Arriving late to class, Jungkook shrugs off the guilt of getting detention as his mind is more fixated on remembering the note-writer's lips on his own. It kind of excites him that he doesn't know the identity yet—like he's playing some sort of little game, picking up clues to guide him to his happy ending. He tries not to think about his first kiss being stolen; he pictures it as more of a unique start to discovering newfound emotions. Of course, it helps that he imagines a certain someone while he fantasises. Perhaps he doesn't want to know the identity of the note-writer if he can just assume it and never find out—he can't be wrong or right if he doesn't one hundred percent know.

There's a documentary playing on the projector, and the lights have been turned off. Jungkook's eyes drift to Soobin, who's sitting next to him. When Jungkook arrived late, Soobin told Jungkook that he got detention for texting in class. Thinking back, Soobin could be lying; he too could have arrived late since the note-writer left the closet before Jungkook did. Naturally, that makes Jungkook's eyes wander to Soobin's lips. Plump and moist. Jungkook licks his own lips.

"What lip balm do you use?" Jungkook asks.

Soobin is startled by the random question, turning to give Jungkook a raised brow. "W-Why?"

Jungkook palms the side of his neck, awkward. Why did he go ahead and ask that? "Your lips."

Soobin touches his lips, confused.

Jungkook continues, "They look well hydrated." Jungkook buries himself into his textbook, feeling embarrassed.

"Thanks?" Soobin scratches his head before reaching into his pocket. "I use this brand."

Jungkook takes the lip balm, inspecting it as if he were actually interested in what lip balm Soobin uses. He remembers the kiss in the closet and thinks if it tasted like cherries—the lip balm has a cherry logo. The more he thinks about it, the more he can taste the cherry lingering on his lips.

"Do you want to try it?" Soobin asks.

Jungkook shakes his head. That would be an indirect kiss—ignore the fact he could have potentially kissed the boy already.

"No thanks." Jungkook hands the lip balm back.

"What I like about this one is that it leaves a little bit of a red tint on your lips. Maybe that's why my lips look more hydrated?"

Jungkook nods. "Well, who were you texting in class?"

"You."

Flashbacks of Jungkook's phone vibrating in his pocket amid his very first make-out session reappear. He goes to grab his phone to see the messages but is met with an empty pocket. "Shit."

"What is it?"

"I think I left my phone in the—" Jungkook curses again under his breath. His phone is still on the floor in the janitor's closet.

The lights flick back on as the bell for lunch rings.

"I guess we can walk to detention together?" Soobin asks.

Jungkook jolts up. "Sorry, Soobin. I'll meet you there. I got to get my phone back."

Jungkook rushes back to the janitor's closet, praying that his phone is still there. When he approaches the door, he notices that it's open—did he forget to close it? When Jungkook walks in, he is surprised to see Jimin holding his phone. "Hey, that's mine!"

Jimin flinches, almost dropping the phone. "Why the hell is your phone in the janitor's closet?"

Jungkook freezes, stumped on how to explain the situation; instead, he takes the flip the cards and accuse the accuser route. "Why are you in the janitor's closet, huh?" Nice comeback, he thinks.

Jimin points to a few broken music stands. "I had to bring those in."

Jungkook tries to remember if he saw them there before, but all he really remembers is kissing the note-writer—WHO COULD BE JIMIN?! Jungkook looks at Jimin's lips—red tinted. Are Soobin and Jimin using the same lip balm?

"Cherry..." Jungkook mutters.

"Sorry?" Jimin frowns.

"N-Nothing." Jungkook snatches his phone out of Jimin's hands.

"Gee. You must be hiding something if you want it so bad."

"Just like how you are stalking me everywhere I go," Jungkook accuses.

"Hey, I was in here before you waltzed in."

Jungkook looks at his missed messages. None from Soobin. Strange. Instead, it's a few threatening messages from Naeun asking if he's told Jimin not to audition for Romeo in the school play—he most definitely forgot.

"Don't audition for Romeo in the play," Jungkook blurts out, facepalming right after.

