𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕥𝕦𝕣𝕖: 𝕤𝕖𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕞𝕓𝕖𝕣, 𝕪𝕖𝕒𝕣 𝟙𝟠

[lovestrippedbare]

The first day of school brings with it a torrent of sounds and colors, movement that spreads in every direction and leaves no ready path for the taking. Jungkook stands a distance back from the front gates of the school grounds, watching as his schoolmates arrive and filter indoors, most already gathering in groups that will join and break over the course of the next several months. He's always envied the ease with which so many of his peers seem to be able to find their kind — while Jungkook doesn't consider himself shy, the first step is always the hardest.

He grips to the strap of his backpack with one hand, and tightly clutches his sleeve with another, fabric bunched in his hands. The dress code at this school is more relaxed than middle school, but Jungkook clings gratefully to his brother's hand-me-downs, a simple starched white shirt and black jacket that are slightly too long for his frame. Even that is its own blessing, giving ample opportunity to cover a few healing bruises that Jungkook would rather avoid drawing attention to.

School starts in a few minutes. He should head inside. Find his classroom, make sure to pick a desk that isn't uneven, and a chair that doesn't squeak.

Chewing on his lower lip, Jungkook takes a breath and his first step, only to be interrupted by someone slamming into his shoulder. He stumbles, but catches himself quickly, glancing up in time to see a retreating figure and hear an apology fading into the noise.

Comments

[lovestrippedbare]

Jungkook blinks, wondering for a moment if this is some kind of trick, some game that's played with the first-years. He's typically not the most obvious target at first glance, no more gangling or thin than most of the others in his year, but sometimes Jungkook gets the sense that there are people who sense fear better than most.

But as quickly as it comes, the reservations pass. He can't live his whole life doubting the good in people.

With the decision made, a smile immediately spreads across his face, bright and guileless.

"Ah, yes, Taehyung-seonbae," he says, keeping carefully to polite speech and bowing his head even as he rummages through his backpack, quickly tugging the slightly rumpling schedule sheet from the front of his orientation papers. He holds it out with both hands. "Here."

[violenceinme]

It's strange, being called seonbae and being deferred to so carefully when Taehyung is so used to... well, not speaking to many of his dongsaengs, he supposes. He's hardly well respected at school, anyway; he considers telling Jungkook to lower his speech, but he knows it isn't proper. Wouldn't want to give him a heart attack.

The schedule is offered and he takes it using one hand only, tilting his head absently as he looks it over, face lighting up slightly.

"Ah. That was my old classroom. I can show you." He hands it back, tilting his head in the direction he starts to walk. "But we should probably go. Wouldn't want you to be late on your first day."

These are very strange words, coming from Taehyung, but Jeon Jungkook probably doesn't need to know that.

[lovestrippedbare]

Taehyung's steps are all the encouragement Jungkook needs to finally move from where he's been practically rooted to the ground, stumbling for the first second before he rushes to catch up. Jungkook isn't particularly short, but Taehyung's legs seem long in comparison. Or maybe he just walks with more confidence.

Either way, he's really cool.

"Ah, really? Did seonbae have my same teacher as well?" Jungkook asks, fumbling with his schedule and halfway tempted to simply stuff it in his pocket for expediency, but something tells him that walking into class with a crumpled schedule probably wouldn't do well for first impressions. "Thank you for helping me find my classroom, you really didn't have to, but I appreciate it."

[violenceinme]

"Mm, yes," Taehyung nods, laughing quietly. "Perhaps it's best if I don't go too close when we get there. Teacher may see me; we weren't exactly the best of friends."

He's probably about to frighten the kid off, but he's nothing if not honest. Teacher spent most of his and Jimin's first year writing letters to their parents about their inability to end a conversation. Clearing his throat, he bites back another laugh, shrugging and gesturing to a familiar old room. "It's no trouble. You look like you needed the help. It's that door, there. Don't sit in the first column of desks. The sun will hit your eyes, makes it hard to nap. Or, uh. See."

[lovestrippedbare]

The most reasonable course of action would probably be for Jungkook to put some distance between himself and this seonbae. He can't afford to disappoint his parents or give his new teacher the wrong impression by befriending a troublemaker on the first day. He shouldn't be considering taking up the challenge of finding a desk where he might get away with napping in class.

He shouldn't — and yet, for Jungkook, the fact still remains that this is a person who noticed his discomfort, who reached out when there was no obligation. And maybe that simple act of kindness makes him a lot more valuable than the notion of staying in line.

"I don't care if he sees me with seonbae," Jungkook pipes up, straightening his shoulders as they approach. "And I'll make sure to pick a desk in the back. I've never napping during class before, but it sounds pretty nice."

[violenceinme]

Well, now Taehyung's done it. He's known Jungkook for less than twenty minutes and he's already managed to convince him to prepare to misbehave on his first day of class. He should feel bad about it, he supposes, but Jungkook straightens up, looks so much more confident than he did moments before, and Taehyung wonders if he somehow just did a good and bad thing at once.

"It's not bad. I don't know if you'll be able to today, though. You need to be able to hide your eyes," he smiles wrly, reaching up with a hand to tug at one string of the hood on his jacket to prove his point. "And sometimes you can't sleep all the way. Just close your eyes and listen. Teacher will ask questions sometimes, tries to catch you off guard."

[lovestrippedbare]

"Ah," Jungkook blinks in sudden realization, glancing down at his own jacket and wondering if that's why school uniforms are so uncomfortable in the first place — less easy to hide, less easy to let oneself drift off. It might not sit well with his stepfather if he's seen going out of the house tomorrow morning in a hoodie, but maybe, just maybe he can hide one in his backpack. Pull it out for class.

The thought of it is a little thrilling.

"Probably better not to risk it on my first day, huh?" he muses, pressing his lips to his knuckles briefly. "I'll definitely dress better tomorrow. And see who teacher likes to call on, like sometimes it's the people who look away, right?"

His eyes widen with a sudden thought. "Do you think I could hide ear buds under a hoodie?"

[violenceinme]

It's surprising, how quickly Jungkook catches on, but he doesn't let it show on his face, just nodding with a slight smile. There's a certain satisfaction to it, hearing someone actually taking his advice seriously.

"That sounds like a good plan. But don't get caught, yeah? You can't be learning these things from your seonbae." The word comes out with a breath of a laugh and he reaches into the neck of his hoodie at the question. Pulling his earbuds out from where they're dangling from the neck of the shirt he's wearing underneath the jacket, he wags his eyebrows. "But we seem to think the same."

[lovestrippedbare]

So. Cool.

Jungkook's face lights up at the sight of the ear buds, though a quick glance at the milling groups of students to either side has Jungkook shrinking back, dampening the reaction. It wouldn't be good to call too much attention to his seonbae's mischief, not when Jungkook is all too aware of how quickly rumors can spread, with blackmail material being perhaps the most common currency in these halls.

"I won't get caught, I promise," Jungkook replies with a firm nod, grabbing once more onto the strap of his backpack. Time's running short before class begins, but he feels a reluctance to let the moment slip by. "Um... what classroom is seonbae in?"

Can I stop by and say hi?