SOS Miss Rihanna

Jimin felt the member's fingers around his wrist like the hand print was branding into his skin. He didn't know what to do - they weren't supposed to touch the pledges. It was the rules, they were assured that much by SADA's recruitment officers.

The masked member let go with a flourish, leaning back into his chair and patting the couch next to him.

Could Jimin speak? Would he get in trouble? Talking with Taehyung was one thing, talking with an upperclassmen during Chapter was another.

Jimin heard his mom crying in the back of his head, yelling at his father for letting Jimin apply to Seoul Fine Arts in the first place. He couldn't mess this up, getting into SADA would mean his mom wouldn't have to worry so much - he'd basically be guaranteed a career.

"It's okay, no one will say anything. I'm giving you permission." Said the SADA member.

Jimin shifted his feet.

"I'm going to want more to drink, it's easier if you sit next to me, pretty boy." The masked member said again, shifting forward in his chair. Those copper eyes burning as they slid oh so so slowly down Jimin's full cheeks to his pale neck and down his black dress shirt, lingering just a little further down, before tracing his eyes back up. "And you never know, I might pay you back for your service later. Depends how good you treat me."

Jimin wanted to run, his mind was crying for it. But his feet wouldn't move.

Another pledge in an identical black suit was suddenly at Jimin's back. It felt like the sun had been burning his neck and suddenly shade was thrown over it.

"There you are! I've been looking all over for you! Hoseok has been going crazy, we really pissed him off when we dropped all those glasses. Come on before he kicks us out of rushing." The stranger glanced over at the silver masked member sitting on the couch, now sizing up on the other pledge in the same way he did Jimin before.

"Oh shit, right," Jimin stammered out, glancing back at the silver mask and starting to turn away. "I'm so sorry."

Jimin was surprised at the zero objection from the man before him, wondering now who Hoseok was to make the man sit fully back and look as disinterested as he should have been from the start. Maybe an exec board member? But Jimin thought he'd memorized all their names: Kim Seokjin, Kim Namjoon, Park Yoongi, Jackson Wang, LaLisa.

Jimin felt a gentle grip on his forearm pull him away from the couch and towards the pledge doors that split into either a parler or led outside. The stranger grabbed Jimin's platter and set Jimin's down; it was only then that Jimin noticed the pledge was empty handed. He didn't wait for Jimin to say anything before leading Jimin through the back door.

Jimin felt his phone buzz in his back pocket, guessing Taehyung had probably snuck off to the bathroom to check on him but Jimin's hands were shaking too bad to reach for it.

The cold air hit him hard, autumn had just swept away Seoul's crazy heat wave and at that moment Jimin thought he would kiss the wind itself he was so grateful. But his hands were still shaking despite the cold.

What had he gotten himself into? Busan was hours away and the people inside the too bougie SADA house was a world further. He could hear his mom in his ear, yelling and crying and he wasn't sure at one point if that was her voice or his own doubt.

Suddenly a pair of cold ass hands wrapped around Jimin's own. They were calloused and the knuckles tattooed with random letters, but they were steady and stopped the movement of Jimin's own. There was no pressure, no affection, just a wrench thrown in gears.

Fuck, the absolute relief that flooded through his system - Jimin could kiss the boy he was so grateful. When his hands were wrapped and stopped moving it was like everything else in his body could release. He could breathe and move and think.

"Thanks." Jimin managed to get out. "Seriously you didn't have to do that and I know you risked your own bid spot and-"

"It's okay, hey, just breathe okay. We'll talk in a second, I promise, but you're still riled up. Just breathe."

So Jimin did and the boy kept Jimin's hands locked in his own until the breathing slowed and he took them off, reaching for the gold mask on his face instead. The stranger untied his mask, revealing probably the most beautiful face Jimin had ever seen.

It was lean and his jaw cut, Freckles danced near his temples and those eyes - ripped with gold and lashes that curled so high they practically hit the boy's tanned skin. His build was tall, lean but limbs lengthy like he hadn't grown into himself yet. His muscles weren't quite defined and his hair an absolute mess but still all Jimin could focus on is how good he looked. Scrawny or not.

Maybe he really had gone crazy - Jimin wasn't usually this superficial.

"I'm Jungkook." The boy said, reaching out his arm. Jimin took it and the shake was weak between them but it did the job.

"I'm Jimin. I uh - I haven't seen you at rush events."

That made the boy - Jungkook - crack a smile. "I'm definitely not a pledge." He then waved the gold masquerade mask in his hand. "I just had to give old Hoseok a visit and needed to steal one of these get ups to do it. He had something of mine I wanted back."

"Is he your friend? I haven't met any of the members named Hoseok yet."

Another grin. "No, Hoseok hates me. It's just fun to mess with him every now and then. I get bored, you know." The boy shrugged his shoulders and a red scar peaked through his shirt again. "He's running for president next year after Seokjin graduates."

"Oh." Jimin said, blinking at Jungkook's strange sense of humor, "What's your major then? Are you a freshman too?"

This time the grin was getting on Jimin's nerves.

"No? Seriously?" Jimin answered for Jungkook. "So you don't even go to this university, came here to harass your friend/not friend, and stole a SADA pledge mask for what? Fun?"

This time Jungkook winked. "Pretty much. Yeah that sums it up."

Jimin rubbed his arms now, throwing Jungkook another strange look. That beautiful face was looking more and more like a red flag the longer he stood outside with him. Alone. In the dark.

"I should get back." Jimin said slowly, feeling his phone buzz again.

Jungkook frowned but then his own phone buzzed and that grin fell from his eyes too. "I'm sorry, I have to go too. If that dude bothers you again just use Hoseok's name as an excuse."

"Use the name of the guy who hates you."

"You're really good at the whole pointing out what I already said thing. Kinda like a parrot without all the feathers. It's cute."

Jimin flipped him off.

Jungkook winked.

"Are you sure you're going to be okay?" Jungkook asked and Jimin clasped his palms together, trying to forget how Jungkook had covered them to help the tightness leave Jimin's chest.

They felt warm now.

Jungkook glanced down, not missing the movement.

"Yea, I'll be fine." Jimin said. "Thanks, again. Even if I'm like 82% positive you did that so you can murder me outside."

Jungkook didn't smile at that. His brows furrowed slightly and his jaw tightened the slightest bit. He just looked... sad? Jimin bit the inside of his cheek, rubbing his forearms.

"See you around Jimin." Jungkook said, opening the door for Jimin to go back inside leaving Jungkook in the dark behind it. "And if you run into Hoseok, tell him he still owes me $50. Venmo is okay, I like Zell more though."

"Funny." Jimin said as he closed the door, picking up his platter again. He rolled his shoulders back and suddenly the back of his neck heated up as he walked into the member room where the jazz and golden lights and wealth caused his head to spin. When it got too much he imagined those cold hands cupping his own and he could breathe again.

____
A/N:
I split up the parts so that's why I updated with two chapters - they're technically one ❤️

Yay college!!
- Vio