Min Yoongi. Those who knew the owner of this name would know very well that he was a loner. An antisocial. A standoffish person. Even Yoongi himself nodded his head approvingly, admitting it all. Because it was a truth and Yoongi thought he should never deny something that was true. 

     Min Yoongi. As a loner. He never bothered making friends with his classmates. He never bothered to greet them in the first place. He seldom smiled to people around him even when the jokes hit him hard. A smirk was all he would give as a response and just like a fog, it lasted only a second. After that, Yoongi would wear his usual deadpan face back. 

     To speak the truth, Yoongi had no problem with his classmates. He never intended to pick a fight with them. It was just that he was not interested in people and befriending them. He would rather spend all of his time alone in his room, sleeping and do nothing. He liked it better that way.  

     Yoongi never felt weird and awkward at all having to go everywhere alone when everyone else walked together with their friends, goofing around and laughing in excitement to jokes and stories told along the way. And Yoongi did not mind it at all if he sat alone at the table during recess time, eating quietly by himself like this, like today. 

     The cafeteria had always been the noisiest place in the high school. Girls would be gossiping and laughing hysterically. Meanwhile, boys definitely would play football or basketball. Recess time was always like that. Radiant and bright. Except for the dull Yoongi. Just like his cold and distant personality, his table would be the quietest place one could found in this high school during this happy moment of one's youth. But being his ignorant self, Yoongi shrugged it off and merely continued devouring on his food before the bell rang and killed the mood.

     As usual, Yoongi took no interest in things that happened around him and he did not look forward to anything at all, particularly when a boy with a pair of dark brown eyes and a heart-shaped mouth approached him and sat across him before long. The boy beamed and Yoongi merely shot him an empty gaze.

     It was Jung Hoseok. The noisiest boy in his batch from the class next door. Yoongi knew him because he was a blabbermouth and he often burst into his class, out of the blue, just to create a fuss over small things. Yoongi thought he was annoying.

     Saying nothing, Yoongi spared a glance for a brief second before he looked away. Perhaps, Yoongi thought, Hoseok was just trying to create another fuss and being his annoying self. The question was, why him? Why did it have to be him?

     “Well, hi,” said Hoseok in his usual animated manner. “Eating alone?”

     Yoongi paused and shot Hoseok a stern gaze. Is he blind? Yoongi wondered.

     But it seemed like Hoseok could not fathom out the meaning behind his gaze. “I know you,” Hoseok continued. “You are Yoongi, right?”

     After a short pause, Yoongi sighed and replied, reluctantly, “I know you, Hoseok. So what?”

     “Well, nothing. You're from the class next door, right? The one who sits at the back, all alone, with no friends.”

     Yoongi merely hummed in response and rolled his eyes in annoyance. How he wished that someone would come and remove this blabbermouth away from this table. Yoongi frowned, trying to recall whatever sins he had committed before to be punished this way.

     “So why did you sit alone? Don't you feel lonely? Don't you want to befriend with anyone here? Anyway, it's our senior year and I think you should at least talk to everyone in our batch. Or maybe greet them. Or smile? I have never seen you smile before. You always look grumpy and cold. I wonder if you know how to smile. But of course, you know. I mean, you must have smiled a lot when you were small.”

     An audible sigh escaped from Yoongi's lips. 

     “I don't like being alone. Because I would feel awkward and insecure. You know, like I'm prone to danger. I read an article before and it said that being with friends could give you more energy and positive vibes and you'll be happier. Anyway, friends are important in our life. I don't think I could live my life fully without friends. Because they are my source of happiness, just like my family. And you make me think a lot these days because you are always alone. Not that I want to in and be a busybody, but as someone from the same batch as you, I feel the need to talk to you and make you feel less lonely.”

     The moment Hoseok ended his lecture, Yoongi heaved an inward sigh and put on his deadpan look. Looking at Hoseok in the eye, Yoongi opened his mouth and said with less enthusiasm, “What are you doing here?”

     Silence ensued for his question got Hoseok speechless for a short while. Accompanied by Yoongi's cold and sharp gaze, Hoseok found himself fidgeting in his seat, anxious. He let himself notice his friends who sat at the other corner of the cafeteria, smirking at him, and finally found himself replying Yoongi.
 
     “See my friends over there? They are making me sit here because I lost in a bet.”

     Yoongi merely hummed, his gaze dead and empty. 

     “Well,” Hoseok said, “I don't consider it as a ‘punishment,’ though. Because it's not a big deal having to sit here and talk to you and spend my recess time with you. I mean, you're not a stranger.” And with that, Hoseok flashed a smile.

     Uninterested, Yoongi simply arched his brows in response. He looked away to his plate and played with the spoon before sipping his drink. Yoongi stole a quick glance at Hoseok and the boy was still smiling at him, brightly and filled with pure excitement.

Stranger. Hoseok was no stranger to Yoongi. He knew Hoseok and Hoseok knew him. It was just that they never talked to each other before. Even if Yoongi was given the chance to do so, he had no interest in grabbing it. His wish was only one, their meeting at the cafeteria would be the first and the last time he talked to Hoseok. Yet, God did not listen to his little wish. He never did because here Hoseok was again, today, at his table, interfering his peaceful alone time with his loud, shrilling voice. 

