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The Flower Path | Chapter 6

Genre/Tags: isekai (kinda?), bangtan x fem!reader, not poly, oc!bestfriend, surprise romantic pairings; rom-com (romance as a subplot), slow burn (the slowest of burns holy moly i cannot stress this enough), fluff, angst (will update tags along the way)

Status: Ongoing

Summary: What would you feel if you find yourself transported to the world of a cheesy web novel? Ecstatic, of course (well, among other things), except you’re stuck being the main character’s best friend slash sidekick. Fair enough, you don’t think you’re main character material anyway. Determined to get through your life that has changed all of a sudden, you try to keep yourself in the shadows of your “best friend.” Let’s just try to get through the last year of high school in peace. You thought it was gonna be easy – like a walk in a flower path– but the thing about walking that road is that there are bound to be thorns along the way.

Inspired by the web novel and manhwa: Inso’s Law

Word Count: 6.5k

Chapter Note: yikes sorry for the long wait T-T

masterlist

"Stop staring at that." Yoongi tried to conceal the paper you were holding with his hand, but you snatched it away from him. You give him a playful sneer before straightening up in your seat and bringing the paper back to your face.

"But it's so beautiful," You exclaimed in a theatrical manner, even letting out a slight gasp for more impact. Needless to say, the person next to you was not amused.

"I agree. It's lovely," a deep voice whispers from near you, and you turn to see Taehyung peering into your paper. He pulls something from his back and shows you his as well. He shuts his eyes and nods slowly as you lift your palms into your lips to conceal your astonished gasp.

"I know, I know," he says, patting your head to "comfort" you. Minyoung smiles at the antics and pulls a chair around to face where you were currently sitting.

"You people are so dramatic," she says as she rolls her eyes and pries your hands away from your face.

“Hey! Let us have this. It's not often that we receive flawless grades on everything," Taehyung remarks whiningly with a pout, and you gag, receiving a gentle smack on the shoulder from him.

“How did everyone else do?” Yoongi asks as he looks around for your other friends.

“I think we all did exceptional on this one. Study group has been working out really well; I'm amazed it really worked for us,” Taehyung says and you nod in agreement.

Hoseok returns to the classroom after momentarily excusing himself to take a phone call. “Everything okay?” Yoongi asked cautiously and Hobi just gave him a slight nod.

“Yep, everything’s fine. My mom just told me she’d have to work overtime so I should just get myself dinner.” He answers as he eyes you sitting on his chair. You were about to stand up to offer him his seat back, but he simply shook his head at you, so you sat down again.

Yoongi tried to read into his friend's face as he spoke to you guys. After years of friendship, you'd think he'd know everything about Hoseok, yet he still has trouble reading him sometimes. He's simply really adept at always wearing his smiling mask. He sits up straight and clears his throat.

“I’ll join you for dinner. I’m sick of seeing my brother’s face all the time at home anyway.” He offers and Hobi sends him a grateful smile. “You know what? We should ask if everyone’s free, then we should all have dinner together.” He adds, and he sees his friend’s eye light up. A smile pulls from his face at the reaction.

Yoongi is well aware that Hoseok dislikes being alone. He spent so much of his childhood alone that he now wants company wherever he goes. After all, it's the reason he and Yoongi became friends. As children, they would always meet at their parents' work functions, and Hobi would always accompany the bashful boy who seemed to want to be anywhere but a fancy affair full of grownups. Yoongi tried to brush him off every time, but his grumpy disposition had no effect on the boy, who clung to him like gum. He's thankful Hoseok didn't give up on him; he wouldn't know what to do without him.

“I think that’s a great idea! We all have something to celebrate anyway.” Minyoung says before rushing over along with Taehyung to relay the information to your other friends.

"Yeah, and don't be bothered about dinner. I'll ask my dad to make some for us, and we'll pick it up from the restaurant," you say as you rise from your seat. You pull out your phone and indicate that you're about to make a phone call, and they all nod.

Hoseok takes his seat and glances at Yoongi, who has his gaze drawn away from him. He grins again, remembering how thankful he is for his friend. He immediately engulfs his best friend in a hug and even makes smooching noises, while Yoongi, as usual, tries to stop him with a twisted up face.

As he moves away from Yoongi, he softly pats his back and offers him a knowing look of appreciation. He knows his friend well enough to realize that expressing himself verbally is difficult for him, so he expresses himself in other ways. Yoongi nods and ruffles his hair, their unspoken conversation filling the air around them with warmth. They've always had each other's back in everything, and this moment just served to reinforce that.

The thought of a little get-together appeared to excite everyone, and it so happened that everyone could come. The group was divided into teams; some were sent to fetch the food, some to get the dessert, and others to go straight to the Jung residence to prepare for the guests.

You decided to take Minyoung and Jungkook with you with an ulterior motive in mind. Jungkook's dismissal of the entire budget negotiating situation has troubled you every time you see him. How can someone who was so determined to make something happen give up so easily? It also doesn't help when you notice him looking dejected when he thinks no one is watching.

You were on your way to the restaurant on the bus when you decided to (not-so-subtly) bring up the subject of the conversation. You cleared your throat while Minyoung was raving about a volleyball game she saw on TV the day before.

“Speaking of, the sports committee meeting is next week.” You bring up and Minyoung gives you a questioning look. You return it with a knowing one, trying to get her to work with you.

“Right. You must be really busy preparing paperwork for that, don't you?" She responds with a glance that says, Right now? Really? You widen your eyes at her and nod in the direction of Jungkook. Her jaw drops open in realization but she nods in understanding.

"Yeah, but we've planned ahead of time enough to decrease the load because it's so close. I think we can take on some other projects as well..." You tried to ease into the subject.

“Really? I think you've got enough work to do with the next practice games," Jungkook adds nonchalantly, staring out the window like an anime protagonist. Heh.

You fumble over your words. "Ah- That's-" You were at a loss for words since he was right! Because the rest of the practice games will be hosted by Kkotgil, there is a lot of documentation and inventory that has to be completed. And it would reflect poorly on the school if you didn't plan this well. "It's not that bad, really," you chuckle awkwardly, turning to look at Minyoung, who is trying not to laugh at you. You scowl at her and determine that beating around the bush isn't going to work.

You sigh and turn to face Jungkook. "I want to talk to you about the budget negotiation you mentioned," you told him flatly, amazed at how confident you sounded considering you'd never truly spoken to him like this before.

He throws his head back in irritation before turning to face you. "I thought I told you to forget about it," he replies sternly, but it doesn't faze you in the least.

You sighed exasperatedly as you peered at him. "I know, but you seemed so adamant about it, so I don't understand why you gave up so fast," you retorted gently. Fighting fire with fire, as far as you can gather, will not work on this guy.

He opted to avert your eyes, so you just kept going. "Listen, you're under no obligation to tell me anything you don't want to. Maybe just tell me enough to make the Coach think I know everything. I doubt he'll quiz me about it anyway." You shrugged, trying to make it sound like it's not a big deal, but you know by now that it is for him.

He fiddled with his hands on his lap, and the quiet hushed conversation you were having appeared to prompt Minyoung to intervene. She offers Jungkook a reassuring smile, and his stiff shoulders loosen.

"I'm not sure how much to tell you without..." He trailed off and returned his gaze to the window.

"It's about your relationship with the team, isn't it?" You can see his eyes widen at your comment. "I figured so. You know, you're not very subtle." You add, and he let out a wry laugh at that.

"Says you," he responds sarcastically. You caught the insinuation in his tone but you don't want to go into it right now because this conversation is about him. You decide to brush that last bit off and sit up straight.

“Hey, I’m just letting you know that option is on the table.” You opt to continue instead of looking at him. "And remember, even after the meeting is over, you can still talk to me about it. I'm more to you than just a manager. I'm also your friend," you say as you look around, catching Minyoung's gaze and returning her smile.

"I'll be there when you're ready to tell me. We'll all be there for you." You return your glance to him, but he has a distant expression in his eyes that tells you he's thinking about something.

You gave a final shrug before pressing the button to notify the driver that you'd like to exit at the next stop. Minyoung wraps her arm around yours as you exit the bus. "You were so cool," she adds with a laugh, and you just grin and shake your head.

It didn’t feel cool for you to say; it was hypocritical advice. Who were you to tell him that he can tell you guys anything, when not so long ago you completely shut them all out without an explanation? You laugh at yourself. You were beginning to doubt yourself. Perhaps you should just leave him alone and let him deal with his shit. You don't have to pry into other people's lives when you're determined to build your walls as high as possible, allowing others to view only a fraction of you.

But, a little voice within your head argues, you know better now. You know better now that it doesn't hurt to depend on them now and again, especially when they are willing to be there for you. With that in mind, you loosen up, and tighten Minyoung’s arms that were tangled with yours.

"Hey," Jungkook's voice yelled out from behind you as you approached the restaurant's door, forcing you and your friend to spin around to face him. "I'll think about it," he adds timidly, rubbing the back of his neck.

You smiled at him.

“Okay.”

❀。• *₊°。 ❀°

When the entire group is together, it is always chaotic. With all of the food laid out on the table, you know your dad went all out for the occasion. At this point, you'd think he'd be feeding the entire neighborhood. He’s just that thrilled at the prospect of you having friends. Your friends, on the other hand, were grateful and as a sign of gratitude, they promised to finish everything.

As soon as the group was complete, you all tucked into the food. True to their word, they did manage to finish almost everything that was laid out. Well, considering you were a bunch of growing teenagers, it shouldn’t be surprising that you all had an increased appetite. It was after you all ate dinner and were resting your stomachs to make room for dessert were you able to properly look around Hoseok’s home that he shared with his mom. During the conversation at the table, he mentioned that he was an only child.

You sat on the sofa and left the others sitting on the floor around the coffee table where you all ate. There was an abundance of personal clutter around the living room, which gave the house a more homey appearance. There were trophies, medals, but what caught your attention were the number of pictures of Hobi and his mother that were either hung on the wall or placed neatly on the shelves. They smiled in all the photos, and while it was obvious in his single shots that he was being made to strike a particular pose, he still had a wide grin on his face.

“These are really cute. You seemed like such a bright and cheerful child,” You suddenly commented without looking at the group, but their chatter died down at your remark. You look at them to question the silence and you see them looking at Hobi who had his lips on a grim line, and the rest who seemed like they were observing the situation. You didn't even get to ask about his mom, which you wanted to do just to make conversation and in an attempt to get to know him more. Hoseok briefly caught himself slipping before breaking into his trademark grin. You see Jin lean back on his seat and cross his arms with a sigh from your peripheral vision.

“Do you guys wanna play games? I don’t have a gaming console because we usually game at Yoongi’s, but I do have some board games and cards.” He offers and the atmosphere at the table suddenly brightens again. You scrunch your eyebrows, finding all of their reactions odd. You don’t know if you were reading into this too much but you wondered why him having that expression silenced the whole table. It was normal for you to be grumpy and frown at every little thing, so you understand why Hobi reacted like that, as it might have been rude for him when you said something about his childhood pictures. You facepalmed yourself when no one was looking. It looks like you've gotten better at making these guys uncomfortable with unsolicited comments ever since you started to feel at ease around them. Well done, you.

The group decided to play a card game while enjoying dessert, and it soon became tense and competitive. It was a wonderful change to hear laughing and playful banter fill the Jung family's living room. During one particularly heated and power-up-heavy round, Jimin noticed his friend shifting in his seat.

“You okay?” He asks in a hushed voice despite the risk of being barely audible because of the commotion on the table.

Jungkook gave him a quick glance before smiling briefly. “Yeah, just thinking about something.�� He was considering what you had said to him. He noticed that you appeared hesitant to provide him that advice, and he thinks he understands why. Nevertheless, he appreciated your attempt and the fact that it was done in good faith. Once again, he's grateful that you and Minyoung didn't avoid him because he's been an insufferable prick for no apparent reason..

“You’re thinking? That’s new.” Jimin joked around and earned a playful nudge in return. There was silence between the two as they quietly took their own turns in the game and let the others carry all the playful conversations. “You wanna talk about it? ” He asks tentatively while pretending to watch the others play; he even notices Jin sneaking a glance at Namjoon's cards before returning to his own, but Yoongi had also snuck a glance at his cards while he was distracted. Jimin shook his head in disbelief at his friends.

“Actually..” Jungkook trailed off. “Yeah. Yeah, I think I finally want to talk about it.” He says.

Jimin hums in response. “Okay. Should we break off from the group or-” Jungkook cut him off frantically before he finished, rubbing at his nape.

“N-no. I was thinking.. I was thinking of finally telling everyone about what happened.” He said. Jimin had his mouth agape at his friend’s revelation. Among this group of friends, only him and Taehyung knew about Jungkook’s situation with his teammates. They found it difficult when Jungkook obstinately refused their assurances that what had happened was not his fault. Perhaps some new perspectives on the matter could be helpful. Perhaps if it came from recently made friends, he would believe them.

It would be too much for Jungkook, he thinks, to tell you and Minyoung the story and then maybe have to tell it to the others again. He figures it would be best to take care of everything at once, much like ripping off a band aid.

“Are you sure?” Jimin tries to give him an out in the event that he doesn’t really want to do this, but he just nods.

“Okay. You can ask Tae or myself to take over if you find it too difficult to recount the story. " Jimin gives his friend a reassuring shoulder pat, prompting a hesitant nod.

