Chapter Text
Chapter 1:
“Yoongi ah, Hyung is leaving now!” Jin rushed over to give a quick hug to the sleepy man, who allowed the contact, half-heartedly returning it by patting Jin on the back lightly.
“Yeah yeah, enjoy your exchange, how many times are you going to say goodbye?” Yoongi waved him off, making Jin pout.
“It’s just that I’ll miss you!”
“Yah, did you bring candy? You get motion sickness right?”
“Ah… I forgot…”
Jin watched with a fond smile as Yoongi retreated back into his room, dragging his feet tiredly to get candy for him. He knew that his younger friend showed concern in a quiet way, and appreciated it a lot. Yoongi reappeared with various types of candy in his hand and promptly stuffed them into Jin’s cardigan pockets.
“Thanks,” Jin grinned. “Okay, you can go back in and sleep now, you look like a zombie! And don’t forget, Namjoon will be coming over later okay? Make sure to eat your 3 meals and get some sun even when I’m not around!”
“Arasso, just leave, Mom…” Yoongi yawned.
“Okay, I’ll text you lots!” Jin beamed and blew a kiss, then grabbed the handle of his suit case and finally went out the door.
Yoongi blinked blearily, locked the door and went back into his room. His roommate- well, more of apartment buddies, really- got selected to go to France for an exchange semester. And Jin’s friend coincidentally was transferring over to their university from America last minute and had no place to stay, so Jin offered this ‘Namjoon’ his room while he was gone. Part of the reason, Yoongi knew, was that Jin was afraid that he would forget to eat or shower while he worked on his assignments and songs.
He would have liked to say that his roommate was exaggerating and being a mother hen, but then Jin had found him in his room unconscious after he went for some leadership camp that took 3 days. It was a big hoo-ha, with all the hospital stay and IV drips and being scolded by the doctor and then by Jin.
Namjoon was a Korean American, and Jin had assured him repeatedly that Namjoon was safe, he could speak Korean, and there would be no problems about living together. And Yoongi trusted Jin, but the repeated assurance and the way Jin would halt and consider made him a little nervous… like there was a vital piece of information he thought of but didn’t want to mention.
Whatever, he needed to sleep. He could think about it when he woke up.
Snuggling back into bed and hugging his large kumamon plushie, Yoongi drifted back to sleep.
Yoongi DID NOT expect to be woken up by the loud sound of glass hitting the floor, and he jolted awake immediately, instantly reaching the conclusion that he was being robbed. Oh god, was he going to die? He would rather die in his bed than on the hard corridor floor, so maybe he should stay- No, just get up and check, idiot.
Psyching himself up, he grabbed the nearest weapon he could find (a lamp) and opened his door slightly, checking the coast. Deeming it clear, he snuck his way over to the kitchen, following the sound of quiet curses.
Yoongi blinked at the sight of a tall, blond man groaning and kneeling down next to shards of glass, hands covering his face.
“What?”
“Huh?” the stranger looked up, startled. “Oh! Oh, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to, I tripped over the chair leg and hit this when I was flailing for balance and-“
“Who are you?” Yoongi cut in, feeling irritation seep into him now that the fear was gone.
“Ah, I’m… Kim Namjoon. Um, Jin hyung’s friend?” he introduced awkwardly.
“Yah, you… GODDAMMIT, that’s fucking expensive!” Yoongi growled once he recognized that it was his coffee maker that was damaged beyond repair. It blended his coffee PERFECTLY. It made the BEST COFFEE.
Namjoon flinched. “Shit, I’m really so sorry… I’ll get you a new one!”
“Just…” Yoongi sighed, the flash of fear in Namjoon’s eyes (like fear of being kicked out) made him deflate. “Just get up, stay away from the glass, it’s dangerous.”
“Ah… yeah, okay…” Namjoon stood up, backing away from the mess, looking awkward and out of place. “I’m really sorry…”
“How many times are you going to apologize?” Yoongi snapped, feeling drained and sleep deprived as he fetched the broom and dustpan.
“Ah, so- I mean, I’ll sweep it up!” Namjoon offered enthusiastically, wanting to redeem himself even slightly.
“’Kay, the dust bin is over there,” Yoongi jerked his thumb roughly to a spot behind him. He did not have the energy to deal with this right now. He left the kitchen quickly, leaving a confused and worried Kim Namjoon behind.
“Great first impression,” Namjoon muttered bitterly to himself, sighing as he swept up the glass shards. “Why can’t I do anything right?”
