Jin’s PoV

                Namjoon was just as cute as I had thought he was, wow! I smiled to myself, the smile disappearing as quickly as it had formed.

               No, what am I saying? Jaehwan is your Match, Jin! You can’t think like that! I chastised myself as I admired the scenery on my brisk walk to the school.

                It was always beautiful while walking. The shrubbery never wilted. Jaehwan would walk with me through this same area when we were younger.

                “Look, it’s so green!”

                “Jaehwan, it’s all green.”

                “But it could be brown! But it’s not! We read about it, remember? Sometimes things leave, like the colors, but it’s only because they weren’t in the right place.”

                “Yeah, I remember that.”

                Was I in the right place?

                I was so lost in thought that by the time I remembered what I was doing, half the class had taken their seats. I had somehow subconsciously gotten out all of my lesson plans. I looked up as all the students’ eyes were on me. “Mr. Kim, are you alright?”

                I nodded shakily, plastering on a smile in an attempt to convince my students. “O- Of course! I’m sorry, I’m just a bit distracted. Let’s get started with the lesson, shall we?”

                The lesson went by in a blur; I could barely focus on what I was teaching, and I mixed up multiple things multiple times. As I announced that there would be a 5 minute break in the lecture, they immediately began chatting amongst one another.

                “Mr. Kim is acting really weird today…”

                “Do you think he’s sick?”

                “Is he okay?”

                “I don’t know…”

                The only one who hadn’t joined in with the whispers was Jungkook. I diverted my attention from the students as they passed rumors and sat down, closing my eyes in an attempt to concentrate.

                Pull yourself together, Kim Seokjin!

                Without looking up, I heard footsteps as one of the students rose and walked towards my desk. Usually, this would result in a scolding, but I was too unfocused to remember that.

                Instead, I simply looked up to see Jungkook staring at me. “Do you need something?” I asked hesitantly.

                He averted his eyes, shaking his head. “N- Nevermind.”

                Confused, I watched as he stumbled back towards his seat, avoiding the glances of his peers.

                “And now Jungkook is acting weird, too?”

                “Everyone is so weird today…”

                “Maybe this is all one of those lucid dreams we learned about! This can’t be real… A shy Jungkook and an unfocused Mr. Kim? Impossible!”

                I ran a hand through my hair, standing back up. “Okay, quiet down, let’s get to work. I apologize, I’ve had a bit of a headache today…”

                The rest of the lesson went smoothly and uneventfully. By midday, I had finished teaching all my classes, and began to pack up my things once more. I glanced briefly over to my plans for tomorrow, which were already done. Perfect. Now I can go home and relax…

                I signed out and began my walk back to the train station, catching a glimpse of Namjoon also walking the same way.

                My heart began beating faster, but I didn’t know why. He looked over and noticed me staring, giving me a curt nod. “Seokjin.”

                “Hi!” I squeaked, immediately looking away. Great job, Seokjin! Way to embarrass yourself!

                He stood next to me on the platform in silence, staring at the tracks as if it would make the train appear faster. Nobody else was there, since most people would still be working or doing something recreational at this time of day.

                “So…” I said after an awkward amount of silence had passed. “How’s work going for you?”

                He shook his head. “Not worth mentioning. It’s a bit stupid, don’t you think? That you don’t get to choose your own job.”

                I looked at him, slightly shocked. “Wh- What? But they know what’s right for us, they know our strengths and weaknesses, our personalities, they know-“

                “They know physical facts.” He snapped. “But they know nothing about our own thoughts and emotions.

                “Don’t you wish you could have been something besides a teacher? I know I’d enjoy anything more than sitting in an office all day. I hate my job. But since I have a high aptitude for it, I’m stuck there. And if I started to slack off, then they’d…” He didn’t finish his sentence, looking down. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to rant. Just… ignore it.”

                I was stunned into silence. I looked up at him, eyes wide. “Wait, the Society really does mess up? I thought that was something they just told us as a part of the ‘not everybody is perfect’ lesson!”

                He shook his head. “They’re not perfect, nowhere near it. They just… hide those imperfections.”

                “Wh- What do you mean? You can’t mean…”

                He looked down. “I don’t want to talk about this now.”

                I nodded slightly. “C- Can I see you again later to talk about it?”

                He stayed silent, pursing his lips.

                As the train arrived, he finally said something.

                “Sure.”

                I thought it was impossible. That they could be wrong. That I wasn’t meant to be Matched to Jaehwan.

                And now Namjoon was telling me that it was, possible. That it could have very well been a mistake.

                Weren’t you happy? So why are you falling for him instead now?

Namjoon’s PoV

                He was so freaking nosy. Seokjin always had been, even in school.

                I hated it.

                Nosiness is what got my parents in trouble. Nosiness is what got them killed.

                Right in front of me. It was an example of what happens when you don’t obey the Society, they had explained.

                I never thought I had it in me to hate someone as much as I had hated the Society.

                As soon as I got to school, that all changed. Seokjin was too nosy, he was too curious.

                It was going to get him hurt.

                And now he wasn’t nosy enough, but still somehow annoying. In the way cute dogs are when they won’t leave you alone. Really cute dogs.

                “Stop it, he’s not cute,” I muttered to myself.

                Seokjin looked up, slightly flustered. “Excuse me?”

                I looked down at him, realizing that we were still on the train. “Oh, nothing. I was thinking out loud.”

                You idiot.

                He just smiled and looked away awkwardly.

                He had always been extremely awkward.

                It was both endearing and annoying.

                Then again, so was anything Kim Seokjin did.

                You know it’s impossible, so why do you keep falling for him?