[M] 1/1 (1/2)

Jeon Jungkook, age 17, is a result of a successful batch. His looks grand wonders: physique tall and strong for athletic abilities; face so beautiful it was as if he was sculpted by the hands of Aphrodite herself, with plump lips and high cheekbones; skin beautifully tan and equal complexion all around his toned body. However, his eyes were as cold as ice, solid to the core, and bit back those who dare try making eyes with him. This was because, in order to pass any bill concerning eugenics, the government and scientists came to the conclusion to devoid all legal specimens of exaggerated, human-like emotions and sensations. With that, it was the only ensured solution for them to live passed their 20’s. Jungkook may have not been able to sincerely or naturally smile or become happy for anyone, but he was always at the top of his class, the smartest of his peers, and the envy of those around him. In a way, he was the model specimen.

Jungkook did manage to have friends, those he’d known for almost the whole of his unnatural born life. Even though, amongst the humans, everyone knew he wasn’t born naturally, they’d come to accept him. Such as his more prominent human friends, cousins Taehyung and Jimin, two years his senior who’d went to the same high school when Jungkook enrolled but have since graduated. Both cousins have smiles that rival the sun, limbs that resemble strong branches, and eyes sparkling like stars. They have inviting arms, most of which are towards Jungkook and his stoic persona. Jimin, according to everyone, has had a crush on Jungkook since the day they met. However, Jungkook was not made to think of such things, albeit made to study them, but not understand them.

Whether so or not, even if Jungkook were made with emotions such as love and heartbreak, he doesn’t think he’d be for Jimin. Jimin is a loud, proud human, one that attracts the most of life and other kids their age, his smile is infectious and his eyes are vast like the ocean waves. People could get lost in them, people could warm by his beaming expression, and Jungkook doesn’t understand even half of why. He can’t deny to himself that there are those moments – a system glitch scientists did say would happen; a linger of any human emotion – where he can smile on his heart’s accord, and engage in a trivial conversation because his mind yearns for it. Except, that only happens when he is with Jimin, never anyone else. Rationally, he tells himself it’s because of the way Jimin is; he goes about life with the utmost positivity, like he knows what he’s doing. When he comes across people with more simple minds he lowers his knowledge to their level, and Jungkook somewhat envies him.

He tries to tell himself that he only keeps Jimin around because the elder can’t help himself, but a part of Jungkook whispers in his ears that he aspires to be just like him. When Jimin wraps an arm around people they automatically lean in to his touch, something Jungkook hasn’t figured out or found time to do in his day. His agenda has been made for him since the day he was born, and he curses Jimin for making him think, for a brief moment, that it is unfair.                But it doesn’t matter; Jungkook has no real feelings of Jimin because someone with friendly gestures and a smile bigger than the span of Africa isn’t someone who will amount too far in life, at least that's what Jungkook thinks.

Last year, when Taehyung and Jimin were going to Jungkook's school, every Friday of the last month, the school had students evaluate on each other’s performance before the actual teachers do throughout the day. It’s half a social exercise as well as a requirement; the staff wants the school to get along as well as how they are doing amongst themselves and their elders. This is how everyone knows about Jungkook; it says so in his evaluation sheet what type of human he is. Of course it’s been optional since they day he was born if he wanted people to know, but he doesn’t mind, therefore every month he gets the same old thing from his friends.

This month, Taehyung is the one evaluating him, while Jungkook is evaluating Jimin. Taehyung always gets a kick out of reading about people who weren’t born naturally, which explains his high-pitch giggles as he says, “Jungkook, I don’t understand why you need to be evaluated; you’re the nation’s perfect lab rat. What could possibly be in need of keeping track of you?”

Jimin just so happens to be passing by them outside of the class, leaning against the threshold and tapping his couin's shoulder, “Hey, leave him alone, he can’t help being perfect.”

Taehyung just jokes, “Maybe he’s born with it.”

Jungkook replies without humor, “I am born with it.”

Their homeroom teacher shoos Jimin away from the class just as he’s telling Jungkook, “You’re evaluating me this year right?”

Jungkook glances down at the yellow folder in his hands, fingers dipping into the opening before widening the gap and catching a picture of Jimin inside. “Oh, it seems so.”

“Keep it closed, all right?” Jimin smiles down at him as if Mr. Kim is near to shouting for him to leave, “I don’t want the whole world to know I’m an idiot.”

As soon as he leaves, Jungkook just lets the conversation go so Taehyung can finish up the evaluation. Jungkook has had Jimin before, has read through his evaluation sheet more than once, and even so doesn’t understand why he says those words to hin every time when’s he’s actually a genius. Maybe he’s just modest, Jungkook thinks to himself. It says so in his sheet that he has promising offers to places like Yale and Harvard; full scholarships underlined. But Jimin has never mentioned it to anyone, at least to Jungkook’s knowledge, because he dreams of going to the Art Academy only a block away from their school. It’s the only one in close proximity, the rest are out of town and Jimin claims he just doesn’t want to be away from home that long.                  In the present day, despite his protests and refusals of Jimin's doting, he still comes over to Jungkook's house on a daily basis. His parents adore him, and Jungkook's aware that it’s because they’d always wanted a son just like him. Unfortunately, after Jungkook, they knew they wouldn’t be able to afford another child, breed of eugenics or born naturally. So they all settled for Jimin's occasional company, he was harmless, except for when Jungkook needed to study. The latter always claimed he came to him with help on his own schoolwork; Jungkook highly doubts that.

“I say, the moon has such tasteful craters!” Only five minutes into his arrival and he’s already started on his usual babbling of nonsense. Jungkook has a physics paper to finish, and he isn’t helping him a bit with his ramblings. “I can just imagine what it was like for Earth and Theia to collide with the moon. Wow, all the debris forming just one ginormous satellite for us Earthlings. Amazing, am I right?”

“You’re not incorrect,” replies Jungkook monotonously. It’s his go-to response to anything Jimin says, it isn’t the most polite thing but he isn’t particularly lying when he says those words.

Jimin apparently doesn’t like it, to which he shows by grumbling under his breath, “You could at least come up with a different response, Jungkookie.”

“I’m sorry,” he feigns guilt with his eyes glued to his computer screen, instantly rephrasing without missing a beat, “that is an interesting thought.”