Twenty-Fifth
:Chapter Twenty-Five:
"Taehyung!"
The younger turned and saw Hoseok walking towards him, carrying the buckets with baseballs in them.
"What?" He continued to pick up the bat bag, slinging it over his shoulder. This felt like déjà vu.
"Say no if you really can't or don't want to, but can you please check on Jeongguk this one last time?" Hoseok wondered, seeming stressed. "I really can't today and I have to-"
"Sure," Taehyung didn't look at him, walking away with the bag over his shoulder.
Hoseok was dumbfounded, brow cocked. "Wait, that's all it took?" He caught up to Taehyung, appearing to be unsure.
"I said I would, don't make me change my mind." Taehyung said, looking straight ahead. "But you're giving me a ride because I don't want to hurt my knee more."
"Yeah, yeah, sure." Hoseok said, still sounding shocked at Taehyung who agreed without arguing. "Are you guys cool now or something? Have you guys talked recently?"
"No, but I figured I could just give him pills and water and go on about my day." Taehyung said in a nonchalant tone.
Suddenly, it all made sense to Hoseok. "What did you do after the game yesterday?" It was a bizarre question that had Taehyung cocking a brow, it was random.
"What do you mean?" It was so out there.
"Like, after the baseball game, what did you do?" Hoseok said, a smirk playing his lips as if he knew something.
". . ." Taehyung stopped to stare at his hyung, blinking a few times. "Um, well, Jihyun came over and we had dinner with my parents." He answered hesitantly.
"Oh, ah, I see." Hoseok let out a chuckle, walking away from Taehyung as he did so.
The captain caught up this time to Hoseok. "You see what? What are we talking about?" He played dumb but he figured Hoseok knew him better than anyone and could guess what happened.
"That's why you're in a such a chilled mood, I see. You and Jihyun did a little bit of celebrating?" Hoseok nudged his friend, pulling open the door and holding it for Taehyung and some other players who weren't focused on the two.
"Shut up, Seok." Taehyung's cheeks flared bright red.
"I knew it! That's why you're so laid back today! Next time, act uptight like you typically are and I won't catch on to what you and your girlfriend do." Hoseok winked.
Taehyung rolled his eyes. "Just shut up, you didn't need to say anything about it." And the two continued down the steps where they placed the equipment down.
"We should really hurry over, whore." Hoseok was just being playful and Taehyung knew that very well, huffing.
Taehyung let out a sigh, a smile on his lips.
The two headed back up the steps and left throughout the corridors, heading to Hoseok's vehicle where they both got in.
It was nothing new, nothing different. They had their comical conversation full of jokes, head-shakers, and good laughs.
Hoseok had explained that he was busy with something and couldn't stay to check on Jeongguk so that's why he had Taehyung do it.
He had mentioned Namjoon and the others were busy with their own clubs and or sports so like last time, he was a last resort.
"Just . . . Don't be a dick today. I get it's funny and whatever but just not today, 'kay?" Hoseok said, unlocking the car doors so Taehyung could get out.
"Mhmm, but if he starts, I'm finishing." Taehyung shook his head, slipping out of his hyung's car, looking at him to hear what came next.
"Okay but wear a condom at least, especially since you're messing with more than one person at a time." Hoseok gave his infamous smirk, the tease relevant.
"You and your sex jokes. You really need someone to keep you company late at night." Taehyung shook his head, pulling his bag out and slipping it on.
He proceeded to shut the door so he wouldn't have to hear Hoseok's witty remarks but the elder just rolled down the window, calling out to Taehyung who tried to walk away fast enough.
"Does Jihyun know you're fucking dudes behind her back?" Hoseok laughed, practically yelling the false information out.
Taehyung turned and looked quite bewildered, Hoseok speeding away before the aforementioned could scold him for his crude behavior.
He stood there for a second, still processing the broadcasted information shouted at him. He was just thankful no one was around to hear such lies.
Taehyung then turned around to face his sudden reality, eyes looking up at the house with a hint of annoyance.
He huffed, shaking his head and walking up to the door, soon knocking on the dark oak.
Much like before, the footsteps were apparent and came closer and closer until the door was unlocked.
But, unlike before, the door was opened and Taehyung was met by an older man, possibly in his forties, pushing fifties. He had silky black hair, glasses resting on the bridge of his nose, and small wrinkles decorating his face.
"Oh, um, hi . . . Uh," Taehyung wasn't expecting someone to actually answer the door. In fact, it had him checking the address to make sure he was at the right house but he noticed the man looked quite familiar. "Is Jeongguk home?" He decided to ask.
"Jeongguk? Yeah, he's upstairs in his bedroom." The man spoke. Taehyung took a random guess the man was Jeongguk's father. "Who's asking?" He was just asking, no attitude or rudeness apparent.
"I'm Taehyung, Hoseok's friend." He introduced himself, feeling a bit nervous.
The man stood there got a moment, blinking but pulled the door open. "His bedroom's upstairs, second door to the left is his room." He said, smiling ever so slightly.
