Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

He was jerked from sleep by the screeching sound of train brakes. His reflection was staring back at him, disorientated, hair in disarray. He tried to pat it into a presentable shape and eventually pressed a palm over his eyes realising that he couldn’t. On the ticket it read that he was to arrive at 12.34. He pulled out his phone to check the time. It seemed that his playlist was repeating itself for the nth time, that exact same song had been tugging him into consciousness every single time during the whole ride. He took off his headphones with slow, lazy movements, still half asleep.

The train has arrived at Seoul Station. Make sure to gather your belongings. Thank you for travelling….

It was 12.34. “Shit.” he started to gather his bags frantically. The compartment was almost empty. He made a dash for the door and found himself in a sea of bodies and luggage.

Just follow the exit sign. He kept repeating in his head the words of his mother. “Mom. I’m no good. I can’t see them...” he felt so lost in the spring of people, not going any way. But grandma didn’t raise no fool. Where are all these people heading? Outside! Where do I want to go? Outside! Problem solved. Supposedly...

Outside at last, the fourteen year old boy who had mostly been raised in the countryside was mesmerized by the tall, glossy buildings with huge advertisement signs. He was feeling–he was feeling so many things. He was hopeful and proud of himself, a little bit afraid, but mostly, he was burning with anticipation. This is going to be the best time of my life.

*Honk honk*

“Move, you fucking peon!” a kind taxi-driver offered, followed by more honking.

He stood like a scarecrow in the middle of the boulevard, looking (and being) more than a little out of place. He was loaded like a donkey with all sorts of bags criss-crossing his lanky frame.

Suddenly, a hand grabbed him by his ear, pulling him on the sidewalk. The woman gave the rude driver the stink eye.

“All these bags and straps and my ear is the one thing you drag me by?!”

“Hi, mom. Long-time no see. I missed you so much! Give me a hug.” his mother sassed.

“Hi, mom. Long-time no see. I missed you so much. Give me a hug.” he parroted, launching himself onto the woman. They hugged over the mass of bags. She kissed his cheeks affectionately and finally took a proper look at him. Frowning, she tried to pat his antenna down but to no avail.

“Let’s go home, Taehyung.” her smile was full of promises.

Home wasn’t like anything he was used to. It was an apartment, a bit cramped, a bit old. No breath-taking view, no trees, and instead of birds chipping in the morning he could hear the neighbours from upstairs flushing their toilet. Taehyung didn’t complain. His mother worked for all this and being together again was enough compensation.

Chapter Text

Maybe life in the capital wasn’t as exciting as he had expected but he was getting there. School came so soon and it somehow swallowed up all his time. Meeting classmates, going out, maybe studying, maybe making friends (he wasn’t sure about this one) kept him busy.

Maybe the worst part yet is this extra boring English class. Who the fuck is this Dick-ins guy and why do I only have to copy all these words I don’t understand?

He gives up pretty fast and instead starts to study his classmates: their postures and fidgety movements betray the same lack of interest. He has a nice, whole view from the back of the class. He took the back seat from the corner opposite the window because he doesn’t want to be an anime protagonist. A quiet life would be fine.

When the teacher asks something, his eyes go straight to the front of the class and focus on a particularly obnoxious boy. Look at him. His fingers are already twitching, ready to shoot up. He’s gonna answer perfectly like always. Is this how annoying Hermione Granger was for her classmates?

Just when the boy was clearing his throat, ready to answer, the door swung open.  A stocky, middle-aged man with completely white hair steps in. It’s the principal.

“Sit down, Park. I want answers and I want them now.” he begins as an introduction.

“I’m sure Jimin has all the answers you would need…sir.” Taehyung says in a sarcastic tone.

Jimin turns around to give him a look over his thick-framed glasses that he can’t quite decipher.

“Shut it, Kim.” the principal cuts him short. “Someone from your classroom broke a toilet from the second-floor bathroom. If you confess I will go easy on you. If you don’t, you’ll all face the consequences. Don’t test me. So…Who was it?” he asks with a fatherly smile, but they knew better so all of them just shut up. “You have until last period. Have a good day.” He storms out of the classroom just the same as he entered.

When the bell rang, everybody was fussing over the toilet breaker.

“He wouldn’t put us all in detention, would he?” somebody asks.

“Yes, he totally would.”

“Just confess already…”

Still, the day goes by normally and they almost forget the pressing matter. Nobody seems to have anything more to say about it.

At the last bell, Taehyung grabbed his backpack and was heading towards the school gate, thinking about tonight’s dinner. He was at the age when he was always hungry.

Just when he was almost out, a voice comes from behind.

“Kim Taehyung. Come to my office.”

He squeezed his eyes shut and turned on his heels. I almost made it.

“It wasn’t me. Sir.” he says as soon as he enters the door, trying to sound as convincing as he can.

“Sit down, Kim.” the principal replies, unperturbed.

“I am innocent.” he says, emphasizing each word.

“Please sit down.” he can now feel the principal’s minty breath on his face. He wasn’t aware that he got so close he could count the principal’s eyelashes.

Reluctantly, Taehyung finally sits down. “You have the wrong person.” he remains on his guard.

“Are you aware of the fact that someone else was in the bathroom?”

“Who was it? Who’s the snitch?!” he squeals, shooting up from his seat, making the poor man almost face-palm.

“More importantly. Were you really going to let all your classmates take the fall?”

Taehyung composes himself and sinks onto the chair. He crosses one leg over the other and straightens his back in an attempt to look dignified.

“I was walking home, wasn’t I?”

The principal frowns at his sassy remark.

“I have no money and I have no shame.” Taehyung shrugs.

“I’m going to have to call your mother.”

“Noo!” his voice cracks. “I’ll do anything! I’ll kill for you. Ask me to kill for you.” he loses his shit once again, along with his dignity.

“No need for that. But you’ll get detention. And because you have no money, you have to work; and since you have no shame, you get cleaning duty–for a month. Oh, and I mean the bathrooms. Break anything and I’ll know.”

Taehyung nods, biting his bottom lip in defeat. He’s already working his mind to solve the truly important matter: who snitched on him.

Word travels fast and by the next day the whole school knew who the toiled breaker was. So Taehyung was a little anxious about the way his classmates might react but nonetheless ready.

As he enters the classroom all eyes are on him. “Shit” escaped under his breath. Here it comes.

Shortly, somebody breaks the ice and approaches him. Shit.

“I’m surprised and glad you confessed. I wouldn’t have thought you were that kind of person, honestly. I’m sorry. Thanks for thinking about us.” he gives a small smile.

Taehyung is taken a little aback by his peer’s remark but composes himself just as fast.

“Oh. You don’t have to be sorry for that.” Taehyung puts his hand on the class representative’s shoulder, face gleaming with honesty. “You were right. I’m not that kind of person.” he says looking him dead in the eye. “Somebody snitched on me” he continues as he goes to his seat and crashes down “and when I’m going to find out who, I’m going to Kill.The.Snitch.” he finishes like it’s the most natural thing to say, swinging his index like he’s poking each word in the head.

His classmates didn’t have that much time to be baffled by his psycho-like self because the first bell rang.

Sitting in detention, the only mistake he could reflect on was that he hadn't said he was wronged too. He was! He didn’t do it on purpose. It was an accident, you see?

It all started in the morning with the genius idea of eating an apple after milk and cereal. Well, he is a healthy person, he thinks while reliving that day in his mind. He patted three dogs on his way to school-Was this memory relevant? Well, of course. Moving on, he slept during the first class and by the second his stomach starting making upset noises. Turns out it was really upset. So he ran to the bathroom and thank god it was empty; or so he thought back then. Why didn’t you look in every stall? he thinks, slamming his notebook closed.

So, he sat on the toilet, did the do, and reached, of course, as a civilised person, for the toilet paper…there was none. Being the clever boy he was, Taehyung tried reaching under the wall that separated the stalls for, hopefully, some toilet paper. It wasn’t his fault the damned toilet was so cheap and wobbly that something broke, flooding the bathroom.

A teacher enters, interrupting his chain of thought. She begins taking attendance, but, really, there was just two of them–if that lump at the back of the class was human too.

“Kim Taehyung?”

“Here.”

“Min Yoonki?”

“gi” the small boy mumbles from where he is sleeping.

“Pardon?”

“Gi.” he repeats a tiny bit louder and just as bored.

“So, you are here for not doing your homework and sleeping in class?”

“Obviously.” he fixes the papers in her hands scornfully and merges his head with the desk again.

Taehyung shrugs and goes on trying to focus on his homework. Not even ten minutes in and he becomes fidgety.

“Could I go to the bathroom?”

“You’ll have enough time afterwards.” one witty phrase and he is reminded of the horrible deed he’s about to do.

Taehyung is standing in front of the bathroom door, fully equipped as a janitor. He enters without hesitation.

“It’s you and me again, bathroom. One on one. Technically, it’s not you. Are you aware that your sister bathroom upstairs ruined my life?” he pauses. “You’re right. It’s also the snitch’s fault. If he was in the bathroom he could only have been in the last stall.” he kicks the last stall open, immediately regretting as he can’t afford to break anything else.

As he continues cleaning, his mind goes all Sherlock Holmes. Why was that guy in the stall? For obvious reasons…But when I entered the bathroom there was no smelly smell. So he must have been taking a leak. But who goes inside a stall to take a leak when there’s urinals? An awkward, shy guy.

“Wait! He was there! As I was trying to grab some toilet paper from the very same stall. He did nothing to help me…he only watched as I was struggling. What an evil person!”

In time, it became some kind of legend, more like a ghost story actually, that if you got close to a bathroom door you would hear the scrubbing sounds and a particular phrase over and over again, like a mantra: Kill the snitch!

Eventually, among the many people that passed by in the following weeks, one was merciful enough (more like tired enough) to give Taehyung a hint.

“It was Park Jimin.”

Without further analysing, Taehyung drops his mop and dashes for the named boy: his despicable classmate.

The classroom was obviously and disappointingly empty. School had finished two hours ago.

He will wait till tomorrow. Only because I don’t know where that stuffed-cheeked squirrel dwells.

Tomorrow, Taehyung goes to school earlier than ever, surprising his mom. His head was buzzing with revenge scenarios as he was nearing the classroom.

Jimin wasn’t there yet so he chose to chill with his classmates on the hallway, talking and laughing maybe a little bit too loud.

“You wanna know what the fuck happened? I’ll tell you what the fuck happened. It all– Oh, mom’s calling?” Taehyung says squinting at the screen.

His classmates are ogling at his phone as if it were a museum piece. The thing belonged in a museum. It was ancient.

As he hangs up and tries to put it back in his pocket he notices the looks.

“Dude.” some guy stares, mesmerized in some weird way. “That’s literally a relic.”

“No, silly, it’s a phone.” Taehyung replies condescendingly.

“I mean, it’s older than my grandma.”

“Is your grandma…like ten?” he says amused but then he sees the one and only Park Jimin approaching, not a care in the world. “Look, guys. It’s a perfectly functional phone. I think it’s even better than your shiny plate sized…things.” he makes a shooing motion with his hands. “I mean, could your phones survive this?” his eyes fix Jimin. “You mochi!” he yells as he throws his phone across the hallway.

Jimin turns around confused and their eyes meet for a second before he’s knocked out.

Taehyung calmly gathers the pieces that were his phone and goes back to his peers to prove his point. He puts the pieces back expertly and then turns it on. “Nothing beats this shit.” he says proudly eyes lifting from his phone to see the mortified faces. “Why are you looking like this? Is he dead yet?” Taehyung says nonchalantly, glancing over his shoulder. Jimin’s hand is twitching. “Seems not. Looks like he's dreaming he’s in class. He wants to answer again!”

“You are a psycho.”

“It wasn’t me.” Taehyung raises his hands in surrender.

“How can you say that? Everybody saw you.” the principal shakes his head.

“Habit.”

“You threw it straight at my face.” Jimin points out and goes back to cradling his bandaged head.

“Straight is such a relative concept…” Taehyung smirks.

Jimin frowns at that particular comment, felling his headache getting worse. But that’s just an effect Taehyung has on him.

“Firstly, I wasn’t aiming for your face. I was aiming for your head.”

“That’s worse.”

“Secondly, I didn’t expect you to answer to mochi.”

Jimin opens his mouth to say something but it ends up as a sigh.

“And finally, I’m innocent.”

“How can you claim you’re innocent when YOU said you were aiming for my head with your brick?”

“I was doing it for the team.”

That catches the principal’s attention. “What team?”

“I don’t know. There must be other people that hate snitches.”

Now the principal sighs and stops to consider for a while. “Boys, this is a matter between the two of you. Sort it out yourselves.”

“Nice save.” Jimin mumbles, bitterly.

The principal leaves for god knows what principal business he has. The two boys are left alone in an awkward and tense atmosphere.

Jimin seems to be waiting for something. When it becomes obvious that that something won’t come any soon, he stands up and pauses in the doorframe. He clears his throat. “I don’t have anything more to say to you. Don’t come near me.” He doesn’t wait for Taehyung’s reply and walks away.

But Taehyung isn’t going to let him have the last word and walk out on him like a fucking drama queen. He launches at the door to scream after him: “Like I want to have something to do with a fucking snitch!”

Jimin calmly turns on his heel and just flips him the bird with a slight mischievous smile. He’s raging headache is keeping him from going full momma mode on responsibility.  Flipping him the bird is the most mature thing to do that he can think of right now.

Chapter Text

Weeks pass and even after Taehyung regained all of his freedom (of course, he got extra detention for violence…), he and Jimin were still bitter with each other. But mostly they chose to ignore one another. Except the eye rolls whenever one opened his mouth within the other’s hearing reach.

Today was no different. Their Literature class was, thank god, almost over. Before they can run away to PE class the teacher requests their attention once again.

“I almost forgot to tell you. For your final grade this semester I’m going to ask you to pair up for a project. To avoid any unpleasant situation I’ll have the first half from the catalogue write their name on a piece of paper. Come on! Quick!”

The teacher gathers the pieces of paper in his hands and shakes them.

“The other half, come and pick.” 

The students flock around the teacher in a hurry, pluck the pieces, then go back to their seats eager to find out their partner’s name.

Jimin opens up his slip of paper. It’s ok, he shrugs. She’s a nice girl.            

“Pssst, Jimin. Please switch.” the guy on his left makes prayer hands and puppy eyes while glancing at Jimin’s paper. “Pleaaaase” he mouths so the teacher doesn’t hear their exchange.

“Why?” Jimin mouths teasingly, small smile on his face.

“Pleeaaase.” the neighbour grits his teeth, wide eyed.

“Alright.” Jimin sighs. Because he likes to think he’s a nice guy.

They quickly make the exchange under the teacher’s nose.

Jimin smoothens the crumpled piece of paper and tries to decipher the sloppy handwriting.

While he’s still struggling to understand the name of his partner he can hear his own coming from the teacher.

“Park Jimin?”

“Kim–um, that’s definitely Kim…” Jimin squints.

“Come on, Park. I would have bet you were literate by now.”

Jimin’s cheeks become slightly flushed. He clears his throat and tries again.

“Kim–ugh! This looks like chicken scratch. And is that a chicken?”

“Give it to me.” the teacher runs out of patience and takes the paper. “Hmm. That’s definitely a chicken drawing. Who is this?”

“Can I try too, Mr. Jung?” Taehyung raises his hand eagerly. He comes to the front of the classroom and looks over the teacher’s shoulder. “This is the most beautiful handwriting I have ever laid my eyes on. And that chicken…it represents the–”

“The stupidity of the author; the chicken brain.” Jimin intervenes.

“I’m not stupid!” Taehyung says, offended.

“I’m sure you boys will deliver.” the teacher shoves them away. “The due date is in two weeks. Have a nice day!”

As soon as the teacher was out, Jimin clears his throat and asks as loud as he can: “Who wants to switch?”

“You can’t switch now. He’s noted it down.” the guy from the left replies, obviously pleased with his own situation, and meets Jimin’s death glare.

“I don’t care–”

“Come on, partner!” Taehyung hooks his arm around Jimin’s neck. “You’re stuck with me so stop whining like a little bitch.” he says while ruffling Jimin’s hair.

Jimin shoves his hand away from his hair and glares at him. “Fuck off.”

Taehyung dramatically covers his mouth in shock “Mochi just swore.”

“Yeah! So fuck off!” Jimin’s voice cracks.

“Yeah, yeah.” Taehyung replies as they’re walking to PE class, his hand still trapping the slightly struggling Jimin.

Jimin is looking over his notes for Maths when a hand is slammed over his notebook. In a blink of an eye, Taehyung is comfortably sitting his butt on his desk and leans in seductively.

“My place or your place?” he whispers.

Jimin visibly cringes. “Huh?”

Taehyung rolls his eyes. “The presentation, you silly mochi.”

“Was that necessary?” Jimin cocks an eyebrow.

“Live a little.”

Looks like Taehyung is not pleased with this pairing too so this is his way of coping.  He set up his mind to take revenge by embarrassing Jimin.

“Look, Taehyung. My parents don’t allow animals in the house, so either we do it in the backyard or at your place.” Jimin smiles sweetly.

“Ooo, for the awkward guy you are, you can throw some shade. Are all rich kids like that?”

“It’s not like that…” Jimin feels slightly embarrassed.

“I had my share of hamsters in my life so you can come to my place. See you after classes?”

“Wait. Today?”

“Well, we only have three days left because you chose to ignore our partnership. Thank god I’m the responsible one.”

Jimin rolls his eyes. “Can’t we do it over mail or something?”

“Good. I’ll see you after classes.”

After all classes end, Jimin, thinking he made himself clear, is slowly walking home. Feeling the chilly winter air, he wraps the scarf tighter around his neck. Just as he turns right at the school gate, a hand seizes him by the collar of his coat.

“My place is the other way.” Taehyung points his finger in the completely opposite direction.

Before Jimin could react, he’s being dragged to god knows where.

“You can let go now.” Jimin scowls. “I need to call my parents.”

“Very intimidating, you are.” Taehyung laughs, letting go of Jimin’s collar, and puts his arm around his shoulder. He waits until Jimin has finished the phone call to speak again.

“Why are you staring at me?”  Jimin asks, puzzled.

“My mom will like your cheeks.” Taehyung grins.

“Stop mocking me!” Jimin’s voice cracks.

“Even your voice is mocking you.”

“Just stop.”

The way to Taehyung’s home was the road to Golgotha in Jimin’s perspective. They had to take a bus. For a 45-minute(!) ride. Taehyung assures him that it only takes half the time outside rush-hours.

From the bus stop, they walk another five minutes against the harsh wind that’s bringing sporadic snowflakes along, only they couldn’t enjoy the sight through squinted eyes.

They finally reach the block, cramped between two taller, newer apartment buildings. As they’re in the rattling elevator, Taehyung leans to whisper in Jimin’s ear, his hot breath floating in the air.

“Welcome to the real world.”

“Fuck off! It’s just a backyard! And stop whispering things to me. That’s creepy!”

“Will you stop screaming?!” Taehyung screams back, maybe louder. “The walls have ears; with hearing aid…Thank god there aren’t any young people to have sex. Imagine the horror!”

“I don’t want to imagine that; thank you very much.” Jimin retorts, embarrassed.

Suddenly, Taehyung turns melancholic. “I miss having a backyard…We’re here.”

Jimin can’t help thinking that the bank must be involved in Tae’s backyard-less state. In this economy people tend to lose their houses much easier, don’t they?

“Mom, we’re home!” he screams while he jumps out of his shoes. Jimin steps cautiously inside the dark, narrow hall.

“Did you bring a pet again? I can’t find you any new adopters and you know we can’t keep it here.” Taehyung’s mom says from the kitchen.

“It’s a hamster!” Taehyung replies, nudging Jimin in the side. “Puff your cheeks.” he whispers.

“What?” he silently screams in confusion, but does it anyway.

A relatively young woman with a chestnut bob appears in the kitchen doorframe, wiping her hands on the sides of her not-so-fancy home trousers. Her soft features shift into a slightly panicked expression. “Hello.” she smiles. “What a cute friend you have.”

Jimin is still standing with his rosy cheeks puffed, looking confused.

“Good evening, Mrs. Kim.”

“Those cheeks! You must be Jimin!” she's already showing Jimin to the kitchen. Taehyung follows close behind. As he passes by her, she grabs his ear, hissing: “Why didn’t you tell me we’d have guests?”

Jimin turns around to see the scene and snickers.

“I would have cooked something nicer!”

“You don’t need to worry about that. Anything would be lovely.” Jimin says smiling gently.

“You haven’t tasted mom’s cooking.” Taehyung asserts proudly. “It’s deadass plain.” he tries to contain his laughter but gets smacked in the head. “Ouch! I mean–we’re a team. She cooks and I add the spice.” Taehyung smirks.

“Like, the salt?” Jimin asks innocently, with a smile.

“Yeah. You know me.” Taehyung replies as he’s rolling his sleeves. He’s skillfully adding what look like different coloured dusts to Jimin in a pot while his mother is laying the table.

“Do you need any help?” Jimin shyly attempts.

“Could you get some glasses? They’re in the cupboard besides Taehyung’s head.”

“Sure.”

Reaching inside the cupboard full of mismatched cups and glasses, Jimin starts sweating trying to find three similar ones. He strangely feels like he’s part of the family.

“Stop smiling at the glasses.” Taehyung interrupts him. “I want the elephant cup.” he grins and takes the pot to the table. “Dinner’s ready!” Taehyung screams like he’s summoning the entire building.

“Had a good day?” Taehyung’s mother asks Jimin who is smiling in his bowl of food.

“Oh no!” he replies without thinking, mouth full.

They all laugh.

“This is really good.”  

“You don’t have to force yourself just to be polite, Jimin.” Taehyung laughs, pouring Cola for everybody, but, really, only he liked it more than water.

“I mean it! Eating dinner like a family is nice.” Jimin gets shy at his own words.

“It is! And you are always welcome here.” Taehyung’s mom smiles.

At this remark the boys glance at each other. They remain silent.

After dinner, Taehyung excused themselves to his room invoking their school project.

“So, this is my room.” Taehyung presents it dramatically. It was so small the bed stretched from one wall to the other. Nothing too fancy; if you didn’t count the shelf with vinyl records: jazz albums. That was fancy.

Jimin is taken aback by the simplicity of the room. He would have expected something more boisterous from Taehyung. He realises he doesn’t know him at all. Then his gaze lingers on the books, manga, and stops on the pictures taped on the wall, facing the pillow. In the pictures he could see unknown bits of Taehyung’s life. A white fluffy dog shows up in many, some kids too. One particular picture stands out. It shows Taehyung, three little kids and the fluffy white dog, all gathered around an old lady, smiling brightly. They are in what seems like a–

“Like a backyard.” Jimin thinks out loud.

“Are you done yet?” Taehyung breaks the spell, sitting comfortably on the bed with the laptop in his lap. “Staring into my life?”

“I-I’m sorry.” he stutters.

“Oh. And this is my view.” Taehyung points over his shoulder, out the window.

“That’s a nice…wall–” he doesn’t finish when Taehyung pulls him onto the bed.

“The project is not gonna do itself, Chim. Get to it.”

“Mochi? Chim? I’d say we’re becoming friends if I didn’t know you better.”

“You don’t have a clue at life if you think nicknames make two people friends.”

“And you don’t have a clue about being sarcastic. Asshole.”

“You have to try harder.”

“Piss-bottle.”

“Too hard.”

“I give up.”

Their laughter fill the small apartment.

After actually getting some work done, Jimin gets fidgety.

“Can I use the bathroom?”

“I’ll take you.” Taehyung gets up and stretches.

Jimin obediently follows behind. They enter the tiny bathroom and Taehyung closes the door; with himself still inside, gaining a questioning look from Jimin.

“So,” Taehyung begins “how did you know it was me?”

“Huh?”

“The one in the bathroom? At school?”

“Could you let me piss first?” Jimin’s eyes switch between Taehyung and the toilet.

“Go ahead.”

“I’m gonna piss my pants.”

“Go ahead.”

“I can’t piss while you’re here.”

“Then it’s not that urgent.”

Jimin gives up with a sigh. There’s no winning outlook. “You were shitting all over.”

“Excuse me?” now is Taehyung’s turn to be confused.

“You were yelling shit!shit!shit! when you entered, and again shit!shit!shit! when you ran away. I recognised your voice.”

“Understandable. What were you doing there?”

“Taking a leak…?” Jimin raises an eyebrow.

“Who goes inside a stall to take a fucking leak?!”

“Me.” the answer comes flatly.

“What took you so long?”

“Are we really doing this?” Jimin is looking impatient, but there’s no bargaining with Taehyung it seems. “I couldn’t leave.”

“What? Why?”

“I was trying to be considerate.”

“You would have been very considerate by not snitching on me.” Taehyung mumbles.

“It was either me or you. The old man knew it was only us in there at that time.”

“How?”

“Surveillance cameras in the hallway?”

Taehyung ignores that piece of information.

“So how were you being considerate when you didn’t even give me the goddamn toilet paper?!” by the end of the phrase Taehyung is practically screaming.

“You were farting so hard I thought you might get embarrassed if you knew someone heard you.”

“I’m not ashamed of who I am.”

“You’re ridiculous…I actually did try to help you but it all happened so fast. While I was considering helping you and blowing my cover, you suddenly banged your head on the wall. BOOM. Water everywhere. Then you ran away…without wiping your ass.” he finishes almost in a whisper.

Taehyung’s face goes blank and he rushes out of the bathroom, finally leaving poor Jimin piss.

While he’s zipping his pants, the door swings open.

“For your concern, I ran to another bathroom! And wiped my ass!”

Jimin smirks. “You just made that up.”

“NO!!!” he barks. “Wait!” he composes himself. “I did run away without wiping my ass BUT you would have known if I didn’t wipe my ass at all.”

“Could you stop repeating wipe my ass?...How would I have known?”

“The whole classroom would have known...”

“You’re gross.” Jimin shakes his head. Then a thought flashes through his mind. “But how did you know it was me?”

“Bathroom fairy.”

Seeing that he wouldn’t get a serious answer from him, Jimin doesn’t question further.

Let’s say that was a productive day. And so were the following two. The boys enjoyed ‘Literature’ more than they would have thought and the presentation was a success.

The strange thing was that even after their forced partnership ended, the two continued hanging out. Occasionally, by the school gate, Taehyung would ask Jimin if he wanted to come over and each time he would happily say yes without a second thought.

At Taehyung’s apartment they would eat and then do their homework, play video games and talk.

He wouldn’t say, but after a while Jimin was actually anticipating Taehyung’s question almost daily.

Today was one of those days he would actually ask him. Jimin, as usual, accepted. Even the bus ride became more than bearable.

Sitting on Taehyung’s floor, Jimin is struggling with his Maths homework, frowning and rubbing his head, ruffling his hair in frustration.

“I give up! I swear!” he loses it and crashes on his back.

“You can’t do the same thing over and over again trying to get a different result.” Taehyung says wisely from where he’s perched on his bed, drinking Cola. He screws the cap on and passes the bottle to Jimin.

Jimin takes a sip. He suspects Taehyung might have been staring at him while was struggling. “Are you going all Einstein on me now?” he raises an eyebrow.

“Obviously.” Taehyung grins.

“Did you solve this?”

“Obviously.” he grins again, raising his shoulders. “Otherwise I wouldn’t have had the time to watch you struggling.”

“Piss off.”

Taehyung rises from his nest and comes towards him. Jimin expects a smack in the head but it fails to come. Now Taehyung is seated beside him on the floor. He looks at Jimin with a curious frown.

“I’ve been meaning to ask; why are you trying so hard?”

Jimin didn’t expect this question.

“Well...” he thinks a little. “It doesn’t come naturally to all of us. So some have to work harder.”

“So you’re saying I’m naturally smart.” Taehyung wiggles his eyebrows.

“This is all you get from my statement…” Jimin sighs.

Still, Taehyung doesn’t buy it. “Seems fake, but ok.” he doesn’t press it any further.

“I mean…studying is all I can do now.”

“To prove yourself? To compensate for something?” Jimin flinches at that word. Taehyung notices and untangles his legs to get up.  “Cheer up, Chim. I’ll get ice-cream. And–” he puts his index on Jimin’s textbook, “You copied it wrong.” He flashes Jimin a boxy smile and leaves.

“Asshole!” Jimin throws his textbook after him, only gaining a gremlin-like laugh from the other side of the door.

Taehyung comes back shortly with a bubble-gum-flavoured ice-cream box and finds Jimin browsing through his jazz albums. He sits down and starts eating directly from the container.

“Those,” Taehyung points with his spoon to the vinyls, “were my grandma’s.” He takes another mouthful. “Not my type, but they look nice and she gave them to me.”

Jimin snorts and turns around. “What an asshole you are, shallow.” In two steps, Jimin crashes beside him and steals his ice-cream-filled spoon in mid-air.

“Hey!” Taehyung frowns, but the spoon has already halfway disappeared in Jimin’s mouth. “I did bring you a spoon too, you thief.”

“Use it.” he says taking another large scoop. “This one’s bigger.”

“Yeah…that’s why I brought it for myself.” Taehyung pouts.

They focus on eating for a while. At some point, Taehyung notices that Jimin is spacing out with the spoon resting between his lips, gaze towards that photograph on the wall once again.

“That’s my grandma,” Taehyung manages with his mouth full, casually pointing to the old woman from the picture. “That’s my girl Soonshim,” he points to the ball of fluff, “and those are my cousin and my little brother and sister.” he finishes.

Struggling not to become emotional, Jimin asks, “Where are they?”

“Back at my grandma in Daegu countryside. That’s where I was raised too.” Taehyung fixes the photograph with nostalgia in his eyes.

“When did you come here?”

“When I started high school my mom suggested moving here with her.”

“I see.” Jimin tries to make the untold part of the story in his mind. He doesn’t have to think much before Taehyung speaks again, surprising him.

“She’s cool–for a mom. I wonder if she would have been the same if she had raised me, you know? I mean, sometimes I think, maybe she tries harder to be cool, not ask anything from me, supporting anything I do and all that. She is like the perfect mom. Except for cooking” he laughs but some kind of sadness shadows his eyes still fixed on the picture. ”But it keeps making me wonder, maybe she’s trying to compensate for her absence with this.”

Compensate. Jimin hates that word.

Taehyung notices Jimin’s eyes are slightly shinier, watery. “Don’t cry now!” he laughs.

“I’m not! My teeth are hurting! It’s too cold.” Jimin attempts to save himself.

“Yeah, sure.” Taehyung smirks.

“Please continue.”

“What makes you think I have more to say?”

“I guessed. I mean, if you want to.” He tries to get the untold part to actually be told.

“Did I make you curious about my tear-jerking destiny?” Taehyung raises his brows jokingly.

Jimin thinks that’s all he’s going to get from Taehyung but he’s still a mystery to him, behaviourally, so he’s caught off guard when Taehyung starts to talk again, so easily.

“Ok. I guess by now you are wondering where the hell my dad is in all this story; and house.” He gestures around with his hands. “He is, in the beginning, then he decided not to be anymore. He and mom finally divorced when I was ten after trying to mend their marriage–see my siblings. Turns out things only got worse. But, really, he wasn’t there for the most part so for me it wasn’t that big of a change. Even if we lived together, my grandma was mostly my parents. I love my mom and I truly appreciate what she’s done and doing for our sake–leaving home, working to support us by herself–but my grandma means the world to me.” He tells his story staring at the picture, talking to no one in particular.

Taehyung turns to face Jimin who is fully sobbing right now. “Are your teeth hurting that bad?” he asks ironically.

“My heart…” he hiccups. 

Taehyung opens his arms. “Oh, come here, you little mochi. It’s not that sad. I’m not sad. Why are you crying?”

“I’m not!” Jimin’s voice cracks as he launches himself in Taehyung’s arms. He buries his face in Taehyung’s shoulder and starts to cry violently, screaming, “I’m not crying!” while the other is shaking his head and patting Jimin’s back.

Being the perceptive prick he is, Taehyung suspects there is something more than just his apparent sob story that’s making Jimin cry right now. Or maybe he’s just one hell of a storyteller. One thing is sure: the visits make little snitch mochi slowly reveal himself to Taehyung, becoming dearer and dearer to him.

Chapter Text

One day, something unprecedented happens. At the school gate, Jimin is the first to open his mouth to make a proposition.

“Do you mind if we go for a meal? My treat.”

“If I mind? Free food? How are you even my friend if you don’t know such a simple fact about me?”

“I know you are impossible. And I am still your friend.” he looks at Taehyung’s boxy smile. “Your only friend.” and the smile is gone. “Come, Tae.”

“Tae…?” he repeats in a daze, dumb smile back on his face.

Taehyung expected a McDonalds or something like that but Jimin takes him to a nice and cosy family restaurant.

“This looks nice.” Tae points out as they are seated.

“I know.” Jimin smiles shyly.

When the waiter comes to take their order Jimin looks fidgety.

“Hello, Jimin. School’s out?” he asks casually.

Becoming visibly shyer, he just answers with a plain “Yeah.”

After the waiter leaves, Taehyung leans on the table and, with a playful look, asks Jimin, “Do you come here often?”

Jimin rolls his eyes. “Yeah. It’s practically home to me.”

“Awww, Jimin’s taking me on a date to his favourite restaurant.” Tae wiggles his eyebrows.

“Keep your voice down.” Jimin hurries to shush him. “You’re such a nuisance.” He seems visibly uncomfortable.

