Episode 1: We are Bangtan!

 

The minute Jungkook saw the shadow of a smile on Chaeyoung’s face he knew she had found her people. Not wanting to intrude any further on the budding conversation going on between her and the two other girls he adjusted his grip on the books he was carrying and slowly disappeared into the mounting sea of freshmen.

He'd meet back up with his sister in a few minutes anyway, they were due to have a meeting with the school’s dorm heads to get their schedules and be introduced to their living options on campus. Pushing past some of the returning students he waited at the front of the line until the doors swung open at precisely nine o clock on the dot.

Jungkook made it past the foyer before he was surrounded by a flurry of activity as students rushed past him complaining about class schedules and the upcoming dates for the club fair. It was all a little suffocating for him, to have all these people around. He didn’t like the feeling of fear that was beginning to bubble up in his stomach.

He shook his head to try and clear his mind of all the negative thoughts. It wasn’t like he wasn’t a confident person back at his old school. He was fairly popular and had plenty of friends. Ever since his powers manifested though Jungkook felt as though everything he knew about the world was changing. Which it was, he supposed. Still, for someone with super speed it was all happening a little too fast for his liking.

As people continued to brush by him he tightened his grip on his books and closed his eyes, called on the power running through his veins. His doctors had told him that everyone felt their powers differently, some people said they could feel their powers thrumming in every cell in their bodies while others said it felt like a heat sink as it slowly gathered power. For him it was like the entire world around him slowed down and he could finally just breathe.

He opened his eyes and suddenly all the hustle and bustle surrounding him stopped. Sure, people were still moving but it was as if they were stuck in molasses or something. A boy brushed by him in slow motion, completely oblivious to the fact that he almost ran into Jungkook because he was too busy talking to the friend next to him.

Most of his nervousness disappeared and he pushed past the students and into one of the side halls away from all the activity. He let go of his power and the world suddenly returned to its normal speed. Or rather he returned to the world’s normal speed.

Jungkook’s meeting with the professors wasn’t for another hour, so he had plenty of time to kill. But he wasn’t in the mood to return to the main room. Maybe he’d explore the grounds by himself for a while…

XXX

Okay, there was no mistaking it now. He was lost. Maybe he should have taken Chaeyoung’s map.

Though the South wing of the Academy was where most of the classrooms were located, the wing also played home to the school’s massive gymnasium, auditorium and library.

He turned the corner and walked down another similarly fancy hall, stopping in his tracks when he saw a pair of massive oaken doors. A few words in Latin had been hand-carved above them, piquing his curiosity. Checking to make sure nobody was about to scold him for breaking away from the group he shifted his schoolbooks underneath his left arm, reached out and opened the door.

He promptly let out a huge breath as soon as he stepped inside, completely awed by the library before him. This was nothing like the one back at his old school, with cold linoleum floors and bright white lights that made his head hurt.

The entire room looked like it had come out of an American movie from the eighteen-hundreds. Fancy wooden bookcases lined the walls, with matching study tables filling the first half of the room. The back half had even more bookshelves, lined up in neat rows. Soft golden light filtered in through the windows at the back of the room and as Jungkook took a few steps further in he noted the immaculate carpet underneath his feet.

The door creaked shut behind him, startling him and causing him to drop the books he had been carrying. They hit the floor with a muffled thump, the sound muted by the carpet.

Jungkook immediately bent down to pick them up. The back of his neck prickled, and he got the feeling that someone was watching him. He stood up, glancing around at his surroundings. Seeing nothing, he chalked it up to the residual nerves he must have been feeling.

“Are you lost?” a deep masculine voice asked from somewhere in the sea of bookshelves. “The library technically isn’t open yet.”

Jungkook had to bite his lip to stifle the squeak that threatened to come out of his mouth. Come on now, you’re a freshman in high school this is no time to act like a scaredy-cat. “I’m sorry, it’s my first day and I have no idea where anything is.”

An amused chuckle floated in from his left and a head of orange hair poked out from behind a bookshelf. Jungkook couldn’t help but wave awkwardly as he looked at what had to be one of the most handsome boys he’d ever seen in his life. Chaeyoung was right, everyone at this school was unnaturally good-looking. He hoped this wasn’t the start of some badly-written vampire movie…

“I can tell, you have that ‘deer in the headlights’ look on your face. I’m Kim Taehyung, nice to meet you.”

