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***
Hoseok transfers schools in the middle of his third year in university because of his father’s job. It isn’t anything new and he is already an expert in packing up and leaving behind the people he called friends. It’s during times like these that he’s thankful that making friends has never been a problem for him.
The first people he meets in his new university are Namjoon and Yoongi, who are both majoring in music production.
Yoongi is the smaller of the two and he projects an air of boredom or more precisely, perpetual sleepiness. He has pink hair that actually suits him and is decked out in monochrome colors.
Namjoon, on the other hand, is the opposite. He’s probably six feet tall and has white blond hair. Unlike Yoongi, he has a purposeful stride and a serious countenance. He’s wearing a colorful ensemble of red pants and a blue graphic tee. It shouldn’t work but Hoseok thinks it’s all about proportions because Namjoon carries his outfit well.
He meets them because he gets lost and the two are kind enough to help him find his way towards the dance hall, where it turns out Yoongi’s boyfriend was at the moment.
“Oh.” Hoseok says when the revelation is exposed.
Yoongi raises a sardonic eyebrow. “Don’t worry, new kid, I’m not going to jump you. You are not my type.”
“His type,” Namjoon interjects, “are the bubbly, cute ones who talk a mile a minute and have rock hard abs.”
Hoseok laughs.
“And you’re not Namjoon’s type as well so chill, okay?” Yoongi says again, and despite the smile on his lips, the way he’s looking at Hoseok isn’t really friendly. “He hits on tall awkward men with broad shoulders and unbelievably handsome faces.”
Hoseok raises his hands, palm up. “Thanks for the info. And just FYI, you two are not my type either. I kinda get hot for people who make me laugh and laugh with me instead of at me and honestly, the two of you are scary right now.”
That gets a laugh from the two and then Yoongi whacks him on the back. “Great to meet you. I’m graduating this year. Namjoon’s the same year as you.”
“Oh, alright, Yoongi, Namjoon, I’m Hoseok.”
“Come on, then. Let’s go.” Namjoon says and leads the way to the dance hall.
When Hoseok meets Jimin, he gets what Namjoon means by ‘bubbly cuties’ (although he isn’t able to confirm the ‘rock-hard abs’ part of the description) and he’s charmed about three minutes into the conversation with the younger man, so much that so that Yoongi tsks and puts a possessive arm around Jimin’s waist.
“Mine.”
When Jimin blushes bright red, Hoseok laughs as Namjoon mimes vomiting.
Jimin leaves to call the instructor over and Hoseok turns to Yoongi and says, “How do you ever say no to him, though?”
Yoongi shrugs and Namjoon whispers a ‘whipped’ which earns him an elbow against his side.
“Yoongi’s heartless,” Namjoon says as he rubs his aching side. “But he can never say no to Jimin. I mean he does the token denials and complaints but he does whatever Jimin wants anyway. If I didn’t know better, I’d say he’s on a love potion.”
“You—“
“Hoseok!” Jimin arrives at that moment with another man. “This is our instructor, Seunghoon.”
As Hoseok greets the instructor, he thinks it’s going to be a good year.
***
He meets Seokjin, Namjoon’s boyfriend, at a play about three months later.
Seokjin turns out to be a stage actor and Yoongi’s description of him is also spot on. Hoseok had had his doubts about the ‘unbelievably handsome face’ but once he sees Seokjin, he can’t deny that it’s true.
“Wow, how’d you even bag him?” He says teasingly to Namjoon.
Yoongi looks like he’d been given the chance of his lifetime and he answers before Namjoon can even open his mouth. “Shameless begging.”
Seokjin sighs as the two start to squabble and extends a hand to Hoseok. “Please ignore them, they always do that. It’s nice to meet you.”
“You too.”
The older man smiles at him and Hoseok shakes his hand. He winks at Seokjin and says, “Really, though. How’d he ever bagged you?”
Seokjin looks at Namjoon as if considering something and replies in his most serious voice yet. “I have no idea.”
Namjoon whines throughout dinner, and Hoseok is sure he had never laughed so hard.
***
Taehyung enters his life six months after he first meets Yoongi and the gang, in a flurry of colorful leaves and happy jumping by a grinning Jimin.
The two turn out to be childhood friends.
“He’s the weirdo from next door when I was younger,” Jimin introduces Taehyung and Hoseok wonders if he is destined to meet people of such colorful descriptions for the rest of his life. “They’ve moved here so we get to be together again!”
Taehyung grins and slips an arm around Jimin’s shoulders.
“And the one with the bunny teeth beside him is his younger brother.” Jimin continues.
Jungkook, two years younger with the aforementioned ‘bunny teeth’, scowls and glares at Jimin. “I am not a bunny!”
Jimin just laughs and coos at the younger boy as Taehyung ruffles his hair.
“A cute bunny,” Hoseok agrees although his eyes stay on Taehyung.
