“Hani, where weren’t you here yesterday?! We were worried sick!” Yoo Ra slapped the girl’s arm.

“And you have to slap me?” Hani pouted as she rubbed her arms.

“Can I slap her next?” Jackson winked, earning a back thump from everyone.

“Are you feeling okay now?” JR asked.

“Fit as a fiddle,” Hani beamed.

Se Mi appeared right then and plopped on the floor, “sorry to pop your bubble Hani-ah but because you weren’t here yesterday for the math period so they had to pair you up with… somebody else.”

Hani caught the little uncertain pause in her words and looked at her suspiciously, “who ‘somebody else’?”

They all looked at each other uncertainly.

“Well… he’s from another class actually but because he had no partner there, he was transferred here for that period to pair up with you,” JB explained.

“Yes I understand that part, but who?”

“J-hope,” they answered in unison.

Hani looked at the blankly, expecting someone to explain the name, but they also looked back at her, waiting for a better reaction for their dramatic revelation.

“I don’t get it.”

Yoo Ra faced palmed herself, “Oh right, she doesn’t know who Bangtan is,” she laughed.

Se Mi took her shoulder and suddenly started to shake her, “HOW DO YOU NOT KNOW BANGTAN?”

“I JUST MOVED HERE!” She cried pathetically.

JB took the deranged Se Mi and placed her firmly back down on the ground, “sorry, she’s one of their psychotic fan girls, she escaped the Bangtan-i-love-you asylum and came here to spread the disease.”

That earned JB a punch through the stomach, he doubled over earning a laugh from the rest of the group.

“I will personally give you a run through the Bangtan Boys,” Se Mi pointed to herself in an official-like manner and grabbed a seat to place in front of Hani.

“Guys, I think we’re going to infirmary,” Jackson laughed.

“,” Se Mi muttered as she mussed through her things.

“Still worth it,” JB coughed as he limped through the room with JR and Jackson’s help.

“You’re going to love this, she has a whole tablet dedicated to Bangtan and only Bangtan,” Yoo Ra said with an amused expression.

“First let’s get this straight, this-” she waved her hands around the table and them “-is strictly a non-hate zone got it?”

“Fiinneeee,” Yoo Ra laughed and raised her hands in defeat before walking away.

“Now how would you like me to introduce them?”

Hani laughed, “In musical form, particularly les miserable themed.”

Se Mi gave her a piercing look, Hani suppressed a laugh.

“I don’t know, you choose,” she waved her hand dismissively.

Se Mi gave a precise nod and opened her tab, “we will go from the eldest to the youngest, pay attention alright?” She said it so seriously that it was hard to take her seriously, Hani bit back a smile.

“This is Kim Seok Jin.”

Hani froze in her seat. That’s the boy who I thought had nice lips- I mean who called me a druggie, dammit.

“He is the oldest of the group and he’s in senior year, his family is filthy rich and are stock owners. He’s family is very famous and he has a sister but a girl cannot take the company’s name, so he’s expected to inherit it. He’s quiet, he keeps mostly to himself, he is snappish when you do bother him but other than that he doesn’t pay anyone any mind at all, at most, he will stare you to death, but I think that an amazing way to die,” Se Mi squealed.

This suddenly looks like a story from one of those dramas in tv, was it boys over flowers?

“Next is Min Yoon Gi or also known as Suga.”

Hani gripped her seat. I’ve met two out of 7 Bangtan members, worse, this one was hitting on me! Se Mi continued, oblivious at the suddenly quietness of her spectator, misreading it as interest.

“He is from a rich family as well but he will not inherit it because he has an older brother, but still he has a share of the company and he is expected to control them. But everyone knows that’s not what he wants, he is a sick rapper and he wants to be an artist or at least stand an independent record label. He does underground music for hip-hop and stuff. But he likes to pick on people, he likes to scare them too for no reason at all. Sometimes, he does it for fun but he doesn’t know the line between teasing and taunting so you know, keep away.”

She flipped through the tab.

“This is your partner later, Jung Ho Seok also known as J-hope.”

Hani relaxed but only ever so slightly, finally a face she wasn’t familiar with.

“He is, no shocker, from a rich family as well, his family is in the fashion industry, he has an older sister who manages things now but he’s expected to help in the future. But this boy, this boy I swear, has no drive in life. He’s very loud, playful and everything but when it comes to classes, he skips and he flunks, although somehow recently in some classes I hear he’s doing well, but you know he still has no interest in life. He doesn’t want to follow his family’s footsteps, but he also doesn’t know what he wants in life.”

