Chapter Text
Having been cooped up inside his house for the last few days due to the heatwave that had hit Daegu, doing nothing but laying in front of a fan and feeling miserable when it had done little to actually refresh him, Taehyung decided to take advantage of the milder temperature and venture outside for some much needed snacks (and, according to his mother, some much needed exercise).
When he stepped out of his house, he was relieved to find that the sun wasn’t blazing in the way it had been for the last few days, momentarily hidden behind a shifting cloud. Although a shiver ran through him at the slight breeze that was present, Taehyung delighted in the feeling, tucking his wallet into his pocket.
As he walked down the street, he greeted his neighbours – people he’d known for many years as he’d grown up in the very same area with the very same people. His pace remained steady, not in any rush to get anywhere, and Taehyung took his stroll as an opportunity to admire the beauty of his neighbourhood in the height of summer.
The radio was playing aloud as Taehyung stepped into the small convenience store that had been there since long before he’d been alive, and he greeted the ajussi behind the counter. The man smiled in recognition, nodding at Taehyung in greeting as he started towards the aisle that held all his favourite treats.
Grabbing everything that he could fit in his arms, desperate to restock his supply after getting dangerously low from being stuck inside many days in a row, Taehyung paid for his items and barely blinked as the total was higher than his parents would be happy with. Before he left, he paused to grab a bottle of lemonade from the display the owner had set up beside the till, unable to resist the homemade beverage from the man’s wife.
“You can leave the empty bottle over there when you’re done,” the owner called out before Taehyung could leave the store entirely, and Taehyung nodded in acknowledgment, too busy sipping at the drink to give a verbal response.
When Taehyung jumped down the small step that sat outside the store’s entrance, he blinked in shock as something landed on his forehead and dripped down his skin. It was then that Taehyung realised that the weather had completely changed in the short time he’d been inside the shop, the clear skies and gentle breeze replaced by a sudden, heavy downpour.
A sound of surprised escaped Taehyung and he scrambled backwards, seeking shelter under the shop’s awning. Having spent the last few weeks suffering through the heatwave, Taehyung hadn’t thought to bring an umbrella or a jacket with him on his short trip down to the store, which meant he was unprepared for the unexpected showers.
He’d momentarily considered just running back home before he could get too wet from the rain, but his house was uphill and he didn’t trust his stamina enough on a normal day let alone during a downpour, so he settled on remaining where he had taken cover, hoping that the wouldn’t have to wait long before the rain died down.
With nothing to do but sip at his lemonade and peer around at the now-empty streets, everyone having abandoned whatever they’d been doing to retreat inside the moment the first drop had made its appearance, Taehyung rocked back and forth on his heels as boredom overcame him. He wanted nothing more than to be at home right now, especially when he’d finally gotten his best friend to agree to play video games with him for the afternoon.
It was as he was taking in the rain-soaked streets, petrichor filling his senses, that Taehyung’s eyes fell on a boy – one that seemed to be around his age if he had to make a guess – who was walking towards the store, no sense of urgency in his steps despite the rain beating down on his head.
Just like Taehyung, this boy didn’t have an umbrella nor was he wearing a coat but he didn’t seem to take any notice of the water that was steadily soaking his clothes or the way his inky black strands of hair were being plastered to his forehead, strolling down the street casually as if he was without a care in the world. Taehyung almost had to admire this stranger for how nonchalant he appeared to be despite the situation, knowing that if the roles were reversed, he would already by complaining about how his clothes were clinging to him uncomfortably and making him cold.
“What an idiot,” Taehyung muttered to himself as the boy got closer to the store, turning his head to the side so he wouldn’t be seen gawking at this stranger. While Taehyung liked to insist that he had no flaws, if anyone were to ask his mother, she would happily tell them that her son was a little too judgemental sometimes, something he’d never admit to but secretly knew she was right about.
About to take another sip of his drink, Taehyung was surprised when he heard the approaching footsteps, loud against the wet pavement and the quietened environment. As he turned to look over his shoulder, he wasn’t all that surprised to see the boy he’d been watching get closer to the store, coming to the realisation that he was much more attractive than Taehyung could have even imagined.
