Chapter Text
Jimin was sitting on a bench near the school yard. Looking at his phone, waiting, shaking his leg anxiously. Who was he waiting for? Well, let's just say Jimin and Tae subconsciously had the same idea: to get down to business with their crushes, once and for all.
When Jimin had been sitting there for almost half an hour, Yoongi appeared, walking toward the school exit with Jung Hoseok hanging on his shoulders, who was jumping up and down with joy and humming something funny, shaking Yoongi's shoulders to get him to play along, but Min didn't even flinch.
Jimin looked up and was a little disappointed because he hadn't expected Hobi-hyung to be there. He was sure Yoongi always walked home alone, and his idea was for them to walk together. Just the two of them. But he was determined to go through with his plan, trying hard to ignore the fact that he felt a little threatened by Hoseok.
Nothing bad, really. It's not that Jimin hated Hoseok, not at all. Never. In fact, for Jimin, Jung Hoseok is the least hateable person on the planet, and he knows that's why he manages to be so close to Yoongi-hyung, who couldn't help but worry him. It's not that he wanted to push Hobi aside, it's just that he also wanted to be by Yoongi's side, as close as he was, or closer.
Jimin stood up from the bench with his backpack on his shoulders. Yoongi noticed and approached him. Hobi calmed down a bit and followed him.
"Jimin-ah, what are you doing here? I would have thought you'd be home by now." Jimin leaned closer, more nervous.
The truth is, Jimin had been thinking about what might happen to him and his hyung if he really decided to act.
"Hey, Yoongi-hyung, Hobi-hyung. It's just that I was doing some homework that I missed." It seemed Jimin was going to tell them all the same excuse, but he wasn't sure how convincing it sounded.
"Aaah..." Yoongi muttered. "And you're going back to your house alone?"
"Uhm, yeah, I guess so..." Jimin no longer felt like asking Yoongi out in front of Hoseok. I have considered trying a more planned attempt another time, and call off for now.
Yoongi seemed like he wanted to say something, but Hobi got in the way with his enthusiastic voice and hurried words, "Are you in a hurry? Yoongi and I were going to eat rammyeon nearby. Would you like to go with us?" Yoongi looked at Hobi questioningly, and Hobi just smiled.
Jimin didn't take long to answer. 'Hope was right in front of him.' "I'd like that very much," he said, smiling.
"Okay, great, let's go then." Hoseok urged them on, taking each of them by the shoulder.
♡
There were only a few minutes left until 3 pm. Finally.
Jungkook was shaking his leg anxiously, sitting at his desk. Jungkook felt like it was the longest school day of his life. He felt like time was passing so slowly. He had never been so aware of the many classes he had in a single day. What normally felt like five classes, today felt like twenty.
All that right when Jungkook was most anxious about finishing school day. He couldn't believe he was so desperate. Was he really that excited to go on a date with Taehyung? Or was it just simple anxiety about doing something out of his routine? He had avoided the subject all day, and he was surprised that Taehyung had no intention of bringing it up either.
Yesterday, before going to sleep, Jungkook was imagining hundreds of possible scenarios of what could happen with Taehyung that afternoon. He also imagined a scenario where Taehyung told Jimin about his date and ended up inviting him, which made Jungkook come up with a strange idea about Tae inviting Jimin because his interest in him no longer extended beyond friendship and he didn't want to be alone with him anymore. He also imagined himself inviting Jimin to avoid being alone with Tae.
Afterward, he felt guilty for thinking of using his best friend to manipulate his interactions with Taehyung.
He didn't recognize himself when it came to be in Taehyung's presence. Everything was all sudden. Jungkook always preferred to keep everything to himself rather than socialize too much. Hearing so many people's thoughts at once was exhausting, and it was a hundred times more overwhelming if they went about opinions about him.
Actually, that was the hardest part of dealing with his ability: feeling the need to know what others think of him—after all, he's capable of knowing. And for a long time, he fell victim to the need to please others, which only caused him suffering.
