"The uhm... The umbrella you lent me.." Jeongguk brought up shyly. "I can return it to you tomorrow in English class, if you want?" The two boys walked down the polished hall of the arts department building in leisure steps, the spacious corridor nearly empty due to the timing; people whose schedule fell around class time during this hour. Jeongguk was currently hyper aware of the man beside him. Despite the amiable conversation they've had thanks to Junior, the black kitten, Taehyung seemed much quieter now. The reserved, blank look on his face was how the boy always remembered him, contrary to the friendly smile he'd given him just minutes ago. Jeongguk began to wonder if maybe he'd said something wrong somewhere along the way.

"Keep it," Taehyung hummed, an unlit cigarette placed at his lips while his focus seemed to be directed heavily on his phone. Jeongguk glanced at him and scratched behind his ear.

"No, it's-... I'd rather return it. I already have one of my own at home, and so..." the boy trailed off, unsure if Taehyung was even listening to him. The remainder of the walk towards the meeting room was silent, and Jeongguk began to hum the tune of a song, the one he'd sung prior to their encounter, a bounce in his step while they walked. Taehyung's eyes glanced to his right, watching the younger in newfound amusement.

"Coldplay," he commented in response, eyes then redirecting back to his phone. Jungkook's brows rose as he turned to look at the man again, his cheeks flushing a cute pink.

"Y-Yeah," the younger cracked a smile, pausing his hums. "Song name?"

"Hymn for the Weekend," Taehyung replied, rubbing the side of his neck. "A classic."

He looked at Jeongguk, who stared back. The glow in his eyes with that darn pretty smile on his face. The man found him cute. Adorable, even. Taehyung smirked back, his dark eyes locked on the boy as he responded.

"Yeah. Classic."

When they reached the art studio where the club meeting was supposedly taking place, Jeongguk looked around the large classroom and saw the canvas easels stacked on the side, an island table near the back covered in old paint marks, and a collection of stools gathered in a circle, some occupied by those who've arrived earlier than them. The classroom was naturally well lit, thanks to the blazing sunlight having seemingly no trouble seeping through the massive glass window in front of them. Upon walking in, a woman's voice greeted them without even looking up from the stack of papers she was flipping through, and Jeongguk noticed all eyes settle on him. Well, on him and Taehyung, in particular. And they kept staring, murmurs coming left and right even as they strolled over to take their seats on two empty stools at the back.

"Pass this down," the woman who greeted them said, slipping two pieces of paper to be handed over towards the two boys. Jeongguk figured she was the leader of the art club, and took a good look at her. She had long, straight shiny black hair that fell down just below her waist, along with cute blunt bangs that curtained her round face perfectly. She was undeniably beautiful, that much was obvious. And although Jeongguk didn't take any particular interest in women, even he could tell this girl was probably desired by many guys.

"Hey—just one," Taehyung spoke up, "I'm not here to join."

The woman looked up as she retrieved one of the sheets of paper, then her eyes widened upon spotting Taehyung. "Oh, now what do we have here? Kim Taehyung, what brings you here to my club meeting?"

Jeongguk blinked. Did they know each other? He shouldn't really be surprised if that were the case. It seemed Taehyung knew everyone, and everyone knew of him. It had only been Jeongguk himself who had fallen ignorant to his existence altogether, until the night they had met by mere chance. Besides, why wouldn't this gorgeous girl be acquaintances with someone like Taehyung? In terms of the looks department the two went well together, complimented each other's features. Maybe they even had some sort of partnership Jeongguk had also failed to recognize.

"Just dropping by, Misun. You're not stealing me from photography club just yet," Taehyung smirked, tapping the camera that hung from the strap over his shoulder.

The girl returned a grin and handed some sheet to be passed towards Jeongguk, whose gaze took turns looking between Misun and Taehyung. Before he knew it there was a small pout on his lips, one he wasn't even aware had appeared on himself. That exchange of knowing smiles... it was now so painfully clear how well the two knew each other, and the younger boy wasn't very fond of that thought for some reason. Not one bit.

Click!

Jeongguk looked up, brows furrowing as he turned towards the source of the curt sound beside him. Right in front of him was a camera in his face, large veiny fingers hoisting it up at eye level. When the device lowered the boy saw Taehyung smirking behind it.

"Did... you just take a picture of me...?" he stammered out, a bit confused as he watched the man nod shamelessly.

"You had a cute little pout on your face," Taehyung snickered, raising a hand and wiping his thumb over the younger's lips. "It was pretty." Jeongguk's eyes were wide, and he could feel the tips of his ears heating up. Good god... Taehyung looked so damn fine up close. He couldn't help but stare, particularly at his lips, that seemed ever so inviting when the man coated it in his saliva with that alluring tongue of his. There was no doubt this man knew exactly what he was doing. Was aware of the effect he had on people. There was no way he was heedless to such things. Jeongguk could feel himself slowly losing his sanity, and he was slipping away into those perilous thoughts of his until he heard sudden applause, and realized that Misun had started the club meeting.

"Welcome everyone, thank you for making it to the art club's first meeting of the new semester!"

Taehyung's hand returned to his lap, which made Jeongguk slump a little in his seat. Was it odd of him to miss his touch already? Surely he was losing his mind. With a soft sigh and a slight shake of his head Jeongguk then joined everyone else in giving Misun a round of applause, though admittedly his attention was very much directed towards a certain man beside him, rather than the commencement of the actual meeting.

※ ※

"Delete it?"

"No."

"Delete it."

"Nah."

"Delete it!"

Taehyung turned to face Jeongguk, face void of any emotion while he poked the boy's cheek. "Forget it, bun. I'm not deleting my finest work."

