Alla Prima (Pt.1)
Genre : drama, angst, eventual smut, college au!
Description : When an antisocial realist-painter, Park Jimin decided to change his subject from scenery to a breathing things, he didn’t expect one particular homo-sapiens Kang Seulgi whom he has been avoiding since that day, whom painfully stunning, and probably wouldn’t even take a single glance on him in million years, voluntereed herself as the tribute for his new project. And by means, even if it’s included a package of her without a single clothes on.
P.S.: So first of all,I’m such a btsvelvet trash and this is just work of fiction.
“This is not too shabby. ”
Namjoon pondered as his brows twitched slightly, analyzing the piece of art in front of him. Jimin’s face was flat like it usually be, but a relieved sigh blooming inside him. thanks God.
“At this rate, you might just open your own exhibition man. Why bother entering my own? ”
The cease in his eyebrows deepened. But really, he couldn’t understand this prodigy’s mind sometimes. But Jimin only shrugged.
“Not ready, or you don’t want to? ”
Namjoon questioned more. It was like a rheotical question, which he knew that Jimin himself don’t know the answer, yet.
The 24"x32" canvas in front of them bursted with major dark colours. As the Aurora prominetly sparkling under his touch, never being drowned with all the grey area surrounding it. Really, it’s only this certain Park Jimin who can create masterpiece like this, effortlessly.
“I entrusted it to you then. Set it on a high price.”
He put all his palette and brushes back to his rugged backpack. Smudges of colours can be seen here and there, but he never worries to change it to the new one. This backpack is his lucky charm. He bid goodbye to Namjoon quitely and headed to the café, didn’t miss the faint reply from Namjoon at the distance.
Jimin hated the campus cafe.
The smells of coffee never ceased to exist, always suffocates his breathing the moment he stepped in. Not that he hated coffee, it’s just, he never used to its smell and taste since he was little. Because only vegetable and fruit juices filled his everyday meal at home. Noises of people chattering, gossiping useless thing, the people making their own groups, alienating others, Jimin hated it all. He came from the rural area in Busan, gotten a full scholarship for his art study was out of the plan. But he knew it was destined, and he was thrilled to finally go and taste the little piece of heaven in the capital city, Seoul. He remembered how everyone knows everyone back in his village. He missed Taehyung and Jin, whom every Sunday always rotating, helping each other’s father to soil the farm and afterwads slashing the watermelon to sate their thirst after working hard. And he remembered after school, he always dropped by to Taehyung’s house just to play with Sooshim and helping his grandma mixing the kimchi. Life was good back then. Peaceful, and full of fond memories. Not like here. Where people are too individualistic, busy with their own mind and business. What a shame he ended up become one. And the fact he found out the ugly truth about Seoul from day-1 didn’t seem to help at all. It tasted more like a mixture of hell and grey paint more than a heaven. He guessed that little piece of heaven really tiny then, the reality didn’t betray the phrase.
But at least they got a nice warm croissant bun here. Which never missed to be his breakfast.
He picked up his tray, with his other arms propped the hanging backpack. Jimin skimmed the area, and he was glad his usual spot wasn’t taken. Right next to the gigantic glass wall, facing the vast football field. But he was startled when his eyes met a pair of cat-like eyes catching his eyes off-guard. But Jimin averted his gaze in an instant and headed to his seat as he calmed down his erratic heart.
He hates the effect she has on him. It’s been a year, but his body always reacted the same. He’s so whipped and he hates it.
But the bubble inside his head popped into pieces when he felt his phone vibrating. A message from mom.
“Good morning my son, have you eaten breakfast yet?”
Jimin smiled and quickly typed a reply to his mom. He loves how his mom never missed to check up on him everyday. Even if it’s only a brief hello on the phone, or a single text asking how are you. He’s such a mama boy and he’s proud of it.
Another unexpected message came again not long after that.
“This end semester vacation you’ll come home, right?”
