catch-22.

⭐ twenty-nine ⭐

They were standing awfully close – and although his heart was skipping lightly thinking maybe Seokjin felt something for this boy, leaving Namjoon to be his – it made Taehyung's insides shrivel in anger and disgust.

He could feel it claw at his throat, making him want to shout out Seokjin's name, accuse him of something he wasn't even sure of.

Perhaps his mind was making things up, a way to cope with Namjoon no longer being his. But then the boy turned his head Seokjin's way and Taehyung recognized him as another senior named Minhyuk who Seokjin was close to.

"Hey, you never did tell me how your date went."

Seokjin made a confused sound, "What date?"

What date. He wasn't serious was he?

"You know," Minhyuk said, bumping his shoulder against Seokjin's, "With that Namjoon boy. The guy one year below us."

Seokjin made a noise of acknowledgement, "Oh! Yeah him," he chuckles and rubs the back of his neck. "It was ... okay, I guess."

Wait. What was happening? Taehyung felt his stomach twist itself in knots, he didn't like the way Minhyuk had said Namjoon's name. And he for sure disliked how Seokjin had disinterestedly said that the date had been okay.

What did okay even mean? Namjoon had gushed about them holding hands on their first date, of Seokjin laughing and giving him a kiss on the cheek. Heck! Seokjin had even agreed to go to prom with Namjoon. Had all that been an insincere action of Seokjin's part?

"That's it? He looks real into you,"

Seokjin shrugs, their bodies slowing down until they've come to a full stop. Taehyung rushes to hide in the men's bathroom, standing behind the wall and listening to them.

"No, yeah. Don't get me wrong, Namjoon-ah is really sweet." His voice curls softly over Namjoon's name, Taehyung knows that feeling all too well.

"He's not what you'd expect behind his nerdy glasses." Minhyuk makes an understanding hum, cocking his head and waiting for Seokjin to keep explaining.

"But," Seokjin sighs. "He's a little – I don't know. Not really my type, I guess. He listens to rap, for starters."

Minhyuk snorts, "Really? I've seen him in a few of the advanced placed classes, never striked me as someone to listen to that."

Taehyung peeps his head out slightly, seeing Seokjin nod reverently. "I know! And he was going on and on about that first year he hangs out with. Never stopped talking about him, I got the feeling –"

"You got the feeling what?"

"Never mind. Anyways, he's honestly not anything special. And I don't mean it in a bad way, but you should have heard him talk about that guy."

What guy were they talking about? Was Namjoon talking with someone in Taehyung's grade? Or – Taehyung's heart is beating wildly, could it be?

"And he asked me out to prom."

Minhyuk startles at that, laughing loudly. "Please don't tell me you said yes."

Seokjin makes an affronted noise, his face flustered. Taehyung doesn't like the way this conversation is going; he wants to walk away but he's already too invested in the conversation to just do it.

"I felt bad! He looked so nervous and his hand kept squeezing mine painfully –"

"You held hands?!"

" – and he kept stuttering over his words so I just blurted it out! I think he wanted to ask me out, like you know – boyfriends, but I deviated the conversation to prom and he got all nervous, asking me if I had a date and whatnot. I ended up agreeing before it turned into a disaster."

Minhyuk shakes his head, frowning at Seokjin. "You shouldn't go to prom with him if you don't like him that way, he's going to get the wrong impression."

"Yeah I know," Seokjin slumps against the wall, looking tired and annoyed. "But I was going to tell him that it wouldn't work out between us since I'd be leaving school."

Taehyung scoffs mentally, his fists clutched tightly and knuckles white. Namjoon deserves better than that, he shouldn't be going to prom, excited and cheerful and planning to ask Seokjin out properly only to be turned down.

"Don't you think that's kind of shitty of you? He seems like a nice kid, Jin-ah."

"Whatever," Seokjin utters exasperated, "He won't feel too bad anyways. It's not like we've been talking for forever, we're not even friends!"

"People are noticing you two getting closer though,"

"So what Minhyuk? They talk all the time, it's meaningless gossip. It's not going to break his heart."

Yes it is! Taehyung wants to shout. Wants to throw Seokjin a punch for good measure, speaking so casually about Namjoon's feelings and disregarding him.

Taehyung's been there for Namjoon trying to get Seokjin's attention, he's listened to Namjoon talk with soft lilting words about Seokjin in such a saccharine voice.

Namjoon's been gazing over Seokjin for such a long time, only to be met with not just an unrequited love, but also someone so careless of his emotions.

"If you say so, man." Minhyuk says finally before hurrying Seokjin and him to whatever destination they had been walking before they'd begun discussing Namjoon.

Taehyung hears them walk away, their steps disappearing further down the hallway. He stands there, in the smelly restroom and dim lighting until a student comes in, jumping in alarm when Taehyung suddenly pushes his way out of the bathroom and accidentally bumps into the boy.

As a dutiful friend – and since he's in love with Namjoon – Taehyung can't let this happen. He needs Namjoon to see for himself that Seokjin isn't his soulmate or true one. (He wants it to be him, so badly.)

Taehyung needs to put a stop to this before Namjoon gets his heart broken, so he's going to take action.

Taehyung's going to make Namjoon fall for him. Namjoon's fair game, like Seokjin said, they are not dating so it's not like he's meddling in a relationship.

Hoseok can't accuse him of anything and try to stop him, and if Yoongi even brings up the idea of not interfering between Namjoon and Seokjin, he'll really be the one to tell Hoseok that Yoongi's getting into SNU and not planning on accepting it. Desperate times count for desperate measures.

He's going to make Namjoon's his. Screw Seokjin.

⭐☁🌠
a/n; don't be so harsh on jinnie guy's. he's just being really dumb.