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When Jung Hoseok first met Min Yoongi, his heart nearly stopped beating. He felt unbelievably drawn to the shorter blond male on that day, that one fateful day when they first met. It would become a day that he would never be able to forget. it was on that day when Jung Hoseok first met his first love. "Hoseokie hyung, I'd like you to meet my old classmate from middle school, Yoongi hyung. Min Yoongi." It was one fateful morning when Hoseok heard his name being called, the cheerful voice belonging to one of his closest friends. A fond smile formed on his lips before he could even register what his friend had actually said. But by the time he processed everything, there was already a light tap on his right shoulder. He definitely wasn't prepared for what was about to happen next. Hoseok was awestruck the moment he had turned around from his locker, eyes meeting the most beautiful gummy smile he'd ever seen. The owner of that smile, Yoongi, had instantly outstretched his hand, still smiling brightly at him. Hoseok noted that the male in front of him was a tad bit shorter than himself, slender in frame, with bleached blond hair. His flawless skin was pale as snow (that it would make even Snow White jealous). Those combinations of features made him look literally like a fallen angel. But what caught Hoseok's attention was that breathtaking all gum smile of his. Hoseok swore if he didn't look away from the said male, he'd seriously be blinded at that moment. Realizing a little too late that Yoongi was still waiting for him to shake his hand, Hoseok quickly recovered from his initial shock of seeing an 'angel' and embarrassingly stuck his hand out, giving Yoongi a way too friendly handshake. The blond nearly toppled over due to how frantically hard Hoseok was shaking him. "It's nice to finally meet you Hoseok-ssi~ Jiminie talks about you all the time. Glad I can put a face to your name now." It was unexpected. A deep imprint was engraved in Hoseok's heart at that very moment, that very moment when Yoongi's low raspy voice spoke for the very first time as a soft playful chuckle followed suit. It sent chills down Hoseok's spine. Min Yoongi couldn't be real. There was no way that someone like him really existed. Hoseok never believed in those sappy, cliche stories about love at first sight. He never once thought that there'd be anyone stupid enough to say that they had fallen in love the moment they met a person but here he was. Hoseok felt it, the moment Yoongi lightly squeezed his hand still in his, before letting go completely. It was like an indescribable electrical surge had coursed through his entire body. Hoseok quickly retreated his hand back, feeling as though it had been burned by an unseen force. He found himself unconsciously placing his hand on the side of his neck, still being able to feel the warmth from Yoongi's hand that had somehow lingered as he rubbed his neck. It was a nervous habit he never grew out of as he did his best to respond. "Y-yeah... it's nice to meet you too~!" Hoseok tried his best to not sound all flustered and greeted Yoongi happily as he stood across from him. He failed to notice until then that Yoongi had not once looked away. It was as if the short blond male was studying him and that made him feel even more self-conscious. Hoseok shyly looked down at his feet, the moment he felt his cheeks start to flush with unwanted heat radiating from his neck up. He has honestly never felt so awkward and shy at the same time before. He was known to be always so friendly to everyone, not afraid to approach strangers and strike up a random conversation. So why was this Yoongi guy so different? Hoseok didn't want to answer that. "Hoseokie hyung's cute, right Yoongi hyung~? He was my very first friend when I started high school here, he's really the best!" Hoseok could only glance up when Jimin swung an arm around his shoulder, playfully dragging him down a bit for an improv side hug while giving that cheerful smile Hoseok has come to adore as his eyes disappeared into little crescent moons. Even though Hoseok was extremely embarrassed, he couldn't ever be mad at such a cute kid. "Oh," Hoseok quickly turned his attention back to Yoongi. That beautiful gummy smile he had shown earlier was now gone but his soft pink lips were still upturned as he responded with just that one syllable word. He could tell that Yoongi was feeling a bit uncomfortable to hear such a question at such a time. Hoseok looked away once again when his eyes met Yoongi's, not knowing how anyone could ever look the blond in the eye without feeling like their soul has been sucked right out of them. "Hoseokie hyung, if you guys could become friends that would be great! We can all hang out then." From beside him, Hoseok could hear how excited his friend was. Either Jimin didn't have a clue as to how awkward this was for both Yoongi and him or he just didn't seem to be bothered by it. At that time, all Hoseok could do was give an apprehensive nod, not knowing if it was actually possible to become close to someone who made his heart stop beating. Min Yoongi and Jung Hoseok had met on that fateful day because of Hoseok's classmate and close friend, Park Jimin. Both Jimin and Yoongi had attended the same middle school along with Yoongi's best friend; Jungkook, Jimin's boyfriend. Hoseok would later come to realize that Min Yoongi had kept a hidden secret from everyone, everyone including his best friend, Jungkook and also Jimin. A secret that painfully connected the three of them.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
It was a typical Spring day, the blue crisp sky lingered above as the wind blew through the air peacefully. It was definitely the perfect day to be outside. Hoseok was strolling happily down the hallway during break, until something caught his eye. As he slowly made his way towards the balcony of their school's second floor, he could see why his eyes had wandered towards that direction in the first place. There, a very familiar short blond male stood quietly, gazing off at the white fluffy clouds in the sky. Hoseok silently made his way towards Yoongi, feeling it once again as his heart skidded to a dramatic halt. Even as the days go by, that unwanted habit never went away. It was as though his heart was trained to do such a thing every time he was near the other. As he finally approached the said male, Hoseok could hear Yoongi's soft exasperated sigh. They had gotten closer after a few months of Jimin forcing them to hang out together on a daily bases. That was when Hoseok noticed it. Min Yoongi didn't care much about anything, he did whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted. There was nothing anyone could do or say to make him do something. But as time went by, Hoseok came to realize that there was an exception when it came down to making Yoongi do things he didn't want to. There was only one exception and that exception was, Park Jimin. The blond's gaze suddenly shifted from the scenic sky up above to the school's luscious green soccer field. He wasn't even aware that Hoseok was standing right next to him at that moment as his eyes fixated on something fondly. Yoongi was looking at that "something" so lovingly that it nearly made Hoseok want to scream out of frustration. It broke his heart the way Yoongi could love so unselfishly. Min Yoongi, why are you so stupid? Hoseok didn't know when exactly it had happened but he had started to see it. He noticed on numerous occasions where Yoongi would do pretty much everything Jimin had told him to do. He had somehow come to the conclusion that Min Yoongi had kept a deep dark secret. A secret that no one was supposed to ever find out about. But the more time they spent together, he had unmistakably observed all the telltale signs of what seemed to be Yoongi's harbored love for Jimin. Yoongi was definitely good at hiding his feelings, Hoseok admitted but when Jimin isn't paying attention or isn't around (like right now), the way the blond's eyes search and gravitate towards the younger, gives everything away. At that moment, Hoseok was standing directly beside Yoongi, like he always does. They were both standing in the school's second-floor balcony, looking out towards the soccer field, watching Jimin's small figure run around trying to steal a ball from the opposing right midfielder. Even when it was just the two of them, Yoongi still didn't see him. That was when it happened. It was the first time in Hoseok's life that he couldn't seem to control his own emotions. He spoke without even thinking about what consequences might follow. "You're in love with Jimin, aren't you?" It was a slip-up. Hoseok had unconsciously let those words come out of his mouth. He had suddenly unveiled the secret that he had kept to himself without even knowing for sure if it was true or not (even if all the signs pointed to it being true). It was of his own accord but that