     Yoongi could not care less about the detail of Hoseok's story, what did the boy eagerly confided in him. Yoongi only cared about his privacy and his right to be alone at this very table which had been violated by a blabbermouth who went by the name Jung Hoseok. Yoongi sighed heavily and massaged his temples, gradually losing his mood and temper. Was it even possible for someone to talk nonstop for solid fifteen minutes? Hoseok was unbelievable.

     The moment Hoseok stopped talking, Yoongi glared at him in an instant. “Look,” he firmly said, in his gravelly voice, “I don't care if your dog's name is Mickey. I don't care if your dog is brown and white in colour. And I don't care anything about your dog, at all. So can you please, for goodness sake, shut your mouth and let me eat in peace?”

     And with that, Hoseok quieted, taken aback. Silence swept over them for a split second before Hoseok managed to say his apology and shut his mouth as requested. 

     Yoongi heaved a breath, feeling thankful that Hoseok still could understand his words well. “Thank you,” he said to Hoseok and afterward had a spoonful of fried rice. 

     He wondered, occasionally, what was it that he had done wrong to have his life path crossed with Hoseok's. Ever since their first met at the cafeteria, Yoongi often found himself bumping into Hoseok. And he was seeing him more often lately which appeared creepy to Yoongi for some reason. In the toilet, at the cafeteria, while heading to the science lab, he met Hoseok everywhere. It scared the crap out of Yoongi sometimes when he saw Hoseok smiling at him. Yoongi did not consider him as his friend, yet Hoseok acted as if he was one. 

     On that particular day, Yoongi stayed inside the class when everyone went out to the cafeteria to eat. He was hoping to avoid meeting Hoseok today and spend his time alone like he used to. Yet, future was unpredictable. Yoongi let out an audible sigh of frustration by the time he spotted Hoseok peeking through the window of his class and grinning. Seeing Hoseok standing at the doorstep only added to his vexation. Hoseok greeted him in his usual animated manner and strode toward Yoongi with a box of fried chicken. Upon seeing the box, Yoongi furrowed his brows and looked up at Hoseok in some astonishment. The boy merely beamed, said nothing, and plonked down firmly on the empty seat across Yoongi. 

     “I brought fried chicken,” said Hoseok in excitement. He placed the box upon Yoongi's table and a second afterward, the nice oily smell of the fried chicken occupied the whole class.

     Yoongi quirked his eyebrow and replied with less enthusiasm, “So?” 

     “Let's eat together.”

     “Why are you here? Aren't you supposed to be at the cafe with your friends? Just go eat with them instead. Why me?”

     “Because I don't want to. I want to eat this with you, not with them.” Hoseok raised his brows at Yoongi and smiled.

     There was nothing Yoongi could do at this moment, though. No matter how hard he tried to push Hoseok away, the boy would never leave. It was like he adhered to the seat. Yoongi had no idea why Hoseok acted like that. He was not someone people would want to have as a friend. He was boring. He did not know how to socialize. He was dull. And Hoseok was the total opposite. If Yoongi was to compare himself to Hoseok, it would be like comparing night to day, the moon to the sun. 

     Hoseok opened the box and brought the tip of his nose closer to smell. A smile graced his features and Hoseok was contented. 

     “Where did you get this?” Yoongi asked, slightly curious as to where did Hoseok buy the fried chicken from. It was not from the school cafeteria, for sure, because they never sold fried chicken like this. 

     “At the fast food restaurant across the street.”

     Yoongi grimaced.

     “I skipped Math class and went there.”

     “The hell?”

     “Don't worry. The guard won't know it. He always sleeps in the security hut. Plus, the small gate is never closed. We can sneak out anytime we want. Easy peasy.”

     Yoongi merely nodded and leaned back against the straight-backed chair, shooting a look of disbelief at Hoseok. Little did Yoongi know, the Jung Hoseok he knew was just his idea of him. 

     “Let's eat!” said Hoseok in rapture as he grabbed the drumstick. Smiling brightly from ear to ear, Hoseok hogged on the particular part of the fried chicken, making noises as he ate. 

     Yoongi, on the other hand, sat back and watched Hoseok in silence, carefully observing the other as he ate in joy. Hoseok might be annoying with his loud, shrilling laughter and his ability to talk nonstop about nonsense stuff, but Yoongi had to admit that Hoseok had the brightest and the most beautiful smile he had ever seen. Hoseok's smile could pull the others to curve their lips together with him. Just like a charm. And the charm worked on Yoongi when he found himself smiling slightly at the sight of Hoseok eating. 

     “You're not eating?” Hoseok suddenly spoke, breaking the silence and pulling Yoongi back to reality.

     Yoongi flinched a tad at the sudden question. “Oh, yeah. I'll eat. I'll eat.” And with that, Yoongi picked up the chicken wing and ate in silence. For a moment, Yoongi wondered what was he thinking just now.

