The Perfect Storm [Park Jimin FF]

Part II

Jimin follows me into my lecture and sits next to me. The lecture is in English (since I study English) so he doesn't understand anything that comes out of the professor's mouth. Instead of listening, he begins drawing on his notepad. I keep getting distracted by his weird drawings of something that looks like a potato in a hoodie with arms and legs.

What is that?

I write in the corner of his notepad.

It's a dog in a hoodie, can't you see that?

After reading it I can't hold back a snigger and those close to us turn around and look at me. I smile apologetically and return my attention to Jimin's drawing.

Sorry, I don't see it.

I look at him and he pouts. I can't help but smile because of his childish behavior. I grab my own notepad and start drawing a realistic dog face. Jimin looks on in awe as the dog slowly appears on the paper. I finish it just as the lecture also comes to an end and I realise I haven't heard the majority of it. Oh well, it probably wasn't that important anyway. Jimin takes the notepad with my drawing from the table and looks closer at it.

"How did you do that?" he asks and gapes at me in astonishment. "My mother is an artist and she brought me along for all these classes when I was younger. I'm quite the talented painter as well," I tell him and he looks very surprised when hearing that about me. "Then why aren't you studying arts?" he asks puzzled. "Because it was always my mother's interest and not mine. If I wanted to spend time with my mother, I had to go to these things, because she spent basically all her time there. She taught most of them, and the rest she participated in because as she said 'you never stop learning'."

Jimin is quite taken aback as he listens to me. "What is it? Why are you looking at me like that?" I ask and he bites his lower lip. "I just realised how little I know about you. I don't know anything about your family, where you grew up, how old you are, when your birthday is or anything like that. I basically only know your name and your phone number, and it's the same for you. We know nothing about each other, though we're supposed to be dating."

I think about what he said and have to agree with him. Until now we just hung out to chase away loneliness, but we apparently never really saw each other as people with a story and a background. But that's going to change now. I look him straight in the eye and start telling.

"I'm born and raised in Daegu and not long before I moved into my own apartment, my parents moved to Insadong here in Seoul. My parents are still together and happily married. I have a younger brother named Jungkook, who lives with our parents and he's three years younger than me. He's currently attending high school. My birthday is January 3rd 1994 and I'm currently 20 years old. Was there anything else?"

Jimin listens intently while I talk and when I've finished, he shakes his head to answer my question. "Now tell me about you," I say. "Okay then... You already know a little about my parents and what happened during their... time apart," Jimin begins and I know he's referring to his father's relationship with Areum's mother, "but they're together now and they're somewhat happy. I have a younger brother and all three of them, and most of my other family, all live in Busan where I was born and raised. I moved here not long ago to study. My birthday is October 13th 1995 and I recently turned 19. I think that was all."

After having listened to Jimin, I already feel a little closer to him. But I'm sad I didn't know when his birthday is earlier, then I would have bought him a present. Though it might not be too late. Better late than never, right?

After having packed up my stuff, Jimin and I leave together. Since we've been a lot together on campus lately, rumors about us being an item started circling in my department and Jimin told me they also started in his. And now that he's even attended one of my lectures, they're probably going to get more out of control. But it doesn't bother me at all. Having people think Jimin and I are in a relationship, are not the worst to have people gossip about. It's actually a little fun. While Jimin and I walk down the hallway, I see two girls from my department look at us and whisper. I wonder if they're doing what the girls on the bus did. Asking themselves what Jimin is doing with me. Or maybe they're just curious about whether or not the rumors are true. In any case I feel like showing them, like Jimin showed those girls. So I reach out and grab Jimin's hand in mine. Then I entwine my fingers with his and look up at him. At first he looks surprised, but then he smiles. I return the smile and look at the girls out of the corner of my eye and to my surprise they're giggling and then look at us with broad smiles. I wonder what that means.