Taehyung was frozen as the boy stepped up to the front of the store, unable to stop his eyes from going straight to the boy’s face to admire him while he had the opportunity. Raindrops dripped from the ends of his hair and trailed down his cheeks, and Taehyung couldn’t stop how his eyes followed the movement as they made their way down to his collarbones and disappeared beneath the collar of his shirt. He was almost thankful that no words came to him in the moment, not certain that anything coherent would have come from if he tried to put his thoughts into words.
As they made eye contact, the boy thankfully seeming to be unaware of the way that Taehyung had been ogling him, Taehyung felt his heart skip a beat. While he had no romantic experience in which to compare the feeling to, Taehyung was certain that what he was feeling was love at first sight.
While the boy’s expression was perfectly blank, like he didn’t want anyone to get a glimpse of what he was thinking or feeling, Taehyung couldn’t help but think that he was gorgeous and could only imagine what he would look like if he allowed his emotions to shine through. He didn’t know anything about this boy yet Taehyung couldn’t help feeling drawn to him, losing himself in those beautiful brown eyes that were staring into his own that he was sure he wouldn’t forget anytime soon.
After what seemed like forever but was actually only a few seconds, the boy broke the eye contact between them and slipped into the store, leaving Taehyung outside to regain his composure. Catching a glimpse of his reflection in the shop’s window, the blush that was already on his face deepened as his flustered appearance became obvious to him. Taehyung couldn’t stop himself from peering into the store every few seconds, trying to catch a glimpse of the boy as he grabbed his own items and hoping not to get caught.
Seeing the boy turn away from the counter after paying, nodding in a silent thanks to the owner as he started leaving the store, Taehyung span around quickly to face out into the street, pretending like he hadn’t been watching the boy the whole time. He held his breath as the boy brushed past him, peering at him out of the corner of his eye as he did his best to try and remain nonchalant.
Taehyung wasn’t sure what it was about this boy that fascinated him, but he couldn’t look away, having never felt drawn to someone in the way he was to this stranger. He wasn’t even the first attractive person that Taehyung had ever been around, having had his fair share of crushes on attractive classmates, but there was something about him that felt so special to Taehyung, even without them sharing any words.
The boy stopped just before he stepped down onto the street, taking advantage of the slight shelter to push the wet hair from his eyes, revealing more of his features to Taehyung and acknowledging the rain and its effects for the first time. Taehyung couldn’t stop himself from watching the action, part of him wishing to be the one to run his fingers through the boy’s hair, and his eyes widened ever so slightly as his eyes met the other’s gaze again.
It was Taehyung who broke their eye contact first this time, feeling overwhelmed by the intense look that was shared between them. As they stood there in silence, the heavy rain the soundtrack to their interaction, Taehyung’s mind was running at a mile a minute as he tried to sort his thoughts and think of something, anything, to say to this stranger.
Before Taehyung could work up the courage to speak up, the boy stepped off the curb and took off down the street without acknowledging Taehyung any further. Taehyung watched him go, hoping that the boy would turn around and look at him at least once before he disappeared completely – feeling disappointed when that didn’t happen.
As the rain continued to fall all around him, Taehyung could only remain where he was as he watched the stranger’s retreating figure. He didn’t take his eyes off him for a single moment, wanting to hold onto him for as long as he could. Eventually, the boy disappeared into the horizon and Taehyung frowned, feeling as though he’d just let something, someone, extremely important get away from him.
· ─ ·✶· ─ · ·
Taehyung groaned as his alarm awoke him from his slumber, already missing the dream that he’d been having, and he fought the urge to throw the device across the room until it stopped ringing. After a few minutes of lying there and hoping the alarm would turn itself off, Taehyung accepted his fate and sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
With as much motivation as he could muster early in the morning, Taehyung dragged himself out of bed and through his normal routine, sulking the entire time. While he’d never been much of a morning person, trying to get him out of bed becoming more of a chore than it should have been, it was much worse when the day he’d been dreading for months was finally upon him – the first day of school.
