(a random note, but i spent like fifteen minutes trying to figure out how koreans properly address their friend's parents, so i apologize if google misinformed me. i would unintentionally make the rudest korean ever, there's so many honorifics i cry.

also, i don't know how birthday parties work in korea and google is shitty enough so. spare me from hate pls i tried i promise. at least this chapter is cute)

♥║ eighteen ║♥

Jungkook can't stop looking at the clock. The party starts at three, and it's currently two. He doesn't know how early Taehyung is going to come. He's nervous. He's terrified.

But he's also excited.

His goal today is to get over his stuttering. It took him a full month of talking to Jimin in person to get over it, but Jungkook can talk to Taehyung over the phone perfectly fine. He's going to try to use that as an advantage somehow, maybe as a reminder of how easy it is to talk to the elder. Taehyung deserves for him to put in effort.

As Jungkook's mother is walking by with a plate of fruit for the snack table, she nudges him. "Anticipating him much?"

He fights the urge to cover his face. "S-sorry. Do you need help?"

She smiles at him, disregarding his question. "You really like him, huh?" Her smiles turns a bit sad as she looks to her feet. "I've never seen you like this before. Flustered just by the mention of someone." When she glances up at him again, there's water in her eyes. "Did I make you miserable?" she whispers.

"What?" he asks in surprise. "Of course not. Why would you think that?"

"I always thought you and Jiyu's daughter would grow up together, that's why I always made playdates for you with her. The two of us mothers even talked about a wedding," she says with a small laugh. "I feel like I forced you to do something you didn't want to."

"I was little," he says, reassuringly. "And Minseo was fun to be around. You didn't force me into anything."

"I've just started thinking," she murmurs. "I've always been thinking about my plans for you, but never your plans for yourself. It makes me feel terrible and selfish."

He takes the fruit tray from her, setting it on the snack table and then pulling her into a hug. She sniffs into his shoulder, her body shaking slightly from her crying. She pulls away and cups his face, looking him in the eyes.

"Think for yourself, Jungkook. Always for yourself, okay?"

He smiles at her and nods, then—the doorbell rings.

His eyes go wide and his mother chuckles, gently pushing him towards the door. "Go on. I'm more than ready to meet him now," she says as she dabs at her eyes with her sleeve.

He nods again, scrambling to the door quite anxiously but a smile is already on his face. He pulls open the door and...

His smile falls.

"Gee, nice to see you too, asshole," Jimin mutters. "I just came to drop off Mina's present since my mom won't be able to make it."

"Okay," Jungkook says, letting him in. "Sorry, I thought you were—"

"I know, I know. Sorry, I'm not as adorable as Taehyung. I'd be disappointed too if I were waiting for Yoongi and you showed up instead."

"Hurry up and get out of my house."

Jimin laughs. "I love you too, Jungkook."

The older boy bows in greeting to Jungkook's mother, offering her Mina's present since the little girl is upstairs "dolling" herself up. Her "boyfriend" is still coming, so she feels the need to dress her best with the kid makeup their mother bought her. Mina thinks she's slick when she snatches their mother's lipstick or eyeshadow.

As Jimin is heading back to the door, he turns to Jungkook. "We should hang out soon," he says. "With the group or just each other. It feels like we haven't talked in awhile."

"We talked yesterday at lunch," Jungkook points out, despite understanding completely what Jimin is saying.

"Yeah, but that wasn't talking," he replies. "I miss it being just us. This year is going by really fast. Don't get me wrong, though, I'm still choosing Yoongi over you."

Jungkook laughs. "Yes, thank you for the reminder. Tae is an upgrade from you, too."

Jimin grins. "I'm glad to know we've both upgraded. Anyways, I should get going. Yoongi is waiting for me at the theater."

"Of course he is." Jungkook smiles. "You know how to reach me whenever you want to hang out. I don't ever do anything anyways."

"That's a fact the world knows," Jimin teases. He gives Jungkook a playful salute before exiting, closing the front door softly behind him.

He hears mumbling outside the door before the bell rings again seconds later. Jungkook peeks through the peephole this time, something he should've done the first time. His breath catches in his throat when he sees Taehyung standing there in a loose v-neck and black skinny jeans, a wrapped present tucked under his arm.

He inhales a deep breath, ruffles his hair a bit, then opens the door.

Taehyung's smile is brighter than the sun. "Hi. Sorry I'm early. I thought that would be better."

"It's o-okay," Jungkook says, groaning internally at his stutter. "C-come in."

At the moment, Mina decides to come barreling down the stairs shouting, "Eomoni! I need to wear one of your dresses because mine has a stain on it and—" Her eyes widen when she spots Taehyung, who offers a friendly smile and wave.

