im Taehyung presses his ear to the door of the dark room. His eyes are closed and he pushes his body up against it as well. His hands are grasping the cold metal knob as he listens for any signs of life opposite the door.

He hears nothing.

With a slow twist of his wrist he unlocks the door, pushing it softly forward, until a sliver of light floods through from the hallway. With a deep breath, he pushes forward, readying to take a step out. He suddenly pauses in the doorway, right hand still gripping the doorknob and large horrified eyes the only thing giving away his shock.

Across from stands a boy, hair mussed messily, and eyes nearly as wide as Taehyung’s. The boy's stare is hot on Taehyung's skin, traveling up over his head and behind him, looking into the shadowed office. He brings his gaze back to Taehyung's, upper front teeth burying themselves in his bottom lip. He averts his gaze before Taehyung can come up with an excuse and rushes down the corridor, quickly disappearing from Taehyung's sights.

Taehyung owes two coins to the Tae&Chim travel fund for the words he lets slip past his lips at the boy's speedy exit. He was so getting expelled now.

-----

It was a Monday, three abruptly cancelled classes into Appreciation of Art when Kim Taehyung first realized that his professor was missing. Professor Kwon was a short woman with a contagious smile and a no-nonsense attitude. She was not the type to miss work without any type of notice. Yet for the third time, Taehyung was packing his doodle-covered notebook into his messenger back after twenty minutes of waiting around for her in a near empty classroom.

It was twenty-three minutes later in his cold empty dorm room that Taehyung decided to investigate her disappearance. He liked Professor Kwon and she liked his enthusiasm. He'd chose not to tell his best friend and roommate of his plans, Park Jimin might have been his partner-in-crime when it came to skipping class to go to popup exhibits in Gangnam, but Jimin was also the type to find a 500 won coin on the ground and turn it into campus police. It was with that resolve that Taehyung found himself in his current predicament.

-----

Taehyung spots him the next day, sitting alone in a corner of the cafeteria, a plate of food in front of him and eyes on his cellphone. He doesn't look up as Taehyung approaches him and just uses his free hand to grab at a french fry every now and then. Taehyung swallows thickly at the sight, rather it's from nerves or hunger he's not particularly sure, but with the way his stomach rumbles he thinks it might be hunger.

He pulls out a chair, the sound of it scraping across the tiles draws the boy's attention, and Taehyung watches as his look of bright-eyed confusion quickly shifts into one of horror. He's cornered, there’s a wall behind him and to his left, he knows that, and Taehyung knows that. Taehyung tries for a smile to ease the boy's mind, it doesn't seem to have the effect Taehyung hoped for as the boy shifts back in his seat, pressing himself as far into his chair as possible. His eyes aren’t on Taehyung any longer, now he’s trying to see beyond Taehyung’s head liked he’d done when he first saw Taehyung leaving his professor’s office last night.

"Hi," Taehyung says at last, trying not to think about how his future at this school is in the hands of a kid that looks like a scared rabbit, or how much he really wants that kid's fries. He had been too focus on his mission to find the guy across from him to bother eating, now he was beginning to regret that. "I'm Taehyung."

The boy doesn't respond at first, he just stares, phone clutched close to his chest and eyes focused on Taehyung. Taehyung stares back, trying his best not to look down at the food on the table and focus on the boy before him. He kind of regrets saying his name right away and wished he'd just gone for the explanation in case the kid decided to rat him out regardless. It was one thing to say, ‘I saw a kid breaking into a professor's office,’ it was completely different to say, ‘I saw Kim Taehyung breaking into a professor's office.’

"Jungkook," the boy mumbles out at last and Taehyung's grin widens even as Jungkook seems to shrink even further into himself.

"Well, Jungkook, about what you saw yesterday..."

"I don't know what I saw yesterday," Jungkook states interrupting him. Taehyung's brows furrow together at the statement and he tilts his head to the side just a little.

"Okay," he says slowly, his lips as he tries to figure out how to best work that statement to his advantage. "Let's still clarify things." Jungkook nods his head, dark hair falling into his eyes from the vigorous movements.

"I did not break into that room," Taehyung lies. Jungkook nods again.

"I'm taking her class and she gave me an extension on a paper." Lie.

Jungkook nods.

"The door was unlocked." Lie.

Jungkook nods.

"I thought she was in and promptly left when I realized she wasn't." Lie.

Jungkook nods.

"You don't believe a word I'm saying," Taehyung sighs and looks at Jungkook, really looking over the boy in front of him watching as he begins to nod only to freeze and look at Taehyung in alarm. "Are you a first year?"

Jungkook nods again and Taehyung doesn't slam his head against the table even if really and truly wants to. He does let out a sound that's a cross between a whimper and a whine.

He throws a quick glance around the room, there are so many people there in the cafeteria and the surrounding area that he's sure he shouldn't be having this conversation now, but there are so many people there so it’s loud enough to block out Taehyung's conversation from wandering ears.

"I promise to tell you the truth if you promise not to say a word of what you saw and what I tell you to anyone." Jungkook still looks alarmed as he glances from Taehyung to Taehyung's raised right pinky and back again. Taehyung grins to himself, eager at the idea of a potential partner on his mission. Taehyung could read the hesitance on Jungkook's face even if they were completely shrouded in darkness, but the first year still reaches forward, till his hand is mere centimeters away from Taehyung's. Taehyung wiggles his finger teasingly until Jungkook's pinky clasps his own.

"I swear not to say a word," Jungkook mutters so low that Taehyung can hardly hear him. Taehyung waits until Jungkook sits back in his seat and then begins his confession with his eyes on the forgotten plate between them.

"I did break into that office," he starts off slowly. "But for a good reason. I think my professor's gone missing and I want to find her."

---

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A/N This is still in its beginner stages and I have a few other fanfics that I'm working on so I'll try to update soon but I can't give you a proper time estimate yet.  However, I hope you've enjoyed it so far.