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Jungkook is that one student who doesn't want to stick out too much but falls captive to his curiosity with his major, which ends up with him shouting over his questions from the farthest seat at the back of the amphitheater. He believes his vocal cords have improved ever since the beginning of his junior year, just trying to get himself heard by the professor.
Notwithstanding, he is not enjoying the current situation where he is really doing his best to pose a particular question yet neither Dr. Yang nor other students are able distinguish the tone of his voice.
"Hold that thought, Jungkook. Give me a second." interrupts Dr. Yang with a wave, clearly annoyed by the megaphone announcement parroting on the hallways numerous times through the morning. Jungkook relaxes back into his seat and wanders his eyes over the little rectangle window pane on the door of the classroom. He sees a little baggage tractor decorated with colorful posters, someone holding a megaphone maneuvering it while endlessly announcing.
"Costumed mascot raffle season for Gidae University, the guy's voice echoes. Put your applications in earlier than tomorrow morning! Good luck to everyone! Costumed mascot raffle season for Gidae University. Put your applications-"
"Do you guys think I should make a complaint to the security? Or secretary?" Dr. Yang asks the class in desperation, fanning her face excessively with a notebook. She is frustrated and Jungkook assumes she doesn't need to hear the rest of his earlier question. He retreats, bulging eyes fixating on his lap and lips pressing shut.
Nope, she doesn't.
"The annoucement speakers are not working today from what I heard? That's probably why they got a truck to circulate on the halls." A female student from the front rows speaks. Dr Yang shakes her head and waves her arms expressing the what-am-I-supposed-to-do-then frustrain of thought although she ends up not saying anything. She puts down her notebook and closes the lecture Powerpoint in one swift move.
"Well you guys will have to do the rest of the reading at home because we can't continue under these circumstances. If you have any questions about the material feel free to email me, we can do an online session later if you want."
Class is dismissed.
Regardless of how intrigued he was with the first ever made advertisement in history, Jungkook appreciates a class off. He is one of the lasts to exit the class since his bag is unpacked with stationary sprawled across the desk unlike the majority who sat at the edges of their seats ready to dissipate as soon as lecture ended.
He takes his time heading out, halting upon the image of the truck from earlier failing to fit inside the floor elevator.
He runs over on impulse.
"Hey, hey, be careful!"
The announcer boy is grateful for Jungkook's presence, welcoming his help. The truck is guided inside the elevator with ease and the student can resume with the work.
"Thank you for your help. Oh, and don't forget to sign up for the Mascot Raffle if you haven't already!" He smiles lastly, throwing a yellow flyer through the crack before the elevator doors shut closed on him.
"Yeah," Jungkook mutters, catching piece of paper with a funny smile, finding the student's passion amusing for such a random job. But then the school mascot raffle has always been a thing during the sports season in Gidae, stirring up the whole university when the Winter National University Games approach. It's Jungkook's first time witnessing it, since he's a freshman.
Even if his questions aren't heard over the loudness of the speaker sometimes, Jungkook supposes he likes the commotion, the excitement of an extra-curricular activity enliven the student community.
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Yoongi is in the middle of making a point when Jungkook invades the space next to him in the cafeteria zone where he's lounging with Jin. He assumes it wasn't the best time to interrupt when he observes the opposing vibes circulating in the air: while Jin looks dead from exhaustion, Yoongi combusts with energy like the tale he is telling is the dopest story in the history of dope stories — oh.
"You should never let your guards down when it comes to writing papers, Seokjin hyung. Don't be like the French; one strategy isn't going to help you succeed, no matter how strong you believe it to be!"
Jin disdainfully shrinks into the couch the more that he listens, eyes begging into Jungkook's in a silent a salvation call. Jungkook spaces out a little, unsure of how he's supposed to distract Yoongi without getting caught.
"Isn't it, Jungkookie?" calls Yoongi on cue, throwing an arm around Jungkook's neck and playfully ruffling his hair. He is in great mood, Jungkook can tell from the way his gums show behind his smile.
The hyung is seriously obsessed with the damn story. It's goosebump-raising every time it surfaces.
"Yup," Jungkook smiles back warmly, peering up at Yoongi through his eyelashes gaily. "We should learn from the warring Germans, find a smart way to hack into every system. Because there is no such thing as perfection as we can learn from the Maginot Line failure."
