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There was a grocery store not too far from the university apartments, so Jungkook had told Seokjin to meet him there today— Thursday.

At first, he didn't know what to ask in return for helping Seokjin, but then he saw Jiyeon making an order of cupcakes for a birthday party and it gave him an idea.

He recalled Jiyeon saying something about making pastries with Seokjin once, so he figured that Seokjin could help him make a cake today.

Jungkook's mother's birthday is tomorrow and he wanted to make the cake tonight so that it would be fresh enough to present to her tomorrow.

"Excuse me, do you guys sell any flowers here?" he asked as soon as he walked into the store.

"We do," a young employee told him, then pointed to the wall nearby, "Flowers are on display over there."

They were so close to the entryway that Jungkook felt embarrassed for even asking in the first place— he didn't see them walking in.

"Thank you."

Pushing the embarrassment aside, he walked over to the few bouquets displayed. It didn't take long before a set of flowers caught his eye. It was different shades of pink and green. So pretty for his mom. He picked the flowers up and smelled them—

"Flowers?"

Jungkook's eyes widened at the sudden voice and he turned to come eye-to-eye with Seokjin, who glanced curiously at the bouquet.

"Yeah," he muttered to himself as he pulled his shopping cart to his side and set the flowers in it.

"You asked me to come here so you could buy flowers, or..?"

Jungkook walked away from the older, ignoring his words. "Are you ready to help me in return for me helping you?" he asked, and Seokjin caught up to walk beside him.

"Help you do what?"

"Bake a cake. A nice one." He made his way towards the baking aisle. "I wanna bake a cake from scratch. You're here to teach me. So, what do I buy, hm?"

Seokjin stopped walking. "A cake. What kind of cake?"

"Two layers. She really likes strawberry-flavored things, so I want to make a strawberry cake with strawberries on top. Wouldn't a pink cake be cute?"

The older gave him an odd look, but Jungkook brushed him off and told him to get the ingredients. Seokjin obeyed and began tossing things into the cart without a word.

As they were about to leave the aisle, Jungkook stopped Seokjin from pulling the cart with him. He stopped them in front of the supplies hanging up in the aisle.

"I want cute swirls on the cake too," he said, but Seokjin waved him off.

"We won't buy any of that. Jiyeon has all the stuff to do it at your apartment. We'll use her things."

But Jiyeon doesn't have birthday candles! Jungkook pulled the cart with him and went straight to the candles, leaving Seokjin there— Seokjin was actually trailing behind, confused as he followed.

Jungkook found the candles and picked some white ones to top the cake he had in mind. White candles on a pretty pink cake. She's going to love it.

"Is it someone's birthday?"

Jungkook glanced up at Seokjin, but simply put the candles in the cart and began walking to where he knew the fruit was. He didn't want to tell Seokjin who the cake was for.

Seokjin didn't question it.

——————

Eventually, they got to the apartment and laid out all the ingredients on the kitchen counter. Seokjin also went through their cabinets to find some extra supplies to use.

"I'm making the cake, I just want you to teach me how."

"Why?" Seokjin asked him as he opened the sugar container. "I mean, why do you wanna make it? I could just make it for you."

Jungkook shook his head and took the container from him. "It's important for me to make it— if that wasn't the case, I could've just bought one from a bakery instead of asking you to come."

Seokjin held up his hands in defeat and let the younger take over.

"Okay, okay."

And so, one by one, Seokjin told Jungkook which ingredients to add and how to add them. The cake itself was pretty easy to make, but as Jungkook started to make the icing, Seokjin tsked at him.

He was just mixing the ingredients, but Seokjin didn't seem to have a positive look on his face as he watched.

"What? It's just frosting..."

Seokjin shook his head. "You look like you're trying to beat eggs or something." He stepped forward and behind Jungkook, then placed his hand on Jungkook's, guiding him. "I told you we should've used a mixer."

