Chasing Dreams (Jikook) - Chapter 1: Chapter 1

If Park Jimin had a middle name, it would probably be Persistent.
Not because he was stubborn (okay, maybe a little), but because once he set his heart on something, he would do whatever it took to get it. And right now, his heart was set on one thing-no, one person.
Jeon Jungkook.
Jimin wasn't sure when his fascination with Jungkook started. Maybe it was the first time he saw Jungkook walking across campus in his sweat-soaked jersey, looking effortlessly cool with a duffel bag slung over his shoulder. Or maybe it was when he watched Jungkook win a football match, his sharp eyes gleaming under the stadium lights as the crowd chanted his name.
Either way, Jimin was smitten.
Unfortunately, Jungkook was as approachable as a brick wall.
The guy barely spoke to anyone outside his sports circle. He was all about training, practice, and winning competitions. And if anyone tried to talk to him? They'd be met with a blank stare, a sharp nod (if they were lucky), and complete silence.
But Jimin was different.
Or at least, he wanted to be.
He was going to break through Jungkook's icy walls, no matter what it took.
And his plan?
Food.
"Project Win Jungkook's Heart Through His Stomach"
Jimin was a culinary student, and he knew food had magical powers. A warm meal could comfort, excite, and even make people fall in love. Okay, maybe that last one was a stretch, but Jimin was willing to try.
So every morning, he packed an extra meal and left it at Jungkook's locker. It started with something simple-onigiri, neatly wrapped with a small note: Eat well, superstar!
No response.
The next day, he upgraded to homemade tteokbokki with just the right amount of spice. Still, nothing.
One week later, he left a box of crispy fried chicken with a note that read: Even champions need good protein!
By this point, his best friend Taehyung was already fed up.
"Jimin, be honest with me," Taehyung said one afternoon as they sat outside their favorite café. "Do you even know if he eats the food?"
Jimin hesitated. "...Well, the box is always gone."
"Maybe someone else takes it."
Jimin gasped dramatically. "You think I'm feeding an imposter this whole time?"
Taehyung rolled his eyes. "I just think you're wasting time on someone who clearly doesn't care."
Jimin refused to believe that. There was no way Jungkook was completely unaffected. Maybe he was just shy? Maybe he didn't know how to express gratitude?
Or maybe, deep down, Jungkook actually liked him and just didn't know how to show it!
Yes. That had to be it.
And if Jungkook wasn't going to talk, Jimin was going to take things a step further.
Step Two: Direct Interaction
The next day, Jimin waited outside the sports complex after Jungkook's football practice, holding a warm meal.
Jungkook emerged from the building, hair damp from the shower, a black hoodie pulled over his head. His duffel bag was slung over one shoulder, and his usual expression was unreadable.
Jimin took a deep breath and stepped forward.
"Jungkook!"
Jungkook stopped, turned his head slightly, and stared at him.
Jimin grinned. "You must be hungry after all that running! I made something special today. Wanna try?" He lifted the container of freshly made japchae.
Jungkook blinked. Then, without a word, he turned and walked away.
Jimin stood frozen, his outstretched hand still holding the food.
"...Did he just ignore me?" he whispered.
Taehyung, who had been watching from a distance, walked up and patted his shoulder. "Hate to say I told you so, but..."
Jimin sighed, defeated. "I refuse to give up."
Step Three: Make Him Laugh
Maybe food alone wasn't enough. Maybe Jungkook needed to see how funny and charming Jimin was.
So he tried everything.
He cracked jokes whenever they crossed paths in the hallway.
"Hey Jungkook, did you hear about the restaurant on the moon? Great food, no atmosphere!"
Jungkook didn't even blink.
During a campus event, Jimin made sure to sit next to Jungkook in the audience and casually leaned in. "If I were a vegetable, do you think I'd be a cute-cumber?"
Silence.
One day, he even wore a chicken mascot costume (leftover from his part-time job) and danced outside Jungkook's training session, singing, "If you're happy and you know it, eat my food!"
Jungkook, walking past, didn't even glance at him.
At this point, even Jimin was starting to question his own sanity.
A Harsh Reality
And then, one fateful afternoon, everything changed.
Jimin was heading to the cafeteria when he saw something shocking.
Jungkook was laughing.
Not just smiling-laughing.
And not just a small chuckle, but a full-blown, eyes-crinkling, body-shaking laugh.
Jimin's heart stopped.
Standing next to Jungkook was a tall, handsome guy with sharp features and a confident smile. They looked comfortable, teasing each other like close friends-no, like something more.
