The Mystery Poet

 

Hoseok was starting to worry about Yoonji. Since he sat down in front of her, she hadn't acknowledged his presence once. Come to think of it, she hadn't given a sign of noticing her surroundings at all. Instead, she had been manically scribbling into her notebook, the tray of food at her side still untouched.

At first, he hadn't minded her absentness and had just taken out a book, reading it in peaceful silence. Well, as silent as the school cafeteria can get. With every minute that passed, he had gotten more and more nervous, however. He kept stealing glances at her and trying subtlely to get her attention by clearing his throat and humming My Chemical Romance songs. She just kept ignoring him.

"Your body needs food to function, you know?" He finally found the courage to speak up. "Next period is P.E. You'll probably regret not having eaten."

She flinched and her gaze snapped to him in shock. "How long have you been sitting here?" Hastily she closed her notebook, her cheeks turning pink. Again he wondered what the hell she was writing all the time.

He motioned to his own tray, that was noticeably empty. He had just a pudding left. "A while," was the only thing he said. She seemed confused and unbelieving, so he added: "You were pretty focused on your notes, that happens. Do you want to show me? Maybe I can help you." Her slipping the notebook into her backpack was to be expected. She never let anyone read what was written in it. He had once tried to sneak up on her and take a look inside of it. She had noticed him approaching, however, and had immediately closed the book. By now he had come up with all kinds of theories about its content. Plans of her murders was just one of it. It was more plausible explanation was that she was writing her thoughts and feelings into the notebook, like some kind of diary.

Three months ago, before he befriended Yoonji, Hoseok had thought that all girls wanted to talk about was their feelings. Then Yoonji got transferred into his class. She preferred to keep her feelings to herself, which led to their class giving her the title "Ice Princess". Hoseok and his group of friends thought she was really cool, so they had started a contest on who could successfully ask her out on a date first. That was until Park Jimin, the party pooper, had ruined the fun. He had told them about her parent's divorce and had reprimanded them that she didn't need a boyfriend right now, but could use some friends. It was Jimin, who successfully asked her out, though he asked her out as friends, so it doesn't count. Eventually, he invited Yoonji to a meet up with the whole group. It had been weird at first to have a girl in their midst. Seokjin had been especially careful. He was extremely good looking (at least the girls at their school and he himself said so) and popular and kind of like the school idol. That meant there were many girls practically attached to his hips most of the time at shool and if you didn't get his humor he could easily be seen as arrogant and misogynistic. He wasn't, of course (which didn't mean he wasn't a bit narcissistic) but he held back on his jokes none the less. Yoonji seemed like someone to take feminism seriously and she did, as they later discovered.

Instead, he started telling dad jokes and apparently found a liking in them. Now he didn't stop telling them and everyone was fed up with it.

"So it's just the two of us, huh?" Yoonji said into the silence that has spread among them. Three months ago Hoseok would have been intimidated to be alone with her. Now he felt at peace. Talk about character development.

He hummed in agreement. "Jimin had to stay behind. Something about Insook needing his help with whatever." Jimin, all the responsible class president, often had to listen to their classmate's concerns. He would give them all the warm smiles they needed and help them the best he could. It was his obsession with helping people that practically glued him to Yoonji, like a moth was attracted to light. Hoseok had always admired him for this trait. "I don't really know, where the others are so I would have to guess. I think Taehyung should be tutoring Namjoon, Seokjin is probably occupied by his many admirers and Jungkook ... Seriously, I have no idea what he is doing." Jungkook had always been the most independent one of their group. No one knew, what he was doing when he wasn't with them.

"So they're too busy now, to hang out with us unpopular folks," Yoonji commented. It made a smile steal its way on Hoseok's face. "Made you smile again."

Yoonji hade made it her mission to make Hoseok smile as often as possible (she said he had a nice smile, he should show more often), which she succeeded more and more in. Before he met her, he would have been sad whenever someone brought up his unpopularity. Except for his friends no one ever talked to him at school. He didn't even understand why his friends do hang out with him. But now that he wasn't alone with it anymore, he felt okay about it. A problem shared is a problem halved after all.

