♡ 태꾹︴clouds
내 사랑 . . . where my mind lives ♡ *.ﾟ⋆
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the bell had rang and the halls filled with bodies trying to escape. there were cheers or freedom and shouts of plans to go out later tonight, despite being a monday. school nights never stopped them from pretending like they didnt have responsibilities the next day. taehyung pulled out the keys to his truck, already prepared to get in and go as quickly as he could.

it was woosung that scared him by throwing his arm around the quarterbacks shoulders. "hey man, whats the rush." he asked, "dont want to keep mirae waiting and getting bored." it was a joke, but it also earned him an elbow to the ribs.

"dont you have a bus to get on." taehyung said. he threw his backpack through the open passenger door of his truck.

woosung shrugged and leaned on the open window, watching his friend walk around the front of it to get into the drivers seat. "it won't leave, not when its gotta wait for the kids walking over from the library." he said it with a shrug.

taehyung put the keys in the ignition, but he didnt start it yet. his friend had his arms resting on the open window, looking inside with a thoughtful expression. the library was across the small courtyard from the bus loop. students had ten minutes to go to the library after the bell rang to pick up books on hold or to return ones overdue. woosung remembers how annoyed he first was learning this, considering he'd sit and wait in his bus seat and watch the dorks scurrying across the courtyard with bags full of books not even necessary for classes.

it sparked a memory, one kid in particular that always seemed to have his arms full and eyes glued to the pages as the bus bumped along on the dirt roads.

"hey i was wondering why you talked to the kid at lunch." woosung asked the quarterback. it was that same dork with the library books.

taehyung looked up and rose an eyebrow. there were a lot of people he talked to in a day, but for some reason this time he felt like he knew exactly who his friend was referring to.

"you know, the squirrelly lookin one that kinda dresses like a small elderly man." woosung tried his best to explain. "sketchers and stuff." he could help the chuckle that escaped after he said that.

"jungkook." taehyung said his name, frowning a bit at his friends description of the small boy.

woosung waved it off, "yeah him, why were talking to him." he said it as if there was something taehyung didnt know, like there was a real reason why he shouldnt be speaking to the ravenette.

"dont let anyone see you talking to him, the kids a fucking creep. thats why he sits alone." woosung made a face, which was odd coming from someone typically acting so foolish and carefree for most of the day. there were very few things that could make woosung care enough to actually feel some type of way about it.

taehyung held onto the steering wheel and stared at the other male, the silence making his annoyance obvious. "get your arms off my truck." he said.

"dude what did i even-" he never got the chance to finish his sentence, not when taehyung stepped on the gas and hoped woosung was smart enough to move his feet from getting crushed.

normally it would be easier to head straight to mirae's house from school, save time and gas between trips by making a single one instead. except this time taehyung wanted to go home and shower first. even though he did in the locker rooms, that never made him or anyone else feel fully clean afterwards.

taehyung wasnt going to waste much time, not when he could be over at that house already. the route was etched into his mind as he drove, remembering the ways until he was pulling over on the side of the road infront of miraes house. her red car was in the same spot as usual, parked perfectly without a speck of dust on it, despite the numerous dirt roads in this town.

he shoved his keys into the front pocket of his jeans, making sure to bring his backpack. he still wasnt entirely sure if they'd actually be getting any homework done or not, so he decided to bring it anyways. his dirty sneakers walked along the pressure washed path up to the door, looking even darker against the cleaned concrete.

the door opened seconds after taehyung knocked, like mirae had been waiting patiently for his arrival. "hey taehyung." the cheerleader smiled and invited him inside, stepping to the side for him to enter.

"whats up." taehyung said.

they walked in passed the kitchen, mirae leading the way and taehyung following while holding onto his backpack strap with one hand. there were books stacked neatly on the kitchen table, a few pencils and pens laying ontop of a notebook too. taehyung saw mirae pull out one of the chairs and sit down, smiling up at the football player and waving him over.

taehyung chuckled softly and followed, taking the seat beside the girl. he set his backpack on the floor beside his chair, unzipping the top to take out his own things.

at the same time there was a soft click of a door opening, the squeak of the hinges and soon even softer steps coming from the hall.

taehyung was less surprised this time to see the boy coming into the kitchen, small cotton shorts covering thin legs and a baggy shirt over his torso. jungkook was sipping on a straw shoved into a diet coke can, oblivious to anything around him as he went for an orange sitting on the counter. it was the pencil rolling off the table and clattering to the tiled floor that had the small boy looking up through fluffy bangs with big eyes.

"oh." a single syllable leaving baby pink lips. "hi taehyung, mirae." jungkook said.

"hey." taehyung said, a warm smile showing on his lips. the same couldnt be said for the sister, not as she eyed her little brother warily, seeing the way he got his small snack and went to get comfortable on the couch. jungkook turned on the television and sipped his drink, looking for the same show he watched after school every day.

mirae tapped her pen on the paper in front of her, chewing on her bottom lip for a second before speaking up. "hey jungkook," she got the boys attention, even the one sitting beside her, "we're going to be studying so maybe you want to wait to watch until later on?" she said to him.

jungkook rose an eyebrow. he couldnt help but glance over at the quarterback, seeing how the handsome male was now looking at the girl too. "its okay-" taehyung tried to say.

"its loud." mirae said. "and you shouldnt watch that right now." it was how she said it, and the way she stared at her brother as the theme song to the show started with its pretty notes and dainty song. taehyung wondered what the boy could possibly be watching, considering it didnt sound familiar and wasn't any of the after school games or news.

jungkook was looking back at his sister too, neither of them were saying anything out loud, but taehyung felt like there was a whole conversation there. he could see the way the little ravenette swallowed hard, looking down at his lap and reaching for the remote to turn off the television, cutting off the song.

he didn't say anything else, not as he stood and left his orange untouched on the coffee table. jungkook walked back to his room, only glancing at the football player for a moment before looking away just as quick.

taehyung wanted to say something, to say it was okay and it didnt matter what jungkook wanted to watch. he never got the chance, not as mirae started to talk again, more cheery this time with the usual smile on her lips. he couldnt say anything either when his mind was talking to loud, wanting to remind him about what woosung said. it made no sense, to call someone so quiet and closed off a creep or anything negative at all. taehyung didnt understand how someone so kept to themselves could possibly have such a stigma to them.

taehyung didnt see it, and he didnt understand it ⏤ and it wouldnt stop him. there was something there, a curiousness that came when seeing the little ravenette. taehyung wanted to know more, and he'd make sure he'd find out more about the boy.

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