Chapter Text
Hoseok pretended that nothing had ever happened. Jimin must not have known everything that conspired, or if he did he was gracious enough to never bring it up. Their friendship continued, however awkwardly, despite the guilt and hurt that lingered in Hoseok’s heart for months. Summer stumbled into autumn, which chilled into winter, which thawed into a bright and refreshing spring. A new school year always meant new students at Hoseok’s dance studio, and there seemed to be quite a few incoming freshman this time around. As March drew nearer, he knew that the term would start in about a week, so he began preparing some simple games and activities they could do as a new group so that everyone could get to know one another quickly.
The first practice with all of the new members took place the Tuesday after the first week of school. When Jimin burst through the doors of the studio an hour early to help set up, Hoseok could feel the positive energy emanating off of the boy. He wondered if Yoongi was having a good morning, too. He pushed the thought away.
“What’s got you so bouncy this morning? Excited to meet more snot-nosed kids like yourself?” Jimin giggled as he squealed a no and swatted at his arm.
The younger boy couldn’t seem to wipe the grin off of his face as he explained, “One of my childhood friends from Busan just moved up here to go to school. For dance. He’s quite talented, actually. I think you’re really gonna like him, hyung! I haven’t seen him since I went home last summer, so it’s gonna be nice to have him around.” Hoseok just nodded with a small smile and watched Jimin skip around the room while they finished their last-minute preparations. Before long, the happy attitude rubbed off on Hoseok and they were both singing loudly along with the music playing when the bell that signaled the front door rang.
“That might be him! I’ll be right back, hyung,” Jimin hurried out to the entryway but when he reentered the room he was joined only by his best friend/old dorm roommate/Jin's younger brother Taehyung, who immediately ran to Hoseok, embracing him in a somewhat painful hug. The boy had a tendency to underestimate his own strength.
“ Hobi hyung !” He had picked up the nickname too.
Hoseok smiled at the energetic boy, forever endeared to him. Most people were. “Taehyungie! Are you gonna take my class this semester? I didn’t know you liked to dance when you were sober,” he teased. “I’m glad to have my favorite dongsaeng here.” To this Jimin shouted in protest that he was actually the favorite.
The bell rang, signaling more and more students both old and new as they approached the beginning of the class at 8a.m., and Hoseok was happy to see everyone mingling and getting to know one another on their own.
Noticing Tae glancing anxiously towards the door, Hoseok sat down next to him and asked, “Waiting for someone?”
Taehyung fidgeted with his phone and responded, “Uh yeah, Jimin hyung’s friend Jungkook is supposed to come today but he hasn't responded to any of my texts so I don't know where he is.”
“How do you know Jiminnie’s friend?”
Taehyung looked away from the door and towards Hoseok, “Oh! I went home with him last summer to Busan, remember hyung? Didn't you miss me when I was gone?” Hoseok laughed affectionately and ruffled the younger boy's hair as Tae stuck his bottom lip out in a pout. Hoseok was just getting up to gather everyone together when the bell on the door rang loudly as the door to the studio was violently thrown open, hitting the wall with a thud.
“I’m sorry I was so late teacher, please forgive me--my alarm didn’t go off this morning!” The tall boy bent into a 90 degree bow, the door bouncing off the wall from the force it was pushed with and coming back to hit his leg. He quickly stood upright and gently shut the door behind him.
Before Hoseok could respond to the intrusion, Jimin and Taehyung were running to greet the boy by the door, both throwing their arms around him and attempting to scold him but appearing to coddle him more than anything else, smiles on their faces and concern in their eyes.
Hoseok coughed to get their attention, “I'm afraid being late is inexcusable at my studio,” all three boys gasped, the unfamiliar one’s big eyes widening even further. He began to drop back into a bow but Hoseok held up a hand to interrupt him, “Don't bother.” Jimin stomped towards him in protest, but Hoseok stopped him too. He went on, “Because I'm just joking, guys. You must be the Jungkookie I've been hearing so much about, correct?” Jimin shouted and finished the walk to Hoseok where he pummeled him in little gentle punches of frustration.
Jungkook was frozen, “Uh, yeah--yes, I am? I think?” He looked to Tae next to him for some sort of confirmation. He looked back to Hoseok, “Have you heard about me?”
“Yes, I have. Good. That means everyone should be here! Are you guys all ready to start?” He stood at the front of the studio and introduced himself and Jimin to the class before they began doing individual introductions. When the class ended an hour and a half later, everyone slowly filed out of the studio, waving goodbye to their new acquaintances and friends.
