"Taehyung, let's go upstairs, I'll show you my anime collection. It's so cool," Hoseok bragged smoothly, "I don't know if you're into anime but if you aren't, you will be after leaving this house," he continued, only for Taehyung to chuckle and shake his head.

"Into anime? Hyung, I live for anime. I doubt you'll able able to impress me, my room's practically a comfy shop," he revealed proudly with a smile on his face, chest slightly puffing up.

"Hmm, We'll see about that," Hoseok replied enigmatically, winking as he opened the door widely.

"Welcome to my humble abode, sir," he joked, tipping an imaginary hat and bowing dramatically.

'Well, I don't mind if I do," Taehyung responded in a fake snobby voice that made them both laugh as they went through the door.

Hoseok picked up a few of the boxes that were lying around and spilled their contents to the floor; each containing about fifty, colourful manga novels. Taehyung watched him do this but after the sixth box he couldn't help but splutter, "Wha-..just how many do you have? These boxes seem infinite," only for Hoseok to offer him a cheeky grin and a wiggle of the eyebrows.

"I had to throw some of them away before we came here. My parents refused to bring them in the car with us, so I had to say goodbye to a few of my good friends," he complained, making Taehyung's eyes widen. If this is how many he has after throwing some away then how did he even find a place to walk, or sleep?

"I know what you're thinking, no I didn't sleep on top of them - I had a book cupboard. My dad actually thought I'd use it for books," he laughed.

"I didn't know you lived next door. Were you born here?" Hoseok asked curiously, wanting to know more about his new neighbour.

"Yep, born and raised, can't imagine being anywhere else really. I'm probably going to be one of those that  end up growing old, wrinkly and ill before dying in the same hospital I was born in," Taehyung shared with an unreadable smile.

"There's nothing wrong with any of that," Hoseok commented, "As long as you get to do the things you want and with the people you want, you would have experience life. And honestly, that's all that counts," he said seriously, ruffling the younger's hair before continuing, "Why, do you want to travel?"

Taehyung nodded excitedly, temporary surprising Hoseok with how fast his head moved.

"I want to go everywhere! London, New York, Osaka, Paris, Rio," his happiness was contagious as Hoseok started smiling too.

"I wanna take photos, meet different people and eat lots of food too," he wished, eyes taking on a dreamy quality.

"So why are you so worried?" the brown haired boy asked, confused.

"I'm just scared of being trapped - the only subject I'm good at is maths and that's not good enough for any degree," by now, Taehyung's voice had taken on a softer, sadder tone  that I don't suit him at all, making Hoseok want to comfort him.

"Don't worry Tae," he encouraged enthusiastically, lips widening, eyes crinkling and white teeth visible. The nickname rolling off his tongue naturally, "You could be sweeping the roads in Daegu but still be happier than a CEO in Seoul, life isn't dictated by what you do. Instead it's what you choose to do with it," Hoseok's eyes widened at the uncharacteristic advice he'd dished out, it seemed as if the younger bought out his mature side. He couldn't help but feel slightly protective over the naive bright haired boy.

"How about this, if we both fail this year, let's go backpacking together. We'll have loads of fun and see lots of things. Travelling isn't as nice when you're alone," be proposed nervously, waiting for a refusal. The two weren't exactly close friends so Hoseok wouldn't be surprised or offended if his offer was rejected. 

"You want to go.....with me?" the last word was emphasised, highlighting Taehyung's confusion. "You don't think I'm weird or anything, like the rest?" his words trailed off sadly as he stared intensely at his toes, not breaking eye contact. The dancer couldn't help but feel sorry for him at that moment. Did people make fun of him at school?

"Wait, what do people say?" Hoseok queried, he hadn't been at the school for that long so he didn't know all the gossip that went around yet.

Taehyung mumbled something that he didn't quite catch. He repeated it again after Hoseok's elegant "huh"

"They call me Dumbo and the weirdo, Kim Taehyung," he flinched, silently revealing his pain before continuing,  "I try not to let it get to me but it's been like this my whole life you know. The never ending taunts and words,"

"You know what? Forget them, you don't need anyone but yourself. You'll never see most of them again after this again anyway so don't let them put you down. Your personality is the best thing about you, ignore anyone who tells you otherwise," Hoseok argued passionately, wanting to convince the younger.

Taehyung's cheeks adopted a dusty pink colour at the compliment, before he mumbled "Hyung, let's go back to unpacking. You haven't showed me everything yet," and just like that, the serious atmosphere was replaced by an easy going relaxed one that had both of them feeling calmer instantly.

"Wait, you never told me why you call me hyung. We're in the same year," Hoseok had been confused by this for a while. The title wasn't usually used between guys that were the same age.

"No I skipped a year so I'm younger than everyone by a year. You don't mind me calling you that right?"

"Nah, of course not," 

Soon enough, the conversation naturally swerved back to anime and they ended up having a passionate debate about the Naruto characters.

"What do you mean you understand Sasuke? The guy's a prick. He betrayed the village, started working for a mass murder and killed his own brother - how does that make him likeable in anyway?" Hoseok asked hotly, wondering how Taehyung could even remotely feel sorry him.

"C'mon, Itachi killed their parents. He had no choice but to avenge them. Plus, Orochimaru was the only one who could give him the power he needed, he was withering away in the leaf village. The only thing he learnt there was what, the Chidori?" Taehyung snorted, "Are you telling me Chidori would be enough to defeat Itachi? That match would be like watching a rabbit and a dragon go head to head,"

Hoseok laughed at the imagery before replying, "But how many times did he try and kill Naruto, who was trying to help him?"