“Nice to meet you,” Taehyung says and his deep voice catches Hoseok off guard.
He smiles and nods. “You too.”
“Wow,” Taehyung says, eyes wide. “Jimin was right. You really do have a nice smile.”
Jimin laughs as Hoseok blushes and stutters his way through a thank you.
Hoseok’s heart continues thumping like a mad thing throughout the rest of the conversation with the new guy.
***
Yoongi rolls his eyes and just barely stops himself from banging his head on the table when he hears the heavy sigh from across him. Again.
Gritting his teeth, he forces himself to focus on the text in front of him. He needed to have a higher score than his boyfriend on the next exam. Just the thought of what he’d have Jimin do once he won the bet caused a smile to bloom on his lips.
He really needed to ace that exam. With that thought, he concentrates again.
The Krebs cycle, is the final common pathway for the oxidation of carbohydrate, lipid, and protein because glucose, fatty acids, and amino acids—
Another sigh sounds and Yoongi closes his book with a slam, making Hoseok jump from his slouched position, looking at him with wide eyes.
“What the fuck is your problem?!” Yoongi hisses with narrowed eyes.
Hoseok gulps. An angry Yoongi was a seriously scary sight. “Nothing…?”
The statement ends up as a question and Hoseok cringes, anticipating the explosion of the older man’s infamous anger.
Instead, Yoongi takes a deep breath and pushes his notebook and pens away. “Okay, spill.”
“Um…it’s really nothing?”
Hoseok swears he hears a growl before Yoongi speaks.
“Look, Hoseok, there’s a pair of handcuffs with Jimin’s name on them at the bottom drawer of my dresser and the only way he’s wearing them is if I get a higher score on my Biochemistry exam than him and to do that, I need to study and I can’t study with you sighing every three-point-six seconds. So unless you want to get thrown out of this room, you will fucking tell me what the fuck is fucking bothering you while I’m still being fucking nice. Or else.”
Too much information, Hoseok screams inwardly, and too much profanity. He pointedly does not focus on the words Jimin and handcuffs. Really, he didn’t need to know anything of that sort about his friends’ relationship!
Oh, god.
“Hoseok!” Yoongi growls warningly and Hoseok raises his hands, palms up, to placate the older man.
“Okay, okay…” Hoseok gulps. “So, I like Taehyung?”
“Obviously.” Yoongi replies and Hoseok reddens in embarrassment because was he that obvious, really?
“Yes, idiot.” Yoongi answers and Hoseok realises he’d said that out loud. “So, what’s the problem?”
“I d-don’t know how to confess to him. Or if I really want to…”
Yoongi huffs. “Just go straight to him and tell him you think he has a great ass and you want to—“
“Argh!” Hoseok screams and lunges forward to cover Yoongi’s (vulgar) mouth. “Yoongi!”
The older man pushes him away with a laugh. “You know it’s true. I see the way you look at him, you know.”
Hoseok’s face feels so hot he’d not be surprised if he had smoke coming out of his ears. “F-Fine…but, it’s not like I can actually tell him that!”
“Of course you can.” Yoongi counters, a smirk on his face, obviously enjoying his friend’s discomfort. “It’s easy. Just go up to him and tell him that you want to get to know him better,” Yoongi waggles his eyebrows, “In private, if you know what I mean.”
“Is that how you confessed to Jimin?” Hoseok demands. He already knows the answer is a resounding no because even though he’d only seen them together a few times, he’d come to the realization that Yoongi was rough with everything and everyone except with Jimin.
Yoongi is still opening his mouth to answer when a sleepy voice cuts in, sounding disgruntled.
“No, Yoongi composed his cheesiest song yet talking about how Jimin’s eyes sparkled and how he could spend hours looking at his lips then had Jimin listen to it through headphones. He waited until Jimin stopped listening and then presented him with the matching necklaces they’re wearing right now. The necklaces, by the way, that were custom-made and so expensive he almost emptied his savings when he had them made.” There was a pregnant pause. “It was so sweet, I almost vomited rainbows and flowers and puppies all over my fake rainbow tears of joy.”
They both turn towards the bed where they’d forgotten Namjoon had been sleeping. He’d obviously been woken up by the amount of noise they’d been making.
“You’re one to talk, Namjoon,” Yoongi sneers, effect ruined by the pink on his cheeks. “Mr Hotshot who had his confession incorporated into the Sunday paper’s crossword puzzle.”
Namjoon groans.
“And that was only the first one.”
Hoseok turns to Yoongi, interest peaked. “What do you mean ‘only the first one’?”
Yoongi grins and stretches. “Seokjin wasn’t able to finish the crossword since he was called back unexpectedly into work.”
Hoseok can’t help but laugh, even as he looks apologetically at Namjoon. “What did he do next?”
