The door clicked shut behind him with a metallic finality. Jungkook reached for the handle, jiggled it. Locked.

“Seriously?” he muttered under his breath.

He turned around—and froze.

There was someone already inside.

Huddled near the back wall, nearly blending into the shadows, was a boy. Blonde, quiet, clearly startled. His eyes widened behind round glasses, shoulders rising like he expected to be scolded or shoved. Jungkook blinked, recognizing him just barely.

Niko. He'd passed him in the halls a few times, always head down, notebook clutched tight to his chest like a shield. They’d never spoken, but Jungkook knew the name.

He softened his stance, lifting his hands slightly in a quiet gesture of peace.

“Didn’t mean to barge in,” he said. “Someone pushed me. I didn’t see where I was going.”

He leaned back against the door and let out a breath. The closet wasn’t big—just four walls, boxes, mop buckets, and now… two boys who clearly weren’t supposed to be here.

Jungkook glanced at Niko again, taking him in more carefully now. There was a nervousness in his posture, the kind that made Jungkook feel something unfamiliar settle in his chest. He didn’t want to make this harder than it already was.

“You okay?” he asked, softer this time. “You look like you’ve been stuck here for a while.”

No answer. That was okay.

Jungkook shifted his weight, arms crossing over his chest casually. His voice stayed gentle, like he was trying not to spook a cornered animal.

“I’m Jungkook. But… you probably already knew that.”

He gave a tiny smile, a real one—nothing cocky or smooth. Just warm.

“I’ve seen you before,” he added after a pause. “In the library window, during lunch sometimes. You always look really focused.”

Another pause.

“I think that’s cool.”

The silence that followed wasn’t heavy. Just… still. Like the closet had become its own little world, tucked between chaos and coincidence.

Jungkook didn’t try to move closer. He just stayed where he was, gaze soft and steady.

“We’ll be out soon,” he said, voice low. “But until then… you don’t have to say anything if you don’t want to.”

He let the quiet settle again, letting Niko breathe. Letting him be..