ahh before i forget~ i made a playlist!
i'll drop the link right here (:
also ahhdhs PSA i love this book
♡♡︎♡︎
To say Taehyung was freaking out was a whole understatement: he was shitting his pants.
Literally— he was on the verge of convulsing since his stupid heart wouldn't shut up. At this rate, it was about to fall out of his chest and onto the floor, and he wasn't so sure what would be worse: Jimin finding out that he likes him, or the fact his organ was on the ground.
He slid his trembling palms together, wincing at the sweat that slicked his skin. Jimin didn't seem to notice, which was great. This was great— the silence, the sync of their footsteps. It was safe, and Taehyung had all the time to figure out what to say.
Should he say hey? Maybe ask about his love for volleyball? No, that wouldn't work; everybody knew Jimin loved volleyball. Was he close enough with him to ask about his day? Well, not necessarily, but it wouldn't hurt.
"I'm sorry I served the ball at your face." Frick, that wasn't the plan.
Taehyung wanted to strangle himself the second those words left his lips. Even better— throw his body out a window and disappear. He winced internally, cringing at his choice of words and hoped Jimin wouldn't think he was a bigger loser than he already was.
Honestly, scratch that. There was a 100% chance he looked like the biggest loser no matter what while he stood next to the Park Jimin.
Unlike Jimin, who glowed effortlessly, and whose blonde hair reminded him of wisps of spun gold, and wore outfits that accentuated his curves. Taehyung, on the other hand, lacked the clear skin, the perfect twenty-twenty vision, the smirk that radiated pure confidence, and expensive clothes that didn't hang off his body like a pillowcase.
Next to him, he was nothing. He didn't deserve to be standing next to someone as pretty and perfect as Jimin, yet every part of him wanted to be there with his crush. Get the chance he would probably never have again.
God, he hated this. Hated the anxiety picking away at him, the insecurities piling up in the back of his mind that he struggled to hold back. If only he was beautiful, then maybe he would get a stronger shot at getting Park Jimin to really notice him.
But even that was wishful thinking.
"It's all good," Jimin chuckled, snapping him out of his trance, voice awfully sweet to Taehyung's ears. "It happens when you're a beginner."
"I-I swear, I w-wouldn't have targeted your face," Taehyung stuttered, stumbling over his words. God, he was making a huge fool of himself.
"Don't worry about it Tae. It's probably nothing serious. Ggukie likes to overreact!" He said, looking up at him with the most beautiful of smiles that had his heart doing flips in his chest.
However, Taehyung couldn't ignore the way his stomach plummeted hearing the way Jimin said Jeongguk's name. Sure, they were friends, but there was no denying Jeongguk had a greater chance. It was foolish, really, thinking like this. They were friends, best friends, but who knew— anything was possible.
"S-so," Taehyung gulped, words trembling on his tongue as he tried to get a grip of himself. "D-Did you enjoy y-your summer?" He asked, cupping the side of his neck.
"I did. Did a lot of volleyball clinics, hung out with my friends, partied a bit, met new people. You know, that," He giggled. Taehyung nodded along like he totally did the same thing (nope). "Did you enjoy your summer?"
"Yeah. I guess." He hoped the older remembered their time together at the convenience store, and he tried not to let the disappointment consume him when Jimin didn't mention anything about it.
Didn't he enjoy the time they spent together, too? He remembered on the last shift before he disappeared, Jimin told him that he was the easiest person to talk to, yet here he was, acting like Taehyung was a mere stranger. It could have been a coincidence, and the guy was just hit in the head by a volleyball.
Overthinking really sucked butt.
"What did you do?" Jimin asked, swinging his arms as he walked. Taehyung gulped, knowing if he said what he did, the older would completely lose interest in him.
People like Jimin didn't enjoy playing games with online friends, binging webtoons, or watching anime until their eyes burned for the entire summer. They liked drinking and sexual games, partying, and chasing thrills Taehyung that wasn't quite his forte. He preferred his comfort zone rather than risking it all just for a temporary thrill.
"I partied," He cleared his throat, sliding his sweaty palms into his hoodie pocket, unable to meet Jimin's eye. "Drank beer with buds y'know. Went to a couple bonfires and... partied some more."
"Really? Didn't think our student council president would have that side to him." Was he flirting? He didn't know, he sucked at seeing signs, but his stomach fluttered anyways and his neck stung and was already stained with the tell-tale hue of pink.
"Uh y-yeah, right. I guess?" He chuckled uneasily, catching a glimpse of one of Jimin's pretty grins from the corner of his eye. Taehyung didn't know why he was still lying, but Jimin seemed to like it.
