【playing..】
IZ*ONE (아이즈원) - COLOR*IZ
La Vie en Rose
❚❚►_____________________________ 3:38
Jeongguk sat on the spinny chair of his desk, foot resting on one of it's metal parts, twisting himself from side to side while his fingers sank down and sprung back up from the keys of his laptop.
He huffed out, white document with black letters filling it up completely staring at him through the screen, his eyes already feeling heavy with each blink.
He hated homework like this with a burning passion. They were only a week and a half into the new school year and he was already sick and tired of everything surrounding him -- not that he was very fond of anything involving school in the beginning anyways but you get the idea.
Though he has to say that his school year has already been very different, regarding his friendships. The one with Taehyung in particular.
He had decided to sit with Hoseok that one day last week and he actually had a pretty good time. Hoseok was not only caring but also funny, talented and the best listener ever. Jeongguk actually felt -- distracted for once. Like not everything that was good in his life would come crashing down at any point, well more like in less that a year, right?
And he thought that Taehyung wouldn't mind much, would probably be actually happy to spend some more alone time with Yongsoo but he in just a few days he became -- weirdly distant.
Not that he ignored Jeongguk in any way, not at all. They still walked or drove back together from school everyday since, did just as much together as they usually would.
But Taehyung almost seemed like something didn't sit right with him. And Gguk quickly figured out that everytime he had spend time with Hoseok the past few days -- something didn't sit right with Taehyung. He was naive at times but stupid he wasn't.
Everytime Hoseok's name passed his lips, Taehyung just didn't act like his usual self. He seemed somewhat mad, offended or just changed the topic to something completely out of reach. It was weird.
Of course, there was this slight spark in him that maybe, just maybe Taehyung was jealous, in a way that Gguk could only dream about.
But probably it was just something new, odd, to Tae to see him befriend someone he knew well. Maybe it was just weird to him to see Hoseok and Gguk together being friends, something he would have to get used to?
Maybe it was just a friendly jealousy. That someone is stealing your best friend away.
Something Gguk just had to live with in more ways than one.
People were pulling on his best friend all the time, he is quite the popular one after all.
And not only friendship wise the older of the two was getting pulled from all sides. Relationship wise he was too. Something Gguk also had to come to terms with.
So if anything -- would Taehyung even have the right to be jealous? that Gguk had found another great friend in someone so he couldn't have all his eyes on Taehyung all the time?
He closed his eyes and shook his head, trying to shake off the odd string of thoughts that webbed in his mind.
Why does he have to overthink everything all the time? Taehyung probably wasn't even jealous of anything and maybe was just unintentionally switching topics, not even a single speck of meaning behind it all.
A sigh escaped his lips, eyes opening again to search the bottom left corner of his laptop screen, the time 4:30pm shining back at him in bright white.
Hoseok had asked to come over to do said homework, Gguk just reluctantly stared at for the past fifteen minutes, together to make it easier for the both of them.
And he couldn't deny that he was a bit nervous. He hadn't had a new friend over eversince he had met Yoongi and Jimin in freshmen year which was like three years ago.
So of course he made sure his room was as clean as it has ever been. He made sure to pick up all the scattered around papers of sheet music and random lyrics he scribbled down, the empty pens and single socks he couldn't find the matched one to, not wanting to leave a bad first impression.
If say, Taehyung came over, he would have just left everything as is. His best friend knows he hates cleaning up because everything, even if it doesn't seem so, has it's specific place. Even if it's just dumped on the floor Gguk knows where the one thing he is searching for is.
A high pitched ding coming from his phone, resting on his bed to charge, pulled him out of his puddle of thoughts again.
He picked up his feet, pressing them to the floor, waddling over to the bed while still sitting on the desk chair, feeling way too lazy to get up.
Once close enough he stretched out his arm, bending his upper body to just be able to pinch his phone between his fingertips and pull it off the charging cord, screen immediately flashing to show a picture of Byeolie and a message notification -- from Taehyung.
