Chapter Text
“Jimin, are you sure you’ll be fine without me?” Jimin heard his mother ask, as he entered his apartment.
He put down the box in his hands with a huff, glad that it was the last one in the truck. Straightening his back, he looked at his mother with a smile.
“Mom, I’ll be fine. And you heard what they said back in Busan-” he started, but his mother cut him off.
“That Seoul Institute of the Arts is a better option for your talent, yes” she sighed. “It’s just that this will be the first time one of my sons move out. I’m not used to the thought of it yet. I was hoping I’d have my sons living with me for a few more years”
She moved closer to Jimin and gave him a hug. Jimin put his head on her shoulder and hugged her back. He really was going to miss this. His mom doubled as his best friend, and Jimin told her everything. It was almost at the point where was anything she didn’t know about Jimin, then Jimin didn’t know it either.
His mother was the most supportive person Jimin knew. She always asked questions and seemed interested. Like that one time when Jimin told her he was gay. He had been scared to tell her, although he knew she wouldn’t be mad. She had seemed shocked for a while, but quickly pulled him into a hug. She started asking questions shortly after. Stuff like how he found out, if he had someone he liked and how he felt when he realized. Jimin almost cried because she seemed so understanding.
At first when Jimin’s teacher told him that he wanted Jimin to transfer to Seoul, Jimin didn’t believe it. He had no idea people thought he was that good. Sure, he was one of the best in class, but to Jimin that wasn’t so important. It didn’t take long for Jimin to get accepted, and Jimin began saying goodbye to his family and friends.
“I’ve got to go, so that I’ll reach Busan before it’s too late” his mother said. “I don’t know how busy you’ll be, but please call as often as you can. Okay?”
“Okay, mom” Jimin smiled, following his mother down to her car and hugged her one last time.
He was both exited and terrified at the same time. He was going to live alone, without anyone telling him what to do and what not to do in his new apartment. For the first time in his life, he was going to live on his own. That thought terrified him as much as he was looking forward to it.
Jimin sighed as he entered his new studio apartment again. It wasn’t much really. There were only two rooms. One bathroom and the rest of the apartment. His bed was placed by the wall furthest from the entrance. The windows were the perfect height for Jimin to look out while sitting in bed. On the other side, nearest to the entrance, was the kitchen area. And between the two, was Jimin’s couch and coffee table. He hadn’t really bought much himself, it was mostly old things he had been given by relatives.
This was the first time he was going to be living alone, despite being a third year in university. He had originally entered Busan Arts College as a dance major, since dancing was his passion. His family lived in Busan, so he had decided to continue living with them in stead of spending money he didn’t have on an apartment.
Jimin had been dancing all his life, so he was already very talented when he entered BAC. During his second year at the college, his teachers told him that they felt as if his talent was wasted in their small college. They had arranged for him to transfer to Seoul Institute of the Arts, although it was already two months into the semester.
“Dude, wow. That’s so cool” Taehyung, a guy he had met in history class, said when Jimin finished explaining how he ended up transferring.
“So, basically, they thought you were too good for them so they sent you here?” Yoongi, Taehyung’s boyfriend as Jimin had learnt, asked with a chuckle.
“Yeah, I guess so” Jimin laughed as well.
They were in the cafeteria eating their lunches. Taehyung had asked if Jimin wanted to come eat with him and his boyfriend, since it was his first day and he might not have made many friends until now. It was true, so Jimin accepted. They were surrounded by the buzzing noises of people talking to eachother while they ate.
At some point, however, the buzzing stopped. No one was speaking, and silence engulfed the cafeteria. Confused, Jimin turned to his two new friends, and saw the both of them looking in the same direction. Jimin turned to the direction they were staring at, and saw a boy in the entrance to the cafeteria.
The guy was tall and his hair was styled to perfection. Although he was wearing a big hoodie, if the skinny jeans-clad legs were anything to go by, he was fit. The guy looked over at Jimin, their eyes meeting briefly before Jimin turned away with a hint of a blush on his cheeks. Jimin wasn’t going to lie, the guy was hot.
“What’s with that guy? Why’d everyone stop talking?” Jimin whispered to his two friends. He didn’t want to talk too loudly, and risk breaking the silence.
“That’s Jeon Jungkook. He’s the epitome of a bad boy. Rumors say that he only talks to the people he likes and no one in the university has ever heard him speak, so that says something. And he always looks at people with this deadly glare” Taehyung said with a shiver. He didn’t bother whispering, as the cafeteria was once again filled with chatter after Jungkook had sat down. “And the table he’s sitting at. People call it the forbidden table. It’s his table. No one dares to sit there”
Jimin couldn’t help rolling his eyes.
“Tae, that’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard” he said, looking over at Yoongi for support. The latter only shrugged his shoulders, not denying what Taehyung had said.
“So, no one dares to talk to him because he looks scary? Do you have any proof that he’s as bad as you claim?” Jimin asked, looking back at Taehyung, who shook his head.
“But look at him. And he’s never denied the rumors anyways” Taehyung defended and Jimin let out a laugh of disbelief.
