[UN EDITED]

Chapter Nine

"I'll go out with her," Jungkook's voice is low and exaggerated in mockery. "I'll go. I'll go out with he—" Through the snorts, the laughter, and the teasing. Jungkook can't keep a straight face.

"Yeah yeah," Taehyung murmurs, ears and cheeks starting to grow red while  on the bench. The same bench they always meet at. The bench and table he felt most comfortable at. "They all get the point. Quit making fun of me now."

"We just started!" Jimin chimes, laughing along with Jungkook that holds his stomach from paining cramps. "Jin and Hoseok weren't there to experience second-hand-embarrassment. Ah! You should've seen it!"

"Why would you ask her out?" Jin asks,  shocked once hearing about the boy's adventures last night. "I thought you were getting closure?"

Jungkook snorts, "Closure my ass."

Taehyung, with red cheeks opens his mouth but closes it immediately. Why, because Hoseok chirps into the conversation with a final, "What did she say?"

.

I swallow, staring at everyone before allowing my eyes to meet yours last. I finish what I started, saying, "I-I'll go on a date with her."

There's excruciating silence. My heart is hammering at my ears, and the way Jimin's expression moves from utter surprise to ball-busting amusement lets me know how grandly I've screwed up.

With a hesitant mouth, I stutter, "I didn't—" Then I freeze when catching irritation in Pela's eyes. The woman standing next to your wide-eyed exterior tells me, "Did you just ask her for a pity date?"

My mouth breathes, "Pity date?"

"Yes. You feel bad for what your friend did and now you're—" Pela moves her hands up to her face. She looks appalled, angry, but most off, embarrassed for me. A rush of emotions that I feel on the inside. Deep inside. "If you don't get out of her room right now—" Pela shakes her head. Her beautiful afro dancing along with her movements.

"I don't think he meant any harm." This voice makes my heart smash louder and faster. This voice isn't one of Jungkook who is still awestruck. This voice isn't one of Jimin who wishes to cream his pants in laughter. This voice isn't one of Pela who struggles in assessing the situation. This is your voice.

I finally catch your eyes, knowing my cheeks are cherry tomatoes surrounded in sweating highlights. "I really didn't," I say out loud, then I swallow and see how the shock in your face subsides. Instead, you carry sweet eyes with a small smile. It's a face that tries to save me from discomfiture I've shaped.

"I know..." You shyly look to your feet and back to my eyes that shoot unnecessary daggers. With a soft tone, you say, "I just don't think it would be a good idea to go out with my ex-boyfriend's best friend...?"

.

The twitch Taehyung does from side-to-side now shows that he's still hating life from last night. With a low hum, I say, "I guess she said no."

"Obviously! Why on earth would she say yes?" Jungkook laughs. "I don't know what got into you but it was just funny seeing you trying to get out of it."

"Jungkook, please do—"

Taehyung's begging doesn't suffice. Jimin, with a dramatic leap on the grass he sits on started to act out shaking, running and yelling the consisted of the night before. He starts with a deep voice, mimicking Taehyung's. "I'm sorry," Jimin says, snorting in between trying not to laugh, "O-Okay, I'm going to uh—I'm going to go n—HE DIDN'T EVEN FINISH HIS SENTENCES BEFORE HE STARTED RUNNING OUT."

Hoseok dying in laughter, hollering for Jimin to re-do Taehyung's 'run'. The boys enjoying, don't seem to notice just how red Taehyung gets watching them tease. Truthfully, the only thing on his mind being his idiocy. He questions why he asked too. He didn't know or understand. I'm never to type to ask people out. I rarely go on dates I—

"Little-poor-closure-boy?" Jungkook nudges Taehyung's knee that wobbles from his touch. Breaking the boy out from his inner conflicts, Taehyung smiles tightly over at all surrounding.

Jungkook pouts, "N'awwww, come on we're just teasing!" Jin says, "Taehyung lighten up a little!" Hoseok says, "Don't worry we all understand rejection, it's no big deal!" Jimin, well Jimin doesn't say anything. He's still laughing.

"Rejection?" There's an added voice. "I leave for just a few days and someone's gotten rejected already?"

Everyone. Everyone looks up to see a man, smaller in frame but colder with structure in the face. Min Yoongi, with soft and tired eyes smiling lamely as a greeting to the pack he hasn't seen in forever. Taehyung spots the man, smiles light, but has his smile fall the minute the inevitable happens. Just as Jimin's excitedly getting up to hug Yoongi, Namjoon turns over a tree and walks over with earbuds.

"Since when were you people asking anyone out?" the brother teases, one ear free to listen around him.

All grow silent apart from Jin who welcomes with an open smile. "Hey," they clap hands. Hoseok follows, low-fiving the two before going back to leaning on the tree shading over the bench. He does so every day.

Jungkook, curious when seeing Taehyung tense and stare to the grass, says, "It was Taehyung...he's been feeling brave lately." With a flex of a jaw and a death glare in his direction, Jungkook feels such hatred from Taehyung. Shrugging, the first-year doesn't care, he smiles at Namjoon and says, "We're trying to figure out if he's truly got a thing for her or if it's just an first-move-gone-wrong."

Namjoon, dimples deep, asks, "Really?" He looks happy, light, and thrilled to think of Taehyung with another. A possible partner, a possible interest. Namjoon beams and asks, "You interested in who, bro?"

Taehyung stands up. He collects his bag, he fixes his hat. With sharp eyes directed in Namjoon's direction, he spits, "I'm sure you'd love to know."

Namjoon's smile falls but doesn't completely vanish. Namjoon asks, "Everything okay?"

