He wants to run. Already he can feel a ball of tension churning in his stomach before he enters the classroom, because disgustingly enough his “friends” were spot on. It explains everything, the irrational (but sometimes justified) annoyance against him, the way Taehyung creeps under his skin and how he forgives all those little things that would normally cause him to blow up.

Even from here he can catch whiffs of the artificial cherry smell, too sweet and strong but essentially Taehyung. As if Geography wasn’t tough enough, this must be the idea of someone up there for a fun prank- Jungkook’s mental torture.

He really doesn’t want to sit next to Taehyung again, but it’s not because he hates him today- it’s because he likes him too much. And if he’s not careful something stupid will escape his lips or be written all across his face because Taehyung seems to bring out the otherwise well-managed stupid in him. Which Namjoon has so happily pointed out, is exactly what Jin does to him. Jungkook does not want to descend into those levels of stupidity.  Just. Nope.  (Although maybe Namjoon does look happier even when Jin is being a drama queen, so maybe they’re onto something.)

Besides, he’s 120% sure that his feeling are blind one-sided affection. There is no way Taehyung with all his flower boy power and handsome good looks would choose someone like him. Not that he completely lacks in the visual department, but seriously. Their first impression was seriously terrible.

“Hey.”

Not not that smile please no not that smile. It’s bad, he can feel the colour creeping onto his cheeks already, and it’s very deliberate movement that he pulls the chair out, taking out his pencil case. Deep breaths, in out, in out. Better. Ignoring Taehyung and all the stomach-churning pink sparkly fairy dust he seems to sprinkle around, dropping him into some disgusting pink vat of feelings that he is sadly incapable of dealing with. This is obvious environmental pollution, that fairy dust he sees rest on Taehyung’s face and shoulders and everything. Poisonous too, the only reason why he feels his cheeks heat up so fast.

Jin and the rest are definitely wrong, he most definitely does not feel a thing for Taehyung. What is a thing even. Can you eat it? It’s got to be the pink fairy dust that Taehyung seems to generously sends out in a fifty-meter radius, on everything he touches and every word that comes out of his cute pouty mouth.

Those feelings- like his heartbeat- is not orderly. He cannot neatly organize it, categorise it or explain it. Messy. Kim Taehyung is a confusing and messy intrusion on his life. He can’t stand those feelings yet likes them too much. Why, like why. Why can’t he like some nice girl and lead a simple orderly life rather than this- this guy, who is too loud and confusing yet so utterly cute and lovable?

“Hey we have to-“

Jungkook wildly swings his arm away, choosing to wallow in his corner of self pity. He knows, he’s not distracted to the point where he doesn’t listen to the teacher’s instructions because that is a whole new world of bad he never really wants to explore. But that touch. Ugh. His heart is overworking and if he doesn’t die young he’ll be surprised. He shouldn’t even be alive, his circulatory system drained with all the blood pooling into an ugly red blush in his cheeks. He’s slightly dizzy from the contamination of pink fairy dust on his arm, it must be the onset of a fever or something.

But he sees Taehyung curl back and withdraw into his seat with a soft “sorry” and he can’t help but feel bad. He wants to hug him, to tell him that he sorry and he’s overreacting to something really tiny but no, he can’t do that. It’s an idea so bad, considering that already he’s risking heart failure from just the lightest touch on his arm with the warmth and fairy dust still on it, and if Taehyung uses those lips to smile at him again he’ll break for good.

He really, really doesn’t know what will happen if that happens.

Probably something really, really stupid like I like you. Or you’re really really cute you know? 

“Sorry.” That’s all he can say, but the damage is already done. His heart seems to shatter into a million pieces and it hurts, it hurts, it hurts so much. Now he’s gone and screwed it up for good.

Taehyung takes the lion off the table and onto his lap.

Jungkook opens his mouth to speak but no words come out, the fairy dust turning gray and falling to the floor.