At that, Jimin’s stomach churned. He could sense how much she missed him, and the guilt washed over him knowing the previous mid-semester he broke his promise to come home. He told her he had his painting being paid well and he would have enough money to come back, but he ended up buying new art supplies, with better qualities, and pretty expensive, just because he couldn’t hold his thirst to paint a little bit, with his first own money, earned by himself. He remembered how jumbled up his mind, filled with new ideas and colours inside his head, resulting his one of his best masterpiece ‘The Aurora of the Dawn’ or so he called it. Truthfully, he never wanted to sell any of his painting. He cherished them all dearly. It was the result of blood, sweat, and tears of his imagination and skills. With countless practice on paper, perfecting it before pouring it all down to the canvas. Because he can’t be wasteful on canvas, for it was not cheap for him to buy. Therefore, the canvas should be the masterpiece of his masterpiece. It has to.
But at least he already got them all on a photo. Framed and hang them all in his flat. He just hoped that, whoever buy it, will appreciate it as much as he is. And they’ll be happy after looking at it.
“Yes mom I’ll go home. Promise.”
He promised, and Namjoon better sell it in a good price. Because there’s no way he would let down his mother once more. He has to go home, and he will.
He sighed as he finished replying his mom. He started nibbling on his croissant, suddenly lose a little bit of appetite, but he knows he has to eat well or he’ll just making his mom and dad worried. Jimin was about to munch on the second croissant when a line notification came up.
“Hyung you’ll come to the party this weekend?
Football team’s headquarter. 9pm. Hope you can make it.”
It was from Jungkook, the boy from the sport department. Jungkook was the definition of well-known jock in the campus. He’s made it to the primary team despite being a freshman. Many people envy him and mesmerized by him, but only Jimin who knew the real him, for both of them coming from the same city, Jungkook clutched to him like a baby when he first arrived to Seoul. With full scholarship like him and ordinary family background, Jimin couldn’t abandon the little guy. All the familiarity of home oozing from Jungkook didn’t help at all, and they ended up growing close. Jimin helped him searching for a flat, a little bit touring over Seoul, etc etc.
But things changes, people changes. And so does Jungkook.
The epitome of the Golden Boy instantly become Jungkook’s new nickname. As the tagline goes afterwards, study hard, play harder. And boy, Jungkook partied hard. He never missed a weekend without a party. Jimin admit he’s amazed by him on how well Jungkook managed to ace every exams he had, despite the harsh practice of football team and still maintain his social life with partying till dawn. Jimin wasn’t the gifted type like him. He has to work his asses off to be where he’s standing now. Being called a prodigy painter was a bonus. But the gift he had has to be enhanced with practices. And that’s what he does. He’d rather practicing his sketches than wasting his time partying until wee hours. It’s just wasting his energy. He likes conserving his energy.
“No promises.” Jimin curtly replied. No promises equals he’s not going. Not a minute afterwards, another message came.
“Aw c’mon man, it’s his first win. We have to celebrate!!!”
A message from none other than Jung Hoseok, a.k.a his flat-mate. Jimin massage his temple, these to boys must’ve chatted behind him and played those ‘first-win’ card on him. With both of them are party-people, they never forget to invite Jimin to the party. But Jimin always politely refused, after that incident happed.
Speaking of ‘that’ incident, he shuddered when the rush of memories coming back to his mind….
A year ago, 20 April 2012, Freshmen welcoming party.
“Yah don’t just sip it, drink it in one go you pabo!” Hoseok yelled to Jimin as he shoved the tiny shot glass down to Jimin’s mouth. A fit of cough followed Jimin afterwards, the burn sensation really uncomfortable in his throat. He sent down a death glare to Hoseok, which only resulted a sheepish grin as a reply.
“Let’s just enjoy this night to the fullest, okhey?”
Hoseok patted Jimin’s butt as he dragged him to the crowd of sweaty dancing people. All Jimin could do was obeyed the sunshine at heart and holding back his experated sigh to escape. He didn’t want to make him upset.
It was the night of welcoming party for all the freshmen. After four days of torture of student orientation a month ago, the senior prepared this big event as the apology gift for the new students. Jimin heard from Yoongi sunbae that it wasn’t easy to get the permission to use the plenary hall from the campus but somehow they managed, so that’s why the freshmen had to have a great time and all of them had to attend. Jimin was no exception.
