zero o'clock | tk

三

Taehyung woke up with his head pounding and his mouth dry as sandpaper. The faint light streaming through the window, he whined burying his face deeper into the pillow. The events of the night before were hazy, but one thing was clear, he had definitely had too much to drink.

The blonde's mind wandered to Jeongguk and the fight they had last night. It wasn't the first time they'd argued, but this time felt different like a crack was starting to form in the fragile relationship they had been maintaining.

-

Taehyung was making his way to school, the chill of the morning air brushing against his skin. Just as he was about to turn into the main street, a strong hand suddenly grabbed him, pulling him into a shadowy alleyway. Panic flared in his chest, and he opened his mouth to scream, but another hand swiftly covered it, muffling his cry.

He was pinned against the cold brick wall, his heart racing in fear. But as his eyes adjusted to the light, the panic melted away. The familiar face of Jeongguk came into view, a mischievous smirk tugging at his lips.

"Did you miss me?" Jeongguk teased, removing his hand from Taehyung's mouth, clearly expecting a playful response. But Taehyung wasn't in the mood.

Without a word, Taehyung pushed Jeongguk away, with a slight pout on his lips as he turned on his heel and continued walking toward the school, leaving Jeongguk standing in the alley, looking confused.

"Fine, if he wants to act like that..." Jeongguk muttered to himself, his ego flaring up. He wasn't used to being brushed off like that, especially by Taehyung.

Annoyance flashed in his eyes, but instead of catching up to Taehyung, he decided to hang back, keeping a distance as they walked toward school. Even though he tried to play it off, he couldn't help but watch Taehyung's every move.

Just as Taehyung was about to step onto the school premises, Jeongguk caught sight of Namjoon approaching the blonde from the opposite direction. Without hesitation, Namjoon draped an arm around Taehyung's shoulders, steering him away from the main entrance.

Jeongguk's eyebrows furrowed in annoyance as he watched them. Something about the sight of Namjoon so casually close to Taehyung ignited a spark of jealousy in his chest.

"Since when were they close..." Jeongguk muttered under his breath, irritation creeping into his voice. He clicked his tongue in annoyance, watching Namjoon and Taehyung disappear down the hallway.

But instead of following them, he decided to let it go, at least for now. He was too annoyed with both of them to deal with it anyway. With a sharp exhale, Jeongguk turned in the opposite direction, heading to class while trying to push the scene he just witnessed out of his mind.

-

The day was only getting worse for Taehyung. After the encounter with Jeongguk, he found himself shoved against a wall again, this time in the middle of a crowded hallway. Namjoon towering over him, his expression anything but friendly.

"So, I'm supposed to have a chemistry exam right now, but you can take care of that for me, right? And don't forget to put my name on the paper. Got it?" Namjoon's tone was sharp, his voice low but menacing.

Tears welled up in Taehyung's eyes, but he quickly blinked them back, not daring to look up at Namjoon. His voice trembled as he nodded, trying to keep his composure. "...But what about my class?" he asked softly, not wanting to provoke Namjoon's anger further.

Namjoon gripped Taehyung's collar, pulling him closer. "It's just one class, you're not gonna die. Now go," he hissed, releasing him with a final shove.

Taehyung's head hung low as he stumbled backwards, the whispers and judgmental stares from other students filling his ears. His face burned with shame as he headed toward Namjoon's exam room, the weight of the situation pressing down on him like a heavy stone.

Sitting in the unfamiliar classroom with the test paper staring back at him, Taehyung could feel his anxiety rising.

His hands shook slightly as he picked up his pen, eyes scanning the questions that might as well have been written in a foreign language. 'Fuck, I don't even take chemistry. I don't know any of this,' he thought, panic setting in.

He swallowed hard, trying to calm his racing heart. 'He could've at least told me so I could study...' The frustration bubbled up inside him, mixing with the fear of what would happen if he failed Namjoon's test.

With heavy, uneven breaths, Taehyung began scribbling down answers, writing whatever seemed like it could be right. The more he wrote, the more his mind scrambled, desperately trying to recall anything he might've picked up from overhearing conversations or glancing at textbooks.

"Okay, pens down, that's time!"

Taehyung flinched at the teacher's announcement, he quickly set his pen down. He kept his head low, avoiding eye contact with anyone in the room. The last thing he needed was to be recognized.

If a teacher figured out what he was doing, the consequences would be severe, suspension or, worse, expulsion. Just the thought of it made his stomach churn.

He bit his lip, waiting anxiously for the other students to hand in their papers, praying that he could slip out unnoticed.

-

Jeongguk couldn't shake the feeling of irritation that had been building all day. Seeing Namjoon with Taehyung this morning had ignited a spark of jealousy inside him.

It had been gnawing at him for the past hour, and now, as he sat in his class, he found himself staring blankly at the clock, each tick echoing loudly in his head.

Just as the bell rang, signalling the end of the class period, Jeongguk sprang from his seat, intent on finding his boyfriend. He pushed past the other students, his mind set on confronting the blonde or even Namjoon, whoever he sees first.

And the person he happened to see was no one other than Namjoon himself.