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Jung Hoseok had the very bad fortune of developing crushes on the wrong people. He had been doing this since the sixth grade, crushing on people who would either turn out to be complete dickheads or just people completely out of his league.
The young male was aware of his luck with crushes. So when he felt the butterflies in his stomach when the cute boy who sat in front of him in math class asked for a pencil, Hoseok almost asked for a seat change.
Now this 'cute boy' was Jungkook, a handsome boy who was completely out of Hoseok's league. Jungkook was an excellent student who participated in various sports and school events making him quite popular among the school. While Hoseok was also a decent student academic wise and popular at his school for his dancing, he wasn't born into a rich family. Jungkook was though, and that's what made him completely out of his league.
Hoseok was one of the few in his school who were under a scholarship. Everyone else had their tuition paid by their parents. Because their parents could afford it. Just like they could afford the expensive clothes and cars their children would go to school with.
And it's not like Hoseok's not happy with what he has. He knows that what he has is what he and his family can afford and he's ok with that. But what Hoseok isn't ok with is how often the other kids at his school bothered him about it.
Jungkook never directly said anything to him, but every time he was standing right where students would bother Hoseok, he never said anything. He would just stand there with a straight face watching the scene go down.
Hoseok had never seen Jungkook make fun of anyone, but he'd also never seen him help anyone (aka Hoseok) who was being made of. So he hated the fact that he was developing a crush on him.
Why like someone who doesn't even bother to help you out?
"What's wrong Hobi?" The voice of Seokjin, an upperclassman who was one of Hoseok's friends called out bringing Hoseok out of his thoughts.
"Nothing." Hoseok replied quickly. He had been so caught up in his thoughts he didn't even realize when he and Seokjin had started walking to the lunchroom.
Seokjin was about to oppose what Hoseok had just said when someone walked past Hoseok rather quickly, almost knocking him down in the process.
Some snickering went on behind the two friends making them both turn around. Behind them stood a few students who tended to bother Hoseok.
"Are you hanging out with Hoseok again, Seokjin?"
"I bet he only does it to make Hoseok feel better about himself."
"Sit with us for once Seokjin, you don't always have to be doing charity work."
Seokjin shot them a glare before grabbing Hoseok's arm and pulled him as far away from the group as he could.
"They just can't keep their mouth's shut, can they? Don't listen to them Hoseok, they have so much shit in them that it comes out their mouth before it reaches their ass." Seokjin told his friend as they walked away.
Hoseok wasn't listening though. He was too distracted by the sight of a certain boy confronting the group of students he and Seokjin had just walked away from.
That's new. Hoseok thought before looking away from the scene to pay attention to his friend who was still talking.
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"It's not that serious Kook," Taehyung, one of the guys who had just been bothering Hoseok and also one of Jungkook's friends said as he sat down at their lunch table. "It's not like we're hitting him or anything."
"I know but don't you think it's a little old now? He's been at this school for two years now yet you and everyone else at this damn table can't seem to get over the simple fact that he's here under a scholarship." Jungkook said, banging one of his fists on the table in an attempt to get his point through.
"Jeez, what got up your ass today?" Sojung, one of the girls who hanged out with Jungkook and his friends, asked as he she sat down at their table.
"He's mad because we were bothering the little scholarship brat again." Taehyung said as he began digging into his food.
"You better stop before someone thinks you like him." Jimin, another one of Jungkook's friends said laughing. "Or do you already have a thing for the little brat?"
"I don't," Jungkook quickly denied. "It's just I find it stupid that you guys are still bothering him over something that doesn't even matter."
"Hey!" Dawon, another girl that hanged out with Jungkook and his friends and a girl he strongly despised, exclaimed. "It does matter. Money comes out of my dad's pocket for him to come to this school. He should be grateful we even bother to talk to him."
Jungkook rolled his eyes before pushing his plate towards Taehyung. "Here you can have this. I just remembered I have a project to work on."
Before anyone could say anything to him, he quickly got up, grabbed his book bag and walked away from the table. Trying his best to ignore the comments he could hear Dawon making about him.