Jimin clenched his hands into fists.
Had Jungkook been ignoring him because... he already had someone?
From that moment, something inside Jimin shifted.
The next day, he didn't leave food at Jungkook's locker.
He didn't crack a joke when they passed each other.
He didn't wait outside training sessions.
For the first time in months, he stopped trying.
At first, Jungkook didn't notice.
But then... he did.
And for some reason, it bothered him.
Jimin never thought he would be the kind of person to give up.
For months, he had been relentless-pouring his heart into every meal he made for Jungkook, stretching his patience thin with failed attempts to make him smile, and convincing himself that one day, his efforts would mean something.
But reality had a way of slapping him in the face.
That day, when he saw Jungkook laughing with him, something inside Jimin crumbled.
It wasn't just that Jungkook had smiled. It wasn't just that he had laughed.
It was the way he looked at that guy-like he was comfortable, like he had known him forever, like he actually enjoyed his company.
Jimin had never once received even a fraction of that warmth.
Had he been fooling himself all this time?
Maybe Jungkook had never been shy. Maybe he had never been bad at expressing emotions.
Maybe... he just never wanted Jimin in the first place.
And that thought hurt.
Disappearing from Jungkook's World
The next morning, Jimin didn't leave a meal at Jungkook's locker.
No cute notes, no neatly wrapped snacks, no silly puns scrawled on napkins.
For the first time in months, Jungkook's locker was empty.
Jimin told himself it didn't matter. He refused to let it matter.
The next few days were a blur. Jimin avoided the sports complex. He stopped looking for Jungkook in the hallways. He even skipped the cafeteria during lunch, knowing there was a chance he'd see him sitting with him.
The hardest part wasn't just stopping-it was realizing how much effort he had actually put in before.
How much of his day had been spent thinking about Jungkook? Planning ways to make him smile? Hoping-praying-for even the smallest reaction?
Now that all of that was gone, Jimin felt... lost.
Empty.
And it sucked.
Meanwhile...
Jungkook noticed.
He wasn't sure when it started-at first, it was just a vague feeling that something was missing.
His mornings were quieter. There were no extra meals waiting in his locker.
Lunches felt longer. The annoying-but-weirdly-entertaining jokes in the hallways had disappeared.
Training sessions were dull. He no longer saw a small, persistent figure standing outside, holding a food container with hopeful eyes.
It was almost too quiet.
At first, Jungkook told himself he didn't care. In fact, he should be relieved.
Jimin had been persistent, but also a little too much. Jungkook had never asked for the attention, never encouraged it.
If anything, he should be happy that Jimin had finally given up.
So why did it feel so strange?
Why did he catch himself looking-searching for Jimin in the crowd, glancing at his locker, slowing down when passing by the culinary building?
It wasn't like he missed him.
...Right?
Breaking Point
One night, Jimin sat alone in the campus kitchen, staring blankly at a bowl of rice he was supposed to be shaping into onigiri.
His hands were cold. His chest felt heavy. He hadn't been able to eat properly in days.
"You're not yourself," Taehyung's voice cut through the silence.
Jimin flinched. He hadn't even noticed his best friend entering.
"...I'm fine," Jimin muttered.
Taehyung sighed. "No, you're not. You're doing that thing where you pretend to be okay but actually look like you're about to cry into your food."
Jimin let out a weak laugh. "That obvious?"
Taehyung pulled up a chair. "Jimin, it's okay to be upset."
Jimin's hands clenched around the rice. "I feel stupid," he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. "I spent all this time chasing someone who never even looked at me. I thought-"
He stopped, swallowing hard.
Taehyung stayed quiet, waiting.
Jimin exhaled shakily. "I thought if I tried hard enough, he'd see me. But he never did, Tae. Not once. And now I just feel... pathetic."
For a moment, there was silence. Then-
"You're not pathetic," Taehyung said firmly. "You're just someone who loved too hard, too honestly, for someone who didn't deserve it."
Jimin laughed, but it came out bitter. "I don't even know if I loved him, Tae. I just... wanted to be special to him."
His voice cracked at the end, and Taehyung reached over, squeezing his shoulder.
"It's okay to be sad, Jimin. But promise me one thing."
Jimin looked up.
"Don't lose yourself over him."
Jimin bit his lip, his heart aching.
Wasn't that exactly what was happening?
Jungkook didn't understand what was wrong with him.
For the past few days, something felt off.
At first, he thought it was just his schedule-training had been more intense lately, and he barely had time to rest. But even when he did rest, his mind wouldn't stop wandering.
