"Well, it differs cause then we'd have to go against the Dark Dragons and they're already in a tentative leadership zone so... no, we can't." And yeah, it sucked but what could he do but sip his banana milk and try to stay cool. Not that he was ever cool. Or hot. More like... tepid. Kinda warm. Lightly microwaved. That was his sweet spot. "And Yoongi can't show attachment to anyone, not even me so if he went off to help some random dude, they'd know that dude mattered and Hobi would be a target."
"Huh. I see. Not that many loopholes in your world. Now I get why it was that big a deal that Jungkook carries Dooly around." Jin hadn't been able to wrap his mind around it at the time. He focused on the noodles, as he combined them with the sauce. "Namjoon, tell me something. Do you think that your boss is a good leader? Like... Setting aside tradition, why do you follow him?"
"Luckily no one plans to steal Dooly or we'd have a whole different issue." Namjoon smiled a little and shrugged before looking down at his banana milk and sipped it. So damn good. No wonder Kookie went nuts for it. "Yoongi is a good man, he has a good heart but he's limited by his rules. It's not his fault. I follow him because I know he's a good man."
"I know he is. But I know it looking at his actions, looking at his history with you." Jin poured the noodles into a bowl and set the bowl down in front of Namjoon, frowning. "I don't understand why he can't show it more. It's just tradition, right? Like, if he was as untouched by everything and everyone as he pretends to be, who would really want to follow him?"
"It's just how it is. You can't fight tradition, you know? I've tried before. We all have. In the end, you're just... stuck." Namjoon mused as he leaned on the table, sighing and wishing he had a good answer but knowing that Jin would never understand. It was all gang politics. Dumb gang politics. "Yoongi is a good leader. He knows the rules and he follows them. For all of our sakes."
"I think you can fight tradition, you just have to do it the right way. Anyway, his parents were married, right? So why can't he be with you? How does that add up?" Jin didn't like anything about this tradition. He was just glad that at least Jungkook seemed less repressed by all of it, happily hanging out in his kitchen as he often did, befriending everyone. Cute kid, with his Dooly.
"They weren't happy. They never showed it. Yoongi barely got to see her. It... It never is about showing love. That's private." Namjoon didn't get it either but here he was, everyone assuming he was dating Jin because he couldn't just be out and date his actual boyfriend. He sighed and gave Jin a sad smile. "People think we're dating, you know?"
"They do?" Jin laughed. "People are dumb. If you were dating me, I'd make you wear your clothes properly. So sloppy." He was teasing, of course, but he thought that maybe his teasing could cut through the melancholy. Worth a try, at any rate. "Maybe that's why Kangwoo asked about you." It all finally made sense.
"Probably. Aww, I have a love rival." Namjoon laughed and smiled at Jin, unable to help himself. He huffed a little and then leaned back in his chair, a bit more relaxed. "I would get so much food. Man. I would be very lucky, I don't know what you'd be." He had to laugh - it was kinda funny. "Thanks for the pep talk, bae."
"Don't you call me that, Kim Namjoon, I don't want to get in trouble with my love rival there." He was kidding, of course, though the thought of actually being a love rival to Min Yoongi was equal parts terrifying and hilarious. He shook his head, moving to get the wok cleaned up. "I think you can break tradition. Maybe you'll do it one day. Don't just do it for Jungkook. To it for yourselves."
"We'll try." He smiled but hell, honestly, he did think of Kookie. He wanted him to be happier than they were. He was the one they had to make the changes for. He was their kid, in many ways, even if he wasn't his by blood. And he would protect him. Him and Dooly. "It'll get better. I know it will."
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