Chapter 16

It was the time of the month: MIDTERMS! Min Yoongi was never late for these events. In fact, he was determined that he'd get a decent score. Jimin and Yoongi had worked their asses off for a week.

When the papers were passed to them and the teacher instructed them to start the test, Yoongi confidently looked at the paper he was holding.

"I'm fucked," he muttered under his breath.

***

The midterms were finally over, and the group decided to unwind at Namjoon's house. His place was the go-to spot for gatherings, thanks to its spacious living room and the fact that his parents were almost always away on business trips.

"Alright, guys, let's forget about those horrible exams and have some fun!" Namjoon declared as he welcomed everyone inside.

Jungkook immediately made a beeline for the game console. "Who's up for some Mario Kart?" he shouted, waving the controllers around.

"I'm in!" Taehyung exclaimed, grabbing one of the controllers from Jungkook.

"Count me out," Jin said, plopping down on the couch with a bag of chips. "I've had enough stress for today. I'll just sit here and look handsome."

"You mean you do that every day," Hoseok teased, nudging Jin with his elbow.

"Exactly," Jin replied with a wink, causing everyone to laugh.

As the games commenced, the room was filled with a mix of competitive shouts and laughter. Yoongi and Jimin were sitting on the floor, leaning against the couch.

"Yoongi, you should've seen your face during the exam," Jimin teased. "It was like you saw a ghost."

"Shut up," Yoongi grumbled. "I wasn't the only one. You looked like you were about to cry."

"I did cry," Jimin admitted, causing everyone to burst into laughter.

"Namjoon, do you have anything stronger than soda?" Jennie asked, rummaging through the fridge.

"Top shelf, there's some soju," Namjoon called out from where he was battling Jungkook in the game.

"Perfect!" Jennie exclaimed, grabbing a couple of bottles and some shot glasses. "Who's in for a drinking game?"

Hoseok's eyes lit up. "Oh, hell yes! I need to forget the horrors of math."

The group gathered around the coffee table, setting up the soju and shot glasses. Jennie explained the rules of the game, which involved answering trivia questions. If you got it wrong, you had to take a shot.

"Alright, first question," Jennie began, looking at her phone. "What is the capital of Australia?"

"Easy, it's Sydney," Taehyung said confidently.

"Wrong!" Jennie shouted. "It's Canberra. Drink up!"

Taehyung groaned and took his shot. The game continued with much hilarity as more wrong answers led to more drinking. Yoongi, who rarely drank, was surprisingly good at trivia, much to everyone's amazement.

"Yoongi, you're a secret genius!" Jungkook exclaimed after Yoongi got yet another question right.

"Well, I do read a lot," Yoongi replied modestly, though a small smile played on his lips.

As the night wore on, the group got progressively louder and more ridiculous. Jin started telling exaggerated stories of his supposed modeling career, which had everyone in stitches.

"And then, they told me I was too good-looking for the cover," Jin said, trying to keep a straight face but failing miserably.

"Too good-looking for the cover? That's a new one," Hoseok said, rolling his eyes.

Namjoon, slightly tipsy, began to freestyle rap about the struggles of midterms, much to everyone's amusement.

"Midterms got me stressed, but I did my best, now I'm here with my crew, forgetting all the rest," Namjoon rapped, making wild gestures with his hands.

"You should stick to writing serious lyrics," Yoongi teased, earning a playful punch from Namjoon.

As Namjoon finished his freestyle, Taehyung couldn't resist joining in. "Yo, Namjoon, you call that a rap? Let me show you how it's done," he said, hopping up from his seat.

"Go for it, Tae!" Jungkook cheered, drumming on the table to create a beat.

Taehyung struck a dramatic pose and began, "Midterms are a pain, making us insane, but we laugh and play, and dance all day. Jimin's got the moves, Jungkook's got the grooves, Yoongi's got the brains, and Jin's got the... looks?" He trailed off, unable to keep a straight face.

Everyone burst out laughing, and Jin puffed out his chest, pretending to be offended. "What do you mean, 'got the looks'? I've got the whole package!"

