Chapter Text
He had been so excited to begin his semester this year, somehow. Not necessarily because he enjoyed school, because Hoseok considered himself rather mediocre at the art of ‘how to be good in school’, mostly because he never wanted to make time to study outside of class. He had too many other things to do (like dance, play video games, consistently drop in to pick on the local bookstores unbelievably easy to tease employee, and don’t forget that he needed at least ten hours of sleep a night), and no interest in being the best in class didn't help with that.
Not to mention the fact that he was way too weak against that evil and conniving best friend of his, who felt the need to constantly tempt him with fun things to do--or his other best friend, who was even worse truth be told, when it came to keeping him on course. With those two maknaes, the only course was off course.
But, when he received an email from the college first informing him that they were having temporary difficulty with their air conditioning unit, and therefore there would be no central air throughout the buildings--in the height of summer mind you-- Hoseok was instantly less than thrilled. The last thing he really wanted to do was spend half of his day locked in stuffy classrooms not only filled with people and assignments and work, but classrooms that were also give or take, 80 degrees.
He hadn’t been in the room more than two minutes and he already wanted to strip his short sleeve shirt off. His first class was at 11am (he wasn’t confident in his ability to get up any earlier than that when signing up for classes) so the sun was already out from behind the clouds. It was shining in aggressive beams through the window doing a very good job at roasting the students closest to it. So Hoseok was considering himself lucky to sit on the other side of the room, closest to the wall. He was almost ready to fight when at first glance he thought there were no seats on the shaded side, but he lucked out and found one--at the very front of the room right in front of the board.
He had never sat so close to the board in his whole life--truthfully he was a back of the room kind of guy. That way, if he accidentally fell asleep, it would be maybe slightly less obvious. But this time, it looked like that wouldn’t be the case. He would try to come earlier the next time so he could sit in the shade, and also, away from the board.
Until then, he would have to deal with it. He was already sweating his ass off and he wasn’t even in the sun. He wasn’t about to get stuck on that ungodly side the room, and the only seats left at the back were detailed by bright beams of certain death by overheating.
Leaning back in his chair, he was fanning himself using his overpriced floppy psychology textbook wondering when their professor would like to join his suffering class so they could get this lesson over with--when the man himself walked in.
Hoseok’s eyebrow twitched as his gazed followed the tall figure. Caramel hair, which was an interestingly hip color for a professor--maybe he was naive but he had this assumption that all teachers sat at home filling out crossword puzzles while eating sugar free cereal and definitely didn’t seem concerned with what sort of fashion sense they had, certainly not to the extent of dyeing their hair. Long legs sported a pair of trousers, but for his torso, rather than a button up like he had seen most teachers wear, or an ugly polo, he had a plain white t-shirt tucked in at the waist. His bag was dangling at his side as he walked and tossed across his arm appeared to be that button-up curiously missing. Apparently it had been disregarded thanks to the spoiling heat.
Sensible, Hoseok supposed, but it still seemed odd to spot a professor in such casual clothes. Especially one so...young.
His dark eyes scanned the tan skin, warm toned hair and fine features before him as his new professor dropped his things and went about writing a name on the board. Hoseok was a bit stunned, but the man didn’t look much older than himself. Not that being a professor by the age of 23 was really a far fetched thing, just a bit surprising somehow. It was the first time he had gotten a teacher that close to his age.
He noted the line of darkness down the shirt as his teacher wrote his name on the board, the fabric soaked through with sweat already and they hadn’t really started the day. At least he would suffer with them, Hoseok supposed.
When the man turned around, he offered them a grin that made his eyes flutter closed and indents appear on his cheeks, dimples creating shadows that made him look even younger. After lowering his head a moment, in which the class returned the motion, one hand stayed in his pocket, but the other lifted in a still greeting.
“Hello everyone, my name is Kim Namjoon, and I’m going to try to teach you about how the human mind works in this class.” He had a deep voice, and Hoseok could have swore he heard a girly, ardent sigh from somewhere at the back row. With looks like this, why even be a teacher, Hoseok wondered with a suspicious squint.
