Chapter Text
Yoongi huffs as he steps out of his carriage, grabbing his luggage as he inhales the crisp Seoul air. It was his first day in the prestigious Academy for elemental benders, only students from high class bending families able to attend.
He trudges through the school with as little as a goodbye to his driver, making his way towards the dormitory. The dorm rooms are split with compatible benders, earth and water on one side of the campus whilst air and fire was on the far end.
He approaches the building, already having received his room number via email. This is it, Yoongi thinks as he stands at his door. He pushes it open and blinks at the sight. One half of the room is covered in plants, a small bonsai sitting on the ground near the entrance. Yoongi glances at his side of the room, still plain looking before his roommate comes out of what he assumes is the bathroom.
“Oh, hello. You must be Yoongi, right?” The tan hand extended his direction makes him flush, the tall dimpled male flashing a charming smile at him. Yoongi nods silently, taking the hand for a short shake before pulling his hand back. “Sorry if my side is a bit much, you could probably already tell that I’m an earth bender. Namjoon, Kim Namjoon.”
“Nice to meet you, I’m sure we will get along well this year.” Yoongi gives him a small smile. “I am a water bender.”
“You’re the scholarship student, am I right?” Namjoon asks with a sense of genuinity, making Yoongi nod in response. “Well then, I must warn you. The higher class targets the scholarship students, and since it is legal for friendly battles, they tend to take it too far so watch out.”
Yoongi nods, ducking his head in shame. He had decided to go undercover so his status as the moon descendant wasn’t revealed. Only his tribe had known, but it was hidden away in fear that the fire nation would attack them once again.
“Don’t worry, I’m sure I will be good.” Yoongi says softly before throwing his stuff on the bed. He claps his hands before unpacking.
Namjoon keeps him occupied for the hour, telling him various stories about the academy. Yoongi admires the way he speaks about the academy, the fact that it had been his dream to attend the prestigious school one day was coming true. Soon after putting his stuff away, Namjoon takes him for a tour around the school.
He was already a year late for people his age, and he hopes he can catch up with everything. Namjoon is already in his second year of the academy, telling Yoongi about every student. Just as Namjoon was explaining the history of the fountain, (something about fated lovers and Koi fish) he felt someone glaring holes into the side of his face.
He tilts his head slightly, his eyes catching sight of dark eyes and fiery red hair. As if stuck in a trance, Yoongi smiles softly, about to wave until Namjoon yanks his hand down and pulls him away. Yoongi frowns, looking back at the person until he is far out of sight.
“Are you looking for a death wish?” Namjoon hisses lightly, eyebrows scrunched in worry. Yoongi tilts his head to the left in confusion. “That is Jung Hoseok, prince of the fire nation.”
“Okay, and?” Yoongi still isn’t getting it, and Namjoon sighs.
“He is infamous for his ruthless campus battles. He is one of the people I warned you about.” Namjoon says hurriedly. “Once he sent two people to the hospital, it wasn’t until the vice principal had gotten involved did he stop. He is merciless, the literal epitome of—
“Kim Namjoon-ssi.” The voice sent a shiver down Yoongi’s spine as his newfound friend froze. The two turned to the sound and Yoongi was met with an intimidating gaze. He blushes lightly, pursing his lips.
“H-Hoseok-ssi, how have you been?” Namjoon fumbles over his words. Hoseok looks away from Yoongi as if he wasn’t worth anything more than the dirt below his boots.
“Why don’t you introduce me to your new friend?” Hoseok raises a brow, glaring back down at Yoongi as if he was trying to make him feel inferior. Yoongi stands taller, puffing his chest out as he steps in front of his roommate.
“I have a voice of my own, excuse you.” Yoongi says with a little hiss. A crowd gathers around and whispers are heard, but Yoongi pays them no mind.
“Oh, the little scholarship student has a voice.” Hoseok taunts, a teasing smile on his lips. Yoongi scoffs, shaking Namjoon's hand when he tries to stop him.
