Slow Bloom: A Story Between Desks
The empty seat by the window
Seoul Fine Arts High School opened its gates to a chilly Monday morning. Students shuffled through the halls, laughter echoing between lockers, the smell of fresh textbooks and instant ramen lingering in the air.
Class 11-B was already buzzing with chatter when the homeroom teacher walked in, clipboard in hand and expression as serious as always.
Teacher
“Quiet down,” she called, and the room fell silent.
Teacher
“There’s a transfer joining us today,” she continued. “He just moved here from Busan. Jeon Jungkook?”
A boy stepped in, hands in his hoodie pockets, black hair half covering his eyes. His gaze swept across the class for half a second, then immediately dropped to the floor. He didn’t smile. Didn’t wave. Just gave a short nod.
Teacher
The teacher pointed toward the back of the classroom. “You’ll sit next to Kim Taehyung. Last row, by the window.”
All eyes shifted to the desk by the window — where Taehyung sat, doodling clouds in the corner of his notebook.
He looked up lazily, blinking at the boy walking toward him.
Jungkook didn’t say anything as he slid into the chair beside him. He kept his backpack in his lap and eyes on the board.
Taehyung tapped the edge of his pencil against his notebook once.
Taehyung/ V
Then softly said, “I like window seats too.”
Taehyung/ V
Taehyung shrugged to himself. “Alright. Silent type.”
The teacher started the lesson, and the classroom’s attention shifted forward again. Except for Jungkook, who stole a tiny glance at Taehyung from the corner of his eye.
The boy had messy brown hair, long fingers stained with pencil graphite, and a weird calmness about him — not friendly, not cold, just... there.
Later, during lunch break
Jungkook sat alone on a bench in the courtyard, earphones in, head down, lunchbox unopened.
Taehyung/ V
“Yo,” a voice said above him.
He looked up to see Taehyung standing there, holding a triangular kimbap in one hand and a juice pouch in the other.
Taehyung/ V
“You forgot to bring lunch?” Taehyung asked casually.
Kookie/ Bunny
Jungkook looked away. “Didn’t feel like eating.”
Taehyung/ V
Taehyung plopped down beside him anyway. “I always eat here. You’re sitting in my spot.”
Kookie/ Bunny
Jungkook raised an eyebrow. “I sat here first.”
Taehyung/ V
“Exactly.” Taehyung took a loud bite of his kimbap. “Guess we’ll have to share it now.”
Silence. Awkward. Slightly annoying.
But strangely not uncomfortable.
Taehyung/ V
Taehyung offered his juice pouch. “It’s apple. You want?”
Jungkook hesitated. Then took it wordlessly and sipped once.
Taehyung/ V
Taehyung nodded to himself like he just scored a silent victory. “Cool.”
That day, they didn’t talk again.
But Jungkook didn’t sit alone at lunch anymore.
And Taehyung began bringing an extra juice pouch — without asking why.
First Group Project
It had been two weeks since Jungkook joined Class 11-B.
By now, he and Taehyung shared lunch without talking too much.
No one officially called them friends, but the class started noticing they always sat together, even during club sign-ups or morning reading time.
Jungkook still rarely spoke unless spoken to.
Taehyung didn’t seem to mind.
Monday – Literature Class
Teacher
“Today,” the teacher announced, “you’ll be doing a partner project. Choose a classmate.”
The room exploded into instant chatter.
Jimin was already dragging his desk next to Yoongi’s. Hoseok and a kid named Seokmin high-fived and exchanged goofy grins. Taehyung didn't move. He just kept sketching in his margin until the teacher said:
Teacher
“Jeon Jungkook. Since you’re still new, pair with Kim Taehyung.”
Without a word, Jungkook sighed softly and nodded.
Taehyung/ V
Taehyung looked up and gave a half-smile. “Looks like you’re stuck with me.”
Kookie/ Bunny
Jungkook blinked. “I figured.”
They were assigned to analyze a poem and present their thoughts. Not hard. But it meant time spent outside class together. Taehyung jotted something in his notebook and casually said:
Taehyung/ V
“My house is quieter. You okay coming over after school?”
Kookie/ Bunny
Jungkook hesitated. “...Sure.”
Later that day at Tarhyung's house
Taehyung lived in a small but cozy apartment with warm lighting and plants in strange-shaped pots. He dropped his bag on the couch and tossed a pair of socks at Jungkook.
Taehyung/ V
“Shoes off. I have floor rules.”
Kookie/ Bunny
Jungkook raised a brow. “What?”
Taehyung/ V
“No outside dirt in my inner world,” Taehyung said seriously.
Jungkook thought he was joking. He wasn’t.
They sat cross-legged on the living room floor, Taehyung’s laptop between them, the poem pulled up on screen.
For the first few minutes, they read in silence.
Taehyung/ V
Then Taehyung said, “This part here—‘the night didn’t ask questions, it just listened’—I like that.”
Kookie/ Bunny
Jungkook looked at him. “You relate to it?”
