Hoseok skipped his merry way down the tediously long stairs. He jumped down to the floor after overtaking the final step and walked cheerily towards the dance room where he would incorporate his new moves into the routine that he and Jimin had come up with. Yes, yes, Jimin had advised him to lay off the new moves because the routine was more than fine. But Hoseok couldn’t help it. One couldn’t stop inspiration from hitting you, could they?

The bubbly character was in so much of a good mood that he had started whistling a tune which mirrored his character and behavior at the moment. He turned the final corner which led to his favorite room in the entire school and that was when he saw it – three students looming over another student on the floor. The boy on the floor, Hoseok noticed, had ruffled uniform and his face was a little dirty and bruised. One of the boys chose that moment to put his foot on the completely unarmed boy’s chest and spit out some words which Hoseok failed to catch. Now, Hoseok knew that he wasn’t the most perceptive person among his friends but it didn’t take a genius to figure out that the poor boy was being bullied for whatever cause. Honestly, Hoseok didn’t think that bullying took place anymore in this current generation anymore but he couldn’t have been more wrong. And being an indiscreet pacifist, he approached the group to stop the ‘get together’.

“Hey, isn’t it a little unfair for three guys to go against one?” Hoseok announced and walked up towards the group. Now, if it had been any other person, they would have probably trembled a little upon seeing the fierce looks on the three boys’ faces when they turned. But Hoseok had been through worse before. He had seen worse. It should probably be of use to mention that Hoseok was once a part of a gang during his junior high days. Not only was he a part of it, he was one of the founders of it so obviously this scene was nothing scary to him. But the addressed group didn’t have to know that.

The ex delinquent took notice of the colors of the loose hanging ties around the three bullies’ necks – red. Which meant that they were in the second year. And the kid on the floor, a blue tie hung loose and tattered in a horrible condition.

“Oho?” Hoseok smiled and closed in on one of the bullies whom he reasoned was the ‘leader’. “Second years picking on a first year? Don’t you have a little sense of shame?”

The three boys seemed unfazed by Hoseok’s cool display of confidence and instead took a step forward. “Mind your own business, you damned !” one shouted.

The ‘damned ’ let out a smirk. “Good grief, such disrespectful juniors,” he mused and let out an exaggerated sigh. “No matter,” he said and exposed his palms upon shrugging his shoulders – a sign normally used by him to hide his inner thoughts despite the popular belief that he was a simple minded innocent puppy. “It turns out that this is my business because the four of you are all outside my room,” he said and pointed towards the room behind them – the dance club’s room. “Now if you don’t mind,” Hoseok’s cheerful voice turned to a cold and icy one, “Get lost!”

The bullies, though not doubting their own strength took notice of the situation and walked away with constant clicking of their tongues. Hoseok watched them go with the brightest smile anyone could muster up and the turned towards the injured boy who was desperately trying his best to get up.

Despite being an ex gang member, Hoseok was a man with a big heart. Yoongi called it stupid while Taehyung called it a gift but either way, said male could never turn away from a person in need of aid. So he bent down, completely forgetting his previous moods and offered to help him up. But the reaction he got was definitely not rewarding.

“Don’t touch me!” the injured boy hissed and slapped away Hoseok’s aiding hand. Hoseok froze in utter repulse. So much for gratitude. He knew that he sounded like an old and senile man but the phrase “kids these days” simply had to pass his mind at that point of time.

“Oi kid,” he called out, his eyes remaining so neutral that even a lie detector would not detect the lie behind it. “Is that how you talk to a senior who just saved your sorry ?”

Hoseok noticed by then that the first year was not unhandsome. He had honey blond hair and his eyes were simply something worth remembering. Take away the bruises and the busted and the swollen lips and this kid could be a real attractive person. On the level to be a model even.

The injured boy stood up and fixed his clothes, pretending as if the several blows that he had received were not hurting at all. “Whatever,” he spat back and threw a disgusted glance at Hoseok. The elder felt hurt, genuinely. This is what he gets for trying to be a good guy? Seriously?

