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5.(+)1. Forever plus one: The roomies' guide to nursery decoration
Jimin had this thing called thriving in panic mode.
Since the adoption formalities were approved with ink on paper, he has been running on a housekeeping sugar high to get the place ready for their new very long-term roommate. Yoongi, the resident builder Bob of the group, has been roped in through established friendship clauses put to immediate effect and over the past two weeks, they have finished building the mezzanine floor of their condominium for the nursery.
This afternoon was a particularly noisy one and Seokjin had been summoned at least seven times in the span of five minutes though he had strictly discussed his working hours with Jimin. Jin sighed as he typed out a customary apology in his zoom chatroom and turned off the mic and camera. He made a quick stop at the minifridge and unscrewed the cap to a melon cider drink, dragging his feet up the stairs that creaked from use, knowing there was no real emergency unlike what Jimin’s tone indicated.
This time, Jimin was sprawled out on the wooden floor, a Rilakkuma cushion tucked under his chin as he wiggled his feet, curling his toes to catch the cool air of the air con. There was a big binder of wall paint catalogues in front of him and Jimin was immersed in a game of ‘Eeny Meeney Minie Moe’.
“Hyu-u-ung.” A whine that pretty much told Seokjin to gear the fuck up for yet another ridiculous proposition from his roommate. When Jin did not throw back an enthusiastic response, a pout formed around Jimin’s pink lips as he plotted his next request.
Jin quietly settled beside him, the wooden floorboards complaining from his weight as he made a quick mental note to quiz Yoongi on the tensile strength of the joists of the mezzanine floor. He looked around the empty room with Jimin’s Pinterest boards popping up as holograms from lengthy commentaries over Friday evening reruns of Tatami Galaxy and maehwasu with spam gimbap on the side.
Jimin followed Jin’s scanning eyes, probably going over his elaborate (and very questionable) plans and strategies to convince the older. The clerestory windows did a decent job of bringing in some sunlight to the rather drab primer plastered wall blowing bubbles of luminous yellow from the gingko outside. From where they were lying down, they could only make out the dotted leaves on the blue of the mid-afternoon sky, looking somewhat like an animated version of a George Seurat. They fell on the window glass like gentle fringes on a forehead, from where they have come untucked from a hasty bun.
Seokjin has grown to love this neighbor, especially since Namjoon often made conversation with it (yes, gingko-nim was to be treated with respect!) whenever he came visiting with a new houseplant though they were well past the stage of accepting gifts for jjipteuri.
They are the ones that announce the change of seasons in the city.
Namjoon’s fond regard for their roadside tree reminded Seokjin how this neighbor had greeted him and Jimin like an overzealous ajusshi waving its crusty cadmium limbs as they made their way into their new home. Yes, it took some time to get over the slight pungent smell — and who dares dismiss Jimin’s articulate lecture which somehow put together dinosaur food and plant pollination in the same sentence frame? — but now it simply told him that he was home.
Old newspaper was piled up, ready to go stretching on the floor when the paints are brought in. Paints and more importantly, when they would be brought being the real game-changer here. Because, apparently it didn't matter to sway Jimin's predicament for which Jin has been called on emergency mode.
The younger roommate picked up his ambitious whining, hitting Seokjin's shoulder with his fists as he tried to reason against his own dilemma, "Ballet slippers is definitely a better shade of pink than Gentle Butterfly," which was — Wow , Seokjin really didn't have an ounce of idea what either of them looked like — definitely a tough decision to make prematurely.
"Jimin-ah, maybe if you show hyung the shade cards, he'll be able to help you better," Jin tried to show his enthusiasm, simultaneously dreading the moment Jimin would actually turn his attention back to the huge hard-bound shade book and Seokjin made a mental note to tuck that in under the bamboo trivets on the kitchen island, out of reach of the younger.
To his relief, Jimin seemed to be keen to feed the elder with his imagination, for now. And pinks with ballet tutus and wings seemed to have had their five minutes of fame, since Jimin now casually moved onto "We've got to have those tulle curtains to hang on the window by the crib... And the fairy lights! We can't just not get the fairy lights," He kept babbling on, as Seokjin fondly smiled at the glimmer in Jimin's eyes.
Though he sometimes struggled to keep up with Jimin's elaborate plans for the soon-to-arrive baby's nursery, usually more concerned about safety measures and making their new apartment child-proof, he would sometimes indulge the younger who has upped his sunshine game, beaming and wrapping him in comfort and happiness ever since they got the approval for adoption.
5.0. Choosing him over Chuseok: How to wrap yourself with a ribbon for your roomie
By now it was a ritual for them to spend Chuseok alternately between each others' family homes. This time it was at Seokjin's and Jimin was his usual over-excited self, pushing in a big clunky trolley bag into the car trunk while Jin's own decent weekender peeked above the back seat between the head-rests. After all, Jimin had to be ready with at least three different outfit options for every sub-occasion within their three day Chuseok celebrations. Several tote bags with books, toys and delicious snacks were also pushed into the spaces between the seats as they decided it was best to wrap them with all of their little minions back home.
