Beyond The Friend Zone [Taekook]

Unexpected Pairings (8)

"Taehyung!" Jungkook burst into the classroom just as the bell rang, his face flushed with excitement. "Guess what? This morning, I woke up in my bed! It was like magic happened!"

Taehyung, who had watched Mrs. Jeon carefully carry Jungkook back home earlier that morning, didn’t know how to respond to the misunderstanding. He could see the wonder in Jungkook’s eyes, a childlike belief that something magical had occurred. Taehyung didn’t want to shatter that illusion. Instead, he simply nodded.

Jungkook blinked at him, his excitement momentarily dimmed by Taehyung’s lukewarm response. "You don't have anything to say?" he asked, his voice rising in disbelief. "It was super cool! I wonder who teleported me back to my bed? Was it Shadow—oh, Shadow’s my favorite teddy bear, by the way!" Jungkook rambled on, eyes wide with enthusiasm, as he sat down beside Taehyung.

Taehyung listened quietly, trying to keep his expression neutral. He didn’t want to encourage the misunderstanding, but he also didn’t want to disappoint Jungkook. Before he could think of a way to steer the conversation, Jungkook’s attention shifted to something else.

"Hey, wait a minute," Jungkook said, suddenly noticing the pile of textbooks on Taehyung’s desk. His face fell slightly as he realized what it meant. "Did all your textbooks arrive?"

Taehyung nodded, "Yes."

Jungkook fidgeted, glancing back at his old seat at the middle of the class. "D-does that mean I have to go back to my seat now? Since we don’t need to share anymore?"

"Yes," Taehyung replied calmly, his voice steady and emotionless.

Jungkook’s heart sank. He had grown attached to sitting beside Taehyung, even though he was often ignored. The idea of returning to his old seat, away from Taehyung, suddenly felt lonely. He hesitated before asking, "But... do you want me to go back? Maybe I can ask the teacher if I can stay here."

Taehyung looked at him, surprised by the question. After spending four days with Jungkook beside him, he had to admit that he didn’t really mind the boy’s presence. Jungkook was extremely noisy, but his chatter had become a familiar part of Taehyung’s day. Sometimes, the things Jungkook said were even interesting, though Taehyung would never admit that out loud. But just as he was about to respond, they were interrupted.

."Hey, now that Taehyung’s got his own textbooks, doesn’t that mean you should go back to your seat?" A boy approached them with a pout. "It’s been so boring sitting alone these past few days, Kook-ah!"

Jungkook looked between Taehyung and his old tablemate, feeling torn. He didn’t want to leave Taehyung, but he also didn’t want to hurt his friend’s feelings. Sensing the boy’s dilemma, Taehyung made a decision for him.

"Go back to your seat, please," Taehyung said, his voice flat. "I’ll sit by myself."

Jungkook’s heart ached at Taehyung’s words. It wasn’t the first time Taehyung had pushed him away, but each time it happened, it hurt just a little more. He had thought they were finally getting closer, that maybe Taehyung was starting to see him as a friend. But now, it felt like they were back at square one. Maybe he was the only one imagining their bond, or maybe Taehyung just didn’t care.

Swallowing his disappointment, Jungkook forced a smile and nodded. "Okay," he said quietly. He gathered his bag and moved back to his old seat, three tables ahead and to the right of Taehyung. As he sat down, he couldn’t help but glance back, hoping to catch Taehyung’s eye. But Taehyung was already focused on his new textbooks, showing no sign that he cared.

Taehyung, for his part, tried to keep his emotions in check. He had made his choice. He had told himself from the beginning that it was better to keep his distance from Jungkook, that getting close would only lead to more pain. But as the lesson began, he found himself missing Jungkook’s nonsensical chatter. Though it was often unrelated to anything they were learning, it had its own charm, a way of lightening the mood in an otherwise dull classroom. Taehyung even found himself holding back a smile, remembering some of Jungkook’s more ridiculous comments.