He watched the first year walk away with a scowl on his face, looking extra annoyed at Hoseok for disturbing his little ‘meeting’ with his seniors. “Well whatever,” Hoseok commented and scratched the back of his head without a care in the world. It didn’t matter anymore. The kid was now someone else’s problem and besides, he would never be meeting him again, would he. Letting out a seemingly fifty year old sigh, he pocketed his hands and was on his way to his most beloved room when he noticed the small rectangular piece of something on the floor.

Curiously, he picked it up and snorted on seeing what it was. “Seriously?” Hoseok questioned and chuckled a little in disbelief. If he were in a shoujo manga, he mused, this would mark the start of something very significant for him. After all, it wasn’t everyday that someone saved another person’s from bullies and then get bluntly rebuffed for helping by the victim himself and then manage to pick up the said victim’s student identity card after he made a seemingly cool exit.

Hoseok pocketed the card and smirked. He had to admit, this was a little cruel. But then again, he reasoned, when is life ever nice?

He let out another sigh and placed his hand on the door handle. “I suppose I’ll be seeing you later then, Seo Sangwon,” he said to himself, recalling the name that he had seen just a second back on the dropped ID card which he had just picked up.

Yoongi trudged his way towards his classroom. And when he trudged, he really trudged. His shoulders slugged like he hadn’t seen the light of day in years and his feet dragged as if they were chained to mountains. As if this scene wasn’t pitiful enough, he sighed every ten seconds making him appear as if he was an old man who had a serious case of back pain.

“Yoongi hyung!” he heard an all too familiar voice call him from behind. His heart ached a little to hear the angelic cheer. How could a person be so happy when he was surrounded by idiots all around him? Then Yoongi came to a conclusion. Maybe this person was stupid too.

No wait, he thought, I’m the stupid one.

He turned, managing to make his face look even more dreadful. “What?” he asked to see the smiling angel propped up right before him. “Jeez hyung, do you have to be so mean always?” Jimin pouted a little but it was in good light.

Yoongi cursed a little in his head. Did this boy know nothing of the effect he had on people?

The elder sighed. His hand automatically reached the younger boy’s head and ruffled it. “What do you want, Jimin?” he asked, this time sounding a little kinder than before.

“I just wanted to know something, hyung,” Jimin beamed at him. “But first,” he interrupted himself and bent down and looked upwards, towards Yoongi’s face, to take a closer at the elder. “You look a little pale, hyung. Well, paler than usual. Have you been eating well?” he asked and pushed himself closer to the dull maroon head. Yoongi backed off, alarmed at the proximity of their bodies, particularly their faces.

Jimin noticed the sudden retraction of the body and realized that he had done something inappropriate. “I’m sorry,” he quickly apologized upon seeing the distress filled expression on his hyung’s face. “That’s fine,” Yoongi managed to squeak out, “I was just caught off guard.”

Jimin backed off and laughed awkwardly. Guess Yoongi was still a little awkward with the people around him.

Yoongi cleared his throat and tried to arrange his tie, though his hands trembled a little. That little rascal didn’t know how much of disarray he could put him into by just smiling at him. “Anyway,” he said, trying to sound very calm and unaffected, and succeeding very well, “What was it that you wanted?”

Jimin clapped his hands in an epiphany and Yoongi swore his eyes sparkled brighter than diamonds. “Oh yes! I wanted to know the timing of your exhibition so that we can be there to cheer you on, though I’m pretty sure you don’t need any cheering on.”

Commence all senses to shut down, was the imaginary order he heard in his head on hearing what Jimin had just said.

“You…” he asked, trying his level best to maintain his cool composure even though he was a little elated. “You’re coming?”

Jimin let out a smile, one of those special eye disappearing ones and replied with an “of course”. “After all what kind of friend would I be if I wasn’t there?” he asked.

Deciding to let the annoyingly bright image slide this one time (again), Yoongi answered that the gala was to open at one in the evening.

“That’s wonderful!” Jimin exclaimed. “Oh and one more thing,” he added. Yoongi immediately sensed something with this sentence. He felt his happiness die down a little, readying himself for a slow blow but Jimin was not that considerate with it. Of course, Yoongi couldn’t blame him. How could he ever?

“Would it be fine if Jungkook came along too? You see I actually wanted to take him out for sightseeing but seeing as we’re both busy with our classes we don’t have the time. And since everyone’s free on that day, we could meet up and get to know each other a little better.”