Over time, he learned that he had to live for himself, accept and love himself as he was. I have learned to ignore the thoughts of others—despite how difficult and exhausting it was psychologically and physically; but it didn't compare to the anguish and exhaustion caused by torturing himself with the echoes of others.
The school bell finally rang, and Jungkook stood up with his backpack already packed. This had been his last class; Jimin and Taehyung would be also leaving theirs by then. He walked briskly to the exit. He was surprised to see Taehyung already waiting for him.
He approached, slowing his steps and trying to calm himself. Taehyung turned to look at him.
"Hey," Tahyung smiled at him. Jungkook thought he saw a little glimmer in his eyes.
"Hi," Jungkook waved, getting closer.
Why were they greeting each other as if they hadn't seen each other at lunch and between classes? Maybe, 'cause this felt different, or special.
"And Jimin?" Jungkook asked, trying to calm his anxiety.
"He had something to do on his way out of here, so he said goodbye to you." Jungkook nodded. "Ready?" Taehyung asked, maintaining his smile.
"Yeah," Jungkook smiled back, but he couldn't match Taehyung's enthusiasm. "Where are we going?"
"There's an arcade nearby. They have tables and serve food and drinks. It's great. I thought we could play and then get something to eat afterward." Jungkook didn't know how much wider Taehyung's smile could get.
An arcade? That wasn't one of Jungkook's fictional scenarios. He imagined them in different cafes, at the movie theater, in the park, at a fair, but he never thought about the arcade, he didn't even know where it was. Taehyung had just earned points for originality.
"Sounds great. Lead the way" Jungkook said simply.
They started walking shoulder to shoulder, and Taehyung broke the ice by asking Jungkook how his classes had been, and Jungkook had to make something up so he wouldn't notice his lack of attention in class since the day they met.
♡
They entered the place, and Jungkook sighed at the decor. Some walls were painted navy blue, others black, with amazing graffiti and neon murals, all illuminated by colorful LED lights. Alternative rock music combined with the sound effects of the videogames echoed throughout the place, and the rich smell of freshly popped popcorn wafted in with the cool air conditioning. Jungkook was gaping at everything until he turned to look at Tae, who was equally surprised, and let out a "Woow," which made Jungkook laugh.
"This place is amazing," Taehyung said.
"Haven't you been here before?"
"No, I found it online." Taehyung looked at him. "Do you like it?"
Jungkook felt a little tender thinking about Taehyung doing research on the internet looking for the right place for their date. Once again, curiosity invaded him to hear Taehyung's mind, but he resisted it. He wanted their date to flow smoothly.
"Yeah, I liked it." Jungkook smiled at him.
"You rather tell me when we leave. Let's buy our tickets." They headed to the cashier to exchange their money for points for the machines.
"What do you want to play first?" Taehyung asked when he had his points card.
"I don't know," Jungkook shrugged as he followed him, looking at the arcades around them.
"Which ones do you like?"
Jungkook ran on his mind through his entire library of games on his console back at home. He had all kinds of games. But if he thought of his favorites, he'd say the ones that had to do with guns, war, and shooting targets left and right.
"How about this one?" Jungkook approached a game near them. It was a zombie-killing game. It had a booth with two controllers on the dashboard.
"Perfect" Taehyung hurriedly swiped the card to start the game.
Jungkook smiled, caught up in Taehyung's enthusiasm. The two boys took the controllers and focused on the game.
As soon as the game started, they quickly noticed the bugs in the video game's animation and the clumsy moves of their characters.
Jungkook turned to look at Taehyung, embarrassed. Taehyung was concentrating on shaking the joystick to move his avatar, which was stuck on a bug. Jungkook was embarrassed for having chosen such a bad game.
