Love Story Short | Jikook/Kookmin

Chapter 10

[A/N: Hey lovelies :) I'm so sorry for taking so long with this update :( My life is hectic and I'm trying to rebuild my priorities and drop ones that push my limits. It's not as bad as it sounds, I promise! I wrote little paragraphs everyday and had a few hours to edit today, so here you go! Thank you for being patient with me. Love you guys <3]

Jungkook's first ever dip into the world of love was in high school. He liked a girl immensely around a time when he was into self-help books. Exploring the concepts of courage, openness, bravery, Jungkook decided to free himself from the chains of social anxiety. 

He confessed to her.

He didn't ask for anything back. 

"I'm doing this for myself," he told her. "I am not asking you to reciprocate. I just like you. You inspire me in many ways. Thank you."

She was three years older. She didn't push him, probably didn't even know Jungkook liked her until then. Like always, they co-existed. Their shoulders brushed on school corridors, they sat at opposite corners of the same club room, they took the same line in the school cafeteria. Except her sharp, night-dark eyes landed on him more often, drafted with a young smile.

She graduated that same year and left some place Jungkook never came to know. It hurt, just a little bit. 

Even then Jungkook remained grateful to her. For receiving his feelings so kindly, then letting him exist in them in peace, but also validating his existence. He gifted her compliments and she gifted him freedom. 

It was poetic.

Years later, history repeated itself on a starless night. Jungkook wore his heart on his sleeve and decided he wanted to remember what freedom tasted like. But this time, it didn't taste like silent stares, like peaceful validation, or like beautiful accomplishments. It tasted like Park Jimin.

Let's get high off this feeling, but not enough to forget about it when our feet land back on the ground.

That's what Park Jimin tasted like.

It's funny. Jungkook used to think Jimin was the annoying type of guy who didn't care about anybody's feelings but his own. Then last night happened. And Jungkook realized that chasing after moments of joy was not the same thing as being selfish, not in a bad way. 

Was Jimin buzzing with energy or uncertainty when he kissed Jungkook last night — probably the second one. Because Jungkook felt the hesitant clasp on those fingers around his hair, the tremor of Jimin's heart pressed over his shoulder, the flutter of his eyelashes, the fish inside his ocean eyes. But did Jimin still go for it? Yes, he did.

Because Jimin is not scared to take that leap to experience life.

Jungkook too is experiencing freedom in Jimin's way, and he is already addicted to how sweet it tastes. 

They co-exist. 

Hey, it's me.

Except it isn't coincidental anymore. 

Again.

The first morning after the night of their kiss, Jimin waits for Jungkook to enter the office building, toothy smiles and an extra cup of hot tea in his hand. Jungkook blushes, accepts it all with a thank you and walks Jimin to his cubicle, waits for him to settle first before taking the opposite turn, like the option of going to his own room first wasn't even a thing to begin with. 

There is no easy way to say this.

He is there when Jimin is taking a coffee break and he won't run into a giant cupboard because he will stay right where he is, stare at Jimin, smile at him too.