didn't mean Yoongi would appreciate such a statement being said out loud. Hoseok felt helpless and tried to unsay what he had said but obviously, it was a little too late for take-backs. Yoongi jerked his head towards Hoseok almost comically giving himself whiplash, realizing now that he hadn't been alone the entire time. For a split second, Hoseok could see the panic in Yoongi's normally small cute feline eyes as they rounded widely in shock. He was flustered for just a mere second before schooling his face back to its usual demeanor. Yoongi suddenly looked so serious for the first time since they've known each other, that it struck a chord in Hoseok's heart. As the blond continued to stare at him, Hoseok couldn't seem to breathe. He found himself unable to look away though. No matter how much he wanted to, he simply couldn't. Their eyes were locked in a silent trance, both seemingly searching for an answer. Hoseok couldn't decipher if the pangs coming from his chest were good or bad. But when Yoongi spoke up a few seconds later, gaze softening, Hoseok knew it was the latter. "Yeah, I love Jimin," It was a straightforward answer that Hoseok never imagined hearing in a million years. He never thought that Yoongi would so willingly and openly confess his feelings just like that. They had gotten close and considered each other as friends now rather than just acquaintances but still, Hoseok was surprised how easily Yoongi said it. "...but I don't intend to ever tell him." Yoongi suddenly admitted, his eyes drifted away from Hoseok towards the green soccer field once again, in search of that one person he couldn't help himself from looking for. Yoongi's words continued to ring in Hoseok's ears as he stood rooted to the same exact spot. Staring at Yoongi's side profile was like staring at his own reflection in a mirror. It was painful and he wanted to look away but at the same time, he just couldn't. In this loving world, there are those who can love without asking for anything in return. Min Yoongi was one of those people. He was one of those people who could love someone unselfishly. This one-sided love that he had for Park Jimin, Hoseok found it to be stupid. Yoongi was stupid for loving someone whom he didn't even want to confess to. "Please, keep this a secret Seok-ah." Yoongi's soft raspy tone carried through the spring breeze like a hidden melody, without taking his eyes off of Jimin on the soccer field as he spoke. Hoseok wondered if at that moment if Yoongi would have turned to look at him, would he see it? Would he have seen Hoseok's feelings? Min Yoongi was stupid but the one who was even more stupid was the person that loved him. Hoseok came to realize that he was the stupid one all along.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
As months flew by, so did the changing of seasons. From fall to winter, winter to spring, spring to summer, and in a blink of an eye, it was already the start of their Junior year. Min Yoongi had transferred to Seoul Arts High School at the beginning of Sophomore year. He was introduced to Jung Hoseok by Park Jimin, a classmate and close friend from middle school. As time went by Yoongi and Hoseok fell into a comfortable routine, greeting one another in the mornings or as they pass by each other in the hallways during breaks. They had occasionally hung out after school while waiting for Jimin to finish his club activities, before grabbing dinner together. They had found that being forced to hang out wasn't so bad. After sticking to their so-called, ‘routine’ for a couple of months, Jimin's wish finally came true. In early spring during their Sophomore year, Yoongi and Hoseok became "official friends" according to Jimin’s words. 'It's truly funny how some things just fall into place with due time,' Jimin had cheerfully stated one day while the three of them were in the cafeteria eating lunch. In Hoseok's opinion, it could just be as simple as him knowing Yoongi's deepest darkest secret, that had brought on their budding friendship. He figured that Yoongi got closer to him because he needed to make sure his secret was kept safe and not because they were ‘fated’ somehow as Jimin had ambiguously suggested. Either way, Hoseok knew he had set himself up for heartbreak. It was now Fall once again. A lot of things had changed since the last year, one thing being that Hoseok and Yoongi found themselves being in the same homeroom together. Last year, Hoseok had been separated from the two friends, having a different homeroom than them. But this year, Jimin was the odd one out. Yoongi never said it out loud, but Hoseok could tell just by looking at the blond, that he was disappointed when Jimin scurried off to the opposite end of the hall during the morning of their first day back at school. He would always brush it off when he saw Yoongi wearing a subtle pout as his eyes subconsciously followed Jimin whenever he'd rush off happily towards his classroom after lunch. It took Yoongi a month or so to finally come to terms with it but in the back of Hoseok's mind, he knew Yoongi wasn't really pleased about it still. It wasn't so bad after the first couple of weeks though because on more than one occasion or rather, almost every single day when the last bell rung, Jimin would somehow magically appear in their classroom before they even had the chance to pack up their things to leave. Today was one of those days. But instead of Jimin happily greeting them like he normally did, they were met with the younger male clutching onto a bouquet of red roses and an unopened little white envelope in hand. It had only been a few minutes after school had ended for that day and yet something had already happened? Hoseok and Yoongi were both still seated in their assigned seats next to each other as Jimin took a deep breath before explaining what had happened to him, which took roughly about 5 minutes. "Again?!!" Yoongi and Hoseok both blurted out at the same exact time. They sat rooted to their seats, unable to move as they stared at Jimin with mouths' agape. It wasn't as though they were both entirely shocked but rather, they were just a bit dumbfounded that this had happened again. "Yeah, it was a senior this time. I was totally taken aback by his sudden confession and these..." The younger male quietly answered, looking down while placing the bundle of flowers and envelope he had been given not even 10 minutes ago onto Hoseok's desk and giving them a faint smile. "Why would someone ask someone with a boyfriend out?" Yoongi bluntly blurted out, probably trying his hardest to make sense of what Jimin had just told them. He glanced over towards Hoseok a second later, seemingly waiting for an answer to his question before turning his attention back to Jimin. It took about a minute or so but Hoseok finally came up with something. "Maybe, he doesn't know Jimin has a boyfriend?" Hoseok knew it was a ridiculous statement the moment those words left his mouth. Both Jimin and Yoongi turned to stare at him in bewilderment as Hoseok mentally slapped himself because of course that wasn't the case. Truth be told, everyone at their school knew that Jimin was taken. "No, I think he knew. I guess he just wanted to confess his feelings?" Jimin shook his head lightly, trying not to feel too guilty. He always felt bad for rejecting people and since this wasn't the first time that this had ever happened, he did his best to understand where they were coming from. He supposed, it just made sense that they just wanted to tell him how they felt. At that moment, Hoseok realized why so many people were in love with Jimin, why Yoongi loves Jimin. Because he has only ever thought of Jimin as a friend, Hoseok never really noticed but just at that moment, he was given concrete proof as to why. Jimin, Park Jimin was pretty much what you would call; an angel on Earth. Perfect on the inside and out. He was smart, great at sports, and extremely nice to everyone; perfect boyfriend material. He was a literal sweetheart that everyone couldn’t help but adore. And of course, someone like Jimin could never be left single. So everyone, of course, knew that Jimin has a boyfriend but obviously that fact didn't seem to stop his suitors from professing their love for him each and every time. Today was no exception either. "How many times has this happened already?" Yoongi pondered more to himself, honestly losing count after the first 20 times or so as he eyed the roses on Hoseok’s desk. This hasn’t happened in a long while, last year was a different story. It was literally like Valentine’s day every day for Jimin, it was just plain awful. "That doesn’t matter, hyung. They seem to give up rather quickly after I tell them I already have a boyfriend, so it's okay. Besides, most of them just tell me they like me and then run away." Even though Yoongi hadn’t been expecting a response, he had gotten one anyway. Jimin was always way too nice for his own good but Hoseok figured that’s why everyone