Chapter Text
—
Terrified was the best word one could use to describe what Park Jimin was feeling at that moment. The place he was set to spend four years at, the place that was going to decide his future; Seoul University was right around the corner. He would be lying if he said that the mere thought of having to fend for himself didn't scare him even a tiny bit. However, this was a dream come true for him and he planned to make the best of his time there. After all, wasn't university supposed to be some of the most memorable years of your life?
The engine of the taxi died down and he muttered a meek thank you before opening the door, smoothening out any visible wrinkles on his plain white cotton t-shirt. Upon his shoulder, was a beautiful black leather backpack, a goodbye gift from his father and Jimin carried it with pride as he pushed open the large doors of the main building.
The campus was huge, to say the least. Everything about it screamed expensive and high-tech. The architecture seemed to be a mixture of modern styles and traditional interiors but the people walking the halls captured Jimin's attention more than anything else. Everybody strutted past him with their heads held high, emanating a sense of individuality and sheer confidence that made Jimin feel insecure.
Jimin slumped his shoulders, wracking his brain to think of anything unique about himself. He thought he was pretty average, aside from the fact that he had a body which was perfect for his only hobby, dancing. There was nothing more in this world that calmed his nerves down more than letting out his emotions through the movements of his own body. He felt liberated and stronger whenever the music filled his ears just enough to make his body move in sync with it.
"Hey, do you need help settling in?" A face with a smile as bright as the sun, suddenly popped up in front of him, in the middle of the hallway. Silver hair, blue eyes and a perfectly symmetrical face. It wasn't something Jimin saw everyday, coming from a small neighbourhood in Busan and so, he couldn't stop himself from admiring just how pretty the boy stood in front of him was.
"I just needed to know where the dorms are, it's my first day." Jimin chirped, his naturally friendly aura quite evident in his tone.
"You know you're two days early right? Classes start on Monday." The boy laughed and Jimin took that as a signal to laugh with him.
"I know, I just wanted to get comfortable with the place, there's a bunch of other people who's early here too, right? I was really nervous—"
"Yeah, I completely get it. I remember when it was my first year, that was such a strange time. Don't worry though, you'll get used to it. Oh, I'm Taehyung by the way." The boy introduced himself in a hurry, a sheepish smile taking over his lips.
"I'm Jimin." Jimin responded, "The dorms?" He tried to steer the conversation in the right direction and Taehyung nodded promptly.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I lose track of things easily. I'm an official tour guide here and I personally think I'm devastatingly underpaid for my services but what do I know, right? Anyways, what's your room number?" Jimin barely let out a breath when Taehyung put him on spot again. Jimin decided he liked how outspoken and amicable Taehyung was.
"112." Jimin said, only to have his hand forcefully tugged on, pushing him in the direction Taehyung was running towards. They gradually made their way to a glass building, located at the far north-end of the campus grounds, where Taehyung immediately guided them to the first floor.
"Here we are." They stopped in front of a wooden door with the correct number carved on in metal.
"Thank you." Jimin gave him a genuine smile and Taehyung waved it off saying, "Don't worry about it. What classes are you taking?"
"I'm majoring in Biochemistry and planning to do minor in Literature."
"I'm taking a few first-year Literature courses this year, so we might see each other! You must be a prodigy or something because Biochemistry is the most competitive course here. It's really tough to get in." Taehyung marvelled, staring at Jimin with wide eyes.
A faint shadow cast over Jimin's expression for a moment, not long enough for Taehyung to notice the difference in his mood. He pushed away his thoughts and decided to laugh at Taehyung's comment.
"No, I'm definitely not. It's really hard but it's more of a backup for me. I don't know if I'll be able to manage the course, which is why I'm taking Literature too." Jimin said a little forcefully, convincing himself more than Taehyung, that his words were genuine.
"Well, your roommate will be here soon so I better leave. See you around, Jimin." Taehyung said and soon, Jimin found himself alone, opening the door to his own dorm room.
It was mostly bare on his side, but the other side of the room had already been decorated to suit his roommate's taste, which basically consisted of black bedsheets and sound equipment. He was alarmed by the countless number of wires and speakers that were set up against the walls and the two big shelves filled with timeless vinyl records.
A music major, perhaps.
While he waited for his roommate to arrive, he took the opportunity to decorate his own side with picture frames of his family and his friends back at home and replaced the dull white bedsheets with his favourite pastel blue ones. Anything to make this place feel a little more like home to him.
Suddenly, he felt his stomach growl in hunger. He hadn't eaten anything since the little cupcake he had for breakfast at the train station but he also didn't know his way around Seoul yet. Jimin wished he had made more of an effort to befriend Taehyung earlier and maybe even asked for his number.
