Archive of Our Own ^beta

The door of his mother’s berline shut with a sharp sound, startling Hoseok out of his thoughts. He turned around one last time to see the black sleek Mercedes disappear into the wide soil path bordered by rows of impeccably trimmed plane trees. With a small sigh, he grabbed the handle of his suitcase with renewed determination and crossed the flawless French gardens leading to the massive front doors of what was soon to be his new home.

IRIS was the most renowned institute for young geniuses and intellectuals in South Korea. Even though it tried to give a chance to everyone regardless of their upbringing, as fairness was one of the core values of the establishment, IRIS also prided itself in housing and nurturing the finest youth of the Korean elite, which Hoseok — fortunately or unfortunately, he still couldn’t figure out if it was a blessing or a curse — belonged to.

His father was a busy congressman, and his idle mother had never really cared about him, preferring the chatter of crowded salons instead of her son’s well-being. But they had been eager to place their youngest child in such a prestigious institute. It was a testimony of their social influence and their son’s potential — even though they didn’t care much about his whereabouts, as long as he was doing well and brought no shame to their household’s name.

And Hoseok, after many sorrowful years trying to please his parents’ expectations, had finally come to the conclusion that he would never reach them, as they had none for him. Their only requirements were for Hoseok to be a “good boy” and to do well, to keep being their quiet, sweet and hardworking trophy child they could show off at parties within their social circles. His older sister Jiwoo was the one who would take over their father’s legacy in the tough world of politics. Hoseok was simply there to be pretty and obedient, to smile and nod when addressed to.

A petite lady was waiting for him at the top of the stairs, in front of the doors, and the confidence and authority that exuded from her small silhouette was enough for Hoseok to snap from his brewing dark thoughts.

“You must be Jung Hoseok”, she said more than she questioned him when he was two steps away from her, and the boy nodded in reply.

“I am, Ma’am.”

“We were expecting your arrival. Follow me.”

Her heels clicked on the white marble as she turned around and Hoseok fell into step wordlessly, his luggage and his heart feeling heavier by the second.

She led him through wide hallways made of old stone, their high ceilings joined in intricate points every five metres or so. Big chandeliers hung from the centre where the arches joined, looking massive with their gold ornaments and pieces of crystal — fake or not, Hoseok didn’t know — reflecting the light of the candle-shaped light bulbs. The walls were either covered with plaques of carved dark wood telling a narrative Hoseok didn’t have the time to dwell on, or lavish tapestries that, although a little faded, still shone with intense colours. The overall decor reminded Hoseok of those Gothic cathedrals or old castles in Europe.

The lady’s heels and Hoseok’s steps echoed in the wide space. They went up a flight of stairs, the old stone covered by a decadent plush crimson stair carpet maintained by golden bars. Hoseok briefly wondered if all the stairs looked this posh or just the one leading to the first floor.

“Everyone’s in class at the moment”, the lady told him, and Hoseok hadn’t actually wondered about that but he still nodded with a polite smile in response.

They finally reached a carved wooden door at the end of a corridor, and she pushed the door open after knocking three times. She gestured for Hoseok to enter, and the boy followed her with a little bow.

The interior looked like any old European chatelain’s dream study. Two entire walls were covered with bookshelves, making an impressive collection of books, including the one the door was embedded into. A pair of comfortable-looking armchairs and a small table with a lamp stood in a corner. There was a fireplace next to them, right in front of the entrance, currently unused because the weather was getting warmer as spring approached.

Someone cleared their throat, making Hoseok’s head snap in the direction of the noise. His gaze fell on a huge wooden desk with a matching chair. Another petite woman was seated on it, looking fairly young and impeccably dressed in a cream suit. As she rose to welcome her visitors, Hoseok could feel the aura radiating from her.

Respect. Power.

Whoever she was, she was an important figure here.

“Jung Hoseok”, the woman said, her voice surprisingly clear and higher than he expected. “Welcome to IRIS. I’m the headmistress, you can call me Adora”, she continued, holding out a hand that Hoseok took while bowing a little.

“It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

“Likewise, Hoseok, likewise. Please, have a seat”, she added, gesturing to the armchairs in the corner. “Would you like a cup of tea? Coffee?”

“Uh—” Hoseok blinked, a bit bewildered. “Just water is fine, thank you.”

“Doyoung”, Adora said without sparing a glance at her PA who, with a curt nod, disappeared through the door, leaving Hoseok alone with the headmistress.

Adora took a seat in front of Hoseok, her legs folded elegantly on one side and her hands in her lap, the posture familiar to the student as it was exactly mirroring his own. She offered him a small smile that barely settled his nerves.

“So”, she spoke up, her eyes never leaving Hoseok. “You are a new recruit. I must admit we aren’t accustomed to welcoming anyone after the start of the school year.”

“I am deeply sorry about the inconvenience my family has caused you”, Hoseok immediately dunked his head, shame spreading an unpleasant warmth through his cheeks.

The headmistress let out a chuckle. “Oh, no need to apologise, Hoseok. You aren’t responsible for anything here. The circumstances were as such, is all. The school year only started two weeks ago. It’s a pity you missed the entrance ceremony, although I don’t doubt that, considering your intelligence and your agreeable disposition, you will have no trouble fitting in.”

Hoseok wasn’t sure how to reply, so he mumbled a shy “Thank you” just as Doyoung returned with a cup of steaming tea and a glass of water on a silver platter. She put the platter on the little table next to the armchairs and left without a word. Hoseok waited for Adora to take the porcelain cup of tea before reaching for his own beverage. She took a sip and smiled again, her eyes still staring at him from over the edge of the cup.

“I assume your parents provided you some information on this place already?”

“Not much, I’m afraid.”

“Don’t worry about it”, Adora put the cup down and made an evasive gesture with her hand. “You have been admitted into IRIS, one of the most prestigious institutes for young geniuses and intellectuals in South Korea. We accept all students above high school graduation, as long as their records are up to par with our expectations.

The students here go from age eighteen to age twenty-five, even though most of them graduate from our institute by the age of twenty-four. We usually welcome most students during the first year. The older you get, the more difficult it is to get accepted. You being in fourth year, for example, is a very rare case— almost unheard of. You got in thanks to your amazing profile and your strong background. You can definitely be proud of yourself, Hoseok.”

Hoseok only nodded, gulping on his water to avoid replying. Something his mother would disapprove of, he briefly thought. Adora didn’t seem to mind, however, as she carried on with her introduction.

“Our institute is a boarding school. Of course, young men and women are housed in different buildings. We don’t ban dating but we strongly advise students to refrain from any sexual intercourse, especially unprotected and of heterosexual nature — that could cause… unfortunate accidents. I personally would rather have rules less strict about that particular topic”, the headmistress added with a slight grimace, unaware of Hoseok’s growing embarrassment, “but those have been put in place by my predecessor to appease certain parents’... concerns.

Any non-consensual activity regarding this topic, as well as harassment and bullying of any sort, will be severely punished after comparing in front of the Professor Council, the Student Council, the Chairman and myself. The sentence can lead to the expulsion of the student, in the worst case, but this has never happened ever since the opening of the Institute. And I don’t reckon you to be the type to cause trouble of any sort.”

“Rest assured”, Hoseok nodded, still a bit uncomfortable under the woman’s exuding presence. “I won’t cause any trouble.”

“I don’t doubt it”, Adora smiled. “Now, onto brighter subjects! The student body is divided by grades, obviously, but also by Houses. Each House has its own quarters and regroups students with similar personalities, more likely to get along. There is one representative per grade within a House, and all the representatives constitute the Student Council. Don’t hesitate to go to the representative of your grade and House if you need anything.

The purpose of the Houses is not to encase the students into a particular environment and raise conflicts between Houses, of course, but to provide an environment every student can feel comfortable evolving in, surrounded by older and younger people, as well as students their age. Did you already take the test?”

“The test?”

“It’s a little personality test which helps us pick a House the students would be most suited for. We usually make the students take the test a week before the first day of school, so we can send them to their respective Houses when they arrive. I guess Doyoung forgot to put the test with the rest of the paperwork required for your application”, Adora shrugged.

“Probably”, Hoseok mumbled, thinking that Doyoung had most certainly put the test in the file sent to his house and that his parents had been the ones forgetting to pass it to him.

“Anyway, this is not a problem. You can take the test now, unless you have more questions?”

“No, I don’t.”

“Very well.” Adora got up from her seat and rummaged through some papers on her desk, quickly coming back with two sheets of paper and a pen that she put on the small table next to the silver platter. “You can stay here while you take it, I don’t mind.”

“Thank you”, the boy mumbled again as he scooted closer to get a better view of the sheet. He blinked at the top of the page, tilting his head slightly, then turning to Adora who had returned to her seat behind the desk. “Hum”, he cleared his throat, getting the woman’s attention immediately.

“Yes?”

“W-Well... No. Nothing. Ex— Excuse me.”

“Oh, you didn’t know the full name of the Institute, did you?” Adora guessed, her nose scrunching a little. “‘Institute of Reflections and Inquiries of the Seoul’. It’s awful and grammatically incorrect, I know. Chairman Bang, our founder, has a… peculiar sense of humour.”

Hoseok smiled at the headmistress, hoping it didn’t look too much like an awkward grimace instead, and redirected his attention to the test.

When he was done, after roughly twenty minutes of ticking answers, he handed the papers back to the headmistress who took them with another indecipherable smile. The boy waited as she rummaged through the stacks of documents on her desk, took a pen and started checking his answers thoroughly. This wasn’t a test one could grade, as Hoseok was well-aware of, but he couldn’t fully conceal the pressure and expectations that years of strict education had infused his brain with.

“Ah”, the woman exclaimed, startling him back from his old demons. “Themis. Interesting, very interesting.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“You’re closest to House Themis. It regroups the students who have strong empathy and yearn for a world of equity and fairness. Well, this test does not, in any way, define and restrict your personality to those traits, of course. I’m sure there are many aspects of your character we will be delighted to get acquainted with in the upcoming months, Hoseok. But for now, you’ll belong to House Themis. I will inform Doyoung to take your luggage to the Themis building. The dormitories are quite nice, you’ll see. We hope you will be able to make a home out of your House and quarters, as we do want to create a healthy environment for our students to evolve in.

I do want you to come back to my office in an hour, though. I wish to properly introduce you to your grade representative and all the missing information you might need, like a map of the place and your timetable, if that’s okay with you.”

Hoseok was starting to feel dizzy from the amount of information Adora had just dumped on him and that his parents somehow didn’t feel the need to provide him with. He resisted the urge to shake his head to clear his thoughts, as it was inappropriate, and tried to come up with a reply that didn’t sound like a pathetic squeak. He was saved by Doyoung, however, who knocked twice and entered the room before he could answer.

“Ah, Doyoung!” Adora smiled. “Could you please have Hoseok’s luggage moved to House Themis’ fourth years’ dormitories?”

“Of course, Headmistress.”

“He will also need a map of the Institute. Will his timetable be ready in an hour?”

“I will make sure it is, Headmistress.”

“Very well then, thank you.”

Adora rounded her desk to stand in front of Hoseok, who promptly got up, still intimidated by her charisma. The woman directed another of her indecipherable smiles at him, extending a hand to signify their discussion was coming to an end.

“It has been a pleasure to meet you, Hoseok”, she said as the boy dutifully held her hand with the tips of his fingers and bowed. “I will see you in an hour.”

“The pleasure was all mine.” Hoseok straightened up, his hand falling back neatly at his side. “You can expect me in an hour.”

“I don’t doubt it”, Adora chuckled. “Go now. Doyoung will lead the way.”

Hoseok nodded and obediently followed Doyoung through halls, corridors, patios or cloisters, and flights of stairs. They finally arrived in front of a door with brown and beige carvings. The word “Themis” was engraved into the wood and painted a light blue. Doyoung pushed the door open to reveal what Hoseok could only describe as a salon. There were two fireplaces and comfortable-looking armchairs and sofas spread out all over the room without making the space feel crowded. Big tables with benches were occupying a corner of the room, no doubt used for little study sessions. A good portion of the wall facing the tall windows consisted of floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. Hoseok enjoyed reading, but he reckoned he would probably need the remaining two years of his education at IRIS to read all the books stacked there.

Doyoung led him to another flight of stairs and through a corridor with a lot of doors — Hoseok assumed those were the dormitories. She eventually stopped in front of a door and seemingly produced a key and a folded piece of paper out of thin air, handing it to Hoseok with a nod.

“Your room”, she stated uselessly as the boy unlocked the door and revealed a small but cosy-looking bedroom with a bed, a nightstand and a matching small desk. There was a wardrobe in the corner next to a small window, and a big chest at the foot of the bed. “As you can see”, she continued when they both stepped inside, “each room can be locked with a key so you don’t need to worry about your belongings. You will find another key in the drawer of your nightstand that belongs to the chest here. There’s a spare blanket in the wardrobe in case you’re cold — but if you need more, please ask me. The bathrooms are at the end of the corridor, you can’t miss them.

And here’s a map of IRIS. The grounds and buildings seem huge at first, but you’ll get used to it quickly. Don’t hesitate to ask other students or professors if you’re lost, everyone is quite friendly here. I’ll let you unpack now, Hoseok. Don’t forget to go back to the headmistress’ study in an hour.”

Hoseok turned his head to the pile of luggage that was somehow already in his room — he was starting to think that maybe Doyoung had magical powers or something — and thus didn’t hear the woman retreating and quietly shutting the door. His mother would probably have scolded him for not seeing his visitor out, but she wasn’t there and Hoseok really had to stop thinking about her every time he forgot about the etiquette — but old habits die hard.

Unpacking and getting familiar with his bedroom helped to ease the overwhelming feelings that had seized him ever since he’d stepped foot in the Institute. It seemed that comfort could be found in the most mundane things, like folding some of his shirts or placing a few books on his desk.

An hour later, Hoseok was back in Adora’s study, nerves a bit jittery at the prospect of being late and his map clutched in his hand. The headmistress was already there — obviously — and talking animatedly to another student. Both turned their heads to him when he stepped inside and he resisted the urge to recoil in a corner.

Adora had unfortunately not grown any less intimidating in the span of an hour, but the presence of his new classmate appeased Hoseok. At the end of the meeting, during which another lot of information was dumped on the poor boy, a dazed Hoseok followed Seulgi — his grade representative — to the dining hall and sat obediently when she patted the bench next to her with a smile.

It was obvious the girl was a little shy but trying hard to make conversation, and Hoseok had been raised to carry on with conversations regardless of his true feelings and thoughts, so he indulged her while secretly being thankful for her efforts. Seulgi eventually seemed to relax around him, her polite smiles giving way to more genuine grins. By the end of the day, it was safe to say they had become good housemates. The representative seemed to have another goal — ensure Hoseok would quickly get familiar with their peers, as she introduced him to at least twenty people by the end of the week.

Hoseok was overwhelmed, sure, but he had been raised to never let any weakness show. Plus, everyone had been nothing but kind to him, helping him not get lost and giving him their notes from the classes he’d missed. Some hoobae had even sought him for advice the other day, which was something wholly unfamiliar to Hoseok but made his chest warm up with a feeling he wasn’t sure how to describe, and one tall and handsome sunbae had apparently decided to take him under his wing, waving Hoseok over every time they were in the same room.

Yes, Hoseok was overwhelmed, but he was starting to think that maybe this could be a good kind of overwhelmedness. Maybe there was more to this whole overly pricey and elitist institute than displays of wealth and battles of ego. Maybe, maybe, amidst this apparent hell his mother had sent him into, Hoseok would be able to make friends.

— 📖 —

Two months in and Hoseok knew that, despite his initial reserves, he was really beginning to settle. He got along with his housemates quite well, mostly thanks to Seulgi. But he also knew how to polish his personality to fit into any kind of society, smoothly and quietly, so it was no surprise, really, that the other students had taken a — moderate — liking to him.

But he also had a friend now — at least he was fairly sure that this was what a friend should be like, unlike the varnished friendships his mother made him nurture with the children of the families his parents would stay in the good graces of. Kim Seokjin had grown on him like weed in his mother’s garden — although comparing Seokjin to weed was an insult to the older Themis. The guy’s features belonged on a marble statue, with his defined brows, his plump lips and his ungodly proportions that Hoseok absolutely wasn’t jealous of.

He was a year older, about to graduate at the end of the year, and wanted to be an actor, either on a theatre stage or projected on a big screen. He was the second son of a renowned novelist and a famous ballerina. In other words, in his mother’s books, Seokjin was a “useless connection” to Hoseok as much as Hoseok, a congressman’s son, was to him, and that honestly made the younger like him even more.

Seokjin hadn’t known whose son Hoseok was when he had first beckoned him at his table, one day at lunch. He hadn’t known, and he hadn’t cared when Hoseok had told him, a bit reluctantly, ready to raise his shield and hide behind his carefully crafted social persona. The elder had just shrugged,

“Jung Hongmin? Never heard of him”, before piling more meat into Hoseok’s plate and fussing on how little he’d seen him eat.

Hoseok had wanted to laugh and almost had, then. To witness his father’s name, which usually made many heads turn and changed people’s behaviour towards him, get dismissed with a nonchalance so natural it was almost outrageous was something the boy clearly wasn’t expecting. But it had been oddly refreshing, in a way, to see that Seokjin really seemed to care about him for him, and not because he had to be nice to Hoseok for connections and social purposes.

Seokjin reminded Hoseok a bit of a mother hen, taking the ugly duckling that he was under his wing, and even if the guy’s boisterous, loud and easy-going personality had bewildered Hoseok at first, he was grateful to have such a precious friend in his life.

His first friend.

His first real friend.

His hyung.

Well, not like Hoseok had only one “hyung” within their house or even their school, but Seokjin was, so far, his closest and favourite one.

There was a strong contender to the title, though, but Hoseok couldn’t say if the guy and he could be considered friends just yet. He didn’t really know how real friendships usually worked so he wasn’t sure, but he still felt a bit intimidated by Min Yoongi.

The latter was a year older than him and one of Seokjin’s classmates and good friends. He was shorter than Hoseok and probably too pale and with eyebags too big for what would be deemed totally healthy, but what Min Yoongi lacked in height, he largely made up for in natural charisma. His presence and his talent were astounding, and mainly why Hoseok still felt intimidated by the elder.

