Low Stress: Bite Me (Jikook)

Chapter Two: Pop Quiz

Jungkook lived for night classes. He loved the way Seoul University's campus lit up in golden light and how the January snow covering the ground contrasted the black sky above it.

He loved winter even more - each breath of crisp air felt like a drink of iced cold water. A particular crystallizing leaf caught his eye as they walked. It was dark brown, folding in on itself, but somehow despite the snow and the frost, it held onto a bare branch. Jungkook watched it sway, caught in the wind.

"Come on, we're gonna be late you idiot." Taehyung said next to him, grabbing Jungkook by the collar of his coat and starting to jog up the steps to Seoul University's main lecture hall. "You gotta stop spacing out when we're already running late."

Jungkook laughed, jumping his backpack as they made their way inside. "I'd rather we never make it in the first place. Intro to Music Theory is the freshman weed out class."

"I know, the lecture was brutal yesterday." Taehyung said, rubbing his hands together for warmth as they entered the old building. Inside was a golden lit hall with two spiraling staircases on the sides. Taehyung headed right, taking the path to the smaller classrooms located on the second floor where their six pm discussion section was located for the course.

"God, it's so eerie in here." Jungkook said as each of their steps echoed on the marble flooring.

"Boo." Taehyung said with a sudden stop. Jungkook jumped then immediately hit his friend on the shoulder.

"Not funny."

"I thought it was hilarious,"

Jungkook gave Taehyung a look as they reached the right door. Somehow, they made it with five minutes to spare. Even luckier, the Teacher Assistant leading the discussion section seemed to be running late themselves. The two boys walked into the twenty person lecture room to find students in hoodies and pajamas scattered around the seats with no one at the front desk.

"Come on." Taehyung said, nudging Jungkook to two empty seats near the back. Jungkook felt a rush of warmth finally enter his body as he sat down, the winter cold leaving his system as he took out a notebook and his laptop.

"There's a quiz already next week." Taehyung said, biting on his pencil as he stared at the empty desk. "How is that fair? The semester only just started."

"What?" Jungkook replied, "is that even possible? We haven't gone over anything yet." Jungkook scoffed, surprised to find Taehyung wasn't lying. There was a quiz scheduled for the next week on the syllabus for the class. "Guess the prof wanted to get creative in how he tortures students."

"Well we have bigger problems than just the quiz." Taehyung said while leaning back in his chair. He waited till Jungkook turned his way, getting his friends full attention, then waited an extra moment for some dramatic flare. Jungkook lifted his hand up like he would slap Taehyung which caused the boy to swat his hand away. "Jin's coming up next weekend too."

"What?" Jungkook said, blinking. "Is Namjoon coming with?"

"I think so." Taehyung said, resting his forearms on the desk in front of him. There was a click at the door and Jungkook watched his friend lose his train of thought entirely as their TA walked in. Taehyung's jaw dropped, glancing from the TA back to Jungkook like he was seeing a ghost.

"No fucking way." He said in a hushed voice, nudging Jungkook. "Isn't that the guy from Halloween?"

"What?" Jungkook said, scrunching his brows as he turned his attention to the front of the room. Words got stuck in Jungkook's throat as he watched a clearly strong, but slim, figure with dark reddish hair, pale skin, and lips red like a bleeding sun, set a bookbag on the desk at the front of the room. Parallel images flashed in Jungkook's head of the same body in tight pants and a cropped shirt verses the white button up shirt and green flowy pants the graduate student wore.