While mulling over his options, Jimin missed the door open to reveal a mint-haired boy trudging into the room.
"Who are you?" The boy spoke, a mixture of confusion and annoyance in his tone. Jimin's eyes widened as he turned and locked eyes with him and he rightfully assumed this was his roommate.
"I'm Park Jimin, I'm your roommate." Jimin introduced himself politely, reaching out his hand.
"I'm Yoongi." The boy said in a rather bored tone, glancing towards Jimin's hand thoughtfully.
"Who shakes hands these days anyway?" He grumbled but shook the boy's hand regardless.
"Please keep the room clean." Yoongi requested calmly and Jimin quickly nodded, eager to make a good impression.
"Yes, of course, don't worry!" He rushed to say and Yoongi acknowledged him with a firm nod.
Their shared silence was then abruptly by the deafening sound of Jimin's phone, his pop-rock ringtone blaring throughout the room in an obnoxious manner.
"Hello?" Jimin lifted the phone to his ear and spoke under his breath, careful not to disturb Yoongi too much while he worked.
"How are you? Have you settled in well?"
"Yes, I just entered my dorm a while ago. I'm doing okay."
"Is your roommate nice?"
"Yeah, don't worry dad, everything's okay." Jimin tensed up when he noticed Yoongi's attention on his call.
"I'll call you back in a bit, I'm going to go grab a bite now because I'm starving." Jimin informed him and then proceeded to say goodbye, hanging up soon after.
Jimin sat on the edge of his bed awkwardly, unsure of what to do or say next as he watched Yoongi take a seat in front his desk, plugging his earphones into one of the sound systems.
After a few minutes of Jimin mindlessly looking down at his feet, bored out of his mind, Yoongi sighed and switched off his laptop.
"Hey." He caught Jimin's attention, "Do you want to go get something to eat together?" He asked softly, something close to concern in his eyes.
An unmistakable smile formed on Jimin's lips and he immediately sat up straight at the notion, offering Yoongi a shy nod in response. The two of them took turns to use the bathroom to freshen up and Jimin decided to change into a blue sweater and a pair of black skinny jeans while Yoongi stuck with his graphic tee and black, ripped jeans.
On their way out, just a few doors down, Jimin decided to start up a casual conversation with his roommate.
"So what classes do you take?" He absentmindedly copied the same ice-breaker question Taehyung asked him.
"Music." Yoongi stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world and Jimin knew that it was.
Darn it.
Another painful silence filled the air and Jimin bit his lip as he wracked his brain for something interesting enough to have a conversation about.
Yoongi sighed again, "What are you interested in?"
"Dance." Jimin perked up while saying this, happy that Yoongi initiated some kind of conversation.
"That's cool, you should—" Yoongi groaned as he felt himself being pushed aside harshly. "What the fuck." Yoongi muttered at the culprit, rubbing his own arm before he lent a hand out to Jimin, who had consequently slipped on one of the steps and had found himself on the floor.
"Stop taking your own fucking time on the stairs, that's what hyung." The boy spat out in a low voice. It's odd because although he spoke in a such a harsh manner, his words carried a certain level of respect for Yoongi. Or maybe Jimin just felt that way because he heard him say hyung.
Jimin stood up hastily, brushing himself off. He attempted to take another step down but the boy who had run into them seemed to have the same idea and they both take a step to the same side, crashing against each other yet again.
"Watch where you're going." He growled, sounding just as frustrated as Jimin was.
"Maybe you should watch where you're going." Jimin found himself snapping back, annoyed at how impolite the unknown boy was. The boy raised an eyebrow at that.
"Who the fuck even are you?" Jungkook scoffed, making his way around Jimin, not bothering to wait for a response.
"Oh fuck off, Jeongguk." Yoongi scowled at the raven-haired boy, "Why the fuck are you going towards my room?"
"My headphones broke," A mischievous grin spread across his face all of a sudden, "Gonna borrow yours."
"Wait, what? You can’t just—" The boy disappeared into the hallway, ignoring Yoongi's loud protests. "Such a fucking brat." He grumbled under his breath, before turning to Jimin.
"You okay?" He asked Jimin as they continued to make their way downstairs.
Jimin nodded slowly, a part of him still strangely fixated over the encounter. He shook his head, brushing off the stray thoughts in his mind.
"That kid is something else." Yoongi sighed, causing Jimin to raise an eyebrow at his words.
"Kid? How old are you?"
"I'm a year older than him. He's eighteen."
"Oh." Jimin said in a cheerful tone, "I'm eighteen too, should I be calling you hyung?"
