i can't survive if this is all that's real

minjoon college au

namjoon stepped inside the restaurant and scanned the place with his eyes. one of his mates was waving to him and he waved back, starting to walk towards him.

it was the beginning of a new college year and they were celebrating it, and namjoon's return. namjoon wrapped the leather jacket around himself nervously as he sat beside hoseok at the table. everyone greeted him lively. namjoon smiled back politely, recognising some of his mates from last year, but most of them were new faces.

everyone turned their attention to whatever they were doing before and hoseok turned to face namjoon.

"you made it!", hoseok yelled, hugging him tightly.

"of course i did", namjoon laughed, patting hoseok's back.

"im so glad you're back this year", hoseok told him and smiled brightly.

namjoon sighed, feeling pretty happy himself. he was about to reply when he saw a blonde guy walking up to their table. he stared at the small boy sitting down beside someone he remembered as taehyung and smiling widely to him. he hadn't seen him before around the campus. he would've remembered seeing such an angelic face.

"hoseok", he called out, "who is that?", he asked, not taking his eyes off the tiny blonde.

"oh", hoseok laughed, seeing namjoon's expression, "that's jimin, he transferred here last year"

namjoon nodded slowly and looked down, avoiding jimin's eyes that looked up to namjoon curiously.

"he's in one of your classes by the way", hoseok laughed again and namjoon eyed him surprised.

"which one?"

"you'll find out", hoseok laughed and suddenly got serious, "i don't think you'd work out tho"

"what do you mean?", namjoon asked flustered.

"you're that fierce guy with a resting bitch face that glares and threatens everyone. and jimin? jimin is the sweetest person you could ever meet. he's like a fairy"

"im not like that anymore.", namjoon mumbled, looking towards jimin again. he was laughing loudly and namjoon smiled to himself unknowingly.

"anyway, we're here to celebrate your return to college, aren't we?", hoseok snapped namjoon out of his daydream. "where's jin hyung with those drinks?", he mumbled, looking around.

~~~

the week dragged by awfully slowly for namjoon. he felt excited to be back to college after one year of part time jobs, but most of all, he was excited to see jimin again. he expected him to enter the classroom at any lesson, but jimin never showed up to any of namjoon's classes. by the end of the week, he began losing hope and thinking hoseok got the schedules wrong.

on Friday, namjoon was sitting alone on one of the benches around the college's campus. it was lunch break and he didn't have anything interesting to do, except listen to music and enjoy the sunny weather.

he was searching for a song he wanted to listen to when a boy ran past his bench. the boy tripped and fell on his back. namjoon got up and rushed to him, helping him up.

"thanks", the blonde guy said, turning around and namjoon realised it was jimin.

jimin's cheeks became a rosy colour and he covered them with his hands.

"are you okay?", namjoon asked shyly.

"yes. i am, thank you", he smiled brightly and put his hands down only to extend one to namjoon.

"i don't think we've met formally yet. im park jimin"

namjoon grabbed jimin's hand hesitantly and shook it gently. "kim namjoon"