Jeongguk doesn't want to get discouraged. But he also really doesn't want to get Jimin to hate him, either - that is, going on the optimistic assumption that he doesn't hate him already.

That being said, he decides to wait a bit before his next attempt and even considers Taehyung's 'we'll see what happens' outlook may not be the worst idea. The main issue with that is that Jeongguk has his doubts anything will happen if he doesn't take the initiative in one way or another.

Jimin dresses cute, that's all. Jeongguk just wants to talk to him.

It's Thursday now and Jeongguk sees him in the hallway again. This time, however, he doesn't continue to look directly at Jimin after the first glance, but rather turns his head away, hoping the boy will gather that Jeongguk doesn't plan to come up to him - wants to, but doesn't.

It's disheartening watching the hoodie boy hurry away. At least this time, Jeongguk thinks, it seems less frantic.

He wracks his brain for ideas while retrieving his things from his locker.

"No luck with hoodie boy?" Taehyung suddenly says from behind him, popping an Oreo into his mouth. Jeongguk shakes his head sadly.

"No. I'm open for more genius plans of yours if you've got any," he says as he closes his locker.

Taehyung's gaze drifts to the ceiling, seemingly in thought, but Jeongguk can never really tell. One time he asked Taehyung for help on their math homework, and after almost five minutes of his friend humming and staring at the ceiling, Jeongguk found out it was because Taehyung had spotted a spider and was trying to keep it in sight for "his own safety."

"What did you say's the reason he's avoiding you again?"

Jeongguk looks at his friend surprisingly. Oh, so he was thinking. "I draw attention. He doesn't like attention."

"Mm." Another Oreo flies into Tae's mouth. "Have you considered...uh...talking to him outside of school?"

For a split second Jeongguk's hope is replenished, but it diminishes immediately as a certain realization dawns on him. "I don't know how I'd do that," he sighs. "I don't know where he lives, if he has a job, or where he goes when he has free time. I wouldn't know where or when to talk to him."

"Phones exist, though."

Jeongguk rolls his eyes. "Don't have his number."

Now Taehyung mimics the action. "Ask him, then, dummy."

"He. Won't. Talk. To. Me."

"Bro, don't even worry, I'll handle it."

"No, oh my gosh, please don't," Jeongguk blurts in a panic. Every worst case scenario possible flashes across his mind. "I can't imagine how terribly that would go."

"Hey, man, I'm just tryna help you." Shrugging, Taehyung takes himself and his Oreos down the hall and in the direction of their classroom. It's still a good fifteen minutes before the start of history class, though, so Jeongguk decides it's safe to stay and mental breather.

Taehyung's idea wasn't awful, only flawed.

Jimin won't talk to him at school. School is the only place Jeongguk has to talk to him, even to ask for his number, which he can't imagine Jimin agreeing to, anyway.

However. Jeongguk is willing to try.

If he can't approach Jimin without the boy running away, then he can always give another attempt communicating non-verbally.

It's a slim chance but he tries.

Tearing out an empty sheet of paper from a random notebook, Jeongguk leans on his textbooks for support as he writes:

If you don't wanna talk at school, could we text? I swear I won't spam you or anything. Just wanna talk. I'll write my number on the back of this.
:)
—Jeongguk

He throws the smiley face in for an extra confident boost - maybe it'll make him seem friendlier. Or creepier. There's really no way of telling.

After writing the note, Jeongguk slips it through the narrow gap in Jimin's locker, then begins his walk to class.

He enters the room and takes his seat silently. As a habit the boy scans the rows of desks to see who's here already - Taehyung, of course, is at his desk with his phone out, playing the same level of Candy Crush he hasn't been able to complete for two weeks. Jeongguk has offered to do it for him but every time he's met with the same indignant glare. So by this point he's just stopped asking.

Yoongi, Namjoon, and Seokjin are also already here, the first of whom has been claimed a victim by the second's Sharpie marker, unknowingly as he currently has his head resting on his desk, fast asleep. There are two hearts drawn on his cheeks. One of the latter two will surely be dead by the end of the day.

Jeongguk always recognizes the handful of other students who tend to arrive early to class, and he waves at all of them who greet him.

And finally, he notices Jimin in his natural habitat, hoodie pulled over his head, earphones plugged in. But the boy lifts his head slightly as if registering someone entered the room, and his eyes briefly meet Jeongguk's.

They don't turn away immediately, so Jeongguk takes the chance and waves at him, too.

No reaction. Jimin faces forward and says something to Hoseok. Jeongguk sighs and sits down.

Their first class starts and ends (as it does) and eventually comes the time for Jeongguk to get his things for his next class.

But he waits.

Oblivious as to how it may look from someone else's viewpoint, Jeongguk waits at the end of the hall, peering around the corner, though he's close enough to see Jimin's locker. He watches as the boy balances a textbook against one arm, opens the locker, then prepares to place the book inside and retrieve another. But he stops as a piece of paper falls and flutters to the floor.

He looks around him. Jeongguk hides behind the corner.

"Well, hello there, Mr. Koo."