Yoongi's smile falters for a bit, and Jungkook swears his heart shatters with it. He couldn't have messed up the story, he is confident he knows it by heart now! Hell everyone around Yoongi has memorized it by now.
But then Yoongi is pulling him to his chest abruptly, wiping an imaginary tear from his left eye. "Can't believe the baby learned so well Seokjin."
Jin physically face-palms, figure disappearing from where he completely slides down the couch. Jungkook grins proudly, ditching Jin's earlier save-me call because every praise coming from Yoongi is a 'touchdown' in itself, referencing to sports the main theme of the day with that.
"Oh, right," Jungkook blinks. "Did you guys see the mascot raffle truck go around school? Is it already time for the nationals?"
Yoongi swallows his ice americano sip with a delicious lip pop, finger supporting his chin as his eyes fixate into distance. Jungkook blinks again in distraction, trying to locate the point at which Yoongi is so deeply focused on. Add to that that comical expression on his face, like he is trying not to smile but he knows something. He is not even sure if Yoongi is listening to him.
"Did I just hear 'mascot'?"
Jungkook jumps on his seat, holding back a scream. Jin is sitting on his right side like he didn't just ghost out of nowhere.
"What the hell, Jin hyung!"
"Jungkook-ah." Yoongi waves his hand like it's not a big deal, signing with his eyes for Jungkook to sit back and listen. Jungkook can't process what just happened, still clutching his thumping heart as Yoongi leans into his ear cautiously. "How much exactly do you know about the mascot raffle?"
Jungkook tries waking himself up. "Why are you guys whispering, the truck has literally been screaming at the halls- "
"Sush! Are you trying to get us caught?!" Jin hits him hard in the arm, after which Jungkook turns into a filling of Yoongi and Jin sandwich bodies who are suffocating him to decease.
"We can't do this here. It's too dangerous." Yoongi scans around.
"Think it's time to let him know?" Jin peeks over.
Yoongi sucks his teeth, closing his eyes for a brief in hopes of catching some inspiration. After what seems like forever he apologizes for almost falling asleep and without giving Jin the opportunity to smack him, agrees on the 'letting him know' part.
Jungkook only remembers the wind hit his face as he is kidnapped across the campus buildings.
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"We gather here today to officially initiate Project Resurrection. Thank you for attending, everyone."
"Of course."
"Yeah, no problem Yoongs."
"I told you not to call me Yoongs, Minji."
"Slip of the tongue, Yoongs."
Jin catches Yoongi before an accident happens, windshield-wiper-laughing the tension off the table as he turns all attention to Jungkook to the best of his ability, because at this rate Jungkook is going to snap into his monster persona and tooth every piece of meat he catches on these scammer bodies.
The same fucking five-people committee of the Secret Services sit accross Jungkook with nimbus smiles, ready to finally let Jungkook know of their marvelous plan to save his channel. Project Resurrection, they call it; Jungkook has to bite back a condescending laugh at the idiom choices. As if he was gone with, done for, deceased from the YouTube world or something. He just needed some goddamn inspiration which he is sure (a little) he would get if he waited long enough and these guys decided to play hero for him.
"I'm listening," he announces after everybody stares at each other like time has frozen.
Jin is the one to clear his throat, starting after he gets permission from the committee.
"You must have heard about the mascot raffle Jeon Jungkook-ssi."
Jungkook refuses to answer that question. He will not answer any damn question he knows Jin already knows the answer to. But then that wasn't exactly a question. Hm.
"Well, the Secret Services committee and myself wanted to aim for something big to enliven your channel. We decided to come up with a series that will be unlike any other, something that will tune in the spectators to their screens whenever a new episode drops."
Jungkook doesn't want to get ahead of himself yet but he can't help his insides from tingling either. Jin is working his magic in the art of alluring using speech and Jungkook is letting himself fall for it, because it has been such a long while since he felt excited about doing anything... It was never just about the YouTube channel, was it?
"The mascot raffle is going to be our trump card," Jin smiles smartly, voice raising in confidence the more that he explains. He thanks the shady-looking boy (Jungkook still doesn't trust that boy) for handing him a paper with a chart drawing on it, going back to explaining. "There is exactly a month until the Winter National University Games begin. February 1st, that is. Our university will be participating in the basketball games as every year, since we have a pretty competent team."
Jungkook remembers reading on Gidae's official webpage that they have actually never lost a basketball match in the Winter Games to any university, yielding as the champion in that area every past consecutive three years that they participated. It's a record in the history of basketball nationals held between universities. The impressive article had left such an impression on Jungkook that he had quickly warmed up to Gidae University, immediately considering it as a top choice just last year when he was choosing between higher education institutions to attend.
