Chapter 5: STAGE V

...Yoongi was very conscious that Jimin was drifting closer towards him. It was as if there were magnets pulling them together. He rationalized that it was Jimin’s reaction to the chilling weather; the temperature was probably creeping closer to freezing and the redhead’s thin cardigan definitely wasn’t doing much for him. Yoongi’s hands were shoved in the pockets of his windbreaker and his feet dragged lightly across the paved sidewalk. There was a small breeze and Yoongi saw Jimin shiver in the corner of his eye; almost immediately after the other boy leaned in closer to Yoongi, one corner of his mouth curled upwards....

...“Cold, kid?”...

...“Y-yeah,” Jimin chuckled, probably at himself for showing his discomfort so openly. “Just a little.” He realized he was gravitating towards the other boy and straightened up, leaning away. One hand came free from his cardigan pockets and carded through his hair nervously. Yoongi peered over and observed, again, the way Jimin’s hair glided over the other strands. The redhead pushed his bangs out of his face and Yoongi appreciated the way the red locks gracefully floated back to place....

...In a split moment of confidence, Yoongi removed his hands from his pockets, unzipped his jacket and offered it up to Jimin. “Here, take it,” the fabric hung limp off of Yoongi’s hand, waiting for the other to either take or refuse his offer, hoping for the former....

...“Y-you sure?” Jimin’s eyes widened a little and Yoongi nodded twice....

...“I don't really get cold ‘till it reaches under freezing – take it,” Yoongi considered Jimin’s hesitation and draped the jacket over Jimin’s shoulders himself. “We’ve got a good amount of time ‘till we reach the dorms, anyways.”...

...Jimin maneuvered his arms and slipped them into the sleeves. He melted into the newfound warmth and couldn't help the grin that spread on his face. “Th-thank you, Yoongi-ssi.”...

...The RA waved the thanks off and chuckled. “Don't mention it,” his hands found their way into his jeans pockets so his arms didn't hang purposeless. “You must get cold really easily. It’s not even that cold.”...

...“Yes it is! It’s fall , Yoongi-ssi – that means brisk afternoons and cold evenings,” Jimin prodded at the RA and laughed at his obvious inability to sense the change in temperature. “It’s not my fault if I’m cold at nine at night,” he shrugged and the fabric of Yoongi’s jacket swished together, filling the otherwise stale air. He paused for a minute before adding in a muffled voice, “Well, I probably should have brought warmer clothes, but that’s beside the point.”...

...Their footsteps filled the chilled air with noise, along with the sound of stray leaves getting crushed under their feet. The trees around them were shedding; the two of them found themselves looking around at their surroundings rather than filling the space between them with conversation. Jimin wracked his brain for something to talk about, and he knew that this was probably the most awkward situation he had ever been in with another person. Conversation at the frozen yogurt shop had been so great – what happened? Jimin’s eyes fell to the pavement in front of him and he realized, “ Oh, I was talking most of the time; that was it. ” He subconsciously let out a sigh and raised his shoulders to his ears sheepishly....

...Yoongi, on the other hand, wondered what the hell had happened to him to make him such a sap. In his mind, this outing – no, it was not a date – was going pretty well. The kid to his left was sweet and respectful, maybe a little bit flirtatious, but Yoongi doubted the other knew what he was really doing. It wasn’t unusual for Yoongi to stay in his room most of the time, occasionally leaving to study in the library or head to the studios to work with classmates on tracks. Coming out on a Friday night with some kid for whose floor he was the RA was one of the best things he’d decided to do in a long time. He felt that the silence between them was a little comforting. Sure, there was a speck of awkwardness that could be felt, but that was almost inevitable given their nearly-stranger status with each other....

...“Jimin, you’re a third year, right?” Yoongi broke the quiet air with a gentle voice that wasn’t any bit accusatory or threatening. He glanced over at the redhead with his shoulders hiked up to his ears and watched as he tensed up after hearing the question....

