“Okay everyone, please remember that Taehyung is back in class tomorrow morning. I’d like to ask that we are all welcoming and friendly, but that we don’t overwhelm him. I understand that a few of you have been back in touch with him - that’s great, please keep an eye out. Let’s all work together to make his transition back to school as normal and as smooth as possible. Thank you.”

A hum of chatter buzzed about the classroom as the students discussed the return of Taehyung. Jeongguk’s fingers idly drummed an unknown rhythm on his desk, he didn’t know how to feel about the fact that Taehyung, Kim Taehyung, his worst nightmare, was coming back to school.

He registered his teacher approaching, she leaned in, voice dropping to a whisper. “Especially you Jeon Jeongguk, please remember that Taehyung will not remember your little tiff” her eyebrow raised in warning, as she gave his desk a light pat of encouragement.

Jeongguk held back a snort at this, tiff, really? The two had been at each other's throats for as long as he could remember. In fact, no one even really knew why their rivalry had started, but it was infamous and long-standing.

He could distinctly remembered their last interaction, fists swinging, noses in dirt and string upon string of insulting expletives on the back field. Jeongguk couldn’t remember exactly what they had been fighting about, but they both just seemed to rile one another up so easily. Taehyung infuriated him to no end, and he couldn’t quite pinpoint it, he just despised him.

When news had spread throughout the students about Taehyung’s motorbike accident, he’d felt the slightest sliver of guilt. It had been a little over a year ago now, and Jeongguk had been in the park with a friend, when the news reached him.

“, did you hear?” Sehun whispered. Taehyung’s been in an accident!

Jeongguk shrugged, unaffected by the news, it’s not like he gave a about the kid. “And?” he drawled, taking another puff of his cigarette. “It’s ing serious Guk, he might not make it.” Sehun’s voice held no traces of humour. Jeongguk had then felt a stab of guilt at the implication ‘might not make it.’

He didn’t like Taehyung, he hated him in fact, but the thought that he might be dead? Wow. That was a lot to take in, Jeongguk felt (for the first time), really really sorry for him. He might be an arrogant pain in his , but he didn’t want him dead.

The motorbike accident was tragic, incredibly damaging, but thankfully it didn’t end fatally. Taehyung lost some of his cognitive functioning, having to re-learn a lot of vocabulary, his movements were slower, more unsure and he suffered severe memory loss. His memory loss was so serious, that he’d forgotten his family, his friends, his entire life, himself. Jeongguk couldn’t imagine what it would be like to wake up one day and not be you, not be anything. The doctors weren’t sure if his memory would come back, perhaps bits, but it was doubtful it would in its entirety.

Subsequently, Taehyung forgot Jeongguk, and their long-suffering dispute. Jeongguk wasn’t sure whether to feel relieved or not.

----

“Jeonggukkie! Wake up”, Jeongguk’s mother’s voice drifted into his consciousness, snapping him out of a strange dream.

He was fighting Taehyung, rather viciously, both their faces were bloodied and dirty, shirts ripped. Taehyung’s face suddenly blanks out and a tear rolls out, his lower lip wobbling dangerously. At this Jeongguk jumps back, confused. “Who am I? Why are you fighting me?” Taehyung asks, his tone so lost, so desperate and so afraid that it sears straight through Jeongguk.

Then Jeongguk wakes up, in a cold sweat, nausea swirling in the pit of his stomach.

He’d had that dream for the last two weeks, ever since he’d heard the news of Taehyung’s return.

Jeongguk’s movements felt unnatural and jerky as he got ready, willing himself not to think about the day ahead, or rather Taehyung. He didn’t know why he felt guilty, it wasn’t as if he’d been the one to beat Taehyung into getting memory loss, that had been his motorbike. If he was being honest he was terrified, nervous of coming face-to-face with a Taehyung that didn’t hate him anymore. Maybe they would be friends? Jeongguk laughed at himself, at the thought. For all he knew, the new Taehyung and him would probably get along just the same as the old pair. Or it was possible, that one of his dear best mates (probably the infuriating Park Jimin) had already filled him in on their history.

----

Jeongguk was uncharacteristically early to class, not wanting to arrive and be confronted with Taehyung immediately. He felt to get their in advance, be prepared, not walk in late (as usual) and have all eyes on him, watching his first moment with Taehyung. 

He took his seat in the empty classroom, and began drawing random patterns on the cover of his Maths book, he’d never been first to class before.

“Hey”

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