At first he wasn’t so sure to join the party. He wasn’t familiar with alcohol, he already hit his coming of age last year but he haven’t touched a drop of alcohol, even a sip of a soju. People was supposed to get three things on their coming of age ceremony, a bonquet of roses, a kiss, and a bottle of alcohol. And he hadn’t had all three of them and Jimin’s not complaining. Hoseok has been bragging it up too much these past days after their roommate-to-roommate slash heart-to-heart talk last week. Jimin just couldn’t understand which part is disappointing of not getting those three. So Hoseok hadn’t forget to bring it up tonight too, ‘I’ll get the kiss, the alcohol, and the roses for you tonight!’ Jimin just chuckled at his antics.
Hoseok dragged him right at the centre of the dance floor. “Loosen up man! Let the night rules us tonight!” Hoseok cheered, Jimin couldn’t help to smile back to the sunshine. He tried to dance, but failed miserably. He looked like an invicible wall next to the master of dance dancing next to him. People started to notice Hoseok, and they gave space for him to move freely. Jimin joined the crowd and enjoyed Hoseok’s performance from the side. Man, he’s born to be a star. He thought.
Jimin decided to take another shot, he need something to do anyway. He gulped down in one shot, grimaced a little bit by the hot yet cold liquid coming down his throat, but he now realized the pleasant feeling afterwards. No wonder people love drinking, it tasted good. But he remembered his dad warning back at home, ‘Please stay away from drugs and alcohol son, I hope you take care of yourself there.’ So Jimin decided to stop at the third shot. He already felt a little bit lightweighing already.
Jimin looked back at the room, seeing all the people were having the time of their life. Some busy talking to each other, making new relations and friends here and there. Some were busy making out that it had him grimaced a little bit. He somehow couldn’t understand with PDA, he’d rather do it all those affection gestures in private, because it felt so privacy to him. Things like that need to be cherished, as it was intimate and very personal gesture for him.
He caught a ponytail in his sight, but he was disappointed to see it wasn’t her. Yes, her, none other than Kang Seulgi. Kang Seulgi was the well-known beauty from the Vocal department. The beauty wasn’t only from her appearance, but also her voice. Her heavenly voice. He never met someone who could make him skipped a beat just by the sound of their laugh. But that was Kang Seulgi did to him.
The whole four days of the freshmen orientation was spent together with Seulgi, as both Jimin and her was set into the same group. All the members were awkward at first, including him and Seulgi. But thanks to this guy called Chanyeol, the ice melted and all the members warming up to each other in an instant. But the senior were merciless. At the second day, each of the group had to choose one member to sing in front of the whole student. Seulgi, being the one and only from the Vocal department, had no other choice.
He remembered how white her nails went, due to her non-stop chlenching it because of her nervousness. He had this strange urge to unclasped her hand and engulfed hers with his. But he dismissed it all and just closely watched her trembled a little as she walked into the podium. He unknowingly prayed she’ll be alright.
When she opened her lips, all those nervousness gone from her eyes. And the world stopped for a moment for Jimin.
Her voice soared through all over the field. All the student fell silent by her voice. Her voice was so beautiful, beyond compare. She followed the rhythm leisurely, as if it was the rhythm who followed her voice. But at the end of the song, she cracked her voice a little bit, making herself went beet red as she apologized and let out a sweet, awkward laugh. And the crowd cheered, hooted hard, and he was sure 95% of the male students had been head over heels over her. Including him.
And since that day, he couldn’t get her out of his mind.
His eyes couldn’t help to search her in the crowd. He should stop. He sighed. He dislike himself when he’s acting all whipped like this. But at the end he couldn’t help basking at the warmth this ‘crush’ served everytime he saw her in campus.
Jimin decided to borrow a pen and drawing random things on the tissue he got from the bartender. This party kinda amazing tho, it has a minibar with professional bartender inside. This is just like a university edition of a bar. He was so immersed that he didn’t realized someone had been sitting next to him for a while, looking at him closely.
“Jimin…right? We were at the same group!” She excitedly asked him. Jimin was speechless for a while, he didn’t expect this particular Kang Seulgi to be the one who find him. He drank in her sight for a moment, she wore a faded jeans and cropped sweater tonight, mixed with thin burgundy jumper at the outer. She looked good. And comfy. And those cropped sweater revealed her prominent abs, making his gone into shame. She let down her hair tonight, no wonder he couldn’t find her before.