Hoseok was picking up his bag when Tae appeared next to him and latched onto his arm, “ Hyung ,” Hoseok sighed but let the boy go on, “None of us have class for another two hours, come get food with us.” Hoseok turned to see Tae sticking out his bottom lip as far as he possibly could. He sighed again.
“Tae, it’s not even 10a.m., what could you possibly be craving?” The younger boy exaggeratedly gasped and began listing off every type of food he could think of, not stopping until Hoseok placed a hand over his mouth. “I get it!” He laughed, “Sure, why not, what better way to spend my morning than with a bunch of babies.” Tae jumped in excitement, and linked his arm with Hoseok’s as they made their way towards the door where Jimin and Jungkook were waiting. He looked around at the younger boys before a realization struck him, “Did you just invite me because I have a car?” Immediately Jimin and Tae were tripping over each other with words of denial to mask their giggles. Hoseok playfully smacked the two before smiling and pulling his keys out, “You guys are lucky that I like you so much, otherwise you wouldn’t get away with all of this freeloading.”
As they made their way out of the building and into the parking lot, Jungkook said the first words he had since he first walked into the studio late, “Uh, I actually suggested you come with us, Jung Hoseok-ssi; I thought it would be nice to get know you better, since hyungs seem to like you so much.” His voice was quiet and he kept his eyes fixed on the ground as he spoke. Hoseok noted his shy demeanor--noted to make sure that changed.
“Oh please Jungkookie, call me hyung, you’re making it weird. A friend of my friends is my friend!” All three younger boys turned to look at him, Tae with confusion at trying to organize the last sentence, Jimin with a snort, and Jungkook with a small smile.
As soon as Hoseok made eye contact with the youngest boy, Jungkook looked away, muttering, “Thank you, hyung.” He wondered how old he was; Jungkook was a freshman so he assumed he must be around 19, but the boy’s childish features were enveloped in something sharper, something more mature. Not until they were all piled into the car did Jungkook speak again, but his words were few and far between. As he glanced at the quiet boy in his rear-view mirror, Hoseok wondered how the hell he ever became friends with Jimin and Tae.
At the small diner, Jimin slid onto the bench after Hoseok, squishing him against the wall just to irritate him. Across from them, Tae tried to do the same to Jungkook, but the younger braced his arms against the boy and by some miracle was able to hold him away. Hoseok realized he must be stronger than he had assumed as he watched Jungkook not budge despite Tae’s repeated efforts. They were all interrupted by a waitress coming to take their orders and once she was gone Hoseok set his gaze on the youngest.
“So, Kookie. A dance major?” The boy nodded. “You're lucky that your hyung here not only is an incredible dancer and teacher but also has all of the connections at your university there. I heard he is also quite generous.” Hoseok leaned back against his seat, a smug grin on his face before Tae reached over the table to swat at him.
“You wish! You're giving yourself wayyy too much credit. Jungkookie, if you know what's good for you you'll realize that Hobi hyung is nothing more than a big ego.”
Hoseok grinned at the boys, wrapping an arm tight around Jimin, who struggled to escape, “You both love me, admit it.” Jimin gave up fighting and sighed in defeat, looking towards Tae and Jungkook with a blank stare. “I'm your favorite hyung, and I bet money that I'll be Jungkook’s favorite, too, in no time.” Across the table Jungkook smiled shyly, his eyes cast downward to avoid Hoseok’s gaze. Before any of them could say anything else, the waitress returned to the table with a variety of breakfast pastries and drinks.
Hoseok spent the entire meal trying to get Jungkook to open up, but the boy did little more than crack occasional small smiles or offer up some single sentence answers.
-
The next few weeks taught Hoseok that Jungkook was not the same boy when he danced. Whenever his friends dragged him out for a meal or get-together he rarely spoke and he never made eye contact. His voice was soft and his motions were gentle. Every week he entered the studio with a silent nod towards Hoseok and he sat in the back of the room whenever instruction was given, but when the music came on and it was his turn to dance, he changed.
His movements were loud. When Jungkook danced his body was nothing but grace and beauty and it demanded everyone’s attention. The control he had over every muscle in his body was astounding, and at times Hoseok wondered if he should just step back and let Jungkook lead the class. Jungkook proved his strength with his toned arms and thighs, and at times Hoseok envied the younger boy; when he was a freshman, there was no way he could have even dreamed of dancing like that.
He found himself a bit more determined to get Jungkook to open up. Jimin and Tae insisted that he was loud, and fun, and even annoying, but Hoseok couldn’t understand how the gentle Jungkook that he knew was the same one they sometimes spoke about.
