[OMFG CHP 90 bruh I'm so sorry it was not my intention to make my book this long I- anyways enjoy 🙈💖]
❤︎
italicized = flashback
Exams came and went, starting just the following week after Yoongi's last basketball game. Thankfully, the group's studying all paid off as all eight of them felt moderately confident when taking their finals just before winter break began.
And now that that strenuous process was all over, all students could now relax at ease for another two weeks before school started up again.
Today was the last day of school just the day before all students were let go. It was a shorter day however, since it was mainly for Christmas celebrations and festivities as well as a concert of some sort at the end of the day hosted by the school band.
Before finals weeks started, Min Yoongi did nothing but cram his entire schedule into the size of a toothpick in order to squeeze in as much time for studying for the excruciating tests.
From dawn til dusk, his head was stuck inside a different textbook each day corresponding to the subject of the test scheduled for the next day, and he somewhat stuck to that program.
It was mentally draining to say the least, but it was nothing different from freshman or sophomore year, so he was used to it nonetheless. Still, it did manage to take a toll on his already not-so-good sleep schedule, and he often came to school with dark bags under his eyes or a shaggy appearance.
Though, despite how much he was convinced of how incredibly awful he looked, there was always a certain someone to remind him every single day of how much he looked like a panda with his under eye bags.
Which, he assumed was supposed to be a compliment, but knowing Hoseok he honestly wasn't too sure.
Since that boy was unpredictable to say the least.
A light chuckle slipped through his lips at the memory of when the two bumped into each other on their second test day, Hoseok immediately greeting him with a warm hug that instantly filled his body with warmth contrast to the frigid December weather outside.
"Yoonie you look so cute today!" Hoseok teasingly cooed, pinching one of Yoongi's cheeks before having his hand swatted away right after as a scowl formed on his friend's face.
"Hoseok, I look disgusting," Yoongi chuckled, backing away against the lockers as Hoseok just kept a loving gaze on him.
"Not possible."
"Hm?" Yoongi shot his head up at the remark, both of the boys' faces painted with a faint blush even though Hoseok's daily compliments were solely meant for playful purposes only.
Still, that didn't calm their beating hearts threatening to jump out of their chests at any minute or their rigid breathing as soon as one of them set their beautiful pair of brown eyes on the other's.
"You kinda look like a panda," Hoseok laughed, throwing his head back at the comparison that was now much to similar not to see.
"I can't tell if that's a compliment or not," he rolled his eyes in return, though a smile still managed to make its way into his lips since Hoseok just had that effect on him regardless of the circumstance or situation they were in.
"Of course it's a compliment!" Hoseok scoffed, punching the side of Yoongi's arms ever so lightly so the elder still erupted into a thread of 'ouchhh'.
"Tae doesn't he look like a panda?"
And then it all unraveled from there, with Taehyung, Namjoon, and Hoseok all gushing over Yoongi's disheveled appearance that they still found incredibly adorable. In fact, so adorable that Hoseok trapped him into a very suffocating hug and wouldn't let go until the two others had to pry him off themselves just to ensure that they wouldn't all be late to their final exams.
There were only two tests that day, and Yoongi can still remember the stress from them vividly. His heart rate picked up just at the simple thought of it, just like how it was in the actual day of the tests as this mild queasiness formed in the pit of his stomach.
Though that soon diminished when he caught Hoseok's gaze just at the end of the hallway where the rest of his friend group was waiting for him, since they all planned to talk against the lockers before going home for old times sake.
Back to that testing day, when Yoongi arrived at home from his usual half an hour train ride from school, his mother instantly ushered him to sit down as well as his brother, Geum-jae, and father as well. He raised an eyebrow at this, since his mother never really called for a family meeting unless it was something extremely important and worth-knowing.
