Chapter Text
When Yoongi is a senior, the college housing department finally opens up a double room and gives it to him and a roommate of his choice.
“This is disgusting,” Seokjin says as he hauls three suitcases into the main living area. “Absolutely disgusting. We were better off renting an apartment off campus.”
“It’s better than what we had last year,” Yoongi grunts from the kitchen, where he’s currently filling the empty cabinets with an assortment of packaged snacks. “Honestly, I’ll take anything other than having to share one single room with you.”
“That,” Seokjin says, “is extremely rude.”
“You’re saying that to the guy who willingly sacrificed an extra room in his suite to give to you,” Yoongi rolls his eyes. “If anyone is rude, hyung, it’s you.”
Seokjin mutters something under his breath, before moving over to the left side of the room, where a door is. He opens it and peers inside.
Yoongi blinks as Seokjin closes the door, moves to the other side of the room, and opens the second door there.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m deciding which bedroom to take for myself.”
“Shouldn’t I get first pick? Since, you know, I’m the one who got us this fucking dorm in the first place.”
Seokjin reappears suddenly and sits himself down on the kitchen island. He grins.
“Nope,” he says. “I get first pick since it’s you who’s been benefiting from our roommate arrangement for the past four years.”
“Oh yeah?” Yoongi quirks an eyebrow. “How so?”
“You’re blessed daily by my presence,” Seokjin says, his eyes sparkling. “That in it of itself should be more than enough.”
“You’re really pushing it,” Yoongi deadpans. “Anyways! Did you print out your schedule for tomorrow, or do you need me to run to the library to get you an extra copy since someone forgot to pack the printer.”
“The day you learn how to pack an entire printer in a suitcase,” Seokjin says, “give me a call.”
“You’re the one who has seven suitcases. I’m comfortable with four.”
Seokjin shakes his head, but doesn’t answer. “You don’t need to go to the library. I’ll just text Jeongguk and ask him to drop by with my things later today.”
Yoongi pauses. “Jeongguk?” he repeats. “Your little brother? Why would he?”
“Oh, did I not tell you?” Seokjin asks, padding his way over to the sofa on the side of the room and sitting himself down. He props his feet up and leans back, giving Yoongi an innocent smile. “Jeonggukkie’s starting here this year as a freshman. He’s going into the music field too, so you might be seeing some of him around.”
“Seriously?” Yoongi blinks, taking a seat across from the elder. “What major?”
“Voice,” Seokjin says. “He has a minor in dance, too.”
Yoongi scrunches his nose in. “Dance.”
Seokjin rolls his eyes. “Just because you aren’t a big fan of it, doesn’t mean others aren’t too.”
Yoongi loves Seokjin, really. (Though he can be a bit of a pain sometimes). The two met on their first day of university and have been best friends since. They’ve been through everything together, navigating the ups and downs of college life since day one.
Seokjin has a little brother—Jeongguk. Yoongi’s never actually met Jeongguk before, but from all the stories Seokjin’s told him, he has a pretty good idea of who he is. There is also the fact that Jeongguk turned eighteen years of age recently, making him perfect fresh meat for the college life. Yoongi almost pities him, but then he remembers he actually doesn’t personally know Jeongguk.
“So you’re just gonna make your kid brother do your work for you on his first day?” Yoongi asks, sighing. “God, that’s such a you thing to do.”
“I have no idea what that means,” Seokjin says promptly, before smiling wildly. “I told Hoseok I’d meet up with him for coffee today. You wanna tag along? Namjoon might come along too.”
“I have to get my portfolio set up,” Yoongi says. “So, no, but maybe tomorrow or another time.”
Seokjin shrugs. “Suit yourself.”
The two quickly finish getting their things in their proper locations before Seokjin checks his watch and tells Yoongi he’s already running late.
“Oh, Jeongguk might pop in randomly today,” he adds as he’s walking out. “Not only does he have to drop off my schedule, I told him he’s welcome to drop by if he needs anything. And knowing that kid, he probably already got himself into some sort of thing.”
“Noted,” Yoongi says with a small smile. He fondly remembers his own freshman year and how hectic it was. “Tell Hoseok and Namjoon I say hi and I’ll make plans with them as soon as I can.”
