Base - Jikook

2: Take a Chance

Jungkook closed his eyes and opened them again. It was still there. The small sheet of paper that announced that Park Jimin was searching for a base. Straining his eyes, he tried to read the smaller print underneath the one liner that told the main story. Apparently, it did not matter which department the base was from. Jungkook read again just to make sure he did not misunderstand that.

"Park Jimin? THE Park Jimin?" Hoseok asked next to him with raised eyebrows.

"Yeah," was all Jungkook could breathe out. This was his chance.

"Dude, that's your chance!" his best friend cheered and slapped his back. "Go get your guy!"

"Sht," he hissed at his friend. Becoming Park Jimin's base, fine, letting the whole school know that he was gay, not good. Ballet might be used to the stigma, but he was in hip hop, for god's sake. The others would never let it go.

"Okay, okay," Hoseok whispered with raised hands. "But honestly, go get him. This is the one opportunity you've been lamenting about all those months."

Jungkook's face twitched. "Don't make me sound so pathetic."

"You are pathetic," his friend deadpanned. "But it's fine now. Just spare me the details, O.K.?"

Jungkook groaned and grabbed his friend's neck to pull him out of the crowd that was hoarding around the announcement board. "I won't be sleeping with him," he whisper-growled.

"But you want to," Hoseok taunted although Jungkook still had a tight grip on his nape. He grunted noncommittal, trying not let the dirty scenes of his dreams play out in his mind. He could be better than that. He would earn it.

"I bet he's super flexible," Hoseok said when Jungkook finally let go of him.

"You fucking-"

With a giggle his friend ran off and vanished in the crowd of students.

Well, time to watch some ballet to get a proper idea of being a base. He could not embarrass himself if he wanted this to work out.

><

Jungkook's heart was hammering against the inside of his ribcage like it wanted to jump out of his chest. He was sitting outside the studio with the handful of other candidates who were willing to try their luck, and to his discouragement they all looked like ballet or contemporary dancers and they were dressed in skintight outfits that made Jungkook's skin crawl while at the same time he felt intimidated. They all stood straight and gracefully, and he was here in his training joggers and a billowy t-shirt.

To his defense, he had come straight from practice and had at least exchanged his sweat-soaked shirt with a fresh one. That still did not protect him from the confused side-glances.

"Gentlemen," a stern-looking woman said through the gap in the door that had opened. "We will begin the assessment now. One after the other, please. We'll start with Mr. Kim Namsong."

Said man vanished behind the door and the silent torture continued.

After Kim Namsong came Kim Dongkyul, then Kim Samyong, Choi San, and finally Jungkook. The last suitor who would follow after him gave him a small smile and a nod, and for some reason that was enough to calm Jungkook's heart. He had the blessing of a ballet-contemporary-whatever student and that must mean something.

"You are?" the lady asked as if she had not just called him in.

"Jeon Jungkook," he answered confused.

He eyebrows furrowed when she scanned him top to bottom. "Which department?"

"Hip hop, streetstyle," he replied, and the lady's face told him everything he needed to know. She did not trust him to do this.