Popularity | Taejin ✔︎

forty-five

Taehyung's P.O.V

"That's putting your popularity on the line, you know?" Jungkook nudges me with his foot. I push him away. Jungkook skips his lunch to hang out with me during the hour. He keeps pestering me and every since we started talking again he's been really close. Too close that he thinks he can say whatever he wants.

"Why does my popularity matter, huh?" I groan and lean back in my desk chair.

Jungkook sighs and sits on my desk getting in my face. I don't budge but I stare at him coldly. "Hyung, I like you." My eyes widen at his words. Wait what? I look around the room, a group of seniors look over.

"You're insane, Jungkook." I push his face away as he almost falls over. Jungkook smiles cheekily and laughs.

"See," I eye Jungkook. "You are obsessed about your popularity that you don't want anyone to know you are"-

"Shut up, shut up, I know." I sulk. "You don't have to keep mentioning it."

"What are you then? Since you know," Jungkook asks scanning the classroom of the small amount of my class inside. He knows so why is he asking.

I shake my head and peer out the window next to me. So what? My popularity matters to me of course, who wants to remember me as the...gay guy. The faggot. I won't be the bad, handsome smart, Kim Taehyung. I want to leave on a good note before I go off to college if I'll even go. I just wonder how Jin feels in this situation. He won't ever tell his mom who he really is who he has been. Why am I talking like it's some wrong doing? You don't pick who to fall in love with.

I was popular since birth. My whole family came to see my face, to take pictures and give clothes. Kindergarten I was known for eating sparkles and messing with the teachers papers. First grade was for pushing some random boy off the swings. Second grade was known for the same thing then came third grade and then came Hae-Win she has been here till now. And she'll never leave me alone after I introduced her to the class when we were so young. Rumors flew around about us dating and sophomore year of high school rumors spread around about us sleeping with each other. I've never done anything with her other than kiss her which she isn't even good at that either.

I would never lose something like that to someone I probably won't see in the future. Hae-Win started meeting my family, my mom and even went to my grandmothers my grandfathers took a liking in her but not so much. She tried kissing me at the table when we were eating. My grandfather on my moms side said it was disrespectful. My dad didn't want me to hang around her anymore after that. All my cousins love her and want me to marry. But I can't. I glare at Jungkook once again. And this dipshit of a friend dated Jin for a while. What did they do together? Kiss? Hug? Look at each other? Did he go to Jin's home? "You need a haircut." Jungkook brings up. I blink. I notice my long hair that falls into my eyes.

"I hear Jin's friend, Hoseok is throwing a party, he was planning it for a while. Yoongi is going." Jungkook tells me.

"Why are you telling me this? I don't go to parties unless I host them." I roll my eyes. That's untrue I usually go to parties that Mark puts on because his are the best.

"Hoseok, Jimin...and Jin. In Hoseok's home, Yoongi distracting Hoseok and I don't know maybe me distracting Jimin." Jungkook tilts back his head smiling. Who knows what he could be thinking.

"And?" I cock my head.

"You are so dull! Taehyung, you can meet Jin and get him alone, idiot!" Jungkook hollers at me.

I stand, raising my hand about to hit Jungkook till I see a few eyes on me. I laugh nervously as my seniors are confused. "He is sleep deprived." I lie and sit back down. Jungkook chuckles and slides off my desk.

"Get it now?" Jungkook questions.

"Yes, I do." My time for Jin. But how can I go there and do whatever I want with Jin when people here are probably going to be there too.

"And don't worry about Hae-Win, she won't be there, we promise." With that Jungkook winks and heads out of my classroom hollering about a party going on at Hoseok's. What a weird kid.

A room all alone to Jin and I. It won't be anything like the hotel, I know Jin misses that. Maybe just seeing me in a natural environment will do him good, in a way. What if he doesn't come? What if we don't meet? I want to see him and school isn't the place to do it. My phone buzzes in my pocket. I grab it and see an unknown number, I answer. "Whoever the hell this is, remember I have a knife under my doormat and I"-

"Taehyung it's me." Hoseok.

"Oh, don't worry about what I just said because I don't have such a thing under my doormat like anyone"- I clear my throat not caring if someone overheard that sentence. "What did you call for?"

"I have something to tell you about Namjoon." Hoseok says.

My throat comes up with venom. His name makes me want to throw up. "What is it?" I lean on my desk.

"Namjoon forced himself on Jin yesterday, the day you punched him...he lied to Jin about something." Hoseok breathes and I can tell he is angry as well.

"'Make it quick." I grimace.

"Namjoon told Jin you punched him for no apparent reason actually. Jin told me the whole story this yesterday...Namjoon made it seem like you were the bad guy, Taehyung." Hoseok explains.

"I could tell. So why are you telling me this?" I question.

"Namjoon knows the people who beat up Jin. We don't need to get the confession from Hae-Win, Namjoon is our main source now." Hoseok snaps at me. I know.

"I want nothing to do with him. I'm not speaking to that egghead again." I grit my teeth.

"Why?" Hoseok spits.

"I'll kill him if I see his god damn face again." I tell him with honestly.

"Well, guess what? See his god damn face or those idiots out there will strike again. Got it? This is my best friend! And he loves you, asshole!"

I hang up and bury my head into my hands. Now what? I can do it, but at the same time I can't. This might get me into some big trouble.