"Ah hyung, we'll be breathing in real oxygen for the next few days," remarked Jimin, as Jin shook his head without amusement at the younger's exaggerated regard for the valley air. But the very thought of extravagant homemade meals, the chirp and chatter of his younger cousins and the green and macchiato of the Bulgok hills surrounding his village filled him with a sense of serene happiness and he allowed the springy bubble of a human in the passenger seat to start off his long drive commentary.
As the concrete and ash of the city started giving way to fields and stretches unmarred by billboard signs and towering buildings, the duo found themselves shaking their heads vigorously to Loner by Outsider with Jimin hyping up Seokjin's (non-existent) rapping skills, drumming on the console and rewarding him with strawberry gummies intermittently.
"Ah hyung, remember how last time you had to eat the wasabi-stuffed songpeyon as punishment when you intentionally let me win the go-stop card game," Jimin's laugher sing-sang its way into Seokjin's ears as they took the final turn off the highway to enter Yangju village. They had rolled down the windows to let Jimin's 'special edition oxygen' in and the cool October air played with their hair as the hills slowly came into view.
The thing about the countryside was that there was so much to fill the senses. From the gurgling of a water canal running through some distant field to the returning evening birds with their homecoming song and the heavy blanket of clouds hugging around the mountains like medicine to their wary city eyes. And if the sounds and sights were not enough to coat them thickly with a remedial balm, there was also the fresh-cut grass and nutty ambrette and just something deep and comforting about loose mud on the dirt-tracks by the road with run-off streams trickling through them that instantly put one's mind to rest.
"Aish, you brat!" Seokjin's reprimand cut through Jimin's melodious laughter. "One, I let you win, because you infamously suck at traditional games that need actual thinking and not just showing off your martial arts kicks, and two, you still cheered on shamelessly as Dan-bi and her three-feet gang mates stuffed one after another poison rice bombs into my mouth." By then, Jimin had almost doubled over the central console, digging his face into his hyung's shoulder as laughter shook his body.
"Don't you try to pull that shit on me again or you'll face the wrath of The Kim Seokjin and spend the night with the bugs on the porch."
"Ah, as if eommoni would allow her favorite son to sleep outside on the makeshift mat. If anyone is sleeping outside, that will be you and you know it." Well, Seokjin couldn't really counter that as Jimin was clearly the bias of the Kim household. Whenever his eomma was not cooing over his pink dimpled cheeks, she was spinning praises about Jimin's dance recital videos that he regularly sent to their joint family group chat.
Soon, they were unloading their bags to the overzealous flock of Jin's younger cousins who came scrambling out at the honk of the car, immediately clinging to both and eyeing the gift bags curiously. They reached the front door with much difficulty with the buzzed four to seven year-olds very sneakily offering to carry the gift totes with their sly intention of picking out the toys immediately. Seokjin's mother and elder brother wrapped them both up in welcoming hugs as they finally settled into the living room of what was, for a change, a home and not just a house.
Contrary to popular belief, time flies more quickly in the village, Seokjin could vouch, as the final orange-red flash of the setting sun threw a slanted beam across his face from where he was sitting by the window, nibbling away at an egg custard bun, one of the many treats he has been stuffing his face with in the short two hours since he has been back home.
Jimin, quite not the chef among the two, but ever the 'pick me, choose me' when it came to participating in activities, was currently focused on the colorful rice flour he was kneading into small balls for the youngsters gathered around him in a half-moon.
After the initial hour of — aggressive , nothing less — interrogation about their health and the amount of kimchi in their fridge and if they were regularly taking half-baths at the end of their work days, Seokjin finally settled on his favorite spot by the window that overlooked the beautiful ridgeline of the hills, sipping on his yuja cha and munching on whatever came on those trays, from savory crisps to sweet sesame balls, taking in the feeling of home after being away for an entire year. Time certainly flowed more evenly, but not as slowly as Seokjin would want, for it to hold him in this place longer.
"Ah, so you have a mystery filling again, huh!" Now, this drew Seokjin's attention as he cautiously eyed the rude little pranksters giggling away as they presented to Jimin a harmless-looking yellow paste from a wooden bowl. Jimin made quite a show of dunking in the tip of his pinky into the yellow concoction and then sucking it into his mouth, his eyes going all wide and dramatic as his tiny spectators cheered on, clapping their hands as Jimin pretended to fall back with a thud and make convincing gagging noises. Seokjin would have to be very tactful to not end up on the receiving end of whatever those cute little witches have cooked up.
