The evening air was crisp as Taehyung paced around his room, phone pressed to his ear. Jimin's voice on the other end of the call was lively, as always, a playful tone lacing every word.
"So, dinner tomorrow?" Jimin asked cheerfully. "Just the three of usâyou, me, and Jungkook?"
"Yeah, sounds good," Taehyung replied, a small smile tugging at his lips. Spending time with Jimin was always entertaining, and having Jungkook there too... well, that was an added bonus.
"Ohhh," Jimin drawled dramatically, his tone dripping with mischief. "Dinner with your crush. Are you sure you can handle it, Tae? You won't, you know, spontaneously combust or anything?"
Taehyung rolled his eyes, though his cheeks warmed at Jimin's teasing. "You're so annoying, Park Jimin. It's just dinner."
"Dinner where you'll sit across from him, watching his annoyingly perfect face and hearing his stupidly deep laugh," Jimin continued, ignoring Taehyung's protests. "You'll probably spend the whole night blushing and stammering."
"I don't stammer!" Taehyung shot back, flopping onto his bed. "And I don't blush that much."
"Sure, sure," Jimin said with a laugh, clearly enjoying himself. "You know, I have an idea to spice things up."
"Jimin, I swearâ" Taehyung started, but his best friend cut him off.
"Listen," Jimin said, his tone conspiratorial. "What ifâjust hear me outâyou act a little drunk tomorrow? Just a bit. Let loose, be flirty, you know? Seduce him a little."
Taehyung sat up so fast he nearly dropped his phone. "What?! No way! Absolutely not."
"Oh, come on," Jimin teased. "It's not like you're actually getting drunk. Just act a little tipsy. Maybe rest your hand on his arm, laugh at his jokes, give him the 'I'm-so-into-you' eyes."
"I'm not doing that," Taehyung said firmly, though he could feel his face heating up. "That's ridiculous. And what if he thinks I'm actually drunk? Or worse, what if he thinks I'm weird?"
"Taehyung," Jimin said with exaggerated patience. "First of all, you're already weird. Second, he's into you. He know it himself or just hasn't realize it yet. This might give him the push he needs."
Taehyung groaned, rubbing his temple. "I'm not pretending to be drunk, Mimi. End of discussion."
"Fine, fine," Jimin said, though his tone suggested he wasn't entirely giving up on the idea. "But just think about it, okay? You never know. It might work."
Taehyung sighed. "It won't."
"Goodnight, my little love-struck fool," Jimin cooed before hanging up, leaving Taehyung alone with his thoughts.
For a moment, Taehyung sat in silence, staring at his phone. The idea Mimi had suggested was absurd... wasn't it? Pretending to be drunk just to get closer to Jungkook? It sounded so ridiculous, yet now that Jimin had planted the seed in his mind, he couldn't shake it.
What would Jungkook even do if he acted drunk? Would he brush it off with a laugh, thinking I was being silly? Or would heâTaehyung's stomach flipped at the thoughtâreact differently? Maybe he'd lean closer, his deep voice soft as he asked if I was okay. Maybe he'dâTaehyung shook his head furiously, stopping his imagination before it ran away with him.
"This is so dumb," he muttered to himself, flopping back onto his bed. "I'm not doing it. No way."
But as the night wore on, Taehyung couldn't help but wonder: what if Jimin was right? What if this was his chance to finally see if Jungkook felt the same way? The thought was both thrilling and terrifying, leaving him tossing and turning long into the night.