Yerin was standing at the corner of a room. She stared ahead. There was not much furniture in the white room with wide windows. There was a white queen sized bed in the middle of the room.  

*Seokjin oppa*

                Jin curled himself on the bed. His eyebrows were pinched together with his eyes closed. His teeth grinded. His palm formed into a fist as he grabbed the cover so hard that it crumpled under the force.

*Seokjin oppa. He’s suffering* His struggled to breathe as if he was chocked.

*Oppa!* she tried to move but she can’t. A man in black apparel appeared beside the bed. Soft wicked laugh echoed from him. *That guy! He’s enjoying seeing Seokjin oppa in pain!*

                Yerin’s hand curled in a tight fist.

   *          *             *

“Thank you for inviting me to join, Aunty” Yerin turned to Mrs. Kim beside her. “Of course” the lady nodded with a warm smile and Yerin replied her smile. She always loved her motherly love. It give her warmth though she was V’s mother.

                Yerin turned back to the food in front of her on the picnic matt spread on the green grass of the park one evening. She lifted her gaze to V and his father who were enjoying their game of soccer near them. Yerin stared at V’s face. His broad smile never left his lips from morning.

*It’s great that you’re enjoying yourself, Taehyung*

“Yerin, I need to go to the toilet for a while” Mrs. Kim stood. “Alright. You want me to go with you?” Yerin asked. “No it’s okay” Mrs. Kim left her.

                A phone that laid on the matt suddenly rang and vibrated. Yerin took it.

“Uncle, your phone is ringing” she held it out to him. “Oh?” Mr. Kim jogged to her and received it. “Thanks”

                He straighten and answered the call.  “Yes, Mr. Yang”

                Yerin and V exchanged glances.

“Oh. This Tuesday?” Mr. Kim voice could be heard. “Let me check my schedule for a while” he moved the phone away from him.

“Tae, Yerin. I need to go to the car for a while, okay?” he jogged away from them while still talking to the phone. The two looked at each other.

“Work I guess” V dropped the ball in his grip and walked to the matt. “He must be tired” she replied as V sat beside her. “Uhuh” he replied after gulping some water. “Although he’s on leave this whole week, the office keep on calling him”

 

 

“Taehyung” she turned to him. “Hm?” he glanced at her. “You’re happy?” “Right now?” “Yes” “You bet!” he smiled. “My parents are getting close again. We haven’t been on family outing like this in years. And” he turned to Yerin.

                V laid on her lap, facing the blue sky.

“You’re here too. Today is the best day ever!”

                Yerin smiled softly at his statement. “I think so too” She fanned him with her hand.

 

“Oh, my!” Mr. Kim exclaimed as he almost bump into his wife when he was on his way back to their picnic area. “Yeobo” she called.

“Mr. Yang called just now. So I had to run to the car to check on my schedule for next week. He said he want me to be in the meeting next week” he explained as they walked on the pavement towards the picnic area. “Oh. I just went to the toilet” she replied.

                Mrs. Kim suddenly halted and grabbed his husband arms and stopped him from continuing his steps. Her eyes glued to a direction.

“What is it?” Mr. Kim followed her gaze to see both V and Yerin. “That is so sweet!” she squealed and quickly took out her phone. She snapped the picture of them.

“Never had cross my mind that they might date each other. And we want them to be sibling?” he turned to her. “You’re right. You think we’re doing the right thing? Adopting Yerin?” Mr. Kim sighed in reply.

“I thought we are. But” he turned to look at the two again. “Maybe we have to think about the decision again. Those two are close since they were little. It’s not impossible that the two love each other as lover”

“Wait” Mrs. Kim turned to her husband. Mr. Kim turned to her with wide eyes like her. “You thinking what I’m thinking?”

He nodded. “I think I am”

“Yerin may not become our daughter but” “She could be our daughter-in-law!” “Oh my gosh! Yeobo!” Mrs. Kim high fived her husband a few time with the squeal. Mr. Kim giggled at her cute reaction.

 

 

 

 

“You’ve made up your mind?” V looked up to her. “About my family adopting you”

“Oh that” Yerin was silent for a moment. “I still don’t know what I should do” she sighed. “If we become family, you and I can be by each other’s side forever. We will not part ever again. That’s the only thing I could think of”

V got up and turned to her. “So you’re okay with the adopting thing?”

“I don’t know” she smirked.

 

                Both Mr. and Mrs. Kim approached them and joined them on the matt.

“What are you two chatting about?” Mr. Kim grabbed a drink to quench his thirst. “Nothing. Just this and that” V replied, still staring at Yerin.

