Jin is frustrated. Jungkook is playful. Hoseok and Taehyung intervene when Jin loses his temper and scares Jungkook.

~~~

The day was impossibly long. The tight schedules, endless commitments, and persistent exhaustion had been gnawing at Jin for weeks now. He sat on the photoshoot set, eyes half-lidded as the crew buzzed around, adjusting lights, fixing props, and calling out instructions. All seven members were lined up on a sleek leather couch for a group shot, their positions carefully chosen by the director.

Taehyung was on the far left, chatting animatedly with Jin, who sat next to him. Hoseok was on Jin's other side, and Jungkook rounded out the lineup, fidgeting slightly as the makeup artist touched up his hair.

Jin’s head was pounding. He barely heard Taehyung’s words as the younger man gestured wildly, describing something that had clearly amused him. Jin nodded along, trying to stay engaged, but his patience was wearing thin.

“Hyung, are you even listening?” Taehyung teased, nudging him lightly.

Jin forced a weak smile. “Yeah, yeah. Something about... a dog?”

Taehyung burst out laughing. “No, hyung! I said frog! Not even close.”

Jungkook, sitting at the end, watched the interaction and grinned mischievously. He reached over, his arm extending across Hoseok’s lap, and smacked Jin lightly on the chest. 

“Hyung, focus!” Jungkook said playfully, his eyes sparkling with mischief. 

The sudden smack caught Jin off guard. It wasn’t hard, but in his current state of frustration, it felt like a personal attack. His brows furrowed as his patience snapped. 

Before anyone could say anything, Jin reached out, grabbing the collar of Jungkook’s jacket and pulling him slightly forward. 

“You think this is funny?” Jin said, his voice low and clipped. His hand trembled slightly, whether from anger or exhaustion, it wasn’t clear. “I’m not in the mood for your games right now.” 

Jungkook’s eyes widened in shock, his playful demeanor replaced by unease, his playful grin faltering. “Hyung, I—I didn’t mean—” 

“Hyung!” Hoseok interjected, leaning over to gently pry Jin’s hand off Jungkook. His voice was calm but firm. “Let go. Now.” 

“Jin-hyung, what are you doing?” Taehyung added, his tone edged with concern as he moved closer to Jin. 

Jin hesitated for a moment, the weight of their combined voices breaking through his frustration. He released Jungkook’s collar abruptly, as if realizing too late what he had done. Jungkook instinctively scooted back, his heart pounding. 

“Hyung, calm down,” Hoseok said softly, his hand resting on Jin’s arm. “What’s going on with you?” 

Jin ran a hand through his hair, suddenly feeling the full weight of his actions. His eyes darted to Jungkook, who was sitting stiffly, his usual confidence replaced with an unfamiliar hesitance. 

“I’m sorry,” Jin muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. He looked down at his hands, guilt pooling in his chest. “I didn’t mean to—” 

Jungkook shifted uncomfortably, still processing what had happened. He looked at Jin, his voice quiet. “I wasn’t trying to upset you, hyung. I’m sorry if I did.” 

Jin’s head shot up, his heart sinking further. “No, Jungkook. You didn’t do anything wrong. It’s me. I’ve just been... so on edge lately. I shouldn’t have reacted like that. I’m so sorry.” 

Hoseok nodded, his hand still on Jin’s arm. “You’ve been carrying a lot, hyung. But you don’t have to do it alone. We’re all here to share the load, okay?” 

Jin looked at them, his eyes glassy. “I know. I just... I don’t want to mess up. I feel like I have to keep everything together, and it’s... it’s too much sometimes.” 

Taehyung leaned closer, resting a comforting hand on Jin’s shoulder. “Hyung, you don’t have to be perfect. We’re a team. We’ll figure it out together.” 

Jungkook, still a little shaken but no longer scared, nodded. “Yeah, hyung. We all have bad days. It’s okay. Just... don’t scare me like that again, okay?” 

Jin let out a shaky laugh, relief washing over him. “I promise. No more grabbing collars.” 

The tension in the room eased as the members shared a small laugh. Hoseok clapped his hands together, a smile returning to his face. “Alright, let’s finish this photoshoot so we can go eat. I’m starving.” 

Jungkook grinned, his usual spark returning. “Hyung, you’re always starving.”   

Jin chuckled, shaking his head. “You’re not wrong about that.” 

Hoseok whined, "stop judging me!"

As the crew called them back into position, the group settled into their places again, the air lighter now. Jin glanced at Jungkook, his expression softening. 

“Jungkook,” he said quietly, “thanks for being so understanding. And I'm sorry. Again. For scaring you by losing my temper like that.” 

Jungkook smiled. “It happens to the best of us, hyung. No worries. We're good.” 

And with that, the tension dissolved.

The end!