Seokjin was avoiding him, Namjoon could feel it.
He was watching the candidates practice for the upcoming talent portion of the competition, the grand idea of it all coming from none other than the country's princess.
Another idea had also come to Geong Min's mind: making all the candidates participate in a group number together. So now the candidates spent most of the hours of the day rehearsing.
The King decided to come out of pure curiosity, also because he wanted to see Seokjin. He hated having to wait till night time to see him.
Perhaps there was some sort of magic to it? After the kiss last night, Namjoon felt the need to see Seokjin every minute of the day.
He had to admit that he had wanted to initiate last night's kiss himself, but had felt that it would've seen like he was abusing his power. He also had the doubt if Seokjin would like it.
So when Seokjin pressed his lip to his...he had more than willing to receive and give back.
And when the pink haired male sighed against him, he lost it.
It had been an embarrassingly messy kiss. Not surprising though considering that Namjoon wasn't an experienced kisser. The one with Seokjin had been his first and despite the awkwardness of them trying to do it properly it had been everything he had wanted it to be.
Once they stopped to catch their breath, Seokjin had apologized and left running. Namjoon had thought it was cute, knowing the other must be shy about it.
Now, however, he was wondering if maybe Seokjin was regretting it?
He's been watching the candidates practice for about two hours now, yet Seokjin hasn't looked at him once. In fact, he was originally in a spot where he could closely observe the pink haired man, but Seokjin had moved to the other side of the studio.
He doesn't complain though. Geong Min had brought in a great choreographer, and the choreo for the show was rather fun to watch.
Even though he doesn't know much about dancing, he noticed a few candidates who were rather good at it, professionals even. Park Jimin is one, Jung Hoseok another. Both have very unique dance styles, one moved with strong, powerful moves, the other moved gracefully.
Geong Min was giddy about those two. She said she wanted to prepare a special performance featuring those two. "Something sexy", she had said.
His sister sure was something else.
She had even somehow managed to convince Namjoon, Jungkook and Yoongi to participate with a performance of their own.
Namjoon didn't understand why he agreed. He hadn't heard of a King entertaining his subjects since King Louis XIV of France back in the 1600s.
When the news got out, he had been expecting negative reactions. What he got was the complete opposite. The people were ecstatic to see the royal family perform.
He would have to pull something out of his sleeve for the performance, but all he could think about right now was of how Seokjin looked as if he would faint at any minute.
"I know we're doing this to eliminate some contestants," Yoongi says next to him as he watched them, "but at this rate isn't Namjoon's favorite going to be eliminated?"
What Yoongi meant was that Seokjin just wasn't at the same level as some of the others. It took him quite a while to learn the first few parts of the choreography and even more time to perform it at a decent level.
"Well at least he tries," Jungkook adds, trying to help. They've been at it for about six hours now and Seokjin has finally managed to memorize the whole choreography. "He's not as good as the others, but he's willing to try. I'm sure he'll get there eventually."
"Do talent competitions usually give you a prize for trying?" The general asks drolly.
"Shut up," Namjoon spats waving it off. "He'll be fine."
It was to say that Seokjin definitively did not feel fine.
It was incredible how completely out of breath he is, how much sweat is dripping down his body and how every muscle in his body aches as if a herd of cows had stepped on him.
Currently, he is on the floor gasping for air. Tae was running to get him a bottle of water while Hoseok and Jimin were massaging down his arms and legs.
"Hoseok," the elder gasps, his pink hair drenched in sweat, "I'm not going to make it. Take care of Tae for me please."
Hoseok rolls his eyes. How rude. "Hyung, you're not going to die."
"Sure feels like it."
"I got water!" Taehyung exclaims, running over and handing Jin the bottle.
The pink hair male basically yanks it out of his hands and chugs it down. Jimin watches, a worried look on his face. "Hyung, maybe you should ask to skip the next session."
"He'd have to come back tomorrow and work twice as hard," Tae concurs, helping his brother sit up against the mirror. "No point on him coming back tomorrow night with twice the will to die."
"I can do it," Seokjin replies confidently, his breath evening out. "I can keep going. Just need to lay here for about ten more minutes."
"Is he okay?" Someone asks behind them.
The four men turn around. The Prince is eyeing Seokjin on the ground, his expression seeming worried.