“Leave us alone, Jung!” Yoongi spits, and Hoseok looks amused. He lowers his head to Yoongi’s height.
“How does the little water flower know my name?” Hoseok mused, making Yoongi blush at the nickname. “Already heard the rumors about me? About how ruthless I can be? How merciless I am?” Hoseok shoots a glare into Namjoon’s direction making him duck his head in fear.
“You don’t scare me.” Yoongi steps closer, getting in his face. Hoseok looks taken aback by his confidence, and he smiles widely. He places his hand on Yoongi’s head and ruffles his hair like a child. “Stop!”
“You intrigue me, little flower.” Hoseok says before walking away. Yoongi can’t stop glaring at him, huffing out in annoyance because he now looks disheveled. The crowd dispersed with disappointed murmurs, hoping to see a battle on their first day.
“No way!” Namjoon says, and Yoongi finally turns around to him. “I can’t believe you did that! Jin-hyung is going to love you!”
“That’s your big scary prince of the fire nation?” Yoongi raises his brow and Namjoon hooks an arm around Yoongi’s neck, ducking down.
“The guys won’t believe me when I tell them what happened!” Namjoon says as he drags Yoongi along to the cafeteria. “Let me introduce you to my friends!”
———
“And then he basically told Jung Hoseok to fuck off!” Namjoon finished his grand story, hearing the Oohs and Ahhs from his friends.
“That is not how it played out.” Yoongi says softly, gaining the attention of four pairs of eyes. Namjoon had introduced Yoongi to his group of friends, the group consisting of three out of four elements.
Park Jimin was also a water bender, a kind hearted person. He had learnt his healing powers from his tribe in the far north, where princess Yue had sacrificed herself for the water benders. His beauty was unmatched, just as beautiful as the moon itself. Yoongi feels a sense of grounding with him, instantly connecting as soon as they had met. He was also dating Namjoon, the male prone to getting injuries every now and then with his clumsy behavior.
Then there was Kim Seokjin, a true natured earth bender. He had a dry sense of humor but his good looks and down to earth personality balanced it out. He had greeted Yoongi with a warmth of familiarity, despite knowing each other for five minutes. He had traveled to Ba Sing Se as a kid and grew up there before coming back to South Korea to attend the academy.
And Jeon Jungkook. Everyone knew who he was since he excelled in everything but stayed out of conflict, born into an earth tribe. He is humble and forgiving. He was gifted, learning even the hardest of bending techniques from the earth kingdom.
“I just told him that I was not afraid of him and he backed off, a completely normal response.” Yoongi hummed, and everyone stared at him like he had grown two heads.
“Yeah, if you were a normal person.” Seokjin added, making Yoongi frown. “Jung Hoseok has a reputation, and we have known him for a year. Steer clear from him, he is nothing but trouble.”
That makes Yoongi stay up at night, frowning as he looks outside his window at the crescent moon. A flicker of light from below catches his attention and his eyes widened. He rubs his eyes before glancing back, and the figure is gone. He closes his curtain before forcing himself to sleep.
Morning classes were an absolute pain for Yoongi, the latter wanting nothing more than to sleep in. But his will to make a good first impression to his professors outweighed the will to sleep, so he dragged himself out of bed. Namjoon was already awake, tending to his plants before saying goodbye to them.
They head towards the cafeteria to have some breakfast, Yoongi giggling at the sight of Jimin barely able to keep his head up as he chewed on his toast.
“Are you excited for your first day?” Seokjin asks and Yoongi nods with a small determined grin. He eats his cereal slowly. “If you have any problems, don’t hesitate to come to us for help, okay?”
“Okay.” Yoongi nods before his eyes trail towards the fire nation section. They were closed off, outcasted by society for the problems their ancestors had caused. Yoongi glances along the tables until he finds the person who had intruded his mind since the day prior.