He walked out of the cafeteria rather quickly and headed to the library. He did actually have some work to do, it just wasn't a project and wasn't due until next week.
Jungkook didn't realize he was still walking fast until he bumped into someone, sending them stumbling backward and onto the floor.
Jungkook cursed under his breath and quickly extended his hand for the person to take. The person, a male, looked up and took Jungkook's hand. The black-haired male felt his face warm up when he saw who it was.
He had knocked Hoseok over. Was he going to think he did it on purpose? He hoped not.
"Sorry I wasn't watching where I was going." Hoseok mumbled letting go of Jungkook's hand once he was up.
"No it's fine," Jungkook said smiling at him. "Are you ok?"
Hoseok smiled back. "I'm fine, thank you."
Jungkook nodded and suddenly didn't know what else to say. Should he try and start up a conversation with the male in front of him? But a conversation about what? He didn't know much about the other except that he was in his math class.
And, thanks to his friends always talking about it, that Hoseok was a student at the school under a scholarship.
Is that really all I know about Hoseok? Jungkook thought to himself.
"Um," Hoseok said, snapping Jungkook out of his thoughts. "I have to go, my friends waiting for me."
"Oh, ok. See you tomorrow Hoseok." Jungkook said to the brunet.
"See you tomorrow." Hoseok said before walking away from Jungkook.
Jungkook watched Hoseok walk away before he himself began walking away too. He went inside the library and sat at a table in the corner.
I guess I'll start working then, he thought to himself. As Jungkook took out what he needed to do his assignments, a pencil rolled out his bookbag and onto the floor.
He frowned and bent over to pick it up, his face changing to one of realization. It was Hoseok's pencil. He hadn't given it back when math class finished.
"Tomorrow I'll give it back." He said softly looking at the pencil. "That would be a good conversation starter."
━༻❁༺━
Jungkook sighed as he listened to Sojung talk to his group of friends about the new cat her mother had gotten her for absolutely no reason. It was morning and Jungkook and his friends were hanging out in the school's courtyard waiting for the bell to ring. He really wished he had gone to the library though as he really didn't want to listen to Sojung talk about her new cat.
He wasn't trying to be rude, it's just he didn't find the story all that interesting. Sure getting a pet is great, but Jungkook had other things on his mind.
Things such as giving Hoseok his pencil back and what he would say to him after giving it back.
Obviously he would thank Hoseok for letting him use his pencil and apologize for not giving it back, but he wasn't really sure what to say afterward.
I could tell him it's a nice pencil and ask him where he got it. Jungkook thought as he stared off into space. But it's just a regular wooden pencil. You can get those anywhere, he'll probably think I'm stupid for asking that.
Jungkook let out another sigh. This time it was loud which made Sojung stop talking. Everyone who was standing with them turned to look at him with a frown.
"Kook are you ok?" Jimin asked.
"Yeah. Sorry for interrupting you, Sojung." Jungkook said looking over at Sojung. The girl gave him a quick smile before sighing herself.
"It's whatever. Dawon's on her way anyways." She said cocking her head to the direction in which Dawon was coming from.
Jungkook saw Dawon's face and really wished he had gone to the library. Dawon did not look happy at all which meant something didn't go her way and they (Jungkook's friend group) were going to have to hear her complain about it all day.
"I knew I shouldn't have come today." One of the girls that were with them mumbled.
Dawon stormed over to the little group and looked at everyone before open her mouth to speak.
"Why is it that Kim Fucking Seokjin prefers that brat over us?" She exclaimed.
"Maybe because he's more bearable than half of the people standing here." Jungkook let out without much thinking. He regretted saying that however when he saw how it only made Dawon more upset.
"More bearable than me? With the clothes he wears? Please! I'm better than him and yet Seokjin chooses that damn boy over me!" Dawon shouted.
Jungkook and everyone standing there knew Dawon had some type of feelings for Kim Seokjin. She has never directly stated it but has made it clear through her actions towards him plenty of times.
Knowing how Dawon is, Jungkook wouldn't be surprised at all if Seokjin rejected her feelings for him if she ever confessed. And apparently she did.
But the news shocked Jungkook a bit more than he thought it would. And not because of the Dawon getting rejected part.
