His next attempt that Tuesday takes place, as the first did, at the lockers. But this time it seems Jimin is more on guard. He notices Jeongguk approaching and makes an even quicker escape, sweeping his books into his arms and shutting his locker door before the other boy can open his mouth.

For having short legs, Jeongguk thinks, hoodie boy sure can move fast.

"Should start calling you Wile E. Coyote," Taehyung teases him after witnessing the sad scene. "Roadrunner always gets away."

"Tae, it's not funny," Jeongguk sighs, pouting as he watches Jimin disappear around the corner. "He actually seems like he's avoiding me."

"Probs 'cus you threatened to kiss him, Guk-"

"Tae, I told you I didn't." 

"Alright, alright, let's not get feisty now." Taehyung holds up steadying hands. "Maybe there's a reason. Maybe you did something else."

"I haven't," Jeongguk protests. "I haven't done anything to him, I don't think I've ever spoke to him before this morning. Do you...think he doesn't like people commenting on his hoodies or something?"

"Dunno. You should ask him."

"...him not speaking to me is the whole problem, Tae."

"Oh, right." Taehyung chuckles at his own moment of stupidity, then gives his friend's arm an encouraging pat. "You'll figure it out. Ooh, wait, I've got an idea."

"Probably a bad one," Jeongguk says before he can continue.

"What about asking Hoseok?"

"See, that's-..."

It's never an easy thing to process when Taehyung makes a reasonable suggestion. Jeongguk has to stare at him for a minute.

"...not a bad idea after all."

A smile lights up Jeongguk's face as he pats his friend's head gently. Taehyung purses his lips and returns the smile - but it's an absentminded smile, because at that moment Hoseok, once again, passes by them in the hall.

Jeongguk waves his hand in front of the boy's face but goes unnoticed.

"Unbelievable. You're stupid, deaf, and blind."

"I'm not deaf."

Despite his half-serious insult, Jeongguk genuinely agrees with Taehyung that it sounds like a good idea. Hoseok is much more talkative and open when it comes to other people, even if they aren't necessarily friends, so in comparison with Jimin, there's a higher chance of Hoseok being responsive.

That being said, Jeongguk takes his chance. Speed-walking down the hall, he takes off after Hoseok as quickly as he can without it seeming like he's chasing after someone. He catches the boy right as Hoseok begins to head towards the bathroom.

"Hoseok, hey."

The mentioning of his name stops him right in front of the door. Turning around and seeing Jeongguk, Hoseok smiles politely and gives a small wave. "Hey, Jeongguk. What's up?"

Crap, how do I word this without being obvious? "So you know Jimin, right?"

"My best friend?" Hoseok giggles, scanning the other's face in amusement. "Yeah, I think I know him. Why?"

"Oh, uh, just wondering..." Jeongguk pauses. His awkward expression almost brings Hoseok to laugh again. "Do you, uh...know if he, like, hates me or something?"

"Hates you?"

"Yeah."

The amusement doubled as well as the confusion. "Why are you asking?"

"Oh, well, I don't know." Jeongguk forces a laugh of his own as he rubs the back of his neck. "He doesn't seem interested in talking to me, I guess? Well, more like, he's been avoiding me since this morning. So I was just wondering if you knew. You know, if he hated me."

"I mean, maybe." Hoseok can't help but grin, clearly finding the whole thing hilarious for some reason. Jeongguk's eyes grow wide in surprise.

"Maybe??"

"Yeah. I dunno." Chuckling again, Hoseok places his hand on the bathroom door and pushes it open, then walks inside without another word. Jeongguk is left stranded again.

"Man, Sunshine really hit you with that 'maybe'."

"Taehyung, how are you literally always here?"

The boy in question, now standing a mere two feet away from his friend, gives an innocent shrug. "You were following Hoseok. What was I supposed to do, stay by my locker?"

"Yes," Jeongguk deadpans.

This plan of Taehyung's did not go as he planned.

But he doesn't intend on giving up. No, that isn't the Jeon Jeongguk way. The Jeon Jeongguk way is more valiant, more noble and respectable, he likes to think. The complete opposite of the Kim Taehyung way, which is more similar to a "we'll see what happens" kind of viewpoint.

With his stubborn motivation clouding his mind, Jeongguk decides to give it another go. After all, third time's the charm, as the saying goes. Or whatever number the next attempt happens to be.

Two approaches at the lockers failed, but there are places that aren't quite as easy to make mad dashes. At least Jeongguk hopes so.

His next idea is home economics class. Typically, in home economics, there are no assigned seats, students often switching tables daily, meaning Jeongguk has a better chance of speaking to Jimin without having to pass notes and watch dishearteningly as they're crumpled and trashed. Of course, he knows it's not guaranteed Jimin will speak, anyway, but he's willing to try.

Home economics. Jeongguk arrives to the classroom early, eyes peeled for the hoodie-wearing boy who he expects to enter with Hoseok - but then he recalls Hoseok doesn't have home economics class with them. Even better.

So Jimin enters the room by himself. He spots Jeongguk almost immediately, ducks his head, then scurries over to the table farthest from where that boy happens to be standing. Jeongguk moves to that same table.

And to Jimin's dismay, their teacher enters the room at that moment, and he has no choice but to stay.

At this table. Next to Jeongguk.

"Jimin. Hi."