Jungkook had refused to use the mixer. He wanted to do it on his own.

The frosting was a bit harder to make, but it still looked okay! Especially as Seokjin started to guide his hand.

But...

After Seokjin's hand had met his, Jungkook clenched his jaw and kept his eyes set so hard on their hands that he thought he'd burn a hole through their skin.

He didn't blink a single time and he sucked his lip in to nibble on, trying to distract himself, but with Seokjin's hand on his, it kind of reminded him of when he held his hand—

"Good. See, now it's looking better."

Seokjin's hand withdrew. Gone. Just like that, and right after such a praise. Jungkook stopped mixing for a moment to process these thoughts. Bad thoughts.

He pushed them away and continued mixing the way Seokjin showed him; slow and steady.

After so long of baking, only then did Seokjin ask, "Where's Jiyeon at today?" But Jungkook didn't know and even if he did, why was Seokjin only now asking him?

"No clue."

Eventually, they finished baking the cake and making the frosting, so Seokjin had to show him how to correctly put the frosting on.

He never thought the cake would end up looking so nice, but with only one layer finished, it was already looking amazing— like he wanted to eat it now. It was amazing.

He made that.

When the second layer was on and Seokjin showed him how to decorate the icing on top, then showed him where to place the sliced strawberries, the cake looked so delicious.

"Wow," he mumbled to himself as he fixed a few strawberries. "This is so cute. I know she's gonna love it."

Seokjin sat down on the barstool next to him and offered the lid to the cake display, which Jungkook took and finally put over the cake.

"All done," Seokjin said. "Now, you told me you'd help me again. When did you plan on doing that, Jeon?"

Jungkook turned to him, furrowing his eyebrows. "Huh? You still want help? For what? I thought you just wanted a little push or something, right?"

"What? You told me you'd help me more 'next time', why are you acting surprised now?" Seokjin asked. "You said—"

"Why?" Jungkook cut him off. "What more do you need help with? I thought things were okay with Jiyeon the other day?"

Seokjin averted his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. "Well, I guess. I don't know. I just—"

A sudden tune started playing from Seokjin's jacket pocket. His phone; he sighed as he picked it out and his face was blank as he looked at the contact. Then, he answered the call.

"Hello..?" His eyes met Jungkook's just before he let out a sigh. "I'm coming. Just stay there, okay?"

Jungkook wasn't sure who, or what was happening, but all he knew was that Seokjin was quick to get up and tell him good luck with his cake, then headed straight for the door.

Dummy left just like that.

Jungkook sort of wanted to roll his eyes right at Seokjin and tell him to leave him out of his relationship issues, and another part of Jungkook was curious about the call he'd gotten to make him suddenly run out the door.

Whatever, though.

He didn't care. Whatever Seokjin does is his own business.

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"Jiminie oppa? Where's he at?"

Seokjin halted in front of Jiyeon's bedroom door. It wasn't too late at night, but he didn't want to be too loud. However... he wanted to scream out as Jiyeon spoke about Jimin.

"He's not here," he said as he carried his girlfriend who reeked of alcohol to her bed and laid her down.

"He's so nice~" she continued as she pulled herself up into her pillow. "Want'm here with me.."

He sighed down at Jiyeon. Of course, she'd want Jimin there instead of him. It was painfully obvious, that she was starting to like him more than Seokjin. He hated this sinking feeling in his chest.

Instead of listening to it any longer, Seokjin left her there and decided to call it a night for himself. He'd done so much today and now... this.

He was losing Jiyeon faster than he expected. Tomorrow— since he's free— he's going to come back here and practically beg Jungkook to teach him how to get his girlfriend back. It's the only thing he knows to do now.

Teach him to treat her right.

Teach him whatever the hell it was that Jimin was doing right. Teach him how to be a boyfriend. He's going to ask Jungkook to teach him tomorrow.

...

That's all he had planned on doing, anyway.

~

dun dun dunnnn ☺️🍓

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