Chapter Text
When the semester ended, Seokjin stayed in the dorm because of his theatre practices. They had several performances and he didn't mind the bustling schedule even though he knew most of the other students were gone from the dorm building. And that includes Taehyung, who immediately packed his carrier the moment he finished his afternoon class two weeks ago. He seemed very very excited to get back home in contrast to his multilevel stress circumstances prior to the final week. (It was beyond devastating, to be honest).
But then one morning, just after Seokjin finished his beauty routine on daily glowing skin, there's a sound from the other side of the door. Even from the rustling steps, he already knew who it is. He furrows his eyebrow because it's still a weekday, and a new semester is still about another fortnight.
"Hyung…" he was meet with a sulking face.
"Did you perhaps delete the calendar apps on your phone?" Seokjin asked, deadpan. "Your sight right now is a rarity."
"The opposite, in fact. I checked it this morning and I feel kinda stupid." Taehyung brings his whole body inside, stumbling with the mat and then falling to his bed.
Seokjin turns back to the mirror in front of him. "Oh, tell me about it." He pats his cheek softly to let the skin absorbs the moisturizer. To be the lead actor, he must be able to snatch everyone's attention. That means no pollution, no weariness, no hormonal cycles get in his way.
"It's the books! I totally forgot about the books!" In the reflection of the mirror, Seokjin can see Taehyung's hands up to the ceiling, like he already gives up everything in his dramatic ass life.
"What books?"
Taehyung then points to the piles on the corner of his messy desk, where a few hardcovers of Fine Art Philosophy and Painting Techniques open on top of each other. "It should have been last month! My wallet is damned."
He's trying to process it for a while, then realizes what Taehyung has been talking about. "You forgot to return it to the library."
"My mom always warned me about it, she's so right." Now Taehyung has his face on his hands.
Seokjin sighs after enough self-appreciation. He walks to the side of Taehyung's bed and ruffles the boy's hair. It's black from light brown now, he looks more and more like Yeontan. Taehyung looks up from between his fingers, expression petrified, thinking about the fate of his Wons. "Poor little boy."
"Is there any way that I won't be broke after paying a month late fine?"
He shrugged. "You could sell your paintings."
"That I don't have?"
"So all those canvases in your studio are trash?"
"Yes, they are!" And with that, Seokjin wants to slap his own face. "Hyung, a work in progress is worth nothing. Not a coin. I'm just a baby in this harsh world of procreation. And I haven't even finished reading the books."
Seokjin's hand move down to pinch his cheek. Taehyung gives him a look. "What? You are a baby. And your paintings aren't trash, alright. It's a diamond in the rough."
He beams bashfully. His gaze is looking around Seokjin's face. "You look so oily."
"This is called dewy, Taehyungie. Learn the differences."
"Still, I can beat you with my sweat."
He retorts by poking his nose. "Disgusting."
Taehyung scrunches his face at the touch and then giggles while he reaches the side of Seokjin's ribs to tickle him. Seokjin avoids him with his might but ends up on top of the younger boy, both of his hands trying to hold Taehyung's over his head. Taehyung might go to the gym more, but he still got the bigger build. It shows in occurrences like this.
"Your kinky side is showing," Taehyung teases. A boxy smile appearing as he grins.
"Yeah, whatever that pervy fantasy of yours is telling you."
After some moment passes, Seokjin hasn't let go of Taehyung. That results in him from looking mischievous to becoming restless. "Ah hyung, I gotta go to the library."
"Tell me I'm handsome and I'll let you go."
"No."
"You rude brat."
Taehyung rolls his eyes. "Aren't you tired of hearing that millionth of ti—" Earning a poke on his right armpit. He winces. "Okay, okay, I get it. The most handsome guy I've ever known in the entire universe, Kim Seokjin it is."
He ungrips Taehyung's wrists and huffs. "Rest first," he suggests. "You just arrived."
"What do you mean to rest? I need to prepare myself before I got nags from the grumpy library aunty."
"That you deserve," Seokjin said. He opens up one of the top drawers as he hears Taehyung throwing his complaint 'you're so mean to me, we haven't met again since what and this is what you say to me?'. Seokjin chuckles quietly. He takes a small paper sheet from the bottom of the drawer and waving it in front of the black-haired boy. Taehyung, has approximately more than minus 1.5 eyesight, now squints.
"What is that?"
Without a word, Seokjin gave it to him. Taehyung reads it while laying down. His mouth is moving to match the movements of his eyeballs. After a while, he stares dumbfoundedly at Seokjin and then back at the library receipt. "You renewed it?"
"Another one to the list of Kim Seokjin saving Taehyung's ass." Of course, Seokjin, the responsible one from the two, the one who stayed back at the dorm all this time realized about a certain purple sticky note on Taehyung's wood board written in capital 'LIB. 06.25!!!!'. "Now don't forget about the next return date before I turn to kick your ass."
"Oh, that's kinky."
"Shut the fuck up, Tae."