--
"You can't be serious." Taehyung sighed as he packed a few notebooks into his bag. A few loose pages fell out, Jungkook able to see some of Taehyung's messy handwriting scrawled across them before the older picked them up. "You have no classes today Jungkook, go do something."
"Hyung.." Jungkook huffed standing up and rubbing his hands against his bare arms in attempt to warm himself up. "I've already told you, I prefer it here."
"Jungkook." Taehyung's voice was stern as he walked a few steps closer to the younger. "At least go out and get yourself a coffee. Look at these dark circles, do you even sleep?" He prodded at Jungkook's face, the other swatting his hands away half-heartedly. "And look how pale you are! What, have you gotten two minutes of sunlight in your entire life?"
"I just like staying inside." Jungkook's voice was soft, something Taehyung had learned to adapt to in his time as the younger's roommate. "I don't see the big deal."
"The big deal is that your university years are said to be some of the best in your life! I don't want to just sit back and watch you waste away in our room." Taehyung fished around in his back pocket until he pulled out a small sum of money. "This is about 7,000 won, there's a coffee shop on campus. Go get yourself a warm drink and something to eat, at least."
Jungkook nodded softly, wide-eyed as Taehyung handed the money over to him.
"Taehyung-Hyung.. You don't need to, I could buy something myself." He countered, the older shaking his head and slipping on his shoes.
"Think of it as a gift from me." He pulled his hair back into one of the baseball caps on the hooks near their door. "I've got to get to class, I'll see you in a few hours alright?"
"You're not going to a party tonight?" Jungkook asked, Taehyung shrugging and leaning against the doorframe.
"Not that I know of." He replied. "Yoongi-Hyung said that he's basically run dry in the alcohol department after the party a few nights ago. Although, I wouldn't mind if he bought some more and through another one. It wouldn't be to bad meeting up with his roommate again."
Jungkook bit his lip, raising an eyebrow.
"Park Jimin?" He asked, Taehyung nodding and allowing his lips to curl into a smirk.
"Yeah, him." He chuckled softly. "You know him?"
"Not personally." Jungkook replied, toying with the coins in his hand. "He's an art major, and I'm taking the second year visual arts course, remember?"
Taehyung hummed in approval.
"Oh, so he's in your class then." He spoke, Jungkook nodding. "But you've never talked to him?" The younger shook his head. "Yeah, I expected as such."
Taehyung sighed softly, waving lazily towards his roommate before stepping out the door and closing it behind him.
Jungkook looked down at the money in his hands once more, huffing before stuffing it into his pocket. Taehyung was the only friend he could really say he had, and yet he still felt guilty with the older's money in his pocket. Taehyung was too nice, towards someone like him.
It's not like Taehyung didn't have a reputation to uphold, he was well known on campus. More than Jimin, even. The thing with Jimin was although he was attractive, unless he was drunk he wasn't very outgoing.
He kept to himself, despite having girls and guys alike drooling over him.
Taehyung was the opposite. He was attractive, Jungkook wouldn't lie. But the thing was, Taehyung knew. He was walking confidence; wearing chokers for all of the double-takes, and eyeliner for all of the stares. You could basically see it in the way that he walked that he revelled in the gazes on him.
He was the life of the party as well, mostly everyone hoping that they'd go home with him when the party was over.
So then why was he being so nice to Jungkook?
Sure, they were roommates, but Taehyung was excessively nice. Offering for him to meet his friends, lending him money, making sure he was eating well.. Taehyung was like his older brother.
Jungkook sighed, shaking the thoughts out of his head as he tied a scarf around his neck, the marks were still there after all, he was surprised Taehyung didn't notice them. He tugged on a hoodie and a beanie as well, deciding that he would need it considering that it was late November.
He glanced at his bag for a moment, before picking it up and slinging it over his shoulder. His sketchbook was in there as well as some pencils, maybe he could find inspiration outside. Jungkook had what could be called 'artist's block' recently. Nothing looked good, everything felt forced.
It was like he almost... Forgot how to draw. He didn't forget the fundamentals of course; such as anatomy, or proportions, he just forgot how to put feeling into it. How to feel joy when he flicked the paintbrush, or put emotion into each pencil stroke.
And that scared him. Art was one of Jungkook's only outlets besides the ways of his lighter, and there was a definite distinction as to which one was better for him.
He shook his head once more, trying to clear his thoughts as he slipped his shoes on. He was itching to spend some time with the lighter in his sweater pocket, but instead he stepped through the front door; hoping that he made the right decision as he closed it behind him.
-
"Just a medium black coffee, please."
