- 🌹 -

By now, Taehyung had already gotten used to waking up in a different body.  This time, as he wished, he was in the body of Hoseok.

If Taehyung calculated correctly, today should be the day their class received their test scores for math.  Hence, it was his chance to make Jungkook feel better again.

As soon as Taehyung stepped into class, he noticed several glances at him, which was strange.

"Hoseok?  You okay, man?" one of Hoseok's friends asked.

"Yeah?  What's wrong, y'alls?" Taehyung raised his eyebrows casually, though internally freaking out.  Did Taehyung style his hair wrong?  Did he forget to say some funny catchphrase when he entered the classroom?  Darn it... I should have asked for sprite or hamburgers to show off my English skills (though those are the only two words he knew in English...).

"No, it's just.  You seem a little different than usual.  You look... sad."

Taehyung blinked, realizing that he was keeping a worried face on since he was thinking of ways to attract Jungkook.  He did so without noticing the fact that Hoseok doesn't usually show his worried face, he just kept a smile the whole time.  Now that Taehyung thought about it... Hoseok kind of has to pretend to be happy all the time it seems.

"Bruh, did you actually think I was sad?  Totally fooled you guys!" Taehyung faked, trying to imitate Hoseok's tone.  Immediately, the boys went back into laughing around.

While sharing jokes to the gang, which Taehyung easily brought up one by one like he's been doing it for years,  he realized another problem as a familiar face stepped in the classroom.

Yoongi.

Catching the glance of the raven-haired, Taehyung politely waved at him while showing expressing Hoseok's signature smile with his lips in shape of a heart.  Yoongi flashed the smallest smile while raising his hand effortlessly to greet him.  In the split of a second, his smile disappeared quickly and he was back to his cold and introverted self.  Wow, talk about being cool, this guy takes it to a whole new level.

Taehyung decided that it was a good thing Yoongi wasn't the clingy type like Jin.  Hence, it would be better to take care of "Hoseok's promposal issue" another time.  The older shifted his focus to Jungkook, who was sitting alone once again from the absence of Taehyung.  His head was leaning on the table as he scrolled through his phone.  At the same time, Jungkook's foot was tapping on the floor as if he was nervous.  Taehyung understood what he was feeling, knowing that he had done poorly in the math test.

Eventually, class started and as Taehyung predicted, it was time the teacher handed out their math scores.  

"Kim Namjoon."

Without a response, Namjoon went up to the room to pick up his paper.  Taehyung took a peek and, as usual, he got a 100%.  Namjoon's face scrunched up in confusion.  "Wait... why don't I remember taking this test..." he mumbled to himself, which Taehyung overheard.  Taehyung swallowed, hoping that Namjoon would just shrug and forget about it.

Fortunately, luck was on Taehyung's side as someone tapped Namjoon's shoulder, passing him a note that was obviously from Jin.  Namjoon unfolded the note and smiled.  Although Taehyung wasn't close enough to see what the tiny letter wrote, he was sure Jin was saying sweet things to him in private.  At the same time, Taehyung was thankful Jin distracted the boy.

"Kim Taehyung."  The teacher called out the name based on the students' last names, so Taehyung was next.

"H-" Taehyung stopped himself.  SHIT.  I'm not Taehyung... I'm Hoseok.

 It was too late, the class was already staring at him, who was halfway up his seat.

"H-he probably overslept again, am I right?" Taehyung continued, trying his best to sound like he was trying to be funny.  

His friend added, "Lmao, for like... three days though?"

Hoseok mentally thanked his friend from hyping up his joke.  "Yeah, I mean that's longer than sleeping beauty, man.  And sleeping beauty was asleep like through half of the entire movie.  Taehyung was asleep for like... his entire life!"

Taehyung sensed a few girls giggling behind their textbooks and a couple of guys who snickered or tried their best from laughing.  Even the teacher, who lowkey agreed, was chuckling a little.  Taehyung couldn't believe that he had just made a joke about himself in front of the whole class... talk about the irony!