Weird. Everything seemed weird to Yoongi these days. He found himself gradually enjoying Hoseok's company every day during recess time. He found himself enjoying every story Hoseok told him though he talked about Mickey, his dog, a lot. Yoongi also found himself staring at Hoseok's face and the way his lips curved into a heart-shaped smile often that sometimes Hoseok caught him and asked if Yoongi was mesmerized by his beauty in a jokingly way. And Yoongi would look away to hide his blushing cheeks and curse himself for looking stupid in front of Hoseok. It had been like that for weeks now and Yoongi noticed the weird changes in him. Apparently, so did Seokjin, one of his very few classmates who would talk to him even though Yoongi never responded. 

     The moment the teacher stepped out of the classroom, Seokjin turned around and shot Yoongi a look before he casually approached Yoongi at the back. Dragging an empty chair to the latter's desk, Seokjin sat across Yoongi and greeted him with a smile. As expected, Yoongi merely glanced at him and continued doing his work. 

     “I see that you often sit with Hoseok during recess time.”

     Yoongi's heart skipped a beat or two at the mention of Hoseok's name. He tried to remain calm and wore his usual deadpan look. What's wrong with you, Yoongi, he thought.

     “And I think it's good to know that you actually like befriending people.”

     “What do you want?” Yoongi blurted, uninterested.

     “Nothing. I just wanna say that you are smiling a lot now after you befriended Hoseok.”

     “So?” Seokjin did notice the change in him, though. Yoongi's heart pounded a tad faster, somehow feeling anxious.

     “I don't know that you could smile brightly like that. I mean every time I see you, you always have that grumpy old man look on your face. Sometimes I wonder how long has it been since you smiled.”

     To be honest, Yoongi himself had no idea how long had it been since he smiled. Because the first time he twitched the corners of his lips upward, his cheekbones ached a little and his muscle felt somewhat stiff. 

     “Hoseok did bring out the best of you,” commented Seokjin, raising his eyebrows.

     Yoongi had been pondering upon Seokjin's words throughout the dull language class. He urged himself to listen to the woman talking about a particular author yet he failed. Only when she brought up the matter of love, as discussed in the work they were currently studying, did Yoongi and the whole class prick up their ears. 

     “Everyone has a different view on what love is,” said the woman. “And as for this author, he described love as the universe. So, how about you, students? How would you describe love as?”

     She randomly asked a girl and everyone was getting pretty excited about the subject. Sure enough, love was the hot topic among today's teenagers since it was relatable and widely promoted. Every song and drama they knew nowadays spoke of love, romance, and heart, and how things looked exquisite and enthralling when one was in love. And how great love was that two persons were willing to go through anything just to be together. 

     Yoongi acknowledged that despite he never had any experience falling in love with someone before. Yoongi acknowledged how powerful love could be that it simply could change one's view of the world. Love, to Yoongi, absolutely was powerful enough to end wars and cure cancers.

     “Yoongi? How about you? What do you think of when I said ‘love’?” the woman called out Yoongi's name, slowly approaching the quiet boy in her elegant red dress. 

     Upon hearing her, Yoongi jumped in his seat and reluctantly stood up. Everyone's eyes fell on him and Yoongi did not like it. He did not like the attention he got from his classmates at the moment. 

     “Can you tell me what do you think of when you hear the word ‘love’?” The woman asked in a motherly way it made Yoongi felt a tad comfortable to talk. 

     Looking down at the textbook upon his desk, the very first thing he could think of when he heard that one word was Hoseok. It was strange, questioning, and surprising for Yoongi when Hoseok's face suddenly popped up in his mind. Slightly furrowing his brows, Yoongi made a low, steady hum.

     “Yes, Yoongi?” She shot Yoongi a look of encouragement and wore her motherly smile. 

     Yoongi could not risk himself by blurting out Hoseok's name just like that. There were twenty pairs of ears that obviously could hear very well in this classroom right now. If Yoongi blurted it out, it meant that he was digging his own grave. All these time, Yoongi's name had never made it to the spotlight and he never wanted it. Come on, Yoongi, think of something else. Something other than that one name. “Sun?” Yoongi said, at last.

     “Sun?” she repeated after the boy. “So, love is like a Sun to you. Can you tell me why?”

     Once again, Yoongi found himself flustered. What should he answer to this question? Yoongi frowned a bit. He began to think of the features of the sun. “Because...it's bright. It's lovely. It's beautiful. It brings light to the darkness. It brings new hopes for tomorrow. Because...it's the reason why the moon can shine.”

     The sweet smile on her face went wide as Yoongi said his answer. “That was beautiful, Yoongi,” commented the woman. “Indeed, love is like a light and your metaphor for love is just right. Thank you, Yoongi.”

     And with that, Yoongi gave her a slight nod, blinked several times, and sat down in a hesitant manner. He noticed Seokjin giving him a meaningful look and beamed before looking away.

     The whole class went silent for some unknown reasons only to be broken by the teacher's clear feminine voice. The lesson continued with her asking another student the same question and commented on the answer she received. She then moved to the whiteboard and picked up the marker pen, smoothly writing down words with the tip of the marker.

     Yoongi adjusted his eyes on the whiteboard, but his mind was not there to follow the lesson. Ever since she asked him the question, Yoongi found himself wondering over the subject. Love. Hoseok. Sun. Yoongi tried to draw a connection between these three as well as asking himself why did he think of Hoseok in the first place. A sudden realization hit Yoongi afterward that all three of them only meant the same thing.

