Chapter Text
The warm breeze ruffled the cherry blossoms, scattering pink petals across the pathway in a delicate dance. Jimin tilted his head back as he let the sunshine warm his cheeks, hands spread out wide to capture as much sunlight as he could. It was a beautiful day, and Jimin could almost imagine the sun god, Hoseok, dragging the sun a little bit lower that morning as he charioted it through the sky, pushing clouds away so that the day could shine brightly for the pink-haired demigod. It was so beautiful and calming that Jimin could almost forget that he had responsibilities. Almost.
“Yah, why are you just standing there?” Yoongi complained behind him, grabbing Jimin by the scruff of his white shirt and pulling him out of the sunlit spot. “You left your arrow sling in the cafeteria, you idiot. What if some human had walked off with it?”
Jimin rolled his eyes. “They’re magic arrows, hyung, you need magic to make them work.”
“We aren’t magic,” Yoongi hissed, thrusting the arrow sling into Jimin’s unwilling arms. “We’re demigods, tasked with the responsibility of helping these human idiots fall in love.”
“Why do you call us both idiots?” Jimin complained. “I’m nowhere near as bad as humans, just because I forget my arrows once -“
“Once? Oh, are you forgetting when you left them on Namsan Tower and they fell off a ledge and we had to climb all over to pick them up?” Yoongi countered. “Or when we were on the ferry and you dropped them in the water and we had to beg a sea nymph to collect them? Or when -“
“Hyung, stop, I get it,” Jimin whined, pushing Yoongi’s shoulder in annoyance. “I’m forgetful, I’m incompetent, blah blah blah. You don’t need to remind me I’m bad at my job, I hear enough about it from Olympus.”
“I’m not -“ Yoongi sighed, looking defeated. “Look, you’re not bad at your job, you’re just not… focused. And that’s alright, we all experience burnout. If you need to take time off, we can talk to Seokjin -“
“No,” Jimin said quickly. “No time off.”
Yoongi shot him an annoyed look. “No one will think less of you,” he said firmly. Jimin just shook his head.
“I’m sorry I forgot the arrows, hyung. Let’s get this done, alright?” He glanced up wistfully at the beautiful sunlit flowers. “Love is in the air.”
“Fine, get your list out,” Yoongi sighed. “Don’t think I’m dropping this conversation forever though.”
“Whatever,” Jimin muttered, pulling a list of names from his pocket. “Forever is a long time, I’ll just avoid you for a hundred years until you forget.”
“Have I ever forgotten anything?” Yoongi smirked.
“Hmm, should I ask Hobi-hyung what you got him for his birthday?” Jimin asked sweetly, and Yoongi’s face went pale.
“Are you - shut up, he’s a god, who even knew they had birthdays?”
“I’m sure he wasn’t too upset,” Jimin simpered, patting his hyung’s shoulder. “He just almost caused an eclipse, but that’s fine, humans think those are cool anyways.”
“Just get your list out,” Yoongi hissed. “Stop messing around and shoot someone in the ass.”
“So romantic, is that how you woo Hobi-hyung?”
“Shut up.”
They parted ways, Jimin with a wide smirk and Yoongi with a frustrated grimace. The grounds of Seoul National University were beautiful, covered with blooming flowers and budding trees, the notable cherry blossoms spreading over the pathway and shrouding the students in lovely pastel shadows. It was lunchtime, so there were hundreds of students wandering through campus, loud and boisterous as they escaped classrooms for the freedom of the outdoors.
Jimin had gone to school once, to pass some free time back in the 1800s. Korea was very different back then, a little more polished, a little more severe. When he’d been free to roam the world, free of responsibilities, Jimin had thrived amongst the humans. He was a demigod, descended from the bloodlines of Aphrodite and one of her many consorts, part of a lineage that celebrated beauty, love and art. He wouldn’t live forever, could be killed if someone tried hard enough, but no one ever had tried. Jimin had gained admirers throughout his centuries of life, but no enemies.
( Yoongi’s scorn was more of a personality trait, he was like that to everyone (except a certain sun god). Everyone assumed he had more of Hephaestus in him, the bloodline of the war god rushing through his veins. )
But in recent years, demigods had been forced to take on jobs. There were too many humans now, the population growing exponentially as technology made lives easier. Some gods, especially the ones were were as old as the Earth itself, were upset at the humans for forgetting them so easily, but the gods helped keep the order of the Earth, and the humans were an unfortunate part of that ecosystem, and the gods couldn’t forget their duties so easily. Life continued, so they continued to oversee and administer support.
And that’s why Jimin stood in SNU’s campus now, holding an intricate bow and a sleeve of arrows dipped with Eros’ love spell, with a list in hand. Humans needed help finding love, especially now in the era of technology. With just a pinch from an arrow shot by a descendant of Eros, humans could fall head over heels with their perfect match.
