Chasing Dreams (Jikook) - Chapter 6: Chapter 6

The Fear of Losing You
The room was dimly lit, the only sound being the occasional rustling of the blankets as Jungkook shifted slightly. His fever had gone down, but he still looked exhausted. Meanwhile, Taehyung, who had initially insisted on keeping watch, was now fast asleep on the chair, his head tilted back, mouth slightly open, and arms crossed over his chest. Jimin glanced at him and chuckled softly.
“You should take a picture,” Jungkook’s raspy voice broke the silence.
Jimin turned to him, surprised. “You’re awake?”
Jungkook nodded weakly. “Barely.” His eyes flickered toward Taehyung. “He really doesn’t like me, huh?”
Jimin sighed. “You can’t blame him. He saw everything. How you treated me before.”
Jungkook exhaled through his nose, shifting his gaze downward. “I know.”
Silence hung between them for a moment. Then, Jungkook licked his lips and hesitated before speaking.
“Jimin… I’m sorry.”
Jimin blinked at him. “…For what?”
“For everything,” Jungkook murmured. “For pushing you away. For ignoring you when all you did was try to be kind to me. For pretending I didn’t see you when, in reality, I always did.”
Jimin stared at him, his heart constricting. “Then why, Jungkook? If you saw me, if you knew I cared, why did you act like I didn’t exist?”
Jungkook clenched his fists over the blanket. His jaw tightened, and he took a shaky breath. “Because I was scared.”
Jimin frowned. “Scared? Of what?”
Jungkook’s throat bobbed as he swallowed hard. His eyes, which had been filled with exhaustion moments ago, now carried something else. A deep, raw pain.
“I was scared that if I let myself care about you, you’d disappear too.”
Jimin’s breath caught in his throat.
Jungkook looked away as if it was hard to say. “I’ve lost someone before. Someone who meant everything to me.” He swallowed. “My mom.”
Jimin’s eyes widened.
“She was the only person who truly cared for me when I was younger,” Jungkook continued, his voice barely above a whisper. “She made sure I ate properly, made sure I was warm in the winter, checked if I had cuts on my knees after playing outside… She was my safe place.” His grip on the blanket tightened. “And then one day, she was gone. Just like that. No warning. No goodbye. I went to sleep, and when I woke up, she had disappeared from my life.”
Jimin’s heart ached at the vulnerability in Jungkook’s voice.
“I waited,” Jungkook continued. “I waited for her to come back. Days. Weeks. Years. But she never did.” He let out a hollow chuckle. “That’s when I learned something—when you start depending on someone, when you let yourself feel safe with them, they eventually leave. And it hurts. More than anything.”
Jimin’s fingers curled on his lap. “Jungkook…”
Jungkook let out a shaky breath. “So, when you started showing up… with your kindness, your attention, the way you always made sure I was okay…” His voice broke slightly. “I felt it happening all over again. I could feel myself wanting to rely on you. And I hated it. Because I knew—if I let myself need you, if I let myself have you…” He turned to Jimin, eyes filled with fear. “You’d disappear too. Just like she did.”
Jimin’s chest tightened.
Jungkook lowered his head, voice hoarse. “That’s why I pushed you away. That’s why I acted like I didn’t care. Not because I didn’t want you, but because I was terrified of losing you.”
Jimin remained silent, his heart hammering in his chest. He had always wondered why Jungkook kept avoiding him, why he never gave him a chance. And now, hearing this—he finally understood.
Jungkook let out a bitter laugh. “But I was stupid, wasn’t I?” He looked at Jimin, his eyes tired but honest. “Even after pushing you away, you’re still here. Taking care of me. Making sure I eat. Just like she used to.” His lips pressed into a thin line. “And I hate that I’m still so afraid.”
Jimin inhaled deeply before exhaling, shifting closer to Jungkook. He reached out, hesitating for a moment before placing his hand gently over Jungkook’s.
“You’re not stupid, Jungkook,” Jimin whispered. “You were hurt. You were scared. I get it.”
Jungkook didn’t move, but his fingers twitched slightly under Jimin’s touch.
“But I’m not your mother,” Jimin said softly. “I’m not going to disappear without a reason. I’m here.” He squeezed Jungkook’s hand lightly. “And if you let me, I want to stay.”
Jungkook’s eyes flickered with something unreadable. He stared at Jimin, searching his face as if trying to see if he was telling the truth.
Jimin held his gaze, unwavering. “You don’t have to be afraid of me.”
Jungkook let out a slow, shaky breath. Then, hesitantly, as if he was afraid of breaking, he turned his hand over and gripped Jimin’s back.
Jimin’s heart clenched.
Maybe, just maybe—Jungkook was finally ready to stop running.