“Will do,” Seokjin says, giving the younger a small salute before heading out the door. Yoongi closes it behind him, and suddenly, he’s all alone.
With a sigh, he moves into the bedroom Seokjin didn’t pick and climbs onto the bed with his laptop. Using his feet to kick off his socks, he makes himself comfortable before opening the computer, busying himself in his work.
It’s his final year as an undergraduate in the production program he’s taking—Yoongi is hoping to become a producer and spend his life making songs for artists to perform and use to their own heart’s content. It’s a bit of a reach, and Yoongi’s parents themselves were quite reluctant in letting him apply for a degree with it, but it’s better than having nothing. Or, worse, being stuck with something he doesn’t like.
And if it doesn’t work out, he always has his rapping to fall back on.
A few hours later, Yoongi’s head darts up upon hearing the faint knock on the front door. He groans, taking a quick stretch and messily getting out of bed to go and answer it. It’s probably just Seokjin. It’s been almost four hours since the guy left; how much coffee could someone even drink?
But no—it isn’t Seokjin.
Instead, Yoongi finds himself face-to-face with a boy a little smaller than Seokjin, but just as tall. There are a few traces of resemblance that Yoongi can see between the two, but he can easily recognize him from the multitude of pictures Seokjin’s showed Yoongi.
This is Jeongguk.
“Hey,” Yoongi greets, nodding and offering the boy a smile. “Jeongguk, right? I’m Yoongi.”
Jeongguk peers at him closely. “Ah, um. Hello. Was I interrupting something?”
“No.” Yoongi shakes his head. “I was just getting some early work done for my first class.” He gestures somewhere behind him. “Come in.”
Jeongguk complies without much fuss, which is… strangely refreshing. Seokjin would usually have busted out some stupid joke or insult of some sort, and the rest of Yoongi’s friends would probably do the same.
Yoongi still has his guard up, though. The guy is Seokjin’s little brother.
“Hyung told me the place was small,” Jeongguk is saying when Yoongi manages to join him inside. “But this is actually pretty big.”
“It is big,” Yoongi huffs. “That fucker wouldn’t know appreciation if it slapped him in the face.”
Jeongguk smiles at that.
“I have hyung’s schedule with me,” he says, pulling out a thin piece of paper from the bag hanging from his shoulder. “He told me… to drop it off?”
“Right,” Yoongi nods, walking over to Jeongguk and taking it out of his hands. “I’ll give it to him.” He stops. “Are you okay with everything so far, though? Jin told me you would probably need some help getting settled in and everything since you’re a freshman and all.”
“I…” Jeongguk seems like he’s fumbling around for the correct words to use. Yoongi waits patiently for him to collect himself. “I think… I’m okay? I checked into the dorm I’m sharing with my two roommates, and they seem-”
“Two roommates?” Yoongi repeats, unable to help himself.
Jeongguk stares at him awkwardly. “Um. Yeah?”
“Seriously?” Yoongi asks. “They’re giving the newbies triples? It’s usually the juniors and seniors who’re stuck with those. Since they at least try to make their housing arrangements comfortable so the new students want to apply for dorms next year.”
“Oh,” Jeongguk says back. He’s biting his lip like he’s nervous. “I… don’t really mind, I guess. My roommates are really nice.” He pauses. “Though I’m pretty sure they’ve secretly got a boner for each other.”
Yoongi snorts at that. “Have fun with that. Is there anything you need, though?”
“Not really,” Jeongguk says. “Um. I’ll let Jin-hyung know if I do, so don’t worry about me.”
“Wasn’t going to, kid,” Yoongi says with a small sigh as Jeongguk begins to walk toward the front door. “I’ll probably be seeing you around.”
Jeongguk blinks. “Oh?”
“Jin tells me you’re in voice,” Yoongi explains. “I’m in production. So… who knows. Maybe we’ll have some classes together.”
“Oh,” Jeongguk says again, “I see. Okay. Sure. Yes.” He takes a deep breath. “I should… get going. Jimin-hyung told me he wants to go out to dinner with us tonight and I just met them and I can’t disappoint them since they’re my only friends right now and none of my old-”
“Woah woah woah,” Yoongi says, lifting a hand to place gently on Jeongguk’s left shoulder. He watches as Jeongguk’s cheeks dust pink in embarrassment. “Settle down.”
