A/n: After 3 whole chapters of Tae we get JK :)...Anyone's missed him? 

~ And I Won't Let These Little Things Slip Out Of My Mouth ~

* JUNGKOOK'S POV *

"C'mon here, Jungkook-ah!", Hoseok hyung called out to me from their table at the cafeteria. 

Many students turned to stare, while some even began whispering. 

I lowered my hoodie and tried to pretend that I didn't hear him. 

I might've been comfortable around Taehyung, but Hoseok hyung scared me a bit. 

He was nice, but his extroverted self scared me to death. 

I sat down at my usual table, staring out of the window, eating absentmindedly from my lunch tray. 

I hated salads...

"Scoot over.", a familiar voice suddenly commanded as he sat down beside me. 

I looked up to see Taehyung, Jimin and his hyungs coming over from their usual table and sitting beside me. 

Why would they...

"Um...hi?", I said awkwardly as I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. 

"You owe us an explanation. Especially Hobi hyung.", Jimin said smoothly as he stole a lettuce leaf from my tray.

"About?", I asked innocently. 

"Why you're ignoring us.", Taehyung said as he fixed me with a piercing stare. 

"And you've been doing that since Monday. And it's been two days since then. Did...did we do something wrong?", Jimin asked as he looked up at me with a pout and emotion-filled eyes. 

"I-I haven't been ignoring y'all.", I mumbled staring at my hands.

I didn't want to make them feel hurt...

"Oh really? Then care to explain how you temporarily lost your hearing when Hoseok hyung called you a few minutes back?", Taehyung asked sarcastically. 

I kept quiet. 

What was I to say!? 

That he's hyper state made me nervous and out of place!? 

"Jungkook-ah...can I have a word with you? In private?", Hoseok hyung suddenly said. 

I looked at him to find his lips turned down into a sad smile and his eyes floating with an emotion I couldn't discover. 

"Um...sure...", I said trailing off as I stood up and followed him outside the cafeteria. 

We both stayed quiet for a while, until he spoke. 

"I know that you feel overwhelmed that you can't reciprocate my happiness and enthusiasm.", Hoseok hyung stated as he looked at me with a calm expression. 

"Uh...um...well...it's nothing like that...", I said uncomfortably. 

I didn't make him wanna feel bad...

"It's ok to be honest with me Jungkook-ah. I don't mind. And besides, I was not like this when I first joined the band.", he said with a chuckle. 

My eyes shot to his face. 

He wasn't like this always? 

I had always thought he was the most cheerful person without any care...

"I lost my Appa and Eomma at a young age. I always used to be bullied and made fun of. Something I'm sure you're well aware of.", he said with a sigh. 

"You were bullied!? But why!?", I asked with shock written all over my face. 

"No one likes a kid who has no parents and lives in a run-down shack with barely enough food to eat.", he said with a hollow laugh. 

"I-I'm sorry...", I said, feeling embarrassed that I judged him.

If anything, I should've empathised with him...

Tried to understand his story...

Everyone has coping mechanisms...

Smiling is his...

"Don't blame yourself. I don't blame you. You're not exactly a seer or some mind-reader. So, you probably didn't know.", he said as he fixed me with a stern glare. 

"I didn't mean to...", I trailed off looking at the ground. 

"Anyway, fast-forward to high school. That's where things started getting worse. And better as well. I found Jin hyung and Namjoon.", he said with a small smile as it seemed he was especially fond of those memories. 

I cracked a smile as well. 

He seemed to be really close with them...

Now I understood why they were such a close-knit group...

"So, in freshman year of college, we met Jimin, who introduced us to Taehyung and Yoongi hyung.", he said. 

I nodded. 

"It was Taehyung's idea to start a band. We were all initially apprehensive about it, but soon it started to work out.", he said as he stared into the empty corridor in front of him, reminiscing. 

This was a side of Hoseok hyung I had never seen until now...

Serious and deep in thought...

"At that time, I had received countless of hate letters from many people. Some even telling me to go die.", he said with a sad smile. 

"That's horrible! How can they write such things!?", I cried out. 

Why were people so mean...

That they couldn't accept anything beyond their set 'normal'...

"That's who people are. I learnt it the hard way...just as all bully victims do.", he said as he shoved his hands into his pocket. 

I nodded in grim silence.

I knew that all too well...