Gift wrapping was pushed to the next day as the family was waiting for the arrival of a few relatives settled outside of the country and they all decided to call it a day with an early dinner. Jimin was, as usual, seated beside Seokjin's mother as she insisted that she serve him herself — “My poor child, lost so much weight on his cheeks” — and of course the blame was pushed to the irresponsible hyung-nim.
It was much later when the kids, zapped off their energy after running about and creating trouble all day long, have been tucked into their beds that Seokjin settled by Jimin's side, a hand protectively wrapped around his shoulder as his Mom brought them a warm barley drink to have before their sleep.
"Ah you two would make such a cute couple!" And this was quite unsurprisingly the one hundred and fifteenth time that either of their mothers have suggested the same. "I don't understand you young children these days. You have been living together for five years and take such good care of each other. Why not just settle down?"
The practiced reply was on the tip of Seokjin's tongue, having encountered this question more often than necessary before, some variation of 'we are not together like that', 'we are just friends' and more recently, 'we are just eternal roommates' with a rehearsed laughter to chase the answer. But something about Jimin's firm grip on his hand resting casually on the younger's knee to stop his nervous swinging, stopped Seokjin from shooting off his regular answer.
"Yes eommoni , we will, soon. We are still building up our careers and saving up so please give us some time."
Jimin's reply sent Seokjin thinking if he was, after all, hallucinating. From the exact words repeated over in his dreams, from promises of having his best friend roommate special person by his side for the rest of his life. He was literally left too stunned to speak. He did not want to meddle with the implications. He had already made peace with being happy — really happy — with whatever 'ship' he and Jimin were in, gently rocking to the label-less waves but secured by the anchor rope of their trust in each other.
Of course, Seokjin's mother did not know that about them, not that he would casually throw around words like aromantic and platonic to overwhelm the middle-aged woman, who has already put in so much effort to accept her son's attraction towards men without strict prejudice. The only thing keeping him sane and rooted to the couch cushions was the soothing circle Jimin was tracing on the flat of his palm as he realized belatedly that his breath was coming out in a strained stutter and the younger was trying to calm him down.
Out of everything that came in the shape of surprises and promises that evening, Seokjin was definitely not expecting a ribbon-wrapped Jimin to show up by the foot of the bed into which he had tucked himself in haste when the younger had gone to take a shower before sleep, still too shocked to bring up the questions pricking his mind.
"Hyung-nim," Jimin tried a little louder the second time as Jin's eyes hovered over his face, unfocused, confused by the red ribbon tied cutely on top of Jimin's head. "I came wrapped up as your chuseok present, and here you are ignoring me?" Jimin spoke with a casual nonchalance as if he had not just blurted out the most life-changing statement for them, that too in front of his mother. Jin swallowed around his bubbling anger and instead tried to gather the reasonable words to say, "You can't just go around making promises like that, Jimin-ah," — his voice sounded weak despite the clear admonition in them — "not when you can't really keep them."
"And what makes you think it was an empty promise?" Jimin challenged. He climbed up the bed and curled into Seokjin's side, wrapping an arm around the middle of his chest as if to absorb some of the vibrations of Jin's wildly beating heart. "I only said what I meant, hyung. You are always so fixated on the fact that I'm not in love with you,” – that sent a familiar pang through Seokjin, even after all these years – “that you completely ignore the love I have for you. The love we have between us. Isn't that enough? Have I not told you that this is a forever thing for me? I may not be able to love you in a way one loves to be a boyfriend or a husband, but what I feel for you is more than what I have for anyone else. And you know this, know that you're it for me, always have been."
Seokjin should know all this. Jimin has always told him, in the same exact words and more, how he was Jimin's ‘forever person’, the one he felt like coming home to at the end of the day, the warm embrace to press into for comfort.
Maybe Jin was really so wrapped around the expectations in others’ relationships that he didn't realize that Jimin has always given him way more. He has given himself fully to Seokjin when he has let him hold him through the most daunting decision of his life, and when he came with the scar cream tub and handed it over to Jin as he lifted his shirt over his head with renewed pride and a joy that shone so brightly in his eyes that Seokjin was momentarily blinded.
And when it has been Jimin's turn to comfort the other, through grueling study nights before competitive entrance exams, there has been this overflowing support from him, whether that came in the form of a mundane bowl of instant noodles in the middle of the night or enthusiastic massages to undo the knots in his tired shoulders from slumping over his notes all day.
Jimin, who was really never sparing with his words, showered him with compliments for every little success, every little step forward. Jimin, who has given him his entire trust the first time they have become one under the soft sheets of their bed, knowing that he was the only one Jimin felt so strongly connected to, to be able to be that way with. Yes, Seokjin should have known all along.
"Ah this hyung…" An impatient huff escaped Jimin as he playfully shoved at Seokjin's chest. "Getting lost in that head of yours when you have this precious gift waiting to be unwrapped in front of you." As if to emphasize, he cheekily tugged at the red ribbon framing his face and making his cheeks bunch up cutely.
