To say that Kim Taehyung was unattainable was an understatement.

He was more like . . . exclusive . . . to himself.

It sounds stupid but that’s the only way Hoseok could explain it. Everyone that asked the beautiful, popular male out, they got rejected. Whether they were the most popular, most good-looking rich kids, they never scored when it came to Taehyung. Whether they were the smartest, most adorable kids, even their aegyo couldn’t get the teen.

And this made Hoseok wonder: he wasn’t cute, he wasn’t all that smart, he wasn’t completely popular, he wasn’t good looking and he wasn’t rich . . . so why did he think he could get Taehyung? What made him so special? Nothing. Absolutely everything about him was ordinary and plain so why did he feel a small grain of hope that Taehyung would want him?  He knew far too well that reality would keep him from thinking such stupid things so he stuck with whatever imagination he still held from his years of being a child.

Kim Taehyung was really something else. And this wasn’t simply because he was unattainable, no, no, this was because of his personality and his features.

Taehyung had this square-smile, something that Hoseok thinks to himself would go great with his heart-shaped grin. His head was this weird square shape, but the way his fringe fell on his chocolate colored crescents drew all attention to his beautiful, breath-taking eyes. He had pouty pink lips and he would sometimes blush at his own weird behavior, which Hoseok really loved.

His personality was just as strange and mesmerizing as himself. Taehyung liked to giggle a lot, and he liked to talk to himself, and he liked to hum songs while the teacher was talking, and sometimes he would zone out and then speak out the last three words out loud, leaving everyone staring at him with an eyebrow raised. He wasn’t really considered a class clown, but he was known for getting laughs out and his good-looks just gave him an extra boost. He was an amazing singer, and during dance class he loved to goof off but in the end, he would do amazing dances (not as good as Hoseok’s, but J-Hope loved them anyway) that would just make their way into the rapper’s heart.

Alas, everything he did was strange and mesmerizing and everything combined just melted Hoseok’s heart. And god, he’s been chasing that kid for the past two years. Sure, he never actually directly asked him out, but he’s been dropping hints. Hints like staring at him sometimes for longer than necessary or going out of his way to say ‘hi’ at times. If he didn’t drop hints that he wanted to go out with him, then he at least dropped enough hints to let Taehyung know that he likes him probably more than anybody else at school or anywhere else.

They aren’t even friends yet Hoseok thinks he knows so much about Taehyung, more than his own friends.

Now it was first period, and Hoseok was staring at the beauty he could only have in his sleep, too lost in Taehyung’s long eyelashes and soft cheekbones to even hear the bell ring.

Yoongi, his best friend, patted his shoulder and effectively woke him. He blinked continuously, his eyes too dry from not blinking for too long. Yoongi ended up chuckling.

“Staring again, huh?” The way he said it didn’t make it seem as if it were a question.

Hoseok smiled a bit before nodding sheepishly. “Can’t help it,” he stated to try and defend himself.

Yoongi smiled half-heartedly. “When will you ask him out?”

The younger male bit his bottom lip, his smile suddenly gone. As soon as the topic was brought up, he immediately felt sadder and drained of any sort of confidence he thought he held. “I don’t think he’ll say ‘yes’.”

“Maybe he will.” Yoongi tried with a smile. “I mean, you never know.” He winked. “He could have been single all this time all this time because he was waiting for you.”

The words felt so fake and useless that Hoseok found himself chuckling to cover up for the disappointment of knowing that it wasn’t true. Kim Taehyung would never want him.

~*~

“How long have you been waiting for him anyway?” Jungkook asked as they walked down the corridor.

Taehyung sighed loudly, but not loud enough to draw any attention to himself. He pouted slightly, his cheeks puffing. “I lost count after about three years…” he sighed. “I just don’t even think he’s into me…”

Jungkook had to chuckle at this. “Seriously? He stares at you like 24/7 all the time with this longing look. It’s cute. Like he’s a lost puppy and he’s waiting for you to guide him.” He smiled. “I thought you noticed him staring at you, hyung.”

