Chapter thirty two

(27 jan)

Tae hyung's behaviour made me bemused as to why was he avoiding me? We didn't fight, we didn't quarrel, I didn't even , yet he abruptly started avoiding me, and I wasn't a fool not to notice it. I remembered when Jimin hyung ignored Yoongi hyung as well, but it wasn't the same type of the thing. I didn't know what it was about, it simply wasn't. And it was morbidly annoying, making me long for our chats and the so called 'playdates' we had each day of the past holidays.

After Friday's talking session with the latter, I felt a tad relieved that he at least talked to me, but still was confused and certainly unconvinced.

Thankfully, when I kept texting him on Sunday's evening, he replied with full answers, but barely used emojis, which was puzzling considering that he usually prefers to insert them.

As we were talking together, I thought about every single reasonable cause for his sudden actions.

It couldn't be the truth or dare incident, because he still did treat me normally after it, neither did I think that he returned my feelings and got shy of me or any thing of the sort, seeing the fact that he isn't timid. And yet, there was a suggestion lingering my mind, a sickening one, a one that was surely starting to daunt me at that moment; maybe he did realize that I love him.

Maybe he got disgusted.

But, he didn't avoid Jisoo willingly after her confession, so why would he sheer away from me? My mind was corrupted, thoughts and analyses flying in it like butterflies that my web could catch none of. I decided to set the doubted conclusion aside, and see how the other would treat me after I denied that I was annoyed by the latter being with me.

The next morning, I went out of the flat first, inpatient to see Taetae hyung.

Yet after quarter an hour of waiting for him with the others, he still didn't come in sight.

"Maybe he went there earlier." said Seokjin hyung.

"What for? We don't have projects yet, neither exams." a hint of bass worry could be heard in my voice. Yoongi hyung sighed.

"I will call him."

We waited, only the ringing sound could be heard for a tad, until we heard a voiced message, claiming that the owner of the number wasn't picking up yet.

"I am positive that he, for a reason, is already at school." uttered Jimin hyung.

"I guess so too, let's go check there." suggested Hoseok hyung, to which Namjoon hyung nodded.

"It's 7:37 after all."

I sighed, moving my legs unwillingly with the others', praying that the latter was indeed at school.

And yet, when we arrived, I scanned the whole field, classroom, and bathrooms for the brunet who was nowhere to be found.

"Gosh, where is he?!" Seokjin hyung's worried note tempted me even more, and I couldn't wait any longer by then.

"You stay here." I turned, jogging back to our quarter, then eventually started running, for it was already 7:49 when I left the building.

The latter's house was seen finally, and the first thing I found myself doing was to knock the door and ring the bell and shout his name as loud as I could. I feared that something happened to him so much. He's so fragile, I just couldn't let him be harmed at all.

Several seconds later, the curtains of the kitchen window were opened, and I saw him waving fast at me while putting his shoes on, then grabbing a coat from the floor, followed by him exiting the front door.

Hair messy, eyes droopy, steps sluggish, he walked towards me.

I hugged him tightly at the moment our eyes made contact, resulting in him to yelp a tad.

"Gosh Tae hyung, why are you still sleeping?!" I backed away from the hug, clutching his wrist and walking speedily.

"I-I am sorry, I forgot to reactivate the alarm, gosh I am so sorry, classes started alr-"

"Hyung, you have no idea how much worrisome I was when you were nowhere to be seen at school, don't do this again." I passed my fingers furiously through my hair. "Gosh."

"..sorry." his feeble voice made me feel so guilty for talking loudly to him, and that was when I cursed myself silently.

I slowed the speed, looking at the elder who just stared at the road beneath his feet.

"Taetae hyung, I apologize, I was too concerned, that was it." He only nodded and hummed, and I my lips in for a tad before adding "Ugh, hyung, don't be mad at me..I'm still a fine gentleman, right?" I, by a miracle from god, made the other chuckle to my comfort.

"Of course, Jungkookie~" and after that, he tickled my chin, I as always lifted my head with a wide smile on my face, for I almost forgot how amiable and adorable it felt.

Minutes later, we arrived to our classroom, the lesson was already ongoing when I gently knocked the door. The teacher stopped talking and looked at her wrist-watch, then looked at us with a frown.

"You came quarter an hour later, young men." I cleared my throat, before bowing, looking at the ground.

"I am sorry, I woke up late and I was the one supposed to wake us up. I will make sure not to repeat my flaw in the future." Ms Kang was actually kind, but also disciplined so consequences were feared. Nonetheless, she smiled at us.

"I will let you in today, although I shouldn't, but next time you will stay out of my class." Both of us bowed to her as a thanking to the lady, then entered the room.

The bell rang, Tae hyung turned towards me then said "Kookie, thank you f-"

"Don't thank me for god's sake, how many times should I repeat that?"

That gained a grin from the elder.

At lunch, we talked much, laughed together, and it felt so relieving at the point of me smiling merely when my eyes would meet his.

Even so, there was still a hint of discomfort between us. Both of us didn't talk at ease as before, neither would we have much skin-ship.

It felt as if we were..shy of each other. That wasn't expected to be existent by me, not even the slightest.

The next day was the same, and such was Wednesday, although on the second day, a little twist happened.

At the evening, I saw a message notification.

Honestly, I didn't anticipate for the text to be from the brunet, but it, to my surprise, was. It's not that I could complain at all.

We chatted about random things as always, the way we talked still uncanny.

That Thursday, Yoongi hyung, Hoseok hyung and I were eating in serenity when the eldest broke the silence.

"Jungkook-ah" I lifted my head to him. "Why are you distanced from Tae-ah these days?" I stopped chewing for a tad at the realisation; so it wasn't only I who noticed the weird behaviour. I swallowed the half-ground food.

"You remarked it too, then."

"I did also" agreed Hoseok hyung. I sighed.

"I don't know what happened to him, but I could salvage it a tad." Yoongi hyung hummed at that.

"When a person avoids someone, the cause could be him not liking the other anymore as a friend, or feel uncomfortable around him, also could possibly be a peaceful break up or way to get your friendship to an end, as well as the suggestion of having a doubted or feared crush, such as Jimin." I lifted my head a bit in understanding "So, I would pick the last one, considering that both of you are extremely close. And you know that I always am frank, so I didn't say that just to make a kid glad."  the latter nodded in agreement.

"..Hm.."

Crush, huh?