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Taehyung has set aside priorities for himself—most of which revolve around his life in school.
Like getting a spot in the list of top ten students in his school, for example (he had gotten close with top fifteen, but victories still count, no matter how little), or passing the audition for the school's classical band (he'd practiced the saxophone for hours upon hours every day, enough to make his neighbor complain—which was a bit of a feat in itself if you ask him, really, because his neighbor is Park Jimin, the class president, and it takes too much for Jimin to even consider getting mad at someone. He's literally an angel, as everyone says, and someone getting on his nerves must mean that the other person must have committed a grave sin).
There was also a time when he dedicated himself into joining the cultural and modern graphics appreciation club in their school (which is also known as the "club of nerds", as Jungkook would call it. Though Taehyung doesn't think he's saying it out of spite or with any malicious intent whatsoever, seeing as he's part of the same club anyway) and made it a point to help in promoting their club, even if it lead to questionable things (cosplaying was something that Taehyung’s always wanted to do. Cross-dressing—although on a quite different note as compared to what he’d expected— wasn't an issue to him. But having the male club members who are completely inexperienced with holding anything remotely close to a lip gloss put makeup on him because of the inconveniently unannounced absence of their club's designated makeup artist caused by some weirdly-timed stomach ache made him think back on his life choices. The photos that spread about after the event was nothing of help, either, and although Taehyung had always dreamt of saying that he's lived a life without regrets to his children and his grandchildren and his grandchildren's children—if he's able to ever live through the embarrassment that high school continually makes him face—he isn’t sure if he can still fulfill little goal for himself now).
Taehyung had set (and will probably still set) a lot of goals for himself, but the thing is: he's never expected this.
This, meaning openly gawking at the new transfer student in their school like she's the first girl (or probably: first human being) that he has laid his eyes upon and suddenly wanting to make it a point to suddenly confess to her and make her his girlfriend. Sure, Taehyung had thought about adding it to the list of his goals to be in a relationship before he graduates high school, but he’s never thought about dating so much as now.
She has short, dark, shoulder-length hair with a part of it braided on the side, and Taehyung wonders how she could have done it when she looks like she just woke up, with the way her eyes are blinking slowly. Her lips are curled up into a look of amusement as she looks around at her new classmates, and even though the expression would probably have looked cold and unforgiving on other people, she manages to make it look like she's just sleepy and bemused.
Cute, Taehyung thinks, before he could even catch himself.
He makes it a point to tell himself that it’s stupid and pointless—he’s so close to his goals now, and he’s busy with academic life as it is. Wanting to be in a committed relationship with a girl he’s just met (or rather: seen, since they still haven’t talked and the girl would still probably have yet to come to terms with the fact that Taehyung exists and is just right in front of her), isn’t part of the plan and would probably just leave him on a pedestal that’s a bit lower than he’s thought of before.
It’s a great distraction, that’s what it is. And yet Taehyung could tear his eyes off of her, eyes following the tiny movement of her hands as she tucks in a strand of her hair after she bows at all of them in greeting.
For a nineteen year old, she's quite short—since she looks shorter than Jimin, by the looks of it, she'd come up just around his chin, and he has to restrain himself from standing up from his seat to stand next to her and compare their heights. It's not really something that people are supposed to do upon first meeting, but Taehyung is curious and curiosity sometimes makes him do stupid things (like that one time he was curious with what the wasabi dip tasted like so he dipped his potato chip in it. He ended up in a coughing fit, face red and ears looking like they're about to pop out of his head as Jungkook cackled beside him while trying to rub soothing circles on his back in his way of trying to help his friend alleviate the burn of the dip. Taehyung still thinks he's a little shit, but at least, he's somehow a helpful little shit).
"Everyone," Bang-seonsaengnim, their homeroom teacher announces, tapping a rolled-up version of the notebook that he uses for references on the table several times to get the class's attention when murmurs started arising after the new girl entered the room and he'd announced that they're going to be having a new classmate. "Be nice, okay? Jimin." Bang-seonsaengnim easily zones in on Jimin and nods to him. "You should take care of it from here." Jimin immediately stands up and bows, indicating for his classmates to do the same.
As soon as the door closes behind their homeroom teacher, the classroom erupts into the usual chaos that is probably brought about by the excitement from having someone new introduced in class. Jimin moves to stand beside the new girl, clearing his throat to assert authority over the mess that is their classroom.
Jimin is, by far, the most non-authoritative looking figure in the whole classroom. By the looks of it, the new student's slitted eyes could probably cut someone in half but Jimin would probably patch them up with a single smile (Taehyung’s kidding of course—they’re not that powerful—but if exaggerations held much truth as universal truths did, he’s probably right). And yet somehow, it’s his fourth year of being class president now and everyone listens to him well (well, probably everyone except the school idol, who’s already red in the face from laughing at a joke he’s started telling his seatmate, but that’s another story to be told).
“Everyone, we have a new student with us today.” Jimin turns his attention to smile at the girl. “Please introduce yourself.”