Yoongi was an Apollo — the House; not that he wasn’t an attractive man, in another way than Seokjin’s effortless handsomeness — and Hoseok thought he definitely belonged there. The guy was a genius musician, the piano was his forte — a pun Seokjin prided himself for that was absolutely not appreciated by Yoongi — and, according to the rumours, his auditions to enter IRIS were legendary, the videos gathering more views on social media than most of their peers’.

As much as Hoseok had found him intimidating and unapproachable at first, the feeling had quickly faded once he’d seen a bubbly and unbothered Seokjin jump on Yoongi’s back after an open practice session, once, yelling cheerfully,

“That was amazing, Yoongichi!” with the shorter male only groaning and shaking him off his body, more out of embarrassment than genuine annoyance.

Despite what people tended to think, Yoongi wasn’t cold. He had quiet ways of showing that he cared, as Hoseok had quickly come to notice, like the time he caught the elder snooping a tangerine in his bag, or the time he mumbled to an enthusiastic Seokjin, who was crowding an overwhelmed Hoseok,

“Let him breathe, Jin, he’s going to pass out.”

If Seokjin was a frantic wave, Yoongi was the peaceful tide, and together, they reached an equilibrium that managed to keep Hoseok’s little boat afloat. Hoseok still had to completely open up to them, but he was starting to develop some habits.

Seokjin was the one he still spent the most time with, but that was mainly due to the fact that they belonged to the same House. They would wait for each other before going down for breakfast. They had lunch together with Yoongi and sometimes some of Seokjin’s other friends — two acting majors named Byulyi and Sandeul and a fashion student named Heeyeon who all belonged to House Apollo.

Yoongi’s cousin, a first-year named Jeongguk, would tag along sometimes, and he was even shyer than Hoseok so he barely spoke a word to them, but he stared and listened a lot. It warmed Hoseok’s chest to witness Yoongi discreetly take care of his young cousin in his usual, quiet way.

Then, whenever they had some free time, Seokjin and Hoseok would go watch Yoongi play at the open Auditorium, where public practice would take place. It was good training, the pianist had explained, for the musician students to practice in front of an audience. And sometimes they would promptly leave when Yoongi spotted a particular student come in, a tall violinist as handsome as Seokjin and Yoongi’s archnemesis — a riveting story Hoseok had yet to hear.

Then they would have dinner before returning to their respective Houses and study some more, do their homework, help the youngers if needed and then read or play a few board games.

Seokjin, Hoseok had come to learn, was surprisingly good at chess. He had seen the guy run around and stop to exchange a few words with probably every student they bumped into, his behaviour reminding Hoseok of a butterfly — always fluttering here and there, and the term “social butterfly” suddenly became a lot more relatable — so much that he had been startled when the elder had taken out a chessboard, aligned the pieces and offered him to play with a cocky smirk.

“Let’s see what you’ve got, Hobi.”

Hoseok had quickly grown accustomed to Seokjin’s ridiculous dad jokes and his tendency to give people silly or affectionate nicknames. The familiarity was disarming at first, but he had come to embrace it and actually liked it. It made him feel cared for, like Seokjin was a big brother he didn’t know he’d missed in his life — even though his actual sister had been nothing but kind to him, overall, they just didn’t see each other much because she was too busy being trained by their father to take after him.

All in all, Seokjin felt like a reliable hyung.

Hoseok wasn’t sure what kind of hyung Yoongi would turn out to be, as he didn’t spend as much time with the elder, but he would probably be a quietly supportive hyung.

Yoongi was clever, and he must have felt that it would take some time for Hoseok to open up to him because he never pressured the younger into becoming closer like Seokjin had done a little — the latter hadn’t stepped over any of Hoseok’s boundaries, of course, but he had coaxed him out of his comfort zone. Yoongi was acting like Hoseok wasn’t there, sometimes, but he never felt ignored or left out. Maybe it was the pianist’s way of telling Hoseok that he belonged in Yoongi’s life, now fully integrated and assimilated in his and Seokjin’s daily routines, and Hoseok felt grateful.

He had taken the habit, then, to join Yoongi in the library while Seokjin was with the Theater Club. They would sit side by side, doing their homework in comfortable silence, sometimes showing each other something funny they had found in a book or cute cats videos on their phones when they needed a break, or Yoongi pointing at a small mistake the younger had made. They were sometimes joined by Jeongguk, too. Even though the younger mostly kept to himself, the silence never felt awkward.

Those quiet moments had become precious to Hoseok, he revelled in them, actually, even if Seokjin liked to joke about their “little study dates” mainly to see Hoseok’s ears and Yoongi’s cheeks blush in embarrassment. The shared complicity was helping them become closer, and Hoseok was positive that, very soon, he would be able to call Yoongi his friend.

Someone who was most likely not going to be his friend, though, was a tall student in most of his classes named Kim Namjoon. The guy had at least ten centimetres over Hoseok, a bigger body, defined muscles that his jumpers or cardigans couldn’t entirely conceal, honey-blond dyed hair and spectacles that shouldn’t have looked that good on his face but somehow did.

From what Hoseok had seen of the guy so far, he seemed smart, clever in that way some geniuses were without feeling the need to flaunt their knowledge here and there nor to look with contempt or condescendence at the rest of them, less educated plebeians. He was always respectful to their classmates, didn’t raise his hand like a know-all whenever their professor asked a question, and even if his fashion sense sometimes reminded Hoseok of his old geography tutor at home, the student seemed to always somehow pull it off.

In addition to those, a mesmerising pair of dragon eyes, thin hands that hid more strength than they seemed to have, and a cute set of dimples showing whenever the guy was embarrassed or shy, or secretly smiling to himself when he thought no one was looking at him — not that Hoseok was, particularly, Namjoon just happened to often be seated somewhere he could watch him to his heart’s content — painted an overall pretty picture of Namjoon, and Hoseok would lie if he said he didn’t find the taller student attractive. 

There was, really, nothing wrong with Kim Namjoon.

Except, maybe, that Namjoon seemed to despise him for some reason. Or, well, not really despise, but he was rather cold towards Hoseok, never addressing him a word unless obliged, in that distant politeness Hoseok was too familiar with, for using it too many times during the fancy gatherings his mother liked to drag him to to show him to her friends.

And Hoseok wasn’t stupid nor vain, he knew very well that, no matter how much he tried, he couldn’t please everyone. Some people would simply never find him to their taste, and that was perfectly fine — usually, Hoseok didn’t like them as well, so they would just politely greet each other whenever they had to meet and then each would go on their merry way.

Namjoon, however, Hoseok had nothing against. He even quite liked the guy, would have probably liked to know him better and, dare he say, become his friend, but Namjoon obviously didn’t seem interested. And maybe Hoseok’s inherent desperate need to please was just acting up, but he couldn’t help but feel bothered by the fact. Why didn’t Namjoon like him?

Again, some people just weren’t meant to get along, but Hoseok had been nothing but amicable so far, and it had worked with all their classmates. Namjoon had even been kind to him at the beginning, escorting him all the way to the library when he was still adjusting to his new surroundings — so why?

Hoseok couldn’t remember an occurrence where he would have accidentally offended Namjoon, or one of Namjoon’s friends or relatives — did he even have relatives at IRIS? Hoseok didn’t know, and he wasn’t about to snoop around to find out. It wasn’t in his habits and it could pass off as creepy if he was found out. His mother was the schemer, always expertly gathering information on this or that family. His sister Jiwoo had such a natural charm or dispositions that people tended to confide in her. Hoseok’s forte was not gathering intel. No, he excelled in the fine art of pretending to be interested in whatever uninteresting subject his conversation partner was talking about while supplying the minimum of conversation. Hoseok had quickly noticed that people loved talking about themselves, and to find someone who appeared interested in them — keyword, “appeared” — was an occurrence rare enough to make them feel extra important and, of course, willing to keep this someone in their close company so they could indulge a bit more.

Namjoon, though, didn’t seem like he wanted to talk to Hoseok. And, again, that was fine. Hoseok wouldn’t, couldn’t force Namjoon to talk to him. So all he intended to do was mope a bit over a missed potential third friendship.

“Does anyone want to share their opinion on this month’s reading?” Professor Kim’s voice snapped Hoseok out of his thoughts and he redirected his eyes from Namjoon’s back to the stern-looking gangly man. The latter eyed his class with a critical stare, his gaze slowing down until it landed on Hoseok. “What about you, Hoseok-goon?”

“M-Me?” he stuttered stupidly, immediately biting his lip self-consciously.

“Yes. Would you please share with the rest of us your thoughts on, let’s say, Antigone’s character?”

“Well…”

Hoseok gulped. It wasn’t that he hadn’t read the play Professor Kim had assigned them at the beginning of the month — he had read it with rapt interest. But, having been homeschooled all his life, he still wasn’t quite used to being put on the spot like this, with at least fifteen other students waiting curiously for his answer. From the corner of his eye, he thought he saw Namjoon twist his upper body to look at him, but Hoseok resisted the urge to look in the other’s direction. He had a question to answer.

“Antigone"s character is surely a pitiful but courageous one”, he declared. “She’s facing a moral dilemma: either follow the law and let her brother die without a proper burial and ceremony, or she buries him with the usual rituals and goes against the laws and her uncle’s orders. Like in any tragedy, her choice, whichever it may be, has little hope of facing a positive outcome. If she buries her brother, she might get caught, and if she does nothing, her guilt will eventually grow and consume her.

In the end, she chooses to bury her brother because she deems it right. She goes against the laws and against her uncle because she is convinced this is the right thing to do. She was ready to get caught — she eventually did — and she is not ashamed of standing her ground.

Many texts from the Antiquity depict women in unflattering ways — they are often betrayers or cowards, or weaklings, or a prize to fight for — Sophocles’ Antigone is a strong female character who sacrificed herself for a cause she deemed right. As one of the last descendants of Oedipus’ cursed lineage, her fate was going to be a tragic and pitiful one, but I still think of her as a brave character.”

There was a brief pause after his little speech, Professor Kim looking at him with an indecipherable gaze.

“Professor?” a smooth male voice rang clear in the silence of the room, and Hoseok didn’t even need to look to know Namjoon had raised his hand. “May I object to Hoseok’s analysis?”

“Go ahead, Namjoon. This class is a place for open discussion and debate, as long as you respect each other’s opinions.”

“I think”, the blond student started, turning his body fully to face Hoseok so the latter didn’t have a choice but to look at him, then, “I disagree with Hoseok’s take on the character. To me, Antigone isn’t brave. She’s pitiful and foolish. While I do agree she is facing a moral dilemma with no real perspective of a positive outcome, in my opinion, the way she handled it was poorly executed. She might have been too hasty and didn’t think her plan through properly.”

“Do you have anything to reply to this, Hoseok?”

“I’m not sure what Namjoon would have wanted Antigone to do, then? She had to perform the rituals quickly because, according to their beliefs, her brother’s remnants couldn’t be left unattended any longer. Unless”, Hoseok added, holding Namjoon’s gaze and finally addressing him directly, “you meant to say Antigone shouldn’t have buried her brother in the first place?”

“No, no, I think she was right to bury her brother.”

“Then?”

“Well, she did it at night, avoiding the guards and everything—”

“It sounds planned enough to me”, Hoseok interrupted, frowning, because he felt like Namjoon was just trying to contradict him for the sake of it.

“But she couldn’t finish the rituals”, the blond went on, a frown marring his own face. “So, obviously, when the body was found in the morning, all of her work was undone and the protection around the body was reinforced. She knew there was no way for her to complete the burial on her own.

And some historians object that, according to the rituals, the body only has to be covered in dust, which she did, and thus, the burial can be considered ‘complete’. In both cases, but especially regarding this theory, it was unnecessary and absolutely foolish to go back and perform the ritual once again. It’s almost as if she was asking to get caught.”

“So you think she was mainly acting out of stubbornness?”

“It could have been a way to let it be known that she was against the edict, as a public jab to her uncle Creon. But it only led her to death, in the end.”

“What if the rituals hadn’t been completed the first night? What did you want her to do, then? She needed to return to finish the ceremony.”

“One option would have been to seek help.”

“From whom?” Hoseok frowned. “No one dared to raise against Creon’s edict.”

“Either her sister Ismene or her fiancé Haemon”, Namjoon shrugged. “They are both weak when it comes to Antigone. Haemon because he is madly in love with her and Ismene because she’s always been the weakest spirit between the two sisters.”

“But isn’t that weakness of theirs double-sided, then?” Hoseok objected. “You’re right, they are weak enough to be convinced by Antigone, in theory. But on the other hand, that means they’re also not strong-willed enough to go against Creon’s orders — which is exactly what ended up happening.”

“But only because Sophocles wrote it that way — it is supposed to be a tragedy, so any action leading to a fateful outcome is bound to happen. But in theory, had Antigone been convincing enough, I’m sure at least Haemon would have gone with her.

The second option would have been to go to her uncle directly and discuss the unfairness of the laws with him. Creon is the king, he has absolute power over everything now, and he has a soft spot for Antigone. Everyone in this story does. And I do believe she had the power to turn the tables around.”

“Well, she did try to talk to him about the unfairness of his judgement, but Creon’s decision also comes from a dilemma — a moral and political one. He had to favour one of his nephews because, according to the law, there had to be a winner to this duel.”

“No, it actually didn’t have to be a winner and a loser to this duel — a foolish one, too, by the way. Both brothers were fighting for the throne, led their city into a civil war, causing disturbance through Thebes, and they ended up killing each other.”

“So it’s a fratricide”, Hoseok pressed on, “and fratricide was punishable according to the law in order.”

“But in this case, they are both guilty since they killed each other. Creon could have decided to judge them both guilty for fratricide and have both in public shame.”

“But that would have been unfair, then.”

“Isn’t that being fair to condemn both brothers, though?” the blond cut him off. “They were technically both guilty.”

“It might have been fair according to common sense, but it still wouldn’t have been according to the law.”

“See? You’re bringing this back to the law again”, Namjoon countered, unknowingly leaning over the back of his chair like a predator ready to pounce on Hoseok. “And you just admitted the law was nonsensical. So the law is the problem. And if the law is the problem, you have to change it. And, look! Creon precisely can change the law because he is the king and can change the law as he pleases.”

“But again”, Hoseok, huffed, trying not to let his annoyance seep through his words even though Namjoon was seriously testing him, “that would be unfair!”

“Unfair to who? Nothing is fair in this particular case!”

“Unfair to the citizens! They live in a society, Namjoon, there has to be rules! And just because Creon is the king doesn’t mean he gets to play favourites when some of his family members are involved in a specific situation—”

“That’s rich coming from you”, Hoseok thought he heard Namjoon mumble in the stilted silence of the classroom.

“I beg your pardon?”

“Nothing.”

“So you agree that changing the law would have been seen as unfair—”

“The world is unfair, Hoseok!” Namjoon exploded. “The world is unfair and him taking advantage of his status would have been the clever thing to do in this case: either condemn both his nephews to public shame or even forgive them both and consider that their respective fratricide nullified each other since both perpetrators are dead! Creon’s stand on the matter made no sense!”

“If the world is unfair”, Hoseok bit back, his neutral facade finally shattering and allowing his true emotions to show, “then you just have to try to make it better!”

“That’s just foolishly naive of you, then—”

“Boys!” Professor Kim, who had watched their exchange silently until then, startled them into silence. “Remember it’s an open discussion as long as you respect each other’s opinions.”

Hoseok and Namjoon turned their heads back to each other slowly, a frown still present on the blond’s features.

“I apologise”, he muttered nonetheless, bowing his head a little. “My last comment was out of line.” He cleared his throat, not looking in Hoseok’s direction anymore. “I will conclude my objection by saying Antigone should have talked Creon into either condemning or honouring both — well, in her case, she would most likely have pleaded for honouring both brothers — out of true fairness.

Instead, she just went behind her uncle’s back to do a poor job at burying Polynices, then foolishly got caught and foolishly lost her life. What good does it do to sacrifice one’s self if nothing changes, in the end? I’m saying Antigone’s sacrifice is foolish because it was one done in vain. In the end, she died and Haemon followed her into the grave, too.

But then, again, it is a tragedy. Tragedies were written and played to condemn humans’ foolishness or hubris. They show how insignificant or hopeless they are compared to the Gods — even though the Gods themselves are not good examples to follow.”

As if to punctuate Namjoon’s statement, the bell rang, signalling the end of the class. Everyone seemed to startle at the shrill sound and Professor Kim clapped his hands once to pull them out of their stupor.

“Alright, this was a vindictive but interesting and intense debate! For next time, I want you to write a short essay, three pages, focusing on the chorus and its role throughout the play. Namjoon and Hoseok”, he added as their classmates were gathering their belongings and exiting the classroom. “Can I have a word with you?”

The pair exchanged a glance, Namjoon’s wary, Hoseok’s curious, before shuffling near the teacher’s desk. Professor Kim offered them a small smile, which reassured Hoseok a little. They were not likely to get punished, then.

“If it’s about my improper behaviour from earlier”, Namjoon began, looking a bit sheepish but with his eyes trained on the desk rather than on Hoseok, “I want to apologise once more.”

“You don’t have to apologise to me”, Professor Kim shrugged.

Namjoon reluctantly turned to Hoseok, who simply nodded.

“It’s fine.”

“I listened to your arguments attentively”, Professor Kim mused, “and I think I want to give you one special assignment. It won’t be graded, as it wouldn’t be fair towards the other students, but that doesn’t mean I won’t expect thorough work.”

“A special assignment?”

“Yes. I want you both to read Anouilh’s adaptation of Antigone and compare his work to Sophocles’. I also want you to focus on Antigone’s character, as you were disagreeing on it earlier. I’d like to emphasise, though, that I want it to be a shared work. I want you to read and study the book together, talk about it and then make a presentation of your research to me — I will book a classroom for it and communicate the details in an email later. You have until the end of the month to complete this assignment, I expect the two of you to come up with an in-depth presentation right before the summer break.”

“But—”

“Namjoon-goon”, Professor Kim arched an eyebrow but his little smile was still floating on his lips. “I think it would do you and Hoseok some good to spend some time with each other and talk. Especially about certain subjects you seem to strongly disagree on.”

Hoseok was quietly observing the exchange, having gone back to his perfected subdued nature and now regretting his earlier outburst. He had temporarily lost his temper and spoken his mind — something he wasn’t really used to. He didn’t know what to make of it.

“I understand, Professor”, Namjoon said, bowing his head and pulling him back to reality. “I will complete this assignment with Hoseok.”