“How do you know that he doesn’t know what he wants to do in life?” Hani asked, curiously.

“Cause it’s obvious,” Se Mi rolled her eyes, newbies.

“This is Rap Monster. I heard you were paired up in your Econ class. You’re so lucky!”

“What do you mean I’m lucky? He’s so childish,” Hani huffed.

Se Mi looked at her as if she suddenly had two heads.

“What do you mean immature? He’s the most mature out of the group! He’s so manly and tough and everything, that’s why he’s the leader. He doesn’t like to pick fights, only the ones meant for fighting, but sometimes you know he does like to pick on people. Family is loaded definitely, he has a younger sister, who is a little by the way, and yes, he’s supposed to inherit the family name and everything. Bbbuutt everyone also knows he doesn’t want to, he has the same goal as suga, do you know why he’s called Rap Monster?”

“Gee, I wonder why.”

Se Mi wanted to say it anyway, “Because he is literally THE rap monster, like no offense to Suga but the boy can drop a beat!”

Hani bit back a laugh.

“Anyway, moving on, this is Park Jimin, ugh, this y thing.”

The tension in Hani’s body jumped right on back. She looked at the boy staring at her from the screen, those half closed eyes, suddenly her breathing hastened. IT’S THE BOY I ALMOST KISSED! She almost screamed out.

“Hani, are you okay?” Se Mi frowned.

Hani faked a cough, “sorry, chocked a little there,” she continued coughing.

Se Mi bit her lip, “I know he’s just unf! He’s from a wealthy family no duh, and he’s expected to inherit it, but what makes him different is that he is interested in his family’s business. But you have to beware though, he will eat you alive. Like literally, he’s like a lady killer. When he has you in his grasp, he will have you and you don’t know how many he has already had, whew! But cute little fact insert, he used to be chubby that cutie!”

Tsk. So I just fell for his tricks, bastard.

“The next one is my ultimate crush,” she had that wide smile and big eyes as she held her tab close to her heart before showing it to Hani.

“Of course, he’s only ever shouted at me, shoved me and stuff, but at least he noticed me!”

A shock of red/orange hair. Hani dug her nails to her chair.

“This is Kim Tae Hyung also known as V, he’s so handsome isn’t he? This guy right here is damn straight mysterious, all we know about his family is that he has 2 younger siblings, his family is loaded but we don’t know what about. Everyone says his dad is a mafia king or something, stupid right? Anyway, he has no manners at all. He will probably bite you if you give him a chance, well not really, I’ve given him loads of chances but he just shoved me away~ Anyway, he’s rude but so cute.”

So the first day of school and I’ve already met most of the notorious Bangtan that I was supposed to clear away from.

“The last and not the least, our golden sophie, Jeon Jung Kook.”

Hani finally fell off from her chair.

“Hani!”

She buried her face to the ground and then threw it up to the sky. Cookie?! COOKIE?! Lord what have I done to deserve this? Did I betray the king in my past life? If I did, I was stupid, I’ve turned a new leaf. Why lord? WWHHHHHHHHHHYYYYYYYYY?

She threw her hands up in the air as everyone stared at her.

“What the hell’s wrong with her?” Yoo Ra pointed at Hani who looked like Jesus Christ in Gethsemane except more pathetic.

“She’s turned to the dark side,” Se Mi smirked.

Why why why why why why why why Hani knocked her head to the ground.

“I think she’s trying to kill herself,” Yoo Ra laughed.

“I can’t believe it, you’ve finally made someone crazy because of your Bangtan obsession!” She laughed again, slapping her knee and holding her stomach.

“Shuttup,” Se Mi muttered before turning to Hani.

“Hani are you okay?”

“I think I should move to a new school,” she whispered.

“What did you say?”

“What is everyone doing?” The strict voice floated in the air as everyone turned out.

The teacher had already arrived, everyone shuffled back to their seats as Hani sluggishly tried to pull herself up from the ground. All throughout the lecture, she stared out the window. It was unlucky how she had been saddled up with Bangtan from the very beginning.

After classes, she went to her locker. She had locked the egg up all night because she had forgotten it yesterday. She held the incubator in her arms, it had already lost its power. She bit her lip uncertainly. Should she confront Rap Monster again? She had the first time, maybe this time he was going to punch her in the face. Hani squealed and rested her head against her locker.

“I don’t want my face disfigured!”

