Taehyung's POV

After the last period I waited for Hoseok at the entrance of the school. I was a little fidgety and occupied myself with my phone, because I was a bit nervous. I didn't know how this project would go and if we'd be able to work together in peace nor if Hoseok would work or help me at all. He wasn't exactly a model student and I had never worked in a group with him before. Also, ever since I had cried in the yard when he followed me, it had been a little weird between us. Although at the same time, I felt like we got along better and better. I didn't feel as tense and suspicious around him anymore.

When I was lazily scrolling through my chats I stopped when I saw the one from me and my...now ex-boyfriend. I felt the weight on my chest grow bigger again, but was interrupted when I heard someone say my name. I looked up and saw Hoseok standing in front of me. I was a bit perplexed.

“Oh sorry.” I mumbled and put away my phone.

“You okay?” Hoseok asked and I think it was the first time for days that he really properly looked at me again. I sighed and put on a small smile.

“Yeah. Sure. Let's go.” I said and we started walking. Fortunately I wasn't living far from the school so the way wouldn't be too long. We walked in silence. It wasn't awkward, though. It was peaceful.

When we arrived at my house I took out my keys and opened the door. We took off our shoes.

“Taehyung?” my mother called from the kitchen.

“Yes!” I called. “Mom, I brought someone.”

She then immediately came into the hall.

“Oh, nice to meet you!” she said and walked over to shake Hoseok's hand. I saw him smiling politely at her. It felt a little weird. The thought of Jung Hoseok standing in my house and shaking my mother's hand was a little surreal considering our past.

“Nice to meet you, too. I'm Jung Hoseok.” he said as they greeted each other.

“Are you Taehyung's new boyfriend?” My mum asked and I just wanted the floor to coincidentally open and swallow me alive. I felt embarrassed, but what felt worse was that my mother thought I'd bring home a new boyfriend only days after breaking up with my ex-boyfriend.

I let out a nerved sigh and said: “Mom, seriously! He's NOT my new boyfriend, I don't have a new boyfriend! We're just working on a school project together.”

My mum shrugged and went to the living room saying: “There's food in the kitchen if you're hungry.”

I sighed and just hoped there wouldn't be any more humiliating conversations with my mother that day.

“Are you hungry?” I asked Hoseok while putting down my bag. He did the same and said: “Sure.”

I gestured for him to follow me into the kitchen. I took out two plates from the cupboard and gave one to Hoseok. We took some of the food and placed the plates on the small kitchen table. As Hoseok sat down I also brought two glasses and something to drink. Then I also sat down opposite him and we started eating. After the first few bites Hoseok made approving sounds and smiled brightly while saying: “Wow, this tastes amazing. Your mum is a great cook.”

I grimaced a little. It was so unusual to hear compliments from him.

“Thanks. I'll tell her.”

We hushed for a few moments as we ate.

“Are you in a bad mood?” Hoseok then asked and caught me off-guard. I didn't look up at him and just shrugged. I didn't really know what to answer. It was silent again.

“So....your mother knows that you're gay?” he asked and he even sounded genuinely curious.

“Yeah.” I said.

“How did your parents react when you told them?”

I looked up then and eyed Hoseok with an evaluating gaze.

“You don't have to do small-talk, Hoseok.” I said. He looked taken-aback.

“No, I...I'm just curious.”

“Are you serious?” I asked.

“Yes.” He answered a little irritated.

“You really want to know?”

He nodded and looked at me with sincere eyes. I looked at my food again.

“Well, they had to adjust to the thought of it, but they weren't shocked or angry or something. They were supportive. My mum said there had always been something different about me, but she could never really put her finger on it.”

“They sound like great parents.” Hoseok said and I could swear that I heard something in his tone, but I wasn't sure what.

Hoseok's POV

“Yeah....but my mum never seemed to take my relationship serious.” Taehyung said and then did a dramatic gesture as he added: “Apparently she seems to think that I'd bring home a new boyfriend only days after my break up.”

He smiled bitterly as he picked at his food.

“How serious was your relationship?” I asked. I didn't even know where all those questions were coming from. Taehyung briefly looked up at me, but then turned his attention back to the rest of his food he was playing around with.

“Well, serious enough to try a long-distance relationship. He was my first boyfriend and pretty much....my first love.”

It was silent for a moment. He sadly looked into nothingness as if his thoughts were far away.

“Maybe we should've just ended it when he moved instead of trying to hold on. That way it wouldn't have ended this way.” Taehyung said.

“Don't say that. You never know what happens. No one could've known whether it would've lasted or not. Wasn't it worth the try for your first love?” I said. He let out a short dry laugh and looked up at me.

“Really Hoseok? I remember you saying that it won't work out anyway because we're highschoolers and saying that he'd probably already be cheating on me.”

He had said it in a sarcastic tone, but his face had turned dead-serious. It was my turn to look down at my almost empty plate then.

“Funny how you always turn mute when we get to that point...” Taehyung mumbled, but I had clearly heard him. I gulped down the rest of my food.

“Are you done or do you want some more?” Taehyung asked.

“No, I'm done.” I silently said and he cleared the table.

Taehyung's POV

I put our plates into the dishwasher and roughly shut it. Why did I even discuss these things with him? And why did he never really have any answers when the conversation turned towards his new behavior and the way it was between us before that. What did he expect? We can't just act like all those conflicts between us had never happened. At least I couldn't. Not until I'd understand why things had changed.

When I turned around Hoseok was suddenly standing in front of me. I was a bit taken-aback. He seemed to have a struggle before saying: “I'm sorry.”

Before I could even think of reacting or opening my mouth he added: “For everything. All of it.”

