The Hoax

17

The next day, Yoongi started applying for a new job. There were several postings that interested him, all involving music in one way or another. He was genuinely excited about the prospects, something he hadn't felt in relation to work in a while.

After all his applications were submitted, he spent a few hours working on his music. Hoseok complained numerous times about the noise disturbances, but his friend was happy to see Yoongi positively spending his time. And by the end of his session, the elder had two completely new tracks produced.

For the first time in a while, he felt accomplished.

To capitalize on his momentum, he forced himself to buy nutritious groceries and even take a walk outside. A healthy mind involved having a healthy body, so Yoongi was dedicated to fixing up all areas of his life. He even tidied up his room when he returned, opening the blinds and letting the afternoon sun brighten the space.

He was reclining on his bed when a knock sounded at his bedroom door.

"Yeah, yeah. Come in, Hoseok," Yoongi called out, tossing his phone to the side as the door opened.

But it wasn't Hoseok.

"Jungkook," he breathed, quickly rolling off his bed into a standing position. "What . . . I didn't expect to see you."

Jungkook looked at him for a moment before eyeing the room. It probably seemed like a new space entirely to the younger, who had only seen it in its former messy state. He remained quiet while making his observations, which put Yoongi slightly on edge.

"Did Hoseok let you in?" The elder asked in an attempt to fill the silence.

"No, I broke in," Jungkook said dryly before rolling his eyes. "Of course he let me in."

Yoongi didn't know what to do or say. Surely Jungkook was here for a reason, but the boy gave no indication what that reason was. For all Yoongi knew, he could be here for his unfinished bag of candy, which still had a few pieces left even after the elder threw it at the wall.

"Did you get my voicemail?" Yoongi questioned tentatively, needing to know whether or not the younger listened to his apology.

Jungkook dipped his chin once. "Yeah."

He didn't say anything else; he simply watched Yoongi shift back and forth on his feet.

"I really am sorry, Kook," the elder murmured, tracing the younger's face. He wanted to make sure he memorized each of his features if this was the last time they would see each other. "I know it's too late . . . I saw you with Tae. But if it's any consolation, he's a great guy. You deserve someone like him, someone who has his life together and knows what he wants."

"He does know what he wants," Jungkook agreed, his expressionless features out of place considering he usually wore a smirk. "He wants to protect you, someone he considers a brother."

Yoongi's eyebrows knitted together. "I don't . . ."

"Tae and I aren't a thing," the younger clarified with an even tone. "He would never do that to you. And anyway, ever since I started to get to know you, I realized I didn't have true feelings for him. But one week had gone by, Yoongi. One week where I didn't hear from you at all. I thought that meant you moved on from me, so I tried to get over you."

Jungkook still didn't move or show any signs of what was going through his mind, so Yoongi kept quiet. The boy would continue when he was ready.

The younger carried on, rolling back his shoulders swiftly.  "I tried to move on from you by making a move on Tae, even though my heart wasn't in it. I knew I was severely out of line considering he was my boss and I understood there could be consequences. But I had to stop thinking about you for just one  fucking minute. Tae quickly pinned me down, telling me I was an idiot. And I knew I was."

Yoongi bit his lip and continued gnawing on it until he broke the skin. To have the person his heart called out for here, saying these things, made him hopeful. But at the same time, he was trying not to get his hopes up. That would just make him hurt more when Jungkook left him after this.

"I never expected to see you again, if I'm being honest," Jungkook mumbled openly, finally some emotion coloring his voice. "So when you showed up yesterday, I froze up. I couldn't think clearly. Then you ran away and I had Tae yelling in my ear, threatening to fire me for what I did. My mind was a mess and I . . . I just broke down."

Yoongi's heart lurched and he yearned to reach out to Jungkook. He took a tiny step forward, his arm halfway raised, when the younger started talking again.

"And then you left that voicemail. Fuck, Yoongi. I've never felt so happy and so sad at the same time. I was happy because you chose me and apologized for everything, because you seemed like you really did care -"

"I do," Yoongi interrupted. "I care so much for you, Jungkook, and I -"

"But I was also sad because I knew you were right. You need to work out some shit. And I do, too. I want to be with you, but neither of us are in the right frame of mind to start something. I need to better myself, too. I think we both need time."

Yoongi nodded his head, knowing the boy was making sense but still not liking that this was their outcome. This was exactly what he acknowledged yesterday - he had to work on loving himself before he could truly love another person. And he owed Jungkook that much. He wanted to get his life in order so he had something tangible to offer Jungkook.

"I know," Yoongi whispered at last. "We do need time . . . apart. But I want you to know, without any doubt, that I want you. I want to spend time with you because you're confident and funny, considerate and sweet. You always make me so damn happy, Jungkook. And I will work on myself so I can make you happy, too."

Yoongi walked up to him, stopping just a foot away. Jungkook quickly closed the space between them, encircling him in his arms. They stood like that for a while, finding comfort in the other's embrace.

"I'm afraid to let go," Yoongi admitted as he tightened his arms around the boy. "I'm afraid that will mean I'm letting you go for forever."

Jungkook squeezed the elder before loosening his grip. He took a step back, reluctance clear on his face. "I am, too. But we'll just take this one day at a time, I guess."

"Please, Kookie. Please promise me we'll see each other again."

Jungkook gave him a soft smile. "I hope to see you soon."

He walked out of the room with a small wave, leaving Yoongi staring after him yet again.

But this time, he wouldn't give up. This time, he'd try harder.

He'd work each and every day so maybe in the future, he'd have the opportunity of making Jungkook truly happy.

But for today, he'd focus on himself.

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》 V A L E N W R I T I N G 《

This short story will be coming to an end soon! Like really soon, haha. I didn't expect it to even go past 10 chapters, but I've had fun writing this! I always like exploring different pairings and characters.

My OTP will alwayssss be Taekook, but Yoonkook has been cute to write.