Teach Me A New Way {Taegguk}

one.

"What do you mean I can't graduate?"

Taehyung glares from across the dark brown desk of the administrator's office. "Well Mr. Kim, judging by your grades, your attendance, and- the amount of referrals you've received.." The administrator gives  him a knowing look, "There was no way you could've graduated in this condition." She shook her head.

"But Ms. Cho- I'm eighteen. I can't not graduate." He scoffs. Granted, his birthday just passed a little over a month ago but that didn't matter to him. He's eighteen regardless.

"Well, there is a possible alternative." She says, her voice a little more cautious than before.

"What do you mean?"

She clears her throat before setting a file on the desk, "The school will have you repeat your senior year." 

"Repeat my year?" Taehyung's mouth falls agape, "D-Don't you think I can graduate this year? Don't colleges do sports scholarships? I-I play football." He looks at her with pleading eyes. The last thing he wants to do was repeat a year of hell. Sure, he doesn't have much of a plan when it came to colleges and such but he thought he was passing enough to at least graduate.

"Taehyung, you got kicked out of football because you failed biology and math! It's almost been two years since then, let's maintain integrity here." She shakes her head in disappointment. "The school has already decided to assign you a tutor."

"Tutor? No- I don't want a tutor." Taehyung narrows his eyes, crossing his arms in defense, "There has to be some other option."

"Mr. Kim, this isn't about what you want. This is about what you need. Whether you like it or not, you're getting a tutor. And just for convenience, it'll be a student from this school. His name is Jeon Jeongguk." She says sharply, whilst shuffling through some paper work.  Taehyung stays silent, signaling her to continue. "He was your lower classman but now, considering your situation, he's your fellow classmate. He's top of all of his classes and has been chosen to tutor you."

Taehyung feels himself fall into a pit of dejection. He was so sure that he was going to graduate that it wasn't even a concern on his mind. He was confident that he had nothing to worry about. And now, just a week before graduation, he finds out that there will be no diploma printed with his name on it. He can't even maintain eye contact with Ms. Cho now.

Her eyes falls on the young boy and softens. She sighs before folding her hands and slightly leaning towards Taehyung, to get him to look at her once more, "Have you ever met Jeongguk, Taehyung?"

He looks at his hands as his thumbs softly scratched at each other. He shakes his head, "No, never."

"Well, I have. And let me tell you, Jeongguk is a very skillful student." She hums softly, placing her file back onto the pile she had gotten it from. She places her attention back onto the young blonde and leans back against her desk, "He's a tough cookie but trust me, he'll help you."

"I don't need help." Taehyung mutters, furrowing his eyebrows with frustration. He's fine just the way he is. He's smart, athletic, and confident. Isn't that what everyone wants to be at his age?

"Ah, right. Maybe that's not the best way to put it." Ms. Cho nods and tilts her head, "He can give you helpful advice." She looks at Taehyung to confirm that what she had said sat right with him. She watches as he looks at his hands in great thought for a few moments before pausing. He gives a thoughtful nod and hums. She smiles softly and nodded as well. Taehyung gradually trails his eyes back to Ms. Cho's and he swallows.

"So," He exhales before wiping his clammy hands against his thighs, "how long?"

"Hm? How long what?" Ms. Cho furrows her eyebrows softly.

"How long do I have to have this guy as my 'tutor'?" He huffs.

"Oh, okay- well, here's the thing." Ms. Cho starts, adjusting herself to a proper posture, "The plan is to have you active in this tutorship up until you show yourself to be an self sufficient student. The goal we've set for you is a two-point-five GPA."

Taehyung releases a stifled laugh, "I had over a two-point-five this y-" He sees the awkward expression on Ms. Cho's face and pauses, "I didn't?" She sighs and shakes her head with a sympathetic smile, "Oh my god."

"See? It's quite easy to lose track of yourself when it comes to things like this and that's completely understandable." Ms. Cho explains with a genuine voice, "But Jeongguk will act as that kind of reminder for you. To keep you on track."

Taehyung releases a reluctant sigh and nods, shifting in his seat. "There will be a meeting at the beginning of each semester and one at the end of the first. In this meeting, you, Jeongguk, and I will be in my office. I've briefed your guardian about this schedule and he has agreed to these conditions." Ms. Cho laces her fingers together, folding them daintily. He mentally curses Seokjin for not telling him about this prior to this day. It'd save a lot of embarrassment and disappointment. Now he has to hear it from his principal?

Anger is an understatement for what Taehyung feels right now.

"Now that we've established said conditions, I'll let you know your ability throughout all of this, alright?" Ms. Cho releases a sigh and nods with a soft smile, "You're able to begin appeals after finishing  first quarter. If you feel Jeongguk isn't helping to make progress then we can discuss a replacement. We hardly get that complaint, so naturally there would be a proper investigation before the finalization of the switch."

Taehyung nods. "Well, if you don't have any current questions then I believe that ends today's meeting." Ms. Cho says. Taehyung laces his fingers together and stares at them in frustration. How could he let this happen? How did he let his grades get this bad? He knew he wasn't an exemplary student but this? No. Taehyung wasn't an exemplary student at all. He was a failure.

He sees a gentle hand reach out and placed on the desk. He looks up and sees Ms. Cho giving him a reassuring smile, "You're going to be okay."

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