It seemed as though the summer had passed by in the blink of an eye, and though Taehyung was plenty rested from the time he’d spent at home, it felt as though the first day of the school year had snuck up on him faster than he thought possible.
Although Taehyung wasn’t someone who usually dreaded the first day of school, having sauntered into kindergarten with his head held high and his charming smile in place, he couldn’t stop the unfamiliar anxiety that he was experiencing this morning. After all, it wasn’t every year that he started at a brand-new school, one full of students that were no doubt smarter and more serious than he would ever be, and he could feel insecurity begin to take over his emotions.
When he had taken the admissions test all those months ago at the encouragement of his teacher, one who believed in Taehyung more than he believed in himself, Taehyung would have never expected to actually land a spot in one of the most prestigious schools in the country. He hadn’t been able to shake the feeling that it was an elaborate prank for a while, but the acceptance letter that his parents had displayed proudly on the refrigerator and the fancy new uniform that had been hanging in his wardrobe for months was enough proof of his new reality.
Taehyung ran his fingers through his hair in attempt to tame his sleep-rumpled locks and straightened out the non-existent wrinkles in his uniform, anything to delay his departure. He knew there was only so long he’d be able to stall for before one of his parents came and dragged him out of his room against his will, but he couldn’t bring himself to move from his spot in front of the mirror.
He'd managed to buy himself a few minutes to try and get his nerves under control by claiming he needed to ensure his appearance was perfect if he wanted to make a good first impression on his new classmates, something that his mother had surprisingly accepted, but he knew there was only so long he could hide out before his parents got fed up of waiting for him to emerge on his own.
Far too soon, Taehyung accepted that he had to leave the sanctity of his bedroom and head downstairs, unable to ignore the impatient call of his name any longer. Making sure to grab his phone and wallet before he left, Taehyung stuffed them into his bag as he finally stepped out into the hallway, as ready to take on the day as he could be.
Hurrying down the stairs, Taehyung was instantly swarmed by his mother, who made sure that he was just as perfect as he’d claimed he was trying to make himself. He tried not to blush as she started making a fuss over him, cooing about how handsome and grown-up he looked in his new uniform.
As he fixed the strands of hair that had fallen out of place thanks to his mother’s affection, Taehyung met his father’s eye from across the room. He couldn’t help but smile as he saw the pride reflected in the man’s eyes, deciding then that his nerves were nothing compared to how delighted his parents were about this new start of his. Momentarily ignoring the money that was held out to him, Taehyung crossed the room and threw himself into his father’s arms, melting into the embrace.
“I’m so proud of you, Taehyung-ah,” his father spoke aloud, although Taehyung didn’t need to hear it to know exactly how he felt. He had to blink away the tears that suddenly welled in his eyes, feeling overcome with several emotions. While Taehyung knew he was never the best in class when it came to grades, starting at this school made him feel as if he’d been doing something right, and he was happy that he could make his parents so happy.
Upon realising how much time had passed, his parents were practically shoving him out the front door, not wanting him to be late for his first day. Though he wished to remain within the comfort of his parents’ company for longer, Taehyung slipped on his shoes and lingered by the door. Giving him a kiss on the cheek for luck, his parents sent him on his way, practically slamming the door in his face before he could think about lingering any longer.
With nothing left to do but go on his way, Taehyung sighed in defeat and walked to where his bike was parked, knowing he couldn't delay the inevitable any further. Straightening his shoulders in a display of confidence that he wasn't actually feeling, Taehyung pushed his bike out onto the street before turning around, catching his parents waving at him from the window. With a nod to himself, he climbed onto his bike and took off in the direction of his best friend's house.
If there was one thing that settled his nerves about the first day at a new school, it was knowing that his best friend would be there by his side, the two of them together every step of the way. Having known each other for longer than either could remember, Taehyung and Jimin had spent their entire lives doing pretty much everything together. They’d always been glued at the hip, and wherever one went the other was certainly not far behind, and this was one of many such occasions.