Jungkook didn’t answer. But later, he wrote that line in the back of his journal, folded the page, and never told anyone.
Taehyung went to make tea.
Jungkook explored the bookshelf.
He noticed it wasn’t just poetry and sketchbooks—there were comic books, old photo albums, and a single manga volume with a sticky note: “Don’t judge me – T.”
Taehyung came back with two mugs and caught Jungkook standing there.
Taehyung/ V
“You read?” he asked, handing over a cup.
Kookie/ Bunny
“Not usually,” Jungkook said, then paused. “But I think… I like how you organize stuff.”
Taehyung/ V
Taehyung blinked, surprised. “Most people call it a mess.”
Kookie/ Bunny
Jungkook shrugged. “It’s a good mess.”
Taehyung/ V
That made Taehyung smile. Genuinely. The kind that crinkled his eyes.
When Jungkook left that evening, he had a printed copy of the poem, a scribbled draft of their project, and a mismatched sock Taehyung had thrown at him “for friendship purposes.”
They didn’t text that night.
But when they walked into class the next morning and sat down next to each other, no words were needed.
They weren’t just classmates anymore.
Still not friends, not officially.
But something was definitely growing.
Kim Taehyung
Age: 17
Class: 11-B
Personality: Mysterious, artsy, slightly eccentric. Often seen sketching or lost in thought. He’s not loud, but people naturally notice him. Has a sarcastic, dry humor that confuses people at first.
Interests: Drawing, classical music, photography, watching clouds, old sci-fi movies.
Reputation: “The quiet weird guy who’s oddly cool.”
Special traits: Observant, deeply empathetic but doesn’t show it easily. Good at reading people.
Jeon Jungkook
Age: 16
Class: 11-B (Transferred mid-term from Busan)
Personality: Reserved, keeps to himself, but not shy. Sharp-tongued when comfortable, fiercely loyal once he opens up. Struggles with expressing emotions.
Interests: Gaming, dancing alone in his room, action movies, spicy snacks, journaling in secret.
Reputation: “That new quiet kid from Busan.”
Special traits: Athletic, secretly really good at drawing (but never shows it), hates being underestimated.
The first laugh
It was a quiet Wednesday, the sky threatening rain and the classroom unusually dull. The heater made a faint buzzing sound in the corner, and half the students looked ready to fall asleep during homeroom.
Taehyung, however, was wide awake—carefully balancing an eraser on the edge of his pencil.
Kookie/ Bunny
Jungkook side-eyed him. “You’re bored.”
Taehyung/ V
“Observant,” Taehyung said without looking up. “Let me concentrate. This is an art form.”
The eraser fell with a thud.
Jungkook rolled his eyes, but his lips twitched just a little.
Later that day in the science lab 🧪
The class was paired up again—this time for a lab experiment involving magnets and a lot of random wires. The teacher handed out instructions, which Taehyung ignored completely.
Taehyung/ V
“You read, I build,” Taehyung said, already snapping the magnets together like Lego blocks.
Kookie/ Bunny
Jungkook, slightly annoyed, began reading out the steps. “No—wait—you’re doing it wrong.”
Taehyung/ V
“No, I’m doing it artistically,” Taehyung said with a grin.
Ten minutes later, their wire cluster sparked dramatically and the magnet shot across the table, landing in Jimin’s water bottle.
Jimin/ Chim
Jimin choked. “WHOSE ELECTRIC GRENADE WAS THAT?!”
Taehyung/ V
Taehyung blinked. “Science.”
Jungkook stared in disbelief—and for the first time in front of everyone…
Not the quiet nose-breath kind.
A full laugh, head down, teeth showing.
Taehyung/ V
Taehyung looked at him like he’d discovered a new planet. “That sound—do it again.”
Kookie/ Bunny
“Shut up,” Jungkook said between laughs, swatting his arm. “You’re insane.”
Taehyung/ V
Taehyung grinned. “And you laughed.”
Kookie/ Bunny
“I’m never letting you touch magnets again,” Jungkook said, still trying not to smile as they opened their lunchboxes.
Taehyung/ V
Taehyung shrugged. “What can I say? I create chaos.”
They sat in comfortable silence, the kind that no longer felt heavy. Jungkook found himself leaning back against the wall, letting the breeze hit his face. It felt like the kind of moment that doesn’t need to be labeled.
Taehyung/ V
Taehyung nudged him with his foot. “You gonna eat that or just let the wind stare at it?”
Jungkook rolled his eyes but handed over half his sandwich.
Kookie/ Bunny
“Only because you’re too weird to feed yourself properly.”
Taehyung/ V
Taehyung took it with a soft smile. “Thanks, Mom.”
Kookie/ Bunny
“Shut up,” Jungkook said, but he didn’t stop smiling either.
Jungkook wrote one line in his journal:
“He made the day feel shorter.”
He didn’t know what that meant yet.
But for the first time since moving to Seoul, the idea of “tomorrow” didn’t feel like something to dread.
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