Chapter Text
The first time they met, Jimin believed it was nothing but a sheer coincidence.
Jimin grew up with a warm and loving family who already accepted his gender preference the first time he came out to them and, luckily, they never brought the “you will definitely go to hell because a boy should only have a relationship with a girl” card. Alongside with his empathetic family, he was definitely surrounded by the notion of love because of his two disgustingly in love best friends, Taehyung and Jungkook, that even though the lovers always shamelessly suck the soul out of each other in front of him, Jimin always saw them as living proofs that true love does exist.
Despite being bounded by nothing but love and positivity in life, Jimin never imagined he would have someone who would look at his eyes as if that person can see the universe through it because he, for the record, is currently enrolled in a Catholic university—which is known for its eminent traditionalism—and as a college student, the academy never fails to drain his soul and remaining will to live so his mindset is only focused on studying earnestly as well as to maintain his scholarship as a member of their dance troupe.
So the first time they met, Jimin immediately erased trivial thoughts that a pale man with his bleached hair might be the missing piece he needed in order to make his dull and repetitive life a little bit brighter.
It was supposed to be just a normal event. Jimin was used to cover such prestigious and big event all throughout his life since he had been a devoted member of his past school’s publication and given that he’s currently pursuing Journalism as his undergraduate degree. He knew that this type of event wouldn’t stray him away from his journalistic persona, especially with the fact that he was aware how meaningful this tradition is. Jimin already mentally prepared himself for this year’s Oblation Run and since it is recognized as a large movement for the students in the university as a protest to different contemporary national issues.
When he had just expected a long and monotonous day for him as a Journalism major, the universe suddenly played a joke on him.
“U-Uhh, do I know you?” Jimin asked the masked man curiously as he crudely fixed his oversized frames because it was already starting to get awkward being in front of a naked man. He has been covering the said event since high school and it was a first for him to be this near to one of the runners.
The man did not reply back but he could feel that he was smirking behind the mask, “W-Why are you in front of me?” Jimin gulped and pushed his brunette locks backward out of habit. He was even starting to overthink that maybe, in some way, he had offended the fratman that’s why he was being cornered. “Y-You’re already here for almost a minute.” He added but then again, the man did not give him the satisfaction of answering his questions.
Jimin was starting to become an actual representation of a tomato because of how red he was. Even though the naked man, who was still standing in front of him, is only like a centimeter tall and not that toned compared to his own built, the bony structure and milky white skin looked like a wonderland for Jimin that he could not help but admire, which was why he did not even realize he was already touching the tattoo of the masked man located on his flat stomach.
“Wow, is this a representation of our flag?” Jimin muttered under his breath but loud enough for the boy to hear while scanning the inked sun with three stars of the masked guy. Jimin was absolutely mesmerized by the symbol of patriotism permanently marked on the fratman’s stomach.
The guy only shrugged as he put his hand on top of Jimin’s hand. The Journalism major thought he couldn’t get any redder but surprisingly, he still did, especially because of the sudden realization that his hand is currently pressed on the masked guy’s stomach, making him painfully aware of the sudden physical contact.
“I see you’re fascinated by my tattoos,” the masked guy uttered for the first time and his voice sounded a lot deeper than what Jimin had expected, which made him inwardly squeak, “But there are other things that could make you more fascinated.” The masked guy claimed and Jimin saw him winked, making him more terribly embarrassed because of the unnecessary tension that they had. He even heard the people around him scoff because they were certainly creating a scene.
“W-Why are yo—“ The masked guy interrupted what Jimin was going to say by giving him the rose he was currently holding. “Here, a pretty boy like you deserves a rose, although it still won’t compensate for the beauty you possess,” the fratman casually added and Jimin, although he’s embarrassed, felt his heart beamed with joy because it was unlikely for a fratman to give a rose to a male spectator. Jimin offered the masked guy a small smile as he claimed the rose and the moment he received it, he saw the runner’s eyes immediately turned to crescents.
The tension between the two of them only ended when one of the runners tapped the masked guy’s shoulder, signaling him that he had already consumed too much time standing in front of Jimin. The masked guy disinterestedly removed his friend’s hand and before Jimin could even register in his mind what happened, the masked guy is no longer in front of him.