Just as Taehyung opens his mouth to tease him again–

“Hi, mom.” Jimin smiles to somebody behind Taehyung who turns around eager to see the woman Jimin calls his mother. She waves back and rushes through the staff door, talking on her phone. So that’s the reason he’s not feeling himself, Taehyung is quick to notice.

“What’s your mom doing here?”

“She’s working. Obviously.”

“She looks like a business woman.”

“She is a business woman. So is my dad…Well not a business woman but a business…dad.” he rambles.

“Business dad…” Taehyung processes the information he’s given. “So that’s why you are rich. Your parents own a pretty nice restaurant close to the centre of the city.”

“It’s just a backyard, Tae! We’re not that rich.”

“And where’s that?”

Jimin points at the back of the restaurant. “Right there.”

“I only see the kitchen.”

“Look deeper.” Jimin sasses him. “Idiot. It’s behind the restaurant.”

“So, lemme guess. You live in a villa, with a backyard and own a restaurant; all in the middle of the city. That, in my humble opinion, sounds pretty rich. It’s Itaewon for fuck’s sake.” Taehyung says while sipping from his Cola.

Jimin slams his head on the table and covers his face.

“You’re impossible. I’m telling you I’m not rich. My parents are.”

Taehyung acts mind blown.

“Such a good son you are, Chim.”

“Isn’t he?” The elegant woman from before–Jimin’s mom–is smiling, holding a tray with steaming meals in her hands. “Here’s your jajangmyeon, Tae.” she winks. “And your favourite, Jiminie.” she pinches Jimin’s cheek affectionately.

“Mom, stop.” Jimin straightens in his seat, trying to look more like an adult.

“Thank you, mam’!” Taehyung grins.

“I’ll let you two eat now. Discuss your high school boys’ business.” she ruffles the hair of them both. “See you, Taehyung!”

“Hopefully. Yes!”

“I’m sorry. It’s a bit scary how she’s all smiles–”

“Omg, Chim. She’s so pretty. You look so much alike! And you told her about meee.” He finishes playfully.

“You…think I’m pretty?” Jimin smiles prettily. Obviously joking.

“Let me try to understand your logic: all cows have four legs; the table also has four legs; so the table is actually a cow.”

Jimin completely deflates. He is pouting, batting his eyelashes at Taehyung, hopefully to change his mind.

“Well I didn’t call you ugly.” Tae shrugs in his defence.

“Jerk…” he says with a small smile.

“Ok. You’re the most beautiful and round mochi in this restaurant.”

“We don’t even serve mochis and…are you calling me fat?”

“I haven’t seen you naked yet.” he makes an up and down motion with his eyes across Jimin’s body.

“Stop staring! I feel naked. And judged because I know better.” Jimin frowns. “And what do you mean yet…?” He keeps the conversation going so that weasel won’t notice the change in his mood with this subject brought up.

“In every strong friendship there comes a time of nakedness.” Taehyung seems clueless of his change.

Jimin slurps from his drink, giving him a judging look. “You enjoy teasing people way too much.”

“Nope.” Taehyung flashes him a boxy smile. “It’s just you.” His smile turns into a slight smirk.

Jimin just shakes his head. His face looks slightly flushed.

The rest of the meal goes by with casual conversation; the Chemistry test, some gossip; they both kinda enjoy a good tea spill. And finally, Jimin walked him to the bus stop. 

Mid-spring evening light in Seoul looked warmer than it should have. The orange city lights made it so. It had an almost summer tone to it, but above, the starless city sky was colder, blues and greens. The buildings hid the setting sun well. The many people around wore light jackets. The seem-summer was the city’s trick.

They stopped near the glassy bus station for privacy reasons. Bus stations were kind of crowded in the middle of the city.

“I must go now. You ok by yourself?”

“Yeah, sure. I’ve traveled by bus before?”

With a small wave Jimin turns to leave.

Taehyung suddenly seems to remember something. He runs to Jimin and puts his hand on his shoulder, still considering his next words. “You’re hot.” he puts it straightforwardly.

Jimin looks at him faking confusion, but the little panic reflected in his eyes was clear. “Are you trying to woo me, Kim Taehyung?” he raises one eyebrow mockingly. Now that he’s not in his mother’s proximity he’s more laid back with his witty comments. “This boy doesn’t kiss on first dates.” he says playfully, almost a whisper. There are people around.

“Stop mocking me! I was trying to say something heartfelt.”

“You’re hot?” Jimin laughs, “Heartfelt…?” voice still kept low.

“Stop your jackassery.” he waves his hands around to collect his thoughts. “Actually, it’s been bugging me–”

“What? My hotness?” Jimin snickers.

“STOP!” Taehyng’s voice cracks, maybe attracting some more unwanted attention. “If you don’t listen now, I might never tell you.” he threatens.

Jimin doesn’t know what to expect. He’s getting more anxious by the minute. “Go on.”

“It’s been bugging me. I might be wrong. I don’t want to tell you how to live your life–”

There it goes.

“But you’re gonna do it anyway.” Jimin rolls his eyes. He looks kind of disappointed.

“Will you shut up?!” Taehyng’s pretty exasperated by now. “You think you’re fat.” Jimin’s eyes widen in surprise but he remains speechless. He thought he concealed it.

“I noticed that you always try keep yourself in check. From the way you cover your face when you laugh to the way you stand. But mostly, the way you intentionally make your voice sound deeper. Why do all this? It pains me to see you struggle to hide yourself so much.”

“Do you already by now have a Psychology Degree?” Jimin mocks, visibly irritated, and crosses his arms.

“Come sit with me.” Taehyung pulls him towards the nearby park, behind the station. Away from whatever curious eyes.

“I have homework.”

“Don’t give me Jimin the stranger. Please. That lie is intentionally so obvious.”  Taehyung manages to get him to follow.

The park was small and really quiet for a middle-city location. The air was cooler here and the orange city lights seemed a little less powerful. A secluded bench, between the trees. Jimin should feel safer here to tell him whatever bothers him without the fear he might be heard. Taehyung saw that fear, the panic coating his eyes whenever a certain limit in conversation was passed in public. So this should be ok.

“People–” he begins. “I am insecure. That’s why.” Jimin thinks he answered all of his questions.

“Figured. I want to know why.” Taehyung frowns.

“Why the fuck would I tell you? Who do you think you are?” Jimin tries to keep his anger at bay but his eyes are already watering.

“Because I care about you. I’m so glad when you feel comfortable to be nasty, sassy with me. I’m so glad when I see you you, and that’s when you look happier too.” Taehyung lifts his leg and folds it under himself, grabbing his ankle.

Jimin snorts. “How can you say those kind of things so easily?”

“Nothing beats guys talking about their feelings.” He winks.

“Is that so? Ok. Let me get started.” Jimin takes a deep breath making Taehyung realise he thought he was ready for this but he actually wasn’t. “I hate myself.” He put it out so effortlessly. “You know? When I saw you in class, it didn’t even cross my mind we would end up talking to each other. Being friends? Pfff. Not a chance!” Jimin scoffs and continues, not letting Taehyung interrupt. "I can say I envied you. You were so you and unashamed of that whatever the case. I am some person I made up. I am both grateful to you discovering me, and afraid because of that.” He pauses, considering his words. “I–for a while, I thought I was in love with you. I was so confused and angry at myself. Ashamed. It made me hate myself even more then I already did.” Taehyung opens his mouth. “Don’t say anything. Turns out I do love you. I have no idea how you managed to become so important to me. I mean, you’re outrageous.” Jimin laughs. “When you said you cared about me just now and all that–I was so happy, knowing exactly that you didn’t mean it in a…you know, that way.” Jimin exhales and proceeds to look at Taehyung again .

“It all makes sense now. Your biggest fear is falling in love.” Taehyung deadpans.

“I don’t think you understand–”

“Because it would be with a guy.” He says softly, not looking at Jimin but somewhere in the distance.

Jimin freezes. He opens his mouth to deny that but then his body starts trembling.

“I hate myself so much for it. I hate myself for other reasons too, but I hate myself so much for this.” Jimin is now shaking with sobs, biting his lips to keep the tears away. Taehyung faces him and wraps his arms around him, pulling him in a tight hug.

“So you try to compensate.” Taehyung whispers.

Jimin hates that word. Because it catches really well the meaning of almost all he tries to be. That he does it out of guilt.

“Don’t. Don’t let them make you believe that loving someone should make you feel ashamed. That not meeting certain expectations should make you feel less worthy and work to compensate for what they think chips you. You–" Taehyung cups his cheeks. “You are one of the most amazing, hardworking, selfless person I know. Not counting considerate. Enjoying coming to my cramped house? Eating my mom’s cooking? My cheap, gross, bubble-gum flavoured ice-cream? While your parents own a restaurant with delicious food? That’s–and my personal favourite: not wanting to embarrass me while I was shitting–so sweet.”

Jimin lets out a small chuckle at first then he begins laughing with all his heart. “God, you’re so cheesy.”

Taehyung smiles back. “I’ve just missed my fifth bus.”

“Were you paying attention to what I was saying?”

“So fussy. I just gave you the perfect chance to say something cute and you chose to be an arse.” Taehyung covers his face in disappointment, jokingly.

“Thanks.” Jimin smiles.

“What for?” Taehyung’s expression brightens.

“Missing your sixth bus.” his soft smile turns into a grin as he’s nodding to the station. “And for being such a good friend.”

“And I didn’t even finish. It wasn’t supposed to be this deep but I couldn’t be happier to hear all that you said. Aaand…to answer your questions and say what I first intended to get to. I do not think you’re fat and you shouldn’t either. And, yes, you are hot. And your high pitched voice suits you better. You are gorgeous. It sounds so ew, but you are. I’ve always thought that.” Taehyung flashes his boxy smile.

Jimin hides his face, feeling embarrassed at the praise.

“Last but not least, thank you.”

“What for?” he asks from behind his hands.

“It means a tone to me what you just did, what you just trusted me with.” Taehyung sounds the most serious Jimin has ever heard him. “We are not perfect. But liking boys is not a fault you should make up for.”

“Can I ask for a better friend?” Jimin snorts.

“A best friend.” Taehyung’s expression changes from serious to silly in an instant.

“Cheesy fuck. Go home!” Jimin points to the approaching bus.

“Shit.” Taehyung presses a wet smooch really hard on his cheek with a ‘mwah’ and makes a run for the bus, laughing. “See you tomorrow, Chim!”

Jimin is left slightly shaking. It comes from inside him. He can’t really put his finger on this feeling. It can be genuine, overwhelming happiness and a bit of fear for what he knows.

As weeks passed, Taehyung witnessed from his seat at the back of the class how Jimin stuck his nose out of his notebooks more, how he cleared his throat less and less until his unrestrained voice became the usual, how he laughed with the others, throwing his head back in the cutest way possible.

He started to feel a little bit of regret. He knew where to place its source but chose not to act. Ever.

Chapter Text

Today, they stop like usual at the school gate, only this time Jimin is the first one to speak.

“Um, Tae? Do you want to come over? Like, stay over?”

Taehyung's eyes sparkle. “I’ve been keeping my toothbrush in my schoolbag for weeks.”

“Gosh. You incurable dork.” Jimin rolls his eyes.

Taehyung grabs his arm and points in the approximate direction of Jimin’s home. “To the Chim permanent residence!”

“Huh?”

“I assumed you had a summer villa too.”

“Tae, it’s just a backyard!” Jimin screams. Then he adds shyly. “It’s actually an apartment in Busan.”

“Yeah. Duh. Excuse my ignorance.”

“Oh, will you ever give me a break?”

“Once you Jimin, you can’t Jimout.”

They continue in the same manner for the rest of the walk. They stop at the restaurant to fill their bellies. When Jimin tells his parents Taehyung is going to stay the night they seem as happy as if he brought home his wife and she were Korea’s National Little Sister. He was that friendless in his parent’s eyes.

Taehyung is mesmerized by the journey to Jimin’s room. As soon as they get there, Jimin slams the door shut with his back and rests on it. “I hope they will be just as happy when I bring my boyfriend home.” he smiles dreamily. “If I tell them…”

“Aish, Park Chim-Chim!” Taehyung clenches his hand over his heart at the remark but then... “Your room is so–” Taehyung’s eyes start wandering. “It’s a mess.”

“It is not.” Jimin says shoving piles of clothes back in his closet. “Make yourself comfy while I–” he gathers a dozen of dirty mugs from his desk, “put these away.”

While Jimin’s running around, Taehyung takes his time to observe his room. Considerably decluttered, the room is actually welcoming: spacious and simple. What catches Taehyung’s attention is the desk. It’s still covered with all sorts of cute-patterned pencils and papers filled with drawings. He goes to take a closer look. Jimin doesn’t have a style. In some, the lines are round and cute, others are angry scratches. Taehyung slides the papers to the side to see more drawings.

“Sorry. I brought some soda from the restaurant.” Jimin reappears.

“Your room is surprisingly plain.” Taehyung says as he’s continuing his activity.

“It’s called elegant. Simple is elegant.”

“For such a colourful mind, I’d say it’s plain.”

“What were you–NO! Don’t look!” he shoves his body between Taehyung and the desk and pushes him away.

Taehyung looks over Jimin’s shoulder. “Is that me?” he launches forward to seize the paper, trapping Jimin. “Ooh. Is that how you see me? I’m so pretty.”

“Kim Tae. Firstly: do you have any notion of personal space?” Jimin shoves him away. “Secondly: you shouldn’t look through other people’s belongings without permission. And, finally: of course I’d draw you prettily.” Jimin says in one breath.

“Firstly: I know you like being mushed and cuddled. Secondly: you know I always do things I shouldn’t. And finally: aww.” Taehyung sticks his front teeth out making a funny ugly face.

“Let’s just go out. Before you stick your nose in another private–”

“I know your deepest fears and secrets. What kind of priorities do you have?”

“OUT!” Jimin points to the open door. Then he simply drags Taehyung down the stairs and to the back of the house.

“I am finally here! Rich’s boy backyard.” Taehyung cheers.

“It’s just a backyard.” Jimin facepalms.

“I like it. It makes me think of home. Of course yours is nothing like it; much more stylish.”

There’s an unnecessarily long pause in the conversation as Taehyung’s eyes scan the area that doesn’t amount to much more than some trees, a table and chairs.

“You miss it.”

“So much. All. I miss everything that’s there.” He turns to Jimin with an ugly face. “But I’d miss you too.”

“That face doesn’t hide the cheese in that.”

Taehyung sits down, cross-legged on the grass and brushes his fingers through the blades. “Summer’s so close. Do you have any plans?”

Jimins slips down beside him and stops to think a little. “I want to hit the gym. My dancing teacher says I’m a bit chubby for contemporary.”

“What A Bitch!” Taehyung screams revolted. “Wait! Contemporary?”

“I don’t know if I told you, but I signed up for contemporary.”

“No, you didn’t! When did that happen? That’s why you were so anxious about your weight? And at dinner tonight? Not going crazy with eating?”

“A while ago. I wanted to…Yep.” Jimin suddenly becomes serious. “I want to become really good.” He seems to remember something. “There’s another thing I’d like to do.”

“Find a boyfriend?” Taehyung wiggles his eyebrows.

“Fat chance. I want to know who snitched on my snitching on you.”

“Told you. It was a bathroom fairy.”

“Pff.” Jimin rolls his eyes.

“I didn’t see him.”

“And you just believed some guy?!...Whatever. So, Tae, what are you gonna do this summer?”

“Go back to Daegu and–”

“Whaat?!”

“You know? I wanted to stay and get a job. Help my mom. Mostly to buy a fucking phone that supports another game than snake. I’ve already mastered it.” Taehyung gives a smug smile.

Jimin laughs. “Your weapon of a phone. I’m well-acquainted with it.”

“By the way. Sorry.” Taehyung moves on quickly, not giving Jimin another chance to whine. “But she didn’t want to hear about it. Said I’m ‘just a kid’ to get a job. That my grandma is old so my job would be to help her. And that I miss that place, so I should go.”

“She is a good mom.” Jimin almost whispers, voice gentle.

“I used to go look at the stars.” Taehyung says absentmindedly.

Jimin hesitates before speaking. “Let’s look at the stars together.”

Taehyung nods eagerly and they just lie on their backs on the fresh trimmed lawn. It was nothing like Taehyung knew grass was like but is was ok. They sat there for some good five minutes, emerged in thoughts.

“I can’t see shit.” Taehyung breaks the peaceful silence.

They start rolling on the grass laughing.

“You can look at me. I shine brighter.” Jimin makes a cute face.

“Because your face is so oily.” Taehyung snickers.

Jimin refrains from making a retort. “I can’t believe I asked my dad for a telescope on my birthday when you can’t even see the stars in this city. Wasted gift.”

“I’ll take you back with me some time.” Taehyung closes his eyes, as if sealing a promise.

Jimin turns on his side. “So you’re gonna seduce country girls? ask them to join you in the hay?” he makes a pervy face.

“Bitch. Can’t you see that we–no, I was having a moment?!”

“I’m working hard this summer. I really want to become good at dancing.” Jimin’s eyes are fixed on the starless sky. “This is one of the things I was dying to have the guts to do without second thoughts. I just…want to give it all I can.”

“You sound so passionate.” Taehyung smiles. “I’ll take you with me there some time.” He repeats. “I decided I want to show you something.”

“What is that?”

“Something I want to go back to besides my family.” Taehyung grabs Jimin’s hand and squeezes it in some kind of reassurance he is still real. Jimin lets him hold onto his hand for as long as he needs.

The next day was a school day so they washed up quickly and went to Jimin’s room for the sake of appearance.

Taehyung has already taken over the bed, rolling around excitingly over the soft covers. Eventually, he pushes Jimin off and onto the floor.

“This–First you take my clothes and now my bed!”

Taehyung rolls on his stomach and makes a V-sign. “I was joking.” He turns on his side and props his head in his palm. “Sit.” Taehyung purrs, patting the empty spot next to his chest.

Jimin grabs a pillow and strikes him across his head. “You little shit.” Then he gently puts the pillow in its place and lies down. Immediately, Taehyung attaches himself like an octopus to his tinier frame. Jimin sighs with resignation–but in fact he likes it–and soon dozes off.

“I can’t sleep.” Taehyung’s voice pulls him out of his state.

“What’s wrong?” Jimin turns around to face Taehyung who seems a little bothered.

“There’s too much light.”

“Well, sorry I don’t have drapes but this person likes being woken up gently by the morning sun.”

Taehyung pouts, making Jimin work his mind a little.

“Wait a second.” Jimin gets up and leaves the room. He returns shortly, holding some blankets. He climbs on a stool and drapes one over the curtain rod.

Jimin returns to bed and snuggle closer to Taehyung.

“It’s still not dark enough.”

Jimin shoots up and squeezes another blanket over. “How about now?”

“Nope.”

And another. “How about now?” Jimin is now at the end of his patience.

“I can’t sleep if is not pitch dark.”

 Jimin launches himself towards the bed and traps Taehyung under his body. He presses a pillow over his face.

“How about now?!” Jimin asks through gritted teeth.

After struggling like mad, Taehyung manages to pull the pillow under his chin. “I don’t wanna see eternal darkness, you know.”

Jimin leans closer to his face and growls. “Then shut up, shut your eyes and sleep.”

Taehyung nods quickly and, when Jimin is once again tucked beside him, he gets into his comfortable octopus-position. Suddenly, a mischievous glint plays in his eyes. He attacks Jimin’s side, pinching and tickling. The victim struggles.

“I’m–ah!–go–pass out–Stop!” he tries to convince Taehyung who is not feeling merciful. Out of breath, Jimin presses his body against Taehyung’s, trying to make him stop or to push him out of his bed, but neither is working. He starts squirming against Taehyung’s body, desperate. Right then, Jimin can catch his breath again. His face was almost purplish. He avoided death.

“Stop rubbing your plush, super attractive butt against me!!” Taehyung practically screams in one breath, making Jimin rocket away.

“How can you be so shameless to say that?”  

“How can you be so shameless to do that to me?! I’m only human!!”

Jimin exhales, looks him in the eye, and then proceeds to slowly roll out of the bed, hitting the floor with a thud. He suddenly shoots up on his feet.

“There is only one way out of this embarrassment.” he deadpans. “Either I kill you or kill myself.”

Taehyung starts laughing. “And you say I’m a drama queen.”

“I was just trying to NOT DIE! You’re the weird one for thinking that.”

“What? I told you I’m only human.”

“Shameless. Just…let’s just sleep. It’s late.” Jimin manages and crawls back into bed. “And stop playing games with me Kim Tae.” His voice turns into a whisper. “I may like guys but don’t tease me like that.”

“I’m not playing anything except Snake right now, actually. And I know you better then to think you try to seduce me, silly.” Taehyung pokes his head. “Get over here.” He becomes an octopus once again.

Jimin relaxes in his arms and they finally settle. Soon, the slow rising and falling of their chests is the only visible movement in the room. It’s a bit hot, but they sleep tightly together, too tired.

Chapter Text

“Get off.” Jimin shakes Tae awake. He woke up feeling a bit grumpy as his room looks like a tomb.

“Five more minutes…” Tae mumbles, burying his head in his shoulder.

“Off.” Jimin’s tone leaves no room for argument.

They got ready quickly and left, walking mechanically as they were still drowsy with sleep. Crawling inside their desks, they pretended to be present; at least, in the first class.

School gets pretty slow as it's nearing the time to go home, but lunchtime is always a nightmare.

Jimin crashes on the stool next to Taehyung, looking miserable.

“What’s wrong?” Taehyung attempts, munching on his sandwich.

“There were no creampuffs left!” Jimin bangs his fists on the table. “I want!”

Taehyung smirks. “How bad?”

“So bad?” Jimin hesitates. A little bit afraid of what might go into his friend’s mind.

Taehyung’s eyes light up with mischief.

“I have an idea.”

“I was afraid you would say that...”

“Higher, Tae. And stop wobbling!”

Taehyung is huffing and puffing. “I can’t. You’re so fucking heavy.”

“You-”

“You two!” another voice, with a ring of authority, distracts them from their attempt at jumping over the fence.

They've been caught.

Taehyung simply scrapes Jimin off his shoulders. “Fuck!Fuck!Shit!” he curses as he’s gathering an angry Jimin off the ground. “Run!”

“You better.” Jimin cracks his fist.

As they’re running away screaming, the witness is still watching from the window.

“I can’t believe they think they’ll get away.” the guy shakes his head. “Who were they, Joonie?”

Namjoon raises his eyes from the book he’s reading. “Kim Taehyung and Park Jimin, first years, class 3.” He smiles from ear to ear, revealing his cute dimples.

“What would I do without you?” Jin grins.

Just when Taehyung and Jimin were playing around with their classmates, the incident almost forgotten, a really handsome guy appears in the doorframe, catching everybody’s attention, especially the girls’. He seems to be looking for somebody.

“You, sweet cheeks, care to come here for a second?” he smiles friendly at Jimin. “And take your friend too.” He exits, not another word needed.

They look at each other, a little panicked.

“Who’s that?” Taehyung voices out his confusion.

“He’s the student council president. Kim Seokjin.” many voices reply.

Jimin gulps, grabs said friend, who’s frantically shaking his head, and rushes after the guy.

They follow him and find themselves in the student council room where another guy is reading Camus’s ‘The myth of Sisyphus’. The guy lifts his eyes and gives them a small wave.

Jin closes the door and launches towards them and, with no preliminary speech, smacks each one on the head.

“What do you have in here? Mush? I’m tired of all your irresponsibility, selfishness and stupidity. School is not your playground. Do you realise that if something had happened to you, someone would have had to take responsibility? And by that I mean, the school, including MYSELF as student representative?! Do you think it’s fair for the principal to chew ME out for your blunders? Why do you all insist to be more of a pain in the ass this week? What’s gotten into all of you?! Do you want to see me dead? Or worse, BALD?!” he says in what seems as one breath, without breaking a sweat.

Jimin feels smaller than ever while Taehyung listens with a blank face.

“I was hungry and there was nothing good left...” Jimin begins.

“It was my idea.” Taehyung voices strongly.

The other guy, who’s been watching them with an amused face, intervenes. “Could you let them off the hook this time? I think you’re letting it all out on them.”

Jin sighs. Namjoon was, indeed, his voice of reason. “Wait a second.” He goes and rummages in his bag. “Here.” He places a lunchbox in Jimin’s hands. “You can share it.”

“Thank you, hyung.” Jimin smiles brightly.

“Go eat. Be nice.” Jin pats them on the head and shoves them out the door.

“You’re just like a mom. You scolded them and then you fed them.” Namjoon flashes Jin another dimple-smile.

“Shut up.” Jin laughs.

They devour the lunchbox like famished beasts. It had, one could say, the taste of mom’s cooking.

The next day, they returned the box but Jin just gave them another one.

The two ended up going to the student council room every day and every day Jin would feed the three of them homemade cooking.

The last week of school passed pleasantly.

Seoul station

“Did you get your–” she starts gesturing with her hands helplessly, “everything?”

“Yeah, mom.” Taehyung says as he’s manoeuvring his body through the crowd.

“Did you take at least three pairs of socks?”

“For the whole summer?! Mom, I took all of my clothes.”

“And underwear?”

“Ah, stop it! You’ve already made me a list with things I should take.”

They finally stop on the platform.

“I know you’re an airhead. Don’t cry in my phone later.”

Taehyung rolls his eyes and turns to the chuckling boy on the side. Jimin smiles warmly at him.

“Don’t miss me too bad, Tae.”

“I will miss you so fucking much!”

“Language, Kim Taehyung.”

He simply ignores that and goes on. “Remember. No gifs. No IPhone emojis. I won’t be able to see them.” aimless points at his phone. “You’ll have to use your limited vocabulary.”

“Yeah-yeah. Ugh.”

The announcement plays again but now there are only 2 minutes left.

“Gotta go.” Taehyung traps both of them in a tight hug. “I love you.”

When he first came to Seoul, Taehyung wouldn’t have thought that he’d cry going back "home". As he’s waving to the two smiley faces, Taehyung is having a hard time swallowing the lumps in his throat.

When the train left, Taehyung’s mom turns to see an already crying Jimin.

Chapter Text

The train has arrived at Seoul Station. Make sure to gather your belongings. Thank you for travelling

The boy quickly gathers his things and rushes to the door. He’s the first to get off. He starts looking excitedly for a certain chubby-cheeked mochi.

“Tae!” a voice breaks through the noise of the bustling station.

“Chim!” Taehyung practically jumps on him and they hug. “It’s been ages since we last talked.”

“You called me half an hour ago to tell me you were ‘soo hungry’.”

Taehyung steps back to look at Jimin. He gasps.

“Well. I’ll be damned. ~Chiiiim! You’re hard.”

Jimin facepalms. “Ass.”

“I was on my way to check that.”

“You!–Let’s get out of here.”

“~Rawr!”

Jimin just drags him away, laughing. “Of all the words you could have used you chose ‘hard’ and I’m the one with a limited vocabulary?”

“Jibooty be poppin’. Also, sooo petty. ”

Jimin stops. “Walk in front of me from now on.”

They buy something on the go and rush to Taehyung’s place to chat to theirs heart’s content.

They’re sitting on the floor in Taehyung’s room, eating.

“Wat gof you sho mochivated?” Taehyung asks with his mouth full.

“While I was eating a hamburger I had a revelation: if I don’t have a healthy mind, I can at least have a healthy body.”

“Are you trying to compensate for your cute mochi face?” Taehyung pokes his cheek.

“Actually, I balanced my body with my cute face and high pitched voice–”

“Which are totally lovely.” he comments, chewing.

“Thanks,–So when some idiot mocks my manliness; surprise bitch! Talk shit, get wrecked.”

“So. Why did you work on your booty?” Taehyung wiggles his brows.

“Maybe I was born with it…maybe it’s Maybelline.”

“I know you were. So why?” he presses further.

“So I can make you even more uncomfortable.” Jimin winks.

“Perv. I wanna bite it.”

“Eat it.” Jimin quips.

“When did you become such a fuckboy?” Taehyung quirks a brow, amused.

“Then, you don’t wanna see my Instagram.”

They’re both laughing.

“I’d rather put up with this Jimin than the one from a year ago.” He leans to punch Jimin in the arm playfully. “So. Did you find a boyfriend and magically forgot to tell me?”

“Remember the cute guy I was gushing about on the phone? The one at the gym?”

“Aha. Bambi.”

Jimin laughs. “Bambi. More like Bambi after an intensive weight training and with a thirst for revenge.”

“What about him? Did you manage to sit on his back while he was doing push-ups?”

“He’s scary. I have to keep looking.”

“Good luck with that.” Taehyung raises his can of coke in the air. “To Jimin’s chance of finding a boyfriend.”

Just then the front door closes with a crash.

“MOM!” Taehyung jumps up and makes a run for the door. In a second, he’s hanging from his mother’s neck as if he were 5. “I missed you!” He’s grinning like an idiot.

“Missed you too.” She hugs him back. “Gosh. What did grandma feed you? You’re taller.” Taehyung smiles wider. “And so heavy. Get off.”

She and Jimin exchange a quick look and nod. After getting rid of the extra load, she puts the shopping bags away and changes from work clothes. She can hear the boys bickering from the hallway.

“Taehyungie!” She enters Taehyung’s room and sits beside Jimin. “Jiminie and I have gotten you something.”

“Actually, I just helped to pick it.” Jimin scratches the back of his head as he gives Taehyung a nicely wrapped box. Taehyung tears the paper in a flash. The image of a brand new, stylish phone is staring back at him.

“You didn’t!” Taehyung puffs his cheeks but the grin he’s holding breaks free. He presses a kiss to his mother’s temple. “Thank you, mom.” Then he jumps on Jimin, who’s been watching and smiling at his reaction. “I love it, Chim!” He rubs his face harshly against Jimin’s.

“You better.” Jimin flicks his forehead and laughs. “Don’t be overwhelmed by how many games there are out there.”

Taehyung nods gravely. “I’m gonna play all of them.”

Jimin pinches the bridge of his nose. “That’s not what I meant.”

He gives Taehyung some space to play with his new toy.

“Let’s test the camera!” Taehyung tangles his limbs like an octopus around Jimin and takes a selfie from an unflattering angle. Then shoves the phone proudly in Jimin’s face.

“This is by far the crappiest selfie I’ve seen.” Jimin attempts to seize the phone and delete the photo.

Taehyung jerks his hand away. “NO!” his voice cracks. “You’re gonna delete it!”

“Of course. It’s monstrous.”

“And you call me a drama queen.”

“Let’s take another so I can sleep at night.”

“Okay.” He gets ready, using the same angle as before.

“NO!” Jimin’s voice cracks. “You’re supposed to do it from above! From above!” Jimin helps Taehyung position the phone right. “Stop making an ugly face!”

“Can’t help it.” Taehyung grins dumbly.

“At least try. Even if you’re ugly.” Jimin's teasing doesn't touch Taehyung. “Like this.” He puts on a charming selfie-face.

“This looks so fake.” He does it anyway, mocking Jimin.

Of course, Jimin ended up taking a dozen photos for Taehyung to have where to choose from. But he had other plans…

Chapter Text

In the blink of an eye, the first day of school arrived. And all its implications…

Students crawl like ants towards the school auditorium where the principal&co will welcome the opening of the new year by holding long-ass, boring speeches. In reality, everything is done for the innocent first-years’ eyes and ears. The result is the same every year: they forget ‘the code of the school’ not in a year, but by the first week.

The said first-years can be spotted from the moon, from space, from miles away: they have no style. Their uniforms hang from their bodies and their hairstyles will surely make them cry in their senior year, or even the very next one. Awkward smiles, awkward handshakes, friendships that will not outlast the first week of school–

His attention switches to the little ogre that just bumped into him, killing his chain of thought.

“Watch it.” he says harsher than even he intended, but what is done is done.

Jimin is swerving through the crowd in the auditorium, searching for his class. He’s anticipating his classmates’ reaction at his transformation, both inner and outer. Not that he cares, but he does–

Finally, he spots the overexcited waving hand attached to a certain overexcited boy who is engulfed once again by the crowd. Jimin follows the arm as if it were a beacon, looking above the sea of people. Suddenly, he bumps into an obstacle. A bony obstacle with sharp elbows.

The guy looks at him like he’s just touched the chewing-gum stuck under the desk. “Watch it.” he spits.

Jimin is rubbing his abdomen. “You should put bumpers on your elbows. It fucking hurts.” The guy is staring at him, baffled. “Huh?” Jimin stares back.

Recovering, the guy looks ready to skin him alive again. When he opens his mouth, a hand gently pats him on the shoulder, making him bite back his words. Literally. He’s angrily chewing on his lip.

“Jiminie~” the other guy smiles angelically.

“Hi, Hobi-hyung.” Jimin mirrors the smile. He notices the literally sharp guy watching them with a curious frown, utterly confused. “Sorry, but I have to go.” He nods towards the obnoxious arm, still waving.

“Oh. See ya.” Hobi smiles again, revealing his ‘cute dimples’. To the bony guy, Jimin doesn’t spare another glance.

“Stop criticizing the world around you! I can literally hear your inner monologue.” He can hear Hobi saying–probably to the insufferable dude–as he walks away.

Finally, he collapses in the seat Taehyung saved for him.

“What happened there?” Taehyung frowns.

“Some guy hit me with his bony elbow.”