“Sorry,” Jeongguk says meekly.
Yoongi almost wants to cry from how small he looks, even though the guy is a lot taller than him. “Don’t worry about it. Just text Jin if you need anything.”
“Okay,” Jeongguk nods. “Bye.”
“Bye.”
When Yoongi goes back to his laptop, he realizes he had forgotten to press save.
-
Hoseok hasn’t changed.
He comes over a few days into the first semester, when Seokjin’s at one of his afternoon lectures. He and Yoongi spend the entire time watching shitty dramas and drinking soda that lost its fizz.
“So?” Hoseok asks him. “How was your summer?”
“Boring as ever,” Yoongi snorts. “Unlike some people here, who went all the way to fucking Cambodia for vacation.”
“Cambodia isn’t even that far away from here,” Hoseok says with an eye roll. “It was pretty.”
“Not as pretty as me,” Yoongi shoots back.
“Of course,” Hoseok grins. “Nothing could ever beat the prettiest of pretty, Min Yoongi.”
“Flattering.”
“You brought that upon yourself.”
Yoongi grins, lifting up his clear plastic cup. “More Sprite?”
“Oh, yes,” Hoseok says, lunging for the giant bottle in the center of the coffee table. “This is the shit, Yoongi. People who prefer gross Pepsi wouldn’t understand.”
“Pepsi isn’t gross,” Yoongi counters. “Sprite is, though.”
“You know how the saying goes,” Hoseok says solemnly. “If you like it, good. Keep going with that. If you don’t like it, change your taste.”
“No one says that,” Yoongi deadpans.
“I do,” Hoseok says, sending Yoongi a wink before turning back to the TV.
The two of them settle into a comfortable little silence after that, occasionally letting out a small outburst of dismay at a stupid decision one of the characters onscreen makes.
“Yo, wait,” Hoseok starts again suddenly. “I almost forgot about something.”
Yoongi blinks. “What?”
“You know Jin-hyung’s little brother? The freshman kid who just started a few days ago?” Hoseok begins with a shit-eating grin threatening to burst his skin apart. “Jeon Jeongguk. I’m in one of his dance classes and he’s fucking insane.”
“What?” Yoongi asks.
“Yeah,” Hoseok nods enthusiastically. “Like, most people only become that good after years of being in an instructed dance course like the one I’m in. But on the first day he comes in and busts out the sickest moves I’ve ever seen.”
“Shit,” Yoongi curses. “And you’re saying that, so he’s gotta be good.” Yoongi knows Hoseok’s an amazing dancer and performer—it’s no secret at all. But Yoongi also knows that Hoseok is harsh when it comes to assessing other dancers and their capabilities. He isn’t rude about it, but he isn’t easy when it comes to that kind of stuff either.
The fact that Hoseok’s so eagerly praising Jeongguk must mean something.
“Honestly, he’s probably even better than me,” Hoseok continues. “God, Yoongles, you need to see the way that boy moves his body around.”
“Firstly,” Yoongi begins, “call me Yoongles one more fucking time you little piece of shit and I’ll—”
“Yoongles-hyung,” Hoseok says with puppy eyes, “don’t be rude.”
“Fuck, Yoongles-hyung?”
“I said what I said.”
“Perhaps stop saying anything,” Yoongi grumbles. “And secondly, he’s Jin’s brother. And Jin’s good at everything. It must run in the family or something.”
Hoseok hums. “You do make a valid point.”
“Jeongguk came over on the first day,” Yoongi says, “so I got to meet him then.”
Hoseok quirks an eyebrow. “Really? What did you think of him?”
“He’s very…” Yoongi searches for the correct words, “small.”
Hoseok snorts, “No he’s fucking not.”
“Shut up. You know what I mean.”
“That’s just because he’s younger than the rest of us,” Hoseok replies with an eye roll. “And because his eyes go really wide whenever he’s thinking too hard about something. Like a kid.” He stops. “Don’t ask me how I know that. Jin-hyung was telling me about it a few years ago and I have no idea why it just randomly popped into my brain just now.”