Love. Yoongi never truly realized what did love mean until his language teacher asked him a question. And Yoongi never truly realized that how strong his feelings was for Hoseok until he answered the question. Each time Yoongi looked full on Hoseok's face, Yoongi got butterflies in his stomach. Each time Hoseok's laughter rang through the air, Yoongi's heart skipped a beat or two. Each time Hoseok locked eyes with him and wore his exquisite smile, Yoongi found himself lost in another galaxy, a whole new universe Yoongi had never been before. Confusing yet enthralling.

     And Yoongi wondered if Hoseok felt the same way as him. Only then it would be nice. Only then it would not hurt. 

     “Have you got yourself a partner for the prom night?” Seokjin arched his brows at Yoongi as he leaned against the desk next to Yoongi's seat. Crossing his arms on his chest, Seokjin looked at the other in excitement, full of anticipation.

     Yoongi paused for a brief second. The prom night was just around the corner and everyone had begun looking for their partner for the ball dance. Yoongi's mind drove to Hoseok and he wondered in silence if someone had asked the latter. 

     “Yoongi? Did you hear me?”

     Yoongi hummed in response.

     “So tell me then.”

     There was a moment of silence before Yoongi eventually spoke. “No. I haven't asked anyone.” Yoongi shot Seokjin a stern look. 

     “Really? You should do so by now. Well, Namjoon just asked me this morning. And I said yes.” A smile decked on Seokjin's face. “How about Hoseok? Have you asked him yet?”

     Yoongi's heart thumped slightly faster by the time Seokjin mentioned his name. 

     “I heard that no one has asked him yet and he didn't even ask anyone.”

     “Why would I ask him?” Yoongi said in a low mutter, looking down at his desk and pretending to tidy up his stuff on it.  

     Upon hearing him, Seokjin smirked. He then nonchalantly replied, “Because you like him.”

     To which had Yoongi frozen and tongue-tied. 

     “I know you like him, Yoongi. I can see it in your face and eyes. You better don't lie to me, man.”

     At this moment, Yoongi dared not to look at Seokjin in the eye. Questions invaded his head as Yoongi attempted to act cool in front of Seokjin. He wondered if his crush on Hoseok was too obvious that Seokjin could sense it. If the broad-shouldered guy had known his little secret, what about Hoseok then? Did he know it as well? Did he already sense it from the beginning? Yoongi, why are you so bad at hiding your feelings? 

     Seokjin merely beamed at the shaken one. “Don't worry, Yoongi. I won't tell anyone about it. See, I'm a good secret keeper. The thing about your little crush on Hoseok won't leak to anyone. You can have my words.”

     Yoongi was clueless as to how should he respond to Seokjin's words. If he said “Okay” then it meant that he was approving it, the truth about his feelings for Hoseok. But if he denied it, there was a high chance that Seokjin would not believe him and began to provoke Yoongi until he admitted it. Not wanting to take any risk, Yoongi merely kept quiet and said nothing.

     “Hey,” Seokjin said again, “don't be afraid. It's not wrong at all to fall in love with someone. We are all human. We have feelings and we have the right to love people even though our hearts have been broken thousands of times. It's our nature.”

     And with that, Yoongi slowly looked up at Seokjin whose genuine smile graced his features.

     Yoongi was not sure if he was doing the right thing at the moment. He wanted to regret his decision and go back to his seat, but here Yoongi was, standing stock-still in front of his classroom, facing a particular direction. Yoongi was thinking to ask Hoseok about the prom night and see if Seokjin was talking the truth. As he walked down the hallway alone and mustered up guts to ask Hoseok, Yoongi spotted Hoseok's friends, laughing hysterically as they walked down the stairs. Before long, Yoongi saw Hoseok walking alone, a little left behind. Yoongi halted.

     Sure enough, he would not go and ask Hoseok right away in the presence of his friends. Because Yoongi would look like a dumb. He would look like a freaking shy girl confessing her love to the boy she liked. What even worst was that Yoongi would lose his cold image and people would not perceive him the same way anymore. 

     Therefore, Yoongi took a step forward and continued heading off to the cafeteria with a hope that he would meet Hoseok there, disturbing his alone time as usual. Yet he halted again, for he saw Taehyung, who was in the same class as Hoseok, approached the latter. It was unusual to see Taehyung talking to Hoseok. Although they were classmates, Hoseok was seen mostly with Namjoon, his best friend. But rumor had it that Taehyung had a crush on Hoseok. Yoongi had heard it before and he wished it was not true. 

     Yoongi thought he heard his heart broke when he watched in silence the way Taehyung held Hoseok's hand and looked the latter in the eye. It was a clean sound, like the snapping of the flower stem. However, it was enough to have Yoongi agitated. Taking a step backward, Yoongi hid behind a wall, scared if he was seen by the two of them. Before long, a sigh escaped from his lips.