He had been trying to find a place to stay in Korea near his university, but all the dorms were full and the apartments were all so expensive. He had been at his wit's end until Jin called him to catch up, and after hearing about Namjoon’s predicament had graciously offered him a place to stay for free that was just 15minutes walking distance away from his school.
He felt bad for taking it for free, but Jin insisted, saying that it was all thanks to Namjoon that he even made it through college and Namjoon refused any tutoring fee back then saying that they were friends. Jin also said he was rich and didn’t need more money anyway in an attempt to reduce his guilt, and Namjoon knew it because Jin didn’t ever flaunt his money and status. He never even found out that Jin was a young master until their final year together as high schoolers.
But now, he might be chased out of the house due to him breaking his new roommate’s prized possessions. At the very least, Namjoon was sure that Yoongi hated him now and wanted nothing to do with him.
He cleaned up the area and went back to the living room where his suitcase and boxes of belongings were left, sighing. Time to find his room and unpack… or maybe he should just leave them packed, just in case he had to leave.
Groaning, he explored the tiny apartment, opening one door to find the bathroom. There were two doors facing each other further down the corridor, and he gingerly opened one, in case he bothered his new roommate. Peering into the dark room where black curtains blocked out the entire window, he could see a figure with soft tufts of brown hair lying on the bed and gently closed the door again.
Yoongi must be sleeping… even though it was 3 pm in the afternoon.
Shrugging, he opened the next door and groaned as his vision was assaulted by the cream wallpaper and pink satin bed sheets, and rows of cute animal plushies surrounding the room. The entire room was the color scheme of a girly teenage girl. “Jin hyung…” he whined.
Well… the room was free. Namjoon tried to brainwash himself that the room was fabulous and a lot more than he deserved. He sat on the bed, taking out his handphone to see messages from Jin.
Jin hyung:
Did you manage to find the place?
Jin hyung:
Yoongi might be grumpy since he hasn’t slept for 2 days, don’t worry if he seems angry, he’s cute and harmless. (Don’t tell him I said that)
Namjoon might agree with the cute part, but there was this aura around Yoongi… an aura that screamed ‘mess with me and you die’.
Jin hyung:
He’ll be fine once he gets some coffee ^^
Oh great… Of all the things he had to break…
He needed music. Music could always make things better and more bearable. He wanted to apologize again, but Yoongi didn’t seem to appreciate that. Maybe he could try to find that coffee maker at the nearby department store later.
It's really a bitch to not have something you want to do
I know that it seems pathetic
To not have a dream like everyone
"Everything's going to be alright if you go to university
And do as we tell you"
I believed in those words
But I'm living because I can't die
Just pass me the drink
Because I want to get drunk today
So please don't try to stop me
I don't mind the brand, it might be a luxury
For a person with no job to have a drink
Everything is changing but why am I still here
Everything is changing but why am I still here
Everything is changing but why am I still here
So far away, if I had a dream
If only I had a flying dream
Don't far away, if I had a dream
If only I had a flying dream
He found out about the rapper Suga(or was it Agust D now with his new mixtape?) in America, and the Korean rap had been so relatable, had given him a sense of comfort and nostalgia in a place he didn’t fit in. He had been so excited for his American college originally, but the language barrier, the ostracism, the bullying and social hierarchies had made him so weary that he decided to come back to Korea’s universities instead.
But even while he was here, he was a fuckup, and he hadn’t even told his family that he was back because he was afraid of disappointing his mother, afraid of his dad’s self-righteous anger that America was too big for him, that he couldn’t handle it and shouldn’t waste the money. His dad called him stupid, told him to go to a Korean university and just study law because music didn’t feed anyone. But he was idealistic, he was chasing his music career, he wanted to go to the land where rap music originated, wanted to have new inspiration because he was in a rut. He was young, he had hopes and dreams, but now they were all dashed.
Right, I'm living because I can't die
But I don't have anything I want to do
I'm in so much pain and loneliness but people around me
Keep telling me to regain my consciousness
I try to vent my anger but I only got myself
So what's the point of venting my anger
I'm scared to open my eyes every day and start breathing
Even my friends and family are drifting away
I feel anxious as time passes by
It feels like I'm all by myself
I hope everything disappears when I'm alone
I hope things disappear like mirage
I hope things disappear
I hope my damn self disappears
I'm abandoned like this in the world
In this moment I'm drifting away from the sky
I'm falling
Namjoon:
Hyung… I might have to move out
Namjoon tried to push the tears back. He was so sick and frustrated of being useless. He couldn’t even make a proper first impression.