“I will, too”, the aforementioned added. “With Namjoon.”

“Good, good. Well, you better hurry to your next class. I know Professor Han doesn’t like her students to be tardy.”

The two boys quickly bowed to the man before scampering away to their History class — yet another class they shared. Namjoon let out a long sigh as soon as they had passed the threshold, his long legs powering him through the corridor with Hoseok doing his best to keep up. The taller swiftly turned back, causing Hoseok to almost collide with him.

“What’s your House again?”

“Uh”, he blinked stupidly, taken aback by the question. “I’m sorry?”

“Your House. You’re not in mine. Which House do you belong to?”

“House Themis.”

“Ah. I see”, Namjoon simply muttered before he resumed walking.

The blond didn’t talk to Hoseok for the next hour or even the rest of the day, leaving the boy even more confused and a bit annoyed. For some reason, Namjoon had decided to be a dick to him, even though Hoseok hadn’t done anything wrong other than defending a different opinion, maybe. But Namjoon didn’t seem the type to pettily give the cold shoulder to someone simply because their opinions differed from his, a little voice whispered in his mind, but he pushed it aside with a subtle shake of his head.

It was fair to say that Namjoon and he didn’t seem to get along. And now they were supposed to complete an extra assignment together for a presentation. The next few weeks were going to be exhausting, Hoseok thought dejectedly.

“Seokjin-hyung, can I ask you something?”

“You already did, Hobi”, the older Themis joked, but his face turned serious when Yoongi minutely shook his head. “I’m sorry. Please, ask away! Hyung will try to answer as best as he can.”

“Do you… Do you happen to know Kim Namjoon?” Hoseok bit his lip, a bit embarrassed at having to ask and not wanting to be seen prying, but the blond’s question had thrown him for a loop and it was all Hoseok could think about for the rest of the day.

“Kim Namjoon? From your grade?” Seokjin tilted his head and Hoseok nodded, taking a mouthful of bulgogi. “Hmm, let me see…”

“Isn’t he the one who got to choose his House?” Yoongi chimed in. “Tall, blond, looking all serious and studious?”

“I’d say the description matches.”

“That’s him, then.”

“What happened?” Hoseok asked curiously.

“The first time he took the test, he got equal results for House Themis, House Machiavel and House Faust”, Seokjin explained while munching on a mouthful of rice. “Apparently, his results for House Apollo were quite high, too. An unprecedented occurrence. It caused quite a stir within the Institute because Chairman Bang, Headmistress Adora and the teachers didn’t know where to put him.”

“I remember”, Yoongi added with a small smile. “Poor guy, though. He looked like a lab rat everyone wanted to observe and take notes from. He eventually got to choose his House, he actually picked Themis. Then he retook the test at the beginning of his second year and it turned out his Faust scores were slightly more elevated, so he switched Houses.”

“Really? You can switch Houses?” a voice came from Hoseok’s left and he startled, turning his head to see Yoongi’s cousin, Jeongguk. The kid was always so quiet that Hoseok had honestly forgotten about him, and the sight of the younger boy, who seemed equally startled, made him feel guilty immediately.

“It’s more common than you think”, Yoongi shrugged. “People change, you know? Especially at such a young age, still. We keep learning, discovering, trying new things.”

“I actually switched Houses myself”, Seokjin smiled.

“Y-You did?” Jeongguk blinked, and Hoseok was too invested in the conversation to really notice how the younger’s cheeks were tinted the most endearing shades of pink.

“Yes. I initially entered IRIS as an Apollo”, the eldest laughed, elbowing Yoongi playfully. “It’s how I became friends with Mister Piano Man here.”

“Jin”, Yoongi groaned, but the small smile on his lips told Hoseok he wasn’t really annoyed by his friend’s antics.

“But everyone in House Apollo is some kind of art genius”, Seokjin sighed a bit dramatically, leaning against Yoongi for good measure. “And while I’m pretty talented myself in certain kinds of arts, I’m not good enough to be up to par with the competition there. I realised I didn’t belong to the House of artists, so I retook the test upon the headmistress’ permission and got into House Themis. And here I am now! Much happier than if I’d stayed in House Apollo, I think, even though I do miss my friends and especially Yoongi.”

“We see each other every day nonetheless”, the shorter male deadpanned. “You’re still part of the Theater Club. We still share at least four classes.”

“But there’s no one to cuddle me at night!”

“C-Cuddle?” Jeongguk sputtered, coughing around his spoonful of rice, his cheeks turning bright red and his big doe eyes blinking back and forth between his cousin and Seokjin.

“Are you okay?” Hoseok patted the younger gently on his back, half-concerned and half-amused by Jeongguk’s predicament.

He didn’t know much about the kid, given how shy and silent he usually was, keener on watching the three others talk whenever he ate with them. But Hoseok was quite observant himself, and he had noticed how Jeongguk’s eyes tended to linger on Seokjin with something akin to awe shining in his big irises, and how he would blush whenever the eldest of their group looked at him or talked to him. Despite his efforts to hide it, Jeongguk’s little crush on their friend was quite noticeable, and it amused Hoseok — and probably Yoongi, as Yoongi was observant and smart — that Seokjin seemed to be completely oblivious of the effect he had on the first year.

“Jeonggukkie”, Seokjin chastised gently, “I told you one too many times to not eat too fast! You’ll end up choking for real, one day.”

“S-Sorry, Hyung”, the younger muttered, eyes trained on his bowl of rice as if he hoped the glutinous little pile would swallow him whole and make him disappear.

“I’m just making sure you’re staying alive”, the older Themis chuckled, leaning over the table to ruffle Jeongguk’s hair affectionately. Jeongguk looked two seconds away from either combusting or melting into his seat, and Hoseok barely suppressed a chuckle. A soft snort coming from Yoongi made him glance at the elder, who failed to hide an endearing gummy smile that Hoseok immediately platonically fell in love with.

“Anyway, why all the questions about Namjoon?”

“Ah, well…” It was Hoseok’s turn to get embarrassed. “The short version of the story is that we received an assignment to complete together, and I don’t know him that well and didn’t have the time to, hum. Have a proper conversation with him?”

“And the long version?” Seokjin grinned.

Hoseok walked them through the heated debate he’d had with Namjoon in class, then, everyone listening with rapt attention. “I don’t think he likes me very much”, Hoseok finally shrugged, hoping his disappointment wasn’t showing. Ever since coming to IRIS and becoming friends with Seokjin, then Yoongi, he had found it more and more difficult to keep his carefully neutral attitude, letting his emotions show through — like earlier during his little altercation with Namjoon.

“What makes you think so?” Yoongi arched a curious eyebrow at the same time Seokjin asked,

“Does that bother you?”

“Well, I’m mostly assuming because he’s never tried to talk to me or get to know me besides the common exchange of courtesies. And he seems— How should I put it? A bit annoyed at me, for some reason?”

“And, again, does that bother you?” Seokjin pressed. Hoseok shrugged once more, trying to hide his face by taking a sip of his water.

“I wouldn’t say I’m bothered, per se, but we are supposed to work together on an extra assignment now because we ended up in a rather heated debate in our Ancient Greek and Latin Literature class. And from the very few interactions I’ve had with him so far, I can just tell he doesn’t like me much, is probably blaming me for the extra assignment, and I don’t think he’ll talk to me anytime soon”, he sighed.

“Or”, Yoongi whispered, his eyes fixated on something behind Hoseok’s back with an indecipherable look, “you might want to revise your statement.”

“I’m sorry?”

A hand slammed against the table next to him, a bit too violently, making Hoseok gasp. The boy turned a startled look to the owner of the hand and nearly recoiled at the proximity of Kim Namjoon’s face from his own. The taller student was leaning on his hand, sporting his ever serious look.

“Hoseok”, he said, and the latter tried to ignore how Namjoon’s smooth deep voice made his spine tingle. “If you’re done with your dinner, may I have a word?”

“Uh— Sure?”

Namjoon glanced at his friends, acknowledging them with a polite nod before straightening up and waiting for Hoseok to regain his bearings. Hoseok blinked at Seokjin and Yoongi, who were both staring intently at the newcomer. Jeongguk looked as bewildered as him, which oddly comforted him. After gathering his things and saying a quick goodbye to his tablemates, Hoseok followed Namjoon out of the dining hall through corridors that were unfamiliar to him.

“Hum, Namjoon?” he spoke up hesitantly, receiving a non-committal hum in reply. “Where are we going?”

“To my House.”

“Your—”

“Here”, Namjoon cut him off, stopping in front of a heavy-looking wooden door with intricate carvings displaying the name “House Faust” in fancy carved letterings.

The blond pushed the door open and held it for Hoseok, who gave him a small smile at the unexpected gesture. Well, no. He knew Namjoon was a polite man. Just because he seemed to dislike Hoseok didn’t mean he would shut doors to his face or anything of the sort. But still, Hoseok was feeling out of his depth ever since his classmate had fetched him from his dinner table.

“Wait here.”

Namjoon motioned for Hoseok to sit on one of the sofas of House Faust’s common room, then disappeared through a door, leaving him alone. Hoseok took a look at his surroundings. The room was not that different from their own common room in House Themis, except there seemed to be a lot more bookshelves. There were so many books that Hoseok could safely assume this represented an entire section of IRIS’s library.

A human skeleton replica was hanging in a corner of the room next to tables with a few microscopes and other engines Hoseok didn’t know how to use properly — biology, physics and chemistry had never been his strong nor favourite subjects. Some anatomy posters were plastered on the wall, too, as well as what Hoseok recognised to be Mendeleev’s periodic table. The skeleton was making him a bit uncomfortable, its empty eyes — or, well, the space where eyeballs should be — seemingly fixated on him.

“So”, Namjoon declared as he entered the room again, his laptop and a notepad under his arm and a book in the other hand. He took a seat next to Hoseok, whose breath hitched when the cushions sunk a little under the added weight. The Themis welcomed the distraction, though, having decided he didn’t really fancy “staring” contests with biology class skeletons. “I’ve searched through the library and the shelves here, and I found a copy of Anouilh’s Antigone in Korean.”

“Already?” Hoseok blinked, surprised.

“The problem is”, Namjoon continued with a small frown, “that I could only find one copy. The other ones are either in French or already borrowed by someone else.”

“Oh. Well, you can read it first and then lend it to me, I don’t mind.”

“Professor Kim said we had to do this together.”

“I don’t think he meant reading together as well”, Hoseok mumbled.

“It would go faster, though. Reading the book separately feels like a waste of time.”

“Why are you so adamant about doing this together, Namjoon?”

Namjoon’s frown deepened and he scooted back into the sofa, rearranging his leg sideways so he could properly face Hoseok. His arms were folded against his chest. “I literally just told you. It’s a waste of time. Why are you so reluctant about this? Do you have something against me?”

“I’m—” Hoseok sputtered. “Excuse me? I have nothing against you, if anything, you’re the one having something against me!”

Namjoon’s mouth fell open in shock. Hoseok tried to ignore the faint taste of bitterness settling at the back of his tongue.

“You’re not denying it”, he stated. Namjoon bit his lower lip and Hoseok’s eyes inadvertently lingered on the mole right under it.

“I don’t dislike you”, the Faust eventually muttered while avoiding his gaze.

“But you don’t like me either.”

“It’s not—” Namjoon sighed, one of his hands coming up to ruffle his otherwise perfectly kept blond hair. “Listen, Hoseok—”

“It’s fine, you know!” he cut him off with a little shake of his head. “I understand. I can’t please everyone, anyway.”

“That’s not it”, Namjoon insisted. “I’m sorry, my words were poorly chosen. I didn’t mean it that way.”

Hoseok wasn’t sure what way the other meant exactly, then, but he couldn’t stay hurt or get mad when Namjoon’s hand was awkwardly, tentatively patting his forearm. They stared at each other intently, Hoseok waiting for Namjoon to maybe explain further.

“You just remind me of my old self”, the blond finally mumbled with a chuckle, but Hoseok couldn’t determine if it was a good or a bad thing. Namjoon seemed to sense his thoughts. “I mean, the way you think— This is why I asked you which House you belonged to, earlier. You’re a Themis. You believe in equity, justice, fairness.”

“And? Is that wrong?” Hoseok frowned.

“The world doesn’t work that way”, Namjoon smiled sadly. “Believing so is nothing but utopia.”

“So you’re saying I’m delusional and that’s why you don’t like me.”

“That’s— Again, that’s not exactly what I’m saying”, Namjoon winced. “But you might be a bit delusional, from what I’ve seen of you so far.”

“Good Lord, are you always this blunt? I keep having the feeling that you’re constantly trying to upset or offend me, Namjoon. It’s… unsettling, to say the least.”

“I’m sorry. That’s not my intention.”

“What are your intentions, then? You’re always cold towards me, you keep raising objections to my answers in class, now you’re saying I’m reminding you of your old self as if it was a bad thing, and that I’m delusional for wanting to live in a fairer world. How do you want me to feel, Namjoon?”

“I was like you, once”, the taller shook his head instead, not answering his question. “When I entered IRIS. I assume somebody told you about my unusual House test results?”

“Sort of”, Hoseok shrugged, because, as wary as he was as to where Namjoon was leading this conversation, there was no point in lying to him.

“I could technically fit into every House, with a slight advantage to three of them — House Machiavel, House Faust and House Themis. I actually picked House Themis”, Namjoon explained further. “I thought I would be able, once I graduate from IRIS, to change the world. I was ecstatic. I felt invincible. I felt infinite. I felt like there was nothing I couldn’t do— we couldn’t do. We’re the next generation! We’re the hopes of our country and the rest of the world! We’re the ones who will build tomorrow’s society! At least that’s what we’ve been told.

So I thought, as part of this generation, I would actually be able to implement changes. But I was mistaken. I was too cocky. Or too hopeful. Too naive. My dreams were only delusions, utopia. Such a perfect world can’t exist.

And when I saw you, for the first time… When I heard the answers you gave to the teachers, when I saw the way you behaved towards others— it just reminded me of who I was. It might sound pretentious, it probably is, but I don’t want you to experience the metaphoric downfall I had to go through.”

“So…” Hoseok took a deep breath. “So what you mean to say is, you’re trying to look out for me because I remind you of your past self, who was foolish and delusional?”

Namjoon winced again, having at least the decency to look sheepish. Hoseok stared at him in disbelief, trying to see if the blond was maybe pulling a prank on him. He was not.

“So not only are you insulting me”, Hoseok glared at him, “you’re also looking at me with condescension.”

“I’m— I’m sorry.”

“You’re not.”

“I am!” Namjoon’s eyes were blinking rapidly, mouth opened a little. 

Hoseok was feeling angry. It was an emotion he was well acquainted with, having been frustrated as a child for constantly being ignored or misunderstood by his parents. But he had quickly learnt to stifle his anger. Anger didn’t bring him anything good. It made his brain sloppy, less focused. Thus, he was more prompt to make mistakes. And mistakes made him less perfect. Less appealing. Less likeable. Anger was making him a failure, so there was nothing good about it.

So Hoseok had stifled his anger, had fought against it and tamed it before locking it away, safely, in a dark corner of his mind. But the anger hadn’t disappeared. It was just put away for now. But it was brooding deep within himself, roaming like a beast in a cage, ready to pounce as soon as the door would open, even the slightest.

And maybe he had reached the point where the lock couldn’t resist the assaults of the beast. Maybe it was time to let go.

“You said you ‘might sound pretentious’? You absolutely were. I’m sorry to hear you lost hope in— what, society, the world, mankind? But you and I are different people, Namjoon. I might never end up like you. I might actually achieve something that will turn our world into a better place! You don’t know!”

“How do you expect to change the world if you know nothing of it?”

“Because you think you know more of the world than I do? How presumptuous.”

“Rather than presumption, I’d say my claim comes from an analysis of your persona and your upbringing”, Namjoon shrugged.

Hoseok almost winced, the mention of his background feeling as if someone had suddenly dumped a bucket of freezing water on him. “What about my upbringing?” he asked, defensive. “What does it have to do with any of it?”

“Well”, Namjoon bit his lip. “I don’t want to sound like I did a thorough background check on you, but your father is a congressman. A politician. And you’re obviously on the wealthier side of society. So you’re looking at the world through those lenses.”

“Oh, am I. Of course, you’re right because you know everything about me”, Hoseok rolled his eyes. “You keep insulting me with poorly-made assumptions.”

“I’m merely stating facts”, Namjoon frowned. “Coming to conclusions from the information I’ve gathered.”

“So what? Are you a scientist, now?”

“I’m a Faust! I thrive on knowledge, analysis, data, discovery, facts, observations—”

“You may be a scientist, but I’m not a lab rat, Namjoon! For God’s sake, does every Faust lack the finesse of basic social interactions, or is that trait only applicable to yourself?”

Namjoon’s mouth opened in disbelief, his features distorting under the affront. Hoseok had, once again, lost his temper, but he didn’t feel the slightest bit guilty. He was merely giving Namjoon a taste of his own medicine and it felt liberating. Exhilarating, even, in a twisted way. But Hoseok, as if drunk on adrenaline and anger, a burst of courage coursing through his veins, didn’t intend to stop there.

The dam had been broken. The door of the cage was open, and the beast had jumped out.

“I have dealt with numerous pretentious, presumptuous people like you. Your words could mean nothing to me, but we will have to see each other a lot from now on. I was hoping your conceited temper wouldn’t equal to you being an arse but, unfortunately, that does not seem to be the case. Truthfully, what I’m most upset about isn’t the fact that you felt like you had the right to spoil my fun because you’ve become jaded. It’s the fact that you just assumed things of me, judged me while you haven’t even taken the time to know me!”

“And do you?”

“Do I what?”

“Do you know yourself, Hoseok?” Namjoon’s eyes bore into his, gaze unwavering, as if Hoseok’s outburst and little tirade had erased all the guilt he was supposedly feeling.

Hoseok opened his mouth to reply, but he closed it when he realised Namjoon’s question had hit a sore spot. Did he really know himself? Who was he? Hoseok knew that he had had a stifled childhood. He had been, for most of his life, carefully tailored to fit his parents’ expectations — a trophy son. He had been homeschooled and given the best tutors in every subject possible. He had never been allowed to play with children who didn’t come from respectable and chosen families from his parents’ circle.

