value || jikook

seven

he wasn't too sure how he was going to get his attention, or if he should sneak away in the other direction. either way, jungkook wondered why he was here of all places?

jungkook lifted a brow and cleared his throat, deciding on getting the mans attention that way. the casino guy turned his head, and he smiled when he recognized him.

"oh! if it isn't the cutie from the casino!" jimin said. jungkook blushed at this. "jungkook, right?"

the younger cocked his head to the side and swallowed, eyes staring holes into jimin's face. it was back. the odd nervousness he felt. he glanced around, the whispers from the other people getting a bit louder and it was obviously about the both of them. he swiveled his gaze back to the benched man.

"yeah... and you're jimin..." jungkook spoke slowly, shifting from foot to foot. then a thought hit him making him raise a brow. the thought was preposterous, but it seemed oddly like a possibility. a weird one at that. "you didn't follow me to school, did you?"

jimins eyes went wide.

"what?! no!" jimin leapt up from his seat and paced the sidewalk. "im just waiting for somebody, my friend jin, im supposedly his ride to a date. he was supposed to be here... but he's not..."

jungkook sighed, relieved this guy wasn't doing what would have been the worst possible outcome from his ridiculous brain.

"oh, jin-hyung?"

jungkook thought of his kind hyung who treated him with care unlike the few people on the campus he had hoped to avoid for the day.

jin went to his university, although they never really saw each other because they went to class in separate buildings. he was studying to be a children's doctor and make lots of money in order to support himself and whoever he ended up married to.

"you know him?" jimin asked. jungkook nodded and watched how jimin stopped his slow pacing and turned to him. "oh good. do you know where he is?"

jungkook looked up, humming and tapping at his chin in thought, "if i recall correctly, namjoon-hyung came and picked him up early."

"so i came out here for nothing?" jimin grumbled. he shoved his hands in the pockets of his jacket. "why didn't he call me?" he groaned loudly.

jungkook just stood there awkwardly, looking at his feet and occasionally looking up at jimin who was rambling to himself about jin not letting him know or calling him about the change of plans. because apparently, jimin had waited for two hours on this wooden bench out in the what was the beginning of fall, and seemed just about on the verge of losing it. that was until jungkook came along out of nowhere.

"well my phone is dead..." jimin stopped suddenly and looked over at jungkook. jungkook just stared in confusion and awkwardness. jimin sheepishly ran a hand back through his hair. "sorry."

jungkook smiled slightly, noticing the gesture from the casino. he had been right. "so... ill just be on my way."

jungkook walked forward, slowly passing jimin on the gray sidewalk that was littered with leaves and dirt from other people, leaving their encounter as one of the most awkward ones he'd ever had too. as he stepped past him, a homey and fresh scent wafted into his nose. almost warm. and at that thought, a shiver traveled down jungkooks spine. he was without a car to get himself home, and also a coat to keep warm, and the word warm was a harsh reminder of just how cold it was outside.

just as he was beginning to walk away, jimin suddenly took a chance.

"hey jungkook!" jimin called. jungkook halted in his step and peered with a surprised gaze back at the older over his shoulder.

"yes?"

jimin was a bit hesitant. "do you have a jacket with you?"

jungkook froze, not taking a breath. he shifted his eyes back to his front and breathed a tiny sigh.

"i forgot it..." he lied. there was a reason he didn't have anything to keep him warm. a perfectly good one at that, but he couldn't tell it to anyone. they might try to interfere, and he couldn't have that.

"what about a car? or anyone to drive you?" jimin pressed on. jungkook just shook his head limply despite feeling a bit humiliated. however he wasn't expecting what jimin said next. "hop in. ill drive you."

so he did. he followed after jimin, reluctantly slipping into the passengers seat with a thud.

"you don't have to give me a ride you know." jungkook spoke, "i barely know you and you just really don't have to.." jimin shrugged and laughed at what was jungkook's mission in not bothering anyone. like he was making jimin drive him home.

"no, it's not a bother to me. besides, i can't leave a cutie like you out here to walk alone," jimin laughed. "you even forgot your coat," jungkook cringed at the tale spoken from his lips, "and you don't have a car with you. it's too cold for anything like walking home, so ill help you out."

jungkook told jimin with small voiced words the directions to take in order to get to his small rental place. he didn't know what to say really, someone he didn't really know was driving him home because he was cute. when they arrived at jungkook's home, he slowly got out, relishing in the smell he had scented in the car as well as the heat from the vents just a little longer.

"thank you..." jungkook said to jimin. jimin felt himself crack a grin. he liked it when jungkook thanked him, though not knowing why.

"no problem jungkook-ah–" jungkook was about to close the car door when jimin suddenly cut off and spoke again. "wait jungkook! here!"

jimin dug out a messy post-it note from the back seats and scribbling something down on it with a pen that was suddenly in his hand. afterwards, he then held it out to the younger to take. he did. when jungkook saw it, his mouth opened slightly to form an o shape.

"what's this?" jungkook asked. the digits on the paper couldn't possibly be for him.

"my number," but they were. "if you ever need another ride home, call me." jungkook looked from the paper to jimin, shocked.

"but i–" jimin shook his head. "–don't know you?"

"just keep it. maybe you'll need it. i don't care if im a stranger or whatever to you, even though we do go back a few hours or even a day to the casino. trust me okay?" jungkook just couldn't stop the gaping mouth he had the next moment. the way jimin just perfectly understood that moment made him feel a bit like he was being tried at. like someone was trying for him.

"stay warm jungkook-ah." jimin smiled brightly at him. that was the smile. the one that seemed to warm his insides instead of his very own body heat.

jimin drove away, leaving jungkook to watch him go with multiple feelings jumbling up in his head to make him only more confused about himself and what jimin was in his mind.

he shook his head and clambered up the stairs to his part of the apartment building, where he unlocked the door to find someone sitting inside at his pitiful bar. and they said one thing,

"tell me... everything."

//how do you suppose one can change the world?