He found himself looking around campus, expecting to see him.
But Jimin wasn't there.
Not outside the sports hall. Not in the cafeteria. Not even lingering in the hallways, waiting for him with that stupid grin and a ridiculous joke.
Jungkook hadn't realized how much he had gotten used to Jimin's presence until it was gone.
And for some reason, he missed it.
"You're Thinking About Him, Aren't You?"
"Jungkook," a familiar voice called, snapping him out of his thoughts.
He turned to see Sungho, his closest friend from the basketball team, watching him with narrowed eyes.
Jungkook blinked. "What?"
Sungho crossed his arms. "You've been acting weird for the past few days. Spacing out, looking around like you lost something."
Jungkook scoffed, leaning back against the bench. "I don't know what you're talking about."
Sungho smirked. "You're thinking about him, aren't you?"
Jungkook tensed. "Who?"
Sungho rolled his eyes. "Jimin."
Jungkook clenched his jaw but said nothing.
Sungho chuckled, shaking his head. "It's funny, really. For months, he followed you around like a lost puppy, and you couldn't wait to get rid of him. And now that he's finally gone, you're acting like something's missing."
Jungkook frowned. "I'm not-"
"You are," Sungho cut him off smoothly. "I see it in your face. You're bothered that he's not here anymore."
Jungkook didn't answer.
Because maybe... just maybe, Sungho was right.
Sungho leaned closer. "You don't have to feel bad, you know. That guy was annoying as hell. It's better that he finally got the hint and left you alone."
Something about Sungho's words made Jungkook's stomach twist.
Annoying? Sure, Jimin was persistent, but...
Had he really been that bad?
"His Food Wasn't Even Good"
Sungho smirked at Jungkook's silence, taking it as an agreement.
"You should be thanking me, honestly," he continued, stretching his legs. "If it weren't for me, you would've kept eating that disgusting food he made for you every morning."
Jungkook's head snapped up. "What?"
Sungho shrugged. "Come on, man. You do remember that I was the one who told you to stop eating his food, right? Athletes like us need to watch what we eat, and that guy's cooking? It was a health hazard."
Jungkook stiffened.
Sungho laughed. "I mean, I had to taste it first to make sure. And let me tell you, it was awful. Overcooked, bland, sometimes way too salty. You're better off without it."
Jungkook's fingers curled into fists.
He remembered those meals.
He remembered how Jimin would smile brightly as he handed them over, his eyes filled with hope.
He remembered the notes Jimin would slip inside, scribbled with silly words of encouragement-Eat well, superstar! or Hope this makes you smile today!
And he remembered how Sungho had always taken the containers before Jungkook could say anything, insisting that he shouldn't be eating food from someone so reckless.
At the time, Jungkook hadn't cared enough to argue.
But now, something inside him boiled.
Sungho chuckled. "Seriously, that guy was pathetic. Imagine thinking he had a chance with you. It's honestly kind of sad-"
"Shut up."
Sungho blinked. "What?"
Jungkook glared at him, jaw tight. "I said, shut up."
Sungho raised an eyebrow. "Jungkook, don't tell me you actually care-"
"I never asked you to eat his food," Jungkook cut him off coldly. "And I never said it was bad."
Sungho frowned. "I was just looking out for you-"
"You weren't looking out for me," Jungkook snapped. "You were just making sure he gave up."
Sungho's expression darkened. "And? Isn't that what you wanted?"
Jungkook opened his mouth, but no words came out.
Because was that what he wanted?
All this time, he had thought Jimin's absence would be a relief.
Then why did his chest feel so damn heavy?
Jimin Heard Everything
A few feet away, hidden behind a row of lockers, Jimin stood frozen.
Tears blurred his vision as he pressed a hand over his mouth, trying to keep quiet.
He hadn't meant to eavesdrop. He had just been passing by.
But then he heard Sungho say his name.
And everything after that felt like a knife straight to his heart.
Sungho had hated him.
He had mocked him. Laughed at him.
And worst of all-Jungkook had let him.
Jimin swallowed hard, his chest aching.
He had always known that Jungkook never liked him back.
But to hear it so clearly...
To hear his food-the meals he had spent hours preparing, thinking of Jungkook's nutrition, hoping to brighten his day-get mocked like it was nothing...
Jimin bit his lip, his hands trembling.
He had been so stupid.
He had tried so hard. He had given his all.
And in the end, he had been nothing more than a joke.
Jimin turned away, his vision swimming.
He needed to leave.