Looking around the table, Jungkook considers how he will abruptly bring up a serious topic in the midst of laughter. He was on the verge of fleeing out of fear that he could destroy the mood and his friends' opinion of him. He was aware that doing this might disrupt the dynamics of the group. When he has finished telling them everything and they decide they don't like him and want to cut all ties with him, he will let them do just that. At least the friendship wasn't old enough to have caused a wound that deep yet. He knew Jimin and Tae would be by him no matter what, which is also comforting.

He tries to test whether anyone would notice by clearing his throat once, but in the past few minutes, the group has only grown rowdier due to Jin's alleged cheating. Taehyung, who was more attentive of his friends, saw him and then made an effort to make everyone quiet.

"Jungkook, did you have anything to say?" he inquired loudly enough to get the group's attention, and all of a sudden, heads turned to look at him. He senses the attention making his blood run cold and his hand tremble, but he braces himself. However, he was cut off before he could speak.

"I promise I wasn't looking! Are your playing cards nearly finished?" Jin stretches out and flips Jungkook's cards that were on the table.

“Ayy, these aren’t even good cards, you have been bound to lose with these.”

After that, chaos reigned yet again.

“See, you just cheated again! ”

"No, I didn't. I simply provided him with advice."

“Boo! You’re disqualified! ”

In response to the chaos, Jungkook finds himself actually giggling. Though he hasn't known these people for very long, he feels as though he can trust them in some way. But he also thinks that losing them would hurt, so he felt a tiny tightness in his chest.

“I did want to say something. And it has nothing to do with the cards.” He begins, and the group quiets down again, but he does not feel the heaviness in the air this time. He glances around the table and finds them looking at him expectantly, as if they are genuinely interested in hearing him out. He regained his composure and braced himself once more.

“It’s about what happened last year..”

❀。• *₊°。 ❀°

“You’re late again!” The captain scolds the boy and throws the ball at his head, letting it bounce off and back to his hands.

“Sorry, sorry! I had to run some errands before leaving.” He says and Jungkook, from afar, sighs at the sight of his sunbae being scolded again.

“You’re lucky you’re a star player, or else I’d give you more shit for this.” The captain says with a shake of his head.

“Wah, look at you being scolded in front of your juniors! How embarrassing!” His batchmate teases, sending everyone into light laughter.

His seniors had usually argued endlessly during training, but everyone knew it was just friendly banter, so it was entertaining to see. Additionally, it improved group dynamics and helped the younger teammates feel comfortable.

Once his Doyun sunbae was done running laps around the court as punishment for being late, he approached Jungkook with a smack on the back.

“Sorry for being late when I promised to run some plays with you.” The older one says with an easy smile. Jungkook rolls his eyes.

“Whatever, hyung. What’s so important that you’re always late to weekend training?” He asked in an irritated tone and shifted his body away from the older guy. He is often irritated by his hyung's repeated promises to assist him in improving his plays but frequently arrives to practice too late. His senior was constantly eager to leave training as soon as it ended, so after-practice hours were off the table as well. He exhales. How was he going to get the attention of his seniors now that he was running for captain of the following year? He hasn't had many chances to demonstrate to them how much he has developed since his first year.

“Yah! Don't treat your sunbae that way! I have a life outside of volleyball, you know?” He said in a defensive tone and one of his batchmates overheard Doyun say this.

“Psh! Even I am aware that is untrue. Volleyball is your life," the guy exclaimed, drawing amusement from others.

“I’ll ask for some personal training time from the captain right now. I gotta make it up to little Jungkook here somehow.” Doyun wraps his arm around the younger’s shoulders and ruffles his hair with the other. Jungkook pries himself off from his hyung before huffing in annoyance.

“I want to practice some quick attacks today.” Jungkook said flatly and went on his merry way, asking Jimin to toss some balls for him.

Doyun was left chuckling at the younger boy’s demands. “He’s quite straightforward, isn't he? Think he’d make for a good captain? ” He remarks, to which the others hum in agreement.

The training was effective at least, and this time Doyun kept his word and gave Jungkook today a lot of assistance. Since they were paired up during practice when Jungkook was still trying out for the volleyball team, he was his closest hyung from the team. He was forced to acknowledge how much of the credit for his rapid progress goes to his hyung.

Doyun wasn't always so disloyal to his commitments. During the freshman year of the three, he actually trained frequently with Jungkook and occasionally even Jimin and Taehyung. He’d tell the younger boys about his dream to play professionally and get recruited into his dream team, and also to give them advice on how to play better. Jungkook doesn’t want to admit it, but he’s taken quite a liking to his hyung’s presence, despite showing otherwise. He is thankful for having someone to rely on who has more experience than him in the field. He’s like the brother he never had.

However, this year, he had been more evasive, appeared to be constantly on guard, and had been in a hurry to leave every single training session. Jungkook was curious as to what was causing the older guy to act this way, especially when they were nearing the last games of the winter sports season, where there were gonna be professional recruiters, and it was the senior members’ last games of their high school life as well.

Doyun abruptly excused himself one day to the captain as they were still wrapping up the training and he hurriedly left the gym, oblivious to his batchmates' remarks that he should at least wait until everyone was prepared to leave. When Jungkook noticed it, a strong surge of curiosity about why his hyung is acting in this manner swept over him. He quickly puts on his jacket and makes his way to the gym's exit, earning some questioning yells from Jimin and Taehyung to which he acknowledges with a raise of hand. He then follows the diminutive figure that he believes to be his hyung because he has already traveled a considerable distance.

He was chasing the older man while taking quick, frigid breaths of cold air that pierced his lungs. He had to exercise caution because there were certain areas of the walkway that were slippery; as a result, he nearly fell several times. He succeeds in catching up, though he makes sure to keep a safe distance from Doyun so as not to be seen stalking him. He knows the older man would tell him off when he finds out.

They were nearing a neighboring park after traveling a fair distance into a small neighborhood, and he started to question if this was even a good idea; maybe his hyung was right, he was just busy with other stuff about his personal life. But when Jungkook notices Doyun raising the hood of his jacket, he senses something was off. He continued on following him without trying to give it any attention. Not long after, a group of men his hyung's age emerged from a nearby tree. He immediately noticed his Doyun hyung, who instantly stopped in his tracks, and consequently, he stopped as well. He hides behind a nearby tree as he sees Doyun get stopped in the middle of attempting to walk past the group of guys.

He hears them speaking to his sunbae, and at first the talk is quiet and civil, but as it heats up, the group steadily encircles Doyun in an effort to intimidate him. It appeared to work, which surprised Jungkook. Doyun was typically a laid-back person who laughed a lot and smiled a lot, but everyone who knew him knew that he wasn't the kind to let people walk all over him. Now that he’s seeing him in this light, the looming feeling of dread creeps up in his gut yet again. Doyun wouldn’t be the type to get caught up in gang affairs, would he? He thinks to himself and his hands balled up into tight fists. It would explain his behavior these past few months, though.

When he notices someone pushing Doyun back and making him stumble, he instinctively steps forward. Jungkook realized that this was going to escalate into a fight, and his heartbeat quickened. Before he could decide what to do, he finds himself in a direct confrontation with a member of the group.

“What the hell are you doing to him?” He hears his own voice shout but doesn’t realize that he actually spoke and how he got here.

“Y-yah! What are you doing here!” Doyun grabs the front of his jacket and pulls him.

“Well would you look at that. Is this another one of your brothers? How about we ask him for the money then?” The one who seemed to be the leader of the group eyes Jungkook up and down.

“Leave him alone, he’s not my brother.” Doyun stood in a defensive stance in front of Jungkook which told the guys otherwise.

“Is that right?” The guy brings back his eyes to Jungkook intimidatingly, “But maybe we can still get something out of him. Make him pay for your brother’s debt like a good little friend, hmm?”

Doyun grabbed the leader's collar while two men each grabbed one of Jungkook's arms to hold him down. “I told you to leave him alone, he has nothing to do with this!” He uttered hastily.

The guy punched Doyun in the face, making Jungkook gasp. “Hyung!” He sees blood spill out from the older guy’s mouth and he feels his blood run cold.

“If you gave us our money back, then we wouldn’t be having this problem. You’re really gonna let your brother cower behind your back? How about you bring him to us so he can pay the consequences of his actions.” The guy shoves his pointer finger on Doyun’s forehead, pushing it repeatedly to accent his point. Jungkook sees Doyun clench his jaw so hard he thought it was gonna break.

There were a few seconds of calm when Doyun abruptly threw a punch after slowly rising upright. The subsequent events happened quickly. As the men gather around Doyun, Jungkook finds himself being pushed aside and his body hitting the dirt. In the haste of the situation, he finds himself grabbing a stray piece of long wood and striking several of the men painfully to get them off Doyun, who threw more punches and kicks once he got an opening. They managed to take down enough of them to be able to flee, and Jungkook doesn't recall how it happened, but he finds himself being dragged by his hyung to escape the fight.

“What the fuck were you thinking?” Doyun said between catching his breath, still running away. He looks back and sees them being followed and he curses lightly before increasing their pace.

They thought they were in the clear when they stopped on the side of the road. They were both huffing and puffing with their hands resting on their knees, catching their breath. Jungkook looked back and cursed to himself when he saw one of the guys spot them and call out to their companions.

“They saw us hyung, let’s go!” He didn’t bother grabbing his hyung and ran to get a head start. As he was running away he heard someone yell out to him, and a bright light coming from his left. He felt someone pushing him from the back and he painfully landed on the concrete, but nothing hurt more than the sight he saw of Doyun’s body being hit by the car.

Everything moved slowly, and he could hear his ears ringing. He watches the gang members panic and flee the scene, hears cries to get an ambulance, witnesses blue and red lights flashing against the now-darkened surroundings, and hears someone ask him if he was okay.

The rest of it is lost to memory, but when he awoke from his haze, he was sitting in a hospital waiting room covered in bandages, and it wasn't until he was by himself that he finally broke down.

❀。• *₊°。 ❀°

They listened to Jungkook as he told the story with his head down and avoided making eye contact with the others. The room, which had earlier been alive with voices, was now completely silent.

“He ended up with broken bones all over his body. Inevitably, he couldn’t play the rest of the championship games that season; It’d take months for him to fully recover, and months of physical therapy if they could determine he could ever play again.” He says with a husky tone, his energy being drained with every second he spends talking about this.

“He was our star player, and he held the team together more than we realized. So when we went into the games without him, adding the fact that morale was low and tensions were high inside the team because of the incident, we messed up so much during the games and we… lost everything.

“Seniors who were competing for spots on professional and collegiate teams saw all of their chances to get recruited all go down the drain. All thanks to me. All because I made the decision to be nosy on that specific day.” He began to sob uncontrollably, his shoulders shaking, covering his face with both hands as his voice broke. The group was quick to gravitate towards him and reach their hand out to comfort him, not saying anything as they all know words would not be enough right now.

"The worst part was that nobody was held accountable—not even me, who was clearly responsible for everything. My other batchmates disagree, and even though they didn't bother to learn the whole story, they have since grown to dislike me. It affected how I handled the team as a captain, and I eventually started hating myself for that, too." He struggled to continue through his tears, his words stopped short by breath intake.

He’d asked for a suspension from the coach himself once he told him everything that happened, and he’s been benched for a few games because of it. It helped ease his guilt but it wasn’t enough. Nearly not enough for the damage he had caused.

He sobbed harder, clutching his chest as his breath came in heaves, "I guess they just punished me by making me captain, and letting the others walk all over me because of what I did."

Jimin gives him a soothing back rub and waits for him to catch his breath before speaking.

"That's just untrue. They didn't point the finger at anyone specifically since there was no one to blame," He says. "It was an accident. And because they recognized your abilities, they chose you to be captain."

"Even before that incident, there were discussions about electing you," Taehyung continued. It was what they’ve always told him about this, but he always seemed to never believe them.

“The seniors all managed to get into good teams despite everything because there have been more games that showcased their talents. They admitted to us they were regretful sometimes, but it was the best they could get out of the situation.” Jimin adds.

There were a few more seconds of silence and ruminating about all that has been said before someone spoke again.

“Maybe it really was your fault.” They heard your small voice cut through the silence, and they all looked at you with wide eyes in shock. Even Jungkook felt his tears retract back to his ducts in astonishment.

“W-what?” He manages to blurt out.

You avert your eyes awkwardly. “I-I mean, knowing Jimin and Taehyung, the opposite is probably what they had always told you..” You told him in a progressively smaller voice.

“And the reason why you never believed them before is because maybe that’s not what you wanted to hear.” You add, this time not looking at anyone.

Namjoon chuckles, which surprised everyone. “I actually agree.” He says, now making him the subject of wide eyed stares. “I could elaborate, but that’s only if you want us to continue.” He asks Jungkook. He sniffs a little and wipes his cheek in a childlike manner that made everyone smile before he nodded.

“Based on what you told us, it’s highly likely that you were at fault.” Namjoon continued and Jungkook felt tears prick his eyes.

“Uhm, guys-” Taehyung tries to look around for help, thinking that this was going in a very different direction.

“But!” Namjoon cuts him off. “But, it was a variety of factors that contributed to the outcome if you think about it.” He props his thumb and pointer finger in a thinking pose.

“Right. If you blame yourself for it, then a lot of things were at fault too, aside from you. It was the car, maybe even the weather that made the streets slippery. It could even be Doyun sunbae for not reaching out to anyone about his situation, but I reckon that’s on the bottom of the list.” Minyoung says as she nods, trying to really drive the point.

“But you know, if we’re really blaming anyone here, it’d be the gang members’ fault. They intimidated and threatened you first, and you guys just tried to defend yourselves and run away.” Hoseok adds.

