Chapter III-Vote for Chaos

They arrived at their destination and continued walking together.

"What classes are you taking this semester?" Jin asked.

"Oh, I'm taking Torts, Contracts, and Legal Research and Writing this semester," Jhope replied enthusiastically.

"Woah, a law student, ey" Jin exclaimed, his eyes wide with amazement. He grinned and tapped Jhope's shoulder, "That's pretty amazing."

"It's pretty tiring though, but yeah, what about you, hyung?" Jhope asked.

"Uhm... I'm taking Financial Accounting, Managerial Accounting, and Business Statistics this semester," Jin replied, stopping in his tracks and turning to face Jhope. "Why do you call me hyung, though?" he added, placing one hand on his hip.

Jhope chuckled, "You just look a little bit older, hyung. And pretty old-fashioned, too!" He winked, recalling the hand gestures they'd exchanged earlier.

"Older...?" Jin's voice rose slightly, a touch of defensiveness in his tone. He hated being called old. It was a sensitive topic, and he'd always tried to keep it under wraps. Most people just assumed they were the same age, but the truth was, he was a bit older.

Jin started school later than most of his peers, even though they were technically the same age. He was 20 in Western years, but in Korean age, he was already 21 – a fact he often tried to forget. It was a bit of a sore spot, making him feel even older than his classmates.

"Very funny," Jin chuckled, a playful hand going to his chest. He was more concerned with how Jhope knew. "You know that's not true. This face," he pointed at himself, leaning in closer to Jhope's face, "Take a closer look!"

Jhope, startled by the sudden closeness, stumbled back, his eyes widening in surprise. He quickly averted his gaze, pushing Jin away with a nervous laugh. He covered his flushed face with his forearm, feeling a wave of heat rising to his cheeks.

"Hey! What gives?" Jin asked, feeling dismayed. He thought he had offended him. "Why'd you push me away?" Jin confused.

Jhope's cheeks flushed, "Uh....yeah I get nervous when people get close to me," which is actually not true, but Jhope had to lie as he didn't want him to feel bad.

"Oh, really, Sorry..." Jin mumbled, his hands fidgeting, feeling a bit sorry.

"Cute-" Jhope thought, the word hanging in the air, stunning him. He blinked, his cheeks flushing, and quickly shook his head. "What's wrong with me today?" he muttered, feeling a wave of remorse wash over him.

"You okay?" Jin was seriously concerned. "Did I do something wrong?" he asked.

"Uh-huh, sorry—" Jhope laughed awkwardly, "I'm fine."

An awkward silence hung between them, thick and heavy like the humid summer air. They couldn't look at each other, and the only sound was the thump of their feet on the sidewalk as they walked toward their room.

"When did everything become so awkward?" Jin wondered, a frown furrowing his brow.

Lost in thought, Jin was startled by a familiar voice, drawing closer and closer.

"Hobi!"

"Joonie!" Jhope's smile was like a burst of sunshine, instantly erasing the awkwardness. He practically leaped into a hug, ending with a fist bump.

"This will be the last time I hear you calling me that nickname," Namjoon said, as they both exchanged laughter.

As they were having fun, Namjoon noticed Jin standing next to Jhope. A flicker of confusion crossed his face, and he raised an eyebrow, wondering why they were together.

"Why are you hanging out with Pretty Princess, Hobi?" Namjoon teased, a playful smirk on his face, aiming to get under Jin's skin.

Jin let out a frustrated "tsk," his shoulders slumping in annoyance.

"You know each other?" Jhope asked, surprised.

"No," Jin said.

"Yes," Namjoon replied.

"Uh?..." Jhope looked confused.

"He was just joking," Namjoon said, a little defensively, his tone laced with sarcasm. "We're pretty close, ain't that right, Pretty Face?" He grinned, aiming to throw Jin off balance.

In his mind, "You think I'd fall for that?" Jin grinned, not giving an inch. "Seems my face suits your taste, Joonbug!" He puffed out his chest, enjoying the way Namjoon's smirk faltered.

The two gave off different kinds of expressions, opposite from one another. Jhope was blushing hard, his eyes darting around, and Namjoon was making a face like he smelled something bad. It was awkward for everyone.

Right on cue, the bell rang, signaling the start of class. Jhope grinned, "Seems like you two know each other really well," he said, teasingly glancing between Jin and Namjoon. "Well, that's my cue. Gotta go, Nam! Catch up later." He tapped Namjoon's shoulder and then turned to Jin, "Nice meeting you, Jin!"

Namjoon nodded once, his gaze lingering on Jin for a split second before he disappeared into the classroom. Jin, with a quick wave to Jhope, followed after, leaving a lingering silence in the hallway.

Their arrival sent a ripple of excitement through the room. Every eye was glued to them as they walked in, whispers filled with admiration and awe.

"Namjoon is looking handsome today..."

Everyone turned their heads to follow Namjoon as he walked in, his charcoal gray overcoat draped effortlessly over his creamy white turtleneck and tailored black trousers. He exuded an air of refined confidence, each step radiating expensive style.



Namjoon, noticing all the praise, turned his head to take a peek at Jin's expression.