About two months into the semester, Jungkook timidly approached Hoseok after their class and asked for a ride to campus, apologizing before he even began, shock on his face when the older boy accepted without further convincing. It became a regular engagement.
Little by little, Hoseok learned more about him. At first, Jungkook wouldn’t speak at all, making the drives long and awkward while Hoseok attempted to carry conversations by himself, but as time passed, Jungkook slowly began to grow more comfortable and Hoseok congratulated himself on cracking the shell, however slightly.
“I don’t know if Jimin-hyung told you this, but I was held back in primary school. That’s why I’m a year older than all the other freshmen,” he admitted one day. Hoseok hadn’t known he was a year older. “I didn’t know how to multiply,” he added, laughing a little.
On another day he explained, “I actually met Jimin-hyung because his little brother is a year younger than me, so when I was held back we met and kinda became friends but Jimin and I just clicked really well. Also we took dance classes together.”
A month or so in, Jungkook confessed, “When I was in middle school I had a crush on Jimin-hyung, but that was weird so like, I stopped.” Hoseok laughed. “When he brought Yoongi hyung home however many years ago, I was really happy that he had finally found someone who deserved him.” Hoseok had nodded in silent agreement.
Over time it became an opportunity for Jungkook to just talk, and Hoseok would offer his ear to the younger and never ask any questions. He found himself spending time with Jungkook as often as he could, offering rides or meals or comfort or advice. Before he knew it, it was summer, and though he wouldn't admit it to his other friends, Jungkook really was his favorite dongsaeng.
At the beginning of break they all wished well to Tae, who was flying with his parents to Boston to spend the break with Jin and Namjoon there. Jimin and Yoongi were traveling to Daegu for a few days to visit the latter’s older sister, who had just given birth to her second child. Hoseok didn't have enough money to go home to Gwangju, and he prepared to spend his summer alone and bored. That is, until he got a call at 10:30a.m. the next Tuesday morning.
He groaned from where he lay in his bed and groped around the comforter for his phone. When he finally found it he picked up without checking the caller ID and simply groaned into the receiver.
“Hyung? I just got out of class, do you wanna go do something?”
“Jungkookie. It’s summer, what the hell are you doing in class?” Hoseok held the phone away from his ear as he groaned again, rubbing a hand down his face. “But yeah, sure. Just like, give me half an hour to wake up and get over there.”
Jungkook had the audacity to giggle on the other end, “Thank you hyung, I’ll see you soon!”
“Yeah, yeah, of course. I’ll text you when I get there.” As Hoseok rolled out of the warm nest of blankets and pillows that was his bed, washed his hair in the sink, threw on some pants and a t-shirt, and climbed into his car, he wondered how the hell Jungkook had such a great influence over him. Here he was, awake before noon during summer break, on his way to pick the kid up from school and probably be forced to buy him food, and he did it all willingly. He knew he was a softie, but it wasn’t often that he went so far out of his way for others.
As promised, he sent a text when he pulled into the parking lot next to Jungkook’s dorm building, the boy emerging just moments later. Hoseok couldn’t help but smile when the younger skipped towards the car and climbed in with a soft greeting and thanks. They found themselves at the same small diner where they had gone with Jimin and Tae on the first day they had met.
“Isn’t this funny, Jungkookie? Last time we were here I thought you were just some shy kid with a crush on Taehyung, but know I know you and just how annoying and tiresome you can really be. Also that it’s Jimin you have the crush on, not Tae,” Hoseok teased when their food was placed in front of them.
Jungkook scoffed, “ Tae? Wouldn't that be hilarious. I actually thought he liked you at the time, he never shut up about you.” Hoseok nodded, and let the younger go on. “And I haven't had a crush on Jimin since I was like 13 so …”
“He's a cutie, though. Yoongi hyung sure got lucky there,” Hoseok laughed, forcing himself to not get caught up on Yoongi’s name, before they both decided to veto talking and instead focus on their food. After they ate, Hoseok drove them to a park near the campus and they got out and walked around together in silence, enjoying the summer breeze and each other's company despite the lack of conversation.
It was nice, being with Jungkook. Sometimes he talked, sometimes he didn't, but it was never awkward anymore. The more Jungkook opened up to him though, the more Hoseok realized how much he kept hidden about himself.
That night when Hoseok sat on his couch in his empty apartment watching a couple in a drama confess to one another, his heart ached a bit and for the first time all day, he thought of Yoongi. Really thought about him. The first time all day . It was usually much more frequent than that, and Hoseok wondered if he was finally starting to move on, to forgive him.
Later, when he was falling asleep, he realized that he hadn't thought of Yoongi because his mind had been occupied with thoughts of Jungkook for most of the day.