[2017]

There are three ways to do things. The right way. The wrong way. And the Namjoon way, which is the wrong way, but faster.

It always starts with great noble intentions. This time, Namjoon had thought it would be a good idea to finally learn how to cook. He was 22, about to finish his undergraduate course and had some skills: freezing water, boiling water and making ramen. Time to expand the horizons!

Enrolling in random courses wasn't anything new to Kim Namjoon. He had a variety of interests and just wanted to explore every possibility to better himself, to always be prepared for whatever may come. That's why he enrolled in a culinary class during his last semester in college.

He was majoring in Marine Sciences and getting two simultaneous minors: literature and music. It shouldn't have been possible for him to get all the credits necessary for that - which was why people called him Hermione sometimes. Also because he grew up fascinated with the Harry Potter series, although nowadays he was fighting off JK Rowling's destructive behaviour of adding new (mostly irrelevant) information to the potterverse.

On the first day of “A man, A can and A plan” class he found out he was the only student without previous knowledge on cooking, which baffled him. The syllabus made it seem like it was supposed to be for the helpless young, dumb, broke college kids who lived on coffee, chocolate and instant food. It was meant for those who were aiming to open restaurants with easy, affordable meals for the masses.

Well, . Namjoon hadn't convinced his advisor to get him a spot in this class just so he could drop it. He was going to study his brains out and pass this class, if not with flying honors (like all other classes he had ever attended), at least with a good enough grade not to bring his average down all that much.

-----

Namjoon was failing this class. With flying honors. And it wasn't even time for midterms yet.

Students worked in pairs, but Namjoon was left alone since he was inexperienced, the class had an odd number of students (thanks again past Namjoon, for deciding that forcing entrance into this class was a good idea) and he didn't have enough time in between running from class to class to make friends with the other students.

One faithful day the teacher said that the next meal they were to cook should be based on an international holiday and that would account for 25% of their final grade. They were expected to explain the historical and cultural significance of that meal.

That was Namjoon's downfall.

In retrospect, Namjoon should probably not have chosen Thanksgiving and turkey as his options, but the cultural side lured him in and the historical aspect of it convinced him that with enough background research, he could do this.

He couldn't do this.

He used tablespoons instead of teaspoons. He thought a clove of garlic meant the whole bulb. And he forgot to clean the dish soap out of the pan before he made the marinade. The result was one salty, inedible, soap infused turkey.

Feeling like the dumbest person on Earth (what are 148 IQ points worth of?!), Namjoon stayed behind that day, to at least clean his colleagues dishes as an apology for the gastronomic trauma he had put them through.

“You shouldn't be doing this alone” Namjoon may or may not have broken the dish he was cleaning. “Wait! Don't get it with your bare hands! I'll get the duster”

“You're being too kind on him after he killed all our taste buds, Soo”. There, standing on the entryway, was the most gorgeous man Namjoon had ever laid eyes on.

Knowing your classmates names is something expected after a month and a half of classes. The first one who spoke to him was Do Kyungsoo, a gentle soul who looked like he wanted to murder everyone around him most of the time, which was just a result of his terrible eyesight, the fact that he couldn't wear glasses in culinary class (they'd get foggy) and his adamant refusal to wear contacts. He was not very expressive and did not care for other people's opinions about him, which made people's perception of him to be of cold-blooded serial killer on a good day (he and Yoongi were cut out from the same mold in that aspect). But Namjoon had always been great at assessing people's personalities, he could see Kyungsoo was a curious mix of being confident and masculine, yet sometimes shy and boyish.

Namjoon didn't believe in having an ideal type. He was interested in people, in all their shapes, colors, es and identities. But if he had an ideal soft and fluffy love story type, it would probably be someone like that. Maybe a little less reserved, a little more spontaneous and without the murderous tendencies.

The second one was Kim Seokjin. Supermodel of the world (his words, not Namjoon's), medical student, chaotic and childish while still managing to care for those around him (Namjoon was not stupid, he knew Seokjin was probably the one who put out the fire he hadn't noticed he started a week ago when he left the room to go to the pantry to get more supplies).

“I know you hated the turkey. That's understandable.” it wasn't hard at all for Namjoon to recognize his mistakes. Sometimes it was even too easy.

“I didn't hate it. I just didn't like it at all. And it was terrible. And I'll have to drink alcohol to disinfect my throat later on”. Seokjin shrugged his large shoulders and Namjoon caught himself imagining just how wide they were.

