Work Text:
Evaluate the expression for g=4x…
How many calories does it take to raise the temperature of a…
Which of the following sentences in English is correct…
Which famous philosopher said…
Namjoon felt his whole body groan as he looked as his large pile of homework. This was his second year in all gifted classes, and it was taking a huge toll on him. Not just psychologically but… socially as well.
Namjoon always thought to himself “If I could just show them that I am more than just a nerdy kid who studies a lot, they would understand…”
Namjoon didn’t study this hard for his own sake. He did it for his parents. His parents didn’t believe him when he said that he wanted to be on stage. They looked at him like he was some alien creature whenever he played that “stupid hip hop shit”. But, Namjoon couldn’t help it if he felt more attracted to Eminem and rapping than he did to business and finance.
Yes, that’s what Namjoon wanted to do with his life, but, until his parents can see things from his perspective, he will continue to keep being the good student he is, no matter how hard it made life at school.
Right now, Namjoon’s wrist ached, but it wasn’t from working on multiple math problems or showing off his English skills. He was writing lyrics down on a scrap sheet of paper while he ate his lunch. He often tried to sneak some lyric writing in during lunch, since he barely had time anywhere else. Sometimes, if he was lucky and didn’t feel very hungry, he could sneak down to the computer lab and work on his songs a little more. He was actually learning how to lay down beats, and it gave him a huge rush.
In his own, private little world, he wrote some more lyrics before taking another bite of his lunch. He let his eyes scan the rooftop that he was sitting on. He like sitting up here sometimes. The school had little tables and chair set up on the roof for the students to eat and hangout during lunch period. It had a great view of the nearby downtown, and on cloudy days like this, the air gave off a certain charge that fed Namjoon.
His eyes scanned until they landed on a particular group of boys… the cool kids. Every school had them, and perhaps Namjoon was lucky that bullying wasn’t particularly a problem at his school, even amongst the many cliques that a city school has, but still… looking at those boys made him uncomfortable.
Somehow, someway, for some reason, Namjoon found himself focusing in on their conversation. Like a typical group of teenage boys, their conversations were highly inappropriate, consisting of curse words, insults, and your typical sexist remarks. Namjoon rolled his eyes at the scene in front of him. He tried to look away, but the same boy that always caught his eyes had caught his attention yet again.
Jungkook. Little Jungkook… He was freshman, whereas Namjoon was a senior. He looked so much younger than the other boys he was hanging out with, and he wondered how old Jungkook really was. He still had a baby face… yet he was so muscular and lean at the same time, like there wasn’t an ounce of fat on his body. His hair was almost always in his eyes, making him look even younger when his round brown eyes would peak through his dark brown hair.
He seemed different from them. The other popular boys would shove each other like they were drunk frat boys and pick on each other, but Jungkook seemed much more reserved. He would laugh along, but he didn’t really seem to like being pushed around or touching the other boys, and he never heard Jungkook say anything even slightly vulgar, even when the other boys picked on him first. He would just roll his eyes, almost as if to say ‘I’m way classier than you’.
Namjoon’s eyes wondered elsewhere as he began to think about Jungkook more in depth. Of course, it felt wrong to thing about a freshman boy who was way out of his league like this, but Namjoon just couldn’t stop his own mind from wondering what Jungkook’s lips tasted and felt like, or how soft his skin must be, or how strong his shoulders feel. He leaned against the brick building and had lost his appetite due to such thoughts.
It must have been… one minute? Two? Maybe five? Namjoon suddenly noticed a figure walking in his direction, one hand on his neck, the other holding a piece of paper. Namjoon’s eye fluttered to the person, and he realized that it was… him. Jungkook. He was walking over to Namjoon with a paper in his hand and his other hand rubbing the back of his head as he read what was on the paper. It must have been something strange, judging from Jungkook’s face. Namjoon almost stopped breathing when Jungkook stopped right in front of him and finally looked him in the eyes.
“Is this yours?” he asked, turning the paper around so that Namjoon could see his own handwriting all over the paper. Wasn’t that…
Namjoon looked down to his lap to see that the rap he was working on was no longer there. He looked back up to Jungkook, who had gone back to reading the lyrics.
Namjoon wanted to throw up. He was reading his rap that he thought no one would ever see. Jungkook. Reading his rap. He watched Jungkook’s expression as he finished reading it, and the younger only nodded his head when he got to the end of it.
“Is this a… poem?” he asked. Namjoon quickly shook his head. He hesitated to answer, playing with his pencil in between his fingers.
“It’s a song,” he replied. Jungkook looked at him even more puzzled. He looked at the lyrics again, and began to hum quietly to himself, which only made him so much more adorable. It made Namjoon want to physically groan.
