two sides; same story | jikook

Chapter 1: two sides;

Okay, so maybe Jimin thinks his neighbor is hot.

A little.

Okay, maybe a lot.

Occasionally Jimin will look out his bedroom window and see Jeon Jungkook shirtless. That guy runs a marathon at least once a day, taking laps around the small lake in front of the apartment complex; and for some reason, he never EVER has a shirt on while he's doing it.

The sight makes Jimin's heart do some weird thumpy thing.

And on a day like today, an overcast Sunday that Jimin had literally absolutely nothing constructive to do, ignoring Jungkook became nigh impossible. Any distraction would have been welcome—hell, Jimin would have even voluntarily gone to work overtime hours if it wasn't a Sunday. Anything was better than being trapped, staring out the bedroom window, longing and lusting after a boy who had only spared Jimin a brief glance once (when they both awkwardly ran into each other while getting the mail).

And it would be different if not for the fact that Jungkook lived right next door.

It would be different if not for the fact that Jimin could see all the times that Jungkook hides away on the balcony, nose tucked into a book, reading with such intensity that Jimin feels something stir within his own soul. Everything Jungkook did, Jimin noticed, was done with intensity.

It would be different if not for the fact that Jimin can very clearly hear the way Jungkook sings in the shower, when he thinks no one is listening. Jungkook has the voice of an angel, Jimin learns.

Jimin has never once spoken a word to Jungkook, but in some odd way, he feels like he understands the intricate moments of his neighbor's life.

It takes a whole two months of living next to the boy for Jimin to realize that, inexplicably and inexcusably, he had a crush.

Carefully balancing the grocery bags against his chest, Jimin clumsily reached up to slam the car trunk closed. He'd always been too stubborn to make two trips; his limbs would be twisted at unnatural angles, and the bags would threaten to spill all over the ground, but he would always manage to take all the grocery bags on one trip. Without fail. One trip.

It was a matter of personal pride.

Jimin hobbled over to the staircase up to his apartment (forgetting to lock the car, naturally) and slowly began his ascent. A lone can of crushed tomatoes tipped over and was lost in the fray, falling to the floor with a metallic 'thud'. The first casualty.

Next went the bag of steel-crushed oats. Casualty number two: that's what Jimin gets for trying to eat organic.

He had almost made it to the very top of the staircase with only two lost items; that was a new record. Of course, Jeon 'Fucking-Bane-Of-Jimin's-Existence' Jungkook suddenly had to turn the corner to the stairwell.

Jimin fell back with a yelp, startled by the unexpected appearance. In a flurry of broccoli and uncooked spaghetti, Jimin slowly felt his body tipping backwards. This is it, he managed to think. This is how I die. Surrounded by organic produce, scared to death by my fucking neighbor. How embarrassing.

Did Jimin internally squeal like a little girl when he felt a study hand grab his wrist? Maybe, possibly. The giddiness was almost enough to override the fact that Jungkook's grip had probably broken his wrist.

Squeezing his eyes shut at the clatter of food rolling down the staircase behind him, Jimin winced heavily and felt himself being pulled back up.

"Holy shit, I'm so sorry Jimin, are you alright? Oh shit, are you okay?"