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Fifty-Eighth
:Chapter Fifty-Eight:
ย ย ย "No, yeah, yeah, that's fine." Jeongguk said, sitting around the table with Hoseok and Taehyung.
To anyone around, it just looked like Hoseok was forcing them to sit together again but here they were, talking about prom and all recent encounters.
ย ย ย "So . . . Jihyun met you at your house after yours and Jeongguk's date . . . And wondered if you were still going to prom together?" Hoseok wondered, taking a bite out of his sandwich, left over residue sitting on his lips.
"In short," Taehyung shrugged. He directed his attention over to Jeongguk. "If you don't want me to, I won't. It's just that it's her senior prom and, I don't know, I kind of felt obligated. Like it was the least I could do for her."
"It's fine," Jeongguk told, voice monotone. "After the bullshit she went through, if that's what she wants then so be it, yeah?"
"I didn't think she would've been that quick to forgiving you." Hoseok was honest, looking between the two.
Taehyung hummed, biting on his bottom lip. "I didn't either but then again, I'm not surprised per sue. She's a sweet girl, you know that, Seok."
"Yeah," Hoseok paused for a moment, looking down at his plate. "She is." He added, his tone a little distant. He quickly looked back up, looking straight at Jeongguk, his entire mood lightening up. "I don't have a date,"
Jeongguk flinched a little at the burst of energy Hoseok seemed to get. He frowned, narrowing his brows. "Okay?"
"Okay, so go with me. Be my date to prom." Hoseok grinned, nudging the raven-haired teenager.
"You're really not gay, huh?" Jeongguk cocked a single brow, lips parted in confusion.
"And if I were, would you drop Taehyung for me?" Hoseok held a smug look, licking his bottom lip in an attempt to persuade the younger.
That's when Taehyung kicked Hoseok from under the table this time, making the aforementioned suck in a sharp breath. "Watch it, Seok."
ย ย ย "Anyway," Hoseok glared at Taehyung for a moment before returning to Jeongguk, still rubbing his leg. "I don't have a date to prom and me, Namjoon, Seokjin, and Yoongi were all going to just go together. But, why not bring you along? If anyone wonders, you're my plus one!"
". . . Prom isn't really my thing." Jeongguk commented.
"Sure it is!" Hoseok argued. "Namjoon will take Jimin and Jihyun's taking Taehyung. We'll all be there. Plus, don't you want to see your own boyfriend there at prom?"
Taehyung didn't really have any comments, he just watched the two converse about prom while he ate his lunch.
ย ย ย "Taehyung's not my boyfriend, we're just casually dating." Jeongguk spoke. There really was no point to his comment, just to correct more or less and an attempt to changing the subject.
"And fucking but sure," Hoseok rolled his eyes. "Seriously, come with me to prom. We'll have a great night and even slide over to the after party."
Jeongguk huffed, going to respond but before he could get any words out, Namjoon set his tray down and joined in on the party.
ย ย ย "Sup," he greeted, sharing a welcoming smile to all of them who forcibly โ besides Hoseok โ returned it. Hoseok's was real and he always seemed to be happy to see Namjoon.
ย ย ย "Namjoon, tell Jeongguk he should be my date to prom." Hoseok said, not bothering to wordily greet Namjoon, just rather get straight to it.
"Oh, yeah, that would be cool." Namjoon agreed, looking towards Jeongguk. "I'm taking Jimin with me." He shared.
Jeongguk opened his mouth to speak but just decided on shaking his head instead, not really knowing what to say.
ย ย ย Though it might've been pretty well concealed, Jeongguk was a little bummed Taehyung was going with Jihyun. He understood the reasoning and it's not like he was jealous of it, just would rather it be him and Taehyung going but they couldn't.
It was senior prom. Juniors couldn't go unless they were accommodated by a senior. Jihyun and Hoseok we're seniors so if the two wanted to go to prom together, technically this would be the only way. That or they waited until next year to go to their senior prom.