And who was Seokjin to refuse when Jimin followed up his request with a coy fluttering of his lashes and that specific smile that made the elusive dimple pop out of his right cheek. Seokjin's fingers made quick work of the ribbon tie around the sprout on Jimin's head. No one had to know if he got to open his gift a little earlier than the kids in the house.
4.0. Jungkook's note: Why you should not keep baby food among all the non-baby food
Jeon Jungkook was a baby in more than one sense of the word. For starters, he was the self-proclaimed baby, being the maknae of the group and all. To top it off, he was incredibly cute and his hyungs were very weak humans, who cooed after his dainty prince-like mannerisms, his giggles, heck, even the way he sat on his overlapping heels. There was nothing Jeon Jungkook could do that would not instantly elicit a string of oohs and coos from his six hyungs.
Adding to that was the latest arrangement, in which he found himself to be the sandwich baby between Yoongi and Hoseok, who have somehow fallen into this three-way boyfriends arrangement which was mostly Sope coddling Jungkook and treating him almost as their sugar baby. As in, giving in to his incessant demands for all things sugar, from candies to gummies and honey butter chips and whatever snacks the younger, so much as mentioned passingly in conversation.
But being the baby also meant that Jungkook, who was only in his first year of college, could not join in on the very adult business trip that his music producer boyfriends were currently making to Japan. And that left an even more whiny and needy baby, with little food remaining in the fridge after stress-eating over the first two days of being left alone in the apartment, and bored to death over the long weekend. It was after the third video-chat on the same day that Sope had requested Jimin and Seokjin to keep the baby entertained for an evening before they would pass the duty around their tight-knit friend group.
And that is how on this calm unassuming February afternoon, Jimin discovered, to his horror, his favorite maknae spooning carrot and potato goop out of what was clearly marked as a baby food can. The younger was unbothered, focused on the episode of Haikyuu playing on the television screen, scooping out the slurry vegetable paste out of the container, which had somehow remained on their kitchen shelf from the last time they have baby-sat for Taehyung and Namjoon's six-month-old.
"Jungkook," Jimin shrieked as he jumped at the maknae to take away the baby food can as the other put up a determined fight, spewing profanities at Jimin for trying to confiscate his precious snack, “that is not for you, pabo, it clearly reads ‘6 months onwards’ on the packaging." Which really did little to stir Jungkook, who intelligently declared that delicious food was meant to be eaten and that one should not prejudice oneself with commercial labels. Jimin ended up getting scolded for keeping baby food hidden like a 'tempting Trojan horse' (no, even Jimin's eye roll could do no damage) among the non-baby canned food supply.
When Seokjin finally came home from the office that evening, he found the two friends going at each other, fisted hair and all, rolling on the carpeted floor with an empty baby food can waiting for a cliff-dive off the edge of the table. Which again— not surprising — only made a quiet sigh escape from Jin as he closed the door to the bathroom to take a warm, comforting bath.
Jimin and Jungkook, having settled their feud civilly over some real non-baby snack, were happily munching on some shrimp crackers and deciding on the type of fried chicken to order from their neighborhood shik-dang . When they were both not trying to peel each others' skin off, they made a decent pair of best friends who shared everything between the two of them.
"Jimin-ssi, did you tell Seokjin hyung yet?" Jimin quickly shhhd Jungkook with a finger to his salt-rimmed lips and looked around to ensure that Jin was not in hearing range.
"I don't know what to tell him," Jimin admitted honestly. "How do I explain to him that I used to have a crush on him, which was not a crush crush but now it is more like a love thing, but not in a romantic way but not in a bro way either?" Jungkook hummed in understanding, the jumble of words clearly conveying Jimin's quandary.
"But you did tell him before about how you feel about love and relationships and stuff, right?"
"And that didn't go particularly well, did it?" Jimin remembered the two months of torturing silence Seokjin had taken to wrap his head around Jimin's confession about being on the aromantic spectrum.
It was not that Jin was being unreasonably stubborn. At that time, he had simply felt wronged. Jimin loved as easily as it was easy to love him. And maybe because he gave it so freely to everyone, he had nothing special for anyone in particular. Well, that is what Seokjin told himself when Jimin told him over one Friday night Mario Kart show-down, "Hyung, do you think it is ok to love without ever having to be in love with someone?" Taken aback by the absurdity of the question, Jin almost let go of the drift to hold the orange flames beneath his kart. His mind came up blank for the choices of words to frame his question.
Seokjin had settled on "Do you not want to be in love with someone?" and Jimin finally put down his switch, turning his body to face his hyung, looking smaller than usual and a little unsure.
"It's just that, I don't think I can be in love." And Seokjin would lie if he admitted he fully understood Jimin back then. In fact, he had felt a little scorned, having given up his heart fully to his cute and caring roommate by then, willingly and confident of reciprocation.