“As if you weren't the one who suggested we came here to help him, Jinnie” Kyungsoo's tone was maybe just a little less deadpanned than Yoongi's would have been in a similar situation and showed a little more of his soft side reserved only to those he cherished.

“What can I say? I'm benevolent like that” Seokjin really walked like he was the most expensive jewel in Queen Elizabeth's collection and he was now standing in front of Namjoon drying the recently washed dishes.

“Seokjin-ssi. Kyungsoo-ssi. You really don't have to help me.” Namjoon was bowing in apology “And I'm really sorry for what I have put you through today”

“It's Jin, ” the Britney Spears way in which he said that made all three males laugh.

“It's not a huge bother, Namjoon-ssi.” Always extra polite when around “strangers”, Kyungsoo worked quietly and efficiently. No more pieces of plate on the ground and no more plates on the countertop. “You're not as bad as my best friend. At least you haven't set the building on fire by making cereal...yet”. it was hard to tell if that had actually happened or if the shorter one of the three was just joking.

“Don't tell anyone I'm being kind to you, it would ruin my reputation...but...I came here to offer you to pair up with me and Kyungsoo for the rest of the semester so that you don't fail the course”. One close look and one could notice a slight shade of pink on Jin's cheeks.

Namjoon was shook. He hadn't phantom the idea that the two best cooks in class would offer to possibly lower their own scores just so that they could help him out. “Thank you so much! What can I do to repay your kindness? I'm used to tutoring people, I could help you with your other classes”

“I'm a culinary major. So there's nothing you can do to help me with”. Ouch. Emotionless Kyungsoo, what a mood.

“And I'm a medical student, it's not like you're allowed into my courses to help me”. Jin was tapping his full lips, like he was considering something “But there is something you could do to pay me back”

“Whatever you need!” Namjoon had no queries about that.

“Give me your number and go out on date with me, gorg”. As Jin winked, Namjoon's brain froze for a minute.

Thank God he had convinced his advisor to get him a spot in this class.

That day he got a date and a friend.

-----------

[2012]

So there he was. 15 years old. Puffy and pinchable cheeks. Pierced ears hidden behind the longer hair he used to sport back then. Heavy eyeliner applied messily on his eyes. Never having kissed anyone before. Completely aware of his uality (had been ever since he saw his first Super Junior MV, 3 years ago), yet not sure on how to act upon it.

What he knew was that Sorry, Sorry had stayed on his subconscious until confirmation came last year in the form of Choi Siwon's abs during Mr. Simple's promotions. That's an alpha male right there.

He was your normal thirsty teenager and a new chapter in his life was about to start: high school at last!

Park Jimin was also what one may call a teacher’s pet, he took his studies seriously. He had to, his parents allowed him to pursue dance lessons on the conditions that his grades never dropped below teacher’s pet’s expectations level. He didn’t mind it all that much. If his face was buried on books, people couldn’t make fun of his cheeks comparing him to an old mexican tv series character. It was not his fault that was where his body stored his baby fat, the rest of his body was taut, but not like he could go around showing it off.

It’s no biggie. Jimin would never let it show that the treatment he was receiving from his peers (he didn’t know it back then, but it would get the name of bullying a couple years in the future) was getting into him.

It was past winter break and he still had no crew, no clear group to which he belonged and no close friends. That was okay though, he was class president. He would rule based on fear!

--------

One particular chilly February morning as he had walked past his neighbor’s house, which had been closed down for months, Jimin was surprised by the unusual furniture: a chair that instead of arm rests had wings, a scary lamp shade made of doll's heads and worst of all: puppets! Tons of puppets spilling from an open chest on the sidewalk. Whomever his new neighbors were, Jimin wanted nothing to do with them, for they were certainly voodoo witches! He walked faster to school.

As part of his class president duties, he had to come earlier since he was responsible for the preparations for Independence Movement Day. They still had some time before the event, but Jimin needed to approve the designs for the decorations, host practices for the chant his class would present during the rally and he wouldn’t settle for nothing less than perfection.

The meeting with the representatives of other classes and the teacher had been calm and Jimin was raising up to leave when Miss Lee called him. “Jimin, my dear, a new student has recently transferred from Daegu”

“In the middle of the school year?” Jimin gasped in surprise. It must be hard to leave one’s friends behind like this, not that he would know. Now he was sad. Great job, Ms. Lee!

“Yeah, you more than anyone should know how difficult it might be transferring to a new school in a new city” Ms. Lee was being sympathetic. Jimin hated it. “He used to be homeschooled and his name is Kim Taehyung. He’s waiting outside on the corridor”

Great. Now he had to be a guide to a social outcast kid that was probably extremely religious, full of prejudice, that listened to Gangnam Style all day long, and dressed in ankle-length overalls, completely unaware of fashion and slang terms.