“Inspiring,” Yoongi deadpans, before releasing a breath tightly through his lips and leaning back. “Freshmen are so innocent. They have no fucking clue about the hell they’re about to go through in college.”
“You should help him out then,” Hoseok says, reaching for a lollipop and sticking it into his mouth. “‘M sure he’d appreciate it.”
“And risk my life?” Yoongi says. “No thanks. You know how Jin is when it comes to his little brother.”
It’s true. Before they had all kindly asked him to stop, Seokjin wouldn’t shut up about the different partners who had pursued and won Jeongguk over. Apparently, Jeongguk is extremely popular in the romance category, and he’s been asked out a plethora of times before, though he himself doesn’t accept too often.
(That’s not to say he’s never accepted. Yoongi knows that Jeongguk’s had his fair share of partners).
“It’s not like you’re gonna go and fall in love with the kid,” Hoseok says, grinning. “Or if you do, you might as well plan your elope right now. You know Jin-hyung.”
“Yes I do,” Yoongi snorts. “But there will be no need for any of that.”
“Whatever you say, Yoongles,” Hoseok says, propping his feet up onto the coffee table and sighing. “Now if you’ll excuse me, we have a show to finish.”
Yoongi smiles—pops a few kernels of popcorn into his mouth. “That we do.”
-
Yoongi’s Wednesday morning lecture happens to be a general musical theory class.
It also happens to have one Jeon Jeongguk in it.
Really, Yoongi should have been expecting a random run-in with the freshman, but he just never expected it would happen so soon.
Nevertheless, when Jeongguk taps on his shoulder to get his attention off of his laptop, Yoongi looks up and immediately breaks out into a surprised smile.
“Oh. Jeongguk,” he greets, and Jeongguk nods at him. “Do you have this class right now as well?”
“Yeah,” Jeongguk says, gesturing to the empty seat right next to Yoongi. “Hello, Yoongi-ssi. Uh… can I…”
“Yeah, of course,” Yoongi says quickly, sliding over a little more just for extra measure. “And call me hyung. Or, better yet, just Yoongi.”
Jeongguk nods again and sits himself down without much fuss, taking out his own computer and tapping his long fingers on the wood of the table. He stares ahead at the lecturer who is getting her things together to begin the class, and Yoongi soon follows suit.
Yoongi learns that Jeongguk isn’t that much of a talker—at least, in front of people he doesn’t really know. There are instances where Yoongi thinks to try and strike up a small conversation with the younger, but his words fail him as soon as he opens his mouth.
But Jeongguk looks perfectly content with himself, sitting in his seat and patiently taking notes, writing down almost every little thing Professor Kang projects onto the smartboard.
At the end of the two hours, Yoongi glances over to Jeongguk.
“Hobi tells me you dance,” he says as everyone in the lecture halls begins to pack their things up. “And that you’re good.”
“Hoseok-hyung?” Jeongguk blinks in question.
Yoongi nods. “Yes, him.”
Jeongguk smiles shyly. “Really? He really thinks so?”
“That’s what he told me,” Yoongi says.
“Hoseok-hyung is really talented,” Jeongguk says with a sigh, swinging his bag over his shoulder and hugging his few remaining textbooks to his chest. “So if he really did say that…”
“What do you take me for? A liar?”
“No!” Jeongguk shakes his head frantically. “I’m just… it took a lot for me to get into the dance program of this school in the first place. Even my parents…” He trails off. “Well, that’s not important. Tell Hoseok-hyung thanks from me?”
“Sure,” Yoongi nods. They’re now at the front door to the lecture hall. “And, hey, you’re finding everything alright here, right?”
Jeongguk nods. “Yeah, for the most part,” he says. “Actually, I did need to ask someone something. But I can’t ask Jin-hyung because he’ll chew me out and I can’t ask my roommates because they’ll question me to the ends of the world.” He chews on his lip nervously. “Can I…?”
“Yeah,” Yoongi urges. “Go ahead.”
