Lesson Thirteen

A Request

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

THE cracking of his knuckles was the first sound Jungkook heard that morning as he stretched his bare limbs at dawn. Pushing the blankets off his toned body, the man stepped out of his bed and dragged his feet towards the bathroom to answer Nature's call. 

After finishing his routinely activities, he sat himself down before his laptop amidst his messy blankets, his eyebrows furrowed in concentration. His tired eyes scanned the new mail sent to him by Namjoon - a Word document - mindlessly trying to take in what the words meant.

'The theme has to be positive, otherwise what we're trying to convey will be lost', were Namjoon's last words to him before he called it a night.

The lyrics by Namjoon did sound optimistic but would he be able to set a tune befitting the lyrics?

He cast a gaze on the digital clock on his bedside table, his eyes becoming downcast upon looking at the time.

He had to report to the recording studio in sometime now; how could he come up with a piece of music in an hour's time? This wasn't like RUN; they weren't on such a tight schedule then. What if he was too late to make do so? It was his fault, he had shouldered the responsibility of coming up with the melody. All he wanted to do was become less of a burden by helping his members.

What if his concern resulted in jeopardizing their career?

"All right, calm down Jungkook. This is no time for taking unwanted stress, I need to focus."

Putting his worries aside, he tried to look at the lyrics more closely and see what he could understand. Namjoon hadn't written the chorus, he noted. It was something he would have to come up with on his own - something positive enough to match the rest of the lyrics. Would a loop of a word mentioned in the first verse help? Maybe an English word, so that the international fans would be able to sing along too?

No, Jungkook dismissed the thought - it sounded too banal and trite.

He browsed the lyrics once again, feeling more unstimulating by the second. A word caught his eye - a priori.

Now, what the heck did that mean?

Cursing Namjoon's enormous vocabulary, Jungkook grumbled a few choice words as he looked up the meaning on the internet.

a priori (adj.) relating to or denoting reasoning or knowledge which proceeds from theoretical deduction rather than from observation or experience.

eg.: "a priori assumptions about human nature" synonyms: theoretical, deduced, deductive, inferred, scientific

"Woah, that actually sounds very nice with that line. A deduced assumption about human nature; that example does sound a little familiar ..."

A flash of lavender wool and limp, dark hair on a pair of shoulders sailed through his vision, while the faint musty fragrance of sweat and lemongrass wafted with other scent memories.

Of all the times, his damn mind had to remember that? Oh, and there goes the raging testosterone, battling with his sober mind and allied with his damned heart.

He pulled his curls, an irritated groan leaving him, his morning voice making the irritated sound huskier than usual. The faintest shade of red, coated his cheeks like rose cherubs as he mused about his new-found muse.

What was wrong with him?

Why was a simple definition of an unknown word dragging him to unfinished conversations with his emotions? Of course, it had to be the part about 'assumptions about human nature' which was to blame; he had only himself to blame for trying to see through her actions or words. Curiosity was not a sin, but it could kill the cat, how true he found that statement. At first, it was simple comparisons between her brother and her, but now ... it just seemed so different.

It felt different.

Then, why did it feel so natural to be curious about her, from the first day he met her till the most recent lesson he had with her?

Why was it that every time she sang a chord, a chord struck in his heart? Why was it that he paid attention to every little detail of hers when he rarely listened to her instructions before?

Why wasn't it just mere curiosity anymore, but a tinge of passion with the throbbing echo of amour fou?

And the biggest question - why was he lusting for his band mate's, no, his brother's sister?

Exhausted by the sweeping questions which kept engulfing him in their irresistible waves, he sprawled himself on his bed, the white fabric of his night suit feeling wetter than usual.

His hands dried his hair dotted with sweat by running his fingers through it. Cursing the weather, Jungkook undid his shirt buttons to make himself feel cooler, but strangely it didn't help him reduce the heat. Why was it so fucking hot in January?

Wait a second.

A sudden realization crept shamefully slow in his veins as he gazed at what his pajamas tried to conceal.

Keyword: tried.

Bolting from his current position, he rushed to his savior - the showers.

•

"Jungkook's later than usual," Taehyung noticed, glancing at his watch.

The band had gathered in the recording studio for listening to the songs that the rap line and producers had been coming up with for the past few weeks.