Yoongi shrugged, "I don't mind, whatever." He said.
"Okay, hyung." Jimin paused as he noticed Yoongi walking towards one of the local diners located right outside the east gate. His stomach growled on queue and Yoongi eyed him curiously.
"You're really hungry, huh?" Yoongi laughed and Jimin made a note of this because it was the first time the older actually showed any signs of pleasure or happiness since they met not too long ago.
They took their seats in one of the booths and Jimin immediately began flipping through the menu enthusiastically, eyes lighting up at all the different combo options they could choose from. Yoongi promptly called over a waiter, which put an end to Jimin's inherent indecisiveness when it came to finalising things and they both ended up ordering two cheeseburger meals.
"So why do you hate the guy we ran into? I mean, besides the fact that he clearly has anger issues." Jimin asked, still shaken by the encounter as he took a sip of his bright pink strawberry milkshake. That boy certainly knew how to make a lasting impression.
"I don't hate him at all, he just pisses me off sometimes with how volatile he is. We're actually really good friends. Nice when you really get to know him." Yoongi explained.
Jimin was surprised to learn this and he couldn't stop himself from asking, "What's his name?"
"Jeon Jungkook." Yoongi answered in a bored tone, "You really love asking questions, don't you?" He muttered.
Jimin's cheeks flushed in embarrassment at the statement as he played with the straw in front of his mouth.
He had been reprimanded for this before, for being a little too nosy for his own good, but old habits really do die hard.
"Do you like parties?" Yoongi decided to ask, once again trying to be polite.
"I haven't been to many but I do like them. Why?" Jimin questioned, a little excited at the prospect of being invited out somewhere on his first day. He wanted nothing more than to enjoy himself and fit in since Yoongi was clearly making an effort to be welcoming.
"There's this initiation thing happening tomorrow night, since classes start the day after and it's tradition to attend your first class with a mild hangover." Yoongi paused, as if thinking about his own first-year experiences.
"You should come too." Yoongi said and Jimin thought about it for a moment. What's the worst that could happen?
She would've wanted him to meet new people.
Somewhere in the confines of his heart, he felt a little tug that reminded him of his troubled soul, the jagged ends in desperate need of repair. He shook his head firmly. Not today.
"Sure, I'd love to come."
__
"Jiminie!"
The blonde-haired boy turned around abruptly at the sound of his name. Running towards him haphazardly was none other than Kim Taehyung, his very first acquaintance.
Jimin smiled at the nickname as the boy stopped in front of him, slapping his hand on Jimin's back.
Jimin had decided to visit the coffee shop on campus. Everything about the place screamed coziness and warmth, with the wooden interiors and the strong bittersweet aroma of coffee that wafted through the air. In front of him was a plate of sugar cookies and a vanilla bean cupcake that balanced out the sweet white mocha frappuccino he had ordered.
Taehyung promptly took a seat in front of him, one of his signature smiles plastered on his face.
"How's SNU treating you?"
"It's only been a day, Taehyung." Jimin reminded him, giggling. "You don't need to feel obliged to hang out with me."
"Obliged?" He gasped, seemingly offended at the notion. Jimin rushed to explain himself but Taehyung has already begun to speak. "I hate stereotypes. So what if you're a freshman? I'll hang out with you if I think you're cool and that's that."
"And you know what? We're going out tonight." He announced before Jimin could get out a single word.
"I'm already going to this party my roommate is taking me to." Jimin replied with a frown, not wanting to turn upset Taehyung, who was already being so sweet and unapologetically himself.
"Wait a minute, who's your roommate again?"
"Min Yoongi."
"Fucking hell." Taehyung groaned.
"What?" Jimin questioned, a little alarmed.
"We might have dated before." Taehyung replied with a sheepish smile and Jimin's mouth parted in shock. He did not see that one coming.
"Yeah, that's the common reaction." Taehyung noticed his facial expression and laughed.
"I'm sorry, it's just— you're both so different, I can't imagine you together."
"I suppose that's part of the reason why it didn't work out. He always wanted us to keep to ourselves and live in our own bubble, which was definitely cute for a while, but I'm naturally the type to go out and socialise with different groups of people. It just wasn't meant to be, I guess." Taehyung quieted down, a sad smile tugging his lips downwards.
"He really did try for me but I couldn't bare to see him change his ways or try to do things he didn't like just for my sake, so I broke it off before either of us got too hurt." Taehyung shrugged it off like it was nothing but Jimin knew better. Jimin could see how hurt Taehyung was and he wished there was something he could do about it.
