Jungkook placed the luggage carefully on the side of the bed and straightened up, stretching his arms casually.
"Thanks, Ggukie, for carrying my luggage," Taehyung said, his voice soft yet warm with appreciation.
Jungkook shrugged, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "You know I like sports. Moving things around counts as a workout, right?"
Taehyung chuckled lightly and began rummaging through his bag. After a moment, he pulled out a neatly packed energy drink and held it out to Jungkook. "For you," he said simply, his smile widening.
Jungkook raised a brow in slight surprise but accepted the drink, his fingers brushing against Taehyung's briefly. "You're being polite, Tae," he said, studying him with a teasing glint in his eyes. "Is it because of the dream?"
Taehyung froze for a fraction of a second before narrowing his eyes. "Stop talking nonsense," he retorted, but the way his cheeks faintly flushed betrayed him.
Jungkook laughed, the deep sound echoing through the dorm room. He leaned against the edge of the desk, twisting the cap off the energy drink. "Why did you act like that in front of your crush, though?" he mumbled under his breath, more to himself than to Taehyung.
"What?" Taehyung asked, tilting his head in confusion.
"Nothing," Jungkook said quickly, waving a hand as if brushing away the thought. He placed the drink on the desk, then reached out to ruffle Taehyung's soft hair. "Clean up your stuff. I'm heading out, okay?"
Taehyung nodded, his lips curling into a faint smile. "Okay. Thanks again, Ggukie."
With one last smile, Jungkook turned and left the room, the sound of his footsteps fading down the hall.
As the door clicked shut, Taehyung let out a quiet sigh and sat on the bed, staring at his half-open suitcase. His mind wandered back to his dream, the vivid emotions and fleeting images replaying like a broken record.
In my dream, whenever I was sad, Jungkook was always there, Taehyung thought, a soft pang tugging at his heart. He never left me, no matter what. I won't let anything destroy our friendship.
Determined, Taehyung got up and began unpacking, a small but genuine smile lingering on his face.
Taehyung carefully placed his books on the bookshelf, ensuring each one was aligned perfectly. As he was absorbed in arranging them, he heard the door creak open. Curious, he turned to see his best friend, Jimin, dramatically stumble into the room and flop into the nearest chair.
Jimin leaned back, panting for breath as though he had just climbed a mountain. "I am so tired. Sixth floor! This school needs to install an elevator for fragile college students like us," he huffed, pressing a hand to his chest for added effect.
Taehyung couldn't help but laugh at Jimin's theatrical complaints. "You're so dramatic, Mimi," he teased, walking over to him with an amused grin.
Jimin rolled his head back, letting out an exaggerated groan. "I'm going to die," he muttered, draping himself over the chair as though it was his deathbed.
"Well," Taehyung began slyly, "there's free milk pudding in the cafeteria today. Do you want to go?"
Jimin perked up for a brief moment before slumping back down and shaking his index finger. "Nope. Not worth it. I'd rather starve than go down and up six flights of stairs again. I'm staying right here and sleeping."
Taehyung chuckled, patting Jimin lightly on the shoulder. "Suit yourself, then. I'll go and enjoy the pudding for you."
Jimin waved him off without opening his eyes, already making himself comfortable in the chair. "Bring me back the news of how amazing it was so I can regret my choices later," he murmured dramatically.
Shaking his head at Jimin's antics, Taehyung grabbed his dorm key and headed out the door, leaving his best friend to recover from his "ordeal."
_________
Taehyung stepped into the cafeteria, his tray of food balanced in his hands as he scanned the room for a seat. It wasn't crowded; the hum of quiet conversations filled the space. His eyes roamed over the tables when a familiar voice called out.
"Tae!"
Turning in the direction of the voice, Taehyung saw Jungkook waving at him with an easy grin, signaling him to come over. He was seated at a table with two other guys, whom Taehyung recognized but didn't really knowâYugyeom and Mingyu.
Taehyung smiled and made his way to them, his steps light as he navigated around the tables. When he arrived, he was surprised to see Yugyeom, who had been sitting right next to Jungkook, suddenly stand and shift to the opposite seat. It was a subtle movement, but it left a spot open beside Jungkook.
What Taehyung didn't realize was that Jungkook had just discreetly kicked Yugyeom under the table, a silent command to make space for Taehyung. Yugyeom shot Jungkook a quick look but complied without a word.
"Hi," Taehyung greeted politely, smiling at Jungkook's friends as he set his tray down.
Jungkook leaned back slightly, his arm draping casually over the back of his chair. "Why didn't you grab any pudding?" he asked, nodding toward Taehyung's plate, which was notably missing the cafeteria's popular dessert.
Taehyung sighed lightly as he took his seat. "It was already gone by the time I got there," he admitted, his tone a mix of disappointment and resignation.
Without missing a beat, Jungkook reached for his own untouched pudding cup and slid it across the table toward Taehyung.
"Here. Take mine," Jungkook offered nonchalantly.
Taehyung blinked, momentarily taken aback. "What? But it's yoursâ"
Jungkook interrupted him with a shrug, his tone casual. "I don't feel like eating it today."
Taehyung hesitated, looking between Jungkook and the pudding. It was a simple gesture, but it made him feel strangely warm. "Are you sure?"
"Just take it," Jungkook insisted with a small smile, nudging the cup closer.
Meanwhile, Mingyu and Yugyeom exchanged a glance, one that spoke volumes. Both of them knew Jungkook well enough to recognize how out of character this was. Double-skin milk pudding was one of Jungkook's absolute favorites; he wasn't the type to share it with anyone, let alone willingly give it away.
Mingyu, never one to hold back, raised an eyebrow and teased, "Hyung, isn't double-skin milk your favorite? What's going on here?"
Before Mingyu could get another word out, he yelped and clutched his leg under the table, glaring at Jungkook, who had just kicked him.
"Don't talk with your mouth full," Jungkook said pointedly, his tone calm but carrying an unmistakable edge.
Taehyung laughed at the interaction, unaware of the silent battle happening beneath the table. "You guys are funny," he said, opening the pudding cup and taking a spoonful.
Jungkook watched him, his expression softening as Taehyung smiled at the taste. The laughter, the shared glances, the quiet understandingâit all felt strangely natural, as if moments like this were meant to happen.
Yugyeom leaned toward Mingyu and whispered, "Looks like we're watching a live rom-com."
Mingyu smirked, whispering back, "Bet Jungkook won't admit it, though."
Another well-aimed kick under the table had both of them straightening in their seats, biting back their laughter as Taehyung continued eating blissfully unaware.