“I have a date this weekend,” Jeongguk blurts out, his cheeks heating up. Yoongi blinks. “I just don’t know where to take him? Like I was just asked out a few days ago and the guy told me I could make the plans since I’m new and I’m younger or whatever. But, like, I literally have no idea what’s good around these places. Plus, like, it’s my first date in college? It’s an experience! So I don’t wanna mess up, you know?”
“That was…” Yoongi begins, “a lot of information at once.”
Jeongguk looks away. “Sorry, hyung. I’m just nervous. I don’t even know you. Hhh, I should have just asked Jimin, even if he would make my life a living hell even though I just met him last week.”
“Jimin?” Yoongi asks. “Park Jimin?”
Jeongguk stalls, looking up at Yoongi with wide eyes. “You know Jimin-hyung?”
“He’s friends with Hoseok,” Yoongi says. “He used to be part of the dance troupe too, before he injured his leg and decided to take a break from the dance scene for a couple months.”
“Jimin is my roommate,” Jeongguk explains. “He and Kim Taehyung.”
“Kim Taehyung? The red-haired art major?”
“How do you know everybody?”
Yoongi laughs. “I don’t, trust me. But it just so happens you’re roommates with two people I do know of. Jimin through Hoseok and Taehyung because I was in a general lecture with him last year when he was a freshman. We’re not really friends? But we do know each other.”
“Oh,” Jeongguk nods slowly. “Okay. That makes sense.”
“You probably could have asked him, you know,” Yoongi continues. “Taehyung seems like the kind of guy who’s been out with a couple people before. He’d give you advice.”
“You think?” Jeongguk asks, biting his lip gently. “I haven’t really talked to him a lot yet. Maybe this could be an icebreaker?”
An icebreaker, he says. Yoongi smiles secretly to himself at the words.
“But then again, hyung,” Jeongguk says, “are you saying you haven’t been out with people before?” He’s got a cocky little smirk painting the corners of his mouth, and Yoongi almost wants to roll his eyes at the childishness of the entire exchange. “Since I’ve already asked for your advice and you’ve done nothing but change the subject.”
Ouch. “I’m not saying anything,” Yoongi says. “But we’ve all been with someone at least once in our lives.”
“Excellent way of moving around the topic, yes,” Jeongguk says, lifting his arms and gesticulating. “But, anyways. I’ll see you around, probably.”
Yoongi grins and waves as Jeongguk walks away.
“Yeah, see you.”
-
Yoongi’s only met a handful of Seokjin’s lovers before, but most of them have said the exact same thing to him.
Seokjin’s lips are like blooming buds of apple trees—the ripe fruit still not completely exposed to life but still powerful in the fact that soon they will be. Seokjin’s cheeks are roses—red and bold. Seokjin’s words are honey—suckled sweet and rich in gloss but often misunderstood.
Seokjin is… well, he’s Seokjin. The guy hasn’t really changed over the years that Yoongi has known him, and he knows for a fact Seokjin feels the same about him as well. They’ve helped each other grow, but they’ve never led each other astray.
Yoongi takes serious pride in that. Their relationship isn’t toxic at all, something that a lot of friendships lack.
Seokjin’s lovers are one thing, but his friends are a completely different story.
There’s Namjoon—his friend from when he was a child. Yoongi’s become well acquainted with Namjoon and would even consider him a close friend given how much they run into each other, and Namjoon and Seokjin have quite the bond anyways.
(It mostly consists of Namjoon doing something stupid every five seconds and Seokjin scolding him for it).
Yoongi even met Hoseok through Seokjin. Seokjin was in a class with the younger and the two had immediately hit it off. When Yoongi was introduced to Hoseok, it was evidently clear that either Seokjin had amazing taste in friends, or that Hoseok was simply harboring a brilliant personality. Whatever the reason, Yoongi and Hoseok quickly became tight.
There have been others, yes, but Namjoon, Hoseok, and Seokjin make up Yoongi’s main group of friends.
There’s a knock on the door.
Yoongi lifts himself up from the couch and stretches. He exhales out of his mouth and walks calmly over to the front door of the dorm, before he’s bombarded with the view of someone’s chest crashing into him and hurriedly entering.
Yoongi blinks.