“Hmmm. Maybe it’d be good for you to acknowledge that you were at fault so you can heal, but just keep in mind that it’s not just you. It was a series of bad circumstances that led to that event.” Yoongi says as he fiddles with a pack of brownies in front of him.

Unbeknownst to himself, Jungkook has now ceased sobbing entirely. As he found himself paying close attention to what his colleagues were saying, a deep part of him began to relax.

“Have you spoken to any of them? The sunbaes, I mean.” Minyoung asks as she gets back to munching on sweets, trying to ease everyone into going back to being casual so as to not add to the gloomy atmosphere.

“He did with everyone except Doyun, that’s how we knew they didn’t blame anyone.” Jimin spoke for him.

“Why not? Doyun sunbae seems nice from what I’ve seen.” Minyoung replies.

“That’s exactly the reason. I never attempted since he would be too kind to hold me responsible for anything. I'm also too embarrassed to show my face after what I've done to him and the team.” Jungkook says dejectedly, his eyes drooping slightly now that all the crying had caught up to him.

“Hmmm. How do you know that’s how he’ll react? You said you never tried talking to him.” Yoongi says calmly.

“Right! You didn’t even give him a chance to blame you, either!” Hoseok says in a too cheerful voice, earning a nudge from you.

“I mean, if he blames you, that’s his decision to make, no? But you didn’t even give him that option by avoiding him.” He clarifies.

“I hate to agree, but he’s right. Maybe the best thing to do is to talk with him.” You said in a light tone.

Jungkook ruminates on everything that was said. He had more space in his head and heart to consider everything now that everything was out in the open. They were all right about this. He should go and apologize to Doyun, and what comes out of his apology is out of his hands. He’ll accept whatever happens and try finally move past this, focus on dealing with the now.

Everyone had resumed their easy talk when he turned to gaze around the table. They do not hate him. They still don't hate him despite what he told them. Even if they had believed he was at fault, they left no trace of their judgment or intention to cut him off. He experienced tremendous relief. While you're having a chat with Minyoung, he catches your eye, which makes you double back and look at him questioningly. You offer him a small nod, and he does the same.

“Look, I still receive Doyun hyung’s emails. We can contact him to meet; he goes to college in a nearby town.” Taehyung says casually while showing his phone, with a mouthful of chocolate-covered strawberries in his mouth, earning a fond smile from Jungkook.

“Last I heard, physical therapy was going well, and that maybe they’d finally let him play in the upcoming inter-collegiate season.” Jimin adds, snatching a strawberry from Taehyung (to his annoyance) and showing it in his mouth.

“Will you guys accompany me when I decide to meet up with him?” Jungkook asks and Jimin clicks his tongue as if that were a ridiculous question.

“Of course, dumbass. We’re always here for you.” He says before leaning forward to stop the tug of war that broke out between Jin and Hobi over a piece of jelly.

Amidst all the chaos, Jungkook smiles.

We'll all be there for you. He hears your voice say. Suddenly, he doesn't remember what he was so afraid of.

You were right.

taglist: @reallysparklychaos @lovebun-19 @shownusshoulders @missseoulite @potaetopic @bbsantc @moderndaychihiro @bear-hugs-and-kisses

#bts au #ot7 x reader #bts fluff #bts x reader #jungkook fanfic #taehyung fanfic #yoongi fanfic #namjoon fanfic #jhope fanfic #hoseok fanfic #oc reader #isekai #jimin fanfic #seokjin fanfic #alternate universe #bts fic #bts fanfiction #bangtan x oc

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stellalunatmblr · 2 years

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i'm finally!!!! getting started on writing out updates again 😭 god it feels like it's been forever 😭

so much has happened to me these past few weeks and i had to deal with a lot and i was so exhausted all the time and when i wasn't i was just too caught up in resting to even think of typing out anything. i didn't want to write in the middle of all that because i knew i was gonna hate anything that comes out of my mind in that state. i also didn't want to make writing feel like a chore that i have to do, because its gonna reflect on the chapters and it's just not gonna be good for everyone 😞

but!!! now that that's over i can finally get back on track woop woop!! 🥳🎉 at least as much as i can after that gap of not writing, but needless to say we're making progress!

thank you so much for all the sweet words telling me it was okay and checking up on me. you guys are a real one 💖

thanks for being patient y'all ily

💖🌸

#im still tired but its all better now yayyyy #are people still here? lol #let's hope for more consistency 🤞

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stellalunatmblr · 2 years

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sorry for posting no updates for tfp for a long while now 😭😭 i've just been struggling with something these days (i will not go into detail but it's nothing to worry about 😅)

i'll make up for it though!

🌸💖🌸💖

#im so sorry ㅠㅠ #i'll maybe do a double update next time #love you all

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stellalunatmblr · 2 years

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sending this ask as an anon cuz i just wanna tell u how much i love the flower path!! and that i love u and i absolutely adore u and i just really love u <3

awww man that's so sweet 🥺🥺🥺 💖🌸

#thank you so much anon #i love u too #the flower path #askstellaluna

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stellalunatmblr · 2 years

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I think it's just in my head but somewhere in my mind I think that Minyoung have feelings for OC's

quite a few people have pointed that out, surprisingly 🤔🤔

#idk either tbh #minyoung is there something you'd like to share with the class???#lol #the flower path chapter 5 #the flower path #askstellaluna

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stellalunatmblr · 2 years

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One Shot: Both Sides (KSJ)

Pairing: Jin x Reader

Tags: Friends to lovers, Fluff, crack, mentions of pining, mentions of pet dying, they’re so cute you guys :(((

Word Count: 3k

a/n: so i was randomly watching a youtube video one day when i stumbled upon a video from the channel jubilee; it was a series called both sides. it was about interviewing two people individually while they’re facing each other, but the other person has earbuds on (playing loud music). they can only read each other’s lips but they don’t get to hear what the other says. i went 'huh, that’d make for a really cute f2l fic trope' lol.

so that’s how this story was born. let me know what you think, and enjoy!

We asked two friends some questions individually, to see both sides of their story.

You and Jin walk to the chairs designated for you.

"Wait – I get this chair so it shows my best side." You say, as you nudged Jin aside before he could even take the seat to the left of the camera.

"Fine. Both sides are my best sides, so I don’t mind." He replies, and the sound of the staff chuckling behind the camera is heard.

He sits down on the opposite chair as the camera zooms in on you jokingly rolling your eyes.

It cuts to you guys introducing yourselves.

"Hi, I’m Kim Seokjin." He says to the camera, but his eyes wander awkwardly and he hides his face a little before chuckling.

"This is kinda embarrassing." He says.

"Hi! I’m ___." You speak to the camera with a slight chirp and even a wave when it pans toward you.

"You’re good at this." Jin’s voice says off camera.

"I barely said anything," you remarked as you got handed the noise-canceling headphones and let out a small thank you and bowed to the staff.

"Oh! So we’re getting started right away?" Says Jin

How did you guys first meet?

His side

Jin was about to answer when you started bobbing your head furiously.

"I took a Louisville slugger to both headlights," you whisper-sing and then mouthed the next line before laughing at Jin’s annoyed face.

"She chose this playlist, didn’t she?"

"Uhm.." It cuts to Jin looking at you as he thinks, "I think it was freshman orientation week? Yeah, I remember her approaching me and asking if she was in the right philosophy class. She sat next to me, and then after that, she started sitting next to me the rest of the semester. That was six years ago."

The clip shows you leaning forward a little with a focused look as you stare at his face.

"She’s trying to read my lips." Jin covers your view of his mouth with one hand. "And it’s just the first question."

It cuts to you handing the phone and headphones to Jin. "Careful with that; it’s really loud."

Her side

"I sat next to him in philosophy class during freshman year because I thought--" you chuckle and cover your mouth, "he seemed like the type of guy who gets really good grades. He had this really cute pink baseball cap on and a pair of glasses. I thought he looked quite handsome."

You pause for a bit, and with widened eyes, you slap your palm on your mouth. You looked at the staff behind the camera and said, "Wait! I just realized he’s gonna watch this and hear that I called him handsome." You mutter a small damn it that was caught by the mic.

Meanwhile, Jin sat up straight and looked back and forth between you and the staff.

"What? What’s going on?" He says, and the staff’s laughter can be heard.

"You’re. an. idiot." you slowly mouth to him, and he focuses on reading your lips.

"You’re an idiot?" he whispered under his breath before realizing what you said and leaning back against his chair. He rolled his eyes at you and flipped you off, but his hand was blurred out by the editor.

Both sides

"Oh! Right—see, it was that philosophy class wasn’t it?" He says with a clap of his hands.

"Yeah, yeah – do you remember what I was wearing?" You asked him and fiddled with the headphones.

"Uhhh.. it was like a dress, like a floral dress?"

"What?!" you exclaimed, your eyes widening, "I never– what?"

He rolls his eyes,"Yes, it was a floral dress, remember? Orientation week."

"Orientation week?"

"Yes!" he lets out an exasperated laugh, "You asked me if it was Mr. Song’s philosophy class."

"Oh my god, that was you?!" You laugh. "I was wondering why you said dress. Yes, I wore a dress once but only during orientation week, but I don’t remember talking to you." You laugh again. "I just remember your pink cap, was that not orientation?" You add

"That was the second week, you idiot. You wore a hoodie then." He retorted.

What is your most fond memory of your friendship?

His side

"I was dealing with a really bad breakup – like, I think this was four years ago? Yeah," he scratches at the back of his neck "but I had to write something for this screenwriting class I was taking, so I locked myself up in my dorm room and didn’t contact anyone. I buried myself with schoolwork and barely did anything outside of that – even sleeping or eating." He chuckles as he looks back on the memory.

"Then two days later, she comes banging on the door, telling me to get my shit together. It was harsh, actually–sort of like a tough love situation. But I needed that. I was neglecting myself – and it took her snapping at me like that to wake me up. I think I was on the brink of passing out from over-fatigue, but she saved me from that."

"She stayed with me, made sure I was eating and staying hydrated. She even slept on the couch at one point just to make sure I was getting enough sleep as well—yeah, that was…" He trails off and chuckles as he looks at you, swaying your body side to side to what he assumes is a Michael Bublé song [he was certain it was in your playlist somewhere].

"I would say it was a fond memory because it really solidified her place in my life. Like– relationships come and go, you know? But I knew I wanted her to stay in my life forever, to snap me out of it when I’m spiraling out of control." He continues.

Her side

You fiddle with the phone a bit before sitting back in your chair.

"Frank Sinatra. So he gets distracted and doesn't try to read my lips" You say to the camera, and then a satisfied smile when he starts mouthing the words to ‘Fly Me To The Moon’.

"When our family dog Chichi died and I was in the middle of an important 3-day seminar in a different city," you start off. "I couldn’t go home for the weekend at that time because of it, so he offered to go for me—at my family home, I mean. So he drove there and stayed with my family, video calling me almost the entire time just so I could feel present. It really felt like I had sent Chichi away properly, you know? even if I wasn’t there.

"Needless to say, my grandma has been very fond of him since then. She told me that if Jin and I had a falling out for whatever reason, she would keep him and disown me." You laugh and throw your head back a little, earning a small smile from Jin.

"So I was like, damn, okay, I’m keeping him for life I guess. Don’t wanna disappoint grandma, you know?"

Both Sides

"What did you say?" You ask as Jin places the phone and headphones on his lap and he ruffles his hair.

"The one– my breakup with *beep* " Jin panics slightly and turns to face the producer, saying, "Wait, can you please bleep that out, I don't want my ex to know." He squeaks out a laugh

"Oh, yeah—I was enraged because it was like, 'You dare to become dehydrated? Not on my watch!’" You said with a laugh.

"Wait but for real, when I got that call from Joon—that was his dorm mate by the way—I got really worried." You recall with a slight frown.

"Yeah." He smiled fondly, "What about you?"

"Chichi," you say with a pout, and he coos.

"Right, yeah." He said in a small voice. "But hey, me and granny had the time of our lives that weekend, I ate so many cookies." He adds with a grin.

"Whatever." You rolled your eyes.

Were there any big fights you can remember?

His Side

Jin lets out a boisterous laugh, his body leaning forward and almost falling off the chair. The camera catches you looking at him, brows furrowed in confusion and a little concerned.

"I-" Jin stops and coughs a little, then looks at you, knitting your eyebrows at him. "Fucking cheesecake." He says, and your laughter can be heard off camera—as it is currently zoomed in on him.

"I know she’s gonna think of the same story, so I’m letting her tell it." He let out some of the residual laughter left in him before asking you to take off the headphones.

Her Side

You were laughing uncontrollably that it was kind of hard to breathe.

"Wait, that is it?" You ask as he asks for the headphones and nods. You put it on his head and smile.

"Sorry, I just—I saw him mouth the word cheesecake and I lost it."

The scene cuts to you shaking your head, "See, I knew it would be a question like that." You giggle.

"So. The Cheesecake incident," you start off. "It was one of those times in college when everyone was stressed—it was one of those ‘hell weeks’ as we call it. So, tension and stress were high for everyone, and we were no exception. One day after class, I went home to find him munching on something in my apartment’s kitchen.

"So a little context for this, there’s this really good bakery two hours away from campus, and whenever I go there I buy a whole thing of this amazing, out of this world cheesecake.

"So I saw him and I was like, ‘hey! Is that my fucking cheesecake?’ He said ‘yeah’ and immediately I started yelling at him about how it was so inconsiderate of him to eat it without my permission, and then he started going off about 'it's just a fucking cheesecake!’" You laugh and look at him trying to look innocent.

