PERSONA ✓

04.

"He can shoot lasers from his hands?" Taehyung asked as he followed Jungkook through the crowded and unnecessarily loud halls to the cafeteria.

"Yup!" Jungkook said, popping the 'p.'

Taehyung hugged his books closer to his chest and grunted as someone bumped into his shoulder. "Why do you insist on me eating with you and your friend?"

"I always see you eating alone," Jungkook admitted as they entered the cafeteria. "Just figured we could eat together from now on, y'know?"

Taehyung scrunched his nose at the first sentence. "That seems..."

"Stalker-ish? Nah, I'm just observant." Jungkook raised his arm and waved to a boy with pink hair from across the cafeteria. The boy began walking towards them.

"Where is Namjoon?" Taehyung asked, eyes darting over the teenagers as he searched for blonde hair and dimples.

"Studying for a test in the library. I think it was physics or something... Hi, Jimin hyung," Jungkook said once the pink haired boy approached them.

"Taehyung hyung, this is Jimin hyung," Jungkook introduced. Jimin smiled brightly at him.

As Taehyung was about to greet him, a boy knocked into Taehyung, causing Taehyung to drop all his books on the floor. The boy, while running in the opposite direction, yelled an apology so loud it caused Taehyung to wince and cover his ears.

He bent down quickly, picking up his books and notes. Jungkook and Jimin helped. Now there were too many people staring at him. Taehyung grimaced.

"I'm going to go," he said. At Jungkook's sad look, he said, "It's just... too loud, too many people. Goodbye."

And with that, he turned and headed out of the cafeteria as fast as possible, head ducked and hands gripping his books tighter than ever.

-

"I don't think he likes me," Jimin mumbled. "I don't have any classes with him either."

"Not that he doesn't like you, hyung," Jungkook said, digging into his lasagna, "he's just not the best with new people, y'know? He's a nice guy 'n all."

Jimin was a year older than Jungkook and in his second year of high school. Neither Jungkook nor Jimin had friends in their year, so they hung out with each other instead.

Jungkook pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, as Jimin said, "Hey, did you hear that our school won the basketball championship this year? All the other schools lost hard."

"Of course we did," said Jungkook. "We have Min Yoongi. He's, like, the best player we've ever had. We won last year 'cause of him, too."

"True," said Jimin. "Can I ask you a favor?"

"Shoot."

"You free Saturday?" Jimin asked. "I got a Chem test on Monday and since you're better with that stuff anyways, maybe you could help me out?"

"Why not today? Or tomorrow? Or even Friday?"

Jimin smiled apologetically. "I'm studying on my own tonight. Then Hoseok is tutoring me on Thursday and Friday since he's sick today, so..."

"I can do Saturday," Jungkook said, nodding. He just had to make sure to keep Jimin in the dark about Persona's identity.

"Thanks, Jungkookie!" Jimin smiled. Jungkook nodded, guilt settling in his stomach; he was not used to keeping secrets from his best friend.

-

Namjoon was in the library, going over Physics notes and revising when he heard someone open the door. Spotting a familiar head of black hair, he frowned. Taehyung rarely visited the library (and Namjoon knew this because Jungkook had found the library's records and discovered that Taehyung never checked out any books).