While they liked to think that they were decent enough students, they wouldn’t have called themselves outstanding by any means, which is why both of them landing a spot had come as a complete surprise. The school was one of the most prestigious in the country, and both had expected to end up as one of the many who sat the entrance exam and failed, only to end up shocked when they’d both gotten a letter telling them otherwise.
It didn’t take long for Taehyung to arrive in Jimin’s neighbourhood, having cycled there more times than he could count on both hands, all too familiar with the route. He came to a stop outside Jimin’s house and leant against the fence as he waited for his best friend to make an appearance, knowing he might be there for a while.
After greeting a few of Jimin’s neighbours that recognised him as they passed him by to go about their own days, Taehyung looked up as he heard a door slam closed. He watched as Jimin bounded towards him with a bright smile on his face, one that seemed far too out of place for how early it was but Taehyung wouldn’t dare dampen Jimin’s mood in anyway, seemingly blissful despite being at least five minutes later to come outside than the time they’d originally agreed upon.
Jimin grabbed his bike from where it laid in his front garden, pushing it in Taehyung’s direction in an unsteady line with one hand whilst his other hand full of something he couldn’t identify. Before Taehyung could question what it was, Jimin thrust it towards him and he had no choice but to accept it.
“From my mum,” Jimin explained as Taehyung examined the contents of the container he’d just been handed, noticing the fruit that had been carefully sliced up. The gesture brought a grin to Taehyung’s face; Jimin’s mother had always prepared snacks for them to take to their very first day, and it brought him some familiarity amidst the changes they were experiencing right now.
All too aware of how late they’d be if they didn’t leave right away, Taehyung shoved the tupperware into his bag haphazardly and climbed back onto his bike, relieved to see that Jimin was following his motions. “Ready?” Taehyung asked, and they both knew that he wasn’t just talking about the journey that they had ahead of them.
They held eye contact for a moment, and no words were needed to know exactly what the other was thinking. Giving each other confidence in the way that they’d always been able to do whenever they needed it, they nodded at each other in determination. No matter what happened today, they would have each other and that was all that mattered. With that in mind, they peddled off in the direction of their school, hoping they could make up some time on the way there.
· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·
Despite having grown up in the area, Taehyung and Jimin hadn’t been saved from getting lost on their way. Taehyung wished he’d listened to his mother when she advised them to travel the route before school started so they could avoid the situation they currently found themselves in, but he hadn’t wanted to move from the comfort of his bed at the time, and now he was regretting it.
Jimin didn’t seem to care that they were getting later with every moment that passed and every wrong street they turned down, happily chatting away as Taehyung tried to get them back on track. Taehyung was only half listening to what his best friend was saying, humming along as Jimin explained that he’d been up all night to browse the forums for their new school, wanting to get all the information he possibly could before they stepped into the halls.
“So we’re not the only ones left out of the gossip.” Jimin had explained when Taehyung asked him why he’d sacrificed his sleep to cyber stalk their new classmates. While he knew they weren’t the only new students starting at Daegu Academy this term, he couldn’t deny how unappealing the idea of not being in the know felt, and he decided to pay a little closer attention to what Jimin was saying as he finally got them back to where they needed to be.
Jimin had always been a bit of a gossip, claiming that it had everything to do with staying informed and nothing to do with the drama that often came with the information he was able to acquire somehow, and Taehyung had always been the one to indulge him in this habit by actually listening to what he had to share. This time was no exception, the two of them starting up a steady pace as Jimin gave him the run down on all the essential information.
Some of what Jimin had to say didn’t seem essential in Taehyung’s opinion, but he didn’t dare to voice those thoughts to his best friend and just made a mental note of everything anyway. After a run-down of who was supposedly dating who and which couples had reportedly broken up over the summer, something that made Taehyung frown in sympathy - unable to imagine what it felt like to have his personal life subject to so much online discourse by his peers, Jimin moved onto the topic of the most popular students.