"Hey, guys," on cue Jimin sat down next to Hoseok. He was looking glum. Whatever it was Insook had told him, to make his all time present good mood go away it must have been something serious. "Yoonji you have to eat. We have P.E next period. You'll need the energy."

She gave a snort. "You know," she said pointing at Jimin with her chopsticks. "You guys are not as different as one could think." She started digging into her noodles. "What's wrong? And don't tell me it's confidential, I know you are burning to tell us and you will do so eventually, so why not do it now?"

Jimin sighed in defeat. "Insook's parents are going through some trouble in their relationship. She heard her mother tell her father in an argument that she was thinking about getting a divorce. She is really bummed about it." He turned to Yoonji with a gleam of hope in his eyes. "Maybe you could talk to her? Tell her that having her parents break up will not be as bad as she thinks?"

"But that would be a lie. It will probably be as bad as she thinks, if not worse. Trust me, you don't want me, of all people, to comfort someone."

It had always been one of Jimin's worst character traits, that he got too involved too easily. He usually made everyone's business his own. That couldn't be healthy, Hoseok thought.

"Really Jimin, it's nice that you want to help her, but there is nothing that can be done about it." Hoseok lay an arm around his friend. Jimin always felt more at ease through physical contact. "Please don't get too deep into it, okay? I mean, she probably has friends, who can console her, doesn't she?"

 

Jimin nodded, not seeming one hundred percent convinced.

"What's wrong now?" Jungkook had appeared next to Yoonji seemingly out of nothing and made everyone jump in their seats. "What are you crying about again?"

"I'm not crying," Jimin protested lamely. There was no point to argue with stubborn Jungkook.

"Well maybe this can make you brighten up," he flung the school's newspaper in front of Jimin, opened on the creative writing page. Jimin read with interest and soon his cheeks turned bright read and his usual smile took over his face, albeit a small one.

"Another one?" Yoonji asked rhetorically.

Last month there had been a love poem for Jimin published in the newspaper anonymously. While Jimin's name hadn't been used, the poem spoke of a class president in senior year with an angelic smile, so everyone was sure it was about him. Jimin had been confessed to quite a lot of times (More than he liked actually. He hated to tell someone no.), but he claimed it had never been done that creatively. He had been embarrassed about the first issue none the less. He had never been someone to make his love life public and he was glad that one at least couldn't be sure the poet was talking about him.

Now it didn't seem to bother him that much, however. Maybe it was about the suspect, Seokjin had been able to find out. Miso was a sweet girl, she was innocent and pure and the dream of a few boys, apparently Jimin too. Yoonji squinted her eyes at the blushing boy. "Last month you hated the attention," she observed. "What made you change your mind? Miso?"

"Can't I have my secrets too?" Jimin whined.

"No," Jungkook decided. "Now tell us."

"I don't have to tell you anything!" Jimin jumped up from his chair, his cheeks puffed out. It made him look like an angry hamster. "I'm leaving. See you in P.E." With that, he his heels and stormed out of the cafeteria.

"It's definitive because of Miso," Yoonji murmured, to which Jungkook nodded in agreement. Did Hoseok just imagine it or did her eyes look sad all of a sudden?

 

__________

 

Seokjin went through a mental check-list considering if he didn't forget anything. His parents and sister were out of the house, soda and potato chips were ready, displayed on a kitchen counter, a stack of video games and movies were stacked in the living room, the house was so clean you could eat off the floor, the beds were freshly made and everything that was breakable was out of reach. No, everything was ready for the sleepover, now he just had to kill the time until his friends arrived.

He was about to start a cell phone game when the bell rang. He wondered who it could be. It was still about half an hour before the time they agreed to meet.

When he got into the entrance hall, he let out a sigh. Of course. Through the spy he could see Jimin, his hands clutching his backpack, that seemed way too full. What the heck did he have in there?