Hoseok dropped his textbook to the table with a small plop, but his teacher didn’t look at him, and for some reason that bothered him a bit. He frowned as he continued to listen, fingers pulling the collar of his shirt in and out to generate a breeze down his chest.
“This class will require that you pay attention and give an effort, but I’m not a hard teacher. I reward hard work. In life, nothing is truly easy, but in this class, it will be much easier if you do the work I assign you. That includes homework.” He grinned again and several girls were laughing as if he’d said something funny. Hoseok sighed deeply, so this is what he had to look forward to for the whole semester? Giggly fangirls for the handsome young professor. Great.
Surprisingly enough, the sigh he let out was what ultimately drew those dark eyes over to him. Hoseok was taken off guard to suddenly make eye contact with the source of his train of thought. He swallowed quietly, attempting to keep his expression neutral even though the face he looked on at was not. He ceased fanning himself momentarily in lieu of giving his professor his entire attention.
The man gave him an endearing sort of smirk, “Don’t worry, homework won’t be that difficult.”
Hoseok could have sighed twice in pure relief. For some reason, it felt as though his thoughts were transparent. A ridiculous worry, but Hoseok felt...weird. Suddenly he had no idea what this teacher was capable of, he hadn’t been faced with a teacher like this before. For some reason, the fact that they appeared around the same age made things different. The aura was different, the possibility that his stupid schemes and dumb thoughts would be seen right through seemed a higher probability.
At least he got away with it this time, the teacher seemed to think his sigh was over homework--in general, were he a normal professor, that would certainly be the case. However, he was in no way normal.
The best he could do was offer an awkward smile and nod his head until Professor Kim turned his head away.
That first day had been spent pondering how life could be so odd as to have him end up in this class--a psych class he didn’t even need but had ended up in because his first choices were all out of the question and there happened to be a few places left in this one.
By the time the first class was over everyone was miserable, slick with sweat and exhausted. Hoseok felt like his brain was fried when he pushed his way out of the class, practically ready to run home so that he could at least have some sweet relief from the heat.
Unfortunately he had to stay and attend his other class for the day, so that was out of the question.
But, when he finally did get home, he collapsed in a sweaty heap on the couch in his shared living space without a moment to even change out of his damp clothes.
He had odd dreams of being sticky with sweat and naked in that classroom, at the front of the class, being stared at openly by that dimply professor in a way that made him anxious.
By the time he was done with his classes the next day, Hoseok was contemplating the more difficult things in life--like did he really want to graduate college? Was it really important to him? Important enough to face the sweltering heat or that suspicious dimpled professor?
It was his longest class day, the day he had 4 classes all of which would have been draining normally, but were only made twice as difficult with the busted air conditioning on the campus. The fact that he already had an assignment to do even though he had only gone through two days of classes was troubling to him. He had so many plans this week.
Plans like the one he was on the way to do at the moment. He had even gone home and showered and freshened up before beginning it, that’s how you know it’s important. He hopped off the bus and walked down the street with a slight scowl when thinking of how much time he was going to spend not dancing but instead sitting cooped up in his room doing homework.
He shuttered at the thought, hand pushing open the door to the bookstore he seemed to frequent these days. Don’t ask how it happened that way, it was just a fact. If he had free time he often spent at least an hour there.
Sliding in, the small chimes over the door jingled, alerting the clerks to his presence. As he ducked in with a wave and a bright smile, he heard the groan before he even saw the owner of the voice.
His jaw shifted directions a few times before he spotted the blond hanging around the edge of a bookshelf, his hands were shuffling books off of a wheeled cart and into place. The crisp, white slim fit shirt he wore over his black pants made him look prim but Hoseok knew better.
The smile he gave almost hurt his cheeks, teeth and gums flashing as his arms flew into the air. The short man gave him a glare that could freeze the hearts of many a citizen who approached, but Hoseok was beyond immune. He stopped on the other side of the cart, draping himself across it dramatically. “Yoongi-ssi~.” He rolled over, putting his chin in his hands with his body obstructing half of the merchandise.