Taehyung had always thought that popularity was overrated, something juvenile that really didn’t matter in the grand scheme of things. He liked people for who they were as a person, because they got along and were decent people, not because of some arbitrary, unspoken rules that deemed some people superior to others. Despite that, Taehyung did take in what Jimin was saying, figuring it couldn’t hurt to find out what they were up against when it came to the already formed cliques.
As they finally arrived onto the school grounds and found a place to chain up their bikes, Jimin wrapped up everything he’d managed to find out about the two most popular students in their year, Jeon Jungkook and Min Yoongi. According to Jimin’s extensive research, skills that could be useful for his schoolwork if he was almost half as dedicated to that as he was to finding gossip, the two boys were not only extremely academically inclined, but also athletic and incredibly handsome. It seemed to be the kind of situation where everyone either wanted to be with them or wanted to be them.
Taehyung thought the description of them seemed a little too good to be true, deciding to reserve judgement until he could cross their paths himself and form his own opinion. When he voiced as much, Jimin scoffed playfully and told Taehyung that he was no fun, stumbling a little as Taehyung shoved him in retaliation.
With their bike locked up, the two best friends walked along the path to the main doors of the building, trying to ignore how their hearts raced and their palms grew clammy. Every step closer brought a fresh wave of panic over Taehyung, and he couldn’t help feeling like he wasn’t meant to be here.
Taehyung was brought out of his own head when their path was blocked by two students who seemingly appeared out of nowhere, wearing school jackets and sashes that told them that they were on duty. The two best friends grimaced as they realised that they weren’t going to be able to get inside without being caught out for being late, coming to a stop obediently in front of them.
“Names?” The girl asked, her voice bored. Taehyung gulped, feeling scrutinised under the gazes of both the unimpressed older students, but he gave over his name and class like he’d been asked, Jimin doing the same.
The four students stood there in silence as their names were noted down on the list, and Taehyung couldn’t help but thinking about how his mother would kill him if she found out how late he’d been in the end. He was staring down at his shoes in embarrassment and disappointment, when the older boy’s voice called out to someone else.
“Hey, you! Come here,” he called and Taehyung looked up, following his gaze and spotting another student attempting to sneak by without being seen, frozen in place after he’d gotten caught. If the atmosphere wasn’t so tense, Taehyung might have laughed at the way the boy had paused mid step, hunched over in a terrible attempt at making himself as subtle as possible.
Accepting defeat, the boy straightened out and sheepishly walked over to join them, coming to a stop beside Jimin. Though there was no doubt that he could feel Taehyung and Jimin’s eyes on them, the boy didn’t spare either of them a glance, smiling awkwardly at the students on duty.
“Name?” The girl repeated, her tone as level as it had been the first time, if not the slightest bit more exasperated. Taehyung watched the expression change on the boy’s face, certain that he was about to try and talk himself out of what punishment awaited them for making the late list, and it appeared as though the girl had noticed as well. Without giving him chance to try and charm them in a way that probably wouldn’t have worked anyway, she reached out and grabbed one of the textbooks that were stacked high in his arms, flipping open the cover.
“Jeon Jungkook.” She read out, returning the textbook to the pile before adding it to the bottom of the list. Upon hearing the name that he recalled from Jimin’s run down that morning, Taehyung returned his gazes to the boy’s face and started observing him properly for the first time. He’d told himself that his judgement of Jeon Jungkook and Min Yoongi would have to be saved until they came face to face for the first time, bit he hadn’t expected that opportunity would come so soon.
As he trailed his eyes across the other boy’s face, taking in the contrast of his soft features to his sharp cat eyes, looking fierce but cute at the same time, Taehyung had to admit that he could see the appeal, understanding why many of their peers seemed to swoon over his appearance even if he wasn’t exactly Taehyung’s type.
His mind couldn’t help but think back to the encounter he had at the convenience store all those weeks ago with the boy that was exactly his type. Even though the meeting had been brief and they hadn’t exchanged any words, Taehyung had a hard time getting the boy out of his mind, those beautiful doe eyes and stoic face a frequent guest in his dreams. He couldn’t help but sigh once again as he thought about how he let him get away without even knowing his name.