wants to confess to him. "But doesn't Jungkook get upset? I mean you are his boyfriend after all. I don't think he would like seeing this happen to..." Yoongi was in the middle of his sentence when Jimin suddenly panicked and cut him off. "Hyung, you can't tell Kookie about this! He'll totally freak out and worry." Jimin was now wide-eyed as he frantically waved his hands in front of him, objection evident in his voice. Hoseok had been quietly watching from the sidelines as his two friends conversed back and forth. After a minute of silence, Yoongi huffed out a small sigh, seeming defeated. Hoseok turned his attention to the blond when he suddenly spoke up again. "Yeah, I know that." Yoongi’s tone sounded a tad bit off but he had stated it like it was a confirmed fact. Hoseok has heard plenty of stories from Jimin about Jungkook and how protective he was over him. Every time Jimin spoke about him, he would always have this toothy lopsided smile on his face as his eyes lit up fondly. It was the look of love. It was the same look that Yoongi had every time he stole a glance towards Jimin. The same look that Hoseok gave Yoongi subconsciously. Kookie or Jungkook is Jimin's boyfriend, as well as Yoongi's best friend. Because he goes to a different high school, Hoseok has yet to meet him. Even when he has seen pictures of the three of them together; no matter how he looked at it, he couldn't exactly say that Jungkook was all that great. Don’t get him wrong, the guy was good looking in his own way and treated Jimin extremely well but no matter how Hoseok looked at it, Yoongi was a way better catch. Hoseok hadn’t realized that he had been creepily staring at Yoongi for a good while or so now, until Jimin cleared his throat, making Hoseok jump a bit in his seat. He quickly tore his gaze away from Yoongi, almost ending up on the floor as his foot got caught on a chair leg. Before his reflexes had a chance to kick in, Hoseok felt a warm grip on his arm preventing him from falling. He let out an embarrassing squeak as Yoongi steadied him. “You ok?” Yoongi questioned a few seconds later as he let go of Hoseok, looking not necessarily worried but more along the lines of confused than anything. To that, Hoseok simply nodded as his cheeks started to flush bright red. Jimin quietly chuckled knowingly to himself, before glancing to look at the clock hanging above the door. A huge smile appeared on his face as he turned to look at Hoseok and Yoongi once again. "Well, I would love to stay and chat some more but I gotta get going. Besides, you two seem to be having fun on your own. Bye now~" Jimin gave them a mischievous grin before grabbing the white envelope off of Hoseok’s desk and skipping out of the room like a little kid in a candy store. “Keep the flowers, Hoseokie hyung or you can give them to Yoongi hyung~!” Hoseok nearly choked when Jimin’s voice echoed loudly down the hallway outside of the classroom. There were a million and one things running through his head right at that moment. "He seems happier than usual." Hoseok’s thoughts were suddenly interrupted by Yoongi’s deep raspy voice next to his ear, seeming a little too close for comfort. "Y-yeah... I think he has a date with Jungkook? He told me a few days ago that their anniversary was coming up..." Somehow feeling a little uneasy, it took Hoseok a while, debating on whether or not he wanted to tell Yoongi that. He figured Yoongi probably knew about Jimin and Jungkook’s anniversary date since the three of them had been friends way before the two had even gotten together. Hoseok could hear Yoongi shift a little in his seat. He didn’t dare to look over though, especially not after what had just happened earlier. Hoseok was still feeling embarrassed and with the words that Jimin had left them with, he most definitely couldn’t look at Yoongi right now. "Oh, you're right, it is their anniversary,” Yoongi stated as Hoseok faintly heard tapping from beside him. Hoseok peered over not to look at the blond but at his desk and saw that Yoongi had his phone in hand. He couldn’t help but smile seeing the background picture on Yoongi’s phone. Jimin had wanted a picture of the three of them all dressed up during the awards ceremony last year but his phone had somehow died. He asked if he could use Yoongi’s phone so that they could take a picture and then send it to himself. Yoongi had just tossed him the phone without any hesitation and that’s when they took the picture. Not only did Jimin send that picture to himself, but he also sent a copy to Hoseok as well and then decided to set it as Yoongi’s background. After all this time, Hoseok assumed that Yoongi was just too lazy to change it. "Are you not going home yet?" Yoongi had gotten up from his seat, stretching his arms and legs a bit before glancing over at Hoseok. Hoseok snapped out of his sudden daze, quickly turning his attention to the clock hanging directly above the door. Usually, if he wanted to get home at the earliest time, he’d have to catch the bus that leaves 15 minutes after school ends. But he was pretty sure that the 15 minutes had already passed, so he had to wait and catch a different bus. Buses usually reroute every 45 minutes or so, so he had time to spare. "Well, there's still like 20 more minutes until the next round of buses come, so I'm gonna wait here for a bit." Hoseok hadn’t realized it until his eyes locked onto his own hand, that he had been subconsciously playing with a velvety red petal on one of the roses from the bouquet on his desk this whole time. "Shit! We did miss the first set of buses, didn’t we? Well, in that case, I'll just wait here with you." Yoongi slumped back down into his seat with a loud thud, not even giving it much thought. Hoseok couldn’t figure out why, but for some reason, at that moment the air around him felt almost suffocating. It’s not like they’ve never been alone together before, so why does it feel so awkward right now? Neither of them spoke for a good solid minute or so as Hoseok tried to keep his hand busy, stroking and twirling the rose petals in between his fingers to keep himself distracted. But not even a minute later, did Hoseok come to realize that it was way too quiet in there. He couldn’t take the deafening silence anymore and blurted out the first thing that came to his mind. "Jungkook must be worried!" Hoseok begged to himself for the ground to open up and swallow him whole at that moment. He honestly didn't even know what he had said until after the words had come out of his mouth. He had no clue why he had suddenly thought to mention Jungkook out of all the things he could have said. He was so shocked that his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. This time, he did look over at Yoongi, fearing the blond's reaction. "Hm?" To Hoseok's surprise, Yoongi didn’t really seem all that bothered by what he had just said or maybe he wasn’t paying him any mind, either way, Hoseok couldn’t avoid the topic now as Yoongi's attention was all on him. "Um, I meant that Jungkook-ssi... He must be worried because he has such a gorgeous and likable boyfriend. He must be worried about going to a different school than Jimin, right?" Hoseok watched carefully as Yoongi gave his words some thought before answering. "Yeah. I guess that's the reason why he told me to look after Jiminie and make sure that no one dangerous comes near him." Yoongi's gaze slightly drifted towards the window as he rested one side of his chin in his hand, arm propped on top of his desk. Hoseok could only guess that Yoongi was probably feeling a bit conflicted because, at the end of the day, he was asked to watch over the one he loves through the eyes of only a friend. "The most dangerous one in this entire school is you though..." Hoseok whispered softly to himself. At the end of it all, he wondered if it was worth it for Yoongi. Is it worth it to be beside the one you love, but not actually be with them? A lot of things had changed since last year. Hoseok had found himself not necessarily in the middle of a love triangle, more along the lines of a love line so to say. But against all odds, he could tell that Yoongi had a higher chance than him on getting his unrequited love to become requited. Hoseok didn’t have exact proof but he was pretty certain that if Yoongi really wanted to, he could definitely win over Jimin’s heart. If Jungkook were to choose a rival, Yoongi was probably the most dangerous one in this whole entire school, in Hoseok’s opinion that is. "Huh?" Yoongi had abruptly turned his gaze back to Hoseok with an eyebrow raised. Curiosity evident as he drew his body forward while eyeing Hoseok intently, seeming to have heard Hoseok’s prior statement. "No-n-nothing!" Hoseok didn't know what to say at that point, he was beyond speechless. But when he saw Yoongi’s eyes turn into tiny slits and a wide grin forming on his lips shortly after, Hoseok was confused. And then, Yoongi chuckled, which threw him off even more. "You always