Jack said, "Right, Mr Kim prepared a gift for everyone on Christmas."
"Mr Kim? My roommate?"
"You're his roommate? Dhebak! You're so lucky hyung!!!", said Jack in excitement.
"Why do you say so?"
Jack cleared his throat, ready to start his speech. Taehyung signalled everyone to go over shades and sit.
Mr Kim is their PE teacher. He's someone who's good at anything and everything. From cooking to doing chores, singing to dancing, works of electricians to gardeners, there's nothing he cannot do. Not only he can do, he's really good at these.
"But wait, you guys said he can't play basketball, didn't you?"
"Except basketball."
He continued. Mr Kim is a bit introverted. He never joined any unofficial gathering. He doesn't bother to socialise with other teachers either. But in the ground he's Hella strict. He doesn't speak any words more than necessary. It's almost like military training sometimes. But that's also the reason he's kind of the idol of everyone at school. His cold behaviour and killing gazes attract the girls way too much.
"So he's the campus crush?" Taehyung asked.
"More like a Mafia boyfriend." Jack answered.
"That's scary!!!"
Yeonjun said,"Don't listen to them, hyung! I think Mr Kim is pretty decent and considerate. Let's not bad mouth him. Hyung what about the alumni of your university? Have you got any information regarding him yet?"
"Oh, right! His name is Min Yoongi."
"Yoongi Hyung? I know him. He's the elder brother of Min Ying. She's a mid schoolgirl" Jack said.
"Then.... where is this Min Ying? Can you take me to her?"
"I'm afraid not. She's on medical leave right now. She'll be back in 15 days. You can meet Yoongi Hyung then."
Taehyung nodded. It's not like he expected to find him immediately. He can wait.
After he reached his apartment, their coach Jung Hoseok called him.
"How's the day out there?"
"Pretty cool I would say. The kids are highly energetic and joyous."
"Hella qualified too, I'm telling you."
"Thank you for granting me such an exciting vacation."
"I have an even more exciting idea, well, if you dare!"
I've never thought our couch could be this friendly. It's quite a new thing. Taehyung thought.
"Fine, tell me what it is."
"I already told the headmaster to arrange three pairs of each uniform. You just have to open the cupboard and take it out to recheck the size. And also, next time you go out, don't forget to lock the door."
"You want me to wear those in court?"
"Not only that, I want you to join like a transfer student. You'll attend classes with them too. Don't worry, you'll be the most senior. No one would dare to bully you."
"Ah waeeeeeeeeeee!!!!"
"I remember you wanted an air conditioned rest room for trainees."
"Ah, now that's the couch I know. Alright! I'll do as you say. But the basketball team already knows my identity."
"Leave it to me. They won't leak the info don't worry. "
They hung up. Taehyung dropped the device on the side table and lay down on his bed, eyes closed.
The couch is doing it most probably to keep me busy and engaged all the time. After all, who doesn't know what impact had fallen upon me since he left! Everyone wants me to forget it and keep busy with my own life, finding my own happiness. But is it that easy to forget someone who's curved in your bones and stuck in your heart?
Now that I have a clue and a suspension, I must follow this path and go on.
As requested, the homeroom teacher introduced Taehyung as a transfer student who was sent to be the coach of the basketball team. Within a short time, Kim Taehyung became the heartthrob of the school. This highschooler Kim started to become even more popular than Mr. Kim. Why? His appearance, attitude, kindness and friendly way of dealing with everyone. Moreover Mr. Kim was a teacher, much more unapproachable than the student Kim.
Taehyung had always been very popular, in school too. The only difference is during his school days, he had to keep busy all day dealing with Jungkook. So there was no way to focus on his popular image. Well, most of them loved the way they used to fight. They used to find it charming.
Almost one week passed. Just like the sun, he got used to being the dazzling light of the school. He got new friends. His teammates still kept calling him hyung. So other students didn't dare to call him by name either.
Their training was going so well. The coach was right. These kids are really talented and they respect Taehyung wholeheartedly. Taehyung was quite satisfied staying with them.
Though his busy days helped him to keep away his stress and agony, when the night fell, he couldn't help but come back to the reality where he was abandoned by the person he trusted most and later he found he was not abandoned at all, moreover was saved at the cost of the sacrifice of that very person. Taehyung wondered every night, how much on earth did Jungkook love him that he could sacrifice his everything, his career, his dream and his happiness for him?
Days passed, soon it was the last day of August.
Are you gonna celebrate this birthday without me too? It's been five years. I have prepared your birthday gift this year too. Is it also gonna end up in my store room too?
He had been gloomy all day long. Though he hid it well, as the sun started to fall, the pain on his face became visible gradually. His absent minded look made it so obvious for the kids to understand something was wrong.
"Hyung, are you ok?" Someone asked.
"Huh? Oh, it's nothing. You guys continue."
"Hyung you're definitely upset about something. If there's something on your mind, we're always here to listen." Said Yeonjun.
"He's right hyung! What is it about? Ah.... Lemme guess. It's not about something, but about someone. Am I right?"
Jack furrowed his eyes in suspension. Taehyung could not help but smiled. He pinched Jack's ear gently.
"You little detectives. Nothing can escape your eyes huh?"
After a few seconds, Tae signed.
"You're right. It's about someone. But it's nothing big. I just miss him. We haven't met for five years you know?"
"Five years? That's long."
"But hyung, you can just call him."
"Wish I could. But he ran away, hiding himself far beyond my reach."
Taehyung looked at the sky and slowly closed his eyes.
"Tomorrow is his birthday. But the gift I prepared is not gonna reach him ever."
"Is it that senior?"
"If it's him, we will just tie him up for you next time he comes."
Taehyung laughed out, "What the hell are you thinking of? It's not him. Yoongi Hyung is my senior who probably doesn't even know me."
"But hyung, missing him won't bring him back, right? Why don't you join us and play a friendly match?", proposed Yeonjun.
Tae knows it's the only way to keep himself busy now. So he agreed to it.
They played the whole evening. No matter what happens to him, on the court, Taehyung has always been the best version of himself. Today was no exception.
Eventually, the night fell, so did the first snow. Taehyung had always been fascinated about the first snow. He himself didn't realise when he left the ball and raised his hand gently to catch the snow. The kids didn't notice either. When one of them threw the ball targeting the basket, it bounced off the railing and was about to fall on Taehyung.
The moment others called out 'Hyung', a strong hand threw the ball away. Taehyung startled and looked back. The man was looking at the kids facing back to him. He spoke out, "Boys, be careful ok? He almost got hurt."
They all bowed to him, "Yes, sir!"
The man walked away looking slightly downwards. He was wearing a hoodie and mask.
The boys rushed towards Taehyung.
"I'm sorry hyung, didn't notice you stopped playing. I-"
Taehyung held him, "Calm down, Sunjae! It's not your fault. BTW who was him? You called him sir."
Yeonjun said, "He's your roommate Mr Kim. Probably coming back from leave."
Taehyung nodded. They continued playing for two hours more. When Taehyung came back, Mr Kim was not there. As he was all sweaty, he decided to take a quick shower. When he came out, Mr Kim entered the apartment with a bag of takeouts and a towel over his head, water dripping from his ruffled hair. Taehyung thought, he's pretty clean as a person. Coz Taehyung didn't even realise someone had taken shower before him. Taehyung greeted him, "Anneyonghaseyo!"
Mr Kim put the food on the table and greeted back pulling the towel down. Their eyes met. The glass tube in Taehyung's hand trembled and fell, scattering into pieces.