Hoseok had been trained to be perfect, but no one ever is. Thus, it was never enough. He was never enough for his parents. He had thought to resign to his fate, at one point, but the brewing fire in his guts was nurturing his competitiveness. He knew he was clever, as his many preceptors hadn’t failed to point out during his whole scholarship of private lessons, and talented. He behaved and spoke well, knew Korean and Japanese, was a faultless dancer and a decent tennis player, and he could even sing one or two mandatory songs when asked to.

But Namjoon had a point, too. Hoseok had reached a point where he couldn’t say for sure if he did what he did because he genuinely liked it, or because he was good at it and it made his parents proud. Playing tennis, dancing, singing… Whose hobbies were they, really?

Namjoon had stayed silent, observing Hoseok while the latter was spiralling into his usual dark strings of thoughts. If he had been more observant, Hoseok would have seen how the blond was biting his lips anxiously, his eyes shining with the fear and the guilt of maybe having pushed Hoseok too far.

Hoseok stood up, back ramrod straight and eyes looking right in front of him, carefully avoiding Namjoon’s gaze. “If this is all you had to say to me, Namjoon, I will be taking my leave.”

“Hoseok”, the other student tried, standing up as well. “I’m sorry, I didn’t—”

“Good night, Namjoon”, he cut him off with a polite bow. He turned around but before he could walk away, Namjoon grabbed his arm.

“Wait!”

Hoseok froze, his back still turned to Namjoon, his stillness absolutely not matching the mess of emotions that were swirling inside of him.

“I— You— Could you give me your, hum, number?”

The request was so unexpected that Hoseok spun around, almost hitting Namjoon in the process given how close the other was.

“I’m— Sorry?”

“Your number”, Namjoon repeated, eyes trailed to the floor. “I need to be able to contact you for, you know. The assignment. To tell you when to meet me so we can start reading.”

“I’m not—”

“Please, Hoseok. I’ve been incredibly rude, I know, and you have the right to resent me. But we still need to complete this assignment.”

“Fine”, he huffed, taking Namjoon’s phone — that the latter had magically gotten out — and typed his number in the contacts list.

“Thank you. I’ll text you.”

“Sure, sure.”

Namjoon didn’t hold him back when he walked away this time and Hoseok felt both relieved and frustrated. He made his way back to his House with a mind full of thoughts, foregoing studying or playing chess with Seokjin and shutting himself off in his room. He went straight to bed, trying to ignore the whirlwind of interrogations Namjoon had brought to life.

Namjoon was— Not what Hoseok expected.

Namjoon was infuriating but also intriguing. He had been rude, but he also seemed genuine. He was blunt and obviously not as subtle as Hoseok had thought, but the more rational part of himself could understand Namjoon’s reasoning — not necessarily agree to it, though. 

Namjoon had thrown Hoseok off-guard, sent him spiralling into his usual anxiety-induced thoughts, but maybe it was for the greater good. Namjoon was a hurricane, wreaking havoc on Hoseok’s carefully crafted world, but maybe Namjoon was the push Hoseok needed to finally free himself from his parents’ clutches. It was like Namjoon was presenting another path to him, rougher and wilder than the road his parents had carefully crafted for him and that he abhorred without having the courage to actually stand up for himself. Hoseok just had to take the first step on the rough path. But following Namjoon meant throwing away everything Hoseok had lived up for until then, and he didn’t know if the boy could be trusted. The stakes were too high.

Namjoon was an enigma that, for all his fascination for the guy, Hoseok wasn’t sure he wanted to solve.

— 📖 —

Hoseok had intended to give Namjoon the cold shoulder, out of pettiness and to give the guy a taste of his own medicine, but it seemed the tables had turned. Namjoon was staring at Hoseok a lot during class, averting his eyes as soon as he got caught or making an awkward little wave to acknowledge him.

Hoseok didn’t know what to think.

Namjoon had hit a very sore spot the other day. It was like the blond had seen right through him, had seen how Hoseok was only an empty shell — a pretty, shining and polished, shimmering one, but empty nonetheless — and had called him out on it.

Hoseok knew there had to be something more to him, he couldn’t just accept that his parents had ruined him to the point he would be nothing more than the poster children he had to frequent in all the social gatherings his mother was dragging him to. He had almost given up, but IRIS could be the opportunity for him to learn more than he ever would have, had he been staying at the family manor. His mother had made a mistake, putting him in the Institute, and Hoseok was determined to take advantage of it.

Namjoon’s words had been a rough but necessary wake-up call. It only reinforced his belief that things needed to change, that he needed to take action. He had been passive for too long. He had lived under his parents’ shadow like a dutiful son, had walked on the pristine road they had crafted for him. But the older he got, the more he realised he didn’t want his life to be empty and vain.

He would forge a life of his own. He would try new things, learn new things, even make real friends — something he hadn’t expected but realised how much he had lacked until now. The problem, though, was that he didn’t really know where to start. How does one simply start filling their empty shell?

All these musings had kept him busy for the next few days, Seokjin, Yoongi and even Jeongguk growing a bit concerned at the return of his taciturn nature. It seemed that Hoseok had drawn back in on himself, all the progress he had made gone down the drain.

Except, not really. He just had a lot to think about, but he was still with them. He still played chess with Seokjin before going to bed — and still unable to beat his older friend. He still joined Yoongi in their study sessions. He even helped Jeongguk with a Korean Literature assignment once, the younger having shyly come up to him one afternoon in the library because Yoongi wasn’t there. The young Apollo was eager to learn, studious and curious, and had a will to do well that reminded Hoseok of himself, something he resented a little but also found incredibly endearing.

Jeongguk was starting to open up to him and Hoseok was growing fond of the younger. Jeongguk was shy, but Hoseok could see hints of cheekiness here and there when he talked to Yoongi. There definitely was more to Jeongguk than the reserved facade he had put up, and Hoseok looked forward to seeing the younger finally get comfortable with him — and with Seokjin, although that might take even more time.

Hoseok was the youngest in his household and he hadn’t grown up with close friends, which is why getting to know Jeongguk was a novelty he revelled in. There was something pleasing in being a hyung, having someone relying on him, and even though he felt like he couldn’t be very helpful to Jeongguk due to his limited experiences, he was determined to do his best and be a good hyung like Seokjin and Yoongi were.

That was also a new experience that would help Hoseok fill his empty shell, which added to his excitement. Focusing on Jeongguk helped to distract him from his musings and his situation with Namjoon, so to say he was surprised by the little folded note that landed on top of his desk one day during History class was an understatement.

Are you free tonight? — NJ

Hoseok blinked, looking up to see Namjoon staring at him from a nearby desk. The blond hastily turned around upon getting caught, though. The Themis frowned, eyes tracing the neat lines of Namjoon’s handwriting. Was that some sort of joke? And did people still pass handwritten notes during class these days? Hoseok had caught Minjae and Nara texting under their desk the other day — maybe to each other? — and Namjoon had his number.

He shook his head and flipped off the piece of paper, scribbling when he was sure their professor’s attention was directed somewhere else.

I’m sorry, I don’t do booty calls.

He folded the paper with a little satisfied smile before throwing it back to Namjoon. Petty and undignified, he could hear his mother’s disapproving voice in a corner of his head, but he quickly willed it away. The first step to the transformation to a new Hoseok was to stop letting his mother’s presence intrude on his thoughts all the time.

He had made some progress ever since he had arrived at IRIS, rarely going back home on the weekends and pretexting big study sessions with some “friends” whose parents were overseas — he had dropped some names the first few times and his mother had congratulated him on being such a dutiful son, focusing on networking for their family. They rarely asked him if they should expect him on Friday night, something Hoseok was thankful for. But his mother was still lingering over him like a permanent shadow and Hoseok knew it would take some time until it disappeared completely. He had to shine for the shadows to disappear — brighter than the sun.

The sound of something hitting his desk brought him back from his thoughts and he glanced at the new folded note.

Very funny. I was planning a three-way with Antigone, maybe that would change your mind. So, are you free tonight?

Hoseok bit his lip to prevent himself from snorting at Namjoon’s banter. It almost felt ludicrously amicable, as if they hadn’t argued with each other the last time they had spoken face to face. And that was as close as flirting he would ever get from the blond, a devious little voice whispered in his head, although he wasn’t sure if he still wanted Namjoon to flirt with him, given the disaster that was their last two confrontations. They did have to get along at least moderately well if they wanted to complete their assignment, though, so he decided to humour his classmate.

I am.

Great, came Namjoon’s reply not long after. Let’s meet after dinner, I’ll come to you.

The rest of the day was a blur and before he knew it, Namjoon was once again standing near his table after dinner, waiting for Hoseok to excuse himself and leave a bewildered Seokjin, Yoongi and Jeongguk behind. It all felt like a deja vu. The blond led him to yet another part of the Institute he wasn’t familiar with and Hoseok had a fleeting thought that Namjoon might trap him in a secret room, kill him and then dispose of his body before telling Professor Kim they couldn’t complete the assignment because of Hoseok’s sudden disappearance. He quickly shook his head to chase this ludicrous thought away.

“Where are you taking me this time?” he asked, if only to fill the awkward silence hovering over them.

“The astronomy tower.”

“There’s an astronomy tower?”

“Well, it is more of a big room, near the labs on the fourth floor. It’s rarely been used ever since the astronomy club was dissolved, so we won’t be bothered here.”

Maybe Namjoon did want to murder him, after all.

When they arrived, Hoseok’s mouth fell open as he took in the room. It was not a classroom but rather an observatory of sorts. Tables and chairs were scattered in a part of the room, near bookshelves filled with what Hoseok assumed to be astronomy-related books. The other part was occupied by a rostrum where a few covered telescopes were still standing. But the main attraction was the huge floor-to-ceiling glass window — Hoseok figured it should rather be called a glass wall, at this point — from which they could see a good portion of the park and the West side of the Institute grounds. The roof part was spherical and could be opened into two moving panels to better observe the night sky. Despite the low lights they had turned on upon entering, Hoseok could see a few stars, no more than blinking points of light on a warm night.

Namjoon closed the door and rummaged through a closet to retrieve a tarp, a few cushions and plaids that he disposed against the rostrum. Hoseok arched an eyebrow at the sight of the supplies, a bit unusual for an astronomy room.

“I brought them myself”, Namjoon explained before he could ask. “Since this place is kind of my go-to quiet study spot, I figured I’d make it a bit more comfortable.”

“You brought me to your go-to quiet study spot?” Hoseok stared at him. “Why?”

“So that we won’t be bothered, for once”, the Faust shrugged. “And because I figured this kind of informal setting would put both of us more at ease. Come on, take a seat.”

Hoseok complied, silently sitting on a cushion next to Namjoon and taking out a notepad and a pen from his bag. “How do you want to do this?” he asked, eyeing the book that the blond had gotten out of his own bag. “Do we read at the same time and I tell you when to turn the page?”

“About that…” Namjoon bit his lower lip. “I was hoping I could read it out loud?”

The thing about Namjoon is that he was unpredictable. Just as Hoseok thought he had gotten a general picture of the guy, the other did or said something that threw him for a loop and he had to rethink his made-up portrait.

“You want to read it to me out loud?”

“If it makes you uncomfortable—” Namjoon winced, lowering his eyes to the book in his hands. “Forget it, it was stupid—”

“I don’t mind.”

Namjoon’s head snapped up in surprise. To be fair, Hoseok was just as disconcerted. He didn’t know why he had said that. He couldn’t recall the last time someone had read something to him. As a child, his parents never had, and Jiwoo and their nanny had stopped reading to him when their parents decided it was time Hoseok learnt to read by himself. He didn’t know why he had accepted that Namjoon read the book to him, then, but the blond seemed so pleasantly surprised that it sent his mind back reeling in confusion at the mystery that was Kim Namjoon. Hoseok was lost. He really couldn’t figure him out.

“Do you mind if you take notes for the two of us, then? I’ll add some of my own after reading, of course, but I might miss some things and I don’t want to stop every two minutes to write something down.”

“Uh— I don’t mind.”

“Perfect.”

Namjoon started to read, then, after wiggling around a little to find a comfortable position. Hoseok felt like he was getting constant whiplash, because Namjoon’s voice was, well, very pleasant to listen to. Smooth, rich, not too low but still holding some depth. He enunciated the words well and kept a steady flow, too, and making so few mistakes Hoseok knew the other was used to reading things out loud.

He tried his best to pay attention to the story, to take notes, but Namjoon’s voice held something almost magical, drawing Hoseok in. There was something enticing and comforting in his voice, something Hoseok knew he wouldn’t be able to resist for long.

He couldn’t help but study his classmate as the latter was reading, too. In class, Namjoon always had this image of a well-kept, confident and strong student — his aura was powerful without being truly intimidating or threatening. He inspired a quiet kind of respect and admiration, which reminded Hoseok of Yoongi.

Here, however, it seemed like Namjoon had loosened up. He was still wearing the same clothes as earlier but he had rolled the sleeves of his shirt up to his elbows, his cardigan was discarded on a cushion next to him, and his hair was a bit unruly, the gel having worn out during the day. Crouched on the floor instead of sitting behind a desk, Namjoon looked… softer. His features had softened even though his expressions were trying to match the characters and the atmosphere of the story. This Namjoon was different from the one Hoseok was used to seeing.

As they both retreated to their rooms a while later, Hoseok’s notepad not nearly as filled as he’d hoped for, he came to a realisation. Namjoon was, in his unpredictableness, someone to watch out for. He was an unknown variable in Hoseok’s plan of self-development. Whether it was a good or a bad thing, Hoseok didn’t know, but he had the feeling he would have to be much more mentally prepared if he were to stay in Namjoon’s vicinity for a while. 

Hoseok felt like he was on a tightrope and he didn’t know if it was more exhilarating or disconcerting. It was all too confusing and new to fully grasp his head around it. He wasn’t sure he could describe the weird sensation he felt in his chest, but he knew it was only but a bud promising to grow and bloom into something much bigger.

Something was happening in Hoseok’s life, finally, and he both dreaded and welcomed it.

— 📖 —

Reading Antigone went surprisingly fast. Hoseok almost regretted that the book was short, as it meant Namjoon would stop reading to him in the evenings, but on the other hand, he didn’t because the story certainly was depressing, even more than the original. They had gathered enough material to start their assignment, not that it had been a humongous amount of work, to begin with, and Hoseok had the suspicion Professor Kim had given them this assignment to make them talk and spend time together.

“So, what is happening with Namjoon?” Seokjin had asked one day as they were having lunch with Jeongguk, a teasing glint in his eyes. Yoongi had a group project with some of his classmates that day so he had entrusted his baby cousin to them.

“Nothing is happening with Namjoon”, Hoseok had mumbled, munching on a spoonful of rice to avoid any more questions.

And he wasn’t lying, per se. Nothing was happening with Namjoon, except something was happening with Namjoon because the guy was still reading to him some nights after dinner. 

It had been a tacit agreement. As Namjoon had read the last page of Antigone, he had closed the tattered book, his big hand resting on the cover.

“The end”, he had stated uselessly, a small smile showing off his dimples.

“Well, that was depressing.”

“All tragedies are.”

“True.”

A pause.

“It’s getting late”, Namjoon had said, then, getting up and dusting his pants off before offering a hand to Hoseok. “We should get going.”

Hoseok had felt a weird pang in his chest. This was it, then. Sure, they would still see each other as they still had the assignment to write and then a presentation to make, but it wouldn’t be the same. He had come to like these quiet moments in the astronomy tower with Namjoon. They had started off the wrong foot but in the past week, Hoseok had felt that they had somehow gotten closer. Not friends, of course, but they might have been, had they kept seeing each other in such an “informal setting”, as Namjoon had so elegantly put it. But it was coming to an end, now.

“We should”, he had replied, an indescribable feeling slowly creeping into his body, leaving a cold and unpleasant trail as it settled low in his guts.

“Same time tomorrow?” Namjoon had asked, then, looking a bit nervous for a reason Hoseok couldn’t figure out. The blond probably wanted to start working on the written assignment and Hoseok was free, so he had said yes.

To his surprise, when he had come into the room the following night, Namjoon had been waiting for him, cushions and plaids already laid out and a new book in hand.

“I thought we were finished with the book?”

“We are, but I thought we could use a little break? We’re actually going faster than I thought. It’s barely the beginning of June.”

“What did you have in mind, then?”

“If you don’t mind, I was hoping I could keep reading… to you?”

Hoseok had been thrown off, once again, by Namjoon’s answer. The Faust really was an enigma, but something about him was drawing Hoseok in, an inexorable pull he couldn’t resist. He had sat next to Namjoon, glancing at the new book.

“Shakespeare?”

“A personal favourite”, the blond had shrugged, opening the first page of Much Ado About Nothing and starting to read.

“Nothing is happening with Namjoon, he says”, Seokjin elbowed Jeongguk with a playful eye roll, his voice bringing Hoseok back from his thoughts. “Do we believe him, Jeonggukkie?”

“Something is fishy”, the younger nodded, a glint in his eyes that Hoseok would usually have welcomed but wanted to curse at the moment. The freshman had gotten bolder now that he’d grown comfortable with Hoseok — he was still a bit subdued around Seokjin, but mostly because of his crush on the elder. Overall, the result was that Jeongguk had gotten more involved in their conversations and even cracked some jokes when he felt particularly at ease. Hoseok was glad to discover that Jeongguk, once comfortable, wasn’t shy at all. He had a mischievous side, a bit like Yoongi — playfulness ran into the family, but it was reserved for their closest company. Hoseok felt honoured to be their friend.

“Something is happening with Namjoon”, Seokjin nodded resolutely.

“I’m telling you—”

“Your assignment is happening.”

“Right”, Hoseok muttered, hoping his cheeks weren’t flushing too much.

“How is it going?”

“What?”

“Your assignment”, Seokjin shot him a look. Beside him, Jeongguk was grinning, his endearing bunny smile on display.

“Good”, he shrugged, taking a bite and hoping his friends would stop questioning him.

Truth be told, Hoseok had almost forgotten about their assignment. What had started as a tedious task had evolved into something much more pleasant that Hoseok wasn’t sure what to name. He pushed the little voice in his head, which sounded a lot like Seokjin, saying “Dates, Hoseokie, they’re called dates!” away and focused on finding a more appropriate denomination. Study sessions? Reading sessions?

“Do you enjoy reading aloud?” Hoseok had asked, one night, as they’d finished an Act of Much Ado About Nothing. Namjoon had smiled a bit bashfully, one of his defined hands coming up to scratch the short hair at his nape.