like to tease me, don't you Seok-ah?" Yoongi playfully kicked Hoseok’s seat. A second later, Hoseok nearly died when Yoongi gave him his favorite gummy smile. Hoseok could stare at that smile all day and not get tired of looking at it, but that would just be plain creepy. "S-sorry?" Hoseok mumbled out softly, looking away from Yoongi. He didn't know what else to do but apologize as he mindlessly played with the rose petals still in his grasp. "Haha, don't be silly, you didn't do anything wrong." It was playful, the way Yoongi spoke at that moment. It was a side that Hoseok didn’t know Yoongi had until they had actually become friends. "So. What about you, Jung Hoseok?" Yoongi’s tone went from high to low in an instant, teasing to serious. He sounded almost determined, with all jokes aside now. It had been a very long time since Yoongi had used his full name. The way Yoongi said it wasn’t authoritative like his parents wanting to lecture him, it was different. It was definitely different but he couldn’t pinpoint why. But before Hoseok even had the chance to think about it, Yoongi continued on. "Didn't you say a while back that you had a crush on somebody? How's that coming along?" Yoongi’s voice was still low and raspy like it normally was but he sounded, softer? Almost hesitant in a way. Hoseok’s head jerked over to the side, now facing Yoongi once again with rounded doe-like eyes. Shock was the only thing that came over him at that moment. Why would Yoongi ask that so suddenly? "Umm... Well... There's nothing really going on because nothing has happened between me and him yet." Hoseok did his best to mask his mixed emotions, looking directly at Yoongi and answering him was probably one of the hardest things he has ever had to do. But he had managed to do it successfully somehow. They had a short-lived staring contest before Hoseok shied away once again, gaze fixed on the rose he had been playing with. "Him. So it's a he, huh? Does this ‘he’ go to our school?" Yoongi was definitely interested in the matter and Hoseok couldn't fathom why. Yoongi never cared before, so why now? In a blink of an eye though, Hoseok’s distraction (the bouquet of roses) was suddenly held captive by the blond next to him. Hoseok’s heart nearly jumped out of his chest when he registered what Yoongi had just done and then seconds later, what he had just asked. Obviously, Hoseok couldn’t answer him. For a few minutes, neither of them spoke. The only thing Hoseok could hear was his own pulsating heartbeats ringing in his ears. He didn’t look at Yoongi when the blond decided to speak up once more. "Why can't you just tell me who he is? Maybe I can help you." How could you tell someone who was in love with someone else, that you’re in love with them? Hoseok came to realize that Yoongi and he were very similar. They were both utterly stupid. Stupid in love.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Fall had come and gone and in a blink of an eye, the winter season finally approached them. A lot of things had changed since last year, which now also included their routine of going to school together in the mornings. Hoseok doesn’t quite remember who exactly had brought up the initial idea (most likely it was Jimin) but it became instinctual for him to get a wake-up call from Yoongi, who had him on a threeway call with Jimin ‘to kill two birds with one stone’ in Yoongi’s words. Hoseok would then get ready, eat breakfast, and when he was just about to step out of his front door, he’d be greeted by his two friends, waiting for him in his driveway. On rare occasions, they would sometimes end up going in pairs instead of the usual trio and today was one of those days. Yoongi had gone to school earlier that morning for a meeting with his science group because they needed to prepare for a presentation that they had that afternoon. Yoongi lived the furthest so he’d usually wake up, call them, get ready, and then head over to pick Jimin up, before the two walked on over to get Hoseok, who actually lived only a few blocks away from Jimin. It wasn’t a surprise when Hoseok suddenly woke up that morning and literally panicked when he glanced over at his alarm clock that read 7:13 am. Yoongi usually called around 6 to make sure Jimin and Hoseok were both up and Hoseok would be out of the house by 7 sharp. But not today, since he didn’t get a wake-up call, he figured Jimin was in the same boat as he frantically scurried out of bed to get ready. That morning Jimin had rushed over, looking relatively distraught; hair disheveled, uniform barely on properly, his eyes looked a little puffy and slightly irritated. Hoseok wanted to ask what was wrong but Jimin had pulled him out of the house and dragged him down the street before he could even open his mouth to say a single word. The two boys ran as fast as they could to catch the bus but unfortunately, they didn’t make it through the school gate on time. With their luck, they ended up being caught by the meanest teacher at Seoul Arts High, Mrs. Choi and as punishment, she had assigned the both of them to be on cleaning duty after school and lunch detention. Jimin and Hoseok definitely weren’t looking forward to either or, especially staying after. But here they were, nearly two hours after school had ended. It was now almost 5 in the afternoon as they were both working quietly on room nine out of the ten that they were told to clean. Jimin was diligently cleaning the erasers and wiping the chalkboards as Hoseok decided to work on the floor, mopping up and down each aisle. From time to time, he would look over his shoulder towards Jimin just to make sure the younger was okay. Ever since early morning when Jimin showed up at his doorstep looking as though he had been crying the night before, it had been bothering Hoseok throughout the day. He had wanted to ask about it during lunch but they were stuck with Mrs. Choi inside a classroom as she eyed them like a hawk. Hoseok has been friends with Jimin since Freshman year and he could tell when something was bothering the younger, even though he’d put up a front and pretend that he was fine, Hoseok knew something was wrong. There was some truth to the younger being upset at something because he hadn’t truly smiled all day and Jimin almost always smiled. In fact, it was pretty obvious to Hoseok when he had heard Jimin cursing Jungkook subconsciously under his breath. He wasn’t trying to be nosy or anything but it looked like something quite serious must have happened between Jimin and his boyfriend. Hoseok decided now was probably the best time to ask, since they were alone. "Hey, did something happen Jiminie? Did you get into a fight with Jungkook?" Hoseok paused his task of cleaning the floor as he propped the mop onto the side of a desk, turning to face Jimin fully, Jimin froze in his position in front of the chalkboard for a split second before heaving out a small sigh as he slowly turned his head to look directly at Hoseok. "It's nothing really, it's kinda embarrassing to talk about actually. We always have these dumb arguments over the littlest things, you know the usual stuff." Jimin played with the eraser in his grasp as he gave Hoseok a faint smile. It's true that every few weeks ever since Hoseok had been friends with him, Jimin would come to school upset and cursing Jungkook like there was no tomorrow but then the following day; he would be back to Jimin’s ‘oh so perfect wonderful boyfriend’. Hoseok wondered if that was normal for a relationship but didn’t want to voice it out loud, not wanting to offend the younger in any way. "Oh, okay. You just seemed really upset... " Even though Jimin looked fine now, Hoseok knew that talking it out might actually help him feel better. However, he wasn’t expecting to hear the next thing that came out of the younger’s mouth. "Yeah, I was way angrier last night but talking to Yoongi hyung helped a lot. Somehow, he always manages to cheer me up and makes me feel all better." Jimin’s forced smile from before had instantly transformed into a huge grin. The way he talked about Yoongi with so much fondness at that particular moment broke Hoseok’s heart into a billion pieces. He could only stare at the younger male in utter shock as his heart literally stopped beating and not in a good way because for one, did Jimin just read his mind? Second, why in the world would Jimin say such a thing out of all the things he could have told him. Why that? Seeing Hoseok’s lack of response, Jimin quietly made his way over towards him. Plopping himself down onto the desk that was directly in front of Hoseok. They stared at each other for a good couple of seconds as Jimin looked as though he was staring straight into Hoseok’s soul. A mischievous glint in the form of a bright smile came at Hoseok at that moment and from the looks of it, Jimin wanted to tell him something else. Hoseok wasn’t sure what was going through the younger’s head but he wasn’t sure if he was ready to hear whatever it