OUR LOUD MINDS → bts fanfiction

Chapter Forty-Two

☁︎

Anna

"Anna, what are you looking at?" A voice said suddenly.

I jumped slightly, turning to see who had spoken. Pretty much everyone at the lunch table was looking at me questioningly.

"Uh, hm?" I replied.

"Ha! More like who is she looking at!" Hae-Ra exclaimed.

I let out an inward groan and tried to look nonchalant. Unbothered.

"Has someone finally caught the Ice Queen's attention?" Someone else gasped dramatically.

I flicked my eyes towards the speaker.

"Think what you'd like," I replied, not feeling like arguing at this point.

"Don't you know?" Hye spoke up then, sending me a shockingly toxic glance. "She's obsessed with the class president of B7, Kim Namjoon or whatever."

My eyes widened ever so slightly and I froze, surprised that Hye would say something so blunt. And how could she know who I was looking at? Why does she seem so angry? I wondered. Had I done something wrong? I haven't done anything at all. The last time we even hung out was— that's when I realized why she seemed so mad. I'd been completely blowing her off for more than two weeks now. In fact, I'd been blowing everyone off aside from Namjoon. But I hadn't thought it'd been so obvious.

A collective sound of shock passed over the lunch table. Everyone was now either staring at me or sharing whispers. I felt my hands fumble for the ring on my finger that I automatically began to twist.

"Oh my gosh. Is that true, Anna? You and Kim Namjoon?" Hae-Ra was the first to speak out loud.

I swallowed hard, returning Hye's glare and ignoring the others. But I had to answer her somehow. I cleared my throat and pulled my eyes from Hye's to Hae-Ra. I could feel others watching still, but one gaze was stronger than the rest. Kim Seokjin was peering at me with such an intensity that I was almost intimidated. Almost.

"We're just friends," I replied simply.

Hye's fake laugh was short and annoying, and I immediately sent another glower towards her as she spoke again.

"There's no need to deny it, Anna. You're relationship is so obvious. Do friends stare at each other like you two do?" She asked, tilting her head and sending a sickening sweet smile.

"What are you..."

Her head nodded towards something behind me. I swallowed again and turned back to where I'd been gazing earlier. Now Namjoon was looking at us, me in particular. I clenched my jaw momentarily and turned back to Hye.

"He really is looking at you, Anna," someone said, and others agreed.

I hadn't even noticed that other students were following Hye's words now. Everyone had seen Namjoon watching.

"I always see her staring off at him," someone else added.

"Right? And you speak even less than normal."

"Anna, you two are so not 'just friends.'"

My hands gripped my knees now, tightening with each word. I recalled Namjoon asking me to eat lunch with him almost every time we hung out. I tried to remember why I'd always said no. Especially now.

"Does it matter?" I finally said.

Everyone fell silent again. But it was impossible for this group to be quiet for too long.

"But Anna, he's such a loser. I mean, does he even talk to anyone besides you?"

Without thinking, I scooted my chair back from the table and stood up abruptly, slamming my hands on the table. Silence fell over everyone again, but this time, it lasted.

"I don't care what you think or say about me and my relationships. But I do care what you say about Kim Namjoon." I let out a slow breath, suddenly too far to ever return. "Don't ever talk about him like that, whether or not you're around me."

With that, I slung my bag over my shoulder and sent a final glare to Hye. Then to Seokjin. He was clenching his jaw so tightly I wondered whether it would crack. Then I turned around and stepped away, or rather, I stepped forward. I'd have to make sure I didn't associate myself with any of these people again.

I walked forward, leaving behind the type of people who had led me to believe that people like Namjoon didn't exist. And I felt undeniably free.

☁︎

"Did you see what she did earlier?" Hoseok asked excitedly as we exited class that afternoon.

"I did, Hoseok-ah," Namjoon murmured as we walked.

"'Woah,' that was my first thought. Just 'wow.'" He nudged me, and I winced at the split second.

             Awesome.

That was all I heard. I felt a smile tug at my lips.

"You were all like, 'bam.' And everyone was like 'what the-'" he rambled on.

As he spoke, I couldn't help but send a glance to Namjoon. He looked forward, his eyes bright. That familiar feeling of relief washed over me at the sight. A small smile played at his lips. I looked away again when I felt a burning sensation in my cheeks.

"What did you say, anyway, Anna?" Hoseok asked after a moment.

I blinked and looked at him now, on the other side of me. Was I really supposed to admit how aggressively I'd defended Namjoon?

"You...don't know?" I asked.

"Nope. All we saw was you guys look over at us and then a few seconds later you stood up and went wild," he said. "What was the topic? Must have been intense if you're planning on only sitting at our table now."

I bit down on my lip and looked forward.

"Who knows," I muttered, ignoring Hoseok's curious gaze.

Then suddenly I felt an arm wrap around my shoulders. I froze and tried to pull away from Hoseok's sudden grasp. His loud voice poured into my head, and I started to panic at the sudden touch.

             ...hiding? Why is she playing
      dumb?          Was it class president 
or Seokj—

His thoughts were suddenly cut off when I was yanked back and another arm held my shoulders. I looked up to see Hoseok stumbling back and Namjoon right next to me.

"Yah, What the heck, man?" Hoseok whined, pushing open the exit doors for us.

When I realized that Namjoon was holding me instead, I felt the blush already present burn brighter.

"I'm going to find out what you guys were talking about," Hoseok assured me, pointing finger to my face. "And even lover boy can't do anything to stop me."

I just let out a short laugh, feeling quite happy. I felt happy.

☁︎