«Ugh, how many bugs does this thing have? Do they really charge for this? Is it even playable?» Jungkook heard Taehyung's echo, convincing himself he was accidentally eavesdropping. He felt even more depressed hearing Tae complain about the game. He couldn't help but keep listening. "But Jungkookie looks so cute today. I'm so happy 'cause he seems to like the place. I really want him to like me, to like me.» The last words echoed louder in Jungkook's mind, and he felt his cheeks flush.
Suddenly, Jungkook was startled by Taehyung's burst of laughter. Taehyung was laughing because Jungkook's avatar was stuck in the middle of a barrel. It was funny because it looked like a barrel with arms and a head. Jungkook looked at the screen and saw the same thing. He started laughing out loud too. He moved his controller and it wasn't as hard to get out as it was for Taehyung, and they laughed even more because he was still stuck.
They continued the game with more laughter at the video game's simplicity. It was too easy and poorly done, to the point of being absurd. Jungkook burst out laughing when Taehyung's character flew away because he shot him instead of the zombie. And Taehyung pretended to sulk while holding back his laughter and tried to shoot Jungkook too, who played dodge, but it was no use because the characters moved too slowly and kept buggling. Which made them laugh even harder.
When the game ended, they left the booth with tears in their eyes from laughing so much.
"It is so bad" said Jungkook, trying to calm his laughter.
"No, what do you mean? It's the best game in the place," Taehyung said sarcastically, still laughing.
"Yeah, sure it is." They both laughed more.
Jungkook was relieved that the worst game he'd ever played had gone well. Pretty well.
"Which is next?" Jungkook asked now.
"How about a more updated one?" Taehyung inquired.
"Yes, please," Jungkook chuckled again.
"Come on."
They started playing a fighting game—with a great animation this time, by the way. It was a close fight that lasted a few minutes, but Jungkook was more agile with the buttons and ended up winning. Taehyung complained and asked for a rematch. And so they continued playing several rounds, with one winning and the other winnig next. They were almost tied, but Jungkook ended up with two more wins at the end. They wandered around the room, playing some really cool video games until their points cards ran out. Then, they decided to get something to eat.
They went to the food counter, in the area away from the video games. There were fewer people there, and it was quieter. Even the music was different; it was soft pop now.
A girl wearing a t-shirt with the place's logo served them on the other side of the bar. She greeted them and gave them menus.
Taehyung quickly ordered a vanilla milkshake and a hot dog. Jungkook ended up ordering the same thing, but with a chocolate flavor for his shake. The girl pointed them to tables, telling them she could deliver their order since it wasn't very busy.
They sat at a table for two and sat in silence for a few minutes. Jungkook, leaning back in his chair, fussed with the zipper of his sweatshirt.
"I'm still impressed with the place," Taehyung finally said. "I'm really surprised such a good place is close by. The pictures online don't do it justice." Jungkook nodded. "We should invite Jimin and Yoongi here one day."
"Yeah, that would be great." Jungkook imagined it would be fun to play the same video games with Jimin another time. They'd probably laugh a lot too.
"But I'm glad it was just us first," Taehyung said, flashing him a smile. Then he leaned forward, and Jungkook felt his legs brush against his under the table, and he blushed. Here came Taehyung again, with his confidence and boldness that Jungkook had such a hard time dealing with.
"Yeah, I had fun," Jungkook said, barely audible to Taehyung.
There was another moment of silence where Taehyung stared out the window, thoughtful. Then, Jungkook did his thing.
"Aah, he's so pretty. I can't wait to see what happens next. Did I impress him? Will he want to spend more time with me after this? I want to touch him."
Jungkook looked at him for a moment and noticed the neutral expression on his face toward the window. But he felt Taehyung's legs stir against his.
"I want to hug him and touch him all over his beautiful body. And his pretty face. Find the sensitive parts that make him-..."
Jungkook straightened and cleared his throat nervously, determined to stay away from Taehyung's echo for the time being. Then, the girl brought them their milkshakes, and both boys came back to themselves.