...“Y-yeah?” It wasn’t a question, yet Jimin’s voice dripped with confusion. “How’d you know that?”...

...“Just a guess, really. Most of the kids on our floor are third years,” Yoongi watched where he was walking but still snuck glances at Jimin from time to time in between his words. “And I wouldn’t really pin you for a fourth year or a second, so I just took a stab in the dark, I guess.”...

...Jimin peered up at the RA and his eyes were fixed wider than usual, as if the action would allow him to read Yoongi’s mind. Of course Yoongi had been right; he probably had a certain amount of information on all of the students on his floor, being the RA. “Oh, I see what you mean,” Jimin ripped his eyes away from looking at Yoongi’s profile and let out a chuckle mixed with a small shiver. “You’re right – Park Jimin, third year, at your service.” He smiled wider and brought his hand up to salute off of his forehead; Yoongi gazed over at him and simpered at the cute action. If there was one thing that Yoongi knew after spending the whole night with Jimin, he knew that the redhead was special. In what way, he didn’t exactly know yet, but he knew there was something there....

...–––...

...“Are you doing anything for the rest of the night?” Yoongi’s inquiry echoed off the semi-bare walls of the dorm hall entrance. His feet continued their shuffling on the linoleum floor. He peered at Jimin from the corner of his eye; the redhead was looking straight ahead of himself, eyes wide again and not exactly hiding his emotions. Yoongi choked back a laugh – it was just a question, though the other male was probably taking it too far and he could appreciate that, at least....

...When Jimin replied, it was only half of a stutter. “N-no, I’m not doing anything else. Probably just sleeping, honestly.” He turned his head to face the RA and blinked a couple times, an embarrassed smile on his lips. A couple things were bombarding Jimin’s conscience; Yoongi asked him if he was doing anything else, and there could be myriad things he meant by that inquiry. One possibility was that Yoongi just wanted to continue their conversation, though there hadn't been much of one on the way back. Another was that Yoongi was just being polite and asking if, for some reason, Jimin had any other plan for his Night of Repayment. Lastly – Jimin’s nerves were on edge at this one – Yoongi expected something more from tonight than Jimin could offer him. The thoughts muddled the redhead’s mind, but he tried to force any preconceived notions out....

...“Oh, great,” Yoongi’s voice was unsure, and Jimin definitely heard the difference from when the RA had asked his original question. “Do you wanna maybe come back to my room and just… chill?” Option three was looking more and more plausible to Jimin and as they rounded the corner to the elevators, he felt his muscles tense up....

...They stood in front of the metal doors, waiting for one of the two to open up. Yoongi saw Jimin’s reflection in the doors and noticed his nerves. He whipped around, realizing how his request could have been taken wrong by the third year. “Wait, hold on,” he placed a shaky hand on Jimin’s shoulder subconsciously; the redhead jumped in his skin a little at the contact. “I just wanna hang out, kid; don't take that the wrong way.” He felt Jimin’s shoulders relax under his fingertips and he chuckled at himself for accidentally leading the kid on....

...Jimin knew he had been overthinking things. “Oh my god, Yoongi-ssi,” he couldn't help but laugh as well at the misunderstanding. The doors to one of the elevators opened up and the two of them stepped into it. “ Please don’t do that again. I think I might just die of embarrassment,” he leaned up against the wall, slumped over, as Yoongi pressed their floor number with his still-shaking hand. “But yes, I would love to chill .”...

...Yoongi joined him against the wall as they waited to reach the third floor. “Great,” he grinned and let out a sigh he didn't know he had been holding. “I guess we can both say we’ve embarrassed ourselves at least a little bit tonight.”...

...“I guess so, yeah,” Jimin laughed in a cheerful tone and Yoongi couldn't help but try and commit the sound to memory. It wasn't that Yoongi needed it specifically because it was Jimin’s laugh, it was just so full of life that he couldn't risk forgetting the way it bounced off the walls and filled the air. The doors to the elevator slid open on the third floor and the two of them walked off in pleasant silence....