Jimin, taken aback, frowns again. "And why is that? Are you auditioning?" Jungkook can hear the mockery in Jimin's voice.

"Yeah, totally." Jungkook nods, gulping.

"You're not even in drama club."

"How would you know that?"

"Cause I'm in it."

Oh.

Jungkook feels stupid once again.

"And I'm not even auditioning for Romeo. I'm auditioning for Mercutio."

Oh.

If Jungkook could strangle Naeun right now, he would.

"Also, nice hickey," Jimin says before leaving Jungkook alone in the closet left to pick up the ruins of the new information he has just gained.

Hickey?!

💌

Jungkook walks into detention, covering his neck with his hand. He sits right between Soobin and Taehyung—wait, Taehyung?! But not only that, Naeun and Yoongi are also here.

"What are you doing here?" Jungkook asks.

"I did not permit you to speak," Mrs Choi interrupts.

Jungkook frowns but nods, trying not to get into any more trouble.

Mrs Choi stands up from her chair. "I will now do a roll call, and you will tell me what you did wrong, and then you will proceed to write on the whiteboard what you shall do next time." She pauses, adjusting her glasses. "Min Yoongi."

Yoongi, who is slouching in his chair, raises his hand lazily. "That's me."

"Here again, I see," Mrs Choi says. "What are you here for?"

"Being late for class," Yoongi replies.

Mrs Choi nods. "Now stand up and write what you will do to fix that problem."

Yoongi stands, side-eyeing Jungkook before grabbing the whiteboard marker from the teacher. "What am I writing again?"

Mrs Choi shakes her head and then takes a breath in and out before saying, "I. Will. Not. Be. Late. For. Class."

Yoongi writes on the board before chucking the whiteboard marker onto the teacher's desk.

Mrs Choi nods, satisfied. "Kim Taehyung."

Taehyung stands up.

"Your reason?" Mrs Choi asks.

"I was using my phone in class," Taehyung replies.

Jungkook hears Yoongi scoff.

Taehyung proceeds, grabbing the marker on the teacher's desk and writing I will not use my phone in class.

Next up is Soobin, who writes I will not text during class.

Naeun writes I will not skip class.

And finally, Jungkook walks up, grabbing the marker off Naeun, writing I will arrive on time for class.

"Eat your lunch in silence. I will be back in ten minutes since I have other errands to do, and I'd rather not babysit delinquents who don't value their education. No talking." Mrs Choi takes her leave, leaving a bunch of students who will totally eat their lunch in silence now.

Chatter immediately occurs the moment Mrs Choi closes the door. Questions and accusations are thrown around, but all of it leads to the one question Jungkook doesn't want to hear—courtesy of Naeun (such a lovely girl) for bringing up.

"Jungkook, why are you covering the side of your neck with your hand?" Naeun asks, looking all smug.

"W-Well..." Jungkook looks to Taehyung, who's looking at Jungkook's neck now—well, everyone in the room is now looking at it.

"I got bitten by a bug," Jungkook says.

"A hickey?!" Naeun screeches.

"What?! No!"

Taehyung jumps out of his chair to inspect. "Let me see."

"No." Jungkook shakes his head, leaning away from Taehyung.

Taehyung removes Jungkook's hand from his neck and gasps. "Jungkook!"

Jungkook hides his head in his arms on the desk. "I said don't look!" He hears Yoongi and Naeun laughing up a storm, so he glares at both of them. Soobin is looking at Jungkook with a puzzled look, while Taehyung seems concerned.

"Who gave you this?" Taehyung asks, inspecting the hickey. The tips of Taehyung's fingers on his neck make Jungkook's breath hitch.

Jungkook frowns. The truth is, he doesn't know. "I told you already."

Taehyung shakes his head. "A bug can't do this."

"I don't know." Jungkook buries himself back into his arms. He zones out for the rest of detention, wanting to forget everything.

💌

A.N: A completely new chapter~ ✨ I hope you all enjoyed 🥺💜