The new girl adjusts the straps of her backpack, hoisting it up higher her shoulders as if she’s preparing to go to war instead of readying to introduce herself. She clears her throat, and despite the resting bitch face she had on, she looked like she wanted anything but the spotlight on her. She doesn’t look that much shy—reserved, maybe, because she at least glances around briefly before looking down the floor and scuffing her shoe against the floor. “I’m Min Yoonji. I came from Daegu. Nice to meet you all.” She bows down slightly, fingers still fiddling with the straps of her backpack. She bites her lip, looking a bit hesitant.
“You should all welcome her, okay?” then, in a lower voice that’s mostly close to a murmur, Jimin says to her, “If you need anything, you should just tell me. I’m Park Jimin, the class president. Don’t be embarrassed to ask for help.”
Yoonji nods, and for a moment, she just fiddles with the straps of her bag, standing there awkwardly while Jimin waits for her to say something, like he already knows something is up. “Where do I sit?”
“Oh, that.” Jimin laughs, eyes crinkling into crescents. “I almost forgot. Seat number 10.” Jimin says, gesturing behind him, and Taehyung belatedly realizes that his seat number is nine, which means—
Yoonji plops down on the empty seat beside him, looking completely tired and drained out even when it’s only first period. She sighs, rummaging through her bag for some earphones and a phone and crossing her arms over her chest after she plugs the device in.
Taehyung taps his fingers on top of the wooden desk, his textbook lying forgotten in front of him. He wants to try approaching Yoonji, but he doesn’t know what to say. It’s not like reaching for any of his goals left him with skills enough to hone the socializing skills of anyone who aspires to talk to someone.
He saved from trying to call her attention when she takes her earphones off and turns to look at him, probably noticing how restless he is. “You need something?”
“Uh—I—I...” he starts, fumbling around for an answer, and that’s when he spots his textbook. “Oh, right. Since you transferred late, you probably don’t know it yet, but there will be an assessment exam next week.”
“Oh, yeah. I didn’t. Thanks for the heads up.” She says, brushing him off coolly. She talks to him formally, but her words are coated thick with her accent, and Taehyung is belatedly reminded of the home that he grew up in back there. He guesses she might have just moved in recently, but he guesses he shouldn’t ask about that yet.
She moves her hand to plug her earphones back in, but Taehyung reaches out to hold her wrist. She stares at him like she’s trying to assess whether he wants to challenge her into a fight or something, and whether or not punching him in the face would be the best way to deal with him. And Taehyung knows that he should probably let her go and apologize for being rash, and that he should also just let this little crush of his go before it blooms into something bigger and crushes him under its heel. He should just forget about all of this and pretend that this never happened—pretend that Yoonji is just some other girl, just like his other female classmates.
But instead, he wraps his fingers more firmly around Yoonji’s wrist, careful not to press on too tightly so he won’t hurt her. “I’m Kim Taehyung, by the way.”
“Uh, yeah? And?” Yoonji looks like she just couldn’t give two shits about anything he’s saying, and it’s only when she glares at his hand still holding her wrist does he remember to let go.
“Uh, sorry. Uh, I meant, I could help you. Study, I mean.”
“Right. Well, I’m not some charity case, Taehyun.” She brushes it off with a wave of her hand, and for a moment, Taehyung could feel something clench in his chest.
“Taehyung.” He corrects her, albeit a little too half-heartedly. Crushes are the worst. Crushes on someone who probably thinks of you as a doormat is even worse, but Yoonji doesn’t seem to really be someone like that—if the guilty look that passes on her face is an indication of that. She’s probably just one of those types who have their hearts guarded around people—those who are afraid to show a little bit of themselves to other people in fear of getting thrown away.
“Yeah.” She doesn’t look that much irritated anymore, but she doesn’t look like she’s up for this conversation either, and Taehyung knows this is probably the point when he should turn away, but he doesn’t. “I can do fine on my own.”
“Oh,” Taehyung’s face falls. But then he clears his throat and throws back in a smile. “But if you need my help, you shouldn’t hesitate to ask me. I’m not asking for anything in return, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
Yoonji looks suspicious for a moment, and she eyes him from the corner of her eye. “We’re classmates, we don’t need to be all chummy with each other.”
“But I want to be friends with you.” It’s a little too honest, and Taehyung has been told that his honesty feels a little burdensome for others. But he’d rather tell the truth than lie about everything.
Disbelief registers on Yoonji’s face, and she scoffs. “And why would you want to be friends with me?” she asks, like Taehyung’s ticking off the worst possible options in a list of scenarios and she’s judging him based on his poor life decisions.
“Is there something wrong with wanting to be friends with you?”
For a moment, Yoonji looks like she’s been caught off-guard—like it’s the first time that she’s been asked a question. Or maybe, it’s the first time that someone’s been persistent enough to reach the point of asking such a question. She lowers her head, and it’s only now that Taehyung notices that she’s fiddling with her fingers, restless. “There’s something wrong with me.”
“I don’t think so.” Taehyung says, and it’s the truth—or at least, it feels like the truth.
“How could you sound so sure about that?” Yoonji mutters in a low voice that Taehyung almost doesn’t catch it. But when she looks up, there’s a defiant look in her eyes. “You don’t know anything yet.” She says, more of as a challenge than as a retort.
Taehyung tilts his head to the side, as if trying to see her in a new light. But he doesn’t get anything out of it, too distracted by Yoonji scrunching up her cute button nose. He feels a grin spreading across his face. “I would want to find out.”