Hoseok had sharp features, his jaw line perfectly carved and his lips the shape of a heart. His eyes are dark, filled with something Yoongi cannot decipher. He is talking to a male beside him before he looks up and catches Yoongi’s gaze.
Yoongi’s eyes go wide before he turns back to his bowl of cereal. He kept throwing glances towards the fire bender, fascinated by the aura he was giving off. Namjoon’s wave to his face is what snapped his attention back to reality, and his cheeks tint red.
“Time for our first lecture, Yoongi-hyung.” Namjoon gives him a dimpled smile. Yoongi nods, throwing one last look back towards Hoseok, but the latter is already gone. They all walk to the lecture hall, sitting down in the middle rows before their professor walks in.
“Welcome back to another year of learning.” Her voice is loud, dominant, and catches everyone’s attention. “Before we begin, I would like to welcome our new scholarship student, Min Yoongi.”
Yoongi freezes, cursing internally when Namjoon nudges his arm with his elbow. He stands up and bows to everyone, about to sit down before a voice from the other side speaks up.
“Show us your bending skills!”
The voice was full of mock, a teasing tone mixed with it. Yoongi looks at the professor, and she shrugs as she steps aside and offers him the stage. He gulped as he walked down the stairs and stood in front of everyone. Almost every student had their eyes on him, a dark pair following him around before he began.
Yoongi showcases a few simple techniques, and the class looks bored. So he took it up a notch and implemented his own techniques that were written in old scrolls. His movements were graceful yet fierce and full of intent.
“That was good, Yoongi.” The teacher claps, clearly impressed. “I see that you included some techniques from old scrolls.”
“Thank you, Professor-nim.” He bows before going back to his seat. His friends send him a thumbs up and silent praises, unbeknownst to the glares he is receiving from other students. The school year was about to be hell for him.
The lecture finishes, and Yoongi feels happy that he got through the first class of the day. He didn’t miss the way other students stuck up their nose to him, giving off an arrogant aura, as if intimidated by the scholarship student. Yoongi pays no mind to the snarky stares and scoffs thrown in his direction, but the whispers eat at him.
“Look at him, bet he thinks he’s better than the rest of us.” A shrill voice said as they exited the room. Yoongi side steps the girl in his way, a grim look on his face as he brushes past. “Min, have any plans for lunch?”
“Sorry, I’m not interested in becoming acquainted with you.” Yoongi says with a bored look, earning snorts from his peers. Namjoon bites his lip as he scans the crowd. Kim Seokyung was also a fire bender, one of the best fighters other than Jung Hoseok and Kim Taehyung.
“Let’s see if you can still talk after our battle. See you at lunch.” Seokyung says as she sneers at him, bumping his shoulder as he hissed. Jimin grabs his arm and pulls him away from the crowd.
“I don’t have time for this.” Yoongi shakes his head, letting Jimin drag him to their next lecture. Namjoon and Jimin share a worried look before Jimin speaks up.
“I’m sorry, Yoongi-ssi. But when someone declares a battle, you don’t have a choice to back out.” He gulps, giving Namjoon a sad smile. “Especially if it is the opponent's first time. That is why they target the first year’s and scholarship students.”
Yoongi groans, feeling a headache come through. It was his first day and he already has problems. He makes it through his second lecture, sleepiness coming to him before he is doused in cold water.
“Mr. Min, I will not have you sleeping in my class.” The professor said sternly to which he nodded. The class continued until they were dismissed. Yoongi went on with his day, forgetting about the duel he was supposed to attend as he sat down for lunch in the cafeteria.
He grabbed his red chopsticks, bringing a piece of meat to his mouth before Namjoon slammed into his side. He curses as he is dragged out of his seat and towards the outside door.
“We don’t have time!” Namjoon says as he takes a sharp turn, Yoongi slamming into another student before he is lifted up and being dragged around again. They pant as soon as Namjoon stops, Yoongi barely managing to catch his breath before he looks at the rowdy crowd.
