kkaeppsong | Bangtan Sonyeondan

Sometimes Jeongguk thinks back on how the two of them met, how improbable the whole thing was.

Jeongguk had been a young and impressionable 7th year, sitting on the railing and sipping a juice one day after school when a body quite literally collided into him. The cannonball was none other than Kim Taehyung, a 9th year, and Jeongguk had been so stupefied by the entire event that he just stared as the older boy patted him down to check for any “spillage” and asked if he was okay. After a few mute nods, they had both looked down to see that the juice had not survived the accident. Taehyung had given him a very somber look for one whole second before snapping his fingers triumphantly in the air, informing an even more startled Jeongguk, “I have money!”

Except that when they went to the courtyard vending machine they were all out of his beloved drink.

“You kidding me?” Taehyung slapped his hands on the thick plastic of the machine, scrunching his face against it as if he could just will the juice to come out.

“It’s r-really fine,” Jeongguk stuttered, “I don’t need--”

“You need to get back what’s rightfully yours,” Taehyung had said, looking at him so intently that Jeongguk started fidgeting in his uniform, effectively shut up. “I’ll buy you another one and make it up to you. I really will.”

Jeongguk hadn’t thought he would, if he was being honest with himself. He really hadn’t. And that was okay. Why would someone he didn’t even know bother with trying to replace a stupid juice carton?

Jeongguk had nearly forgotten about the entire incident when a couple days later, he opened his locker to find a very unexpected melon juice carton sitting neatly inside. There was a letter tucked underneath, scrawled in loopy, unfamiliar handwriting.

Enjoy ^^v

Sorry again for almost knocking you out

Kim Taehyung

Keeper of the melon juice

Jeongguk had just stood there dumbly, very slowly realizing that yes, Kim Taehyung must be the boy who trampled him the other day, and yes, Kim Taehyung had somehow managed to track down his locker without even knowing his name, or his year, or anything about him at all really. And then he had broken in.

He should have been mad, or at least a little weirded out by the sudden invasion, but Jeongguk just found himself laughing as he read the note again, a small grin working past his lips.

The next day: same juice, different note.

I see you took the juice, I hope you drank it well~

This one is more charming

Look at the bottom

Kim Taehyung

Student of the Melon Juice Fine Arts program

And there, on the bottom of the cardboard carton, was a very intricate, starry-eyed face exclaiming Ah~ Melons are so handsome~

On the third day, Jeongguk had nearly doubled back when he opened his locker in the morning.

There were ten juice cartons in all, all arranged in a perfect pyramid on top of his books. Jeongguk looked over his shoulder to be sure no one had seen, then quickly snuck the note out and closed the door.

You should really change your lock

It’s easy to plant evidence

Kim Taehyung

Head Detective--investigating the missing melon juice scandal

It wasn’t easy for Jeongguk. In fact it had been incredibly anxiety-inducing, asking around about the elusive Kim Taehyung, casually picking up bits and pieces before finally figuring out just where his own locker was in the school. It was on the other side of the building, with all the other 9th years, in the corner across from the girl’s bathroom. Jeongguk had stalled for a full five minutes, chewing on the inside of his cheek as he stared in challenge at the blue metal. Finally, through a sudden burst of confidence, he managed to walk up, shove his note through the slotted door of 9B54, then turn on his heel as if nothing had even happened.

It hadn’t been much, certainly not as clever or funny as Taehyung’s, but it must have had something to it--because the next day there were no more juice cartons at his locker. Just the older boy, scuffing his shoes and tugging idly at the loose tie around his neck. He had straightened up when he saw Jeongguk approaching, a ridiculous rectangle grin on his face, and somehow in that moment Jeongguk just knew.

He was going to be friends with Kim Taehyung.

(Though he never did learn the secret to breaking into lockers.)