"So, are you dating anybody right now?" Jimin asked curiously with a sneaky wish of wanting to make things right between his roommate and his new friend.
"No, not really. I fuck around a lot." Taehyung said bluntly and Jimin gasped.
"Does that make you happy though? I mean—" Jimin paused when he noticed the look on Taehyung's face. Jimin knows in his heart that he had only begun addressing it because he was strangely worried about Taehyung. However, alarms blared in his mind, advising him to stop just as quickly as he had started. The conversation had officially become too heavy for a second meeting and Jimin was regretful because yet again, he had become just too damn curious and stubborn for his own good.
"It's okay I've got it, thank you for worrying about me though. At least I can count on you." Taehyung grinned and Jimin felt relieved to see him happy again.
"Anyways." He drawled, "I was actually going to ask you to come to the same party Yoongi is bringing you to. So I guess I'll just meet you there." Taehyung chirped, fingers clicking away at his phone.
"Maybe I should have your number so I can call you when we reach?" Jimin asked him shyly and Taehyung immediately exchanged numbers with him, saving the blond-haired boy as Jiminie.
Soon, Jimin found himself sitting alone in the wooden chair, his vanilla muffin too cold to eat but he nibbled at it anyways. On the other side of the shop, the door to the coffee shop jingled open. Jimin did a short double take, eyes wide as he recognised the tall boy who strolled in with a rather hooded expression, his lean figure covered in a solid black hoodie and dark black jeans.
Jeon Jungkook. Yoongi's friend.
Jimin's phone was long forgotten on the table now as his attention was primarily focused on the boy in front of him. He didn't know why he was so befuddled by the sharp contrast of Jungkook's demeanor and his choice of a cup of chamomile tea and vanilla scones.
Jungkook sat near the window and Jimin tried his best not to overtly stare at him. He had to admit to himself that Jungkook was definitely attractive. It was difficult to deny that.
Suddenly, the raven-haired boy lifted his head and scanned the room, his eyes catching Jimin's gaze before the boy had a chance to look away. Jimin had been caught and he tried to break their gaze desperately but there was something about the way Jungkook tilted his head to the side, as if he was so pleased with himself for catching Jimin staring at him, that stopped Jimin from looking away. They stayed that way for a few seconds, shamelessly eyeing each other, before Jimin finally came to his senses and moved his gaze to his phone once again. He cursed under his breath, reprimanding himself for absentmindedly being this intrusive.
The blonde-haired boy groaned and sunk into his chair while he hoped Jungkook wouldn't think he was being creepy.
When his eyes betrayed him one final time by choosing to take another look at Jungkook, Jimin didn't miss the tattered copy of Demian peeking through his fingers. His eyes widened in surprise.
So, the rude boy reads.
—
It was too crowded.
Jimin should've guessed that this wouldn't be the kind of party where they'd sit around in a circle and listen to soulful music whilst talking about their day. No, this was the kind of party where you would find people snogging each other on every empty space they could find, bright red cups overflowing with vodka and dizzying music.
It wasn’t that Jimin didn’t like this sort of thing. He just never knew what to do with himself in social situations like these.
Nonetheless, he complied and he found himself waltzing in with Yoongi, late by exactly half an hour because Yoongi had insisted that nobody ever reaches a party on time. Jimin remembered to make a note of that.
"I need something to drink." Yoongi told him and Jimin nodded in response, letting himself get pulled towards the bar by the older.
"Strong or mild?"
"Mild."
"Strong it is." Jimin didn't protest. He was not entirely sure what his tolerance was like but he hoped he could manage.
"Here." Yoongi handed him a glass of this plum-ish orange drink with a lemon perched on the side while his own glass was filled with the same.
"Bottoms up." Yoongi lifted his glass with a sly smile and Jimin brought the glass to his lips hastily, taking a small sip of the mysterious liquid.
He felt a strong burn as it flew down his throat and he couldn't stop himself from coughing a little, trying to get accustomed to the new taste.
It almost tasted like vile medicine at first, but as he took another sip, he began to notice the sweet, sugary aftertaste left on his tongue afterwards.
Yoongi looked at him expectantly and Jimin gave him a thumbs up, licking the stray drops off his plump, crimson lips.
"It's nice." Jimin nodded while taking another sip and Yoongi hummed in response, downing the whole glass at once.
"Hey!" A familiar voice made Jimin relax, a smile taking over his previously blank expression.
"Taehyung." Jimin greeted and he was quick to remember whatever Taehyung had told him at the coffee shop. He noticed Yoongi visibly tense up, his grip on the empty glass alarmingly tight.
