The dread was a familiar weight. You didn't want to go to school. Not today, not tomorrow, not ever again. The Taehyung phenomenon felt suffocating. Night after night, you prayed for this obsession to fade, for the relentless attention to simply vanish. But your prayers went unanswered.
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The moment you stepped through the school doors, a chaotic surge of screaming girls slammed into view. A human barricade, centered around your locker.
It was, predictably, Kim Taehyung bathed in the glow of adoration.
You twisted your hair into a ponytail and began to force your way through the crowd, a frustrating, shoulder-to-shoulder struggle. Reaching your locker, you realized the girls had formed a loose semicircle around Taehyung’s. Being so close to his locker meant you were caught in the semi-circle too. It was bizarre – they weren’t all clamoring *on* Taehyung or yourself, they seemed to know where the boundaries lay. Touching him was akin to committing a crime, and you happened to be in a no-crime zone.
You went through your routine, but before turning to leave, you locked eyes with Taehyung. You unleashed a gaze of pure, unadulterated hatred, letting him understand exactly how much more difficult he'd made your life. You didn't bother waiting for a response, or even to see one. You didn’t care.
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The chaos followed you to first period. Worse, Taehyung had decided to sit directly beside you.
Your teacher excused herself for a bathroom break, assigning busywork to the class. No one touched it, not even you. Instead, you pulled the library book you’d checked out yesterday from your bag and lost yourself in its pages.
You were deeply engrossed, when a tap on your shoulder ripped you from the story. You turned to face your tormentor.
"Yes?" you asked, your tone laced with deliberate hostility.
“Could you move so I could sit next to Taehyung oppa?” Another one of his brainless acolytes.
“Um, no,” you stated bluntly, refusing to waste your time on someone so utterly unworthy.
The girl didn’t take kindly to your refusal. She yanked your chair out from under you, sending you tumbling to the floor.
Rage flared. You could already feel your hands around her skinny neck, choking out the air. But your parents had drilled a different lesson into you: walk away. Be the bigger person. Some people simply aren’t worth it.
You rose, dusted yourself off, gathered your backpack and book, and headed for the school rooftop.
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On the rooftop, peace finally settled. Contentment bloomed. You were unbothered, un-annoyed, and finally happy. The only task was to focus on your breathing, and that was enough.
Of course, your peace wouldn’t last. The rooftop door swung open, revealing the very last person you wanted to see.
Kim Taehyung.