"So at one point, we were fighting over the box of cake in the kitchen, and of course, it plomps to the floor – I mean, what else do you expect to happen?

"So it fell on the floor right, and at that moment we just stopped and stared at it – then at each other. A few moments later, he grabs his fork and sits down – he starts eating it off the floor!" You cover your face with your hands.

"I don't know what dawned over me because I got my own fork and ate with him – we both looked like fucking idiots. We started apologizing to each other because, I swear to god we have never yelled at each other that much since we met." You started laughing uncontrollably again, and then waved your hand.

"Wait! Disclaimer, we ate the parts that didn't touch the floor – I don't want people to think we're disgusting."

Both Sides

“You told them about the cheesecake?”

“Yeah.”

“Good times.”

What is the biggest secret that you’ve never told the other person?

His Side

"Oh god, here we go. Is this the last one?" He asks someone off screen.

"Right. Save the juiciest for last."

He contemplates a little before talking.

"So uhm… fuck." He laughs nervously.

"I.. It was three years ago. We were hanging out in her apartment, and I guess she saw it from the internet because she was on her phone at that time.

"She asked me if I would still be friends with her even if she was a worm." He started giggling and shaking his head. "So fucking stupid. Anyway, I immediately said no, and she just rolled her eyes at me and moved on.

"But it got me thinking, reevaluating what she means to me, and then it struck me. I would love her no matter what. I would love her even on days when she's so cranky she doesn't even like talking to me. I would love her on days we're both so stressed that we eat cheesecake off the floor." He throws his head back in laughter.

"I'm in love with her— fuck I'm in love with her." He looks at you with your eyes closed, swinging your body to a mellow song.

Her Side

"Oh! Here we go. I was waiting for that one." You said that and faced him. You saw him look intently at you, like he was gonna try to read your lips to see what you would say. You let out an exhale before gesturing for him to close his eyes, and he does.

"So, remember what I said about that day I first saw him during Philosophy class? Yeah. I’ve developed a big fat crush on him since then. God, I can’t believe I’m saying this out loud.

"Okay, so it was a crush—was, because it did start out like that. But the thing is, not soon after that, he got into a relationship — and it was a serious one too. So that crush was crushed immediately." You wink at the camera. "Pun intended." Before proceeding, you check to see if Jin's eyes are still closed.

"It started out as a crush, but it lasted three years—and you know what they say about a crush lasting a certain time before it turns into something else? Yeah.. But then I drew the line at that three-year mark. I thought, ‘this cannot continue,’ and even after he and his girlfriend had broken up, I didn’t try to act on it, because I didn’t want to ruin our friendship." You laugh bitterly.

"Broke my heart, man. But I guess that’s on me. I was a coward." You dropped your gaze to your hands before letting out a breath of relief.

"Oh man, that felt so good to get off my chest." You smile at the camera briefly before switching your gaze to Jin.

Both Sides

Jin stretches his arms and lets out a grunt, "What did you say?"

"Oh, it was so juicy that you’re going to have to wait until this video comes out to find out." You reply while you wiggle your brows.

"Really? I bet it got nothing on what I had to say." He says to you in a low voice, looking at you intently.

"Doubt that. Guess we’re gonna have to find out, huh?"

The video shows a clip of the both of you posing silly for the camera, signaling the end of the video.

—

Jin taps the spacebar once and immediately snaps his body to face you.

"You…" he trails off, and a moment of silence surrounds you.

"I can't believe your romantic epiphany about me was triggered by me asking you if you'd still be friends with me even if I was a worm." You said, and just like that, the stiff tension between you was broken and he laughed.

A few beats of silence pass before he speaks again.

"You were in love with me?" he asks.

"You’re in love with me?" you ask back.

He rolls his eyes and says, "Don’t answer my question with another question."

You huff. "Fine. I was in love with you. Ugh, cringe." You roll your eyes playfully. He collects your hands and encloses them with his, forcing you to look at him.

"Hey, I know humor is your coping mechanism, but we have to talk about this."

You close your eyes for a moment before sighing. "Fine."

"Why didn’t you tell me?" He asks in a meek voice, as if he was scared.

"Because," you started off as you gestured with your hands, "like I said, I didn’t plan on acting on it. I didn’t want to risk this." You pointed at the two of you. "I was scared, so I stored it in a box and buried it in the deepest corner of my mind." You add.

You see a flash of hope pass through his eyes. "Then, will you dig it up? Will you try with me?" You don’t speak for a moment too long, so he brings your hands up to his lips and places a chaste kiss on it. "I love you, and I’m hoping you still love me too. I know it's scary, as you mentioned, but I'd like to give it a shot with you. I think—no, I know that we’ll be great together." He looks at you with a desperate look in his eyes, and you soften.

"Okay." You reply after a few seconds, and his eyes widen.

"Really?" His voice cracked and you felt your heart drop from your chest.

"Really, you idiot, I just told you." You rolled your eyes playfully at him, and he chuckled, leaning his forehead against yours.

"Can I kiss you?" He asks, and you don’t verbally reply but you lean in and go for it.

It felt perfect. It was the sweetest kiss you have ever experienced, and you’re glad you’re sharing it with him. It felt like the easiest thing in the world, like it was the most natural thing to do. You let out a small whine when he pulls away, but he cradles your cheek and you lean into his warmth.

"I still have that cap, you know? The one you thought I looked handsome in." He let out a devilish smirk.

"Shut up."

—

Bonus Post-credit scene

"and I take a deep breath and I get real high and I scream from the top of my lungs, What's going on?" Jin belts out as the staff adjusts the lighting since the outside was now darker as seen through the window. You scooched your chair closer and removed the headphones from his ears.

"Take this off for a second, you might ruin your eardrums." You placed the phone and the headphones on his lap, being careful not to get the cords tangled.

"Oop, okay." He shook his head and fixed his hair. He then brought up a hand to pinch your cheek.

"Thanks for looking out for me." He said in a soft voice.

You smile, your eyes crinkling up. "Always."

[Fade to black]

—

end note: kyaaaa! Leave some comments, tell me what ya think!

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stellalunatmblr · 2 years

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The Flower Path | Chapter 5

Status: Ongoing

Inspired by the web novel and manhwa: Inso’s Law

Word Count: 5.8k

Chapter Note: it took me sooo long to get this out because i took a few days off for myself after finals, but hopefully i can make more progress with this story now.

i’m not really satisfied with this chapter because i felt like i wrote so much yet not enough? it’s certainly not a filler chapter because i dropped a lot here, but as i was writing it it felt like a filler so i was in so much dilemma idk.

masterlist

There was a shift in the group dynamic following your conversation with Jin—a culmination of all prior occurrences, really—though it was more evident from their perspective than yours. You interacted with them more, letting yourself go yet being rooted where they were. Minyoung gave you an earful after you returned after skipping classes, but when she noticed your new satisfied glow, she backed down and let you be. She still whacked Jin on the back for it, but you didn't need to know that. All he had to say about it was, "Totally worth it."

The group attempted to meet more regularly to make up for missed study group meetings, even if you are not always complete. With examinations approaching and the start of the sports season, the group has been increasingly busy.

Minyoung laughs fondly as she gazes at your sleeping form, hair disheveled and lips open, snoring softly. She didn't want to be the one to wake you up and disturb your seemingly blissful sleep, but she wouldn't even let the other three boys she was with play rock paper scissors with her to see who would want to take on the task. She takes a seat beside you on the mattress and gently shakes your shoulders.

"Wake up," she whispered, attempting to softly yet quickly wake you up. You simply hummed and wrapped yourself in the duvet completely. She pouts and realizes that her strategy isn't working, so she chooses the other approach. She lays her entire body on top of yours, ensuring that she is pulling her weight down.

"Wake up!" she sang repeatedly in a (annoying) sing-song tone, and she knew you'd lost when she heard you groan.

"It's so early Minyoung, what the fuck," you grumbled as you pushed the covers away from your face, and she just chuckled.

"Come on, we don't want to be late for the assembly!" She resorts to patting you repeatedly until you become frustrated and wake up on your own. She hears you groan again and murmur something about "why did I take this job," and she finally lets up and lifts her weight off of you.

“Your dad cooked us breakfast. Come on, the guys are waiting in the living room.” As soon as she finishes her sentence, you sit bolt upright in your bed.

“I’m sorry, what?!” You yelled at her and she winced a little.

“The guys— just come outside.”

The sight that greeted you in the living room was the three musketeers—as you like to call them—lounging about in your house, making themselves feel at home. They were too at home, you think, because they were sprawled out comfortably on the sofa. You were so glad you hid the photo albums in the corner of your closet, or else they might have gotten their grubby little hands on them. They all took a look at you as you seemingly have a mental crisis. What were they doing in your home on a weekend at 6 am? Before you could even begin to pester them about it, your dad comes out from the kitchen.

”Have breakfast before you leave. I’ll go ahead, sweetie, we have early prep for work.” Your dad gives you a tender kiss on the forehead before nodding at your companions and disappearing to the foyer.

Minyoung nudges you back to your room. “Go change, we’ll wait here.” she says and right after, you hear a snicker.

“Nice pajamas.” Taehyung mockingly remarks with a smirk and you look down on your clothes; a pair of silk pajamas with a repeated pattern of a cartoon bear print on it. You roll your eyes. There was nothing wrong with your clothing! You flash him the fakest smile you could muster and flip him off, earning some muffled laughter from his two companions.

“Did my dad let you guys in here? I should scold him about inviting strangers into the house.” You crossed your arms and looked down on them.

“Minyoung vouched for us.” Jimin says with a gentle smile.

“Besides, we’re not just anyone, we’re your friends.” Taehyung adds as-a-matter-of-factly and reclines back on his seat. He looks at you as a pout forms in your face and you look away, not bothering to refute his statement. His grin grew wider and he chuckled. So something really did change, huh.

“Guys, help me with the food! We don’t wanna be late for roll call.” Minyoung’s voice reverberates from the kitchen and you all shuffled to get moving.

The five of you arrived at school fifteen minutes early for your scheduled meeting. Today was their first volleyball practice match of the season, against a team from another school. The managers and advisers worked quite hard to secure this practice game, especially because it was against a rival school and it needed all of your persuasion abilities to secure it.

It wasn’t until the schedule for this game was set that you met Yoon Sumi, your co-manager. You wondered why it took so long for you to see each other, given that you were both in the same year and she was in class 5, the room next door. When you first met, she greeted you with a grin and a warm, cheerful voice, and you were taken aback by her overall presence and elegance. You also notice that she is well liked by many people, as evidenced by the greetings she receives in the halls while you walk alongside each other. She possessed an aura that you couldn't quite put your finger on but knew was pertinent. But it wasn't any of those things that piqued your interest in Sumi; it was the color of her hair that surprised you the most.

You've seen other people with different hair colors— usually black or brown, with a mix of people with night shades. Though they're not as unique and bright as your friends', they're nonetheless uncommon and unnatural to see for you but seemingly normal in this world. Those people wore the darkest hues and were barely apparent. Sumi was an oddity; she had dark blue hair that was barely noticeable but otherwise shone brightly when illuminated. When she is under the sun, her hair seems to shimmer around her. It was similar to how Minyoung's light hair drew attention, but not exactly because Minyoung, like your other friends, exuded a certain glow that only they could muster.

You were naturally careful around her. You could tell by her hair that she had a role, probably an important one at that, but you don't know what it is yet. For the time being, it's best to be cautious with her and not let your guard down. You've already let down your guard enough around your friends.

"You guys are here," Sumi notes, a warm smile on her face, as the five of you approach the vehicles that the students will use to travel to Haneul High.

"Yep, captains must be on time," Minyoung responds with a kind smile.

You took it upon yourself to walk over to where the gym carts are parked next to a mini-bus and pull out your list of things to bring to the game. As you ticked off items on the list, you sensed a presence alongside you.

“Need help with that?” Jimin asks as he looks down on the items in front of you. You just shook your head gently at him.

“No, thank you. I have a list, anyway. I’ve got it all covered.” You reply and get back to what you were doing. He told you to find him if you do require assistance before backing away and getting back to where his friends are.

It wasn't long until both teams' members arrived, understanding how important punctuality is to being a good athlete. You were in charge of the girls' team's roll call, and they boarded the minibus as you called them. You were wrapping up when you noticed that almost all of the guys had boarded their designated vehicle—a van— save for their captain. Jungkook stood frowning, waiting for all of his members to be called before boarding the vehicle himself. You approached them while signaling Minyoung to board the bus.

"Hey," you said as you approached Jungkook and Sumi, who was looking down and double-checking her clipboard.

Jungkook shifted his eyes to you and scratched the back of his neck, causing your brows to wrinkle.

“All good. We can go now.” Sumi looked up and smiled at you before turning away, but you stopped her before she could go.

“Wait,” You said as you looked at the van in front of you. “Are you sure we only booked a van for the guys? They seem.. Cramped in there.” You remark and you see Jungkook perk up from your peripheral vision. You look towards the van, where the guys are struggling to find a comfortable position, their bags taking up some of the room.

“Oh, about that..” Sumi took a nervous glance at the boys’ team captain. “They only had the budget for a van.” You saw Jungkook frown even more at her words.

You sigh and run your palm down your face, frustrated. There's no way all of these guys are going to be comfortable all cramped in that van. You don’t understand why the management didn’t just allow you two mini–buses or maybe even one big bus, considering you were all going to the same venue anyway. They have different budgets based on their performance during sports seasons, and the boys' budget was cut over the summer, but this was only for a practice game; They didn't have to be too frugal.

You hear footsteps approaching from behind you and see Minyoung. She inquires as to what was causing the delay, and you provide a brief explanation.

