𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐊𝐄𝐑 || [JINKOOK FF ]

[3]

Jungkook crouched down under the hot afternoon sun and shook his hair from his eyes, only for it to immediately fall back into place. He thumbed through a cardboard box full of beat up records to see if anything caught his eye.

He had deliberately set some cash aside from his last paycheck in case he saw any signs for estate sales during the week, and sure enough, here he was. Since he was so strapped for money, he didn't have cable, or even a TV, and he preferred it that way. He had his books and he had his records and he had even more books.

Reaching the end, he slowly leaned the weight of all the records back against the side of the box before getting up and dusting off his knees.

Jungkook wandered into the house and delicately skimmed his fingertips over the top of a dark cherry wood sideboard that hugged the entryway wall.

To his left, the hallway opened up into a spacious living room, stacked with boxes overflowing with trinkets and fabrics. The far wall had a large brick fireplace, blackened from years of good use, and was piled high with hard cover books.

Jungkook smiled to himself and headed that way, sitting cross legged and dragging the nearest pile closer to him so he could peruse. A few books  in, he found a faded green fabric covered novel, thicker than the books, but not as tall. He picked it up and found an identical book underneath it. The covers were blank and he turned them to the side to inspect the spines. He smiled as he traced the gilded gold lettering, Les Misérables, Victor Hugo.

Volumes one and two, a complete set. He opened the cover of the first volume, gently so as to not crack the spine, and read the print year was 1890. The volume seemed sturdy enough so he fanned the pages, holding it closer to his face to inhale the old book smell he loved so much.

It's mold, Baby J, the smell is mold, Nam-ju told him the first and last time she joined him at an estate sale.

Jungkook took a deep breath, interrupted by a vibration in his back pocket. He closed the book and set both volumes down next to him as he reached for his phone, which had apparently decided to work today. He didn't recognize the number, but he accepted the call, hoping it might be Taehyung.

“Hello?”

“Jungkook?” A recognizable baritone questioned him on the other end.

“Yeah, it is. Taehyung?” Jungkook asked, suddenly nervous and picking at a frayed thread on the stitching of his shoe.

“Yeah. Hey there.”

“Hey. How's it going? I was starting to think you didn't want to get together after all,” Jungkook casually remarked, trying and failing to not let his insecurity or abandonment issues show.

“No, no, I do!” Taehyung was quick to protest, causing Jungkook to smile. “I've been having shit luck with my car. It got keyed when I was in the store talking to you, then when I got out of dinner that night, all four of my tires were slashed. I got it back from the shop and three days after that, the battery stopped charging. It's so weird. But other than that, I've been good, and I do still want to take you out. I have a loaner car from the dealer finally, so do you have any plans tonight?”

“Tonight? No, I'm free.” Jungkook scratched the back of his neck. He hadn't been on a date in, well, ever. He had as much luck dating as Taehyung seemed to have with his Tesla.

“Great. Are you good with Chinese? There's a place I love off the 101 outside Yongsan-gu called Yeshanghai. It's in kind of a shitty area but the Chinese style Fried pork with sour sauce is one hundred percent worth the risk.” Taehyung laughed and Jungkook’s mouth crept into a tentative smile.