“Well, it’s definitely not for singing,” Jungkook said finally. He looked at Namjoon with a spark in his eyes.
“Is it a rap?” Jungkook asked. Namjoon couldn’t decide if Jungkook was taunting him, or just really curious. He said nothing and only slightly nodded his head.
Jungkook flashed him a smile and handed the paper back to him. “Well, that’s a sick rap. I wish I could really hear it,” he said. Namjoon’s eyes nearly bulged out of his head.
“What’s your name?” Jungkook asked, his hands going into his pocket.
“Namjoon.” Jungkook squinted his eyes a bit and cocked his head, curiously.
“Kim Namjoon?” Jungkook asked.
“Oh my god, he’s heard of me, he knows my name even though this if the first time we’ve met, someone must have said something to him, his friends probably told him something bad about me…” Namjoon thought to himself.
“That genius senior?” Jungkook added on to the question. Namjoon bit the inside of his lip and slowly nodded his head yes. ‘That genius senior.’ That must be how he is known around school. Jungkook smiled again, and it seemed genuine. Warm almost. It looked like he was going to say something else, but the bell rang, letting the students know they only had a few minutes to get to class.
“Well, I’ll see you around,” Jungkook said. It sounded like a question, but Namjoon figure he was just being nice.
“Yeah, see you around… and thanks, by the way… for the paper…” Namjoon explained. Jungkook only smiled before heading back to his group of friends. Namjoon watched as Jungkooks smaller body walked back to the corner he and his friends were sitting at and watched them all walk back inside.
Namjoon finally took a deep breath, totally and completely relieve that Jungkook didn’t see through him and realize that song was a love song… about him.
Namjoon was already the shy, nerdy kid. He couldn’t be known as the gay rapper-wannabe kid too.
Still, filled with hope, Namjoon decided to keep eating on the rooftop, and he didn’t know how, or why, but ever since that day, Jungkook kept coming over to talk to Namjoon. Every day, Jungkook spent a little more time with him, until he spent the whole lunch period with him. It got to the point where it felt strange for Jungkook to not be there with him during lunch.
This had been going on for weeks, and even though Namjoon still acted pretty nervous and fidgety around Jungkook, Jungkook didn’t seem to notice. Namjoon was right about him all along. Jungkook really wasn’t like those guy. Thank god.
One day, during one of their “lunch dates” in the computer lab, Jungkook asked to see his rap again. Namjoon’s heart froze when he heard the request. He may not have been so shy with Jungkook anymore, but since they have been spending more time together, it’s possible that Jungkook may be able to figure out… that it was about him…
Namjoon obediently took the paper out of his folder and handed it to the younger, watching Jungkook’s fingers grip the paper. Jungkook scanned over the lyrics again, and started bobbing his head to an imaginary beat. Unlike the first time they met, Namjoon avoided looking at Jungkook, not sure if he wanted Jungkook to love it or hate it.
A few minutes passed before Jungkook spoke up again.
“I’m confused. Is this a love song, or is it talking back to society?” Jungkook asked, setting the lyrics down. Namjoon glanced at the paper, which had little intends from Jungkooks fingers.
“Both,” he said bluntly. He could see Jungkook look at him from the corner of his eye, and he could practically feel Jungkook’s confusion, so he chuckled before explaining.
“It’s about a love that society things is wrong,” Namjoon said. He heard Jungkook hum in understanding and he nodded his head.
“Like an older man and a younger woman?” Jungkook asked. Namjoon smiled at Jungkooks obliviousness and naivety and shook his head.
“No, it’s different,” Namjoon said. He still wansn’t looking at Jungkook. He was scared to. He could feel his cheeks burning and his limbs felt numb. He wasn’t sure if Jungkook had figured it out, but it sure felt like all the weight in the world was on Namjoon’s shoulders at that moment.
He tried to steady his breathing and still avoided Jungkooks gaze. He then noticed a small hand reaching out and touching his thigh, surprising him to his core. He nearly fell out of his seat as he felt two lips and the tip of a nose press into his cheek.
He turned to Jungkook, who was now only inches away from his face, with utter shock and confusion. Jungkook met his eyes with Namjoons and began stroking Namjoon’s thigh. Jungkook smiled at Namjoon’s exaggerated facial expression.
“Like this?” he asked. He didn’t give Namjoon time to answer, before pressing their lips together. Almost naturally, Namjoon ran his fingers through Jungkooks short brown locks and Jungkook brought his other hand to Namjoon’s chest, pressing his hand over Namjoon’s heart. They stayed like this until the bell rang.
Namjoon was no longer known as the shy nerdy kid at school anymore.