"We only have enough seats for us, the coaches, and the managers," she says, nodding to the bus. "But we can fit some of your items on the bus, Jeon."

You nod at her and she turns to Jungkook again. "How about this: grab everything important from your gym bags, and we'll transfer them onto the bus. It won't really change much, but it'll give you guys enough room to be comfortable." She proposes, and Jungkook considers for a few seconds before accepting. He walks to the van to deliver the message to his team.

Some of them shuffle out and go through their bags, while Taehyung appears to be fighting to hold snack packages in one hand and his open bag in the other. You sighed and rolled your eyes.

"Leave the snacks Tae, you'll be fine without them for half an hour," you reprimanded, but he whimpered exaggeratedly.

"But here's the thing: I won't!" You turn to Jimin, who is standing next to him, and communicate with him through your eyes that you need help in dealing with his friend. He chuckles and grabs the snacks, stuffing them inside his bag.

"I don't mind having my bag on my lap. Let him keep these," Jimin says, and you sigh in defeat. It's fine; you shouldn't spend any more time on this than you have already.

“Uhm, let me take those.” Sumi offers her hand to their bags and Taehyung hands her his, giving a small thank you.

Everything was settled soon after and you departed from the school to head to Haneul High, which was a little over 30 minutes away. You opted to sit alone in front, Sumi having beaten you to sit beside Minyoung. You didn’t mind, you were going to catch up on some sleep anyway – well, a nap more likely.

Minyoung’s teammate shook you awake as you arrived and you groggily thanked her. She politely smiled before leaving the bus.

“Minyoung?” You inquired about your friend's whereabouts to another team member who was passing by your seat, and she pointed outside the bus.

“She’s already outside.” She says. Without being the one to wake me? You thought it was strange because Minyoung typically took every opportunity to be near you, even when it came to the most mundane things. It wasn't a big deal that she didn't wait for you to get up; it was just a little out of character for her. You take the net bag with the balls and assist the driver in unloading the drink coolers from the bus.

"___, let us handle that," Someone from the girls’ team says, taking one of the cooler's handles from your grip. She motions for a member of the guys team to assist her, and two of them approach, taking the cooler with them.

You swiftly approach and greet the Haneul High team's manager, who was a guy who oversaw both their girls' and boys' teams, as well as a junior manager whom you learnt was being trained to take his place. He welcomes you and tells you that you can head with the rest of the group to their gymnasium, as Coach Kai was led away by them to greet the rival team's coach.

You were left alone for a bit, so you took advantage of the opportunity to look around. Considering it being a weekend, there were a surprising number of students present. You're not sure, but you think you spotted students carrying banners and walking towards the gym. Did they get those for the game? It wasn't even an official match. You look around to find Minyoung walking towards you, breaking away from her conversation with her teammates.

"You should've woken me up," you say, a disgruntled tone in your voice. She pinches your cheeks and coos at you.

"Sorry, I was so wrapped up in conversation with Sumi that I didn't notice I went straight off the bus," She said and you just grinned and shook your head.

“Nah, it’s fine. You should go ahead and warm up with the rest.” You tell her and she jokingly salutes you with a “yes ma’am” before turning away and gathering the girls inside the gym.

“Hey, I’m coming with the girls’ team, you can head with the boys. I think they’re starting their game first.” Sumi says as she approaches your side and you nod at her.

The teams split up opposite sides to warm up, because the gym can house three courts— which is significantly larger than your school's gym, with adequate space in the center for spectators. However, it meant that it blocked your view of the girls' game. Your initial assessment of the audience was correct; they were there to watch the game, but it became clear that they were also there to see the attractive players on your team. The legendary seven princes, if you will. At the very least, three of them. You overheard a few murmurs about how they heard about the Seven Princes of Kkotgil, as if it were some sort of lore that your school had, but in fact it was just seven teenage boys with obnoxiously colorful hair (and extremely good looks, but you're not one to admit that).

The captains bow to each other before tossing a coin, and your team receives first serve, followed by a whistle signifying the start of the game. You were almost ecstatic since the opposing team barely held the ball up at the very start, you could hear them shouting as they communicated with one another, and they were able to return the ball, although too busy doing so to execute an attack. Okay, they got this. This is an opportunity. Your team easily received the ball, and you notice Jungkook yell something as he prepares to attack. The setter rapidly moves to the center of the attack line and raises the ball.

But instead of passing to the captain, he passes to another attacker, who misses because the ball was a little short. What? Jungkook had the perfect setup for an attack, with a clear hole in the other team's position from his side. You furrow your brow as the other team huddles around with a small cheer. What was up with that? This isn’t good for building momentum.

The students who were watching cheered, albeit there were a few disappointed murmurs mixed in, no doubt expecting the doe-eyed captain to show off his skills.

You see Jungkook shake his head a little before huddling his team. You took notice of how they didn’t immediately gather to the center, save for Taehyung, who was also a starting player. Jimin enters the court in the back line as the libero, tapping his friend on the back as they get ready to receive the opponent's serve. You notice with keen eyes how frantic they are with their plays. The opposing team was nothing exceptional, keeping their plays simple and straightforward, but it worked. It worked because they established a connection on the court that allowed them to communicate their plays and inform the rest of the team of their next move. You recognize that that was something your team lacked as the game went on.

You sigh as the ball lands on your court once more, Jungkook smacking the wooden floor in frustration after missing the ball by a hair. It doesn’t help with his frustration that the opponents seemed to be acting smugly towards him on purpose, as if taunting him to break his resolve. Coach Kai's presence looms over your shoulder, interrupting the notes you were taking.

“I’m calling time-out. Your notes are good, you should take this first one. I need to talk to the opponent’s team adviser.” He says and taps you on the shoulder.

“Yes, coach. Do you want me to record their game on my phone?” You asked but he shook his head no.

"Just keep taking notes. I trust those boys to get their shit together," he says, chuckling and turning away before doubling back. He whispers, "Don't tell anyone I said 'shit'," before walking away and calling timeout after a rally. You simply smiled at his antics and returned your attention to the team.

They approach the bench, and the team gathers around each other, accepting their bottles and taking a swig of their sports drinks.

You approached Jungkook first, walking close to him. You begin with, "Hey."

"Oh, hey," Jungkook says, his brows furrowed and his eyes fixed on the currently vacant court, as if visualizing something. You hand him an electrolyte drink before pulling him towards where the rest of the boys are.

"You guys are stiff and hurrying your plays," you start. "I understand this is a practice game, but you guys need to get it together," you say as you look at the opposite bench, where the Haneul High team was. "At first glance, they don't appear to be doing anything complicated, but they're all connected, which is why they make it work with the most basic plays. You guys should communicate more in court."

You return your attention to Jungkook, urging him to appeal to his teammates. He clears his throat and nods. He begins, "She's right, here's the plan..."

Someone in the group snickers, and you notice Jungkook stiffening beside you, his jaw clenched. You look at Junghoon, who was huddled with two of his teammates, all of whom appeared to be close friends of his. Jimin takes a step up beside Jungkook, as if analyzing the situation. You shifted your eyes from the committee in charge of the timer for the time-out to Junghoon and his posse. Growing impatient with the boys for not making progress with the discussion on how to work on their play, you stepped in.

"He's your captain, Junghoon. If you're going to act like a child, you should be on a playground rather than a court," you remarked sternly with a sharp glare his way. You see them straighten up and you feel the tension grow slightly.

"Then, ___, you should be our captain instead. At least you can tell us off.” he replies with a slight smirk and suddenly you feel like you overstepped. You should've just talked to Jungkook on his own and left him to deal with his teammates. You felt like a jerk, as if you'd unwittingly taken his place.

You were ready to turn to him and apologize when you felt an arm pull you back. "Don't," you hear as you turn to find Jimin nodding at you “He needed that.”

"He can handle it," Tae adds. They tap you on the shoulder, and you see Jimin nod at you again, so you reluctantly step away from the guys and focus on your notes instead.

Jungkook exhaled through his nose and closed his eyes. He needed to calm down and get his shit together. He cleared his throat to grab everyone's attention.

"Whether you like it or not, I'm the captain of this team, and believe me when I say I'm looking out for everyone's best interests. Now..." he said, the tone of his voice stern and his eyes filled with rekindled determination. "If you can't respect me, respect your sportsmanship at the very least. You're an embarrassment of an athlete if you lose on purpose just to spite me."

Everyone seems to quiet up and look aside in shame, so he interprets that as a signal to continue. He tells the team the strategy, and they all nod, but his mind lingered on his teammates' words after they had left. At least you can tell us off.

Has he been too lenient? He felt embarrassed that he seemed to be failing miserably as a captain. He was so consumed with the weight of last year's loss on his shoulders that he didn't realize he wasn't keeping the team in check. Maybe he was so consumed with remorse over getting his position despite the... trouble he had caused last year that he wanted to make amends by not being too tough on his team. He knew now that his decision was catching up with him. Because he feels he owes them for last year, he was unable to establish his role and authority with the team, to the point where they listened to the manager more than their captain.

It was difficult for him to try to prove himself to the team when he himself did not believe he deserved the position after all that had happened. It was unfortunate for him that only their senior members got to vote on who will be the next captain in line, because his batchmates appeared to disagree with their decision. But he's here now, and if he backs down now, he won't be able to make up for anything at all afterwards.

They return to the game and play better this time, but they still lose the first set since they were unable to catch up on their mistakes before the timeout was called. Coach Kai returned to watch them play and instructed you on what else you should put on your notes for him to work on with the team when they returned. Your team eventually loses 3-2 against the opposition. It bothered you more than you expected, especially since the other team didn't make any really noteworthy plays. You haven't seen much of your team's practices, but you know they can put together some good combinations when they try. You're baffled as to why they didn't try now.

Jungkook was even more upset than you, considering he was the team's leader. He was able to rally the team to win two sets, but it wasn't enough to propel them to victory. He thinks he needs to reassess how he communicates with his teammates and how he deals with them. For the sake of the team, he must put his own objectives and guilt aside.

Minyoung approaches you after a cooldown routine with the joyful news that they won their practice game versus Haneul, as you suspected based on the cheers on their side of the court. They had a lot of supporters here for an away game; It was most likely because of Minyoung's popularity.

You pat her on the back and congratulate her. Sumi is standing next to her, congratulating her as well. You smile at the two of them and go back to double-checking the teams’ things, comparing them to the list you have. You were all loading the stuff into the bus after lunch when you noticed Jungkook still standing there, staring at their van from afar. You turn around and assist the driver with the coolers once more before backing up and letting him close the compartment.

After a head count, you were ready to enter the bus with Minyoung when you were stopped by Jungkook calling out to you.

"When we get there, don't go home yet. Wait for me," he says directly to you, catching you off guard.

"What do you need her for, Jeon? After the briefing, we still have more training to do," Minyoung tells him.

"I just need to speak with our manager," he says, his tone annoyed.

"I need to speak with her as well," she argues, adamant and protective of you.

"All right, let's all go together," he says, turning back to you. "Wait for us 'til after training," he demands, rather than requesting of you.

You were about to smack him in the face for speaking to you in that manner, but you recall that you owe him for earlier and retract your claws. Even if he didn't wait for an answer, you just sighed and nodded.

When you return to school, the teams go directly to the gym for a quick review of their games and the areas coach Kai wants them to focus and work on. They rush to practice and work on their plays, and you notice a teeny tiny improvement in communication with the boys' team, but there was still notable tension in the air. You have no idea what their deal with their captain is, or with each other in general, but you can only hope they work it out before the official season starts.

You had to wait for another four hours of training, but you made yourself useful by finalizing the other teams that were scheduled to have practice games with Kkotgil, which they would come to your school this time. Sumi chose to stay and work with you after seeing that you were also staying behind. After their training, the coach dismisses both teams, and the captains immediately rush to your side.

"Let's go," Jungkook says, waving farewell to his other two friends, who waved back to you and Minyoung as well.

Sumi gets up from where she was sitting next to you. “Are you guys having a meeting? Do you need me to be there too?" She inquires of all three of you, and you turn to look at the other two since you, too, were unsure.

"No, that's all right, Sumi. Thank you for today." Jungkook bows politely and says, "You worked hard." Minyoung follows suit and Sumi lets out a smile that crinkles her eyes.

“Alright guys, don’t work too hard. You need proper rest, too.” She nods at them and then at you before gathering her things and leaving.

You three go to a nearby café and order before deciding where to sit. Even after your orders had come, Jungkook was looking about and stalling.

"Just go right to the point, Jeon.” Minyoung informs him before stuffing a piece of cake in her mouth, "She's waited long enough to hear what you have to say."

He sighs and braces himself. “I.. heard that the coach seems fond of you.”

Minyoung drops her fork on her plate as you choke on your strawberry milkshake.

"Wait, do I have to be concerned about that?!" You sat up straight and questioned him loudly in panic.

He stuttered around his words, his cheeks flushed with embarrassment. “No! No, not at all. That's not how I should've phrased it."

He really should not have! Thank God, because you were about to call the cops for a second there. Minyoung chuckles from beside you, uttering a weak "what the fuck was that?"

He scratches at the nape of his neck, a nervous fidget you notice he does sometimes. He sees you and Minyoung offer him a little grin, which is enough to ease the tension in his shoulders.

"I was wondering if you could be the one to bring up budget renegotiation to him since he might actually listen to you," he says quietly.

Minyoung lets out a small “Oh.” as he says that, and you look back and forth between the two of them, wondering what this was about.

