A boy in my history class named
Jung Hoseok
keeps glancing at me.
He's one of the students
who exclaims something unexpected
and makes people laugh.
His jokes push people over
but they only give me
a few taps on the shoulder.
I remember
when I was like that
with my friends.
I can't imagine acting this way
around people who always
glance over their shoulders.
Somehow
he pulls it off.
We are reading through a textbook
about the Mongol Empire,
and I notice how half the time
when I look up at the board
Hoseok is glancing in my direction
before turning away
the moment we make eye contact.
It's a bit uncomfortable
but I try to ignore
the unsettled feeling
rubbing my stomach.
Class ended a minute ago.
I'm shoving the textbook in my bag,
until I hear someone next to me
clear their throat.
I look up
and see Hoseok
looking down at me.
I sit up.
"Hi."
He says.
"My name's Jung Hoseok.
My friends call me Hobi for short."
He smiles
as he introduces himself as if
I don't know who he is.
His voice is a orangish-yellow,
like a sunset,
and tastes like
warm, flavored soup
that's given to someone when they're sick.
The raspiness in his voice
has always stood out,
and it's part of the reason why
he's so well known.
I wouldn't say he's popular,
but he's someone who's impossible
to not talk about
at some point.
I now realize I've been in a daze.
"Hi."
His smile becomes
heart-shaped,
a trait that he's also known for.
It's amazing what a smile
can do to someone.
"You're Taehyung, right?"
He asks with his eyebrows furrowed
and his hand points at me
like I don't know
who he's referring to.
"Yeah.
You're right."
"Ooo..."
He looks as if his mind is following
an invisible trail.
"My friend Jungkook said that
he wanted you to eat lunch with us.
Or, him.
I don't really remember exactly what he said.
But basically,
Jungkook wants you to eat at the same general location as him."
I don't bother focusing on my reaction
because I'm more surprised that
Jungkook is his friend.
I realize that I'll start dazing off again
and words start falling out of my lips
like petals falling off a flower.
"Um... Okay...
If that's okay with you."
"Oh sure! It's no problem!"
Hoseok assured me.
"As long as you don't chew with your mouth open,
my friends'll like you;
last time I checked."
Another thing that's amazing
is how someone who says everything
can still be someone
nobody can explain.
"Okay..."
Hoseok smiles again
and grabs my wrist,
pulling me off the chair.
My other hand
grabs my bag
and makes one of my shoulders hold it
like what Yoongi does.
"Great!
I'll lead you to our usual hang out area.
Also, I like your voice.
Very mellow and...
What's the word?
Oh! Baritone. That's it."
I don't have much time to process everything he's saying
as we speed walk out of the classroom.
All I can think about is that
for the first time in one or two years,
someone talks to me
like I'm a person
instead of words.