"Mina, you're too small for one of my dresses. And what stain? I just washed it..." His mother trails off when she walks into the room.

Mina is beaming. "You look better than the pictures! Soojung is going to be so jealous."

His mother, luckily knowing how to act properly in social situations, says kindly, "You must be Tae."

Taehyung bows politely. "Kim Taehyung. It's nice to meet you, ajumma."

She smiles the way she always does when she instantly likes someone. "Nice to meet you as well. Oh, you didn't have to get Mina anything, especially after the way she spoke to you on the phone," his mother says, giving Mina a pointed look. The girl at least has the decency to look embarrassed, making circles on the floor with the tip of her toes.

"I don't mind," Taehyung replies. "It is her party, after all."

All it takes is for Taehyung to smile for his little sister to blush, hiding slightly behind their mother. Jungkook is definitely impressed. He's never seen anyone make Mina feel self-conscious for the way she acts, nonetheless make her speechless. It's truly fascinating.

His mother seems to be enjoying the older's presence as well, her expression soft as she takes the gift from Taehyung, offering him something to drink and telling him to help himself to the snacks. Typically, his mother doesn't let anyone touch the food until majority of the guests have arrived. It's certainly a strange thing to see all this in the Jeon household.

As his mother turns to put the gift on the table, Mina with her, Taehyung turns to Jungkook and wiggles his eyebrows. Jungkook rolls his eyes, but he's smiling as he leads Taehyung into the spacious dining room where the snacks sit, along with the table for gifts.

The doorbell rings again, more guests beginning to arrive since it's nearly three o'clock. "I'll get it!" Mina says excitedly, skipping from the room.

"Is there anything I can help with?" Taehyung asks Jungkook's mother when the woman walks back in with a veggie tray.

She smiles at him. "This is the last of it, actually, but thank you. I appreciate the offer." Then she snaps her fingers. "Oh! Jungkook, can you and Taehyung go hang up the piñata?"

Jungkook nods as she leaves to go greet the guests and Taehyung follows him to the backyard.

"See?" Taehyung says once the two are alone outside. "I told you I'm an angel."

Jungkook snorts. "A-aren't you overd-doing it?"

"Please, I barely tried. Do you want me to overdo it?"

He shakes his head but chuckles, grabbing the stuffed piñata with the string already attached at the top. He glances up at the tree, the lowest hanging branch still being well over his head.

"I'll do it," Taehyung says, taking the piñata from him.

"H-how?"

"You're going to lift me, obviously."

Jungkook gapes at him.

Taehyung shrugs. "I have noodle arms, Kookie. I can barely lift my book bag some days."

Jungkook sucks in a deep breath, giving a curt nod. He can't exactly argue. He doubts Taehyung could pick him up anyways, muscle or not.

Taehyung turns around, but Jungkook's body feels frozen. He's looking at Taehyung's back, knowing he has to wrap his arms around the elder's waist, but his heart is beating too fast and his hands have started to shake. He's never been close to someone in that way before. He swallows the lump in his throat.

Taehyung glances over his shoulder at the younger. "What are you waiting for? Do you think I'm going to crush you or something? Because I'll be honest, I might, if you're not as strong as you look."

"S-sorry," Jungkook murmurs.

Before he can gather his own strength, Taehyung smirks to himself, reaching one hand behind him to find Jungkook's, placing the younger's arm around his middle. He lets his hand lay on top of Jungkook's, his palm soft and warm on Jungkook's knuckles. Jungkook gulps again, forcing his other arm to move and soon his hands are clasped against Taehyung's tummy. He fights the urge to rest his chin on Taehyung's shoulder and stay that way. Instead, he comes to his senses (somewhat) and squats slightly, lifting the older rather easily.

"A little higher," Taehyung instructs, stretching.

Jungkook's hands slide down to Taehyung's waist, the elder's butt practically sitting on Jungkook's chest.

"Wow, I feel like royalty," Taehyung remarks, tossing the rope around the branch before he begins tying it securely. "You can still breathe, right?"

"Y-yeah," Jungkook manages to mumble, his chin pressed into Taehyung's lower back. "Are y-you done?"

"Why, are you struggling?" Taehyung laughs.

"N-no," Jungkook says defensively. He is, only a little, but Taehyung doesn't need to know that.

When Taehyung is done, he practically slides off of Jungkook, a bright, amused grin on his face. Before either of them can say anything, suddenly he hears his mother's voice. "Thank you, boys. But there was a ladder next to the tree."

Jungkook's eyes widen when he sees it, confused as to how he hadn't before. He and Taehyung make eye contact before they both burst into laughter.