"He's fine," Taehyung replies rather curtly. "Just needs to rest a bit."
Jungkook nods, not very reassured. He placed a hand on the younger Kim's shoulder, "And um," a blush was slowly rising on his face, "are you okay too?"
Taehyung just nods, takes a step back. Jungkook brings his hand down. Plays it cool. Tries to at least. "Alright. Let me know if you need anything."
Jimin watches the prince walk away. "I think he likes you, Tae," he pipes up once the Prince was at a good distance from them.
Taehyung glances at the raven-haired male, Jimin's brows were pressed together. Taehyung grabs his hand, pats it in his palm. "Nah," he tells him, "He's just weird, Jiminie."
Jimin doesn't let it go.
"I'm pretty sure he was trying to flirt with you."
"You call that flirting?" Hoseok asks, laughing at the thought.
The black haired boy smacks him on the arm. "He may not be very good at it, but he was definitely trying!" Jimin protests. "You can't blame him for being awkward. He's probably never interacted much with anyone other than his siblings."
"Well his noona is probably the same, but look at her," Hoseok said. He pointed to where the Princess was laughing away with a few candidates, touching their sweaty biceps and giggling away. "It's funny when you remember that some candidates here are Bi or Pan, so some of those guys really could be into her."
Jimin doesn't say anything. His eyes are still narrowed towards the prince. "He was definitely flirting," he mutters. "I'm sure of it."
Hoseok and Jin share a look between them. Taehyung is the one to step in and hugs little Jimin from behind and pats his head. "Forget it Jiminie. He's probably just being nice cause Jin-hyung is my brother." Taehyung smiles. "He'll be my brother-in-law too if Jin-hyung marries the king."
Hoseok frowns. "Why would he be nice to you because of Jin-hyung?"
Taehyung and Seokjin share a look. They haven't really told their friends yet. Sort of waiting for the right moment since things weren't really set in stone yet. Luckily for them, the dance instructor calls everyone into formation once again.
The next set of practice was just as tiring. The choreography was intense, body rolls, quickstep, positioning, Seokjin felt like he was going to die.
He almost jumped for joy when they finished for the day. Then he remembered he still had to make food so that it could be ready for Taehyung tomorrow.
"You should shower first," Hoseok suggests as the two Kim brothers were led to their room.
It was normal for them to be safely escorted to their rooms by the guards at the end of the day. This moment was no different. Only this time, Hoseok doesn't really recognize the female soldier. He does recognize one of the two male soldiers. He had been there the day Hoseok and the other's were being drafted. Hoseok has also noticed the guy making certain advances towards Jin.
He doesn't like that guy. They usually avoided him. Hoseok made sure to especially keep the others away from him and the other male, they kept sending weird looks their way.
Once the Kim brothers went inside the guards moved to escort them one by one. Hoseok's room was next to Jimin's both of them about three buildings behind Jin and Tae's. The guards behind them were muttering something, but Hoseok was too busy chatting with Jimin.
Hoseok says goodnight to Jimin as they approach his room. The black haired boy nods and looks for his card with the keypad code to enter. He fumbles for it in his pocket before he pulled it out.
It falls to the ground. Jimin mumbles a low "Sorry" and bends down to get it.
That's when Hoseok saw it.
One of the guards groped Jimin's butt.
The small boy jumps. The three guards laugh, saying it was an accident.
Jimin sheepishly smiles and shakingly presses the code onto the door's keypad, yanking it open and sliding inside without saying goodnight to Hoseok.
Hoseok doesn't wait for the guards.
He darts to his room. The guards started whistling at him, one of them shouting some things that Hoseok was sure they weren't allowed to say.
The room was within reach. He had a hard time pressing the right numbers on the keypad. It finally the door dings and unlocks, he sighs in relief.
Until he felt a hand on his butt and then felt it slide forward.
"Are you mad at me, Seokjin?"
Jin jumps at the new voice in the kitchen, letting out an embarrassing squeal. After he got escorted to his room he had showered and went straight to the kitchen. The King hadn't been inside when he poked his head it and Seokjin had just sighed in relief and began cooking when that deep voice startled him out of nowhere.
"Sorry," Namjoon says as he helps Seokjin pick up a few condiments that he had dropped. "I didn't mean to startle you."
"No, no. It's not your fault," the elder replies. "I'm just easily frightened."
