THE SUN AND HIS STARS ✓

02.

Taehyung led Hoseok down an abandoned hallway, towards the door at the end of the hall. Hoseok followed him without uttering a word.

This was how most horror movies probably started, but Taehyung was too innocent to be a killer or anything even remotely evil.

Taehyung put his hand on the doorknob, then paused. He turned to Hoseok.

"Hey, uh, I know you don't really like people, so if you want to leave, you can. I get it."

Leaving was, in fact, Hoseok's initial plan. But now that Taehyung told him he could, Hoseok couldn't.

Hoseok simply nodded.

Taehyung opened the door. Hoseok saw five boys lounging about in the abandoned classroom. One playing the piano, another climbing in through the window, and three others sitting on the ground in a group, helping each other with homework.

All eyes turned to Taehyung and Hoseok. Hoseok shrunk back a bit, but Taehyung gave him an encouraging smile before turning to the other five.

"Hey, guys! We just got out of detention. This is Hoseok, my friend."

Hoseok gave a single nod and continued to observe the boys.

The one playing the piano had a bored expression on, but his eyes showed curiosity. The one climbing through the window was wearing a baseball cap and a dirty old jacket. Of the three sitting together, only two had homework. Hoseok squinted at the tags on their uniforms.

Jungkook Jeon and Jimin Park.

"Three of you don't go here," Hoseok said suddenly.

The one helping Jungkook and Jimin with homework had broad shoulders. He chuckled. "Very observant. Yeah, we don't go here. I graduated a few years back."

The one at the window shrugged. "Dropped out."

The one at the piano grinned. "Expelled."

"Well," said Taehyung, pulling Hoseok farther into the room. "That's one way to introduce each other. Hoseok, that's Jimin, that's Jungkook. That's Yoongi with the piano, big shoulder hyung is Seokjin, and there's Namjoon. Got it?"

Hoseok nodded, studying them all. None seemed dangerous or threatening. His tensed shoulders relaxed a bit.

"So," Yoongi, the one with the piano, said, "this is the Hoseok that Taehyung always talks about, huh? You don't talk much."

Hoseok shrugged.

Yoongi nodded. "I like him," he decided. "Would be nice to get some peace and quiet around here, what with Jungkook and his loud complaining."

Jungkook stopped writing on his worksheet and pouted. "I don't complain, hyung. I'm extremely grateful for everything I have."

"I know, you brat. I was joking."

"Oh."

Yoongi snorted.

Jimin looked up from his homework. He waved at Hoseok. "Are you good at math? I swear to god, freaking algebra—"

"How old are you?" Hoseok interrupted.

"Oh," Jimin said. He hummed. "Uh, I'm 17. Jungkook is 15, turning 16 tomorrow. Namjoon's 18, Yoongi is 19, and Seokjin hyung is..." he turned to Seokjin.

"21," Seokjin supplied.

"Yeah, that."

Hoseok frowned. "You don't look 17. You look 12."

Taehyung smiled widely. "Told you, Jimin! Even Hoseok sees it and he's only known you for 3 minutes!"

Jimin huffed and returned to his algebra, muttering I am not 12 and stupid algebra.

"So, Hoseok hyung," Jungkook said. He tilted his head. "Tell us a bit about yourself."

Hoseok froze. He really didn't have anything to say. And now too many people were looking at him for his own liking.

"No, Jungkookie, Hoseok is a bit shy around people, okay?" Taehyung said, casting a glance at Hoseok. Jungkook nodded.

"Sorry, Hoseok hyung," Jungkook said sincerely.

"I... It's okay."

-

So far, Taehyung thought Hoseok was doing great. He hadn't left the room yet, and it had been a total of 10 minutes. He'd also spoken up a few times. Mostly to Jungkook and Seokjin, which was understandable as they seemed the easiest to approach.

Taehyung leaned against the wall next to Namjoon, hissing in pain when it hurt. Namjoon turned to Taehyung and gave him a sad smile, popping a lollipop into his mouth.

"Again?" he asked.

Taehyung grimaced. He could feel Hoseok's eyes on him from across the room.

"Yeah," Taehyung lowered his voice. "But I got it handled, hyung. He was just mad I came home late..."

Namjoon frowned. "You can't let him keep doing this to you and your sister."

"It's getting better, I swear."

Namjoon raised an eyebrow.

"Really!" Taehyung insisted.

Namjoon looked uncomfortable with the topic. "So," he said. "This Hoseok kid. He seems kinda odd, huh?"

Taehyung smiled. "Yeah, but we all are a bit odd. That's what makes us fun."

Namjoon nodded absentmindedly. "Yeah, but he seems... sad. Detached, even. He looks at you like he's staring into your soul. His eyes are a bit..."

Empty, Taehyung finished the sentence in his head.

"I think he's just been through a lot," Taehyung mumbled. Hoseok had gone back to watching Yoongi play the piano. Taehyung heard the notes, but couldn't recognize the piece. "I brought him here so he could be with us. Things changed a lot for us when we all met. Jimin's seizures lessened. Jungkook got happier. Seokjin had some friends for a change, Yoongi's not as depressed anymore, and you stopped smoking."

"And you?" Namjoon asked. He tilted his head as he stared at Taehyung. "What changed for you?"

"I..."

Taehyung thought about it. Things really hadn't changed at home. The yelling, and screaming, and crying still echoed in his mind. But the other boys took that away for a while, and when he was with them, he could finally breathe.

The feeling was too hard to put into words, and Taehyung wasn't good with words anyways.

"You guys patch me up whenever I need it, I guess," he said instead. "Thanks for that, by the way."

"You're welcome," Namjoon replied. "And I know that wasn't your real answer, but I see that as a win anyways."

Taehyung shrugged. "Ever the optimist, Namjoon hyung. That's what I like about you."

"Yeah, well, let's see if we can spread some of our happiness to Hoseok, hm?"