it was just something about this Kim Taehyung... that made him feel so... what was the word?

"Who's the singer here?" it was Taehyung who spoke.

"Jin." Hobi replied truthfully.

Jin punched his shoulder lightly. "Yah, you can sing too." he bopped his head and looked back at Taehyung. "I swear he can, he just doesn't want to admit it."

Hobi laughed, shaking his head in disbelief. "Don't listen to him, he's nuts." He twirled his finger at Jin's temple area without him noticing, sniggering with Taehyung who saw it.

Jin hadn't noticed this direct insult directed at him, because he had been looking around for a certain someone who seemed to have fallen behind.

While Hobi engaged Taehyung in an interesting conversation about Jin's unattractive qualities, Jin turned his head around and noticed Namjoon walking alone in the back.

Jin sighed, and removed himself from Hobi's hold. He deliberately let himself fall behind the two of them, far enough to match Namjoon's pace.

Looking up at him, he realised that something was on his mind.

"What's wrong?" He looked around, specifically at the front where his favourite sunshine was definitely telling Taehyung all about how he had fallen into the toilet bowl at the strapping young age of 14.