Normally that wouldn't be something that was out of the usual. They text all the time about the most random stuff but he knew that Taehyung had a date with Yongsoo right at this second. He had even mentioned it today which in turn had Gguk mention Hoseok coming over and their concersation being turned to something else by his best friend again.
Another bit of evidence why one might think that Taehyung might be a little bit jealous. Or not because Gguk was picking up on wrong things. Probably. Well, whatever.
Usually Tae more or less refused to use his phone during dates, which to Jeongguk was more than understandable so, why would he now after more than two years decide to just -- flip that on its head?
Jeongguk's thumb pressed on the notification, both working together quickly to type in his passcode.
Tae 🐻💓
u home right?
He tilted his head, his face scrunching together in total confusion at the, to him, more that cryptic text, feeling in his stomach spreading that something just wasn't quite right.
uh yeah? why?
arent u on a date or smth
His finger swiftly went to type the response and press send, the three dots as an indication that the other party was typing flashing up on his screen only to be met by them dissapearing and then -- total silence.
But before he could even continue to stare at the left on read message shining on his screen, waiting for some kind of response he got startled by the ring of their door bell, followed by the barks of their golden retriever.
"Gguk i can't get the door, i'm playing Mario Kart!" He heard Hyeongjun's, his younger brother's voice echo from the hallway.
"You know you can pause it, dumbass. Doesn't matter though, it's for me anyways!" He shouted back, already stepping into said hallway and rushing down the stairs, well aware that his brother was probably just too lazy to get up.
"I'm playing online so HA you are the dumb one!" He heard from upstairs, rolling his eyes and huffing out, deciding to just leave it be.
He was met with Byeolie standing right infront of the entry door, barking at it protectively, making a smile tug on the corners of Jeongguk's lips. Eversince her puppy days she did the exact same thing and it just made him remember the tiny ball of a dog they got that summer a couple years ago.
Gguk walked up to the door and placed his hand on the handle, glancing at himself in the mirror for one last time for no real reason -- so he thinks at least. His usual combination of a black t-shirt with washed out denim jeans not providing much of different look but still making him feel confident in some way.
Opening the door with a swift pull, he was met with Hoseok, usual smile spread across his features, seeing him in actual jeans for the first time instead of gym shorts, paired with a white shirt with black bandana style print on it and a bucket head. And Gguk would dare to say -- he looked very very good.
"Hi!" He immediately felt himself be pulled into a tight hug, not even getting a second to return the greeting, Byeolie still barking and waving her tail in the background.
"Hi." Jeongguk huffed up kind of awkwardly, arms going to wrap around Hoseok as well, hands tapping him flat on the back. He wasn't really used to his kind of physical affection with anyone besides Taehyung.
The hug was quickly released to spare them both the awkward moment of a embarrassingly long embrace, which to be honest was past that point in Gguk's eyes already .
"Ready for some homew-" Hoseok started but cut himself off as he looked right over Jeongguk's shoulder. "oh my god is that a dog?"
And with that his new friend pushed past him, immediately seeing Byeolie jump up on her legs to greet him, hearing her barking in delight because of the head scratches Hoseok was rewarding her with as Gguk closed the door.
"Her name is Byeolie." He smiled watching Hoseok still pet her head, somehow the backpack he had on already set down.
"Oh my god that's so cute. Hi Byeolie! I love dogs so much. I have one too! His name is Mickey!" His head turned back to look at Gguk again, the latter just now noticing his heart shaped smile and cresent eyes.
"Maybe they can meet some day." Jeongguk laughed, leaning against the wall as something just sparked in his heart seeing Hoseok play so affectionately with his dog just after meeting eachother two seconds ago.
"That would be amazing. Oh well what i'm here for. Homework, lets get to it." Hoseok chuckled back at him, letting go off the golden retriever and picking up his backpack again.
"Yes, upstairs." Gguk couldn't help the smile on his face with the other joyous attitude about everything, it really made him forget about the world for a brief second.
