It had been almost two weeks seen the Zoo date, and Nam Joon didn’t have any new messages from Jungkook. It’s not for a lack of effort, Nam Joon texts him every day, Hoseok is sure his message box is full by now. Despite all his attempts, there were no responses from the younger boy.

Hoseok himself hasn’t been in a good mood either. He stuck one of the stickers onto the back of his phone and stared at it whenever he found himself unable to focus. He thought the date went well, didn't it?

Yoongi walked into the classroom and sat in his desk, the one in front of Nam Joon’s. “Jimin told me that Jungkook has been depressing all week. What happened? You told me everything was good.”

“Everything was good. We even went on a date,” Nam Joon glared accusingly at Hoseok.

“I thought it went well,” Hoseok mumbled back.

“Are you sure?”

“Whatever,” Yoongi interrupted the tension, “Jimin is worried about his friend and blames it on me since it was my idea. Fix it, all right!”

Nam Joon nodded and began typing away on his phone. Hoseok stared at the sticker until class started. Jin threw paper balls into Hoseok’s shirt collar, but he didn’t notice. Not even the teacher’s lesson could break Hoseok from his mood.  When he answered the third incorrect question in a row, he was assigned classroom duties. All he could think about was a depressed Jungkook.

It was Nam Joon who broke Hoseok from his trance. Hoseok was scrubbing the literature notes off the board when Nam Joon approached him. “Still no answer?” Hoseok asked.

Nam Joon shook his head, no.

Hoseok continued scrubbing.

“I sent him another text.”

“So?”

“He’s going to reply.”

“He didn’t answer the others, why would he answer this one?”

“Because I told him the truth.”

Hoseok stopped scrubbing. He turned to Nam Joon with wide eyes, “You did?”

“I shouldn’t have sent your picture in the first place. I was dumb and nervous and he’s probably mad at me,” Nam Joon said ashamedly.

Hoseok agreed. They stood awkwardly.

“He should still be at school. They get out later than we do,” Nam Joon stated.

“Really, you’re sending me?” Hoseok asked.

“If you guys had as much as fun as you told me, I don’t think I have a chance,” Nam Joon gave a small smile.

Hoseok smiled and asked, “Is Jin still here?”

“Yeah, his club had a meeting today. Why?”

“I’m going to need his bike. Can you finish this?” Hoseok handed the sponge to Nam Joon.

“Thanks,” Hoseok shouted as he grabbed his backpack and ran out of the room.

Nam Joon shook his head. He would never understand his friend, but he didn’t need to.

He unlocked his phone and reread the message he sent.

~~

To: Jungkook

From: Nam Joon

I have a confession to make. That photo I sent you wasn’t me. It was my friend, Hoseok.  He also went on the date with you. Sorry I lied. He can’t stop raving about you. Not really surprising. I hope you guys have fun together. Again, sorry I lied.

-Rap Monster

Jungkook read the text over three times just to make sure. He was having a pretty bad day, a bad week actually. But that message made up for it. He couldn’t help but smile at the corny Rap Monster signature at the end. Yes, he made a mistake. This time though the mistake could be fixed.

He read it over one more time. He still felt his blood race just as if it was the first time. His moment was interrupted when he felt a hand run through his black hair. “Was that a smile?" Jimin teased, "I haven’t seen that in a while”

Jungkook pushed Jimin’s hand away, “Shut up, I smile.”

“So you’re not mad at him”

“No, not anymore,” Jungkook confirmed.

Jimin smiled back. They heard a muffled shout, Jungkook asked, “What’s that?”

“Oh that’s right,” Jimin started, “there’s an idiot looking for you outside.”

Jungkook put his phone away and followed Jimin to his classroom. He had to fight through the giggling girls with their iphones to get to the window. Just inside the gates, in the middle of the court, the guy from the photo Nam Joon sent him was red faced and shouting. He had a navy blue blazer but was still recognizable. Jungkook laughed, “That’s not me he’s calling out for.” Jimin furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. Jungkook didn’t give him a proper response, instead he pulled out his phone and sent a message.

To: Nam Joon

From: Jungkook

It’s okay.