"There will be a meeting before the season officially begins, and that will be the final time the budget may be renegotiated. I need your help in convincing the coach to at least equalize the numbers with the girls' team." He turns to face Minyoung. "I sincerely hope you don't mind."

She gives him a kind grin. "Certainly not. In any case, we're all vying for championships."

Wow. It seems like just yesterday that they were attempting to claw each other's eyes out. You'd think this is a positive thing. It was a superficial rivalry anyway, arising from the same problem they're attempting to solve right now.

"But, why me? And why the coach? Shouldn't the discussion take place with the volleyball team's adviser instead?" You ask them.

"Well, you see, the adviser is there for formality since every sports team needs one. Coach Kai is the one in charge of and oversees all of our activities." Minyoung answers for you.

You exhale a quiet sigh before turning back to him. "I'm not sure I have a say in that, Jeon. I'm still new to the team, and I feel like I'd be pushing it if I tried to discuss money with him."

"But all I ask is that you try. I need you to at least help me in negotiating," he continues with desperation and you turn to look to Minyoung for advice. She reciprocates with a nod.

“Uhm.. Okay," you say, and you watch him breath a sigh of relief.

"I'll help in any way I can, too," Minyoung adds.

He gives you both a sincere grin. He was relieved that his misguided hostility against you didn't drive you away from him, because you were both genuinely nice people. With you agreeing to his request, his shoulders relax a little as he thinks he's one step closer to redemption.

❀。• *₊°。 ❀°

You hand the folder to the Volleyball teams’ adviser and she thanks you for your work. You bow to her before approaching the Coach's desk.

“Coach, we’ve finalized the request for this weekend’s practice game. Sumi couldn’t make it today but here’s the paperwork she asked me to hand in.” Coach Kai accepted the folder in his hands and thanked you before dismissing you, but you stood still in your place.

“Uhm.. Coach, it says on the schedule that a meeting will be held next week for the sports teams before the official season starts.” You ease into the conversation. He hums in response.

“Right, thanks for reminding me of that.” He didn’t bother looking at you; eyes fixated on the work on his desk.

“I was wondering if I can talk to you about the budget? The boys’ team’s in particular.” You prompted and you saw him pause to look at you.

You prepare to whip out your persuasion skills as he mulls over what you said.

“Why?” He simply said and you were dumbfounded for a second before picking yourself back up.

“Jeon asked me to bring it up.”

He brushes his chin with his hands as he thinks again. "But he didn't tell you why their budget was cut?"

"T-they lost the championships last year," you stammered, unsure. Jungkook didn't tell you that explicitly, but that's what you've heard, and that's all you know about what happened.

Coach Kai nods as if thinking of something, and you nearly breathe a sigh of relief until the next words he says.

"He didn't say why they lost, did he? Come back to me when you know everything, and I'll be more than willing to negotiate with him," he adds, turning away from you, signaling the finality of his statement.

You entered the classroom from the rear entrance, close to where Jungkook sat. You sat next to Taehyung in the vacant chair before tapping Jungkook on the shoulder to relay the news. He turned to face you, and consequently, Jimin too, who was seated beside him.

"About the thing you asked me to do..." You looked at him, then at his two friends, both of whom were staring at you, since you weren't sure whether he wanted them to know. He nods to signal you to proceed.

"Coach refuses to hear about renegotiating the budget through me when I had no knowledge why and how the cut happened," you continue, seeing his shoulders droop as his two friends gaze at him in surprise, having no idea what you guys were up to.

"He says he'd be more than willing if you told me everything, though." You continue, and he stiffens in his seat.

He could talk to the old man personally to avoid having to reveal all his wounds to you, but now that the coach knows he wants to negotiate through you, he knows the old man is dead set on having you know what happened. He really wants to torture me about this, huh. He returns his gaze to you and sees you waiting for him expectantly to say something. Jimin and Taehyung mirror your expression as they wonder how their friend will handle this. The events of last year were only known by a limited number of people, which included the whole team and the team advisers, after all. Having another person know would be like poking on his wound and opening it further, and he’s not sure if he can handle that.

You can all see through his eyes that his thoughts were racing a mile a minute. Jimin pats him on the shoulder reassuringly, and he seems to snap out of it. He stares you in the eyes once more before saying, "Forget it," and turning his back on you. You hear Taehyung audibly sigh beside you.

You were puzzled by his response. He had such resolve in his eyes when he brought up the subject to you, and now he's going to give up on it just like this? You tried to let it go, to believe that it was his decision and that it was now out of your hands, but you can't help but be bothered now that you already had one foot in the door.

Taehyung ruffles your hair to jolt you out of your trance before asking you to return to your seat, which you did absentmindedly, attempting to figure out where to proceed from here.

taglist: @reallysparklychaos @lovebun-19 @shownusshoulders @missseoulite @potaetopic @bbsantc @moderndaychihiro @bear-hugs-and-kisses

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stellalunatmblr · 2 years

Photo

crying this is so cute

it’s not a scarf…it’s Holly! ♥

#its holy!#that's actually the right spelling right?

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stellalunatmblr · 2 years

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Now Tae’s cryptic comment makes sense! 😁 I don’t know what I thought he meant but I was not expecting that. Thanks for spilling, Hobi ☺️💜

So many feels in this chapter 🥺 The hyungs really put themselves out there. The Seven and Minyoung are a lot more observant than OC gives them credit for. The fact that they each seem to be gravitating towards her is so sweet. She’s already dear to each of them and doesn’t even realize it. I don’t blame her for being hesitant to dive in fully. I can’t imagine how much it will hurt her if she does and then has to leave their world 😢

I’m so envious of hooky day with Jin! This is unfolding so beautifully and I love every word. You’re doing an amazing job and I hope school and everything else is going well. Happy CB and happy Festa!

happy comeback season and happy festa!!! thank you so much as always for the wonderful feedback 💖🌸

#askstellaluna #the flower path #the flower path chapter 4

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stellalunatmblr · 2 years

Note

i REALLY REALLY REALLY LOVE your story! i get

sad when i get to the end of the chapters 🥲😂

awww 🥺 but that just means you have stuff to look forward to! lol 💖🌸

#thank you so much #i get it tho chapter endings are 🥴#askstellaluna #the flower path

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stellalunatmblr · 2 years

Text

NO YOU DON'T GET IT IM FREAKING OUT

SHUT THE FUCK UPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP

#i think the others got it too #bcs they were all talking abt getting matching ones #ohMYGOD

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stellalunatmblr · 2 years

Text

The Flower Path | Chapter 4

Genre/Tags: isekai (kinda?), bangtan x fem!reader, not poly, oc!bestfriend, surprise romantic pairings; rom-com, slow burn, fluff, angst (will update tags along the way)

Status: Ongoing

Inspired by the web novel and manhwa: Inso’s Law

Word Count: 7.7k

Chapter Note: i just sneaked in an update in the middle of doing school stuff lol because ITS COMEBACK DAY OMG. i'm so ready, this is such an important album!!!

again, please let me know what you think!

masterlist

The boys were discussing a new video game that had just been released, and Jin was already planning on assembling the group to play it together. They'd been getting raucous since there were seven of them, chairs turned around to face each other, growing closer as they spent more time together even outside of study group meetings. It was an unexpected relationship for them, since they weren't really keen on knowing one another before, but circumstances bringing them together this school year pulled them closer, and they didn't mind at all.

Minyoung tunes them out, then lays her arm and head down on your desk.

"What’s taking her so long?" She whines, and Jimin chuckles from beside her.

"You’re gonna have to fight the coach for hogging all her attention. I heard he’s taken a liking to her work with how efficient she is; maybe he’s giving her a ton more workload." He pats Minyoung’s head lightly.

"Right, she got us that practice game with Haneul High. I wonder how she convinced them to agree." Jungkook follows, recalling the other team adviser's notorious record of denying all practice games with Kkotgil due to their "rivalry" with coach Kai.

Jin releases a hum. "Wow, who would've known, huh?" He asks with a hand on his chin, earning Minyoung's disbelief.

"What do you mean, Jin? I always knew she had it in her." Her chest swells with pride, knowing she never doubted for a second that you’d do great.

Minyoung grew impatient with every minute you didn't come back to the room—raising her head and looking expectantly towards the door—and consequently, the other guys grew impatient too, veering away from their conversation. When they spot a classmate walking by with food, Hobi calls them out politely to get their attention. The girl's face reddened quickly since they had been thrust into the limelight, with all eyes on them from the Sevens and Minyoung, and her companion nudged her playfully.

"Have you guys seen ___?" He politely asked the two.

The guy gave them an incredulous look. "___? Yes, we saw her outside the room a few moments ago. I saw her go with Jinah and her friends somewhere, though." He says, and three people from the group freeze.

"Jinah? But isn’t she.." Namjoon paused and cast a wary glance towards Minyoung, who was now deep in thought. The others are glancing at each other and then at the three, puzzled as to why they're acting strangely.

Jin touched his jaw with one hand, brushing it back and forth as he was thinking. "Why would she do that?"

"What exactly is going on?" Hobi inquires, uncomfortable with the situation, with him and the others being kept in the dark.

Minyoung takes a deep breath and turns away from everyone's attention.

She cuts through the silence that follows. "She doesn't know," she says in a small voice that the others almost missed.

“Doesn’t know what?” Yoongi asks, now paying more attention to the situation.

Namjoon notices his friend's anxiousness, her eyes darting about, and he knows she won't say anything. It was a recent wound, having occurred only a year before. Jinah would circulate false rumors about Minyoung, but thankfully, things didn't get out of hand to the point where they spread to other classrooms. The whole thing came to an abrupt stop by the end of the school year, and since they weren’t classmates anymore, they haven't heard from Jinah ever since. He sighs.

“Jinah has been busted several times for gossiping about Minyoung behind her back.” He understood his friends’ bewildered expressions, as they had no idea what had happened. After all, that was the year only Jin, Minyoung, and himself were in the same class.

Jin walked slowly up to your table and leaned on it. “It was especially bad because Minyoung had never even spoken to them before, so the rumors were baseless as can be.”

The group falls silent, taking in the information that was presented to them.

“Why doesn’t she know? She’s your friend.” Yoongi says in a sharp voice, drawing a nudge from Hobi. Minyoung shifts in her seat, playing with her hands. The others aren't used to seeing her be this way, because she is generally assertive when she wants to be, but anything involving you makes her a complete mess.

“I just didn’t tell her, okay? It was fine, she didn’t need to know.”

Yoongi looks at her intently and squints his eyes a little. Namjoon catches on and rolls his, obscuring Yoongi’s view of his friend by leaning in. “That’s enough. Stop interrogating her.”

Yoongi shrugs and reclines in his seat. “I wasn’t.”

Taehyung was the first one to break from the group, his two other friends following behind him. When the bell sounded, the others rose to go back to their chairs, soothing Minyoung with pats on the back.

Their eyes were all on you when you stormed through the door, but you disregarded them all. You were also the first one out the door when the bell rang to indicate the end of class that day.

You spend the following week after the Jinah-after-school incident moping about and wallowing in self-pity and shame. Spending time with the group was also awkward. Thankfully, the study group still went well because some of the guys were chatty, filling in the gaps where you and Minyoung went silent. Even the group's resident chatterboxes had to put in more effort because the tension was growing. You think that they are aware of your shift in attitude, but no one dares to confront you about it.

You don’t know why Minyoung went silent along with you, though, and it made you feel even more shitty. Did she catch on? Did she know about Jinah? Did she know you almost turned your back on her?

You became distant from them, with little regard for their feelings. You shouldn’t mind; they're not real. At least that’s what you want to think, but your heart betrays you every time it clenches at the thought. You stick with them, though, knowing that there's no use in avoiding them since the universe will always find a way to bring you all together.

You already know Minyoung will be okay without you. You've seen her interact with the sevens as well as the other girls on the volleyball team, so you are confident she can make friends outside of your friendship. She will be fine without you. You, on the other hand, do not have that luxury. You've established, after the shit Jinah pulled, that one way or another, people around you will identify you with the key characters and will ultimately want to burrow their way in so that they may get to them through you. It makes no difference whether they have good or ill intentions; you become used either way.

It was simpler to point the finger at them. It was easy to project that they’re the ones at fault that you got played with, and not that you were being a shitty person to them by disregarding them like this. You weren’t ready to open that can of worms that holds the truth about you and your feelings toward them.

"C’mon guys, let’s go have lunch together!" Jin approaches your table as he beckons the three musketeers from the other side of the room to him. You abruptly stand up from your seat, the sound of the screeching chair startling him a little bit.

"You guys go ahead, I just need to do something." You try to give them a smile, although it doesn’t reach your eyes, before walking away.

Namjoon shook his head. "Is she avoiding us?"

"That doesn’t seem to be it. She still tries to hang around." Jimin’s eyes follow your retreating figure as he approaches the others.

Minyoung deflates in her seat. "Maybe she’s mad at me.." she says, and the guys were quick to assure her otherwise.

"Do you think she.. I mean, she did hang out with Jinah." Yoongi remarks, and Minyoung stands up from her seat.

Her voice was defensive when she talked. "No, she wouldn't ever do that to me."

Hobi was quick to calm the situation down before it escalated, his hands motioning for them to pipe down.

Jimin shook his head, "She doesn’t seem to be mad. She just seems sad and maybe even scared." He says, earning incredulous looks from the others. "I don’t know, either." He adds as he shrugs.

Hobi frowns and looks at the others. "Why would she be scared?"

"Should someone go talk to her?" Someone pipes in.