Comically, Hoseok's voice has the same effect on Jeongguk as cartoon characters when two cymbals are crashed against their ears. He jumps, so obviously startled by his classmate who must have materialized, as there's no alternative explanation that seems reasonable to the other.

Jeongguk clears his throat and brushes himself off as though he had been shoved to the ground on a baseball field. "Hoseooook." A nervous smile slaps itself across his face. "How's it going, man?"

"I was gonna ask you that," the boy replies with an accompanying laugh. "You on a secret mission or something?"

"Secret mission?? N-no, I mean, I'm just looking for Tae-"

"Jeongguk!! I beat the level! I did it!!"

As if on cue, who should come speeding down the hall at the speed of Sonic the Hedgehog but Kim Taehyung himself, phone in hand, which he nearly drops in the process of skidding to a stop in front of his friend, not realizing, evidently, that it's not just Jeongguk standing there.

"Guk, check it." He shoves his phone in his friend's face. The level complete screen is being displayed, with bright, flashy lights and colors because the words alone simply were not enough to get the point across. "Two weeks, and I did it, all by myself, without your help, without cheats, I did it. Gimme some skin."

He swings his hand out in front of him and holds it mid-air, waiting for Jeongguk to answer the high-five call. But in response his best friend stares at him with that all-too-familiar are you an idiot look.

"Hey, Taehyung."

"Hoseok." He snaps back into focus at the sound of the voice. Not Jeongguk's voice. Surely enough there, standing directly to his left, is the boy whose name he just spoke as a reflex. Hoseok chuckles at his blank expression.

"Jeongguk was just looking for you," he says, smiling. "In the opposite direction you came from."

Now Jeongguk's expressions turns blank.

"Oh," Taehyung replies with slightly raised brows, "he was probably looking for Jimin. Not me."

"Taehyung-"

"What I meant to say," he quickly adds, because subtly is Tae's middle name, "was that Jeongguk was probably looking for the bathroom."

Jeongguk experiences the near-overwhelming urge to slap his best friend upside the head.

"He's such a jokester." He puts his arm around Taehyung, uttering the fakest laugh as he pinches the boy's earlobe.

"Ow."

"We should really get to class. C'mon, Tae, you little class clown, you—say goodbye to Hoseok now."

"See ya, you babe."

"Say it louder, you coward. I dare you."

"Byyeeee, Hoseok!"

With his arm still around the boy's shoulders Jeongguk drags Taehyung around the corner, disappointed but not surprised to find Jimin gone.

"Coward. You're a coward," Jeongguk hisses. Taehyung huffs in protest.

"Coward nothing. It's for comedy."

"It is not for comedy, you literally check him out all the time."

"Yeah, you got me there. By the way did you notice Hoseok's necklace? I don't think I've seen him wear it before, must be new. Bro, imagine if he wore a choker. Mm."

"Imagine if you asked him out."

"Wild."

"You really are impossible..."

"Kim Impossible."

"...okay, that was pretty funny."

"I know."

For the rest of the day - whenever he gets the chance, that is - Jeongguk makes frequent glances at Jimin, all the while wondering if the hoodie boy kept the note he wrote for him or just crumpled it up like before. He doesn't notice a change in Jimin's behavior. Jeongguk hoped there would at least be something, so maybe he could have a better idea of how the hoodie boy reacted to the note.

But there's nothing. During school, anyway.

It's the moment Jeongguk and Taehyung are climbing into Jeongguk's car that he receives a notification. Assuming it's from one of his parents, he takes his phone in hand to check.

-

???
it's jimin.

-

A strange reflex causes Jeongguk to extend his hand and aggressively honk the car horn - not just honk it, but hold down on it. Taehyung yells loud enough to match the volume.

"Jeongguk, WHY??!"

"JIMIN."

"JIMIN NOTHING, I SPILLED MY WATER BOTTLE ON MY PANTS."

"Sssshhhhhh!!!"

With the excitement of a child on Christmas morning, Jeongguk holds his phone centimeters from his face and opens Jimin's text message.

-

me
oh hey :) glad you texted

Save this contact as Jimin?
Yes No

Jimin
well it's not at school so i don't really have to worry about ppl looking at me

Jimin
why did u want to talk anyway

me
oh u know, just cus :)

me
maybe we could be friends?

Jimin
you have hundreds

Jimin
what's one more

Jimin
i have hobi i don't need anyone else

Jimin
and you've got taehyung and pretty much the entire student body

me
?

me
i'm not following

me
you don't want more friends? i swear i'm nice :(

-

"Jeongguk, my sister's gonna shave my head if I don't get home in twenty minutes to play Naruto Shippuden: Clash of Ninjas Revolution III with her like I promised, so you better step on the gas pedal now or I'm gonna go to your house in the middle of the night, climb through your window, and blow an air horn in your ears and pour water on your pants."

"...even if they're my Br'er Rabbit pants?"

"Even if they're your Br'er Rabbit pants."

-

me
minor emergency, i'll text u soon bye jimin 👋

—

a/n:
this is also self-indulgent lol
(and lazily edited whoops)