“You are unbelievable” he said, getting up from his seat. “Well, if no one’s going to talk to him, I will”
“Jimin, no. Don’t. I know we just became friends, but I actually like you and want to be your friend. He’ll kill you if you get too close” Tae said, partly hiding behind his boyfriend.
“Such a drama queen. No wonder your major is acting” Jimin rolled his eyes, before grabbing his lunch and walking over to the forbidden table.
Jimin could feel the students fall silent again and stare at him as he came closer to the table, but Jimin ignored them.
“Hey, can I sit here?” he asked, making Jungkook look at him.
The stare made him feel a bit uncomfortable, but when he saw Jungkook give a small nod in approval, Jimin couldn’t help but grin.
“Thank you” he said, before resuming to eat his lunch.
After a while, Jimin looked from his lunch and at Jungkook. The latter saw the movement in his peripheral vision, and looked back at Jimin.
“So, I heard your name is Jungkook. My name is Jimin, it’s nice to meet you” Jimin said.
Jungkook didn’t say anything, just nodded as if to say “it’s nice to meet you too.” At least that’s what Jimin imagined he said.
“I’m sorry, it must be really annoying with all those students who are staring at you” Jimin said, looking around at the people who were still staring. Some of them looked away, embarrassed of being caught in the act but most of them just kept staring. Jimin sighed and looked back at Jungkook.
For a split second Jungkook looked taken aback, as if he didn’t expect someone to apologize, but he quickly returned to his poker face and nodded again.
“I’m sorry. I’m not bothering you, am I?” Jimin said hastily.
Jungkook looked at Jimin and shook his head, panic in his eyes, as if he didn’t want Jimin to leave. Jimin couldn’t help but smile at that.
“Okay, but don’t regret it later and tell me to go away” Jimin joked, earning a small smile from the other.
A few days later, when Jimin had a free period and was studying in the cafeteria, he felt someone sit down on the opposite side of him. Jimin looked up from his textbook, and was pleasantly surprised to see Jungkook pulling out his own books.
They had been eating lunch together every day since Jimin started talking to him, but this was the first time they interacted when it wasn’t lunchtime.
“Hi, Jungkookie” Jimin said, smiling.
Jungkook just smiled back.
“You don’t talk much, do you?” Jimin asked, although it was more like a statement.
He saw Jungkook, who just had put his textbook down, freeze. Jungkook’s hands twitched a bit from where they were placed on top of the history textbook, and suddenly something clicked in Jimin’s head.
Oh
“Jungkookie….” He started, then lifted his hands. “Is this why you’re not talking?” He signed, and instantly saw Jungkook’s eyes becoming twice their normal size.
Jungkook brought his own hands up to reply.
“How do you know sign language?” he asked.
“I used to have someone like that in my family” Jimin shrugged.
“Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone” Jimin signed and saw Jungkook smile widely. It was the cutest thing he’d ever seen.
“Thank you” Jungkook signed back, and for once Jimin was happy his mother had made him learn sign language.
“Come on Tae, he’s not that bad” Jimin said, trying to convince Taehyung and Yoongi to come eat with him and Jungkook.
“B-but, the rumors-”
“- are just rumors, now come on” Jimin cut Taehyung off.
Jimin sighed and grabbed Taehyung’s hand and dragged him to the forbidden table, where Jungkook was currently sitting.
After Jimin started eating with the younger, people had started not caring about him that much anymore. The cafeteria didn’t fall silent every time he entered.
However, this time it was different. The cafeteria fell silent once again when they noticed Jimin dragging Taehyung to the table, with Yoongi following behind silently.
“Hi, Jungkook. I hope you don’t mind, but I brought some friends” Jimin said, smiling.
Jungkook looked at Taehyung and Yoongi expressionlessly, and Jimin became a bit nervous. He hadn’t asked beforehand after all. When Jungkook gave a nod, Jimin couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief. He wasn’t mad at least.
“Thank you” Jimin said, sitting down next to Jungkook.
When Taehyung and Yoongi sat down, the buzzing of voices started once again.
“This is Taehyung and Yoongi” Jimin introduced and Jungkook gave a nod of acknowledgement before looking back down at his lunch.
Taehyung must have sensed that the younger wasn’t bad at all, he was just shy, because not long after he went back to his usual, talkative self. It didn’t seem like he minded one bit that Jungkook didn’t answer his questions, except from nodding and shaking his head.
“Jimin, are you good at math?” Jungkook signed when he and Jimin were eating lunch.
Taehyung and Yoongi hadn’t arrived yet, so Jungkook took the initiative to ask Jimin to help him. Jimin really liked those times, when Jungkook initiated the conversation, because it made him more secure that he wasn’t the only one wanting them to be friends. For Jimin, it meant that Jungkook had accepted him as a friend and was warming up to him.
“I’m not bad at it. Why? Do you need help?” Jimin asked, a hint of amusement in his voice and Jungkook just nodded shyly.
“Fine, we can do it at my place after school today. Does that sound good?” Jimin asked and Jungkook nodded again.
At that moment, Taehyung and Yoongi arrived and Shy Jungkook was back.
Jimin didn’t really pay attention to Taehyung’s rambling, he was too busy thinking about the fact that Jungkook would be coming to his place after school. As much as he wanted to deny it, the thought of them being alone in his apartment made his heart flutter.