He tenses at the greeting. Jeongguk's gaze washes over him in concern.

"Are you not feeling well today?" He whispers. "You've been acting off. At least around me. Did I do something?"

"No," Jimin whispers back, a somewhat biting tone attached to the word. "You didn't do anything. Just don't talk to me."

What? "W-why not?"

"Everyone will stare."

"We're just talking," Jeongguk says with a pout. Jimin's not looking at him. "Nothing wrong with talking, is there?"

"Everything's wrong with it." An anxious glance is thrown at the economics teacher, currently addressing the students about something neither of the boys can focus on. Jimin tries. Jeongguk, on the other hand, isn't even pretending to.

"But you talk with Hoseok."

"That's 'cus Hoseok is Hoseok."

"...and I'm-?"

"You're Jeongguk." The hoodie-wearing boy sounds even more frustrated now. "No one's gonna care if I talk to Hobi, I always talk to Hobi, not you. You draw attention..." He bites the inside of his cheeks. It's clear he feels uneasy. "I don't want the attention..."

It makes a little sense to Jeongguk now. Still, he feels the need to ask, "Is that it?"

Jimin finally looks his way, but for a mere second. "Yeah, but you're starting to annoy me, too."

The honesty cuts deep, but luckily Jeongguk has thick skin. Even still he chooses not to bother Jimin for the rest of the class - rest of the day, too, but his efforts don't stop there.

New approach, new approach.

Taking Jimin's words to heart, Jeongguk comes in the next day with yet another plan. If Jimin says he draws attention, then he'll do the exact opposite. At least he'll try.

He wears a plain grey sweatshirt into school with the hood pulled completely over his head. Not only that, but a sickness mask that covers his mouth and nose, so only the boy's eyes and the tips of his bangs are visible.

He doesn't approach Jimin at the lockers or in home economics. This time, he goes for their lunch break.

As subtly as he can Jeongguk makes his way over to the table in the cafeteria where only Jimin and Hoseok are seated. It's a small table, but there's enough room for him to sit, so he takes his chance and claims the empty spot beside Hoseok. Not a word falls from his mouth.

Tragically Jeongguk's attempt at a "full-proof" disguise ends in utter failure, as it's pretty obvious who's hiding under the mask, especially to the two other boys at the table.

Hoseok struggles to contain his laughter and pulls the hood back off Jeongguk's head.

"See?" Jimin gestures at the boy, brow furrowed. "He's becoming a stalker now."

The harsh accusation urges Jeongguk to defend himself. "I'm...not a stalker," he mumbles from behind his mask. "I'm...friendly neighborhood...Mr. Koo..."

Hoseok can't help himself now. Holding his sides, he smiles so wide his cheeks begin to hurt, food falling from the edges of his mouth which he finds difficult to keep closed at this point. "With all due respect, Jeongguk-" Hoseok stops himself after almost choking on his food. "-sorry, Mr. Koo, why is it you wanna sit here, of all places? You've got a million friends. Where's Taehyung? Aren't you guys besties, or something?"

"He's, uhh..." Jeongguk looks down at his hands. "Absent. He's absent."

"But I literally see him standing over there by the vending machine."

He fears for his life. Deciding to play it off to avoid an awkward discussion, Jeongguk raises his head abruptly, peers across the cafeteria, then breaks out in the biggest "surprised" smile as he begins to stand up from his seat. "Oh, hey, Tae!"

Again, not how he intended his plan to go, but he doesn't let it discourage him.

"Tae, dude." He slaps his friend on the back right after stepping up to the vending machine. As a result, Taehyung drops the soda he just picked up on the floor, where he watches in horror as it fizzes up to the cap.

There's no hesitation.

"Buy me a new soda, right now, or we're having a one on one death match right here in the cafeteria."

His menacing tone of voice is deliberately ignored by the other. "Just open it over a trash can or sink," Jeongguk says in a dismissive manner. "It's soda. Inside a bottle. You've literally slurped up spilled soda off your kitchen floor with a bendy straw. I watched you. Anyway, I've got good news and bad news."

"The good news better be that you're buying me another Coca Cola Cherry."

"It's not." Jeongguk rolls his eyes at Taehyung, then leans over to pick up the soda bottle and place it in the boy's hands. "Okay, good news, I got out of a potentially awkward situation just now thanks to you, bad news, I'm at a loss of what to do next."

It takes a while, but after some time Taehyung eventually lets go of his anger by exhaling long enough to fill a balloon in one breath. "Okay," he says. "I'm assuming you're talking about hoodie boy."

"Jimin, Tae."

"Yeah, him." Tae draws in another breath, his eyes traveling across the cafeteria till they come across Hoseok's and Jimin's table. "Hoseok's wearing a new cardigan, I see. Button-ups work so well on him. Mm."

"Jimin, Tae," Jeongguk says again, more emphatically this time. "Hoseok's the easiest person in the school to talk to, Jimin's the issue here. Yesterday, he said he doesn't wanna talk 'cus I draw too much attention? Or something like that."

"Hmm...have you tried wearing a disguise?"

"Mr. Koo didn't work this time."

"Dang. It worked so well on your uncle." Taehyung clicks his tongue against his teeth while shaking his head. "I got nothing, pal."

Distracted by the conversation, Tae starts to unscrew the cap of his soda.

The drink overflows and drenches his hand.

"...death match."

"Not now, Tae..."

—