The Eavesdropper
Just as the heavy silence between them began to settle, a soft, pitiful sob broke through the air.
Jimin and Jungkook immediately froze.
The sound wasn’t loud, but it was unmistakable—a choked sniffle, followed by a barely restrained hic.
Slowly, as if in perfect synchronization, they turned their heads toward the source.
There, on the chair where he had been supposedly “asleep,” was Taehyung.
Eyes squeezed shut. Shoulders trembling. Lips pressed together in an obvious attempt to keep himself from outright wailing.
Jimin blinked. “Are… you crying?”
Taehyung let out another sniff, then violently shook his head, still pretending to sleep.
Jungkook furrowed his brows. “Did… you hear everything?”
Taehyung sucked in a sharp breath, dramatically rolling to the side and pressing his palm against his ear as if that would erase everything he had just heard. “I DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT,” he announced, voice breaking slightly. “I’VE BEEN ASLEEP THIS WHOLE TIME.”
Jimin and Jungkook exchanged glances.
Then, Jimin smirked.
“Oh really?” he asked, folding his arms. “You’ve been asleep?”
“Sound asleep,” Taehyung corrected, still keeping his eyes shut.
Jimin leaned in closer. “Then why are you wiping your eyes?”
“I’M NOT,” Taehyung said loudly while aggressively rubbing his palms over his face.
Jungkook, despite himself, let out a small amused huff. “You’re literally crying.”
Taehyung dramatically gasped, clutching his chest. “Excuse me?! Crying?!” He scoffed. “I would NEVER.”
“Oh, come on,” Jimin snorted, nudging Jungkook’s arm. “This man was bawling his eyes out just now.”
Jungkook, still weak but thoroughly entertained, nodded in agreement. “I definitely heard sniffles.”
“I DID NOT SNIFFLE,” Taehyung shrieked.
Jimin gasped, dramatically covering his mouth. “Oh my god, did you wipe your nose on your sleeve just now?!”
Jungkook made a horrified face. “Oh, that’s disgusting.”
“I—SHUT UP!” Taehyung burst out, finally opening his eyes to glare at them. “Do you guys even hear yourselves?! I was moved, OKAY?! Jungkook’s backstory was SAD! Who wouldn’t cry?!"
Jimin cackled. “Oh my god, he really was crying over us!”
Jungkook, still weak but smirking, nodded. “So, you admit it?”
Taehyung dramatically rolled his eyes. “Okay, FINE. Maybe I got something in my eye. And maybe, just maybe, I happened to hear something that coincidentally sounded like a tragic, heart-wrenching trauma. But does that mean I was crying? ABSOLUTELY NOT.”
Jimin burst into laughter. “You’re such a liar.”
Taehyung groaned. “CAN’T YOU JUST LET ME HAVE MY DIGNITY?!”
“Nope,” Jungkook and Jimin said in unison.
Taehyung grumbled under his breath, wiping at his eyes one last time before huffing dramatically. “You know what? I take back all my sympathy. Jungkook, I hope your fever returns. And Jimin, I hope your ankle twists again.”
Jimin gasped in mock betrayal. “HOW DARE YOU?!”
Jungkook chuckled. “Wow. So heartless.”
“I WAS HEARTLESS FROM THE START,” Taehyung shot back. “AND YOU—” He pointed aggressively at Jimin. “—I HOPE YOUR COOKING TURNS OUT BLAND FOR A WHOLE MONTH.”
Jimin looked personally offended. “You take that back RIGHT NOW.”
“MAKE ME.”
And just like that, the touching atmosphere was completely ruined.
Jungkook, still recovering from his fever, simply watched as Jimin and Taehyung descended into a full-blown hellish argument, both flinging dramatic insults in rapid-fire Korean at each other while making ridiculous hand gestures.
Jungkook sighed, shaking his head as he leaned back against the pillows.
Maybe having these two around wasn’t so bad after all.
The Bus Stop Waiting
Jungkook stood at the bus stop, his hands tucked inside the pockets of his hoodie as he rocked on his heels. The morning air was cool, the city still waking up. His eyes flickered to the street, watching every passing figure.
He was waiting.
For the first time in a long time, he had a reason to look forward to mornings.
And then, just as he was about to check his phone for the time again, he saw him.
Jimin.
Jimin was dressed in a cozy beige sweater, his bag slung over his shoulder. His hair was slightly tousled from the wind, his lips pursed in concentration as he adjusted the strap of his bag. He hadn’t noticed Jungkook yet.
Jungkook smiled.
Jimin finally looked up, and when his eyes landed on Jungkook, he paused mid-step. His expression flickered between surprise and confusion before settling into something softer.
