It was another late night in the university's computer science lab, a place where silence was the norm, broken only by the soft hum of computers and the occasional clicking of keys. Jungkook, a senior known for his dedication and intensity, was hunched over his laptop, eyes glued to the screen. The harsh light of the monitor illuminated his features—sharp jawline, furrowed brows, and lips pressed into a thin line of concentration. The final project for his advanced algorithms class was due in just a few weeks, and every line of code needed to be perfect.
Jungkook was in his element, lost in the world of logic and loops, when the door to the lab burst open with a loud bang. The sudden noise startled him, causing his fingers to slip on the keyboard, introducing a string of errors into his meticulously written code. His irritation flared instantly, but before he could react, a voice—cheerful and slightly breathless—cut through the stillness.
“Ah, I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to barge in like that!”
Jungkook looked up, his annoyance evident in the sharpness of his gaze. Standing in the doorway was a boy—shorter, with a round face framed by soft, fluffy hair. He had large, sparkling eyes and a bright smile that seemed to fill the room with warmth. The boy was holding a stack of books, one of which teetered precariously on top, threatening to fall at any moment.
Jimin.
Jungkook recognized him immediately. Park Jimin, a junior who had quickly become known around campus for his infectious energy and outgoing personality. Jungkook had seen him around a few times, always surrounded by friends, laughing and chatting. But they had never interacted directly, and as far as Jungkook was concerned, that was fine by him. He preferred to keep to himself, especially when he was working.
Jimin, on the other hand, seemed oblivious to Jungkook's icy demeanor. He fumbled with the books in his arms, his face flushing slightly as he shuffled into the lab. "I didn’t know anyone would be here this late," Jimin continued, his voice laced with nervous laughter. "I was just looking for a quiet place to study, but I guess I found the wrong room."
Jungkook took a deep breath, trying to reign in his frustration. "This is the computer science lab," he said, his tone clipped. "It's not a study room."
Jimin's eyes widened, and he nodded quickly, shifting the books in his arms. "Right, right! My mistake! I’ll just… I’ll just head out." He took a few steps backward, but in his haste, the top book finally lost its battle with gravity and tumbled to the floor with a loud thud. Jimin winced, crouching down to retrieve it.
Jungkook let out an exasperated sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. He was tempted to just ignore Jimin and get back to work, but something about the way Jimin was frantically trying to gather his things, muttering apologies under his breath, made it impossible to stay completely indifferent.
"Wait," Jungkook said, surprising even himself with how harsh his voice came out. Jimin froze, looking up at him with wide, expectant eyes. Jungkook hesitated for a moment before softening his tone. "It's fine. Just... be more careful next time."
Jimin blinked, a small smile starting to creep back onto his face as he stood up. "Thanks," he said, clutching the book to his chest. "And sorry again for disturbing you. I promise I won't make a habit of it."
Jungkook just nodded, already turning back to his laptop. He heard the door creak open, but before Jimin could leave, he felt a sudden pang of guilt. Maybe it was the exhaustion from hours of coding or the fact that it was nearly midnight and he hadn’t eaten since lunch, but something made him pause.
"Actually..." Jungkook said reluctantly, causing Jimin to halt mid-step. "If you need to study, you can stay. Just keep it down."
Jimin’s eyes lit up, his whole face brightening at the unexpected offer. "Really? Are you sure? I don’t want to be a bother."