Nearly all of them had turned up, with the exception of Jimin, and surprisingly, Jungkook. Jimin's late arrivals had become something that all the members were accustomed to but it was  outlandish for the maknae to show up late for anything - from showing up for dance practice to entering the showers after a dance practice. Naturally, Taehyung couldn't help being puzzled.

"That's true, he's usually up at this time and would have come straight here because we usually hit the snack bar after listening to the songs - and no matter how long the session will be - that kid will always have a black hole of an appetite," Hoseok remembered.

"I wonder why he prefers those greasy chicken nuggets over my fantastic cooking," Seokjin sniffed.

"That's because nobody wants to have your gluten free cupcakes, hyung. Not after Taehyung bleeding our ears, trying to prove with every comeback preparation that he deserves his solo part in the rap-line songs," drawled Yoongi, eliciting retorts from Seokjin and Taehyung within the speed of lightning.

"What's wrong with my cupcakes, you moron? They're healthy, contain raisins, pistachios and zero cholesterol and are absolutely delicious!"

"Yeah! And my rapping clears pores, cures cancer and brings rain in drought-stricken areas-"

The slamming of the practice room door cut off Taehyung's defense to Yoongi's accusation as a panting Jimin graced the others with his presence.

"What did I miss? Did Yoongi-hyung's second mixtape drop? How late am I?" blabbered the late member.

"There, there. Your leader's here to fill you in," Namjoon nodded, a dimpled grin filling his face. "You missed a really interesting exchange between Yoongi-hyung, Seokjin-hyung and Taehyung and relax; Yoongi-hyung won't be dropping that mixtape before his beloved Hoseok's hixtape, my second mixtape, your solo, Taehyung's solo, Seokjin's solo and probably even Jungkook's solo. It's all planned, even though the year's still 2018. Oh, and there will be a game too, and his mixtape still won't drop even then, despite the many collaborations we'll do-"

"I think that's enough fourth-wall breaking for today, Maits," Hoseok warned.

The author apologized and went back to playing the game on her tablet.

"So, how late am I?" Jimin inquired.

"You're seven minutes, thirty-five seconds late," Namjoon recited, glancing at his watch.

"Well, that's better than last week's dance practice." Jimin said, relieved.

"But I thought that eight minutes and seven minutes, thirty-five seconds didn't have too much of a margin between them," Taehyung thought aloud.

"Oh, shut up. An improvement's an improvement."

The practice door slammed open again, its hinges seemed to sigh with pain as its horrid slammer trudged in the room, his temper still not satiated after doing such horrible damage to a poor door.

"Really, Maits? You feel sorry for a damn door instead of what you put me through?" Jungkook growled.

The author smirked.

"That's hot. We need more of your growls in the songs."

Sparing her one look filled with pure disdain, Jungkook turned to his bandmates and bowed in apology.

"You're eight minutes, two seconds late," Jimin exclaimed, a happy grin plastered on his face. "You're later than me!"

"Yeah, thanks for the super-helpful info, hyung."

"Why were you late, at all?" Namjoon asked Jungkook.

"Uh, my alarm's battery died."

"It sure did," purred the author.

"Can you please get out? Hyung, we need to change the passcode of everywhere we go, this crazy woman finds us everywhere," Jungkook bleated.

"Aw, someone hand the kid his pacifier, he's getting grumpy again," cooed the author.

Upon hearing this, Jungkook's face betrayed him by turning into a lovely lilac color, leaving his bandmates in utter confusion. Having enough of the annoying girl's games, he pushed her out of the room and locked the door behind him.

"That was an excellent way to shut you up. I should use that sometimes," Yoongi noted, his eyes blinking in lazy recognition of the author's lame sense of humor.

"Don't you dare," Jungkook hissed. 

It was bad enough that the line reminded him of her. He didn't need to hear it from someone who resembled her.

"Okay, that's enough with the snapping and hissing and purring and comeback-giving. Jungkook, did you manage to do what you had to?" Namjoon question's put Jungkook's features into a similar shade of red, only this time, it reflected shame.