Jungkook fidgeted slightly as he recited his order, eye contact becoming increasingly difficult with the barista in front of him. Maybe it was because he hardly interacted with anyone these days. Maybe it was because he could still remember her giggles as Taehyung pulled her into his room at the earliest hours of the morning.
It was probably a mixture of both.
"Is that all?" She asked, Jungkook nodding and fishing around in his pocket for the money Taehyung lent him. "It'll be 3000 won."
He quickly handed over the money after counting it, ready to walk away before she called him back. "You're a first year, right?"
Jungkook nodded hesitantly.
"You look it." She laughed softly, "What's your major?"
"Visual arts." Jungkook answered softly, tapping his fingers along his thigh. "I... I'm taking the second year course though."
The barista's eyebrows shot up.
"Oh, you're the one in Park's class aren't you?" She asked, elaborating when she caught onto Jungkook's confused expression. "Jimin. I heard him talking about the apparently really talented first year in his art course. Is that you?"
"Oh." Jungkook nodded. "Y-Yeah, I guess that's me." He hesitated, "I'm Jungkook."
The barista hummed in approval, sliding Jungkook's coffee across the counter. He sighed softly once he picked it up, the warmth of the cup spreading through his skin.
"I'm Heejin, have a good one." The barista smiled, Jungkook nodding and mirroring her expression as best as he could before walking off to an empty table.
He sighed, closing his eyes for a moment after he set his coffee down. That was why he didn't like meeting new people. It drained him emotionally.
He could basically feel the judgement in their gazes, the condescending connotation to their words, even if it wasn't intentional.
"You're a first year right? You look it."
What did she mean by that?
"I heard him talking about the apparently really talented first year in his art course."
Lies, lies, lies.
Someone like Jimin, wouldn't bring up someone like Jungkook in his everyday conversation. Someone like Jimin wouldn't compliment someone like Jungkook.
He sighed, opening his eyes once more and reaching into his bag to pick out his sketchbook, and whatever pencil may fall into his grasp. He took of the lid of his coffee, allowing the steam to dissipate in the air in hopes of it cooling down faster.
Jungkook opened up his sketchbook, eyes barely grazing over some of the drawings in it as he flipped to a blank page. He couldn't help but cringe as he heard the spine crack, flattening the pages out as best as he could.
Then, he looked around.
Who, or what, would spark inspiration in his mind?
The couple sharing in the back corner? The younger male looking like he was going to burst from happiness as the older pecked his cheek? No. Not today, at least. They were cute, Jungkook couldn't lie. Maybe, he would even say that he was jealous.
How about the girl sitting at one of the stools at the front counter? Faded pink hair pulled up into a bun on top of her head, eyebrows furrowed and glasses balancing on the tip of her nose as she scribbled something down in a notebook. No. She was definitely beautiful, but there was not spark of inspiration anywhere in Jungkook's dull mind.
He sighed, closing his eyes for a moment again, before opening them again, gaze directly on the table parallel to him. And God, how hadn't he noticed before?
Jungkook felt his heart flutter as his eyes on none other than Park Jimin himself, sipping a drink in one hand as writing something down with the other. A pair of wire framed classes donned his face, an accessory Jungkook had never seen on him before. His hair was messy, but the silver strands still glimmered in the sunlight that filtered through the window.
He didn't look real. How could someone so perfect live on the same earth that Jungkook did?
Jimin looked up, and Jungkook would swear that he felt his heart stop when they met gazes. It was only for a second though, because Jungkook's gaze was dropping back down to his page within moments of the slight encounter.
He picked up his drink, sipping at it carefully and making sure not to burn his tongue. The taste was bitter, but Jungkook learned to love it.
He riskily looked backed up, happy when he say that Jimin's gaze was on his papers again. Jungkook began with the eyes, he always did, it was a habit that he picked up and couldn't break. Jimin's eyes were so beautiful; sharp and mysterious. The rounded glasses around them added a whole other emotion that Jungkook couldn't explain.
When he looked up to perfect the curve of Jimin's nose and caught the older's gaze once more, he felt his face heat up, quickly looking out the window beside him as a form of escape plan.
He's staring. Jimin concluded, eyes still on the brunette as he finished off the coffee he ordered. Jimin could tell just by the fidgeting of his fingers, that he wanted to look back up, but was scared that they'd meet gazes again.
And they would, because Jimin wasn't looking away.
The wide eyed first year from his art course, Jimin didn't even know his name. Not his first name, at least. He had overheard his surname a few times when their professor was scolding him, and reminding him of the expectations in the course.
Jeon.
He had a much softer look to him, than much of the other guys on campus. Hair fluffy and feathery looking as it fell against his forehead, cheeks rounded, no piercings that Jimin could see.
He wondered if his personality was just as soft.
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