COTTON CANDY SKIES | JIKOOK ✔

[🍬] three

the ride home is silent - well, neither jeongguk nor jimin say anything while in the backseat. hyebin occasionally looks back through the rearview mirror yet seemingly refrains from saying anything seeing as the car is bustling.

and jimin does roughly just the same yet with a little bit more ease. jeongguk is sitting still, attention fully engulfed by the objects passing by outside. his chin is perched in his palm and with the window cracked, the cheerleader watches as the brunette's hair blows softly in the wind.

he feels bad. feels bad for assuming and asking blatantly without considering the outcomes - whether they be positive or negative. and despite him not knowing jeongguk for long, the fact that he hasn't said a single word since their visit to the store has him worried.

jimin wants to know what's going on inside his head as he stares blankly out the window. he feels the sudden urge to press his small hand to the boy's knee. it's in his nature to be caring but as he does so, he pulls his hand back before making contact with the football player's light wash jeans. the timing doesn't feel right. not when he's dwelling in silence and evidently wishes to be alone - or at least that's what jimin thinks.

the blond sighs quietly, only loud enough for him to hear it. he looks ahead and notices that hyebin is looking right at him through the rearview mirror. her gaze is sharp enough that he looks away submissively yet in the opposite direction of jeongguk. completely aware why, he decides to keep his attention elsewhere for the rest of the ride back home - unwilling to dip his toes back into the water.

[🍬]

it's roughly seven at night when jimin gets back home. surprisingly enough he's the last to be dropped off yet he has an inkling as to why that is.

moved up to the front seat, he thanks hyebin for driving him and latches his fingers onto the door handle. however he's stopped mid motion.

"jimin," she says and the boy closes his eyes briefly. he pulls his hand away from the door and twists around back in his seat, looking hyebin in her pretty yet just as equally intimidating eyes.

"what's up?" he asks and she scrunches her nose, fiddling with her fake nails. she looks up after a moment of silence.

"you do know that i like jeongguk, right? ever since freshman year," she brings up and jimin smiles weakly while nodding. precisely what he expected to come out of her mouth.

"yeah, i do know that. you told me this morning," he reminds her civilly and yet she still finds the need to further her point.

"...you wouldn't do anything, right? i trust you, jimin. i trust every single one of my team members. they already know he's off limits. i just want to make sure you're on the same page," hyebin presses and jimin - despite his liking towards her - feels the need to hop out of the car and just walk away from the conversation.

"of course i know that. i wouldn't go after somebody you already have your eyes on. that isn't fair," the blond assures with a halfhearted smile.

the corners of hyebin's lips upturn in relief. "okay, good. i just wanted to make sure. i never should have doubted you for a second," she replies with an alarming amount of relief.

jimin toys with the sleeves of his baby blue jumper, eager to leave the vehicle. "well now you have no reason to," he responds and lifts his bag onto his lap.

"i suppose so," hyebin hums and curls her fingers around the steering wheel, unable to help the smile blooming on her face as she looks foward.

in jimin's eyes she almost seems stuck in her own little fantasy world and so he mutters a quick goodbye, hopping out of the car. it's only once he reaches his porch that she screams back at him with a wave and drives off, her car slowly disappearing.