"So," Jimin drawls, casually draping an arm around Taehyung's shoulders. "Tae Tae. Taebabe. Best friend. Light of my life. When're you going to introduce us to your new friends?"

Taehyung chews his bottom lip and taps his chin a few times before smacking his lips and shaking his head. "Never."

Jimin looks betrayed. His hand comes up to settle over his heart.

"Jin noona pretty much hates all of you, I think, and I really don't want my friends to die. If she knew Yoona was around you guys, I'm pretty sure someone would die." He pauses and swallows the surge of fear clawing up from his gut. It'd probably be him dead; he's the common denominator.

He and Yoona are "a thing" and "official," which Taehyung still feels is so unreal and has to be a dream that he pinches himself. One more yelp in class, and his teacher tells him he'll get detention. He'd never dream about detention, so being Yoona's boyfriend must be reality.

Yoona's boyfriend.

The Min Yoona.

They both have reputations—Yoona's much more colourful than Taehyung's—so they're immediately a noticeable couple. Taehyung thinks he sees a stinkeye or two cast his way, but it blinks and is gone when he tries to find who it belongs to. He doesn't notice Yoona's glare to her ex behind Taehyung's back.

But things go well. He walks her to and from class, when he's able—he doesn't want to suffocate her with his affection too soon, but smothered with love sounds like a pretty awesome way to go—still goes to all of her slam poetry performances, and they hang out after school. Yoona treats Taehyung to ice cream and cake and the occasional dinner, "Because I'm older. Let me spoil you a little." He bites his lip to keep himself from saying that just being allowed to be with her is enough to spoil him rotten. She's so sweet and amazing and smart and gorgeous, and Taehyung discovers he sighs a lot more because of her.

The only anxiety in their relationship is the introduction to their friends. Yoona's quicker than Taehyung, dragging him along to the unofficial upperclassman area of the schoolyard the very same week he confessed. His mouth goes dry, and he digs his heels in a little, but for all her diminutive stature, Yoona is strong.

She also gives him a don't-you-dare-chicken-out-on-me look, which contrasts to the warm squeeze around his fingers.

Halla sees them first, sunny smile parting her lips to show off large, dazzling teeth. She waves and wiggles her other hand at Jin and Namjik, as if they won't notice Yoona and Taehyung's arrival otherwise. Halla's positively bouncing on her heels, making little squealy humming sounds that Yoona dutifully ignores, so Taehyung assumes it's just something she does.

Jin and Namjik finally look up from the textbook they're sharing, and Taehyung suddenly knows exactly how a bug pinned to an entemologist's board feels. Neither expression is hostile, but they both look Taehyung over from the toes of his ratty hightops to the shaggy-and-in-need-of-a-trim hair.

Yoona rolls her eyes and tugs his arm a little, fingers still curled around his. "Everyone, this is Kim Taehyung." She levels a look at the trio that Taehyung misses, too terrified to move wrong and offend one of them and have to move schools to save what little social life he has. "My boyfriend." He drops forward in a deep bow, blushing to his roots, because what the hell is he doing? but it just seems like the appropriate thing to do. Kiss some . Grovel for approval. Beg to be allowed to live.

Halla claps her hands and pumps her fists a little. "Yes! I knew it!" She bows a little to Taehyung, bright smile blinding him, and introduces herself. "Jung Halla. I've been rooting for you." She's really too nice, Taehyung thinks. No wonder everyone loves her. If they don't, they're just jealous, severely misguided, and desperately in need of a big hug. "You two are so ridiculously cute, but Yoona would never believe me!"

Oh. Maybe his crush hadn't been as subtle as he thought.

Or maybe Yoona's wasn't, but he still missed it.

"Th-Thank you, Halla noona."

Namjik's posture is casual, relaxed, but her chin is up, and she kind of tilts her head to the side in scrutiny. "What grade are you in, Taehyung-ssi?"

"S-Sophomore?"

Her eyebrows tilt up in exagerrated surprise. "You don't know?"

"Namjik," Yoona warns. She stands close to Taehyung, as if shielding him from their collective examination. Taehyung notices and grins at her, but she doesn't see it. He feels a bit more confident with her next to him.

"I'm fifteen. A sophomore."

"Two years younger than Yoona." That tone. It's like a hum over the nice weather they're having, a trivial dismissive noise, and it squashes what confidence Taehyung had.

He nods and his bottom lip. When did his hands get so wet? Yoona probably thinks she's holding hands with a fish.

"And what are your intentions?"

Yoona drops her face to her open palm, muttering something that sounds a lot like "Oh my ing God."

Taehyung draws little circles over her hand with his thumb, holding Namjik's gaze and swallowing the fear in his throat. Now's when he needs to sell Namjik on his seriousness and conviction. Beside the girl, Halla has her hands clasped under her chin, eyes bouncing between him and Yoona and Namjik. "I want to make her the happiest person I can."

