Title:  Locker

Author: hangarianne

Characters: J-Hope / Byul (OC)

Requested by: fazzierachannie

Disclaimer: This is a BTS fan fiction originally written by hangarianne. Any similarities to real-life persons, situations, places, etc. are coincidental. No copyright infringement intended.

 A/N:   Happy new year everyone! I hope you all had a great Christmas and a wonderful New Year celebration. To welcome 2016, I’m updating with a J-Hope x OC fic and this is by far the longest oneshot I’ve ever written (8300++ words! :O) I hope you will all take the time to read this and please do leave me comments. Hopefully, I can start writing longer oneshots for everyone ^^ ♥♥

P.S. Because I didn’t have internet access the past few days, I had time to write 2 oneshots (incldg. this) so watch out for my next update ;)

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Byul's POV

Okay this is it.

I stand in front of Jimin's locker holding the letter I spent days writing.

Will he reciprocate my feelings or will he reject me? Are we taking our relationship to the next level or will this negatively affect our relationship? There is only one way to know...

I sigh for the hundredth time today as I muster all the courage to finally slip the envelope inside Jimin's locker.

Just seal the thing already, Byul. If someone sees you, then all your plans will be for nothing.

I open the red envelope and take out the piece of stationery paper inside, reading its contents one last time.

To my dearest friend,

I am taking a huge risk right now by writing this. I debated within myself a thousand times whether to push through with this or not and after countless of nights of thinking, of contemplating, I've finally decided to tell you everything.

I never believed in the saying that there is no friendship between a boy and a girl. After all, how else would our parents have friends of the opposite gender? I honestly never took it seriously and I never really thought much of it until I met you.

You are such a ball of sunshine that brightens not just mine but everyone else's day. Your smile, your cute face, those eyes that disappear when you smile, your admirable personality... I wouldn't have enough words and papers to list down everything likeable about you. You are too perfect and I'm lucky to have you as my friend.

Friend. I wanted to keep our relationship at that level but I can't. I tried a thousand times to convince myself that I'm being foolish by thinking that your kindness meant something and that maybe we can be more than friends but as I spent more time with you; as I continued to learn more about you - both your assets and flaws - I found myself slowly falling deeper and deeper until I reached a point where I had no other choice but to embrace the truth: that I have fallen in love with you.

I'm very sorry if I am making you feel comfortable with this old-fashioned love letter but please understand that this all new to me and I do not know how to approach you. I can no longer keep my feelings to myself and I realized that this is the only way.

I understand if you do not feel the same way. I never expected that we'd become friends and that I'd fall for you and I am not expecting you will fall for me either. But if by any chance you feel the same as I do, please meet me at the school gym after school tomorrow. I will be waiting... :)

- Byul

That sounded very aggressive but whatever... Maybe Jieun is right though; I should put Jimin's name on it. Now where did I put my pen...

As I searched my bag for the pen I used for the letter, a familiar voice called out to me and my body stiffened immediately.

"Byul?"

Oh no, Yoongi!

I can hear him slowly approaching. I eyed Jimin's locker at the bottom and I have never been so glad our lockers are placed at the bottom.

"I knew you were here! Huh?" He tilts his head in confusion as he stared down at me, my back facing the lockers and my bag plus a few of my things on the ground. "Are you camping here or what?"

I laugh and say nothing as I quickly slip the paper back inside the envelope behind me.

"Are you hiding something?"

"It's nothing!" I say in defense and place the letter inside Jimin's locker.

Yoongi crouches down and lightly pushes me from my spot. "Then why do you look so suspicious sitting here on the floor with your back against Jimin's and Hoseok's lockers?"

I avoid his probing eyes and retort, "Yoongi, you are too young to forget that my locker is beside theirs. Besides, this is why I chose a bottom locker near the stairwell; so I'll have an excuse to hang out here in silence."

Yoongi shakes his head at me. "Tch. You are indeed a weird kid."

"I am not!" I hit his arm but he doesn't even flinch and instead laughs at me.

"That's all? Okay, now you're weird and weak."

"What did you say?!" I pinch a small patch of his skin which prove to be effective.

