The practice room smelled like dust, old wood, and something faintly clean , soap clinging to skin after sweat. The mirrors lining the walls were scratched and tired, reflecting a version of Jungkook that felt unfamiliar, he was fifteen years old, shoulders were tense, his hands curled tight around the straps of his backpack like it was the only thing keeping him in place.
Music thumped from the speakers the playing some music, loud enough to rattle his ribs. Older trainees moved with practiced ease, stretching, laughing, complaining quietly about sore muscles and long hours of practice. No one noticed him at first, and Jungkook was grateful for that he sighed heavily. He didn't know where to stand and what to do from now on, didn't know who he was allowed to be yet.
Then someone laughed.
It wasn't loud or sharp. It was soft, low, and warm, like sunlight slipping through a crack in a closed door and calming his troubled heart.
Jungkook lifted his head to look at the reason of that sound before he even realized what he was doing.
He saw him sitting near the mirror, legs stretched out in a stretching position, towel draped loosely around his neck and shoulder. His hair was dark and damp from all the sweat, clinging slightly to his forehead. He looked relaxed and quiet unique to him, something that mesmerized him in his life for the first time, his mouth was open that mosiquite will pass through easily. he was....
Beautiful.
The word came uninvited, startling even himself . Jungkook had seen people before, of course there were lot of beautiful persons. On television. In posters. But this person beauty was different. This was close enough to feel real, close enough that Jungkook's chest tightened as if something inside him had been pulled too hard and stirred something new.
The older trainee looked up.
Their eyes met.
just at that Jungkook forgot how to breathe he was stunned.
The man blinked once looking at him, then smiled, not politely, not cautiously, but with curiosity. He stood, stretched his arms above his head lazily before walking over. His footsteps were unhurried. but Confident.
"are you new, here kid" he said, voice calm and warm. this simple question shouldnt have sounded that heavenly.
Jungkook nodded, suddenly aware of his own height, his limbs, the way his heart was pounding so much. "Yes. I just got here and dont know what to do."
"I thought so , you looked like a lost little funny." The man said with a soft laugh and held out his hand. "I'm Jin, kim seokjin."
Jungkook stared at it for half a second too long before taking it. Jin's hand was warm and solid, his grip gentle and soft. The contact sent something sharp and bright through Jungkook's chest, like a struck light.
"I'm Jungkook, jeon jungkook" he said. His voice wavered despite his efforts. he was mesmerized by the person infront of him.
Jin didn't say anything. He just smiled, eyes soft. "you look Fifteen?"
"Yes i am."
"You're just fifteen and still this tall kid." Jin stepped aside, gesturing toward the room. "Come in. You don't have to stay standing there forever and hide by the door."
Jungkook followed him, obedient without meaning to be. As they stretched alongside the others, Jungkook found his gaze drifting again and again, drawn helplessly to Jin's reflection in the mirror. The way his shoulders and body moved. The way he breathed heavily. The way his smile appeared easily so beautiful, like it belonged to him. jungkook become like a puppy, who first time saw a shining thing.
Each time Jin caught him looking, Jungkook's ears burned red. Jin only smiled wider, as if it amused him.
they started doing warmups jungkook was looking how jin body made even the simple warmup so beautiful and elegant.
Halfway through warm-ups, something in Jungkook snapped, it was like he got opened to something.
He stood so suddenly not knowing what he was doing.
Jin glanced up. "are you okay?" asked him curiously .
Jungkook swallowed hard. His heartbeat thundered in his ears. "Hyung," he said, the word slipping out naturally, instinctively.
"Yes?" jin puzzeled
"You're… beautiful." that was unexpected by jin
The room stilled, not completely, but enough. A few heads turned towards them. Someone snickered quietly. It was cute and funny at same time.
Jungkook's face burned again with embarressment. He stared at the floor, waiting for embarrassment to crush him flat and shallow him up.
Instead, Jin laughed at that.
It was soft, surprised, almost fond.
"Well," Jin said, rubbing the back of his neck, "that's new and not something i expected from you kid."
"I'm sorry," Jungkook blurted.
"Don't be." Jin crouched slightly so they were closer to eye level. "I don't mind and it made me feel more beautiful."
By hearing this jin say he thought how much more beautiful is this person is. Encouraged by something reckless and honest inside him, Jungkook spoke again before fear could stop him.
"Will you marry me someday?"
A beat of silence dropped again.
Then someone laughed outright. "Wow, bold of you kid."
Jungkook wanted the floor to swallow him whole for real.
Jin blinked, then burst into laughter, shaking his head. "You're really something," he said. "You know that? you are a cutie bunny"
Jungkook nodded miserably. "I didn't mean—"
Jin reached out and gently flicked Jungkook's forehead. Not hard. Almost affectionate.
"It's okay," Jin said. "You're just… very honest. i like it"
He stood and smiled down at him, eyes kind. "Finish practice first, okay? Big promises are serious things. you need to work hard for that"
Jungkook nodded, cheeks burning, but his chest felt strangely full, steady in a way he had never known before.
As the music started again, Jin returned to his place. Jungkook watched him in the mirror, heart still racing, hands trembling slightly as he stretched.
He didn't understand what had happened.
Didn't have the understanding of it.
He only knew that something important had begun.
Jin would remember this day as a strange, fearless kid with too much confidence and no sense of embarrassment asking him to marry suddenly.
Jungkook would remember it as the first time he saw the person he would spend years loving, quietly, patiently, without ever looking away and will wait for the day he will make him his.
And even then, at fifteen, he already knew one thing with absolute certainty:
He would wait. and become a men that jin will want.