“Namjoon what are you—”
“Hyung!” Namjoon gasps, turning around on his heel and staring straight at Yoongi. “You need to hide me. Maybe give me a spare room for a few weeks in this place. You have a double, right? Great! I’ll just take your bed and we’ll be all—”
“Namjoon!” Yoongi huffs, marching over to the taller man and violently shaking his shoulders. Namjoon coughs a few times, effectively shutting up. “What happened to you?”
“I was publicly humiliated,” Namjoon says, reaching up and burying his face into his hands. “Humiliated, I tell you. I’m never stepping foot outside again I swear to—”
“Please,” Yoongi cuts in, “calm down. Sit down and tell me what happened.”
Namjoon sits on the couch next to Yoongi and gulps empty air for a few seconds. Yoongi patiently waits for him to collect himself.
“So apparently,” Namjoon begins, “there’s this girl. Jiyoon. I don’t know who she is. She has—well, had a boyfriend. His name is Kang Namjoon. Kang Namjoon. Not Kim Namjoon. Kang.”
Yoongi stares at him. “What?”
“And apparently Kang Namjoon cheated on Jiyoon with this other girl, Sooyeon. And Jiyoon told her best friend Nuri about it. But Nuri misheard her and thought she said Kim Namjoon.”
“Oh. Fuck.”
“So I’m at the campus coffee shop at rush hour, just trying to get my coffee, and suddenly this girl, Nuri’s, all up in my face, yelling at me about how I hurt her best friend or whatever. And now everyone in that stupid shop is looking at me and they think I cheated on this random girl Jiyoon when I don’t even know who she is.” Namjoon lets out a few broken pants. “Anyways. Yes. That’s my story. And now this is my base for the rest of the year. Thank you for accepting me into your humble home, Yoongi.”
“Oh my God,” Yoongi whispers. “That’s so fucking funny.”
Then, promptly, he bursts into laughter.
Namjoon groans. “I knew I should have gone to Hobi about this. Or even Jin.”
“You know they’d be a thousand times worse,” Yoongi chortles. “Namjoon, you get yourself into so much shit I don’t even know why I’m so surprised.”
“You don’t understand, hyung,” Namjoon presses, “you haven’t been accused of cheating on a girl you’ve never even met in front of forty-five different people. Forty-five college students. I’m probably going to be publicly shamed—again, tomorrow morning in the quad. Or something.”
“Okay okay,” Yoongi says, “here’s what we’re gonna do. When exactly did this happen?”
Namjoon sighs. “Like, fifteen minutes ago.”
“So Nuri’s probably still at the café?”
“I mean, yeah? But—”
“Great!” Yoongi says, clapping his hands together. “Then we don’t have much time. Let’s go.”
“Hyung, what are you—”
“You’ll see.”
“Hyung I don’t think—”
“Namjoon-ah, you need to trust me on these kinds of things.”
“Hyung you’re great and all, but—”
“Good. So you recognize that I’m great. Perfect. Let’s hurry up now.”
-
The coffee shop on campus has a certain aura surrounding it. It’s quite large, with giant bean bags in one corner where students tend to lounge and use to talk with friends and colleagues. On the other side, there are tables, where students work on assignments or eat food.
Yoongi doesn’t really come here often. He hasn’t come since the beginning of the semester.
Namjoon’s trailing behind him, a frantic expression decorating his sharp facial features. Yoongi sighs at the display.
“You need to calm down, Joon,” Yoongi rolls his eyes. “Don’t worry. I’m sure no one even remembers what happened.”
Right on cue, Yoongi catches sight of a guy in the corner, whispering to someone and pointing at Namjoon. Yoongi immediately sends a death glare at him, and the guy quickly looks away in shame.
“Did you see that?” Namjoon whisper-shouts. “Did you see that! Everyone remembers!”
“Relax,” Yoongi waves it off. “Now, do you see that Nuri girl anywhere?”
Namjoon takes a quick glance around the café. “Yeah,” he says with a gulp, lifting his finger and directing to somewhere away from the two of them, “she’s right there. In the gray sweater.”
Yoongi sets his gaze on the girl, pressing his lips together before beginning to walk towards her.
He heard Namjoon gasp behind him, “Hyung—hyung what are you doing?!”