"I'm sorry, hyung. I really didn't manage to come up with a melody that might fit what you're looking for. I thought I could - just like how I had done in RUN - but I suppose my mind was in a completely different sphere than what it is now. There's no excuse for this and I'm sorry for letting you down. I don't deserve any of your respect. All I wanted to do was help, but I guess my concern is too hazardous for our career since I can't even come up with something as simple as a melody. I am so sorry for disappointing all of you; I know it might be hard - but please forgive me." Saying so, Jungkook bent his head, too ashamed to look at his leader in the eye.

A moment of silence followed his words, which made him wonder whether he had rendered his hyungs speechless in anger. Tilting his head upwards, the sight which greeted him threw him off in surprise.

All the guys, even Yoongi, looked like they were having trouble breathing - Taehyung was purple in the face, while Jimin tried hard to hide his face with his minute fingers. And why did Hoseok have his fist stuffed up his mouth? Was his action so terrible that he made tears slide down Seokjin's spotless face, which was contorted in - amusement?

Breaking the silence, Namjoon let out a hearty laugh, making the maknae straighten up, his expression one of bewilderment.

"What the-"

"Kookie, why are apologizing for something like this? We're not going give you a death penalty if you don't come up with a damned melody!"

"What?"

"Geez, I might have bust a lung seeing how serious you became," Seokjin stammered, wheezes leaving his throat as smoothly as a snake moved.

"Yeah, this is so not like you, Jungkookie. Hell, even I wouldn't get so grave over such a measly matter - unless, it was a diss rap. Then, you might have been in big trouble," Yoongi giggled.

The brunette stared at his bandmates, his face a mixture of puzzlement and anguish. Was this all a joke to them? Didn't they, too, believe that their fans - who they considered more like family - deserved the best? Then, where was this carefree attitude coming from?

Reading his thoughts, Hoseok gave his bright, heart-shaped grin as he spoke in a gentle voice.

"Jungkookie, we're not mad at you for not coming up with a melody in a day. We all have trouble coming up with new songs; it's not a piece of cake. Nobody can churn out songs in a night, man; I think you of all people should know that. Yes, we all have our lucky days when inspiration strikes us and we come up with something we'd expect the least to come from our minds. Yes, we are on a strict schedule, but that is no excuse for your thinking that not composing a melody makes you inefficient. And we're doing this as a team, okay? We're in this together, don't forget. I am sure that we'll figure something out - all of us."

Hoseok's words, comforting as they were, didn't remove the nagging feeling he was experiencing.

"But, that's - that's still not an excuse for not keeping my word! I volunteered to do it, and I didn't! That's not fair on my part and it just shows how much of a hindrance I am to our group."

A sigh alike lead left Namjoon who decided to set the record straight.

"Jungkook. You're sounding very selfish right now."

"What do you mean?" Jungkook, confused, directed his attention on the leader who had a slight note of impatience in his voice.

"It is quite selfish of you to assume that you're the only one responsible for the Theme of Love Yourself. Love Yourself is something that all of us have put our blood, sweat and tears in, yes, I mean what I just said - this is not something to be fooled about, Seokjin-hyung. Wipe that grin off your face."

A rare event indeed, but the oldest heeded Namjoon's words and adorned a look making him look like a mourner at a poorly attended funeral.

"As I was saying, we've all worked hard for this franchise and we all know its significance to our career. You're not the only one concerned about our future, we all are too. Hoseok is right, you can't simply carry that burden on your own and be the only one guilty of not handling it. It's not fair to you and us, so get yourself from that high pedestal and ask us for help if you're having trouble. This isn't a solo endeavor, it's a team effort - you better get that straight in your head."

The whole room was plunged into silence again, but the mood was filled with tension instead of hilarity. Jungkook digested what Namjoon's stern words meant and realized that they were exactly what Hoseok had consoled him with, just in a different shade. But they also told him something, something so uplifting that it made him feel powerful.

He wasn't alone, this wasn't just his burden.

He didn't have to think that he was doing a favor on his brothers because he was already part of it.

They were all in this which was exactly what Hoseok and Namjoon put forth to him - and he was too big of an idiot to see that.

A small smile broke on his face like the moon's veil of light spread across the velvety skies, and a little chuckle of sunshine left him. Soon, the little chuckle turned into a roar of laughter and was joined by the snorts, giggles and cackles of the others.

Thumps landed on his back, portraying mock rage which made them succumb to the infectious joy of the passing moment.