“What the hell are you talking to yourself for?”

The deep voice caused Hani to jump. Right behind her was Rap Monster! Speak of the devil and he shall appear. She blinked at him, unsure of how to treat him now that she knew who he was. But he just blankly stared at her with those sharp eyes.

Rap Monster didn’t know why he went by to her locker in the first place, he didn’t even know why he had to shove a few students up their lockers to find her locker. He figured he just really wanted to pass Econ that bad.

“You left the egg in there the whole night?”

“… yeah kind of, there was an emergency last time-”

“What the hell! Are you trying to make us fail?” He snatched the egg from her arms.

Hani frowned, “Christ, I’m sorry, it’s not as if I did it on purpose!”

He glared at her and she glared right back. Fuming silence fell between them, before Hani gathered up her courage to talk.

“So about the schedule…”

“What about the schedule,” he snipped.

“We don’t have one,” she glared again.

“Easy, you keep it, I check up on it.”

“What? How is that easy? That’s not even fair!” She placed her hands on her hips.

“I didn’t remember discussing about being fair,” he said as he inspected the incubator.

Hani opened but only huffed in frustration.

“This is what we’ll do, MWF and Sunday I will keep it, you keep it Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday,” she said through gritted teeth.

“I can’t do Saturday.”

“So we swap, you do Sunday.”

“Sunday’s not any good either.”

“What? You expect me to keep it during the weekends too?”

“That sounds good,” agreed before giving the incubator back to Hani.

“What? No! I’m already taking 4 days out of the week for the egg! You just have to watch it!”

“Exactly, you just have to watch it! Stop complaining, it’s not as if I’m telling you to play fetch with it.”

“Listen here mister, you maybe the leader of this Bangtan thing whatever it is, but I am not one of your fangirls that you can order around, I have subjects to catch up and topics to cover so I can pass this damn school, now you better hold this damn incubator or it will fall and the egg will crack, at this point I can still get this subject in the summer, you on the other hand can’t afford to lose this subject, so you follow my rules and be fair or I will drag you down,” Hani planted her finger on his chest before turning her heel and walking away.

Hani heard something punch one of the lockers that made her quicken her steps.

“What did you do that for hyung?” J-Hope appeared.

Rap Monster smirked at him “a bug.”

J-Hope looked at him quizzically before patting his shoulders and going to class.

“You’re going to class?” Rap Monster called out, a tone of disbelief in his voice.

“Yeah, ing teaching won’t stop yapping about it, I don’t understand a goddamn thing about math,” he muttered.

Hani entered the classroom looking disgruntled, she quickly sat down in her seat. That’s right, I just have to be firm but not too y and things will go my way.

Soon enough the teacher came in and so did the rest of the class, she couldn’t wait to get this period over. She was still trying to wrap her mind around the fact that she was linked to every Bangtan member known. Something hard suddenly hit her head.

J-Hope swung his bag recklessly before plopping down the seat next to his supposed partner.

“Ow.” Hani growled pointedly at him.

J-Hope stared.

“You’re my partner?”

“Unfortunately.”

The sudden smile on his face was so sudden Hani couldn’t help but blush. She coughed and went to focus on her text book. It was hard paying attention to the lecture when he was staring so blatantly at her, she didn’t want to say anything either because he might just be staring through her not at her, getting corrected might get embarrassing.

“… so turn to page 45 and answer the following questions.”

Hani dutifully did what the teacher said, but the lack of movement from her partner bothered her.

“Didn’t you hear what she said?”

The look on his face suddenly turned animated, “not a single ing word.”

“Were you even listening to the lecture?”

“I wouldn’t have understood it in the first place so why bother? What did you say your name was again?”

Hani gave him a scathing look but didn’t seem to affect his expression.

“I didn’t, now open your textbook so I can teach you,” she instructed.

“I’m J-Hope,” completely ignoring her.

“Hani, now open your te-”

“That’s a pretty name,” he smiled again.

Hani shifted uncomfortably in her seat, she couldn’t keep the blush out of her face. From the corner of her eye she could see Se Mi literally bending back and forth to listen to their conversation.

“T-thanks, now about that book-”

“So where’re you from? I wouldn’t have missed a face like yours.”

Hani scoffed a laugh, “please, I don’t know how many lines you’ve used that on but the only lines I need to see are the ones in your textbook now open before we get in trouble.”

“Fine, if you’re so into my damn book then go get it yourself.”

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me.”

