Chapter Text
It wasn’t easy being poor, as if that wasn’t the most obvious statement of the century. Jinu came from a small village, barely scraping by under the care of a single mother of two. Jinu wanted so badly to help when he was old enough to apply for a job, lightening the burden of her load, but she had adamantly refused.
Instead, she worked three jobs, growing thinner and paler by the day.
“Get into Honmoon, Jinu. I will be so proud I will burst with joy.” She always told him, brushing his cheek with a raw and work-calloused hand. He would close his eyes, fighting back the pain in his chest at hearing the exhaustion in her voice. It seemed like an impossible dream, the University only fit for the best of the best.
Nevertheless, he studied until his eyes were sore, his shoulders and neck stiff from staring at books. He had no time for friends or girls. He only stopped to pick his sister up from school and walk her home. He wanted to make sure Jihye never had to worry, that he could bear the burden of pulling their family out of poverty.
When he finally achieved his goal, the scholarship in his hands, Jinu had collapsed in the tiny kitchen of their run down apartment and cried. His mother hugged him so tight that he thought he would be the one bursting.
“I’m so proud, I’m so proud.” She had repeated it over and over, rocking him in her arms. It was the best moment of his life. It was his chance to get the degree that could take care of them, that would allow her to finally rest.
The cost would still be a burden even with the scholarship, but she insisted that he must go and she would make it work.
So when he found himself outside the prestigious university, staring up at the formidable building before him, Jinu felt every bit the imposter. He felt small, with his worn out sneakers, threadbare hoodie and outdated jeans. All around him were brand name apparel, the labels clearly visible as the students passed by. Everything was new, the latest seasons.
Chaebols sent their kids to Honmoon. What was he even doing there?
He was so wrapped up in staring at everything that made him feel out of place, he didn’t notice the girl with her head buried in a book heading towards him. He collided with her, her book flying out of her hands and scattered pages all over the ground.
“Watch where you are-” The words died in the girl’s throat as she looked up at him, tawny-colored eyes meeting his. Her mouth parted in surprise, full lips glossy. Not that Jinu noticed. Or that her hair was the prettiest shade of violet, tucked into a tidy braid that fell loose from her hoodie on impact.
Jinu’s eyes widened, cheeks flushed with embarrassment at his own mistake. He hastily dropped to the ground, trying to compile the papers together. She dropped down in front of him, the shock wearing off enough to sigh in exasperation.
“They’re all out of order now.” She whispered to herself, grabbing some of the pages as well. Jinu couldn’t help it, stealing a glance at the contents. Sheets of music.
If her major was such a frivolous thing, she must’ve been loaded to have such freedom to choose music as her avenue of study. Not that Jinu would say that to her face. A touch of envy nudged its way in, since he would have loved that freedom himself.
Her hand brushed his, manicured nails next to his rough hands, the contrast making him feel even more unworthy. Her fingers had designer rings in gold too. Jinu didn’t know much about fashion but he knew money when he saw it.
“Sorry,” he mumbled, realizing he had forgotten to say it in the quiet study of her. She withdrew her hand from him quickly, a pink tinge coloring her cheeks.
She swallowed, words seemingly lost on her lips. Jinu glanced at the music again, realizing it had hand written lyrics, the notes drawn in. She had written it herself. He started reading the lyrics, engrossed in the story when she cleared her throat, grabbing the edge of the page.
“It’s not finished.” Her voice had an entrancing quality to it, the kind that made Jinu lean in closer as if drawn in by her natural charisma.
“You should finish it, it’s good.” Jinu smiled weakly, feeling increasingly awkward but he couldn’t pull himself away all the same. He knew music, it was the only subject he was actually interested in and hadn’t had to force himself to excel at for survival. The notes on the sheet had come to life in his head, the melody already floating through his consciousness like a tiny orchestra lived there already, playing it for him.
She smiled shyly, in a way that had Jinu completely struck, those impossibly warm, doe eyes fixing on him. She parted her lips to say something more but someone yelled for her in the distance.