was. "Wanna know something funny, hyung? I've never really told anyone this before but..." Jimin slightly chuckled to himself before continuing on with his train of thought. "...I actually had a small crush on Yoongi hyung before I started going out with Jungkookie. He’s a good guy, Hoseokie hyung." Jimin tilted his head down, probably feeling pretty embarrassed now that he had said those words out loud. Hoseok looked away, shaking his head, not wanting to believe what he had just heard. What was Jimin saying all of a sudden? He, as in Jimin, Park Jimin had actually liked Min Yoongi before? Everything around Hoseok froze, time itself stood still but his heart… Hoseok’s heart abruptly plummeted once again, the shattered pieces from earlier were broken into even tinier pieces. "Of course, when I think back on it though. I don't regret choosing Jungkookie at all. He really is the love of my life." Hoseok jerked his head back to focus on Jimin once again as he spoke. How could Jimin say such things so carelessly as if it wouldn't hurt anyone? Hoseok didn’t know why but he suddenly felt anger budding at the pit of his chest. Hoseok was too deep in his own thoughts that he hadn’t realized Jimin had gotten up from the desk and was now standing in front of him. He got startled when Jimin spoke up again. "You know, Hoseokie hyung. I know you never told me specifically who you liked but you and Yoongi hyung are quite similar. I think you guys would be perfect together~" Jimin’s tone was rather playful, grinning widely like he had solved some kind of mystery. Hoseok hadn’t really intended on hiding it from the younger and in all honesty it didn’t really bother him that Jimin knew (probably from the very beginning even). But that didn’t give Jimin the right to say such things. Jimin might have known about Hoseok’s feelings but he has no regards towards Yoongi’s whatsoever. What made Hoseok, even more, agitated was the fact that Jimin didn't even know how Yoongi felt about him, so what right does Jimin have to say such a thing. What right did he have to say that Hoseok would be perfect for Yoongi if he’s not even the one that Yoongi is in love with? Hoseok could feel the heat radiating off of his skin as his jaw suddenly clenched in frustration. He knew the younger didn’t mean any harm but he couldn’t help but feel upset for Yoongi’s sake. "Just think about it, hyung. If you guys do end up together, then we can go on double dates~! That would be so much fu..." Before Jimin could even finish his sentence, Hoseok had suddenly exploded. Jimin quickly took a step back, eyes nearly popping out of their sockets after realizing Hoseok wasn’t understanding what he was trying to say. "STOP!! YOU DON’T KNOW ANYTHING!” Hoseok had heard enough as he screamed loud enough that the walls of the room shook, his eyes bubbled with hot tears, lips trembling after the initial shock at what he had just done. He knew Jimin didn’t know why he was so angry but he couldn’t hold it in and was fed up with the younger’s lack of awareness towards the one who loved him dearly, the one that Hoseok loved dearly. Yoongi didn’t even like Hoseok in that way, so why would Jimin ever paint such a fantasy in his head? To give him false hope that maybe, just maybe if Jimin pushed them together some more, something might happen between them. Hoseok didn’t want to be the second option. He didn’t want Yoongi to be with him just because Jimin wanted them to be together. “So, please… Please don’t decide what will happen to other people, if you don’t know anything. Please…” Hoseok’s tone came out as a soft whisper, almost sounding like he had lost his voice in a pleading manner. All Jimin could do at that moment was stare at him in utter shock, unsure of what to do or say. Jimin was now on the verge of crying because this was the first time Hoseok had ever gotten this upset at him. They were both in a daze and hadn’t realized the classroom door had clicked open as footsteps halted to a stance. It was silent for a while before Hoseok managed to collect his thoughts and decided to speak again. He didn’t know why, but he felt the need to defend Yoongi in some way. Deep down though, Hoseok knew that this was the only way to protect himself. Because Yoongi would reject him even if Jimin pushed them to be together, he would be rejected because he wasn’t the one that Yoongi was in love with. "You should really think about Yoongi’s feelings too..." Hoseok’s voice cracked as those words left his chapped lips. He didn’t mean to say it out loud but it was already too late. A second went by as someone cleared their throat and Hoseok’s mouth went dry immediately upon seeing Yoongi’s appearance at the door entrance. The blond male made his way towards them, seeming concerned and confused at the same time. Hoseok prayed to the heavens above that he didn’t hear anything or at least not what Jimin had said. Jimin’s eyes widened with fear as he glances back and forth between Hoseok and Yoongi, alarmed and scared that he had somehow said something wrong. He turned his attention back to Hoseok wanting to just apologize for everything. He really didn’t mean to make Hoseok upset but he could tell that he did. "I-I I’m sorry, hyung... I-I..." Jimin's trembling tone left Hoseok feeling lifeless. He felt extremely guilty for his behavior towards the younger but he just couldn’t seem to control his emotions right at that moment. Hoseok needed to get away from there before he does or says something else that he doesn't mean. As Hoseok turned around to make a run towards the door, he suddenly felt it, something warm held him still. He glanced down to see Yoongi's long pale veiny fingers gripping firmly around his right arm, not allowing him to move or go anywhere. "What's going on? Why are you guys like this?” Yoongi was seriously worried. He noticed that Jimin was about to burst into tears and Hoseok didn’t look any better, eyes brimming red. “Even though I don't really know what happened, don't fight anymore. Just apologize to each other and be done with it." Yoongi’s words had a bit of bite to them as he stated rather than asked them to make up with each other. It was honestly the first time he had ever seen Jimin and Hoseok in such a situation and he didn’t like the fact that he might have been the cause of their conflict somehow (since he heard his name coming out of Hoseok’s mouth before he intercepted). "No Yoongi hyung, it…its my fault. I said something th-that made Hoseokie hyung mad." Jimin sounded so small as his voice quivered, he started to tear up and Hoseok could hear the guilt lingering in it. "No, it's not your fault. I'm just having a bad day." Hoseok’s own self-guilt was eating at him as he mumbled out his last response to Jimin, before freeing himself from Yoongi's grip. He quickly made a run for it as his vision started to blur with hot tears. He knew it was wrong to run away like a coward but he couldn’t face Jimin, not right now at least. "Hoseok!" “Hyung!” Hoseok heard his name being called by both Yoongi and Jimin as he stammered down the seemingly never-ending hallway but not once did he dare to look back. As Hoseok reached the end of the hallway something in him gave way and he broke down into tears. He didn't mean to sound so harsh, he really didn’t. He hadn’t meant to make Jimin feel bad but he just couldn't hold it in any longer, listening to everything the younger had said somehow triggered something inside of him and his heart couldn't seem to take it. From here, Hoseok could clearly still make out Jimin’s muffled cries, sinking into the same rhythm as his own. He felt sharp pains shooting through his chest once he realized that Yoongi was there right by the younger’s side, comforting him like he always did. Just once, Hoseok had wished that Yoongi would notice him, that he was crying, that he needed Yoongi by his side too. But the blond didn’t even bother to run after him. Why would he? It was always Jimin. Yoongi was always by Jimin’s side. It's always Jimin... A lot of things had changed since last year. Adding to that list, Hoseok decided from that day on, to give up on Min Yoongi. He didn't want to continue to be the ‘stupid one’. He didn’t want to wait for a love that will never be his.