With harsh eyes, Taehyung looks to everyone surrounding and projects. He ignores Namjoon and says, "I'm not interested so stop bothering me about it. She's heartbroken, and her friend was right, I slipped for a pity date. Feeling bad for helping Oki cheat is the only reason why I asked. Now lay off my back." With a flinch away when Jin tries to grab him, Taehyung starts his walk to exit.

Jungkook purses his lips, eyes narrowing, "Yeah...only reason..." He's the last one to watch Taehyung leave. It adds that he notices the way Namjoon's sad and awkward eyes follow.

Yoongi sighs, "That's the first I've seen him snap since forever. What's going on?"

"Oki," Jin explains, "He did turn out to have a girlfriend."

Namjoon nods. He'd been knowing. "That explains why he's so worked up," he says, now the one tense and no longer smiling. His dimples react from a troubling purse of lips, awkwardly shifting backwards.

The change in atmosphere doesn't help as Jimin says, "Taehyung's really got to get over Ella."

Jin and Hoseok glare at Jimin. Jungkook starts to pick grass at the name. Yoongi, the only one brave enough to look over at a muddled Namjoon, whispers for him to stop when he starts to exit the scene himself.

Yoongi groans. "Great. I'm back but already fuckin' regret it."

-

Taehyung grumbles. "No no, I don't regret it. I just feel stupid."

"Would you listen to me?" a boy's voice is soft. Oki's just woken, puffy eyes and sick from all the crying he's put himself through.

Walking into the apartment after a day was one thing, but Taehyung didn't expect to see this version of Oki. He didn't regret skipping class and coming back here, but he did feel stupid. Stupid for feeling angry and facing a boy he didn't wish to see. Not yet. Not when all he sees is red and hurt and suffering and tears and her tears her tears. His tears. Fuck.

"I can't listen. I don't think I'll ever be able to," Taehyung snaps. He's louder than intended when stomping his boots back through the hallway. His mission is to grab his bag and leave the same way he came in.

"That isn't fair bro, you know that isn't. I deserve at least a few words."

"No, you don't."

"Taehy—"

Taehyung grabs at his bag, he turns around and Oki doesn't let him leave any step he takes on either end. With defeat, the boy glares hard into the eyes of his best friend. "Move," Taehyung demands.

Oki shakes his head, "No. I need you to listen."

"No."

"You're my—"

"Best friend?" Taehyung laughs bitter, moving around Oki. "Last time I checked, best friends are supposed to tell each other when they're hooked on to a girl. That's always been the line I draw Oki...you've been knowing that every time we go out."

"I understand that."

With a loud rumble of words, Taehyung turns around. Anger. Red. Anger. Red. "No you don't!" he screams, "If you understood that you wouldn't have cheated and dragged me into making it easier for you! 'Bros before hoes' is something I religiously follow too man, but none of that shit flies if there's an innocent girl heartbroken by the end!"

Oki stares at his feet. There's sadness to him but there's also irritation as he snaps back, "Why do you even care so much? It's my life, my drama. An A, B situation, C your way out of it!"

Taehyung laughs. He laughs but his eyes are dark. "Oh. You think you're funny huh?" Then he smiles, pokes his tongue at his cheek and places his hands at his hips. "That was so funny. I enjoyed that. Great comedic timing." He tosses his bag on the bean-bag they call a couch. With a smile that falls faster than he shows up, Taehyung charges for Oki that curses and runs away.

"I'm being serious! I'm not trying to be funny!" Oki yells, dodging a few clawing scratches Taehyung tries to hurt him with.

"Well listen to this! I'm involved because you gave me no choice but to be involved!" Taehyung says with a roaring. "And everyone knows how I feel about cheating! You know it!"

Oki growls when Taehyung shoves him backwards. Shoving back, pathetic and feeling tears again, the boy yells, "YOU'RE ACTING LIKE YOU'VE BEEN CHEATED ON!"

"OKI, I'M SO CLOSE TO SWINGIN'!" Taehyung hated how everyone thought. I'm not taking any of this situation as personal. I'm not...I'm not. Am I?

"Then swing!" Oki yells, "If you do hit me, you know that I've been used to it. You know about my father, you know what he did to me! But if you hit me right now, I'm not going to get invested! You know why?! You know why?! Because I know to differentiate the both of you. You're my best friend, Taehyung!"

Taehyung softens. Just a little. Just a little. But to the degrees in which this fight goes next, Taehyung knows he won't like it. Still, he plays oblivious and asks, "Why are you telling me this?"

Oki shakes his head. Tears are at his cheeks. "You're invested for the wrong reasons and we both know it."

"I'm not."

"Yes, you are," Oki says, "It hurts. I may not understand it, but I get it."

"Shut up."

With soft eyes and palms that eased the air, Oki whispers, "I know you hate to acknowledge that Ella cheated on you with Namjoon, but I'm not Namjoon, Taehyung...and my ex-girlfriend isn't her. She isn't Ella."

Like freshly chewed gum that hasn't touched air, Taehyung's body limps and his face mushes. "I-I know that, I—" Tears.

Oki swallows hard, holding back tears himself. He fails. "You're my best friend...practically a brother, Taehyung. Whatever happens in my relationships, let them happen...Stay out of it. I don't wanna lose you too. I've lost her, don't have me lose you..."

With a hesitant nod, Taehyung uses the backs of his sleeves to wipe at his eyes. Adorable and a mess, the boy takes a step onward. Oki shadows, breathing and smiling and crying. Oki takes more steps, throwing his arms around Kim Taehyung who hugs back. Hugs back.