I lied too.

~~

“Jungkook! Jungkook!” Hoseok shouted. There was a chance that a teacher could come any minute so he had to act fast. “Jongkook, I’m sorry. Nam Joon came to me and told me he sent you my photo and told me to go on the date but I didn’t mean to trick you! I had a really good time and we should hang out more often! I’m sorry I’m not from Seoul! But I do make up my own raps and Jungkook just please talk to me!” Hoseok was out of breath. He curled in on himself. What if Jungkook only liked the one through the text messages and not the one at the zoo? So many questions were running through Hoseok’s head but there was one that kept triumphing over the others. Does he like me? “Jongkook,” he said between breaths.

“So you’re not from Seoul?”

Hoseok looked up to see a familiar thin frame, dirty blonde hair, and judging glare wrapped in a grey uniform sweater and red tie. Even though he was exhausted, Hoseok still managed to smile. “No, I’m from Jeollado.”

“And you don’t like basketball?”

“No, I’m terrible at it.”

He bent down to meet Hoseok’s eyes.

“Why did you do it?”

“A favor for a friend. It doesn’t count as a favor anymore does it?” Hoseok laughed.

He gave a half smile. “So you’re not Nam Joon?”

Hoseok felt his heart plummet, he looked back at the ground, “No.”

“Good, because I’m not Jungkook,” Hoseok’s head snapped back up back to see pink lips stretched into a smile. Hoseoks pulled the kid, the beautiful blonde kid who wasn’t Nam Joon’s who never was, with his smile and his hair and his face and his skin and none of that was ever Nam Joon’s, closer to him. They both were laughing at this point. “Who are you?” he asked.

Hoseok pulled away far enough to look at his face, “I’m Hoseok.”

“Hoseok,” he repeated slowly. Then he leaned in and gave a Hoseok a chaste kiss, “I’m Taehyung.”

Hoseok pulled him tighter and gave him a real kiss, like he wanted to that first day.

One of the teachers pulled them apart. He shouted obscenities as he chased Hoseok off the school grounds. Hoseok jumped onto Jin’s bike and took off, but not before blowing a kiss to Taehyung . 

~~

“I should print cards that say Min Yoongi, matchmaker.”

“One couple doesn’t make you a matchmaker.”

“Ah, but I didn’t make one couple. I made two! You and your underage plaything and those two lovebirds over there,” Yoongi pointed at Hoseok and Taehyung tangled together on the couch, “All within a few weeks. That's what you call talent.”

They were all at a karaoke bar to celebrate Nam Joon reaching number one on the school rankings, at least that’s what Yoongi claimed. Hoseok thought Yoongi planned it to secretly celebrate his own personal achievement. After Hoseok’s daring confession, Nam Joon and Jungkook saw each for the first time at the nearby McDonald’s. Two days later, Jungkook and Nam Joon arrived hand in hand up at Jimin’s house. Jimin now seizes any opportunity to tease them. “Yoongi, if you’re so good why am I still single?” Jin pouted.

“Dude that’s hetero territory, that’s completely different,” Yoongi began flipping through the song book.

“Then why is Jimin still single?”Taehyung asked. Jimin glared at him, Taehyung blinked innocently.

Yoongi fumbled with his words, “I- I haven’t found anyone to match him yet.”

“You sure?” Nam Joon asked.

“Maybe someone in this room?” Hoseok teased.

“Hyung,” Jungkook sang, he didn’t want to be left out.

“I’m about to sing so shut up,” Yoongi said with a red face. Everyone’s laughs were drowned out by Big Bang’s “Fantastic Baby”.

Hoseok felt Taehyung curl further into his lap, he wrapped his arm around the small boy and smiled. It was getting late, he had homework to do, and he promised Taehyung’s mom that he would bring him home before ten. Instead Hoseok called the front desk and ordered more food. He was going to regret it later. But for now, kissing the pout off Taehyung’s face was worth any punishment.

A/N:

Here's the second part, as promised. kudos to blackmelody for guessing the truth. (but really this story was so predictable.)

To those who celebrate Halloween, I hope you had a good one.

And thanks again for taking the time to read this.