Ninth
:Chapter Nine:

     "You better get your friend." Hoseok heard, turning to look over his shoulder at Jeongguk who caught up, walking beside Hoseok.

"What?"

"Cap, he better never lay his hands on me like that ever again." Jeongguk explained a bit. Hoseok huffed.

"You tell him that, I'm not involving myself in your guys' business, it isn't my job to deliver messages." Hoseok retorted firmly. "I'll be your guys friends but I don't want to be pulled into the drama, none of it at all."

"I was just saying and telling you to tell him but I get it, really." Jeongguk shrugged. "But guess what, I made a new friend." He smiled subconsciously, recalling the awfully funny incident that happened. He moved on from Cap, ready to share the news with Hoseok about Jimin.

After going over it in his head, he realized just how stupid it was. He was so worked over a dumb not-even-fight that he walked right in the middle of where the track runners were practicing at.

Sure they could've been at the track field but Jimin had told him the field had some issues so they had to practice elsewhere.

Jeongguk took full blame for getting in the way though.

"Really? That's something. I'm guessing it isn't Taehyung, not yet anyways." Hoseok hummed, seeing Jeongguk shake his head.

"He's in track, his name is Jimin."

"Oh, the short one?"

"He really isn't the short."

"Shorter than me, that's pretty short." Hoseok chuckled. "He's actually a really cool guy, funny, sweet, all of it." He added on.

"I know. I ran into him, well, he ran into me but it was totally my fault." Jeongguk shrugged. "I made him bite into his lip so I had to help him get it cleaned up."

The elder looked to his side, Jeongguk looking ahead with his eyes focused on where he was going. "He's quite a flirt but never acts on his words, just overall really friendly. He's just like that and no one should take his words seriously."

"You know from experience?" Jeongguk cocked a brow and matched Hoseok's gaze. "Are you gay or something?"

"No, no, I'm totally straight." Hoseok waved his hand. "I was just saying, he likes to play around. Kind of how me, you, and Taehyung were before you two decided to hate one another. He makes flirty jokes and sensual comments but he only does that when he's sure he's cool with whoever he's talking to. If he were actually interested in someone, his entire demeanor would change and he would be so flustered."

"Ah, okay. He's pretty straightforward too."

"That's also a thing he is but he's a kind person just in general and it's never in his intention to hurt his friends, not at all." Hoseok smiled. He and Jimin were good friends but they didn't talk much. They met when Hoseok thought he wanted to do track his sophomore year. He actually was considering not doing baseball just to do track but he couldn't quit the sport. He ended up quitting track but he left with a friend. Two, actually.

Jimin and Jihyun. Jihyun was and still is in track. They were close but not as close as Taehyung and Hoseok. Jihyun and Jimin had a pretty good relationship but they would never act romantically or sexually, they looked at one another as siblings.

It was kind of funny how things made a loop. Hoseok knew Taehyung and Jeongguk. Now, Jeongguk had a new friend, Jimin, and who does Jimin know? Jihyun. Who does Jihyun date? Taehyung. Funny, right? So, in Hoseok's eyes, this was fate telling the enemies they should be friends.

But Hoseok wasn't going to tell them that, he was going to let them figure that out on their own. Like he told Jeongguk, he wasn't getting mixed in their drama. It was so childish and stupid so who was he to get into it? Exactly.

"I believe you, he seemed kind when I talked to him but now I have someone to sit with at lunch. I don't have to sit with you, Namjoon, and Cap." Jeongguk smiled, feeling accomplished that he could make his own friends even though it took him two weeks.

He knew people, like his teammates, but some of them were freshmen, sophomore, or seniors who Jeongguk had no classes with. Some grades collided and had certain classes together. A prime example was Hoseok and Kim. One was a junior and the other was senior but electives could mix grades therefore they had a class or two together.

Jeongguk wasn't sure how many classes but he knew one for sure because of that one day he ended up on the wrong side of the school and walked into their class.

He was getting sidetracked. The point was he had not too many friends or a lot of classes with his teammates. The only teammates he had a classes with was Hoseok and Kim.

Lunch with Kim and Hoseok and then gym with just Kim.

"Wow, just going to drop us like that, huh?" Hoseok wiped fake tears. "Used us and then just decided to leave like that? Trader!"

Jeongguk playfully hit his arm. "Hyung, you could always just come sit with with me and Jimin, one time wouldn't hurt and I'm sure your friend would understand you not wanting to sit by him. I wouldn't blame you."

"Easy for you to say, you don't like him, you don't want to sit by him." Hoseok rolled his eyes, shaking his head in amusement. "But, for you, I'll consider taking a visit over but not for the whole period. I don't want to hear Taehyung scold me for choosing to sit with you. For some reason, neither one of you think to remember I'm both of your friends." He chuckled. "But yeah, I'll see you at lunch later."

Jeongguk nodded and waved him off, turning down a separate hallway to get to his first period. It alternated who he walked with. Or, well, who he saw first. Some days it was with Namjoon and other days, like today, it was with Hoseok.

Sometimes, Kim would be by Hoseok so he chose not to walk with him for obvious reasons.

***

     Jeongguk grabbed his lunch and looked around the lunchroom. Usually he went to where Hoseok and Namjoon sat but this time, he was looking for his new friend. It was about time he got some friends that didn't know Taehyung.