“Oh! I almost forgot!” Mr. Kim took their attention. “We made up our mind the other day” he glanced at his wife before looking at Yerin again.

“Wow! That sounds important” V spoke.

“It’s about us adopting you, Yerin” Mr. Kim began. “We don’t think we want to proceed with the decision”

                Yerin’s eyes widened.

“First, is because maybe it’s hard for you to make up your mind about it. Second, you’re grown up. So our current situation is just right. We’re close like a family and adopting you don’t change anything accept the status right? So yeah. That’s all” he explained. Mrs. Kim nodded while still controlling herself not to smile broadly.

“But Uncle and Aunty” Yerin looked at them. “Are you okay with it? I mean I don’t make you sad right? I don’t think I want to be adopted myself. It’s not because I hate you. I really love both Uncle and Aunty. But something just seems off to me if I’m adopted”

“We understand” Mrs. Kim replied. “So we agreed to it? No adopting”

   *          *             *

               

                V had a damp cloth in his grip and a spraying bottle in his other hand. He wet the window of the café before wipe it to clean. He glanced back to his colleagues who were tidying the café before it was open for the day. His eyes went to Yerin who was cleaning some cups and saucers. He smiled.

*She looks beautiful as always* 

“Excuse me everyone” Yesung’s voice took everyone’s attention and they turned to him who was standing at the center of the café. Beside him was a man standing.

                V stared at the man. “Jimin?”

“Today we have another new member. Introduce yourself” Yesung jerked his head to the other workers. Jimin smiled that his eyes turned into single line. He bowed.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Park Jimin. I’ll do my best”

                The workers cheered at him. V met eyes with Yerin. They exchanged smiles.

   *          *             *

“Yerin, one frappe and one cappuccino” Jimin gave the order to Yerin. “On it” she got busy with preparing the orders. “How can you end up here?”

“It’s just that my work place before this is quite far from my home” Jimin leaned his back against the counter. “So I thought since this café need an employee, I should just apply for job here. This café is not really that far from my home compared to my previous work place”

“Annoying” V walked up to them with sour face. “What happen?” Jimin asked as V leaned beside him. V eyed him from up to down from the corner of his eyes with his arms crossed. He rolled his eyes. “I thought maybe I could run from all of you guys and have Yerin all to myself if I work here. It seems that I’m 100% wrong”

“You don’t like me here?” Jimin chuckled. “Have Yerin all to yourself? Yah she’s my friend too. Don’t be too selfish”

“He’s right, Tae” Yerin voiced. “Isn’t it great that you can see him every day? At least you’ll know how he’s doing all the time”

“You’re just too happy he’s here right Yerin?” V asked. “Of course. I like my friend being close to me. And staying in my range of view most of the time” Yerin glanced at V. “Including you”

                The corner of his lips were lifted a sec before he pouted again. “Yeah right”

                Jimin chuckled at the sight of the two. *These two are so sweet!*

   *          *             *

                The sky was already dark. The employees were busy cleaning the café to call it a day.

“Good job everyone!” Yesung bid his workers goodbye as they started to exit the café. “You too, boss” Yerin bowed to him before exited the café with her bag.

                Jimin caught onto her. “Heading home?”

“Uhuh. I don’t think I want to go anywhere. I just want my bed so badly now” she sighed. “I’m all drained!”

                Yerin glanced at him. “So how’s your first day of work?”

Jimin pressed his lips together and gave the question a thought. “Great” “That’s it? You’re not tired?” “Of course I’m tired. But before this I work worse than at the café. And I’m happy to be able to see you and Taehyung all day long. And meet the other guys too” “Now you know they always visit Tae at the café”

“Yah!” V came between them. “Get yourself another girl, Jimin. Yerin is mine”

“Taehyung! What do you think you’re doing?!” she slapped his shoulder.

“You two look good together” Jimin glanced at the two of them. His smile saddens as memories of Umji came hit him.  “Another girl?” he whispered. “Will I ever find one”

 “Of course you can” she replied. “This world is big and women always exceed the number of man on this planet”

V quickly pulled Yerin and covered with his palms. Yerin gave him a glare. “What the!” she mumbled. V shook his head to her and bit his lips while Jimin walked ahead with both of his hands in his varsity.

V leaned in to her ears. “His girlfriend died years ago” he whispered. Yerin gasped “I never know. It’s your fault! Why would you mention about girl?” “My fault?” “Yes”

“Jimin” she caught up to him. Jimin turned back to her. “I’m so sorry” she bowed. “I never know”

“Nah it’s okay. It’s all in the past though” he smiled faintly.