He was pretty sure that he had not skipped on the cues, nor misread the signals when Jimin had been nothing short of an attention-hogging cuddle-bear, inviting himself into his hyung's bed every night, despite his own mattress being two feet across the room. Seokjin had picked up on the shy smiles when he hand-fed the younger honey-toast in the mornings, when he kept an extra serving of kimchi jigae just for him when he was late to their weekly friends' nights, when Jimin scolded him like an entitled partner for not drying his hair properly before bed, and immediately leapt behind him with a dryer in hand, softly passing his fingers through his bangs and pulling them aside to drop a kiss to his forehead.
No. Seokjin had certainly not read it all wrong.
It took almost two months of quiet miscommunication (or rather lack thereof), intentionally ignoring the other's presence and hurriedly tucking oneself under the bed covers whenever the other tried to make conversation, for Jin to finally have the cork blown off his mouth.
Seokjin had finally blurted out that he was in love with Jimin in a fit of rage at having been 'betrayed' and 'misled' by him, and Jimin finally had the chance to sit him down and calmly explain to him that he indeed felt the most comfortable with him, and really cared for him more than he had ever for anyone else. So much so that, after all the years of having known that he was incapable of feeling romantic love for anyone, Jimin was doubting whether he really had a crush on his roommate.
Jimin had had to untangle his own thoughts to fully understand that he did not crave a romantic relationship with his Jin hyung, but there was just so much love and adoration and trust he had for the other that he wanted to tell him every day. It had taken them another couple of months for Seokjin to believe that he was not just a 'no one' in Jimin's life and to come to terms with the limiting circumference of their relationship.
And now, Jimin suddenly didn't want to dump more of his feelings onto him, guilty of trapping them into this compromising co-dependency.
"But it is what it is, Jiminie hyung. It's not like you are forcing him into this. You're just being honest with yourself and him and laying out all the cards on the table. I'm sure he'll appreciate you telling him that you really do consider a life with him, long-term, even if it is not exactly the way most of us think of a relationship. There are certain things off limits but then there's also this baggage of history and trust and love that you two share. So, allow him to make the decision if he wants to stay, will you?"
It was in times like this that Jimin mentally noted how the maknae has indeed grown up into this kind-hearted empathetic person, who always listened and put his heart into comforting others.
Later that night, when Seokjin was mindlessly shuffling through food travel vlogs on his hand-phone, Jimin snugly settled himself on his lap — which was nothing new between them— and Jin continued to swipe on the screen till Jimin yanked it away from his hand and made him look up.
"Hyung, remember when I asked you if you think it is ok to love someone without being in love?" Seokjin's heartbeat picked up a little at the memory but he quietly nodded as Jimin continued, "What if I ask you if one can love someone a little more... more than anyone else but just not in the way it is to be in love ?"
"Where are you trying to get to, Jimin-ah?" Seokjin demanded impatiently, his heart now surely beating out of his throat.
"What I mean is, this love that I feel for you is more, much more than anything I've ever felt before. And I just want to feel this between the two of us, now and for a very long time." Then, as insecurity clouded his mind, Jimin softly muttered, "I'm probably being selfish, knowing how you feel about me. Of course, you should let someone seek you who can give you the same love as you want to give them."
Jimin could hardly finish his troubled monologue when he felt a pair of hands wrapping strongly around his waist and pressing him to his safe spot in Seokjin's chest. Warm kisses were being pressed to his forehead as tears fell off the corners of his eyes. But this time, they were happy ones, as he knew the answer through all the touches and kisses and the hug that felt like home.
3.0. Baby clothes shopping with the roomie for Tae and Namjoon's little sprout
It was over glasses of mimosa and fancy types of cheese on a charcuterie board that Taehyung announced that the four-month old Myeong was soon to come home to them. Cheers went around the table of seven and hugs were exchanged in twos and threes as more champagne poured in celebration. Myeong was about to become the most pampered little thing from the love of her two appas and five samchons.
"We have to go baby clothes shopping soon," announced their resident fashionista Jung Hoseok. Jimin piped up from beside Seokjin, always one step in to go on whatever endeavor his friends were planning. Jungkook, who usually alternated between black, charcoal, grey, more black and a little less black for his own clothes, seemed to be roped in quite easily into the 3J shopping pact, pulling up recommendations on Naver and quickly planning out the next weekend.
The weekend shopping adventure turned out to be a full-pack deal with all seven friends getting lost in the aisles of baby clothes and Namjoon almost losing it over a pair of brown slip-ons with a mustard yellow bow on top. Shifting the shopping bags to one hand, Seokjin quickly freed his other to help his friend who was struggling to hold onto the ten or more bags he had ended up with while Taehyung walked ahead, his hands hooked into Jimin and Jungkook on either side, casually strolling through the mall.
Soon, the agenda seemed to have shifted when the three maknaes, cheered on by their ring-leader Hoseok, decided it was time to indulge in some adult shopping. After all, the baby would be so disappointed if her uncles and appas were drably dressed for her welcome.
