Filter (Kim Namjoon X Readers)

Chapter 7

With no other options, you sat down on the ground and finished a project for class. The assignment required you to come up with a business proposal for overseas, which meant you had to write it in full English. Considering that your grandfather spoke 5 languages, that was no problem. It was more of a training for the future CEOs of the school. Since neither of your parents owned multi-million dollar companies, the only thing you were struggling with was coming up with possible goals and outcomes. You could manage by, but you didn't feel confident.

Namjoon peered out from behind his book, "Do you need help, prez?"

"No," you mumbled. He rolled his eyes and got off from his throne to sit beside you on the floor. He bumped your shoulders, making you suddenly feel self-conscious.

He took the assignment from your hand, "Let me see this." His eyes trailed every word and line, taking it all in. All the while, his lips were pursed as the gears in his brain began working. "Can I see what you have so far?" he asked, suddenly serious. You handed him the rough draft of your proposal. He nodded as he scanned the paper. "This is a good start, but you should expand on this part." And that's how his tutoring session started. At first, you thought he was being his usual egotistical self, but after a while, what he said actually made sense. You hummed as you wrote down his edits and suggestions.

"Woah, you're actually really smart," you remarked un-bitterly.

"Of course I am," he boasted. Then slowly, the smile faded. "Besides my mother, no one really ever told me that." Namjoon didn't know where this burst of sentiment and self-loathing came from, but he just wanted to talk to you. "And no one will ever hear my ideas."

"Aren't you taking over your company after you graduate college?"

He laughed soundlessly. If you weren't right next to him to see his face, you would have thought he was crying. "Potentially. Unless my father finds a way to remove me from his lineage before that time comes."

In that moment, you realized you knew literally nothing about the man that is Kim Namjoon. You always prided yourself on knowing the ins and outs of the school, including all of the students. But you were just like everyone else when it comes to Namjoon, outsiders. "I'm sorry," you offered. His eyes held your gaze, and he was shocked to see an emotion other than annoyance or indifference.

"Does it mean you're falling for me?" he asked. Rolling your eyes, you pushed him away.

"In your dreams," you huffed. Namjoon laughed, the sound filling the room in great resonance. And so did his stomach's growls. His face fell and he flushed out of embarrassment. You bit back a snort. "Are you hungry?"

"Yeah," he answered. Looking around, you didn't see a fridge or cabinets or any sort to store food. "We don't really eat in this room. Yoongi hyung is scared that we'll make a mess of his piano and Taehyung is paranoid that we'll get stains on his paintings." Reasonable, they were starting to sound human. Rummaging through your backpack, you handed him a wrapped triangle.

"What is this?" he asked, holding the strange object with much attention.

"You've never seen a triangle kimbap before?"

He shook his head like a little kid. You peeled back the plastic and handed it to him once again. He waited for your signal to proceed, and when he saw it, he took a bite. His eyes lit up in a way that made you believed he was eating an exotic fish. "This is...good," he said in astonishment. "What restaurant is this from?"

"The convenient store." you chuckled. "Tell your chauffeur to get some for you after school."

"Or you could bring some for me tomorrow," he suggested slyly.

"Whatever." You got back to the proposal while he picked up his book. After quite some time, no words were exchanged and he could no longer hear pencil grinding against the paper. When he peeked out from his book, he found your head laying on your arms on the table. Closing his book quietly, he reclaimed his spot next to you and laid his head flat on the cool surface. Being this close to you, he saw all the details of your face. Your small eyelashes, dark circles, light rosy cheeks, ocean lips. Looking at you now, he couldn't understand why he thought you as plain. His heart rate relaxed, and he allowed his eyes to shut for just a second.

***

The boys thought something was wrong when their leader asked them to go to class, but looking at the sight in front of them, they understood. Namjoon's arm was wrapped around your shoulder and your faces were inches apart. It was the closest they have ever seen Namjoon around a girl who wasn't clinging onto him. A new sight. Yoongi cleared his throat loudly. The noise made you scrunch your nose and when you opened your eyes, you almost scream at the distance and the fact that his arm was around you. Namjoon also woke up and scrambled in the other direction. The boys laughed.

"So this is what you had been doing all afternoon," Seokjin teased.

"Looks like someone had fun," Jungkook continued. You didn't know who it was directed to, either way, you felt ashamed for letting your guard down and allow anyone, especially him, to see you in this state. Namjoon noticed your stress and told the boys to stop. It didn't make you feel any better. You grabbed your backpack and walked towards the door.

"Y/N, wait," Namjoon called. He headed in your direction. The boys took a step back, observing. "Give me your hand."

"Why?" you asked roughly. He got the feeling that you were upset with him, you must have thought getting caught like this was part of his fun. It wasn't. When you didn't move, he pulled your hand out and put your bracelet back on you. Having it on again made you feel like you could finally breathe. You swallowed a thank, and ran out the door.

Namjoon sighed, wanting to call you back. Maybe it was the game, but he hadn't slept so well in so long."I didn't want it to turn out like this." he said to himself.

"What, hyung?" Jimin asked.

"Nothing."

Taehyung came up from behind, placing a hand on Namjoon's shoulder. "Remember, this is a game."

The elder nodded, "Of course I won't forget." he mumbled, eyes still lingering on the doors. "Playing the game is my only objective here."