Taehyung quickly shook his head. "Hmm.. no. I think she just needs some time." He looked at the door from which you disappeared and let his gaze linger for a bit. "Anyway, lunch?" he turns to the others to ask.

They all made their way towards the cafeteria, missing the way Yoongi stayed behind for a little while and clenched his fist before standing up.

❀。• *₊°。 ❀°

"I'm sorry, I can't. But you guys should go ahead anyway." You decline their invitation for the nth time this week, and the group visibly deflates.

Jin sighs. "You can’t keep making excuses, you know?"

You shook your head lightly. "I’m not. The coach wants me to finalize some papers for the team’s schedules."

"It’s fine, you can go." Minyoung gives you a reassuring smile. You try to return it before walking away. The sight of your back is something they have all gotten used to these days; they get to see it more than you.

"Minyoung.." Jin calls out to her.

"It’s okay, I asked her to take the job, so I should let her do her work, right?" She tries to smile, but her lips are tight.

"But she’s clearly using it as an excuse—" Namjoon tried to speak again, but she just shook her head.

"Let’s go to the cafeteria, I’m hungry." She stood up and went ahead.

Jungkook sighs before following, "C’mon, moping won’t fill our stomachs."

The rest trailed after them, but Hobi and Yoongi lagged behind.

"I don’t like this.." Hobi whispers to him. "It feels like she’s purposely trying to drift away." He adds.

Yoongi responds by shaking his head. "She'll come back," he says, but he can't even convince himself of this.

"Actually, go ahead with the others; I forgot I needed to do something." He pats his best friend on the back before turning away, walking in the direction you disappeared into.

When he sees your figure, he calls out your name, and you turn to him with a surprised face. "Yoongi?"

Before you can say anything else, he tugs on your wrists. "Let’s talk." He brings you to a deserted staircase and turns around to face you.

"I heard about what happened with Jinah."

You furrow your brow. He knows? Maybe news does spread fast around here— in typical teen novel fashion.

You roll your eyes at him, keeping a tight face. "What is it to you, anyway?"

He takes a step towards you. "She hates Minyoung! Why would you do that to your friend?"

You knit your brows at his accusatory tone. "I didn’t even know, okay? She just approached me and said she wanted to hang out!" You huff at him.

He shook his head in disbelief. "Why didn’t you know in the first place? Minyoung’s your best friend." He says in a stern voice that you almost backed away.

You scoff. Of course he’s going to come to her rescue! One of them ought to.

"You don’t know what you’re talking about, Yoongi." You met his cold gaze with your own. It’s true, he does not know. He has no idea of your situation— the gap of missing memories from the past two years— and he has no idea that you did not intend to go with Jinah. You were unaware of her hatred for Minyoung.

"Can you imagine how she felt when she found out you were hanging out with Jinah? The same person who spread rumors about her last year?" He raises his voice to drive home the point. Can you imagine how they all felt when they noticed you starting to pull away? He wanted to add. He's not sure why he's the one bursting at you when Jin and Namjoon appear to know more than him.

Spread rumors? And she knows? The nerves made your heart race.

You shook your head at him, "We’re done here." You try to turn away, but he catches your wrist again and turns you to him.

"You didn’t even consider talking to us–"

"Oh, get off my case, Yoongi!" You yell. "You’re not even my friend, you’re just someone I know because of Hobi." You snap at him and he freezes in his place.

As soon as the words leave your mouth, your eyes go wide. You mirror his shocked expression, and your heavy breaths are the only sounds heard in the empty stairwell.

"No… I- I didn't mean it—" He doesn't let you finish before putting on a poker face, turning his back on you, and walking away.

"Yoongi.." you whisper, as if it will fix everything.

❀。• *₊°。 ❀°

Hobi claps his hands above his head once to catch everyone’s attention. "Study group at my house!" He says in a singsong manner.

Yoongi starts collecting his things and placing them in his bag. "I can’t go. I have a..thing"

Hoseok frowns at him and raises his brow. "What? No, you don't." he says, and Yoongi rolls his eyes.

"Something suddenly came up." He finally stood up from his seat, ready to go.

"Ah, should I cancel-"

"No, Hobi," he cuts him off. "You should go. Don’t worry about me."

The group observes the exchange with puzzled expressions on their faces. Yoongi raises his bag and pats Hobi on the back before going away.

Jin pulls you back and shakes his head at you as you feel your hand twitch and prepare to get up to stop Yoongi. "Let him." He says.

Jin's empathic nature allowed him to perceive the tense atmosphere surrounding you and Yoongi these days—which was far worse than the tension that had been lurking over you the days prior. He has no idea what happened, but he believes it will benefit both of you if you spend some time away from each other. Yoongi has an explosive personality, and he understands it won't work with your unpredictable attitude. He had no idea that it was already too late for any of that.

Taehyung pinches at the bridge of his nose and mutters something under his breath. You cleared your throat to catch their attention.

"Can we cancel? I’m not feeling well today, either." You said in a meek voice, but they all agreed. After packing your bags, you approach Minyoung.

"Hey," she raises her head from looking down her bag as you call her.

"Hey," she replies with a small smile which makes your heart ache. You don't know how she can still manage to be so genuine around you.

"Let’s walk home together?" You ask.

"Yeah, I’d love that." You didn’t really have to ask, because that’s what you both do most of the time, but the gesture of you asking makes her heart a bit lighter.

You say your goodbyes to the group before splitting away. As you and Minyoung walked through the gates, the sun was already starting to set, leaving pink and orange colors in the sky.

"Minyoung." You say after a few moments of silence, and she just hums in response.

"I didn’t know about Jinah. I’m sorry." You look down at your feet. There was no point in asking her why she didn’t tell you, because you wouldn’t even have been here yet last year. Even if she had, you wouldn’t have remembered.

"You don't have to apologize for anything. You didn't know since I didn't tell you." She hooks her arm with yours.

"Even so. I apologize for being so distant after that. I just…"

"You don't have to explain anything to me. I trust you because you’re my friend." She pauses on her track and faces you just to pinch your cheek.

How? How did she come to trust me so easily?

Is her gullible nature to blame for her blind faith in you? Even if you haven't remembered anything about your character’s relationship with her in the past two years, she still stood by you.

"You shouldn't," you murmur under your breath as she continues walking.

She comes to a halt and spins around. "But I do. I chose to do so. Because you are important to me."

She also told you she acknowledges that she was upset that you didn't just tell her how you were feeling, but she makes no mention of blaming you for hanging around with the people who despised her. You know she is completely unaware of everything —they all are. However, it is not their fault. They've been nothing but friendly and welcoming to you. You apologize once more, this time feeling guilty about how you acted. You believed your emotions were somehow valid, yet you behaved too hastily, and ended up hurting them in the process.

Minyoung pulls you in closer and tells you about her day as if nothing had happened. You grin, relishing in the warmth that seemed to surround you whenever you were together. This time, you plant your roots a little deeper.

❀。• *₊°。 ❀°

You were sitting under the purple tree, on the concrete stairs, when a shadow loomed over you.

“Minyoung told me you’d be here.”

You were quick to hide your surprise as you looked up, shocked that he actually came here for you. “Are you here to confront me, too?” You ask but he didn’t say anything.

“Look, I don’t know what happened between you and my best friend, and I know to stay out of his affairs when needed – but can I ask you something?” You nod at him and ask him to take a seat by tapping at the space beside you.

Hobi talks when he finally settles down. “Why do you always appear unsure? It's as though nothing you see makes sense. Even while you're with us, you stare at us as if you're observing us from the outside.”

You glance at him, surprised at how easily he can read you. You thought you hid yourself pretty well, confident about the fact that they wouldn't catch on. You're astonished since he's never mentioned this to you before. You avoid his stare, unsure what to say.

"You don't have to actually explain anything. But.. It doesn't feel good when you look at us like that."

Your heart starts to plummet. You didn't intend to do that. But they aren't real. You are seeing them from the outside because you do not belong here. But recently, you are starting to feel like you do. Despite the growing dread that something will hold you back once more, you attempt to hold on to the notion that maybe you can and will belong.

"I'm hoping you talk to Yoongi. I'm sure you want to. I'm not sure what's stopping you." He adds.

The humiliation and regret you feel for saying things to him that you didn't mean is what's holding you back. You weren't the closest of friends with Yoongi, but telling him you didn't consider him a friend was a total lie.

Your hands start to tremble. You hate it. You despise your situation. They've all shown you nothing but kindness and gave their friendship willingly. Your anger was misplaced; they have no idea what you're thinking or what's going on in your situation, and they couldn’t have known because you don’t want to tell them anything. You stifle a sob but suppress it with your hand. You didn't want to cry in front of anyone right now; but you've repressed your feelings for far too long, and they're about to burst like a shattered dam.

You cover your face with both hands, shakily. You can't help but cry, your shoulder shaking as you do. Everything was so overwhelming that you were furious, confused, and heartbroken. You didn't intend for any of this to happen. Every time you attempt to make things easier for yourself here, it appears that you are making things more difficult for others.

Hoseok holds you from the side, his heart clenching as he sees you with your walls down, the first time he's witnessed this type of emotion from you. He sits in silence, offering only his reassuring presence, and that is more than enough for you.

Jin insisted on accompanying you to lunch the next day. You indulge him, feeling awful for constantly turning him down the previous week. (He may or may not have guilt-tripped you into it as well.)

“Can I come with?” Hobi approaches and you see him and Jin exchange a look. You squint your eyes at them.

“Yeah, she’s buying.” Jin points to you and you shove him playfully.

“That wasn’t part of the deal!”

“What deal? You don’t make deals with friends, you just do these things because they’re your friend.” The mention of the word friend sent you back to that argument with Yoongi, and your shoulder hunch in shame.

“You know that’s not true.” Hobi says with a chuckle. “What do you think we’re doing right now?” he says to him meaningfully and Jin just pouts.

“It’s not a deal, Hobi. It’s a favor from you.” Jin replies. “And this exactly proves my point. I’m doing this as a friend.” He beams with pride and you look at the both of them incredulously but they both just shrug and continue walking with you.

It’s a few moments later when you realize that you are, in fact, not going the right way to the cafeteria, so you halt in your steps.

“Uhm, where are you guys taking me?” You ask them.

“Ah, we’re just making a little detour. The weather is nice today, you know?” Hobi says and you start to grow more suspicious. Jin even began whistling and looking around obliviously.

You were walking towards the open field when you saw familiar mint green hair in one of the benches, his back facing you.

“Uhh..” You tug on Jin’s sleeve. “Let’s go to the cafeteria, yeah? I’ll pay.” You say as you turn around but you fail when he tugs you back facing forward again.

“Come on, let’s just say hi.” You doubted that’s just what they intended to do when they brought you here, so you try to pull yourself back from their hold.

“He obviously doesn’t want to see me, let’s just go–”

“Hoseok?” The three of you look at Yoongi who was now giving the three of you questioning looks, seemingly distracted by the commotion you have caused.

“Well, take a look at that, it's Yoongi. I had no idea you'd be here.” Says Hobi with a big grin.

“You literally asked me to meet you here.” He replies in a flat tone, and you turn to Hobi, sending him death glares. You think you saw him flinch and sweat a little at your gaze but he doesn’t turn to face you.

“Anyway, I'm hungry, so Hobi and I are gonna go ahead and eat, okay?” Jin says before saving Hobi from your stare and dragging him out there with him.

You were locked into place by the long, deafening silence. You bite your lower lip, unsure of what to do. You desperately want to talk to him and apologize, but you're not sure if he'll listen. You have no idea if you even deserve to be heard by him. You hear him sigh as he stands up and tries to walk away, but you call out to him in panic.

“Wait!” You take a quick step forward but trip on a rock, landing on your hands and scraping your knee a little.

“Son of a bi–”

“Are you okay?” He quickly asks as he stops on his tracks and sees you, but you also notice him trying to stop himself from laughing.

You pout a little, looking away. “It’s okay, laugh at me. I deserve it.” You say childishly.

You hear him chuckle and when you finally look at him, you see him roll his eyes. He assists you in standing and leading you to the bench, taking care to be cautious when you limp a little before stretching your leg and walking more easily.

You see him try to take a step back again but you quickly stop him.

“Wait... can I speak with you?”

He continued to take a step back and took off his blazer. "I was just gonna do this." He drapes the garment across your lap, and you clutch the collar with one hand.

He stares into your eyes and thinks he's never seen you more… vulnerable. At all. He locks his gaze on you and engrains the moment in his mind—the first time you expressed this kind of genuine emotion to him.

You fidget and fumble with your hands, and for the first time since you met, you were the one to look away first. You swallow a lump in your throat as you recall the terrible words you said to him. You felt like a jerk after telling him you don't consider him a friend but you do, he's your friend. They're your friends.

He looks at you expectantly and raises a brow, prompting you to speak. You inhale a large breath, bracing yourself.

"I’m sorry for snapping at you. My anger was unjustified, and I shouldn’t have yelled at you in that manner. That wasn't like me in the least. I was just very overwhelmed at the moment, and you just happened to be around. It was more convenient to dump everything on you." You turn to face the open field instead, settling on just seeing him in your peripheral vision.

“You’re my friend, you know? When I claimed I didn't consider you one, I didn't mean it. I apologize." You purse your lips when you finish, letting him process your words. You don't see the sides of his lips tug into a smile, thinking it was cute that you seem almost like you practiced your speech with how you said it.

When he sees you turn your head towards him, he quickly schools his expression into a poker face, clearing his throat.

"I’m sorry for lashing out on you too. Taehyung said you might just need more time, and I should've listened."