Seokjin, Namjoon and Yoongi swayed with the huge bags on their hands as they tried to keep up with the hyped bunch who stopped for some 'therapeutic' window-shopping before narrowing down to the two 'must-visit' clothes outlets. The three lagging senior citizens settled on one of the leather couches lining the middle of the shopping mall and Jimin generously bought them some misutgaru to sip on and recharge themselves, as they certainly had miles to go before they could sleep.
As they rested slumped on the narrow couch, engaging in small talk, more paper bags gathered around them as the other four zoomed in and out of view. Much to their dismay, their woes didn't end with the shopping itself, but they had to try on the clothes bought for them and — "Do a little twirl for us, hyung-nim" — walk down the make-shift runways in the living room of Taehyung and Namjoon's apartment. Fish-shaped wind-chimes made twinkling sounds from the window heads as the three disgruntled men posed for the phone-cameras aimed at them.
"Hyung, wait. Let me put on the green cardigan I bought to match yours," instructed Jimin as Seokjin tried to hide a fond smile but failed miserably. Soon, the only non-couple of the group, posed in the most couple-y way, Taehyung directing them straight off Tumblr feeds as Seokjin indulged the younger, ruffling his hair as they settled back on the couch. The soft fluffy cardigan made Seokjin look like a cuddly alpaca and Jimin wrapped his arm around his waist, playing with the stray fuzz off the sides.
"Our Namjoonie and Taehyungie will be appas soon. So proud of them," Yoongi's toast seemed to be bordering on emotional after his third peg of whiskey, as Hoseok's face caught up to the melancholy, all red and solemn after going through just half the beer in his mug.
"Who knows, maybe you're next!" Taehyung cheered from Jimin's other side, clinging to his best friend like an inebriated cuddly bear.
"No no," Yoongi was quick to dismiss. "We have our hands full of this baby already." His fingers pinched Jungkook's cheeks as the other huffed in complaint. "But we’ll think about it, maybe when this one grows up a little and can pay for his own items on Maple Story." Hoseok patted down Jungkook's hair and pulled him in a side-hug, clearly being a better boyfriend than Yoongi with his obnoxiously fond teasing making the baby mad.
Jimin and Seokjin shared a quiet look with each other that said a lot, but nothing really. Nothing they were ready to say aloud anyway. And if a dusty pink room smelling of baby powder and milk and fairy lights cascading down curtains filled the vivid picture in Jimin’s mind, his smile gave little away.
2.0. Dosirak and the leader of the Chicks
It was not every day that Seokjin got up at five-thirty in the morning to soak rice grains and separate whites from yolks. But if there ever was a day on which he did that, the reason was Jimin, nine out of ten times. Jimin jogged excitedly along the small length of the kitchen, keenly following his hyung as he whisked the eggs to make rolls like the expert he is. It was all according to plan, Jimin nodded to himself.
The pre-school where Jimin was undergoing his training has assigned him section leader for their bi-monthly picnic and here he was, requesting his hyung with those ( damn) glittery puppy-kitty eyes of his to make little lunch boxes for the trip. After he had already pinky-promised each of the twelve kids individually.
Did it matter that Jimin had zero skills in arranging even one lunch-box? No. Not when he had Seokjin, ever the obliging hyung and perfect roommate, who had only let out an exasperated sigh which did nothing to curb Jimin's excitement as he had excitedly hopped on his bike to the grocery store, meticulously chanting the simple list of items Seokjin had made him memorize.
So back to the kitchen where currently Jimin was alternating between speed-walking, much to Jin's annoyance and swinging his legs from the kitchen island, not even ashamed of stealing a perfectly rolled hot gyeran-mari , which, mind you, was supposed to go into one of the zip-lock bags that were to suffice as take-away dosirak . Seokjin didn't even have the mind to stop him, mechanically whisking more eggs in his half-sleepy daze while giving Jimin the simple task of rinsing the soaked rice and putting them in the rice cooker, something that Jimin proclaimed himself to be a master at.
Seokjin's mind became more and more alert as Jimin continued his train of enthusiastic questions, as if he had suddenly decided to become his sous chef, tasting the salt and the sugar in the tiny bowls where Jin had poured them— "Hyung, I must check which is which.. what if we end up putting twice the amount of salt, thinking it to be sugar?" — which was by far his most useful contribution to the entire culinary process. Followed by the more pressing, "Should we use regular or soup soy sauce?" and then the even more taxing, "Bears or chickies?" The last question made Seokjin turn towards the younger who was currently tearing eyes and lips out of the seaweed sheets with utmost concentration.
