Chapter  thirty five.
That night, I received a message from Seokjin hyung, asking whether the double date was fine or not.
Oh yes, I had told the Kim cousins about Jungkook and I on the previous Sunday, as well as Jimin hyung.
I still remember our conversation quite well.
"H-hello?" 
"Hi, Taehyungie~ How are you?" 
"I-I.." I talked so quietly, and despite trying to prevent it, my voice still  cracked. 
"I sense intensity in the way you talk. Is everything alright?" his own sounded concerned. 
" I called you a couple of days ago, telling you about my friend who thought his own friend likes him.." recalled I shamefully, working one of my sleeves' hem between two fingers.
"Oh, Seungyeol, I guess he was?"
"I-I don't know, he isn't even real."
The stillness that followed was anxiety-triggering.
"..What do you mean?" of course he would be perplexed.
"I actually asked those questions for..my own benefits."
"And why is that?" I gulped harshly.
"I actually have a crus- no, I mean, I-I love him."
"Whom?!"
"J-Jungkook."
"Omo..So, what are you going to do?"
"Well, he came to my house today and, we bizarrely confessed to each oth-"
"Oooh~ the brat likes you back then, right??" I smiled at the thought of it, at the mere fact of Jeon Jungkook bequeathing my feelings back.
"Right."
"That's..phenomenal. So you are boyfriends now?"
"I guess." my cheeks felt as hot as scorching lava.
"Oh..although, I knew you had some feelings for him."  

Afterwards, I informed the elder two.
"OH MY GOD, YES YES YES, I SHIP I-"
"YAH SEOKJIN HYUNG, CAN YOU BE ANY QUIETER?! That's my ear you are screaming in, not the phone's mic~."

For a reason, telling my friends about  Jungkook and I felt way easier than informing anyone about Jimin and I. I presumed it was the feeling of calmness towards the actuality of me being gay, in general. But, would I be that secure when I would tell my parents? A question that kept lingering my head for long enough.

The double date made the relationship between Jungkook and I way more at ease, and made us less shy and insecure as we went out in public once again, not caring about the stares, neither the talks that we were centring ,for we knew we weren't alone. We have never been alone. We will never be alone. 

That didn't serve me well; through the whole week, the latter kept practically teasing me, endlessly, and mercilessly.
He would stare at my face like a creep for attention each minute, and when I would look back at him, he would compliment me, which honestly made me shy. I was yet to get familiar with him as a lover, and specifically with the change of positions I went through. I was the one to be dominant once, but I became submissive so abruptly. 
Also, he once touched my thigh out of the blue while the teacher was educating. It didn't feel as a ert act, not at all. It indeed was a very mild struck on the outer side of my thigh, his hot hand providing extra warmness to my body. 
Yes, it did get a yelp out of my mouth, but that didn't make me as shy and embarrassed as to when he would put his hand on my waist randomly, anytime and anywhere.  He did it on our way to the canteen while I was daydreaming, he did it in the resting field, and even on our way back home.
Oh, didn't I mention the spontaneous cuddles? 
Even Yoongi hyung and Jimin hyung didn't have such clinginess. 
And yet, I am not complaining. Those acts felt shielding, possessive, affectionate, gallant, and merely made me feel safe.