Jungkook raised a hand in a casual wave. “Morning.”
Jimin blinked, then quickened his pace. “You… you’re here early.”
Jungkook shrugged. “Thought we could go together.”
Jimin bit his lip, trying to suppress the small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. He didn’t say anything, just nodded slightly before standing beside Jungkook, waiting for the bus.
A comfortable silence settled between them.
Jungkook stole a glance at Jimin. It still felt surreal—how they had gone from avoiding each other to this. He wasn’t sure when things had changed, but he wasn’t complaining.
The bus finally arrived, and as they stepped in, Jungkook followed Jimin to the seats near the back.
Jimin sat down first, naturally taking the window seat. Jungkook settled beside him without hesitation.
Jimin raised an eyebrow. “You’re sitting here?”
Jungkook smirked. “Where else would I sit?”
Jimin rolled his eyes but didn’t argue.
The bus ride was peaceful, the faint hum of the engine filling the silence. The city passed by outside the window, students and workers moving about in the morning rush.
Then, out of nowhere, Jungkook spoke.
“You know…” He turned his head slightly toward Jimin. “You slept on my shoulder last time.”
Jimin frowned. “Huh?”
Jungkook chuckled. “On this bus. A while ago. You fell asleep on my shoulder.”
Jimin’s eyes widened. “No, I didn’t.”
“Yes, you did.”
Jimin scoffed. “I would’ve remembered that.”
Jungkook leaned in a little, teasing. “Are you sure?”
Jimin opened his mouth to argue, but then—he remembered.
Flashes of that day came back to him. He had been exhausted, barely able to keep his eyes open after pulling a late night preparing for a cooking assignment. The bus ride home had been quiet, warm, and steady…
And now that Jungkook mentioned it, he did remember feeling something solid and warm against his head.
“Oh my god.” Jimin’s face turned red. “You should’ve woken me up!”
Jungkook smirked. “Why would I do that?”
Jimin groaned, covering his face. “Did I—was I—” He peeked through his fingers. “Did I drool?”
Jungkook laughed. “A little.”
Jimin gasped. “YOU’RE LYING.”
Jungkook shrugged. “Guess we’ll never know.”
Jimin groaned dramatically, sinking lower into his seat. “I hate you.”
Jungkook nudged him playfully. “No, you don’t.”
Jimin peeked at him from the corner of his eye, lips twitching. “…Maybe just a little.”
Jungkook chuckled, leaning back against his seat.
The ride continued, but this time, instead of awkward silence, there was something warm between them—something that felt like the beginning of something new.
A Clash of Worlds – Culinary vs. Sports
Jimin and Jungkook had settled into an unexpected routine. Every morning, Jungkook would wait for Jimin at the bus stop, and together, they’d make their way to the university. It was a silent understanding between them, a small piece of comfort that neither acknowledged out loud but both secretly looked forward to.
Jimin still found it strange—how Jungkook had gone from avoiding him to suddenly being around him all the time. But he had to admit… it was nice.
And maybe, just maybe, he was starting to enjoy Jungkook’s company more than he’d like to admit.
Today, after classes ended, they found themselves sitting on the university field, their lunchboxes between them.
Jimin had cooked, as usual. Jungkook had just finished practice, as usual. But what wasn’t usual was the way Jungkook kept stealing bites from Jimin’s food instead of eating his own.
"Yah! Jeon Jungkook!" Jimin smacked his arm when he caught him reaching for another spoonful. "You have your own food!"
Jungkook chewed slowly, a mischievous grin forming on his lips. "But yours tastes better."
Jimin narrowed his eyes. "Obviously. I’m a culinary student. You, on the other hand—" He poked Jungkook’s bicep, unimpressed. "—just eat protein shakes and bland chicken breast. No wonder you have no taste."
Jungkook gasped, clutching his chest dramatically. "Excuse you! I have excellent taste. In fact—" He leaned forward, smirking. "—I have a very high appreciation for good things."
Jimin felt his face warm up. He quickly turned away and focused on his food, pretending not to notice the way Jungkook was looking at him.
"Whatever. Eat your own lunch, Jungkook."
"But I like yours better," Jungkook whined playfully.
Jimin sighed, but his lips twitched in amusement. He pushed a small side dish toward Jungkook. "Fine. But only this much!"
Jungkook beamed. "Thanks, Chef Park!"
"Don’t call me that," Jimin grumbled, but he couldn’t hide the smile forming on his face.
Jungkook chuckled and leaned back on his elbows, watching Jimin eat. "You know, I always wondered… What’s the hardest dish you’ve ever made?"
Jimin thought for a moment. "Probably beef wellington. The balance of flavors, the puff pastry, the cooking timing—it has to be perfect."