He was more shocked at the part in which she said that Seokjin preferred Hoseok over Dawon. Did that mean Seokjin and Hoseok, were dating? Jungkook really wasn't trying to jump to conclusions but if Dawon had asked Seokjin out on a date, and he rejected her, was it because he prefers Hoseok in her place?
Jungkook really hoped that wasn't the case. He hoped that Dawon just meant that Seokjin preferred Hoseok over her because Hoseok was his friend and Seokjin would never betray his friend like that.
He was about to ask Dawon if she got rejected because Seokjin and Hoseok were dating (he knew that question would be too straight forward and would probably hurt Dawon's feelings but he could really care less about her) when the bell rang, letting the student know that they should start making their way to class.
He sighed and said goodbye to his friends and walked to his first class.
I guess I found what I'll be asking Hoseok to make conversation. Jungkook thought as he sat down in his chair. Now I have to think of a way to ask him that question without sounding weird.
Jungkook let out another loud sigh and hit his head on his desk, making all his classmates turn around and look at him with confused faces.
Was Jungkook ok?
━༻❁༺━
The day went by fast and before Jungkook knew it, he was in math class.
The seat behind him, Hoseok's seat, was empty. Of course, the bell had just rung and he knew Hoseok had a class on the other side of the school before this one and wouldn't be here until probably a minute or two before the tardy bell rang.
He looked at Hoseok's pencil which he was holding and smiled.
The pencil did kind of look cute.
It looked like someone had written Hoseok's name with a pen on the yellow part of the pencil and drew little hearts next to it.
Jungkook jumped up in his seat when he heard someone sit down in the seat behind him.
Hoseok was here.
Jungkook spun around in his seat so quickly he could've sworn he saw the whole room spin.
"Jungkook?" Hoseok said a bit confused, staring at the boy sitting in front of him.
"Hi." Was all Jungkook managed to get out before the bell rang and the teacher made him turn around and pay attention as he was about to start class.
Jungkook sighed and turned around to face the front of the class, where the teacher was standing.
"Alright class, today our lesson is short and simple. I'll give you an assignment and you should be able to finish it before class ends as you'll have plenty of time to work on it." The teacher said.
A few students let out audible sighs at the mention of an assignment. Jungkook, on the other hand, was excited that they would have one.
If the teacher gave them an assignment, he would allow them to talk to each other as long as they did their work. And Jungkook knew that Hoseok tended to struggle with the assignments at times Not everyone was good at math and Jungkook was glad Hoseok was amongst those people.
Every time Hoseok was confused about something he would ask Namjoon, the boy who sat next to him, for help.
Namjoon was absent today though, which meant Hoseok would probably ask him, Jeon Jungkook, for help.
Jungkook made sure to pay close attention to the lesson so that he could do his best to help Hoseok out when they got the assignment.
This is perfect! Jungkook thought as he looked at the assignment the teacher gave him. Now Hoseok and I will have an excuse to talk.
Jungkook began working on his assignment, making sure he was sitting back in his seat enough so that if Hoseok was trying to get his attention, he would be able to do it easily.
He continued working, waiting impatiently for Hoseok to call his name or to tap his shoulder to get his attention.
And just as Jungkook got to the second page of the assignment, there was a soft tap on his shoulder. He almost didn't notice it. Almost.
He turned around and smiled at Hoseok. He received a shy heart-shaped smile back which made his heart feel a bit shy.
"Um, would you mind helping me with a few problems? I don't really understand them all that well." Hoseok asked, his smile still a bit shy and his voice quiet it was almost a whisper. He was trying not to disturb the rest of the students who were all busily working. Or at least they seemed to be.
Jungkook nodded and shifted his seat as quietly as he could so that he could face Hoseok.
"Which ones are you having trouble with?" He asked Hoseok, still smiling at him because how could he not smile at him?
Hoseok pointed to a few questions on the assignment that he had drawn stars next to. "Those."
Jungkook nodded again and began expressing the first one that was starred. They made their way through the questions Hoseok had starred and worked on the last page together. They were able to finish their work early and spent the rest of the class talking quietly.