“Are you in the same class as them?” The girl asked Jungkook, and Taehyung dragged his eyes away from him to not be caught staring. She didn’t even acknowledge the original two boys as she observed Jungkook, her patience wearing thin when she didn’t receive an immediate answer. “Class 9.”
It seemed like his mouth had finally caught up to his brain because Jungkook started spluttering, “I’m not— That’s not—” The students ignored whatever he was trying to say, having decided that they were done dealing with the three latecomers.
“Off you go. Straight to class,” the boy said sternly, waving a hand dismissively at them. Taehyung and Jimin nodded in sync and rushed off towards the entrance once again, not wanting to get into further trouble. They didn’t spare a glance behind them to see whether Jungkook was following them or not, focused on finding the classroom that they’d be spending most of their time in for the next few years.
Once they found their classroom, they slid the door open and sighed in relief when it didn’t make a noise, crouching low and ducking their heads as they attempted to sneak inside with disrupting the class and drawing attention to themselves. Unfortunately, just like Jungkook’s earlier attempt, they hadn’t gone unnoticed like they’d hoped, getting caught by their teacher just as they were about to slip into their seats.
“Nice of you to join us,” their teacher said to them, not unkindly. He smiled at them in a way that let them know that he wasn’t mad, and though he was embarrassed to be the centre of everyone’s attention all of a sudden, he felt himself relax knowing he hadn’t gotten off on the wrong foot with his teacher for the next few years. “Why don’t you introduce yourself to the class.”
Snapping out of his embarrassment in what was honestly an impressive amount of time, Jimin introduced himself to everyone with that smile of his that could get even the coldest of people wrapped around his finger before slipping onto his seat, shooting Taehyung a reassuring smile.
Wanting to get the situation over and done with so he could get the attention off himself, Taehyung barely hesitated to introduce himself following Jimin’s encouragement, about to slide into his own seat when the teacher addressed him again, freezing him in place.
“So you’re Kim Taehyung?” His teacher, Mr Choi according to what was written on the chalkboard behind him, said. Taehyung nodded hesitantly, sharing a puzzled look with Jimin as his earlier anxiety returned. He hadn’t even been here long enough to have made a name for himself in anyway, and he stared at Mr Choi like a deer in headlights. “You’re the student who received full marks for the English segment of the entrance exam,” he asked, though it sounded more like a statement.
Gasps filled the classroom and Taehyung felt himself getting even more embarrassed, knowing that if anyone hadn’t been paying attention to him before then they certainly were now. A few whispers filled the classroom but Taehyung blocked them out, nodding shyly at Mr Choi. The English section of the entrance exam had been the only part he’d been confident about, and he was certain it was the only reason his overall score was high enough to land him a spot here. He’d been in lessons for it ever since he was young, but he’d always had a knack for picking up the vocabulary quickly, earning him a slight advantage when it came to his schooling. It wasn’t something he liked to brag about, or even bring up unprompted, but he was certainly proud to have at least one thing that he excelled in.
Another genuine smile broke out on Mr Choi’s face, and knowing that he’d put Taehyung on the spot, he allowed him to take a seat, returning to what he’d been talking about before their appearance had caused an introduction.
“I’m Yoon Junwoo,” Taehyung’s desk mate introduced himself when Taehyung had settled down beside him. Taehyung smiled at him genuinely, feeling a little more relaxed now that he’d faded into the background again, and told him it was nice to meet him. He was about to pull his notebooks out of his bag when he noticed Jimin looking around the classroom like he was searching for something, shooting him a curious look that went unnoticed.
He watched as Jimin raised a hand, getting called upon by Mr Choi, who thankfully didn’t seem mad that his introductory lesson was being interrupted for a second time. “Sir, Jeon Jungkook isn’t here yet.” Jimin informed him, and Taehyung had only just realised that he hadn’t seen the other boy enter the classroom with them.
