Date: October 23rd
Time: 7:58am
Location: University
Mood: Tentatively optimistic
<><><>

The last week had been great for Y/n. Other than the phone call she'd received from her boss: "Why the hell does it look like someone was murdered in the shop?!?" and the persistence of Hyuna: "Let's be friieeends Velmaaaa!", things were alright, and somewhat back to normal.

Jimin had all but disappeared from her life, just as she had expected him to. The absence was welcome, and one she had yearned for the moment he had stepped through the door of the convenience store.

And yet...a small part of her that she worked hard to ignore missed his presence, even the annoying bits.

What she wanted was quiet time where she could listen to The Game deliver a scorching, three hundred bar diss track without anyone bothering her. But when she would take time to survey her surroundings and she was, indeed, alone, and there was no blond haired man smiling at her with a crooked tooth, for whatever reason she felt more alone than ever.

It was stupid and contradictory to everything she felt and she couldn't make sense of it. When she was at work, why did she quickly look to the door whenever it would open, only to be let down by an unfamiliar face? Why did she have the urge to approach the mint-haired regular (always hidden away in the corner, snacking and looking out the window) to ask him about Jimin?

In reality, she knew exactly why she felt that way, and loathed to think of it.

He left. Just like everyone else did. She always knew he would. Of course he would. She was trash, why wouldn't you leave trash? It was the reminder of how worthless she perceived herself to be, that made the residual sting burn hotter.

As of late, it had all left her feeling deflated, beaten down and confused at her own emotions. Rosie didn't ask, but must have sensed something, if the sparkly stickers covering her laptop lid and school bag were anything to go by.

Hyuna commented on the blindingly colorful Rapunzel adhesive shining on the otherwise sleek, black canvas shoulder bag.

"That's...different."

Wordlessly Y/n slid into the chair between Hyuna and Namjoon. The former wore a bright red leather jacket, ripped jeans and Timberlands, while the latter donned a sweater vest and blue slacks. The difference between the two was like night and day and there was Y/n squeezed in the middle, a fluffy black sweater and long gray skirt covering every inch of her skin she could manage.

The moment she was settled in, in walked the professor, her arms full of notes and papers. The old woman with long, white hair, a hooked nose and pointy chin, strongly reminded Y/n of the evil queen from snow white after her transformation into the hag disguise.

After dropping the papers onto her desk, she turned to the class and drawled in the most lackluster voice possible, "Molecular biology—the structure and function of the macromolecules."

Despite what most people might think, Y/n was enthralled with the subject. The translation of genetic material and the macromolecular mechanisms found in living things was a point of fascination to her. Maybe to most people it was either too confusing or simply too much, but to her, DNA was the most fascinating thing on earth. How we were structured and what made people, people.

Like she was attending a fast-paced sports event she sat on the edge of her seat, typing facts and notes as fast as she learned them. Happily filling her brain to the brim with new information. That was why, when a hand written note was tossed onto her keyboard by Hyuna, she experienced a rare spark of irritation.

Quickly, so that she wouldn't miss a word about Polymerase chain reaction, she scanned the note.

want some japchae?

Gently placing the note back on Hyuna's side of the table, she shook her head and went back to typing a mile a minute.

any luck with ur stalker?

It took Y/n a moment to realize there was a new post-it note stuck to her laptop screen. Without missing a beat, she nodded once, and re-focused her attention on the lecture.

He's not a stalker. Mind your own business.

This time her screen moved backwards with the force Namjoon applied his own note. Irritated and worried about her device, she peeled it off and readjusted the screen, wiping it clean of any excess adhesive.

take ur own advice, loser

This one was placed directly to the back of her hand. Sighing, she plucked it off and set it in front of Namjoon. What was wrong with these two? Didn't they realize how exciting this lecture was?

Namjoon messily scrawled something back and Y/n intercepted it before it could touch her laptop, easily passing it over to the woman on her left. Deciding on ignoring them for the rest of the class, she proceeded to type away, becoming fully invested in the lesson as the note taking continued, multi-colored post-its covering half her screen.

(N)What is wrong with you? PAY ATTENTION. And leave Y/n alone.

(H)pay attention like u are? and I'll do whatever tf I want, nerd

(N)We're willingly taking a university biology class, one of the hardest majors you can get. I think that makes all those present, a nerd.

(H)good point. U fukin nerd

(N)Did your mother drop you on your head as a child?

(H)probably. at least a dozen times. and I still ended up in the same university class as u so what's ur point?

(N) I hate you.

(H)oh no! I'm weeping. you've hurt me so bad, cut me right to the quick how will I ever manage to go on with my life now that some random nerd I could give two fucks about hates me? U ruined my life
(H)or not. bye nerd.
(H)what about ddukbokki for lunch?

(N) No.

(H) not u nerd

(N) How did you get this far in your education and not learn how to capitalize, form full words or know how to properly structure a sentence? It's called grammar.

(H) by ignoring grammar nazi nerds like u

(Y/n) I'd really appreciate it if the both of you would stop. I don't know about you, but my parents pay far too much for my education for me to waste it by passing notes in class. I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings, I don't mean to offend you but please consider my standpoint on this.

(H) holy shit Velma!! I didn't know u had it in u! Sorry babe. I'll stop if u promise lunch with me?

(Y/n) fine.