"I never gave your pencil back," Jungkook said as he showed the pencil to Hoseok. "Thank you for letting me use it."
Hoseok shook his head and smiled. "It's ok. You can keep it."
"I didn't feel right keeping it. It has your name on it after all." Jungkook said. He shook the pencil in front of the boy and Hoseok took it.
Jungkook watched as Hoseok put the pencil in his pencil pouch. He noticed that all of Hoseok's pencils had his name written on it.
"Why did you write your name on all your pencils?"
Hoseok pouted and sighed. "I didn't. Seokjin did. I told him not to because it was going to make it them look ugly but he did it anyway."
"Seokjin..?" Jungkook asked. Not because he didn't know who Seokjin was, but if he said Seokjin's name like that, Hoseok would most likely tell him who Seokjin was and his relationship with him.
It was Jungkook's way of discretely asking Hoseok if he was dating Seokjin without actually asking.
"Kim Seokjin. He's a year above us. He's tall, has broad shoulders. Really good looking."
Jungkook nodded. He didn't get the answer he wanted. And he couldn't really get much from what Hoseok had said.
Friends call each other good looking right? But do friends call each other really good looking? Jungkook didn't think so.
What if they are dating? Jungkook thought.
"Oh! He's also dating Namjoon. Do you know Namjoon? He sits beside me in this class. Except he's not here today..." Hoseok pouted again, looking at the chair next to him.
Now, this was news to Jungkook. Good news at that. Seokjin was dating Namjoon! And not Hoseok. What a relief.
Jungkook could now ask Hoseok out without being hit with the classic and heartwrenching 'I have a boyfriend' and not having to worry about being knocked out by Seokjin's massive shoulder.
"I remember him now," Jungkook said, pretending he had now just realized who Kim Seokjin was thanks to Hoseok's explanation. "He's the big shoulder boy."
Hoseok laughed a bit loudly at what Jungkook had called Seokjin. This caused a few people to look over at the pair.
"I'm sorry," Hoseok said as he tried to calm himself down. "It's just it's been a while since someone's called him that."
Jungkook watched Hoseok with a smile on his face as the other continued trying to calm himself down.
He's wonderful. Jungkook thought to himself.
━༻❁༺━
It had been a month since Jungkook and Hoseok had had their first-ever conversation and the two were getting closer by the day. (Yes, Jungkook had been keeping count of how much time had gone by since their first conversation, don't judge him.)
Jungkook wouldn't sit with the guys and the group of girls that would usually be with them during lunch as much as he used to. Instead, he would go sit with Hoseok.
In the morning, he would wait outside the school until Hoseok arrived so he could walk with him to wherever it was that Seokjin and Namjoon were waiting for him.
After his second class, he would meet up with Hoseok and walk with him to their math class.
He was very happy with how close he and Hoseok had gotten.
And he was even happier when Taehyung and Jimin began sitting with him during lunch.
At first, it had been a bit awkward since Seokjin didn't really want them sitting at their table and Hoseok would not make eye contact with them. But as time passed, and after Taehyung and Jimin apologized for how they had acted towards Hoseok in the past, Seokjin and Hoseok warmed up to them.
"You like him, don't you?" Seokjin asked Jungkook one day during lunch. Hoseok, Taehyung, and Jimin had all gone to get some snacks for everyone while Namjoon had gone to the bathroom.
"Who?" Jungkook asked.
Seokjin chuckled and pointed to Hoseok's bookbag. "Hoseok. You like him."
"A little." Jungkook lied.
Seokjin narrowed his eyes and looked at Jungkook.
"Don't try and do something stupid Jungkook. If you do as much as to make Hoseok feel uncomfortable or hurt his feelings I won't hesitate to do something that'll get us both suspended."
"Don't worry Seokjin." Jungkook smiled. A genuine one at that. Because he meant what he was saying. "I wouldn't dare."
"Was that why you never said anything every time your friends would say things to him?" Seokjin asked. "You would rather watch other people make his life hard than do it yourself?"
Jungkook looked down. He knew what Seokjin was talking about. He would always watch and never do anything when his old group of friends would bother Hoseok.