14th of February. A familiar date, isn't it? In case you have forgotten why that day is special, it is because it's Valentine's day, a  day dedicated for affection, exchange of roses and chocolate boxes, saying sweet nothings to people dear to our hearts, or as wanted to be in the near future. But for me, that day had always brought much embarrassment upon me. I don't even guess that somebody cried because of me on any other date, and yet , number of hopeful admirers never stopped augmenting.    
It was a Thursday, and that Valentine was indifferent to the ones preceding. 
At least it seemed to be until a point in time.
As the hyungs, Jungkook and I entered the school's gate, I could see a female looking intensely at me, a scrambled sheet of paper clutched in her hands. Her long, wavy blond hair was the thing that got my attention in the first place. I just continued walking along with the others, avoiding her piercing stare, but she ran my way regardless.
"Taehyung-ssi!" called she in a high pitched voice that gained an eye roll.
"Here it starts." murmured Namjoon hyung, to which Jungkook looked bewildered.
"T-Taehyung-ssi, hello." added she, still avoiding my eyes.
"Good morning, Yeri." said I to her.
"Oh, you know each other?" asked Seokjin hyung.
"Y-yes, we did a history project together last year." answered she.
"True." confirmed I "So, what is it?" asked I hastily, wanting our chat to end as soon and peaceful as it could.
"Aren't you going to ask how I am first?" the audacity shocked me.
"U-um, excuse me, I forgot to." my eyes still were a centimetre wider.
"Anyways." she cleared before looking at the others "I would like you to excuse us now, I have to tell you a solemn matter."
"Why don't you just say it be-fronting us?" after that, I felt the speaker's hand snaking around my midsection. Another centimetre was added. "Or is it something personal?" 
The female looked in befuddlement at the moving limb, head tilted a tad, and mouth opened a bit.
"I...yes it i-"
"Yeri-ssi, plea-"
"It isn't a bother for us to listen to you as well, for we will know now or later." 
"Jungk-"
"Taehyung-ss-"
"Yeri, what is it?" 
Oh, .   
"O-oh, hi Top, how are you?" asked Seokjin hyung, to which he got a 'fine' and a thanking as a response.
"Seu- I mean, Top oppa," yes, Yeri was that close to the latter "I wanted to talk to Taehyung-ssi about something, but this..guy over here doesn't want to give us privacy, like, are you his boyfriend, mayhap?" the  mockery in her tone made me feel even more nervous.
"So what about it?" answered Top. "Isn't Seulgi your best friend? And isn't she lesbian?" 
"Oppa~" she smiled, her act was an evidence for her disquiet. "I didn't mean that."
"What did you or not mean anyways?" said Jungkook.
The girl's hands fiddled with the sheet of paper, the substance sounding to be mushier than supposed to, her look became replaced by a grudging glare.
"I mean that it would be such a misfortune for Taehyung-ssi to already have a lover." No one budged even. "And after a pleasant moment of teasing me, I hope that my request has become clear to you. I await your answer."
"My excuses to you." the same sentence that was repeatedly my answer to the hopeful admirers.
Frankly, I had never witnessed any of their reactions. After saying the apologetic words, I would bow meekly and turn my back hurriedly.
But for Yeri, it was not the case.
"Why?" asked she from above my crouched back and head.
"He doesn't like you."
"I didn't direct the question to you." a familiar, yet for once ,satisfying scoff was heard.
"We are not in a parliament to cause you to act like this. You asked something, you got the answer. Mature up."
I didn't want to look at her to not make the female more embarrassed, as quite a good number of students had enclosed us, but I would have liked to see her expression. She cleared .
"I have always been a target too, and hearing your name lingering much in girls' chats peeked my interest. So I wondered whether I would have a chance to get you or not." I still didn't look her way. "Don't be haughty, I asked you for Valentine for your looks only, as well as getting more recognition." then did I look at her, only to be faced by her back. 
"Egotistic brat." commented Yoongi hyung, the circle around us decreasing by bits.
"She is indeed, so don't mind her, if you would."
We nodded at Top who waved at us before departing.

During class, I had thought about the incident a tad more, not having interest in the lesson.
"Don't be haughty, I asked you for Valentine for your looks only, as well as getting more recognition."  Was that really it? Was that why everyone before her had asked me out? 
Was that why Jungkook had asked me out?
..
But he had told me the answer beforehand. Why did I keep hallucinating, and doubting, and questioning for so much..
"Tae hyung?"  my daydreaming was interrupted.
"Y-yes?" only then did I realize that the bell had rung.
"Is there anything bothering you?" 
"N-no, I just dazed off." answered I with a smile.
"Are you certain?"
Lovely. 
I have found caring people lovely since ever.
"Aren't you used to me by now?" a shrug was his response. 
"Regardless," he stretched his arms "are you free this evening?"
"Yeah, why?"
"May we go out on a date, then?" I looked away, unwillingly.
"Okay." It was Valentine’s day, and it’s nearly a must for couples to have dates on it. Jungkook and I were not excluded.
“Or would you prefer spending it at home?” I glanced back at him “I merely feel more at ease, and I know that you feel troubled in public.” It was as if our brains were synchronized.
“It would be better, I guess.” 
“Alright then.”
Only his question got me thinking in bemusement; were our indoor meetings considered dates?
I knew very well that we weren’t referred to as simple friends after the confession, but even so, we solely play games and have fun.
In addition to cuddles and few kisses.
But still, the atmosphere between us doesn’t feel so romantic, rather amusing, just like when we were mere friends.

Eventually, classes had ended, we were on our way back home.
The station was on the opposite side of the street we were walking on, yet Yoongi hyung didn’t cross the road with Hoseok hyung.
The latter turned in befuddlement after reaching the empty chairs of the bus stop, and called for the older.
“Yah, Yoongi hyung!” said boy turned his head towards him. “Why are you still walking on that side?” he lifted his head with an ‘o’ shaped mouth, his brows slightly knit.
“I requested a day off to..” he pressed his lips together, then carried on talking “go with Jimin somewhere else.”
“Yeah.” Admitted Jimin hyung.
“I see, goodbye to you all then!” uttered the dancer before waving his hands at us. “Have a good date!” Yoongi hyung rolled his eyes as Jimin hyung’s cheeks became tinted by a deep shade of crimson, to which we laughed.
“What about you two? No dates?” Jungkook shook his head at Namjoon hyung.
“We will be staying at my house.”
“Really?” asked Seokjin hyung, to