ᴄʀᴜᴛᴄʜᴇs || ᴊ.ᴊᴋ + ᴋ.ᴛʜ ✔️

two: friends? i guess

At the start of the next week Taehyung came prepared - well, he liked to think he was prepared, anyway. In reality, though, the second he stepped onto the school grounds his so-called "plan" turned into an improv act. Taehyung liked to think he was good at improv. But something felt different about this.

He decided he would attempt to approach Jungkook outside of the soccer field. Perhaps at lunch break. Or in between classes. Or during class, if he suddenly discovered Jungkook was in his class and he simply hadn't noticed the inconspicuous kid with the conspicuous crutches.

Not so, he found out. First and second period slipped by, and Taehyung scanned the room in both of those classes. Jungkook wasn't there. So he hadn't been so oblivious. The problem now was finding out which class the boy was in. He figured Hoseok might know, having been Jungkook's teammate for quite a while, Taehyung assumed the two were close enough to know at least that much about each other.

"You know, it's sad, but I don't actually know," Hoseok admitted, sinking into his desk. He gazed up at Taehyung with shameful eyes. "I'm a terrible person, I know. Then again, in my defense, Guk hardly talked about anything other than soccer when we were together. Ah!" He held up a triumphant finger as though he'd had a sudden breakthrough. "Jimin!"

"Jimin?" Taehyung tilted his head.

"He's Jungkook's close friend," Hoseok explained briefly. "Even came to the field to watch us every now and then. I'm sure he knows which class Jungkook is in."

"Cool. Gimme directions to Jimin-ssi."

"Okay, take two steps to your left-"

"Two steps to my left-"

"Four desks forward-"

"Four desks forward-"

"Do you see him?"

Taehyung did not see him. Well, since he didn't know who Jimin was, he wouldn't have known if he saw him, but the desk he now faced was empty. He craned his neck to look back at Hoseok.

"You don't know where Jimin is, do you?"

"No, I do!" Hoseok countered, spinning around in his seat. "He's in this class, I swear. Short dude, orange hair, kinda looks like a baby. We're on lunch break now, though, so maybe he went to the cafeteria...or not. Actually I think Jimin-ah goes to the archery range at lunch. Ah, but don't tell him I told you that. I don't think he wants people to kn--wait, right there! He's right there!"

Alarmed by the loud voice and the fact that Hoseok was vigorously waving a finger in his direction, Jimin, the short, orange-haired boy the redhead had mentioned, entered the classroom with a comically puzzled look on his baby face. He pointed to himself, then behind himself, so as to confirm his classmate was indeed trying to get his attention, and not someone else's. He then slowly approached Hoseok's desk with a quirked eyebrow and pursed lips that already seemed to be questioning and judging the boy's actions.

"Hey, Hoseok, you're awfully energetic toda-..."

"Jimin-ah, Taehyung here has something important he wants to ask you," Hoseok interrupted.

"It's true," Taehyung admitted.

Still looking confused, Jimin put on a smile and said, "Uh, okay, then, what did you want to a-"

"Will you go to prom with me?"

"Pr-..." Jimin blinked. For a moment he appeared genuinely befuddled by Taehyung's harmless little joke, not at first registering it was a joke, but soon he found it in himself to laugh at the forced seriousness in Taehyung's expression. Quite a charming laugh, he had, pleasant to the ears and it made both of the other boys smile.