"Oh," Namjoon says, "I see." They set the condiments on the countertop and fell into an uncomfortable silence.
Namjoon was the first to speak up. "Seokjin if I did anything to upset you, then I am sorry. But if this is about the kiss from last night then let me be the first to say that I liked it and even wouldn't mind doing that again."
Seokjin could feel the heat rush to his face. He couldn't believe how brutally honest this man was.
He looks away, not wanting the other to see his blush. "I'm not mad," he whispers, turning his attention back to the meal he must cook. "I...I just don't know how to act after that..."
"You're embarrassed." It was a statement, not a question and Seokjin could basically hear the King's smug smile.
"Yes." He admits. "I'm not used to kissing someone so suddenly."
"Oh. So you're used to taking your time to kiss them?"
Seokjin turns on him, his mouth opened in shock at the statement. Namjoon eyes him with a very playful look. "What?" The King asks. "Or perhaps you're not used to kissing at all."
He doesn't answer. Namjoon felt himself smiling even wider. The king leans in, resting his head on the elder's shoulder.
"W-what are you doing?"
"Am I your first kiss, Jin?"
He sees Seokjin's ears grow red. That was basically his answer.
"Well, you're my first kiss too."
At that, Seokjin snorts. "No way," he says, all of a sudden laughing. Then he catches Namjoon's serious gaze and his brows shoot up. "I-I am?" Namjoon nods. Seokjin frowns. "I don't believe you."
The other laughs at that. "Why not?"
"You can't look like that," -he uses the spoon in his hand to point up and down Namjoon's body- "and say you've never kissed before."
Namjoon hums a bit at his logic. "If you put it that way, then I don't believe you either."
Seokjin wants to protest, even opens his mouth to do so, but closes it as he realizes that Namjoon basically just threw his logic out the window. He says nothing, just turns his back on the king who gives a light chuckle in response.
Despite the feel of defeat, Seokjin found himself smiling. A giddy feeling in his stomach as the other's previous words echoed in his head, his ears turning a bit pink from it.
He was the King's first kiss.
No.
He was Namjoon's first kiss.
Hoseok has been standing awkwardly at the office door for a good ten minutes now. After the whole incident with the guards, he had ran out of his room as soon as there was no one left in the hallways.
Despite reaching his destination without anyone seeing him, he was still debating whether this was the right place to be.
"Whoever's out there, if you don't come in now I'm going to arrest you for being a creep."
Hoseok turns the knob and pushes the door.
Min Yoongi's brow raises itself slowly as Hoseok entered, probably because he was the last person the general expected to come knocking at his door at these hours of the night. Hoseok doesn't move from the entrance. He scans the office, last time he was here he really didn't pay much attention to anything. It was rather tidy, neat, a stack of papers on the man's desk, a few chairs, a couch and a. . .piano?
The thought of the Min Yoongi playing the piano was a strange one.
"What is it, Jung Hoseok?" The general asks, his voice low and intimidating, bringing Hoseok out of his thoughts.
Hoseok doesn't want to be a snitch. He knew it was hard enough for Jimin being manhandled, but for some reason, he was scared at speaking up.
What if he misunderstood?
What if it had been an accident?
What if he had misheard?
Then he remembered how dirty he felt because of that guard. How humiliated and used that simple touch caused him to feel.
To hell with it.
"One of your guards touched me, today." He thought he might need to be a bit more specific, "Sexually."
Yoongi raises a brow. Hoseok is now thinking it might've been a bad idea coming here. The General might not believe him. It was, after all, a very dangerous statement. "Who?" Yoongi asks.
"It was a tall one. She was in charge of escorting me to my room. She was also watching us during the dance practice today." Hoseok knows he's not being helpful with his description, but it's really all he knows. "Oh, I do know the name of the guard she was with though. Jin Hyosang."
The general scratches his chin, looks at the red-haired male attentively. Jung Hoseok's hands were balled up into a pair of shaky fists. His bottom lip looks like it was trembling a bit.
He doubted that Hoseok was lying.
"If I show a list that contains pictures of my soldiers would you be able to point her out?"
The look Hoseok gives him was almost laughable. He looks confused. As if he thought that the general wouldn't take action.
"What?" Yoongi asks. "Can you?" He starts opening the file on his computer.
Hoseok nods and walks into the office.