"Your aunts invited us all over next Saturday for an early Christmas get together, so make sure you have nice outfits on just so you guys don't embarrass me," she joked, not forgetting to send stern glances to Yoongi and Geum-jae, who just squirmed underneath her stare, "if you don't have anything, remind me and we'll go shopping, okay?"
All three nodded at this, as their mother accentuated on the family get together a little more just to answer all their questions regarding it.
Yoongi shook away those faint memories, before walking over towards the group and sliding down against the row of blue lockers on one side next to Namjoon, Jimin, and Jungkook while the others sat across from them.
Apparently, the dance trio also had some news for them as well, thus why they all decided to meet together once school was officially over for the year and the concert as well as all the other little celebrations were finally over.
"So," Hoseok cleared his throat, maybe a little too enthusiastically for their liking as they all winced from the loud noise, "we finally figured out the date for the dance competition, since you guys were wondering."
Yoongi shot his head up at this, eyes filling with a pool of swirling desire at the sudden announcement that he's been waiting for all week.
The idea of attending their dance competition was the only thing keeping him going and acted as his fuel and motivation to get through the finals and end with a successful finish.
And unsurprisingly, it was quite effective since Yoongi blazed through all his final exams with the thought of spending Christmas break with his friends and family, doing nothing but having fun and goofing off.
The group nodded their heads impatiently at this, waiting for Hoseok to continue.
"It's next Saturday at 4:00pm.."
Yoongi's heart dropped.
In just the span of not even two seconds, his smile faded away into a slight frown, too disappointed to even make eye contact with any of his friends around him who were all bustling with excitement as their topic focused all around the dance team and plans centered on that.
Their conversation entered through Yoongi's ears as a mere muffled white noise, as his conscious simply didn't have enough stamina to even see properly. His vision appeared blurrier, a sullen and misty cloud blocking his ability to see as his eyes trailed the intricate pattern decorating the school floor.
The anticipation and merriment built within him leading up to the sole event that he had been looking forward to for the past several weeks all came crashing down on him with the harsh reality.
He wouldn't be able make it.
It was impossible, because coincidentally a family dinner was planned for that very same day at the exact same time as the dance performance was.
He didn't even notice how a small tear trickled down his soft cheek, instinctively wiping it away with the sleeve of his hoodie still not daring to meet his friend's happy expressions.
The last thing he wanted to do was kill the vibe or earn sympathy, let alone seem like he was overreacting.
But that was Yoongi's personality: he loved nothing more than to support his friends just as they did to him, and there was nothing more entrancing to look forward to than seeing those very same faces light up with the upmost joy at an accomplishment.
That brightened face he was waiting to see once Hoseok and the rest of his team had won an award.
Because he was sure they were going to, since their high-school had the reputation of taking home a medal every single year. And now that Hoseok has joined them, that likelihood only doubled.
Tripled, even.
Just from that sweet moment that took place a couple days ago, where Yoongi had accidentally stumbled across Hoseok practicing in the dance studio and eventually led to them doing the waltz together, Yoongi could see how talented Hoseok really was.
Not just in his fluid and powerful movements, but in his face expressions as well.
His intimating focus with furrowed eyebrows and clenched jaw, not daring to tear his eyes away from any focus points when it came to a turn or spin in the choreography.
It blew Yoongi's mind away.
And as Yoongi recalled those moments, his saddened expression still planted into the palm of his hands, Chaeyoung sensed that there was something wrong.
Not necessarily from the topic of the dance performance, but that there was something deeper within Yoongi that he wasn't sharing with them.
And she was desperate to find that reason out and help him, nothing but empathy spilling into every crevice and corner of her rather petite body as her warm eyes grazed over Yoongi's sulking figure.
Obviously, she didn't want to possibly fluster or embarrass him even more, since knowing Yoongi thy would probably only make him feel even worse than before, she decided on asking him after the group parted into their separate ways.
Plus, she had a pretty good idea about what it was, the small smirk tugging at her lips telling it all.