"Jimin!" Taehyung said his name enthusiastically and Jimin could immediately tell he was slightly tipsy by his dazed expression and staggering walk. Taehyung looked dazzling as usual, with one of his comfortable but chic outfits and a thin choker lining his neck. His eyes roamed over to Yoongi and he nodded in acknowledgement, murmuring his name under his breath.
Jimin felt slightly awkward as he watched them stare at each other for a few seconds, with no words being exchanged. He could sense that there was so much that was left unsaid between the two of them.
"Let's go into one of the rooms. That's where all the real fun is." Taehyung clapped his hands and Jimin nodded, looking at Yoongi for confirmation. Yoongi simply shrugged and followed them as they squeezed through the group of grinding, sweaty bodies.
"This is a deluxe dorm?" Jimin questioned in a mumble.
"Yeah, Seokjin and Jungkook share it and Seokjin is pretty damn rich so he insisted on it." Taehyung answered as they entered the room.
Jimin was faced with a bunch of people, of which he could only recognise one. His eyes lit up in recognition as he found Jungkook, who was dressed in a black t-shirt that was loosely tucked into a pair of dangerously ripped jeans and a chain-like belt that looped around the holes. His ears were decorated with a pair of circular small hoops and his long, fingers were decorated in sleek silver rings. Something about his outfit made Jimin want to pause everything to just stop and stare. And boy, did he stare.
"You again." Jungkook muttered with a lazy smirk, shaking his head at Jimin.
"What is he doing here?" He addressed Yoongi this time and Jimin shifted on his toes, awkward about the fact that Jungkook would bluntly question his presence right in front of him.
"He's my roommate, I invited him." Yoongi said in a bored but firm tone, one that suggested he wasn't going to answer any more questions from Jungkook.
Jungkook sighed, "Well whatever." He looked the other way dismissively, laying back as he took another large sip of his drink.
"He's strange." Jimin said under his breath, just loud enough for Yoongi to hear him.
"You'll get used to it."
"Trust me, I don't plan on staying anywhere near him." Jimin scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest while a pout formed on his lips.
Yoongi just chuckled, taking another sip of his drink.
"Let's play a game." A boy dressed in a white blouse and blue skinny jeans spoke from the other side of the room. Everybody else in the room cheered and sat around him in a circle.
"That's Seokjin." Taehyung whispered to Jimin as they walked towards the rest of the group. Jimin sat down strategically, with Yoongi on one side and Taehyung on the other. Unfortunately, Jungkook was sat right opposite him but Jimin chose to ignore him.
"Truth or dare? A classic." Seokjin's voice, smooth as silk, sounded loudly. "Or what about seven minutes in heaven?"
A chorus of votes erupted throughout the room and truth or dare seemed to be the most popular choice. Soon, an empty bottle of cheap liquor was being spun around, landing on Taehyung first.
"Ah, the infamous Taehyung, truth or dare?" Seokjin giggled and Jimin let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. He was glad it didn't land on him.
"Dare, of course." Taehyung smirked with his usual confidence.
"Kiss the hottest person in the room."
"Easy."
Taehyung scanned the group for a moment and for a second, his eyes skimmed over Yoongi. Jimin felt Yoongi stiffen in his posture, eyes fixated on the floor. He watched as Taehyung got up from his seat next to him and briskly walked to the other side, where in three seconds, his lips met none other than Jungkook's.
Jimin's eyes widened as he watched Jungkook deepen the kiss intuitively, slinging his arm around Taehyung's waist before he cupped his ass.
They kissed aggressively, unbothered by all the eyes on them. Taehyung seemed lost in his own world, straddling Jungkook whilst they both made grabby hands at each other.
After what seemed like ages, they finally pulled away at a few vigorous coughs from Seokjin.
"It was supposed to be a kiss, we didn't ask you to make out. Next time, get a room please." Seokjin shook his head and Taehyung shot him a sheepish smile.
"Nothing you haven't seen before." He winked before getting off Jungkook's lap and taking his seat next to Jimin once again.
The bottle was spun again and this time, Jimin wasn't so lucky.
"Are you new here?" Seokjin questioned and Jimin nodded, trying his best to smile despite the situation.
"I'm Park Jimin." Jimin introduced himself swiftly and it was like everybody finally bothered to notice him for the first time. Unfamiliar eyes raked up and down his body, trying to get familiar with him but he maintained eye contact with Seokjin.
"Nice to meet you, I'm Kim Seokjin, but you can just call me Jin." Seokjin replied with a wide smile, one that comforted Jimin.
"So, truth or dare?"
Jimin hesitated, "Dare?"
The whole room erupted with dares, majority of them way too explicit for Jimin's tastes.