“Did you say that some guy hit you with his BONER?!” Taehyung's scream echoes in the now silent auditorium.

“Kim Taehyung. Do I need to personally ask you to shut up?” the principal asks in the microphone, drawing everybody’s attention in his direction.

“No, sir.” Taehyung lowers his head, bites his lips, closes his eyes and sinks into his seat, hoping it would swallow him. Adios to new friends. He’s The Boner Guy now. After two seconds of reflecting on his mistakes, he leans over to Jimin. “Did you say that some guy hit you with his boner?” he whispers.

“I said bony elbow.” Jimin squeezes his fists. “That grumpy, vicious–”

“Is it that guy watching us? From the left side?” Taehyung’s eyes point to a certain place, somewhere in front of them.

Jimin’s eyes instinctively find the guy. As soon as they lock gazes–I will kill you.–the guy mouths slowly, forming each word clearly, and turns around.

“What the fuck was that!?”

“He said he’ll kill you.”

“Thank you mister translator.” Jimin rolls his eyes. “Who does he think he is? If he wants a fight–”

“I know the guy. He was in detention with me. I think his name is…um, Yoonkimin…?”

Jimin frowns. “What kind of name would that be? It doesn’t make sense.”

“I don’t know.”  Taehyung shrugs. “A foreigner?”

By the end of the speeches, everybody was sunken in their chairs. What a method to make the kids really want to go to their classes just to put an end to this boredom.

Once arrived in their classroom, as usual, Taehyung takes his place in the last seat in the corner, by the wall, when the unusual happens. He lifts his eyes to find out who the fellow student sitting in front of him is only to see Jimin, smiling, eyes turned into crescents. Then, Jimin puts his bag on the desk.

“For real?” Taehyung’s mouth is agape, eyes wide.

“Yep.” Jimin is still smiling. “Figured you wouldn’t want to sit in the front, so here I am.”

“Chim-Chim!” Taehyung launches over his desk to hug him while making a kissy face.

“You two are becoming gayer and gayer.” Some guy remarks mockingly.

“You are becoming more and more saddening to watch.” Jimin spits.

“There is no real best-friendship if someone isn’t questioning your sexuality.” Taehyung points finger guns at Jimin.

“What is this? Some anime shit? You became best friends after you snitched on him and he almost cracked your head open.” The guy snickers, eyes switching form one boy to the other.

“Yeah. Kinda like that. What’s your point anyway?” Taehyung asks, a little bored.

“He’s trying to be funny.” Jimin dismisses him with a wave of his hand as he’s checking his phone.

Taehyung smiles proudly at him. “Tell ‘em, Chim.”

“Jin-hyung just messaged me. Wanna go somewhere after we get out of here?”

“Who?”

“Jin-hyung, you asshole. The prez.”

“Why does he message you?”

“Not all of us were in the middle of nowhere last summer.”

“I go away for a summer and u already a hoe…” Taehyung shakes his head.

Jimin simply ignores his antics. “Are you coming or not?”

Taehyung squints in suspicion. “I’m coming just to see who this Jin-hyung is.”

“He fed you, you punk. You already know him.” Jimin slaps his shoulder.

“Do I really?” he’s staring blankly somewhere behind Jimin, maybe into another dimension.

“You’re–ugh.”

Their exchange is interrupted by the entrance of their homeroom teacher, Mr Jung. He deals with the administrative part quickly, goes over the well-known rules again and manages to catch their attention with an announcement.

“You have to exert your democratic rights again.” He’s met with confused looks. “The class representative.” he sighs. “Anybody’s free to try.” He makes an inviting gesture.

Silence.

“I mean, right now. Or, by unanimous agreement, your former class representative will be chosen again.”

“Excuse me, sir, but I don’t want to.”

“Then I’ll name someone.”

“Where’s the democracy, then?” Taehyung asks cheekily.

“Do you want to do it, Kim?”

“Nope.”

“Then where’s the democracy? Who is to be represented when no one wants to represent?”

“I want to.” Jimin raises his hand shyly.

Taehyung’s head snaps in his direction. “What?”

“Me too.” a girl says just as shyly.

“Good. Now you can vote.”

“Like, right now?”

“Ok.” The teacher sighs. “Does any of you want to say a few words?”

“Right now?”

“Shut up, Kim. Do you want to candidate too and don’t have time to prepare your speech?”

“No, sir.” Taehyung rests his chin on the desk.

Jimin raises his hand and says. “I’ll do my best.”

“Marvellous. So, right now. Write your vote on a piece of paper.”

“Why should I vote for you?” Taehyung whispers almost into Jimin’s nape.

“Cause if you don’t, I’ll find you and I’ll kill you.” Jimin barely turns around to whisper back.

“Fair enough.” Taehyung shrugs.

By the end of their exchange, the teacher passes by to collect their votes. He shushes the restless class and starts opening them, forming one bundle of papers.

“Congratulations, Park. I’ll see you later to hand you the list with your new responsibilities.”

The teacher is once again met with confusion and some snickers. 

“Um…Sir?” a girl attempts. “Which one?” she asks in a small voice.

The whole class breaks into laughter.

“Jimin.” The teacher finally adds.

“Sir...”

“WHAT?”

“Which one...?”

Right at that moment, he knew he fucked up.

“I can’t believe this! You rats did this on purpose! Pranking me the first chance you get.” Mr Jung sighs. “Let’s do this again. Park Jimin for miss Park Jimin and Chim for mister Park Jimin, alright?”

“Such betrayal.” Jimin mumbles.

Finally, two neat heaps are formed on Mr Jung’s desk and he announces the results.

“Jimin wins.”

“Which–”

“Chim, Chim-Chim. The boy.” Mr Jung waves his hand, exasperated.

Jimin can’t hide a smile, feeling a little more confident. Did his classmates notice the change?

“Nerd.” can be heard from behind him, mixed with coughing sounds.

That day, Taehyung learnt that good-looks, especially muscles, are a politician’s asset.

Chapter Text

“You’re in a McDonald’s. Stop drinking so fancily.” Namjoon rests his head in his palm and takes a lazy slurp from his milkshake.

Jin is unimpressed. “I’m training.”

“For what?”

“For when I’m rich enough not to spare a glance at this place.” Jin slams his Cola on the table. “This is not even Cola!”

Namjoon gently pushes his drink towards Jin. He puts the straw between his plump lips and takes a quick slurp. Jin slides it back with no comment.

“So you plan on being offensively–rich.” Namjoon resumes. He takes a look around at the offensively-loud kids and sighs. “Why did you drag me here? I had better things to do.”

“What could be better than hanging out with me?” Jin asks, offended. “Reading? Pff. You nerd.”

“I’ll see you almost daily. Nerd? Says the guy with the biggest Mario collection.”

Jin glares at him, making Namjoon chuckle. He sends a small flying-kiss in Jin’s direction.

Jin looks away in mock-coyness. “That’s not how you do it.” he then proceeds to make his signature flying-kiss gesture. “When did this become my signature?”

“Last year when you won the elections for the second time and you became so popular it got to your head.” Namjoon deadpans.

Jin puts his elbow on the table and props his head in his palm, leaning towards him. “You’ve been studying me so diligently.” He manages to gently rub the outside of his ankle against Namjoon’s calf.

“You’re in public.” Namjoon mutters in his drink.

“And where are you?” Jin lowers his voice.

“Away.”

“Is it because you don’t wanna be here or because I send you away?” Jin slurps from his not-Cola with a smug face.

Namjoon lets out an embarrassed laugh. “Contain yourself.”

“I wish I didn’t have to.” he looks serious for a moment. “These brats make so much noise anyway, we could practically scream.”

“Speaking of brats.” Namjoon glances behind Jin who turns around and waves.

“Jin-hyung! Namjoon-hyung!” Jimin dashes and sits beside Jin, while Taehyung approaches with an unreadable expression.

Namjoon pats the seat next to him and Taehyung sits down warily.

“Long time no see, Taehyung.” Jin smiles kindly at him. “Jiminie missed you a lot.”

“Aww.” Taehyung drops the act and makes a happy ugly-face.

Jimin no-subtly-at-all kicks him under the table and focuses on Jin again. “Hyung, are you gonna candidate again this year?”

“Hell no.” Jin says faster than a bullet-train. “I had my share of payless toil. No thank you.”

Jimin deflates a bit. “I thought I could help you.”

“Help me?” Jin twists his body towards Jimin, giving all his attention.

Jin’s drink seems terribly unattended and Taehyung’s been eyeing it for a while after he drained his soda. He creeps his hand on the table and gently wraps his fingers around it.

“Yeah, now that I’m the class representative.”

“Really? Congratulations, Jiminie. You’re starting to resemble your hyung.” Jin smiles proudly.

Taehyung slowly lifts the cold glass and brings it to his lips. He takes a quick sip. The corners of his mouth shoot downwards in disgust. He slides the drink back like it’s poisonous and slouches over the table, looking resigned. His eyes land on the beautiful pink milkshake. He licks his lips.

“Don’t you even think about it...” Namjoon whispers without moving his mouth much.

“Sorry, Jminie. You won’t see me near the council room soon.”

Taehyung's feeling blissful when the strawberry flavour fills his mouth. Namjoon sighs and gestures for him to enjoy it till the end.

“I’m curious who’s going to be then.” Jimin pouts. “And scared.”

There’s a pause in the conversation as each contemplates the possibilities. Besides Taehyung. He’s just having a good time playing with the toy he has received.

“Joonie, please buy me the pink goo too.” Jin makes a cute face.

“Seriously…”

Speak of the devil, by the end of the week, the whole school was full of posters with the candidates’ faces. Particularly one permeated even the most private places…

“I can’t shit.”

“This again?” Jimin facepalms from the next stall where he’s taking a leak. “Stop talking to me while on the toilet! It’s–I don’t want to know what you’re doing there.”

“There’s a guy looking at me.”

“What?!”

“There’s a guy looking at me with a wide politician smile, asking me to–”

“What the fuck, Tae?! That’s just creepy. Stop.” Jimin is turning around to exit when he sees it too, tapped on the inside of the door. The guy with his politician smile, asking him to vote.

There’s a handwritten addition to the poster: You ran out of paper? Hoseok’s face is here for you. :)

“Hobi-hyung.” Jimin whispers, covering his mouth.

Somebody else has just entered the bathroom, whistling. Moving on, Jimin goes and washes his hands peacefully when a stall door is kicked open.

“MIN YOONGI!!” Hoseok screams with all his might. He looks ready to kill somebody, but his eyes only find the stunned Jimin. “Oh. Hi, Jiminie.” he smiles friendly, like a totally different person. In merely seconds, his face switches between complementary expressions.

The sound of ripping paper and tape pulls the switch once again.

“Is he using–” Hoseok looks mortified.

In an instant, he kicks the stall where Taehyung's struggling open.

“AAaa! You just scared the shit out of me!”

Jimin is almost on his knees, laughing at the outrageous scene that’s unfolding before him.

Taehyung’s eyes keep going back and forth between the crumpled paper in his hands and the guy standing in the doorframe. “You…I couldn’t shi–”

Hoseok snatches the poster and slams the door. He proceeds to rip all the other custom posters from inside of every stall and storms out, looking rabid.

Jimin’s struggling for air when the bathroom door opens again, this time slowly and carefully. In steps...the bony guy from the first day of school.

Yoonkimin? Wait. Yoonki Min. Yoongi Min.

“Min Yoongi!” Jimin says out loud.

Yoongi shushes him with a frown.

Jimin smirks.

“Don’t you dare.” Yoongi takes a step towards him.

Before he had a chance to lay a finger on him, Jimin looks him dead in the eye and takes a deep breath.

“HOBI-HYUNG!”

Yoongi glares for a millisecond and dashes for the door to find his friend standing there with a murderous face.

“I’ll end you and your pathetic miserable existence.”

Yoongi shrugs. “Please. Go ahead.” Hoseok seizes his collar. “But first,” Yoongi’s eyes find Jimin. Suddenly, he breaks free from Hoseok’s grasp and lunges for him.

Taken aback, Jimin steps back, trips and falls on his ass. Seizing the opportunity, Yoongi steps on his shoulder and, in a quick jump, pulls himself on the open window.

“And this is the day Min Yoongi proved once again that he is, indeed, a genius.” he throws smugly over his shoulder and jumps out.

A loud thud followed by an alternation of ‘argh’, ‘ah’ and hissing sounds can be heard.

“I’ll still see you in class, butt-genius!” Hoseok screams after him, not going as far as continuing the chase. He could easily jump through the window but who does that in the first place?

Jimin’s still on the floor, baffled.

Taehyung steps out of the stall, looking really content. Seeing Jimin, his expression shifts to a frown. “Are you alright, Chim?”

“He stepped on me. He literally stepped on me.” Jimin seems to be staring into the void, but his eyes ignite with anger in a millisecond. “I’LL FEED HIS BONES TO THE DOGS!”

Hoseok helps him to his feet. “I’ll help you.” They both nod, leaving Taehyung a bit confused.

The bell already rang, but on their way back to class, Taehyung can’t help but ask. “Making friends?”

“I already know him.”

“You know him?”

“Everybody knows him. He’s Hobi.” Jimin gives him a puzzled look.

“Well I don’t.” Taehyung shrugs.

“We actually met at the dance studio.”

“Oho.”

“He’s a nice guy. Really talented. I look up to him, but we don’t really get to hang out. He’s taking a different class.”

“Dancer. Popular. He wants to be the prez.” Taehyung is counting on his fingers. “He won’t have my vote.” he states with no room to argue.

“What? Why?”

“He attacked me while I was shitting! If he does that now, who knows what he’s gonna feel entitled to do as prez?”

Jimin chuckles. “It’s not like he’s the country’s president…”

“It’s worse. I get to actually see him do outrageous things in flesh.”

“Aren’t you talking about yourself?”

“Haha. Mark my words, Chim. Oh,” Taehyung leans closer to his chest and gives it a few light pats. “Got some dirt on you.”

Jimin takes a long breath. “That little-vicious-sneaky-bony weasel. He used me as a stool! Shorty!”

“Who?” Taehyung blinks, confused.

“Min Yoongi.”

“Who?” he’s not the slightest bit enlightened.

“Stop blinking!”

“I can’t. It’s like asking me not to breathe.”

“That would be even better…”

“So mean!” Taehyung attempts to run away in an ungraceful, dramatic manner.

Jimin pulls him back by the collar. “Stop fooling around! Gosh!”

“So…” Taehyung says as he’s trying to straighten his collar and tie. “Who’s the bitch that dirtied you?”

“Tae…” Jimin attempts. “I told you. He’s Min Yoongi.” he glances at the still-confused-and-only-getting-worse face and releases a long sigh. “Yoonkimin?”

“Aaa. Why didn’t you say so?”

“Because that’s not his name, ugh.”

Taehyung begins to laugh hysterically for five seconds. His face goes blank again. “Wow. Nice start for a relationship.”

“What relationship? I don’t want to have anything to do with him–except, maybe, making it look like an accident.”

“When you ‘accidentally’,” Taehyung makes a kissing face.

Jimin sighs. Then he abruptly grabs him by collar again and slams their foreheads together. “Listen here, bitch. I don’t kiss assholes.”

“You might want to retract those words someday.” his tone is very insinuating.

“What?! What makes you think so? I don’t want to kiss him. Ever.” Jimin shoves him away repeatedly until Taehyung’s back hits the windowsill.

“Who said anything about–” Taehyung gulps seeing the murderous look. Still, he continues playfully. “him. Cause there are other asshole guys, and you seem to kind of like the asshole type cause you like…ass.” he purses his lips, looking straight ahead.

“You–!”

A loud thud interrupts Jimin’s string of insults.

Taehyung turns around in a flash and launches over the window like a wild beast only to see the back of some guy running away. He’s too fast to try catching him. Taehyung looks at Jimin who is now crouched in a low squat, pulling at two fistfuls of hair from his low-hung head.

“Somebody knows…” Jimin whispers, but then his eyes shoot up, flashing sparks. “How could you be so careless?!”

“There was no one.” Taehyung’s almost apologetic. “Who would have thought that freak–” he just sighs. “He didn’t see us. Unless it’s someone that knows us, he doesn’t know anything. He only heard my voice, spewing shit…”

“Everybody knows you.” Jimin snorts. “And who’s always with you? ME. That simple.”

“The first-years don’t know me.” Taehyung gives an encouraging smile.

“That was not a first-year. First-years don’t jump windows–”

Suddenly, all colour drains from Jimin’s face.

Chapter Text

It all started in the morning. He boarded the bus for school and stood peacefully on the window seat, looking out at the fresh day unfolding. For like 5 minutes. Then the middle schoolers got on too, all cheerful and loud and absolutely obnoxious.

Scowling, Yoongi fished his earphones from his school bag and stuffed them in his ears. He scrolled through the infinite playlist and stopped on an especially acid rap song that, in fact, would have aggravated his mood. He pressed play.

.

.

.

From the left earpiece, the sound came faintly, an unpleasant buzzing, on the point of dying. Nothing he’d never dealt with before. He began fiddling with the cord to find that special position that would get it to work for the time being.

It seems his anger got the best of him and Yoongi’s hands were a bit too rough on the skinny cord. All sound died. Except the one coming from outside, of course.

He had to endure thirty minutes of prepubescent shrieks all on his own.

Dammit.

“Can you stick these around for me, please?”

Yoongi raises his head from his notebook where he’s been scribbling away furiously and crooks an eyebrow in disgust. “Huh…?”

“For the campaign? You said you’d help me.” Hoseok says as he’s shaking the papers more vigorously in Yoongi’s face.

“You assumed I’d help. I didn’t say anything.”

“Exactly. So I filled that silence for you; with a yes.” Hoseok grins. “Get to it.”

Yoongi’s still looking unimpressed.

“Why am I your friend again?” Hoseok purses his lips.

Yoongi snatches the pile of papers and sighs. “You insisted to be crazy friends.”

“Stop saying we’re crazy.”

“Sure.” Yoongi waves the papers over his head as he’s walking away.

*Classroom conversation*

“Did you finish?” Hoseok’s voice reaches Yoongi one second sooner than his arm, loosely as to-give-space-but-not-budging slung around his slumped shoulders.

Yoongi sighs for what seems like the millionth time that day and faces Hoseok with an unreadable expression. “mhm”

One of Hoseok’s brows twitches incredulously, but his features soften and he gives a good-natured smile. “Thank you!” He releases Yoongi and glances at the watch. “Three more minutes...Gonna take a leak. Wanna come?”

“m fine.” he mumbles and walks to his seat. Once Hoseok’s out the door he abruptly turns on his feet and goes in the same direction.

A sudden scream overpowers the general rumble before classes resume.

“MIN YOONGI!!”

That was his cue to start running: past his classmates, past the tardy students on the hallway, past the bathroom door, and stop.

Just when he crouches down, merging his body with the wall, Hoseok rips the door open and storms out of the bathroom, going, most likely, to their classroom.

Yoongi sighs and enters the last place Hoseok would look for him, feeling pretty smug about himself. For like a second because then he sees the little ogre in the middle of the bathroom and the mischievous glint in his eyes.

“Min Yoongi!”

Dammit...

It’s not often that Yoongi feels happy about his small frame but jumping through a tiny bathroom window should definitely be an achievement. Same goes for surviving a two-something metres fall.

Yoongi picks himself up with a groan, shakes the leaves off from his hair and trudges to the entrance.

“Dammit.” he sighs.

The gatekeeper decided today of all days to stand at the building’s main access way. Yoongi would shamelessly walk past him, but another scrawl with his name beside it in the late book and he’ll get detention again. So he sneaks across the wall, looking for an open window.

Luckily, he finds one close to his classroom. Yoongi jumps and grabs on the window frame, hanging there a bit to catch his breath. Before he could exhale completely, a person’s shoved just in the space between his clasped fists.

“Who said anything about–him?”

That break seemed like an eternity. His fingers and forearms have started to get weak but the tone in that conversation is, at least, a bit compromising so he wants to hear more. Wasn’t that Taehyung? The toilet breaker?

“Cause there are other asshole guys, and you seem to kind of like the asshole type cause you like…ass.”

“You–” another voice, this time high-pitched, intervenes, but Yoongi’s arms give up on him in exactly that instant, and he hits the ground with a thump. His self-preservation instinct kicks in and he bolts away, seeking cover.

He stops after a safe distance, panting, and rests by grabbing onto his knees for support.

Park Jimin is gay…? Park Jimin is gay, sure thing. That was Taehyung and who’s always with him? Jimin. They were talking about some asshole guy and how Jimin likes ass. That was surely his annoying voice. It’s a simple logic exercise.

Taking another deep breath, Yoongi finally raises his head and comes face to face with the gatekeeper.

“You’re late.”

He exhales with a sigh.

Dammit.

Chapter Text

Out of everything that had happened that day, what bothered Yoongi the most was how suspiciously not-mad Hoseok had been in class. But what kept him awake that night was the thought that Park Jimin might be into guys. Turns out, he shouldn’t have taken his friend so lightly, because by the end of the following week, the position of vice-president was granted to a guy who, coincidently, had the very same name.

“No.”

“Excuse me?” the elected student council president gives Yoongi a confused look.

“I don’t want to. I haven’t agreed to this. I’ve already spent more time than I should have had at school.”

“Your point is?”

“I’m not going to help you.”

“But you’ve already helped me so much in my campaign, you see? I won. I want to reward you.” his tone is so cheerful, it’s sickening.

“I thought you weren’t mad.”

“Bitch, you thought.”

“Isn’t this too much?”

“You brought this upon yourself when you thought my face was fit to wipe asses with.”

“You’re so fucking petty.”

“You know me.” Hoseok gives him a grin. “Now, we have a meeting to attend.”

The first meeting was nerve-wrecking. The teacher’s council received their combo with much scepticism. Mercilessly, the teachers harassed them with questions about their plans, their projects, their vision for the school’s future...Hoseok already had it all planned. He countered every question with enthusiasm. By the end, he managed to bullshit them into thinking that he and Yoongi–who maintained a blank face throughout the whole meeting–were capable of doing all that shit and a thousand more. Or at least, the teachers seemed curious (or concerned) about this curious pair’s plan of action. The principal was especially supportive, wishing Yoongi to be able to remain awake during future meetings.

Walking home late after classes, Yoongi points his finger at Hoseok accusingly. “I’m telling you, this is going to be horrendous.”

“I know what I got myself into.” Hoseok grins.

“Being sure of something is a fool’s trait.”

“I’m not sure of anything. I’m prepared for everything. That’s all.” Hoseok purses his lips in pride.

“I know you are crazy intuitive, but here is not the case. We are put between students and them.” He shakes his hand between Hoseok and himself, and the school looming behind them. “You can’t anticipate shit.”

“You are such a pessimist.” Hoseok laughs. “I’m prepared for the worst. Counter-student-enslavement plan prepared. I’ll be their champion.” He spreads his arms Jesus-like, expression serene.

Yoongi just lets out a sigh.

“I have a well put together plan, trust me.” Hoseok gives him a thumbs-up.

“Why doesn’t this put me at ease at all…” Yoongi lets out a weak laugh, shaking his head in disapproval. “And why must I be involved, really?”

“You know me. This is my revenge. You think this is useless but it is something I want to do. So here we are, you and I being prez and vice. Obama and Biden.”

“Did Obama emotionally blackmail Biden to become his vice?”

“You would never have done it otherwise. And I know you like positions of power.” He winks.

“That sounded so wrong.” Yoongi facepalms.

“I know. Want to go someplace?” Hoseok suddenly asks.

“Right now?” Yoongi’s eyebrows raise in surprise.

“We leave our bags and then go.”

“I have shit to do. Tonight is my turn.” Yoongi says almost apologetically.

“Then I’ll tag along. You mind?”

“Not at all.” Yoongi shrugs. “But drinks and cigs are on you tonight. I’m broke right now.”

He would have been ashamed to say that to anyone else. Yoongi was a really, really proud person, but Hoseok saw him at his worst and he considered his worst much, much more embarrassing than being broke.

“Sure.” Hoseok chirps.

Yoongi feels a bit of guilt for asking that.

“Nah, I’ll pay for half. Ok? More than half of the pack is mine anyway.” He laughs.

“You fucking chain-smoker.” Hoseok hits his shoulder playfully. “Don’t worry. My father may not pay for my ‘expensive hobbies which I’ll give up anyway’ but he gives me plenty of pocket money.” He winks.

“Don’t bullshit me. I know you save that for your expensive hobby.” Yoongi laughs bitterly. “Don’t make me a drag.”

“I do. But I also like to sit and smoke and drink with you so let’s say I’m indulging myself. And because you let me go with you. You almost never do that.”

“You’re distracting. I want to make the most of my time.”

“Yep.” He pops the p. “Let’s leave our stuff at mine and then go.”

“I can’t go there in my school uniform and it’s not my turn until after midnight sooo...”

“We’ll meet up?”

“Yeah.”

“You and your crazy hours. That’s why you look like a zombie all the time.”

“It’s the deal.”

“I know. I got you the deal.” Hoseok wiggles his eyebrows.

“I know.”

“Don’t say it like that.” Hoseok nudges his side. “You don’t owe my ass anything so stop.”

Yoongi lets out a breathy, low laugh, as if he is pitying himself. He looks at Hoseok, shaking his head in disapproval. “You always say that.”

“And I mean it. I don’t want you to feel indebted to me or anything. You know I’m just messing with you. I did it for myself as well. I did it for you for myself. You get it.” He chuckles trying to assure Yoongi he is not pitied or a drag as he thinks.

“I really don’t get it.”

“Let me try to explain…It makes me happy to see you happy, sort of at ease, sort of figuring it out. Doing what you like. I know it’s temporary but I am happy I could do something for that to happen. And I want you to know I want nothing in return. We are friends and I would do anything I could for my friends. And I would do anything for you. Simple as that.”

“You know–” Yoongi starts.

“I know.” Hoseok interrupts. “That doesn’t change anything for me. I am rather happy for you. Sad but happy.” He puts the back of his hand to his mouth trying to smother a laugh.

“Thank you.”

“Anytime.”

“Thank you.”

“Just keep that in mind. Now let’s go before midnight finds us here, still talking shit.” He pats Yoongi’s shoulder. “I’ll call ya to meet up, ok?”

“Ok.”

I did it because I want to share as much as I can with you. I want to accomplish most of what I can with you. I want to make memories with you and I can’t help it. Hoseok finds himself saying this line in an imaginary, some kind of parallel conversation he’s made up in his head on his way home. He was the type of guy to think twice about what he was about to say, to weight his words so it wouldn’t hurt or give out too much. Even with the closest of his friends or family, his uncensored feelings were his and his alone. He regretted that sometimes, and imagined he did otherwise. Even after that, he couldn’t stop himself so easily and completely.

Chapter Text

Jimin didn’t know how many days passed with him agonizing over the thought of Min Yoongi outing him, making fun of him with a snide remark. His head was buzzing with all sorts of humiliating scenarios it masochistically made up. No matter how much Taehyung tried to comfort him, he knew that guy was none other than Min Yoongi, and he also knew that he already disliked him from day one. Whenever Jimin felt curious eyes on him it clicked. They knew. At every stranger’s little glance his mind wandered straight there. They definitely knew, he thought. Even the laughter on the corridor made him tense, uneasy. Were they laughing at him? Lately, he was always prepared to find his desk vandalised with offensive slurs. He was on panic mode.

Still, nothing decisive happened.

Jimin was reviewing his Maths notes when he felt a sudden puff of breath directly on his nape, making him shudder.

“What is it?” he asks with no real interest.

“Let’s go someplace after this.” Taehyung’s has slid his hand up Jimin’s back and is vigorously kneading his neck. “It’s Friday. You could use a drink. So jumpy.”

Jimin turns around in his desk, shaking Taehyung’s hand off. “Idiot, lower your voice. Aren’t you on cleaning duty today?”

“Yep.” Taehyung visibly deflates, letting his head fall on the desk.

“I don’t know if we’ll be finished until you do.”

“Oh!” Remembering something, Taehyung shoots up, hair a fluffy mess. “You have that council meeting today, don’t you?”

“Yeah." Jimin feels his heart lighter by watching that hair that looks as if it missed a few haircuts. "I don’t know how much we’ll stay there considering the pleasure Hobi-hyung takes in talking.” Jimin chuckles. “I think you can go home first.”

“I don’t know. I think I’ll stick around a bit longer.” Taehyung says mysteriously, as if he knew something he’s not planning to tell.

When the classes have finished and Jimin is prepares to go to the meeting, Taehyung gives him a pat on the back and a knowing look before he exits the classroom. Can’t help being a little worried for his friend. Then, he obediently sweeps the floor.

There are people rushing about the student council room. A guy he knows greets Jimin at the door. Was he class representative too? They laugh. Jimin glances inside and notices that he actually knows many others. He cheerfully exchanges greetings as he goes take a seat.

Once they're all seated, Jimin’s attention is caught by Hobi’s cheerful ‘Hello!’. Jimin looks up only to see him there, next to Hobi, fiddling with some cables.

Well, he is Hobi’s friend after all. Jimin tries to calm himself down. Maybe he was a computer enthusiast for what he knew. He might be here to help his friend set up the laptop and then he will be gone, hopefully, forever. His breath hitches as panic mode kicks in again. Hasn’t he humiliated him until now just so he could do it here? In front of every class representative so they could spread it further to their peers and this way the whole school would–no, will find out. Panic mode meant stupid mode.

“Let’s start by introducing ourselves. I am Jung Hoseok, your student council president.” Hoseok smiles and then nudges the slow processing Yoongi on the side.

“Hello. I am Joe–” Hoseok’s glare burns trough the side of his skull. “Min Yoongi, Hobi’s replacement in times of need.” He gives Hoseok the ‘is this ok?’ look and Hoseok sighs and lets it slide.

“If you can’t find me you can always count on him.” Hoseok winks.

“Why?” Jimin blurts out, quickly sucking his lips in to swallow the word.

Yoongi snorts and looks Jimin dead in the eye. “I am the vice-president.” he says, voice like honey that can only sound poisonous to Jimin.

Fuck.

“Slow down, Chimmy. That’s like your third glass.”

“Cut the crap. This is fucking soda.”

“Well, that’s all I got.”

“When you said to grab some drinks I expected something more...alcoholic?”

“Is my room not good enough for you to unwind?! Is my cola not good enough to numb the pain?! Huh?!”

“No. Actually no.”

“Fuck off! No one would let us in a club or a bar. We’re underage! And your baby face isn’t helping at all. I couldn’t even buy some beer from downstairs!”

“You shouldn’t have gone there in the first place...” Jimin sips from his drink, irritated. “Some vinegar, medicinal alcohol...ANYthing.” He ends up sighing in his glass of just cola.

“Who managed to upset you so badly?” Taehyung pretends not to know anything at all.

“Min Yoongiiii! I can’t stand that smug face whenever he sees me. Ok, I get it. You know." Then Jimin's expression becomes resolute. "They won’t be seeing me there again. That’s that. I won’t give him the chance to say anything to me.”

“You’re so rounded up against him. Besides stepping on you and maybe accidentally hearing us, he didn’t do anything worth hating on him.”

“Have you seen his smug face? So annoying!” Jimin punches the cushion in his lap eagerly. “UUUUUGH!”

“Stop hitting George like that!” Taehyung gains a questioning look from Jimin as he stops hitting ‘George’.

“George?” Jimin looks down at the cushion in his lap, then he repeats, eyes fixing Taehyung in confusion. “George? You named it George? This cushion?” Jimin shakes it.

“Yeah. It’s my hugging cushion, firmer and a bit bigger than the others, perfect for hugging. I named it George. George helps me sleep. Don’t treat him like that. He doesn’t deserve it.”

“Ok, ok.” Jimin pats George. “Crazy.”

“We all have our quirks.” Taehyung shrugs. “I named my hugging pillow George and you care about what that Yoonkimin thinks.” He takes another chug.

“I don’t care. I’m just...concerned. You know.”

“That he’ll make fun of you?”

“No. Maybe…But…I just don’t want to hear it…From anyone.” For a moment, Jimin is just staring into his glass, face blank. “I know it’s cowardly…”

“Jimin,” one word, and it sounds so different from their conversation up till now, soft yet steady, devoid of any joking undertones. Taehyung leans to see his face but Jimin averts his probing gaze. So Taehyung just kneels in front of him and cups his face, gently. “Jiminie, I wish my words could make this alright for you. I wish I could make this alright for you, but me wanting or saying anything isn’t enough. Just..." Taehyung closes his eyes and cradles Jimin’s hands in his own, head down. “Stop. Just stop, please. Would you?” Taehyung swallows and turns his gaze to him again, eyes pleading and watery. “Please?” He chokes. “It sounds so selfish but it makes my chest hurt. Please stop hating yourself because of this. Not for me, not for anyone else; for yourself, please stop.” He lowers his head again as he sniffs, trying to prevent the tears blurring his vision from falling. “I wish I could make everything alright for you.”

Jimin releases a hand from Taehyung’s grip and gently pats his head. “Please don’t cry because of me.”

He shakes his head. “I cry because I feel so helpless, so stupid to think it was enough.”

“You can’t control people’s thoughts.”

“I don’t wish to. I just want you to see yourself the way I do so you could understand for once.”

“Understand what?”

“That being gay is nothing to hate yourself for.”

That word.

“Just because you think so?” Jimin sound a little harsh.