He's also reflected on how impulsive he was. He suddenly decided that the group's tension was too much, and he took it upon himself to talk to you about it. He should've known better than to do something like that when his emotions were at their peak, and it just goes to show how horrible it can be when he does things like that when you both fought. He now realizes that you both could have handled it better.

He ruffles your hair when he doesn’t see you budge, the guilty look still painting your face. "Treat me to some bungeoppang and maybe I’ll call it even." He adds, to at least appease you.

You roll your eyes and huff. “What do you mean, maybe? Ugh, whatever. Fine.”

He smiles at your demeanor, relieved that you seemed to have returned to normal with him, but he knows there's more now after what you both had gone through. You eventually look him in the eyes and return his smile, which is the most genuine you've ever given him.

❀。• *₊°。 ❀°

Your heart was clearly lighter these days, and if the way a light skip that was present in your steps didn't reveal it, nothing would. You weren't sure how you'd approach your relationship with the others after that, but for the time being, you decide that this is enough. Being with them is obviously more difficult for you than it is for them, but you decide to stick it out and see where it leads. You acknowledge it's not that bad, and they're all interesting enough to keep you there; you don't want to admit it, but being with them makes you happy.

You and Minyoung were on your way to the gates when you noticed a tall person waving at you from afar.

"Good morning!" Jin welcomed you with a huge smile that quickly spread to you and Minyoung— you smiled back. You notice he's carrying a larger bag than usual as you glance behind him. You creased your brow but didn't mind it too much.

"Good morning, Seokjin! Why are you standing here waiting?" Minyoung asks.

"Ah, I was hoping to speak with ___," he says, shifting his weight to make his backpack less visible to you. Minyoung cocked her brow at him and shrugged cautiously.

"O—kay?" She raises a suspicious brow. "Uhm, I'll see you guys inside," she says, and you hear Jin hum back, but he snickers and tugs you away as soon as Minyoung is out of sight.

"Oh?" You switched your gaze between the gate and Jin, who was now dragging you to the bus stop. "Wait! You said you wanted to talk," you pulled on him a little, but he dragged your weight.

"And we are going to talk," he shrugged, as a bus approached and he pulled you inside. You were dumbfoundedly following him. "We're playing hooky while we're at it," he says, and you punch his shoulders.

"No way, Jin!" You huffed and crossed your arms, looking at him, "We have a study group session after class today." You're surprised that he'd pull anything like this as the self-proclaimed leader of the study group.

"Exactly! It'll happen after class. We won't ditch them; we'll meet them at Hobi's instead." He pulls you to sit at a window seat and takes the one next to you.

After that tense fight was resolved, the postponed study group session was ultimately rescheduled today, and the group seemed eager about it (Who gets excited about study groups? Not me), so you would genuinely feel awful if you didn't show up. You wouldn't want to miss it either, especially with the first exam season of the semester approaching.

"Well, it's too late now," you sigh, "we're already on the bus," you add, your gaze still fixed on the bus stop as it moves further away. You murmur under your breath, "Minyoung is going to murder me for this," but he hears you.

He turns to you and gives you a smile as he places his backpack on his lap and rummages through it. “Don’t worry about Minyoung, she’ll get over it.” He pulls out two jackets before chuckling. “If anything, Minyoung will kill me for this.”

You laugh too, knowing how accurate his thoughts were. Minyoung was a softie for you, and she could never become angry at you except when you were both play-fighting.

You eventually turned to face him and crossed your arms in front of you once again. "What made you think that today would be a good day to skip class?" You raise an inquiring brow at him.

He offers you one of the jackets he is pulling out, a baby pink one that appears to be quite soft. "Take off your blazer and put this on. It's the smallest one I have, but it could still be too big for you." He takes off his own blazer and puts on his own jacket; a black zip up hoodie.

You rolled your eyes at him but complied nonetheless, "You didn't answer my question," you say as you wear the jacket and fold the blazer neatly over your lap. You look at your bag and the piece of garment you were now holding, realizing it’s not gonna fit inside.

"I'm not sure— I've never skipped class before. This is actually sort of exciting for me," he adds as he grabs your blazer and shoves it into his backpack. You jabbed him in the shoulder jokingly for ruining the clothing you had just neatly folded.

“Really? You’ve never skipped class before? I’ve always done that when I was –” You stopped. When I wasn’t in this world yet, you were gonna say. “When I was in middle school.” You opt to say that instead.

You had experience skipping class in your own world, particularly in the first few years after your mother's death – when you were a freshman in high school – when everything was too overwhelming for you and you wanted to get away. Your dad didn’t give you too much shit for it when he found out, probably feeling bad for his daughter, and enabled you to cope in the only manner you knew how. You shook your head, as well as the thoughts, away before you spiraled.

"Nope, I'm giving you my 'playing hooky' virginity." He replies, and your cheeks flush at his choice of words.

“Yah!” You hit him in the arm, a scandalized expression on your face. He laughed so hard as he clutched his stomach and threw his head back against the chair.

"Wow, Tae was right, you're pretty easy to rile up," he says after calming down, and you want to smack him.

"Don't listen to Taehyung, he's the most annoying guy I know." Just thinking about his menacing smile causes you to sprout gray hairs – or even demon horns.

He smiles when he notices the wrinkle on your brow caused by frowning. He knows you were thinking about something that annoys you. To say the least, that was a welcome sight and a refreshing one. Everyone around him, with the exception of those whom he considered his friends (who were entirely from the study group), seemed to be constantly schooling their expressions. He just seemed to have noticed it recently, but when he did, he also recognized that it had been that way for a long time.

He was intrigued when he first met you because, although appearing closed off, you still wore your real emotions around them. He sees it when you laugh at their jokes, when you playfully roll your eyes, when you crease your brow, when you sigh in exasperation, when you blink your eyes rapidly as if your eyes are straining (for a reason he doesn’t know). He thinks you don't mean to do it sometimes, but he's glad he can see it when it peeks through. He thinks it is what drew him to you, among other things.

When you get to the right bus stop, he tugs on your jacket and leads you to a subway station. He walks towards the lockers, pulls out a card, and approaches a locker door, opens it, and places his bag after retrieving his wallet and phone. He lets you keep your bag because it isn't as big and bulky as his.

"All right, we're ready!" He exclaims, his face lit up like a kid. You decide that this is a face you don't want to turn down today, so you give in a little. You were about to ask him if he was planning to take the subway when both of your phones started ringing.

"It took them long enough," Jin states before switching his phone on airplane mode before you can even see who was contacting him.

Minyoung's name flashed over your screen, and you pondered responding just to let her know what you were up to. Jin stares at you expectantly, respecting whatever your decision would be. You grin at him before declining the call and placing it on mute, opting to leave it on in case one of you is needed in an emergency.

"Where are we going now, boss?" You ask, and he smiles gleefully.

“First, let’s go back up. We don’t actually need to get on the train, we just need to walk to where we’re going.” He beckons you with a hand and you catch up to him so you can walk side by side.

He took you to a food market, and your mouth watered at the smell of greasy food as soon as you stepped in. You were more than willing to get dragged around as he got you to try so many kinds of street foods. You realize now that his intention for bringing jackets for the both of you is so that it is not as obvious that you’re two students skipping school. You did look young, but people don't question your presence at the food market with what you were wearing.

He asks you to the arcade after your bellies were full, and you almost regretted coming there right away because you were both laughing so hard that you almost hurled all the food you just ate.

“You’re such a sore loser!” You say as he calls you out for “cheating” for the nth time just because he lost. He just rolls his eyes and drags you to a claw machine.

“I want that Mario keychain.” He pouts as he points at the item to you. You huff at him before shrugging.

“I’ll get you that if you get me the Luigi one.” You say and he agrees it's a fair trade and you both try your hands at the claw machine. You don't even like Luigi, you just wanted to make an excuse so that he works for something too.

In the end you both get what you wanted – yours in a rather unconventional way. He had it easy with his main character luck as it took him only three tries to get Luigi. You, however, had to resort to cheating to get a Mario.

He was stifling his laugh so as not to arouse suspicion from others as you pull out a magnet from your bag. “Why do you have a magnet on your bag?” he asks and you just respond with a shrug. It’s just one of those things you put in your pencil case and always forget to take out. You manage to get the keychain with the magnet and quickly pull him out of the establishment before you get caught.

“That was the most rebellious thing I’ve ever done, and I wasn’t even the one doing it.” He says as he hands you the Luigi key and you give him the Mario one.

“Uh-huh. And skipping classes isn’t rebellious?” He just smiled and shrugged, placing the keychain on his wallet's zipper tag.

“Well, I would say today was the most rebellious I’ve been in my whole life so far,” he says as you both walk towards the park benches.

You hum in response, not knowing what to say. He sits on a bench and you take a seat next to him as well. He lets a long moment of silence settle before speaking up.

“My dad and I don’t really get along well.” You whip your head to look at him, surprised as to why he’s telling you this. You don’t know if you want him to, because it means he’s letting you in. You don't know if you'll ever be able to get out if he lets you in.

He sees the look in your face and ruffles your hair. “When you saw me that day on the phone, we were arguing.” He continues, and then looks away to observe the other people passing by.

You stay silent, waiting for him to continue. If he’s opening up to you instead of his best friend, it must’ve been bothering him too much at this point.

“He always expects me to be prim and proper, to be a perfect poster child. So my whole life, that's what I tried to be. He.. always used to compare me with my older brothers, who are all over achievers as well, but when he realized that they're far too great a comparison, he resorted to comparing me with Namjoon—someone my own age. And don’t get me wrong, we grew up together and I would gladly take a bullet for that guy any day but..” He lets out a humorless laugh, “It just sucks that everything I do seems lackluster compared to him.” He says in a strained voice, and you look away from him as you see him trying not to tear up.

“He has always been smart and gets good grades. I get decent marks too, but when my dad sees them and compares mine with his, he gets so mad.” He sniffles “ ‘Why can’t you be more like him? If he can do it, why can’t you?’ He says that to me all the time.”

You look down at your hands in your lap, just listening to him vent.

“He was yelling at me that day when you saw me. He was at a business event with Namjoon and his dad. He told me he's so ashamed he can’t even bring his youngest son there when his friend can proudly brag about his own.”

“Jin…” You place a hand on his shoulder but he just chuckles.

“Not exactly the type of thing you wanna hear from your parents, right?” He tries to joke but it just came off too bitter for that. Why can’t you be like Namjoon? He can show his face here because he’s an excellent kid who always makes his parents proud of him. Those were the exact words that were said to him that day, the same words that shattered his heart into pieces.

You feel your heart crack a little for him. You didn’t know he felt that way. He was always cheerful around you, and whenever he was around Namjoon he didn’t show anything that could give away what he was feeling.

“I don’t blame Namjoon in any way. The world he and I grew up in…everyone's ruthless. There is no room for imperfections. I just.. I thought I was doing well, but I guess even my best isn’t enough. I’m not enough.” He looks down and clasps his hand together.

“Jin,” You said in a stern voice, making him look at you. “Don’t say that. You are enough.” You say in the most genuine voice you can muster, because it is. You don’t always say these things to them that way, because you only know of their nature as characters, and you always just tell them these like you’re reading a fact. But this time, you mean it— from the depths of your heart.

Even though he is only a character, his emotions seem so real that it almost causes you whiplash. You felt for him because you felt the same to some degree, although you were sure you had no idea what he really feels. But he let himself be vulnerable with you today, and you know it would be a big mistake if you turned him away.

Right now he's just Jin. He's the person that never fails to greet everyone good morning, the one who brought everyone in the group together. He would make tense conversations lighter, and he would make sure no one gets left out. You think he's an amazing person and friend, and it hurts you to see him think of himself any less.

“You’re your own person, and a great one at that. You always make everyone around you comfortable and included. Not everyone can do that naturally, and I think it’s really special that you can.” You said in a low voice, giving him a small smile.

He smiles back. He’s his own person. You said that about him that time at your house too. It made him happy that someone recognized that even without him saying anything.

He knows that sometimes, he has the tendency and the urge to make others happy, to be liked by them, to feel that validation of knowing he's important. He likes to please other people because he can at least do that to them, when he can't do that to his parents.

“We’re still so young, you know? We shouldn’t be carrying the burden of adults’ expectations on us.” You give him a reassuring look. “We will always have room to grow.”

He hums in response, ruminating on your words, and you are enveloped in comfortable silence. He feels his heart grow lighter with every second that passes.

A few moments go by before he turns to you and ruffles your hair again, earning him a jokingly annoyed huff from you.

“Everyone seems so sure.. you know? Everyone around us. They seem to have everything planned out for them. It irked me sometimes how they all almost lived.. robotically.” He leans back against the bench before continuing, “But when I saw you for the first time, you seemed lost. That's exactly how I felt at the moment, too. And then I realized, it's okay. Someone out there was just like me. I'm not the only one that feels this way.” He sighs as he feels the weight on his shoulders lifting.

You chuckle at him. I looked lost? You were. You still are. But spending today like this seemed like you were sinking further into this world, opening up to the possibility that maybe you have a place here. You look into the sky, the blue hues and the fluffy clouds painting a pretty picture, albeit almost unrealistic.

“You say that I’m enough, but you should be telling yourself that too.” You turn your head to him so quickly that he chuckles. His actions today were his attempt on keeping you close— the previous days of you attempting (and failing) to keep yourself at arms length somehow worrying him if you decide to cut them off completely. He wasn't expecting to open up to you today. He's glad he did, though. He’s glad you’re here.

“I see you.” He says in a small voice, and glances at you before looking away.

You feel another flicker of fire kindle in your chest again.

But this time you let it stay.

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