"Cool," Jimin hummed. "You should come to one of our parties after our games. You'd love them 'cause Namjoonie-hyung plans them."
"Yeah, of course. Yay, I just love some partying and underaged drinking," Taehyung tried to sound at least a little enthusiastic, but it nearly sounded like a cry of pain. Jimin, on the otherhand, didn't seem to notice.
"Mm. Alright, this is my stop!" The two of them stopped in front of the elevator, which clearly wasn't the nurse's office. Jimin turned to face him, his big, doll eyes staring up at Taehyung, who couldn't meet his gaze without having a heart attack right then and there.
Taehyung raised an eyebrow, barely glancing over at the other, fringe brushing over his eyes. "This isn't the nurse's place."
"I know," Jimin grinned, "I'll be okay. You didn't hurt me at all, and I promise to get a bag of ice on the way. Don't tell Jeongguk, alright? He'll worry about me a lot." I'm worrying about you, too.
"O-okay take—," Before Taehyung could say goodbye, Jimin was already boarding the elevator without looking back.
Once the double doors shut, stranding him alone in the corridor, Taehyung lowered his hand back into his pocket, neck inflamed as he tried to ignore the embarrassment that chewed away at his thoughts. At least he didn't make a bigger fool of himself.
And it wasn't that bad, he guessed, but even then, no matter how much he tried to console himself, this heaviness layered thick in his chest and he wasn't so sure why.
♡♡︎♡︎
"That's him? You sure that's our student council president?" Namjoon's mouth hung open after the youngest pointed out his roommate in the cafeteria.
The group decided to eat there for once despite it being a weekend. It was Sunday, which Jeongguk refused to give them intel on any of his rules that he made with Porky, and there was no way he would tell them he was bullied into making them. It was sadly Porky's day, so he guessed he respected it and came here to waste time.
But Porky was here; he noticed him before anything else. It was hard to miss Porky, and he supposed it was the fact that Porky wasn't quite the eye-pleaser. Nothing else.
"Correct, sir. That is indeed, him— my roommate," Jeongguk said, begrudgingly stabbing his salad with his plastic spork as he followed Namjoon's gaze to where Porky sat with two other pretty people.
"Didn't think he'd look like that...," Namjoon said, chuckling uneasily. "I heard shit like he was a stuck-up, teacher-pleaser, but even then I thought he was just some pretty rich boy. But he's just... that."
"Don't be stupid, he can't be that bad," Yoongi rolled his eyes, ignoring the chicken sandwich he was focused on eating. Namjoon jutted his chin to where Porky sat, and the oldest simply whistled.
"He's bad," He muttered. "It's like he's stuck in the early 2000s and never left that phase." He gestured at him subtly with his hand, not trying to draw any attention to them.
Jeongguk snorted lightly, realizing Yoongi was right. The guy wore oversized clothes that didn't fit that aesthetic; they were just straight up ugly. He looked like a block, his shirt consuming most of his figure, and his jeans were a unpleasant blue, and were often tugged up by how unfitted they were.
He wondered why Porky didn't care. If he were him, he would have begged his parents to work their wonders and make him gorgeous. Schools of teens were like sharks— they ate what appeared smaller and less fit. They ate what didn't belong. But he guessed Porky was smart and got a position that made him untouchable.
At least he had some brains.
"Dude, if I got forcefully roomed with someone for four months, I'd make sure they were fucking hot," Namjoon scoffed. "Don't wanna stare at something that burns my retinas every day."
"Exactly. Like that hair. Not even a fuckin' makeover can fix that kid," Yoongi joked, earning a grin from the two of his friends.
"It's just for four months with Porky," Jeongguk accidentally let slip, his shoulders immediately caving in when both of his friends began to laugh out loud, drawing the attention of others.
"Porky?!" Namjoon wheezed, smacking the table, along with Yoongi who was clutching his stomach. "Fuck, Jeongguk— is that what you call him?"
"Yeah, 'coz of his hair. Kinda reminds me of pork broth," He gulped, stuffing his mouth with salad. He glanced around, unsure why he wasn't joining in with them. He merely smirked as Namjoon punched his shoulder, though he just wasn't feeling it.
"God, Jeon. You're stuck with an absolute loser," Namjoon pretended to wipe away his tears, finally sitting back down in his seat. Jeongguk snorted, the edges of his lips tugging up ever so slightly but he said nothing.
"Don't let him rub off on you now," Yoongi kicked his leg beneath the table, teasing him. Jeongguk's jaw clenched, his grip around his pork tightening as the two continue firing out shit about Jeongguk becoming just like Porky.