The teacher then cleared her throat.  "Alright, that's enough now everyone.  I'm sure Taehyung has his reasons for not showing up at school."  Taehyung winced a little at that, knowing that the only reason he had been sacrificing his school time and skipping school was to eventually experience being loved by Jungkook.  Even if he wasn't in his own body, Taehyung just wanted Jungkook to look at him with those loving doe-like round eyes.  And those adorable pink lips that went with his eyes like-

"Jung Hoseok."

Taehyung nearly fell off his chair as he shot right up his seat.  Again, several classmates giggled as Taehyung gave an embarrassed smile, sprinting up to get his paper.

"Jeon Jungkook."

Jungkook, hesitated before going up the room, his head hanging low.  The teacher eyed him carefully as he approached.

"Jungkook, don't let yourself down by this, okay?  See me if you need any help." The teacher comforted, handing the boy his paper.  The boy nodded in response, barely looking at the teacher.

Taehyung could hear the whispers of other students that he was sure were about Jungkook.  The older closed his eyes, wanting so badly to shut them up.  He then turned to check on Jungkook, realizing his face slightly red from embarrassment and depression.

As soon as the bell rang, Taehyung approached the boy.  Though, midway, he felt a tap on his shoulder.

"Hobi." Yoongi said, keeping his voice as low as possible.

"Yoongi?  What's up!" Taehyung forced the brightest smile he could ever pull.

The older hesitated, looking around.  "Not here... come with me."

Taehyung internally cursed as he glanced at Jungkook, who was slumping over his desk.  He was supposed to cheer Jungkook up.... but it was also probably Hoseok's only chance to receive the answer from Yoongi.  "Alright.  Where we goin'?"

Without any word, the raven-haired walked out of the classroom as Taehyung followed closely.  The older continued, walking out of the school doors, which started to concern Taehyung a little.  "Wait a minute, Yoongi... is this okay?  We're literally outside of school."

"It's fine, nobody gives a shit anyways," Yoongi replied curtly without eyeing Taehyung.

The two boys circled around the school to the parking lot, where Yoongi could then make sure no one was eavesdropping.

"Seriously, Yoongs?  Did we have to go all this way for you to tell me-"

"Yes."  Yoongi cut him, finally meeting his eyes before continuing,  "and, yes.  I really do want to go to the prom with you, Hoseok."  A cute gummy smile spread from Yoongi's lips as he rustled Taehyung's hair.  Taehyung nearly choked himself as he saw what seems to be Yoongi's cheek's blushing slightly.

Taehyung was out of words... not knowing what to say.  He has honestly never seen Yoongi like that, revealing his soft side with that sweet smile.  It was weird seeing him that way, but in the perspective of Hoseok... geez Hoseok must be whipped.  Before Taehyung could say anything else, the older hurriedly walked back to school.  

"UH.... WAIT, YOONGI HYUNG!"  Taehyung rushed to catch up with the older.  Yoongi briefly looked back, a smirk playing on his lips.  "Don't make me repeat what I just said, okay."

"O-okay.  It's just that... I- I don't know... I've never seen this side of you."

"Yeah, I get it.  I'm cool and shit, people expect that from me."  Yoongi shrugged, stuffing his hands in his pockets as if nothing happened.

"You don't have to... be that way... you know?"  Taehyung suggested.

Yoongi stopped walking, looking back at Taehyung.  "You know...  you tell me these things but you don't realize you're doing it too."

"Doing what?"  Taehyung felt something at his throat, confused.

"Live through other people's expectations."  Yoongi looked around in hesitation before continuing.  "You smile every single day because people know and expect you to be funny and goofing around all the time... even when you're not even fuckin' happy."  The older then shifted his glance to Taehyung, showing a glint in his eyes.  "You think I don't realize that?"

At this point, Taehyung didn't know what to reply.  It was true, what Yoongi said.  There was never a time where Hoseok expressed his true feelings to anyone, even with his own friends.  It was always masked behind a happy smile or covered with a silly joke.

