ALPHA | BTS FANFICTION

AU - Love Crime - Part 1

The heart of the city buzzed with a cacophony of sounds as car headlights swept across the streets and footsteps echoed against the worn-down pavement. People hurried in every direction, eager to reach home after a long, tiring day outside. And among the bustling crowd, a young woman in her early 20s walked aimlessly, her blank gaze fixed on the bright screen of her phone. She released a deep sigh, glanced away, and slipped the device back into her jeans pocket. As she strolled beneath the warm glow of the streetlights, she steered left into a crowded alley, eventually stopping in front of a familiar fish cake stall... where a young and chubby man served his customers delicious local fish sticks.

"Oh! Noona! Rough day?" The young man beamed, his cheek dimples showing as she calmly stood in her long coat by the stall, her eyes on the steaming sticks soaking in the boiling broth.

"The usual," She replied with a smile. He chuckled, handed some cash to an elderly man, then quickly picked out three fish sticks. Her usual order. The young lady comes by everyday for three fish cakes in a broth filled cup. The young man cut up the fresh fish cakes into edible slices, placed them in a paper cup, and handed it to her, accepting her cash in return.

"Your change- NOONA!" The young man fumbled through the basket for her change, only to pause when he notice her strolling away with her small dinner portion.

"Keep the change!" She called back dismissively, waving her hand as she walked away from the stall. The young man scoffed, glanced down at the generous change in his hand, and shook his head with a faint smile before quickly straightening up to serve his next customer.

A week later.

"Ah! I should have set the alarm thirty minutes earlier!" The chubby young man gasped as he scrambled up the short flight of stairs, hurrying through the empty corridor before bursting through the door with a bag slung over his shoulder and a notebook clutched tightly in his arm. THUMP! The door banged shut, making him freeze in horror as his wide eyes landed on the crowded room filled with other university students. His cheeks flushed a deep red when he realized the professor was staring at him, bewildered by the sudden interruption.

"I'm sorry!" He managed to wheeze... his chest heaving as he struggled for air. Quickly, he pulled the hood of his jacket over his head to hide his flustered face and hurried up the stairs. Thump. Thump. The room remained dead silent as he scanned the packed lecture hall for an empty seat, briefly pausing beside a chair in the fifth row but hesitated when he noticed a designer bag resting on it.

"C-Can I-" He stammered, glancing at the pretty girl sitting next to the chair with her arms crossed. She rolled her eyes and looked away, so he clutched the strap of his bag tighter at her impolite rejection and continued up the stairs until he spotted an empty seat in the uppermost right corner.

"Sorry- sorry!" He frantically whispered as he squeezed his chubby frame past the chairs until he reached the vacant spot and slumped down with his head lowered. The professor shook his head and resumed the lecture, while the young man nervously peeked out from beneath his hood, relieved to see the other students focused on the lecture, seemingly unbothered by his arrival. He let out a shaky breath and lowered his head, taking a deep inhale to calm his racing heart while clenching his fists. Badum. Badum. He tried to steady his breathing and closed his eyes when he suddenly felt a warm touch on his clenched hands.

Pause.

He froze and quickly opened his eyes to find another hand resting gently over his. Swallowing hard, he blinked and turned to his left, meeting the familiar gaze of a smiling face.

"Fish cake boy," The young lady smiled at his flustered face.

The man blinked at her warm smile with his lips ajar as she gently squeezed his hand, so he opened his mouth to speak but she shook her head and gestured him to remain quiet with a finger raised to her lips. He scoffed at her unexpected presence and glanced down at his notebook as she drew her slender fingers from his hand. He took a deep exhale and glanced forward, calm and steady again once he received her unexpected comfort.