𝔸𝕔𝕣𝕠𝕤𝕤 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕊𝕥𝕣𝕖𝕖𝕥

thirty four

(Taehyung freezes. With five minutes left on the clock, his pen decides that now is the perfect time to die out on him.

This test is important. 60 per cent of their grade, Taehyung remembers his teacher saying. His heart drums against his chest, his eyes widen. He still had two questions left to answer. This class was mandatory to graduate. The brunette kind of wants to crawl into a hole and die.

"Psst." A voice whispers from beside him. "Here." A student with a glistening eyebrow piercing is discretely offering a pen. "Thank you so much." Taehyung whispers back, wanting to hug the boy right then and there. He takes the pen and completes the test, confident in his answer.

When the timer runs out, they are dismissed row by row so the stranger leaves the exam hall before him. Taehyung frowns, quickly grabbing his stuff when granted permission to do so and dashing out. His eyes flit around, desperately trying to find the kind student.

"How was the test?" Asks Jimin, seemingly popping out from nowhere. Taehyung jumps at his sudden appearance. "God, you scared me!" Jimin just sticks his tongue out. "But, yeah, it was good. But my pen died!" The younger complains. "Really? So you didn't get to finish?" The elder asks. Taehyung shakes his head.

"No, the guy sitting next to me was done with his test so he gave him his pen! I want to give it back to him and say thank you but I don't know where he's gone..." Taehyung goes back to scanning the area, hoping to recognize the boy talking to his friends like most people were right now. "Ah, that sucks... I'm sure you'll run into him eventually, this is a pretty small school."

"Yeah, I guess..."

-

It's in the cafeteria - where they're serving fish and chips (yes!) since it's a Friday (yes!) - when Taehyung sees him once again. He's cute, the brunette suddenly realizes. Sharp eyebrows, pretty lips and doe eyes. His silver eyebrow piercing and the fact that his red blazer is hanging over his shoulders without his arms in the sleeves work together to give him this badass energy. "Hey!" Taehyung calls out without a second thought. He walks up to where the boy is sitting at a table with one other friend. This friend doesn't have an eyebrow piercing and is wearing his blazer normally.

"Uhm.. Hi?" Piercing asks, obviously confused. "You were the guy who gave me a pen earlier today! Wait-" Taehyung cuts himself off, quickly taking off his backpack and rummaging through it. "I wanted to say thank you for helping me." The brunette smiles whilst handing the pen back. Non-piercing still looks confused but piercing smiles. "No problem, but you can keep it." "Really?" "Yeah, I have plenty of others."

For some strange reason, Taehyung feels his heart skip a beat.

"Thanks... Oh, um, I'm Kim Taehyung!"

"Jeon Jungkook, nice to meet you."

"..."

"And I'm Jung Hoseok!")

Taehyung looks down at his wrist and feels a bit pathetic. It had been six years since that day and, yet still, Taehyung hadn't made a single move. Nor had he attempted to get over Jungkook. He's just been at this stalemate with himself where nothing gets better, nothing gets worse. it's just the same.

The blue-haired man wants something to change.

He had talked a big game with Jimin. Acting superior and making the pinkette confess right then and there (which is not what happened, Taehyung later heard about.) But when it came to his own love life, he was no better. in fact, he was much, much worse than Jimin since his little crush has maintained over all these years. At least Jimins only started now.

The ink ingrained into his skin mocks him. The initials of the man who he's always loved are a permanent reminder of how sad he is. Of course, he had gotten it small enough to be covered up easily. However, since it is the only tattoo Taehyung has ever gotten, it stands out like a sore, ink-dipped thumb.

And speak of the devil, in walks the man of his dreams like he had just read his thoughts.

"O-oh, Jungkook! Aren't you meant to be working right now?" Jimin had gone to the bathroom so Taehyung was working the till by himself. Jungkook smiles sheepishly. "Well, Yoongi-Hyung let me off early so I could attend my friend's graduation. I thought I might pop in here real quick and buy her some flowers?"

Jungkook is wearing blue jeans and a white top underneath a leather jacket. Around his neck is a blue scarf and his hair is a fiery shade of rage. "Ah, okay. Would you like me to help you pick out the flowers?" Jungkook breaks out into a large smile. "Yes, thank you so much! I don't know the first thing about plants and their meanings." Taehyung giggles at that and walks around the counter to one of the massive flower walls.

The blue-haired boy clears his throat, looking for the perfect flower - One that he at least knows the name of. Taehyung is more into taking care of the flowers and arranging bouquets. Jimin was better at names and meanings but he often rambled about them so Taehyung knows at least a few. Suddenly his eyes land on something that looks promising.

"How about this?" He gestures to a washed-out orange/pinkish flower that's petals are small and create a circular silhouette. "They're called Dahlia flowers and they symbolize change and excitement. That's pretty fitting for a graduation, no?" Jungkook nods along, eyes wide and bright. "Yeah, they look perfect. I, um, I don't want a whole Boquet, though, I know that takes a while. Can I just, like, have three?"

"You just want three..?"

"Uh, yep, if that's possible..."

Taehyung looks at Jungkook and then at the flowers and then at Jungkook and then at the flowers. "I mean, I guess so yeah, one sec."

-

"And there you go!" Taehyung hands Jungkook the tall vase with the flowers inside them. "Thanks. My friends gonna love this!" The red-haired man pulls out his wallet and gives Taehyung the money. Taehyung swallows nervously and decides to ask the question that has been tingling in his mind for a while now.

"Y'know, this is much lesser known, but Dahlias also symbolize love." Taehyung quickly makes up a convincing lie on the spot. "Do you maybe like this friend?"

Jungkooks eyes bulge out of his head. "Oh, no! I don't think of her like that at all! She actually just got engaged last week." Taehyung feels strangely relieved. "That's wonderful! Well, that meaning isn't, like, widely agreed upon so I think you're fine."

Jungkook nods. Taehyung nods. This is awkward.

"So... um, you don't like anyone right now?" Taehyung feels like a high schooler asking such an immature question. Jungkook doesn't judge him, though. " I mean... There is someone, but I'm not really sure about them yet..." The blue-haired boy feels his heart drop.

"Oh, yeah? Do I know them...?"

"Well, you should know them pretty well. I know that they kind of already like me back..." Taehyung raises his eyebrows "How do you know?" He asks. Jungkook bites his lip nervously. "He, Uhm, he got my initials tattooed on his wrist... I had already guessed but that kind of confirmed it." Taehyung looks shell-shocked - his cheeks flush red from embarrassment.

Jungkook then decides to be spontaneous and shoot his shot right then and there.

"Do you wanna go out on a date?"