Before They Were Bulletproof // OT7 BTS FF x OC ᵖʳᵒˡᵒᵍᵘᵉ

1. Humble Beginnings

"Hey there, sorry didn't mean to startle you" He rubbed the back of his head.

"Is it okay if I sit here?" He questioned. Pausing for a moment for my response, still smiling lightly.

"Oh! Of course, it's okay! Go ahead," I quickly reply, returning his smile. The way he sat down and set his bag on the ground was mesmerising. Even the way he extended his hand out to shake mine.

"Thanks, I'm Jimin" his eyes connect with my own. I had to force myself not to get lost in them.

"Jia," I say, taking his hand in mine and giving it a brief shake before going to take out his notepad from his bag. Jimin has a cheeky air about him. It surprised me he'd so willingly sat next to me. Suddenly, someone else takes the seat beside Jimin. His vibes are stronger, not in the light way that Jimin came across, more of a cool customer.

"Tae?! What? Why are you here? Are you stalking me, Hm?" Jimin lightly laughed. They already knew each other. Tae gives him a mischievous look.

"Nooo. I wanted to surprise you so I didn't tell you we were in the same class" His expression smugly changed. I had to admit, his features were... really something else. He was slightly larger in frame than Jimin but, they both had good muscle definition. Wait, why the hell am I thinking about this?

"Ahh, you should have just told me! I was worried this class was going to be boring," Jimin laughed, hitting his shoulder playfully.

Tae's gaze fell to me, lingering for a moment. I did not know what emotion was behind them, but it was strong and it caused my chest to tighten. He'd perhaps noticed I was looking their way. But Jimin caught on, glancing back at me.

"Oh yeah. This is Jia" He added casually, as to introduce us.

Tae's flashed a faint smile, reaching over Jimin to shake my hand. The warmth of his palm lingered despite being brief. What started as one brand-new face had quickly turned into two. I didn't want to make it obvious. But I was feeling a bit self-conscious.

"I'm Tae-Hyung. Just call me Tae though, it's easier," he said, plopping back into his seat lazily.

"Sure. So, are you both friends from High School or?" I asked. Jimin tilted his head in my direction, running his hand through his hair.

"Was it Middle School? I can't remember," he feigned momentarily.

"We are both trainees at the same entertainment company. We also take the major in K-Culture together," he glanced back at Tae, who nodded in agreement. He is now taking things out of his bag as well.

"That's cool. Must be why you guys seem so close." I smile, moving on to tell them more about myself. "I'm a Communication Major. I was thinking of doing K-Culture, but I decided on Communications instead."

Tae looked up from his bag. They focused on me, perhaps wanting to know more. But there was something else that nagged at me.

From the corner of my eye, I noticed the girls from earlier. They were giving me side stares and gossiping about something out of earshot. Despite not being able to make out what was being said, experience had taught me a lot. It most likely wasn't anything pleasant, either.

I remember when I was in High School; in the beginning, many people didn't talk to me, gossiped or just blatantly made assumptions about me because of my looks. My features aren't completely Korean, my hair is blonde and my eyes are blue. You'd think that standing out would be a nice thing. But, it led to some horrible things happening...

I accidentally sigh. Turning back to the boys. Their gaze averts curiously towards the girls behind me.

"Huh? What happened? Do you know them?" Tae questioned. I shook my head. Jimin, on the other hand, had picked up on what was going on. He was sharper than he'd initially let on.