"Bears or chicks?" Seokjin tested the question on his tongue, amused and intrigued by the choice of animals he had been provided with. As if it was the most anticipated question, his roommate huffed, "Yes, hyung, are we making little chicks out of the rice or teddy bears?" Now that Jimin put it in a more intelligible way, even Seokjin played with the choices in his head and tapped his temples, as if in deep thought, clearly entertaining the younger.
"I say we go with chicks because their classroom teacher is certainly the leader of the chicks," Seokjin declared as if it was the most factual thing in the world. Jimin dramatically lifted his hands, examining his palms as he turned them this way and that and with an almost sad lilt to his voice, concluded, "But I don't have any yellow feathery flap-flaps."
"But you got the beakie alright," Seokjin reasoned, catching Jimin's plump pouty lips between his chopsticks, making them fluff out more, clearly demonstrating his point. Jimin licked at the slightly sweet soy sauce off the chopsticks and hummed, agreeing to the excellent verdict and quickly deciding on making chick heads with the cooked rice and putting seaweed beaks on them.
For a change, and to Seokjin's relief, for the last part of the meal packaging, Jimin worked in tandem with him, carefully wrapping his rice chicks with cling film and arranging the egg rolls and mini octopus sausages and finishing off each package with a choco-pie.
Satisfied with their successful dosirak assembly, Jimin fit himself behind Jin's broad back, putting his hands around his waist and whispering thanks into the tiny hairs at his nape, while Seokjin smiled bashfully. Jimin kept clinging to him like a koala bear (instead of his assigned role of a chick) and was more of a hazard than help for the clean-up, choosing to stick to his hyung's back and feeding him some of the extra furikake-coated rice balls while popping some into his own mouth.
There was still a good half an hour left before Jimin had to leave to lead his chicks for the picnic, which he decided to turn into an impromptu cuddle/massage service for his hyung who has worked so hard. And when Jimin's soft and sturdy hands pressed (with his always impressive skills, Jin had to admit) into the knots near his shoulder blades, his earlier contribution to the lunch-box making or rather lack thereof, was easily pardoned.
"Hyung, they loved the lunch packages so much! See how they're bowing to thank you!" Later that afternoon, Jimin excitedly waved the video of the kids he had taken during the picnic, and Seokjin's face lit up at the thought of Jimin sharing their lunch-box-making story with his students.
He liked being part of every small thing in Jimin's life just like his younger roommate has fit himself into almost everything he did, like he has sneaked into the gaps in his heart, which was now full with an overwhelming fondness for Jimin. "You are the best roommate I've ever had," Jimin announced, thinking aloud, what color of banner he should get for the fake award while Jin shook his head and flicked a finger at his forehead, stating, "I'm the only roommate you've ever had."
"So?" Jimin demanded angrily, rubbing at the red spot on his forehead, "My point still stands. You will be my only and best ever roommate. Always. Actually, I'm pretty sure you'll be my roommate forever." He added, making a pleased purring sound under his breath, as if that was by far, the easiest thing in his life, as far as decisions went.
Neither of them fixated on the gravity of the words. For that moment, they were really as simple as Jimin had rolled them off his lips.
1.0. Bucket lists in bucket hats
As with most things that clicked for them, this too easily became a ritual. Jimin's white fluffy bell-jar bucket hat which he had ‘borrowed’ from his Hoseok hyung, was placed upturned at a convenient and accessible location for both, on the study table and two months into their rooming arrangement, it was already brimming with colorful post-its that the two of them scribbled on every weekend.
The practice was something of a childhood legacy for Jimin and his younger brother, who deemed it healthier than putting money in a swear jar. Not even crisp notes at the others' expense could stop the two siblings from pulling each others' hair out (lovingly) and swearing (with endearing passion) at the slightest argument.
It was quite addicting actually —planning the wishes and letting them swish around in your mind and then hastily scribbling them on a piece of paper before one could overthink it. Slowly, their bucket list hat started holding all their top secrets (government-level confidentiality, if you will) and they wrote on little paper bits, anything from 'name, place, animal, things' and once they stuck to the wooly threads of the hat, their wish was out for the universe to know.
"Let's fix a date," suggested Seokjin. "Five years down the line, we will randomly pick an item off the bucket list and just go for it, what do you say?" Jimin nodded enthusiastically as he made his paper offering to the hat for the weekend.
Somewhere down the line, they decided to make their bucket lists mutual, planning with childish amusement how exciting it would be to tick off an item from each of their wish-lists. Seokjin for one, had decided that he would be down for anything Jimin wanted to try. His roommate was a person who came in the friend shape with a sun-toasted smile on his lips with his extroverted nature rubbing off on Seokjin and his friend group that quickly adopted him. Jin himself was not spared of his charms either, as Jimin excitedly pulled up his notes app to show the places he flag-marked, specifically for his travel bucket lists.
For reference, he showed Jin pictures of the Icelandic volcanoes and the Santa Claus village in Lapland. And though Jimin could hardly cook anything beyond instant noodles and fried eggs, he still meticulously saved screenshots of complicated recipes neither of them could pronounce the names of, despite the effort of their dearest voice assistant, Clova.