Taehyung gave Jungkook a wry smile and Jungkook responded in kind. “Jeon Jungkook. I transferred in this semester with my twin sister Chaeyoung.”

“Ah, I think I saw her talking with Dahyun earlier.” Taehyung walked out from behind the bookshelf to get a closer look at Jungkook. He sat cross-legged on top of one of the study tables, a boxy smile on his face. “I take it you’re a freshman too then. Have you decided which dorm you’re going to be staying in?”

Jungkook shook his head. Taehyung seemed to consider him for a second, and his hair changed from orange to blue while he thought. Jungkook’s eyes widened in surprise but he didn’t voice his thoughts to the other boy. He didn’t know if it was considered rude or not to ask about someone’s powers. Ever watchful though, Taehyung quickly caught on. “I’m a shapeshifter…technically.”

“Technically?” Jungkook was intrigued by Taehyung’s response. He saw the other boy’s hair color change right before his eyes, that definitely screamed shapeshifter to him.

“I’m only able to change my features at will,” Taehyung explained, wrinkling his nose in concentration. A second later Jungkook was faced with a spitting image of himself. “My professors say if I practice enough one day I might be able to turn into an animal, but right now my powers are only useful when I want to scare the living daylights out of Jin-hyung.”

Taehyung shifted back to his previous look, noting how Jungkook’s expression had gone back to his “deer in the headlights” state. He gasped softly and put a hand over his mouth. “I’m so sorry, I should have asked you if it was okay to shift into you. Let me start over.”

He extended his hand out, an apologetic look on his face. “I’m Kim Taehyung, second semester freshman at Hallyu Academy. I dorm with the boys in BigHit house.”

By now Jungkook had recovered from the shock of seeing himself and quickly took the other boy’s hand in greeting. He couldn’t quite explain his feelings, but there was something deep inside him that told him he was doing the right thing.

“Well then, Mr. Kim Taehyung. I’m afraid I’m lost.” Jungkook didn’t know where this sudden confidence was coming from but he decided to just roll with the moment. This just seems right. “Mind showing me around?”

The smile Taehyung flashed at him was bright enough to rival the sun.

XXX  

Jungkook met back up with Taehyung after his meeting with Chaeyoung and the rest of the Academy staff. Chaeyoung had almost immediately been picked up by the girls he had seen that morning and so they parted ways. Taehyung looked pleased that Jungkook hadn’t abandoned him and seemed to be seriously considering his offer to stay in the BigHit dorms.

Which of course he was. Taehyung was genuinely one of the nicest boys he’d ever met, and from the way he was talking about the other boys he lived with it made Jungkook even more curious. Together they had gone back into the main building to pick up his luggage and the two of them were now strolling down one of the campus’s immaculately kept pathways towards the North wing.

While they walked Taehyung talked to him about the dorms and how things worked around campus.  

“So basically we have this huge rivalry with the girls from JYP house, they’re jealous that we won the Showcase last year and they want revenge,” Taehyung said. “SM House usually plays Switzerland and doesn’t take sides, they have some pretty cool people like Xiumin and his gang of boys.”

“In other words just like a regular high school,” Jungkook replied, rolling his eyes. It seemed like the only differences between his old school and Hallyu Academy were the superpowers. Oh, and the sheer amount of wealth all the students seemed to flaunt. He counted no less than thirty Rolexes on people’s wrists at lunch. Jungkook wondered if Chaeyoung had noticed the same thing. Of course she has, he thought. Like me, she’s probably wondering how we managed to get into a school this elite.

“Yep. The professors here try to keep the peace but even they find it difficult sometimes. You and I have some classes together though so I’ll always be around if you have any questions. I think Jimin’s in all your classes too so you’ll have another person to lean on.”

“Is he another freshman?”

Taehyung nodded. “Mhm. Park Jimin. Second semester freshman like us. He’s probably holed up in the dance studio right now, you’ll see him tonight at the welcome dinner.”

The two of them stopped in front of a huge manor-style building with five stories. All Jungkook could say was, “Whoa.”

“First floor is for anyone,” Taehyung jumped into the explanation as he held the door open for Jungkook. “The second and third stories are connected, that’s the boys dorm. Same thing with the fourth and fifth stories except those belong to the girls.”