Yoongi let out a smile. But his eyes dropped a little. If Jimin had been observant enough, he would’ve noticed the pain behind the expression but it wasn’t his fault. Yoongi was just really good at hiding what he was truly feeling.

“Jimin,” he sighed out, irritated with his own expectations. Jimin lifted his eyebrows in anticipation. his lips to control it from trembling, Yoongi nodded his head; that bulbously stupid head of his. “You can bring anyone you like.”

The younger practically barked out. “Really? I promise I won’t disturb you with your exhibition. It’s just that Jungkook’s never been to one before so I was just so excited…”

Yoongi’s gaze remained on the smaller boy but his hearing drowned out along with his interest. His mind filled with thoughts completely irrelevant to the topic at hand but he didn’t let them stop shooting across his head. His inner voice sighed. He should never expect anything, really. After all, Jimin was head over heels in love with someone else, wasn’t he?

Seokjin, better known as Jin among his friends and loved ones, leaned his head on the cold tinted windows of the sedan he was riding in. It was another lovely day, perfect to be spent in school with his friends and peers but that all came crashing down when his father informed him earlier that morning that he had a meeting with one of their clients at two o clock in the neighboring district.

Of course, being a well brought up man, Jin immediately accepted the meeting and gave up his daily routine of going to school. So here he was, making his way to the airport in the back of one of his impeccably identical black sedans to visit one of his father’s important clients instead of being at his school, idling away his hours.

“Perhaps you are not feeling well, sir?” he suddenly heard a booming voice coming from beside him.

Jin turned and saw an incredibly comforting sight. It was his trusted companion, his bodyguard, his friend, Kim Namjoon, looking genuinely concerned for him, enquiring whether he was feeling well. He let out an assuring smile, which proved a lot about their relationship. “Fret not, Namjoon,” he teased, “I’m perfectly fine. Just a little curious on what Yoongi and the others are doing now.”

The ivory head turned back towards the front of the car, pretending not to be relieved on hearing the answer. But he didn’t miss the little glance the driver shot from the rear view mirror.

“I’m pretty sure they’re in class now,” he replied, pulling back the sleeve of his well fitted black suit and revealed a silver wrist watch. He didn’t have to turn to sense that Jin had nodded his head. “Yeah,” he heard his say though, “they probably are.”

Jin then adjusted his posture and towered over the seat of the driver to check the road up ahead. “Say, Mister Lee? Are we there yet?”

The driver replied with utter politeness. “Just a few more minutes, sir.”

“Good,” Jin replied and flumped back to his seat, “Because I’m getting bloody bored of being stuck in this car.”

Namjoon hid a small smile at Jin’s impatience and advised that he run through the documents to be glossed over at the meeting again. “I’ve already done that three times, Namjoon,” Jin replied, which was no less than what the younger but taller had expected. “Well then I apologize for I cannot do anything to ease you of your boredom,” Namjoon replied, his sassy side kicking in just a small notch. Jin smiled knowingly. Namjoon was really a good companion when he wasn’t so uptight and composed (which was a good 98 percent of the time).

A certain candy floss head slid the door to his classroom open. It was a beautiful day and he intended to keep it that way. And as he walked up to his desk, he saw Jimin’s beloved prince, sitting all alone looking out the window towards the blue cloudless sky with earphones plugged in his ears even though there were many students buzzing around him. Taehyung wasn’t one to pry but at that point, he was a little curious on what the younger was listening to considering he had once heard a song from his playlist and he liked it.

But deciding that disturbing him would be a pain, Taehyung simply sat down in his assigned seat and turned to face the day dreamer.

Taehyung smiled. He wasn’t disturbing the kid was he? So it’s probably alright if he continued to stare at those sparkly eyes and get lost in those orbs, wasn’t it?

Jungkook noticed, or rather, sensed a rather odd presence next to him so he unplugged his earphones and turned to find an incredibly embarrassing sight. Yes, it was Taehyung, nothing embarrassing about that. But the elder was so close to his face that he could even feel the warmth from it. And worse, the curiously hair colored male looked at Jungkook in a way that pet owners would look at their dogs – a look that was filled with so much care and tenderness that even babies would feel nervous over it.