He was quickly but lightly swatted away. “Hoseok-ssi,” the gaze was so deadpan it caused Hoseok to chuckle, “I thought your classes began this week.” With the younger man out of the way he quickly went back to organizing books on the shelf and hardly paying any attention.
Hoseok pressed a hand to his chest dramatically, “Omo, Yoongi-ssi, you remembered.” He pretended to wipe a tear.
“Of course I remembered,” His tone was pure brass, “I was looking forward to the peace and quiet.”
“No amount of classes can keep me from you.”
The eyeroll he received was worth every minute of time he was wasting here rather than dancing before he had to begin homework. He didn’t speak for a moment, instead he watched the man work with a small smile, thoughts reflecting on the day once again.
“How are your classes so far?” The low, sleepy voice of Min Yoongi drew him from his thoughts and the grin resurfaced on his face. Even though he considered teasing the man for not keeping up his tough guy who doesn’t care persona, he decided against it.
His head quirked to to the side, a contemplative frown dragging his eyebrows low, and his teeth worried his lips a moment. “I’m not sure.” He blinked slowly, seemingly lost in thought again.
So lost, Hoseok didn’t see the lingering sidewards glance the bookstore clerk gave him. “Probably because you don’t pay attention.”
A derisive snort for a response, but nothing more. Hoseok shoved his hands in his pocket, leaning against the bookshelf on the other side of the cart, locking one ankle over the other. “I’ve only been to the class once so far but--” he squinted even at the memory of his same aged, dimpled professor. “I have this professor…” His words dwindled off as he mentally scrutinized that first class.
His companion stopped putting away books for a moment to gaze openly at an otherwise distracted Hoseok. The dark eyes scanned his tan features with consideration before he spoke on a teasing voice. “You don’t say?”
This withdrew Hoseok from his haze and he sneered playfully, “Yah, is that any way to treat a customer?”
Yoongi gave him a withering look before it melted into a chin dimpling smirk. Amazingly even while smirking his lips were pulled down at the corners. “Oh please, you have to buy something to be a customer, Hoseok-ah, you’re just a drifter.” He began grabbing books again at this point, “You’re more like dust that blows in when the door opens .”
Hoseok wrinkled his nose. “Omo, omo, what a rude ajusshi.” He shook his head.
“Ajusshi?” The man gave him a dry glare. “Get out,” He murmured, lifting his hand in a shooing motion. “Go, go. We don’t need customers of your type in here, Hoseok-ssi.” The honorific was stressed for emphasis.
Hoseok pretended to be hurt before he shrugged, poking his lips out and putting on his best blasé face. “Shall I just go then” He glanced around the empty bookstore with an overly aggressive nod, “That’s right it seems too busy for me to be here distracting you. Of course I should go.”
Yoongi’s smirk was well hidden for a moment before it threatened to bloom too brightly and he quickly hid his face to hide the appearance of a gummy smile. Instead of dropped his head to hide behind his bangs. “Of course you should, you’re finally making sense now, Hoseok-ah.”
He messed up and he knew it. The words left his mouth and the moment they did, Hoseok--who was previously drifting forward towards the door in a humorous manner--stopped immediately, spinning on heel back towards the other male. “Yoongi-ssi,” He grinned, “that’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.”
When the blond head lifted he looked merely amused again, seemingly having gotten control of his emotions. “Don’t count on hearing much more.” He proceeded to nod and jokingly pat himself on the back, “Yes, I’ve done well. I should do things like this towards a customer to make them feel comfortable. Good job Yoongi-ssi, good job.”
Hoseok’s jokingly disgusted face was too pleasing to keep the gummy smile from Yoongi’s features this time. His pale, smooth face lit up, but Hoseok managed to keep his intolerant grimace. “Wah, you’re such an embarrassing guy, Yoongi-ssi.”
And he drifted around a moment or so longer before he eventually dismissed himself to practice dance for a bit before doing some homework. Overall it was a successful day, but his thoughts that night before bed were drifting to that dimpled professor again. Vibrant, intrigued thoughts.