"What do you mean, there is no party? Tae, it's your birthday in two weeks!," Jimin exclaimed.

The blonde sighed. "I know, but my father has never been a sucker for those things. It's okay, though. I don't need presents anyway."

The redhead huffed. "It's not about the presents, it's about celebrating with your friends. Your father is a huge douchebag." The youngest of the three shrugged. "Nothing I can do about it."

Mark spoke up. "It should be your best day of the whole year. We need to do something special." He caressed Taehyung's shoulder smoothly, making him tense up immediately.

"W-Well... I can think about it. But no surprise party, please." Both of them nodded, a bit confused. Which normal person wouldn't a surprise party on their birthday?

Suddenly, someone's phone went off. "Mine," Jimin reported.

"It's probably my babe, she forgot to return my jumper yesterday. Catch you guys later." He jumped out of his chair and jogged across the classroom.

"So...," Mark said. "What kind of present should I get you?"

Taehyung smiled nervously. "That's kind... but you don't have to give me anything. It's just a stupid birthday."

"Don't say that. It's a special day and you deserve the best, okay?" He moved his chair closer to Taehyung's.

"Thanks Mark, I appreciate it. You really don't need to, though. It's good enough to have you as a friend." The blonde smiled, making the boy next to him frown.

"Friend?" Taehyung nodded.

"Yeah, I know we haven't known each other for that long but I really do enjoy your company. You've become a good friend to me."

It was true, despite all the flirting and moves Mark had made on Taehyung, the brunette had grown on him, he was a pretty good friend now.

"Damn, you really do want to take it slow, huh?" The younger furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

"What do you mean, take it slow?"

Does he still want to get in a relationship with me? But I thought he'd consider me as a friend by now, not more, no matter what Jimin says. And I thought the flirting was just a joke...

"Nevermind," he shrugged off. "But hey, can I ask you one thing?"

Taehyung nodded casually.

"Sure, what's up?"

"What happened between you and Jungkook?" The blonde froze.

He hadn't spoken to Jungkook in a long while, he started losing track of time. Five weeks? Six weeks? A month? Two months?

Of course, he missed the other boy. A lot.

He missed all the meet-ups and sleepovers, all the random talks and all the fun they had.

He also missed the excitement and the giddiness he felt whenever he saw him. All the heart-flutters. All the smiles.

Was he still in love with Jungkook, even after no interaction for such a long time? He didn't know.

"Umm...," he started. "It's a long story... My dad didn't like us hanging out so he told me to end things with Jungkook."

"End things with Jungkook? You guys were a thing?" Taehyung gasped, turning red out of embarrassment.

"N-No, not like that! He just thought we were hanging out too much and that he was a distraction, you know?," he squeaked out.

Mark had an examinating look on his face.

"Does he like you?"

The younger widened his eyes.

"Wh-What?! No! He's straight, straight like... a pole!"

He felt his heartbeat quicken, talking about Jungkook definetely did something to him.

"You sure about that? He seemed a bit too protective and controlling over you to just be a friend."

Taehyung sighed. "No, he is straight. I'm not dumb. He would've told me if he weren't, I already told him about, well, me."

And suddenly he had a flashback of him coming out to Jungkook while crying on his lap, the memory made him feel something unusual.

Longing.

Mark furrowed his eyebrows. "Remember the day at the amusement park? I saw the look on his face, I swear he could've killed me that day, are you really sure that he doesn't like you?"

Taehyung shook his head, ignoring the stingy feeling that suddenly spread throughout his whole chest.

"He doesn't, trust me. And to be fair, you kind of assaulted me, Mark. He was just being a protective friend. Let's not talk about this."

With a still pretty sceptical expression his face, Mark shrugged. "Why, do you like him?"

The younger froze once again.

Yes. I still do. Fuck that, I'm in love with him. Still. Argh, why?!

"No. Of course not, that's ridiculous. He's just my best friend, from my childhood on to now," he rambled, hoping that he wouldn't accidentally blush, that would he a catastrophe.

"'Kay. So, you guys aren't friends anymore?" Ignoring the painful feeling in his gut, Taehyung shrugged while staring at the floor blatantly.

"I don't know, you'll have to ask him. Anyways, why are you asking me all this?"

The brunette sighed. "I was curious, lately he's just been hanging around with that girl and I wondered if he found a new replacement for you."

The blonde felt an unpleasant feeling all over his body.

Girl?

"What girl?," he asked as uninterested as possible, though it probably came off more as persistent.

"I think her name is Yiren. She's been around him a lot, it's obvious that she likes him. The question is just if he likes her back... Hey, you okay?"

Mark noticed Taehyung's expression darken, his eyes filling with, possibly, sadness and his head drooping even lower.

"Yeah, of course. I just... miss being his friend." The younger male forced a smile on his face.

"Are you sure you don't like him?"

Feeling close to having a mental breakdown at this point, Taehyung just took a deep breath and shook his head as casually as possible.

"Nope, I'm sure."

"Then prove it to me." The blonde looked up confused.

"What do you mean? How?"

He gasped when the other suddenly took his hand and laid it into his lap, caressing it softly.

"Go out with me, Taehyung."

Everything was silent for a while.

Taehyung then looked into Mark's eyes with an unreadable look on his face.

"I-I don't know, Mark. I'll need time to think, my life's pretty complicated right now. B-But I really appreciate it," he breathed out, realizing that Jungkook had been right and that he had been oblivious.

"Relax and take your time. I'll remind you now and then," the other whispered into his ear while leaning forward, making Taehyung smile awkwardly.

"Thanks."

The both of them just smiled at each other, both trying to get their feelings under control.

In two different ways.

What they didn't know was that someone was watching them. Very clearly.