The Buddy Program

10 | learn some things

He was never really asked that question. Not a lot of people cared to ask, and the people who knew him back then probably forgot all about that person as if that version of him never really... existed.

It wasn't like he cared anyway; don't get him wrong on that. Jeongguk himself didn't even know the answer, and perhaps that was why his chest ached at the thought of the before. Simply because there wasn't one.

Most of his life revolved around the after, and you see, he never questioned it. It was all he really knew.

He hit the puck back, weighing the words over his tongue in silence. Thinking about it stained his mouth with this particular bitterness for not exactly knowing or remembering enough to come up with an answer worth hearing. Nothing was coming to him, like that version of him was actually just gone.

"You don't have to answer," Taehyung skated a little closer, his head craning a certain way to get a better look at his face.

"No, it's not that," Jeongguk shrugged again, hating how the knot in his throat made his words come out softer. "It's fine... It's just." He waved him off.

"It's just— I don't know. I didn't really do much," He chuckled halfheartedly. "I had 'kinda friends'."

"'Kinda friends'?" Taehyung asked, curiosity sparking in his dark eyes. Jeongguk nodded.

"People who were kinda my friend but not really," He said sheepishly, hating how his neck felt like it was on fire. "I didn't know a lot of people that well. Maybe except for Eunwoo. I think the most I actually knew about those people were their favorite juul pod flavor."

At that, Taehyung snorted. Jeongguk's lips twitched but he bit the smile back with his teeth.

"You used to juul?" Taehyung asked. Jeongguk hummed, getting the hang of this hockey puck stuff.

"Yeah. And drink. I used to drink a lot too," He said. "I partied a whole bunch with my kinda friends, only 'cuz Eunwoo got invited and didn't wanna go alone. They also liked streetracing, but I don't think you could really call it that. I remembered it being pretty fucking boring. And stupid."

"Wow, so you were a wild guy, huh?" Taehyung winked at him. He rolled his eyes.

"Nah. I never did anything besides that. I just ended up tagging along," Jeongguk shrugged like it was nothing, like those memories weren't significant. Like they meant nothing, the same way he meant nothing to them.

"You must've dated around a lot too."

"Excuse me?" He glanced up at him, eyes narrowing. "What makes you think that?"

"Because you're good-looking." Jeongguk frowned, shoulders stiffening. "And you're every girl's type. They like brooding bad boys with angsty pasts."

"Wha— No? I was not a bad boy," His brows furrowed as Taehyung let out a laugh. He watched as the older boy skated toward him. He bent down to pick up the puck and tucked it in his pocket.

Before Jeongguk could ask, Taehyung grabbed him by the elbow and leaned down, whispering closely that he could feel his hot breath tingle against his ear, "Skate with me for a bit."

And without another word, he did.

"I didn't have an angsty past either," Jeongguk said, trying to force the thoughts of Taehyung's fingers gripping his sleeve out of his mind so he could properly skate and not eat shit. "It was decent."