"It looks expensive..." Jin murmured, his business mind quickly calculating the cost of Namjoon's outfit. He scanned the details with concentration, muttering, "₩132,000,000..." In quite shock, he was utterly defeated.

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This morning, Namjoon had put extra effort into his outfit. He had someone in mind to impress, but he realized on the first day that this person didn't seem to like his tattoo. He sighed, "Sonnim, help me with my outfit today." He needed to look good. (Sonnim \= Maid)

"You seem to be in a good mood, master," his maid noted, her gaze lingering on Namjoon. "I'm surprised you're willing to change things up. Usually, you're so set in your ways. I wonder what's brought about this shift."

He casually shrugged off his shirt, revealing a toned physique beneath. "Oh, nothing," he said, his smile a confident assertion of his own attractiveness. "Just wanted to try something new. What do you think?"



The maid, seeing right through his little white lie, couldn't help but smile. "I absolutely agree, master," she said, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "I need to choose an outfit that a 'girl' would love." As she guessed in her mind so confidently and surely.

 ******************

As he peeked over Jin, his smile dimpling his cheeks. "He noticed it!" he exclaimed, a look of satisfaction blooming on his face, his ears turning a bright red. When girls noticed it, they couldn't help but blush.

A scream, loud and unexpected, echoed through the room, seemingly in response to her bold statement: "Jin is much more handsome!!" Jin glanced around, confused, wondering who had made such a dramatic declaration.

"Oh, that girl," he chuckled, a sense of amusement coloring his tone. He recalled their brief encounter from the last chapter, that rude girl who stopped him.

"......" Namjoon.

The professor then arrived, "Opening chapter 3!" Miss Dana said.

Everyone rushed to their seats, but Jin lingered. He went to the girl who had screamed his name, drawn to her boldness, and sat down beside her.

A playful grin curved Jin's lips as he said, "Hello." The girl, caught off guard by his unexpected presence, stumbled over her words. "H-h-HI!" she squeaked, her eyes widening in surprise as she tried to avoid his gaze. She was captivated by his charm.

Namjoon noticed Jin was missing from his seat and looked around the room, his gaze settling on Jin, who was sitting next to a girl.

Namjoon furrowed his brow, his voice a low murmur. "What is he doing?" He fixated his gaze on Jin.

Jin chuckled softly, a sound only the girl beside him could hear, a twinkle in his eyes.

"What is he laughing all about?" Namjoon wondered aloud, a sense of unease settling over him. He couldn't help but feel a pang of annoyance. "Does he like her...?" He placed his hand on his chin, his thoughts swirling with uncertainty, watching the two of them having their moment.



"Okay, everyone before we proceed, let's elect our class officers...ey," Miss Dana said, trying to hype everyone up.

Silence met her words, a heavy weight settling between them. "Or, let's just proceed then with the voting..." she mumbled, her voice dropping to a whisper.

"Oh, it's the election of class officers!" The girl exclaimed, her expression filled with pure excitement.

"You seem excited," Jin smiled flirtatiously.

A clang, the sound of a fist hitting something, echoed through the room. Everyone turned to see Namjoon as the sound was coming from him.

"Namjoon?!" Miss Dana exclaimed, slightly confused.

"What's wrong with him?" Jin asked, his voice dripping with disdain for Namjoon's arrogance.

"Sorry, Prof!" Namjoon turned and politely bowed.

Jin turned to his partner, as she began, "Uhm... you see, I was a consistent class president in my previous school," she stammered, her cheeks flushing a bright red. She fidgeted with her fingers, trying to hide her nervousness.

"Oh..." Jin mused with a smile. "Becoming the class president would make it easier for me to get the top spot!" The only thing in Jin's mind.

With the other class officers decided, the anticipation for the final two spots, class president and class vice president, was palpable.

The applause for the secretary finally ended, and everyone turned to see Jin raise his hand, a look of determination on his face.

"I would like to nominate myself for class president," Jin declared proudly.

"I second that nomination," the girl followed in support of Jin.

Jin added, "I would like to nominate Claire for Class Vice President." He purposely intend to make her his right hand.

The chemistry between them was undeniable, sparking a wave of curiosity and, for some, a hint of jealousy. Especially the one in the corner, who watched silently, their gaze never leaving Jin.

"No objections?" Miss Dana asked, raising one hand.

"I protest!" Namjoon's voice boomed, echoing from the back of the room to the front. Every head turned, all eyes fixed on him.

"Why is he so self centered today...?" Jin looked.

"I would like to nominate myself as president," Namjoon declared, his voice firm and confident. The challenge to Jin was clear, a silent battle for leadership.

"I... second that," another girl said, trying to mask her nervousness with a brave smile. "I believe Namjoon has the skills and experience to lead our class well."

Jin's smile faltered slightly, but he quickly recovered, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "Well, this is getting interesting," he said, leaning back in his chair. "Looks like we have a race on our hands."

"Okay then...let's proceed with a vote then." Miss Dana said.

Claire looked at the class, her gaze lingering on Namjoon and Jin, each with a clear sense of determination in their eyes. The atmosphere in the room crackled with anticipation.

This was going to be an exciting election.

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...End of Chapter 3...

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