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The first snowfall of the year happened the morning after Hoseok had decided to let everything go, to let his feelings for Min Yoongi die out. A lot of things had changed since last year for what it's worth but one thing held true, even with time winter was still Hoseok’s favorite season. As he stepped foot outside, Hoseok couldn’t help but think that this was the reason why he loved winter so much. Snowflakes blew through the cool chilled air bright and early that morning, gently kissing his fairly warm skin like a much needed rain shower on a hot summer day. It was like he was suddenly walking through a mystical white Winter Wonderland, a way for him to escape reality even if only just for a little while. Yesterday’s event was something Hoseok didn’t want to think about, at least not right at that moment, not after holing himself up in his room, crying all night, and beating himself up about what had happened. After having some time to himself to think things over, he had decided that it would probably be best for him to head to school earlier today and to do so alone. Hoseok knew fairly well that this was a selfish act (a cowardly one at that) and that he couldn’t avoid seeing Jimin or Yoongi but he needed a little more time to prepare himself before facing the both of them, especially Jimin. Hoseok knew his two friends were worried about him because right after he had left the school, they had both called and texted him numerous times throughout the evening. He had ignored almost all their efforts, only when he had thought about going to bed did he decide that it was only right for him to text back at the very least. A simple text that read, ‘I’m fine, don’t worry. I’m going to school early tomorrow, so don’t come to get me,’ was what he had sent to them both before curling himself up into a ball on his bed, wrapped up in his fluffy green comforter. To his surprise in less than a minute later, his phone started to ring with Yoongi’s name appearing on the lit screen. Yoongi had called 4 more times after that but seemingly gave up on his fifth try as Hoseok ignored them all. No matter how much Hoseok willed himself to close his eyes and fall asleep after that, he couldn’t. He didn’t know why but at that moment his already puffy red eyes once again started to fill to the brim with fresh warm tears. Seeing Yoongi’s name somehow brought Hoseok into a vulnerable state, which left him feeling absolutely distraught. The thought of finally having to give up on his feelings was what had broken him at that moment. The logical side of his brain told him that, Yoongi cared so much about him but only as a ‘friend’. It was so unsettling to think of it in such a context because at the end of the day, he couldn’t deny that he was, in fact, the “Yoongi” in their “friendship” as Yoongi was in his friendship with Jimin. But despite everything, Min Yoongi was still his friend. No matter how much he wanted to hate the blond (to hate himself for following in his footsteps), he simply couldn’t. Hoseok told himself that that was going to be last time he ever cried because of Min Yoongi as he sobbed endlessly into his sheets before falling asleep just as the sun rose. Hoseok all but slept for a good 45 minutes before his alarm went off and now, here he was. He had made it to school at a quarter past 7, which gave him roughly 20 minutes or so to collect himself and think of what exactly to say, especially to Jimin. ~~~ ‘You can do this, Jung Hoseok!’ After about 20 minutes or so, Hoseok’s time was up. He quickly gave himself a silent motivational chant, reminding himself that everything was going to be fine as he headed out of his homeroom, where he had been comfortably situated in his seat. Hoseok nervously made his way towards Jimin’s locker, when he suddenly spotted two very familiar figures walking down the hallway headed straight in his direction. He took a deep breath, leaning his back onto the row of lockers for support before turning his head to see that Jimin and Yoongi had gotten closer to approaching him. He noticed that his two friends were walking silently next to one another. They really do look good together,’ Hoseok couldn’t help but think to himself as a painful pang shot through his chest.‘No, you’re over Yoongi, don’t do this Jung Hoseok! Right now isn’t the time to be oogling at your friends because you’re jealous!’ He shook his head frantically, temporarily making all those unnecessary thoughts go away before clearing his throat once the two males were a mere three feet in front of him. Jimin halted in his stance as his eyes (that were red and puffy just like Hoseok’s) had widened with so much emotion floating in them. His mouth gaped open and close as if he wanted to speak at that moment, but nothing would come out. Yoongi, on the other hand, had on his usual unreadable expression but gave Hoseok a faint smile when their eyes met for a brief second. “Hi,” Hesitant, Hoseok mumbled out his short greeting almost inaudibly focusing all of his attention on Jimin now, unsure of how to start this whole conversation he had planned in his head not too long ago. To say that this was one of the most awkwardest moments of his life was an understatement but he needed to get over it and apologize to Jimin. “I’m gonna head to class first and let you two talk.” Yoongi was quite observant and he could tell that the two needed to clear things up on their own and decided that it was best to leave and let them do their thing. Hoseok and Jimin watched as Yoongi left without uttering another word and as soon as the blond had disappeared into their homeroom, Hoseok decided it was now or never. He quickly turned back to face Jimin, who had also shifted his gaze back to Hoseok. "I… uh… I’m sorry. I'm sorry about yesterday. I know it’s not a good excuse but because we got in trouble with Mrs. Choi, I was in such a bad mood all day that I completely overreacted. I'm sorry I took it out on you." After clearing his head and thinking things through, Hoseok had realized that he shouldn't have said those things to Jimin. Jimin didn’t know Yoongi’s feelings, he didn’t really understand Hoseok’s either, and Hoseok realized he couldn’t blame Jimin for something he was unaware of. "No, I'm sorry hyung. It was my fault, I shouldn’t have said the things I said." Jimin suddenly clung himself onto Hoseok, hugging him tightly, while apologizing too. "No, it really wasn’t, Jiminie-ah. I was overreacting. I honestly wasn’t thinking properly at that time and I even left you without helping you finish cleaning up.” Hoseok shook his head and hugged the younger even tighter, regretting his actions from the day before. He really did feel awful. Jimin really had nothing to apologize for, he was just trying to be helpful in his own way, waning his friends to be together. It’s normal and Hoseok now understood that. “It’s okay, hyung. I just… I just feel bad for making you upset. I didn’t mean to…” Jimin pulled away slightly, making eye contact with Hoseok once again as he was cut off mid-sentence by the elder. “Let’s just forget about yesterday and start a new, okay?” Hoseok’s voice came out softer than usual. It wasn’t demanding in any way. He just genuinely wanted to put the past in the past and not think about it anymore. Jimin immediately agreed as well, nodding his head while sealing his lips shut cutely and Hoseok was incredibly grateful. “You're way too nice Jiminie-ah, thank you for accepting such an idiotic friend like me. If anything like that ever happens again, I give you permission to punch me and remind me to control myself, okay? If you ever hate me, I wouldn't be able to live with myself." Hoseok completely detached himself from the younger, beaming at him with his overpowering heart-shaped smile that the younger always said rivaled the Sun’s. Park Jimin is a dear friend that Hoseok never wants to lose and he realized that he should have never let a guy come in between their friendship. "Don't be ridiculous, hyung. I could never hate you, you're so silly~" Jimin was now back to his usual playful self, smacking Hoseok’s arm while chuckling like a little kid as a huge smile formed on his lips. Hoseok couldn’t help but laugh as well, before whining and pouting childishly like Jimin had actually wounded him. He was happy. Happy to have someone as kind as Jimin in his life. He couldn’t lose the younger as a friend and he definitely didn’t want to lose Yoongi as a friend either. Giving up on Yoongi was definitely for the best. ~~~ Everything went back to normal after that. When Hoseok walked into his homeroom and sat down next to Yoongi, the blond didn’t bring anything up either and Hoseok once again was truly grateful. Yoongi, of course, wanted to ask if everything was alright but he figured if they weren’t he’d eventually hear it, either from Hoseok or Jimin later on so he didn’t pry into it right then. Yoongi couldn’t pinpoint it, but somehow Hoseok seemed different today. Hoseok looked extremely exhausted, eyes red and puffy like he had been crying nonstop all night and that really left an unsettling feeling in the pit of Yoongi’s chest. He stared at the male silently sitting next to him for a few minutes, before remembering he had something to give to the latter. Knowing Hoseok, since he had left way too early that morning to eat breakfast, Yoongi made a quick stop at a convenience store, before picking Jimin up, to grab Hoseok his favorite sweet red bean filled bread. Don’t ask him how he knew it was Hoseok’s favorite because he doesn’t really have an answer. He just knew. Yoongi pulled out the clear pastry bag from his backpack and gently slid it across to the center of Hoseok’s desk. He immediately retracted his hand, acting as if he hadn’t done anything at all when Hoseok looked up from his phone to stare at him. “F-for me?” Hoseok was a little more than confused when he noticed his favorite pastry bread had been suddenly placed in front of him. He glanced over at Yoongi seemingly waiting for some kind of explanation. As far as Hoseok knew, it definitely wasn’t his birthday considering it was early December or any kind of special holiday, so why? “Figured you didn’t eat breakfast this morning.” Yoongi didn’t make eye contact, feeling the heat rise from his neck to his cheeks in a matter of seconds. He all but panicked because he never blushes so why was he suddenly doing so now? But thankfully Hoseok didn’t seem to notice.