Even though they had only known each other for a small stretch of time, things were so easy-going with the two of them that Seokjin teasingly exclaimed over one of their Friday take-out/true crime documentary marathon night, "Aren't we like an old married couple, Jimin-ah?" And to this, Jimin theatrically ate his fists in faux offense.
But they both did agree that they fit into each others' schedules perfectly, managing even to have breakfast together on most mornings, despite Jimin's teacher training course starting much later in the day while Seokjin had early morning legal service management classes to attend. It also helped that Jin cooked for the two of them, while Jimin happily took up the dish-washing duties, dividing the household chores.
Dusting and mopping were saved for the weekend when Jimin would make an entire show of easily accomplishing his task, having a fit and flexible dancer body, while Seokjin panted and huffed behind him, complaining of old age creeping up to him. To prove his point, Jin would bend over, holding onto the couch for dear life and clutching his stomach with the other hand, only to hear his roommate's melodious laugher sounding off the walls.
Laundry days were separate and Jimin was thankful that his hyung allowed him the privacy to hand-wash his underwear and binders and Jin steered clear of the drying rack occluded in the corner of their balcony on Thursdays. Though folding up bed sheets was an entirely different story and was shamelessly pushed onto Seokjin’s broader shoulders for both of them.
They connected like two zapped wires seeking each other, feeding off each others' energies — Jimin's rumbling bubble and Seokjin's collected cloud— complementing each other perfectly. Seokjin would show off his card tricks to the younger, while Jimin, after much appeasement and an entire share of half-and-half chicken, would put up an exclusive dance performance for his roommate, speaking animatedly about the cool moves he has picked up from his favorite YouTube choreographer.
They would stay up drinking some more, Jimin stealing a few pieces of chicken off Jin's box despite helping himself to a full serving. Then they would collapse on the couch, hugging cushions to their sated tummies, pushing everything to the excuse of the weekend.
"Hyung," Jimin called, rubbing a hand over his belly, "tomorrow is bucket list day. Have you thought of a new wish?"
It was only a yes or no question, neither of them prying more about the content. After a minute's contemplation, Seokjin nodded and said, "I have one now." Instead of the excited giggle he was used to hearing from Jimin, he only saw the younger take in a stuttering breath, almost steadying himself before he could speak out.
"I have a big one for tomorrow." The words came out so soft and unlike Jimin's strong fervent dialect that Seokjin almost unknowingly shifted a little more towards the younger. Jimin's eyes shone with a promise he had once made to himself, but the remoteness attached to it shook him slightly as he wrapped his arms around himself in a hug. Seokjin didn't need to know more to open up his arms and call out to his roommate, who quickly squeezed himself into the comfort of Seokjin's warm broad chest, focusing on following his heartbeat to even out his own.
Later that weekend, when Jimin dropped the pretty pink and blue piece of paper into the bucket hat, with the name and address of a clinic written in bold neat letters, he could only remember the warmth of Seokjin's hug and his strong supportive hands closing around him in assurance. Seokjin folded his yellow post-it a second time to make it really tiny, and dropped it in right after Jimin’s, shaking his head at the wishful dubiousness of his words. The thin mustard paper hid the words ' baby on board' within its secure folds, while Jin pressed a kiss to the crown of Jimin's head as he cutely wiped at his tear and snot-stained face.
--
If someone was to ask Jin seven years back when he first started rooming with Jimin, his college hoobae , if they would end up eternal roomies with a forever little plus one of their own, he would have laughed off incredulously in his signature glass-polishing style.
Jimin, who was literally a bubble of sparkly energy leaving smiles in his trail, who has pockets full of love to hand out to everyone who comes his way, who is a little messy at folding laundry and a lot worse at cooking anything beyond instant cup ramen but would nevertheless volunteer for anything his hyungs called him for.
And then there was Seokjin, slightly wary of the world, the first one to leave his family home back in the small town to pursue higher studies, and a careful wall around him that Jimin easily tore through like cutting along the grain of a paper kite. Jimin nearly bulldozed his way into Seokjin's heart the first time he showed up with a cloud-white alpaca plushie as an apology for busting the fuse to the electric geyser in their modest one-room apartment.
But that was now what their reality looked like, not just wishful thinking sifted out of their bucket hat. And Seokjin was prepared (not really) to go through all the colors on the shade book and get lectured on the different types of light fixtures from Yoongi if it meant that he would do this right for himself and Jimin — his best friend, his forehead kissing partner, his forever roomie .
Just two people who loved each other differently but abundantly. And right now, this empty nursery awaiting its guest with creaky wooden floors and gingko- nim waving through the windows and the promise-shaped human beside Seokjin, made for his own little pocket-space of sunshine, his favorite corner in the world.
And there was no place he'd rather be.