“I’m sorry, is it… weird?”

“I would rather say ‘unusual’. It’s not weird.”

“It’s something I used to do when I was younger”, the blond had explained. “I used to read to my sister when she had trouble falling asleep. There is also this orphanage in my neighbourhood, I used to read tales to the children twice a week when I was in high school.”

Hoseok had felt an unfamiliar warmth spreading up his chest at Namjoon’s words. At the same time, he had realised that he knew very little about Namjoon, and the thought strangely bothered him. He’d resolved to ask more about his background — as much as his classmate would share, of course.

“That’s very generous of you”, he’d said sincerely, because Namjoon had been looking at him like he was expecting a reaction. “I mean it.”

“It’s the least I can do”, the blond had shrugged.

“Do you still go?”

“Sometimes. During the weekend, if I go home.”

“You don’t go home very often?”

“Neither do you”, Namjoon had replied, giving him a look. Hoseok had only offered a tight smile, not feeling ready to open up to Namjoon yet while he still had trouble defining the shift in their relationship. His classmate hadn’t insisted, only pulling a plaid further up Hoseok’s legs before asking, “Shall I resume reading?”

After Shakespeare, they had gone through some Korean authors. Namjoon had told him once that he quite liked poetry. They had talked about Han Yongun’s Nim-ui Chimmuk and the blond had read some of his favourite poems aloud. Then they had read Kim Tongin’s Pulgun San before Hoseok had proposed to dive into One Thousand and One Nights.

“Is that your way of telling me you like me reading to you?” Namjoon had joked. “If we do respect the rule and only read one per night, we will have to meet for approximately two years and eight months.”

“We will have graduated by then.”

“Is that your way of telling me you wish to keep in contact with me after graduation, then?”

“We can always read two tales per night”, Hoseok had shrugged. “That reduces the time to one year and four months.”

“So you don’t want to spend more time with me? I’m wounded.”

“You have a nice voice”, he had simply replied, or rather, admitted. And that had been enough for Namjoon, he had somehow understood what Hoseok had been trying to convey — which was more than Hoseok could comprehend himself.

They had started to talk in-between the tales, too. They were getting acquainted with each other. Namjoon had told Hoseok about his change of Houses.

“I realised I lacked knowledge”, he had said one night. “How could my foolish self pretend to want to change the world if there were so many things I didn’t know? I became thirsty for knowledge, reading even more than I do now. It was no surprise, then, when I asked to retake the test, that I’d get a slightly higher result for House Faust. The headmistress still offered to choose the House I felt would provide me with what I sought most. Given my results, I could also have gone to House Machiavel — “A means to an end”, you know? I was determined to do anything to achieve my goal — and I still am — but since my goal was the pursuit of knowledge, I figured I’d simply go to House Faust.”

“That actually makes sense.”

“I’m sorry, I’m probably oversharing—”

“I don’t mind, Namjoon. Thank you for sharing. If anything, I have the feeling I can understand you better.”

And that was the truth. Hoseok didn’t know when their dynamics shifted, but he could tell that any animosity they might have had towards each other had completely disappeared. Namjoon’s words had hurt him at first, but he’d come to understand the Faust was blunt — sometimes too blunt for his own good. He always meant well, but the clinical approach that seemed to be a common trait among Fausts didn’t always concur with the common politeness expected in society, and especially not with the carefully crafted and coded world Hoseok came from, where everything lay in subtlety and non-verbal language.

But Namjoon’s bluntness could be easily explained. Hoseok had also learnt that Namjoon wasn’t born into wealth. Unlike him, he was from a middle-class family and had lived a very common life before entering IRIS. His father had passed away when he was fifteen but his uncle, his mother’s brother, who was running a successful business, had been supporting them ever since. The man had no children of his own so he wanted to provide for his nephew. When Namjoon’s high school had told him he had the potential to enter IRIS, his uncle had insisted on funding his education so he wouldn’t have to enter the Institute on a scholarship.

“I owe him more than I can ever repay him”, Namjoon had sighed.

“I don’t think he wants you to repay him the way you think. Becoming a smart, independent, strong-willed and honourable man will repay him.”

“You’re probably right. Thank you, Hoseok.”

“You’re very welcome, Namjoon.”

Namjoon, Hoseok realised, was honestly opening up to him. Where his mother would only see foolishness, Hoseok saw courage. It wasn’t easy to lay yourself bare for others to see, especially for him. He belonged to a world where people wore metaphorical masks and armours like badges of honour. Up until IRIS, his life had been a theatre stage. An everlasting masquerade. People had personas, made to fit in and desperately trying to become indispensable to stay on the stage as long as possible.

Here, even though the Institute welcomed children of chaebols, politicians and celebrities, there was no social hierarchy among students. Everyone shed their armours before coming. There had been a few peacocks, Yoongi had told Hoseok once, trying to use their family name to influence professors and students alike, but they had quickly been tackled down a peg or two. One’s success would be evaluated as the result of one’s own efforts only, and if IRIS was a theatre of its own, everyone was content playing their own character.

Seokjin, Yoongi, Jeongguk and now Namjoon all had waltzed into Hoseok’s world without wearing a mask. Their genuineness had been a breath of fresh air he didn’t know he needed as much as a punch shaking him to the depth of his soul. They had made him realise how empty his persona was and how little he knew of himself.

His goal coming here was to find his true self, his ego, to fill his empty shell. Seokjin, Yoongi and Jeongguk had been a good start. They had helped him take the first step of this long journey of self-discovery. And maybe, if Hoseok allowed him to, Namjoon could help, too. Namjoon was brave enough to shed his persona and show Hoseok his true self. It was only fair, then, that Hoseok shed his as well, even if what lay underneath was only a blank page.

“You’re looking for Jeongguk?” Yoongi repeated, blinking a bit owlishly. Hoseok would probably have laughed if he wasn’t feeling nervous. “What did the brat do again?”

“Nothing”, Hoseok chuckled. “He’s not in trouble, I promise. I just want to talk to him.”

“Well”, Yoongi tilted his head, thinking. “I think he’s in Modern Art class right now. I reckon he’ll be free in about fifteen minutes. Will you still be available?”

“I don’t have classes this afternoon”, Hoseok nodded before returning to his essay for his Geopolitics and Political Sciences class — one he didn’t fancy at all but that his parents had forced him to take.

Fifteen minutes was too short a time to properly dive back into the hell that was his essay, so he closed his laptop after a few minutes and packed his bags under Yoongi’s curious gaze.

“Left wing of the Apollo building”, the elder mumbled with a curt nod.

Hoseok thanked him with a smile and exited the library, body and mind thrumming with a mix of nerves and anticipation. He was familiar enough with the surroundings that he didn’t have trouble finding Jeongguk’s classroom. As luck would have it, his timing was perfect. The bell rang just as he arrived in front of the door, which opened to let out a steady flow of cute and youthful freshmen. Some of them glanced curiously at him and he offered them a polite smile, looking around for Jeongguk’s silhouette which soon came before his eyes.

“Hyungnim?” the boy blinked, his mouth opening in surprise. He looked like a startled bunny, one hand holding firmly on the strap of his bag slung over his shoulder. “What are you doing here? Do you need anything?”

“Jeongguk-ah, hi”, he breathed out, relieved at the sight of his friend. “Do you have a minute? If not, it’s fine.”

“I’m free”, the younger nodded. “Where are we going?”

“Do you want to take a walk around the park?” Hoseok offered. “It’s getting sunnier and warmer these days. I think most flowers have bloomed.”

“Sure.”

They walked back down and took the direction of the flower gardens, which happened to be near the Apollo building. Hoseok had been right, the weather was getting brighter and warmer as they reached the middle of June. Most flowers were in full bloom and insects were flying around in the pleasant buzz that announced the coming of summer.

They found a bench under the shade, partially hidden from the well-kept white cobbled-stone path by a perfectly trimmed flower bed — Hoseok wondered if Doyoung’s diligence extended to the maintenance of the park, too; surely the chairwoman’s assistant was also supervising the matter — and they sat.

“Am I in trouble?” Jeongguk hesitated, biting his lip and turning to Hoseok while avoiding his gaze. The elder chuckled.

“Yoongi-hyung asked the same question when I inquired about your schedule. Do you often get in trouble, Jeongguk-ah?”

“Ah, no— I used to, but now I’m good”, he mumbled, his cheeks taking the faintest shade of pink. It was endearing; Hoseok resisted the urge to coo and pinch his cheek.

“You’re not in trouble”, he reassured him. “In fact, it might be the opposite. You might become of great help to me.”

“Me? How?”

“You said the other day that you… danced?” the Themis started, a bit unsure. Jeongguk nodded, silently telling him to pursue. “There is a dance club in IRIS, isn’t it? Do you— You belong in that club, don’t you?”

“I do”, Jeongguk nodded. “There are different sub-groups in that dance club, though. Depending on the genres, everyone’s level — but we’re a close group, overall! Why? Are you interested in joining?”

“I don’t know if I’d be allowed”, he bit his bottom lip, allowing some of his nervousness to show. The first step to finding his ego was to be more honest about his emotions and to open up to his friends, people he trusted. “The semester started long ago.”

“You should talk to Seulgi-noona about it!” Jeongguk chirped, grinning excitedly.

“Seulgi? Kang Seulgi? In my year?”

“Yes! She’s the vice-president of the club, she’ll be able to give you more practical details if you want to join. I didn’t know you dance, Hyung?”

“Well, I’m not bad”, Hoseok shrugged. “According to my teacher.”

“Did you take classes?”

“I had a private tutor”, Hoseok explained. “My parents wanted their children to know how to dance the mandatory reception dances, so my sister and I were taught how to dance starting from a young age. I think I was seven when I had my first lesson.”

“I see”, Jeongguk nodded pensively. “So you dance the waltz, rock dance, swing dance, things like that?”

“Mostly”, the elder grimaced. “But I... managed to bribe my tutor to also teach me a bit of popping, lock dance and even some hip-hop. Of course, my parents have no idea. But I enjoyed it a lot.”

“Oh, I see.”

“I thought I would have to stop once I came here. I didn’t think there’d be a dance club — I don’t know why I thought that”, Hoseok chuckled. “I had given up on it, in my mind.”

“You don’t have to”, Jeongguk softly squeezed his arm before retreating his hand. “You can dance to your heart’s content here. Our philosophy at the dance club is that you should dance all your emotions out, as long as it makes you feel happy, in the end.”

“That’s a beautiful motto.”

“And it can become yours, Hyung. You should talk to Seulgi-noona, I’m sure she’ll manage to let you in. She and Taemin-hyung, our president, might audition you, though. I assume you’ve never taken part in a showcase? Danced in public other than at parties?”

“Never.”

“It’s fine! There’s a first time for everything”, Jeongguk nodded encouragingly, and Hoseok was thankful to see the younger so supportive. There was a short pause. “Do you want to show me, maybe?” the younger inquired, hesitant.

“Show you what?”

“Your dancing. It’s just going to be me, so you won’t be as much pressurised — only if you want, of course!”

“I don’t want to bother you…”

“Nonsense, Hyung! I’m the one who asked.”

“Well, then, if you don’t mind.”

“I can’t wait to see you dance, Hyung!” Jeongguk clapped his hands excitedly, reminding Hoseok of a seal. “How about later tonight?”

“Tonight?” he blinked.

“Yes! After dinner? If you’re available? You have to strike the iron while it’s hot.”

“I was supposed to see Namjoon tonight”, Hoseok mused.

“Oh. Such a bummer.” Jeongguk’s tone had been controlled, but his eyes were betraying his disappointment.

“It’s fine”, Hoseok assured, his soft spot for the younger growing day by day. “I can reschedule. It’s… not that important.”

“I thought this assignment was important?”

As fond of Jeongguk as he was, though, Hoseok couldn’t bring himself to tell him that Namjoon and he had actually wrapped up the written part of their assignment and the presentation two days ago. They were supposed to meet for a reading session tonight. Hoseok felt guilty about lying to Jeongguk — well, it was not lying, per se, only speaking half-truths, but he still felt awful hiding something from his younger friend. There was, honestly, nothing to hide, but there was still a part of him that wanted to keep their nightly reading sessions to himself. It was something that only Namjoon and he shared, other than the assignment, something they did out of enjoyment and not out of obligation.

“It’s only one night”, Hoseok chose to reply to Jeongguk. “He will understand.”

“If you say so”, Jeongguk bit his bottom lip, looking unsure but not wanting to meddle in Hoseok’s business. “Should we go back? I wanted to work on this essay before dinner.”

“Sure”, Hoseok agreed, glad to see the topic being dropped.

The two students walked back to the main building, in the direction of the library. They had planned to join Yoongi for a study session, but the elder wasn’t at their usual table. He had left a text to Hoseok, though, explaining that one of his teachers had called him for some impromptu piano practice.

After an hour, Hoseok caught Namjoon’s silhouette entering the library with Younha, one of their classmates, and beckoned him over. The blond tilted his head at first, as they weren’t used to acknowledging each other publicly other than in class, but eventually walked to their table at Hoseok’s insistence.

“Did you need anything from me, Hoseok?” he inquired once he was within earshot, close enough as to not disturb the quiet of the library. Jeongguk lifted his head, startled by his sudden appearance, but the Faust paid him no mind.

“I just wanted to tell you that I won’t be available tonight”, Hoseok whispered.

“Oh?”

“Yes, I’m sorry. I have something important to do with Jeongguk”, he explained, making a gesture in the younger’s direction. Namjoon turned to look at him, a slight frown on his face, while Jeongguk looked like a deer caught in headlights.

“H-Hi”, he stuttered feebly.

“I see”, came Namjoon’s reply, his tone carefully neutral and not settling well with Hoseok for some reason. “I will see you some other time, then.”

And with a curt nod, he left. Hoseok and Jeongguk exchanged a glance. The Themis turned his eyes again to Namjoon’s retreating back, staring at the muscles subtly rippling under his shirt. The blond was more buff than he thought and he didn’t quite know what to make of this jarring discovery.

“Hyung”, his young friend whispered, pulling him back to the present. “I think he’s mad.”

“Who? Namjoon? Why?”

“How would I know?”

After another clueless glance at each other, both friends returned to their homework until it was dinnertime. They joined Seokjin and Yoongi, who were already sitting at their usual table, inquiring about everyone’s day and making small talk.

“Why is Namjoon staring at you?” the eldest suddenly asked Hoseok. “No, don’t look”, he added quickly just as the younger Themis was about to turn his head to spot his classmate in the room.

“He’s looking at me?”

“Staring”, Yoongi confirmed. “He doesn’t seem happy. Did you two fight? Is the assignment not going well?”

“No, it’s— it’s going fine?” Hoseok sputtered, quickly glancing at Jeongguk who was sitting in front of him. He wasn’t as subtle as he thought because both elders caught him.

“You know something”, Yoongi arched an eyebrow at his cousin.

“Me?” Jeongguk blinked rapidly a few times, trying his best to look innocent.

“Spill, kiddo”, his cousin jokingly threatened him. “What did you do?”

“He didn’t do anything”, Hoseok came to the youngest’s rescue. “I asked him about the dance club earlier, and he offered to watch me dance after dinner, so I cancelled on Namjoon to—”

“You cancelled on Namjoon?” Seokjin interrupted him at the same time as Yoongi asked,

“You dance?” with a surprised look on his face.

“Somewhat”, he grinned sheepishly.

“Do you want to join the dance club, then? You should talk to Seulgi from your House”, Yoongi smiled, his lips stretching to reveal his pink gums. “I bet you’re an amazing dancer.”

“We’ll see”, he mumbled, looking at Jeongguk. The younger offered him two thumbs up before diving into his meal.

“So you cancelled on Namjoon for that?” Seokjin repeated, pensive, but his eyes held a glint Hoseok couldn’t quite define. “No wonder he’s been staring at you and Jeongguk all dinner. Well, he’s staring at you and glaring daggers at Jeongguk. I was ready to confront him, but now that I know why, I find it all the more entertaining.”

“He’s glaring daggers at Jeongguk?” Hoseok exclaimed, this time turning around and looking for the tall male. He spotted him almost immediately, as if his gaze had been pulled in the right direction. Namjoon was, indeed, staring at them, but he ducked his head into his bowl as soon as his eyes met Hoseok’s.

“Why is he acting weird?” the Themis muttered, turning back to his friends. True to his word, Seokjin looked thoroughly entertained while Yoongi looked fairly amused and Jeongguk slightly guilty.

“If I dare say”, Seokjin started, only to be interrupted by Yoongi.

“You’re going to speak up your mind even if one of us tries to stop you from doing so”, the pianist rolled his eyes playfully.

“Exactly. So, as I was saying, I would dare say Namjoon is jealous.”

“Jealous?” Jeongguk’s eyes widened, making him look a bit too cute for Hoseok’s heart.

“You’re stealing Hoseok from him today”, Seokjin winked. “I’m afraid he’s going to come after you, Jeongukkie. But don’t worry, though, Hyung will protect you before anything happens.”

“Pr-Protect m—” the poor freshman stuttered before coughing around a mouthful of rice. Yoongi patted his back with practised ease, offering another eye-roll at his classmate who looked a bit too proud of himself for the panic he’d caused.

Hoseok had half a mind to object that, given Jeongguk’s height, stature and still-developing muscles, the young Apollo was more likely to protect Seokjin than Seokjin to protect him, should anything happen to either of them. This trail of thoughts sent him tumbling into dangerous territory, though, as he came to wonder if Jeongguk would stand a chance against Namjoon in a physical altercation, which led him to think about Namjoon’s body, his defined muscles, veiny hands and arms, the hint of his pectorals—

“Earth to Hoseok!”

“S-Sorry?” he sputtered, cheeks flushing a little, at the sound of Yoongi’s voice.

“Jin was asking if we could come to watch you dance tonight? Only if you want.”

“Oh.” Hoseok wasn’t sure he was ready to dance in front of all his friends at once. Sure, he’d danced plenty of times during receptions, parties and galas before, but it wasn’t the same. The dances were different, he had a partner, and everyone around was also dancing and less intent on focusing on him. On the other hand, he had to come out of his empty shell and face some challenges in order to grow and learn more about himself. How was he supposed to get familiar with his boundaries if he didn’t push them a little?

“We won’t come if it makes you uncomfortable”, Yoongi added, sensing his hesitation.