"I know! Take your shirt off for the next round."
Jimin gulped. Okay, that isn't so bad.
He slowly reached down and grabbed the hem of his shirt, lifting it over his head in one swift motion. It was important to keep in mind the fact that dancing was his passion and he needed to stay fit in order to pull off the kind of dancing be loved; contemporary. He had the most perfect, round ass and thick thighs while still being petite. He definitely kept in shape and hence, he didn't hate the idea of showing it off.
However, he wasn't exactly prepared for the reaction he received.
Whistles were heard throughout the room and thirsty eyes lingered over his exposed chest, making him feel largely uncomfortable.
"You're hot." Seokjin complimented and Jimin blushed, thanking him hastily.
The game moved on and Jimin was embarrassed. When the time came, he was quick to slip the cotton material back on, not meeting anybody's eyes.
Jimin was convinced this game was rigged when the bottle landed on him only two rounds later.
"Well, well, well." Seokjin smiled and Jimin could sense the glint of mischief behind his expression.
"Go easy on him, Jin." Taehyung insisted as he squeezed Jimin's arm beside him.
"Okay then. Let's skip the truth or dare part because I'm quite sure you'd pick dare again. Finish my drink." Jin pointed towards the strongest, full glass of neat vodka.
Jimin didn't know that though which is why his eyes lightened up at the seemingly normal dare. His small fingers grasped the cup and he chugged it down confidently, letting the sour and almost bitter taste run through his throat.
His mind was buzzing like it had never felt more alive but also never this insane.
The feeling was both exhilarating and exhausting as he felt himself stumble backwards, body feeling lightweight.
"Light vodka, that's all."
"Fucking liar." Yoongi rolled his eyes, as he watched Jimin attempt to take his shoes off.
"Why are you taking your shoes off?"
"Stuffy." Jimin groaned, untying his shoelaces while vastly overestimating his ability to think and balance himself properly. He found himself tripping over his own feet, his face making a direct move towards the wooden floor.
He shut his eyes, bracing himself for the impact but a pair of stealthy arms wrapped around his waist in one swift motion and pulled him backwards.
Next thing he knew, he was on Jungkook's lap, with his face only inches away from the other boy. For a second, Jungkook almost looked concerned for the drunk boy, palms sliding off his waist slowly.
But that was soon replaced by annoyance.
"Stand up straight, for god's sake." Jungkook muttered angrily, pushing him off his lap, making Jimin land on the floor with a small thud which to be fair, was a lot better that what could've happened before. Even with being completely out of his mind, Jimin decided he really didn't like the other boy.
"I had a feeling he'd be a lightweight." Jin giggled at the sight of Jimin, who had now wiggled his way onto Yoongi's lap, resting his head on the older's thigh.
"Jin, you know damn well you're the only person in this room who can handle that drink." A girl in the group laughed as she said this and the comment encouraged the game to continue causing the attention around Jimin to fade away eventually.
Yoongi had definitely enough of the party and soon enough, he announced that they were going to return to their dorms. It was way too early for him but to be fair, he wasn't exactly enjoying, having Jimin moaning ridiculous things under his breath and rolling around on his lap.
As they entered their dorm room, a hint of sobriety entered Jimin and he groaned loudly, jumping onto his bed.
"I'm never drinking again."
"Good. Next time, I won't be leaving to early to get your ass back here." Yoongi warned.
"Not so sure there'll be a next time."
"—and why is that?"
"Classes start tomorrow and I want to focus on that. I might consider joining the dance club too.”
"The dance team? Really?" Yoongi raised an eyebrow at that.
"I told you I like dancing, remember?"
"Jimin, I'm saying this because I like having you around. Our dance team— or club as you call it, is very exclusive. There are so much politics in this school that you're still unaware of and most of it surrounds extra-curriculars."
"Don't worry, I'm sure I can handle it."
"Don't say I didn't warn you."
"I won't."
"Maybe something else will change your mind."
Jimin stopped in front of the bathroom door expectantly, a curious expression taking over his face.
"You know what, never mind, it'll be more enjoyable to see you find out for yourself."
Jimin frowned as Yoongi slipped past him without another word, shutting the bathroom door behind him. With a deep breath, Jimin trudged towards his bed, letting the soft blanket surround his body. He couldn't get what Yoongi said, out of his mind.
Something was telling him he was most definitely not prepared for what was about to come his way.
"Take it from me, it's a pain in the ass."
"You're exaggerating."
"Nope."
Jimin sighed as he attempted to walk away from Taehyung, failing miserably. Taehyung had been busy listing all the reasons why Jimin shouldn't consider joining the dance team and frankly, it was starting to get to him a little.