Jimin’s inexistent social life would never recover.

The boy outside the class was wearing his uniform, plain and simple, while standing with his back facing the corridor, knees propped on the bench and almost breaking his neck to try to see something through the window.

“You know...I have this theory that those who are destined to be in each other's lives are so because their atoms were near each other when the universe was created and over time the same atoms keep coming back together” He said without turning to look at Jimin.

Jimin was flabbergasted, eyes open wide and jaw dropped. "Did you just scientifically explain soulmates?!"

"Huh...I guess I did...but I was actually thinking of those kittens outside. They look so cute cuddling like that". He finally turned and his boxy smile was boyish and cute “I guess my name in this multiverse is Kim Taehyung, so nice to meet you…?”

“Jimin!” that came out a little too eager “Park Jimin” nice save (not!)

“Ah, so you’re the minion they sent to ease me into your primitive teaching rituals?” coming from any other person, that would have sounded like a thing a lunatic would say, but this boy in front of Jimin made is sound plausible.

“Guess I am” two could play this game. Jimin smiled his sweetest smile “Can I see your schedule so that I can show you to your first class?”

Taehyung fumbled a bit trying to find the paper with his printed schedule, finding it inside his book on ‘How to talk to your cat about gun safety’ and passed it on to Jimin. “Ah, we have geography together on first and second period. That makes it easy”

--------

Jimin felt comfortable in Taehyung’s presence. Like he didn’t have to be Mr. Perfection to impress him, mostly because the other’s mind seemed to work in a unique way, jumping from topic to topic without them having any connection whatsoever, but he seemed fun and Jimin was starting to imagine how a life with a close friend like him could be fun.

They separated after their shared periods, Taehyung going to Advanced Forensic Sciences (since when did the school have such an elective?) and Jimin going to Modern Dance class and for the first time in forever, he couldn’t wait for his class to be over, because for the first time he felt like he could comfortably sit with someone during lunch and talk about all the little things that went through his mind.

--------

When he got to the cafeteria, Jimin got an extra serving of dessert so that he could share with his potential new friend. Now he just had to find the other boy, but as he turned to look for him, one of his worst nightmares came to reality. Kim Jihae, the president of the class above his was standing before him in all her perfect skinny glory.

“Don’t you think you have enough on your plate, Park Jimin-ssi?” she was moving to take all his food from his plate when a hand stopped her.

“Jiminie! You got my favorites! Let’s go find us a spot for our picnic” Taehyung had apparently no sense of self-preservation as he defied and ignored the most popular girl in school and her friends. He proceeded to interlace his fingers with Jimin and pull him out of the cafeteria and towards the bleachers. Not a good idea as it was still quite a cold day.

Taehyung’s eyes were narrowed, rigid, cold and hard when they faced each other. In that moment Jimin knew he never wanted to see that look on the other's face ever again. It was too intense and even if he sensed the anger behind them wasn't directed towards him, Jimin still felt guilty and lowered his eyes. If he was stronger, he could have handled that by himself. If he was braver, he would have been the one to defy Jihae.

“You shouldn’t let anyone treat you like regular glue” Taehyung’s eyes had turned soft and smiley once again “You’re glitter glue, baby!”

“Thank you, Taehyung-ah” Jimin couldn’t not laugh about the absurdity of it all. It seemed like he was the newbie and Taehyung was the class president.

“That’s not gonna work!” Taehyung furrowed his brows. Talk about mood swings, am I right?! “I called you ‘Jiminie’ in front of everyone...so you have to call me something cute too. Ain’t that what friends do?”

Friends. What a nice word. Jimin liked that. “You’re right, Taetae”. Jimin smiled so brightly that his eyes closed.

-------

By the end of day one, Taehyung had persuaded Jimin to run around the school dressed in battle armor and wielding a cardboard sword, all while laughing maniacally. People stared at them, but they were having too much fun to care.

On their walk back home they found out they lived on the same neighborhood, the same street even. Jimin felt a bit panicky when he found out the voodoo house now belonged to the Kim family, but Tae reassured him that the art pieces (read: creepy furniture) were his projects. It should have been alarming when they found out that their mothers had been high school best friends before college drove them apart. But it all just felt right and made sense without needing explanation.

-------

By the end of their first week as friends, Jimin had confessed his three biggest fears to Taehyung. He was deadly afraid of butterflies, didn't feel comfortable in high places and he was often scared of being left alone.

