Chapter Text
“Hi.” Jungkook was snapped out of his thoughts at the greeting.
“So, hi again? I’m Kim Seokjin?” Seokjin said a little bit questioningly, testing the waters if the black haired freshman with uninterested demeanour actually still remembers him even though he was with their group for around thirty minutes before splitting up fifteen minutes ago.
Jungkook looked up at the guy, throwing the other with a very bored expression, which by the way ticked the older. He sighed. Jungkook arrived at the university just an hour ago with his older brother dropping him off and giving him advice along the way, something that his parents should have done but couldn’t because of circumstances, which Jungkook understands.
Seeing a lot of people coming in and out of the school entrance, either freshmen or returning students is a little overwhelming for Jungkook. He lived in Busan for all his life and it’s not that his hometown have less people, but maybe he just have a hard time with too much new people
at once. His brother reassured him that he’d be fine and just to have fun and pass school. He gets it. Maybe he’d be rather enthusiastic if this happened three months ago. It’s his goal to enter an arts university, and now, his only goal is to drop out as soon as possible.
“I’m aware.” Jungkook answered void of interest in his voice which irks Seokjin. He wasn’t really supposed to be the tour guide for the freshmen but Yoongi, his best friend, begged him because of an important business he had to attend to and by important business, he means his boyfriend, Jung Hoseok. Seokjin had nothing to do anyway so he thought he could keep himself busy with this side stint. He expected encounters like this but not this early.
“..okay. Cool then. Sooo any questions? The other freshmen have already left, probably to roam around or maybe check out the clubs or probably to hunt—“
“Where’s the dormitory?” Jungkook cuts Seokjin, uninterested with whatever the older is rambling about. He’s not here to stay anyway so he didn’t want to know too much or be acquainted with anyone.
Seokjin would’ve smacked the kid right in his head if they were close, but they are not and even though the black haired freshman is getting on his nerves, Seokjin still managed to be professional and calm.
“Right this way.” He walked towards the university’s boys dormitory while non stop chatting with Jungkook. Seokjin is in his third year, also very popular as the number one person on everyone’s list of who they want to be friends with, and one of the best students in their department. And he is also petty and annoying as an eight year old, and that’s exactly what he’s doing.
“Why are college students strong in March? Because it is the beginning of a new term!” Seokjin laughed his ass off with his windshield wiper laugh and held his stomach for maximum comedic action. Jungkook tried to suppress his laugh, because he was determined to maintain his image of a cold and detached person so as to not have doubts in leaving school as soon as possible, but his tour guide is making it difficult for him. He’s been bombarded with one sided dad jokes ever since they headed their way towards the dormitory, but it seems his immunity for these dad jokes are non-existent, when he let out a little snicker. Jungkook cleared his throat in an effort to salvage his image, to no avail. The older had heard him and looked at him with a smirk.
“Hey Jin-hyung! I’ve been looking for you! There’s a party tonight at OO. Please tell me you’ll come? Or I’ll drag you out of your room!” A short guy with blonde hair threatened, but he looked too soft for the threat to be effective.
The older didn’t answer and glanced at Jungkook, to which the shorter one looked, finally noticing him.
“Oh? Who’s this? Is this your—“
“Freshman. I’m THE Tour Guide today, Jimin.” The older pointed at Jungkook then at himself respectively.
“Uh huh” the short blonde, Jimin, hummed as he looked over Jungkook.
“Anyway, tonight, at 10. Please. Hyung. Come. Okay?” Jin smiled apologetically and patted Jimin’s shoulder without an answer. With a defeated sigh, Jimin nodded and left but not without throwing a glance at Jungkook again.
“Sorry for the interruption. And here we are at the boy’s dormitory. What’s your room number?” Seokjin’s expression changed as fast as blinking an eye but it didn’t slip Jungkook’s notice. He was intrigued but he sure didn’t want to be more intrigued. He doesn't want to have anything to do with this school that could keep him from his original goal after all.
“It’s okay. I’ll manage. Thanks for taking me here.
See ya.” Jungkook said as he went inside the building only to be stopped again.
“Uuuh. Totally forgot to tell you. I’m the dorm’s head so it’s my duty to take you to your room and to provide information of the rules and all those sorts. Number.” Seokjin said with pointed authority masked in a friendly tone. Jungkook wanted to be alone as soon as possible, so instead of arguing, he gave his number so they could get over this as quickly as possible.
