Stranger | Jikook/Kookmin

17 | The Impetuous Guest

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Gidae is a lively city in April. Something about the blossoming flowers and the happy awakening of the sun, spring's appearance just brings giddiness to people's steps. Life becomes lighter and easier; there are exciting things to look forward to. School on the other hand becomes a lot less bearable, classrooms too small to contain the giddiness lingering in the air.

There is a static buzz in the classroom and it could be coming from the air conditioner, but it's not hot enough to turn it on yet. That would be the professor's lifeless voice,unfortunate to be stuck with on a warm afternoon. But then even if Jungkook weren't in class, he would probably be locked up in the stuffiness of his apartment, his curtains shut close, house not vacuumed for over a week.

The time frame of his hibernation coincidentally corresponds with the night Jimin has told him about his falling for him.

He confessed and that was it.

Jungkook couldn't even gather his thoughts before he disappeared, and when Jungkook was able to hype himself to finally talk to Jimin two days after, Jimin didn't pick up his call. Everyone is busy, right? Jimin himself works at multiple jobs, each with their own hours, demands and all. But when it kept happening with no text/call-back throughout the week, Jungkook started having his doubts. Something was definitely wrong and it had gotten more than obvious to ignore.

Jungkook went to his house. Jimin wasn't home. At least that's what the house-owner told him. All he had was a short conversation with Byeongie who happened to be on her cradle (cutie pie) after which Jungkook dragged his feet to the coffee shop to whine about it to his barista friend.

"Are you sure he didn't make up stuff while he was drunk?" Hoseok had asked, offering a free macchiato to cheer him up. "He probably doesn't even remember what he said."

Jungkook wishes that Hoseok is right and wrong both at the same time. He doesn't want to lose Jimin for an unplanned confession, but he doesn't want to let go of the fact that Jimin might have fallen for him too. Jungkook is getting hurt in the process of figuring out the truth, yet he doesn't want to be a fool pining after someone who is avoiding him. 

All he thought of the past week is how real that night felt. If alcohol can take away a moment of such value only after igniting it, Jungkook truly hates it. 

He comes around at the sudden lack of sound in the classroom, realizing that the professor is seated at her desk and there are papers being passed to the back. He gets a bunch from the ginger girl in front, pressing a single leaf to his own desk and giving the rest to the student behind him.

It's a pop-up quiz.

Jungkook sighs loudly. 

He is so not in the mood for solving problems. He can't even focus right now.

Naturally, he'd be ultra-interested at the vibration coming from his pocket where his phone happens to be. When he makes sure no one is looking, he sneaks the phone under the table and unlocks it.

It's Hoseok. His message quotes exactly, "The chef baked a lot of goods today, more than we can probably sell. If you have time drop by for freebies! Also, Jimin is here. Thought you'd wanna know."

Jungkook's heart drops to his stomach after reading the second part. It's suddenly hard to breathe and harder to rationalize, his body screaming at him to get the fuck out of the classroom and go find Jimin. 

So Jungkook does.

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When Jungkook arrives at the coffee shop, Jimin is not alone. He is sitting with a black-haired man of a built complex, neither of them speaking as Jimin types on his phone and the other guy watches the park from the window. Jungkook isn't sure if it's the perfect time to approach Jimin when he is sharing a table with someone else, but the idea of dragging out their encounter drives him up the wall.