Yoongi smirked at the boy who was lost for words.  "So, Mr. J-Dope.  You should be the one to know what it's like for me to act a certain in front of my buddies.  There's... nothing we can do about it.  We just gotta pretend to be someone else we're not."

A suffocating feeling was in Taehyung's chest as he replied, "No.  You're wrong.  We can change our behaviors... we don't have to act that way people want us to.  We should open up and be ourselves, hyung."

Yoongi chuckled, his eyes looking as though pitying for Taehyung's sense of false hope.  "You're a good person, Hobi.  But life just isn't that easy."  The older cooly waved his hand goodbye as he entered school, leaving Taehyung behind in the middle of his thoughts.

- 🌹 -

By the time Taehyung got back, he noticed the empty seat where Jungkook should be.  Strange... Jungkook was always on his seat during break unless he had to go pee.

Hence, Taehyung waited for the boy to come back, pacing back and forth.  Though, ten minutes later, the boy still hasn't shown up.  Worried, he decided to check on the boy by visiting the bathroom.

By the time he got there, a crowd of students were swarming in the men's bathroom, trailing til the outside.  Pushing past the students, Taehyung finally made it to the front to see what the commotion was.  He felt his skin crawl as he realized that his beloved Jungkook was in the center of it.

In front of Jungkook, was Yoongi who seems to be protecting him from Seungjae.  Taehyung's throat tightened, knowing that Seungjae was the class bully.

"Bruh, chill.  Everyone knows his math sucks anyways.  Even the teacher is feeling bad him." Seungjae mocked, letting out a cynical laugh.

Yoongi calmy responded with a smirk playing on his lips.  "Dick move, Seungjae.  Shit talking someone who has more talent that you'll ever have."

The crowd went wild at Yoongi's savage burn.  Even Taehyung had to admit, it was pretty brutal and even Seungjae flinched a little by the comment.

The peals of laughter from the students were suddenly silenced when Seungjae pulled Yoongi by his shirt, his other hand with his fist clenched. "Fuck you, Yoongi.  Imma beat you till you know who not to mess with."

Taehyung swallowed, knowing that there's no way Yoongi can defeat Seungjae's punches as he was way tougher than him.  In fact, Seungjae had been training and his body structure is buffer than Yoongi's.

Despite the warning, Yoongi still kept a smug smile.  "Do it, dickhead.  There are around twenty or so phones filming us right now.  You punch me, the principal gets involved, the evidence is right there, and you get in trouble.  Either way, Jae, you lose."

The students wooed in agreement.  Jungkook, who was hiding behind Yoongi, looked at him in admiration.  Yoongi was right.  Once Seungjae starts the violence, he was the one getting in trouble, and all Yoongi would lose is a black eye or so.  Seungjae, on the other hand, would perhaps get kicked out of school due to his many violent records in the past.

Seungjae cursed, dropping Yoongi to the floor and walked off.  "Whatever.  You're not even worth fighting with anyways."

The crowd cleared once the "fight" was over, and Taehyung could still hear students murmuring in admiration of Yoongi.  Taehyung hurriedly rushed over to the boy.  "Kookie!  You okay?"

Jungkook, who's eyes were still red from crying earlier nodded his head.  "Yeah.  I didn't take his words seriously," the boy assured Taehyung.  Though, Taehyung knew that it wasn't true.

Taehyung shifted his glance to look for Yoongi, which he found standing in a distance looking at them.  Yoongi, who caught Taehyung glancing at him, quickly looked somewhere else.

"Hoseok hyung.  You're very lucky." Taehyung heard Jungkook's soft voice said.

"Why am I lucky?"

"Cause your prom date is the most badass, coolest person ever."

Taehyung watched Jungkook stare at the raven-haired, who walked off without saying a single word.  At that moment, Taehyung realized... Jungkook perhaps had a crush on Yoongi all this time.

Then I guess I'll try again. Taehyung thought in his head.

- 🌹 -