After a good dozen minutes lost in such giddy activity of commenting on the exchange - how Namjoon's harsh words made Jungkook smile instead of Hoseok's soothing ones - the men returned to their critical analysis of the song - Magic Shop. And critical analysis meant the vocalists teasing Hoseok's singing, which was like a breath of fresh air to them while the teased one grinned in good nature.

And as Jungkook gazed at his hyungs messing around, fondness radiating from the echoes of his soul, his mind drifted back to what had happened in the morning - but this time, he didn't feel anything sensual. Maybe because he was in presence of his brothers.

Or maybe because he had finally realized what Yoona's song title truly meant to him.

Utopia - a perfect place.

Maybe this was his perfect place - a place where he was with the ones he loved.

And with that thought followed another thought. Some would call it a brainwave, but he called it fate.

Fate's mischievous ways had finally led him to the melody of the Theme of Love Yourself: Wonder.

•

Yoona wasn't experiencing the joy of utopia like Jungkook was. On the contrary, she was giving some well-chosen words to her restless mind which seemed to flit from coming up with new vocal exercises or with a continuation for Utopia - her music piece.

Despite tying her hair up, which - in a weird way - would help her concentrate her energy on the greater good, she found it plain difficult to sit at one place.

After the talk that she had with Hyoyeon, our dear female protagonist found it all the more difficult to control her true personality - which was being an ambivert.

Yes, her behavior above did not show the necessary characteristics of an ambivert - because hers was the one she liked to call - the middle type. The person who was always in the middle of everything, in every situation.

For instance, certain people liked daytime while some liked nighttime. She liked both. There were people who were quick to catch temper, or some had immense patience. She didn't know when her circuit would cut short, or when would she be a saint.

Some people like doing things in excess or are very generous in whatever they do while some people tend to be the biggest misers you have met. Min Yoona, on the other hand, had days when she would find herself in a shouting match with a vendor over a small price of ten won and on the same day, manage to give a ridiculously large tip to a taxi driver for a small distance.

As mentioned before, Yoona had two brothers - one was the biggest extrovert she knew and the other was the biggest introvert she had ever met. While her eldest brother spoke in loud, booming tones and had a voracious appetite, the other had a miserly meal at every mealtime and a soft, clear voice.

At times, Yoona felt like this was all their fault - both managed to rub off equally well on her, even though she was closer to Yoongi than her eldest brother.

Life was so unfair - why did I have to be so temperamental?

Her mind filled with buzzing thoughts as she tried to come up with a bridge, her fingers playing the keys of Yoongi's organ mindlessly, her inattention to the notes obvious since she didn't even pay attention to the squeaking of the door behind her.

"Wow, those have got be the most tuneless notes I have ever heard you play and you rarely go offbeat."

If this was an anime, not a book, Yoona would have leaped a mile high and probably would have ended up breaking the porcelain-white ceiling of Yoongi's studio. But since it isn't, it should be wise to settle for a boring flinch instead, to keep things realistic.

"Jeon Jungkook, have you forgotten that the need to knock?"

"You forgot the oppa. Why bother? Like you're gonna call me that anytime soon."

"For the first time in your life, you have spoken some sense."

Unbothered by the glower Jungkook gave her, she slid off her seat and stood up. In his hands was a small plastic bag with a white box in it, which he kept gingerly on Yoongi's massage chair since the other places suitable for keeping it were littered with music sheets.

He didn't even want to ask whether they belonged to Yoongi or Yoona since the answer was evident to him - the giant bags under Yoona's eyes and Yoongi's wincing throughout the day was enough proof.

"Anyways, what are you doing here?" Yoona asked, picking up some sheets from the floor and rearranging them in a clumsy manner.

"I, er, wanted to talk to you about something."

"Sure! Go ahead!"

Jungkook raised his eyebrows. The Yoona he was used to would have probably just nodded and looked up to acknowledge that she heard him.

Then, what was this foreign perky voice in which she answered?

Then again, it didn't sound forced but, genuine. Before he responded, he took careful notice of her manner of walking and moving and was greeted with a strange surprise.

Her movements were rather stiff before and her straight back was a prominent feature. She would have a cold, drawn out atmosphere around her.