“I...I just want that to be enough for you to stop. I am so selfish for wanting this.” His voice comes out hitched.

“I think I get it. But, Tae, you can’t magically make this alright for me. You can’t make me have a revelation, but you make me want to try to make it alright for myself.”

“What makes you think this is a flaw?”

Jimin just sits silently.

“I know you do. Just say it.”

“…I do.”

“What makes you think that?”

“The world?” Jimin frowns and shrugs his shoulders.

Taehyung snorts. “Well the world is wrong. The world has always been wrong in many aspects. The world means people and people can be shitty. They always have to shame someone for who they are. They are always going to have opinions on other people and on ‘the right way to live your life’. Do you want to live by what others think of you?”

“I...Thank you.” Jimin almost whispers.

“You are the only one who is always with yourself. Telling yourself such shit as they would say to you is clear self-betrayal. Don’t betray yourself for what a bunch of assholes may think about you. Don’t be so scared of them knowing. They are on the wrong side of the matter and that will eventually be settled someday.”

“It’s not that easy. I told you. I’ve been like this since I came to know that. I’m still trying to get rid of that shame. I can’t come screaming to the world that I–” He bites his lips.

“Would you care to try trying?”

“What? Screaming?” Jimin lets out a small laugh.

“It may come out as cruel or rushed, but try. Try to say it. You’ve never said it yourself.”

“What? That I’m...?” Jimin raises his brow questioningly.

“That you are gay and there is nothing wrong with you. With that. You as a whole…Questionable.”

“Then what about you…”

Taehyung simply ignores that. “Say it.”

“Taehyung, I just can’t.”

“I am begging you.”

Silence.

Jimin swallows. “I am– I can’t.”

“Just know that I am proud of you and I love you just like this.”

“You would love the ugliest, dirtiest dog. I don’t want to be the ugliest, dirtiest dog, even though someone loves me just like that.”

“It never ends with you. It is the same shit again. Who says he doesn’t deserve to be loved just like that?”

“But you’d still clean him, wouldn’t you?”

“Do you think he should be miserable? Do you think he deserved to be abandoned?”

He is met with a snort and then, silence.

“I’d clean him because I care. Just like you need to clean your mind of this bullshit. He’d still have his face and you’d still be gay but that doesn’t make any undesirable. Am I defined by my ears or by the wacky mind I have? Is my dog defined by his face or by his loyalty and gratefulness and what a good boy he is–“

“Taehyung, you don’t own an ugly dog.”

“Don’t you get the point? Your sexuality doesn’t define you. It shouldn’t. It’s just something about you, not who you are. Get. That.”

“You’re fucking crazy.”

“But you love me. With this, my point is proven.” Taehyung takes another gulp of soda contently.

“There are so many flaws in your logic, but whatever. Let’s not dwell on this anymore.”

“Just keep in mind, ok?”

“Ok.” Jimin nods. He looks away, smiling. His eyes land on a particular spot on the wall and widen in shock. “Is that–?” he asks, pointing at Taehyung’s private picture gallery. “Is this that photo?” Jimin manages to come closer to look at it. “I can’t believe it! We took so many! Why did you have to choose that?” He rests his face in his palms, exasperated.

“It’s the first one I took.” Taehyung seems content. “Out of them all, I treasure it the most. It shows not just our ugly faces but that moment, you know? It’s not a picture of us. It’s a memory. I like it just like that because I know.” Just like what seems ages ago, Taehyung talks to no one in particular, looking at the picture.

Jimin just stays silent.

“Gosh, you’re so ugly!”

“Kim Taehyung!”

“Mwhahahaha! But I still love you.”

“Fuck you!”

“Finally a good idea.” Taehyung claps his hands.

“I hate you...”

“This boy. Always lying.” Taehyung shakes his head.

Jimin drains his cola in one big gulp and shoves the glass in Taehyung’s face.

“Pour me another.”

“Ayye.”

Chapter Text

Different people have different ways of spending Friday night. The Fabric was not Jin’s favourite place to be on a Friday night, but he managed despite occasionally wandering if they even had an authorisation for functioning.

This place–the basement of some old factory, shabby, kinda shady, dark and full of cigarette smoke–wasn’t exactly to Jin’s liking but watching Namjoon enjoy the music, tapping lazily to the beat, casually chuckling at the people up there, casually smoking made up for it. He smirks in his drink and switches his attention to the restless Hoseok beside him.

“Can’t help but wonder, how are you coping so far?”

Hoseok takes his eyes off the guy on the small stage whom he’s been watching with a displeased expression and leans towards Jin. “I’m ready to snap if he doesn’t stop–”

Jin laughs. “Not that.”

“Oh. With the student prez thingy? We had the first meeting with the class-reps today. I’d say it’s going well.”

“Have you started organizing the freshmen prom yet?”

“Isn’t that in a few months or something?” Hoseok says between gulps of beer.

“If you continue thinking like that…boy, I have bad news.”

“Huh?” Hoseok looks genuinely confused.

“There are a lot of things to be taken care of. Venue, music, menu, theme, decorations blah blah.” Jin makes a dismissive wave of hand. “It’s going to take a while. Venue is the most important if you try to change things a little, which I just know you probably want. That’s hard to find.”

“Haha. Everybody hated that place to be honest.” Hoseok takes another gulp. “Man, you ruined my mood...”

“You can take Jin out of the council room, but you can’t take the council out of Jin. And he seemed so done with it...” Namjoon teases.

“Ok ok.” Jin chuckles. “Let’s talk more later. Yoongi’s up tonight, isn’t he?” Jin tries to make that conversation forgotten.

“Man, this guy’s one inch away from really baaad.” Hoseok points to the small stage with his bottle of beer.

“I don’t even have that much rap culture and I can just hear.” Jin scrunches his nose in what seems second-hand embarrassment.

“Well, anybody is free to try here. That’s the charm of this place.” Namjoon lets out the smoke slowly, cigarette hanging lazily between his fingers. “But some are either really drunk or delusional, or both.”

“Thank god it’s over.” Hoseok drains his bottle and starts clapping, relieved. Next second, a big hand lands heavily on his shoulder, making him jump in his seat. “Fuck, you scared me.”

Yoongi crashes on the empty seat. “Sorry, I got here like 30 minutes ago and went straight to put myself on queue. Seems people are really chatty tonight. Couldn’t get away.” he sighs. He scans the table and picks Hoseok’s bottle up. He gives it a shake. “You fucking sponge.”

“I’ll get you one.” Namjoon sits up without delay.

“’m good. Thanks.” Yoongisays as he’s lighting up a cigarette.

“You will need a drink with those gaspers.” Namjoon nods to the no-name, cheap pack of cigarettes Yoongi has put on the table and leaves.

Yoongi rolls his eyes but the corners of his mouth shoot up into a tiny smile. He takes a long drag, tip of the cigarette burning bright, holds the smoke in, and releases it slowly. He actually liked these. But past that momentarily curtain of smoke he notices Hoseok watching him intently. Next moment, he opens his mouth to voice another one of those ideas that Yoongi has gotten used to but always liked to complain about.

“We’re going to organize the best prom ever.”

“…huh?”

“Yeah. We, the both of us? Remember Obama and Biden? You and I? Biden and Obama?”

“Ugh.” Yoongi snorts as Namjoon places the bottle of beer in front of him. He crushes his cigarette in the ashtray and takes an eager gulp from the cold bottle as he sits up. “I don’t think I own a tux. Sorry.”

“Stop being so edgy.” Hoseok laughs and rolls his eyes playfully.

“Gotta go!” Yoongi takes another gulp and places the bottle on the table with a clack. He gives Namjoon a thankful nod and off he goes.

---------------------------------------------------

 “Did everyone give me their student report?” Jimin asks one more time over the break rumble, waving with the stack he’s already gathered. “Come on. I’m missing one. I don’t want to make an extra trip.”

“Sure you don’t.” Taehyung gently hits Jimin’s head with his own report.

“Why are you like this...” Jimin snatches it from Taehyung’s hand and places it neatly over the others. “I’ll go get rid of these now.”

“Where? To the student council room?”

“Yep.”

“Do you want me to come with you?” he asks teasingly. “To protect you in case–”

“It’s ok. I’m just taking these to Hobi-hyung.” Jimin shushes him quickly.

“Ook. Have fun.”

Jimin is already out the door when he hears Taehyung again, “Jimin?”

He turns around. “What is it?”

Taehyung’s eyes flicker somewhere behind Jimin for a brief moment then back to him.

“What?” Jimin asks again.

Taehyung gives him a sweet smile. “Say hi to Yoonkimin for me.”

“You call me back for this? Gosh! You don’t even know him. And he won’t be there!”

“Just in case.” He waves his hand pacifyingly.

“Do you know something?”

“I know you.”

Jimin is waiting for a real answer. What a fool.

“So unlucky.” Taehyung scrunches his nose.

Jimin flips him and leaves.

---------------------------------------------------

The following week, Hoseok realized that he had indeed been prepared. Emotionally prepared. However, the amount of shitty, minor, boring responsibilities dropped on them exceeded his expectations. Jin’s ‘bad news’ were coming to get him and he found himself short on one body. Thank god for the clever boy he was.

---------------------------------------------------

Yoongi was having a peaceful break, dozing off in his desk after a rough weekend when he feels the ominous buzz inside his pocket.

One message: 'Get yo ass over here' 

Yoongi is staring at his phone’s screen, considering where in one of his past lives he had done so wrong. Still, he gets up and trudges towards the council room.

In the hallway, this particular word grabs his attention.

“Jimin!”

Automatically, he glances in the direction the voice came from, taking in as much information as possible. There he was, Park Jimin, with a stack of reports in his hand. Going? He had a guess where. But his eyes are drawn by the guy in the doorframe. They lock gazes for a second and Yoongi walks on much quicker.

---------------------------------------------------

“So you lost your student report?”

“Yes.” The kid nods briskly.

“As soon as you got it?” Hoseok squints, getting more and more impatient with all the bullshit. He’s been here since morning every single damn break for the past three days. They had three goddamn days to collect and bring the student reports and almost everyone chose to rush in today. And then...this.

“Yes…” he swallows, chewing on his lips. “Actually, my bag was stolen.”

Hoseok blinks, confused, but the kid keeps looking somewhere on his face that weren’t his eyes with the same blank expression. “So also you student pass, your textbooks…?”

“Mhm, mhm.” He nods repeatedly.

Hoseok covers his eyes with his hands and slides them down across his face, thinking. “Wait a second.” He pulls out his phone and quickly taps something. He gets up and paces across the room. “Please wait a second.”

“s’ fine.”

It was rare, but right now Hoseok felt like having a smoke.

They didn’t have to wait for long until the door opened.

“Excuse me.” Hoseok shoots towards the only person he wanted to see walking through that door right now, and then he pushes him out.

“I thought you asked for me?” Yoongi furrows his brows.

“Yeah. Before I’m out of this hell hole, please give me a cig and I’ll forgive your treacherous ass.”

Yoongi pulls out his pack carefully and slides it into Hoseok’s hand. “Go.” He pats his back. “By the way. I barely slept this weekend.”

“I know. I’ll be right back. Oh, the guy in there. Freshman. Lost all his ID and some textbooks.” Hoseok doesn’t give Yoongi a chance to whine and storms off.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

When Jimin enters the student council room, his eyes land on the boy who’s taking some papers from the printer, and he does a double take.

“Seen a ghost?” Yoongi asks mockingly as he hands the papers to the student sitting there. “Ok. First, fill out this form.”

He nods and diligently begins writing.

“I’ll leave these here.” Jimin tentatively approaches the desk.

“Wait for your turn.” Yoongi cuts him short flatly. “And then this request to the principal.” He taps another paper. “Ask me if you don’t understand.” His contrastingly nice tone towards the student catches Jimin off guard.

“Ok. Can I just leave these now?” Jimin attempts, seeing that Yoongi is now just sitting at the desk.

“Wait for your turn, Park Jimin. I have to check them.”

“I already checked them.”

“You’re not so very special here.” Yoongi smirks.

Jimin is dumbstruck. This bastard wanted to make sure he knew that he knew. Jimin just sighs and pictures strangling the weasel for his inner peace, all the while staring at his annoying face, tapping his foot.

“After you’re done here, go to the administrative office. They’ll give you a transport pass and another school report. Make sure to bring it back.”

The kid nods again, gets up, bows slightly and turns to leave.

Jimin would never have thought that ‘the love of his life’ would just pass him by because he was too busy staring at Min Yoongi. But that has just happened. Jimin didn’t take a good look at the boy who has just left, but he had a familiar air about him. Jimin snaps his head in that direction but he’s already gone.

“Easy, lover boy.” Yoongi’s voice is filled with tease.

Pulling himself together, Jimin crashes on the chair and finally slams the reports on the desk, but gently, careful so that they don’t scatter.

“Do you need a fan? Your face–”

“Do you want these or not?” By this time, his cheeks could easily have been used as traffic lights.

“Well, I don’t actually give a fuck.” Yoongi shrugs and slides his hand across the desk, takes them and dumps them in a box. “What class were you?”

Jimin squeezes his eyes shut, holding back. “2-3.”

“Good.” Yoongi scrawls ‘2-3’ on the box and puts it aside.

“You didn’t "check them".”

“I checked enough.” Yoongi says with an unreadable expression.

Jimin didn’t know how much longer he could hold himself back in that situation. It seemed like the guy was deliberately trying to test his limits. But Jimin didn’t know what this guy was actually capable of, so he just took the hits without much of a fight. At least, for now.

More importantly, Jimin’s mind was spinning, but all thoughts got swallowed up by one question.

Was that–Was that...?

Chapter Text

“What?”

“You’re going to a high school in Seoul.” His brother was excitedly shaking some papers that he himself hadn’t ever laid eyes on. “One of the best, it might as well be called the best.” The way he said it, like 'd-ee’, made him sick to the stomach.

That must have been the worst joke he’d heard in a while.

“How could I possibly be accepted there when my grades barely got me into one in Busan?” he asked, not really interested towards where the prank was heading.

“We thought this would be a good investment in your future. You’re in.” His brother finished with a smile.

As a reflex, he crossed his arms and his expression switched to a frown, signalling that the joke had gone too far. His eyes moved to find his father and started searching his face which, to his disappointment, remained grave.

“Are you kidding me? You paid so that an idiot like me could take someone else’s place?” He sounded incredulous, watching them through squinted eyes.

“You’re no idiot. I know you’re capable of so much more—”

“You can’t just decide that. Without even asking me.”

“You have to believe us—”

“I am at least capable of thinking for myself.” He was starting to lose his patience. He took a breath and resumed. “Hyung, this is a joke, isn’t it?”

“Son,” he intervened, as his brother’s confidence decreased and he seemed to be struggling for words. “You’ve been neglecting your studies for quite a while. And, yes, I know it is our fault too. We’ve been overlooking it, letting you live you childhood. Now you’re already in high school. People either study or waste away. As your high school here didn’t amount to much, we had no choice—”

“But that’s not fair! Aren’t you a policeman?!”

“Above all else, I am your father.” His tone was warm and earnest.

“I can’t accept it.” He was shaking his head. “I’m not going.”

“And what are you going to do?”

“Finish high school, find a job—”

“What job?”

“A job, doesn’t matter. Didn’t you always say that work is work?”

“Don’t throw my words back at me. I will not have you work in a garage or something.”

“So you’d be ashamed?”

“I couldn’t possibly be ashamed of you–”

“Then why are you sending me away? From my home, my friends, my life?” his voice was close to screaming, and he turned towards his mother as a last resort.

“It’s an opportunity, baby, not a punishment.” she sounded so reassuring but her words could only hurt him.

“Yes, you’ll see. Seoul is so big, there’s a lot to do. You’ll make friends in no time.” His brother added, smiling.

They were all smiling, that warm, encouraging, loving smile. They wanted what was best for him, he had not a single doubt. But how could they know for sure? How could anyone know? He didn’t. But it didn’t feel right.

“Jungkook, do we have a deal–”

“I’m not going!”

He got up and ran through the living room door, through the main entrance, through the people taking a stroll in the cooler air, mindlessly through the late-setting-in summer night, and ran.

“I didn’t expect him to dash like that…” His brother was scratching his head. “He sure has some fight in him.”

“You still think breaking it to him like that was a good idea?” the poor woman sighed.

“The sooner he knows, the quicker he can get accustomed to the idea.”

“He can be very stubborn…” She got up and paced the room. “Where could he possibly have run?”

Mr Jeon also got up and trod towards his study.

“He’ll come back.” he said and closed the door behind him.

In no time, his eldest stormed in after him. “Dad, we have to find him–”

Mr Jeon signalled him to shut up. “Yes, Officer Lee. My son, the younger one. He’s getting through a rebellious phase and ran away from home. […] Yes. […] Yes. […] Oh, when you find him, catch him on the spot. He’s quick as a rabbit. […] Thank you.”

“Did you just send the patrolling police after him?! That’s so clever!”

Mr Jeon held back a smug smile. “How do you think I’ve always known where to find you?”

“That’s a bit creepy but still clever. As expected of you, old fox.”

It had gotten pretty late while the Jeon family waited patiently for the ‘prodigal son’s’ return, making calls that ended with “Mhm, I see. Thank you.”

“No sign?”

“Not yet.”

While the father and son were discussing another strategy, an exchange between two women’s voices faded in into the study. They went and joined them in the living room. A beautiful young woman dressed in a stylish suit was sitting comfortably on the sofa, talking intimately to Mrs Jeon. When she saw them, she got up and said the proper greetings.

“You came straight from work? You must be hungry then.”

“Go change into something more comfy first.”

At first, she was puzzled by the unusual attention and hospitality, but she caught on quickly.

“Where’s Jungkook?”

“Umm. He’s sleeping.” The son clumsily managed.

“At this hour?” She quirked a brow. “Did you–”

She didn’t get to finish her question when a patrol car noisily came to a halt on the driveway. Two policeman got out and, as one circled the car to get to the backseat, the other approached the door where she met him halfway, white as a ghost.

The officer’s lips moved as he articulated words that didn’t reach her ears. From the backseat of the police car, the other officer pulled Jungkook out, his wrists adorned with two metal bracelets. She was seething.

After wandering the streets aimlessly for hours, Jungkook went from thoughts like running away from home for good to going back in that instant. The anger hadn’t subsided but he could think clearer now. Looking back on it, he could have studied a bit harder. He could have cut down on the time he spent playing video games, could have gotten some sleep on those nights before exams…Damnit. He totally could have.

But I didn’t.

He had never liked going to school and in class he would always find something more interesting to do such as studying his nails, looking out the window, doodling...His mind had always had this condition where it ignored his immediate surroundings and made him live in other times and places as in a dream-like state. And in his free time, he would learn. Mostly things that weren’t school-related. How many fourteen-year-olds knew how to change a car wheel and do basic reparations? Him. And he was so proud of his latest achievement. He left his undying passion for tacky tattoo design behind for this. And for that, some other forgotten passion.

And now he was in this situation. To go to what was considered a top high school in the effing capital when he had attended just the closest, most convenient, most ordinary quartier school. Was his family sane? Probably not. Goodbye graduation…

He was so caught up in his thoughts, he didn’t notice the slowly approaching patrol car until the driver pulled down the window and called out his name.

“Jungkook-ah?”

Startled, he turned and greeted the officers. He knew them from the police station where his dad also worked.

“It’s past curfew, Jungkook. Get in. We’ll give you a ride.”

“Thank you, mister. I will walk.” he said and immediately started walking away.

“Wait.”

The doors opened loudly and they got out of the car which, for some reason, triggered Jungkook to start running. They followed him but he managed to keep a decent distance. People were stopping in their way to watch the chase so he entered a side street-alley. That wouldn’t have been one of the worst days of his life if he hadn’t run into a dead-end. He searched for an escape but, in no time, two strong arms overpowered him and forced his hands together behind his back. Then he heard the clicking sound of the handcuffs.

 “Was any of this necessary?” Jungkook spat as the officer dragged him towards the car.

“We only took the most necessary actions. He is very fast.” the officer was blabbering as she turned around with a panic-stricken expression only to see the content father and son’s faces. She, once again, regretted having married into that family.

“Jungkook!” She dashed to the boy who had regained his physical integrity and hugged him close. Then she bolted towards her husband, anger burning like wildfire in her eyes. “Are you out of your fucking mind?! You’re getting him home handcuffed? Handcuffed?!”

“Well, I didn’t expect that either, but if they brought him like that, it means it had to be done.”

“He’s a child! You used police as your thugs! You can’t treat him like that! You want this child to believe you want what’s best for him and yet you treat him like he’s some hooligan! Is this the best that you want?”

“The ends justify the means.” her husband, Jungkook’s traitor brother said.

“You know who last I heard saying that? A fucking psycho in court! You want to know what means he justified? Murder...” She poked his chest with her index, and Jungkook snickered from behind her. “Lamest excuse to justify something you did wrong.”

“Let’s take this inside, if you don’t mind.” Mr Jeon Senior intervened.

“Excuse me? All due respect, but you bring your son home, handcuffed, in a police car, and you are worried that the neighbours might hear us fight and get the wrong idea about all this rather than being worried they might not let their kids hang out with him anymore because he’s a potential criminal, protected by his father’s influence. We have priorities about what we wouldn’t want them to misunderstand, of course.”

“We could wash our laundry here on the street or we could go talk in the living room, have some tea?” Mr Jeon Senior tried to outwit her calmly, as usual.

Mr Jeon wouldn’t usually deal so lightly with someone younger than him talking like that about his decisions, but his daughter in law, as sceptical as he had been about her in the beginning, had gained his respect. At first he couldn’t help thinking about his son getting a trophy wife: modern girl from Seoul, really pretty, two years older than his eldest. He thought she would be snobbish, and really cold and polite only for facade. He liked watching sappy dramas on the TV. He hadn't been too happy hearing about their relationship, one could say.

Then he learned she had finished law school and had a pretty kicking start of a career, making decent money while his son was still in school. That gained her some good points. Being an outspoken woman, involved in the matters around her scared Mr Jeon but ended up being a plus too. She had her wits on her all the time. He didn’t know whether that was good or bad, but he accepted it as a professional flaw. Quick to catch on, he saw. It was a bit hard to admit at first, but she was the stronger and more capable of the couple. His blessing had been easy to get after that. What do they say? The sons, without realizing, choose women alike their mothers.

The instant he got inside, Jungkook rushed to his room and banged the door shut violently, and locked it spitefully with a loud click.

Mr Senior sputtered Madhouse. under his breath, a little exasperated, only for his wife to hear.

“Don’t worry, darling, you’re not quite the doctor in it either.” She smiled. Witty women in this family.

Now his daughter in law was sitting on his couch, drinking tea angrily. 

“This is such a mess.” She pinched the bridge of her nose.

“We did the best we could think of.” Jeon Junior tried to calm her down but made a huge mistake.

“Of course calling the police to cuff him from your cosy house is the best you can think of.” She rolled her eyes. She was mad at him.

“It was my idea to call them. They wouldn’t do this for Junghyun. You know. I told them to detain him if he wants to run. No need to be so mad at him.”

“All the more reason to be. I bet he liked the idea that wasn’t even his idea.”

Jeon Junior threw his head back, exasperated. “I know you have a soft spot for him but he’s not traumatized, he’s not a child anymore.”

“If he’s not a child anymore then how about you let him make his own decisions! Make up your fucking mind!” She ended up kind of screaming. “Gosh...”

Jungkook could hear that over his mother’s pleas to open the door and eat something.

“I don’t want him to end up some no one just because he is lazy. I care about him.”

“Then how about not trying to be his enemy, some authority. He thinks everybody is against him now, that he is some failure you try to correct. You can’t have him like that. The ends don’t justify the means if by ‘means’ you mean he’s going to isolate himself. Do you know how much harm this can bring to him? Why do you think I’m not taking this so lightly?”

“He won’t open, or answer.” Mrs. Jeon was standing at the bottom of the stairs with a disappointed look on her face. “He hasn’t eaten all day.”

Upstairs, locked in his room, Jungkook was feeling dejected and angry…and alone. He could hear the voices but could not make sense of what they were saying. His mother had left. He was hungry but the thought of food made his stomach twist.

He scanned the room for an escape and, remembering that was pointless, crashed on the floor. He wanted to get away but not run away. Not forever. Just for a bit more.

Then, another knock on his door.

“Jungkook?” He could hear a soft voice calling, a bit worried. He wiped the corners of his eyes with his sleeve and got up.

She heard the small click. It was supposed to let her know she could enter but still, she asked. Jungkook must have seen her as his only ally now so she had to be a bit careful.

“Can I come in?”

“It’s unlocked.”

“Sassy little brat.” She chuckled, loud enough for him to hear, and entered.

Jungkook was sitting on the edge of his bed, head low, elbows on his knees. He was not taking this well. He was taking it horribly, actually.

“Thank you for speaking up for me.” He almost whispered but she heard him well enough. 

“The bill will come later.” They both laughed as she sat down next to him and gently took his hand in hers. Her expression changed to serious. “You know you are as close to a little brother I’ll ever have.”

“Mhm.”

“You know I love you.”

“Mhm.” He nodded.

“You can talk to me.”

He finally faced her and opened his mouth to speak but stopped to think for a second.

“Why would– why can’t they be proud of who I am?”

 Jungkook not being stupid made her job tougher. She knew he could tell the difference between words meant to comfort and real arguments. For this question, answers were hard to find, even for her, so she chose to be honest.

“I don’t know.” This gained her a curious look. “Parents tend to do that. No matter how successful you turn out to be in life there is always more they want from you. As hurtful as this may seem, they really want us to have the best life we can get. But people have different ideas about what that means and it means different things to everyone. This can turn understanding each other into a tricky, hurtful process.”

“Have you been through this?”

“I think everybody has been through this, me including. I think even our parents have been through this.”

“How so?” Jungkook asked a bit incredulous.

“People have the tragic tendency to repeat the past wrongs of others. Making a decent living tricks them into thinking their parents were right to do the things they did, so they perpetuate it hoping their children get to have a better life than them.” Even if she talked a bit much, Jungkook didn’t miss a word. “I also think your parents aren’t trying to control your future. They are just giving you a push in the direction they think is best. Leaving your freedom to choose who you want to become after this.”

“I will only disappoint. I will be the stupidest kid there. They will force me to move to another school just because I will drag the average rating down with my stupidity.” His eyes once again found his knees, resisting the urge to smash his face into them.

Jungkook’s sister in law sighed. The kid genuinely thought he was stupid.

“Jungkook, you are not stupid. If you were stupid your parents wouldn’t have decided to enroll you there. They know what you can do. They are not that crazy.”

“How can they know? They wish I were that capable but only lazy, but I am not.” He shrugged. “This is me.”

“Really? Is this all you can do? I don’t believe it, like they don’t believe it. But, if you say you are sure this is all you can do, then I will leave you alone.”

“You believe in me too much.” Jungkook almost whispered.

“You know you could have studied more but chose not to. We know that too.”

“This is so sudden. And so late. They could have given me a wake-up call earlier, pulled my ear, smacked my head. I don’t know...I just–” Jungkook suddenly lifted his head, frustrated, but the intensity left his body through a sigh, and it drooped once again. “I just wish I could have done this on my own.”

She gave his hand a squeeze. “They wanted you to have it easy because you were their little child. But even age and experience can’t guarantee all our decisions are wise. You are a good kid. It will be a shame for you not to reach your potential. It may not seem so, but it’s hard for your parents too. They just love you too much.”

“They just gave me the easy way again.” He scoffed.

“It may seem so, but this will not be easy. Getting enrolled there is not the easy way. It’s just your wake-up call. You are old enough now to understand why this is happening now.”

“No. Why now? I just got into high school.” He shrugged unenergetically.

“Bingo. Turning point.” She pointed her index at him.

“You just turned everything.” Jungkook shacked his head.

“Sometimes it takes courage to make a leap to see that you can fly. Cheesy, no?” She grins. “But it holds a truth of some kind.”

“This is rather a push into the void...”

“Only if you make it to be.”

“How can you be so sure I can make it?”

“The leap slash push is done.” She chuckled. “There are only two ways now.” She got up and reached her hand towards him. “Let’s go eat.”

Jungkook’s anger diluted in the conversation. The feeling was no longer choking him. It wasn’t comfortable either. It just lost its permanence prospects.

He was so hungry.

“Can’t we eat here? Just us?” He finally lifted his head to look at his sister with big, clear eyes, like a fearful child.

She considered for a second. “Umm...No. They haven’t eaten too. It is a better strategy to go there and talk than barricading here, no?”

“I just...want some more time to accept defeat.” He chuckled bitterly.

“This is not about winning or losing, or us and them. No one is your enemy here.” She was already at the door. “Take your time a little bit more.”

He was left with just his unshakable thoughts about being the stupidest kid in an all-smart and rich school, a fraud, until the delicious food smell wafted into his room and reminded him just how painfully hungry he was. This always managed to lure him out of his lair. Could he give up his stupid pride for food?

Hell yeah.

Seconds later, Jungkook was excitedly kicking his feet under the table as his father, laughing along with everybody else, served him a big plate of one of the youngest’s favourites. Outright blackmail.

Suddenly, Jungkook lifted his head from his plate, mouth full, to catch his father’s gaze.

“Why have you agreed to send me to boarding school? I mean, isn’t this too much?” Jungkook kept that gaze only to be taken aback by a laugh as a response. They were laughing at him. “What?” His eyes moved to his brother.

“You inherited our father’s imagination, for sure.”

“Aren’t I going to move to an all-boys school and live in a dorm?”

“You are moving to a normal school and living with us.” His brother clarified.

Jungkook was dumbstruck.

“Have you been watching dramas with dad?”

“No! But...”

His brother couldn’t contain his laughter. “But?” He sputtered.

“I just...” Jungkook played with his chopsticks, embarrassed.

“Leave him alone.” Their mother chuckled, visibly amused too. “I caught him taking his eyes out of his phone to be absolutely caught in the sappy action, so cute.”

“I just wanted to sit with you two.” Jungkook muttered, stuffing his face with food.

“Oh, give him a break.” His sister in law attempted to save him again. “We have more important matters to discuss.”

“Yeah.” Jungkook was fast to reply, then he thought again. “Like what?” He lifted a brow.

“How would you like your room to be? We moved into a bigger apartment some time ago and have waited for your opinion to design your room.” She grinned excitedly.

Jungkook snorted. “Oh, you moved into a bigger apartment and instead of having babies like normal married people do, you decided to take me in.”

“Yeah! Cute. Already a teen. No poopy diapers to change. Easy.”

“Believe me.” His father intervenes jokingly. “Changing poopy diapers is nothing compared to arguing with a teen.”

“And how would you know that, dear?” Mrs Jeon was tapping her finger on the table, looking unamused.

They all laughed as if the events from earlier that day hadn't even happened. Jungkook laughed too, but it was still bothering him, all that they had done. It was bothering him so much that, back in his room, he couldn’t sleep. They had had to use bribery to get him into a good high school because he couldn’t have done that on his own. He was riding on the back of his father and brother because he wasn’t good enough. He absolutely hated that. And he finally cried.

Chapter Text

In less than two weeks, he was boarding the train for Seoul with nothing more than a half-empty backpack.

Apparently, there’s lots of preparations when one has to move house. But when you’re about as unwilling as Jungkook was, ninety percent of the preparations mean mental struggle with your own self, and more practical matters are taken care of, if at all, in a turbulent flurry.

The night before his departure, when he had finally settled down to pack his things, the things he couldn’t leave behind, still upset, Jungkook flung the hugest backpack he could find onto the floor and began searching the room: up and down, around and around; ceiling, walls, floor, surfaces crowded with just anything that had once held his attention. The attachment he had expected to anchor him just wasn’t there, and he was left suspended in confusion. He was considering looking under the bed when a thought struck him.

Oh, yes. Clothes.

Focused again, he opened the closet doors wide and stared the clothes down. He sighed. He’d never cared much for clothes so he randomly picked a couple each of the basic wardrobe pieces, underwear, and many-many socks. After all these were safely tucked in his backpack, he still had half the space to fill. Suddenly, a feeling of desolation crept up inside him.

Staring at the empty space, he realized he had finished.

Before he could process the events entirely, his parents were driving a still confused Jungkook and his huge, sad-looking only backpack to the train station. Hugging him goodbye as if he only went away for the week-end, it was easier. For both parties, actually. Jungkook had barely brought himself to say a brief goodbye to his bewildered friends. He didn’t know the proper words to say and he invariably ended up with a lot of awkward pauses. The unclean nature of the business made him especially tongue-tied.

His parents had suggested taking the train instead of driving him all the way there. Leaving instead of being left, he thought.

When the train had been set in motion and picked up some speed, Jungkook relaxed into his seat. He felt like he was going on a school trip, summer still. He somehow felt freedom. But not freedom like the sky and the birds. More like the sensation of suspended time in the confusion of senses when rolling down a hill, with no idea when it’s going to stop or where he’s going to find himself lying afterwards. Well, he had an idea. He was going to stop in Seoul and start a new life there. Peacefully rolling down the hill only to tumble into an abyss. That didn’t feel like freedom at all. He had to study enough at least not to embarrass himself.

Suddenly it dawned on him.

Snacks. I should have taken snacks.

At last in Seoul, his brother was waiting for him on the platform, waving happily.

“It looks like you are coming to visit.” His brother laughed, patting his backpack.

“Wish I were. You told me not to take much.” Jungkook shrugged.