“Ah yeah…” He replied. Scrathing his neck, didn’t know what to do. Does he continue drawing or what? His mind felt blank the moment she showed up. Seulgi smiled at his reply, making all her eyes gone because of that eyesmile.
“So, what are you drawing?” She pondered again, propping her chin on his arm, genuinely interested at the crappy sketch of his dog that died two years ago. He didn’t feel confident with his drawing. He knew he got the scholarship without no reason, but showing someone his sketches instead his final piece really not his cup of tea.
“Ah, it’s nothing…” He tried to fold the tissue paper hastily, but Seulgi frowned and stealthily snatched it from him. Jimin was taken aback by her sudden movement, and the brief moment she grabbed his hand made him palpitating inside. His eyes were as wide as saucer.
“Why are you hiding it? It’s good!” She swiftly complimented his messy sketch. And that moment, he was a goner. Again. For the second time. Shit he must be really like her then. Fuck.
Suddenly someone called her from the crowd, “Ah, I’ll be right back Park Jimin!” And just like that, she’s gone. She brought his sketch along with her. Great.
The night went on. Jimin didn’t move an inch, mostly because he’s too lazy to find another place to sit (and another reason just in case she’s coming back), so Jimin put on his headphone and blasting his recent favourite song, he didn’t really care the way it sounded clashing with the song in the room. He was out of the world for an hour when Hoseok coming back, drunk as ever.
“Come little boy let’s find herRrrrRr~!” He was slurring hard and Jimin knew it was time to go home. Jimin slinged one of Hoseok’s hand around his neck, and basically dragging half of his weight with him. Oh the things he do for Hoseok.
“Where are we going? We haven’t got the roses and the kiss yet!” He whined. Jimin sighed as Hoseok squirmed from his hold. “We’re going back home.” He replied. And with that, suddenly Hoseok stand up straight, as if he was sober. Without further ado, he grabbed Jimin’s arm and locked it in his grasp, then dragged him into the sea of people.
‘What’s with him???’ Jimin incredulously looked at him and puzzled by his sudden antics. “Hobi what are you doing?” They’ve basically circling the huge plenary hall and Hoseok didn’t show a sign to stop.
“We’re not going home before we meet that Seulgi girl. You get her phone number, and a kiss too before we go home would be amazing but don’t get your hopes up.” He firmly stated a ridiculous goals for tonight. Jimin tried to release himself from his grasp, but it was futile due to his iron-grip. Damn Hoseok and his muscles.
“I think that’s her, SEULGI JIMIN WANT TO KISS YOU, oh shit-
Jimin was frozen with the sight in front of him. Seulgi was kissing someone near the back. She was obviously heard what Hoseok’s said clearly and that’s why she suddenly startled and broke the making out session she had. Her lipstick was smeared, her face was red and her pupils were dilated, showing her black eyes prominently like the night sky. Jimin’s gut was churned, and briefly met her eyes, and he instantly turned around his heels and running out from there.
He didn’t expect the night he realized he really liked her would be the same night his heart being broken.
Jimin sighed at the memories. He remembered he was mad at Hoseok for five days (no more no less, because it was impossible to be mad at that man longer than that), giving him the silent treatment. That five days was the longest fight they ever had.
If only feelings could be erased as easy as clicking the backspace at the word documents. He silently thought inside.
Jimin tried to forget her, he really did. He busied himself, and practically focusing on school. It helped a little bit, and the way their department was far from each other was a bonus. But in the end she never missed to be in his vision even just for a day. Whether it was in the library, the hallway, or in the café like this. Reality sucks and not helping at all. He put on his earphone and just wanted to distract himself from that annoying reality for a while.
So Park Jimin didn’t expect it at all when that particular someone bringing her tray filled with quiche and sat next to him.
“Hey.” She said. Jimin was stunned. He was silent for a solid 10 seconds, and Seulgi couldn’t take the heavy silence anymore. She put off one his earphone and said,
“I’ll be your model for your upcoming project. What do you say?”
