Jungkook stares at the thermos in Jihyun's hand curiously. "What's in there? Coffee?"

Jihyun pushes her sunglasses higher up her nose bridge. "One can of Mountain Dew and one can of Monster. I have tests in every hour today and I got 15 minutes of sleep. Desperate times, you know?"

Stunned, Jungkook looks at Seojun who just shrugs. "Let her be."

By the end of the day, Jihyun is an emotional wreck. "Seojun-ah, I failed. I failed everything. Can I just forfeit uni?"

"You didn't fail," Seojun reassures, wrapping her arm around Jihyun's shoulder and leaning into her side comfortingly. "Don't worry about it." She glances at Jungkook. "How was your day?"

"Pretty good." Jungkook's hands are in his pockets, fingers anxiously threading together. "I'm, uh, meeting up with a friend here, so you guys can go ahead without me."

Seojun's bottom lip juts out in a slight pout; meanwhile, Jihyun is muttering obscenities under her breath about her various exams. "See you tomorrow, then," Seojun says, tugging her hat back over her ears.

Jungkook smiles at them. "Yeah, bye!"

His eyes follow the two girls as they walk away, and Jungkook adjusts the strap of his bag before heading the opposite direction, eyes flitting over the various shops within his eyeshot. At the same time as he spots the coffee shop that Seokjin told him to go to, he feels a buzzing in his pocket and a hand on his shoulder. Tugging out his vibrating phone, he turns and beams at Seokjin, who looks just as delighted to see him. He answers the phone with a giggle as the elder brushes his fingers through Jungkook's hair.

"Hi, Tae."

His grin and heart drop in an instant the moment he hears Taehyung's voice; the boy's words are interrupted by hiccups as he breathes shakily. "Jungkook..."

"Tae, what's wrong?" Worry gnaws at his stomach as he makes eye contact with Seokjin, who is staring at him in confusion.

"Jimin," Taehyung hiccups, and Jungkook is hit with realization. "Kookie, can you come over?"

Without a moment's thought, Jungkook says yes, instantly conflicted as to what to do when he remembers Seokjin. "Uh, Seokjin hyung is with me, is it fine if he comes over, too?"

"Sure," agrees the distressed boy. Jungkook nods and tells him that he'll be there in ten minutes and hangs up the phone, staring at Seokjin with a grave expression.

"We need to go to Tae's house right now. Come on." He grasps the elder's forearm and walks at a hurried pace towards Taehyung's apartment complex.

"Wait, what happened?" Seokjin asks, tugging his hand out of Jungkook's uncomfortably tight grip and hastening his pace to walk side by side with him. "What happened to Taehyung?"

Jungkook purses his lips. "I'll tell you later."

When Taehyung opens the door, his face his blotchy, eyes are red and glistening with tears, and he's wiping his nose on his sleeve. His face crumples when he sees Jungkook, and practically melts into his arms with a strangled sob. With a glance at Seokjin, Jungkook carefully brings Taehyung over to the sofa and the two sit down as Jungkook gently pries his friend away from him, hands resting on Taehyung's shoulders. "You okay?"

"No," Taehyung sniffs. "I— I just asked him if he wanted to— to make it official, and he got all quiet for a few seconds and said no and just left, Jungkook, he just left—"

"It's okay—"

"I really thought he liked me, Jungkook," Taehyung cries. A continuous flow of tears is streaming down his face. "We really clicked, and— I thought— I thought he'd want to date me, but I guess it was just—" A wail heaves itself from his throat. "—he just wanted me for the sex."

Jungkook exchanges helpless glances with Seokjin before turning back to Taehyung and saying, "Well, maybe there's some other reason why that he just didn't want to tell you?" He rubs Taehyung's back, frowning when the boy doesn't seem to take this possibility positively.

"He would've told me," Taehyung murmurs. "We're really close— If there was something else, he would've told me." Taehyung's brows knit together as his lips press together to prevent them from quivering. "Just face it, Kookie; Jimin doesn't actually have any feelings for me."

"That's not true," Seokjin interjects, and both boys turn their heads to look at him. "Jimin totally likes you. You guys are like magnets; you're always together." He seats himself down on the sofa with them. "I've known Jimin since he was in high school, and I've never seen him as happy as he is with you before."

"But—" Taehyung swallows, looking conflicted. "Why would he just— If he really liked me, why would he not want to date me?"

"Maybe he has his reasons," Jungkook suggests, pulling Taehyung in for another hug.

Taehyung lightly pushes him so that they're both lying down on the couch (although not comfortably) and rests his head on Jungkook's chest. They stay like that for several minutes, until Taehyung has calmed down. He nudges Jungkook's chin with his forehead and whispers, "I love you."

Jungkook snorts, face flushing because Seokjin is right there, and refuses to say it back. But Taehyung isn't the type to give up easily (maybe with romantic issues, but not with Jungkook) and mercilessly pesters the younger until he finally cracks and says it, although somewhat mumbled and rushed. But Taehyung isn't satisfied, and tells him to say it properly. Jungkook groans, leans in close to Taehyung's ear, and says, as quietly as he possibly can so that it's inaudible to Seokjin, "I love you, too."

Jungkook refuses to make eye contact with Seokjin, but out of the corner of his eye, he can see that the elder is staring at him intently. Cheeks slowly heating up, he sinks down a little and hides part of his face in Taehyung's hair, eyes darting around before daring a peek at Seokjin. The male's gaze is on the two, an unreadable expression on his face.

Jungkook doesn't know why he's so flustered. It can't be because he still likes Seokjin, right? No. No, of course not.

What's the point?

。。。

A/N: oh man oh man

sorry if it's crappy, I didn't proofread it lmao
but yeah pls vote and comment, thank you!