“Point taken.” He put his arm around Jungkook’s shoulders and pulled him along. “Let’s go home. We’ll take care of the rest.”

“Well, you took care of everything.” Jungkook’s tone was insinuating.

“Still bitter I see?” He lifted his hand to ruffle Jungkook’s hair.

“It’s been hardly two weeks. This kind of shit takes years to forgive.” Jungkook scoffed.

“I guess I’ll just wait then.”

Jungkook soon learned that his brother had, indeed, moved. The new building was recently built, tall and modern, with an enviable position. The apartment: sunlit and airy, more than enough for the now three of them, decorated in the simplest manner, somewhat masculine. No doubt, his sister’s doing.

After he took a second to look around, Jungkook couldn’t help wondering about the time and energy it must take to clean the bright surfaces. Even the wall-tall windows were spotless. Eyes sparkly, mouth agape, his words couldn’t keep up, “This is niiice.”

“Yeah, this is actually really nice.” He gave Jungkook a smug look. “Do you think we work so much for nothing?”

“Pff. Then why buy this when you barely stay at home?” Jungkook gave him a confused look. “To have a nice place to crash out in?”

“I must say–ouch! first, and you know what they say.”

“What do they say?”

Jungkook was making fun of him. He noticed.

“It is better to be sad and rich than sad and poor.” This made Jungkook just snort and continue his exploring.

He hadn’t managed to get further than the kitchen when his sister opened the entrance door loudly and called out for them in a happy voice. She was barely holding an enormous, bulging shopping bag. “Help?”

With the bag safely on the living room floor, she pulled Jungkook into a hug where she blissfully caught her breath and popped the magic question. “Are you hungry? I’m starving…” Jungkook nodded eagerly. “Let’s just order something, ok?”

“Beat you to it.” His brother was shaking his phone, smug smile on.

“I expected pizza.” Jungkook curiously scanned the table where his brother had spread a variety of colourful, expensive-looking dishes and was now looming over like a Michelin 3-star restaurant chef.

“When my wife says ‘Let’s just order something.’” he imitated her in an exaggerated manner, “she means ‘I want foreign food without having to look decent to eat it.’”

“You know, pizza is foreign food.” Jungkook said as he pulled a chair.

“Smartass.” His brother muttered in his food.

They ate, talked and laughed. To celebrate, they opened a bottle of wine and let Jungkook have some too now that his father wasn’t around. Scrunching his nose, Jungkook decided he hated wine’s taste.

Mid-talk, his sister’s wine glass stopped at her lips as an ‘oh!’ came out. “I just remembered. Have you seen your room yet?”

He shook his head for an answer, munching on a snack.

She grinned. “Go check it out.”

Jungkook grabbed his forgotten backpack from the hallway floor and followed the direction of the hand pointing to a door. He opened it and, once again, his overused backpack hit the floor. His eyes went wide, taking in the whole ten-story view of the city, glittering. Through the darkness of the room, the city lights reflected in them.

“Do you like it?” His sister leaned against the wall on the hallway, gently swirling the wine glass in her hand, waiting for him to defrost.

Jungkook turned his head just a little, eyes still on the tall wall-wide window. “This is...”

“Come on, you haven’t even turned on the lights yet.” She laughed and encouraged him to do so with a nod. “Right by the door. Hand level. The switch.”

He pressed it.

The new room was slightly bigger than his old one but it looked so much more spacious. Clean white everywhere and light wood floor, simply and tastefully decorated. Jungkook wouldn’t have ever thought he would be impressed by home design. Besides the mesmerizing windows, his attention was grabbed by the relatively big for one person, super comfortable looking bed, but mostly by all the boxes on the floor which, in some way, ruined the overall zen of the room. He hadn’t dared step inside yet. He admired the room from the doorframe. Then he saw the company logos on some of the boxes, and the shipping AWBs.

“No way!” Jungkook’s head snapped in his sister’s direction and he watched her with wide eyes, incredulous but so, so sparkly.

“Yes way.” She raised her glass of wine as in a toast and nodded.

“No. I mean...It was a joke. I never really thought you’d actually–“

“That I’d actually pay for those?” His brother interrupted.

When his brother had told him not to bring much, he had also told him to order things like a computer and anything else he needed at their address, and he’d pay for it. As a joke or out of spite, or as revenge–maybe all–Jungkook ended up on a shopping spree, waiting for his brother’s calls to scold him. The calls never came, but he didn’t make much of it, never even imagining he’d actually see those things there.

“Yeah.” He was lost of words.

“Even though it would have looked so much nicer with everything set up,” his sister snapped him out of his trance, “we thought you’d like to open them yourself.” She handed him a cutter and Jungkook’s face lit up. He looked like a kid given unlimited money to spend at the candy store...with a cutter in his hand.

“Thank you. I don’t know what more to say. It just...feels like first Christmas with really rich adoptive parents.” Jungkook chuckled.

“Brat.”

It was almost 1:00 a.m. Jungkook was still in the middle of unpacking and installing all of his stuff. Obviously, his excitement got the best of him. Even though it had been a tiring day, he was still in best condition, almost.

In all his moving about, it had gotten a bit hot and it made him sleepy, so he got up from the floor to open a window. The rug itself was so soft he could sleep there for the rest of his days in this home. When he got in front of the window, he saw. There was a door. He opened it in a flash.

He had a small balcony! He couldn’t believe he had a small, high up balcony. He jumped out of his slippers and squealed as he stepped outside. Jungkook leaned against the railing and took a deep breath of cold, summer-night air. Overwhelmed by the city without properly setting foot into it, Jungkook closed his eyes on everything. His head against the cool metal, he felt like he could finally fall asleep.

Seoul’s hugeness proportionally made Jungkook’s worries less and less big. He was old enough to explore and manage on his own, and young enough to get accustomed quickly. Except for his accent. He was still working on that and was a bit self-conscious. It didn’t fail to come through though when he felt comfortable or, at the other end, nervous.

The generosity wasn’t wasted on him. About a week later, after the overwhelming-ness washed away a bit, he could focus again. He had a plan and his plan was to catch up on his studies. This was the right moment. Not overwhelmed but still excited. He converted the feeling into motivation. He was so down for it. He was going to give back. He wouldn’t disappoint.

If he had brought anything else besides clothes in that monstrous backpack, those were textbooks and a few books, just in case. He guessed now was the case.

Despite not being a model child, his parents at least trusted him with his finances. He had always known how to manage his money well so now he got his own credit card. His parents may have sent him here to live with his quite rich brother but they still provided for him. Instead of pocket money, they trusted him with a monthly allowance, starting at quite a sum for whatever he may need in moving out.

He was putting some of that money to good use. He bought school supplies. If he wanted to get some studying done, he absolutely needed to be neat and organized.

Things had good prospects in Jungkook’s mind, but when he got down to the actual studying, he realised that not his former messy methods were to blame for his incapacity to study. It was studying itself. It was him. He and studying. So he tried and tried to train his mind, not to like to do maths, but rather to get a hold of doing maths and not make a fool out of himself.

All this trying got Jungkook tense and his muscles sore, the frustration keeping him awake at night. Walking wasn’t enough. Running wasn’t enough. So he decided to visit a relatively nearby gym he had stumbled across while doing his exploring. After he sweated like a pig, the fatigue was more than enough to help him get some sleep. He repeated the process of physical extenuation into a sweat pool a few times a week. He didn’t quite like going to public places, but people weren’t really paying attention to him there as they were too engulfed in their own physical destruction, so things weren’t so bad.

One day though was notable.

He was minding his push-ups when he felt something strange. It made him freeze for a bit because he knew what was going on. Someone was staring. He could feel it. In some strange awareness, he always felt that. So he stopped and sat on the gym floor to catch his breath.

There was a guy about his age and height, looking at him with curious eyes while obviously also working on his arms. Nice arms too. Jungkook recalled seeing him before. Even though he was a kid like him, he looked like he came there regularly. Not only that guy’s body supported that guess, but Jungkook could notice that, unlike himself, chaotically doing whatever came to mind, the guy had a routine and was familiar with the equipment while he still felt a bit awkward to use it as much as he wanted.

When Jungkook looked his way, he averted his eyes. And again, and again. Once, he could swear he saw him smiling a bit. Was the Seoul guy judging him, laughing at him? Jungkook took that as a challenge and ended up with muscle strain.

For the first time since he came to Seoul, some actual stranger noticed his existence.

He beat the unknown guy. He was content.

In this way, summer passed.

First days of high school are usually hard. Especially when you are all alone while your whole class seems to have at least one person they know, if not several, if not even a friend or a best friend.

Jungkook was all alone, observing. He felt like an impostor. The thought of his classmates laughing at his stupidity kept bothering him. To hide his awkwardness, he took on a rather ‘intimidating’ face in hope it would distract the attention from his fidgety and sweaty hands.

When he got home, he didn’t even want to hear it.

“How was your first day of school?” His sister asked gleefully.

He trudged to his room without a word, banged the door shut, threw his school bag on the bed, and crashed face-front on the floor.

“I am sure our neighbours from below would gladly accept a visit through their front door.” He could hear his sister who was busily cooking in the kitchen. He didn’t feel like any.

If the first days are usually overwhelming, his tiny little hopes for the next ones to be better were cruelly crushed. They were only worse, so the custom of throw and crash remained unbroken until, one day, he no longer had what to throw on the bed because that very same bag was stolen.

He learned that the Seoul subway was a tough place.

Inside the student council room was a tense atmosphere, so he waited patiently for this guy to get a hold. Probably exasperated with his shit, he called another guy who had him fill some papers in a rush because another guy came in and they seemed to have some beef.

Walking to the administrative office, Jungkook was feeling like a total idiot. Nothing new.

Chapter Text

After Min Yoongi made him wait for whole five minutes just to dump his alphabetically arranged reports in a box, Jimin hoped he’d never have to see him again. Good riddance. And after the sleepless night he spent thinking about the guy who passed him by in the council room–Jimin had stared plenty at that figure, a millisecond of exposure was enough to trigger him–, about the possibility of having his stupid hopeless crush right within his reach...as he spent more time thinking, his hopes grew skinnier. Jimin concluded there was no way it was actually him. He would have seen him around. If it was really him, he would definitely have seen him, his cute face around. He deemed it pure wishful thinking, maybe? When did he become such a teenager?

All the thinking and feeling were taking their toll on him, and Jimin could finally go to sleep. How much time did he spend thinking about this crap? He unlocked his phone. 3:46 a.m. It was 3:46 a.m. Tomorrow was school day.

“Park Jimin?” The unfamiliar face calls from the doorframe of Jimin’s classroom. Every time this happened, Jimin and Jimin would question each other through confused looks ‘Is it you?’

“Someone in the council room asked for you.” And the guy is gone. And Jimin knows it is him he meant. Really? He gets up and looks puzzled at Taehyung who just shrugs, and walks off.

Opening the door to the student council room, Jimin has an unpleasant surprise. Min Yoongi. Alone. He resists the urge to turn on his heel and leave.

“You called me?” Jimin asks casually, waiting.

“Yep.” Yoongi flatly replies from behind his laptop where he’s tapping busily. Before Jimin could ask what the matter was, he continues. “Take all these to the administrative office.” He swings his index in the general direction of the many boxes pilled on a desk.

The upfront rude tone makes Jimin clench his jaw to prevent himself from making any regrettable retort. He just grabs as many boxes as he can since they’re not heavy, and struggles to open the door, cursing Yoongi in his head.

From behind his laptop, Yoongi is observing him with an amused look. He was indeed a genius.

Once he’s on the hallway, Jimin is thankful for his rising popularity of lately, as a couple of guys offer to help him. He gleefully passes them the boxes and goes back for more.

“You move quickly.” Yoongi watches him curiously.         

“I manage.” Jimin just grabs more boxes and is out the door without sparing him a glance.

Jimin managed to make only four quick trips. And on each one, Yoongi, over his laptop, unobserved, would curiously follow him with his eyes.

On the fourth one, once he got out the door, Jimin places the boxes on the hallway floor with a thud. Hearing that, Yoongi lifts his head but before he could meet Jimin’s annoyed gaze the door slams loudly. A big ‘fuck you’ from Jimin, he guesses and smiles to himself. That wasn’t going to stop here.

It’s not like Jimin knew it, but he knew it.

The following couple of days, Yoongi didn’t even bother not to show him he disliked him whenever he had the chance (and he had it a lot). The eye rolls, the casual snorts when Jimin opened his mouth to speak.  Why was he even calling him there all the time to ‘help’ him with the trivial stuff that required the minimal amount of effort that Min Yoongi was too fucking lazy to invest? Was he such an easy target? Jimin’s mood dropped below zero because he knew that he was.

“He hates me because he knows.” Seated on Taehyung’s chair, Jimin throws his head back, exasperated.

Taehyung stops tapping on his lips with a pencil, which he’s been doing as Jimin kept rambling, and points it towards him. “So you’re saying he hates you because he heard us and somehow knows it was about you and totally true?”

“That is exactly what I am saying. I already told you I am sure it was him.”

“But none of us saw him.”

“Don’t even try…”

Taehyung shrugs. “Ok. So your reasoning is: he bullies you because he knows you are gay.”

“Yes!” Jimin throws his hands up. “You got it.”

“Why would that be a valid reason? I don’t get it.” Taehyung furrows his brows, a bit confused.

“Because–” Jimin manages to ‘rake’ his chair across the room and is now level with Taehyung, staring him dead in the eyes as he cups his face, squishing a bit too much. “he’s a fucking homophobe with a superiority complex on top of it.”

“You are just assuming.” Taehyung manages to articulate with his distorted fish-mouth.

“Whose side are you on?!” Jimin squishes harder.

“Ok. He’s a fucking asshole.” Taehyung shakes his abused cheeks free and continues. “Do you want me to have A talk with him?” He raises his brows.

“You know no middle way, do you?” Jimin is having a hard time with him.

Taehyung grins. “Next time he asks for you, I’ll go.”

“No. Let’s hope these days were enough for him. How much of an a-hole can one be after all?”

“Right.” Taehyung purses his lips. Then, he remembers something and excitedly pulls Jimin beside him onto the bed. “Let’s watch the new episode of–”

They continue their day without mentioning Min Yoongi again.

The next day

“Park Jimin?”

Jimin has grown so tired of unfamiliar faces calling for him. Asshole didn’t even bother to come ask him himself. Of course not! He was making fun of him. Do this, do that. No ‘please’ no ‘thank you’. Uuuugh. And where was Hoseok this week anyway?

Taehyung was, to some extent, amused by all this. He didn’t like Jimin being on edge, but he didn’t see this situation as that much of a drama. The episode from yesterday however, phwa. Still, one wrong move from the guy and he would rip through him.

Jimin finds himself in front of the council room. Again.

“You’re here.” Yoongi says from his usual spot behind the laptop.

“What do you want?”

“Can you pass me the coffee?” Yoongi points to the plastic cup by the printer, apparently hard at work, not bothering to look his way.

Jimin just rolls his eyes and does that. He places the cup on Yoongi’s desk.

“Now, what is it?” Jimin is expecting some other trivial task.

“That was all, thank you.” Yoongi still hasn’t raised his eyes from the screen.

Jimin can’t believe his ears. This fucking weasel was humiliating him. Who does he think he is? His anger begins to take over him. There is just one thing in his mind right now and he acts on it.

They both reach for the hot coffee at the same time, obviously for different purposes, but Yoongi grabs it first and secures it closer to himself.

“You can leave.” Yoongi takes a sip and throws Jimin a look through his lashes.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” Jimin bursts, making Yoongi finally look at him with wide, curious eyes. “You called me here just for this? Are you that bored to be bothering me like this?”

Yoongi shrugs. “Actually yes.”

Jimin snorts. “Is bullying me so entertaining?”

“Bullying?” Yoongi’s act is beyond Jimin’s understanding. He’s blinking at him like that were news.

“No. Alright. Let’s settle this.” Jimin’s tone leaves no room for foolish acting. He places his hands on the desk and slightly leans forward. “Are you blackmailing me?” He bluntly asks.

And yet Yoongi seems not one bit intimidated. “What? All I did was just ask you some favours.” He’s acting completely oblivious to the situation. “And what could I possibly have on you?” He finally says as he’s looking Jimin straight in the eyes, sipping smugly from his coffee.

This actually–finally–smacks Jimin back to his senses. What did this guy actually have on him? He had no proof of his conversation with Taehyung. He just heard something. What was he gonna do? Spread rumours? Pff. Why had he been so stupid to panic so much? He could finally see reason.

“Nothing.” Jimin asserts.

“You sure?” Yoongi tilts his head, amused, tiny mean smile on.

“Yes, you got nothing.” Jimin mirrors his gesture mockingly and turns his back on a bewildered Yoongi. “Do not call me ever again. Don’t show your face in front of me and I might refrain myself from punching you. Got it?” Jimin throws over his shoulder, not waiting for Yoongi’s reply. Instead of that, the sound of the door slamming behind himself was a liberating one.

“What?! You told him you’d punch him?” Taehyung was on the edge of his seat laughing. “I can’t believe you did that.”

“And if he doesn’t stop I might as well.” Jimin cracks his fist and throws some air-punches.

Taehyung thought he might die from laughter. He could picture his Jiminnie putting that little bitch back in his place. Satisfying.

What followed was one peaceful week for Jimin. That imp didn’t dare send his minions to bother him again. He was feeling somewhat powerful, but at the back of his mind, the thought of dealing with the ‘Jimin is gay.’ rumour was nagging at him. He wouldn’t do it, would he?

It was a usual Tuesday in the student council room. Hoseok was back in business after some other matters he had to attend to last week. Important business, he said. He still didn’t have the slightest idea about Yoongi’s latest means of entertainment.

The two of them have just finished planning the upcoming Sport’s Day and Hoseok grabs the freshly-printed papers. “I’ll now take these to the faculty room. After classes, we can look up venues. Ok?”

Yoongi sinks back into his chair, visibly displeased. “Fine. I fucking hate this staying over classes shit. Honestly.”

“Accept your fate already. First, we need to–”

“I know! Venue! Is a real pain in the ass to look these up. I’ve been doing that for…a week? Two?”

“I know. I am sorry I didn’t have much time to look myself. It’s just so...uugh,” He begins pacing the room, flailing his arms. The papers make a fluttering sound. “It’s kind of late and I want this year to be different, and I know I said we’re going to do great, but now I am afraid I’m just going to kick that idea because it just exhausts me so. Just the thought of it is draining me of motivation. I mean, not even Jin-hyung bothered and I thought I might...gosh!” Hoseok brings his free hand to massage his forehead.

“Pressure kills your chill, I know. And you might be surprised to hear this but–” Hoseok immediately assumed that, in his absence, Yoongi maybe, maybe found a venue or something. He could already hear him say ‘but I found some pretty cool place for it.’ or something along the lines. Instead, what he gets is a plain “chill.”

Hoseok is ready to strangle him. But he was right. Pressure did kill his motivation.

“Right.” Hoseok sighs. “It’s my fault I didn’t have time to dedicate to this the way I wanted. I know. And I also know it’s my fault to have asked the most uninterested person in this field to take care of things.” Hoseok has gotten a bit worked up. He just sighs again. “I am sorry I didn’t like any of your picks.” Yoongi’s weeks of work thrown in the trashcan. That didn’t bother Yoongi. “I just–I need someone with taste to match up to my idea.”

Being called a tasteless guy didn’t bother Yoongi either.

“So a guy with taste. A tasteful guy. Like, a guy who cares about all the things that guys usually don’t care about.” A gay guy? Yoongi’s mind was full of all the gay guys planning wedding clichés. He smirks. “I have just the right person.”

Hoseok guessed he was onto something. Something that would turn out to be either brilliant or a complete mess. “Who?” He dares to ask.

Yoongi signals him to be patient and sits up. He shoves his head out the door and calls to the first person he sees. “Hey, kid.” The boy–Yoongi’s seen him before but that was true for ninety percent of this school by now–approaches. “Go to class 2-3 and ask for Park Ji-Min. Park Jimin.”

He nods dutifully.

“Tell him that,” Yoongi thinks for a second and a smug smile creeps on his face. “Tell him that Min Yoongi asked for him.”

Jimin has had a good week so far.

Now that Min Yoongi wasn’t bothering him every single day, to the point of every single break, he had some time to spend roaming the hallways a bit, get to know the world, the guys, hoping, wishing he’d catch a glimpse of that guy. Still, he was nowhere to be spotted. That left Jimin a bit disappointed. Seems it wasn’t him after all.

“So, have we finished our man hunt?” Taehyung wiggles his eyebrows, gaining just a punch and silence. Bitter silence.

They decided to abandon the search for good and headed back to their classroom.

“Park Jimin?”

Jimin can’t believe his ears. Did Yoongi really want that punch? He lifts his head to see the one who’s calling for him again, irritated.

.               .               .

An angel. Jimin’s angel. He was there. He just called his name.

Jimin froze in his desk. From behind him, Taehyung observes. It was so unlike Jimin, Taehyung couldn’t help biting back a laugh. His boy was gawking, obviously heart-eyed. Taehyung decides it’s time to bring Jimin back down to earth. He kicks Jimin’s seat, making him shoot up to his feet.

“That’s me.” Jimin says in a deep voice as he starts towards the door in a strut.

“The council room. Min Yoongi asked for you.”

The skies that opened up a moment ago crumble on him.

“Jimin, you heard him.” Jimin abruptly stops in his tracks to look at Jimin.

“What?” her eyes widen in confusion.

“They asked for Park Jimin. That’s you.” he insists, trying to get it over with ASAP.

“I’m sure I’m not the one they want.”

Jimin’s attention switches to the door. His angel was already leaving. No. Waait. He’s gone... Jimin gets back to her quickly. “But who?” He asks like it’s the most obvious thing.

“Um, you?” The other Jimin furrows her brows.

“That’s so silly.” Jimin scoffs.

“You’re the class representative.”

“But you’re Park Jimin.” Jimin points his index at her, acting like a total brat.

“But you are too!” She points back at him.

Jimin looks up to the skies in exasperation. “Then let’s go together.” He grabs her hand, whining.

The other Park Jimin didn’t know what was going on and wasn’t really interested in finding out, but she was having none of this shit. She jerks her hand free and slaps him back to his senses.

“Thanks.” Quietly, he goes back to his desk, cheek red and stinging a bit. The other Park Jimin was still as merciless in high school as in kindergarten, primary school and middle school.

“You’re not going?” Taehyung is laughing, visibly amused by all this mess.

Jimin crashes disappointed in his seat.

“Hell no.”

Chapter Text

“Are we waiting for something?” Hoseok finally asks. After seeing Yoongi strut back with that stupid smile on his face, Hoseok thought he might have had a good idea...

“Guess is late by now.” Yoongi shrugs. “Let’s go. We have Literature.”

The next break, Hoseok and Yoongi are patiently waiting again. The smile on Yoongi’s face hasn’t disappeared. He looked like he was expecting something life changing to happen, yet no one passed through that door for the next few minutes. Hoseok has been watching him the whole time, chin propped on one hand, utterly bored. They sit in silence, not moving much, almost like a sculpture–‘Statues of Hope and Scepticism’.

“You look so fucking dumb right now.” Hoseok snorts with laughter but it’s visible he’s starting to lose his patience, shaking his leg up and down.

Yoongi finally lets his smile drop off his face. He slams his palms on the desk, startling Hoseok, gets up and storms off.

Jimin couldn’t believe his eyes. The next class, he couldn’t concentrate at all so he and Taehyung were switching between whispering and exchanging notes.

“Was that guy...” Taehyung whispers into Jimin’s nape.

Jimin doesn’t turn around. He nods energetically.

“Whoaa.” Taehyung breathes as he leans back in his chair. Excitedly, he once again shifts close to Jimin’s nape. “Gotta say I chose that nickname so fucking on spot. Gimmie that. Bambi.” Taehyung said the last word like an explosion, making Jimin shiver.

Jimin presses himself into the seat back and passes him a note carefully. He didn’t want the teacher to notice.

Shut it. I told you I saw him.

“And you told me he’s cute.” Taehyung whispers again. Jimin can’t see the kind of face he’s making right now, thank god, but his tone is much of an indicator.

In the middle of the next break, the classroom door swings open and in steps a real pissed guy Jimin immediately recognises. His eyes find Jimin pretty quickly. 

“Do I personally have to come get your ass there?” Yoongi asks fixing Jimin, brows raised questioningly, letting his head fall slightly to the side.

Jimin just couldn’t believe it. He couldn’t believe many things today. Did Min Yoongi personally come here to ask for him? Yes. Yes he did. He wouldn’t let himself be intimidated by that weasel again. He could have actually taken him with one arm if he wanted to. He thought about that a couple of times to be honest.

“Well, this is only polite when you need someone to do you a favour, no?” Jimin smiles nicely.

Yoongi couldn’t see any niceness in that. “Well, here I am. Now move your ass.” He mirrors Jimin’s fake nice smile while making an inviting gesture.

“No.” Jimin puts it flatly, sweet smile still on his face.

Yoongi would lie if he said he wasn’t surprised to hear that. He didn’t let it show, though.

“Ask me nicely.” Jimin continues in that confident manner, crossing his arm expectantly.

So little gay nerd’s actually a brat. Yoongi closes his eyes and then puts on his best friendly face.

“Fuck you.” He sweetly puts it and goes back wherever he came from.

After some time considering, thinking of every possible reason, racking his brain, Jimin gets up.

“What are you doing?” Taehyung frowns.

“He wouldn’t have come without a reason.” He concludes then he’s out.

“He won’t help us.” Yoongi says it as a verdict.

“Ok. Who’s this person?  And why do we need their help exclusively? Enlighten me, please.” Hoseok rolls his eyes.

“You know him. Your little friend, Jimin. Offered to help me a lot while you were busy. Figured he could help this time too.”

“What? Jiminie? He won’t help me? His favourite hyung?” Hoseok brings his hand to his chest in shock.

Yoongi screws up his face in mild disgus. “Who knows? Guess we’ll have to manage by ourselves.” He shrugs.

Just when Hoseok wanted to ask a really uncomfortable question like ‘What have you done to him while I wasn’t here?’ the door opens.

“Jiminie!” Hoseok shoots towards him.

“Hobi-hyung,” Jimin seems to be surprised to see him there. His eyes shift from him to Yoongi who is dead silent. Jimin doesn’t say anything to him either.

“Yoongi told me you helped him while I couldn’t be here.” Hoseok basically beams.

Jimin’s glances at Yoongi, gaze almost piercing. “You could say that.” Of course Hoseok would have no idea.

“I am so glad you’ll help us.” Hoseok looks genuinely relieved. “I started to panic.”

“Whoa, whoa, hyung.” Jimin defensively puts his hands up. “I didn’t say that. Just wanted to see what all this was about.”

“It’s about me about to lose my last piece of sanity.”

That makes Jimin laugh.

“So, what’s going on?”

“Freshmen prom.” Yoongi says matter-of-factly.

“I am on the verge of a mental breakdown because we are so behind schedule.”

“I–” Jimin starts, a bit hesitant. Hoseok feels that. The polite refusal. He can smell it.

“I can’t believe Yoongi recommended you to help, but I am so relieved.” He exhales to illustrate his point. “I know you are capable and hardworking. Such a charming presence in the organisers’ team.” Hoseok puts his arm around Jimin’s shoulders, pulling him closer to himself.

Jimin just gives him a hesitant look. He knew Hoseok, sure, but from the dance studio and that was about it. They talked sometimes. They hanged out with the other dancers, laughed, maybe had a beer. At school they didn’t see each other that much. Hobi-hyung was a nice guy, no doubt. It was his company that drove Jimin away.

“Come ooon.” Hoseok starts to tickle his side. “Aren’t I your favourite hyung?”

“Wait!”

The display of affectionate banter made Yoongi roll his eyes. Hoseok had completely opposite means.

“Ok-ok, I’ll help.” Finally, Jimin gives up to the praises and hugs and pinches.

“Yey!” Hoseok presses a peck on his cheek.

Jimin’s eyes go wide. “Don’t get carried away, please.” He says and untangles himself from Hoseok’s arms.

Hoseok throws his head back, laughing. “Ok. Do you have plans this afternoon?”

“Hmm. No? Not really.”

“Then, should we meet here or go to some cafe?” Hoseok seems excited.

“This is no school outing.” Yoongi intervenes again. Curtly as always.

“Ok. We’ll meet here after classes. Sounds good?” Hoseok claps his hands and smiles.

Both Yoongi and Jimin nod. Hoseok was a ray of sunshine type of guy, but something about him made both of them not argue with his decision.

Jimin goes back to his class. Of course, he proceeds to tell Taehyung all about this madness.

During this exchange between the three of them, Hoseok noticed something strange. Yoongi said Jimin had offered to help him but the atmosphere seemed really tense between them. He decided to let it slip for now.

They met as planned and acted civil for about an hour. Hoseok can feel his own muscles stiffen because of the atmosphere. He chooses to ignore it since he doesn’t know what the fuck is going on. He doesn’t want to assume and make a fool out of himself, so he keeps silent. But it was so obvious.

Working side by side,  Jimin and Hoseok have started a conversation about something that happened on one of the dance camps they went on to liven up the mood when civility is about to get suddenly murdered.

“Your annoying laughter hurts my ears.”

Hoseok doesn’t make much of that, but Jimin knew he was talking to him only.

Jimin rolls his eyes. “Oh, I forgot I was supposed to brood to match your company.”

“Are you sassing me, Park Jimin?” Yoongi asks, bored, no hint of interest in his voice, not even sparing Jimin a glance.

“You two are a delight to work with...” Hoseok finally gets it out. He sighs and sits up, stretching his body. “My butt’s sore from sitting so long. I’ll go get some drinks. Anything you prefer?”

“Anything with caffeine, please.” Yoongi says, rubbing his eyes.

“Anything’s fine, thank you.”

After Hoseok leaves, silence settles. Yoongi takes the mouse and continues scrolling through the seemingly endless list of venues, unperturbed and utterly bored.

“There’s nothing I like.”

“Is there ever?" Jimin scoffs.

“There are things that I hate less and things that I despise.” Yoongi clicks forcefully on the last word and Jimin could swear he glanced his way.

“You’re scrolling too fast.” Jimin leans over the empty spot between them to get a closer look.

“Is this better?” Yoongi is now literally dragging his finger over the mouse wheel, agonizingly slow.

“Haven’t you ever heard of the middle way?”

“I’ve heard of the middle finger. Stop complaining.”

Jimin sighs and slides onto the empty chair. “That one seems nice. Scroll back a little.”

Yoongi flicks the wheel 180 degrees, past that offer and probably 20 more. “Which one?” he asks cheekily.

“Don’t you know what a little means?! Gosh.”

“Well, not really, but here you are so now I can get a better understanding.”

“Are you–Are you calling me short? You?!” If Jimin had any ‘chill’ left, now he’s lost it.

“Um, no. I’m calling you a little bitch.” Yoongi gives him a side-eye.

Jimin’s mouth flies open, then he bites his lips in annoyance. Will I be able to refrain myself from punching him? Probably not.

Yoongi shrugs and resumes scrolling.

Recovering, Jimin’s eyes find the screen again. “That’s the one–” he says and quickly grabs Yoongi’s hand to make sure he stops.

As if electrocuted, Yoongi jerks his hand away and glares at poor Jimin.

“Don’t touch me.”

Jimin’s expression shifts to...nothing. Not meeting Yoongi’s gaze, he sits up and presently leaves the room. Down the hallway, he runs into Hoseok who’s carrying their drinks.

“Where you going, Jiminie?” Hoseok asks as Jimin passes right by him without saying anything. When he doesn’t reply, Hoseok tries to grab his shoulder.

“Don’t touch me, hyung. I’m contagious.” Jimin answers curtly. “I’ll be back in a bit, ok?”

Hoseok has an idea about what might have happened so he just nods.

“Why are you like this to him?” Hoseok’s question takes Yoongi by surprise.

“What do you mean?” He asks innocently while peaking from behind the laptop.

“You know what I mean. Something is going on. You asked for his help and you’re the one who’s being so nasty with him. Didn’t you say he helped you before?”

Yoongi lets Hoseok go on and on, like a child being scolded.

“Did you even take the time to actually talk to him or have just been an ass? He’s a nice person.”

“Just because he’s nice doesn’t mean I have to like him. It actually annoys me so.”

Hoseok knew this was a story for later so he focused on the pressing matter. “What did you tell him?”

“I didn’t tell him anything.” Yoongi furrows his brown.

"I’m sure Jimin would ask me not to touch him cause he’s contagious just because. So what did you tell him?”

Yoongi looks utterly confused for a millisecond. Then it clicks.

“Fuck.”

“Oh, so you’ve been a massive jerk. What a surprise.” Hoseok rolls his eyes.

Yoongi promptly gets up from his seat. “Tell me something useful.”

“He went that way.” Hoseok points in the direction he saw Jimin going.

Before his eyes would betray him, Jimin crashes on the stairs at the end of the hallway. He rests his head on his knees and tries with all of his might not to cry. He really tries, but a few tears grab on his lashes. In just minutes, his mind started roaming so much. Why do I have to be like this? Why do the people have to hate on me for this? He hoped people around his age would be more open, more accepting. And here was the proof it wasn’t like that. He hasn’t done anything to him. Do straight men really think a gay guy should never touch them? What kind of an entitled asshole thinks that if a gay dude touches you he has interest in you? Why can’t I live in peace just as I am? Why do I have to hide? Why should I feel sorry? Why? Why?...Why did he have to hear? Jimin grabs two fistfuls of his hair.