Not that he plays basketball or anything. (Not that he wouldn't nail basketball if he wanted to, or anything too but ok.)
It just sounded... cool to be in a winner university!
"Naturally, the mascots for games in universities are chosen by a recruitment procedure. But Gidae University makes a raffle, just to make things fun for students. Students who want to become the mascot for the Winter Nationals apply through an online system and the system randomly chooses a student to become the mascot of that year."
Yoongi interrupts. "Not even the university professors or rector know who that student is."
Jin nods, thankful for the input.
Jungkook is a little confused now. He didn't know that much about the mascot raffle. He just knew it was a raffle for students who wanted to become the mascot but he had no idea the chosen mascot was kept that secretive!
"Um... I don't get the point?" He asks a little timidly. "Why does the mascot have to be a secret?"
"Because it's more fun like that!" Minji speaks cheerfully. "Since this secret mascot thing started, we have been having a blast at the celebrations in the Nationals! Once our basketball team wins and it's time to celebrate, selected mascot tries to outdo the mascot from the previous year and they only remove their mask at the very end of their performance!"
Yoongi cackles, too joyful. "The guy from last year literally brought a girl group and made a dance performance with them. After he revealed his face Gidae players carried him around the stadium until they ran out of energy."
"A-Pink, to be precise," Jin snaps his fingers.
Wow.
Jungkook feels like he knows too little about his own university now that they catch him up with the traditions.
"Guess who is going to be the mascot for this year?
Jungkook stares dumb.
The committee stares back at him.
They grin, dreamy smiles on their eyes.
"Guys," Jungkook holds his hands forward, too soon to jump into something he didn't know even existed a minute ago. "I can't. I mean, what the hell am I supposed to prepare?! I don't know any celebrities to invite, let alone have any talent for anything!"
"Are you serious." Yoongi and Jin deadpan on him.
Jungkook rolls his eyes, getting ready to object but he's cut short.
"Jungkook You sing,"
"You dance,"
"You rap,"
"You draw,"
"You bowl,"
"You wrestle,"
"You video-edit,"
"You game,"
"You run,"
"You- "
"God, stop it!" Jungkook butts in forcefully, face burning red under the praises. "I j-just do those things once in a while, I'm not good at them like that."
"That is the blackest lie I've heard," Yoongi clicks his tongue, eyes surveying Jungkook up and down threateningly. "You are like best the representation of a German mindset in face of the Maginot Line barricade which, remind you, is- "
"Yaishhh, enough with the damn story!" Jin snaps this time, hands slapping at the table harsh enough to send chills to Jungkook's own skin from where he's sitting. He breathes, parting his eyes from Yoongi's daringly as he directs a fast smile at Jungkook. "You get the point. We will help you prepare a huge show. And we will vlog the whole preparations, release them episode by episode. People will wanna watch the channel of the biggest mascot show-maker in history! Ta-daa!"
Jungkook is smiling, wholeheartedly. He kind of regrets not trusting them from the beginning, this is actually a super good idea. He is still not sure what kind of performance he could put as the mascot but he can envision him and the team coming up with crazy ideas!
"Guys, wait." His brain suddenly clicks, eyes retorting at the committee members. "This is... this is a goddamn raffle! How can you be sure that I'll be selected, hell I still haven't even submitted an application!"
A heavy silence settles to the room.
Jungkook doesn't like it, especially when Yoongi is brushing some inexistent crumbs off his shirt and Jin is grinning at him sheepishly.
"Well..." Yoongi coughs, brieftly staring up at Jungkook. "We're going to hack into the system and make sure you're selected."
Now this is the Secret Services team Jungkook knows. Fucking frauds, little double-dealers who put Jungkook's ass into trouble and embarrassed him in front of the entire school that first time-
Breathes, Jungkook.
"Look man it's not as crazy as it sounds," the shady guy interrupts for the first time, sliding his sunglasses down the bridge of his nose nonchalantly. Jungkook can't even believe he is daring to include himself in the conversation right now. "It's just a little IT work. Doubt the raffle system is even that immune."
Jungkook is getting pissed.
"Once we make sure to direct the system to your account, we can start making preparations for the show! It's going to be great!" Nerdy girl is also involving herself now, and Jungkook has reached his limits.