The dormitory has four floors. It’s neither that big nor small. The halls are pretty standard and cleaner than expected. He learned that some have shared rooms and some don’t. Curfew is at 10pm and anyone who got caught will have consequences: a written warning on the first, a
punishment on the second, a talk with the dean on the third, and a call with the parents plus a suspension on the fourth. A fifth is non-existent, but it’s mostly about being kicked out of school. When Jungkook heard of that, he knew what he had to do.
“Aaand that’s all the basic rules for dorm residents. If you have any other questions, I’m just one knock away.” Seokjin pointed to the door on the left of his.
“Here’s your key. Try to not get kicked out yeah?” Jungkook mentally scoffed at the elder's advice, since he had already decided to leave university even before he stepped inside school grounds.
Jungkook spent his whole afternoon in his room with nothing to do. His things weren’t supposed to come until tomorrow so the only thing he could do at the moment is to kill time setting up his computer set and a few little things he had brought from home. He fell asleep after playing a
game and woke up when he started feeling hungry. On his way out though, he accidentally heard a conversation that somehow piqued his interest. He didn’t intend to listen but
he was glued by his door.
“Jin-hyung.. It’s been months.. You need to-“ Jungkook heard a pleading voice say, which he recognizes as Jimin’s, the short blonde guy he met earlier in the day.
“Sorry Jiminie. I appreciate it. Please enjoy your time for me, will you? Tell the others hyung misses them too.” Jungkook recognized the voice as his tour guide, but he could hear something in the voice that he recognized. It is the same as his voice three months ago.
Jungkook stayed inside his room for some minutes, just in case his neighbour or his friend is still outside. He didn’t want to accidentally meet eyes with any of them and give it away that he had heard their conversation. He went out to buy ramen and ice cream in the nearby
convenience store. On his way back though, he found a broad shouldered figure by the corner of their building. The person seemed to be smoking since he could see a visible line of smoke coming from the person’s mouth. Not like he cares enough to warn the person that smoking is prohibited in the dorm. He was about to enter the building when he heard shouting. Another person has come towards the person smoking and he could see the cigarette being snatched and thrown on the ground.
“Go away Joon."
"No. When did you start smoking, Jin-hyung?" The man was broad and tall, hair trimmed nicely. He took the cigarette from Seokjin's mouth and trampled it on the ground.
"What do you care? Why are you even here? No, don't answer that. I'm leaving." Seokjin sighed tiredly and turned to leave only to have his arm snatched by Namjoon.
"Ow! Let me go!" Seokjin cried but the other man was stronger.
"Please talk to me." Namjoon begged.
"I don't want to. Let go of me!" Seokjin wiggled out from his hold to no avail. When Namjoon's free hand moved, Jungkook suddenly stormed and separated them. All three of them were shocked and confused. Even Jungkook, who was mentally kicking himself. He thought the other man was gonna do something so he intervened in reflex.
"Who the hell are you?" Namjoon asked incredulously. And then something clicked on his mind and he snorted.
"I see. I get it hyung. That was fast. You acted hurt but in reality, you were fast to move on. As expected of the best actor in campus." Namjoon looked at him in disbelief and hurt before he left them. Jungkook was confused all of a sudden as he lowered his hand slowly, watching the figure into the dark. He felt like he did something unnecessary and caused confusion.
"Are you oka--" Jungkook slowly turned to ask but what he saw was a face full of hurt in his eyes. There were no tears but his eyes looked devastated, while looking at the distance where the other man went.
"I'm sorry." Jungkook said softly. And this caught the other's attention and finally looked at him.
"Ah, no no. Thank you. Why are you here at this hour? It's almost curfew. Go back inside." The shift in topic was smooth but Jungkook can see through bullshits. But they were not close enough to tell him that so he let it go.
"Yeah. Smoking is prohibited here. Be careful." Jungkook sniffed and took the trampled cigarette so he can throw it, patting Seokjin's hair as he passed by him and into the building.
Seokjin was surprised by that. That freshman was as tall as him, if not taller but he was still his senior. He felt two things. One, annoyed to be treated like the same age. Second, he felt comforted by that gesture. That's why he didn't reprimand him when usually he would.
This night seemed to be too much for him, sighing as he followed going inside the building.
