COME BACK HOME ➤ KIM TAEHYUNG

HARMONY | page 09

"Wow, you look like hell."

I replied to my friend's wonderful compliment with a glare. Mae Jimin, not to be mistaken with the male Park Jimin, grinned cheekily at me.

I probably did look like hell. I didn't get a wink of sleep last night! What the hell?

I ran a hand through my hair as I tried to calm myself down.
"I feel like hell, Jimin." I answered her honestly.

"Why? Hoseok kept you up all night?"

I gasped at her incredulous innuendo. "Stop it, Minnie, we're just friends."

She laughed at me and ruffled my hair, I had to flick her hands away to save my neat hairstyle.
"Sure you are. That's why he's all over you lately. I'd accompany you to your class but I gotta go find my own classroom first. See you at lunch, Riza!"

And with that, Mae Jimin was gone.
I started making my way to my own classroom by myself.

I was not even slightest bit amused about my terrible luck at the moment.
For once, I was anticipating my usual weird dream and the one time I did, was the time I couldn't fall asleep. The whole situation angered me so much, I didn't know what to do anymore. I didn't feel like doing anything at the moment, I was surprised I even made it to classes.

All I wanted was to see Him. I needed to know everything he knows, cause he sure as hell seems to know more than me.

Ugh, all I do is think nowadays.

"Rizzie! Riza!"
I heard a male voice yelling my name as I entered my classroom. I stopped and turned around, expecting the person to be behind me.

He wasn't.

My brows furrowed, confusion beginning to take over me again. I shrugged and continued my way to my seat in the far back, not near the large windows overlooking the beautiful city, unfortunately.

Suddenly, just as I had sat down in my seat, a panting figure ran into the classroom, running into the open door and holding onto it for support. All eyes in the room turned to their attention to him, some were staring in amusement, some in confusion, but the boy looked too determined to care. His eyes scanned the classroom until they eventually landed on me. His straightened himself up and grinned.

"Jung Hoseok?" I spoke, a hint of suspicion lacing my tone. I thought of him as a friend. We only recently have started getting closer but he was really nice and a pleasure to be around.

"I just wanted to," he panted, attempting to calm his heavy breathing, he dropped his backpack on my table and started rummaging through it wildly.

On my table.
What gave him the right?

"Remember when we only started talking, you were telling me about a book you've started reading but never got to finish cause' you lost it and couldn't get a new one cause' you forgot its name?" he started speaking excitedly, I couldn't focus on his question, I couldn't recall the last time I've seen his eyes shine that bright. Except, maybe, years ago.

"Oh, Hobi hyung?" a third voice interrupted us.
Both of our heads snapped toward it.

Jeon Jungkook and Park Jimin just walked into the classroom. Jungkook was the one who spoke.

They both looked surprised to see him there. The only one I wasn't surprised to see was Park Jimin, since he was the only one that actually was supposed to be in the classroom.

"Kookie? Jiminie? What are you two doing here?" Hoseok asked them, surprise evident in not only his face but his voice as well.

"Jimin's lesson is here. My lesson is next door so we're just hanging out until classes start," Jungkook explained, shuffling closer to me and Hoseok, Jimin followed him.

Jungkook decided to lean against a unoccupied desk that was next to mine and Jimin sat down on the chair of said desk.

I had to admit, they looked quite intimidating.

"I didn't know you were friends with Riza, hyung," Jimin smiled teasingly, his tone obviously had a double meaning. Jungkook just seemed confused, his puppy eyes wide as he glanced from Jimin to Hoseok to me.

My brow raised as I scanned Jimin from head to toe, giving him my best stank face. Has he never had a female friend before?

We were all surprised to see Hoseok clap excitedly all of a sudden, a giant grin on his face.
Huh?

"Isn't she cool?"

I was starting to become confused again. The two extra boys were making the situation even worse.

"Hoseok, you were talking about a book?" I asked him, vaguely remembering that he spoke of giving me one. I liked reading. It was a very easy and simple escape from real life and thoughts. I wondered which book I was telling him about, I had quite a few unfinished and lost ones.

"Oh!" he sounded, only then realising that he hadn't given it to me yet. He pulled it out from his backpack that was still set on my table. I squinted my eyes at the familiar looking pink cover.

Jungkook and Jimin seemed to have recognised the book before me, since both of their eyes widened and mouths fell open. Was it that good?
Did they read too? Hoseok finally handed the book to me. My eyes widened.

"Hyung, isn't that..."

"My favourite!" I couldn't contain myself.

Harmony by Project Itoh.

I remembered now, it was years ago when I lost it. I had forgotten all about it, I had planned to buy a new copy when I moved to Seoul and earned some money but I forgot all about it. I lost it back in Daegu.

I loved reading it, I always went to a park near my home and read it there, the scenery made it a perfect and calm place.

...Until I arrived back home one day and noticed my book wasn't with me. I was distracted by a phone call and completely forgot about my precious book.
When I went back for it, it wasn't there anymore. Silly young me.

I was sure my smile reached my ears, I wanted to slap myself for not getting it myself sooner, how could I forget about such a gem of a book?

"Thank you, Hoseok, truly. I'll be sure to gift you something just as valuable one day."

I was giddy, smiling to myself, flicking through pages of the familiar book,
while the three around me were caught up in painful flashbacks.

Harmony (by Project Itoh) really is a good book though I highly recommend it!!

!!!THE ALTER EGO GAME RECOMMENDS REALLY GOOD BOOKS AFTER YOU PLAY THROUGH IT!!!

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30.06.2020
i love this fic so much and idk why oh my osmfudhs