They carried Jungkook’s luggage towards one of the elevators and Taehyung tapped his ID card to activate the buttons. “We have a ten pm curfew on the weekends, eleven pm on the weekends. Jin and Namjoon-hyung keep the peace around here so we try to be on our best behavior.”

“I sense there’s a ‘but’ at the end of your statement,” Jungkook narrowed his eyes playfully and the laugh he got in return made his stomach do happy little flip-flops.

“…But come on, we’re in high school. And what’s high school if not our chance to rebel occasionally? There’s always a loophole in the rules if you know where to look.”

The elevator doors slid open and Taehyung made a grand gesture with his hands.

“And this is our dorm!”

Jungkook’s mouth immediately dropped open in shock.

It wasn’t just how the dorm looked. Like most of the rest of the school, the dorms were just as extravagant as he’d wondered. The floor plan was open and Jungkook could see a living room, dining room and large kitchen from where he was standing. Most of the furniture he could see probably cost more than his entire life, he thought as he craned his neck to see past the kitchen threshold. Something smelled delicious back there. A large hand-crafted wooden staircase split off and up to a second floor of what Jungkook assumed were bedrooms. Hanging from the ceiling was a black and white flag, which Jungkook assumed were the official House colors. Someone had scrawled “We Are Bulletproof” underneath the imposing banner in messy handwriting, adding a personal touch to the otherwise fancy lobby.

But no, what immediately grabbed Jungkook’s attention was the tiny black and tan Pomeranian puppy running across the wood floor with what looked like a biscuit in his mouth. Chasing behind the small dog was a boy with brown hair.

“What is that in your mouth?! Drop it right now Yeontan!”

Taehyung had to push Jungkook back with one arm so the boy could race past them, arms outstretched as he tried to catch his slippery quarry.

“Did I just hear TaeTae come back?” another voice sounded from the kitchen. Jungkook couldn’t see the owner of the voice but judging from the tone it sounded like whoever was asking was none too pleased.

“Jin-hyung I brought a potential new housemate,” Taehyung called back, taking off his shoes and joining the other boy in chasing after the puppy.

“I don’t care about him right now, Tae!” A handsome boy wearing a floral-patterned apron poked his head past the kitchen door. “Your little demon spawn of a puppy stole one of my croissants!”

Taehyung apologized to the taller boy profusely, still unsuccessfully chasing his puppy around the first floor. “I’m so sorry hyung! Hobi I’ll help you catch him. Yeontan, drop it! Bad dog, you’re making us look bad!”

Jungkook watched the entire scene unfold, his brain trying to process the sheer chaos that was playing out before his eyes. These boys were crazy. And how had they gotten a puppy when the school handbook specifically stated that no personal pets were allowed on campus?

The Pomeranian was slowly running out of steam and his chasers were beginning to catch up to him, so with the croissant still in his mouth Yeontan retreated to the couch where a silver-haired boy was sprawled, unmoving and apparently completely oblivious to the ruckus around him.

It was if someone had flipped a switch as soon as Yeontan’s little paws stepped on the boy’s stomach. The whole room froze and became as silent as a grave. Some primal instinct told Jungkook that he should remain very, very still.

“That’s Min Yoongi,” the brown-haired boy whispered to him, fear etched on his face. Jungkook belatedly remembered Taehyung had called him Hobi. “We don’t have very many hard and fast rules in our dorm but one of them is to never disturb Yoongi-hyung when he’s taking a nap.”

Taehyung watched in horror as his puppy settled down on Yoongi’s chest to begin munching away at his hard-earned prize, leaving buttery crumbs all over the boy’s shirt.

The silver-haired boy didn’t seem to be disturbed however, and Jungkook wondered if Yeontan was light enough to not wake the boy up. Next to him Hobi let out a deep breath, as though some unseen crisis had passed.

Until Yeontan sneezed.

Yoongi’s eyes snapped open and the room fell completely silent again. Jungkook watched as he yawned, levering himself into an upright position and noticing the puppy on his chest. Yeontan had no shame and launched himself at the boy, tail wagging as he began Yoongi’s face.

“Your breath smells like butter,” Yoongi’s voice was still husky. With more care than Jungkook thought possible he gently lifted Yeontan off of him with one arm, the other prying the half-eaten croissant out of the Pomeranian’s mouth.