Jeongguk's eyes narrowed. "How is a picture of me with terrible posture your 'finest work'?"

"It's the pout." The man added his thumb to squeeze at Jeongguk's cheek, and by the grin that began to form on his face the younger knew he had lost this battle.

"Right, well, you-... You win for now, but.." he stopped, internally cussing at the way he'd stutter over his words in front of this man. Jeongguk still wasn't sure what it was about Taehyung that made him feel small, but this strangely peculiar feeling in his chest was one he found himself clinging onto somehow. "I'm... I'm going home," the boy said after a long pause, gripping tightly to his bag strap and striding forward with his eyes glued towards the floor. Taehyung was quick to follow behind him.

"Are you trying to get rid of me, Jeon?"

Jeongguk didn't have to look at him to know the older was thoroughly amused by his behavior, and for that he didn't utter a word in response. He knew if he did, he'd only embarrass himself with more pathetic stammering.

"Mmh, the silence treatment, hm?" Taehyung's deep voice boomed behind him, not failing to make the boy feel weak in the knees. "Sexy."

And just then Jeongguk felt his arm being grabbed onto tightly, causing him to come to an abrupt stop, the momentum bouncing him back against Taehyung's chest. He looked up with alerted eyes, seeing how he had been one step dangerously close to bumping into a person that had suddenly emerged from the building beside them.

"Ah, s-sorry—," he uttered, grateful that Taehyung had prevented a collision by grabbing onto him; but when the guy he'd almost bumped heads with looked up at him, Jeongguk could feel his heartbeat begin to accelerate, feet frozen into place, his lips parting while he blinked at the man in front of him.

The guy stared back at him with an equally surprised look on his face, and Taehyung's tight squeeze on his arm brought Jeongguk back to reality.

"Jeongguk..." the man spoke out in a soft voice, shock evident in his expression. "You're-" A pause. "I mean... I've been trying to reach you. We need to talk..."

There was silence in the air, the bright sun and clear weather contrasting the dull grey storm raging inside Jeongguk's heart. He only realized just then how forcefully he had been squeezing his fists when his nails dug so deep into his palm that it stung him. He took a moment to look at Lee Seojun, the man in front of him. And the man who used to be his.

He looked as he always did. Jeans and a hoodie, his brunette hair pushed back in a slick style. The only difference was that he now wore a rather hesitant expression on his face, and not his usual loving eyes nor the goofy smile Jeongguk always saw on him. It was suffocating. The boy could no longer bare to stand so close to him.

So without another word uttered, Jeongguk tapped Taehyung's hand and the man let go of him slowly. With his feet skidding loudly across the pavement, Jeongguk turned and dashed off as far as his feet could take him. He wasn't quite sure where he was heading, or what to do anymore. He just wanted to stop his thoughts; to erase the face of that man imprinted in his heart.

"Jeongguk!"

Seojun called out and spun to run after the boy before he felt a strong clutch on his upper arm, the grip digging into his skin so harshly that he let out a small yelp. When he turned he was met with the most dreary, dark gaze he had ever seen on a man, a murderous intent evident in his stare. Seojun had recognized him immediately. This man was the school's infamous Kim Taehyung.

"Where the fuck do you think you're going?" Taehyung's voice was laced with venom, a powerful sound that could make anyone shit themselves in its exposure. Seojun froze, his eyes enlarged as he blinked back at the fierce man holding him in his merciless grasp.

"I-I just... Listen, he's-"

"Don't go after him."

Seojun's mouth parted, expression contorting in that of confusion and slight desperation. Because, yes, he'd been fretting over when he'd have the chance to speak to Jeongguk again, let alone even meet with him. His days hadn't been the same, his guilt devouring him in a deep anguish he wasn't sure how to recover from. Jeongguk had been his home for years now. The familiarity he felt whenever he thought of him was both warm and cold.

But the last thing Seojun had wanted, was to hurt the boy.

Explain. He wanted to explain himself. He knew there was a possibility his ex lover would not take any interest in the things he had to say, but even so Seojun felt he had to say them. The only problem was, how was he going to get the boy to listen?

And why was Kim Taehyung preventing him from doing so?

"What...?" his brow perked up while he struggled to hold his ground against the rather intense stare down that Taehyung had engaged him in.

He wasn't going to lie, he wanted to get the hell out of there. The things he knew of Kim Taehyung were merely that in which he'd gotten from the rumors of him. But that was all he needed to feel his knees tremble in that moment, the man's strong grip on him sending him into a gradual panic.

He didn't want to fight him. He didn't want to involve himself with him. All he wanted was for the male to let him go, so he could run after Jeongguk.

"Do I have to fucking repeat myself?" Taehyung spat, the tone of his voice making Seojun's insides churn in fright. If there was a voice out there that could murder a person in cold blood, Seojun was convinced he had just heard it. "Don't fuck with me, you piece of shit. Are you deaf? I said don't go after him."

With that Taehyung shoved the other male forward, causing him to stumble down and fall to the ground in one brutal motion; the momentum skid his body against the sharp pavement and drew blood from the skin on his arm.

"Fuck.." Seojun hissed, propping himself to his elbows and pulling his arm towards him. The sharp pavement had torn through his shirt sleeve and cut a thin, vertical wound across his skin. Though the injury itself might've not been anything too bad, the stings of pain shooting up his arm made him grumble with discomfort. He raised his head, ready to yell at the man for overdoing it, but when their eyes met again Taehyung's body towered over his, torso leaning close enough so that their faces were centimeters apart.

"Just like that. Good boy. Sit." Taehyung's voice boomed into the other man's ear, the hairs on his arms rising. "Don't move."

And in that moment Seojun thought, Who the fuck was this guy?

He seemed like anything but good news.

✱