Single Father • Namjoon + BTS!Kids

xciii.

Taehyung knew what Jungkook was doing. He'd caught him staring at their classmates, and it hadn't been the first time. He knew, but he'd missed their relationship so much that he wasn't ready to give Jungkook up just yet.

Was he being selfish? Absolutely.

But it seemed as though the whole world had come to revolve around Jimin, had been revolving around Jimin since even before his abduction. He was the favorite. Tae didn't mind because he didn't care about being liked as much, but he knew it mattered to Jungkook. But it was hard not to love Jimin immensely. So hard in fact that Tae - not that he would ever tell it to Jimin - was sort of enjoying not having Jimin in their class, just so he could spend more time with Jungkook. He knew that was a horrible thing to say, but it didn't mean that he loved Jimin any less. Simply that, well, Jimin could be a bit of a distraction. It was like he'd stayed young while everyone else had grown up. He was needy, dependent, unable to be left alone.

Tae didn't mind that. He liked being around Jimin. But he knew that if Jimin were there at school with them, it would be hard to balance his attention between Jimin and Jungkook, and now that he'd gotten both of his triplets back, he didn't want to have to choose sides or only play with one of them. He wanted it to be equal.

Which was why Jimin's absence made everything a little bit easier. Although Tae couldn't admit that because he didn't want to hurt Jimin's feelings. Even if Jimin didn't cry as much now as when he was a kid, he was still more sensitive than the others, and Tae didn't want to hurt him in any way.

But, whether he admitted it or not, he enjoyed his alone time with Jungkook.

"I'm just saying," Tae went on, gesturing in the air with his spoon. "They really should make one utensil that is part fork, part spoon. That way, I could eat soup with chicken, and I wouldn't have to grab two different utensils."

Jungkook tolled his eyes, used to Tae's nonsense. "They already have that, Tae. It's called a spork."

Tae shook his head vehemently. "Nuh uh! Even if it did exist, it would be called a fpoon!" He leaned in closer, about to whisper a trade secret. "The f is silent."

Jungkook couldn't bite back his bunny tooth grin, overcome by just how crazy his brother was, before quickly smoothing out his smile, although the corners of his lips stayed upturned. "First, it's a spork. Second, they do exist, and they are literally sitting five meters away next to the lunch trays. Third, what's the point of a silent f? Then it's like there's no fork in it at all."

Tae nodded slowly, narrowing his eyes. "You have a valid point there." He straightened suddenly. "All right, I've got it! A foon!"

"You just dropped one letter."

"The genius is in the simplicity," Tae said assuredly before leaning back into his seat and continuing his lung as though he'd never brought the point up at all. "Kookie?"

Jungkook looked up, slightly surprised. Usually, it was Jimin who called him that. Tae hadn't called him that in...a long time.

Not that he minded. "Yeah, Tae?"

"Do you think Jimin will come back to school?"

Jungkook stares at Tae, who now looked completely serious, no trace of amusement on his face. It was like looking at a different kid altogether. "Um...I don't know, Tae...Probably...You know he's been studying..."

There was a long pause before Tae nodded twice, looking down at the table. "If Jimin comes back, will you still sit with me?" he asked, not looking up.

Jungkook frowned. "Where is this coming from, Tae?"

"It's just that I know you're only sitting with me because you don't want to leave me by myself, so I was just wondering, if Jimin comes back...are you going to leave and make better friends?"