Jimin did not even realize that he was with his college buddy until the latter voiced out his surprise. “Woah, that was—” Taehyung, who was as flabbergasted as him, mumbled.
“T-That was intense,” Jimin said as he let out a shaky breath while looking at the rose that was given to him by that mysterious masked guy.
The second time it happened, Yoongi would love to believe that it is fate which brought them together.
Yoongi is often misunderstood. His cold exterior and nonchalant personality made people feel distant towards him which explains why he has few friends. In his defense, he really does not feel that comfortable with many people around him and he values his own personal space so much. Regardless of his brisk and grumpy characteristic, Yoongi is a hopeless romantic. He had already watched every sappy movie out there and he believes that after all the failed relationships he had gone through, there is someone out there who would take away all the heartaches he experienced. Yoongi is also trapped—he is stuck in a hole he could not escape. Despite being a student in a liberated environment, he still feels caged on the traditional upbringing his parents would always shove into his face. Even though he knows damn well that he is not straight, he still could not confidently express himself for who he really is.
“Still thinking about that cute boy who you traumatized for standing in front of him for a solid 15 minutes?” Namjoon, his friend from the fraternity he belongs to, interrupted his train of thoughts by suddenly mentioning the boy who caught Yoongi’s attention the moment he saw a glimpse of his stunning face.
One thing to know about Yoongi is that he is a sucker for cute things. He would sometimes stop in front of a homeless cat or dog that he finds cute just to take photos while endearingly admiring them. He was even almost punched by a parent just because he was staring at their baby. So, it is not surprising that he would be captivated in a jiffy by the most beautiful boy he ever laid his eyes on.
“Dude, he is so beautiful,” Yoongi expressed as he recalled the boy’s face. “He has a sharp jawline and sinful plump limps but his baby cheeks is a contrast to his sharp features—“
Namjoon sighed exasperatedly because of Yoongi’s rambles about the boy he met during the event, “That’s the reason why I entered the scene, dude. You literally caused a scene and I think it made him uncomfortable.”
Yoongi’s eyes widened in horror. “Fuck, do you think I crept him out?”
With a deep sigh, Namjoon emotionlessly nodded as he took a sip from his orange juice. “Definitely. That boy is scarred for life.”
Yoongi thought he had already fucked up before it even started.
Regardless of how tight his schedule is during the athletic season, Yoongi still found himself enjoying the apparent sore muscles that were always abused during their practices. Aside from being devoted to the piano given he is a music major, Yoongi is also deeply in love with basketball. He had always played for the varsity of their university since his freshman days and he is inspired more than ever because this is the last season he could join as a player.
“Nervous?” Seokjin, who is Namjoon’s boyfriend from a university just along their area, asked Yoongi as he handed him a bottle of water.
“Not really,” Yoongi shrugged and took the bottle from Seokjin while giving him a smile as a token of his appreciation, “Excited, rather.”
“Yeah, that guy is a demon in court. He will definitely crush the opponent team.” Namjoon casually joined in the conversation as he snaked his arms around his boyfriend’s waist. Seokjin immediately pecked Namjoon’s cheek, using it as an opportunity to dreamingly stare at his boyfriend since their high school days.
“How about you babe, are you nervous?” Seokjin cupped Namjoon’s cheeks and removed the wet strands of his hair away from his face. “Not really, since you’re here.” Namjoon, with full of fond, answered as he lay his forehead against his boyfriend’s broad shoulder. Seokjin then rubbed soothing circles onto Namjoon’s back, the obvious longing for his boyfriend’s presence is evident in the former’s face especially since the two of them are studying in different universities.
Yoongi just rolled his eyes because of the scene in front of him but he can’t help but feel a little jealous on how nauseatingly in love his two friends are.
“Get a room you disgusting married couple!” Yoongi scoffed while throwing the wet towel he used to wipe his sweats to the lovers in front of him.
The first half of the game ended in a blink of an eye and, as expected, Yoongi single-handedly took the lead for their team by earning enough points. He was on a roll during the game, that even though he almost feels like he’s about to collapse anytime soon, the happiness looming in his face wouldn’t seem to disappear.
