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Kim Namjoon, student extraordinaire and fledgling underground rapper, and Kookie, a literal demon, sit side-by-side on the futon staring at the open laptop screen. A word document sits open, the vertical black bar of a blank page openly mocks the two students. Kookie’s tail twitches in annoyance. Namjoon runs a hand down his face before facing the white screen.
“So…” Seokjin, Namjoon’s self-appointed manager and Kookie’s boss, taps his fingernails against the kitchen counter as he watches the duo. “How long have you had to work on this assignment?”
“A month,” mumbles the student.
"And when is this assignment due?”
Namjoon checks the time on his phone. “In less than 9 hours,” he groans as he tosses his phone against the coffee table. He sighs, remembering how he took this film theory class as an elective (at film lover Kookie’s insistence), convinced that it won’t be nearly as difficult as his core literature classes. After all, it’s just watching movies, he hears Kookie’s pleading voice in his head. How hard can it be to hang out for 3 hours and watch a movie?
What he failed to take into account is that Kookie was technically not a student. Sure, he drops into classes sometimes in human form as Jeon Jungkook, but it’s mostly elective classes he attends, and most students are convinced he’s just there to audit them anyway. Most of the professors are so used to students not even showing up to class that they don’t notice (or pretend not to notice) the young wide-eyed interloper sitting in the back of the class.
Then there was the issue of their newfound fame and Seokjin’s interference into their lives. Namjoon made the decision to not pry into Seokjin’s history too much; he deduced that he must also be a demon and he somehow knew Kookie (they bickered too often to not have a history). Seokjin was also extremely handsome, an excellent chef, and an introvert who doesn’t like crowded areas, so it was easy for him to ignore the fact that there were now two (2) demons living in his studio apartment. Namjoon had to tread carefully lest he accidentally loses possession of his own soul, which is why he stares down the devil across from him lounging against the kitchen counter. Seokjin encouraged the duo to perform regularly ever since their talent show debut. Unfortunately, the time spent producing new music and writing new lyrics meant that Namjoon often forgot about assignments, and he found himself struggling to pass this film class. Who even manages to fail a film class? Of course, it would be Kim Namjoon.
Namjoon’s caffeinated brain convinced him that Seokjin is intentionally ruining his academic career.
***
Another hour of brainstorming and bickering led to Namjoon’s decision to write about the post-apocalyptic science fiction movie that takes place on a train. It was easy enough for Joon to pull from his philosophy class discussions to write about the class struggles and the way modern society intentionally fails its most vulnerable citizens, but even Namjoon’s genius mind had trouble forming coherent thoughts this late in the night.
Kookie and Seokjin sit side-by-side watching the student type furiously at his keyboard, Kookie’s spicy ramen noodle slurping the only other sound in the room.
“You know,” Seokjin begins, “It’s kind of a shame that Namjoonie is so determined and honest in his studies.”
Kookie tilts his head. “Why, hyung?”
Seokjin sighs. “Think about it. He doesn’t want to fall behind on his studies. He will work so hard to write a sub-par essay that might not give him a passing grade, and then he will live with the shame of knowing he’s failed, then his family will probably pressure him to give up music to refocus on his studies, or they stop supporting him. He will give up on the thing he loves most in order to please them. Or…” Jin smirks
“...Or what?”
Smack!
“Ow, what was that for?!” Kookie rubs the back of his head where Seokjin smacked him with his palm.
“It’s almost like you forget you’re a demon, tsk,” Seokjin admonishes. “Ooooor~ we can
finally
make that deal of yours and exchange his soul for a passing grade! It’s a win/win!”
“NO!” Kookie shouts, startling Namjoon from his typing. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing, hyung,” Kookie leaves Seokjin’s side to cozy up next to Namjoon on the couch. “Just that Seokjin-hyung wants to…to eat
My Noodles
but they’re mine and he can go get his own!” Kookie glares daggers at the older demon in the kitchen.
“Ya! You’ve been eating nothing but those noodles for days and you already hog all the good spicy ones anyway,” Jin scoffs. “Besides, eating that much sodium isn’t good for you. You need to watch what you eat. Sodium makes your face puffy.”
“It does not!”
“Does too.”
“Oh my God SHUT UP” Namjoon yells as he massages his temples.
The two demons are startled; Namjoon has never raised his voice in the time they’ve known him. Kookie already looks on the verge of tears as Seokjin rolls his eyes.
“I’m sorry everyone. Just...I really need some peace and quiet if I’m going to get this essay done before the deadline. Jin-hyung, why don’t you and Kookie go down to the corner store and pick up more snacks if it bothers you so much. Besides, I could use more caffeine as well,” he yawns. “Mind picking me up an energy drink while you’re there?”
“Of course, hyung,” Kookie replies, already shifting into his human form.
***
Jungkook and Seokjin are quiet the entire walk down the block. Kookie seems to look everywhere but at the older demon next to him. Why did the kid have to be so cute with those doe eyes of his, Seokjin thinks. He may be an elder demon, but Seokjin still has a soft spot for his young protégé, thrust into this difficult job at such a young point in his demonhood. The kid could still be swayed by others’ humanity, and sometimes Jin wonders if Kookie was actually meant to be a demon at all. The Creators could sometimes be wrong…
The chime of the corner store’s door distracts Seokjin from contemplating too far.
Jungkook beelines toward the back wall with the cold drinks. He grabs 3 cans of Namjoon’s favorite energy tea and spins around to go to the register when he runs into a broad-shouldered chest. “Kookie,” Seokjin begins, but Jungkook dodges Jin’s advance and continues down the aisle to the register. Jungkook throws money down on the counter and rushes out of the shop. Seokjin apologizes to the bewildered clerk and runs after him.