"Taehyung, I can handle the pressure, you don't need to worry." Jimin huffed slightly.
"I'm just saying—" Taehyung raised his hands up in defence.
"I have biochemistry first period." Jimin announced, eager to change the subject. He looked around at the suddenly empty corridor, panicking at the thought of being late to class.
"Turn left at the end of the corridor and then it's the second door to your right." Taehyung pointed out and Jimin nodded gratefully, mumbling a goodbye before rushing towards the designated classroom.
As he walked in, the obnoxiously loud bell sounded through the halls and the classroom, alerting everybody including Jimin, that they were luckily on time. Jimin was never even close to late and so, this bothered him but he decided to shrug it off.
He looked around with wide eyes, taking in the gigantic room. It was one of those lecture rooms you'd see on television, the big ones with what seemed like a thousand rows of seats lined up one after another. At the front of the classroom, at the very bottom, was a small desk for the professor. Jimin took a seat right in the middle, not too far from where the professor's desk was situated.
"Hey, do you mind if I sit here?"
He looked up. In front of him stood a tall boy with brown eyes and purple highlights in his hair. What was with this university and bold hair colours?
"No, go ahead." Jimin smiled politely as the boy made himself comfortable on the creaky wooden chair. Jimin wasn't holding himself back from observing how awkward the boy was as he pushed his oversized glasses up the bridge of his nose every ten seconds.
"I'm Namjoon." He introduced himself, his voice heavy with a foreign accent.
"I'm Jimin, nice to meet you."
"You keep staring."
"I'm sorry!” Jimin stuttered.
Namjoon laughed, shaking his head, dimples on full display. "No, I get it. I dyed my hair because of a dare and it's probably the most rebellious thing I've done."
"I've lived in New York for most of my life and I moved here only a few years ago so that’s why the accent still persists, I guess." He explained.
Jimin didn't ask but he loved that he didn't have to.
"Wow." He spoke, "What's it like—"
"Good morning, everyone."
Jimin tore his gaze away from the boy beside him and he focused on the source of the voice.
"I'm Mr. Wang, I will be your professor for biochemistry for your entire course here at Seoul University. I assume each one of you is aware of how challenging this course is and I don't expect any of you to take it lightly. This means that you have to give your all if you want to maintain your grades. Be punctual with your assignments, don't miss classes without a genuine reason and pay attention in class because you will not be spoon-fed like you may have been in school. We expect you to be independent."
The words hit Jimin hard. A rush of determination hit him as he opened up his textbook and notebook, devoting his full attention to whatever the professor said.
Before he knew it, the lecture was over and he was out the door to leave for his next one when he felt a light tug at his backpack.
"We should hang out sometime later?” Namjoon offered and Jimin smiled brightly, happy that Namjoon suggested this.
"Yeah, it would be nice to see a familiar face, here's my number." He recited his number and the taller boy quickly made a note of it.
"My first friend here." He grinned and Jimin noticed the prominent dimples spreading over his cheeks. Jimin had a feeling they'd be good friends.
Sooner or later, his classes finally came to an end but somehow, the smile on his face remained intact.
Hopping over to one of the bulletin boards, he realised that he could make a visit to the dance room then. It took him a while before he was able to find it as it was located quite inconveniently, in the far corner of the campus.
From the tiny window situated on the door, Jimin could tell how spacious the room really was. It stretched along quite generously, surrounded by mirrors in every direction. He was about to enter when a figure caught his eye. Swift, rhythmic, calculated.
A small gasp left his lips, just above a whisper. He watched as the boy, who he immediately identified as Jungkook, spun around the room, moving his body right on the beat and then falling on the floor with ease. His hands held his body up in the air before letting him down gracefully, only for him to push his hips upwards. Jimin watched in wonder, as the boy's muscles tightened under the sleeves of his white shirt that was too small for his build.
He took a deep breath, mustering up all his confidence before entering the room. Jungkook was still dancing, eyes glazed over with passion. He almost didn't notice Jimin's presence.
Keyword being almost.
The music paused and so did Jungkook. He was on the floor, letting out heavy breaths and grunts until he pulled himself up quickly.
"What the fuck are you doing?" Those six words helped Jimin snap out of his thoughts, which mostly consisted of admiring Jungkook’s moves, and he returned to reality.
"Don't flatter yourself." Jimin mumbled rather incoherently but unluckily, Jungkook heard him.
"Well, you're not here to dance, are you?"
"Yes, I am." Jimin said, proudly.
There was silence. "You want to join the team?"
Jimin scowled at him, offended by Jungkook’s tone.