“Oh. Thanks. It kinda amazes me how you know me so well, Yoongi-ah.” Hoseok quickly pocketed his phone and reached out to grab the bag on his desk, with a huge smile plastered on his face. ‘Act normal Hoseok. Your heart isn’t fluttering because why would it? You don’t like Min Yoongi anymore. Stop overthinking things.’ Hoseok willed himself to stay focused at that moment. “I would hope so since we are friends, aren’t we?” Yoongi finally opted to look over towards Hoseok for a brief second, grinning cheekily because it was quite obvious that they were, weren't they? Relief came to the blond when Hoseok responded. But for some reason, he couldn't feel entirely happy about it either. “Yeah, friends. That indeed we are.” Hoseok's smile slightly faded as he ripped open the bag and slowly started to eat. Giving up on Yoongi was definitely for the best.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
A little over two weeks had come and gone, and in a blink of an eye, winter was now definitely in full bloom. The streets of Seoul glistened with layers upon layers of white fluffy snow as shops were lit with all kinds of Christmas lights and decorations. It was starting to look more and more like a real-life Winter Wonderland outside and Hoseok loved it. Winter was definitely his favorite season. A little over two weeks had gone by and Hoseok quickly came to realize that his world didn’t stop turning. The sun still shines, the moon still glows, the snowflakes still fall time and time again, even after he had decided to let his first love go. Hoseok wouldn’t say it had been an easy walk in the park but he slowly came to terms with just seeing Yoongi as a friend. It wasn’t something he could simply control overnight but for starters spending a little less time around the blond made it easier for him to get onto the right path to moving on. He wasn’t avoiding Yoongi, not at all in fact. He had made sure to keep things relatively normal like it had been before but with two minor changes in his daily routine. One was during the times when Yoongi and Jimin wanted to do something, either after school or on the weekends. He decided not to hang out with them a couple of times, claiming he had projects to do or he was just too tired from dance practice, which was partially true so he wasn’t technically lying. The other change happened when lunchtime had rolled around. Hoseok would spend every other day (usually Monday, Wednesday, and Friday) sitting with Jimin and Yoongi at their usual table and on the other days (Tuesday and Thursday) he’d sit with the dance club, which he had recently joined. Dancing was an outlet for Hoseok. It gave him something to focus on, rather than thinking about what he shouldn’t be thinking about. It was the best distraction Hoseok could find and he was good at it, so why not? Today was dance club day but instead of going by himself to the table, Jimin was joining him. Yoongi had told them before wandering off to a secluded corner of the library that he was going to take a nap instead of eating lunch because he had pulled an all-nighter for his music production project. By now Hoseok knew not to question Yoongi when he was sleepy, because a sleepy Yoongi, was a grumpy Yoongi and you do not want to mess with a grumpy Yoongi. Hoseok and Jimin made their way to the cafeteria, chatting about their day so far. Jimin wasn’t exactly a stranger to the dance club, he was actually friends with most of the guys in it and wouldn’t have minded relocating their lunch table to the dance club’s if it weren’t for Yoongi’s adamant protest on the matter. For some reason, Yoongi didn’t like them very much. "Oh my god, no way! With Seoul International Academy!?" From the entrance of the cafeteria, Hoseok could already hear one of the dance club member’s loud screeching. Shaking his head and chuckling quietly to himself, Hoseok knew it was Jackson. Even from a mile away, he’d be able to recognize the male’s distinctive low but pitchy tone instantly. As soon as Hoseok and Jimin stepped foot inside of the cafeteria and made their way to their final destination seconds later, did they hear an interesting conversation unfolding among the dance club members, picking up after Jackson’s abrupt declaration earlier. "Yes, Jackson. My cousin, who’s a student there invited us to do a group blind date with him and some of his friends. We need at least two or three more people to make it even, so who else wants to go?" The president of the dance club diligently explained in detail as he eyed some of his friends/members seeming to shoot one of them a serious look that said, ‘you better be going or else.’ Hoseok wasn’t sure if anyone else had caught on to the sudden death glare the senior was giving but he figured it must have worked when one of the members responded. "ME!” Hoseok and Jimin watched as Yugyeom, the youngest of the group rose to his feet, dragging poor Jinyoung, who was in Hoseok’s and Yoongi’s homeroom, up while raising his hand, shouting excitedly like there’s no tomorrow. Jinyoung all but winced in pain seconds later, feeling as though his arm had been dislocated out of its socket by the younger but didn’t object to his statement. "Perfect. By the way, I heard from a little birdie that your favorite b-boy, JB will be there Jinyoungie~” The dance club president, Seokjin had a playful glint in his eyes and Hoseok could tell just from standing there that the elder was scheming up a storm. “Now we just need one more person, hmmm? Let’s see..." Seokjin trailed off, rubbing his chin in thought. There was a set back to his plan, the problem was that the rest of the dance club members at the table were already taken and in committed relationships, so it would be pointless and unjust for him to ask them. Suddenly, Seokjin took notice of Hoseok’s and Jimin’s arrival and grinned from ear to ear. 'Problem solved'. Hoseok wasn’t going to lie, Seokjin looked pretty scary, like "the Joker" scary at that moment and if Hoseok didn’t actually know him, he would have high tailed it out of there in seconds. “Oh hey, Jimin-ah~ You wouldn't happen to be able to go to a group blind date meeting right since you already have a boyfriend and all... But hey, what about you, Hoseok-ah?” Right next to Hoseok, Jimin gingerly shook his head, obviously rejecting the offer, not that Seokjin didn’t already know the answer (hence why he had stated that sentence instead of asking it). Hoseok, on the other hand, had tensed up a bit, staring at the senior like he had grown two heads or something. Hoseok has heard of these so-called "group blind dates" before among his peers going all the way back from middle school up until now. He has heard of them but not once has he ever been invited to join in on one. “Would you like to go with us? We’re having dinner with some of my cousin’s friends from Seoul International Academy and then heading to an arcade place afterward. It'll be lots of fun~" Seokjin gave Hoseok the cutest puppy dog eyes he could muster up, doing his best to convince the younger to join them. "You should come with us Hoseok-ah, I heard that the boys from Seoul International Academy are all pretty good looking and extremely intellectual on top of that and hyung-nim here, is paying for our food so why not come with?" Jackson joined in, eyeing Hoseok with a sheepish grin as he lazily swung an arm around Seokjin’s shoulder to emphasize that there will be ‘free food’ provided. Hoseok didn’t really like being in high-pressure situations like this, where all eyes were on him but maybe this was a good idea. A great way for him to meet new people and who knows, just maybe he'll find someone he'll like to date in the near future. "Okay. Yeah sure, why not." A little over two weeks had gone by and Hoseok quickly came to realize that his world didn’t stop turning. The sun still shines, the moon still glows, the snowflakes still fall time and time again, even after he had decided to let his first love go. Moving on was something he needed to do. Maybe this was the missing puzzle piece for him to start falling in love with someone else. "YAY~! You know, I think my cousin might actually call dibs on you, Hoseok-ah~" Seokjin excitedly clapped his hands together like a baby seal, giving Hoseok a mischievous grin and a playful wink before happily pulling out his phone to message his cousin. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all? ~~~ The rest of the day went by uneventfully and Hoseok was grateful for that. During the remainder of his classes, Hoseok couldn’t seem to concentrate on anything other than the group blind date, that he on a whim had agreed to. Everyone who knew Hoseok would say he’s an extrovert, a social butterfly when it came to meeting new people but for some reason, he was extremely nervous about this whole ordeal. The last bell had rung for the day but instead of being in his usual homeroom, Hoseok had been asked to deliver some paperwork to the front office by his teacher. As he made his way back to get his things, a thought that had been lingering in the back of his mind for the past 2 hours had come to light once again. He kept asking himself, ‘Should I just tell Seokjin hyung that I don’t want to go anymore?’ Hoseok’s thoughts were suddenly filled with all kinds of questions. How was he supposed to go through with this whole group blind date meeting? He’s never been to one so how exactly was he supposed to act? He realized that he was more terrified than nervous at that point. And what does a scared Hoseok do? ‘No, Jung Hoseok, no backing out of this!’ He did his best to coax himself. ‘ Running away isn’t an option’, he told himself over and over again until he finally believed it. A few minutes later, Hoseok found himself at his locker, grabbing the books and homework he needed for the night. He startled and jumped a little when Seokjin magically appeared out of nowhere, bumping his broad shoulder against Hoseok’s while getting a little too close for comfort. It’s not that he didn’t like skinship, he did but the elder had no boundaries when it came to personal space. "Hoseok-ah, I'll see you at around 5 PM at my house. You have my address already, right?” Seeing the discomfort he had caused the younger, Seokjin took a step back, grinning knowingly as he made sure to remind Hoseok of the plans they had in stored for tonight. "Yes, I have it hyung, don't worry, I’ll see you in a few hours." Hoseok turned his head to give Seokjin a smile, it wasn’t his usual heart shaped one but it was genuine nonetheless. He couldn’t lie, he was still slightly terrified but after convincing himself that this was good for him, he was now kind of curious and excited to see how things would unfold. “Hey, don’t be nervous. Everyone is really nice, I’ve met most of them already. Besides, you won’t be there alone, you’ll have me, Yugyeom, Jinyoung, and… YAH!” Seokjin was trying to give a heartfelt speech seeing that Hoseok wasn’t his usual smiley self, when Jackson Wang came running, snatching the bag of snacks he had been holding onto. Without a second thought, the senior made a mad dash towards the said thief. “Make sure to dress nice but casual!" Seokjin all but shouted as he ran down the hallway chasing after Jackson as if his life depended on it. One thing to note about Kim Seokjin, you don’t mess with him and his food. “Will do, hyung~!” Hoseok yelled back as he couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight in front of him, which oddly but surely reminded him of Tom and Jerry. He smiled to himself at that moment, feeling a lot better now. Hoseok nearly had a mild heart attack turning back around to close his locker when he was met face to face with the last person he had wanted to see. "You're overly excited about this blind date thingy." That voice, that familiar low raspy voice that Hoseok was trying so hard to forget (at least for the rest of that day) suddenly rang in his ears. He had seen Yoongi throughout the day and he had looked fine, a bit grumpy but after his improv nap during lunch break, he was fine. But right now, the blond didn’t seem to look fine at all. In fact, Yoongi didn’t look all too pleased as he intently stared at Hoseok like he had committed a crime. Hoseok opened his mouth to try and speak but nothing came out. He was so confused as to how Yoongi knew about the group blind date because he hadn’t told him about it. Maybe he had heard Seokjin earlier but Seokjin never said the words “blind date”, so how? "I heard from Jimin." By now, Yoongi could read Hoseok like a book. Jimin had come to their homeroom right after the last bell wanting to say goodbye to the both of them before heading to his club meeting. When he noticed Yoongi was alone, he spilled the beans about Hoseok going on this stupid group blind date thingy with some nearby rich private school kids and told Yoongi to wish Hoseok luck for him. Yoongi honestly didn’t know why he was so agitated after that, but he was. He pretty much stormed out of the room, wanting nothing more than to hunt down Jung Hoseok. Now seeing the said male in front of him, Yoongi started to feel even angrier. When Hoseok didn’t respond, he decided to say what was on his mind. "Why do I have a feeling that you're acting impulsively without thinking things through, Seok-ah. What about your crush?" Yoongi had no idea where those words came from but a nagging feeling that something was off about this whole situation brought him to say it. Yoongi couldn’t help but notice the way Hoseok froze at his last two words. It made his stomach knot painfully in on itself for some reason, as if he had accidentally hit his own nerves. "My crush...” Hoseok mumbled out like he had somehow lost ten years of his life during the short 2 minutes of their conversation. He had averted his gaze down to his shoes, not wanting to look at Yoongi right at that moment. Hoseok didn’t know why Yoongi suddenly cared so much about his personal life. Yes, they were friends but not the kind to talk about things like this. The last time they had done so was when Hoseok had found out about Yoongi being in love with Jimin and Hoseok made sure to never bring anything like that up ever again because he didn’t want to hear about it. The longer he thought about it, the more annoyed he got. It hasn’t been easy for Hoseok to pretend that he was okay when he wasn’t really 100% okay. He hated having to control his emotions whenever he was around Yoongi and hated that part of himself that still felt a small tingling sensation whenever Yoongi was being nice to him; when Yoongi cared about him. Over the past two weeks or so, Hoseok had been doing his best to get over Min Yoongi, to see Yoongi only as a friend. But then suddenly out of the blue, the blond makes him second guess everything and that wasn’t right. Hoseok snapped his head back up with all the courage he could muster up, he looked Yoongi dead in the eyes and said the next sentence without any hesitation whatsoever. “I found that liking him was too troublesome." At that moment, Hoseok felt a lightweight lift from his chest. Loving Yoongi was troublesome and stupid, that's what he kept telling himself during the past few weeks. He knew it wasn’t that easy but he was letting go more and more, day by day. "Troublesome?" Yoongi whispered to himself, unsure of what he was feeling but somehow sensing that there was a deeper meaning behind Hoseok’s words than meets the eye. "Even if I kept on having feelings for him, there wouldn't be anything in return." Hoseok realized from the very beginning that he couldn't be like Min Yoongi. He couldn't love someone unselfishly. It was foolish and downright stupid. Min Yoongi was stupid. "For that reason, I decided to find a new love, someone who will look at me the same way that I look at him." Even though it was hard to say that to his first love, Hoseok knew it was what he needed to push himself further in the right direction. For a split second, time stood still. Hoseok swore he was only imagining things but for a split second, he thought he saw Yoongi’s eyes dilate with a hint of something akin to sadness? Anger? Hoseok wasn’t sure what he saw really but then Yoongi spoke up again and that’s when all hell broke loose. "And you think that by going on this blind date; you’ll be able to find that person? That’s ridiculous, Hoseok-ah. A stupid blind date won’t solve all your problems. This isn’t you, you’re not that type of person to give up so easily on someone you like or are you?" Yoongi was so frustrated that he couldn’t even calm himself down at that point. He was supposed to know Hoseok, he knew Hoseok, so why? This whole blind date thing was literally driving him crazy and he had no clue why. "Well, I'd hate to break it to you but I guess I am that type of person. After all, I’m not like you." Hoseok bit back in spite of Yoongi’s words, slamming his locker shut before turning himself around and leaving down the hall without looking back. Sure, walking away like that was painful but at the same time Hoseok felt annoyed with Yoongi and because of that, Hoseok just didn’t have the heart to care anymore. Whether Yoongi likes it or not, he was going to go on this group blind date.