“No, I want to— I mean, I don’t mind if you two join. I’m a bit intimidated, but it’s good practice”, he assured.

“Of course”, Seokjin smiled. “I’m sure you’ll do well. Plus, Yoongi and I haven’t been gifted with the talent for dancing, so we won’t be able to judge you on your moves or anything. We’re simply going to appreciate the overall aesthetic of your performance.”

After dinner, they all went back to their quarters to put their bags in their rooms and for Hoseok to change into more comfortable clothes. Seokjin led him to the dance studios, somewhere the younger Themis hadn’t gone until then, in the Apollo building. The rooms were spacious, well-lit, perfectly kept, like seemingly everything else in the Institute, and once again, the thought of Doyoung tirelessly operating her magic around the premises came to Hoseok’s mind for a fleeting moment.

“Ready?” Jeongguk, who had also changed into a casual black t-shirt and a pair of grey sweats, asked him when they finished warming up in the centre of the room. Seokjin had silently sat next to Yoongi in a corner, both elders watching intently. “Are there any routines you want to show me?”

“I’m afraid I have forgotten most of them”, Hoseok shook his head. “Practice makes better and keeps the muscle memory running, and I haven’t stepped foot into a dance studio in months now.”

“It’s okay, Hyung”, Jeongguk smiled reassuringly. He looked more confident than ever under the bright lights of the studio, his stance more assured, his posture relaxed, his eyes glinting and his smile wider. He looked fully comfortable, in his element, and Hoseok decided he liked this look on him. “How do you feel about a bit of freestyle, then?”

“I’m not the best at free-styling but I’ll do my best.”

“Do you want me to start?” Jeongguk offered. “Just watch me, take your time, feel the beat, and join me when you think you’re ready?”

Hoseok only nodded gratefully, his body almost jittering with nerves. Jeongguk connected his phone to a speaker and fumbled with the device a little until an upbeat music Hoseok didn’t recognise started to play. Jeongguk wiggled his body around a little, getting into the mood of the song, then started to move.

Hoseok was surprised, enthralled and delighted. Gone was the subdued kid he had first landed his eyes upon. Jeongguk seemed like a completely different person, oozing carefreeness and confidence alike, a cocky grin gracing his lips when he looked at Hoseok’s expression. He extended his hand in the continuation of a body roll, tacitly inviting Hoseok to join. He repeated the motion a few times, taunting the elder to let go.

There was nothing to be afraid of, Hoseok knew. He was in a secluded room, with his friends, hidden from the prying eyes lingering in the outside world. The music had been thrumming through his limbs, the beat slowly coming to sync with the familiar pulsations coursing into his veins every time he was about to dance. Hoseok had missed dancing. Not the boring, stuffed-up kind of dances he had to perform at all those social gatherings, but the carefree but controlled moves his tutor had reluctantly taught him before realising Hoseok had a real talent and potential and going through more routines with him.

There was no use resisting, then. There was no use trying to hide how happy dancing made him. So Hoseok let go of the invisible shackles keeping his persona up. He closed his eyes and let his limbs be controlled by the music.

He distantly heard a gasp, a few exclamations from one side of the room, but he was too focused on feeling and living in the moment to care. He let himself become one with the beat, carried by the music. He came back to reality when the song ended. He opened his eyes and found Jeongguk next to him, looking at him with his mouth agape. A glance at his hyungs in the corner revealed that they were both staring with a mix of awe and indignation.

“So?” Hoseok asked, a bit breathless. “What did you think?”

“Another”, Seokjin spoke up, turning his and Jeongguk’s attention to him. The elder’s voice was firm and his gaze resolute. “Jeongguk-ah, play another song.”

Jeongguk obeyed wordlessly and put on another song, the tempo a bit slower, the beat more languid. The mood shifted, the atmosphere becoming more sensual. The younger stared at him and began to dance, looking nothing like the powerful moves he had shown earlier. His body moved around with fluidity and Hoseok unconsciously mirrored his stance. Jeongguk took a few steps forward, eyes still locked into his, and soon, they were at arm’s length.

Hoseok boldly reached for Jeongguk’s arm and made his fingers run up the younger’s arm. Jeongguk shifted so they were both facing the mirrored wall and started a series of short moves Hoseok hurried to copy.

They were both so absorbed into the dance, focused on keeping their energy and presence in sync, that they failed to notice Seokjin hurriedly exiting the room as soon as the music started, his phone clutched in his hand. They faced each other again, making a body roll to mirror the other, then bending one knee and turning around to finish next to each other in a final pose just as the last note of the song rang in the air.

The silence that followed was charged with energy until it was abruptly disrupted by a series of loud claps coming from the front door. The boys turned their heads to the noise only to see Seokjin and Seulgi, the latter slightly out of breath, staring at them and clapping enthusiastically with her eyes almost comically wild.

“Jeongguk-ah!” she exclaimed, springing into the room towards her hoobae, “Seokjin-sunbae called me, half-shouting, saying you had found a new recruit for the dance club! I didn’t know you knew Hoseok!”

“Well—” the younger started, embarrassed, but Seulgi immediately turned to Hoseok who felt exposed raw under her gaze.

“And you!” she pointed a finger at him, which could have looked threatening if not for the blinding smile that illuminated her face. “Why didn’t you tell me you could dance like this?”

“Hum, I’m—”

“Heavens, you must join the dance club!” Seulgi continued enthusiastically. “I could see some weaker points, but you have such strong potential, Hoseok, you could grow so much and so fast with us!”

“Well, that’s… good, I guess?”

“That’s amazing! We’ve been looking for a gem like you!”

“I’m sure Hoseok is delighted to hear such compliments coming from you, Seulgi”, Seokjin smiled. “He was indeed looking to maybe join the dance club—”

“You’re in!” the girl cut Seokjin off, nodding at Hoseok so many times the boy was scared her head was going to pop off her neck at some point. “I have to talk to our dance captain and club president, but I’m sure he will have no objection to you joining.”

“That’s— Thank you”, Hoseok mumbled, Seulgi’s excitement giving him a bit of whiplash.

“I’ll get back to you tomorrow night with the more practical details”, she told him. “Jeongguk-ah, good work! Thank you for finding a raw diamond like him”, she patted the younger on the shoulder, the sight a bit comical since the boy was way taller.

“I didn’t do anything”, he mumbled. “If anything, Hoseok-hyung came to me.”

“Still, thank you for bringing him here. And you, Sunbae, thank you for calling me”, she added, turning to Seokjin.

“The pleasure is all mine”, the elder chuckled. “I like helping my friends.”

After a few last words, they all parted ways to their respective dorms, Jeongguk and Yoongi being the first ones to go since their dorms were the closest to the dance studios, Seulgi chatting about the dance club along the way to the Themis building to a bewildered Hoseok and a satisfied Seokjin.

That night, when Hoseok went to bed, he closed his eyes feeling happy and proud of himself. This was an opportunity to reconnect with an activity he was sure he enjoyed, not only because he was good at it or because his parents had convinced him he liked it.

He might have hurt Namjoon’s feelings a bit by cancelling on him, but some sacrifices led to compromises. Hoseok hadn’t had Namjoon’s voice reading him stories him the quietness of the astronomy tower, under the stars and the moon shining through the glass ceiling, but he had secured a spot in the dance club where Jeongguk also belonged, to the promise of exciting adventures and new challenges to overcome on his journey to self-discovery.

If compromises could feel like victories, this night sure felt like one.

— 📖 —

Seulgi’s determination into admitting Hoseok into the dance club wasn’t enough to counter Doyoung’s intransigence, however. The woman surely forced respect and fear, Hoseok thought, her whole existence apparently devoted to the Headmistress and the Chairman’s wishes as well as making sure everything was running smoothly at the Institute. Hoseok was still convinced she somewhat resorted to magic around the premises and that, coupled with her inflexibility and an ever-calm exterior, made her a Superior Being in his mind.

He understood very well, then, Seulgi’s disappointment when the woman, currently the voice of Headmistress Adora who was attending some business meetings abroad for the week, denied Hoseok’s admission folder to the dance club.

“The rules are the rules”, she had shaken her head to Seulgi, Hoseok and Taemin, the club’s president. “Admissions into clubs are only allowed at the beginning of a new semester. But Mister Jung is welcome to watch your practice and get familiar with the other members of the club before officially joining in September.”

Adora might have been convinced, but as she wasn’t at IRIS, there was no point in arguing against Doyoung. Hoseok, although a bit disappointed himself, assured Seulgi that watching them and getting to know them until summer break wasn’t a bad idea. That way, he would see how everyone worked with each other, study the crews’ dynamics and decide which genres he wanted to work on himself.

Taemin, in a stroke of boldness, had added that he had a copy of the keys of the studios, as president of the club, and that he was used to Jeongguk or some other members of the club borrowing them if they wanted to practice some more. Jeongguk had nodded vigorously, stating that “Hoseok-hyung can record me and then help me fix my posture”. Taemin’s mischievous grin and Jeongguk’s hopeful eyes convinced the Themis that it was okay, maybe, to break the rules — well, not break, circumvent. They all finished convincing him when they stated that July was approaching fast, it was barely two weeks until the end of June. Between the assignments their professors would pour on them before the break, they wouldn’t have much time to practice, anyway. Hoseok would be lucky to squeeze in two secret dance sessions with Jeongguk and Taemin before the holidays.

“You have to meet the rest of us, though”, Seulgi had said, her tone leaving no room for objections. “What about dinner together this Thursday?”

On Thursday, then, Hoseok had left his usual table for the first time since befriending Seokjin, offering an apologetic smile to his older friends while being dragged a few tables away by an excited Jeongguk.

He thought he caught Namjoon staring at them in passing, but when he turned his head to the blond, he had his nose burrowed in a book he held in one hand, his chopsticks secured in the other. He was wearing his glasses, as he sometimes did when he read and his contacts irritated his eyes, and the sight had begun to stir something inside Hoseok. Jeongguk’s firm tug on his arm, though, had brought him back to the present and he forced himself to focus on the matter at hand — meeting a bunch of new people and getting to know them without raising his armour as he still had the habit to do.

Seulgi and Taemin smiled widely at them when Jeongguk and he sat down. There were four other people Hoseok didn’t recognise except one other guy he’d seen in some of his classes but never really interacted with, and he felt his nervousness resurface. Jeongguk’s presence helped ground him and he felt grateful to the younger once again.

“Everyone”, Seulgi started when they were all settled and their bowls had been filled with food. “This is Hoseok! He’s in my year and House, and he’ll be joining us in September.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you”, Hoseok nodded to the unfamiliar faces turned to him. He silently wondered if anyone knew who he was, if they would ask his last name, connect the dots between him and the rest of his family, if—

“Likewise!” a petite girl with short brown hair beamed at him. “I’m Chaeyoung, I’m a first-year and in House Apollo, like Jeongguk.”

“I don’t think we’ve ever had a proper conversation”, the boy from Hoseok’s classes smiled apologetically. “I’m Jongin. I’m in House Machiavel, like Taemin-hyung and Jimin”, he gestured to the aforementioned people. Taemin smiled.

“Well, you already met me, but I’ll introduce myself once more. I’m Lee Taemin, the president of the club. It’s my final year at IRIS and I’ll most likely pass the title to Seulgi.”

He then looked at the blond boy who was sitting next to him, with sharp features and plump lips. He had dyed his hair orange and he reminded Hoseok a bit of a tangerine.

“I’m Jimin”, the latter smiled, and his eyes glinted with something that screamed trouble. Hoseok immediately revised his assumption. There was more to the boy than what met the eye, and Jimin was aware of it and knew how to use it to his advantage. “A third-year. I can’t wait to see you dance, Hyung— Can I call you Hyung?”

“Y-Yes, of course”, Hoseok mumbled, a bit intimidated by the intensity of Jimin’s gaze and silently cursing himself for stuttering. Jimin beamed but his smile had a hint of danger, as if he couldn’t wait to assert Hoseok’s skills and was ready to swallow him up if the Themis made a wrong step.

“Hyung”, Jeongguk hissed from his side, and Hoseok turned his head to see the younger’s eyes fixated on Jimin, his brows furrowed. “Stop trying to intimidate him!”

“I’m not doing anything”, Jimin lifted his hands in surrender, his tone a tad too innocent to pass for totally genuine.

“Stop it”, Jeongguk repeated.

“Boys”, Taemin intervened, seemingly out of habit, and Hoseok figured the two of them might be used to quarrel.

“I’m just teasing”, Jimin relented, turning to Hoseok. “I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable”, he told him, and his eyes and tone were genuine this time. “Don’t hesitate to tell me off, Hyung. I tend to be a bit… intense, sometimes.”

Jeongguk snorted around his mouthful of rice. Jimin’s gaze locked onto the boy, but the younger only munched on his food, ignoring him.

“Anyway!” a female voice chirped. “I’m Chungha, a second-year from House Faust. It’s nice to meet you.”

“Please take care of me”, Hoseok nodded at the dance club.

“Oh, please, there’s no need for formalities here”, Seulgi chuckled. The girl seemed much more comfortable with him now that they had found a common interest — not that Hoseok could blame her, of course. His first image was one of a good and obedient little boy, shallow at best, empty at worst, and that was precisely what he was trying to change. “You can talk casually, too. We’re pretty close, or at least, we tend to go in this direction.”

“I don’t mind at all. You can call me ‘Hyung’ or ‘Oppa’, too”, he told the younger students.

“So, Hoseok-oppa”, Chaeyoung started, “what genres do you like best?”

And with that, the conversation went on in a steady flow. Hoseok was glad to see most members were pretty outgoing and knew how to respect boundaries. He noticed some tension between Jeongguk and Jimin, though, never too alarming but present, like a string gradually pulled taut. It seemed that the Machiavel liked to tease the younger and while it was never mean, Jeongguk didn’t seem too happy either. Hoseok made a mental note to ask the young Apollo about their dynamics later.

After dinner, Hoseok had come to the conclusion that the dance club was a rowdy bunch of people but they got along well and the overall atmosphere was bright and positive. It was difficult to say if he would be able to mingle in, but he had gotten more used to energetic or bold people ever since befriending Seokjin.

Taemin, Seulgi and Jeongguk had been eager to schedule a “watching” practice session with Hoseok, but the latter had politely turned them down, citing some essays and a few prior engagements — mainly, games of chess with Seokjin and reading nights with Namjoon.

He was to meet the blond the following night, actually, feeling guilty for cancelling their last session on such short notice. Namjoon had replied to his text with a simple “Okay.” and had pretty much ignored Hoseok all day during classes, but he had come to his table at the end of dinner, as if to make sure the Themis wouldn’t fail him again.

In the astronomy tower, they spread out the tarp and arranged the plaids and pillows in silence. Hoseok had the feeling Namjoon was angry at him. Once they were both settled, he turned his head towards his classmate and hesitantly placed a hand on his shin.

“I’m sorry”, he said, trying to convey his sincerity in his expression — something he still wasn’t used to doing. “About the other day.”

Namjoon’s eyes fell on Hoseok’s hand on his shin, a small frown on his face, and mumbled,

“It’s okay.”

Hoseok, following his gaze, promptly removed his hand. Namjoon’s frown deepened. Hoseok was at a loss.

“Should we keep on reading?” he proposed, trying to make his voice light to alleviate the atmosphere. Namjoon directed his dragon eyes on him and Hoseok’s breath hitched. He suddenly felt overwhelmed by Namjoon’s presence, pinned under the intensity of his gaze. “Namjoon?” he tried again, and his call seemed to snap the blond out of his stupor.

“What if we did something else tonight, instead?”

“Something else?” Hoseok blinked.

“I don’t really feel like reading tonight.”

“Oh”, the shorter male bit his lower lip. Namjoon really was angry with him, then. He had to come up with something that would make the Faust forgive him. “Do you want me to read to you instead? Or we could… We could… Did you have anything specific in mind?”

“We’re in the astronomy tower”, Namjoon shrugged, looking up at the glass ceiling to avoid Hoseok’s stare. “What about finally using it for its initial purpose?”

Hoseok kept staring at Namjoon, not really knowing what to say. He had thought the blond student was annoyed with him, but there was no animosity radiating from Namjoon, no intense aura like the one he had occasionally displayed in their early exchanges. The boy had lain back on his hands, his face bathed in hues of blue and yellow that the moonlight and the low artificial lights of the room were painting over them. Hoseok stared at the way his cheekbones were emphasised by the dual lighting, how Namjoon’s features were sharpened but also softened depending on how the shadows were cast on his skin. He stared at Namjoon’s lips, plump and soft and currently slightly parted, and—

“Hoseok?”

“Y-Yes?” he stuttered, snapped out of his reverie and blushing at the thought of being caught admiring his classmate.

“Do you not want to… stargaze?”

“Stargaze.” Hoseok gulped, praying that the dual lighting, that was making Namjoon’s face so pretty, was also doing a good job hiding his flushing cheeks. The taller boy was now staring at him, their roles reversed.

“Is that—” Namjoon swallowed audibly — maybe Hoseok wasn’t the only one feeling nervous in this oddly tense atmosphere? “Do you not like it…?”

“Stargazing?”

“Yes.”

“No, I—” Hoseok took a deep breath. This situation was getting a bit ridiculous, the two of them somewhat shy and wary around each other without any apparent reason. “I don’t mind— I"d like to stargaze with you”, he promptly corrected himself, looking Namjoon straight in the eyes.

“With me?”

“Who else?”

“Oh, I just— Nevermind”, the blond shook his head, a small smile gracing his lips. “I’m sorry, is that weird? We’ve never done this before.”

“There’s a first time for everything”, Hoseok shrugged, scooting closer to Namjoon. “And I’ve decided to take on more challenges. Try new things at IRIS.”

“Did you?” Namjoon arched a curious eyebrow at him.

“I decided to be bold, I guess”, he shrugged again. “This might seem silly, but—”

He stopped, biting his lip, feeling a tad bit nervous. It wasn’t that he wasn’t ready to tell Namjoon about his family, his education, his childhood — he could do, and was used to doing so rather clinically, as those sorts of subjects were bound to be brought up during mundane cocktail conversations. But he didn’t want to treat Namjoon like one of the acquaintances of his mother’s salons. He had debated for a while if it was time, maybe, to open up to him, like he had started doing with Seokjin, late at night, when they were playing their last game of chess and all their housemates had already gone to sleep; like he had started doing with Yoongi, a few sentences here and there during their library study sessions; like he didn’t doubt he would do with Jeongguk, soon, the younger having opened up to him first.