"Fuck, if I had a face like his I'd sue my parents."
"You think he practices being this ugly?"
"God, Jeongguk, maybe if you lost volleyball you could end up just like Porky over there~!"
"M'not fucking him, and I never will be," Jeongguk shot up in his seat, slamming his tray on the table, making everyone in the room fall silent as his hands trembled. His jaw tightened, a muscle throbbing on the curve of his jawline as he glared at everyone staring at him— even Porky.
Porky. Kim Taehyung. He and his big eyes met his gaze, and for a second, Jeongguk swore they were questioning him, silently asking 'what was wrong' without even trying. But he ignored it, turning his head, unable to look at him without this nagging feeling in the back of his mind and his throat swelling shut.
"Jeez, we were kidding. You of all people know that," Namjoon snorted, rolling his eyes as the younger sat back down. Jeongguk said nothing, continuing to stab at his salad until someone's arm slid around his shoulders.
"Saw you yelling at these two idiots earlier. What's up?" Jimin's soft, sultry vowels tickled his ear, though Jeongguk didn't fall for his voice as he gently pushed him away.
"We're just talking about Jeongguk's boyfriend over there," Yoongi snorted, pointing in the direction where Porky sat, laughing along to something his friends (he had those?) said. Jeongguk, on the other hand, nearly choked on a leaf.
Jimin's eyes narrowed as he glanced back and forth between their two groups, "You have a thing with that over there?" He said slowly, the sweetness that lathered his words replaced by this bitterness he knew well.
"I don't have a thing with anyone," Jeongguk muttered, inhaling unevenly through his nose as Jimin pulled his arm away from him.
"He's lying. Kid's in love with Porky over there," The youngest head shot up, sending a death glare where Namjoon sat with a smug smirk. He knew what happened that summer. He knew damn well why Jeongguk didn't like talking about that shit, yet here he was, fucking it up.
"You don't even know him, Gguk," Jimin spat out, the smiles he usually wore void from his features. Instead poised on his lips was a frown, the corners of his mouth stuck in a downward trend.
"I don't. I don't even like him," Jeongguk muttered, swallowing, though it did nothing to the knot tangled in his throat. "He's just my roommate."
"A roommate? I thought we were going to be roommates," The older of the two snapped, which added to the dull pounding in the back of Jeongguk's head. "Y-You didn't tell me this."
He was getting like this again, thinking Jeongguk was his when really, he wasn't. Fuck, he wondered how long it took for Jimin to realize that whatever happened during the summer meant nothing to Jeongguk, and every inch of him wanted to shout it to the world that the Jeon Jeongguk fell for nobody.
But he wasn't that mean. He might be an asshole, but he could never treat his friends like that.
Not even Jimin. He didn't like him like that, and all he wanted was his best friend back, but who was he to ask for that?
"And why should I? It's not even for forever. I'll live with it," Jeongguk whispered angrily, but before Jimin or anyone of his friends could give them their opinions that meant nothing to him, the entire cafeteria went silent again— and it wasn't his fault.
Jeongguk slowly turned around, wondering what the hell was going on this time, but the moment his eyes landed on the scene, his stomach dropped.
Porky was standing in the center of the cafeteria, food all over him and two smug-looking volleyball players Jeongguk couldn't remember the names of high-fiving one another.
He didn't know how that happened, but he winced, noticing the way Kim's entire body visibly trembled, and how he stared at his hands as if horrified with his existence. His two friends lept to their feet, quick to defend them from the volleyball players, even shoving them aside to get to their friend.
He knew them as Jung Hoseok and Kim Seokjin. One of them was a dancer, and the other wasn't really popular, but mostly everybody knew him as an underrated handsome guy who liked to tutor. They ran to Porky, Hoseok giving him his jacket while Jin, red faced, told off the volleyball players.
He watched Hoseok wrap his arms around Porky as they exited the cafeteria, whispering something to him as Porky visibly fought back tears. Jeongguk couldn't help but wonder if his own friends would save him from that with the same care Porky's friends did.
He wondered if Namjoon and Yoongi would do the same and mean it, but he knew that was stupid. They wouldn't do that. They might even laugh in his face like the others in the cafeteria, tell him he looked like an idiot. Would they do it with love? Jeongguk didn't know if his friends loved him, they never talked about stuff like that.
"Poor guy," Namjoon whispered to Yoongi and Jimin and shrugged, though Jeongguk couldn't miss the way the edge of his lip quirked upwards.
"Kid deserved a reminder, am I right?"