Jungkook whistled. "Sounds complicated. But I bet you nailed it."
Jimin rolled his eyes but felt warmth spread in his chest. "What about you? What’s the hardest workout you’ve ever done?"
Jungkook grinned. "Try running ten laps, then doing 100 push-ups, 50 burpees, and ending with weight training."
Jimin gaped at him. "That’s insane!"
"That’s discipline," Jungkook corrected, flexing his arm.
Jimin reached out and poked his bicep again. "Still feels like a rock. No wonder you keep eating my food—you need real nutrients."
Jungkook laughed. "See? That’s why we’re a good match. You cook, I eat."
Jimin rolled his eyes but didn’t deny it.
The conversation flowed easily, laughter spilling between them like a melody neither wanted to end. Somewhere in between playful arguments about food vs. fitness, between stolen bites of lunch and lingering glances, something between them started to change.
Maybe, just maybe, love was simmering—slowly, but surely.
Love, Laughter, and a Meddling Best Friend
Jimin never thought he’d say this, but somehow, his life had become a perfect blend of chaos and comfort—all because of one person.
Jungkook.
It started with small moments—waiting at the bus stop together, sharing meals, playful teasing about their different worlds. And now, somehow, it had turned into something deeper.
Jimin wasn’t stupid. He knew Jungkook liked him. And if he was honest with himself… he liked Jungkook too.
That’s how they ended up here—on a quiet rooftop of the university, the setting sun painting the sky in hues of pink and gold. Jungkook had dragged him here after classes, a mischievous glint in his eyes.
"Why are we up here?" Jimin asked, raising an eyebrow.
Jungkook shrugged, hands in his pockets. "Just thought it’d be nice. Peaceful."
Jimin glanced at him suspiciously. "You’re acting weird."
Jungkook exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Okay, fine. Maybe I wanted to tell you something."
Jimin folded his arms, waiting. "I’m listening."
Jungkook looked at him, his gaze softer than Jimin had ever seen before. "I like you, Jimin."
Jimin’s breath caught in his throat.
Jungkook continued, stepping closer. "Not just because you cook amazing food. Not just because you’re cute when you’re angry. But because… you make my life better. You’re the only one who truly sees me."
Jimin swallowed, heart pounding. "Jungkook—"
"And I know I was an idiot before," Jungkook cut in quickly. "I was scared, I pushed you away, but I don’t want to do that anymore. I just want… you."
Jimin stared at him, his emotions tangled in a mess of happiness and disbelief. And then, slowly, a smile broke across his face.
"You really are an idiot," he said, voice teasing.
Jungkook blinked. "Wait, what?"
Jimin rolled his eyes and stepped closer, placing a hand on Jungkook’s chest. "But you’re my idiot."
Jungkook’s lips parted slightly before a slow grin spread across his face. "So… that means…?"
Jimin sighed dramatically. "Yes, Jeon Jungkook. I like you too."
Jungkook didn’t even let him finish before pulling Jimin into a tight hug, spinning him around like they were in some ridiculous romance movie.
"Put me down, you muscle pig!" Jimin shrieked, smacking his shoulder.
Jungkook just laughed, setting him down but keeping his arms around him. "No take-backs, okay? You’re stuck with me now."
Jimin rolled his eyes but leaned into him, his heart swelling. "Yeah, yeah. Just don’t steal my food, and we’ll be fine."
Jungkook grinned. "No promises."
Just as they were about to bask in their little romantic moment, a very loud sniffle interrupted them.
Both turned their heads—only to see Taehyung standing there, wiping his tears dramatically with his sleeves.
"I can’t believe it," Taehyung sobbed. "My best friend is in love. I raised you so well, Jimin."
Jimin groaned. "Oh my god—how long have you been standing there?!"
"Long enough to witness my own suffering," Taehyung sniffed, then pointed at Jungkook. "And you! If you ever make my Jimin cry again, I swear, I will replace your protein shakes with tofu smoothies for a month!"
Jungkook burst out laughing. "Noted."
Jimin rubbed his temples. "This is not how I imagined my confession going."
Taehyung patted his shoulder. "Don’t worry, it was beautiful. Just like me."
Jungkook leaned down to whisper in Jimin’s ear, grinning. "I think we should run before he decides to throw us a wedding party."
Jimin snorted. "Too late. He’s already planning it in his head."
And as Taehyung rambled on about flower arrangements and wedding cakes, Jimin looked at Jungkook—the boy who had once pushed him away but now held him close.
Maybe love really was like cooking. It took time, patience, and the right ingredients. And now, standing here with Jungkook—his heart full, laughter in the air—Jimin knew he had found the perfect recipe.