"What if she's happier without you?"

"Then I'll leave her alone." Namjik's eyes narrow. Some birds pass overhead, singing cheerily. Taehyung's knees shake.

Halla pokes Namjik's shoulder with a pout after a full two minutes crawl silently by, and the older girl's lips twitch, flipping the corners of up and down like little switches until she finally allows a wide smile to break through the inquisition. A dimple flashes in her cheek, something Taehyung never noticed before.

"Kim Namjik." She leans forward and offers her hand. Taehyung willingly takes it, almost crying at the sheer strength of her grip. "Just know I am ready and willing to break your legs if you break her heart."

He nods so fast he vaguely worries his widened eyes will pop out of his head.

Namjik relinquishes her hold on his hand with another dimpled smile and replaces her sunglasses on her nose, looking at Jin to her right.

Only the matriarch is left. She's been quiet throughout Halla's gushing and Namjik's interrogation. She's almost ethereal up close, all soft features but sharp eyes. Her posture isn't rigid, but her spine is straight, and her slender neck arches back in just such a way that implies regality, and Taehyung seriously considers dropping to his knees and grovelling for her approval while kissing her hand and begging for forgiveness for whatever grievances she has against him.

She doesn't even talk to Taehyung, addressing Yoona while keeping him pinned with the weight of her stare and prejudices. "Are you sure, Yoona? Two years doesn't seem like a lot, but we are graduating this year."

"I know, and I don't care. I don't like him because of his age." Her cheeks turn pink again, something Taehyung doesn't think he'll ever get tired of and quietly marvels at. "He makes me laugh."

That's it? Taehyung almost feels hurt.

Yoona drops her gaze to their linked hands, squeezing his hand a bit and tugging his arm. "I also feel stronger with him by me." Goodness, even her ears are turning pink. Taehyung wants to join Halla in squealing and cooing over her, but he's made acutely aware of Namjik and Jin's steady gazes on him and Namjik covers her laughter with a cough. He restrains himself.

Jin watches them both and sighs, all the tension bleeding out in resignation. "It's not like we could tell you otherwise, anyway."

"Thank you for your approval!" Taehyung bows again and blushes bright red. What the ? Even Yoona looks at him with furrowed brows, but she's also openly smiling, and if Taehyung has to make a complete fool of himself just to see her smile, then so be it. It's not like his reputation will change.

"I haven't approved anything, Taehyung-ssi," Jin corrects. "Yoona is one of my best friends, and I love her. Her well-being is my foremost concern. The reputation of your friends is somewhat...well-known."

"I'm not my friends. Yeah, we can be noisy and kind of dumb," he can't even begin to defend them; Jin would know he's lying, "but they've always got my back. They're my friends, not yours. And I'm Yoona's boyfriend." He's proud he doesn't stutter. "They're not."

Halla, Namjik, and Yoona stare at Taehyung with something akin to wonder. He talked back to the queen bee. Tell my mother I love her, and that I'm sorry. Jimin, take care of Jungkook. He's just a baby. I leave all my manga to Soonshim. Bury me not on the lone prairie, where the coyotes wail...

Wonder of wonder, miracle of miracles, Jin smiles. It's slow and blooms across her glossed lips like a morning glory greeting the dawn, but it's a smile that melts the rest of the icy uneasiness from Taehyung's chest. He smiles back. "Kim Jin," she introduces herself, offering her hand. Taehyung wipes his on his pantleg before taking it lightly, because touching one of the goddesses of his school is downright sacred. Her grip is stronger than he expects. What's with these girls? "Don't take Namjik's warning lightly. I will make sure you hurt."

Yoona snorts and drops to the grass, knocking knees with Halla, and digs a notebook from her bag. "If you keep scaring him, I won't have a boyfriend for you to worry about." She clicks her pen in annoyance.

Halla throws her hand over and laughed. "Oh, damn! She found out your plan, unnie!"

"Taehyung," Yoona ignores her friend and touches Taehyung's calf, "close your mouth and sit down." He drops, almost sitting on her arm, and soaks up the image of him sitting with Yoona, Halla, Namjik, and Jin. He can't remember the last time he was around so much estrogen. He's used to the belch and bellow of testosterone.

It's kind of a nice change, if not for the incredible fear of the loss of life and/or limb.

He tunes back into the girls' conversation, which apparently involves Jin, Namjik, and Halla all asking about Taehyung and his friends and Yoona defending his character the best she can while trying to not say she fell for him because he's a moron with a sweet face.

"What about brains?" Jin asks. She rests her chin on the back of her hand, attention entirely on Taehyung. He starts to sweat again. "You must share half a cell among your friends."

"Jin!" Yoona scolds.

"That was mean of me. I apologise, Taehyung."

He grins and shakes his head. "Nah, you're pretty much right. None of us are all that bright. Heechul was dared to jump on a guy's back and yell that the sky was falling and see what would happen. The guy was actually our security officer, just ending his shift. Heechul was almost arrested for assault."

