ᴄʜᴀsɪɴɢ ʀᴀɪɴʙᴏᴡ

21. End of first semester

Can I Kiss You? - Dahl

Jungkook

The university enrolled only geniuses. International or national students. As I sat in the examination hall, I took a breather to look around. Everyone was immersed in writing, focusing, and drawing on the answer sheets, and I spaced out. It didn't take me much effort to understand any subject, I've known it since I began to understand modesty. I was extraordinary, but here, in the sea of extraordinary, I was only an ordinary student who was participating in the same race. 

All four subjects were tough, but the last one gave us a reprieve. My eyes took in the long rows of students who sat stiffly in the same position like they were machines. The examiner walked over to my desk and cleared his throat. That did it. I re-focused on my paper. 

An hour later, the time was up. I walked over to the podium to submit my paper and found Ulrich behind two people. Getting out of the exam room, I waited for him. The other rooms also had students walking out. 

While juniors had classes conducted on the ground floor, the second years were on the first floor, and so on. Jimin's classes were on the second floor as he was a third-year student. The building had eight floors. The topmost floor had laboratories and a library, and the seventh floor was only open for exams. All students had a separate room, but we were all on the same floor. The seventh floor also had a big auditorium that I heard was used for auditions. There was a similar auditorium on the ground floor, but that was solely used for educational purposes. "How did it go?" I heard Ulrich's overzealous voice. There was a glow on his face which was so rare I found myself mesmerized.

"I hope I pass." I grin.

"You'll more than pass." He slapped my back, hard. The strength was new too. Ulrich was never a handsy person, but I believed it had to do with a sense of relief and accomplishment.

One semester done, eleven more to go.

Jimin startled me with his voice. He was also looking fresh, like the tree glowing in the first ray of sun after a whole night of torrential rain. "How did it go?" He asked us generally, his voice carrying more sincerity. Of course, he tutored us on so many occasions. Taehyung Hyung too, who was now hanging out with his group when I glanced back. His eyes met mine and I awkwardly smiled. That widened his eyes for a beat before I looked away, seeing in my peripheral vision that he began approaching us.

We smiled and nodded in response. I couldn't focus on Jimin Hyung's words as I registered his fragrance, faint tonka beans, and some spice.

"Hi," he said, his entire focus on me. 

I looked up at him and smiled. "Hi, Hyung."

"Ulrich, could you walk with me to my dorm?" I heard Jimin and I nearly reached over to grab his wrist to stop him. 

"So... Still not talking to me?" Taehyung Hyung found me, his eyes a little crazy and a lot desperate, but he masked his facial expression with a buoyant smile.

"How were your exams, Hyung?" I asked.

For the first time, I felt it. His infatuation with me. I must have been blind not to realize it sooner. He was always the one who put his foot forward to talk to me or even offer help. Jimin never directly extended the same privileges to me as he did to Ulrich. I felt mad. I didn't know at whom was my anger directed, but this had to be a sick joke of the universe.