Jin hyung:
What?? Why???
Namjoon:
I broke Yoongi hyung’s coffee maker… I think he’s really pissed.
Jin hyung:
Oh no.
Namjoon laid down, throwing an arm over his eyes. His phone vibrated, and he lifted it to look at it.
Jin hyung:
Don’t worry, listen to me. Get Americano from Starbucks, and fried chicken from Grandma’s Diner and leave them on the table with a note as a peace offering.
Namjoon:
???
Jin:
Trust me! It’ll be fine :D
So here Namjoon was, in the kitchen writing a note with the fried chicken and coffee next to him, biting his lower lip.
To: Yoongi hyung
I feel bad about what happened, I’ll get you a new coffee maker soon, please accept my apology in the form of fried chicken and coffee.
Sincerely,
Namjoon
Okay… that was good enough, right?
He was surprised by the quiet footsteps that approached the kitchen, and he waited with baited breath as Yoongi appeared with half-closed eyes, rubbing one of them with oversized sleeves. Jin hyung was definitely right about cute.
“What’s all that?” The sleepy but distinctive voice asked.
“Oh! I-It’s for you, hyung.”
“Hmm?” Yoongi trudged over, brightening at the smell of chicken and the coffee. “Really?”
“Yeah!” Namjoon nodded rapidly.
Yoongi slid into the seat next to him, holding the Starbucks cup with two hands and lifting it to sip at it with a peaceful expression. Namjoon couldn’t help but smile at how soft Yoongi looked at that moment, with his feet in pink bunny slippers, legs dangling from the high chair. (It was probably a present from Jin)
“Have you eaten yet?”
The sound of Yoongi’s deep, but gentle voice broke him out of his trance.
“Oh yeah…” It was already 7pm.
“Let’s eat together,” Yoongi suggested.
“Ah… okay, thanks, Hyung,” Namjoon replied awkwardly, reaching out to grab a drumstick.
Yoongi started snickering, and Namjoon watched, surprised. He never expected to see Yoongi laugh.
“Pabo, you bought this didn’t you? Why are you thanking me?” Yoongi tore off a piece of the chicken, chewing with mirth. He eyed the note on the table, smile falling off his face as he read it seriously. It made Namjoon nervous again, watching Yoongi’s reaction carefully.
“Mm, I forgive you,” Yoongi nodded to himself, digging in with gusto. “Yah, this chicken is so delicious… I don’t think I’ve eaten it in months? Jin always tries to stop me from eating processed and fried food.”
“I’m glad you like it hyung,” Namjoon smiled with relief, lowering his tense shoulders. Phew. Maybe he could stay after all.
Yoongi hummed in acknowledgement, considering. “You can use whatever you want in the house, and whoever is free stocks up the fridge. Jin made a house work distribution list so you can take over all of his I suppose.”
“Okay.”
“I sleep at weird hours because I’m a night owl, so you might not see me in the day.”
“I like to sleep late and sleep in too!” Namjoon offered the information of himself rapidly, before wincing at himself. It sounded like he was desperate to find something in common with the older boy.
Yoongi eyed Namjoon and smirked. “Sure.” Wait until Namjoon finds at that his ‘weird hours’ was actually 6 am instead of 2-3am like other night owls. Namjoon flushed a light shade of pink at his own awkwardness, but Yoongi was too busy eating his chicken to notice.
Absentmindedly, Namjoon picked up another piece of chicken to bite into it, only to bite into the bone. Alarmed, he looked up to see Yoongi giving him a disgusted and confused expression. Then he realized…
He just picked up the bone of the drumstick that Yoongi finished eating and placed it in his mouth…
“OH. SHIT UH…” Namjoon’s face was wildly red now, and he was flustered. “Um, I’ll just… go and wash up and rest, I’m still jetlagged, so…” He tried to make his escape.
“Sure…” Yoong trailed off, still wide eyed.
Namjoon yelped as he tripped on the little step that separated the kitchen from the rest of the house. He groaned, more in embarrassment than pain.
“You’re a clumsy kid, huh?”
Namjoon looked up from his position on the ground to see Yoongi licking his fingers, a dangling bone in his other hand. He laughed awkwardly, reminded of the weird shit he just did (god he was such a failure in life), nodded, and quickly got up and scurried away, much to Yoongi’s confusion.
“Strange kid too,” Yoongi murmured to himself, taking a sip of his coffee.