Namjik's eyes narrow behind her tinted glasses. "Why would he do that?"

Taehyung shrugs. "Why not?"

"Because it's dumb?" Duh.

"But it's fun! And if Jaejoong hyung didn't pass his dare to me—we're allowed a pass a month—I probablywouldn't'veaskedYoonaoutbecausesheterrifiedme."

Halla laughs boisterously, falling against Namjik and clapping like a seal. "I told you, Yoona, that you scare people! It's totally your face!"

"It's just my face," Yoona grouses. She whacks her knee against Halla's with a frown that's probably supposed to look threatening. To Taehyung, it looks like she's pouting, and it's ing adorable.

He unintentionally catches Halla's eye. She winks, as if reading and approving his thoughts, and Taehyung drops his head forward so fast he bites his tongue, because he and Jung Halla just had a moment.

"Actually, it was her poetry."

Yoona stops trying to strangle Halla with her own braid and frowns—pouts—at Taehyung. "What's wrong with my poetry?"

Lord, have mercy on his soul.

"Nothing!" His hands fly up, ready to block any righteous fists. "You were just really really intense and passionate and into it, and it was like a physical thing." He speaks fast and uses his hands; they don't back up his words, though. "It was like witnessing a hurricane. I felt like a worm squirming through the mud of the emotional wreckage she left behind."

All he wants to say is Her enthusiasm and spirit are both menacing and entrancing to mere mortals such as I.

Somehow, Yoona seems to understand. She's quiet and fighting a smile, hiding it in her shoulder. Jin and Namjik are blank-faced, but Halla waggles her eyebrows at Yoona and gets a faceful of palm. She pulls it away with another bright laugh and changes the subject to something still Taehyung-and-Yoona-are-fodder-for-scrutiny centered.

"Taehyung, are you coming to our next competition?"

Yoona rolls her eyes. "He is. Stop being so goddamn nosy!"

"I was just asking!"

"I'd like to be there." Taehyung smiles. "I've seen a lot of your performances since middle school, but I never really cheered you on openly. I'd like to." His smile turns shy, and Halla coos. Even Namjik looks charmed. Jin watches from under her lashes, pretending to read her textbook.

"Idiot," Yoona scoffs. She scribbles on her notebook, thick purple lines that don't make any characters or sense. "I'd be pissed if you skipped out on me."

The bell trilled, pulling everyone to their feet to head to the second half of their classes. Taehyung holds Yoona's bag as she stands, holding it open so she can replace her notebook and pens inside.

"See you girls later!" Halla chirps. "It's nice to meet you, Taehyung!" She literally skips away.

Namjik waits for Jin, and it's like time doesn't apply to them. Taehyung will have to run to his next class, if they don't leave now, but he just knows something bad will happen if he turns his back on the girls.

Like an axe between his shoulder blades. Jin's purse looks big enough for a decent-sized hatchet, but she doesn't seem the type to dirty her hands. Namjik, though...

"I'll text you about meeting up for the competition pieces," Namjik tells Yoona. "See you around, Taehyung." She links arms with Jin, who offers a regal smile and nod, and they finally head in the direction opposite Yoona's class.

"You can breathe, now."

A burst of breath explodes from Taehyung's throat, and he slouches, as if deflated. "That was so scary!" His eyes water.

Yoona rolls her eyes and takes her bag from his trembling hands. "Idiot. It wasn't even that bad." Oh my God. "They liked you." She pushes his bangs from his eyes.

"Really?" His eyes widen and practically sparkle with hope. Maybe he'll actually live long enough to see Yoona's next performance.

"It's hard not to." She stands on her toes, simultaneously pulling him close to kiss his cheek. "Idiot."

He bounces straight, beaming and revitalized. If he was a balloon, he'd be floating. He takes her hand, marveling again at how perfect a fit it is, and walks her to class, blissfully unaware of the looks and gossip at his back.

A sharp look over her shoulder, and Yoona silences the stragglers. She steps a bit closer to Taehyung and is sure to kiss his cheek again before walking into her classroom.

Taehyung's legs are more jelly than bone when he ambles to his classroom. He's going to be late again.

Oh well.

 

---

a/n: I'm sure I messed up honorifics. It wasn't intentional. orz
I wanted to add how Yoona's introduction to Taehyung's friends go, but I got hung up on whether or not they use lockers at school... So it's just Taehyung meeting the girls. That was enough stress for one story.
The title is from a quote by Maya Angelou.
If you've not read if you dare, you really should, because this is kind-of-sort-of like a sequel. Plus, it's just a great story. I suggested this idea to hoars, and they were willing to bribe me to write it. No bribing needed. (I am so in love with Yoona.)

a/n2: This is part of the dare to be brave series, written with a friend on AO3. I've cross-posted my contributions to AFF: Double Dog Date Snakes Will Always Bite Back Detention, Again