...When they reached the end of the hallway, past Jimin’s room, Yoongi unceremoniously unlocked his room and pushed the door open. His head was spinning, and he blamed it on the night of socializing – something quite out of the ordinary for him. He watched as Jimin passed by him, shooting a shy smile in his direction, into his room. It wasn't unfamiliar to the redhead, though the sight of it was still new. “You can sit on the loveseat,” Yoongi commented as he walked in as well, closing the door semi-quietly....

...Jimin stood in the middle of the room, admiring how much different the standard college dorm could look with one bed instead of two. It looked so much larger, and he couldn't help but be a little jealous of the RA. He registered Yoongi’s instruction in his ears, but didn't make a move to sit until he had taken in the space in its entirety again. He noticed the couch, of course, the bed, the same desk he had in his own room against the end of the bed, and the same abundance of posters and polaroids. He noticed that there were a couple more than before, but he was too far away to see what their contents were....

...He was knocked out of his trance when Yoongi shuffled past him and plopped on one half of the loveseat. His back was facing the wall, resting on the armrest; he faced Jimin and was staring at him like he was possessed. Jimin pinned his gaze on Yoongi, away from the wonders of the RA’s room, and got the message he should probably sit down. He followed in Yoongi’s strides, sitting with his back against the other armrest. They faced each other, much like they had in the frozen yogurt shop, but this was different; their knees were rubbing against each other and there was no denying that this situation was a little more personal than sitting at a two-person plastic table....

...Jimin cleared his throat and hoped the dim lighting hid the burn he felt filling his cheeks. “Do you collect polaroids, Yoongi-ssi?” Why that came out of his mouth, he didn't know. He did know that it was definitely the last thing on his mind, though, and it was definitely something he wanted to know about....

...“Call me hyung,” it wasn't the answer to Jimin’s question, but he took it anyways. “Makes my skin crawl a little when you call me ‘ Yoongi-ssi ,’ brat.” Well, that was a new one. Not a ‘kid’ anymore, but a ‘brat.’ Jimin giggled and nodded his head, accepting the older’s offer. Yoongi reached over and lightly flicked Jimin on his exposed forehead....

...“You didn't answer my question, hyung ,” Jimin emphasized the word, testing it out more than taunting the older. He folded his arms across his chest and leaned back into the armrest....

...“I know I didn't,” Yoongi retorted. “Is that really the only thing you want to know about me? Not even my year, my major, or other interests?” Jimin knew the other male was just teasing him, so he didn't hesitate in snorting a little at his playful rambling. “Maybe I have some of my own crazy stories to tell you, like you had about your roommate.” He raised an eyebrow and questioned himself as to how he got into this current situation, sitting cross-legged on his loveseat across from a red-haired, over-enthusiastic third year at almost ten on a Friday night. Somehow, he knew he preferred this over another quiet night alone catching up on sleep he so desperately needed....

...“Fine,” Jimin jutted out his bottom lip in a pout; Yoongi smirked. “Yoongi hyung, are you a fourth year or a third year who’s just very certain he’s older than me?”...

...Yoongi’s smirk widened and a scoff sounded from his side of the loveseat. “One thing you should know, Park Jimin, is that I’m not cocky enough to just assume I’m older than people. I’m a fourth year – music production major.” Yoongi’s facial expression smoothed a bit when he saw surprise fade onto Jimin’s own face. “Does that surprise you? I don’t know why it wou–”...

...“You’re a music production major?” Jimin’s tone conveyed his shock at the announcement, but Yoongi couldn’t quite figure out how it was that amazing. “Hyung, that’s so cool! So you make music and stuff? Can I hear some?”...

...Jimin took notice of how Yoongi’s previously calm visage took on a more worried and stressed-out look; he forced his mouth to stop running and shoved all his requests and inquiries to the back of his mind. He scolded himself for being too enthusiastic and recoiled a little into the armrest in shame. It wasn’t that he was trying to be a pest, it just happened that way; he couldn’t help his genuine interest in Yoongi that had made itself more than apparent....

