Jin was a transfer student from a small village in Anyang, Gyeonggi-do. A top student at his previous school, he was praised for his good looks and excellent academic performance in all his subjects. Everything was paradise until his family decided to move to Seoul to find better opportunities and livelihood. He was an only child, his family had divorced when he was 7 years old, and now he lived with his mother and grandmother.

Start of 1st year College Year>>>

"Good morning, everyone. We have a new student joining us today, Kim SeokJin..." Miss Dana, the professor, introduced Jin to his class.

"Oh, he's cute." Every girl in the class whispered.

"There are a lot of vacant seats. Sit anywhere you'd like." Miss Dana smiled politely at Jin.

Jin bowed his head with a smile, immediately capturing everyone's hearts. They found him quite charming.

"Taking the top spot would be easy," Jin thought as he grinned and went to find a seat.

"Alright, listen up!" Miss Dana shouted in front of the class as she began her lesson reviewing.

"Hi, you can sit here," a random girl offered a seat next to her.

"No! You can see much clearer in front if you sit beside me!" Another girl offered a seat, "No! Here..." Then another one, "This seat..." And another one, and another one.

Jin was putting on a fake smile, you could clearly see that he had enough. He looked around and saw a guy sitting far behind in the corner all alone. "Oh, no need, I'm much safer far behind, thanks for the offer though." He smiled softly.

"Safer?..." The girls were baffled at first but were then instantly melted by his smile.

Jin went far back to the corner to greet his new seatmate.

"Hey there." Jin waved but got no response.

The guy was quiet as a mute. Jin noticed his tattoo and the glances from other students and thought he was trouble. "He must be a dropout," he thought, and decided not to befriend him.

Jin sat far beside him. "It's better to stay away from him." Jin peeked at him when suddenly Miss Dana called.

"Namjoon," Miss Dana politely called him, "Why don't you try to answer this equation?"

"Oh, so his name is Namjoon," Jin quietly said and looked at the given equation on the board.

"It's... complex, what tf, how can you even solve it?" Jin mumbled in frustration as he tried to figure out a way to solve it.

"Are you kidding me?" Namjoon uttered, as he stood and went to the front.

"Right! This equation is unsolvable, even a dropout like him sees that." As he thought in his mind.

The silence grew louder with anticipation. Every student inside the room knew what came next, except for Jin.

Namjoon stood there quietly observing the equation that was given to him. He then let out a big sigh and uttered a word, "It's simple."

He then took the pen from his professor's hand and wrote the answer.

"What?! He must be joking." Jin scoffed at the thought of him answering the equation by only making a fool of himself.

As Jin observed him, he noticed every stroke of the pen led to a small fragment of connecting dots to the correct answer.

"...wait, it looks much simpler now... the answer is much clearer." Jin was stunned with disbelief. He couldn't take his eyes off of Namjoon. He had so many questions.

"How is he able to solve that?" Jin wondered in doubt as he looked around and saw people unconcerned about it. It almost seemed like they were used to it.

"Simple as that," Namjoon smirked as he handed the pen back to his professor and went back to his seat.

"Very splendid, Namjoon," Miss Dana praised in delight and continued the rest of the lesson.

"How come a guy like him is able to solve that..." He thought he was nothing but a troublemaker. "Unless...he cheated!" As he came to believe that.

Jin was infuriated. He kept staring at Namjoon looking for any cheat sheet.

"You're going to poke a hole in my face if you stare too much." As he turned his head, their eyes met. A dimple smile played on his lips.

Jin was startled for a moment by his smile. "I know you cheated..." He said, his voice blending in with the hushed murmur of the crowd.

Namjoon's smile faded as they locked eyes. A moment of silence stretched between them, Jin waiting for a response. A thought flickered through his mind.

"He's... not bad looking, I guess," he muttered, hating to admit it but knowing he was weak to good looks.

"You caught me," Namjoon sighed, a hint of sarcasm in his tone.

But Jin, lost in his own thoughts, didn't catch the sarcasm. He hastily jumped to a conclusion.

"Aha! You cheated! I was right. How could someone like you get the right answer?" Jin declared, a confident grin spreading across his face.

"Someone like me… what do you mean?" Namjoon asked, crossing his arms and turning his whole body to face Jin.

Jin grinned, "A guy like you, who only does no good and causes mischief." He was certain.

Namjoon was speechless for a moment. He looked annoyed at first, but then he started to chuckle.

"What are you going to do about it? Do you have any evidence to your claim?" He tilted his head with a mischievous grin, his body language radiating playful energy.