Jeongguk slumped in his seat, trying his hardest to drown out their insults and jokes out from his ears. He could feel Jimin staring holes into the side of his face, and the longer Namjoon laughed, the more he wanted to shrink and disappear.
Instead, he stole glances at the door Porky exited through. For what reason? He didn't know, but he supposed it was just because he wanted to leave and nothing else. Right. Nothing else.
♡♡︎♡︎
Jeongguk stumbled into the darkness of his dorm, limbs aching and body slicked in his own sweat after two hours of volleyball practice. He dragged his feet, the couch practically calling his name, but before he could, he noticed the light by the kitchen was on.
Brows furrowed, he guessed it wouldn't hurt to investigate. He dropped his dufflebag by the couch and pulled off his jersey, discarding it onto the floor after wiping off the excess sweat glistening on his face, toned muscles flexing and clenching with each swift movement.
He slowly approached the kitchenette, confused to hear sniffling at this late hour, until he remembered Porky was there. Porky. Right, the cafeteria incident.
Porky was facing the wall, shoulders shaking and tiny hiccups escaping past his lips while he seemed to be making ramen. Jeongguk stood by the wall, sighing softly realizing the older was crying. He kept sniffling, wiping his eyes on the sleeve of his silk dinosaur pajamas.
A part of his stomach twisted into a knot, watching as Porky cried silently to himself. It was saddening, really, and not even Jeongguk could make a joke about it. He chewed at his lip, wondering if he should say anything, but before he could, he knocked over a fake plant.
Porky's head immediately snapped in his direction. The older quickly wiped his eyes, cheeks flaring a bright crimson as he tried to erase any trace of tears on his face. Jeongguk stood awkwardly by the side, unsure of what to say.
"You saw nothing," Porky hiccuped, still rubbing his sleeves over his eyes. "Y-you s-saw nothing."
"Okay, okay, I saw nothing," Jeongguk said, slightly holding his hands up in defense, unsure whether he should approach him but his feet carried him toward the older anyways.
"Here to make fun of me? Call me ugly to my face maybe? I'll let you pick the insult," Porky forced out a laugh as he stirred his ramen, fumbling with the chopstick between his fingers. Jeongguk sighed, scooting Porky aside and snatching it away.
"No," Jeongguk murmured, keeping his voice low. He stirred the ramen for him, unable to meet Porky's gaze, but luckily he was staring at the floor so it made things slightly easier.
"Then what? You gonna call me a loser?" He spat out, words breaking apart as they slipped past his lips. "I know you hate this as much as I do."
"No. And yeah, I hate it too," The younger shrugged, setting aside the chopsticks to find a bowl. He could feel Porky's eyes on him, but deep down he knew it wasn't because he wanted to check him out.
It didn't take much to realize he was jealous of him.
He knew the feeling of wanting something you thought you couldn't have. There were a lot of times he felt that, to be honest, but he worked for those things and received them with just a little push from his mother, or his aunt. He guessed that maybe Porky needed some sort of push, but Jeongguk just didn't know how to do that.
Jeongguk didn't like to help others. People liked to leech onto the successful ones, believing if they associated themselves with a person they could earn the same amount of success they did with little to no effort. He hated those people— parasites, you could say.
But in the library, he overheard things about Porky. Apparently the guy was an angel, and although a suck-up, people knew he was brilliant and sweet. He was the perfect victim to walk over 'cause he was just too nice— he let things get away if he liked you, and he was the guy who always forgave those who didn't deserve it.
Jeongguk couldn't believe it much, but he guessed Porky was only mean because he was. Then again, Porky had to have been someone nice for his father to like so much.
Maybe, just maybe, that it wouldn't hurt to help him if Jeongguk could benefit from it, right? Give and take for an equal prize. If he helped Porky, Porky could help him without knowing.
Genius. He, Jeon Jeongguk, was a fucking genius.
"You like Jimin, don't you?" Jeongguk blurted out without thinking. Porky choked.
"W-what? W-why should I tell you? And no, I d-don't at all," Porky stammered, struggling to put together a single sentence as his features flushed a faint pink. Jeongguk raised an eyebrow at him.
"F-fine. I do. I thought you said we can't be personal with one another," His nose scrunched together in a way that made Jeongguk chuckle. His lips pressed into a small smile as he poured Porky's dinner into a bowl for him.
"Oh, specs, your crush exceeds that rule," Jeongguk teased, sliding the bowl over to him. "If I tell you that I can help you, what would you say?"
"Help me? I'm not a charity case," Porky sputtered, gaining that confidence Jeongguk couldn't help but uncover in that moment. This wouldn't be so hard after all; at least he had something to work with.
