Chapter Text
Seokjin wasn't sure how legends came to be but he wondered if it is when something out of the ordinary happens that catches everyone's attention. Either by a mass concoction of a fantastical story or just by the distortion of stories as they often happen, everyone settles on this one explanation which doesn't make sense at all.
One such legend is Min Yoongi wandering into an Interactive narrative for Game design class one day and taking a seat somewhere in the back of the hall. As he was climbing the stairs ignoring every head that snapped towards him, surprised to see a Math genius wander outside his department, they say that a strange silence settled in the class. So much so that they could faintly hear the music spilling out of his wired headphones.
Seokjin was late to the class. He made his way to one of the seats at the back of the lecture hall and ended up sitting just an aisle separating Yoongi's seat.
When he was settling in, he looked up at the same instant Yoongi looked his way and their gaze met. His tongue slightly out wetting his lips, a habit that is almost subconscious when he is paying attention, his long hair framing his face, he looked pale against his dark hair.
Unlike Jin, who paired his torn jeans with a pink shirt, and liked to attach as many pins and badges as possible on his bags, as if that was a style statement, Yoongi sat with every possession of his in the color of the dark night.
They might be sitting close but Seokjin was aware they belonged to different worlds. Yoongi is a math prodigy, a gifted kid who skipped a level and studied with him in middle school.
Seokjin smiled and saw Yoongi hold that gaze for a second before he pulled his pen out and opened his book, his attention towards the lecturer.
Seokjin's smile did not waver. He was used to this. "Cha*" he muttered to himself as he got his iPad out although he was sure he wasn't going to make much notes.
They were once close but now just strangers. As they grew up, they drifted apart as one does. When they ended up in the same university, he was so happy to see Yoongi. However, he did not have to wait long to figure out how they had come to become strangers. Because for some reason Yoongi has gone cold. Seokjin had no idea what he had done. He realised he probably would never find out.
"I am sure he walked into the class by mistake and to ensure he is not embarrassed, he has just signed up for it," said Hoseok later that day as the friend group were contemplating how had the University's star student, the one who got countless medals in Math Olympiads and had ended up being unwilling face of the University walked towards literature department.
Jin remembered Yoongi's pictures on the brochure. If you look beyond his handsome looks, if you look closely, you can see that he is clearly not happy being the model. He had a half smile that did not touch his eyes and he seemed like he would want to be anywhere but there. Jin was privy to Yoongi's gummy smiles, which turned his eyes into half moon crescents, that transformed his entire face into a ball of sunshine. It was a shame that not many saw that side of him.
"Shouldn't you be selecting your courses in the previous semester?" Asked Jimin, finding a flaw in the theory, disturbing Jin of his musings.
"So he took a class different from his major. Why is it a big deal? Can't people have varied tastes?" Namjoon asked, briefly stopping solving his rubix cube.
"Not everyone is blessed with a smart brain that could understand finance models as well as appreciate art" said Jimin, trying to suppress a smile, making Namjoon flush a bright shade of pink.
Namjoon and Jimin despite clearly liking each other, were circling each other, making the rest of them run an ongoing wager to see who will crack first. Seokjin was hoping it would be Namjoon because he did not want to lose his 1 million won.
"You were his friend, weren't you? Was he into Game writing or designing?" Hoseok was asking.
Seokjin had a hazy memory of eating tangerines, laying on their stomachs as they played video games as kids, when Yoongi used to hang out at his place. Friend, thought Seokjin. He wasn't sure if he knew anything about Yoongi anymore.
"Why are we discussing this? Neither of us share the same major either, Hoba. But we both are taking it too, aren't we?"
"Already protecting the former friend, I see," said Jimin.
"You taking the course, I understand. Game designers want to learn developing characters and writing while designing a game and focus on the story telling aspect of it" Hoseok said, waving a hand. "I mean, I'm thrilled to have you in my class, don't get me wrong. However, it isn’t as out of pocket choice as a mathematician choosing a creative writing module. Don't you think, his brilliance is appreciated in other circles, why even engineering departments. Why come to the less loved department?"
"Ah, here comes the age old question of which intelligence is better?" Namjoon smiled.
"It boils down to that, isn't it?" Jimin said contemplatively. "Academia isn't the only place with perceived social classes, although, I would say it is far more convoluted"
"I think I admire that quality in a person to move into uncharted waters where their reputation would work against them. I don't know what compelled him to take the class but I certainly think he is courageous to do so" Namjoon added, finally solving the rubix cube and placing it on the desk as if it wasn't an impressive feat.
"I don't think he is as unsuitable to this world as you are making it to be." Jin said.
Yoongi, who was passing by the otherwise empty classroom which just had the four friends, stopped at Jin's voice.
"You'd need someone who looks at a game and thinks of the systems, of the logic behind what works. The end product is connecting with the player. A great story is useless if the logic does not support it. If the narration is the heart of a game, systems are the brain and Yoongi brings that." Jin added.
At Hobi's narrowed eyes, Jin perceived the next curious question that would be on the lines of why he was being defensive about a friendship that fell apart. And so, he asked "Why, you thought this module is a value add for your creative writing. Although it sits in your department, I did not quite see you as a gamer. Why the sudden love?"
"It was between this and Post-millennial Gothic module. You can guess what was tempting"
Everyone laughed.
"For someone who says they haven't spoken in ages, you do tend to understand Min Yoongi a lot better than the rest of us" Hobi said eventually. It was hard to distract Hobi when he had a thought stuck in his head. He becomes a dog with a bone.
Jin laughed. "I wish I could understand what goes on in the mind of Min Yoongi. But if history could provide any evidence, it is that I don't"
What nobody in the class realised is that the most discussed man, who was right outside the class, cracked a smile.