Fall For You

20 | 𝐶𝑙𝑎𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑦

𝐶𝐻𝐴𝑃𝑇𝐸𝑅 𝑇𝑊𝐸𝑁𝑇𝑌

Jennie didn't get the chance to see Rosie for the rest of that day.

She really wanted to finish their conversation when the bell cut their girl-talk short.

Cheer practice was right after school that day, so Jennie decided to work on some homework while waiting for Rosie to finish.

"Want some company?"

Jennie looked up to find Hobi setting his back pack next to hers.

"Sure. Are you waiting for Rosie?"

"Yeah, why?"

Mentally, Jennie hoped they didn't have plans to go anywhere together so that she could spend time with Rosie herself.

"I was just hoping I could get the chance to finish a conversation we were having earlier."

Hobi nodded. "Not the kind of thing you can talk about in front of me—huh?"

Jennie chuckled lightly. "No, no offense though."

Hobi was opening his own calculus book. "None taken, I have a strict policy against delving into the mysteries of a woman's mind."

He was easy to get along with.

A lot like Taehyung in that way.

Jennie knew how lucky she was to have Rosie and Hobi's friendship—especially now that she'd lost Taehyung's. 

"Hobi?"

He looked up from writing up his homework.

"I just wanted to thank you. Rosie told me about... the thing with Kai. So, thanks for... defending me. I should have thanked you before." Jennie began to fiddle with a loose thread on her sweater with her fingers. "For getting me home safe and everything. I was just embarrassed."

He shifted around uncomfortably.

She started to regret saying anything. But she didn't want him to think she was taking him for granted.

"I didn't actually do anything to Kai." Hobi smiled at her apologetically. "I would have liked to though! He's a jerk." He shook his head. "But that day—it was all Taehyung."

Jennie knit her eyebrows in confusion. "But Rosie said you were there."

He laughed a bit nervously. "Oh. Yeah. I was there all right. But we didn't gang up on him. He deserved it, but we didn't. That wasn't why Taehyung needed me."

Jennie had the distinct impression that she was missing something obvious.

Clearly, Hoseok could tell that she wasn't catching on.

"Look, I wasn't there to help Taehyung beat up Kai. I was there to stop him." He paused a moment, considering his next words. "You should have seen him. I'm pretty sure he could have ended up killing Kai if he went alone." Hobi's usually happy smile hardened before going back to his homework.

Jennie went back to her homework too, lost in thought as she quickly answered the problems in her math assignment.

She simply thought it was strange how Taehyung hadn't talked to her the week prior from beating up Kai.

"How'd you get that?" Hobi's eyes squinted at her finished work sheet.

She showed him how she'd gotten to her answer and helped him correct what he'd already done.

"Geez—where have you been all semester?" Hobi joked when they'd finished their homework. "I haven't finished a math assignment this quickly all year. I didn't know you were so smart."