(N) Sorry Y/n. Can I come to lunch too?

(H) go away nerd

(Y/n) I guess.

(H) NOOOOO

<><><>
11:45am

No idea how she had gotten herself into this, Y/n attempted to covertly wipe her sweating palms against the material of her skirt. She'd like to blame it on the persistence of Hyuna or the puppy eyed look Namjoon had given when asking to join them for lunch, but really she knew it was on her. That and the captivating biology lesson that had completely engrossed her to the point of willing to agree to anything for the note taking to stop. All she wanted was to listen and learn.

Instead of her usual practice of buying something quick and eating by herself, today she was squeezed into a corner of a random restaurant, Hyuna next to her ordering an absurd amount of food and Namjoon across from them and making it known that he was judging her heavily.

Even though she had agreed to this, her mind raced with a multitude of possible excuses she could come up with to get out of it. Everything from faking sickness to a family emergency, though if she really gave in to the urge to completely freak out, that would most likely get her out of here the quickest.

People. There were so many of them piled into this space. Every now and then a pair of eyes would drift to their table. Some simply by chance, but more purposely to stare at the beautiful girl next to her. Each time it happened another layer of anxiety was painted onto her already frazzled nerves. They saw her. They were judging her. All of them. They could see it.

No one said a word but she imagined that they did, could almost hear the thoughts in their heads as they analyzed that weird, small girl in the corner wearing a sweater three times too big.

It was the opposite, really. Eyes her way were only by chance and no one spared a thought her direction. They all had someone to talk to. Everyone seemed happy, at the moment at least. They all conversed and laughed easily and appeared to have found a group of people they belonged in and were comfortable with. That was the singular thing Y/n got right and truly realized.

She was the only one alone, in a sense. The person that wasn't comfortable, wasn't conversing, and didn't feel as if she belonged.

"Nerd, why did you get such a big table?" Hyuna had grabbed two salt and pepper packets and was using them to play an invisible drum set on the table. It surprised the other two when it produced a discernible beat, but neither commented. Y/n for obvious reasons and Namjoon because he wouldn't be caught dead complimenting Hyuna. He hated her.

"I invited friends. Stop calling me that!"

To her confusion, Y/n's heart lept into her throat. Was he talking about Jimin? And why did she care if he was? The man was nice, he brought her gifts and murdered a spider and a rose in her honor, but he was somewhat crazy and he was a stalker to boot. Was this some sort of twisted version of Stockholm syndrome?

"It better not be that stalker!" Hyuna snapped.

"He's not a stalker he's just different, ok? It's part of his charm."

"So it IS that stalker!"

Unnoticed by the other two, Y/n squeaked and began to comb through her hair with her fingers. She wasn't ready to see her stalker just yet! Her hair was a mess, a zit had come up on her chin last night and this sweater had a bleach stain on the collar roughly half the size of a millimeter!

"You are the most annoying person alive." Namjoon countered.

"And yer a nerd." Hyuna drawled back just as a waitress arrived with their drinks.

After taking her own, she pushed the fizzy soda in front of Y/n, who sent her a quizzical look. Normally soda was a luxury she didn't bother with. Her family wasn't poor, but they tended to be careful and cut corners where they could. But Hyuna motioned for her to drink and told her she was buying her lunch since she was the one who had invited her.

It gave Y/n pause and a microscopic hint of warmth in her to light up at the sweet gesture. Apart from family, no one had ever bought lunch for her before.

And just when she thought of extinguishing that light, Hyuna tried to make it near impossible by leaning over and whispering, "You good? We can leave, if ya want. Let's ditch this nerd."

Before she could reply, a girl plopped into the empty seat next to Namjoon and remarked, "It's colder than a well digger's butthole out there! Of all days, this is when you want to meet for lunch? Fight me in the pit, Namjoon."

Both girls stared at the new arrival. She was rather plain looking, but not ugly. Her hair was thrown carelessly into a bun and she was wrapped up in a burnt orange coat littered with what appeared to be some kind of animal hair. The main thing that caught their attention was Namjoon. The guy they knew was a bit reserved, could come off as uptight and was sort of a straight laced type of person. But the Namjoon now was relaxed, all hard edges softened up as he looked upon the new arrival with love clearly shining in his eyes.

The sight was enough to make both girls 'aw' in their own heads. It even made Hyuna feel soft. Which was odd considering the hate was mutual.

"Sorry, Kitty. Y/n, Hyuna, this is my girlfriend."

"A girlfriend?" The Hyuna questioned, even though they'd both figured she was. "How did you manage that?"

Namjoon glared. "Kitty, this is Hyuna, she's the devil. And this is Y/n, not the devil."

More nervous with a new person around, Y/n bowed her head in greeting.

"Hi," Namjoon's girlfriend greeted them both politely and told Hyuna, "I have cat named after you, actually."

The strange comment was forgotten by another arrival, this time in the form of a panting and flushed Jimin, as if he had run there at top speed.

A bubble of panicked happiness caused Y/n to perk up and meet his eyes, the corner of her lip tilting upwards at the sight of his ecstatic grin and crescent shaped eyes. "Hi, Y/n!" he panted out, not bothering to greet anyone else at the table.

Without thinking she replied with flushed cheeks and a shy smile. "Hi."

—
Edited 7/11/22