And so they went upstairs, spreading out their stuff on his bedroom floor, laptops resting beside them, both reviewing the task after Hoseok left a quick compliment about the tidiness of said room having Gguk celebrate quietly that he had done something to leave a good impression.
But not even five minutes into working they were interrupted by the door bell -- again?
Both of their head shot up from their papers, looking right into eachother's eyes with a confused stare as there again echoed barking from the downstairs level.
"Gguk, you get it! Still on Mario Kart!" He heard from his brother's room yet again.
"No, you can get it this time! It isn't for me!" He argued back because for who else would it be besides Hyeongjun? Jeongguk himself sure wasn't expecting anyone. The only one he was expecting sat right infront of him, looking equally as confused as he did.
"Can't pause the game! You take it!" He could just hear the rebellious chuckle in Hyeongjun's voice that made him more than annoyed. But well he just was right in that pre-pubescent phase of 'i dont respect people older than me anymore'.
He closed his eyes, breathing in harshly and huffing out his nose as he didn't want to literally fight with his sibling infront of Hoseok. He would rather take the bullet and walk downstairs again. "Fine! One second, be right back."
He got up, rushing out the room and down the stairs again, hearing a quiet 'it's fine' from his room followed by a laugh that he could now destinguish pretty well from anywhere. Hoseok's laugh was just really unique and very much -- him.
Racing to the door, he tried not to trip, almost doing so over Byeolie who stood in the middle of the way, protectively barking at the door again.
Placing his hand at the handle he swung open the door, eyes widening and total confusion embracing him as he was met with -- Taehyung?
"Tae?" He asked, the aforementioned confusion written all over his features and prominent thoughout his tone. What even would Tae be doing here right now?
Yes, it was nothing odd for him to show up at random times, not telling Gguk before. It happens a lot. But knowing that he was suppose to be at a date right now and knowing that Taehyung knew that he was studying with Hoseok just felt all -- off.
"Hi Jungoo!" Tae smiled, his eyes turning into beautiful cresent moons just like they always do and never fail to make Jeongguk's heart pump a little faster.
"What are you doing here?" A disbeliefing chuckle forced from his throat as Tae reached out to crush him into a hug which he can't deny -- will always feel better than anyone else's.
"Wanting to help you with that homework! Aren't you glad i'm here?" They slowly released the hug but Taehyung's hands remind placed just around Gguk's hip.
"Of- Of course i am but aren't you suppose to be on a date with Yongsoo? And also Hoseok is already here to help, i told you remember-" Jeongguk bit his inner cheek as he spoke but getting cut off right when he started to mention Hoseok, again.
"Oh she felt sick so we cancelled. Ah yeah but you always get help from me so i thought it wouldn't hurt." Taehyung smiled especially emphasising the me part which yeah was true, if he needed help with school work, his best friend was always the first he would call, text or ask to come over.
"And i just wanted to see my best friend." Tae again layed emphasis on specific works by raising his voice. This time the 'my best friend' part. "I'll head upstairs!" And with that he could have sworn he felt a slight subtle squeeze right at his waist before Taehyung rushed upstairs.
And Jeongguk would say now he was sure that what Taehyung was rading was -- jealously. But the question of why remained floating in his head.
°***°
thoughts? options? anything? let me know!
hi everyone ♡
I know i promised to bring you this and a finesse epilogue today but well.. i sprained my thumb so typing was very challenging:^)
(No worries its all bandaged up right now i'm fine)
Basically a bunch of kids very pulling on my hand and then it just started hurting and boom thumb sprained. they apologized tho <3 they were just excited and its okay :)
So i couldnt managed to write more than 2300 words (being this chapter) in the span of 3 days, i apologise!
Anyways i decided to have La Vie en Rose as this chapters song to show support for Izone since they are one of my ult groups and are going through a tough spot right now with their album and activities bring delayed due to the producer of mnets produce 101 being exposed for rigging votes and more
Please support izone as they have done nothing wrong and worked so hard from the beginning. Dont blame the girls, blame the producers and mnet (same goes for x1)
Angel ♡
have a wonderful day!