(heads up: 'football'=soccer, sorry for my britishishness)
(still a trash sport though)

8 – V focus

The sign-up sheets were passed around and Taehyung saw that he was the first person to sign up for the 1500m. Everyone complained about it so emphatically. It was a long distance race, not an English assessment. He passed it to the person behind him and was momentarily shocked into stone when he saw Jungkook sitting there. Of all the houses. Granted, there were only four of them, but it was still a relatively small possibility. Taehyung regained conscious thought and smiled, handing Jungkook the pen and paper. He watched him sign his name instantly next to the 400m slot and pass it on.

Taehyung sat back and waited for the bell. He couldn't tell if he was happy or annoyed at Jungkook being in his house, but apparently, that was normal, if Jimin was anything to go by. Jimin had been really supportive about this, despite the initial 'I told you so' phase. It was actually really useful to have a friend like him. There was a difference, though: Taehyung was mildly acquainted with Jungkook, while Yoongi had only ever acknowledged them about once. That meant he would have to occasionally hold a conversation with Jungkook without breaking down entirely. The bell rang loudly and everyone got up to walk out the doors at the back of the hall. Well, Taehyung thought, better get some practice.

Very bravely, Taehyung caught up to Jungkook and put his hand on the younger boy's shoulder. As normally as he could, he said, "Hi, Jungkook!" Jungkook turned around and smiled. So far so good. "I've been meaning to catch up with you, you know, just to see how you're finding this hellhole." Taehyung waved his arms at the dilapidated corridors and Jungkook laughed. It was a beautiful, addictive sound and Taehyung so wanted to hear it again, but it was replaced by something arguably better.

"Oh, it's not too bad. Four hours of sleep a night isn't helping anything, though; I'm just not used to it." If this was Jungkook on four hours of sleep, Taehyung was sure that seven hours would make him look like a god. He tried not to say that out loud, however.

"Whoa, four hours? I get three on a good night." Jungkook looked at him and Taehyung felt mildly self-conscious – as if he was being assessed. Trying not to continue the conversation in this vein, he said, "So, you're doing the 400 metres? I can't do anything shorter than 800. I've got stamina, not speed." Jungkook raised his eyebrow and replied,

"If anything, I'd have put you down as a dancer. I mean, you've got the frame for it and I bet you're pretty flexible." Taehyung blushed at the compliment as the boy scanned his body and he grinned at the novelty of being called a dancer.

"No, not me. Jimin's the dancer. I have no idea where he finds the time for it, but he's incredible at it. And he can sing, too. I keep telling him he should audition for something, but he won't listen." Jungkook didn't reply immediately and Taehyung felt panic, then scolded himself for being so desperate for the love of a first grader.

"So, are you going to watch the football?" Taehyung rolled his eyes but stopped when he worried he might come across as dismissive.

"Ew, no. Football is possibly the worst sport ever invented, aside from maybe basketball, but don't ever tell Jimin I said that; he'd go mental." Taehyung began to worry that he was talking about Jimin too much, but at this point, that might work. He knew he was starting to overthink things and having Jimin as support couldn't hurt, right?

"Actually, do you want to go watch him rehearse? His performance is first in his event and he's a bit nervous so I told him I'd give him an audience. Wanna come?" Jungkook thought about this request for a moment before accepting it cheerfully. Taehyung smiled and instinctively grabbed Jungkook's wrist to direct him up the stairs. He was about to apologise and let go, but seeing as Jungkook didn't object, Taehyung decided he could get away with it until they got to the top.

