Speaking of Jeongguk, where is he?
Yoongi exhales sharply. "That's tough, man."
"Yeah," Taehyung can't bring himself to look up, fiddling mindlessly with his phone. "I don't know what to do."
Yoongi is quiet for a moment. "You could do what Namjoon hyung said. Talk to him. Jeongguk is really smart, and he'll understand. You need to explain it to him."
Taehyung groans, leaning back in his chair and looking up at the lights on the ceiling. "What am I supposed to say? Hey Jeongguk, we have to break up because my brother's a rich snob!"
"You were worse, you know," Yoongi remarks quietly. Taehyung lifts his head up, glaring at his friend.
"What does that mean?"
Yoongi purses his lip, fixing Taehyung with an even stare. It was almost uncanny how Yoongi and Namjoon were able to give him that same look. Taehyung knew he could be intimidating and manipulative when he chose. People would rather just give Taehyung what he wanted rather than cross anyone from one of the most powerful families in Korea. Yoongi wasn't one of those people. Which Taehyung usually appreciated greatly, but this was not one of those moments.
"The way you talked about Jeongguk back then. He was a charity case to you."
Taehyung opens his mouth to try and respond, but finds that he has nothing to say.
"He was just a toy. Dispensable, like all poor people are to the rich."
Taehyung's stomach sweeps, and Yoongi's face is unreadable, but Taehyung knows what he's thinking. Yoongi's own family had fallen out of grace, his father getting into trouble with loan sharks when he was young. The family had been impoverished all of Yoongi's childhood, and all his friends, all the people who he thought he could trust, turned their backs on the family.
It was only through a successful deal with Rise that the Min's were able to find success again, but Yoongi carried that scar with him, always. Knowing how fickle the rich could be. Not knowing who to trust, who would abandon him when they decided he wasn't worth their time.
Taehyung gulps, looking down at his hands. "I know. I'm sorr--" He's cut off as the bell rings, and Yoongi sighs, getting up and joining the wave of students rushing out the door.
"Yoongi!" Taehyung calls, scrambling to his feet and sprinting after his friend. He grabs Yoongi by the arm and turns him around. "I'm sorry," he says sincerely. He searches Yoongi's eyes for any sign of forgiveness.
"It's not me you need to apologize to, kid. You owe Jeongguk a hell of an explanation."
Taehyung's chest tightens with anxiety and remorse. He sighs. "I know."
"Speaking of Jeongguk, where is he?"
Taehyung blinks, remembering that he was supposed to meet the younger for tutoring today.
"Shit, I have to call him," he mumbles, feeling around his pockets for his phone. He frowns. "I think I left my phone in the classroom."
Yoongi rolls his eyes, patronizing. "Then go get it."
Taehyung smiles at him sheepishly and dashes back to the classroom. It's empty, silent, and
Taehyung walks down the aisle to his desk, where he remembers leaving his phone last.
"What the hell..." he mumbles, searching the ground, and the tables around his as well. Stealing was unheard of at Bangtan-- there was no need to, not when every student could afford to buy anything if they liked what they saw.
Had he imagined having his phone with him in class?
"I probably left it in my locker," he murmurs, doubling back out of the classroom, confused.
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Short Chapter
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