Hani bit her lip uncertainly. This was a group effort, if her partner wouldn’t answer his book then she’d be forced to wait until he finished it. And she certainly did not want to be stuck with him for a little longer than necessary.

She quickly reached for the bag on the desk but he swiped it away in a blink of an eye, out of her reach.

“Ugh! What now?” she said in frustration.

“Get it,” he said, mischievously.

Hani stomped her feet and stood up.

“Ms. Choi please sit back down!” the clipped tone automatically magnetized her to the chair.

“Get it,” he repeated.

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” She looked at his arm and those were really long arms, she couldn’t reach for them even if she tried.

“At least ttrryy, or you know, you’d rather be stuck with me for another hour… on the other hand, that doesn’t sound so bad after all,” an evil smile found his lips.

“Give me that damn bag!” she said through gritted teeth before reaching out for the bag.

J-Hope’s eyes widened in surprise as she leaned in, full view, determined and suddenly so close. He could see the little freckles on her nose and the little lines between her eyebrows crunching up. Hani hadn’t even noticed their lack of distance since her attention was fixed on the bag. Distracted, the bag slipped out of his hands and slung itself around his wrist.

“Hah! Got i….t.”

Their noses were barely touching. The coughing in the background sent Hani flying back to her seat, almost knocking her down.

“Ms. Choi, is there something I need to know here?” the teacher looked at the both of them.

J-Hope was still frozen on the spot while Hani looked like she invented a new shade of red.

“I-i-I was getting hi-his b-book.”

“I don’t see Mr. Jung lacking any arms or fingers Ms. Choi.”

“But he refused to get his book!” Hani complained, she couldn’t lift her head due to the embarrassment.

“Christ, just leave us alone teach, I told her to get my damn book, do you want me to answer or not?” the rude retort came from the once frozen J-Hope.

That caused Hani and the rest of the class to snap their heads in attention, but the teacher only gave J-Hope a glare before walking away, rather stiffly.

Silence fell upon the class.

“You shouldn’t have spoken that way to a teacher,” Hani whispered.

“Hm-hmm,” J-Hope said absent mindedly as he continued to stare at her.

Hani shook her head before proceeding with answer her book. If J-Hope wasn’t going to do anything then fine, she wasn’t going to spend another hour stuck in class all because her partner refused to write. After she finished solving the math problems, she tuned to J-Hope and began writing on his book while he on the other hand just kept looking at her.

It was unnerving. He wasn’t saying anything, not a peep, he was just staring.

And that was all he did throughout the class, from the moment she finished with both of their books, to passing and finally dismissal.

“Thanks Hun,” he winked before walking away.

“Don’t call me that!”

“CALL YOU WHAT?”

Hani gave a start when Se Mi appeared by her side, her eyes were wide, her pupils dilated and open and ready to fire her with questions. Hani was frankly scared.

“You almost scared me to death!”

“Tellmetellmetellmetellmetellmetellme!” she chanted as she bounced up and down her seat.

Hani silently scoffed to herself, there’s not much to tell.

“I’ll tell you tomorrow, my mom’s probably here to pick me up.”

“What? No! Tell your mom we’re walking home together,” she tugged her arm.

“We are?”

“Of course, there’s no harm in a little evening walk right? Plus I need you to talk to mmmee,” she cried.

This would probably be the first time Hani ever walked home, first still walking home with a friend since middle school. The thought of it made her glow, she instantly reached out for her phone and contacted her mother. It wasn’t easy but she won the argument anyway.

The night air was cold and refreshing against her skin as she walked, arms linked, with Se Mi who was eating dokkboki.

“NO, HE DID NOT CALL YOU THAT!” She almost choked.

“I did,” Hani scrunched her face.

“YOU LUCKY !” Se Mi swatted her arms.

“How is that lucky? It’s both uncalled for and rude, and not to mention weird, who calls someone they just met Hun?”

“Apparently J-Hope, ermergerd I hate you so much right now!”

Hani paused, frowning, “you do?”

Se Mi blinked and then laughed before pulling her arms when she backed away, “no you stupid, I mean kind of, not really, I’m just jealous, you got J-Hope to call you Hun! That’s like uuugghhhhhhhh, maybe I should change my name so it can sound like a pun too,” she chattered.

Hani liked having to listen to Se Mi chatter away about things. It felt nice listening to a friend and talking about pointless things. Yoo Ra would have walked with them if Jackson hadn’t dragged her along with one of his antics.