"Yeah, is there a problem?" He retorted and Jungkook had the audacity to smirk despite noticing how annoyed Jimin was getting.
"As a matter of fact, there isn't an opening."
"Bullshit." Jimin had definitely enough of this. He approached closer to where Jungkook was standing smugly, making sure to stand right in front of him with a firm expression.
"Maybe." Jungkook leaned in closer, right next to his ear, "Better luck next time." He pulled back and walked past him, nudging his shoulder in the process.
"I want to speak to the captain." Jimin was stubborn. He wasn't going to let Jungkook dictate everything. He really didn’t like how Jungkook felt so entitled to voice his harsh opinions all the time.
"You're talking to him right now."
Fuck.
"You're the captain?"
"Oh don't sound so surprised."
"I'm surprised they would pick someone as infuriating as you." Jimin laughed in disbelief, shaking his head.
"You don't even know me." Jungkook narrowed his eyes at the blond-haired boy.
"And you don't know me, so how is it fair for you to not give me a chance?"
Jungkook paused, observing the way the boy spoke. He knew he was right, but he would never admit it. Jungkook was stubborn, but so was Jimin.
"What's your major?"
"Huh?" Jimin was taken aback by the question.
"Your major."
"Either Biochemistry or Literature."
"Are you taking any Performing Arts classes?"
"No." Jimin said, voice a little meek.
"Then why do you want to join the team?"
"Because dancing means more to me than just classes, than just a profession. It's something I'm passionate about and of course, I want it to be a significant part of my life too but nothing is ever that simple. So if studying biochemistry of all things, still lets me pursue dance on the side, it would mean the world to me."
"Dancing should be your world if you're so passionate about it." Jungkook said and Jimin could sense judgement in them.
"Like I said, nothing is ever that simple." Jimin left it at that.
Jungkook seemed like he has so much more to say, so many more opinions to add to the conversation but for the first time, he held himself back and Jimin noticed this.
Before anything else could be said, the door to the practice room opened, this time being entered by a crowd of people.
"Jimin-ah!"
"Taehyung?" Jimin was utterly confused. Taehyung was dressed in a tank top and sweatpants, along with light grey sneakers. Jimin put two and two together pretty quickly.
"You're a part of the dance team?" He almost squealed in shock.
"Yup." Taehyung made a pop sound at the end, a cheesy grin lining his mouth.
"Then why were you so insistent on me not trying out for the team?" Jimin asked, completely flabbergasted.
"Because I knew you'd have to go through a lot of shit to get in. Was I wrong?" He briefly glanced at Jungkook, who was busy checking his phone, a grim expression on his face.
Jimin glanced at Jungkook as well, before meeting Taehyung's eyes again.
"No." He muttered, "But I'm working on it."
"Good luck." Taehyung giggled.
"Okay, so as you all know, practice starts from the very first day. I expect everyone to show up for every practice and don't be late. If you can't catch up, try to figure it out yourself first before you come to me because that's the only way you'll ever learn it right. I’m always here if you need me though.”
Jimin listened wordlessly as Jungkook instructed them with genuine advice, sometimes verging on being a little too harsh but he could sense the sincerity in his words.
"Remember the last routine we did before the summer? We're going to run through it again, let's show everyone how it's done." The underlining notion was understood. There was no everyone they needed to impress, there was only Jimin.
Jungkook turned to press play on the music system, making brief eye contact with Jimin before taking his position, front and centre.
Coco by O.T Genasis, resonated within the sound-proof walls and Jimin watched with his mouth wide open as the group bursted into dance moves, everybody in sync and completely coordination. Jimin was absolutely captivated by the sheer confidence and aura around Jungkook while he danced.
When the song finished playing, the team landed on the floor, complaining about muscle pain almost immediately.
"This is why I told you to keep working out during the summer, but none of you listened clearly." Jungkook scoffed. "A few minutes and you're tired already."
The room was quiet, nobody dared to respond. They rose up from the floor, taking the last few sips of water they could before checking their moves again. Jungkook hummed and then turned around and did a double take when he realised Jimin was still in the room, lurking behind him.
"Why are you still here?"
"Give me a chance."
"You haven't give me a reason why I should."
"Did you completely ignore everything I just said to you a few minutes ago? You haven’t even seen me dance, you don’t have the right to make assumptions about me. I know my own worth when it comes to this and I know I can keep up.”
Jungkook sighed, "Jimin, isn't it?" He continued, eyeing Jimin directly, body positioned right in front of his.
"You see, everybody can talk big but frankly, I'm not fucking interested in hearing you speak. Shut up and dance. The floor is all yours.”