Jin was caught off guard. The lack of remorse in Namjoon’s confession stung worse than a bees. His heart pounded with a mix of anger and confusion. He hadn't expected this kind of reaction, and it only added to his frustration.

"You… you don't even care?" Jin sputtered, his voice rising slightly. "You just admitted to cheating, and you're acting like it's no big deal?"

Namjoon raised an eyebrow, amusement still dancing in his eyes. "Cheating? Who said I cheated?"

"You did! You just admitted it!" Jin exclaimed, feeling a wave of anger rising inside him.

Namjoon shook his head, a slow, knowing smile spreading across his face. "No, Jin. I said, you caught me. But I didn't say I cheated. I'm quite good at this, you know. Maybe you just haven't seen everything there is to see."

He leaned back in his chair, crossing his legs, and looked Jin straight in the eye. "I don't cheat, Jin. I'm simply better than you at math."

A wave of heat rushed through Jin's face. He had been so focused on his assumptions, so quick to judge, that he hadn't even considered the possibility that Namjoon was telling the truth.

"You think you're better than me?" Jin challenged, his voice laced with a mixture of defiance and insecurity. He had always prided himself on his intelligence, and to be called out so easily was a blow to his ego.

Namjoon smirked, amusement still flickering in his eyes. "I know I am."

Jin stared at him, his mind reeling. The challenge was clear, and the sudden spark of competition ignited a fire within him. He wasn't going to let Namjoon get away with this. He was going to prove him wrong.

"Fine," Jin said, pushing his chair back from the desk with a determined scowl. "We'll see about that."

Namjoon's smirk widened, a challenge of his own mirroring Jin's. "I'll be waiting," he said, and then, as if on cue, Miss Dana announced the start of a new lesson.

Jin sat back down, his eyes fixed on Namjoon, a silent promise brewing between them. This wasn't just about proving Namjoon wrong; it was about proving himself. This was about proving that he, Jin, was more than just a pretty face. He was ready for the challenge, ready to show Namjoon what he was truly capable of.

And as the first sparks of rivalry ignited, the first seeds of something more complex and intriguing were planted.

...****************...

...End of Chapter 1...

Bell rang, signaling the end of school. It was time to go home. The first day had ended exhaustedly, especially for Jin, who had been trying all afternoon to talk to Namjoon, but couldn't get a chance because of the swarm of sophomores, juniors, and seniors surrounding him.

Let's Recall:

"Hey!----" Jin yelled at him.

"What's up, RM!" From the right middle side, someone close to Namjoon approached him with warm vibes.

Jin was about to talk to him when this guy appeared and caught his attention. It would have been rude to disrupt the reunion, so he waited patiently.

Until the guy asked Namjoon to join him and his friend for lunch.

"Yeah, cool," Namjoon accepted the invite and joined them as they left the room. Jin was left surrounded by girls who were dying to get to know him.

"Where'd you live?"

"Are you rich?"

"Do you have IG?"

"You're very attractive."

And many more random questions came up. "Oh no, he's getting away," he thought, though he was flustered by the praise and compliments, his mind was set on Namjoon.

"I appreciate the compliments, girls, but I have to go," Jin said in a hurry.

"Why the rush? It can wait, you know. Seriously, chill," she said, snapping her fingers with a roll of her eyes.

Jin went up close to this girl, pulled her chin, and whispered right to her ear, "Why? Would you rather want me to pee in your mouth?" A wicked grin spread across his lips.

The girl was stunned, and Jin left, leaving her like a statue.

"Girl, you're red! What did he say?!" Her friend asked, anticipating a steamy reaction.

"Girl, I just felt butterflies in my stomach," the girl replied, in awe of admiration.

Then all you could hear from the hallways were girls yapping, giggling, and laughing.

"Where is he?... I can't find him anywhere."

Jin searched for him in every corner, but there he was, on the campus in broad daylight, surrounded by students.

One thing about Namjoon that Jin didn't know was that Namjoon was a very well-known, respected scholar in the university.

"Is he some kind of celebrity?" Jin wondered as he tried to squeeze himself through the crowds but couldn't, as he was pushed back.

He was frustrated, not because he was pushed away, but because Namjoon was a force to be reckoned with.

At first, he thought he would be the center of attention, a transfer from a small village was something odd for a civilized industry, as he planned to conquer and take the top spot, to show everyone not to underestimate him.

He played on his mind what his first day would be like, and it was a huge disappointment.

As he stared blankly at Namjoon on the side, a burning sensation ignited in him. Determination showed in his eyes.

"Just wait, I'll take that spotlight off you," he whispered.

When the second bell rang and class was about to start, he had no choice but to go back.

