When they thought it couldn’t possibly get any more awkward, hasty footfalls were heard coming towards them. They looked up and saw it was Jin; he was flailing his arms in the air while shaking a food container in his hands. “I have cake! Do you guys want some?”

Hyunjung sighed in relief as he approached closer to the three of them.

That may just be the icebreaker they needed.

Jin halted when he reached them. “I baked a cake last night, I thought you might want some.”

“It smells good,” Hyunjung praised which earned a satisfactory smile from him.

Taehyung took one glance at the cake. “No thanks, I don’t like sweet foods.”

“But I baked you cookies once before, and you ate those didn’t you?” Hyunjung reminded him, much to his dismay.

Taehyung recalled back to when that happened and hesitantly looked at the dustings of sugar sprinkled on top of the cake – he wanted to punch himself. But the encouraging look on all three of their faces made him eventually give in. “Fine, one slice.”

Jin opened the cake container, giving it to Hyunjung who offered Taehyung a slice which he unwillingly took.

As Hyunjung and Taehyung were talking, Jin shifted his eyes to Jungkook and noticed him watching them discreetly. Being a good friend of his for a long time, he had easily noticed how quiet Jungkook had been recently and was trying whatever he could think of to begin a light conversation with him.

“How are you by the way?” he asked. Jin also being in the same elementary as him, was aware of the phase of Jungkook’s life^* that he saw him go through for so long.

Jungkook gave him a small smile as if to reassure him. “A little better.”

“Jungkook do you want cake?” Hyunjung offered the container to him after Taehyung had refused to take another piece, and Taehyung just continued to stare at it as if he was going to die if he took another bite.

Jungkook obligingly took a small slice and grinned at her. “Thanks.”

She continued to marvel at the cake. “This is delicious, how did you bake it so well without burning it?”

“Jin hyung has always being good at that kind of stuff,” Jungkook told her.

Taehyung elbowed Hyunjung which caused her to bump against Jungkook’s shoulder. “Unlike you.”

“That’s rude.” She nudged him back, making him almost fall off the edge of the bench.

“I was joking.”

After a while she hung her head in dejection. “You’re right, I’m a terrible cook.”

“Hey I said I was joking,” Taehyung repeated explicitly.

“The culinary skill genes were passed on to my older brother.”

Taehyung stared at her, that exasperating twitch in his left eye returning again. “I give up,” he muttered.

Jungkook let out an abrupt chuckle. “I don’t think you’re a bad cook,” he told her.

“Really?” Her eyes lit up and he was making an effort to keep a straight face but ended up reciprocating her smile.

“Really.”

He was about to speak again when they saw Mr Kwon jogging up to them. “Jeon Jungkook!”

“Yes sir?” he replied.

“Are you going this year?” He gestured to a poster pinned on the bark of the tree next to them. “Sports Festival.”

“Oh.”

“You didn’t do it last year did you?”

“I couldn’t because I sprained my leg.”

Hyunjung shamefully remembered that. She was the one who caused it. It was on the list of the many reasons why you shouldn’t like Yoon Hyunjung. Oh, last year was not a good year for her:

          Hyunjung’s next class was at the floor above and she tried to hurry so that she could get away from the mob of students behind her, clutching on the straps of her bag as she did so. She only focused on one thing: getting to her English class without being trampled on. What she wasn’t focusing on were the flight of stairs she was climbing up and chances of her tripping were likely. 

          She briefly turned her head behind and her eyes widened when she saw her classmate Jungkook coming towards her and her foot had accidentally caught in front of his when he was rushing past her to catch up with his friends.

          “.”

          That was the last thing she heard him say before he tripped.

Hyunjung grimaced at the memory. After that incident she remembered apologizing to him multiple times and then tried avoiding him at all costs when the sports festival started; behind the tree, under the scoring table, in the restroom cubicle, anything. Because of her little mishap, he couldn’t participate that year and we all know what that meant: less points for your class. You know what that also meant: constant glares and backstabs from your classmates.

But that was last year and everyone had eventually stopped bringing it up, much to Hyunjung’s relief. The taunts of her classmates had subsided after Jungkook told them to stop.

She was brought back to her present thoughts and put the memory of last year aside.

“What about you Seokjin?” Mr Kwon asked.

“Yes I’ll be participating.”

“Taehyung?”

Taehyung shrugged. “I don’t know sir.”

Mr Kwon looked at Hyunjung as if saying ‘are you going to participate?’ but she merely shook her head. She had her own fortés and sport was definitely not one of them. “I don’t think so, sir.” 

“Well, you can always change your mind. Your class gets more points if you do take part.” He moved his sleeve up to check his watch before walking back to the school building. “See you in class kids!”

“Bye sir!” they said in unison.

“I’m going back inside. You can keep the cake if you want,” Jin said to them.

“Are you sure?” Hyunjung asked.

“Hoseok ate way too much anyway. It’s better if you guys eat it instead.”

“Oh, well thanks.”

“Sure thing. See you guys in class.”

As soon as Jin had left, she instantly regretted not pleading for him to stay. She forgot the awkwardness before he came along, and all she did now was stare at the crumbs of the cake which they finished to keep herself preoccupied while her, Taehyung and Jungkook were sat on the bench – in silence. Again.

Taehyung stood up after finishing his lunch. “I’m going.”

“Where?”

“To study. And if you don’t want to fail chemistry class, I suggest you do too.”

“Okay, okay, I will!”

She packed her things away and swept the crumbs off of her uniform. She stood up, putting on her bag and tapped Jungkook on the shoulder. “Coming?”

“I think I’ll catch up with you later.”

“Okay,” she said. “Hey Taehyung wait for me!”

Jungkook watched them walk away back inside. He inhaled deeply and continued to eat his lunch by himself. He narrowed his eyes when he saw another person approaching him, but this time it was the distinct figure of Jimin.

Jimin plopped down beside him and stole a potato chip from the packet he just opened. “Do you wanna go somewhere with the guys sometime? It’s been ages since you’ve gone out with us.”

Jungkook thought for a while. “Will Hyunjung be there?”

Jimin was slightly startled at his question, Jungkook never asked who was invited; who’ll be there if they were planning on going somewhere in the weekend. He was always a go with the flow kind of guy. “Uh, yeah, we can invite her to tag along. Why are you asking?” he questioned.

“Just curious.”

Something inside Jimin hit him, and he gave his best friend a haughty grin that made Jungkook have the urge to strangle him. “Suuuure.”

“What's with that?”

“What’s with what?”

“That. You’re not supposed to prolong the vowels of a word unless you’re trying to indicate something to me.”

“I have no idea what yooooou are talking about.”

Jungkook’s brows sunk lower as he stared back at him. “That’s weird, don’t do that.”

“What? Thiiiiiiiiiis?”

“You’re unbelievable.”

Jimin bared a toothy smile at him and stole another potato chip. Jungkook shut his lunchbox, putting it away and handed him the rest.

Jimin looked at the packet and then back at him. “You sure?”

“I don’t want them. I’m full now anyway.”

Jimin took them from his hands, standing up and began to walk back inside. He stopped and looked at Jungkook. “You coming?”

“Yeah.”

Jungkook rose from the bench, packing the rest of his things away in his bag and followed him.

He then remembered he really needed to study. At least there was still half an hour left of lunch break.