The sound of footsteps brings Jimin’s awareness back to his more physical surroundings. He quickly wipes away the few tears but, still ashamed, he puts his head back on his lap. The steps are closing in and he can hear them just around the corner.

“I’ll be right back. Just go.” His words are muffled.

Who he thought to be Hoseok sits down beside him. He just sat there in silence so Jimin slowly shifts his head to see.

Yoongi was looking at him.

At the sight of him Jimin gets up, determined to leave, but Yoongi harshly grabs on his wrist, locking him in place. So he just eases down again with a sigh, refraining from rubbing his wrist, back to his ostrich position.

“What?” Jimin hisses.

“Ugh, this is such a mess.” Yoongi begins, rubbing at the back of his head. “Jimin, look–” And from his lap, Jimin looks and his look is so accusing, as if he blamed all the unhappiness in the world on him, eyes a bit red and irritated that it makes Yoongi choke on his words. He realised Jimin really blamed all his unhappiness on people like he thought he was. He confronted that look. “I am not want you make me out to be.”

Jimin snorts. “I think you are just what I make you out to be.” His voice was bored and low.

Yoongi really had fun low-key blackmailing Jimin without ever thinking, suspecting that maybe this was his biggest fear. He thought he had found a sweet, weak, cute guy to get worked up. That backfired so nastily. Not only that Jimin wasn’t anything like that. He did all those things because he was genuinely scared of Yoongi telling on him. So scared, it took him some time to realise he didn’t actually have anything besides words to prove that. He was indeed an asshole, Yoongi thinks.

He feels the need to come clean on this. He tries putting it the best way he can to sound as convincing as possible, without beating around the bush. “I don’t hate you because you’re gay.”

Jimin just holds his gaze.

“It’s not a problem for me. You can like whoever you like for what I care. No one should make you feel ashamed of that and I am terribly sorry if that’s what I made you feel. It wasn’t my intention.”

“Then what was your intention?” Jimin raises his eyebrows so obviously sill pissed.

If Yoongi ever thought Jimin was an easy to read person, he realised he’d been so wrong. He was nothing like Yoongi assumed he’d be. Earlier, Yoongi thought he’d be here to comfort a hurt Jimin, but he ended up being put with his back against the wall.

“There was no clear intention. Just luck, I guess. And boredom. I have no problem with your sexuality, as I have said. I’ve just never liked you as a person. I liked that I got to mess with you.” Yoongi shrugs.

For the first time, Jimin seems interested in what he has to say. “What?”

“It’s not so hard to understand. I just don’t like you. You as a whole. I don’t give a fuck about what you like people to have in their pants. Do I regret going overboard with the assholeness? Yeah. I didn’t know you cared so fucking much about something like this, but I don’t know your reasons so,” Yoongi shrugs. “I am truly sorry for that.”

Jimin seems baffled.

Had he been too much of a nice guy towards him? Was Jimin surprised by his words? That’s what Yoongi made of that bewilderment before Jimin finally spoke.

“The feeling is mutual.” Jimin says calmly, head still resting on his knees, eyes not so cold. Then his expression shifts to confusion, frowning a bit. He looks cute. “Just...Why would anybody hate me?” Spoiled child cute. “I’m an angel.”

That caught Yoongi so off guard. “You have no idea.” He smiles.

Chapter Text

With that out of the way, the waters stilled between the two. Not completely, of course, but they were significantly calmer. The following days, Yoongi would still snort, roll his eyes, laugh at him, even going as far as shoving Jimin off his chair when he voiced his abuse. Only this time, Jimin didn’t read that much into Yoongi’s actions as before.

Hoseok was having a hard time but managed to get them back on track: work work work. If he had to be a tyrant, so be it. Last time he had a tête-à-tête with the principal, he very graciously told Hoseok just how much he trusted the students and especially him to take care of everything. Basically, he pushed all the responsibility on to Hoseok.

They had Jimin make phone calls because ‘Heeell no. You do it. You are cute and have good social skills.’ Hoseok praised him into doing something again. That sneaky hyung. Like a dutiful secretary, Jimin called, made appointments and noted everything down.

Turned out, most venues were already booked, so they returned to searching and calling. In the end, they found a few that met their needs. Every day after classes, they went to see a place from their list and settled on one. Hoseok was a fierce negotiator, Jimin could tell. In those moments, he reminded him of his mom.

In a few days, they had a venue.

At the same time, Jimin’s sweet voice brought in many sponsors. Yoongi had to hold back his laughter whenever he was on the phone, talking all polite and cheery and not at all bratty.

Today too, Jimin hangs up on another successful exchange.

“Bottom.” Yoongi coughs.

Jimin rolls his eyes so hard it hurts. “At least I’m doing something.” he scoffs. “What are you doing?”

“I’m fine, thank you.”

“I mean, how are you being helpful?” Jimin insists.

“Huh? I’m the mood maker.”

Jimin gives him an unimpressed look and frowns.

“Didn’t say what kind of mood.” Yoongi shrugs one shoulder, smirking.

Interrupting Jimin’s retort, Hoseok enters the room like a storm, talking to the guy following him. “I can’t believe Jin-hyung wouldn’t even answer my phone. And when I called you to give him on the phone–cause there’s like a ninety percent chance he’s with you, don’t lie to me–”

Namjoon nods as a greeting, not disturbing Hoseok’s tirade that already seems to be sucking him in too.

“He said, and I quote, ‘Tell him I’m not here’ while obviously being there. I actually heard him say that.”

“Calm down, man. He’s already helped you with the decorations, right?” Namjoon attempts pacifyingly. “It’s just that Jin-hyung has a little less time on his hands than us now.”

“I understand,” Hoseok sighs deeply. “I actually understand, so just say so, ok?”

Namjoon smiles. “Ok.”

Hoseok smiles back.

“You do tend to be pushy,” Yoongi feels the need to meddle into the conversation, but Hoseok’s glance makes him hunch further over the laptop.

“Alright. Now,” Hoseok slaps his hands together, “Let’s put those Maths skills to work, see an estimate price.” Before settling down to his work, Hoseok turns his attention to his other men. “How’s the poster coming along?”

“It’s definitely coming along.” Yoongi scratches his head. “But I wish Jimin would stop interrupting me.”

“What?” Jimin throws his hands up in exasperation.

“It needs to be finished by Saturday. It’s Thursday.” Hoseok isn’t having any today. “Jiminie, do you know any graphic design, something?”

“A little?”

“Perfect. Knew you’re good at everything.” He laughs. “Would you help Yoongi with that?”

“I can do it myself.” Yoongi doesn’t give Jimin a chance to respond.

“There’s no time.” Hoseok taps his wristwatch. “Stop bitchin’.”

Tentatively, Jimin drags a chair beside Yoongi and places his own laptop on the desk. To his surprise, Yoongi cooperates and for the next couple hours they work along smoothly until suddenly, “I have to go.” Yoongi starts packing his stuff with no further explanation.

“Whaat?” Jimin is staring after him.

“Good work.” Hoseok gives Yoongi a high-five. “Hang on.”

Namjoon, who’s been helping Hoseok process all the collected data like the angel he was, also pats his back encouragingly.

“Yeah.” Yoongi sighs. “See ya.” With that, he leaves.

“You’re letting him go just like that?” Jimin is looking at Hoseok, “And the other day too…” he pouts.

“Actually, I too–” Namjoon begins.

“Him too?!” Jimin slouches on the desk.

“I know, I know.” Hoseok waves his hand in the air. “Thank you, man. You saved me.” He grins.

“Anytime.” Namjoon smiles and his dimples come out to greet Hoseok’s. He also leaves while Jimin is gazing longingly after him, out the door.

“What’s wrong, Jiminie? We get to spend some time together. Just The Two Of Us.” He singsongs, approaching Jimin creepily. He flops onto the recently empty chair and takes over Yoongi’s draft poster. “They have work.” he says as he’s nimbly editing in the same manner. Glancing at his new partner, Jimin notices his hands weren’t as huge and bony as Yoongi’s over the mouse. Why did he notice that in the first place?

“Really?” Jimin asks as he continues his part, shaking those thoughts.

“Mhm.”

“What kind of work?”

“Probably more pleasant than what we’re doing here. Getting paid is always a plus.” Hoseok laughs but it sounds strained. “I’m sorry for being so selfish and asking you to stay with me. I honestly feel like we should talk more, but all we do is work…”

“Hyung. You don’t have to apologise. I’m here because I want to. I want to help you any way I can, ok?”

Hoseok laughs. “Don’t be sorry later.”

“Just buy me a drink, please?” Jimin rests his chin on his palm, smiling cheekily.

“Ok.” Hoseok cups his face and pinches his cheeks affectionately, not minding the amount of pressure he's applying.

“It hurts, hyung!”

“Let me kiss it better~ ”

“Nooo!”

Next day

It is Friday and Jimin is feeling a little bit guilty for leaving Taehyung alone all week.

“I’ll–” Jimin begins, hesitating.

“Yeah, yeah. Go help your hyung.” Taehyung waves his hand dismissively, the other putting his textbooks in his backpack.

“I’ll it make up to you this weekend. I promise.” Jimin grabs his backpack in a hurry and leaves. Not that he was too excited, he didn’t like to be late...and Hoseok didn’t like people to be late. Total coincidence. He’s not afraid he’s going to get lovingly strangled like last time when Taehyung decided to throw a tantrum and scream ‘Don’t go! Don’t GOOOO!’ after him, which made him be late for about five minutes.

“It’s not like you ditched me the whole week for human slug and the entitled politician.” Taehyung mutters as Jimin is walking away without hearing a word. He’s still not over Hoseok’s little intrusion.

Jimin spending this week with Hoseok and Yoongi after classes pulled Taehyung’s nerves to a snapping point. So he throws his backpack over his shoulder and decides to pay a visit.

Everything seems to be set up when Jimin gets to the council room, just a tiny bit late. He doesn’t know how that happened either. Not like it was a habit of his or something…

Min Yoongi is hunched over the wide open window and the slight smell of cigarettes is floating in the air. Hoseok is leaning against the windowsill, talking to him. They stop to look at Jimin. Even though they expected it to be him, you never knew who would walk through that door. What lost student or nosy teacher. Despite that, Yoongi decided he was too lazy to go outside, somewhere at the back of the school, where the students usually smoked without being seen. So here he was, ready to fall out of a damn window.

“Revolutionary method of getting things done, I see?” Jimin lets his bag fall off his shoulder on one of the chairs.

Unperturbed, Yoongi takes one last drag. “Fun’s over. Jimin is here.” He puts the butt out on the outside of the windowsill, exhaling the smoke. “Live a little, nerdie.” He starts walking towards Jimin with his little mean smile on and plops down on a chair.

“You’re the walking dead here. I live just fine.” Jimin leaves an empty seat between him and Yoongi and takes out his laptop.

“Hey, Jimin.”

“Yes?” His eyes turn to Yoongi a bit too eagerly. So naïve…

“Can you pass me that coffee?” He nods towards the window, still smiling.

“Min Yoongiii.” Jimin mouths, making small punching gestures, but still gets up.

“I don’t need you to curse me to feel unhappy, Park Jimin.”

Jimin takes a closer look. “You look…tired. Shit tired.”

“Hm?” Translation: ‘And what about that?’

Jimin goes and fetches his coffee. “Hoseok-hyung told me you’re working.” he begins as he hands Yoongi the half-empty cup.

“Hm.” Translation: ‘Thanks. That’s true.’ Jimin actually wished for that ‘thanks’.

“What do you do?”

“I’m selling unhappiness.”

“Does it pay well?” Jimin goes back to his place. “Cos I’m interested.”

“Not at all.”

Jimin stretches over the desk and gives him a curious look. “Did you get any sleep last night?” .

Yoongi shakes his head.

“Do you work at night?”

“Sometimes.”

“That means you work during the day too?”

“Why so curious, Park Jimin?”

“I don’t know. I just find it strange.”

“Is it strange to you that people have to work?” Yoongi scoffs.

“Ugh, just forget it.” Jimin rolls his eyes and straightens in his chair. Did he seem like that kind of guy? Jimin didn’t like to be that kind of guy. He tried. Now his own attitude bothered him.

“I swear to God, I don’t have any idea what you two have with each other. You’re arguing even over a triviality.” Hoseok chips in, interrupting their bantering.

“I bet you of all people would know.” Jimin starts, “As his friend, you must have seen his worst.”

“You have no idea.” Hoseok says mysteriously and Jimin might be a bit curious, but he was curious enough for today so he doesn’t ask anymore. “Let’s get down to business. Why were you late?” Hoseok approaches him, wiggling his fingers menacingly.

“I told about my psycho best friend.” Jimin hurries to say, hoping Hoseok would spare him.

Hoseok just laughs and is on his way to Jimin’s neck when the door swings open and he stops to see the rude fella. In steps none other than Kim Taehyung like he owns the place.

“I’m so done with whatever shit this is!”

Jimin watches this scene unfold with wide eyes, mortified but glad for Taehyung’s weird dramatic perfect timing.

“It’s Friday and you promised you’d finish here till next Friday when you couldn’t watch One Piece with me last Friday! And here you are...” Taehyung crosses his arms as he’s scolding Jimin like a high-maintenance girlfriend.

“Hi!” Hoseok beams and starts walking towards him, arm extended, “I’m–”

“Shut up. I didn’t vote for you.” Taehyung dramatically puts his hand up to hush him so quickly. “And I know who you are.” He had a grudge on Hoseok and Jimin saying he was going to help ‘Hobi-hyung’ every time he left him for the student council business didn’t help at all.

Hoseok raises his brows.

Right when Taehyung opens his mouth to speak again, Jimin snatches him by the arm and drags him outside, slamming the door behind them.

“WHat the fuck are you doing?” Jimin whisper-screams, still squeezing on his arm.

“I’m just tired of you always spending time with Slugman and Mr Facial Lifting.” Taehyung whines. His voice raises right on the offensive nicknames.

The named boys could hear them perfectly anyway with Yoongi shushing Hoseok. He looked really interested. He knew from experience Taehyung brought up compromising things by mistake. But this?

“When the fuck did you make up those names?!” Jimin squeezes his arm tighter, for support because he’s laughing so hard.

“A few minutes ago. I came up with Mr Facial Lifting right now.” Taehyung shrugs.

“Ok. Fine. Crazy. How about you wait here until we’re finished?”

“I don’t wanna wait anymore! I want you to come home with me Right Now!” Taehyung stomps his foot down, pouting, the signal of an ultimatum.

“Oh snap.” Yoongi comments from the other side of the door. He felt part of the conversation anyway.

“Min Yoongi!” Jimin screams.

“No no no.” Yoongi rushes to say, “Slugman.” he drags the word.

“Shut up!”

“Didn’t know you were having a private conversation. Did you, Mr Facial Lifting?”

Mr Facial Lifting opens his mouth to speak and is once again rudely interrupted by the door flying open.

“Listen here, bitch.” Taehyung is half in to point his index at Yoongi, “Keep interrupting my drama here and I promise you your dark circles will turn purple-greenish.” The door slams back.

Hoseok doesn’t even look at Yoongi’s expression. He’s wheezing, thrown over his desk.

“It’s not like I wasn’t threatened by one of these brats before.” Yoongi shrugs.

“He called you a bitch–” Hoseok can’t hold his laughter.

“I’m a bad bitch.” Yoongi says proudly.

On the other side of the door Jimin hits Taehyung’s side. “What the actual fuck?”

“I don’t like being interrupted while talking.” Taehyung just shrugs like it was nothing, “Or shitting, for somebody’s knowledge.” He says a bit louder towards the closed door, for Hoseok to hear him better.

“Don’t be such a bitch. How about this? You go home and I’ll come later or wait here and be civil.”

Jimin was being serious so Taehyung just pouts and follows him back inside where Jimin directs him towards a chair on which he obediently sits down. Without another word, Jimin goes back to his place and begins working. Ignored, Taehyung starts to look around for something to do.

“And don’t–” Jimin seems to remember something, so he lifts his eyes only to find Taehyung’s chair empty, “touch anything?” He starts searching for him with his eyes. Did he leave? He would have heard the door...

A sharp puffing sound grabs Jimin’s attention. He turns towards the source. From his laptop where he’s working on the page for the Sports’ Day (so busy), Hoseok does the same. Yoongi actually felt that above his head, so he looks up and sees Taehyung’s face looming above him. Right before he can speak, Taehyung brings his hand up to wipe his own mouth.

“Oops.” Taehyung says cheekily, looking down right into Yoongi’s eyes, raising his brows like the brat he was.

Did he just blow over his head and then wiped his mouth? Like saliva flew in his hair? Did he just do that? Yoongi thinks and gives Taehyung a disgusted look.

“Your friend is–” Hoseok can’t keep a straight face, laughing, “batshit crazy.”

Jumin just gives him the what are you doing glare and then starts laughing too.

“Cut the crap and make yourself useful if you’re going to be here.” Yoongi says totally unimpressed and nods towards the chair beside him.

“So you need Jimin so the three of you can just stare at screens? And now you’re telling me to do the same?”

“Do you have something better to do?” Yoongi urges him to sit with the same gesture.

Taehyung just takes the seat. “Great. Now it’s the four of us staring at screens.”

“Which colour are we using?” Jimin’s asks Yoongi over Taehyung.

He seems to consider for a second, frowning. “You’re asking me? I’m sure you’re better at this.”

“Yeah, cause you don’t care.”

“Mhm.”

“I like the purple version.” Taehyung, who’s stolen Yoongi’s mouse and browsed through the variants, voices his preference.

Yoongi shrugs and starts adding the final touches to that poster.

As self-proclaimed social media expert, Jimin is creating the event’s page. “By the way, hyung. Did you take care of the music?”

”Yep.” Hoseok’s fingers move ceaselessly on the keyboard. “I know a guy. Really cheap.”

Yoongi gives him a side-eye. “Who’s cheap?”

“My guy.”

“Well, is he any good if he’s so cheap?” Jimin seems a bit worried.

“He’s this edgy dude, but he’d play any teenage bop for some money. No morals.” Hoseok laughs.

After 5 more minutes, Taehyung loses his patience. “Gosh. Can I do something to get out of here quicker?”

“Help Yoongi.” Hoseok answers immediately, “It’s taking him longer on his own because he’s fretting over stupid details. Somebody might care a bit too much…”

“You know I don’t half-ass things even though I don’t like doing it.”

Yoongi proceeds to ask Taehyung on the stupid detail he couldn’t decide on. Taehyung grabs his mouse and finishes in what seems no time.

“Poster’s done.” Yoongi leans back in his chair, stretching his whole body. “Send it to Jimin, please.” he asks Taehyung.

“Ok, I’ll add it here and we’re done.” Jimin sounds excited. “It’s up!”

“AAAAaa.”

In case you were wondering, that’s Yoongi’s high-pitched scream of celebration, out of his mind tired, while grabbing all of his things and stuffing them in his backpack. Then he runs out the door like crazy, all the while screaming.

“What are you doing?!” Jimin screams after him, trying and failing not to laugh.

“I’m late for wooooooork!” Yoongi screeches.

After that, they decided to call it a day. Hoseok promised them to celebrate some other time. He was so excited, he even invited Taehyung.

Friday was One Piece day. Taehyung didn’t make the rules. Or did he? He couldn’t wait to get to Jimin’s house so he shared his observations and asked Jimin a few questions on the way.

“Let’s gossip.” Taehyung says out of the blue.

“I’m not gossiping!” Jimin pretends to be offended.

“Let’s state our opinions about people while they’re not present. Better?”

“Better. Yeah.” He nods.

“I smell something fishy with your beloved hyung.”

“Huh? Getting right into the hot stuff, I see.” Jimin laughs.

“No. I mean–” Taehyung closes his mouth, considering. He wanted to convince Jimin of something he himself didn't fully understand. “Just...He just doesn’t seem...” He tries to find the perfect words just to realise he doesn’t have them. “I don’t know.” He gives up. Hoseok was Jimin’s friend and this was just a– he didn’t even know what that was. A feeling? “I don’t know. He kept staring.” Taehyung saw that too, so this little avoidance of what he really wanted to say wasn’t a lie.

Jimin lets out a laugh. “You barged in like a drama queen, told him to basically shut the fuck up and then didn’t say another word to him, started to mess with Yoongi–"

“Oh, he seems cute.” Taehyung interrupts.

“Wha–” Taken aback, Jimin chokes on his spit.

“What? He looks inoffensive to me. Like a cat that seems it doesn’t want to be bothered but if you manage to come close enough, if you rub her under the chin, it actually purrs, you know? Rubs on your hand?” Taehyung makes caressing gestures, little smile on his face.

Jimin puts his legs to good use and speeds ahead, fast past his best friend. “Let’s get home before you say any more creepy shit.” he says over his shoulder.

“Doesn’t that make you wonder?” His tone’s still a bit insinuating.

“Let’s get home!” Jimin tries to talk over him.

“You think I said dirty things, don’t you?”

“You are a pervert. Would that be a surprise?”

“No, I’m not. It was a figure of speech. You are the pervert for thinking that I thought of dirty things when I said that.”

“Stop trying to play mind games with me, Kim Taehyung. Let’s get home before I smack you.”

Taehyung complies. They got to Jimin’s place and built an in-bed snack bar. It was all set up. Episodes ready to be played, already stuffing snacks in their mouths when Jimin’s phone rang. Not one of his contacts but he still answers. He’s developed a kind of habit.

“Park Jihyun?”

“Yes.” He replies without hesitation in his ‘business’ voice.

“You have a package. Can I find anyone at the address to sign for it?”

“Yes. I’m actually home.”

“Going to be there in five. ‘s that ok?”

“Yep. Thank you.” He hangs up. “That socially incapable bed-bug gave my number again. I swear to God that half of Seoul’s couriers have my number by now.”

Taehyung can see Jimin is actually not that mad about it. “Nice.” He wiggles his brows.

“They are middle aged men! What the fuck?!” Jimin scrunches his nose in disgust and goes for the door. “You insist to be especially bratty today.” He points his index threateningly at Taehyung. “Be right back. Don’t start without me.”

“K.”

Jimin hated to make working people waste time waiting on him. The guy was probably at his gate by now, so he starts running down the stairs.

The bell rings.

Chapter Text

Yoongi was late for work.

Well, not really. Yoongi doesn’t actually have work hours. A ‘get done with these and you are free to go’ kind of job. They don’t care how long it takes him as long as his share get to their recipients that day. The only requirement they had of him when he applied a year ago was a personal means of transport. Naturally, there’s no rocket scientist job available for an experienceless high schooler. Naturally, the pay is shitty. Naturally, he didn’t have much of a choice.

Today, for god knows what reason, he got a new sector assigned to him. One completely unfamiliar. One of the rich neighbourhoods. Well, rich people do buy more stuff, no? So he took on his shift. Got the papers, the huge bag, and his bike, of course. Headphones on, music on, and he’s pedalling away. Repeat 3 times a week. Usually, he switches the ‘other thoughts’ button on too, but because he doesn’t know his way around he has to pay attention to Google’s directions.

He checks in with the clients beforehand as he doesn’t like to wander around town on a bicycle, unprotected from sun or rain or cataclysm, for nothing. Sure, sounds fun to kids but he’ll officially become a working adult in a few months. He just wants to be as efficient as possible to get done with it as quick as possible. Simple.

So far, the day’s gone by ok. Nothing out of the ordinary. Only a few more packages to deliver. Next is this kid’s Logitech one. He already called to confirm someone gets to answer the door so he’s good. He’ll be done in 30 minutes tops, under one hour with returning the papers to HQ.

He takes a few seconds to catch his breath after he pedalled uphill towards the kid’s house, simultaneously scanning the property. Really nice place, that wasn’t hard to notice. Big house, gated front yard, trees, big garage (so at least two cars). They own a restaurant, it seems. Yoongi checks the price of the current delivery and gets an even clearer picture. Rich people.

He gets off his bike to pull this kid’s package from his delivery bag and rings the bell once, just to announce his presence. Soon, he hears the front door opening and closing and the sound of rushed footsteps approaching the gate. Kid really anticipated this, huh? Probably a gaming addict kid.

The gate opens and Yoongi has never wished for the earth to swallow him whole so much his entire life. It’s so ironic he feels like laughing. Seeing none other than a bewildered, home dressed Park Jimin of all people makes Yoongi think karma is indeed a bitch. Wait. He really shouldn’t be talking ill about her. Sorry lady karma.

He noticed how whatever Jimin was about to say got stuck in his throat and the way his eyes went up and down. Still, Yoongi keeps his composure. To just ask ‘sign here, please’, give him the package, and mind his business would only have shown how much he didn’t want Jimin to know about the actual nature of his work: lame. Acting petty like that was not an option now. It would have shown how embarrassed he really was.

Before he can speak, Jimin scans Yoongi from head to toe, again, just to make sure it's actually him in that uniform which, in fact, only consisted of a T-shirt with the shipping company’s logo (a minimalist design with a panda–doesn’t make much sense for the type of business, but Jimin didn’t think about that). But a pair of plain black jeans packs quite a punch to the eyes that got used to seeing Yoongi dressed about the same every day at school. That worked the other way around too. Seeing your ‘uniformed’ schoolmates in their casual wear is weird. It’s like meeting them for the first time.

As he becomes aware of the lingering silence, Jimin hurries to articulate something.

“Hi.” he says to the panda.

Not awkward at all...Jimin thinks and finally looks at Yoongi’s face as it changes from unreadable to his usual unimpressed expression.

“Don’t tell me your parents actually named you Park Jimin Jihyun, please. Is this even a thing in Korea?” Yoongi tries to play it casual but can’t control shifting from one foot to the other.

“My brother is socially awkward.” Jimin rubs the back of his neck. Does this make sense?

“Oh, I see.” Yoongi says absent-mindedly as he’s writing something. Then he hands Jimin the papers. “Sign here.” Again, he seems not one bit uncomfortable while talking.

Jimin really had no idea how to handle this situation. Not only did he make himself appear like a spoiled brat who doesn’t understand why some high school kids have to work earlier today, but now Yoongi was in front of his house. Enough to guess. If he’d dared to think their relationship was getting better, he could kiss that goodbye.

As he takes the papers, not lifting his eyes from them, Jimin tentatively asks, “Were you late for work?”

“A bit.”

Jimin returns the papers. “Do you want to–” He is fidgeting with his now empty hands, pointing over his shoulders.

“Need to...” Yoongi points at the few packages still waiting to be delivered.

Jimin wants to slap himself for even attempting. But then, he finds himself speaking again in what meant to be a friendly voice, “The package is for my brother but that number is mine.”

Yoongi’s mouth goes ‘ah’ but no sound comes out, obviously surprised. Did he just...?

Turned out friendlier than he intended. Jimin mentally slaps himself. “So next time you guys need me, you can text me. Can’t believe we haven’t thought of this before. Haha.” He blurts and tries to slide back inside.

“Jimin.”

“yeah?”

“Your package.” Yoongi has gotten on his bike and is gently shaking the box.

Jimin can’t hide his embarrassment as he reaches for the package with little sweaty hands.

“Thank you.”

“Go now. Today could have gone by without me having to see your face again.” Yoongi puts his, by now, signature mean smile on.

“Same here.” Jimin mumbles from behind the already closed gate.

After hearing the bicycle’s wheel sounds getting further away from his house, Jimin goes back inside and bolts up the stairs, opens his brother’s door like a storm, tosses him the package while completely ignoring the following complaints like ‘this is fragile’ and ‘what if I didn’t catch it’, and stops in front of his room.

Before entering, he tries to calm himself. It wasn’t such a big deal. Why should he feel bad? Why did he feel bad? He felt so bad. Yoongi probably thought he was a spoiled brat now. He’ll hate him even more. Not that he cared, but he really thought that maybe they had gotten over the ‘I hate you’ part and were actually becoming friends. So maybe he cared. He didn’t like having people not liking him. And now he even made a total fool out of himself while unintentionally, totally unintentionally sounding like he flirted with him. So lame...

As much as he tried to restore his previous, cheerful mood, Jimin opens the door with a frown on his face.

“What took you so long?” Taehyung lifts his questioning eyes from the laptop. He is sitting on his stomach on the bed, legs rubbing against one another playfully.

Jimin freezes in the doorframe. “I can’t believe it. You started without me?” His façade good cheer crumbles and a murderous look takes over.

Taehyung hurries to shake his head ‘no’. “It’s just a YouTube video, I swear.”

Jimin crashes head-first beside him, more precisely, beside his feet. “Jesus hates me. Of all people on this earth working at a shipping company...”

“Help me catch on, please.” Taehyung frowns in confusion.

“And of all things I could have said, I said that.” He continues talking to himself or, perhaps, to Taehyung’s feet.

Taehyung crawls on the bed until he’s head level with Jimin. “Enlighten me, please?”

“Long story short, Min Yoongi delivered my brother’s package and I made a fool out of myself–”

“Nothing new.”

“Shut up. I liked talking with your feet more.”

If possible, Taehyung’s expression gets even more confused.

“Now he knows where I live...”

“You afraid he’s gonna come at night and kill you to death?”

“And they say you’re the smarter one...”

Taehyung ignores that. “Then why is it such a big deal?”

“He saw where I live. He’s working day and night for some reason and he saw where I live.”

“Rich boy complex strikes again?”

“You shamed me for months!”

Taehyung starts laughing and he does too. Jimin doesn’t dwell on it. They continue their One Piece session.

They were eating a proper dinner when Jimin’s phone, yet again, chimes to life.

‘Hello my little hardworking cow! You and your pretty friend up for being treated by none other than your president on the morrow? Yoongi’s gonna be there too, but he’s easy to ignore.’

“What do you say?” Jimin passes Taehyung his phone.

Taehyung thinks for a second, chewing. He swallows and concludes, “Ok. But not late.”

“Why?”

“I have plans…”

“What plans?”

Taehyung shrugs.

“Do you have a date?” Jimin wiggles his brows.

“Maybe.”

“Mysterious bitch. Ok. So, we goin’?”

“Ok. But we gotta be back by 3-4 p.m.”

“We?” Jimin raises a brow.

“I thought we were the ‘you go, I go. you leave, I leave’ kind of friends? And now you want to betray me for your Hobi-hyung! Or maybe...” Taehyung makes one of his gross pervy faces.

Jimin punches his arm.

“Out of all three evils, I choose the known one.”

“AAaawww. Ok. We’re going. He called me pretty so he can’t be that bad, no?”

“Crushing logic.”

In front of the meeting place, Yoongi is patiently smoking his second cigarette while Hoseok is wriggling his toes inside his shoes, holding back going full-out tapping his feet impatiently. He really didn’t like people to be late.

“Are my eyes tricking me or are those them?” Hoseok squints.

“Guess so.”

Casual clothes didn’t help much with identifying but it was them, they could tell in the daylight. In any case, Yoongi was sure about one of them. Disregarding his surroundings, his eyes stuck to the boy. The going out with friends Jimin is wearing light wash skinny jeans, thick-soled shoes, and a light opened jacket over a plain T-shirt–it got chillier with the start of October. Pretty basic. Without noticing, Yoongi audibly gulps. 

“We can turn this into a double date if you want to.” Hoseok leans to whisper in Yoongi’s ear jokingly.

Yoongi looks at him and makes a disgusted face for an answer. “You and that lunatic would make an ew couple.”

Hoseok’s mouth falls open. “And what would you two make?” he laughs.

Yoongi’s eyes find Jimin again, and he makes his stupid smug face. “We’d be just fine.”

But they were within hearing distance now so Hoseok limits to a scandalized look as a retort.

“If you took your time to look this fine, then you’re forgiven.” Hoseok says for a greeting.

“Sorry, hyung.” Jimin smiles sweetly.

“Didn’t even try.” Taehyung replies too.

“Well, you look hella fine.” Hoseok adds.

“I was talking about you.” Taehyung makes an up and down movement with his eyes.

This makes Hoseok laugh. “Didn’t have the time, nor the mood.” He shrugs.

“Well, you nailed it.”

“I’ll take it as a compliment.”

Meanwhile, Yoongi mouths a ‘hi’ to Jimin to which he replies in the same manner, plus a small smile.

“You took us out so we’d get full with compliments?” Jimin says towards Hoseok.

“Let’s eat, my hardworking little cows!” Hoseok puts his arms around the two boys and pulls them inside the cosy barbecue restaurant. They find a table and talking comes surprisingly easy. Jimin forgets about his worries regarding yesterday since Yoongi doesn’t mention anything.

Wasting no time, Yoongi took the scissors and tongs from Hoseok’s hands and started grilling the meat. He’d seen his friend overcook it to charcoal texture before. ‘Crispy’ he said. Contrary to Hoseok’s assurances, Yoongi became hard to ignore. He got really talkative, but it didn’t bother them as they actually talked normally for once.

While waiting for the meat to cook, Hoseok excuses himself to the bathroom.

“Do you need any help with that?” Jimin has developed some kind of habit.

Yoongi glances at him with a mischievous glint in his eyes. “No need to tire your princess hands.”

“Here we go, you two faced bitch.” Taehyung says matter-of-factly, not raising his eyes from his phone (there really were a shittone of games out there), making Yoongi roll his eyes, amused.

“Can’t you give me a break?” Jimin massages his temple.