"You are early," Seokjin said dryly as he opened the door.

"I know," Jimin smiled at him innocently. You really couldn't be mad at him for long. "I thought you could maybe need help preparing everything."

"Sorry, I'm already done," he crossed his arms in front of his chest and made himself tower over Jimin, which wasn't really the hardest thing to do. Jimin had always been the smallest on in their group. Well, that was before Yoonji made her way into their lives of course. For a second he thought he was being too hard, but seeing the insecurity washing over Jimin's face was worth it. He looked hilarious.

"Oh, well should I go and come back later or ..." he pointed with his thumb over his shoulder and every movement stopped when Seokjin broke out into his windshield laugh. "You're mean!"

"And you're adorable," Seokjin countered, trying to stifle his laughter. "Come in. You could help me by keeping me company."

Jimin took off his shoes and Seokjin felt excitement bubble up in him about telling him his newest joke. Jimin had always been the only one to laugh at his jokes. He didn't know if he actually thought they were funny or if he was just being polite, but he didn't actually care.

"Hey Jimin, why is six afraid of seven?" He asked, already beginning to giggle.

"I don't know, tell me."

"Because seven eight nine." They spend a good five minutes laughing. Seokjin knew this joke was going to be one of the successful ones. "That was a good one." Jimin actually complimented it.

With his mood skyrocketing, he lead Jimin into the living room. Not that Jimin had to be led, he had been at Seokjin's place countless of times, but he was a polite person.

They started playing Super Smash Bros to kill time, Seokjin, of course, taking Mario in every match, until the bell rang again and they had to pause the game. Seokjin looked at the clock and knew who was at the door before he even opened it. As predicted it revealed Taehyung, who was cleaning his round-rimmed glasses with the hem of his shirt.

"How do you always be exactly punctual?" Seokjin curiously asked him, after he had ushered him in.

"Time management, Seokjin," Taehyung said while he leaned down to open his laces. "And I also waited two minutes in front of the door." He grinned his famous box smile at the confession.

One after one his friends started to arrive at Seokjin's house and after a considerably late Jungkook, still sweaty from jogging the all the way from the bus stop, was let in, they were complete.

"Okay, sleeping arrangements first," Seokjin shushed his friends up successfully at the third try. "As you all know we have a new addition to the group. I would like to officially greet Yoonji."

"Thanks for inviting me?" It was clear to see, that Yoonji didn't really know what to say.

"She will sleep in my sister's bedroom, which means two of you have to sleep on the couch, unfortunately. Any volunteers?" Yoonji's hand went up. Seokjin was perplexed for a moment.

"Any questions Yoonji?"

"Kind of. I get it that normally two people sleep in your sister's bed?" Seokjin nodded. "Then I would suggest I sleep on the couch. No, let me speak." She successfully shut Seokjin up. She was the only one of them who had ever dared to do so."You have two options. Option number one: One of you shares a bed with me and I know what you'll say. 'No Yoonji, we can't let that happen.'" Junkook and Namjoon snickered over her imitation of Seokjin. "So that leaves option number two: Two of you sleep on the bed, I sleep on the couch."

"Yoonji, we don't mind ..." again Seokjin was interrupted by her. "I'm a girl, not a porcelain doll. I won't break from sleeping on the couch, you know?" With that the argument was seemingly over, Seokjin gave in and Yoonji wore a triumphant gummy smile.

The rooms were assigned as followed: Namjoon and Jimin would sleep in Seokjin's room. Seokjin was too afraid Namjoon would break something accidentally, so he didn't let him into his parent's and sister's room and Jimin was the only one who was able to stand his snoring. Taehyung and Hoseok would take his parent's room because they were the ones who usually let the light on the longest to read before bed. Seokjin and Jungkook would take his sister's room. Seokjin usually trusted his friends, but he didn't want them to have unoccupied access to his sister's stuff. They were all teenagers after all. Yoonji would sleep, as discussed, on one of the living room couches.