Taehyung mentally wiped away the sweat on his forehead, shaking his head after he smiled at the old man. He even gave a weak bow to show his respect.
He went up the steps, eyes picking up the beautiful colors that decorated the interior. The pretty dark green continued its way up into the hall, more small frames hanging on the walls.
Taehyung slowly made his way down, deciding he would learn a bit more about the Jeon household.
He saw a lovely portrait of a woman, big beautiful smile plastered on her face. She had long dark brown locks that went past her shoulder and was cut off by the end of the frame.
Her lips were more on the thin side but her smile could be compared to a rabbit, a nice toothy grin.
Taehyung proceeded to continue on, four much smaller frames a bit further down the hallway. They were close together, creating a square with the four frames. Two of the photos were of Jeongguk, the boy appearing to be younger than what he was now; possibly a middle-schooler. The other two pictures were of a much younger child who looked to be only a few months old, pacifier in mouth.
With those final glances, he moved on and got to the second door on the left, knocking on the door.
"Come in," was called out behind the wood, Taehyung hearing it loud and clear.
He placed his hand on the knob and twisted the handle, pushing the door open.
Jeongguk was sitting at a desk, an oversized hoodie drowning his frame and glasses, much like his father's, resting on his nose. He was reading something before Taehyung interrupted.
The younger looked over and his once peaceful look distorted into a much annoyed and irritated one. "Kim? You must be obsessed at this point." He huffed, setting a pencil down and leaning back in his chair. It was a shock to see the said boy in his bedroom.
"Calm it, Newbie, same story as last time, just sent here to check on you." Taehyung rolled his eyes, leaning on the doorframe with arms crossed over his chest.
". . ." Jeongguk frowned, brow cocked. "I mean, you must've saw the fact my dad was here if you're up here. Couldn't you just take his word and make sure I was okay by him?"
Taehyung went to reply but he suddenly realized that he didn't need to be on the second floor of a house he wanted no parts of. He stood there in a moment of silence before groaning. "I do this to myself." He uttered and straightened his posture, shaking his head. "Whatever, man, see you around." Taehyung grabbed the doorknob and went to pull it shut but Jeongguk stopped him by saying wait.
There was a quiet moment; a moment of hesitation and hindrance. Jeongguk then pulled off his glasses and rubbed his temple, huffing.
"You didn't do . . . Terrible yesterday." Jeongguk commented. It sounded like he was really struggling to get that out.
Taehyung opened his mouth but soon closed it, looking like a fish out of water. Jeongguk, Jeon Jeongguk, Newbie was giving him a . . . Compliment? Whatever it was, it wasn't rude.
"Um," he blinked rapidly, unsure on what to say because once again, this was Taehyung's arch nemesis we're talking about here.
"A thank you would be nice." Jeongguk spoke before Taehyung could say anything more.
"Uh, yeah . . . Yeah, thanks." Taehyung just felt utterly awkward now, scratching the side of his neck. He went to pull the door shut for now the second time but instead of Jeongguk stopping him, Taehyung stopped himself.
He pushed the door back open, Jeongguk now being the confused one out of the two.
"The first time I came here, um, when your dad wasn't here," Taehyung began, looking almost shy. "What I said, uh, about you not being able to play anymore . . . That was rude of me, I guess. I shouldn't have said it."
"You're apologizing?" Jeongguk's voice had a slight crack at the end, shocked to hear it come from someone as stubborn as Taehyung was.
"You could just accept it." It was Taehyung's turn to cut in, feeling rather embarrassed and awkward at the same time which wasn't a good feeling.
Jeongguk let out a small chuckle, shaking his head. "No, I don't think I will. I mean, it wasn't the exact words 'I'm sorry' so there's nothing to accept." He shrugged.
"Oh, now you're just being a piece of shit. That was totally an apology." Taehyung argued but it didn't feel like enemies bickering, more like a debate or playful banter.
"Not really, you just said you shouldn't have said it. Doesn't sound like a sorry to me but at least you know not to say dumb shit like that, yeah?" Jeongguk grinned and that's what Taehyung really saw it.
Jeongguk had his mother's smile, an exact replica of it. He stared for a moment, breaking his own trance.
"Whatever, Newbie." Taehyung uttered. "Just accept it because you'll never get a sorry out of me, you deserve most of the shit I do to you." He commented finally and pulled the door closed so nothing more could be said.
Taehyung then walked back down the way he came up, passing by the frames and growing closer to the front door.
He bowed in respect to Jeongguk's father once more before he took his leave.
Taehyung felt odd, like what just happened wasn't real and was some sort of dream if anything.
There was not an actual argument or harsh name calling, just two dudes having some chitchat. It didn't feel right.
Taehyung was half tempted to storm back in there and belittle Jeongguk in every imaginable way possible but instead, he sighed and left, deciding he would just return to his home where he could complete any school work he needed to do.
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A/N:
If this isn't progress then I don't know what is.