"Yeah, the whole package of dad jokes," Hoseok quipped, causing another round of laughter.

Jimin, feeling playful, nudged Yoongi. "Hey, Yoongi, show us some of your dance moves. We all know you secretly practice when no one's looking."

Yoongi's eyes widened in mock horror. "Dance? Me? No way. I'll leave that to you and Jungkook."

"Come on, Yoongi, just one move," Jennie urged, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

"Alright, fine, but only one," Yoongi relented, standing up. He did a quick, awkward shimmy, causing everyone to erupt into laughter and applause.

"Wow, Yoongi, that was... something," Jimin teased, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes.

"Yeah, something special," Jungkook added, giving Yoongi a thumbs-up.

Feeling the camaraderie, Jin decided it was time for another round of his famous impersonations. "Alright, everyone, guess who I am," he said, striking a dramatic pose and adopting a serious expression.

"Hello, my name is Min Yoongi, and I never smile because I'm too cool for that," Jin said in a monotone voice, trying to imitate Yoongi's usual demeanor.

Yoongi couldn't help but laugh. "Nice try, Jin, but I don't sound like that."

"Sure you do," Namjoon said, joining in on the fun. "And then there's Jimin," he continued, switching his voice to a higher pitch, "I'm Jimin, and I'm so fabulous, everyone loves me!"

"Well, he's not wrong," Jimin said with a grin, flipping his imaginary long hair.

The teasing continued, each friend taking turns imitating each other and making everyone laugh. Hoseok, always the entertainer, started a round of charades, which quickly descended into chaos as everyone tried to guess the increasingly ridiculous clues.

"Okay, Hoseok, you're up," Taehyung said, handing him a slip of paper.

Hoseok read it, then immediately began flapping his arms and hopping around. "A chicken? A bird? No, wait, a penguin!" Jungkook shouted.

"Yes, a penguin!" Hoseok confirmed, flapping even more vigorously for emphasis.

Namjoon took his turn, drawing a card that read "a washing machine." He began spinning in place and making whirring noises, causing everyone to double over in laughter.

"Are you... a malfunctioning robot?" Jennie guessed, barely able to speak through her giggles.

"No, no, he's definitely a washing machine," Yoongi said, tears of laughter streaming down his face.

As the night wore on, Jimin became progressively more intoxicated, his laughter echoing throughout Namjoon's house. Yoongi, who had been keeping an eye on him, finally decided it was time to intervene.

"Alright, Jimin, that's enough," Yoongi said firmly, grabbing his arm. "Let's get you upstairs."

Jimin stumbled, leaning heavily on Yoongi as they made their way to the stairs. "Yoongi, you're always so serious," Jimin slurred, trying to smile but failing to keep his balance.

Once they reached the guest room, Yoongi practically dragged Jimin inside and helped him sit on the bed. Yoongi crossed his arms, glaring at Jimin. "Do you have any idea how irresponsible you're being? You can't keep getting this drunk!"

Jimin, still grinning despite Yoongi's anger, tried to calm him down. "Yoongi, it's just one night. Relax. I'm fine."

"Fine? You can barely stand! What if you got hurt? What if something happened and I wasn't here to help you?" Yoongi's voice was rising, his frustration clear.

Jimin's expression softened. "Yoongi, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry you."

Yoongi huffed, turning away for a moment to collect himself. "You always do this, Jimin. You act like nothing matters, and then I'm the one who has to pick up the pieces."

Jimin reached out, pulling Yoongi closer. "Hey, look at me," he said gently. "I'm fine, cant you see?" He was looking at the other with longing eyes as Yoongi's breath stiffed.

Yoongi tried to maintain his anger, but Jimin's sincerity was disarming. "You just... you need to be more careful. I can't keep worrying about you like this."

Jimin pulled Yoongi even closer, their faces inches apart. "I promise I'll be more careful," he whispered. "Now come here."

Before Yoongi could protest, Jimin closed the distance, pressing a soft kiss to Yoongi's lips. Yoongi's eyes widened in surprise, but he didn't pull away. Instead, he found himself melting into the kiss.