He opened the door, dropping Jungkook's arm, and entered the room. Jimin and Hoseok smiled at him and then acknowledged Jungkook. Before they could ask, Taehyung said, "Hey! I brought Jungkook with me, I hope you don't mind," and hoped there would be no further questions. Jimin looked at him and communicated a whole speech to him with his eyes only. The jist of it was: Really? Taehyung shrugged and grinned, and Jimin grinned back. Jimin clapped once and said,

"So, Hoseok, should we get started? You two can sit over there," Taehyung skipped to the back and hopped on one of the tables. Jungkook sat next to him. Hoseok started the music and the two began to dance. It was incredibly emotional and Taehyung recognised the song as one that Jimin had cried at before because he connected with it so strongly. The love that he couldn't help. Taehyung found himself being carried away by the words and the movement and lost himself in the passion of the performance.

The music ended and Hoseok and Jimin sat back to back, breathing heavily. They reanimated simultaneously and Taehyung and Jungkook gave them a very well deserved round of applause. Jimin looked at his audience and asked, "Well, what did you think?" Taehyung gave as much support as he was physically able.

"Jiminie, you were amazing! If you two do half that in the real thing, you've won for sure. I love the song choice, by the way, it really fits the choreography." Jimin and Hoseok flushed with pride and looked at Jungkook. Jungkook looked awe-struck.

"It was beautiful! No, really, it was stunning, I mean, I've never seen anything like it. It was so passionate and expressive and you weren't just dancing, you were acting, too. I loved it!" Hoseok beamed in appreciation and hugged Jimin. Taehyung listened to the admiration in Jungkook's voice and wished he could dance as well as Jimin.

They stayed in the classroom for the next two hours, Jimin and Hoseok practising (occasionally) and Taehyung getting to know Jungkook a little bit better. Taehyung felt sorry for him. He had been taken from his friends and put in a city he neither knew nor liked and didn't even get a say in where he lived. When Taehyung asked if he was making friends easily, Jungkook replied,

"Yeah, I guess. I just sort of float around and hang out with whoever, most of the time. There's also a 3rd grader I sometimes talk to, Min Yoongi, but he's-" Jimin interrupted him by choking on a cookie and Taehyung shot daggers at him. Jimin went red and Taehyung understood why he choked. Jimin looked at Jungkook and said,

"Sorry, I just breathed weirdly. Anyway, what were you saying about Min Yoongi?" Taehyung smiled. Smooth, Jimin, hella smooth. Jungkook continued,

"He knows a lot about the people here and he just tells me how not to get beat up. But he's kinda quiet and besides, he's way older than me and he's got better things to do than mentor a 1st grader." Taehyung smirked and couldn't think of anything better to do than to mentor Jungkook. Hoseok, who had previously been in his own world, suddenly piped up.

"Can you sing, Jungkook?" Jungkook looked taken aback by the question and stammered slightly. Hoseok explained, "Because everyone knows Taehyung has the voice of an angel and I have confirmed sources and experience that say Jimin can definitely sing. What about you?" Jungkook looked a little bit uncomfortable and Taehyung anticipated what he knew would come next, whatever Jungkook's answer was.

"I-I mean, I don't really know, I've never really thought about it before…" As much as Taehyung wanted to relieve the pressure on the boy's shoulders at that moment, he also really wanted to hear him sing. He wanted to make this as easy as possible for him, so he suggested,

"If you're going to make him sing, at least let him choose the song." Jimin and Hoseok found this reasonable and Jungkook started to scroll through his phone. He walked over to the speaker without showing anyone and connected his phone. The intro played and Jungkook stood, his pretty hands fidgeting nervously. Jungkook began to sing.

Jungkook made Taehyung believe in angels. His voice started off quietly and smoothly, but he soon gained a little more confidence and let his vocals be heard. It was crisp and utterly beautiful. Jungkook sang in a way that could rival Orpheus himself. And it absolutely broke Taehyung. He completely immersed himself in the music, drowning himself in the most incredible sound he had ever heard. What surprised Taehyung was that the lyrics were in English. As he was swept along with the melody, he realised that he recognised the song. It was the same one that he and Jimin had been playing in the music block a few weeks before. Taehyung desperately tried to savour each note as it escaped Jungkook's lips, each beautifully controlled vibration from his throat, but the song ended and Jungkook stopped singing.