“Rumi! Hurry up, we’ll be late!” A small girl with dark hair twisted into buns, yelled from the distance, hanging off the arm of a taller, more angular girl with the fiercest resting bitch face that Jinu had ever seen.
“Bye,” Rumi rose from her kneeling position before him, tucking a loose stray of violet hair behind her ear. Jinu was struck with the urge to do it for her but that would have been even more mortifying than the interaction had already been.
“B-b-bye,” Jinu stuttered, his awkward farewell earned him a small twitch of Rumi’s lips as she turned, her braid swaying behind her as she rushed to join her friends.
Jinu breathed out in a rush, dragging his hand over his face. He wanted to disappear into the ground. Absolutely fucking disappear.
B-b-bye? Really?
He groaned to himself, trudging along towards the dorms so he could get settled. Could it be any more painfully obvious he hadn’t talked to girls before? Sure, he was used to their attention. He wasn’t blind. He knew he was attractive.
He didn’t have a natural flair for dealing with women though. He had always just brushed off their advances, much more important things to worry about. He couldn’t let his guard down yet either, his grades had to stay high to keep his scholarship.
He found his dorm room on the third floor, his single suitcase dropping unceremoniously in front of an unoccupied bed. The other side of the room was decorated with movie posters, mostly foreign, as well as comic book and video game ones.
The said roommate had sea foam green hair that was partially covered by a headset. A giant computer screen was before him, some sort of combat game on the screen that Jinu knew nothing about. Due to the distraction, he didn’t notice Jinu’s arrival.
Jinu didn’t care, stooping to unlatch his suitcase and unpack his few belongings. It was rather pathetic how little he had brought with him.
A knock came at the open door, a quick rap of knuckles against wood.
“Yo, Baby!” A loud, obnoxious voice cut through the air, a jarring sound that caused Jinu to knock his suitcase over, spilling its meager contents.
The gamer roommate turned at the commotion, pausing his game and lowering his headset to observe the disturbance. At the door were two pink haired students, one muscular and tall, his hideous Hawaiian shirt doing little to cover the bulging muscles beneath. The other, slimmer and softer looking, almost pretty. The slighter one definitely had money, his clothes fitting in an effortlessly stylish way.
“Abby, put on a goddamn shirt that fits, you whore.” Baby regarded the muscular one with an unimpressed look.
The muscular one, Abby, apparently, stretched his arms above his head, the buttons on his shirt fighting for their lives. “You’re just jealous.”
The other pink-haired one eyed Jinu with something Jinu could only explain as morbid curiosity, the same kind of fascination that one would view a car accident on the side of the highway with.
“Where the hell did you come from?” He spoke, the disdain clear in his voice.
Abby fixed his gaze on Jinu, as if suddenly noticing him. He raked his eyes over Jinu in a way that made Jinu feel a bit violated.
“Fresh meat, Romance.” Abby commented, leaning on Romance’s shoulder with a wolfish grin. Jinu decided he very much did not like the way he was being treated like prey.
“A bit of a fixer upper.” Romance scoffed, shaking off Abby’s arm so he could assess Jinu closer. He placed a thin finger under Jinu’s jaw, tilting his head in the light. “Fuck me, this jawline though.”
Jinu jerked away from them, his skin crawling a little.
“Stop harassing him.” Baby cut in, fully standing from his seat, letting the headset slide off his back onto the chair. “He’s the scholarship guy.”
“Obviously.” Romance quipped, eyes darting to Jinu’s clothes and pathetic pile of possessions. “He couldn’t afford to come here on his own.”
“What’s your name, gorgeous?” Abby interrupted, stepping forward to back Jinu up against the side of the bed. Jinu lips twitched into a snarl, feeling like a caged animal.
“Fuck off,” Jinu snapped at them, squaring his shoulders and standing tall. He was still a bit shorter than Abby but not so dramatically smaller that he couldn’t hold his own if need be.
“Oh, he’s got teeth.” Romance purred in satisfaction, his disgust at Jinu’s belongings dropping in favor of harassing the newcomer.