“You finally came, scholarship student.” Seokyung spoke in a taunting manner, hands behind her back as she wore a dark red tunic with a cropped black top. Her hair was held up with a pin, her smile just as daunting as her voice.
Yoongi’s clothes are simple, just a pair of sweats and a dark blue shirt, nothing too big. He takes his rubber band wrapped around his wrist and tied his silver hair up in a bun.
“I forgot.” Yoongi speaks nonchalantly, eyes bored. “Your presence must have made no impact on me the way you thought it would.”
“You are going to eat your words.” She sneers, the crowd stepping back as a gust of fire as being directed towards him with no warning. He hisses, whacking the flame that caught his clothing before he is bending water in her direction.
They bend back and forth, ferociously trying to knock one another off their feet. Yoongi pants, taking a breather before he is swept off his feet with a large blow of fire. He makes a shield of ice over himself as she tries to burn it away with harsh blows.
The ice around him melts, but it was not enough for him to fight back. It was a losing battle on his end, until he found the urge to use his full power. She is relentless, her grunts echoing through the battle grounds as she began to use blue fire.
The ground rumbles below the students, Yoongi’s eyes flashing a light blue colour before the pipes from the draining system bursts. His hands move with intent, trapping Seokyung’s body, aside from her head, in the water before freezing it.
The crowd is shocked. Not only did Min Yoongi defeat one of the best benders in the school. He had also somehow bursts the pipes wielded by the earth bending community, sturdy enough to withstand mere waterbending powers. They all stood with their mouths gaped before cheering loudly, Namjoon and their friends huddling around Yoongi.
“That was amazing, hyung!” Namjoon said with a smile. “Don’t worry about the pipes, I will get some of my family members to help fix them for the school.”
“I can be of help too, I may have some great connections.” Seokjin smiled gently, patting Yoongi’s shoulder. Jungkook stands away, shyly looking at Yoongi as he bit his lip.
“H-hyung, you are so awesome.” Jungkook stutters out, his doe eyes wide and full of platonic admiration.
“Thanks, kid.” Yoongi ruffles the younger’s hair. The praises are spewing from left and right, and Yoongi feels overwhelmed by the whole ordeal. He scans the crowd and his eyes land on the familiar dark eyes before they turn away and leave.
Yoongi puffs out a breath. A compliment wouldn’t hurt, he thinks as he dismisses himself from the group of students. He groans when he sees the time, pouting at the fact that he missed lunch. He trudges towards his next class, arriving last.
“I’m glad you are able to join us, Mr?”
“Min Yoongi.” He says as he bows to the professor. She smiles.
“Ah, the scholarship student. Welcome, please take a seat.” She says warmly. He looks around, all seats taken except one. He gulps when he sees it was right next to Jung Hoseok, who seemed to be in his own world.
“Hi.” Yoongi says when he sits down. Hoseok grunts in response, shifting away from the waterbender. Yoongi casts his eyes away, opting to looking at his notebook. “Hey, so about yesterday morning—
“Did I say you can speak to me?” The firebender sneers, looking annoyed. Yoongi shies away, looking back down.
“You don’t have to he rude.” He whispers.
“Yes, I do.” Hoseok leans forward. “So scholarship students such as yourself won’t try to interact with me like we are friends. Stay away from me.”
Yoongi scoffs, shifting his seat away from Hoseok as he continues with his work. Once the lecture was over Hoseok is quick out of his seat without even saying goodbye.
“Don’t mind him, he is usually a warm person.” A deep baritone voice cuts his thoughts. Yoongi turns around, met with the blue haired boy that was sitting besides Hoseok in the cafeteria. “I’m Kim Taehyung.”
“Min Yoongi.”
“Oh, I know who you are.” Taehyung grins, his smile boxy and genuine. He was handsome, a jaw chiselled by the heavens with critique. He had a unique face, one that wasn’t common in a crowd. One that was pleasing to the eyes. “You humbled Seokyung in the courtyard.”