But Seokjin, Yoongi and Jeongguk were his friends. Namjoon wasn’t. Or was he? Hoseok didn’t know what the two of them were anymore. They had had a rough start as classmates, but the assignment Professor Kim had given them had brought them closer — at least, Hoseok liked to think so. He and Namjoon had slowly started to understand each other, to a certain extent, and the blond was comfortable enough with Hoseok to open up to him a little, to read to him, to keep seeing him even though their assignment was long finished and all that remained was the presentation to their professor. Namjoon could have decided that they were free of each other until the presentation and returned to being distant, but instead, he had asked Hoseok to keep meeting him. That surely counted for something.

They were more than classmates. Hoseok wasn’t stupid enough to believe they hadn’t gotten close. But were they close enough to be considered friends? Namjoon had no problem talking to him about his life before IRIS, his family, his dreams and his ambitions. Namjoon trusted Hoseok. Maybe Hoseok could do the same. He had hesitated, had told himself he needed time for that idea to bloom at its own pace in his mind, until he was comfortable enough or brave enough to act on it. Maybe it was time. This night had been odd so far, a weird tension filling up the air, but Hoseok felt a strange burst of confidence and adrenaline coursing through him. He was ready.

“Hoseok?” Namjoon’s hesitant voice called him again. “I think I lost you for a second.”

“Sorry”, he shook his head, a small smile on his lips. “I was thinking about what to say.”

“You don’t have to tell me anything if you don’t want to.”

“Oh no, I want to. I’m just not sure where to start.”

“Take your time, then.”

Namjoon grabbed a pillow after a reassuring smile and slowly lowered himself to the ground, putting the pillow under his head, and stared at the ceiling. Hoseok stared at him from the corner of his eye, then got up to shut off the lights. The room was now only shadows of blues and greys. He made his way back to their little spot and grabbed a pillow and plaid for himself, settling himself next to Namjoon. He linked his hands over his stomach and licked his lips, only a slightly bit nervous.

Namjoon was silent, not even looking at him, as if he had sensed that Hoseok needed a few seconds to gather himself. The Themis focused on the other’s steady breathing to calm his own beating heart. He felt something softly grazing his thigh — Namjoon’s hand, his fingers brushing against the fabric in a daring and comforting gesture. Hoseok focused on the warmth pouring through the thin material of his pants, somewhat relaxing him even though it was also making him more aware of the proximity of their bodies.

He felt grateful, nonetheless. Namjoon had, once again, sensed his inner turmoil, and the gesture, although slightly distracting, was even more grounding, and exactly the reassurance he needed to start talking.

So Hoseok started talking.

He hadn’t been sure how to start, but now it was as if the dam had been broken, and he couldn’t stop talking.

He talked about his sister, who had always been there for him amidst their harsh education — hers even harsher than Hoseok’s, as she was the heiress of Jung Hongmin’s legacy. He talked about his parents — or rather, lack of — and the ludicrous standards they had raised for him instead of raising him. He talked about his preceptors, who were paid a fortune to ensure he and his sister would become what their parents expected them to be.

He talked about the world he’d been living in, this huge theatre for plots and schemes, pretences and appearances, veiled truths and blatant lies, forged friendships for strong alliances and remorseless betrayals. He talked about how success was measured in flattery and pleasing, how the deserving sometimes were robbed of their rights because money and power were two merciless glass ceilings in their ever-going masquerade. He talked about his disgust for this world and his yearning for fairness and genuineness, two concepts he couldn’t have even fathomed a few months ago.

He talked about his struggles to achieve perfection, his disappointment in disappointing his parents, the anger, the despair, the helplessness, the resignation. He talked about his social persona, a carefully crafted and well-polished mask he had been hiding behind to survive in his social circles, and which had hidden him so well that, like a shadow, it had engulfed him whole. He talked about his lack of hopes and lack of life when entering IRIS, how he was but a puppet of his mother’s designs, a lifeless doll, an empty shell.

He talked about IRIS, then. He talked about feeling like taking his first real breath in a very long time and almost rediscovering life again. He talked about making friends, his first genuine friends who enjoyed his company and not his father and family’s influence. He talked about Seokjin and Yoongi, his first real hyungs, his two anchors at IRIS. He talked about how they pushed him softly out of his stupor and comfort zone. He talked about his desire to finally fill his empty shell and discover his real self.

He talked about new challenges, too — his small challenges to himself, like opening up to people and being more trusting of people’s intentions; his will to try new things. He talked about the hobbies his parents had forced him to take that he thought he liked because he genuinely enjoyed them, and not because he was simply good at them. He talked about being fairly decent at tennis. He talked about how he wasn’t too sure about painting, sculpting and any other discipline that required him to replicate a three-dimensional entity with tools in his hands. He talked about dancing, finally, about the dance club, about the feeling of liberation that had coursed through his body during his short evaluation with Jeongguk and had been thrumming in his veins ever since, eager and ready to burst again.

And Namjoon listened.

He listened with a frown on his face at the mention of his parents, their expectations and their behaviour, and the unfair and ruthless world they were living in. He smiled a little at the mention of Hoseok’s new friends, at the obvious fondness in his tone. But his frown appeared again when Hoseok mentioned Jeongguk.

“What about me?” he asked after a stretch of silence, when it seemed Hoseok had finished talking. Hoseok turned to Namjoon, but the blond was still staring at the starry sky, his head resting on his intertwined hands.

“What about you?”

“You talked about the people you’ve gotten familiar with at IRIS, but you haven’t mentioned me”, he mumbled.

“Are we familiar with each other?” Hoseok asked. While he was positive he felt closer to Namjoon, in a way, he couldn’t quite discern the other’s opinion on the matter.

Namjoon turned his head to him, locking eyes. “Aren’t we?”

Hoseok stared, mouth slightly agape and breath slightly picking up, wondering how to answer this counterattack. What was Namjoon trying to make him say? Was he— No. Hoseok had promised himself to be more trusting and more open with his peers. Namjoon didn’t want Hoseok’s fall, Namjoon wanted honesty.

“It is true that we have had many opportunities to get better acquainted with each other”, he answered carefully, testing the waters. Namjoon scrunched his nose, the action unexpected and endearing. Hoseok felt his heart do a little jump in his chest.

“You’re doing it again.”

“Doing what?”

“When you feel cornered or pressured, or don’t quite know how to reply, you revert to formal and polite speech to distance yourself from the situation and your interlocutor. It’s probably a habit you’ve taken from all the receptions and social gatherings you’ve been attending — or subjected to, depending on your perspective.”

“Are you— Is it a hobby of yours to analyse me?” Hoseok arched an eyebrow, half-amused and half-unnerved. Namjoon let out a laugh, the sound like a sparkle in the hushed atmosphere of the room.

“Not quite”, he grinned, a bit bashful. “Let’s just say that the Faust in me tends to observe his environment a lot, and it just happens that you’re very interesting to observe.”

“Am I an interesting test subject to your curiosity, then?”

“Interesting, yes. Test subject, no, I wouldn’t say that. I realised it offended you, that first night we met after getting the assignment. You accused me of seeing you as a lab rat, and I saw it upset you greatly. You completely shut off and didn’t talk to me for days.”

“Now you’re doing it again”, Hoseok pointed out. “Analysing”, he added after seeing Namjoon’s curious glance. "Clinically dissecting facts to draw conclusions.”

“Oh. I’m sorry. I think I’m bad at this”, the blond sighed. “You’re right. I tend to analyse people and situations, and then draw conclusions. But my conclusions can sometimes hurt people. My mother says I have a terrible way with words.”

“You don’t have a terrible way with words, you are just incredibly — and sometimes rudely — blunt”, Hoseok corrected, smiling despite himself. This was a trait of Namjoon’s character that had upset him at first, but he could see clearly now that the boy never meant harm. It was a bit endearing, even, to see him so clueless. “You should know, though, more than anyone else, that words are never simply words. They carry a meaning and implications. Some words are impactful and heavy, some will alleviate hardships and sorrows.”

“I know, I realised. I’m working on it— I’ll do better.”

“You’re a good guy, Namjoon.”

The room fell into silence once more, both boys watching the sky through the ceiling. It was getting chillier, as that part of the Institute wasn’t heated anymore. Hoseok rearranged his plaid around his body, wrapping himself in the soft material that smelled like wooden cabinets, old books, faint traces of cotton-scented laundry, and the hint of something indescribably Namjoon.

“I’m sorry”, the taller spoke again, voice merely above a whisper.

“You already apologised”, Hoseok replied in the same fashion. Somehow, after Hoseok’s long intimate monologue, they seemed even more reluctant to disturb the hushed atmosphere of the night they were basking in.

“No, I mean— I’m sorry for misjudging you at first, on top of being insensitive. That was very low and unlikely of me. I guess I was biased because, as I told you, I saw bits of myself in you — that foolish self I abhorred. It was unfair to direct my self-hatred at you.”

“Namjoon—”

“Let me finish, please”, he interrupted. “It is true that, at first, I saw you through the distorted lenses of loathing and prejudice. But when you responded — and rightfully so — to me in ways I would never have fathomed, I— It was like a slap in the face”, he chuckled somberly. “One I deserved, of course. It made me think a lot. I wondered when I had become so self-centred that I’d started to completely disregard other people’s feelings and thoughts. I’m so ashamed of my behaviour, truly. That’s not how a Faust, let alone a man, should behave. We pursue knowledge to understand the world better, not look at it with contempt.”

“Namjoon”, Hoseok tried again, a bit firmer this time. His classmate turned his head to him. “You’re way too harsh on yourself. You may have behaved like this at first, but you realised your wrongdoings. Growing aware of your flaws and mistakes makes you able to correct them and better yourself. You said it yourself, you’re working on your bluntness. That’s a good thing! Just like progress is made through trials and errors, you will need to hurt people  — and get hurt yourself — to better understand others — and yourself.”

Namjoon stayed silent, his dragon eyes staring intensely into Hoseok’s rounder ones, like he was trying to find answers, decrypt mathematical formulas and explore galaxies in the shorter male’s gaze. As unnerving as it was, Hoseok couldn’t look away. There was something vulnerable and raw exuding from this Namjoon, made of shades of blues and greys under the paleness of the moon.

“I can’t believe that you’re real, sometimes”, he whispered. “I don’t know if you are a blessing or a challenge sent to me, but you always seem to find the words I need to hear.”

Hoseok’s breath hitched, his heart wrenched and soared at the same time in the oddest sensation. He didn’t know what was happening to him but something in Namjoon’s eyes was telling him to let himself feel, for once. He had started to loosen up with Seokjin, Yoongi and Jeongguk, they had become his friends and his safe place, but being around Namjoon wasn’t quite the same. Everything felt new and unfamiliar, but here, in the comfortable darkness of the astronomy tower, he could allow himself to embrace his feelings. And so he did. And it felt good.

“I’m not as incredible as you depict me”, he finally whispered. Namjoon shook his head.

“Don’t denigrate yourself, Hoseok. You are far greater and ‘fuller’ than you think.”

There was another pause. They were on their sides, now, fully facing each other and still locking eyes, the starry sky all but forgotten.

“You never answered my question”, Namjoon pointed out softly. “But I will tell you what you are to me.” He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, leaving Hoseok waiting, nervous, apprehensive, excited, and a few other feelings he didn’t know how to describe. “To me, you are… You are a challenge. You are an anchor. You pull me out of my musings and ground me back when I’m too far into my head. You are a hidden treasure. You have qualities, you have potential, you are more than just a poster trophy son and you know it. I didn’t know you at first, but after digging a little, I like to believe I found bits of the real Hoseok. He’s laying dormant, unknown to everyone and even yourself, but he’s here. He’s waiting for you to find him. And you told me you were set on finding him, and I admire and respect you for that. You are so brave, Hoseok. And, if you allow me, I’d be blessed to watch you or help you along the way.”

“Namjoon”, Hoseok mumbled, flustered. “What— I’m not sure— what do you mean?”

“I consider you my friend, Hoseok. You— You matter to me. You are a precious friend to me, and I’d like to— I—” Namjoon fumbled with his words, looking oddly nervous. Hoseok could feel his desperation rolling off him in waves, so he decided to ease his unspoken concerns.

“You matter to me, too”, he smiled softly, moving a tentative hand forward to touch Namjoon’s arm. The latter flinched at the contact but then grabbed Hoseok’s wrist when he tried to remove his hand. “Namjoon”, Hoseok breathed out, startled.

Namjoon’s dragon eyes were once again locked into his, his gaze so intense Hoseok felt his soul shivering with warmth. Namjoon was making him feel nonsensical things, but he strangely didn’t mind that much. It was all new and thrilling, so Hoseok revelled at the moment. They were trapped in a liminal space, where possibilities were endless and infinite. They had unconsciously moved forward, bodies closer, still lost in each other.

And then, something in Namjoon shifted, and he broke eye contact.

“S-So”, he mumbled, biting on his full bottom lip. “Friends?”

Hoseok snapped out of whatever trance the blond had pulled him under, praying that the obscurity of the room would swallow his flushed cheeks and erratic heart. He blinked a few times, suddenly self-conscious, but his classmate looking equally bashful soothed his concerns. Hoseok was endeared.

“Friends”, he smiled, and he could feel the tension leave Namjoon’s body in waves to let relief take its place. “So”, he added, choosing to switch the conversation onto lighter and more neutral topics, “stars! I admit I’ve never really watched the sky growing up. Do you know a lot of constellations?”

Even in the shadows, Namjoon’s soft smile was blinding. It seemed that it was his turn to talk, so talk he did, providing Hoseok with knowledge while always making sure the Themis didn’t feel bored or left out, pointing at some constellations and sharing some mythology trivia. He had understood and welcomed Hoseok’s intentions, skillfully directing the atmosphere back to one akin to their usual reading nights’.

They went back to their dorms after curfew, sneaking out of the room like giggling teenagers exiting their secret hideout with matching grins on their faces. They parted ways with a long stare, full of understanding and warmth, that made Hoseok’s heart beat a tad bit faster, and when Namjoon grazed his hand with the softest,

“See you tomorrow night, for reading?”, the little traitor even somersaulted in his chest. Hoseok didn’t know what was happening with him, but one thing was for sure: he absolutely didn’t regret embracing his feelings that night.

— 📖 —

It was the end of June, and Namjoon and Hoseok were at their thirty-fourth tale. They only saw each other every other night, as both had their own circle of friends, other assignments of their own — and occasionally for Hoseok, dance practice. Seokjin had jokingly complained that Hoseok was neglecting their chess meetings for Namjoon, and the playful jab had made Hoseok equally ashamed and embarrassed. He had indeed been spending less time with his friend.

“Maybe Namjoon can grace us with his presence at our games of chess”, Seokjin announced one evening as he moved his bishop, securing another win. Hoseok groaned — both at the statement and at the fact that Seokjin had gotten to checkmate, once again.

“If he’s better at chess than me, I might just ask him.”

“Ask him, then.”

“Hyung, I was joking.”

“I was not, though”, Seokjin replied with an all-too-sweet smile Hoseok absolutely didn’t like. “Tell him to join us tomorrow.”

“But—”

“No ‘buts’, Hoseok-ah! Are you going back on your word, now?”

Seokjin had this amazing capacity to get whatever he wished for from people. He was firm but never forceful, he knew not to push boundaries, and he was gracing everyone with an expectant smile that was making his cheeks puff out a little in the most endearing manner. And Hoseok was only a man, so he found himself unable to refuse.

He got his phone out and texted Namjoon.

Do you happen to know how to play chess?

> Yes. Why?

Kim Seokjin is looking for a worthy opponent and I’m not really suitable for the role.

> Kim Seokjin, your friend the acting major? I didn’t know he played chess.

Well, he does. And he plays quite well, I must say.

> Give me a time and place, and we will see about that…

The next evening found Namjoon, Seokjin and Hoseok sitting at one of the tables in the common room of House Themis, with a grumpy Min Yoongi and a curious Jeon Jeongguk watching from a nearby couch.

“I don’t understand why I have to be there”, Yoongi muttered for the seventh time, frowning at a score he was scribbling on. He scoffed at the music sheet and tore it in two, taking a new one and ragingly writing down notes on the staff.

Jeongguk startled at his cousin’s gesture and picked up the torn sheet, smoothing the pieces with his palm and looking reproachfully at the older Apollo.

“Don’t throw it away, Hyung!”

“It’s shit”, Yoongi replied, unbothered.

“It’s not!”

“Well, you can just keep it, then.”

“I will! It’s good!”

“You don’t even know how to read music scores, Jeongguk-ah”, Yoongi scoffed, but there was an underlying fondness in his tone.

“You didn’t want to teach me”, the younger pouted before straightening up in his seat, a strange twinkling in his eye. “I can just ask Taehyungie-hyung to teach me.”

The reaction was instantaneous. Yoongi’s head shot up from his music sheet notepad, eyes wild and mouth agape in outrage. Hoseok actually gasped at his friend’s unusual behaviour.

“I’m sorry? ‘Taehyungie-hyung?’ As, in, Kim Taehyung?”

“Do you know any other Taehyungs in IRIS?” Jeongguk replied, defying.

“Jeon Jeongguk.”

“Min Yoongi.”

“Jeongguk”, Yoongi sighed, slumping defeatedly into the couch. “You can’t ask him. I’m sorry if you feel that I’ve been neglecting you. You can ask anyone, anyone but Kim Taehyung.”

“I know how to read music”, Hoseok hesitantly intervened, not particularly wanting to meddle but abhorring the perspective of his friends fighting. Both cousins turned to him. “I can teach you if you want.”

“Hyung”, Jeongguk bit his lip. “I don’t want to impose—”

“Nonsense”, Yoongi cut him off. “It’s perfect. Let’s do this.”

As interested as he was in the game, Hoseok moved to sit next to Jeongguk and Yoongi, trying to act as a mediator between his friends.

“I take it that Min Yoongi and Kim Taehyung don’t get along?” Namjoon whispered to Seokjin as the latter was moving his knight to e5 and knocking out one of his pawns. The elder shook his head.

“Let’s just say they both have strong diverging opinions on music and are struggling to find a common ground.”

“They should probably get paired up on a group project”, Namjoon mused, moving a bishop to g7.

