Malli|TK

9

BLANKET

Another half hour had passed, one that was as awkward as the one before too. Jeongguk was soon sitting closer to Taehyung, on the seat right behind him and copied the way Taehyung was watching the now rainy weather outside.

The clock told Taehyung that it was already 4pm and he wondered if his mother is already worrying why he wasn't home yet, on a Friday where his classes originally end at 2pm. Sadly, he couldn't know, because his phone was dead, no charger in sight and it made him worry just a little about his dear mother possibly having a panic attack.

Or maybe, she had already called Jimin, who told her that Taehyung was having detention and had to clean the classroom as his punishment for disturbing the lesson with Jeongguk.

Jeongguk.

Taehyung was well aware of the presence behind him, but he never even spared a glance at the ravenette.

That until the boy suddenly got up, his stool screeching as he pushed it back and then walked to the chalkboard, where he began to draw something.

It was the first time Taehyung would look anywhere else than outside in this half hour spend in silence.

He watched Jeongguk. Watched the way he drew on that chalkboard with such ease, with such elegance. His skilled fingers doing wonders with a simple small piece of chalk.

And he cursed at his attention being rather on Jeongguk and not on the art he was getting on display on the board.

Jeongguk was always brilliant when it came to any kind of art. So was Taehyung, but he himself knows he would never reach the level of talent Jeongguk had. He would never speak this thoughts out loud though.

When Jeongguk seemed to be done, he stepped aside to admire the abstract art of flowers. It looked wonderful and Taehyung was gawking at it, wondering how someone can do that within the span of not even 10 minutes.

"It's amazing."

Wait, when did he agree with his mouth to say that—

"Thanks," Jeongguk responded, flashing a small smile to Taehyung.

Their eyes met.

And Taehyung quickly looked back to the art. "You always knew how to draw."

"You are good at drawing, too."

Did Jeon Jeongguk... just compliment him? Well Taehyung certainly must be deaf, because Jeongguk never would.

But there still was this smile on the dark haired's lips. A smile Taehyung was so familiar with, a smile that used to be his most favorite thing in the wide, wide world.

He accepted that Jeongguk gave him a compliment, wondering how and why, but then he thought about how he just gave him a compliment too and it made sense. So he didn't dwell on it any longer.

Being locked up together was just driving them crazy.

This must be the reason for them suddenly being nice to each other and once they are outside, everything will go back to how it used to be.

"Thank you. Do you still take clay classes?" Taehyung questioned, out of simple curiosity. He remembers the passion in Jeongguk's eyes when he was allowed to watch him in class one day when he was 15. Every time Jeongguk would come over, he would have a new self made mug, plate or any other dish for Taehyung's mother with him and gift it to her.

Now they were all gone, as Taehyung threw them in the bin a few weeks after Jeongguk decided to break off everything.

"I don't take classes anymore, I bought my own stuff last year and have a small studio in the basement."

Taehyung nodded. Yes, in that basement of their new house where Taehyung has never been before, because Jeongguk and him are no friends anymore.

The old basement of the Jeons' used to be a place Taehyung loved to hang out with Jeongguk, building their own castles with old cartons, or just simply tumbling around and playing hide and seek.

"That's nice," Taehyung responded. "Have you started making sculptures?"

Another wish of Jeongguk's that Taehyung would never forget. Jeongguk's dream was to build realistic sculptures with clay, the dishes were the training.

Taehyung saw the surprise in Jeongguk's expression, probably wondering how Taehyung could remember such a detail.

"Yes, I have... I could show you some of my work later when we're out.." he said, warily.

Taehyung loved to. Really. But he told himself that after leaving this room, he would avoid Jeongguk, as it would bring no good to him if he didn't.

"Nah, it's good. I believe you did a great job."

That compliment wasn't programmed.

"Oh, okay. Thank you, though."

There it was again, the awkwardness.

"Can I sit next to you?"

Was he really asking? Last time Taehyung remembered, Jeongguk just sat down next to him and made him run to the bathroom to cry.

Taehyung just shrugged and watched as Jeongguk walked to his table, taking the seat right next to him.

His presence felt like fire to Taehyung, he radiated warmth and it let a shiver run down Taehyung's spine, making him just notice how cold he actually was feeling after not moving at all for an hour.

Jeongguk raised an eyebrow at the blond. "Are you cold?"

"No, I'm fine—

"There's a small blanket inside the drawer on the teacher's desk. Mrs Jang always keeps it there to cover her thighs when she feels cold," Jeongguk told and Taehyung was about to tell him that he was fine for the second time, when Jeongguk already got up and got that mentioned blanket. He walked back to the blond and placed the soft fabric on his legs, covering his thighs and down— and for that he had to bend a little forward. During this whole action, Taehyung was frozen still and just watched the scenario with a wildly beating heart.

"Better?" Jeongguk asked, leaning back to sit normal on his seat.

Taehyung eyed the red blanket and nodded. "Thanks," was everything he could muster, too caught up in what just happened.

Oh, being locked up in this room definitely was making them go crazy and suddenly be nice to each other.

"No problem," Jeongguk mumbled.

This Jeongguk— the way he spoke, the way he acted— was the Jeongguk Taehyung had learned to love as his best friend. And the question that he has been dying to ask finally slipped out. It had to. He needed to release this urge, needed to let it out, needed to know why he had to go through so much pain.

"Why..." Taehyung fiddled with the ends of the blanket, "Why did you leave?" His voice was so quiet as he turned to Jeongguk, looking right into his eyes.

There was this silence again and it felt like whole minutes passed where the two just looked at each other, no one moving or saying a word.

Taehyung knew this was also a question Jeongguk would rather avoid. By all means, he had been avoiding this question for over a year.

But as they were all alone in this room, with no way out, there was no way Jeongguk could dodge this one too. Not when Taehyung's warm eyes had captured his and pinned him in a way he knew he couldn't escape.

"I—

"Oh my god, boys, I'm so, so sorry!" A ruffled up Mrs Jang stood in the wide opened door, eyes looking all apologetic.

That's what she should feel. Sorry. Because she disrupted probably the only chance Taehyung had, in order to find out about why Jeongguk did what he did.