Once his eyes caught sight of Jimin, a smile spread over his features and he walked over to the pretty empty table. The said table only consisted of three people, one of them being Jimin.

He set his tray down, taking a seat. "Hope you don't mind me sitting here." He spoke.

The other two boys who Jeongguk didn't know looked at each other then at Jeongguk. One of them had jet-black hair while the other had dirty blond hair with dark roots, similar to Namjoon's but darker.

Jimin smiled. "Jeongguk! I didn't know you had this lunch period or I would've personally invited you, silly." He spoke, directing his attention to the other two. "Seokjin and Yoongi hyung, this is the new friend I told you about, Jeongguk! He plays baseball with Hoseok hyung!"

The said two hyungs nodded in sync and gave small smiles. The one with the jet-black hair had very plump lips and was very handsome, hair looking so smooth and incredibly soft. "I'm Seokjin, I'm a senior."

"I'm Yoongi, also a senior." The other said, looking down and taking a bite out of his chicken bites mixed with brown rice. He didn't look to be much of a talker but it was nice of him to even introduce himself.

"I'm a junior. And, Yoongi hyung, are you the one that plays basketball? I was interested in playing next year when the season came along." Jeongguk wanted to at least seem kind and like a good friend.

Yoongi looked back up, chewing his food before he nodded. "Yeah but I'll be gone before you play with me. I'll go to a game though just to see the team after I graduate."

"Cool, really." Jeongguk said. "Do you play any sports, Seokjin hyung?" The youngest out of the group liked being respectful — depending on the person, obviously. That's why he tried to remain kind and use 'hyung' when referring to the ones older than he was.

"Jeongguk, was it? Okay, take a good look at this handsome face and you tell me if it's really sport-worthy." He snickered. "I'm just playing, but no. I'm in drama club though."

"With Namjoon?"

"Yeah, with Namjoon. Actually surprised you know who he is." Seokjin replied, taking a bite out of his own food.

"Nah, he showed me around with Hoseok hyung, they're the first people I met. I'm still pretty new here." Jeongguk answered. "He told me a bit about it but never mentioned the members."

"Of course he didn't, only he wouldn't mention us." The eldest shook his head in disapproval.

Before the conversation could go any further, Hoseok came over. He decided not to sit since he didn't want to stay here too long.

"Sup, guys." He greeted, looking Jimin direction and winking at him. "Hey, daddy."

Jimin laughed, not expecting the nickname. "I'm daddy now? That's new coming from you, sexy." He teased back. It was more than obvious it was just playful talk and there was nothing, even if Jeongguk didn't know about Jimin's overly friendly personality, he would've guessed it was all fun and games regardless.

"Of course you are, you know you are." Hoseok blew him a kiss this time, Jimin and Hoseok sharing more laughs.

"Hoseok hyung, you sure you're not the flirty one?" Jeongguk questioned, chuckling a bit.

"Did I only say Jimin? I meant both of us really." Hoseok patted Jimin's shoulder. "But hey, Yoongs and Jin, haven't seen you guys recently. Any of you plan on attending any of our baseball games this season or are you all 'busy'?"

Yoongi rolled his eyes. "I always come to your games, don't do that." He then settled with a small smile. "But yes, I'll see go to your games."

Seokjin spoke after Yoongi. "I'll try. You know I'm actually busy with graduation coming up and helping plan prom this year."

"I'll for sure go! Especially since now two of my friends play! That, and Jihyun's boyfriend. She plans on dragging me there anyways so I don't have a choice." Jimin beamed.

"She tell you what position he got, speaking of Jihyun?" Hoseok wondered, a smirk on his lips as he waited for Jeongguk to make the realization. He didn't know when he got joy out of making Taehyung and Jeongguk suffer like this but he was enjoying it thoroughly.

"No, we didn't talk yet, she was busy this morning, what position did he get?" Jimin asked. He wasn't too interested in baseball nor did he know that much about it but he didn't mind holding conversation about the said sport.

"He got first base again." And as if on cue, Jeongguk choked on the bite he just took, turning his head to not cough all over the people at the table.

"Damn, Jeongguk, learn to eat right." Said Seokjin, clueless.

The mentioned teenager hit his chest a bit, dismissing the concerned looks. "S-Sorry, just didn't expect it to go down the wrong pipe like that." He claimed, looking up at Hoseok who was laughing.

"Anyways," Jimin also laughed at Jeongguk's sudden coughing fit but only because he thought it was funny. "Poor Taehyung, didn't he want pitcher? That's what Jihyun said I think."

"I'm the pitcher." Jeongguk said, clearing his throat. "I was a lot better than he was."

"Okay, okay, that's enough, Jeongguk." Hoseok snickered, shaking his head. "I'm going to head back over now but you guys do you." He pointed finger guns, his smile never leaving his face. "I'll be sure to tell Taehyung you miss him, Jeongguk, I know how strong your guys bond is."

The younger glared at the brunet, a clear look of annoyance playing on his features. He wasn't impressed with the joke, nor did he find it very funny.

__________
A/N:

1. I don't really like this chapter :( sorry, guys.
2. Seokjin and Yoongi! Finally!
3. When do you think Taekook will finally becomes friends?