“So about Yoo Ra and Jackson…”

Se Mi clasped her arms, suddenly bursting, “I KNOW RIGHT?! Can those two get any dense?”

“You mean they’re not together?” Hani asked, confused.

“Hell no,” Se Mi snorted, “even at gun point I don’t think they’d admit it.”

“But it’s so obvious!” Somehow Hani couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed, she kind of shipped them.

“I know, like there was this one time Yoo Ra found out her ex had actually cheated on her before they broke up, even though they weren’t together anymore, it’s still going to hurt right?”

“Ouchhh, that , I know right?” Se Mi asked “anyway, you know what Jackson did? He hunted the guy down and literally dragged the poor thing on his knees to Yoo Ra so that he’d apologized, he didn’t hit the guy or anything, just you know manhandled him to apologize to Yoo Ra.”

Hani smiled, “ggggaaaawwweeeeeee~ that’s the sweetest thiinngggg~ How can they not be together seriously?!”

“Well I hear Yoo Ra has an off and on something on the side right now,” Se Mi wagged her eyebrows.

“On and off?” Hani asked, confused.

“Yeah like you know, good here good there but suddenly bad here then good again, the stupid cycle,” Se Mi rolled her eyes.

“Ahhh, and you don’t know wh-”

“MOVE!”

“GET OUT OF THE ING WAY!”

Both of the girls were shoved from the sidewalk as a few running bodies whizzed pass them. Hani almost stepped up but Se Mi immediately grabbed her hand. Hani looked at her questioningly but instead she was pulled behind a little pile of boxes.

“What-?”

“Ssshhh,” Se Mi pointed overhead, her face serious.

Hani followed her and went down on her knees to peak at the noise. There were a few students on the ground of the little alleyway and hovering over them were tall figures. Tall familiar figures.

She gasped but Se Mi quickly covered .

Hani’s eyes were frantically switching back and forth in shock. Bangtan boys?! But Se Mi only pressed her fingers on her lips at her.

“… you guys must be stupid for thinking you’re the new hot shots around here,” Suga scoffed as he stepped on one of the boys who was standing up.

“Trying to steal our spot, our spot,” J-Hope kicked one of them in the stomach before crouching down and poking him, “awe, did that hurt?” he laughed harshly.

V was herding the ones trying to escape by kicking them back into their huddled circles.

“…y-you’re supposed to be on probation-!” one of them dared to speak.

That earned him a good sock in the face by Jimin, “in school, they never said anything about what happens outside the school.”

Hani’s heart hurt a bit when he saw Jung Kook grab a few of them by the hairs and then shoving their faces back on the ground. How did he get led into this? This wasn’t her Jung Kook.

“I’d rather we keep this clean… and quiet,” Jin finally spoke up as he gave the leader of the group a piercing look, the leader of the group quickly looked away.

“Hyung’s right, let’s just finish this and dump ‘em,” Rap Monster cracked his knuckles.

Se Mi grabbed Hani’s arms and dragged her away before she could see them throwing punches and kicks in the air. Hani didn’t want to and she was grateful. There was already blood spilled and they weren’t finished yet? A shudder coursed through her, even Se Mi had gotten quiet.

“Like Yoo Ra said, don’t mess with them,” she gave Hani a thin smile.

“Noted,” Hani nodded.

“Anyway, this is my turn, take care of yourself okay?” Se Mi waved with a smile as she went the other direction.

Hani looked at the street corner to her house apprehensively, she had never walked home alone before. This was going to be a first, even though her house was a block or two down. She smiled back at Se Mi and wished her the same.

“I feel like Dora the explorer, dangerous version,” she sighed to herself.

The street looked quiet, but she didn’t mind. The crime rate near their area wasn’t very high, there was an occasional theft but nothing like murder or . That enough set her mind at ease. She wished she had brought her earphones, it would be a perfect time to listen to some kindie. Next time-

“Yah.”

The deep voice was familiar to Hani, she didn’t know which fact was creepier: the fact that she knew who that voice belonged to despite their brief meeting or the fact that he had her in a deserted street.

“I have-”

“I DON’T WANT TO DIE!”

Hani screamed before she went sprinting to the safety of her home.

“-your water bottle.”

V looked at her retreating figure before cocking his head, “why does she keep mentioning about not wanting to die, jeez, it’s just water bottle,” he scratched his head in confusion.

“Yah hyung, what are you doing there?” Jung Kook hollered.

“I was chasing an idiot, my bad.”