He stands up.
"You are telling me that you made me sign a goddamn contract and took my money to get me a potential criminal record. Am I getting this right?"
"No, we are not promising you a criminal record, Zeus." Yoongi follows suit, getting on his feet too.
"And I am not trusting this Shabby Shack to do none of that little IT work," Jungkook twists his mouth mockingly.
Mentioned dude has his finger up to protest but Jin is quick in springing up from his seat too, sighing in loud annoyance. "Who the hell told you that he is going to do the hacking, Jungkook?!"
Jungkook is breathing heavily, eyes locked into Jin's in determination of fighting back when he realizes Jin has a point.
"Then who? You?"
Jin rolls his eyes, walking across the room to sit Jungkook back in his chair from the shoulders. When Jungkook plops down he leans at Jungkook's right ear from the back, silently eyeing the committee for a few seconds. Jungkook is about to end everything right there however in a swift move Jin slides him to the center of the U-shaped table, at which instance Jungkook finds himself surrounded by the members all at once.
"There is this hacker dude," Jin whispers from behind, and again, Jungkook almost jumps because when the hell did Jin move to the left?!
"He is the best this university has seen," Yoongi continues, eyes wide open but just as small as he paints a scenery on air with his palms. Jungkook gulps.
"He hacked into Gidae's contact system once and directed all the incoming calls to a McDonalds, so for two days straight nobody could access the university," Nerdy-looking girl slightly raises from her seat, elbows sliding forward on the table as she explains secretively to Jungkook. He really needs to get her name at this point.
"Every veteran in Gidae knows him, but no-one speaks about his existence," Minjae bites her lip erotically, shaking her head to the sides slowly like she is having an... fuck, what the fuck?!
"Why does noone speak about him then?" Jungkook asks subconsciously quiet, only noticing he is tranced after the members quietly lean back at their seats, their gazes all over the ceiling.
Jungkook sighs.
"Guys, why does noone speak about him then, I asked."
He hears a blab of incoherent words from his left, which is supposed to be the nerdy girl... who is blowing at her nails? Jungkook could believe it wasn't her if he didn't trust his ears.
Same thing happens again, but this time from the direction of Yoongi, who Jungkook is sure spoke up if it weren't for his detached attitude. What crumbs is he looking for on that shirt of his all day?!
"Hwsspndd."
"Jin hyung that was you!" Jungkook jumps around, finding Jin totally immersed in the worn out corner of the wooden desk more than his words. Jungkook is done. "If you guys don't tell me what is going on in two, I'm leaving."
No one speaks.
Huh.
Fine! Jungkook will play their game! He holds up a fist on the air, threateningly stretching his lips as he slowly unfolds a finger.
"One."
There still is no movement.
"Two," he hastily says and without even breathing attempts a flight out of the room but the same dead room is suddenly bustling with protesting voices, ends of words being musically stretched to give the whining effect, arms pulling at him until he is sat back at his chair by force and there are five heads surrounded from above, looking down at him.
He raises an eyebrow.
"So?"
"Don't freak out," Jin cracks a smile. "But he... was suspended after that prank. So we'll have to find him and convince him to do the hacking for us."
Jungkook is done here.
Cussing at the members, he forces himself out of their hold, returning back to his backpack which he tries getting in order as the members beg him not to leave and to trust them, dictating statistics of proof that it will work out and shoving pictures of the hacker dude to get him to stay-
Wait.
Everything blurs for a few eternal seconds as Jungkook's eye accidentally catches on the picture ruffling on the air in slow motion.
Slow motion.
It's him, the slow-mo video boy, lingering-look soulmate, spirit smile, blond goddess... fuck, this is...
Jungkook grabs the paper promptly, halting everybody's movement. All eyes are fixated on him as he looks and looks to make sure he's not wrong.
"This, is this the hacker dude?" He asks, feeling his voice shake and heart stutter as he depends his life on the movement of Jin's lips.
Jin parts them.
"Yeah," he says slowly, escaping little breath vapors as he waits for Jungkook to react.
Jungkook tries to swallow, this time focusing his attention on Yoongi's eyes.
"Hyung."
Yoongi tilts his head.
"Hyung," Jungkook repeats again, blinking a few times to escape the blur of Yoongi's image from his eyes. When he is sure he can clearly see he goes on. "What's his name?"
There is a beat of silence before Yoongi's voice echoes in the room.
"Jimin... He's Park Jimin."