He jerked back and laughed nervously. “Taehyung ssi, what are you doing?” he squeaked out. Clearly, the nervousness had crept up to his face as made evident by the reddening of his cheeks.

Taehyung replied that he was merely observing. “You looked really serene and peaceful, getting lost in your own world. So I thought I would watch you.”

Jungkook laughed awkwardly. Was this guy serious?

“Really? I apologize then,” Jungkook posed. But Taehyung was quick to intervene. “Why are you apologizing, underling of mine?”

Jungkook realized what he had just said and realized that he had said something completely unnecessary again. “I tend to say things without thinking,” he explained and blushed a little at his own air headedness. “I was actually thinking about something else so that came out. I’m sorry.”

Taehyung smiled. He was a little confused at Jungkook’s behavior but he didn’t think it was a problem. “You really need to stop apologizing, Jungkook,” he advised. This surprised Jungkook. There was something about the statement, no, it was the way the statement was presented to him that made Jungkook really curious and nervous. And it made him turn his full attention towards his classmate.

“After all,” he heard Taehyung add. And the younger couldn’t help but be into a world of his own again, where he drowned in this feeling of anxiety and the deep, nerve wrecking voice of this particular person. “You’re a human aren’t you?”

“…What?”

“Think about it, humans have a sense of pride and ego. And if they are indecisive and always apologize despite not having made a mistake, it’s kind of sad, isn’t it?” Taehyung explained with his whole soul absorbed into it.

Jungkook felt a drop of sweat trickle down his neck. “Taehyung ssi,” he managed to squeak out, “What are you talking about?” But of course, this went unheard by the valiant speaker. So Jungkook decided to let him continue despite him not making any sense at all. Besides, it was sort of fun to listen to Taehyung; not because of the content of his speech but because of his voice. There was definitely something about his deep voice that made him feel excited for no reason at all.

But Jungkook’s smile froze in utter startle when he heard a single sentence let loose from his mouth.

 “You’re ing pathetic!”

Jungkook knitted his eyebrows in utter confusion. There was no way that Taehyung said that, was there? It didn’t make sense. Not that he didn’t mind profanities or anything of that sort. He wasn’t that righteous himself. But it just didn’t fit the circumstances. Because he was right there, talking so passionately about the perks of human ego and pride and self respect and then all of a sudden that happens…

“Jungkook?” the same sonorous voice called him.

It took the younger a while to answer. “Hmmm?” he asked finally, realizing that he had fallen into a trance again. “Are you alright? Did the mean sakura faeries take away your train of thoughts?”

 Yeah, that definitely brought the younger back. “What?” he asked once again in disbelief and confusion. He figured that this would become one of his most used words with the elder.

“It’s true. The plant faeries, especially the of flowering ones are famous for stealing away your thoughts and luring you into their world. There’s this one story where a man went mad and lost his mind because the faeries and sprites in his garden had stolen all of his thoughts.”

The internal conflict about that strange sentence in the middle eased away with Taehyung’s continuing conversation. Jungkook smiled incredulously, but nevertheless, listened to the elder spout something or the other about… well, something or the other. And this continued on, with them enjoying in their own little world until they heard the first bell ring, which marked the beginning of classes.

Halfway through the lecture though, Jungkook turned away from the board and retained his original position. What was he thinking about before Taehyung came? Oh yes, Jimin. Jimin and how incredibly excited he was with the fact that Jimin had invited him to a photography exhibition held by his friend, Yoongi. He was nervous, no doubt about that. Which, in truth, made no sense. Because it was normal for friends to go out like this on free days. Then why the feeling of nervousness and even anticipation?

He supported his head with his palm and reached the point of giving up. He sighed out softly and let out a small smile, one which no one noticed but it was definitely there.

Certainty is often realized only when too late. The one thing certain in this case was that Jungkook was spending a little bit more time thinking about that shorter hyung of his as the days went by: the very same one who had invited him out. But he didn’t notice it. Of course, it wasn’t time yet for him to notice it.

Author's note:

Deepest apologies for the terribly late updates.

Indefinitely,

TypicalFangirl09