Namjoon groans again, banging his head on the pillow he’d been using.
“He placed an announcement on the bus Seokjin rides everyday going to work. They printed out his cheesy confession on the side of the bus for everyone to see and take pictures of.”
Hoseok raises his eyes in surprise. He knew Namjoon was rich but…wow. “And that worked?”
“Nope.” Yoongi says. “Seokjin woke up late and missed the bus.”
“Wow, the universe really hated you,” Hoseok says, shaking his head in compassion.
Namjoon looks up from the pillow where he’d buried his face in and nods. “Those were my exact words.”
“Wait, how many confessions were there?”
“Three.” Namjoon says, resigned to reliving those stressful times. “The last time worked, thank god.”
“What did you do?” Hoseok asks eagerly, imagining another grand gesture. Maybe a billboard sign? Or maybe a flash mob! That was something hard to miss.
“He—” Yoongi began and then burst into laughter. He collected himself with difficulty and then cleared his throat, looking seriously into Hoseok’s eyes. “He got frustrated and yelled it at Seokjin in the middle of the coffee shop he’d rented just for that occasion, and he did this just as Jin took a sip of his coffee. Needless to say, Namjoon’s tee still has coffee stains on it.”
Hoseok’s mouth drops open in shock, turning to see Namjoon’s face turn deep red in embarrassment. “Y-You—!”
That word is the only thing he can get out before he is consumed by laughter, not even stopping as he’s hit by a pillow in the face.
Yoongi cackles beside him as Namjoon practically evaporates in mortification.
“Oh, god, that is epic.” Hoseok guffaws, holding his aching stomach. “Oh my god, I can practically imagine it.”
“No need to imagine,” Yoongi says, whipping out his phone. “I—as official wingman and best friend—caught it on tape.”
Hoseok claps in glee and then stands in shock as he watches Namjoon tackle an unsuspecting Yoongi into the carpeted floor.
There is a scuffle and a muffled pained groan before Yoongi stands, triumphant, huffing as he hands his phone over to Hoseok, the video already starting to play.
“Ow,” Namjoon groans, holding his stomach where Yoongi had jabbed him. Hard. “The heck, Yoongi?”
“I’ve been going to Jimin’s karate classes,” the older man says smugly. “And that’s what you get for tackling me.”
Hoseok takes that moment to laugh hysterically, almost dropping the phone in the process, watching as a surprised Seokjin spits out his coffee smack dab into Namjoon’s pristine white t-shirt in the video, just barely missing hitting Namjoon’s face.
“Whatever,” Namjoon grumbles as Hoseok’s laugh continues annoyingly longer than the moment should warrant, “it worked out in the end, anyway.”
Hoseok finally calms down and hands the phone back to Yoongi. “Okay, that was epic.”
Namjoon grunts and trudges back to the bed, clutching the pillow he’d thrown earlier. “So, how’re you gonna confess?”
“I dunno,” Hoseok admits, biting his lip, mirth evaporating in front of a mind-numbing anxiety. “I mean, what if he doesn’t even see me that way?”
“Hoseok, with the way he’s been acting with you, I’m pretty sure he’s not going to be running to the hills when you confess to him.”
Hoseok isn’t convinced, but he can’t deny that Namjoon’s words do give him a little bit of comfort.
Yoongi huffs. “Look, just think about it first. And I really need to study now, okay? Once you’ve made up your mind to confess, come back and we’ll try to help you.”
Hoseok nods and turns to Namjoon who raises a thumb up from the bed, eyes already closed.
***
Hoseok watches as Jimin pouts and Yoongi gives a token huff before he drinks up the rest of Jimin’s Americano, grimacing right after. This happens every time they go out to drink coffee and Hoseok’s sure it’s some kind of tradition between the couple by now.
“Thanks, Yoongi,” Jimin says as he presses a kiss to the older man’s cheek. “You’re the best.”
Yoongi rolls his eyes but smiles and even though he can’t see, Hoseok will bet everything he has that the two are holding hands under the table.
They’re so obviously in love and happy together that Hoseok feels something—not jealousy per se, but something more like longing.
He steals a glance at the other person on their table and musters a smile when Taehyung looks at him with a raised eyebrow, as if saying: can you believe these guys?
“Enough with the cuteness,” Taehyung says, making Yoongi and Jimin turn to him. “Really, with the way you act, one couldn’t have guessed the two of you met just this morning to have breakfast together!”
“Jealous, Tae?” Jimin smirks and Hoseok thinks that they’d really spent so much time together if Yoongi’s traits were bleeding into Jimin and vice versa.
Taehyung huffs. “What do you think? Of course I am. But not to worry I’m fairly sure my Prince Charming’s just around the corner.”
Hoseok reddens as Yoongi turns to him pointedly.
It’s been two weeks since their conversation and Hoseok had yet to make a move, to the older man’s consternation.