End of Recalling

"How was college life, honey?" His mother asked, occupying herself in the kitchen, cooking dinner. She heard the door creak open, thinking it was her son.

"Honestly, Eomma, being this popular is exhausting," he said with a mock grimace, "All these admirers..."

"Glad to hear that, Seokjinnie," his mother said, a smile softening her features, "Dinner's almost ready. Why don't you go wash up?"

"Okay, Eomma," Jin mumbled, already heading for the bathroom.

In the shower, with the water pouring over him, his mind was preoccupied elsewhere.

"Is something wrong, dear?" his mother asked, "You haven't touched your food. Is everything okay?"

"Uh-huh, everything's fine, Eomma," Jin forced a smile, trying to sound convincing.

The response was unsettling for his mother, so she told him, "When did my boy start keeping secrets?" Her voice softened, "You can tell your Eomma everything."

Jin hesitated, his gaze lingering on his mother's concerned expression. He couldn't bear to see her like this, so worried about him.

"Eomma," Jin began, "I was wondering... why did we move here?"

"I guess you're having trouble adjusting here," his mother said, her voice tight. "I'm sorry for forcing you to live with me here. I... I just wanted what was best for you," she said, her eyes hardening. "I thought Seoul could give you the life you deserve... the life I never had... but I guess I was wrong."

"No, Eomma, you're wrong," Jin said, reaching across the table to take her hand. "I never said I didn't want to live with you. I love being here with you. And I'm so grateful you thought of me. I was just a little curious, that's all." Jin reassured her.

His mother felt her son's warmth, "Jin-nie, promise me you won't get into trouble?" She showed great concern.

"Yes, Eomma," he hugged her tightly.

...****************...

Rain was pouring heavily, the road was wet and the soil was muddy. Jin was on his way to school, wearing his jacket and holding an umbrella. He was now waiting for the bus while scrolling through his phone.

"Phew... why does it have to rain on a lovely day?" A guy arrived to take the bus and shelter himself from the rain.

Jin looked beside him, "You...?" He seemed to know him.

Their eyes met, "Uh hello?" The guy had no idea who Jin was.

"Ah nevermind," Jin turned his head back to his phone, choosing not to get to know him.

This guy, intrigued by Jin's reaction, made his first move, "Hi, I'm Jung Hoseok, but you can call me Jhope for short," a lovely smile played on his lips.

Jin arched an eyebrow, his expression questioning. "Uh..."

"Oh, are you curious why it's 'hope'?" He fidgeted with his hands, unable to contain his enthusiasm. "I'm your hope, you're my hope, I'm J-Hope... Ta-da." Then he did a K-heart pose with his hands.

Jin's jaw dropped, his eyes widening in surprise. He blinked, as if trying to process what he had just heard, and then a slow grin spread across his face. He started to chuckle, the sound growing louder and louder until he burst into laughter.

Jhope felt relieved to see Jin laughing. A wave of warmth washed over him, a smile blooming on his face as he watched Jin's laughter. No one else shared his sense of humor, not even Namjoon, his best friend.

Jin wiped his tears off and introduced himself, ".... I'm Kim Seokjin, Jin for short," as he extended his arm to shake hands with him.

"What's with the hand, hyung?" Jhope grinned, nudging Jin playfully. "That's so old-school! A fist bump is the way to go, you know," he said, grabbing Jin's hand and curling it into a fist.

Then they fist bumped just as the bus arrived, right on cue. They laughed and chatted all the way inside.

...****************...

...End of Chapter 2...

They arrived at their destination and continued walking together.

"What classes are you taking this semester?" Jin asked.

"Oh, I'm taking Torts, Contracts, and Legal Research and Writing this semester," Jhope replied enthusiastically.

"Woah, a law student, ey" Jin exclaimed, his eyes wide with amazement. He grinned and tapped Jhope's shoulder, "That's pretty amazing."

"It's pretty tiring though, but yeah, what about you, hyung?" Jhope asked.

"Uhm... I'm taking Financial Accounting, Managerial Accounting, and Business Statistics this semester," Jin replied, stopping in his tracks and turning to face Jhope. "Why do you call me hyung, though?" he added, placing one hand on his hip.

Jhope chuckled, "You just look a little bit older, hyung. And pretty old-fashioned, too!" He winked, recalling the hand gestures they'd exchanged earlier.

"Older...?" Jin's voice rose slightly, a touch of defensiveness in his tone. He hated being called old. It was a sensitive topic, and he'd always tried to keep it under wraps. Most people just assumed they were the same age, but the truth was, he was a bit older.

