Work Text:
- ok so the only reason you two run into each other at all is because you’re both music majors. not that music majors can’t have other friends, but y'all spend so much time in the practice rooms, you forget what fresh air smells like
- you and josh have different classes, though. he’s a music history major with a focus on guitar and vocals, and you’re a music education major specializing in piano — so not much overlap in classes, but one thing you and the rest of the department have in common?
- the need for practice rooms
- you k n ow the uni has the budget to build more, but they won’t. renovations? even less likely. you swear the weird stain on the carpet is older than you are, and at this point, you feel emotionally connected to it
- it’s been with you through almost every breakdown so far — something even your best friend can’t say is true for them
- though you’ve seen josh around campus, the first time you ever really interact with him is when you’re about to throw hands over the last free practice room
- long story short: the music department is Messy. you think there would be some kind of order when it comes to sign ups considering how in demand they are, but there are No Rules
- you, as a rather tech savvy student, signed up for this room on the website. josh, as a social butterfly who has no problem talking to professors, asked for this room through his advisor. who then made some kind of written permission form that shouldn’t override the fact that your name was registered first
- and after an argument that i won’t write because it’s not important, josh realizes that he left his sheet music in his other folder, the one he left at his friend’s dorm, so he has to give up anyway?? you want to rub it in his face so bad, but he actually looks upset, so the kindness in your heart settles for patting his shoulder and saying, “better luck next time, buddy </3”
- but like, why does he need a practice room???? this question bothers you for days. he does guitar and vocals. he can literally do that anywhere whereas you can’t really lug a piano around??
- case in point: he’s currently sitting atop a picnic table and doing an acoustic cover of some radio pop song, surrounded by a few other students studying or vibing
- you’re not brave enough to plop down with them, so you settle at a nearby table and start studying with his voice and music as background noise
- but then the music stops and you see josh’s sneakers out of the corner of your eye
- “hey! y/n, right? from last week?”
- “yes?” ok what did he want lol a rematch??? a real fight????
- he has this boyish grin, and since he’s standing over you, the sunlight shining down gives him a bit of a halo, and as you’re squinting, you realize that he’s kinda,,,,cute. a little. maybe you’re just missing human interaction
- he sticks out a hand. “i’m josh. i totally didn’t recognize your name at first, but aren’t you the one who performed at orientation?”
- “yes…” wait now that you think about it— “weren’t we in the same orientation group??”
- omfg in your defense, three years is a LONG time and your graduating class is huge and joshua really bloomed since then. so did you, you like to think
- “we were!”
- and he just,,,,,,stands there. you wait to see if he has another question before waving at your notebook
- “well, i’m gonna get back to reading?”
- cool. you think that’s the last of him, but n o. he keeps popping up randomly?? did you always share these study spaces? do you really cross paths between classes so often??? or are you able to pick out his face now because you’re looking for him in crowds? the world may never know
- the wariness you initially felt around him fades quickly. it’s hard to keep up the unfriendliness when his whole body lights up as he waves at you, no matter how far away you are
- one time he waves so excitedly, he knocks his soda can off the outdoor table, and you shouldn’t laugh — you really shouldn’t — but the way he goes from happy to utterly distraught has you in stitches
- you buy a new soda from the vending machine next to you and walk it over
- “can’t have chicken without cola, right?” you say, amused
- “of course not. you need the soda to cut the grease.” he waves to the seat next to him. “wanna join me? i bought enough to save for dinner later, but i’m thinking of ordering something else instead.”
- sure, you’re free.
- “i’ll pay you for what i eat.”
- “don’t worry about that!! think of it as thanks for the soda.”
- now that you’re actually talking to him…he’s a super fun conversation partner? he’s silly and kind, not the attention hungry popular type you expected
- “are you doing anything else today?”
- “i was planning to go practice.” but you’re so full. a nap sounds really good now. it’s warm enough to make you lazy. “what about you?”
- “my friend’s doing a cover and needs a guitar instrumental, so i was gonna head over and record something for him.” and there must have been something in your eyes when he looks at you because he grins. “do you want to come watch?”
- you really should practice, but you’ve been practicing so much lately. to the point where you can close your eyes and swear you hear muffled sounds of another musician in the room beside you
- “okay.”
- which is probs the biggest mistake of the semester because now that you’re watching josh be serious, sitting on a chair and playing guitar into a microphone, you realize how attractive he is? like he’s always been good looking DUH but something about a hard working man…
- “thanks, dude, that sounds great,” his friend jihoon says, throwing him a thumbs up. “someone else was supposed to come do backing vocals for me, but they just cancelled.”
- “oh, i can do that, too, if you want?”
- “that’s a lot — are you sure?”
- “yeah, no problem.” josh looks at you. “am i holding you up, y/n? sorry, if you’re busy, we can head out now.”
- “no, no, no.” you shake your hands. “do what you gotta do. i like watching the process. never really get to see what happens in recording studios.”
- “oh?” jihoon looks up and waves you over. “you can sit here with me then. i’ll show you what i do.”
- and if you glanced back as you made your way over, you’d notice josh’s displeased frown aimed right at jihoon’s amused eyebrow raise
- but you don’t care about that — you’re amazed at all the buttons and sliders at jihoon’s work station!! wow!!! jihoon lets you marvel over everything, patiently explaining what it all does, while josh is in the booth drumming his fingers on the stand like…….ok can we start
so i can get them away from you - tbh it’s because jihoon sees the way josh looks at you that he’s doing this. this pretty boy has been dragging his feet on getting to know you, even though he’s had a crush ever since you played at orientation — a crush he brushed off only to be hit full force again three years later. maybe an outside force will push him to do something, anything
- so even if jihoon has to deal with josh’s grumpiness, he’ll stick with it for as long as it takes
- but — he glances over at how your eyes widen as josh sings — it’s probably safe to say that it won’t be long