Another wave of whispers filled the classroom as Mr Choi’s face took on an expression of visible confusion, a matching expression steadily making its way onto Jimin’s face. “Jeon Jungkook is in Class 1. Why would he be here?” Mr Choi asked, and all Jimin could do was blink at him in surprise.
“Class 1?” Jimin repeated, dumbfounded. With a quick apology, Jimin ducked his head and allowed the lesson to continue. Jimin turned to give Taehyung a confused look and Taehyung could only shrug in response, the two of them letting the subject drop for now as they focused on Mr Choi’s words and not on how Jungkook had given out the wrong class.
· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·
Taehyung was folding up his uniform for the military service, biting back a smile as he listened to Jimin complain about Jungkook. “I can’t believe he would lie about his class like that. I heard that points get deducted from classes when’s students are late, he must have pretended to be in our class so his own didn’t suffer the consequences.”
“Maybe he just forgot which class he was in,” Taehyung shrugged. He had to admit the situation was a little weird, but he wasn’t about to accuse Jungkook of purposely sabotaging their class. He noticed the frown on Jimin’s face get deeper, and he tried not to let his amusement show as his best friend was working himself up over this situation that really didn’t matter in the grand scheme of things.
“No, he definitely pretended on purpose,” Jimin replied, sounding so sure of himself that Taehyung didn’t bother to argue further. Maybe it was embarrassment or maybe it was Jimin’s competitiveness, but either way he couldn’t help thinking that his best friend was blowing this slightly out of proportion.
“Taehyung,” Junwoo approached him just as he was tucking through shirt into his bag, “you’re the only one who hasn’t paid for the uniform yet.” Junwoo seemed a little embarrassed to have to ask, but Taehyung supposed that was just one of the many things that had to be done as the class representative.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I’ll pay for it now,” Taehyung said, smiling apologetically. Junwoo seemed to visibly relax, like he was worried that Taehyung would get upset at him for asking and stood patiently as Taehyung rummaged through his bag in search of his wallet.
Taehyung’s search became more frantic as he couldn’t find what he was looking for, removing everything from his bag and piling it on his desk in case it had gotten buried somewhere deep within his bag. When he came up empty in the main compartment, he searched all the pockets in the off chance he’d stuffed it in there without thinking, only to find that it wasn’t in any of them either.
Meeting Jimin’s worried gaze, Taehyung explained, “I think I’ve lost my wallet. I definitely had it when I left the house this morning but it’s not in my bag now.” Sensing that his best friend was panicking, Jimin laid a comforting hand on his shoulder.
“I can pay for your uniform for now, and you can pay me back,” Jimin said without an ounce of hesitation, reaching into his bag for his own wallet and handing the money over to Junwoo who was watching the entire interaction somewhat awkwardly. He thanked Jimin and returned to the front of the class to deposit the money in the cash box, leaving Taehyung to groan into his hands in frustration after thanking Jimin for covering him.
“You probably dropped it on our way here, we were in a rush,” Jimin said, having the decency to seem a bit sheepish about that for the first time since he’d left his house that morning. “It has your school ID in it, right? Maybe someone has found it and handed it in.”
The idea brought a spark of hope into Taehyung’s chest until he remembered his school ID, the one he’d labelled with a fake name and not his real one. The thought of anyone finding that filled him with mortification, and he almost wished that no one would find his wallet.
Before Jimin could question his reaction, realising that Taehyung didn’t seem particularly thrilled about that idea even though it meant being reunited with his wallet, the school’s broadcast system crackled to life.
“Attention, students. A wallet has been discovered and handed into lost and found. ‘Korean Leonardo DiCaprio’, please come and collect your wallet.” Giggles filled the classroom as the announcement came to an end. Taehyung bit his lip to stop a distressed groan escaping him, trying to act as casually as possible so no one could link him to the situation.
Giving it a few seconds, Taehyung stood up in a way he could only hope came across as not panicked, blurting out that he needed the bathroom. With that, he dashed out of the classroom, leaving behind Jimin and their new friends who watched him go with surprise on their faces at the sudden outburst.
