Black Swan (Kim Namjoon x reader)

Chapter 1

The magician knew the crowd was watching him. He could feel their eyes trailing his every movement, just as he had been anticipating. They appropriately provided 'oohs' and 'ahhs' at his various tricks. Flames shot out of his fingertips to light the arena. They twinkle like lanterns on a river. A child cheered from below, its laughter drowned out by applause and anticipation. They knew what was coming. His infamous Wisteria breath. With just a kiss in the air, he could make dazzling purple jewels appear. They fall down like stars. At first, he would only make a few appeared. Then dozens and hundreds and thousands. Enough to fill the arena. They had never seen anything like it before. The girls are especially fond of the act, they get to keep the flowers as souvenirs, and not to mention if they're lucky enough, he might even wink at them through his mask. To him, they sounded like synchronized tiger rats. Terrible pets but they make for an obedient audience. All in a night's work, he thought to himself, and the night Etherio had always been especially long and tiresome.

When the show was over, the crowd dispersed like a tiny universe. Many of them created portals while more traditional patrons waited for their carriages. The magician stayed behind the curtains until everyone disappeared and took off his mask. He swept the sweat away like dust and took a sip of the concoction he made. After the first sip, he made a disapproving face. Nothing can be compared to whiskey, but Etherio has a strict rule about bringing items from the other world over. Despite being a powerful magician, the man knew his limits and he wouldn't dare to mess with the laws of Etherio.

Again.

***

The ruler slammed down hard on the chalkboard, making bodies around you jump. A unanimous groan escaped from the students as the teacher went over the homework assignment for the day. "Namjoon will go around to pass out the assignment," the teacher declared. On cue, the tall and quiet boy stood up from the back and grabbed the stack of paper from the teacher's table. He adjusted his glasses and kept his head low. His wild hair covered the majority of his face. If it weren't for yearbooks and the occasional sports festivals where the boys are obligated to wear headbands to get the hair out of their faces, you wouldn't have known what he looked like at all. He preferred it that way. 

As he made his way through the rows of students, someone thought it would be funny to extend a leg and cause the poor boy to trip. The stack of paper went into the air and fell down like confetti. Namjoon sighed, adjusted his glasses once more, and bent down to pick up the scattered assignments. Laughter abrupted from the room. Because of his quiet nature and stellar academic performance, Namjoon was the perfect victim of harassment. That, and he never fought back which made the bullies want more. It's like an addiction and Namjoon was an easily accessible commodity.

You got out of your seat and went to help him. He saw you from the corner of his eyes but kept on gathering the papers. When you handed him your harvest, he gave you a nod in acknowledgment. You realized that you could have picked up your own assignment during that time but by the time you realized it, it was too late. The two of you came face to face again once he reached your desk. This time, you swore you saw a hint of his dimples. With the final bell of the day, you headed to your part-time job at the vet.

Going from 7 hours of school to playing with newborn kittens with peach fuzz faces was always the best way to continue the day. The job doesn't pay quite as well as you were wanting, but since you were just the front desk assistant who spent most of your time hanging out with the patients, it was the perfect deal for you. It also helped that you had a gigantic crush on the head veterinarian. Dr. Kim is a personification of a typical puppy. Anytime he comes into the office, you would swoon over his sweatpants and a loose t-shirt. He looked as though he never left college despite having multiple degrees in veterinary. Today was no different, his curly brunette locks fell over his face as he observed the sick puppy. You sighed, wishing there was a way for you to turn into a puppy yourself. "Y/N," the doctor called out with his grinning smile, "I know I'm cute, but please focus on your work." With his order, you turned back to the computer and continued with the data entry.

Weekday afternoons consisted of working for a few hours and then going back home to indulge in homework. It was a terrific way to spend your senior year so as to not stray away from the path that your parents wanted you. Anytime they read the newspaper about a new gang or the rise in teen pregnancy, they would always look over at you and remind you that if you ever did drop out of school to have a kid, they would disown you. You would have to remind them that you need a man to look at you first.

The walk home from work was uneventful. The 6 o'clock evening summer sky was beautiful as always. Burned orange and pink stained the sky and the buildings that you walked by. It was your favorite color. Up ahead, you noticed a familiar figure. He wore a hood and covered his face with a mask. But even from afar, you could tell that it was Namjoon because of his tall stature and quiet aura. Unlike his school attire, he ditched his glasses and held his head high. He didn't seem to notice you as he rounded the corner to an alleyway. Despite walking home every day on this path, it was an alley you'd never noticed before. You peeked around the corner, Namjoon stood in front of a wall and chanted something. Your phone vibrated, it was your mom asking you to stop by the store to grab some milk. You mentally answered her and turned your attention back to the boy.

But there was one problem.

He was gone.

The spot where he previously stood a second ago was vacant but the wall that he was chanting at had some residual glimmer like a mirror. Cautiously, you walked over and extended your hand. A gasp escaped your mouth when you found that the wall was solid. But it was warm under your touch. You closed your eyes and slapped your arm, thinking that it was some sort of vivid dream. It hurt, which meant you were fully awake. And it also meant that Kim Namjoon walked through a wall.