"Ow! What the hell, Choi Ra Byul?!" Yoongi flicks my forehead a bit hard and I rub it to ease the pain.

"Ya, ya, ya. What are you guys doing?" Jimin suddenly appears and approaches us. He sits beside me, placing his books in front of his locker.

"This weak kid here is being weird," Yoongi explains with a scowl painted on his face.

"Whatever." I roll my eyes at him as I pack my things.

"Byul here is weird and weak?" Jimin repeats, chuckling and pointing at me. "At least you're cute," he tells me and for a brief moment, we stare at each other's eyes.

Feeling my cheeks burning, I break the eye contact and close my locker door quickly. "I, uhh, I have to go. I'll see you guys around."

"See? She's weird!" Yoongi tells Jimin rather loudly, obviously making fun of me - as always.

Usually I'd think of a witty comeback but the idea that Jimin might open his locker and discover my letter with me around made me decide to let it slide off this time.

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Faster, Byul, fasterrrrr.

I brisk walk to the other end of the hall and take the stairs, not giving the boys a chance to run after me in case they discover the letter.

Ah, maybe I should've waited until after he went home to put my letter. What if he reads it now?

Too preoccupied, I barely noticed the boy going up the stairs and I bump into him.

"Sorry!" I say, bowing.

"Oh, Byul!" Hoseok smiles brightly at me.

"Hobi?"

"You should focus on walking. What if you fall down the stairs?"

I laugh awkwardly. Sometimes his being too caring makes me uncomfortable. "Don't exaggerate!"

"I was kidding, of course," he says while patting my head. "Anyway, I gotta go place these books in my locker before I head to my next class. See you around, Rabi!"

I watch him run upstairs and I smile to myself hearing him call me by the nickname he came up with to match his.

Maybe I should tell Hobi about my feelings for Jimin. We're friends too, anyway, plus Hobi's close to Chimchim. Yeah, maybe I should do that...

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"I won't see you next meeting so use that time to write your piece for your final project. Remember, I'll be able to tell which ones were written in a rush and which were carefully crafted. So do well on your literature project."

"Yes, Sir!" Our class answer in chorus and with that, Mr. Im bids us goodbye and leaves. The other students stand up and start leaving as well while some stay to tell their friends how they haven't even started writing yet.

"Hey, are you done with yours?"

I look up to see Namjoon smiling at me.

"Y-yeah," I awkwardly answer. Although he's a friend of Jimin and Hoseok, Namjoon and I aren't very close and I'm a bit surprised that he bothered to ask me.

"Cool. Actually I-"

"Don't even think about asking her for help, Namjoonie."

I turn around and see Jimin approaching my seat.

"I wasn't. I was just going to ask her for some tips on what I've accomplished so far. And why am I even explaining myself to you?"

Jimin chuckles and nudges Namjoon's shoulder. "I was kidding!"

The latter pouts and lets out an audible 'tss', making Jimin laugh even more.

"Ra Byul-ssi, I'll talk to you next time when this piece of--uhh, when Jimin isn't around to bother us," Namjoon informs me and leaves, obviously a bit disappointed that he got cut off.

"You are such a meanie!" I say, lightly hitting Jimin's muscular arms and I internally spazz at the small skinship.

"Oh, he is, alright. A mini," Yoongi butts in, laughing.

"What are you guys doing here?" I ask, switching from looking at Yoongi then Jimin.

"We came to fetch you. This is your last class, right? We have a 1-hour break so maybe you want to grab some snacks before you go home," Jimin explains.

Hasn't he opened yet the letter? Why isn't he acting strange?

"Hey, deaf girl," Yoongi snaps me out of my thoughts by tugging my right ear.

"Huh? Uh yes, sure. Where's Hobi anyway?"

"He left in a hurry after our Research class; said he had things to attend to," Jimin shrugs.

"Oh, okay."

"Let's go guyssss!"

I smile at Yoongk who is now by the door already carrying my books.

This guy really... sometimes I hate him and sometimes I love him. He could easily pass as my brother with our cat-and-dog relationship.

"Shall we?" Jimin tugs at my arm and we walk out of the classroom.

