By the end of the first week, Taehyung hadn't been able to get anymore than a nod of acknowledgment from Jaeyoung. Despite this, it was nice to know that she wasn't completely ignoring him. She wasn't avoiding him, either. Whenever he would see her, she would never hide from him or get up and move from her seat. Perhaps then, there was a chance to hear her voice and to see her smile.

Through his many attempts to open her up thus far, he learned that Jaeyoung was "abominable" not because she was vicious, but because she was cold and difficult to approach. She made his peers feel intimidated and even a little awkward, but she had not shown any signs of being a bad person. Yet, he wouldn't be able to make a judgment until she chose to speak.

But Taehyung wanted to know why–why she remained silent, why she did not react, why she avoided any form of interaction or confrontation. 

He decided to ask around.

"I don't know," Gong Minji, the dance team captain, shrugged. "Maybe she just hates everyone here." 

"Who is Hong Jaeyoung?" Lee Taemin, a new transfer student, asked with a shy smile. "I'm still learning names and faces. Sorry."

"I skip or sleep through my classes, so I have no idea who's in them," snarled Song Minho, a delinquent, as he turned to spit over his shoulder. "I don't even know who you are, kid. Now scram." 

Taehyung met up with his friends again in the library during lunch. His head fell into his hands in exhaustion and defeat. After letting out an exasperated groan, his hands fell to his sides as he puffed out his cheeks and pouted.

"Still can't get her to talk to you?" Namjoon asked.

Taehyung nodded with a sigh. "I've been trying so hard."

"Relax, you still have five weeks left." Namjoon placed a hand on his friend's shoulder reassuringly. "What have you been doing to get her attention?"

"Well, I've been saying hi whenever I see her, with a smile, of course. If her pencil or her paper falls off her desk, I hand it back to her. I ask her how her day is going, but she doesn't respond. That's typical. I crack jokes from time to time too." He blinked once, pausing for a moment. "Uh, yeah, that's pretty much it."

"It's good that you're making it clear that you want to befriend her." Jimin praised. "But sometimes, girls need that little extra 'kick,' you know? They pay attention to detail and like when you point it out. When you talk to her, slip in a compliment or two. Tell her that her hair looks nice today, or that you think her outfit looks cute."

"How do you know so much about girls?" Taehyung scratched his head, puzzled.

"I had a girlfriend once, you know." Jimin chuckled. "I also have a sister and a lot of female friends."

Then, Jaeyoung entered the library, book in hand, as she made her way to her usual spot at the table in the far corner. After throwing her bag in the center of the table, presumably to prevent anyone from sitting with her (which was unlikely to happen, anyway), she put on her headphones and opened her book. Taehyung watched her wordlessly.

Jimin nudged him, smirking. "Go."

"W-what?"

"Go talk to her. Hell, keep her company too."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Taehyung hesistated.

"Positive. Go." Jimin slapped his back, prompting him to get up and approach Jaeyoung.

With an air of innocent shyness, he pulled out the chair across from her and settled himself. Jaeyoung's piercing eyes flickered upward from the pages of her book, eyeing him with intense curiosity. This attention made Taehyung flush a deep red up to his ears. He took a deep breath to calm himself, the bright flush on his face beginning to fade away. 

The two sat in silence for a while, and Taehyung swore he could almost hear the ticking of the second hand through the noise of his peers. He managed an awkward smile, his distinctive rectangular grin, while he still had her attention. Inside, however, he was nearly in a state of panic.

OH MY GOD, WHAT DO I SAY? WHAT DO I DO? DO I KEEP SMILING OR NOT, I DON'T KNOW WHAT–

"Hi Jaeyoung." His voice was soft. "How are you doing?"

He scanned her from the surface of the table up to the top of her head. Slip in a compliment or two. His gaze fell on the headband that matched with her navy blue school blazer. Then, he observed the way that it held her straight, black hair behind her face to reveal her strong but feminine facial features. 

"Um, I, uh..." He stammered, the blush returning to his cheeks. "I like the way you wore your hair today. You look very nice."

He quickly looked down, placing his hands on the table and fumbling around with them. All of a sudden, everything felt too loud: the thumping of his heart within his chest, his breathing, his uncomfortable shifting in his seat.

Yet, he fought through his nerves and continued talking. "Ah, I see you're reading The Kite Runner. I loved that book. If you haven't done so already, you should read A Thousand Splendid Suns once you finish. I mean, I guess the order that you read them doesn't matter. My cousin just told suggested to me that it was better to read The Kite Runner first."

Jaeyoung bobbed her head, to Taehyung's surprise. A nod. 

She acknowledged him.

A new sense of hope rushed through his veins and his uneasiness dissipated. He smiled to himself, looking away from her for a moment to hide his joy. He thought to himself, Keep talking, Taehyung. Keep it up. It's working.

"You know, I think you're really cool, and maybe we should hand out sometime." He offered innocently. "Uh, I'm not asking you out on a date or anything. We can just talk over coffee or something as friends, or aquaintances. Do you want to go to Starbucks after school tomorrow?"

She stared at him incredulously for a moment, not speaking a single word. Then, her eyes softened into something more approachable, more vulnerable. Though she said neither yes or no, there was no outright refusal. Taehyung took this as a yes or a maybe.

"Okay, well if you want to, meet me in front of the school at the end of the day."

The bell rang, indicating that it was time to move on to the next class. Taehyung gathered his books and shoved them into his backpack, and then he threw it over his shoulder and nudged in his seat with his foot. Jaeyoung silently closed her book, placing a Post-It on the page, and grabbed her bag. 

She walked past him, briefly stopping right beside him. Her head was facing straight ahead of her, her eyes on the students flooding out through the doors. Taehyung looked at her from over his shoulder. She blinked once, her lips parting slightly. 

"Thanks."

It was easy to have missed her words. Her voice was hushed and wispy, but clear. There was a certain quality of gentleness and delicacy in it that made her seem almost fragile. But before Taehyung could process what she said, her back was already facing him as she headed for the exit.

His friends rushed to his side, grabbing his shoulders and shaking him as if he won the World Cup. 

"So? How'd it go?" Hoseok raised his eyebrows curiously.

Taehyung did not respond.

"Did it work?" Jimin chimed in.

"Bro, we're talking to you!" Jungkook punched him lightly in the arm.

"Wh-what?" Taehyung blinked, trying to gather his senses again.

"Did it work?" Jimin repeated. "You know, with Jaeyoung?"

Taehyung tried to hide a huge smile, covering his mouth with his hand. He was feeling giddy and completely unbound to the world. When he composed himself, he took his fingers and ruffled his hair, and then he walked out of the library with his friends. 

"She spoke to me."

Hi guys!

I am SO SORRY that I've been totally dead for the past 3 months. It has been a hella busy summer for me but now I have my last 3 weeks before I go to college free-ish. It's a short update, but hey the plot advances so I shouldn't complain. :)

-shrubby