     Yoongi knew he would lose to Taehyung. Because Taehyung literally was the school hottest guy ever. He had everything. Looks, charms, charisma, and fans. Yoongi, on the contrary, had nothing he could brag about. He was not that good looking. Though he did quite well in his studies, it was still insufficient to back up his average looks. 

     In the end, Yoongi stayed in the class. He gave up at the thought of asking Hoseok about the prom night since he already had Taehyung as his partner. Frustrated, Yoongi put his head on the desk, sighing and contemplating on his life alone.

     “Yoongi? Are you sleeping?” 

     It was not that long before Yoongi heard his name being called. The boy's voice sounded familiar to his ears. It was then Yoongi had butterflies in his stomach. Wide-eyed, Yoongi immediately shut his eyes and pretended to sleep. 

     He heard the sound of the footstep approaching him. Yoongi tried his very best not to move even a bit. 

     An audible sigh escaped from the boy's lips. It was Hoseok. “Aren't you hungry? I brought snacks for you. Hey, Yoongi, wake up!” Hoseok gently kicked the foot of the desk, trying to wake up the sleeping one.

     Yoongi was in a dilemma. Should he ignore him or not? Should he continue with his acting or not? Yoongi debated with himself while Hoseok kept on calling out his name. Yoongi was silently praying when all of a sudden, he felt warm. Yoongi felt someone's warm breath on his cheek. 

     “Yoongi,” whispered Hoseok to his ears. 

     Upon hearing him, Yoongi's eyes shut open in an instant. He jumped in his seat when he met Hoseok's gaze and quickly looked away as his cheeks felt hot. How Yoongi wished it did not turn red at this very moment.

     “You okay?” Hoseok asked, raising his brows at the other worryingly.

     It took Yoongi seconds to hum in reply.

     “I thought you're not,” said Hoseok. “I was looking for you at the cafe, but you're nowhere to be found.”

     “I'm…not hungry.”

     Hoseok narrowed his eyes to slits. “Are you sure?”

     Yoongi did not know what should he say as a reply. Hoseok was too close to him and it made Yoongi felt nervous. 

     “Hello?” Hoseok waved his hand at Yoongi's face after he received no answer from the latter.

     To Hoseok's surprise, Yoongi pushed him away and said, “You are too close.”

     Instead of getting mad or offended, Hoseok giggled. “You are so cute,” he blurted and propped his head on the palm of his hand, staring at Yoongi. 

     “Don't call me ‘cute’,” Yoongi said and snorted. “And don't look at me like that. You look creepy.”

     “Oh yeah? Then, why did you blush?”

     Hoseok's reply got Yoongi entirely speechless. 

     The boy giggled again. “I don't think people would blush when someone creepy is staring at them.”

     Yoongi cursed himself silently. 

     “I think people would blush only when someone they have a secret crush on stares at them, right?”

     How Yoongi wished the earth would swallow him up whole right now. Yoongi did not spare a glance at Hoseok. Not even once. The tension just rose as silence gradually swept over the two of them. Somehow, the time was moving slowly. Yoongi let himself notice the wall clock hanging above the whiteboard and sighed in frustration. It had been only five minutes when Hoseok came in. But Yoongi felt as though it had been an hour. There was still some time left before the recess ended and Yoongi said his silent prayer, asking God to make it a little bit faster. 

     A soft giggle escaped from Hoseok's lips. “Flustered, aren't you? I can see that in your face. Well, don't worry. If you like me, you can just admit it.” Hoseok then leaned back against the chair, relaxed.

     Yoongi grimaced. “Who said that I like you? I don't,” he lied.

     “You don't like me?” Hoseok arched his brows, disappointed. He then leaned forward, looking intensely at Yoongi who was a bit flustered. “Are you sure you don't like me? Hmm?”

     Hoseok's face was getting too close with Yoongi's and Yoongi had no idea how to handle this. He could feel Hoseok's warm breath on his face. Their lips were just inches away. Yoongi's heart beat quickened and automatically, he grabbed Hoseok's shoulders and pushed him backward, deterring the latter from moving any closer or worst, closing the gap between them. Though Yoongi found the idea pretty good and somehow interesting.

     “What are you doing?” he said, cheeks flushed a shade of crimson.

     A smirk tugged at the corner of Hoseok's lips. “Why? Flustered again?”

     Yoongi frowned. “No. Just…”

     “Just what?”

     “Nothing.” Yoongi gently pushed Hoseok away and turned to face the snacks on his desk. He grabbed one and tore the plastic open, hand nonchalantly stuffed the junk food into his mouth. Yoongi felt weird and his heart beat seemed like it would not slow down after the incident. For some reason, Yoongi was confused. What was it that Hoseok was trying to do? Playing with his heart like this, it hurt Yoongi when he reminded himself of what he had seen in the school hallway earlier. Slightly furrowing his brows, Yoongi stole a quick glance at Hoseok whose smile still plastered upon his features.

     Yoongi concluded that love was somewhat unfair and cruel when he did not have anyone as his partner for the upcoming prom night while Hoseok, the one Yoongi originally aimed, had Taehyung, the popular boy in school. 

Lonely. Yoongi was supposed to get acquainted with it already. Being alone all the time had been his lifestyle, his daily routine. But the moment Hoseok's life path crossed with his, everything went out of control, particularly when a little thing called love interfered. 