But Yoongi has no intention of stopping. He puts his mean smile on as he’s still tending to the grill.

“Park Jimin, perfect boy. Except, wait–” Yoongi takes his eyes off the sizzling meat to look at him. “He’s not that perfect.” He’s covers his mouth in pretend shock.

“What do you mean?” Taehyung cuts in before Jimin can say anything, darting Yoongi a cold look. “Got a problem with that?” His voice drops.

“Let me correct.” Yoongi turns a few meat pieces over. “Park Jimin, socially perfect boy, rich, cute, polite, has straight A’s, all the good things, but there is tiny problem, ‘socially acceptable’ speaking. Better now?”

“There is no problem.” Taehyung insists.

“In our society? Keep dreaming. What I am trying to say here is ‘poor rich boy’ kind of thing.” Yoongi turns his attention back to the grill.

“There I thought you’ were going to let this slide.” Jimin leans back into his seat, exasperated. “But you’re actually being more of a dick then I thought you’d be.”

“Did I ever disappoint you?” Yoongi says smugly.

“You really have no life, don’t you?” Taehyung reaches for his drink, unamused.

“I just find it so...tragic.” Yoongi smiles.

They see Hoseok bouncing back along the rows of tables. Yoongi shuts up.

“Two faced.” Taehyung mutters in his drink, gaining just a smirk.

“That was refreshing.” Slipping back in his seat, Hoseok notices the sudden change in atmosphere. “Ok, you bitches.” He starts, gaining their attention. “You three seem to know something that I don’t.” He leans back in a comfortable position and folds his arms, waiting.

Jimin’s expression betrays any excuses they were planning to tell, eyes wide and frantically searching between them.

“So there really is something.” Hoseok raises a brow. “Jiminie can’t lie for shit.”

“I...n-no.” Jimin stutters.

“You three are hiding something. I can smell it.” Then, Hoseok’s eyes find Taehyung’s, who’s been observing quietly. He leans over the table, looks left and right to make sure nobody can hear, and asks in a quiet voice. “Are you gay?”

Taehyung looks outraged. “Why would you ask me that?”

“I don’t know. Just…” Hoseok shrugs.

Taehyung leans in closer too. “Would that offend you?” He raises his brows provocatively, scrutinizing Hoseok’s face for any ‘yes’ in those ‘nos’ he was probably going to say. Jimin actually told him about his idea to come out to Hoseok since he seemed a really open-minded dude, but Taehyung was still a bit sceptic. Maybe he was overprotective. Maybe he liked being the only one Jimin trusted. But if Jimin was going to come out to Hoseok, few precautions were necessary. So Taehyung tries hard to catch and decipher any weird expressions he might have.

“I actually couldn’t care less because I myself am a queer man. You can trust me.” Hoseok winks.

What a surprise. Taehyung just smiles.

From beside Taehyung, Jimin is looking at Hoseok, guilty smile spreading across his face, and he gives a little quick wave. This setup wasn’t what Jimin expected for him to come out to someone, but it felt safe enough. “That would be me.” He says shyly.

“OMG!” Hoseok raises from his seat in surprise and excitement, gaining a few looks. He sits back down, beaming. “I would have sworn...” His eyes shift to Taehyung again, then back to Jimin, then finally to Yoongi. “You knew?”

Yoongi just shrugs. “Don’t get too offended. I just happened to overhear.”

“I just...wow. Who would have thought? Park Jimin...”

“Shocking, isn’t it?” Yoongi picks up a piece of meat and raises the chopsticks to Jimin’s mouth “Can’t say if it’s done.” He urges him to eat with a gesture. “What do you think?”

Without looking at what he’s being offered and naively unsuspecting, Jimin opens his mouth. Two chews and his face turns to pure disgust. He immediately spits it in his palm. “This is almost fucking raw!”

“Oops, my bad.” Yoongi holds back a laugh and Jimin holds back throwing the chewed piece at his face.

“I’ve been meaning to ask.” Hoseok feels the need to interrupt this scene, amused. “You two seem to not like each other.” He points between Yoongi and Jimin with his chopsticks. “Why?”

The named boys meet gazes again, one with an amused look, one frowning.

“Our personalities don’t fit together, that’s it.” Yoongi explains and slurps from his drink.

“I saw you two can get along just fine.” Hoseok smiles mysteriously, eyeing Yoongi, who’s staring back, straw tight between his lips.

“No, no, no.” Jimin hurries to correct him. “He keeps bothering me.” He pouts. “He went as far as blackmailing me into slavery, but he doesn’t want you to know any of that.”

“Really? Blackmailing? You said–” Hoseok turns to Yoongi with an outraged look.

“Get over yourself.” Yoongi rolls his eyes. “I just don’t like him.” He shrugs.

“Aha. I see, I see.” Hoseok stops to think for a second, frowning. “What’s not to like about my little Jiminie?! He’s an angel!”

“That’s what I was thinking too!” Jimin raises from his seat and goes to give him a bro hug.

“Yeah, yeah. My thoughts exactly.” Taehyung states his opinion too.

“Bunch of brain washed booty cultists.” Yoongi scoffs, making them laugh. “Can’t you see he’s only pretending to be that nice?”

“Shhh!” Jimin frowns and continues jokingly, “You can’t blow my cover like that!”

“Don’t mind him, Jimine, he just likes to be edgy.” Hoseok laughs. “Let’s dig in. For a job well done!” Hoseok raises his glass. “I just wish Namjoon and Jin-hyung were here...”

“Why didn’t they join us?” Taehyung raises his eyes from his plate.

“Jin-hyung is too busy studying and Namjoon...well, I don’t know.” Hoseok shrugs. “I’ll fill my belly with them in my thoughts.” He dramatically puts his palms together as in a prayer and then shoves a large piece in his mouth, chewing contently.

After clearing everything that could be eaten, Hoseok has an idea. “Want to go somewhere after this? Have some fun?”

“No.” Taehyung cuts him short.

“Why not?” Jimin stares at him curiously.

“I already told you. We can stay up until 4 max. It’s 3:15.”

“Do we have plans?”

“Yes. We do.” Taehyung rolls his eyes.

“Hold the fuck up.” Hoseok jumps in. “Am I getting this right?” He raises his brows suggestively. “Are you two dating?” he whispers.

“No. Ew.” Jimin replies straight away.

Taehyung calmly swirls the drink in his hand. “What do you mean ‘ew’, you bitch?” His voice is low, threatening.

“I-I mean no.” Jimin covers his mouth, holding back a laugh.

After they separated, Jimin doesn’t know what to expect when Taehyung drags him in a different direction than any of their houses, but he’s learnt to bear with him. On the way, he sort of figured out where they were headed to, but not why. Why were they at Seoul Station? Did Taehyung have to pick up someone? Taehyung didn’t tell.

As thy're walking along the platform, Jimin gets even more confused. Why was his brother there, in broad daylight? With two bags at his feet…? Ignoring Jimin, his brother and Taehyung shake hands and have a quick exchange. Then, the little shit stalks away with a ‘Mom’s gonna kill you both.’

Taehyung picks up the bags and nods towards the stationed train for Jimin to get the message. He's smiling mischievously, eyes glinting, like a beautiful brat.

“Kim Taehyung, where are you taking me?”

Chapter Text

What do you give a rich person who has everything as a birthday present? Taehyung was having a really hard time finding the answer to that question. Nice things? Jimin had tones of them. His first best friend deserved the best things on their first birthday together and Taehyung knew he couldn’t afford them. However, even if he lacked the money, he had other means.

It wasn’t hard for Taehyung to keep things hidden.

“Daegu? Really?” Jimin tucks the bag in the luggage compartment, smiling like a fool.

Taehyung grins back as an answer.

They sat down and the train departed. Jimin huddled closer to Taehyung, giddy with excitement. On the way, they talked and laughed quietly, and chewed on snacks while sharing a pair of earphones. At some point they fell silent, Jimin’s head on Taehyung’s shoulder, eyes following the passing scenery.

Finally, they arrived in Daegu before dinnertime.

“I still can’t believe you planned all this behind my back.” Jimin says while letting himself be lead though the relatively empty station.

“You’d be surprised how many other things I did behind your back.” Taehyung says jokingly.

“Related or unrelated to this?”

“Not telling.” Taehyung turns around and smiles brightly, then tugs at Jimin’s hand to hurry. “We need to catch a bus. Countryside, remember?”

Jimin watched the changing, as if decomposing view outside the bus window. In fact, the transition between city and rural kept the eyes just as busy, taking in the fields, the hills now bathed in pink light. Through the window, it castsed shadows on their faces and reflected in their hair.

They had to walk uphill a short way and, by the time they got in front of the gate, the sky cooled. Still, right there, some warm feeling crept inside Jimin’s chest, spreading to his neck and back. He was nervous.

Taehyung opens the gate with such familiarity, Jimin finds himself thinking just how weird that seemed; the sure step on the pavement. Taehyung’s “home” was here, after all. A simple house, with a flower garden. In his mind, Taehyung belonged in that tiny apartment which had become very dear to him during the countless hours spent there.

Introductions were made and Jimin could immediately tell where Taehyung’s warmness came from. His grandma seemed particularly happy to meet him, welcoming them with an impressive array of home-cooked dishes.

After eating, Taehyung rushed to leave them know each other better. He literally got up, kissed their cheeks and left. Jimin knew he shouldn’t ask why. He figured.

Alone with Taehyung’s grandma, he offers to help with clearing the table but is sweetly refused.

“Don’t worry. I’ll just put these here–” She places the bowls in the sink, “and make some tea. Or do you prefer something else? Taehyung always prefers something else.” She laughs heartily.

“Tea would be fine, thank you.” Jimin smiles.

“Tea is fine, indeed, but how about some cinnamon hot cocoa and cookies?”

Jimin’s face lights up. “Yes please!”

It was a bit weird to be here, just him, but Jimin didn’t feel awkward. Her presence was comforting, safe.

That hour they were left alone, Jimin and Taehyung’s grandma talked a lot over hot cocoa and cookies. On tentative demand, she showed him Taehyung’s baby pictures and they laughed at them and at the accompanying outrageous stories. He took a picture of little Taehyung’s glorious ‘nude’ photograph, laughing with tears in his eyes.

They continued flipping the pages of the photo album, sitting close together on the sofa.

“Taehyung was always surrounded by people.” Her fingers stoke the pages.

“Well, Taehyung is pretty popular at school too.” Jimin sips from his hot cocoa, smiling, cosy.

“But never had a single friend.” She looks at him and offers him another cookie.

Jimin takes it, but keeps it in his hand. He didn't expect hearing that. And he doesn’t know how to feel about it. Special? Sad? A bit disappointed he hadn’t tried harder?

“I am glad he found one.” She places her hand over Jimin’s cookie fist, one wrinkled and rough from work, but nonetheless, gentle.

As Taehyung’s steps can be heard in the backyard, returning from whatever he’s been doing, this concludes their conversation, leaving Jimin with a funny sensation, something like a hole in his chest.

Taehyung is a closed up person, Jimin knows that well. He opens up about things that may seem important, like a parent’s failed marriage and divorce, but doesn’t really talk about how much it hurt him, or how it changed the way he sees the world. Jimin had noticed there was more to it than “my father left”, but didn’t pry.

Back in their room–which was Taehyung’s little brother’s now–Jimin wanted to ask but he knew ruining the mood for his birthday wouldn’t be appreciated, so he kept shut. He also couldn’t help being intrigued by Taehyung’s well-kept birthday surprise.

The night has fully settled when Taehyung suddenly takes Jimin’s phone from his hand and stops whatever they were watching.

“What are you doing?” Jimin watches his phone being thrown on the bed. Then, Taehyung pulls a thick hoodie out of the bag and throws it to him.

“Change your clothes. We’re going outside.”

“Where exactly outside?” Jimin asks as he obediently puts the hoodie on.

“You’ll see.”

“Ugh. Going all mysterious on me makes me nervous.”

Taehyung grabs Jimin’s hand over his sweater-paw. Outside, on the windowsill, there’s a flashlight. Taehyung grabs that too, even though the clear sky lets the moon shine unrestricted. He leads Jimin through the backyard, and then, somewhere beyond it, through the thickening trees.

Jimin’d lie if he said he wasn’t a bit worried, but if Taehyung planned this, he must know better. So he just follows without saying a word. None of them says a word. Only the rustling of their steps on the thick mat of fallen, dried leaves can be heard as they walk holding hands.

Taehyung turns his flashlight on and pulls Jimin off the main path, entering a smaller one right into the woods.

“Scary?” Taehyung breaks the silence.

“They will find my body, eventually, and you will be brought to justice.” Jimin threatens jokingly as he squeezes Taehyung’s hand.

“The sweet release of death.” Taehyung proclaims, “Best birthday gift ever.” This gets him a smack on the head and a giggle. Rubbing at his new little ‘concussion’, he continues teasingly. “We should ask Yoongi when his birthday is. Think I found the perfect gift.”

“He’d definitely enjoy it. Maybe even say thank you for the first time in his life? Who knows? I can just imagine.” Jimin looks up innocently.  

“Have you always been like this and I just missed it, or did we spend too much time together?”

“Even I can’t tell, honestly.”

“I will have to cover your eyes.” Taehyung interrupts the flow of the conversation to pull Jimin’s hood over his eyes. “Don’t peek, please. I need you to see where you step and look only where you step. Ok?”

“Ook.”

They walk a few more meters and, after what seemed like a creepy, dark path from under his hoodie, Jimin can see his shoes again. The ground is painted silver in the moonlight. A clearing? He really doesn’t know what to expect. He can only see what seems like overgrown pavement.

“Be careful here.” Taehyung stops.

“What is this place?” 

“You’ll see in a second.” Taehyung inhales and jumps somewhere. “Come a bit closer.” A couple of steps further and Jimin can see he’s on the edge of something. Taehyung extends his arm towards him from bellow.

Jimin squats and grabs Taehyung’s hand. “Are we there?” 

“Yes.” He helps him down. “But don’t take your hood off until I tell you so.”

“Yessir.” Jimin salutes over his hood, bright smile on, making Taehyung laugh. He looked ridiculous, like one of those puppies with fur over their eyes.

They walk a bit more on what looks like broken little overgrown tiles.

“Stay here a bit.”

“All this mystery makes my stomach feel funny.”

“It’s called anxiety.”

Jimin notices that the sound of Taehyung’s steps has ceased. He opened something. Jimin can’t tell what that was. Plastic? Taehyung’s voice interrupts his guessing. “Close your eyes. Cover your ears and count to...twelve with me.”

“Are you quizzing me?”

“One.”

Jimin complies and starts counting out loud. At twelve, Jimin opens his eyes and takes his hands off his ears. From under his hoodie he can see a warm light waving gently in front of his face. Candle light. He quickly takes the hood off.

“Happy birthday!” Behind the cake and the candles, Taehyung smiles brightly. And behind him, Jimin can see the silhouette of a telescope. He wants to say something, but his words are stuck in his throat, or maybe his brain can’t keep up converting emotions into words. He can only look.

“Make a wish, sweet sixteen.” Taehyung holds the cake closer to him.

“I don’t know...what wish to make.” Jimin almost whispers.

“World peace. A boyfriend?” Taehyung wiggles his brows.

Jimin closes his eyes and the warm light disappears with an exhale.

“So, boyfriend it was?” Taehyung jokes further.

“Stop it and put that down.” Jimin laughs.

Taehyung places the cake carefully down and the instant he gets up Jimin wraps him in a tight hug.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you.” He whispers near Taehyung’s ear as he tightens his arms around him every time.   

“I thought this would be–” Taehyung waves his arms around, “better?”

While he does that, Jimin takes a step back. He can now look around and briefly take in the view. His telescope, a few blankets and two cushions, on the floor of a drained pool. An abandoned pool. With small trees growing from the cracked or missing tiles.

“This is...” Jimin can’t stop looking.

“My secret place.” Taehyung smiles. “It doesn’t amount to much, but I assure you, my grandma’s cake is still the best.”

“It’s perfect.”

“Let’s eat it!” Taehyung rummages through the cooler box he brought the cake in for two spoons which he displays proudly in his hands.

“With those?” Jimin points to the spoons. “From that?” He switches to the cake.

“Yeah, yeah. Here.” Taehyung nods towards the blankets.

They sit facing each other with the cake between them. After he lets Jimin stare fondly at it for a minute, taking a picture with his mind, Taehyung unceremoniously sticks his spoon in the cake and feeds Jimin the first bite, ruining it.

“Absolutely delicious.” Jimin can’t scold him anymore.

“The taste of my childhood.”

After stuffing themselves, Jimin tilts his head back to look at the sky.

“The weather helped me a lot tonight.” Taehyung puts the cake away and stands up. “Let’s put your past present to use.” He give him his hand. Jimin nods excitedly and takes it. “There are trees around, but this clearing is pretty big, so I guessed it would be fine.”

“How did you carry my telescope here?”

“In pieces.” Taehyung deadpans. “And I brought only a bag with clothes.” he whispers like he’s telling a horror story. Jimin pretends to be creeped out to amuse him.

After mending with the telescope for a while in search of stars, they stop to look at each other, smiling dumbly.

“We can’t find shit.” Taehyung laughs.

“Didn’t say I know how to use it.”

Taehyung offers a solution. “Let’s just look at the moon while it’s still up.”  

It actually takes a while even to find the moon as they keep laughing and switching places, calling the other stupid. While Jimin gave up and lied down to stargaze, Taehyung proudly announces that he found it. They just needed to focus a bit on the bright light they kept finding.

They are in awe looking at it. For like 10 minutes, then they got bored. Both lie down on their backs now. Stargazing was ok. It was a really clear night, sky full of stars. They could identify basic constellations.

“Why is this your secret place?” Jimin asks without taking his eyes off the sky.

“I discovered this is a perfect place for me.”

“How so?”

“I come here to clear my mind and talk to myself. Say all the things I fear to hear and face them. The walls help. It’s like my words bounce back, can’t get away. They can only come back to me. So I can’t get away from them either.”

“You confess here? To yourself?”

“Aha. When you say things to yourself, inside your head, it doesn’t seem real enough. Here I can hear it from myself. I can accept it, or forgive it. When I leave here, I can live with it. Poor people therapy, I guess?” Taehyung attempt to lighten the mood.

“You’re amazing. I feel so stupid I can’t say anything more.”

“Let’s not make this about me. It’s your birthday, so this is my present for you. Liberation.”

Jimin knows exactly what that means. He closes his eyes, searching for the words. He lets out a soft breath.

“I feel guilty towards my parents. Ever since I became a ‘troubled teenager’, my mother didn’t miss a day to tell me that she loves me. Even this evening, she sent me a message.” He smiles to himself. “It made me feel even guiltier, so I tried to be a perfect son. Now I fear that because of this they might feel even more disappointed in me. And I am so angry that people can use this against me. I wanted to be normal...I am normal. I pretended to be someone I wanted to be. I censored myself, my feelings, my wishes. I monitored even simple things like touching, talking. Realising I am not like that, it hurt, but it also helped me see that I am not like that. I am gay. I am me. And me can be fine.”

Taehyung gently squeezes his hand. They lie in silence for a while.

“You are fine. You are fine... I am fine. And I am sorry for everything I have said to myself.” Jimin clenches his hand over Taehyung’s and they lie like that for a while more. “What did you say to yourself here?”

“I used to come here a lot in my childhood. To lie flat on my back and tell horrible things to myself inside my head. Then I began to tell them out loud and every time they came for me I defended myself. I realised I don’t believe them.”

He didn’t actually say anything, Jimin notices. “What were those things?”

Taehyung just thinks for a short while. “I used to believe my parents were short on money because of me. That they fought because of me and, ultimately, that my father left because of me. I was I kid, and losing my family made me desperate and hurt. I needed a culprit and because I still loved him very much I found that person in myself. I said those things and I fought them, realising it was bullshit.”

Jimin stays silent, waiting.

“I also come here to face things that are real but I don’t want to tell to myself. The ones I’ve learnt to live with it inside myself even if they’re not a good aspect of me. All that time I just hoped, selfishly, even though we weren’t a happy family at all times, even though he and mom didn’t love each other anymore, that he’d stay, for me and my siblings. I hoped we’d be enough for him. I don’t blame him. I just wished it would have been harder for a father of three to just leave. I wished they would have tried harder. This is how I came to terms with the fact that I actually resemble him. I think selfishly. I always try not to act on it, but it doesn’t work every time.”

“I–” Jimin sits up and pulls his feet under himself, trying to find words.

“We shouldn’t be talking about this now.” Taehyung grunts as he sits up too.

“You opened up to me. I never expected you’d do this. Never forced you. But I am happy.”

“I am happy too.”

“And you may think I don’t see you, but I do.”

“I know you do. That’s why you are my best friend. But you can be sooo stupid sometimes too.” Taehyung laughs.

Jimin turns to face him in a flash. “What? How so?”

This was their trademark type of conversations. Jumping from serious matters into totally, totally ridiculous ones.

“You haven’t noticed my homosexual inclinations. What’s wrong with your gaydar?” Taehyung looks offended. He really wanted to see the look on Jimin’s face.

Jimin only frowns back just as offended. “Oh, you bet I did! You think I didn’t see you lowkey flirting with Hobi-hyung?” He jabs his index in Taehyung’s arm. “But with you? I am not sure of anything because you’re a weirdo who does whatever comes to mind.”

“Why didn’t you ask?”

“I know better this is not something you just ask. Like, ‘hey, my best friend, do you, by any chance, happen to like guys too?’ It’s weird.”

“Well, asking like that is most definitely weird.”

“Did you come here to confess and come to accept that too?” Jimin breaks their comical conversation.

“Nope. I never believed it was something wrong with it. Ever. Same as you, there is more to me than that.”

“It’s...It’s just. I kinda suspected, but thought it was just my gayness or something.”

“Your gayness is fine. You don’t even have that much.”

“You do.”

“I do. I mean, he asked me, no?”

“Must be your dramatic personality.”

“Probably.”

All good things must come to an end and Taehyung returned their son to the Park family that evening. He was asked to stay for more celebrations with Jimin’s favourite: champagne. When they asked Jimin to guess their present, Taehyung’s ‘A car?!’ made everyone burst into laughter. It was actually another experience; the two could skip school tomorrow. Jimin had never missed a day since he started high school. Maybe he had cried ‘So cheap!’ but he was happy.

Chapter Text

Monday, Student Council Room

Hoseok was there before the first period. His enthusiasm’s been scaring his father a bit as never before would he have left his bed one minute earlier, not for natural disasters nor merciless shaking. He's whistling merrily as he’s starting the printer, tidying up, getting ready for the day.

As soon as the first break, Yoongi and Namjoon were also there, each with a share of the entry forms for the Sports’ Day. Not that it was so busy but they enjoyed chatting.

“You’re here helping me again and I couldn’t even repay you.” Hoseok says to Namjoon.

“Sorry I couldn’t come.” Namjoon gives him an apologetic look.

“You’re so busy lately.” Hoseok squints, making a short pause to think. “Did you get a girlfriend?”

“You know I live alone. Had to do the cleaning, to cook–”

“And you didn’t cut a finger off?” Hoseok eyes him suspiciously. “Anyway.” His expression becomes cheerful again. “Joon, Jin-hyung and I want to participate in the relay race. You in?”

He’s looking at Yoongi who raises his eyes from his phone and checks right and left to make sure anyway.

“Not interested.”

“You sure you don’t want to?”

“Nah. Ask somebody younger.”

“Back problems? Or rheumatism?”

“Mhm.” He says absentmindedly as he’s texting. Yoongi thought about using his new method of summoning Jimin. As expected of the always-on-his-phone Park Jimin, the reply comes in seconds.

‘I’m not at school.’

Yoongi forgets about his ‘bad back’ and ‘rheumatism’ and heads for the infamous class 2-3 with the simplest and most unconvincing excuse ‘Bathroom’.

“Where’s that lying little shit?” he asks as soon as he enters the classroom and notices the empty seats in the back.

Park Jimin rolls her eyes discretely and approaches the familiar appearance. “If you’re talking about Park Jimin, I’m his substitute, Park Jimin.” She smiles sweetly and completely fake at him.

He nods politely. “Where is he?”

“I guess he’s sick.”

“What about Taehyung?”

“Sick too…?”

Enough said. His mind reaches the most logical conclusion. These two little shits are skipping classes together.

“Thank you.”

On the hallway, Yoongi texts him again.

‘where are you’

‘miss me that bad ;)’

Cheeky bastard. Yoongi rolls his eyes, holding back a grin.

‘only when I see the piles of papers waiting for me…’

Hoseok’s voice brings him back. “Who are you texting?”

“Stupid Park Jimin.” Yoongi mutters as he’s typing.

“Just went to the bathroom.”

That catches Yoongi’s attention.

“Not him, me.”

“Busted.” Yoongi says dispassionately as 90% of his attention was focused on coming up with another witty reply for Jimin’s new message.

“Scandalous.” Hoseok pretends to be shocked. “Thank you for making my job easier, though. Thought I’d have to smoke you out.” He laughs. “Just so you know,” he places a hand on Yoongi’s shoulder, “your attitude is not helping you with this.”

“An opinion uncalled-for.” Yoongi finishes his text and taps send. “Let’s go to class.”

Tuesday, Student Council Room

After his two-day eloping, Jimin felt in an extremely good mood and decided to bless his student council friends with his terribly-missed presence during the first recess. He sticks his head through the door and sees a lone and idle Yoongi by the windowsill.

“Morning.” Jimin says as he nudged the door open with his shoulder, gingerly since he’s holding two coffees.

Yoongi raises his brows in acknowledgement, turns around and leans back comfortably. Jimin gives him a cup as a peace offering. When Yoongi continues to stare at him, waiting, expectantly, Jimin takes the four extra sugar packets from his pocket and hands them over, laughing.

Yoongi opens the lid to pour all the sugar and scowls. “You put cream?”

“So much sugar and you’re still so sour…Try that for a change.”

Yoongi takes a sip and doesn’t say anything. As he places the lid back, he mumbles a ‘thanks’ which Jimin would have missed if he hadn’t been looking at his lips, at the cream moustache that Yoongi wipes with a brush of his fingers, frowning slightly.

“Park Jimin, look at you.” he begins and Jimin instantly picks up on those teasing undertones. “Disregarding the dress code,” Jimin was wearing his uniform–shirt tucked inside pants and the necktie–minus the coat, as most students did. “Skipping classes…Breaking rules like a bad boy.”

“You’re the one to talk about rules?” Jimin shakes his head, an exasperated smile tugging at his lips. “How about–No smoking?” he fans the recently polluted air with a flourish.

“You came here to fight, Park?” Yoongi cocks a brow.

Jimin steps back and measures him from head to toe (even though he already knows exactly how he looks).

“I’d take you with one arm.”

Jimin feels proud at his ‘savage’ comment that has apparently rendered Yoongi speechless. Hard chance.

“Take me, baby boy.” Yoongs says with a challenging smirk.

The comeback leaves Jimin dumbfounded, gawking at that stupid ‘I win’ smug face.

“Min Yoongii.” Jimin proceeds to put his warning into action and lunges at the unsuspecting Yoongi who lets out a whelp as he picks him up with one arm and places him on his shoulder.

“Put me down, brute!” Yoongi screams and struggles a bit but to no avail. Not that he minded that much.

Jimin feels powerful. “I’ll take you home.” He says and carries him to the waste bin.

Yoongi lets whole body go limp. “Do it.”

“So you admit you’re trash?”

“Hm...I pretty much am. Yes.”

With a sharp move, Jimin leans him against the wall, trapping him with his own body, supporting him so that his legs can’t touch the ground. Jimin looks up and blows his bangs out of his face before speaking. “I’ll let you go for now.”

There’s a short pause, then Jimin moves away, letting Yoongi go back to his post. He then leaves, invoking class, even though there was more than enough time.

A couple minutes pass and this sports guy, popular, same year as Yoongi, struts in and says jokingly for a greeting, “I came to sign up the winning team.”

“Yeah, yeah. Take the paper.” Yoongi slides him a form without a hint of interest, on automatic mode.

Lunch break, Cafeteria

The six of them have gathered around the table, talking merrily, teasing the youngest two, when Hoseok remembers something.

“Oh, yeah. I’ve been meaning to ask you, Jiminie. Do you want to run in the relay race with us?”

“Sorry, hyung.” Jimin makes a conflicted face. “Somebody else asked me.”

Same guy from this morning comes, bends down and wraps an arm loosely around Jimin’s shoulder, smiling confidently, “Jimin is already on the winning team.”

“Hyung.” Jimin looks up and his face lights up, smiling.

“Winning team my ass, dude.”

Yoongi, who’s been inactive like a rock, makes his bored voice heard for the first time, clear enough for half the cafeteria to hear. Highschool students, in general, have a sixth sense for drama or a challenge so a few heads turn their way. And the heads of everyone at the table turn his way, puzzled, maybe worried, for that was the football team’s captain Yoongi was talking to.

“Why, dude? Are you planning to participate?”

“Actually yes.” Yoongi shrugs.

Hoseok gives him a disbelieving glance that read ‘hoe don’t do it’ which he completely ignores. 

“Do you think you can beat this?” the guy points back and forth between Jimin and himself.

“You and your ‘winning team’ are gonna get a cough on our dust.” was the kind of lame reply Hoseok was expecting but instead Yoongi says something just as boastful, maybe less embarrassing, “We’ll wait for you at the finish.”

The guy laughs. “See ya on the field, then.” He ruffles Jimin’s hair and leaves.

Jimin turns to Hoseok. “Why didn’t you tell me you wanted to participate?”

“I planned to ask you yesterday.”

“He asked me from last week. And we’ve even been together in the council room every day.” Jimin sounds genuinely upset.

“We were so busy then that I forgot.”

“Sit your treacherous ass.” Yoongi cuts in, “We are going to win with or without you.”

“We who?” Jin asks.

“The four of us.”

“Hoseok, you can put me on the list.” They knew they could always count on their hyung. “I’ll be the commentator after all.”

“What?!” Hoseok loses it.

“Come on, man.”

Jin looks amused. “Without him? I am so not going to ruin my spotless reputation in my last year. I want to go down in glory. I’m a prince.” He sips pretentiously from his drink.

“Ok. Who else?” Hoseok has already moved on. “Taehyung?”

Taehyung looks like a deer in the headlights. He slowly points to himself, “Me?” Hoseok nods. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. I might,” he glances down and licks his lips, “trip.”

“We can’t sit at the same table with the enemy.” Namjoon chimes in jokingly. He exchanges looks with Yoongi and Hoseok and they actually pick up their trays and get up.

“Whaat? That’s so stupid…” Jimin brings his hand up to massage his temple as they start walking away. “You’re so childish!” Jimin yells after them.

The three turn around and stick out their tongues, then sit at the empty table next to theirs, proud of themselves.

Jin gets up.

“You’re taking sides too?” Jimin pouts.

“I’m a neutral. But there’s my best friend.” He points at Namjoon who’s fist-bumping Yoongi.

“Hyung, what are they thinking…Do they have somebody else to run with them?”

“They don’t need a runner. They need a miracle.” They acknowledged Jin as the master of throwing shade long ago. Jin shrugs and goes after them.

“Ridiculous…” Jimin sighs. Was Yoongi bipolar? Only this morning–he could have sworn…

Taehyung puts his hand on top of Jimin’s and squeezes gently. “I’ll always be on your side.”

Jimin interlaces their fingers and they nod at each other. They get up too and pass by their table like models on catwalk, Taehyung giving them his ice-cold side-eye.

Hoseok drops the stupid act and hisses, “Did you have to do that?”

“You wanted to participate anyway.” Yoongi shrugs.

“But did you have to make such a big claim?! Out of–” Hoseok breaks off and presses his hand to his forehead.

“Now we’re gonna win.”

“Your fake confidence and pretend laid-back attitude are unbelievable…Who ‘we’?”

“We’ll manage.”

“Honestly, I just wanted to run for the experience, not a bad experience, which it’ll totally be when we lose like losing losers who lose.”

“Stop trying to pick a fight. They’re trying to eat.” comes Yoongi’s pathetic attempt at diverting Hoseok’s attention.

“Yeah, that fucks up my digestion.” Jin adds while chewing, obviously unbothered, trying to lighten up the mood.

The next day

Yoongi is riding the bus to school, reflecting on his latest mistake. Why did he need to make such a big claim? How that musclehead boasted from behind Jimin…Now he had to live up for it or die. Fuck. He was too young. He wanted to be rich. At least for one day…

Yoongi sighs and looks out the window. Below, on the sidewalk, there’s a boy running, keeping steadily inside Yoongi’s field of vision as if he were riding beside him. Yoongi starts to doubt his tired eyes. He looks inside the bus and blinks a few times, then back out.

He’s still there. A student from their high school by looking at his uniform. Young and overflowing with athletic potential, Yoongi infers.

The boy overpasses the bus and fades away.

Student Council Room

Yoongi barges in and announces loudly, “I’ve found the guy to run with us.”

“Really? Who?” Hoseok asks, hopeful.

“I don’t know his name. But I know his face.”

Hoseok’s face falls.

“How did he look?” Namjoon tries to help.

“Average height, black hair and some big dark eyes–” Yoongi opens and closes his palms again and again in search for words, and lets them fall back down to his sides. “Yeah…”

“Oh, he’s definitely Korean.” Hoseok doesn’t let him live.

“We saw him before. He’s–” Yoongi abruptly stops talking. “Since when have you sly fox been here?”