“Yeah,” Yoongi says. “He’s just somewhere near you.”
Taehyung remains clueless as he sighs in frustration but Hoseok knows Jimin gets it when the younger man’s eyes round in surprise.
“Oh my god.” Jimin says and Hoseok shakes his head pleadingly.
“What’s wrong?” Taehyung says, looking from Jimin to Hoseok questioningly. “Did I miss something?”
“No—Nothing big.” Jimin manages, sounding unconvincing as hell, all the while still staring at Hoseok in shock and Hoseok winces, just waiting for Taehyung to connect the dots.
But, fortunately (or unfortunately, in Yoongi’s opinion), Taehyung merely shrugs. “Okay, if you say so Jiminie.”
Jimin corners Hoseok the moment Taehyung is gone, excusing himself since he needed to go practice with the choir.
“Oh my god,” the younger man repeats. “Taehyung?! My best friend?!”
Hoseok nods sheepishly.
“Oh. My. God.”
“Babe, he needs you to say more than that,” Yoongi comments from where he was sitting and Jimin finally closes his mouth.
There is a long pause and Hoseok wonders what Jimin is thinking.
For him, Jimin’s opinion is a big deal. After all, Jimin and Taehyung had grown up together and he is sure that if he ever ‘grew balls’—as Yoongi would say—and confessed, Taehyung would most likely ask Jimin for his opinion.
“I knew it.”
Hoseok’s eyes widen in surprise and he’s about to speak when Jimin clears his throat. “Okay, the first thing to remember is that with Taehyung, you need to be very clear.”
“Wha—?”
Jimin looks at him seriously. “Do not use metaphors or hidden words or whatever. Just say it straight up, okay? Because if you don’t, Tae will just misunderstand it for something else.”
“Um.”
“I’m serious!” Jimin says and grabs Hoseok’s shoulders to shake him a little. “There was this one time during middle school when some girl confessed to him and apparently thought they were already dating because Tae accepted the cake she baked him and they’d gone out to eat a few times and spent most of their time together, but it turned out Taehyung just thought she was using him as a taste-tester for Home Ec. Everyone thought they were dating. Even I did!”
Hoseok raises his eyebrows. “Um…”
“There was also apparently this guy before he transferred here but—anyway, the point is that when you confess, don’t use grand gestures or whatever just tell him, okay?”
“Okay…wait, you’re okay with this?” Hoseok finally asks.
“Of course I am!” Jimin exclaims.
“Does that mean Taehyung…might have…s-some feelings for me too?”
Jimin grins. “Hoseok, that’s cheating. Confess and find out for yourself, okay?”
Hoseok grins because that was as good as a ‘yes’.
“By the way,” Jimin says just as Hoseok stands and leaves. “Good luck. Taehyung isn’t a just a person, he’s an experience. I hope you’re ready to discover a whole new world.”
Hoseok grins and is about to turn away when Jimin calls for him.
“And, Hoseok, don’t forget that I can kick you hard enough that you won’t be able to stand. Ever. Don’t hurt him, okay?”
“Um.” Hoseok gulps and eyes a smirking Yoongi. “Y-Yes, of course.”
Jimin grins, all innocence and crinkled eyes once more. “Great, bye! And good luck!”
***
He doesn’t end up buying expensive jewelry or composing a song. He doesn’t even end up dancing (like he first thought he’d do) or writing a letter.
Instead, he asks Taehyung out on the clearest night of the year, when the stars seemed to shine brighter and the moon was full.
He holds Taehyung’s hands under that moonlit night and asks him to be his boyfriend. No flowery speeches or grand proclamations, just a young man telling another about how he felt and asking if there was even a tiny chance that he felt the same.
Taehyung smiles, grips Hoseok’s hands and says yes.
Of course, just as they were about to kiss to seal the deal, Yoongi or Namjoon decide that the moment is much too cheesy for their tastes and start to howl like the damned.
Taehyung leans back in surprise and before Hoseok can assure him that it was just his idiot friends having fun, his new boyfriend hauls him up and jumps up and down.
“Hobi!” Taehyung says excitedly and Hoseok isn’t even sure where the nickname came from. “Let’s go!”
“Huh?” Hoseok manages not to fall over as he is pulled by Taehyung towards where Namjoon and Yoongi were hiding (for moral support, they’d insisted an hour before when Hoseok balked at them for following him), still howling. “What, Tae—“
“Hobi, if we catch a werewolf we can sell its pelt online for like a million dollars! That’d be enough for us to build a house or buy one!”
Taehyung’s shout echoes in the empty night and the howling stops abruptly.
He can almost see his friends’ disbelieving expressions and Hoseok laughs—really, there was nothing else to do—and pulls Taehyung into their first kiss.
It really was going to be a whole new world. He couldn’t wait.
“Let’s go skin some werewolves.”
***
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