Taehyung’s cheeks flushed. “Well,” he began with a mumble, too shy for his voice to be any louder, “I mean I know he looks at me, but I always thought it was because he just zones out and his eyes freeze on the first thing he sees…” he paused when he realized just how stupid he sounded.

“And he just happens to zone out all the time with his eyes on you,” Jungkook stated sarcastically, teasing his hyung. “You really are clueless.”

Taehyung scoffed. “If you think he likes me, which he probably doesn’t, by the way,” Taehyung stated obviously, as if it were completely true and not just his assumption, causing the younger to raise a brow at him as if saying ‘really?’ “Then how do you explain why he still hasn’t asked me out, hmm?”

Jungkook rolled his eyes. “Maybe because he can’t tell if you’re into him. Besides, due to your lack of relationships, he probably doesn’t even know what way you swing. Dude might just think you’re straight so he’s just too scared to get rejected.”

Ignoring this, Taehyung continued. “How do you even know he’s gay?” he tried.

Jungkook sighed. “Never mind.”

They walked down the hall for a while longer before Taehyung stumbled upon an all too familiar voice so he stopped dead in his tracks, Jungkook almost running face-first into his back. He scowled at Taehyung’s back.

“Dude, what the f--?”

He paused when Taehyung’s expression fell.

He took a look into their math classroom, the same direction Taehyung was looking in, before letting his mouth fall open.

“Will you go out with me?” Yoongi asked Hoseok, who was blushing lightly. He was down on one knee, a cheesy grin and everything on his face.

Hoseok was silent, but he was blushing, and that was enough for Taehyung. Immediately, his heart fell out of his chest and broke into a million pieces onto the floor. There was an ugly, tangled knot in his gut, and he felt the air become warmer, and he suddenly forgot how to breathe. His throat went sore and it burned with a passion and his legs felt weak, so weak Taehyung doubted for almost a full minute whether or not they were strong enough to fly him the out of there.

He didn’t want to see this, his crush being asked out by someone and he wasn’t rejecting the other. For as long as he knew him, he hadn’t dated anyone but that had just changed and he hated it.

Jungkook tapped his shoulder, something that made Taehyung’s muscles tense. He let out a ragged breath, bowing his head.

“You okay?” Jungkook asked softly, dragging him out of the other’s eye sight before Taehyung broke down completely.

The other was silent.

~*~

“You’re so cheesy. There’s no way I’d ask Taehyung out like that!” Hoseok chuckled, shaking his head.

Yoongi pouted. “Why not? It’s romantic and adorable. Taehyung would love that!”

Hoseok rolled his eyes. “No, he probably wouldn’t. He probably wouldn’t even want me to ask him out. He’d probably be disgusted.”

Yoongi crossed his arms, glaring almost jokingly to the younger male. “Disgusted? I’d be flattered. You’re handsome, you know? Even if he didn’t like you in that sense, I’m sure he’d at least be glad someone as good-looking as you found him pretty enough to want to date him.”

“I don’t want him to be flattered,” Hoseok began. “I want him to be happy and say yes.”

~*~

“Don’t be sad, Tae. I’m sure he said no.” Jungkook tried softly, patting his friend’s back gently to try and get him to at least stir.

Taehyung mumbled something inaudible under his breath, his head hung low and his knees braced up to his chest as they sat on the steps that led to the courtyard. Everyone was in class at the moment, leaving the two young males out to some peace and silence they needed. Especially Taehyung, who hadn’t looked up from the floor or quieted his sniffles in the past few minutes. Jungkook stood beside him, letting one of the podiums support his weight as he leaned against it, one knee propped up and his hand rubbing soothing circles on the small span of the other’s back—as much as he could reach of it, anyway.

Not even the cool breeze was enough to stir Taehyung even a little.

“He’s so handsome, though, even better looking than me.” Was all Taehyung managed in an angry, broken voice that didn’t go above a whisper.

Jungkook bit back a scoff, but only because of the fragile state of his best friend. “At least now we know what way he swings.” Jungkook tried, his own way of lightening the mood a bit. He only wished it had worked.

Taehyung scoffed bitterly, chuckling with his cracked, deep voice. “Yeah, but now we know that he’d never swing for me. I’m th