Jin started school later than most of his peers, even though they were technically the same age. He was 20 in Western years, but in Korean age, he was already 21 – a fact he often tried to forget. It was a bit of a sore spot, making him feel even older than his classmates.

"Very funny," Jin chuckled, a playful hand going to his chest. He was more concerned with how Jhope knew. "You know that's not true. This face," he pointed at himself, leaning in closer to Jhope's face, "Take a closer look!"

Jhope, startled by the sudden closeness, stumbled back, his eyes widening in surprise. He quickly averted his gaze, pushing Jin away with a nervous laugh. He covered his flushed face with his forearm, feeling a wave of heat rising to his cheeks.

"Hey! What gives?" Jin asked, feeling dismayed. He thought he had offended him. "Why'd you push me away?" Jin confused.

Jhope's cheeks flushed, "Uh....yeah I get nervous when people get close to me," which is actually not true, but Jhope had to lie as he didn't want him to feel bad.

"Oh, really, Sorry..." Jin mumbled, his hands fidgeting, feeling a bit sorry.

"Cute-" Jhope thought, the word hanging in the air, stunning him. He blinked, his cheeks flushing, and quickly shook his head. "What's wrong with me today?" he muttered, feeling a wave of remorse wash over him.

"You okay?" Jin was seriously concerned. "Did I do something wrong?" he asked.

"Uh-huh, sorry—" Jhope laughed awkwardly, "I'm fine."

An awkward silence hung between them, thick and heavy like the humid summer air. They couldn't look at each other, and the only sound was the thump of their feet on the sidewalk as they walked toward their room.

"When did everything become so awkward?" Jin wondered, a frown furrowing his brow.

Lost in thought, Jin was startled by a familiar voice, drawing closer and closer.

"Hobi!"

"Joonie!" Jhope's smile was like a burst of sunshine, instantly erasing the awkwardness. He practically leaped into a hug, ending with a fist bump.

"This will be the last time I hear you calling me that nickname," Namjoon said, as they both exchanged laughter.

As they were having fun, Namjoon noticed Jin standing next to Jhope. A flicker of confusion crossed his face, and he raised an eyebrow, wondering why they were together.

"Why are you hanging out with Pretty Princess, Hobi?" Namjoon teased, a playful smirk on his face, aiming to get under Jin's skin.

Jin let out a frustrated "tsk," his shoulders slumping in annoyance.

"You know each other?" Jhope asked, surprised.

"No," Jin said.

"Yes," Namjoon replied.

"Uh?..." Jhope looked confused.

"He was just joking," Namjoon said, a little defensively, his tone laced with sarcasm. "We're pretty close, ain't that right, Pretty Face?" He grinned, aiming to throw Jin off balance.

In his mind, "You think I'd fall for that?" Jin grinned, not giving an inch. "Seems my face suits your taste, Joonbug!" He puffed out his chest, enjoying the way Namjoon's smirk faltered.

The two gave off different kinds of expressions, opposite from one another. Jhope was blushing hard, his eyes darting around, and Namjoon was making a face like he smelled something bad. It was awkward for everyone.

Right on cue, the bell rang, signaling the start of class. Jhope grinned, "Seems like you two know each other really well," he said, teasingly glancing between Jin and Namjoon. "Well, that's my cue. Gotta go, Nam! Catch up later." He tapped Namjoon's shoulder and then turned to Jin, "Nice meeting you, Jin!"

Namjoon nodded once, his gaze lingering on Jin for a split second before he disappeared into the classroom. Jin, with a quick wave to Jhope, followed after, leaving a lingering silence in the hallway.

Their arrival sent a ripple of excitement through the room. Every eye was glued to them as they walked in, whispers filled with admiration and awe.

"Namjoon is looking handsome today..."

Everyone turned their heads to follow Namjoon as he walked in, his charcoal gray overcoat draped effortlessly over his creamy white turtleneck and tailored black trousers. He exuded an air of refined confidence, each step radiating expensive style.



Namjoon, noticing all the praise, turned his head to take a peek at Jin's expression.

"It looks expensive..." Jin murmured, his business mind quickly calculating the cost of Namjoon's outfit. He scanned the details with concentration, muttering, "₩132,000,000..." In quite shock, he was utterly defeated.

*****************

This morning, Namjoon had put extra effort into his outfit. He had someone in mind to impress, but he realized on the first day that this person didn't seem to like his tattoo. He sighed, "Sonnim, help me with my outfit today." He needed to look good. (Sonnim \= Maid)

"You seem to be in a good mood, master," his maid noted, her gaze lingering on Namjoon. "I'm surprised you're willing to change things up. Usually, you're so set in your ways. I wonder what's brought about this shift."