It took only a few seconds for Jimin to connect the dots, knowing his best friend better than anyone else. Jimin burst into laughter but managed to stand up and follow Taehyung out of the classroom, chasing after him in the direction of the school’s lost and found.
“‘Korean Leonardo DiCaprio, huh?” Jimin asked as they reached the door to the office, unable to keep the amusement out of his voice.
“Shut up,” Taehyung muttered, elbowing Jimin in the ribs as a blush painted his cheeks bright red. Jimin could only laugh harder at that, practically cackling as they knocked and stepped into the office. The woman inside looked up at them as they entered, unimpressed by the noise they were making, and Taehyung grimaced apologetically. Once he managed to get Jimin to calm down, slamming his foot down hard on Jimin’s own to get him to be quiet, even if it did get a yelp of pain from him in the process, Taehyung inquired about the wallet, and the woman’s eyes lit up in understanding.
Retrieving the familiar wallet from the box dedicated to the items left behind by forgetful students, she opened it up and peered at the ID. She squinted at the picture inside and then up at Taehyung’s face a few times until she was satisfied that he was indeed a match, handing it over with a warning about being more careful with his belonging and labelling it properly.
Taehyung managed a muttered thank you before her attention returned to her computer screen, no longer acknowledging their presence as she returned to whatever task she’d been in the middle of before they’d came to trouble her.
“Huh,” Jimin said, drawing Taehyung’s attention to the clipboard that sat on the desk in front of them. “Jeon Jungkook and Min Yoongi,” he pointed out, showing Taehyung where their names had been written on the paper, “they were the ones who found your wallet.”
Jimin seemed to light up with something akin to excitement and he grabbed Taehyung’s wrist, pulling him out of the office. Taehyung tried to protest but had no choice but to follow wherever Jimin was dragging him to, no match for his smaller friend’s surprising strength.
“We might be able to catch them,” Jimin told him, answering the question that Taehyung hadn’t asked. With that, Jimin pulled him up a set of stairs towards one of the balconies that overlooked the school’s courtyard, moving faster than Taehyung had ever seen him be outside of dancing.
Pulling him over to the railing, Jimin peered over and spotted two boys with their backs to them, walking away from the building. Although Taehyung couldn’t see his face and hadn’t spent all that long memorising what he’d looked like, he was certain that one of those boys was Jungkook and that Jimin had been right about being able to catch them.
“Jeon Jungkook! Min Yoongi!” Jimin called out before Taehyung could think about stopping him. Upon hearing their names shouted from above, the two boys came to a stop and turned around, curious about who had been calling out to them. As they spun around and Taehyung and Jimin caught sight of the pair of them together for the first time, Taehyung felt his heart skip a beat.
Acting on instinct and very little thought, Taehyung grabbed Jimin’s arm and tugged him down behind the wall, ducking out of sight before Jungkook and Yoongi could spot them.
“Hey, I didn’t get to see them,” Jimin pouted, only to realise how wide-eyed Taehyung had gotten. “What?” Jimin asked, fearing that something bad had happened without him noticing.
“Min Yoongi?” Taehyung muttered, more to himself than anything else, mind drawn right back into the memory of that fateful meeting at the convenience store. While Taehyung had initially guessed that they were around the same age, he never would have thought that they would have ended up attending the same school, and he had to reach out and lean against the wall to steady himself once he felt his limbs get shaky.
“Do you know him?” Jimin asked, eyebrows drawing together as he tried to figure out the situation.
“Do you remember me telling you about the boy I met at the convenience store? The day it rained?” It took a moment for Jimin to recall what Taehyung was talking about, but eventually he nodded and his own eyes widened as he put the pieces together.
“That’s him?!” Jimin whisper shouted, a mix of shock and excitement appearing on his face. Taehyung could only nod with a pleased but shy grin, raising up slightly to catch another look at the boy who he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about.
“Min Yoongi,” he whispered to himself, delighted that fate seemed to have given him a second chance.