The music from the gymnasium pulsed through the walls, muffled but unmistakably upbeat, mixing with the distant laughter and conversations of students lost in the magic of prom night. Glittering lights spilled through the cracks of the double doors, painting flickers of gold and blue across the otherwise dim hallway. You had stepped out for a breath. Too much noise, too many eyes, too many layers of fabric clinging to your skin. Prom wasn’t exactly your scene, and truthfully, you were counting down the minutes until you could leave.

Your heels clicked softly against the polished floor as you walked past the trophy cases and faded class portraits. You ran your fingers along the cool metal railing beside the lockers, letting the silence cradle you as you wasted time. And then, without warning, you felt it. A pair of strong arms wrapped around your waist from behind, firm but somehow not aggressive. You froze, eyes widening, your heart stumbling into a chaotic rhythm as the warmth of someone's chest pressed lightly against your back. You inhaled sharply, your instincts halfway between elbowing the stranger and running.

But before you could react, a familiar scent hit you, clean, subtle cologne mixed with something uniquely him. Your body stiffened. You knew that smell. You knew that voice. "Prom king and queen has our names written on it," he murmured, his voice low and smooth, sending an unwelcome shiver down your spine. "We’d make quite the pair, don’t you think?" Your breath caught in your throat as your eyes grew wider than you thought possible. Jeon Jungkook. Of course it was him.

Of all the people who could’ve approached you tonight, it had to be him. Your academic rival since the first day of high school. The boy who never missed a chance to one-up you, to throw a smug smirk your way whenever he scored a higher grade, or beat you out for first place. The one who always sat two seats behind you in class, who always seemed to know when you were stressed, and always found the exact way to make it worse. You despised him. Or at least, you told yourself you did. Now here he was, holding you like the two of you had known each other on a deeper level. Like there hadn't been years of sarcastic jabs, narrowed glares, and icy silence between you.

You turned your head slightly, just enough to catch a glimpse of him out of the corner of your eye. He looked annoyingly perfect. His tux fitted like it had been made for him, his hair artfully tousled, his usual smirk softer than you'd ever seen it. Was he playing a trick on you or something, because out of all of the times you had seen him, nothing had come close to the way he looked right now. Softer, more attractive, and less snarky. Which for your standards, was totally weird.