“Kookie,” Seokjin pleads with the younger man as he steps out onto the night sidewalk. “Come here."
“No.”
“Come here.”
“Why?”
“Just come here.”
“No, you’re gonna hit me.” Jungkook looks back at Seokjin “Again!”
“Ugh, okay. Fine. I wasn’t gonna hit you anyway. Just come here and talk to me. Listen,” Seokjin lowers his voice as he approaches Jungkook. “I’m sorry for suggesting we take Joonie’s soul. I just don’t get why it’s so sensitive to you. We’ve taken a couple of souls before, thanks to your performances, but you know at some point we will have to collect on him. It’s the rules. He summons you, we strike a deal, we take his soul. It’s been that way for millennia.”
“I know, hyung.”
“And ultimately I’m not sure if ‘hanging out’ or whatever you call it is healthy for us anyway. People are gonna catch on eventually. They can’t know we exist,” Seokjin continues as the pair walk back to the apartment.
“I know.”
“And yeah, Namjoon’s a tricky one. Smarter than the average human for sure. I’m impressed that he’s kept our existence a secret for this long, but he will slip up eventually and we will have to take him.”
“I know, but-”
“But what, Kookie?”
The younger sighs. “I don’t know. I guess...I like Namjoon-hyung. I think he’s really cool, you know, for a human at least. And he knows a lot and he’s nice and smart and talented and has great thighs and a beautiful dimpled face and he is just...he’s just so…”
“Kookie…”
The younger man’s cheeks begin to blush.
“Oh, my fucking...you’re in love with the human!”
“AM NOT!”
“ARE TOO!”
“AM NOT!” Kookie shoves Seokjin away in embarrassment as they approach Namjoon’s door. Kookie fumbles with the keys and scurries into the studio apartment, slamming the door in Seokjin’s face and effectively waking Namjoon up from his unplanned nap.
“Aish...what,” Namjoon slurs groggily. He checks the time. “Aah!” he yells. “No, how could you let me fall asleep?! How long have I been asleep?!” Namjoon looks at his laptop, tapping impatiently on the space bar to wake up from the black screen.
Nothing happens.
Namjoon taps again, then more forcefully, before looking around the table and realizing he managed to unplug his laptop at some point in the evening. His computer is dead, his essay draft lost for good. Namjoon screams.
“I am so screwed!”
“Not if you’re willing to take our d-HEY” Seokjin exclaims as Kookie interrupts him with another shove.
“Jin-hyung, I thought we agreed not now!”
“We didn’t agree to anything!”
The two demons in disguise begin slapping and kicking at one another in the middle of the living room. Namjoon buries his head in his hands and begins to rock, whispering variations of “oh no” and “oh shit” to no one but himself.
Then a knock comes at the open door.
All three men stop their bickering and catastrophizing and look up to see a slender, shorter man standing in the doorway. His oversized black sweatshirt hides his slender frame, a pair of fitted black sweatpants and open-toed slippers are the only giveaways to his actual size. Black hair sweeps across his face, barely covering calm chocolate eyes over pale porcelain skin. A small button nose and a mouth formed like a downward triangle make the man appear almost cat-like.
“Hey,” a deep voice rumbles from the man in the doorway. “Everything okay here? You’re about to wake up the whole building.”
The men stir, Kookie and Seokjin removing themselves from one another and Namjoon standing from the couch. “Oh,” Namjoon speaks up first, rubbing the back of his head. “My apologies. This is so embarrassing. Did we wake you up? I’m so sorry.”
The shorter man shrugs. “Better me than someone else. Just keep quiet okay?” he suggests, then squints at the student standing before him. “Hey, you’re in Professor Park’s film class right?”
Namjoon’s eyes widen before a dimpled grin spreads across his face. “Haha, yep. I’m Namjoon,” he offers his hand. “And these are my, uh, roommates: Jungkook and Seokjin. Yeah, haha -this is awkward- so uh, yeah I was trying to write the paper that’s due in a few hours now and-”
“What paper?” Yoongi interjects.
Namjoon blinks, dumbfounded. “The one due today at 9 am.”
Yoongi grins and begins to cackle. “Ah, I guess you didn’t get Professor Park’s e-mail. He made a mistake on the syllabus. Apparently, he forgot it’s a furlough day at the university so there’s no class. Damn budget cuts. He said papers are due in next week’s class. Just do this week’s reading and watch the film if you can.”
Seokjin and Kookie have never seen Namjoon’s face turn beet-red before. He slowly sits back on the futon before breaking out in laughter. “So you mean...oh my God,” he laughs to himself before exhaling. “Yoongi, dude, you’re a life-saver.” Yoongi closes his eyes and nods to himself.
“So…” Kookie is the first to speak as the room’s mood shifts into something more lighthearted and airy. “Now that we’re all here and awake...Do you all want to watch this week’s movie?”
Yoongi and Namjoon look at one another and shrug. “I’m a light sleeper anyway,” Yoongi says, “Yeah. Sounds good. Though I could use some black coffee or something before we get started.”
“I know a great 24-Hour Diner just a few blocks away,” Seokjin offers. “Let’s all get some coffee and breakfast!” The 4 men all chatter excitedly at the idea of this impromptu breakfast and movie day. Before they exit the apartment, Kookie pulls at Namjoon’s sleeve as they step away from the others. “Hyung, is everything going to be okay now? Are you going to be okay?”
“Yes, I think so, Kook,” Namjoon sighs, shoulders falling as if the weight of the world fell from them. He gasps when the young demon suddenly grabs him and wraps his arms around his waist. Namjoon can only smile at the young man before slowly returning his embrace.