“Jinu.” Baby answered for them, seeing the name scrawled across the top of the suitcase.
“Jinu,” Abby repeated, as if testing out how it felt on his tongue. “Are you familiar with the Saja club here at Honmoon?”
Jinu tensed immediately, the name absolutely legendary to anyone who attended the university. All the members were either from elite families or they could buy their way in. If you had connections with the Saja boys, you were set for life. You could end up working at some of the biggest companies in the whole country.
“I think he does.” Romance leaned on Abby’s shoulder, a satisfied smirk curling his lips.
Jinu felt his stomach drop, realizing that he had just told the Saja boys to fuck off. He immediately bowed his head, realizing his mistake. “I’m sorry.”
“No,” Abby grabbed his chin, lifting his head. “A Saja boy bows his head to no one.”
Jinu’s brows furrowed in confusion, his eyes flicking over to Baby questioningly. He seemed like the only sane one.
“Welcome to the Club, apparently.” Baby sighed, crossing his arms over his chest. “Occasionally these two idiots want a new play thing. Congratulations.” His tone was so unenthusiastic that Jinu felt it was more punishment than reward.
He swallowed hard, feeling a little sick. He knew he would have to kiss their asses for as long as he attended university if he had any chances of scoring a job with their parents’ companies.
It was worth it for his family.
“We have to do something about this tragedy.” Romance added, pinching the sleeve of Jinu’s hoodie as if it were a smelly, dirty sock. His nose even wrinkled. Jinu narrowed his eyes but didn’t say anything, holding his tongue. There would be a lot of that.
~~~~~
He felt as if he was in the middle of a rom com makeover montage, designer shirts swirling around him as Romance held up different colors to Jinu, deciding his color palette and fit for him. Jinu just stood awkwardly, the feeling so surreal as Romance handed things to the sales associate as if it were no big deal. Jinu caught a glimpse at the price tag and balked, feeling sweat bead on his forehead.
“I can’t afford these,” he mumbled quietly to the pink haired man, trying to interrupt the shopping spree that Romance was keen to take him on.
“Oh, beautiful, I know.” Romance patted him on the cheek condescendingly. “I’m buying this for you.”
Jinu’s jaw dropped open, trying to process the situation. “Wait, what? Is this like Pretty Woman or something?”
Romance’s eyes gleamed with mischief. “Do you want it to be?” His tone lowered suggestively.
Jinu shook his head vehemently, holding up his hands. “No, not my industry.”
“Shame.” Romance pouted until he grabbed Jinu arm to pull him in the direction of the watches. “Abby, do you think he’s a Submariner type?”
Jinu stared in disbelief at Romance, feeling his stomach churn. “Why are you doing all this?”
Abby popped up from behind a display of fine, leather shoes, pressing against Jinu’s side. “Because we own you after this.” He grinned from ear to ear, like a cat that caught the canary. “You’ll do anything we say.”
Jinu grit his teeth, knowing they were right. If he refused even at that point, he could get blacklisted once he was ready to search for a job. Well, maybe if he stuck it out, it would be worth it just to resell the watch.
After countless sessions of trying things on and modeling for them, including some measurements and fittings, Jinu had a new wardrobe. Some items would be custom, though those would come later.
After that, they ushered him to the salon for a haircut. He had let it grow a bit long since he hadn’t had time for haircuts with his studies but he had to admit, the difference with a top stylist was dramatic.
By the time they left, Jinu felt unrecognizable. He looked as though he was a dashingly good looking CEO from a Kdrama, ready to walk in and break hearts.
Abby wolf whistled, jerking forward in his chair when Jinu walked out in front of them with his full transformation.
“We outdid ourselves.” Romance commented, satisfaction seeping into his voice as he looked Jinu up and down. “Now you can be seen with us.”
Jinu stared at himself in a full length mirror, the feeling a bit surreal. He no longer would stand out at University but he didn’t even recognize himself. Was he selling his soul just to provide for his family?
It felt like it.