“Funny enough, they are working together on a project — for which Yoongi is currently trying to compose an aria. It is, sadly, not going as well as you and Hoseok’s project.”

“It’s done some good to Hoseok and me.”

“Has it?” Seokjin arched an inquisitive eyebrow. He retreated his knight to c4. “Interesting. In what way?”

“Well…” Namjoon held up a hand to his nape, embarrassed. “I am ashamed to admit that I misjudged him. He just seemed to have such an innocent view of the world, in an oblivious manner. And he’s a Themis, too — not that it is a bad thing, of course!” he added as the older Themis shot him a look. “I just— I misjudged him. I thought he was like all those rich sons that think they can change the world while knowing nothing of it.”

“Not all ‘rich sons’ are this way”, Seokjin hummed. “It’s your turn to play.”

“I know. For both statements.” Namjoon moved a pawn to b5. “I used to think that, too. Without being a ‘rich son’, I mean. But I was just an arrogant fool.”

“Everybody makes mistakes”, Seokjin shrugged. “We’re precisely here to learn. Aren’t we growing a little more every day?” He took Namjoon’s pawn with his bishop.

“Hoseok said something similar”, the blond smiled, and Seokjin could see him practically glowing with fondness.

“And he was right. I don’t think you need to be this hard on yourself, Namjoon.”

“I appreciate your consideration, Sunbaenim.”

“Just call me ‘Hyung’. I have the feeling we will see each other quite often from now on.”

They resumed playing for a while, Hoseok eventually returning to their table once he was sure Yoongi and Jeongguk had reconciled — even though they weren’t really fighting in the first place. There had been some tensions ever since Jeongguk had started talking to Kim Taehyung, a fellow Apollo and Yoongi’s archnemesis.

Of course, Yoongi was not petty enough to make Jeongguk choose sides, and the younger Apollo himself had told Yoongi and Taehyung that he intended to keep seeing the two of them on campus, as they were both his friends and people he liked and respected. The two elders had heard his decision, but that didn’t mean they were necessarily happy anytime Jeongguk mentioned one of them to the other.

“I’m sorry, Hyung”, Hoseok could hear Jeongguk whisper in the background from where he was now cuddling with Yoongi on the couch, the latter letting himself be engulfed by the younger’s frame.

“They will be alright”, he smiled at Seokjin and Namjoon, who didn’t look very concerned by the cousins and rather focused on their game.

“You have a very interesting friend here, Hobi”, Seokjin stated, eyes fixated on the chessboard and chin resting on his intertwined fingers. He was talking as if Namjoon wasn’t there, the affectionate nickname slipping out of habit — or maybe had he done so on purpose. One could never be sure of anything when it came to Kim Seokjin.

“Hobi?” Namjoon arched an eyebrow only to be ignored by the older student.

“First of all, he insisted on taking the Black side. Then he successfully countered my Lopez opening by putting his pawn to d5 — it’s an unusual opening, I don’t know if you’ve ever heard of this one.”

“I must admit, I thought you were going for a Ponziani Opening or a regular Ruy Lopez”, the blond commented, a small smile ghosting on his lips.

“And I must admit that I have little to no idea what you’re both talking about”, Hoseok confessed, observing the game. A lot of pieces were already lying on both sides. They were well into the game. “Who has the advantage, currently?”

“Me”, Namjoon announced smugly, just as Seokjin replied,

“He does”, his lips pursed in concentration.

“Is it still middlegame or have you reached the endgame already?”

“It’s not clear yet, but I think we have, or will very soon.”

“We might if I do this”, Namjoon chimed in, moving a pawn to g6. Seokjin stared at the board, a small frown marring his brow.

“You will find yourself in a dangerous situation, Namjoon-ah.”

He moved his knight to f7.

“One must sometimes be ambitious to get satisfactory results.”

Namjoon’s rook took Seokjin’s pawn in h4. Seokjin moved his knight to d6. The blond frowned, his index tapping repeatedly against his lower lip. Hoseok, well lost in the game, took the opportunity to observe Namjoon’s face once more. Dragon eyes gleaming under thick brows. Chiselled jawline. Dimples currently hiding. Full lips. A little mole underneath, much like Jeongguk’s.

Hoseok got reminded of his first impression of the guy and realised with bewilderment that he was still quite attracted to Namjoon. Maybe even more, since he had started to talk to him. Getting further acquainted with Namjoon, and especially that night in the astronomy tower, had transformed this attraction into something more personal.

The guy might be too blunt for his own good sometimes, something to do with his Faust nature, as the blond had said himself — the pursuit of knowledge, relying on facts and science more than faith — but he was also good-natured and good-willed, if only a bit pessimistic about the world. As jaded as he seemed to be, he still found joy and awe in little things like the baby plants perched on his windowsill in his room — that Hoseok might or might not have visited once — or his little walks in the Institute’s park — that Hoseok might or might not have kept him company on — where the tall student was marvelling at the blooming of nature, greens turning to goldens, and colourful flowers under the warming temperatures announcing summer.

Namjoon was indeed oddly endearing, in a way, and Hoseok was maybe a little bit enthralled. It was still too soon to call it infatuation, but Hoseok couldn’t deny there were buds of something in his chest ready to bloom any day now.

Namjoon moved his king from c8 to d8. Seokjin’s eyebrow twitched.

“This game seems familiar”, the blond mumbled, almost to himself, “but I can’t quite situate it… Where have I seen this?”

“Maybe this will refresh your memories?” Seokjin asked.

He moved his rook from c1 to d1. Namjoon moved his to h3. Both men were intensely concentrating on the game. Jeongguk, finally ushered away by Yoongi who had to resume working on his aria, came to sit quietly by Hoseok, his big eyes surveilling the chessboard.

“Do you get what they’re doing, Hyung?” he whispered to Hoseok, who had to suppress a chuckle before whispering back,

“Not at all. But Seokjin-hyung is currently in check.”

The aforementioned student moved his king to e2. Namjoon moved his rook across the board. Seokjin’s took the Black pawn in g7. Grumbling, the blond took Seokjin’s White pawn with his rook in a4.

“This really feels familiar. It’s frustrating.”

“Wait for it”, Seokjin allowed a smile to soothe his expression, making eye contact with his opponent. “You’re going exactly where I hoped your brain would take you, and we’re getting to the best part.”

“Hyung”, Hoseok chastised, “be nice.”

Seokjin merely winked at him before moving a pawn to f4. Namjoon shook his head, pushing his rook forward to a2. The White king was in check again.

“Do I have to chase you all around the board, Hyung?”

“Oh, believe me, it’s not me you should be chasing around.” He moved his king to f3.

“And yet, you’re still running away.”

“I am merely moving my king around, but that may be a trap”, Seokjin shrugged. “Who said the king was the prey?”

“He has a powerful title, and yet he is one of the weakest pieces”, Namjoon retaliated, his rook moving back to a3, putting Seokjin in check once again. “Without protection, he is nothing but a lost piece.”

“A king needs subjects to lead, who, in turn, shall protect him.”

White king moved to g4.

“And the game has been designed for him to rely on the queen”, Namjoon frowned.

Black rook moved to d3. White pawn moved to a5. Black rook took White pawn on d4.

“You really are letting me chase you”, he added.

“Again, it might not be worth chasing my king”, Seokjin smiled, moving his king up to g5. “What if the whole chase was a decoy?”

Namjoon stared at the board like he was trying to figure out the enigma Seokjin was presenting to him.

“The purpose of chess is to defeat the king.”

“That is the final goal, yes.”

“So shouldn’t I chase him down until I corner him somewhere he can’t escape?”

“That can be a way to win.”

“Whatever it takes to checkmate you, I shall do it.” Namjoon’s pawn took Seokjin’s in f5. Seokjin’s king moved to f6. Namjoon’s rook moved to g4, menacing Seokjin’s.

“Ambitious”, the elder chuckled, looking at Namjoon once again. “You could have fitted well in House Machiavel with this state of mind. ‘A means to an end’, isn’t that right? But sometimes, one has to learn to take some steps back and take in the whole picture.”

“I don’t think they’re still only talking about the game”, Jeongguk whispered to Hoseok, who hummed pensively.

Seokjin moved his rook to c7, which seemed to destabilise the blond. Namjoon looked displeased and even a bit annoyed.

“This was a foolish move”, he stated, moving his rook to h4.

“And yours isn’t?”

White knight moved to f7.

“I told you, Namjoon-ah. If you focus too much on one thing, you forget about the big picture. And thus, you lose your context, sometimes even your grounding.”

Jeongguk let out a gasp.

“That’s—!”

Hoseok shot him a surprised look. Jeongguk’s eyes travelled back and forth between the chessboard and Seokjin’s smug smile. Namjoon was staring at the board, a noticeable scowl seemingly permanently etched on his features.

“Hyung, Hyung!” Jeongguk grabbed Seokjin’s arm and shook it a few times out of excitement. “How did you manage to do that?”

“Do what?” Hoseok frowned, utterly lost. He studied the board where Seokjin’s White knight had Namjoon in check.

“Namjoon fell into my trap”, came Seokjin’s enigmatic reply. Hoseok glanced at Namjoon, whose eyes had finally widened, mouth parted open in recognition.

“Oh god”, he groaned, passing a frustrated hand over his face. “I’m so stupid. Kramnik-Leko, the 2004 Classical World Championship Match?”

“Precisely”, Seokjin was grinning like the Cheshire cat. “It was a tough game, though. I had to bet everything on your brain.”

“What do you mean?”

“I know how smart you are. When Hobi told me you were deeming yourself a worthy opponent of mine, I figured you must have studied, or at least read about a few moves, openings and endings. When I saw the possibility of ending the game in a replica of this Kramnik-Leko, I took a wild guess that you had seen it in a book but hadn’t memorised it so well that you would be able to diverge from it. And I was right. Your brain remembered the moves but from the White side, as it is the side often explained in books.”

“Unbelievable”, Namjoon scoffed, sagging against the back of his chair in frustration.

“Hyung, your mind is amazing”, Jeongguk commented, in awe, still admiring the chessboard.

“Thank you, Kookie.” Seokjin chuckled when the younger visibly flustered upon hearing the new nickname he’d found him. Hoseok would have probably laughed if he wasn’t so preoccupied with figuring out why Seokjin had apparently won.

“I’m not sure I’m following what is happening here?”

Namjoon opened his mouth to answer him but Jeongguk leaned against his side, beating him to it.

“Look, Namjoon-sunbae’s king is currently in check because of Seokjin-hyung’s knight”, he explained while moving the pieces. “So Black’s next move should be ‘King in e8’, here. But then, Seokjin-hyung will move his rook to c8, so Namjoon-sunbae will be forced to move his king to d7.”

“And then”, Namjoon sighed defeatedly, “the White rook moves to d8. The Black king is surrounded. Checkmate. White wins. I resign.”

“Oh.”

“But you were an honourable opponent, Namjoon-ah!” Seokjin assured, patting the blond’s hand that was lying on the table a few times. “I was in a tight bind at some point. I haven’t had such an interesting game in a while, so thank you.”

“Well, I’m sorry my skills are not up to par”, Hoseok rolled his eyes playfully. “You can keep playing against Namjoon from now on, I will just be practising reading music with Jeongguk.”

“I don’t think—” Namjoon started, just as Seokjin exclaimed,

“Great!” before taking the blond’s hand into his and giving it a firm shake. “That’s settled. I’m really looking forward to playing more games with you, Namjoon-ah.”

“I—”

“You’re eating lunch tomorrow with us, of course”, the eldest continued, ignoring Namjoon’s flustered state. “I think we would all gain a lot in becoming better acquainted, right, Jeongguk? Hoseok?”

Jeongguk blinked a few times while cocking his head to the side, his big eyes making him look a bit owlish. Hoseok’s eyes shifted from Seokjin to Namjoon, seemingly at a loss for words. Seokjin gave him A Look.

“I mean, I probably know him better than you do, already”, he mumbled.

“Right! Because of your assignment”, Seokjin jumped in, almost rolling his eyes at Hoseok’s apparent lack of support. “But that means that the rest of us need to catch up, then.”

“Obviously.”

Everyone turned in the direction of Yoongi’s voice, startled. The latter was still on the couch, his music notepad closed beside him, arms and legs crossed as if he was watching his favourite TV show. He cocked an eyebrow at their bewildered looks.

“What? Had you forgotten about me?”

“N-No”, Jeongguk stuttered, stupidly giving himself away. Yoongi sighed, feigning hurt.

“You wound me. I’ve been watching and listening for at least the past five minutes. Brilliant win, Jin, by the way. A risky bet to assume Namjoon wouldn’t remember the whole context of the sequence, but it paid off. It was, how did you put it? Ambitious. Aiming for the big picture, probably since the beginning.”

“Maybe not since the beginning”, Seokjin shot him a knowing smile, “but I got what I wanted in the end.”

“Am I the only one who doesn’t know how to play chess, then?” Hoseok huffed, feeling somewhat betrayed. “Jeongguk”, he turned to their youngest, “I thought you didn’t know how to play?”

“I never said that I didn’t know how to play?” the Apollo blinked. “You just assumed.”

“I can’t believe it”, Hoseok groaned, running a hand through his hair.

“You do know how to play chess”, Seokjin comforted him, squeezing his hand once. “You’re just… less familiar with the techniques than the four of us.”

“Thank you, Hyung, that makes me feel so much better.”

“I can teach you”, Namjoon offered, blushing the faintest bit when everyone glanced curiously at him. “I mean, I can show you some openings. If you want.”

Hoseok didn’t know what to think, mind and heart fluttered with hope he didn’t want to let himself feel. First, Namjoon wanted to keep reading to him, then he’d asked to be his friend, and now he wanted to teach him how to play chess better and was seemingly in the process of getting integrated into their friend group?

“It’s— I’m—” he stuttered only to be cut off by Seokjin,

“Hoseok will be delighted!” He then turned to Namjoon, a smile on his lips that hid something for sure. “Please train him well, Namjoon-ah. I will monitor his progress by playing against him later.”

“You can count on me, Hyung.”

“Excuse me, don’t I have a say in the matter?” Hoseok intervened valiantly.

“No”, four voices replied in unison.

“Fine”, he relented, pretending to be utterly defeated. “In a democracy, one can only observe the decision passed by the majority.

“But sometimes the laws in order aren’t fair”, Namjoon countered playfully, a teasing but fond glint in his eyes.

“Oh, please”, Hoseok swatted his arm, recalling their debate. It seemed to have happened such a long time ago. They had come a long way since then. “Not again, Namjoon.”

“I don’t want to force you.” The blond’s face turned more serious, his gaze locked onto his. “You might get sick of me”, he added in a quieter voice, almost like a whisper, meant for Hoseok only.

“I’m not”, Hoseok assured, also whispering. “I won’t.”

It was like Namjoon’s aura had softened. He seemed almost vulnerable, insecure, for a reason Hoseok couldn’t fathom. It brought Hoseok back to their stargazing night in the astronomy tower again. This Namjoon was still new to him and looked nothing like the dangerous, mysterious and inscrutable Namjoon he had met weeks ago.

He was lost in his classmate’s irises, trying to decipher the other’s feelings and thoughts. Time had stopped, suddenly, their surroundings fading and every noise blurring into a low buzz in the background. They were staring at each other, inconspicuously leaning towards one another, Namjoon hovering a bit over Hoseok. The taller bit his lip.

“Do you really think so?”

“Yes”, Hoseok smiled softly, maybe a bit shyly, trying not to get lost in the warmth that was spreading through his whole chest and slowly reaching all of his limbs — it was becoming more and more frequent, as of late. “I really don’t think I will get sick of you anytime soon.”

Namjoon was still an enigma, but Hoseok was really beginning to see through the locks and patterns that were constituting Namjoon’s facade. He had a feeling he was going to like what was lying behind it, and, if the blond allowed him, he would gladly unveil all of the man until he had the full, big picture of who Kim Namjoon really was in front of him.

Seokjin was really amazing, Hoseok thought. He had been subtly dropping hints all along the game of chess. Namjoon and Hoseok had only been focused on some parts of each other — the surface, barely scraped, of their respective facades — and had lost themselves in the assumptions they had made of the other. But there was more, of course, than the first impression. They had failed to see their respective big pictures, their entirety. Hoseok was hit by a passing wave of shame.

But one can learn from their mistakes, as he’d told Namjoon that night of sharing and stargazing. Human nature lay in errors and trials, but men, in all their faults and sins, constantly sought improvement. Hoseok was ready to move on, then, and redeem himself by learning as much about Namjoon as Namjoon would let him, and opening up to Namjoon as he had already started to do.

“Lovebirds”, the sound of Yoongi dryly clearing his throat startled the two of them from their thoughts, the moment gone like a bubble suddenly bursting. They recoiled at the same time, almost comically, when they realised their faces were no more than fifteen centimetres from each other.

Hoseok and Namjoon were both sporting a healthy blush, dutifully avoiding each other’s gaze in front of an incredibly smug Seokjin, a grinning Jeongguk and a supposedly disgusted Yoongi — but the twinkle in his eyes was giving him away.

“Well”, the older Themis teased, “I was most definitely right when I said we would see a lot of Namjoon from now on.”

“I’m so happy for you, Hyung!” Jeongguk chirped, shooting one of his dazzling bunny smiles to Hoseok who didn’t know if he should feel more endeared or embarrassed.

“Stop, it, it’s not— Not what you think”, he mumbled unconvincingly.

“Oh, man”, Seokjin, burst out in laughter, moving on the couch next to Yoongi just to elbow him on the sides. “I never imagined our last year in IRIS would be this fun!”

“I wasn’t aware your definition of ‘fun’ meant playing little devil matchmakers”, Yoongi rolled his eyes without much annoyance.

“I was right, though! Look at those two shy beans! I knew there was something going on.”

“Oh god”, Namjoon groaned, his whole face flushed.

“You better get used to it”, Hoseok mumbled from where he was hiding against Jeongguk’s back, equally mortified. “Seokjin-hyung will keep teasing you as long as you will provide an entertaining reaction.”

“I didn’t sign up for this”, Namjoon complained, burying his face in his hands.

“What did you sign up for, then? Kissing Hoseok?” Yoongi deadpanned.

“Hyung!”

“Sunbae!”

“It’s ‘Hyung’ to you too now, Namjoon-ah”, the pianist rolled his eyes. “Jin told you, you’re most likely in for the long run. Welcome to the family.”