“Alright, who’s up for some fast and hard romance?” Jimin muttered quietly, stepping behind a bush to review the list in his pocket. “Kim Minjoon and Lee Haewon, found near the engineering building, 11:55am… well, that’s the other side of campus, fuck. Who’s closer… Lee Seji and Park Insung, but they aren’t scheduled to cross paths until 12:30pm… Jeon Jungkook and Kim Namjoon, who will be leaving the Art building - now!”
Jimin squished the list back into his pocket and strode over the school quickly. The demigods may not be magic, but there were mystical forces at work, because despite never having met Jeon Jungkook or Kim Namjoon, Jimin would know exactly who they were as he squatted behind a tree. Or at least, he recognized Kim Namjoon, an art history major who was pushing open the wide building doors, glasses shining in the sun and smile shining brighter. He was walking with some friends, laughing at something, dimples set deeply in his cheek and making Jimin pause (he was descended from Aphrodite, he could admire beauty). But where was Jeon Jungkook? He was supposed to be walking up the steps, and then when Jimin shot him with the arrow, he’d turn and see Kim Namjoon and fall in love immediately. That’s how the arrows worked - one pinch and you’d fall in love with the next person you made eye contact with.
Jimin sighed in frustration. Jeon Jungkook must be late, which would throw his whole schedule off. He had to be at the engineering building in ten minutes, and then somehow make his way back to the gardens twenty minutes later! He loaded up his bow and arrow so he’d be ready when Jeon Jungkook came sauntering over - hit him quickly and run like hell to the engineering building so Yoongi wouldn’t have another reason to be mad today. Jimin was muttering about his hyung when he heard someone clear his throat behind him.
“Um, whatcha doing?”
“Aah!” Jimin shouted, spinning around quickly. Usually people didn’t notice him when he was working, but he wasn’t exactly invisible. Just better at hiding - normally. He barely saw a flash of dark hair and large eyes before Jimin did the unthinkable… and tripped over his own feet. The ground came rushing up, but a strong grip wrapped around his bicep and stopped his momentum suddenly. His bow and arrow slipped from his fingers as he jolted, and Jimin stared in horror as the arrow tip pressed against tattooed skin. One pinch and you’d fall in love… Jimin tried to shut his eyes quickly, but it was too late.
“Wow,” the man sighed breathily, his grip on Jimin’s arm tightening to pull him upright. An arm slipped around his waist next, pulling him flush against a firm chest. “Wow, I caught you.”
“Yes, you did,” Jimin mumbled against his shirt, trying to wiggle out of the grip. “After you scared the shit out of me and caused me to trip.”
“I scared you?” The man asked incredulously, pulling back a bit. Jimin kept his eyes squeezed shut. “You’re the one standing here with a bow and arrow, who the hell does that?”
“Um,” Jimin racked his brain. “Archery students, duh.”
“So you’re an archery student?”
“Yep, there’s dozens of us.”
“I’ve never met one,” the man said plainly. Jimin sighed and finally succeeded in pulling away. He quickly sheathed his arrow back into the bag. He opened his eyes slowly, trying to avoid the man’s face by focusing on his arm where the arrow had pierced his skin. A myriad of tattoos wrapped around his forearm, disappearing into his short sleeve t-shirt, but Jimin couldn’t make out where the arrow had actually pierced. Was the spot above the microphone a little red, or was that just the coloring in that spot?
“Well, now you have,” Jimin murmured, still trying to keep his eyesight from traveling upwards. Perhaps they hadn’t made eye contact at all…
“We haven’t met though,” the man said, his tone petulant. “I don’t know who you are.”
“You don’t think it would be best to maintain an air of mystery?” Jimin tried. His eyes traitorously went higher, stopping just below the man’s chin, where a strong jawline was framed by loose curls. Jimin could make out the imprint of his collar bones beneath the thin t-shirt.
“Not really,” the man frowned, and Jimin couldn’t help himself from glancing slightly higher, silver lip ring gleaming from his bottom lip as they curved downwards. “We aren’t characters in a mystery novel, we’re college students. Why can’t I know your name?”
“You tell me yours first,” Jimin replied weakly. Every time the man spoke, the lip ring shifted over his teeth. It was compelling to watch the sunlight catch the silver with each word.
“Jeon Jungkook.”
At that, Jimin’s eyes flashed upwards without his brain’s permission. Large doe eyes stared back at him, crinkled at the corner from his wide smile, the skin under his eyes full and devastatingly cute. He was staring at Jimin so intently, so full of wonder and excitement and affection, and Jimin knew with a sinking heart that the arrow had pricked Jungkook’s skin. And that the first eyes he saw were not Kim Namjoon’s, his perfect match.
“Fuck, Yoongi’s gonna kill me.”