 As we walk through the halls, he starts engaging me and Yoongi into a random conversation about a new friend he made and with his arm around mine, it's a bit difficult to focus on his story. That in addition to the fact that I'm still wondering why there's no change in his behavior. Didn't he read the letter yet?

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*beep*

Hi, this is Jung Hoseok. I cannot attend to your call right now. Please leave a message and I will get back to you as soon as possible.

*beep*

"Yah, Jung Hoseok! Why the hell can't I contact you?! You and Jimin are really... *sigh* We need to talk about our presentation which will be in two weeks in case you forgot. Call me when you get this message or else you two will be dead meat. *pause* that's a little harsh, huh? You and Jimin should meet up with me to discuss. And speaking of Jimin, I have something to tell you but I'd rather we discuss it in person. Call me, okay?"

I sit on my bed and stare at my phone. Aside from Hobi being a no-show since this afternoon, Jimin hasn't texted me since he got home and ate dinner.

Did he finally read the letter and discover that I, who had been his and Hobi's friend since our senior high, secretly like him?

I lay on my bed, my upper body comfortably sprawled over it and my legs dangling by the foot of the bed. "Maybe I shouldn't have told him..."

"Told who what?"

I turn my head to face the door and I see Jin oppa's head poking through my now half-open bedroom door.

"It's none of your business and you should've knocked."

"I did but you weren't answering and I thought you were dead. I seriously thought I am finally free," he tells me with an annoyingly cute pout, so irritating I had to throw two pillows consecutively at his direction.

"I was kidding, you peanut-brained ugly duckling."

"Just gooooo!" I say as I kicked my legs in the air like a kid throwing tantrums.

Jin oppa rolls his eyes at me and says before closing the door, "You have a visitor downstairs. Fix your face."

"What do you mean fix my face? Really, fix?!" I yell at him though I'm sure he wouldn't bother to open the door again and argue with me.

"This is why he and Yoongi could pass as real siblings," I whisper to myself as I made my way to my dresser.

Now who is visiting me this late?

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Hoseok's POV

Cream-colored walls, thick dark blue curtains topped with thin white lacy curtains, a dark brown minimalist sofa, a golden glass-top coffee table and a digital clock that says "20:10".

For the last ten minutes, I've been distracting myself by discreetly looking around Choi family's living room, trying to memorize how the place looks. The truth is, although Byul, Jimin and I have been friends since we were in senior high, Byul has only invited us over a few times and in each visit, their home looked different and more stylish than the last time we saw it.

If everything goes well tonight, I might just start frequenting Byul's home.

"What would you like to drink, Hobi? Is juice okay?"

I look up and see Mrs. Choi approaching me with a glass of orange juice.

"Th-thank you, Ma'am." I really am thankful, to be honest. My throat feels dry from the nervousness I am feeling it's no wonder I keep on stuttering.

She smiles sweetly. "I'll go get Byul, okay? I’m sorry she’s taking so long!"

I am about to say it’s fine when she suddenly turns away and proceeds upstairs.

The thought of finally seeing Byul makes my heart race. I don't even know how to face her. Should I mention 'it' right away? Should--

"Sorry for taking so long, I was just-- Hobi?"

Footsteps approach and soon, two pink fluffy bunny slippers stood in front of me.

I slowly peer up, mustering all of my courage to gaze at her and to speak to her.

"What brings you here? Ah, did I scare you with my voice mail? That was quick... But hey, I was kidding!" She says with a smile that reaches her eyes. Once again, I feel a warm creep from my chest up my neck all the way to my cheeks.

"Can we talk outside? It'll be awkward if someone hears us talking," I say, avoiding her eyes.

"Okay, how about by our mini garden? We've got benches there and it's quiet too."

"T-that would be perfect."

"Okay!" To my surprise, she grabs my hand. "Let's go!"

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"Wow, this place is nice."

"But it's small," Byul counters. "Someday, I want to have a huge garden where I and my future family can hang out."

"I will make that happen," I respond almost immediately and I stare at her with wide eyes as soon as the words registered to her and she shot me a questioning look.

"Choi Ra Byul..."

"Hmm?"

"Can I tell you something?"

"Sure! What is it about? You can tell me anything."