“Saving your reputation,” Yoongi snarkily responds. He makes his way over to Nuri, who’s sipping at a hot drink and chatting comfortably with another girl. Really, Yoongi can’t help but feel bad for her. After he calmly explains to her what actually just happened, she’s the one who’s going to be embarrassed, not Namjoon.
He taps on Nuri’s shoulder, offering her a small smile before continuing on to explain her mistake. He barely notices how everyone in the café quiets down upon noticing a shivering, scared-looking Namjoon standing behind Yoongi, who is extremely calm and composed. Nuri seems apologetic enough, telling Namjoon it was her fault and saying sorry to him without any complaints. Yoongi even helps her by pulling up the real Kang Namjoon’s Instagram account and giving her the username.
“What the fuck, hyung,” Namjoon murmurs as Nuri goes back to talking to her friend, this time excitedly conversing over looking through the Instagram page. “How did you get the guy’s user?”
“You learn how to deal with a few things,” Yoongi says, “after being friends with you for so long. This isn’t the first time I’ve saved your ass from something like this, you bumbling idiot.”
Namjoon shrugs. “Well, thank you. I don’t even know how Jin would have reacted if I had told him.”
“He would have probably done the same thing,” Yoongi snorts, “but instead of using a calm approach like me, he would have yelled at that poor girl in front of the entire coffee shop. Nuri doesn’t even seem like a bad person.”
“I’m sure she isn’t,” Namjoon sighs. “I’m not even angry at her.”
Yoongi isn’t surprised. He knows Namjoon tends to see the best in people before jumping to the worst conclusions.
“Woah,” a new, very familiar voice interrupts. Yoongi spins around, only to come face-to-face with Jeongguk wearing an apron and holding two plastic cups of iced coffee—one with a boatload of sprinkles and whipped cream and the other plain. “Yoongi-hyung? What are you doing here?”
Yoongi looks at him for a solid three seconds—three seconds of complete and utter silence.
“You act so surprised,” he finally says, “that I’m in the college’s coffee shop.”
Jeongguk looks down at his feet. “That’s not what I meant! I’m just saying… I’ve never seen you here.”
Yoongi takes a good look at the gray apron he’s wearing, and sighs.
“You work here?”
Jeongguk nods. “Yeah. Didn’t hyung tell you? I’ve been working here ever since a week before the semester began.” He stops. “Which, by the way, is why I’m surprised you’re here. I’m not some kind of stalker.”
“Could’ve fooled me.”
“Stop that!”
Namjoon coughs. “Uh,” he begins, making the both of them turn to face him, “I don’t mean to interrupt the… pleasant little conversation you two are having… but uh? Hello?”
“Hey, Namjoon-hyung,” Jeongguk waves, smiling brightly. “How’d the thing with Jiyoon-ah end up?”
“Jiyoon... ah?” Yoongi asks, flipping his gaze to look directly at the youngest. “What?”
If it was even possible, Jeongguk’s grin just widened. “Hong Jiyoon. She’s one of my close friends. I heard about the shit Namjoon-hyung got into with Choi Nuri, my other friend.”
“This little shit,” Namjoon begins pleasantly, “thought it would be funny to not help me out while Nuri was chewing me out right in front of him. Jeonggukkie here was laughing behind the coffee machines while knowing Nuri was going after the wrong person!”
“Relax, hyung,” Jeongguk laughs. “It’s all in good fun. Besides, it’s all cleared up now!”
“Yeah, thanks to me,” Yoongi grumles. “If I had known Jeongguk knew about everything I wouldn’t have bothered showing up.” He rounds on Namjoon. “Did you forget to leave out this minor detail? I just wasted a half hour on this!”
“Because,” Namjoon says, “I know you wouldn’t have helped me if I told you about Jeongguk.”
“Well that’s just great,” Yoongi says lowly. He glares at Namjoon while throwing his arms up into the air. “Forget it. I’m out of here. Good day.”
“Is he always like that?” Jeongguk whispers to Namjoon.
“More often than not,” Namjoon whispers back.
“I hate both of you.”
Yoongi decides in that moment that he hates a lot of things.
A heck of a lot of things.