"Let me explain," He said, handing him the chopsticks, which Porky took reluctantly. "You want a chance to date Park Jimin, correct?"
"Pfft, you think you could give me a chance to date your friend?" The older scoffed, rolling his eyes as he focused his attention to his bowl of food. "Nobody would date me. M'literally the most unattractive thing on this planet."
"Well, I believe you can. You see, I can tell you all the things Jimin likes and how to win him over. This gives you a fat advantage since I'm giving you info I've gathered over the years!" He said, though by the way Porky seemed to deflate beside him didn't quite excite him.
"C'mon specs! I'll teach you everything," Jeongguk followed him out of the kitchenette and to the little table. But before he could sit down, Porky swerved the area and headed toward his room.
"Wait! I'm being serious! I'll help you get Jimin to like you so you guys could date. You don't owe me anything 'coz you're already helping me and my record," Jeongguk chased after him, practically begging Porky at this point.
Thankfully, he stopped in his tracks, which was right in front of his bedroom door. Jeongguk instantly took a few steps back, remembering their other agreement about never entering eachother's room. He folded his hands in front of him, straightening his posture to meet Porky's skeptic gaze with a smile.
"Jeongguk, this won't work," Porky whispered, clutching his bowl tight. Jeongguk's smile faltered.
"What do you mean? I'm giving you lessons on how to woo over Park Jimin?"
"No, it's not that."
"Then what?" Jeongguk asked, the skin between his brows crinkling. Porky sighed, closing his eyes for a moment before opening them and gesturing at himself.
There was nothing wrong with how Porky looked, now that Jeongguk took the time to really look at him. Sure, he was lanky, but that could be fixed with exercise and food to bulk him up. His hair could be fixed by his aunt, Jeongguk could give him some old clothes, and his skincare was easy— he was a God at skincare. Those glasses could be replaced, etc.
Besides all of that, Porky didn't look that bad.
"This," He whispered, tone soft. "Me. People don't give a damn unless you're hot."
"Then I'll make you hot," Jeongguk shot back, chuckling awkwardly when Porky gave him an odd look. "Hey, I'm offering you my services, here. Along with getting Park Jimin, I'll give you a glow up."
"That's impossible," Porky spat, about to turn back into his room, but Jeongguk's reflexes were faster. He snatched his shoulder, knowing it overstepped their boundaries, but Jeongguk needed this.
If he got Kim to become hot and the exact ideal type of Jimin, then Jimin would stop liking him and things would go back to normal! Jeongguk would get his record back up and dedicate the rest of his life to volleyball, Porky will get dick and become the hottest kid on campus (next to him).
The plan was foolproof! No feelings involved, just dudes helping other dudes become pretty.
"It's possible, Taehyung," Jeongguk murmured, squeezing his shoulder slightly. "Change won't hurt you. M'sure you're tired of people treating you like shit."
"C'mon. You get something out of this while helping me out, too. It's a win, win."
At that, Porky— Taehyung's adam apple bobbed visibly, ducking his head to avoid Jeongguk's stare. The younger sighed when the older said nothing. He pulled his hand back and gently slid them into his sweatpants pockets as he backed off, realizing that Taehyung wasn't in it.
He turned to the side, guessing he would just take a shower and regret making a huge ass fool of himself. Maybe those rules were a good idea to follow next time.
"Jeongguk."
That he didn't expect. He stopped in his tracks, spinning around on the balls of his ankles, his eyes meeting Taehyung's stare. He raised an eyebrow at him, coaxing him to speak his mind.
"Okay, I'll take it. Make me pretty as long as you let me make you a good student," Taehyung nodded, flashing him the smallest of smiles that tugged at Jeongguk's heart. He gave him a thumbs-up, his lips curling upward on their own.
"Of course. I won't disappoint you, Specs," Jeongguk grinned, amusement twinkling in his eyes when the older ran into the safety of his room, shouting before he left.
"Put on a shirt you manchild." And as dreadful as these four months sounded, Jeongguk was glad he found something to look forward to even if it meant getting close with Taehyung, because lets face it, there was no way he was going to fall for him anyways.
♡♡︎♡︎
ooo who do you think will
fall first? taehyung or jk?? 👀
i'm SO ready to get all the cool
drama on & im already impatient
lmfaooo i hope you guys are having a
good week as always & enjoy this
book as much as i do!! it's fun coming
on here to see you guys & talk to ya'll
i get how shitty wattpad's been lately,
but i hope you know, you guys make
this app better 💛💛💛 lubbb u
— mela