     Standing stock-still in a corner of the hall was Yoongi, clad in his elegant black suit with his bushy jet-black hair. He looked around the venue. People entered with their partners, hand in hand, faces aglow. And here Yoongi was, all alone, with no one to slip his arm through and smile at. An audible sigh escaped from his lips afterward and lethargically, he strode to an empty chair and sat down.

     Yoongi spotted Seokjin with Namjoon entering the big hall together. The couple went straight to where Yoongi sat as soon as Seokjin noticed the latter. 

     “Let me get you a drink,” Namjoon said and smiled. Before long, he walked over to the long table where food and drink were placed to get himself and Seokjin some drink.

     Seokjin looked on with fondness as Namjoon left. 

     Somehow, Yoongi envied Seokjin.

     “Alone?” Seokjin blurted, wide-eyed. He took a seat next to Yoongi and faced the latter.

     Yoongi merely hummed in response.

     “What about Hoseok?”

     Yoongi shrugged. Mentioning his name only made Yoongi felt dejected. “Taehyung asked him already.”

     “Taehyung?” Seokjin quirked his brows in disbelief.

     He hummed.
 
     “And he said yes?”    

     “Don't know. Probably yes. Well, he's Taehyung.”

     “Man, just because he is Taehyung, it doesn't mean that Hoseok should say yes. And you, why would you think of it that way?”

     “He didn't ask me,” Yoongi answered, deadpanned. “He never even mentioned about tonight. What should I expect from him then?”

     Seokjin shot Yoongi a compassionate look. He placed his hand on Yoongi's shoulder and heaved a breath. “Don't be sad, Yoongi. Namjoon and I will keep you company tonight.”

     “Thanks,” Yoongi replied simply. Never had Yoongi thought that loneliness could be this hurtful. Damn that Hoseok, Yoongi silently put the blame on the latter for making him felt this way.

     Speaking of Hoseok, Yoongi craned his neck and looked around the hall. He had not caught the glimpse of Hoseok yet. His friends were all there with their partners, but Hoseok was still out of sight. Heaving an inward sigh, Yoongi leaned back against the straight-backed chair and crossed his legs, crestfallen.

     The atmosphere was great. Everyone looked good in their dress and suit. Smiles graced their features as they had the time of their life and the clinking sound of the glasses could be heard. Most people fancied the idea of a prom night. Because all the romance movies and dramas had this kind of stereotype where love kindled as two young people stood facing each other, hand in hand, and danced to the slow music. And then they kissed. Yoongi, however, could not relate to any of it since he did not watch the television. Furthermore, he did not have a partner and was now sitting alone at the round table, sipping his juice. Having no idea what juice he was drinking, it tasted somewhat weird, but Yoongi shrugged it off.

     Jin was laughing to Namjoon's jokes. He occasionally hit the table, almost toppling down the glasses. Yoongi merely looked on in silence as the two lovers acted lovey-dovey in front of him. Wearing his usual deadpan face, he could not care less about it. Before long, boredom began to strike him. There was nothing fun that he could do here except for drinking and eating and gawk at couples. Yoongi let out a mild grunt in frustration and stood up, staggering to his feet as he headed toward the exit door.

     Yoongi decided that inhaling the fresh air outside might help him with his boredom even though Yoongi knew it would not last long. Climbing up the stairs to the rooftop, Yoongi then pushed the door open, revealing a vast and vacant space. Moonlight coated the cement floor and as Yoongi advanced, its white silver light touched Yoongi's pale skin and later on coated him whole. Yoongi plonked down firmly in a corner and heaved a breath. It was undoubtedly cold here, but Yoongi just shrugged it off. 

     Normally, when Yoongi was alone, he used to think of nothing and just sleep. Since Yoongi got nothing to be worried about, he found it unnecessary to take things seriously and waste his time thinking about it. However, it all changed when Hoseok interfered. Every time Yoongi was alone, his mind would wander to Hoseok, thinking and questioning about lots of things. Yoongi did not like it sometimes because it made him felt anxious and worry. It made Yoongi felt insecure.

     An audible sigh escaped from Yoongi's lips at the thought of Hoseok holding hands with Taehyung as they danced together to the slow music under the dim light. Yoongi knew it was going to happen soon enough and perhaps, it was a good decision for Yoongi to leave the hall because the highlight of tonight's prom, the legendary ball dance, was going to start in any minute from now. 

     Yoongi gazed up at the bright round moon in the night sky. He scarcely could see the little stars which used to scatter around the moon and it made the queen of the night seemed lonely, like him. After a short moment of silence, Yoongi heard a music being played. The ball dance must have begun now, he thought. Sitting leisurely there, Yoongi had no intention to go back to the hall. He had no intention to make himself felt even lonelier than right now. Hence, Yoongi sat there still and silently listened to the music in a slight disappointment.

     It was then the door to the rooftop cracked open, averting Yoongi's eyes from the moon to a particular direction. Yoongi flinched a bit when he recognized the figure to be Hoseok, the one Yoongi kept on searching from the beginning of the event. 