I was completely perplexed. Whatever I had been expecting that hadn't been it.

I opened my mouth, but nothing really came out. We just stared at each other. I didn't even need to doubt his sincerity, because the way he was looking at me made it quite clear that he meant what he had said. It confused me even more. I ran my hands though my hair.

“You...it's just...I just don't get it!” I said as I dropped my hands.

“I mean you pretty much changed into a completely different person to me from one day to another and you act as if you hadn't been totally making life miserable for me before that.”

Hoseok looked at me agitated. He then bit his lip.

“Was it really that bad?” he silently asked. I huffed and felt tears come up at the memory of the last few years in school. How could he not know?

“Yes!” I whisper-shouted and turned around gripping the kitchen counter to support myself as I tried to calm down. I didn't want to cry in front of him. Not again.

Hoseok's POV

I ran my fingers through my hair and gripped strands of my hair as I turned my back sideways to lean against the wall. Damnit. I took a few deep breaths. I didn't know what to do. I didn't know what to say. I didn't know how to make this right. All I knew was that I had to, that I needed to.

I pushed myself off the wall and stood behind Taehyung.

“Taehyung-” I started as I reached out my hand and touched his shoulder. He abruptly turned around and put his arms up in defense.

“Don't touch me!” he said. I could see unshed tears glistening in his eyes. I instinctively grabbed his arms and took a tentative step closer.

Taehyung's POV

I was rendered speechless and just stared at him. Suddenly the air was filled with the same kind of tension that it had been during that morning outside in the yard. Hoseok loosened his grip on my arms and they slid down between us. He didn't step back though. I was ripped out of the moment when I heard footsteps in the hall. Hoseok and I abruptly stepped away from each other and a second later my mum entered the kitchen. She smiled at us.

“How was the food?” she asked. Hoseok smiled at her and said: “It was very delicious, Mrs. Kim!”

My mother smiled even brighter.

“We're gonna go upstairs now to work on the project.”

“Okay, good luck! Tell me if you need anything.” she answered. I left the kitchen and took my backpack. I heard Hoseok following me on the stairs.

Jungkook's POV

I plopped down on my bed with a sigh. I didn't feel like sleeping at all. My mind was wide-awake thinking about the events of the evening and my 'fight' with Jimin. I knew it would keep me up, but the damage was already done. I took out my phone and opened Jimin's contact contemplating whether to text him or not. I stared at my phone and Jimin's profile picture for about 10 minutes before finally deciding against it and putting it aside. I closed my eyes and tried to sleep. All I could think of was him.

The next morning rolled around quicker than I thought and I cursed myself for getting drunk on a night before school. I was super tired and just put on the first jeans I got a grip on and the biggest most comfortable sweater I had.

When I entered school I started to get nervous. I wondered whether Jimin would be there and how it would play out when we met. I didn't see him before the bell rang to announce the start of the first period that we were having together. I approached the classroom and couldn't help scan the room when I entered it. I spotted Jimin sitting in his usual seat. Cara, who was having a different class at that time just got up from the seat next to him, said goodbye and left. I quickly looked away and went to my own seat wondering whether he had told Cara about what had happened. I didn't really want him to.

I lazily pulled out my stuff and when I was about to lie my head on the table our teacher entered the classroom and greeted us. I mumbled a “Good Morning.” and sat up as straight as I could manage in that condition.

The teacher started the lesson and I tried to stay attentive, but my mind was mostly blank. I yawned into my sweater a few times and one time when I looked around after one of my yawns my eyes met Jimins. I maintained eye-contact for a second before looking forward again. I was too tired to think about it.

When the first two periods were over I packed up my stuff, lazily slung my backpack over one shoulder and went to leave the room. It was crowded around the door. As we squeezed our way outside someone bumped into me. When I looked up I saw that it was Jimin.

“Sorry.” we both mumbled at the same time and then looked away again. I felt a little embarrassed, but I just didn't know how to act around him. I didn't know if he was angry or if he was just waiting for me to approach him first. I had no idea.

It was the first break, so I went outside in the yard and stood with some of my friends.

“Oh, Good God, Kookie, you look like death!”

“Shut up!” I said and smiled weakly.

“Hey, I heard you and Jimin had a fight.” Someone said. 'Seriously?' I thought. How the hell had that information turned up that fast?! I sighed.

“It's not a big deal. “ I said.

“Really? Cara said he was quite broken up about it, last night.”

So he had told Cara. Wait...Last night? Did that mean Jimin had talked to Cara last night after it happened? Did he go back to her? Did he call her? Did he spend the night there? And what exactly had he told her?

My head was full of questions and I basically zoned out.

“JUNGKOOK!” someone yelled and I was harshly pulled out of my thoughts.

“What?”

“Seriously! Are you that hungover? To what parallel universe did you drift?”

“Sorry.” I mumbled and yawned. “I'm just really tired, I can't think.”

“So what about Jimin?”

“What about him?”

“What happened between you two?”

“Nothing. I was just a little cranky because of the alcohol. He's just overreacting.” I said. My friends didn't really look like they believed me, but I wasn't in the mood to deepen the topic. Thankfully, they started talking about something else. I changed my position and stood behind one of my closer friends. I put my head on their shoulder and closed my eyes. I had a habit of turning cuddly when I was tired, so I backhugged my friend and grumbled a little. It was met by amused laughter. When I opened my eyes again and looked around I saw Jimin staring at me from further away where he was standing with Cara and some of her friends. I didn't look away. Neither did he. I couldn't quite read his expression. There was a lot that I wanted to tell him, but I felt like I couldn't. I longed for him, but at the same time, I wondered if some distance would maybe help me get over this.