ย ย ย "Taehyung, you and Jihyun are still going, yeah?" Namjoon asked, mouth full of his lunch. No manners.
The aforementioned looked over, giving a slight nod. "Yeah, we're going together."
"Well, hopefully for that night you and Jeongguk can bite your tongues and enjoy yourselves." Namjoon spoke, completely unaware to everything that's happened between the two. Not even Hoseok with his big mouth spilled the beans to Namjoon.
That's when Jeongguk and Taehyung shared a look at one another, silently debating if they should loop Namjoon in on everything that's happened since they last spoke.
ย ย ย "What?" Namjoon frowned, feeling the sudden tension. "Did I miss something?"
"Um," Jeongguk rubbed the back of his neck. He didn't really care but it was a mutual thing and shouldn't be answered one-sided.
Jeongguk didn't even get time to provide an answer, not even a fake one. Taehyung spoke up to take lead in answering.
ย ย ย "Me and Jeongguk are friends." Taehyung shared, Namjoon's jaw dropping just a little bit at the sudden confession.
ย ย ย "Friends? Since when?" He questioned, his eyes a bit widened. He was baffled.
Taehyung look at Jeongguk then looked back at Namjoon, simply shrugging. "Well, his brother really likes me and we ended up spending more and more time together accidentally."
"Not to mention," Jeongguk butted in. "Hoseok set me and Taehyung up and never asked you or Jimin to check up on me."
Hoseok reddened and looked up, mid bite. "You guys know about that?" He asked, appearing to be a little frightened.
"Namjoon told me you never asked him to check up on me," Jeongguk admitted. "Then I told Taehyung one of the times he and my brother had their play date." He added on.
There was an awkward chuckle that came from Hoseok, his face still pretty pink and his eyes looking down. "Hah, yeah, well it worked, didn't it?"
"Supposedly." Taehyung rolled his eyes, pushing his tray a bit away from him. "Whatever now, we're friends."
"That's crazy. I don't think I would've ever imagined you two actually becoming friends." Said Namjoon, looking between the two. "I just thought Hoseok was delusional."
"He was and still is." Taehyung commented, side-eyeing Hoseok while brushing his hair back.
"Then totally," Namjoon spoke to Jeongguk. "You should totally go to prom with Hoseok. It'll be fun! All of us there having a good time together." He appeared pleased by all that he now knew.
Jeongguk and Taehyung silently agreed on telling Namjoon about their 'casual dating' once things are settled and/or confirmed. It'll just have to remain their little secret until they felt more comfortable sharing the details.
"So? What will it be?" Hoseok leaned over, giving Jeongguk his biggest, doe-iest, begging eyes, puffing his bottom lip out as he did so. "Pretty please, Jeongguk, won't you be my date to my senior prom? I only get one senior prom."
Jeongguk huffed, unable to hold back the sides of his lips curling upward. "Fine, whatever. I'll go with you to prom." He folded, knowing Hoseok would only beg endlessly if he declined.
"Perfect!" Exclaimed the eldest. "The theme is 'Starry Night'. I'll send you all the details and our color scheme."
Jeongguk blinked. "Do I get a say in anything?" He asked.
"Of course you do, just not a big one." Hoseok smiled innocently, fluttering his lashes at Jeongguk.
***
ย ย ย "You're awfully silent." Hoseok commented, sitting on Jeongguk's bed as he skimmed through the internet at suit ideas for the two. He was thinking just going simple and doing a black suit, maybe tying it in with some sort of gold or silver.
Jeongguk, on the other hand, was just sitting in his desk chair, staring off into nothingness. When Hoseok pointed out his silence, he just grunted as if that was enough to break the quietness he provided.
ย ย ย "What's wrong?" Hoseok stopped and looked over, Jeongguk meeting his gaze at the same time.
"Nothing, hyung." He replied but it wasn't very convincing. It was too quick and distant to be real. Jeongguk knew that.
"Oh, come on," Hoseok set his phone down, turning his whole body in Jeongguk's direction. "You know you can tell me."