He needed to disappear.
Because right now, his heart felt like it was breaking into pieces.
And Jungkook would never even notice.
Jimin didn't realize he was walking too fast-too lost in his pain, his mind spiraling.
His chest felt tight, his breathing uneven, and his vision blurred with unshed tears.
Then-
CRASH!
Jimin's shoulder slammed into a metal cart filled with sports equipment, sending a basketball rolling across the hallway. The sound echoed through the corridor.
The voices behind him stopped.
Jimin froze, his breath catching in his throat.
He didn't need to turn around to know what had happened.
They had heard it.
He could feel their eyes on him-his eyes on him.
Slowly, as if forced by some unseen force, Jimin lifted his gaze.
And there he was.
Jungkook.
Their eyes met, and for the first time, Jungkook's expression wasn't blank, wasn't indifferent.
It was shock.
And then-guilt.
Because Jungkook wasn't just looking at him.
He was looking at the tears running down Jimin's cheeks.
"Jimin..."
Jungkook felt his stomach drop.
The way Jimin stood there, frozen, his lips parted slightly as if he couldn't even breathe properly-Jungkook knew.
He knew.
Jimin had heard everything.
"Jimin..." Jungkook called, his voice softer than it had ever been when speaking to him.
But Jimin didn't reply.
Instead, he clenched his fists, his body shaking, and took a step back.
That single step made something inside Jungkook twist.
"Jimin, wait-" Jungkook's feet moved before he could think.
He reached out, his hand grabbing onto Jimin's wrist, desperate to stop him.
But the moment he did, Jimin snapped.
"Don't touch me!"
Jimin yanked his arm back with so much force that Jungkook almost lost his balance.
The rejection hit him like a punch to the chest.
Jimin's eyes, once filled with warmth every time they looked at him, were now filled with nothing but hurt.
"Jimin, I-"
"Let go," Jimin's voice cracked, his breath trembling.
Jungkook hesitated.
"Jimin, just listen-"
"I said let go!" Jimin's voice rose, his frustration, his sadness, his pain spilling out all at once.
Jungkook finally released his grip, and Jimin stumbled back as if needing more distance between them.
More space.
More air.
Jungkook had never seen him like this before.
Never seen Jimin-the boy who always smiled, always laughed, always found a way to brighten his day-look so... broken.
"I Was Just a Joke to You, Right?"
Jimin let out a humorless laugh, wiping his tears harshly.
"I should've known," he whispered, voice shaking. "I was just a joke to you, right?"
Jungkook stiffened.
"Jimin, no, that's not-"
"Then what was it, huh?" Jimin cut him off, his voice rising. "Every single time I came to see you, every time I tried to talk to you, every meal I made for you-was it all just pathetic to you?"
Jungkook opened his mouth, but no words came out.
Because he didn't have an answer.
And that silence was all Jimin needed.
Jimin let out a shaky breath, swallowing back another sob.
"You know what's funny?" He gave a watery smile. "I knew you didn't like me. I knew you didn't want me around. But I still kept trying because I thought-just maybe-you'd see me one day."
His voice cracked, and Jungkook felt something deep inside him break.
"But you never did, did you?" Jimin whispered.
Jungkook's hands curled into fists.
That wasn't true.
He had seen him. He had noticed him. He just... hadn't realized how much.
Until now.
"Jimin," Jungkook tried again, but Jimin shook his head.
"Don't," he whispered. "I don't want to hear it."
Jungkook clenched his jaw. "But-"
"You agreed with him, Jungkook."
Jungkook froze.
Jimin let out a shaky breath, his eyes shimmering with fresh tears.
"You let him talk about me like I was nothing. And you didn't say a thing."
Jungkook's chest felt tight.
He had let Sungho talk.
He had let it happen.
And now-he was losing Jimin.
"Please... Just Don't Look for Me Anymore"
Jimin took another step back.
"I get it now," he said, voice barely above a whisper. "I was just being stupid."
Jungkook's breath hitched. "Jimin, you weren't-"
But Jimin shook his head.
"No, Jungkook. I was," he said, his voice steady despite the pain in his eyes. "I kept holding onto something that was never there."
Jungkook felt something sharp twist inside him.
"Jimin..."
Jimin took one last look at him, his gaze filled with a sadness that Jungkook had never seen before.
"Please," Jimin whispered, his voice breaking. "Just don't... look for me anymore."
And with that, he turned around and walked away.
Jungkook didn't stop him this time.
He couldn't.
Because for the first time in his life-
He didn't know how to fix this.