PERSONA ✓

02.

Namjoon woke up to Jungkook sitting up and bouncing on his bed in an attempt to wake him up.

"Hyung! Hyung! What if I added tech to your shades to make them—"

"Jungkook, " Namjoon said groggily, "it's 5 in the morning—"

Jungkook shook his head. "Hyung, it's 8. School starts in ten."

It was then Namjoon noticed that Jungkook had his backpack on. Namjoon shot up, almost hitting Jungkook's forehead with his own.

"Why didn't you wake me up?"

Jungkook climbed off the top bunk, so Namjoon could (frantically) begin getting ready.

"I did try to wake you up, hyung," Jungkook said, watching with an amused expression as Namjoon threw himself into his school clothes. "I tried, the butlers tried, I even chucked a few pillows at your face, but you didn't wake up."

Namjoon straightened his hair and glanced at the clock. "I don't even have time for breakfast."

"I got that covered, hyung." Jungkook held up a banana and a granola bar. "You must have been really tired last night, hm?"

Namjoon rolled his eyes at the smug look on Jungkook's face. "Yeah, yeah, kid, you were right. Let's just go to school."

-

"Engineering first thing in the morning, huh?" Jungkook asked as they walked down the halls. "Hyung, maybe I could hack into the cameras so I could watch you get mad at Kim Taehyung again."

"You almost got caught last time, Jungkook."

"Yeah, but I didn't, did I?" Jungkook glanced at his watch. "I gotta go. Good luck in engineering!"

-

The seating plan was, sadly, in alphabetical order by last name, which meant that Namjoon had to sit next to Taehyung for the rest of the year.

Namjoon, as usual, set his books down and sat next to Taehyung. Taehyung said nothing and continued reading his book. Namjoon clenched his jaw, ignoring Taehyung, who he could see out of the corner of his eye. Taehyung had wavy black hair. The back of his hair was long and covered the back of his neck. 

Jungkook called it a mullet. Namjoon called it messy.

Without turning to look at him, Taehyung said, "I need to talk to you after class."

Namjoon blinked. That was new. "Why?"

"You'll know when I tell you."

Namjoon rolled his eyes and turned to focus on the board, though the teacher wasn't there yet. Taehyung was always quiet, and when he spoke, it was either to be brutally honest, to offend you, or to say something that made him sound smarter than everyone in the room.

Whatever Taehyung had to say, Namjoon decided, it certainly wouldn't be important.

-

"So," said Taehyung, stuffing his hands in his pockets and staring at Namjoon with a rather bored expression, "you're Persona."

Panic engulfed every part of Namjoon's body. How the hell did Taehyung find out? Was he too careless in hiding it?

Namjoon attempted to keep his voice even and steady. "No, I'm not—"

"I'm not an idiot, Namjoon, you and I both know that."

Namjoon swallowed. "How?" he asked. They were in an empty hallway after school; the chances that anyone would overhear them were slim to none.