"Alright, so you guys are all able to go," Hoseok's voice faded off as his eyes landed on Yoongi, who was bent over so that you couldn't see his face and only the mop of frosty and grown out hair covering the expanse of his head.
Quirking an eyebrow at this, since Yoongi hadn't taken part in the conversation at all yet, Hoseok's body tingled with worry in fear that there was something wrong.
"Yoongi?" Hoseok spoke gently from across the hallway, the two boys locking eyes and only sitting a couple feet away from each other. Through, Yoongi didn't hold the contact in fear that all his self control would go flying out the window and result in a wave of tears, thus averting his eyes back towards the ground below him.
"Oh um sorry," he mumbled out, catching everyone's attention since the clear tone of sadness leaving his voice was much too obvious not to catch up on.
Taking in a deep breath, Yoongi let out the news with a slightly trembling voice, wanting nothing more than to dig into a hole and sob his eyes out since he had to mentally prepare himself to watch Hoseok's once joyful expression morph into one of disappointment.
And that, was something he wasn't ready for.
"I can't go to your dance competition," he let out rather bluntly, his once smooth and softening voice coming out as more rigid and choppy that anything, as if he was holding back something that took nearly all of it mite not to let out, "I really wish I could, and I'm sorry I can't. But my mom told me earlier this week that we have to go to some stupid family dinner for the holidays the same exact day."
As soon as those words left Yoongi's lips, Hoseok's eyes flashes just for a split second with a look of melancholy.
And if anyone was paying enough close attention, they surely would've noticed it since Hoseok's entire happy and bubbly personality was stored within his eyes as they practically spoke with emotion in every situation.
Though, Hoseok gulped down the brief wave of disappointment he felt and instantly replaced his grief-stricken expression with one of consolation, hastily skidding across the hallway floor and over towards Yoongi with open arms.
He was just thankful that over the course of sixteen years, he had learned how to conceal his emotions well.
"It's okay Yoongi," Hoseok gently reassured, wrapping an arm around the length of Yoongi's shoulders with his buttery voice soothing the elder's tense stance almost instantly, "I just figured I should tell you guys since you wouldn't stop bugging us about it all week. It's okay that you can't go, and it means a lot to me that you even considered going in the first place. So don't feel bad about it, okay?"
Despite how fake his smile was, a small smile etched its way onto Yoongi lips as he subconsciously melted into the side embrace, his gaze meeting Chaeyoung and Jimin's matching ones.
"What Hoseok said, it's okay Yoongs. Plus, there'll be other chances to watch us! That's if you want to, of course," Jimin giggled lightly at the end, before returning that warm glance that put Yoongi at ease right away.
Chaeyoung just simply nodded at her two friends' statements, the conversation soon drifting to something else that wasn't entirely focused on the dance competition or the fact Yoongi couldn't attend it, seeing as he was pretty bummed out about it and the group didn't want to remind him of the fact that he couldn't go or lower his spirits even more.
Throughout it all, Hoseok only tightened his firm yet delicate hold on Yoongi, who nuzzled into it absentmindedly before dozing
off into a peaceful dreamland.
One that wasn't filled with the cruel realities of life, only bringing negative energy into your everyday routine with every passing thought or tik of the clock signaling the awaited End of it all.
But in wonderland, where lighthearted fantasies and nothing but innocent desires were granted with ease, that certain darkness that was essential in life all faded away into the unknown abyss that was the real world.
Though the real world and dreamland were onto separated by the mere state of someone's conscious; one could easily choose to never escape the safety of fairytales where everything went right, but then your awakening state would shake you out of it all, instantly dawning the displeasure down on you once again only for the cycle to repeat itself entirely.
And Yoongi wanted nothing more than to stay in that eternal utopia.
✈︎ ☁︎︎ ✈︎ ☁︎︎ ✈︎
🍓chp 91 is already posted!
🍼thank you for reading <33
🍓editor/assistant: jiminie_cricket_