He regretted doing that. Every time he would just watch, he would see how Hoseok would look at all of them with anger and hurt in his eyes.
Jungkook had been afraid at some point that this would stop him from becoming friends with Hoseok.
Thankfully it didn't. Because just like Hoseok had forgiven Taehyung and Jimin, he forgave Jungkook.
"I really like him Seokjin," Jungkook said looking up so that he could make eye contact with the older. "I promise that I'll do everything and anything to show that to him. Even if it means having to argue Dawon and her group every day. I want to show him that I really care."
Seokjin smiled at Jungkook.
"You really do like him then."
Jungkook smiled a shy little smile and nodded.
"I really do."
━༻❁༺━
"Jungkook?" Hoseok said softly.
They were both in the library working on their assignments while eating lunch. The rest of their friends were back in the cafeteria enjoying the freedom of not having any assignments due.
Lucky bitches. Hoseok had thought when he and Jungkook had told their friends where they would be going and none of them joined the pair. At least I have Jungkook.
That was some Hoseok would've never thought he would be able to say to himself. He had Jungkook. Of course, he meant he had his very good friend Jungkook to keep him company in the library. It's not like him and Jungkook had anything going on.
At least, not that he and Jungkook had stated.
Sure they had gotten close and would try and spend as much time as the school day allowed them to, together. But that didn't mean anything.
That just meant they enjoyed each other's company.
"What's up Hobi?" Jungkook said looking over at him.
"Can I ask you a question?" He asked.
Jungkook nodded. Hoseok sighed and bit his bottom lip.
How to ask him..., Hoseok thought biting his bottom lip harder. How to ask him this without causing a big change in our relationship?
There was no way, and if there was, Hoseok couldn't think of it at the moment. So he had no choice but to go for it and see what would happen.
"Do you like anyone?" Hoseok asked, his question coming out so quickly that he didn't think he had heard himself clearly.
Jungkook looked at him with a stunned expression and Hoseok wished he hadn't said anything. Where they even at the point in their friendship where they could talk about who they liked? Was there a secret rule Hoseok had no idea of that he had just broken?
Just as Hoseok was about to apologize and tell Just he didn't have to answer, Jungkook responded to his question.
"I do."
"Oh." Hoseok felt a bit crushed before although there was a small (very small chance) that he was who Jungkook liked, he knew better than to get his hope's high.
He knew he would get hurt again if he did.
Jungkook smiled awkwardly and nodded.
The two stayed quiet, looking at each other with a very obvious awkward atmosphere surrounding them.
"Who do you like Hobi?" Jungkook finally asked.
Hoseok turned red. Somehow he felt as if Jungkook's question was a bit unfair. He didn't ask Jungkook who he liked before asking him if he liked anyone. He had not wanted to make his friend uncomfortable yet here was Jungkook doing exactly what Hoseok had tried to avoid.
"I-I don't want to say." Hoseok replied softly.
"It's ok, I won't tell anyone."
"That's a lie." Hoseok pouted. "You'll tell everyone when I tell you."
Jungkook scooted his chair closer to Hoseok's. "Why do you say that?"
"Because.."
"Because of what?" Jungkook leaned in closer and Hoseok felt as if the atmosphere had changed. It was no longer awkward like it had been a few moments ago. It felt as if now it was one of impatience and anxiousness.
Jungkook was waiting for his answer and he was too scared to say anything. Their friendship could change drastically based on what came out of Hoseok's mouth next, and that terrified him.
But he had been down this road before and he knew that it was better to just say it and accept everything that happened after it.
"Because I like you."
Jungkook stared at Hoseok, his expression unreadable to Hoseok which made him want to get up and run to the bathroom to hide.
"Are you serious right now Hoseok?" Jungkook asked in almost a whisper.
Hoseok nodded because why would he lie? He had already let the cat out of the bag and all that was left was to shake the bag so that all of the cat hairs would fall out as well.
Jungkook's big (and absolutely cute) smile appeared on his lips.
"Guess what Hoseok," Jungkook said grabbing Hoseok's hand.
Hoseok looked at their hands and then at Jungkook.
"I like you too."