Wings Academy: Beyond The Sky (BTS Fanfiction)

Chapter 2

PARK JIMIN

Chapter 2

"Dragon blood- check. Phoenix claws- check. Nightrune berries- check," I mumbled the potion components, scratching them off the parchment in my hands. Satisfied everything was accounted for, I flipped the list over to reveal the mile-long list of textbooks. "Wings Academy year one requirements: Flight 101, Flier Classification, Study of Magical Beasts, Wards and Shields, Alchemy & Spell Theory, Edition 5..." The list went on. Neatly, I fold the page and placed it in my bag.

My eyes gaze wistfully at my surroundings. MAGIGORA a sign reads, marking the magic supply capital of the kingdom. Bustling masses of people elbow their way past shops and vendors, many sporting Chapel, the local university's student robes. Suddenly, a hush falls over the street and the crowd divides in two, making way for a trio of mages. They're not just any mages, they're Fliers. One has majestic angel wings sprouting from her back while another sports wings of crackling lightning. Finally, a third trails behind the first two, his bulky earthen wings neatly folded behind him.

Soon, the trio rounds the corner, and the spell is broken. With a shake of my aqua blue locks, I head towards the book shop. Voices burst into speech around me, and I manage to catch a few snippets of conversation.

"Did you see-?"

"-new captains-"

"Seokjin-!"

"The prince's been admitted?"

I nearly stop in my tracks at the name. Prince Seokjin of the Fae? At Wings? I barely suppress a growl. Nobles buy their way into prestigious universities all the time. Why would royalty be any different?

Someone rams into my side, tugging at my worn cotton tunic. At the speed of light, I tug the fabric back into place, concealing the twisting scars on my collarbone.

Some of us earned our place.

Dim lights illuminate the interior of the dusty old bookstore, revealing an endless maze of shelves books and volumes of all shapes and sizes are crammed from floor to ceiling. Stray books levitate in the air, bobbing around the shop before returning to their slots. The musk of worn parchment embraces me.

"Welcome!" A shopkeeper calls. A smile forms on his wrinkled skin. He runs a hand through his feathery white hair. "How can I help you?"

"School supplies, sir," I respond respectfully.

"Ah, not much for reading, eh?" The old man grins. "The requirements for Chapel, I presume?"

"W-Wings, actually," I stammer awkwardly. It wasn't like me to brag about my acceptance.

"Congratulations, lad! I'll get them for you right away." The shopkeeper proceeds to disappear to a backroom. A furrow forms on my brow. Usually, people make a huge deal out of Wings- and anyone accepted. Before I can ponder it any further, a crashing BOOM! shakes the store.

"Dad?" A voice calls behind me.

I jump, whirling to face the source of the voice. He's around my age, standing a solid few inches taller than me. A few strands of platinum blond hair brushes against his dark-rimmed reading glasses. A novel is cradled in his hands. Somehow, I get the feeling there's always one there.

I don't have time to take in much more before he's out of sight in the backroom. My lungs release a breath I don't realize I'm holding. Even though the encounter only lasted a moment, something about the guy screamed authority.

"Are you hurt? Be careful, alright?" The voice from before soothes. "Here, I'll take care of the shop for today. You need the rest."

A few minutes later, he emerges, a mountain of textbooks in his arms. "Sorry about that," he says, setting the books down on the counter. Then, he extends a hand to me. "Hi, I'm Namjoon. Kim Namjoon."

"Park Jimin," I reply, shaking Namjoon's hand. "Don't worry about it; it's nothing to apologize for."

Namjoon reaches for a quill and parchment, his hand brushing against the pile. The textbooks teeter dangerously for a moment. "Don't break anything, Namjoon. Don't break it." It takes me a moment to realize he's talking to himself.

Namjoon realizes too, a sheepish smile scrunching up his face. "Requirements for Wings, correct?" he double checks with an embarrassed cough. "Congrats on acceptance. Hopefully, I'll see you there."

My eyebrows fly up in surprise. "You've been accepted too? Congrats."

"Yeah," Namjoon answers offhandedly, filling out paperwork. "It's probably just luck; I spent my life in a bookstore so I read a bit too much."

"I see." I'm not sure what to say. It's not common to meet someone so humble. "Congratulations to you too."

"Thank you," Namjoon says. "Please fill out this section here." He turns a sheet of parchment to me, indicating where to sign. "Do you want me to hold onto these for you while you get the rest of your supplies?" Namjoon waves a hand at the textbooks.

"Sure."

Ding! A bell rings as a customer enters the store.

Immediately, Namjoon bows towards the newcomer, a smile on his face. "Welcome to Koya Books and Co. How may I help you today?"

With a smile, I bid him farewell and head on my way.