"Anyway, I suffered to the point I couldn't express myself anymore. I distanced myself from everyone, including the band. I had even tried to run away. But...something stopped me every time. Perhaps it was my gratitude towards them for accepting me the way I am. Or maybe just my conscience pricking me.", he continued. 

I fiddled with the strings of my hoodie. 

I know how it feels, hyung...

Gratitude...

It makes you take decisions that you wouldn't have taken usually...

"A few months went by like this. Me dealing with depression while others tried to make ends meet. We tried hard to record our songs with bare minimum equipment and funds were running low. Hitting rock bottom is not a pleasant feeling.", he said with a short sigh as his eyes became watery. 

I patted him on the back, not knowing what else to do.

The person in front of me had been through so much more than he let on...

"But one day, I decided that I had enough of being depressed and living on pills. If I have to help myself, I need to pull myself up from this hole I've been digging myself into for the past few months. So, I flushed all my pills down the toilet and then, looking at the mirror, smiled for the first time in 6 months. At first, it was really hard not to go back to my old ways. Darkness is very inviting sometimes. It pretends to offer comfort as you wallow in despair and hopelessness. But soon, I discovered that helping the others made me smile. I was happy when I was with them and I didn't want to go back to being the old me. That's when I started smiling and laughing more, trying to radiate happiness wherever I go.", he said as he offered me a small smile. 

"You remind me of myself. I know what you've been through, Jungkook-ah. We might remain aloof from the campus stuff and gossip, but we're not exactly blind.", he said. 

My eyes widened in surprise. 

They...

Noticed me before...

"W-Why d-didn't y-you t-talk t-to m-me t-then?", I stammered badly.

"Why didn't you? You saw us in the same light the entire campus sees us. Cold, indifferent, within our own world. Isn't that the truth?", he asked as he cocked his head to the side, waiting for my answer.

"I suppose I can't argue with that.", I said with a sigh.

"That you can't!", he chirped cheerfully as he looped his arm around mine and walked back into the cafeteria.

Before reaching the table at which we were currently seated, he said,"Just don't tell the others what we talked about. Jimin knows about this and to some extent Yoongi hyung. But it's a really sensitive topic." 

"I won't. And it's not mine to share anyway.", I said honestly.

He gave me a huge smile and went over to the table and announced,"We've sorted out our differences! From today, Jeon Jungkook-ssi will not be avoiding us anymore!" 

I chuckled at the absurdity of the statement. 

Taehyung rolled his eyes and said,"Finally someone came back to their senses."

I frowned a little and sat down at my seat. 

Everyone started talking among themselves about things that were not serious. 

I snuck secretive glances at Hoseok hyung, which didn't go unmissed by a particular someone.

"Why are you sneaking glances at Hoseok hyung?", Taehyung suddenly whispered as he bent close to my ear. 

The close proximity made my cheeks heat up. 

"I-I'm doing no such thing.", I said.

"Ok. If you say so.", he said in an unconvinced tone and sat up straight.

"You don't believe me.", I stated as I stared him in the face, my previous embarrassment disappearing. 

"Nope. I don't.", he said with a shrug.

I brought my face up close to him and mumbled,"Believe me." 

Where was this sudden burst of courage coming from!? 

His eyes widened and his nose turned red, probably from the compromising position we were in.

"W-What are you doing?", he asked as his breath came out in gasps. 

My eyes glanced to his pink lips, luscious and wet. 

I averted my eyes from them and said,"Nothing. I'm asking you to believe me." 

He blushed as his eyes fell to my lips before he said,"F-Fine! I believe you!"

I moved and resumed eating, trying not to appear much fazed with what happened. 

My heartbeat pounded in my ears as I slowly gulped down my food. 

What had taken over me!? 

Was I...

No...

That couldn't be...

Kim Taehyung is out of bounds...

And he's a good friend moreover...

Must be me just feeling antsy because he didn't believe me...

But I wonder...

If he's ever been told that his nose turns red when he's embarrassed...

A/n: Not me just randomly dropping Taekook moments lol. Btw, character development, y'all T-T

P.S: HAPPY BTS AND PRIDE MONTH Y'ALL! CELEBRATING UNITY AMONG DIVERSITY IS WHAT RM HAS ALWAYS PROPAGATED AND BTS AND ARMY FANDOM HAS UPHELD. SO, LET'S GLOAT A LITTLE Y'ALL :) 🏳️‍🌈 x 💜

- Logging off for now...

-💕Moonie💕