Taehyung’s looking back at him with wide eyes. “Hmm, since the beginning?”

“Get out.” Rude little fella is actually pointing at the door.

“K. I’ll booger off.” Taehyung obediently leaves the room and the door is promptly slammed behind him. Rude.

He smirks to himself. Despite Yoongi’s outrageously limited vocabulary and lack of skill in describing, Taehyung knew exactly who he was talking about.

Chapter Text

As weeks passed, Jungkook discovered his situation wasn’t as hopeless as he’d anticipated. Meaning, some of the writing on the blackboard did look like alien language to him but, to his right, his classmate met his eyes with the same lost, awestruck expression and shrugged. Faces strained in concentration surrounded him and the teacher had go over it again. Turned out, everyone needed time to adjust.

Jungkook set his mind to stay inconspicuous but the teachers always seemed to look his way after explaining something. Must have been the eyes. Gave away everything.

This morning, he fails once again.

On his way to the bus stop, searching through his endless playlists list, he catches a few remarks from the group of schoolboys huddled on the sidewalk, some wearing his school’s uniform.

“Faggot”, “Sissy”, “Homo”, “Pansy”, “Pretty boy”–

The conversation seems terribly one-sided.

“Leave him alone.”

Things escalated quickly and when they leave the thin, delicate boy they’ve been bullying and advance towards him, Jungkook realizes that he fucked up. Without dwelling on concepts like manliness or personal honour, he runs away.

They chase him for a bit and stop, shouting things he cannot catch.

The bus has already left minutes ago. And he has Literature…Can’t afford running late or Mr Jung will smack him.

First period

“What does the author want to say?” Mr Jung asks as he moves his eyes from one face to another. “Jeon?”

Jungkook looks up from the poem. “I think…He wanted to say that…The sky was blue, definitely nice weather, not too hot nor cold–”

Mr Jung smacks his head lightly.

“Aren’t you a smartass?”

Ran all the way for nothing.

As soon as the bell rings, he goes to the bathroom to wash the dried sweat off his face. He quickly fixes his hair in the mirror and turns to leave.

Somebody else entersed the bathroom and went straight to the row of sinks. More precisely, towards Jungkook. He grabs him and shoves him backwards inside a stall. Taken aback, Jungkook trips. Now, he’s practically sitting on the toilet. The guy locks the door. Yeah, he’s inside the stall too. Suddenly, he grabs his legs and pulls them up, dangerously decreasing the distance between them. The position is really uncomfortable so Jungkook has to grab onto the rim to keep his balance. Disgusting. He visibly cringes and glares up at the guy who mouths him to shut up.

Another person enteres the bathroom. He could ask for help but that wouldn’t be manly now, would it? He wasn’t afraid. Just very, very intrigued. Maybe he should have been a tad afraid…

“Jungkook?” he’s calling from outside.

Student Council Room

Yoongi did manage to recall some useful information. The boy was a freshman. With a bit of abuse of power and a credible justification, something regarding the prom, Hoseok got his hands on all first-years registers. It was all a matter of time.

The first break, they head directly to Jungkook’s classroom. A quick scan reveals that their boy was missing.

“Sorry. Where is Jungkook?” Hoseok asks in a friendly, cheerful manner.

“He went to the bathroom, I think.” One of the students answers.

“Thank you.”

They stop on the hallway to discuss the strategy.

“I’ll wait in front of the class, you two go.” Namjoon suggests.

They nod and dispatch.

“Jungkook?” Hoseok’s voice rings in the empty bathroom.

“It’s just little mee.” The familiar voice comes from inside the only stall in use.

“Taehyung?” Hoseok asks, genuinely surprised.

“What are you doing here?” Taehyung can hear Yoongi rolling his eyes.

“Isn’t it obvious?” he asks cheekily.

Jungkook squeezes his legs together trying to push him away but Taehyung just grabs him more forcefully, hitting his elbow on the wall. Taehyung glares as a warning. The boy doesn’t look away even for one second. Taehyung can’t believe how he’s just staring at him dead in the face, slightly frowning. Damn. His eyes really are big. Bambi. He really chose that right on spot. Hadn’t even seen him.

“What was that?”

“Ah, you caught me.” Taehyung lets out a breathy laugh. “I’m beating my meat. Like really beating it.”

Jungkook bites his lips to hold the laughter in. Taehyung glares harder but he’s struggling just as much to keep his composure.

“Ook. Good luck.”

After the sound of the closing door, Taehyung waits a bit more. He leans closer to Jungkook and says gravely, face serious. “You better avoid them. They’re crazy and they are after you.”  He finally lets Jungkook’s legs fall and rushes out.

After exiting the bathroom, Yoongi grabs Hoseok’s hand to stop him.

“He’s up to something.” Yoongi glances at the door.

“Let’s wait, then. Not here.”

Hoseok feels kind of stupid to do that. Until they re-enter the bathroom and see Jungkook standing in the middle of it, disoriented. He can’t believe Yoongi was right to suspect Taehyung.

Jungkook freezes in his spot. What would the president that smokes and the cold stare guy possibly want from him? Why would they suddenly be looking for him? He thinks about his very recent past mistakes and now has a slight idea. Were they here to get him? Because of this morning? No doubt that’s why that guy tried to warn him–

In their excitement, they run towards Jungkook whose face becomes shit scared as he backs away. He quickly looks around and suddenly launches for the open window. Hoseok has seen that before and Jungkook’s fingertips only got to brush the windowsill when he catches his promptly and pulls him down on the ground. In this confusion, Jungkook was sure they really were there to beat him. He starts kicking for dear life.

Namjoon has caught up with them in time to witness the outrageous scene. “Stop! Let me talk!” he yells them into silence, bodies tense and still. “Jungkook, we’re not going to do anything to you.” He continues in a kind and reassuring voice.

“Heard that before.” Jungkook watches their moves like a trapped animal.

Hoseok releases him slowly, as if still afraid he might run.

“Did anybody pick on you?” Namjoon frowns.

“My mom would say that, then–smack.”

They start laughing and when they see he’s calmed down a little, Yoongi attempts to help him up.

“NO! Don’t touch me!” Jungkook squeals, pulling his hand away.

“Easy. I won’t hurt you.” Yoongi offers him his hand again.

“I didn’t wash my hands…” Jungkook’s eyes find the sinks.

What a dork.

“Go ahead.” Hoseok makes an inviting gesture.

“We’re here to ask for help.” He follows Jungkook and leans back against a sink. “You see...We want to participate in the relay race. It might be our last chance since next year we’ll be too busy studying, with college, entrance exams...We’re missing a member and we’re not that good either. Yoongi there saw you running the other day. We could really use your help, if you’d like to run with us?”

Jungkook props his wet hands on the sink, thinking.

“Do you think this bullshit is gonna work?” Yoongi whispers to Hoseok.

“I’ll help you.” Jungkook turns around. He actually looks impressed.

“It worked.” Yoongi says, dumbfounded.

Hoseok can’t contain his excitement and dashes for the boy and hugs him tightly. “Thank you!!” He quickly stamps his cheek with a muah.

Before they separate, Yoongi remembers to ask, “Were you here like 5 minutes ago?”

“Yes.”

“Did a guy talk to you?”

Jungkook doesn’t know why but he shakes his head.

Yoongi lets it pass.

With the Sports Day in two weeks, they decided it’d be good to start practising asap. For reasons undisclosed to Jungkook–they intended to keep him as their secret weapon, out of saboteurs reach–, the boys decided to meet at a small, relatively close to each of their homes park and use the baseball field there. It was the best they could get since using their school’s sports fields was out the question now that many others stayed over classes to practise together.

After today’s encounter, preparing to go meet his relay team, Jungkook’s mind ran a bit wild. Just before sunset? What if Yoongi didn’t really have a job? What if they really were with those guys after all? What if this was a trap to give him the beating of the century? He shook his head. Maybe he’d been reading too much shonen manga lately…Plus, he could run fast.

He put a hoodie on and rushed out the house. To the usual question “Gym?” came an unusual answer which almost brought his sister to tears. He was meeting some schoolmates.

When he got to the park, the street lights were already on. It was relatively quiet. Only a few kids were still playing on the baseball field, shouting and laughing. As he got closer, Jungkook could spot them, gathered around a bench. His ‘team’ and another guy. Sitting and talking, drinking soda, Yoongi smoking from his cigarette…It looked like a casual get together.

Namjoon sees him first. He gets up and waves, drawing everyone’s attention towards him.

The unknown guy greets him with a friendly smile. “You must be the unsuspecting Jungkook.” Jungkook eyes widen involuntarily in confusion. “I’m Seokjin. Nice to meet you!” He reaches out his hand and Jungkook shakes it firmly.

“Nice to meet you too.” He returns the smile.

“Ok, how about you guys run some laps to warm up first.” Jin claps his hands like a coach, setting them into motion. When Jungkook wants to go with the rest, Jin swiftly grabs his hand. “Not you. You’re warm anyway.”

Jin waits for the others to get to some distance before speaking again, this time with a serious, compelling tone. “Look at them.”

He does.

“They run like grannies. One of them is already on the ground.” Jin turns to him and their eyes lock in a meaningful stare; on Jin’s part. Jungkook hasn’t caught on yet. “You’re competing, among many other good teams, against the one made of the captain of the football team, the new baseball sensation–freshman, I think–, some other football guy and Park Jimin, do you know Park Jimin? Really cute. And athletic–”

“It’s not like we have to win.” Jungkook shrugs.

“Omg, haven’t you heard?” Jin’s eyes widen. “I’m sorry, but you do have to win. See, the tiger over there trumpeted to kick everyone’s asses in front of half the school.”

Jungkook remembers something, his classmates must have mentioned it at some point.

“Look at them again.” \544444sssssssssssssssssss (New kitten author here. Raw talent)

They’re all lying on the grass now. “Man, there’ll be some horrendous muscle cramps tomorrow.” They laugh.

Jin puts his hand on his shoulder. “I am their friend, but if you don’t want to be known as a loser for the rest of high school you can back out now.”

Jungkook scratches his head. “Can’t you run with them?”

“Timing them is the best I can do to help.”

They’ve finished their superficial stretching and are coming back.

“Are you warm?” Jin asks as he gets the stopwatch ready.

“I’m done…” Yoongi mumbles as he sits down on the bench.

“What?!” Hoseok looks ready to finish that stretch Yoongi found very painful.

“Ok. Let’s do a trial run.”

The trail run was–well, disastrous, but they liked to stay positive…it was “bad”.

Next day, same setup. A casual get together.

“Am I late? Did you guys warm up already?” The question gets him some surprised looks, he observes, as a confused Yoongi stops his cigarette halfway to his mouth. Jungkook’s tiny resolution to stick by them was shaking. He’d been thinking all previous night. To ditch them or not to ditch them?

As they’re walking home from another hopeless practice, Jungkook makes up his mind.

“Hyung, I think you should stop smoking.”

Yoongi gives him a mortified look as he flicks the ash from his cigarette.

“Not quit, you know,” Jungkook continues calmly, “just stop until after the relay because that decreases your lung capacity. I noticed you start panting like 50 metres in.”

Yoongi listens attentively, nodding. “Okay. I get it.” He takes another draw from the cigarette, slower, dragging the moment.

“And maybe cut down on sugar.”

Yoongi becomes unresponsive.

“Hyung?”

“You broke him.” Hoseok laughs. “That’s like asking him to die.”

Jungkook stares in confusion.

“He lives of cigarettes, coffee with inhuman amounts of sugar and candy.”

“Let’s go eat dinner together…?”

“What a pure kid.” Hoseok squeezes his eyes.

“Okay.” Yoongi exhales. “Okay. Let’s do it.” He puts his arms around the two and pulls them along triumphantly. “Let’s show Park Jimin!”

“Don’t burn me, airhead!” Hoseok yells.

Jungkook is grinning.

And that’s how Yoongi decided to change his life. For two weeks.

Next day, Student Council Room

“Seriously? How long are you going to treat me like an enemy?” Jimin asks after being greeted by two glaring, suspicious faces.

Hoseok breaks into a grin. “Come in, Jiminie.”

Yoongi is rummaging through some files, taking out some papers. “Yeah. Come here. I need help sorting these.”

“I swear to God, Min Yoongi. You have no shame.” Jimin closes the door behind him.

“Did I ever say I had any?”

Jimin takes what has become his usual seat beside Yoongi and works through the papers. Soon enough, he notices the opaque bottle on the desk. He is intrigued by Yoongi’s new choice of drink. No coffee? More coffee? He casually grabs the bottle and takes it to his mouth. His face twists in pure disgust. “OMG. This is horrible. What is this?”

“Vitamin water.” Yoongi says proudly.

That gains a disbelieving look from Jimin.

“I’m clean for 1 day.” Even prouder.

“Good for you…I guess?”

“He’s determined to win.” Hoseok laughs.

“By the way. How’s it going? Did you manage to find somebody?” Jimin asks out of genuine curiosity. He was in the other team, but he couldn’t help worrying for them. Except Yoongi. He could make a fool out of himself. But dragging Hoseok and Namjoon too...He couldn’t stand that.

“Don’t insult me, Park Jimin.”

Jimin rolls his eyes. “Or your intelligence.”

“Baby, I’m a genius but nobody knows it but me.” The answer comes out as a smug remark.

Ok. So he found someone. Or he’s bluffing. Jimin really wished they would crush his and only his ego in the relay.

“Stop quoting Bukowski at me.” Jimin scoffs. “I’m done.” He gets up, says bye only to Hoseok, and leaves.

Yoongi’s mouth falls open as his eyes follow Jimin out the door.

“Bitch get up. You fell hard.”  He can hear Hoseok snickering.

“See? Not only hot. Cultured too.” Yoongi points to the door. “I just wish he wouldn’t use that against me.” He props his head in his palm.

“You reap what you sow.” Hoseok shrugs. “That’s a Bible quote.”

“Ugh.”

That evening

Having established that a big pile of pride was at stake, they decided to take things very seriously. The idea of underdogs succeeding despite circumstances and taking everyone by surprise appeared very cool to Jungkook. Again, too much manga…?

They met as usual and got straight to business.

“Jin-hyung–Can I call you Jin-hyung?”

Jin gives him the look decent people have when seeing puppies or kittens or baby snakes. “Sure.”

“Jin-hyung, play ‘Eye of the tiger’.”

Jin nods.

Cinematic warming-up scene.

Followed by

Dramatic running scene.

Yoongi collapses on the ground, panting. “What’s the time?” he manages through shallow breaths.

Jin’s reply falls like a hammer, cold and unsympathetic. “You suck big time.”

The next day

“What’s the time?”

“Don’t even bother...”

The next day

“What’s the time?”

“You are going to be humiliated.”

.

.

.

The next day

“What’s the time?”

“You might have a slim chance of winning,” Jin is looking at the stopwatch, “If one of them trips.”

Yoongi lets his head fall back on the ground, his whole body crushed under the frustration. The Day is tomorrow.

Chapter Text

“Park Jimin!! PARK JIMIIIIN!!”

His booming voice can be heard all the way from the bleachers and through all the noise of the bustling field, making Jimin cover his face in embarrassment.

The Sports’ Day is the kind of event that has the whole school hooked. Officially, it’s a beautiful bonding opportunity between the students in a non-academic setting. However, as there are always discrepancies between what things are intended to be and what they turn into, the Sports’ Day has become associated in the students’ minds with only two possible outcomes: gain popularity or ostracization.

“Come on, Jimin. Encourage Jimin.” Taehyung turns to his classmate and slaps her shoulder. Jimin gives him a chilly stare that reads murder. “S-Sorry–” He smiles sheepishly.

Jimin goes back to her usual unmoved state. “He’s only warming up–”

“Come on, together.” Taehyung grabs her hand excitedly.

“Sure I can shout my own name–”

“One-Two–” Jimin sighs but does it anyway, “PARK JIIMIIIIIN!!!”

Jimin finally looks up at them with an embarrassed yet fond smile on his face and waves like a prince, making everybody go kyaa!

“He’s so handsome, our Jiminie.” Taehyung listens with a proud face the praise streaming in for his best friend. Jimin’s popularity already was no joke and he only expected it to rise.

Suddenly, Taehyung notices the rustling among the crowd and focuses back on the field, examining the competition; he sees Hoseok strolling to Jimin, hands on his hips, smile on his face, then he mouths what Taehyung could easily read as ‘I wanna die.’ and laughs, covering his mouth.

“But I love Jiminie too much, I have to stay alive.” Hoseok says and caresses Jimin’s face, then breaks into laughter again. Taehyung couldn’t read that now, but the joke/flirt, that he could read.

“Don’t worry, hyung. If we run together, I’ll make sure to go easy-er.” Jimin says as he pats his back.

“Ah-ah.” Hoseok shakes his head. “I wanna lose proudly, like a true Korean.” He places his right hand over his heart, looking into the distance.

“Well, at least somebody knows what’s up.” A guy from Jimin’s team adds.

Hoseok’s eyes dart towards the guy, his bubbly aura popped, obviously annoyed. “When you’re a pessimist, the taste of victory is sweeter.” His attention goes back to Jimin and his expression changes again. “Good luck, Jiminie.” He rubs the back of Jimin’s head affectionately.

“Good luck, hyung.”

Taehyung’s eyes follow Hoseok as he joins the other three boys wearing sweatshirts in the same colour. Yoongi signals and they huddle in a circle. Taehyung tries to see the forth member’s face but Namjoon is currently blocking it with his height.

“Ok, everyone. The event we’ve all been waiting for. Go to your seats, please.” the commentator’s voice announces through the speakers. Hoseok has been doing some serious organizing and Jin has something like a commentator’s table and a working mic.

Taehyung cheers again as Jimin takes his position for the first 100 metres when his ears process something he never wanted to hear.

“That anchor in white? Is that Jungkook?!”

Taehyung’s face falls. He looks at Hoseok as he aligns alongside Jimin. He deceived me. Only a few days ago he asked Hoseok whether they’d found their guy and he very casually said that nah, they found someone, while looking him in the eyes!

The girls from a few seats down seem to be having a crisis.

“Yes, that’s him!”

“Oh my, who do we cheer for?!”

“One at a time?”

“Who do we starts with?!”

As a solution, a single girl gets up and roars, “Jeon Jungkook!!”

Jungkook is shifting awkwardly from one foot to the other when he hears his name and turns to see his classmate smiling and giving him a thumbs-up. He covers his face with both hands. From his left, somebody comes and pats his back. His classmate (the new baseball sensation ?) is smiling at him. Damn.

“Let’s do our best, Jungkookie!”

“Thank you. Let's.” Jungkook appreciates that. The moments before the actual competition kill him.

Yoongi is running third, same as the football team captain. He doesn’t give off a single trace of nervousness. They briefly make eye contact and give each other a challenging look.

Hoseok and Jimin fist-bump.

Namjoon and his assigned enemy shrug. They don’t really know each other. Namjoon is calm. Now he has some confidence in himself as he learnt to run correctly and make good use of his long legs.

Somehow, it’s like the other teams don’t even exist.

“Now. Showdown of the century.” Jin is hyping everyone while keeping his sarcastic undertone.

Ready

Set

Go!

The crowd cheers. Jimin is obviously leading but Hoseok follows closely behind, out for blood. They pass the baton successfully and collapse on the ground. Hoseok takes the opportunity to kick Jimin. “You said you’d go easy, brat!”

“Sorry, hyung. My respect.” Jimin is trying to squirm away from his reach.

Hoseok brings himself up on his elbows. “GO, Joon-ah!”

Yoongi is waiting, muscles tense, on edge. He’s counting the seconds the others have on them in his head. Then he snatches that baton and runs the first and last relay of his life like it depends on it. Lungs stinging, the adrenaline and maybe desperation keep him going. The moment that seemed to drag on forever was over in seconds; he passed it on. Yoongi doesn’t really know when he collapsed on the ground but Jin’s excited live reporting pulls him back and he witnesses, mouth open, as Jungkook overtakes the bus– the other guy.

“As expected, our baseball runner is really fast–OMG! Jungkook catches on! Jungkook has caught on! What is professionalism? GO, Jungkookie!”

Jungkook rips the finish line, followed by his classmate and the rapture. With unsuspected energy resources, Yoongi is running towards him, screaming and flailing his arms in happiness. The others are beside him in seconds, jumping around, ruffling Jungkook’s hair, hugging.

“Suck it, PARK JIMIN!” That’s the first intelligible thing Yoongi managed to say. His victory shout.

Jimin is ready to give up on trying to understand Yoongi and his petty outbursts.

“Congratulations, hyung." Jimin gives him a genuine happy smile and, before Yoongi has time to be smug about it, he continues, “Now, move aside. I’m going to the real winner.” He glides past him and walks up to Jungkook with one of the most beautiful smiles Yoongi has seen on his face as his own dies down.

“I tried.” Taehyung breathes as he rushes past him.

“Let’s go celebrate after!” Hoseok beams.

Everyone is rejoicing while Yoongi is just standing there, staring god knows where. He couldn’t hear Hoseok’s words once again as he pulls him in into another group hug, Jimin’s arm snugly around Jungkook’s neck.

“Yoongi’s treat!”

“Wait what?!”

“Why do I have to treat Park Jimin and Kim Taehyung too?” On the way to the restaurant, Yoongi finds the energy to complain.

“For my good intentions.” Taehyung purses his lips.

“Losing traumatised me.” Jimin says, obviously unaffected.

“Want me to apologise too?” Yoongi scoffs.

“If possible, yes.”

“Brat. You’ll only get the onions.”

“Wha–”

“Like the little ogre you are.”

“In my whole life I haven’t been mentally abused like this…” Jimin mutters, shaking his head in disbelief. Then he looks at Yoongi like he did him capital dishonour. “Ogre?! Me?!”

Hoseok feels the need to intervene. “Ya, Jiminie is one of the most graceful dancers I’ve seen.”

“Oh. Dancing ogre.” Yoongi shrugs. “Always the special one.”

“Argh!! I’ll kill you.”

“See? Ogre.”

“You’re an impossible, insufferable, mean little IMP!” Jimin says (yells) in one breath.

“What’s going on?” Jungkook mouths to Namjoon who just waves his hand, face pained.

“On this side, we have Little Ogre Park Jimin!” Jin got carried away with his commentator position. “On the other side, the Impossible Insufferable Mean Little Imp Min Yoongi!” He stands between them like a ringmaster. “Fight!”

“Don’t fight!” Namjoon stares Jin down with reproval.

Jin confronts him. “Let them settle it like the beasts they are.”

Jungkook squeezes his fists, excitement lighting up his eyes.

“Ok, Jin-hyung.” Jimin raises his hands in surrender. “That’s a knock-out. I feel like I’ve lost too much today, really.”

“If you don’t like fighting you should try the other f-word.” Everyone goes silent at Jin’s words. Jungkook covers his mouth, eyes wide. “Fucking off. I’m hungry.” Jin finishes and starts walking ahead.

“The only beast here is you, hyung. You’re savage.” Yoongi admits.

Jungkook is really confused. Eating at the same table with apparent sworn enemies judging by Yoongi’s muttering during the two weeks of practice, it’s kind of weird. Jimin actually seemed nice, and Taehyung, the guy from the bathroom…he couldn’t place him.

“So, are you guys friends?” he asks Jimin since he’s sitting beside him.

“No.”

“Yes.” Jimin is fast to reply but Yoongi is even faster. They glare at each other from the complete opposite ends of the table. Jimin abruptly turns to Jungkook. “Did he trash-talk me?”

Jungkook freezes for a second then shakes his head. “N-o.”

“He can’t lie for shit. The eyes…” Hoseok sighs.

“Aish! Our Jungkookie is so pure…” Jin squeezes his eyes in endearment.

“I can lie.” Jungkook has unconsciously switched to dialect. He is met with confused stares. “I can lie.” He repeats, ‘properly’ this time.

“You just lied…” Hoseok quickly points a finger at him.

“See?” Jungkook smirks proudly.

In all the laughter, Jimin has been flailing his hands, trying to get their attention. “Wait wait wait wait wait”

“Can someone listen to him so he’d shut up?” Yoongi asks, bored.

“You shut up.” Jimin doesn’t spare him a glance and turns to Jungkook, grabbing his wrist to make sure this time he listens. “What was that?”

“What was what?” Jungkook slightly furrows his brows.

“What was that?” Jimin repeats in Jungkook’s familiar dialect, tilting his head back, eyes widen threateningly.

Jungkook mirrors him.

“Omg!” Jimin covers his mouth in excitement. “Are you?”

“Am I?”

“Is he?” Hoseok jokingly chips in, already leaning towards Jimin over the table. Everybody looks at him. “Come on, people. Don’t you comment out loud during TV dramas? No? Ok.” He shrugs and sits back down. They’re silent. “You were at the ‘Are you’-‘Am I’ part.”

“Oh.” Jimin nods, and slips back into what Hoseok has made his character. “Are you…”

“Am I?” Jungkook dramatically looks at the ceiling, opening his palms towards the Heavens.

Hoseok is watching with bated breath.

“An angel–” Jimin catches himself a bit too late. “From Busan?!”

“Whadda shitty script.” Yoongi comments as he munches on uninterestedly. “I’m not watching another ep–”

“Shhh.” Hoseok shushes him aggressively over Taehyung, disregarding every notion of personal space. “I have to know whether he’s an angel from Busan.” As he retracts his arm, he brushes the tips of his fingers under Taehyung’s chin. “Sorry, Tae.”

At Hoseok’s remark, Jimin automatically throws himself over Jungkook laughing. “No no no no! Not that! From Busan! From Busan!” He’s shaking his head, his hands, his whole body shaking with laughter.

Yoongi rolls his eyes, and chews more aggressively. Had the food tasted that much like bile since the beginning? He extends his arm over the table. “Can you pass me the sauce?”

“Here you go.” Namjoon helps him. “Cheer up, man. We won. Or wasn’t victory so sweet after all?”

“Against that pighead? The sweetest.” He says as he pours more than half of the sauce over his food.

“Somebody should write a song about it.” Jin adds with, absolutely, no hidden meaning.

Jungkook accepts the mild physical abuse that is Jimin’s laughter and the overall chaos that is this table with a Seoul guys mental shrug, and picks up the conversation with a “Yes.”

“So you’re an angel from Busan?” Hoseok doesn’t let it slip.

“Hyung.” Jimin interrupts, “It is common knowledge that Busan is Korea’s city of angels, literally, because,” he pushes his hair back, “I’m from there.”

“Really?” Jungkook’s face lights up. A homesick child. This was enough to make his eyes sparkle. Jimin is staring back in bewilderment at the genuine happiness.

Yoongi is unusually quiet, especially now when he has a reason to go on and on about how they showed them all. Taehyung is even quieter right beside him, face resting in his palm, elbow propped on the table.

“Good job, genius.” Only Yoongi can hear the remark.

“Huh?” Yoongi frowns at Taehyung.

“I tried to do us both a favour.”

“Hard to believe.”

“You wound me, hyung. I like you.”

“You scare me.”

“Why?” Taehyung drops his voice.

“Too smart for that dumb face.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment. You insulting my face means– you like my face.” Taehyung smiles prettily. “Cause you’re a fucking tsundere. So thank you.” His smile spreads into a grin.

Both of their heads turn at the sound of another one of Jimin’s laughing fits.

“Ah, stop! I really like the beaches there–Once my parents took me to the rocky one with a lighthouse. I don’t remember that well, but it was so pretty–”

“Ah, Taejongdae? The one in the big park?”

“Yes, yes! That one. I really wanna go there again.”

Jimin seems to be full-out flirting with Jungkook, laughing in that way of his, as if you were the funniest guy on the planet.

“What did we do wrong?” Taehyung asks without moving his eyes from the sight.

“We were too fast…”

Taehyung laughs. Yoongi smiles, pleased by the mutual understanding. After all, jokes are made to strike a reaction, to be comprehend.

Suddenly, Hoseok’s body is looming behind them, and he starts fanning the air above their heads. “Depression be gone!” He puts his arms around them and pinches their cheeks that still hold some baby fat. “I want you happy and well-fed.” He bumps their heads together. “I’ll go pee~ ”

“Oh, wait,” Jimin rushes after him.

“Pee partners! I’ll stare at your dick.” Hoseok wiggles his brows.

“Not again!”

Hoseok slaps Jimin’s shoulder, laughing. “Don’t be like that!”

“You were like that first!”

Taehyung leans closer to Yoongi. “Too fast. That’s really funny for you, you know, because, today–”

Yoongi laughs bitterly. “Either way, I’m losing.”

Taehyung grabs Yoongi’s hand reassuringly and Yoongi doesn’t jerk it away, but just nods.

“God, I know we haven’t talked in a long time, but” Jin blinks, “Spare me this scene, take my sight.”

Yoongi interlaces their fingers and squeezes tightly just to spite Jin as they both stare at him.

“We’re happy.” Taehyung responds in the same manner. Then turns to see a disgusted Yoongi looking at him.

Returning from the bathroom, Jimin and Hoseok freeze in their spots at the sight: Taehyung nudging his forehead on Yoongi’s shoulder, laughing, fingers still wrapped around the other’s hand. They exchange a look and proceed to walk back toward their seats.

Yoongi leans in to whisper close to Taehyung’s ear. “One word and I’ll end you.”

Taehyung turns his head and their noses almost brush when Yoongi turns away. “Don’t worry. I don’t like either of you that much.”

“Too bad.” Yoongi says and grabs an unsuspecting Jimin by the wrist. “Ok. Un-suck it, Jimin.” He pats the empty seat beside him, the complete opposite of the one Jimin occupied.

“Um, I don’t think that the problem here anymore. As usual, you managed to cover the problem with a bigger one.”

“Like an ogre big?” That instant Yoongi needs to hold tighter for Jimin not to leave.

“Hyung, how about you shut up?” Taehyung leans slightly and whispers.

Yoongi pulls Jimin down beside him with a grunt, face scrunched.

“What do you want?”

“Let’s make peace. Here,” Yoongi picks up an onion piece with his chopsticks and brings it to Jimin’s mouth. When Jimin keeps it in a tight line, Yoongi starts rubbing the onion piece against his lips. Jimin gives him a death glare.

“Nuh-uh,” Yoongi puts his palm up defensively. “Look around you. You’re trapped, Jimin.”

“Now you’re quoting ‘Phineas and Ferb’ at me?” Jimin gives him a judging look.

Yoongi lets his body slide under the table. “I was bored on a Sunday afternoon–”

“Just admit you like it.” Jimin says as he takes Yoongi’s chopsticks, discarded on the table.

“That show is not only for kids and its humour is very underrated.” Yoongi complies.

Taehyung frowns. “How can you un-suck something?” He finally voices his confusion.

“How about you think about it and tell us when you’re done.” Yoongi sasses him while stealing the piece of meat from Jimin’s chopsticks, but when he sees Jimin’s face, he decides to feed it to him. He holds it between his fingers and wiggles it above Jimin’s nose. “Here, take it, you little piranha, picking just the meat.” To his surprise, Jimin plays along and Yoongi lets go before getting his fingers bitten off. The piece of meat slaps Jimin’s cheek, then lands on his jeans, then sadly on the floor.

Jin points to them to once again prove his point. “Animals.”

Taehyung has been staring ahead, thinking, eyes coincidentally fixed on Jungkook sitting right across him. His tongue is poking at his cheek as he tries to figure out how unsucking something could be possible. When he finally realises he’s staring, Taehyung raises his brows, surprised as if he saw him for the first time. “Who’s the baby?”

Jungkook switches his eyes from the two’s hilarious bickering, and gives him a questioning look.

“Huh?” Taehyung more stares back than voices.

Was he pretending he didn't know him? Jungkook leans a bit on the table to look at him closely with a confused frown, eyes locked on his. Taehyung props his head in his palm to comfortably stare back. It’s a staring contest now. Jungkook likes contests.

“I have no idea what is going on here.” Namjoon slurps from his drink.

“At least we’re eating for free.” Jin takes a salad leaf to his mouth and stuffs it all in. For some reason, that makes Taehyung’s attention switch to him.

“I win.” Jungkook falls proudly back in his seat.  

The disrespect.

“Were we competing?” Taehyung rolls his eyes.

Do you always question the validity of a competition when you lose? Jungkook keeps that to himself. This guy surely was something. Acting like he didn't know him when less than two weeks ago–

“By the way, Taehyung,” Hoseok begins, “How’d you find him? And how’d you hide him?”

Taehyung glances at Jungkook, and smiles mysteriously. He shrugs with a smirk as an answer. Then he gives Jungkook a quick ‘our secret’ kind of wink, making him smile a little.

“Are you biting back a smile? Oh. It’s a bunny smile. Rabbit boy. Woshhh.” Taehyung says teasingly.

“Yeah, right. Let’s make a toast!” Hoseok raises his Sprite can.

“Why would we toast for our defeat?” Taehyung frowns. “I shouldn’t hang out with you anymore. I’ll have untimely wrinkles.”

“To friendship! To Taehyung’s wrinkles! To Jungkookie’s legs! Alright, I’m not gonna say something about each of you. To being friends even if we spoiled your petty plans and beat your asses! I love yoou~ ”

“We love you too. Now sit your ass. People are watching.” Jin clicks his drink against Hoseok’s.

“To friendship!” Namjoon springs to his feet, betraying Jin for the second time that day, and everybody follows, cheering loudly. Jin facepalms and joins them anyway.