...After a few moments of stale silence, Yoongi mumbled, “Maybe another time, Jimin.” The redhead perked up a little as the words registered in his ears; Yoongi peered at him from across the loveseat and felt his mood lift at the sight of Jimin’s rekindled smile. “Not to put you off, but I just don’t think it’s that good, is all,” he tried to make the younger male feel better, shifting himself into a higher seated position, attempting at creating a lighter mood again. “Most of the stuff I write isn’t that great compared to things other music production majors do, and it takes me three times as long, too.”...

...“Just because it takes a long time for you to make something doesn’t mean it’s not good, hyung,” Jimin furrowed his brow at Yoongi’s philosophy. “It just means there’s three times as much dedication put into it, and that definitely doesn’t diminish the quality.”...

...“Brat, you haven’t even heard any of my stuff and you’re saying that so confidently.”...

...“I don’t need to! I just have a feeling that your stuff is great,” Jimin’s smile widened and his eyes turned up into thin lines....

...“Okay, brat, whatever you say,” Yoongi waved off the subject, his heart jumping in his chest too much to deal with for much longer. “What about you, huh? What’s your major?”...

...Jimin’s smile faded a bit, though remnants of it remained at the edges of his lips. He squinted his eyes for a moment at the change of subject. “I’m a theater dance major and a stage production minor – nothing particularly interesting or outstanding, honestly.” He twiddled his thumbs together and peered down at them, suddenly a little embarrassed in front of the older. He thought it pretty lame to be majoring and minoring in those subjects, despite the fact that he was definitely handling more work than he was expected to. Compared to Yoongi’s music production skills that could actually get him a job one day, Jimin’s skillset would leave him with very limited options after he walked across his graduation stage in a year....

...Yoongi regarded the younger and could feel the self-depreciation emanating off of him; he knew how it felt. He spoke in a low, quiet tone, “Hey, kid, there’s nothing wrong with studying what you wanna study – why do you think I chose music production?” He could see Jimin’s head tilt up a little higher, and he could tell that Jimin was looking at him sheepishly through his bangs....

...“Because it’ll actually give you a shot at living a real life once you’re out of here?” Jimin whimpered slightly and moved to look Yoongi straight-on. He shook his head and went back to focusing on his dilemma. “I just don’t know of many places that want to hire people with my skills.” There was a tightness pulling at his chest from the inside and it was a little challenging to breathe full breaths. The conversation between them had undoubtedly taken a turn from where it had begun; Jimin wondered why they felt so comfortable talking like this so soon, but didn’t dwell on it too much....

...Yoongi scoffed and hit Jimin on his knee. “There will be opportunities, brat,” he shifted so one of his legs hung off the side of the loveseat. “Who knows, maybe a job as a backup dancer for some big entertainment company will tide you over until a theater job comes up. My point is – don’t think badly of yourself or think negatively of the future just because of what your passion is. Hell, if I had chose realism over passion, we probably wouldn’t be sitting here right now.” He cracked a sympathetic smile and he immediately saw the same on Jimin’s face....

...“I guess that’s t-true,” Jimin trailed off and pondered over the thought for a bit. He decided that that alternate reality was not a place he would want to be in at this moment; passion definitely had had the better outcome. “Th-thanks, hyung,” Jimin’s speech stuttered, though the feeling behind it was genuine – Yoongi could tell that much....

...Once again Yoongi thought that Jimin was special, and he was a little more certain as to why. Park Jimin, a third year with a theater dance major, doubted his value due to society’s expectations of him. Truth be told, Yoongi saw a bit of himself in the younger. Despite his self-doubt, Jimin was one to choose his passion over any ‘realistic’ choice, which was commendable in Yoongi’s mind. Yoongi’s eyes trailed after Jimin as the younger heaved a sigh, got up from the loveseat, and decided to bid the older good night. “ Yeah, this kid is definitely special ,” Yoongi thought as his door closed behind a tuft of fading red hair....

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