"Naruto kept getting in his way. He should have stopped wasting his time by chasing after Sasuke and done something productive instead. Besides, didn't Sasuke help them win the war at the end anyway?" Taehyung quickly responded

"Getting in his way? He was trying to help him. Or is being a good friend overrated nowadays?" was the sarcastic reply.

"Who asked for his help," Taehyung instantly countered, sticking his tongue out at Hoseok's shocked expression.

They both gave each other an intense stare down before dissolving into peals of laughter, realising how ridiculous they were being. Both of them were very different, it was clear that they both held on to their views strongly and that neither would budge anytime soon.

"Let's agree to disagree, yeah," it was Hoseok who offered the truce, causing Taehyung to nod back and open his mouth to speak-

"Hoseok, Taehyung! Come down, dinner's ready," His mother's voice yelled from downstairs, causing them to both shuffle out of the room and down the stairs to where both of their families were seated.

They both sat next to each other, opposite Hoseok's parents and next to Taehyung's. The table was filled with all sorts of dishes that made his stomach rumble and mouth salivate. They rarely made this much, even on special occasions. Luckily for him, his mother wanted to impress. He looked over and Taehyung was looking at the food like all his dreams had come true. His eyes were wide and he was grinning from ear to ear.

"Wow, you made all of this? Thank you, it looks amazing," he bowed politely before spooning some rice into a bowl and digging in.

"It was nothing," she smiled kindly in reply, "So you're in Hoseok's maths class, how's he settling in? Has he made any friends? He tells me everything is fine after school but I can't be too sure," she interrogated the unsure looking Taehyung who hurried to answer her.

"He's doing pretty well. Hobi hyung's quite outgoing so he's made lots of friends really quickly," the ease which the nickname passed his lips made it seem like he'd been saying it forever.
Hoseok, who was starting to get flustered at being the centre of attention, began to eat faster - praying that the subject of the conversation would change soon.

"Ah, thank God. I'm so relieved to hear," his mother exhaled a short breath of air before changing the subject to a much lighter one. A few minutes later, their parents were getting along wonderfully, embarrassing their sons by revealing scarring childhood memories that would be better off kept secret.

"Taehyung used to wear this little, red and black dress everywhere until he was about five. He would cry and throw a tantrum every time we told him it wasn't appropriate for outdoor use," Taehyung's dad chuckled and his mother joined in cheerfully, remembering just how much of a handful their son had been.

"I still don't get why. I looked adorable in it," the subject of their amusement muttered. Hoseok's mind helpfully supplied him with an image of a lanky Taehyung wearing nothing but a small dress and his cheeks started to get warmer against his will.

"Are you blushing?" his sister asked loudly, leaning in and squinting at him.

"N-...no. Now eat your food," he replied, stabbing the lamb chops on his plate before shoving one of them in his mouth completely, manners be damned. Taehyung looked at him curiously before taking a bite out of his own food.

"Speaking of painful experiences, when he was four, Hoseok used to follow his teacher everywhere and call him 'daddy'. Nothing we would tell him would get him to believe that you can't have more than one dad," his mother shook her head sadly. However, the neighbours laughed at the adorable innocence of the child who, at that age, didn't know any better.

"What can I say, es develop at a young age," it was Hoseok's turn to mutter, causing Minhee to choke on the water she'd just sipped and Taehyung's eyes to widen to the size of saucers. Luckily, none of the adults heard his small joke as they definitely wouldn't approve.

By the time everyone had finished eating and the conversations started to come to a natural halt, it was nighttime. They were all happy that both families came together like this and planned to meet up more often.

"It was really nice meeting you, we're glad that we have neighbours such as yourselves. I hope this wasn't too much of a bother for you, "

"Nonsense, next time I'll cook and you all come over," Taehyung's mother reassured, her smile looking identical to her son's. Hoseok was the last to say goodbye as he led them to the front door.

"Hoseok, please keep an eye out for our son. He hasn't got many friends and finds it difficult to get along with his peers," Taehyung's father whispered to Hoseok so the other two wouldn't hear him. Although he didn't understand why people couldn't see the different layers of Kim Taehyung like he did, he agreed to the worried  request with an assuring nod.

Even though his parents were making their way back, his classmate still hadn't moved from where he was standing.

"When you come to my house I'll show you my room, it actually has a bit of colour too," Taehyung teased, remembering the office like bedroom that he'd entered this afternoon.

"Hey it's not my fault okay, I've been settling in. That takes time," Hoseok protested, defending his plain sleeping arrangements.

"If you say so. If you need someone to help you paint it and stuff, I'm always free," he offered.

"Are you sure? I mean it could take some time and I don't want to eat away at your revision hours," Hoseok interjected unsurely. 

"Of course I don't mind. I like hanging out with you hyung," Taehyung smiled softly, his eyes displaying the sincerity of the compliment.

"Then I'll see you soon, partner," Hoseok winked, "I'm not paying you a dime though, so expect nothing. Except maybe food," he threatened jokingly.

Instantly, the dancer was tackled and Taehyung was behind him and he was being held in a loose choke hold. It wasn't particularly painful, since the grip was gentle but it looked like a move you'd see on a wrestling show. 

"How much food? Think about it properly because your answer determines whether or not you get tickled," Taehyung whispered seriously, his deep voice and warm breath tickling Hoseok's ear.

"A lot, I promise - don't tickle me please," he pleaded, voice not coming out properly because he started laughing. Taehyung who had let him go, also burst out laughing at the situation.

"Smart answer hyung, you're safe for now. I'll see you tomorrow at school then," he reminded before walking the short distance to his house, waving energetically at him before entering. 

Hoseok watched him leave, unable to remove the smile that was currently stretching his face in two.