Jung Hoseok's POV

"Yoongi, wake up! It's already afternoon, and you're still in bed! Meet me at the restaurant. I've sent you the address. I'm leaving before you since my grandma needs me to run some errands," I called out, making sure he could hear.

After hearing some shuffling sounds and a tired "yeah," I knew he'd need a few more minutes to fully wake up. I grabbed my hot red jacket and keys, ready to head out. As I made my way to the door, I found Soo Ah, rubbing her eyes tiredly with the heels of her hand and stirring something in the pot as hot steam filled the kitchen. The air carried the smell of carrots, scallions, and spinach, which tickled my nose.

I walked toward her. "It smells like silken tofu soup," I said, peeking into the simmering pot. Its aroma made my stomach rumble.

"Do you want some?" she asked, lifting a bowl in her hand.

"I want to, but I'm running late. Me and Yoongi will be having our lunch out," I said, waving her goodbye. I left the house wondering if Yoongi would make it on time or if he'd still be snoozing by the time I got there because he needed some good hours of sleep.

I dropped off the pears Grandma gave to her friend's house, as it's a tradition to exchange fruits during the holidays. After that, I made my way to the restaurant. The lively place buzzed with happy chatters of people. The red and gold color decor was warm and inviting, with the paper lanterns hanging, creating a festive atmosphere. Usually, the tables are round in Chinese dining. Looking at it, I remembered Grandpa's explanation about the round table and how they encouraged sharing and conversation.

I wanted to take Yoongi out to taste the traditional Beijing hotpot. I hope he'd love it as much as I did. Just the sight of thinly sliced mutton, pork, Chinese cabbage, and an assortment of mushrooms made my stomach rumble. The smell of ginger mingled with the subtle sweetness of goji berries, red dates, and the nutty-flavored sesame dip made it even harder. My parents and I love going to Soo Ah's place for hot pot as my aunt prepares both Chinese and Korean versions. We can taste both cuisines in one meal.

Looking at the boiling hotpot brought me back to the summer holiday when we were in university. It was June in Seoul, and the day was sweltering as the pot before me sizzled with heat. The breeze did little to cool us. It stirred the humid air, making our shirts cling to our backs.

"Hoseok, look at your hand!" Yoongi said, nudging my arm.

"It's a mess," I sighed. The popsicle melted in the afternoon sun, and the vibrant yellow juice ran down between my fingers, about to drip onto my new white sneakers. I quickly tried to lick it before it fell.

Beside me, Yoongi shook his head, eyeing me. "I told you to get your ice cream in a cup. Look at yourself now," Yoongi said as he contentedly ate his ice cream in a cup.

"You know, eating a popsicle feels more nostalgic than having it in a cup during summer. The drips and coolness on a hot day... that's what makes it special." I said, trying to clean my sticky hand.

"Well, I'll let you have your nostalgia. But I would like to stick with a cup, no mess, no hassle," he said.

"Popsicles are meant to be messy," I shot back. I ran into the park's restroom to wash my hands. When I walked out, I noticed Yoongi staring at someone who looked a couple of years younger than us. The nervous boy was pacing in circles, ruffling his hair.

"Who's that and what's wrong with him," I asked, wiping my wet hands with tissue.

"I have never seen him in this neighborhood before," Yoongi replied. Watching the boy with interest. "Let's take a look."

We both walked over to the boy. Yoongi cleared his throat. "Do you need help with something?" Yoongi asked.

The boy smiled awkwardly and pointed toward a large, fluffy golden dog sprawled out on the ground. Its silky fur rose and fell with its breathing. And oddly, we found a wallet lying on its back.

"Is that your wallet?" I asked.

"Yes, could you pick it up for me?" he asked.

"Sure...but why don't you do it?" Yoongi asked, eyeing the dog warily. The dog seemed cute, and he didn't look like someone who'd be easily scared, so I was confused by his fear.

"I have a dog myself. But, uh... it doesn't like me, I think."

Yoongi took slow and deliberate steps toward the dog. Just as he got close, the dog barked loudly, making us stumble back. My heart did a little flip, scaring me.

"Yoongi, it looks like the dog doesn't like you as well," I said, chuckling.

"How about you give it a try and find out if it likes you?" Yoongi replied, smirking.

I slowly took a few steps backward, raising my hand. We three stood under the scorching sun, staring at the dog who lay curled up in the cool shade of the ginkgo tree as the withered leaves of the tree flitted around it.

"Hoseok, let's buy some treats to feed the dog," Yoongi said.

"I'll pay you when I get my wallet back," the boy said.

"I'll run to the nearby convenience store down the street," I said, dashing off. My sneakers slapped against the hot pavement.

I returned with a small bag of dog biscuits, and Yoongi tossed a handful near the sleeping dog. The dog's ear twitched, and it instantly sat up, wagging its tail as the sand swirled around it. It gobbled down the treat, and as it did, I took a deep breath and crept forward slowly, carefully not to startle the dog. Just as I reached the wallet, the dog looked up. I froze for a second, then scrambled back to Yoongi and the boy.

"It scared me, and here's your wallet," I said, keeping my hands on my chest and breathing heavily.

"Thank you so much for your help. I'm Jungkook, and I just moved here. I live in this apartment," he replied, extending his hand to shake.

"How about a drink at my place to cool off?" Jungkook suggested, and we both agreed.

I smiled, thinking back to the Chaotic afternoon day. Yoongi and I met Jungkook. From that day, we three became close, spending every weekend together. Yoongi is not someone who socializes with friends much, but he hit it off right away with Jungkook.

The wooden door flung open, and the creaking sound pulled me out of my thoughts. As Yoongi walked in. I gave him a wave as he made his way toward me. His eyes crinkled at the corner as he smiled at me. This is unusual, as whenever he doesn't sleep well, he will look cranky and ticked off.

"Am I late? What about Jungkook? When is he going to call us?" Yoongi asked, pulling out a chair and settling down.

"I thought you lost your way here," I teased, glancing at my watch. "Just now, I was thinking about how we met Jungkook. He texted me saying he wanted to watch the Lantern Festival as well. So we'll video call him when we get there later in the evening," I replied as he nodded. No matter how busy things got, we always made time for each other.

Yoongi sighed, looking a bit flustered. "The reason I was late is... never mind," he muttered, avoiding my eye contact.

I took the chopsticks and dipped the mutton into the hot broth, observing him. He's weird. A few moments later, I placed the cooked piece into his bowl.

"You can't just say that and leave me hanging," I said, glaring at him.

"This is so good," he mumbled, savoring the delicious food, ignoring my words.

"Yoongi! I pressed, stirring the hotpot. "Stop dodging my question. What happened?"

He shoved the steaming shiitake mushrooms into my mouth. I leaned back in my chair, and the hot soup had warmed me, chasing away my tiredness, but the way he acted raised my curiosity.

"Really, you are not going to tell me?" I asked. "Don't look at me like that. I won't ask anything," I said.

Finally! I updated Hoseok's POV on his birthday.

Did you like the way Yoongi and Hoseok met Jungkook?

It took me more time to draft this chapter. I don't know the reason, lol. I was changing a lot of things to make the chapter better. I wanted to show the little interactions between them, and I hope it's good. I would be happy if you shared your thoughts.

-Shin Haari