They were able to start a small talk about the delicious taste of the milkshake and other drinks they liked; when the girl returned to bring them their hot dogs. They ate and chatted about more trivial things, and began to get to know each other better. Jungkook understood how peculiar Taehyung was, beyond his crazy thoughts. They both have several interests in common, like video games and music, so Tae invited him to come over to his house sometime to play.
The conversation flowed, and at one point, Jungkook burst out laughing at what Taehyung was telling him about his old school. He couldn't stop laughing, and Taehyung kept coming up with more and more funny things.
They had already finished eating some time ago when they decided to get up, pay, and leave. They started walking side by side to Jungkook's house. Jungkook was starting to find it nice that Taehyung walked him all the way to the entrance of his house. He thought that one day he should do the same for him. It seemed... romantic, he couldn't deny it.
Sometime on their way, Taehyung took Jungkook's hand in a swift movement to pull him across a street, running through the rushing cars.
Jungkook shifted his gaze from his hands to Taehyung's face, who seemed to avoid looking at him, focused on getting to the other side of the street.
The moment had driven Jungkook to want to know what Taehyung was thinking.
«I took his hand, I took his hand. That's it, I did it. Maybe he doesn't even notice, he probably doesn't even care, but I had to do it. Oh god, I'm excited, it feels like a big step. I just took his hand and I'm going crazy.» The rushed words echoed in his mind. Jungkook suppressed a chuckle. He had an idea.
Without even thinking much about it, Jungkook dared to run his hand through Taehyung's grip and intertwine their fingers. He felt Taehyung tense. And then he couldn't hear Taehyung's thoughts anymore.
They kept walking along the other sidewalk, they were already not so far from Jungkook's house. Both boys tried hard to keep a neutral and nonchalant expression, looking everywhere but at each other. Inside, though, Jungkook was anxious about the sudden silence of Taehyung's echo. It was another one of those times when no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't hear them. As if he'd 'lost the signal.' And he was already regretting his hasty decision. He had been so bold in taking Taehyung's hand like that, and now he couldn't tell what Taehyung was thinking. He kept his hand firmly in Taehyung's, but his other hand was trembling in anxiety. He continued his efforts to read Taehyung's mind, but he couldn't anymore.
He shyly turned to look at Taehyung, and he looked back. His expression was calm, and once again, he saw that depth in Taehyung's eyes that he'd seen before. It was mesmerizing again. And they both stared at each other in silence for a few seconds as they took slow steps.
"Your eyes are beautiful," Taehyung blurted out, and it took Jungkook a while to figure out if he'd heard it from Tae's lips or if it was just another of his thoughts. He sighed when he realized.
"T-Thanks," he murmured and looked away.
Taehyung stopped, still holding his hand. They were only a few houses down from Jungkook's house. Jungkook stopped too and looked back at him.
"I like you," Taehyung said, with his expression all neutral again. "I like you a lot, Jungkook." Tae took a step closer.
Jungkook swallowed, feeling his heartbeat pounding throughout his body. Taehyung leaned closer, and Jungkook didn't move.
Taehyung reached up to caress his cheek. They stayed like that for a moment until Tae leaned his face toward Jungkook's. Jungkook stepped back, embarrassed, and their hands separated.
Jungkook understood what was about to happen, and something inside him made him want to avoid it. Taehyung wanted to kiss him, and Jungkook found himself waiting for it to happen, but his mind raced back to what it had been like to be with Taehyung until then. He felt confused; he still wasn't sure about his feelings for Taehyung.
Did he like him too? Or was he being selfish and he just likes that he likes him? If he thought that way, it didn't feel right to go any further with him.
Taehyung lowered his gaze and pulled away a little.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have." Taehyung looked back at him; Jungkook was already looking at him with expectant eyes. "I'm being too insistent, i'm sorry Jungkook."
"It's okay," Jungkook said quickly. He solved his thoughts into one answer. "I just need some more time. May be... we could go slower."