Yoongi was informed that a dance troupe will perform for an intermission number before the second half starts. Apparently disinterested, the basketball player just sat on a bleacher as he tried to catch his uneven breathing, making his mind form strategies so he could win the second half. He is not that interested in watching how dancers perform so he was making his mind just wander elsewhere. Sure, he appreciates every type of art but dancing isn’t really his cup of tea.
However, just when he was about to ignore the whole intermission, a person, who is in the form of a slightly toned boy with flushed cheeks and is currently gracefully dancing on stage making the spotlight center around him, suddenly caught his eyes. After being stunned for a couple of minutes, a sudden realization dawned on him.
“H-He is that beautiful boy I gave my rose to,”
The performance ended like a blurry memory and Yoongi was stoned at his position because the boy who he only used to see in his dreams is suddenly in front of him again. “Is this what destiny feels like?” Yoongi’s hazy mind thought as his gaze follow the direction of the boy he has been dreaming of.
“Yoongi, Min Yoongi!” He was brought back to reality by Seokjin’s loud nag and that was when he only grasped the moment that the game is going to start again. “Are you sure you’re okay? You look paler than normal.” Seokjin added, a mixture of annoyance and worry are hinted in his voice.
“Y-Yeah, I’m okay,” Yoongi mumbled, though he knew that deep down, he wasn’t. He wasn’t fine knowing that the person he tried to get off his mind was unexpectedly in the same area as him as of that fateful moment.
He is surely fucked up.
The second half became a disaster because Yoongi couldn’t focus on the game and expectedly, their team lost because their star player’s mind was wandering anywhere except on the court. Despite being devastated because of their loss, his face lit up in a jiffy realizing that he could finally talk to the boy he has been painfully crushing on for weeks.
Yoongi immediately changed his clothes after the game and he did not even spare his two friends, who were asking him why did he become out of focus during the game, a glance, leaving the lovers annoyed and baffled.
As Yoongi scanned the area, his knees became like a jelly the moment he recognized the boy who was only centimeters away from him and when he saw him alone, he did not hesitate to corner him, making the other boy jumped in surprise.
“W-Who—“ “Pay for what you’ve done,” Yoongi immediately shut the boy up before he could even talk by saying the lamest words anyone could ever tell to his crush. He was in dazed for a second because of how rosy the other boy’s cheeks were and he almost caught himself cupping his face.
“H-Huh? What did I do?” The boy asked him and Yoongi is definitely mesmerized.
"Goddammit even his voice is beautiful my heart fucking flipped backward,"
“I was distracted by you,” Yoongi responded and he witnessed how his adorable face turned into a tomato as his lips parted in shock. When he saw the other boy become stunned because of his reply, he used it as a chance for him to closely examine the other boy and he almost passed out when he saw how plump his lips are.
It is confirmed, Yoongi will definitely have a heart failure after this.
“U-Uhm, excuse me? I don’t even know you.” The boy answered Yoongi back and before he broke the eye contact with him, Yoongi immediately tugged his drenched jersey upward, revealing the tattoo the other boy touched the first time they met. The action made the other boy’s eyes widened and he immediately looked at Yoongi with a flushed and flabbergasted face.
“Y-You’re the one fr—“ “Yes, I am the boy who gave you the rose,” Yoongi said as he unconsciously found himself flashing the boy his gummy smile, he tugged his jersey downwards in an instant when he suddenly remembered how uncomfortable the other boy looked like when they first met.
Yoongi then searched for the paper—wherein he shamelessly wrote his number—in his pocket without breaking any eye contact with the boy, and as time passed by, he could feel his insides churn crazily because of how intense the stare of the other boy was.
"This is crazy, how can anyone be that beautiful?"
After not breaking any contact while successfully finding the paper he took with him, he immediately gave the paper to the boy making him more puzzled.
“If you are bored or anything just call that number,” Yoongi confessed lamely as he scratched the back of his neck, “Coffees are nice so do not hesitate to look for me when you’re in need of one.” And as he saw the other boy nod to his flimsy confession, the basketball player’s heart promptly warmed like summer.
“I’m Min Yoongi, by the way.” He offered his hand and when the other boy took his hand, Yoongi’s chest constricted in pain—in a good way—because of the sudden electric currents he felt by their mere touch.
“Park Jimin,” and Yoongi knew he was already so whipped the moment Jimin flashed him his smile that showed his adorable crooked tooth and made his eyes turn into tiny crescents.