He set the biscuit on the coffee table in front of the couch and allowed Yeontan to curl up next to him before rolling over and promptly going back to sleep.

Everyone in the room waited for a minute with bated breath until they were sure Yoongi had gone back to sleep. A calm feeling settled over the dorm as the chaos died down almost as quickly as it had started.

“Oh my god, I saw my life flash before my eyes,” the brown-haired boy said, a hand over his heart. He turned to Jungkook. “You must be the new guy Tae told us about. I’m Jung Hoseok but everyone calls me Hobi.”

“I’m Jeon Jungkook,” came the soft reply. Jungkook was still at a loss for words. Did he really want to live here?

“It’s nice to meet you, Jungkook!” the boy from the kitchen walked out, still wearing his stained apron. Now that Jungkook was able to get a good look at him he was caught off guard by just how handsome he was in person. “I’m sorry you had to see all that, we aren’t trying to scare you off, I promise.”

“That’s Seokjin-hyung,” Hobi supplied, noting the look on Jungkook’s face. “Don’t worry, everyone’s got a crush on him.”

Seokjin picked up the stolen pastry and tossed it in the nearby trashcan, turning to face Yeontan with a stern look on his face. “Yeontan, come.”

Jungkook was astounded by just how melodic the older boy’s voice had become. Even just a simple phrase like that had him wanting to obey Seokjin. Taehyung’s puppy got up and tottered over to the taller boy, his tiny nails clacking on the wood floor.

“Taehyung, if you would please take Yeontan back to your room and keep him there for the time being I’d appreciate it.” The melodic undertone to Seokjin’s voice faded when he addressed Taehyung, but the memory of it still invaded Jungkook’s mind.

“Of course.” Taehyung’s cheeks were flush with embarrassment as he picked up his puppy and began walking up the staircase to the second floor.

“I try to keep some semblance of order around here, but as you can see it never lasts long,” Seokjin said to Jungkook. He waited for a response but nothing came out of the other boy’s mouth. He peered into Jungkook’s eyes and, noticing that the younger boy’s pupils were blown wide, he swore under his breath. “, I forgot. He’s probably never been near someone who can charmspeak before.”

“Your powers are growing,” Hobi grinned. “He’ll adjust, we all had to at first.”

Seokjin sighed, rubbing his temples. “He shouldn’t have to adjust to being around me.”

Hobi patted his shoulder comfortingly. “It’s getting better, hyung. Just keep at it.”

 Seokjin shot him a thankful smile and turned to face Jungkook. He snapped his fingers once and Jungkook shook his head as if he’d just come out of a daze. “Hi. Sorry about that. Long story short I’m a charmspeaker, my voice can charm people into doing whatever I want.”

“If you’ve never been around someone like that even being in the vicinity of him when he uses his powers will make you freeze,” Hobi added helpfully. “Jin-hyung charmed Taehyung’s puppy and forgot you were there. He’s very sorry.”

Seokjin smiled softly at Jungkook. “Will you accept my deepest apology?”

Now that he was completely back to his senses, Jungkook shook his head. All of these boys were like him, young and trying to grow into their powers. There were bound to be mistakes as everyone figured out how to control their abilities. There was nothing for him to be mad about. “I get it. You weren’t trying to charm me. There’s nothing for you to apologize for.”

“I think you’ll fit in just fine around here,” Hobi clapped Jungkook on the shoulder and led him further into the room. Craning his neck around to catch a glimpse of the still-snoozing Min Yoongi he scoffed. “It’s amazing that he slept through all the yelling but it was the puppy that woke him up…”

“He can still hear you,” Yoongi growled.

Hobi squeaked and grabbed onto Jungkook’s arm. He continued to show Jungkook around the first floor, pointing out things like the kitchens and laundry room. They passed a chore wheel and Hobi remarked that if Jungkook chose to stay they’d have to add him to the rotation.    

Twenty minutes later as they circled back to the foyer, Jungkook heard a door upstairs open and close and soon Taehyung had returned, dashing down the stairs two at a time, an apologetic look on his face. “So have we scared you out of living in our dorm?”

For the first time since Jungkook arrived at Hallyu Academy he gave the boys around him a genuine smile. “Point me to my room.”       

Taehyung smiled at him, “Welcome to BigHit House.”

“Run while you can,” Yoongi grumbled.