On their way up to their floor, they weren't talking. Silently two or three steps ahead of the older, suddenly, Jungkook spoke.
"Where is that party?"
"What party?" Seokjin replied.
"Your little friend said it earlier. During the tour." Jungkook was still determined to leave this school, and this is his first step.
"Little-- oh god, don't say that in Jimin's presence. He's scary when he's mad." Seokjin laughed then his face bumped into something. Jungkook had stopped moving and turned to face him.
"No. 10 pm is the curfew." Seokjin replied strictly.
"So? Tell me or I'll tell about you smoking in dorm grounds. That's bad for a dorm head right?" Jungkook wasn't usually this kind of person, but he's desperate.
"Are you blackmailing me?" Seokjin raised a brow.
"...Yes. Address." Jungkook demanded, almost uninterested.
"You don't seem like the partying type." Seokjin added.
"You don't seem to be the smoking type." The freshman countered and Seokjin huffed.
"Even if I give you the address you can't go. It's an invite only party. There's a password." Seokjin closed his eyes with the mocking tone, arms crossed.
"So you have a password? You were invited by your friend." Jungkook asked.
"Of course I do. I'm one of the pioneers of that party." He was still bragging to the freshman hoping to discourage the younger.
"Good. Then you are taking me. I'll be ready in a few." Jungkook said soon leaving him behind and running to the last steps of the stairs. Seokjin blinked like he didn't know what just happened. It only sank in after a minute or so and he had to internally scream. He told himself to be careful of getting caught smoking again as he sighed at being blackmailed by a freshman like this, then went to his own room to change.
Seokjin wasn’t really the type to dress up much, so he only wore a simple shirt,a jeans jacket, some pants he grabbed in his closet and he was ready. He knocked on the wall to tell the freshman he was ready, but once he was out the door, a man’s back was already in front of his door.
“You’re slow.” Jungkook, wearing a leather jacket, hair brushed to the side, tight skinny jeans and black books, turned to greet him with an uninterested look. Seokjin on the other hand was surprised. The freshman looked different, a bit intimidating with this look.
“I think you’re just fast.” Seokjin countered, locking his door and going on ahead. He figured might as well take this chance to distract himself after that time earlier with Namjoon.
The venue of the party is just inside the campus too, held in one of the club houses. It was a bit far from the dormitory so the walk was a while. Seokjin’s a few steps ahead of Jungkook, but once in a while, he would suddenly speak and give the names of buildings or places they pass. Almost like a campus tour, but at night. Seokjin didn’t like silence or awkward atmosphere so he always tries his best to talk even if it’s one sided.
“Jin hyung! You’re here! I thought you weren't going?” The small blonde man, Jimin, jumped hug the older.
“Well—“
“The freshman? Why is he here?” Jimin interrupted when he noticed Jungkook.
“It’s a long story. I’ll tell you later. Let’s go inside? He’ll be my plus one tonight.” Seokjin said, already walking to the door.
“Plus one? That’s—“
“i know Jimin. Doesn’t matter. It’s only for tonight. Hey, hurry up.” Seokjin looked back offering his hand to Jungkook. Both Jungkook and Jimin widened their eyes as they looked at the extended hand. Jungkook was confused as heck.
“Am I supposed to hold your hand?” He asked, incredulous.
“Yes. If you want to go inside. If not, then you’re free to leave or find someone else to make you their plus one. I told you. It’s an invite only party.” Seokjin said, still holding out his hand.
Jungkook’s stare hardened. He really didn’t need to go to the party. He just needs to break the curfew rule anyway. So he was about to leave, until a figure blocked his view.
“I’ll be your plus one.” Namjoon said, holding Seokjin’s hand.
“Why are you here?” Seokjin asked, trying to pull his hand away from the other’s grip.
“Why? Am I not allowed here?” Namjoon said.
“Sorry hyung… We thought you weren’t coming..” Jimin said, looking like a small kitten beside the older.
“Your little boyfriend didn’t seem to want to go inside anyway.” Namjoon mocked, poison in his voice.
“Are you always like this?.” Suddenly, Jungkook’s grip was on Namjoon’s wrist. The older winced as he pulled his hand away, Jungkook glaring daggers at him as he held Seokjin’s hand in his.
“Don’t ever touch my boyfriend again. Ever.” Jungkook warned, voice deep and cold as everyone stared at him, including Seokjin.