Wasted Love

CHAPTER TWENTY

"Yo! Hoseok!" Jimin shouts excitedly, greeting him from the other side of me as Hoseok hops into the still vacant seat to my right.

"Hey, " Hoseok replies easily, smiling cheerfully as he buckles in. "How you been man?"

In the back-seat Jeonguk snickers quietly at Hoseok's thick accent. He yelps suddenly, once again, and I know that he just got another master-Min elbow to the ribs.

"What?!" He exclaims loudly. "The guys a literal ball of sunshine, and his voice is hilarious!"

"You know what else is hilarious?" Jin suddenly chips in. "Your grades. Try mastering English yourself before you talk, someone might listen."

"But Jin-"

"Don't." Jin warns. "I will pull this car over."

Jeonguk sulks quietly in the back-seat and I shudder to think of what is going through his brain. He's probably already scheming a revenge plan.

"No, it's fine." Hoseok chirps, still smiling just as brightly as ever. "I really don't mind. If I can't laugh at myself then I'm probably taking life too seriously."

"Whoa!" Jimin blurts, starstruck as he gazes upon Hoseok with admiration. "What an awesome life philosophy!"

"You know though, " Hoseok declares, pride flaring to life beneath Jimin's compliment, and turns in his seat to face Jeonguk with, suddenly, a face that is far more serious than any I've seen him wear before. "I could probably dance circles around you."

"Oh!" Yoongi cries, "Would you like some ice for that burn?"

Jin laughs, nearly missing the stop light and pissing off this poor elderly lady who now stands, wide-eyed in the middle of the street as if she'd just had a heart attack. Everyone is suddenly transfixed, all eyes forward as we watch the exchange.

"Hey!" She shouts angrily, flipping us the bird unsteadily with one hand as she continues, leaning heavily upon her walker. "I'm walking here!"

The tips of Seokjin's ears turn bright pink, and he rolls down his window to apologize profusely. The lady looks at him as if he's grown another head, and, mollified by his enthusiastic apologies, continues on her path across the street.

So. Slowly.

"Dude, you're on!" Jeonguk shouts suddenly.

I blink, confused as to what's going on now, brain already having moved on after witnessing the scene before us.

"Let's do it!" Hoseok exclaims, grinning evilly as he turns to face Jeonguk once more.

"That might not be a good idea," I advise doubtfully. "Jeonguk is actually a really good dancer."

As Jin turns on his blinker, preparing to turn left and into the strip mall's parking lot, Jeonguk howls gleefully.

"You won't beat me. I never lose a challenge!"

"It's true, " Namjoon mutters lowly, "He hasn't, for as long as we've known him."

"Yeah?" I retort, smiling evilly myself. "Well, there's a first time for everything isn't there?"

I turn to face Hoseok, and he gives a little appreciative nod of his head.

"You know what, Hoseok?" I proclaim gleefully. "Whoop him good."

Jeonguk splutters in indignation behind us as Jin parks the car.

"Alright, " Jin says. "But there's gotta be rules. We'll judge obviously."

He gestures to each of us, indicating that those not participating should judge.

"And we'll do it later tonight." Jin adds thoughtfully. "Right now I just wanna get some food in my system."

"Why don't we go dancing?" I ask.

And though Jimin, Jeonguk, Hoseok, and Jin are enthusiastically on board, Yoongi and Namjoon are not. Namjoon grumbles quietly to himself, though obviously displeased, and Yoongi straight up swears in the backseat.

"Nuh-uh!" Jeonguk shouts, all too pleased with himself. "What was that about respect earlier-"

Jeonguk howls in pain all of a sudden and I realize that I'm really not sure I want to know why.

Jeonguk, completely disregarding normal protocol in regards to exiting a minivan, nearly jumps to the door. Meanwhile, Jimin's whole ass is all up in my face as he too ignores common courtesy in favor of beating us to the door.

Hoseok turns his face in my direction, trying his best to avoid Jimin's rather plump derriere. He grins at me mischievously as Jimin pauses in front of us, fighting and bickering with Jeonguk over the door handle.

Leaning forward, he places a chaste kiss upon my nose. The smile he gives me is saccharine, sweet beyond compare, and I melt in my seat. All thoughts vanish, and my brain completely forgets about Jimin and everyone else in the car.

"Children!" Jin yells, and all falls silent.

Jimin and Jeonguk freeze entirely, door clicking open as they stare at Jin wide eyed and waiting. Seokjin gives them the eye, and they step out of the car instantly calm. Hoseok exits, and then turns around to offer me his hand.

I blush as I take it, and Jimin and Jeonguk whistle loudly in the background.

He helps me out of the car, where I discover that Jin and Namjoon have already stepped out and made a beeline for the door. Yoongi is, of course, the last to exit the car. He wears a self-satisfied grin as Jeonguk scurries to the door, clearly remembering whatever it was that Yoongi had done to him in the backseat.

Yoongi catches up to the others at about the same time that Hoseok and I do.

"So, " Jimin needles, inserting himself in between Hoseok and I and wrapping his arms around our necks casually. "Are you two, like, a couple now?"

Jimin looks at us expectantly, and suddenly, so does everyone else.

Hoseok too, eyes me for a second, before opening his mouth and beating me to the punch.

"Not yet, " he replies easily. "But I think we will be soon."

Hoseok smiles so gently at me, that my heart thumps painfully in my chest. And for just a moment, I nearly forget to breathe. I smile back.

Jimin whoops and hollers, excited by this change. The other boys smile, and as we walk through the doors, I don't shy away when Hoseok enfolds my smaller hand into his own.