“You saw?” Yoongi geimaces, hoping that one of her friends melted his ice and freed her. Taehyung nods, his blue hair bouncing around with the action.
“You are already famous for talking back to Hoseok-hyung.” Taehyung says as the two make their way out of their lecture. “I also heard alot about you from Jungkookie.” He blushes, clutching his books before clearing hus throat.
“You’re friends with Jungkook?” Yoongi asks, and he recieves a nod.
“Everyone is friends with Jungkookie.” Taehyung pouts, his tone a little indifferent. Yoongi shrugs it off as nothing, wanting nothing more than to return to his dorm to sleep until dinner time. “I have to head this way, but I hope we see each other more. I would love to become friends.”
“I would like that too.” Yoongi nods with genuine interest. They bid goodbye before Yoongi is trudging towards the direction of his dormitory.
~
Yoongi shoots up from his bed, panting heavily. He checks the time and sighs as the clock reads 02:37 am. The same recurring nightmare keeps haunting him where he is crying while holding someone against his chest. The person had no face, and when Yoongi tries to look he is snapped out of dreamland. Like a mantra, the nightmare repeats itself.
He casts a glance at Namjoon’s bed before climbing out of his bed and putting a jacket over his shoulders.
“Some exploring wouldn’t hurt.” He mumbles to himself as he puts his brown slippers on and leaves his room. He sneaks past the night guard, thankful that the man was snoring up a storm. Once he made it outside successfully he heaved a deep breath, smiling in content at the cool air.
He walks aimlessly around the dark campus, admiring the tall buildings and statues plastered around the campus. He keeps staring at the piece of art, walking until he slams into something.
Someone, actually. Yoongi’s eyes widened and he was about to let out a shout before a hand wraps around his mouth and he was being dragged out of sight from the pathway.He kicks his legs as the arm tightens around his torso, making him struggle.
“Be quiet, the guards will hear you and we both will be expelled for being out after hours.” The deep, oddly familiar voice whispered harshly against his ear and Yoongi stills in his hold. “I’m going to let you go and you won’t make a scene, understand.”
Yoongi nods and his captor lets him go. He catches his breath before lifting his gaze and he is met with a masked figure, yet he could recognise those eyes from anywhere.
“Jung—“
“Shh.” The masked male says, pulling the older down with him as they watch three guards stride past. Once they are out of sight, Hoseok glares at the waterbender. “Are you insane? What are you doing out of your dormitory?”
“What are you? My mother?” Yoongi scoffs, rolling his eyes. “I could ask you the same thing. Why are you dressed like some vigilante?”
“I don’t have to explain shit to you.” Hoseok hisses, glowering down at Yoongi. “Keep your nose out of my business.”
“Why must you be an asshole?” Yoongi crosses his arms and follows after Hoseok when he begins to walk in the direction of the office. Hoseok doesn’t respond as he sprints across the courtyard with calculated steps, making sure he doesn’t make a single noise.
Yoongi runs after him, trying to subtly cross with as minimum noise as possible. He crashes into the back of Hoseok’s body, ducking his head when the younger gives him a short glare.
“You aren’t going to leave until you find out what I am doing, are you?” Hoseok raises a brow, and Yoongi shakes his head with a cheeky smile. The firebender huffs before pulling his mask down. “Lately the professors have been teaching us battle techniques. Techniques that aren’t apart of our usual curriculum. I have a bad feeling that something huge is going to happen, so I have been sneaking out to collect information.”
“How are you so sure that something is going to happen?” Yoongi asks, and Hoseok gives him a once over. “What if they want to switch things up? Change the curriculum?”
“I have this bad gut feeling.” Hoseok replies. Yoongi purses his lips, not knowing how to reply to that statement. “They are preparing us for something, and I am going to find out what it is.”
“Can I help?” Yoongi perks up.
“You aren’t going to take no for an answer, are you?” Hoseok asks and Yoongi shakes his head once again. “I suppose you can help.” Yoongi grins, his smile a pretty white as his gums showed.
~