     Hoseok approached him in his shiny black suit, his light brown hair parted in the middle, revealing his forehead in which Yoongi found it handsome after seeing it for the first time. His wide smile added to his beautiful looks and Yoongi unknowingly fell for him again tonight.

     “What are you doing here?” Hoseok asked and stood beside Yoongi. He folded his arms across his chest. 

     Yoongi met his gaze and only then he knew why he barely could see the stars in the sky tonight. They were all in Hoseok's eyes. “Um, sitting alone?” he replied, unsure.

     Hoseok plonked down firmly beside Yoongi. “Why don't you go back to the hall? The dance's just begun.”

     “Why should I? I don't have a partner to dance with. And you. What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to dance with Taehyung right now?”

     Hoseok frowned. “Taehyung?”

     Yoongi fell silent. What had he said to Hoseok just now? “W-Well, I heard that Taehyung asked you to be his partner,” Yoongi replied, trying to hide the fact that he actually witnessed it before his eyes.

     A soft giggle escaped from Hoseok's lips. “Yeah, he did. But I didn't say yes.”

     Yoongi arched his brows at the reply.
 
     “Because I already have someone.”

     Yoongi nodded his head in acknowledgment and smiled bitterly. So, he has someone already, Yoongi thought in embitterment. “Then why don't you go to your partner?”

     A smile graced Hoseok's heavenly features. “I did. And I'm actually sitting beside him right now.”

     Yoongi froze. His heart beat quickened. What did he mean by that? Yoongi was trying to figure out its literal meaning when Hoseok suddenly offered him his hand. Looking down at Hoseok's slender fingers, Yoongi doubted if this was merely a dream or a reality. “W-What are you doing?”

     “Isn't it obvious? I am asking you to dance with me.” Hoseok arched his brows at Yoongi and beamed.

     Yoongi was blanked. His mind was not functioning well at the moment. Hoseok secretly claiming him as his partner and asked for a dance were beyond Yoongi's imagination. And it made him wondered if Hoseok had feelings for him. Did Hoseok share the same feelings as him too? Yoongi needed the answer now.

     “You don't want to dance with me?” Hoseok's voice broke the silence that gradually enveloped the two of them. “But I spent an hour doing this suit and this hair.”

     Yoongi smiled slightly. “What for?”

     “To look good for you, of course!” Hoseok answered. “So, let's…dance together?”

     No words could describe this ineffable feeling which stirred within Yoongi's heart right now. Slowly, Yoongi lifted up his hand and took Hoseok's. Before long, they shared a meaningful look with each other and smiled.

     Dancing with Hoseok on the rooftop under the moonlight sounded just wonderful to Yoongi. Breathing in Hoseok's scent, Yoongi found himself lost in another galaxy for the nth time and he loved it. He did not mind getting lost every time he looked into the pair of eyes because, in the end, he would always found his way back in Hoseok's smile. Yoongi let himself notice the queen of the night. It looked exceptionally exquisite tonight. 

     Yoongi would never forget the feeling when Hoseok's fingers intertwined with his and how beautiful Hoseok's eyes were when he looked at him. 

     The music was nearing the end and before long, it stopped. They could hear the loud cheering noises from the hall, indicating the end of the ball dance. Hoseok gradually stopped dancing. So did Yoongi.

     They said nothing and silence just swept over them along with the cold wind of the night. Yoongi noticed Hoseok's eyes looking down at his lips briefly before he diverted it back to Yoongi's eyes. It somehow sent the shiver down Yoongi's spine.

     Hoseok smiled. His smile was genuine and Yoongi badly wished that Hoseok would not be able to hear the rapid pulse of his beating heart. “You have a very nice pair of eyes,” he said in a low mutter but loud enough for Yoongi to hear.

     “W-Well, you…have a very nice…suit,” he replied, flustered.

     Hoseok giggled and the intense stare continued. This time, Hoseok leaned his face forward, slowly closing the distance between him and Yoongi.

     Yoongi flinched a little. It was then he felt Hoseok's hands sliding up to his neck, cupping his face and bringing it closer to him. Yoongi curled his fingers into a fist and calmed himself down as he closed his eyes and felt Hoseok's warm breath on his skin. For a short moment, Yoongi wondered how soft Hoseok's lips were and how enthralling it would be to have it pressed against his. 

     And Yoongi was secretly looking forward to it when their lips were just a few inches away. Before long, their noses brushed and Yoongi was lost, this time around in Hoseok's kiss. 

     Hoseok gently on his lower lip and Yoongi's heart skipped a beat or two. It felt good. Mesmerizing. Wonderful. Never had this thought crossed his mind before that Hoseok was a good kisser when he was still a high schooler. Questions invaded his mind afterward if Hoseok had kissed someone before and Yoongi got slightly dejected at the thought. But he did not mind that at the time because there Yoongi was, silently enjoying his first kiss with his first love on the rooftop under the moonlight. The idea of him kissing someone sounded a bit crazy to Yoongi, but he liked it.

     Tilting his head, Yoongi made it easier for Hoseok to capture his lips. His hands then made a clutch at Hoseok's arms. Somehow, Yoongi did not want it to end.