But now, it was different. The aura around her felt different. She wasn't exactly as fluid in her movements like Jimin, but she definitely wasn't as stiff as before.

She had a slightly clumsy, laid back method of moving despite her back being straight. He also noticed, his ears heating up again, that her hips moved with a gentle sway that somehow managed to draw attention to her petite waist - something that was absolutely not present earlier.

Yes, she still did have a note of control in her voice like what he was used to. But, it felt friendlier now, and the way she gestured him to speak further made her more approachable.

It made him go nearly mad, the threat from his hormones growing bolder by the minute.

"Jungkook? Is everything okay?"

He had such a mad urge to kiss those lips of hers, now set in a curious pout, and caress her pale cheeks. In his eyes, she looked like a marble statue - nearly colorless save for her ruby lips and charcoal eyes of hers.

In her eyes, he looked like a deer caught in the headlights and yet not moving out of the damn road. Like seriously, he was lost in his own world and yet that, somehow made her feel that he was still on this planet, just not living in it.

God, how much he wished to hold her slender form in his arms.

God, how much should she be concerned for his mental health?

"Jungkook, please speak. You're frightening me."

Yoona's voice laced with confusion and concern woke him up from his musings and when he collected himself, he felt not just his cheeks, but his entire being erupt in red-hot lava. Utterly shocked and scandalized at what he had just fantasized, he felt the very essence of the fiery color of red coat his cheeks, his ears, his everything. Heck, even his brain was blushing.

He had to say what he had come to say as soon as possible, lest his vicious hormones envelope him in their heady darkness again.

Taking a deep breath and being reminded heavily of their first lesson, he spoke in a rush.

"Heyoonaigotsomebulgogiforyouasapresent."

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Iwantedtouseyourmelodyforthechorusofthethemeofloveyourselfwonderbecauseitisperfect."

"A little slowly, plea-"

"Doihaveyourpermission?"

Taking a deep breath herself, Yoona donned a smile which put all the Drag Queens to shame.

"Jeon Jungkook," her alarmingly silky voice made a shiver run down Jungkook's spine, making his hormones shiver from excitement. Yes, this voice would be the death of him.

"Even though I have a rapper for a brother, his pronunciation makes the words legible to the ear. If you don't mind me saying, you lack that legibility. Therefore, you better speak when you ought to speak and rap when you ought to rap. Understand?"

Jungkook turned his whimper into an unpleasant gruff as his head bobbed up and down without his accord.

It was now or never.

"Yoona, I wanted to use your music composition Utopia for the chorus of the Theme of Love Yourself: Wonder since it perfectly matches the lyrics Namjoon-hyung has written. I will mail you the lyrics. Please think about it, and let me know by tomorrow." The words left Jungkook's mouth in an agonizingly slow method, his tight jeans feeling tighter than usual.

He then spun around and made a dash for the doorway.

He needed a cold, long shower in his bathroom this instant or he would end up doing something he would regret.

"Wait. Are you requesting me to let you use my music composition? You really think it would be suitable?"

Yoona's voice quivering with excitement made him feel so guilty, yet he turned around and put on his bravest attempt at a smile, even though his testosterone said otherwise.

"Yes. I loved it."

The sweet words made Yoona's face lit up with the brightest grin Jungkook ever saw, but his urgent matter did not allow him to admire it. Banging the door behind him and making Yoona flinch for the second time in the day, he bolted upstairs and crashed himself in his bathroom.

Yoona stared at the door - the second door that Jungkook had banged - and wondered what was wrong with her student.

Curious, she lifted the plastic bag from Yoongi's massage chair and peeked inside the box.

'Bulgogi? How did he know that was my favorite?'

Meanwhile, Jungkook stared down at his body - at the second flowering of his baby-maker - and wondered why he had to be so curious about his vocal coach's behavior. Now that she had revealed her true personality to him, he found her maddeningly attractive.

As though she wasn't attractive in the beginning either.

Why did he have to land himself in this mess?

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

Some Korean terms used:

bulgogi - Bulgogi, literally "fire meat", is a gui made of thin, marinated slices of beef or pork grilled on a barbecue or on a stove-top griddle. It is also often stir-fried in a pan in home cooking. Sirloin, rib eye or brisket are frequently used cuts of beef for the dish

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.