Chapter Text
Seokjin was resting after a long, productive day at the workshop. The commissioned pieces were finally done, and Jungkook had helped as much as he could. Everything was in order. Peaceful, even.
Until Hoseok burst into the apartment like a hurricane.
“Guys, are you ready?” he shouted the moment he crossed the door.
Seokjin blinked at him, confused.
“What are you talking about?”
“I told you to get dressed! I’m taking you to meet Yoongi’s friends tonight!”
Yoongi was the guy Hoseok had been dating for the past few months, and apparently, he’d decided it was time for both friend groups to meet. Seokjin wasn’t exactly thrilled. He, Jimin, and Jungkook were independent visual artists a little more relaxed, bohemian. They made a decent living, but money wasn’t something that came in abundance. Hoseok, on the other hand, worked with Yoongi at a big music company, and his coworkers seemed to belong to a far more polished, structured world.
“If you’re not ready in fifteen minutes, you’re all in trouble,” Hoseok threatened from the hallway.
Jungkook peeked out of his room.
“What’s going on, Hobi-hyung?”
“Get dressed!”
“Okay, okay, don’t yell at me. Jimin’s on his way, five minutes tops.”
“Oh my god, I told Park Jimin to hurry up!”
They didn’t leave in fifteen minutes… but twenty wasn’t bad either, considering their usual chaos.
The bar Hoseok took them to was one they already knew a vibrant Latin place with music and neon lights everywhere. Seokjin assumed Hoseok had picked it to make them feel comfortable. He scanned the crowd until he spotted Yoongi waving at them from a table.
“Finally!” Yoongi said, standing up to pull Hoseok into a hug.
“These are my coworkers Namjoon and Taehyung,” he said, pointing at them. “Namjoon’s a producer like me, and Taehyung’s one of our backup vocalists.”
Namjoon stood up and offered a polite, slightly stiff smile.
“Nice to meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you guys.”
“All good things, I hope,” Seokjin replied with a friendly grin, while Jimin gave a small wave.
Taehyung leaned back in his chair, easy and composed.
“Actually I think you’re the ones Hoseok warned us about,” Taehyung said with a grin, earning a round of laughter.
Jungkook chuckled, and the comment helped ease the tension.
“Anyway,” Hoseok jumped in, determined to keep the energy up, “these are Seokjin, Jimin, and Jungkook my roommates, my favorite artists, and the best people I know.”
“Artists?” Namjoon raised an eyebrow.
“Sculptors and painters,” Seokjin explained. “Depending on the day… and the amount of coffee.”
That earned a few laughs, and the conversation began to flow more naturally.
Once everyone had their drinks, Seokjin decided he deserved one too. He’d finished his sculptures, after all. Then “Yo Perreo Sola” started blasting through the speakers.
“Jimin, come on! It’s our song!” Seokjin yelled, grabbing his arm and dragging him to the dance floor.
He invited the others, but Hoseok was busy chatting with Yoongi, and Jungkook was devouring a plate of appetizers. Yoongi’s friends Namjoon and Taehyung looked completely lost, almost offended by the idea of dancing.
A few songs later, Seokjin told Jimin he was going to the bathroom. He was about to come out of the stall when he heard familiar voices.
“Hoseok’s friends are… interesting, aren’t they?” said a voice he recognized instantly: Namjoon.
“What do you mean?” Taehyung replied, sounding distracted.
“They’re… loud. I mean, Hoseok’s always been a burst of energy, but this is like having three more versions of him. One’s eating everything, two are dancing like crazy… And they like places like this, with this kind of music.”
“Reggaeton?” Taehyung chuckled, though there was more teasing than amusement in his tone.
“Don’t get me wrong, but… do you really think this counts as music?”
“Oh, come on,” Taehyung said as he washed his hands. “You’re exaggerating. They’re just having fun.”
“Maybe. But I don’t think our groups really fit together,” Namjoon said as he walked out of the bathroom.
Seokjin froze his fingers tightened around the lock, and for a moment, even the loud bass outside seemed to fade away.
Our groups don’t fit.
The words hit like a cold stone to the gut. Not because he cared about what that Namjoon guy thought he barely knew him but because of the way he said it, as if looking down on people came naturally.
Anger burned hot under his skin. Who did he think he was, judging them like that? Reducing Hoseok, Jimin, Jungkook, and him to a condescending comment while they were just trying to have a good time?
He didn’t know Namjoon, but one thing was clear: he didn’t like him. Not one bit.