"Do you promise to listen no matter what this is about?"

"You're scaring me, Hobi."

"Please promise me, Byul."

"O-okay. Come on, tell--"

"I've read your letter."

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Byul's POV

As soon as those four words left his lips, Hobi heaves a sigh as if he'd just spilled the greatest secret he's been keeping; a secret obviously burdening him.

"What letter?"

"This." He hands me a familiar stationery paper and it finally dawns on me.

I placed the letter in the wrong locker.

"Hobi, I think--"

"Byul, I know I'm supposed to meet you tomorrow but I can no longer wait to tell you how I feel - that I love you too. Choi Ra Byul, I love you and you don't know how happy you’ve made me by telling me the words I've been dying to hear."

Is this some kind of prank? Maybe Jimin is playing a prank on me. Is it his plan to have Hobi fool me before he appears and confesses to me?

"Hobi..." I lock eyes with the dark-haired man in front of me as I search for the right words to tell him how he's mistaken and that the letter was meant for Jimin.

"I know I should've confessed first. Ah, this is awkward now." He breaks eye contact and wipes his eyes.

Oh, no. Is he crying?

He inhales then exhales, muttering an audible 'hu' as he does and stares back again. "Byul-ssi..."

No, don't.

My heartbeat doubles as I silently wish he wouldn't ask me something he shouldn't.

"Choi Ra Byul..."

No, please.

"...will you be my girlfriend?"

I search his eyes and I all I can see is sincerity.  Hobi loves me. My friend loves me.

"Byul..."

I force a smile hoping it looks convincing and it seems like it does because he smiles back. I take a deep breath and let out the word that I know is the right thing to say.

"...Yes."

And he smiles that smile I've come to know to mean that he's very happy. He jumps to celebrate and takes me into his arms, caressing my hair and whispering words he's waited a long time to tell me.

"I love you! I love you so much, Rabi! I love you to the moon and back! I rurggff fryou..." His words are muffled as he stills, his face near my collarbone.

"Hobi, I love..." I choke on my words as my own tears stream out of my eyes. I cannot force myself to say something that I myself know is a lie. I love Hobi but it's not the same kind of love he feels for me.

Then again, the thought of hurting Hobi makes me guilty. He's the friend who's always been there for me, the one who always put me first over anything even himself, the one who's done so much for me. If it were someone else, I could easily reject him and say he’s mistaken but Hobi is dear to me and I can't bring myself to hurt him and tell him he got it all wrong.

Just this once, maybe I can do the same and put him before myself.

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It's been five months since Hobi and I started dating and I still feel uneasy around him. He finds it cute however, thinking I'm too shy to do even the simplest and most innocent skinship with him. Maybe it’s just me but when he holds my hand, I feel all weird.

A month after I agreed to be Hobi’s girlfriend, Yoongi caught us going home together without Jimin. He could've bought our excuse that Hobi's only walking me home since he lives a few blocks from my home if Yoongi didn't catch Hobi kiss me on the cheek.

Flashback

As usual, Hobi kept me entertained on our way home as he told me random stories, making up his own sound effects to back his stories up.

"So Jimin ran after the puppy but he slipped so he cried. He was so fragile back then it's cute seeing him try to act tough especially in front of girls."

"How about you?" Hobi looked at me, as if taken aback that I showed no interest in his story. "I mean, how were you as a kid?"

One thing that I noticed in the years I've known him is that Hobi never shares stories about himself. Sure, he would whenever we coaxed him to do so but he never did voluntarily.

"Well..." He scratched the back of his head and he faced to me. "I was the quiet one. I preferred keeping things to myself. I seldom tell people how I feel."

"Why?" I stopped walking and so did he.

"Because I feel like I burden them with my feelings when I do."

His words hit me right in the heart. Asking wasn't such a good idea after all.

"I'm sorry..." I uttered lowly, not knowing what else to.

"Byul..." He caressed my face and said softly, "Let's not talk about it, okay? That's in the past. I'm the clown Hobi now." He started dancing weirdly and a smile crept over my lips. "Now that's better. You look beautiful when you smile."

I pouted hearing this. "And ugly wh