Stranger | Jikook/Kookmin

35 | Better Than the Truth

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The next morning, Jungkook opens his eyes to a disturbingly repetitive sound — not his alarm clock, but the doorbell. He rolls to the side of the nightstand with a grunt, hand scattering over the surface to locate his phone. 

Click.

He squints.

It's 7 a.m. 

A big sigh leaves his lips as he rests his eyes through the next couple rings. Is this some sort of advertiser going around the neighborhood in the crack of dawn again? Or maybe June has brought her mother's homemade soup for breakfast again (Jungkook will admit it was a sweet gesture but it's seven in the morning right now and he doesn't think he wants to have soup just yet). 

One thing is clear. Whoever they are, they are not going away. The ringing isn't as persistent but occasionally returns which is it's enough hint for Jungkook to take. 

He'll have to attend it.

He drags himself through the apartment lazily, sleep-droopy eyes inspecting the rain pouring at utter intensity through his windows. The forecast didn't even show rain for this week. What is the weather so angry at on a Sunday?

Dusting off the eerie feeling creeping inside of him, Jungkook ditches the peephole and opens the door promptly. He is no form or shape expecting to meet eyes with a drenched Taehyung who seems just as surprised to see Jungkook even though he has been the one to come to him.

"Hi," Taehyung makes out hoarsely, slightly shivering inside the wetness of his clothes. "Can I come in for a bit?"

"Y-yeah, sure," Jungkook pulls the door open so that Taehyung can walk through. What the hell happened to him? Why is he soaked? 

The man doesn't advance inside completely as his clothes are dripping water over the floor, choosing to stand at the side with his shoulders slumped and a shy expression on his face. Jungkook gets the message.

"Let me get you a towel and some clothes," he skips to his bedroom. They haven't really interacted outside of the few times Jungkook went to visit Taehyung at the rooftop, but even then he didn't expect Taehyung to turn up at his door because the man had said that he was renting a house — it has been three days since that conversation. 

Jungkook is back with the biggest beach towel from his closet and a baggy hoodie set. Taehyung accepts them with a thanks, and Jungkook gives him some privacy to change, heading to the kitchen.

"Would you like warm milk, V hyung?" he shouts over while emptying a cup into the coffee pot, adding another one after the delayed response that comes from the living room.

He puffs his cheeks, swimming in thoughts as he watches the milk bubble over the pot for a few moments. It's weird that Taehyung would show up like this. As much as their friendship didn't bloom in the direction that Jungkook wished it could, seeing Taehyung suffer upsets him. 

He hopes everything is okay.

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"It started raining and my tent collapsed."

Jungkook shoves down his sudden urge to snort. It feels somewhat like getting the giggles in a funeral, you know? Bad timing.

"Weren't you renting?"

"Didn't work out."

"Aahm."

They're back to sipping their milk, droplet sounds hitting the window near the dining table filling the house again. Jungkook had forgotten how quiet it used to get between them. He easily initiated a conversation with Taehyung before though, while now the cat has gotten his tongue despite his questions only having grown in number.