     They had no idea how long they kissed, but no one had counted it anyway. The moment Hoseok's lips went down to Yoongi's jawline, that was when he eventually pulled away, breaking the kiss. He panted, gasping for air, but he still managed to smile at Yoongi. 

     “I thought you would push me away,” he said after a short pause.

     Yoongi blushed. He wore his usual deadpan look, trying to hide his embarrassment away. 

     It was then Hoseok caressed Yoongi's cheek with his thumb. “Does it mean that we are sharing the same feelings with each other?”

     Looking full in Hoseok's face, Yoongi merely flashed him a smile. It felt weird when they did not even say the three words to each other. All that they did were kissing and then smiling at each other and that was it. No heart-fluttering confession. No “I love you” being uttered to each other. Just a kiss.

     “Seems like we have lots to tell, huh?” said Hoseok.

     The smile on Yoongi's face only got wider upon hearing him.

Kiss. First kiss. Yoongi was glad that his first kiss was taken by Hoseok. Yoongi was glad that his first kiss happened at the prom night. Yoongi was glad that his first kiss felt too good to be true. Sitting at the back of his class, it felt like only yesterday that he and Hoseok shared the sensational kiss on the rooftop and today was already their last day in school before they finally graduated. Time flew so fast and Yoongi was dejected. 

     Everyone in his class was hugging each other and saying their farewell before they left. Some of them waved at Yoongi and plastered smiles on their faces. At this point, people seemed to be friendly with him and Yoongi merely smirked. Standing at the doorstep was Seokjin with Namjoon before him. He seems to be whispering something to Seokjin's ear and the latter blushed. 

     Seeing Seokjin and Namjoon made Yoongi thought of Hoseok. Today was going to be the last day he could see Hoseok and Yoongi furrowed his brows at the thought of it. He still had lots of things to do with Hoseok and he still wanted to be with him, to hear his sweet voice, and to get lost in his sparkling eyes, again.

     Yoongi sighed.

     It was when the class was empty and Seokjin had waved his hand goodbye at him that Yoongi began to pack his stuff. After all, Hoseok had not come yet and Yoongi thought he should wait for the latter. He knew he made the right decision by the time he spotted Hoseok leaning against the wall, arms crossed and the corner of his lips twitched upward. 

     Before long, Hoseok approached him and threw his bag on an empty desk. He dragged a chair and sat down across Yoongi. “Hey.”

     Yoongi merely raised his brows in response and continued stuffing things into his backpack.

     “Today's the last day of school,” Hoseok said and pouted his lips.

     Yoongi hummed and paused. He shot Hoseok a doleful look and pouted as well. 

     “But it's not gonna be our last day together, though.”

     Yoongi tilted his head in some astonishment.

     It was then Hoseok blurted out something which sounded like an address. To be exact, Yoongi's house address.

     He flinched slightly in surprise upon hearing Hoseok. Frowning, Yoongi wondered how did he know his house's address.

     “Wondering how did I know your address? Well, this is Jung Hoseok.”

     A smirk tugged at the corner of Yoongi's lips. “So?”

     “So, never underestimate me. We will meet again after this and more often.” Hoseok then quirked his eyebrow at Yoongi and smirked. “And soon, we'll become an adult and things will get even more interesting.”

     Yoongi grimaced at his words. “What are you thinking?” he blurted, disgusted.

     Hoseok laughed. “Just kidding. I know my limit, though. I'm just worried about you.”

     “Why? Why would you worry about me?”

     “Well, I'm afraid that you might lose your and suddenly become rough.” And with that, Hoseok bit his lower lip and narrowed his eyes to slits.

     Upon hearing Hoseok, Yoongi grabbed one of his books and hit Hoseok's head, leaving Hoseok groaning in pain. “We're still underage to be talking about this thing and no. I won't lose my that easily.”

     Hoseok rolled his eyes and said, “Fine. Anyway, since we're going to see each other soon, I don't think we need to say goodbye to each other. Right?”

     Yoongi merely hummed and zipped his backpack close. A smile spread across his radiant expression and he then exchanged a look with Hoseok. “I think so.” Soon, Yoongi stood up with the bag on his back, ready to leave. 

     “A kiss would suffice,” Hoseok added, looking up at Yoongi.

     Yoongi shot a look at Hoseok. “If that so…” Yoongi bent down to Hoseok, cupped his face in his palms, and placed a light kiss on Hoseok's soft lips. Looking full in his face, Yoongi smiled and placed another light kiss on the tip of his nose. “Satisfied?” he asked.

     Hoseok made a low, steady sound like a bee and replied, “No.” Before long, he wrapped his fingers around Yoongi's neck, pulled him closer, and captured his lips. 

     Yoongi could feel Hoseok's smile against his lips and it pulled Yoongi to smile as well. The sun was exceptionally bright today and Yoongi was glad. He was glad it did not end when he realized that it was just a new beginning for another chapter of this story. As their lips connected, Yoongi began to recall the moment Hoseok first entered his life and he thanked heaven for making Hoseok lost in whatever bet it was to his friends.

     Yoongi loved Hoseok. He admitted that he was in love with Jung Hoseok, the sun who let him shine at night, because it was a truth and Yoongi thought he should never deny something that was true.