"I don't know, I feel silly." Jeongguk sighed, lips turning down. "I'm just being dramatic."
Hoseok frowned, narrowing his brows slightly. "About what? I can't tell you if you really are unless you tell me." He scooted closer, tilting his head expectantly.
The younger hesitated, debating if he wanted to share his feelings or not. On the plus side, Hoseok would actually be able to tell him if he were just over exaggerating or not.
With that final thought, he figured if anyone was going to embarrass him for how he felt, let it be his hyung.
ย ย ย "I'm jealous." He shared honestly, eyes flicking downward to avoid Hoseok's reaction. He was almost ashamed to admit such a thing, like it was foreign to feel something like jealousy.
"About what? About who?"
"Taehyung going to prom with his ex-girlfriend."
"Oh," Hoseok hummed, biting at his bottom lip. There was a moment of silence while Hoseok configured what he should say next, not wanting to invalidate Jeongguk by any means necessary.
"Why though?" He asked. "Do you think he's going to just leave you for her?"
"He can't even leave me, we're not together." Jeongguk huffed, tossing his head back and looking up at his ceiling. "But, I don't know, just rather him not be there with his ex-girlfriend. We could've hung out instead."
"Sure but I don't think Taehyung's going to . . . Abandon you for her. Plus, you're going with me to prom so you'll be able to watch them." Hoseok mentioned, patting Jeongguk's thigh to assure him.
The younger just shook his head. "I sound creepy when you say it like that. I don't want to stalk his every move at prom, that'll just ruin both of our nights. I'm just being over dramatic." He concluded, figuring he was and that he had nothing to worry about.
"No, you're feelings are valid, Jeongguk. You caught feelings for Taehyung and it's okay to feel a little jealous." Hoseok reminded. "But, for the record, I don't think Taehyung would do that to you."
"What makes you say that?" Jeongguk looked back at the elder.
"Do you think he would?"
"No but I want to know why you think he wouldn't." Jeongguk retorted almost sourly, squinting a little bit. It's not that he doubted Hoseok or Taehyung, it was just the underlying thought of it all.
ย ย ย "Well, though Taehyung seems like an asshole, especially now after cheating on his girlfriend but then also attending prom with her, I just really don't see him doing that. Despite everything's he's done, he's not a bad person. He's stupid, yes, but he's not a bad person." Hoseok explained, defending Taehyung. "He panics, he gets ahead of himself, and hell, he lets his ego get the best of him but, he never intended to hurt her and I don't think he would intend to hurt you. Well . . . Now anyway. He's likes you now so it's different from before." He assured.
It almost sounded like gibberish to Jeongguk but there was something about the way Hoseok knew Taehyung and could confidently say that that had Jeongguk feeling a bit better.
ย ย ย "I know you two had your ups and downs and it's been severely rocky, but he wouldn't do that to you. I know he wouldn't."
The black-haired boy nodded, looking down at his lap. It felt like some weight of lifted off of his jealous-heavy mind. It was the type of reassurance he needed, especially coming from someone as honest as Hoseok.
ย ย ย "Okay? You alright?"
"Yeah. Thank you, hyung."
"No worries!" Hoseok grinned. "Now," he started. "Let's pick out what we're going to wear to prom. I want to look sexy, fierce, and like we're together. I want people to look at us and know we went together, you know?"
"Uh, sure," Jeongguk couldn't help his own smile, leaning forward. "You know, hyung, if you want to come out to me, you can. I won't judge you."
"It's not about coming out, it's about me being comfortable in my masculinity to not really give a fuck." Hoseok confirmed. "But trust me, anything changes and I'll hit you up."
Then the two laughed together, the atmosphere seeming more light and friendly than before compared to the moody sensation that was suffocating.
All Jeongguk really needed was to be reminded of Taehyung's character and if anyone was to back up the aforementioned, it would be Hoseok. The two were incredibly good friends and Hoseok knew who he was.
Next was just prom which was right around the corner.
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