Absolutely Trying (TaeJoon)

둘

          The rest of first period went on without much of a hitch. Mr. Kim had suggested doing an ice breaker challenge so that everyone could feel a bit more comfortable around one another, and instructed everyone to find a partner before they could begin.

          Naturally, Taehyung and Hoseok would be partners, but Taehyung instead gave his friend a small smile, indicating that he had plans of his own. So Hoseok got up from his seat and wandered off to find someone else, somehow ending up all the way over by the windows with the senior, Jackson Wang. At realizing this, Taehyung was certainly confused. Jackson wasn't much of a socialite. In fact, often times, the seventeen year old forgot he was even there at all. He was one to wear brown timberlands, slim-fitting jeans, whatever T-shirt he could find in the front of his closet - or so Taehyung assumed - and always wore a beanie on top of his chestnut hair. He was also rarely seen without headphones covering his ears. Not a bad style, but certainly not one to catch lots of attention. Jackson Wang just looked like an average teenager from afar. But none of this was why Taehyung found the situation so peculiar. It was that not Hoseok or any  of Taehyung's close friends had ever interacted with him before and here his best friend was, looking as though he was having the conversation of his life. 

          The junior's mind was about to keep going when suddenly Taehyung was distracted by Mr. Kim slowly shuffling his way across the tile floor from the front of the room, all the way up to the other side of Taehyung's desk. "Seems how you're the only one left alone, I guess that makes me your partner!"

           Taehyung could only laugh delicately in response to his teacher's whimsical actions, not expecting a bright, dimple-filled smile in return, but that's surely what he got. It was indubitably the most attractive thing Taehyung had witnessed in his short seventeen years of life. 

          "Now everyone will play a game of Rock Paper Scissors with the partner they've acquired. Winners will move on to a new partner, losers sit out. And since we have quite a bit of time, we'll make it 'best-two-out-of-three.'" Mr. Kim announced. Once he finished and everyone began their first match, Taehyung playfully crossed his arms and straightened up his posture to appear more noble. "I'm not quite sure I want to play with you. You might cheat."

          "Oh? And what's the argument behind that statement?" Mr. Kim questioned, leaning his elbows atop Taehyung's desk, authentically curious of the boy.

          "Well you're obviously smart enough to study in the United States, so you likely have an idea of what I'll pick each time due to chance." the teenager claimed. 

          Taehyung noticed an inquisitive glint come to life in Mr. Kim's eyes and the older's tongue ran along the backs of his bottom teeth as he thought. "Then what do you suggest, Mr....?"

          "Kim Taehyung."

          "-Taehyung. Even if my IQ were to give me an advantage over you, I'm not very well able to disassemble my brain for the sake of a fair game, am I?"

          Taehyung shook his head half-heartedly as he dropped his arms to join Mr. Kim in leaning over the small desk. "No. I'll just have to watch you extra-close to make sure there isn't any funny business going on."

          "I think you'd know right away if there was any funny business going on...I'm an open book."

          Taehyung broke out into a grin and stared into the older's sparkling, terra-cotta eyes before holding his hands out in the middle of his desk. "Shall we start round one?"

          It was Mr. Kim's turn to smile and he mimicked Taehyung's movement. "It'd be my pleasure."

          Taehyung began speaking to start the game off. "Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!" Both males hit their right hands against the palm of their left three times, and threw up the object of their choice. Taehyung, scissors and Mr. Kim, rock.