-------

It was a rainy Thursday evening. Jimin was in his room doing homework while he listened to Taehyung's mixtape. They had agreed to educate each other on their music tastes to get to know each other better (“I have to know if you're a future serial killer in the making Jiminie!”. “There’s no way you can tell that from a person's music taste, don't be silly Taetae”. Pouts were issued).

Jimin's iPod has had another owner for the week being and he felt accomplished to be introducing Taehyung to the wonders of 2pm, Super Junior and Hyuna’s entire discography.

On his end, Taehyung had pulled one of those antic things that played tape with his favorite songs recorded in a side A and side B, although he cautioned Jimin to only listen to side A for now (“We are not ready for side B yet. Wait for me Jiminie”).

Side A was good enough and at that moment. Jimin had already listened to the first two tracks: Adele's Crazy for You and BB Brunes' Coups et Blessures. He was now listening to some Brazilian singer called Milton Nascimento, who had an incredibly deep voice and sang a type of happy Jazz accompanied by acoustic guitar, soft drums and bass. Whatever he was singing about was lost in translation as Jimin had no abilities concerning foreign languages, but neither did Taehyung - he liked songs based solely on how they made him feel and their melody, Jimin knew that already but was only starting to understand it.

“It’s been 10 days since we’ve become best friends” and in that short period of time, Taehyung already felt confident into barging into Jimin’s house without being invited over and going directly to his room without knocking on the door.

“Whoa...are we already that serious?” Jimin’s cynical air was just teasing. They both knew it.

“We share atoms. We were meant to be. We’re soulmates, Jiminie. Get over it. Focus on what matters” Taehyung seemed a little exasperated, like Jimin was looking at the problem through wrong lenses. Even though the (slightly) older boy didn’t even know what the problem was.

“What’s this?” Jimin asked as Taehyung shoved a shoe box under his nose.

“Open it!” Excitement was visible in every aspect of Taehyung’s features, from the way he hopped from one foot to the other like a little girl to the way he kept looking down at the box and up at Jimin’s eyes, hurrying the other into opening the box.

Inside was something with rectangular shape, it looked like those colored glasses on churches. Jimin was prepared to shake it to see what was inside before Taehyung yelled a resounding "NO!"

“It’s a friendship lamp!” the younger blurted out, not being one to keep things to himself “I have one and you have the other. If you touch one the other one lights up. That way I can know you miss me and you can know I miss you and we can jump the fence between our houses and cuddle!” He paused, like he felt unsure of himself for the first time since Jimin had met him on the hallway that fateful chilly day. “They both glow purple...because it’s my favorite color...I hope you don’t mind”

Jimin loved it and showed as much by jumping on Taehyung, landing them both on the ground. They stayed there while the melody and the Portuguese words floated through the air around them.

Você vai ter que encontrar (You're gonna have to find)
Aonde nasce a fonte do ser (Where the source of being is born)
E perceber meu coração (And realize that my heart)
Bater mais forte só por você (Beats stronger just for you)

They’d be best friends forever.

They were just meant to be together.

O mundo lá sempre a rodar (The world is always there, always spinning)
E em cima dele tudo vale (Above it, all is fair -in love)
Quem sabe isso quer dizer amor (Who knows, maybe this means love)
Estrada de fazer o sonho acontecer (A way of making dreams happen)

Author’s notes: This is going to be a long note, so please bear with me.

#1: This might feel like a double update, but it’s just because I forgot to update the previous chapter in here at the same time as I did with AO3

#2: The main events of this story are already established in my mind and there is a timetable for them to occur, but I’m still figuring out the details on how to get to those details

#3: That being said, I haven’t figured out an update schedule yet. Sometimes it takes me a 2 weeks to think of the background details, sometimes it takes me only 1 week. But from now on, I’ll try to keep the updates on Fridays

#4: This one concerns specifically the songs in Tae’s mixtape:

#4.1: he was not confessing anything to Jimin. They were teens and barely new each other.

#4.2: the songs do have a romantic tone behind them, but Tae literally just chose songs that he liked to sing and that fit his voice

#4.3: about the Brazilian song that I included: If you want to listen to this song in particular click here. The lyrics of the song try to explain how, through acts and feelings, it's possible to love and feel loved. It also refers to all the oportunities that we have to search for in order to find happiness and make our dreams happen (like Jin actively did when he asked Joon out or like Tae unknowingly did when back then he went to Jimin's rescue at the cafeteria)