He casually shrugged off his shirt, revealing a toned physique beneath. "Oh, nothing," he said, his smile a confident assertion of his own attractiveness. "Just wanted to try something new. What do you think?"



The maid, seeing right through his little white lie, couldn't help but smile. "I absolutely agree, master," she said, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "I need to choose an outfit that a 'girl' would love." As she guessed in her mind so confidently and surely.

 ******************

As he peeked over Jin, his smile dimpling his cheeks. "He noticed it!" he exclaimed, a look of satisfaction blooming on his face, his ears turning a bright red. When girls noticed it, they couldn't help but blush.

A scream, loud and unexpected, echoed through the room, seemingly in response to her bold statement: "Jin is much more handsome!!" Jin glanced around, confused, wondering who had made such a dramatic declaration.

"Oh, that girl," he chuckled, a sense of amusement coloring his tone. He recalled their brief encounter from the last chapter, that rude girl who stopped him.

"......" Namjoon.

The professor then arrived, "Opening chapter 3!" Miss Dana said.

Everyone rushed to their seats, but Jin lingered. He went to the girl who had screamed his name, drawn to her boldness, and sat down beside her.

A playful grin curved Jin's lips as he said, "Hello." The girl, caught off guard by his unexpected presence, stumbled over her words. "H-h-HI!" she squeaked, her eyes widening in surprise as she tried to avoid his gaze. She was captivated by his charm.

Namjoon noticed Jin was missing from his seat and looked around the room, his gaze settling on Jin, who was sitting next to a girl.

Namjoon furrowed his brow, his voice a low murmur. "What is he doing?" He fixated his gaze on Jin.

Jin chuckled softly, a sound only the girl beside him could hear, a twinkle in his eyes.

"What is he laughing all about?" Namjoon wondered aloud, a sense of unease settling over him. He couldn't help but feel a pang of annoyance. "Does he like her...?" He placed his hand on his chin, his thoughts swirling with uncertainty, watching the two of them having their moment.



"Okay, everyone before we proceed, let's elect our class officers...ey," Miss Dana said, trying to hype everyone up.

Silence met her words, a heavy weight settling between them. "Or, let's just proceed then with the voting..." she mumbled, her voice dropping to a whisper.

"Oh, it's the election of class officers!" The girl exclaimed, her expression filled with pure excitement.

"You seem excited," Jin smiled flirtatiously.

A clang, the sound of a fist hitting something, echoed through the room. Everyone turned to see Namjoon as the sound was coming from him.

"Namjoon?!" Miss Dana exclaimed, slightly confused.

"What's wrong with him?" Jin asked, his voice dripping with disdain for Namjoon's arrogance.

"Sorry, Prof!" Namjoon turned and politely bowed.

Jin turned to his partner, as she began, "Uhm... you see, I was a consistent class president in my previous school," she stammered, her cheeks flushing a bright red. She fidgeted with her fingers, trying to hide her nervousness.

"Oh..." Jin mused with a smile. "Becoming the class president would make it easier for me to get the top spot!" The only thing in Jin's mind.

With the other class officers decided, the anticipation for the final two spots, class president and class vice president, was palpable.

The applause for the secretary finally ended, and everyone turned to see Jin raise his hand, a look of determination on his face.

"I would like to nominate myself for class president," Jin declared proudly.

"I second that nomination," the girl followed in support of Jin.

Jin added, "I would like to nominate Claire for Class Vice President." He purposely intend to make her his right hand.

The chemistry between them was undeniable, sparking a wave of curiosity and, for some, a hint of jealousy. Especially the one in the corner, who watched silently, their gaze never leaving Jin.

"No objections?" Miss Dana asked, raising one hand.

"I protest!" Namjoon's voice boomed, echoing from the back of the room to the front. Every head turned, all eyes fixed on him.

"Why is he so self centered today...?" Jin looked.

"I would like to nominate myself as president," Namjoon declared, his voice firm and confident. The challenge to Jin was clear, a silent battle for leadership.

"I... second that," another girl said, trying to mask her nervousness with a brave smile. "I believe Namjoon has the skills and experience to lead our class well."

Jin's smile faltered slightly, but he quickly recovered, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "Well, this is getting interesting," he said, leaning back in his chair. "Looks like we have a race on our hands."

"Okay then...let's proceed with a vote then." Miss Dana said.

Claire looked at the class, her gaze lingering on Namjoon and Jin, each with a clear sense of determination in their eyes. The atmosphere in the room crackled with anticipation.

This was going to be an exciting election.

...****************...

...End of Chapter 3...