‘Did you bring him home to make me jealous?’ I remember this from one of those messages that he slid under my door. Was this a warning about Namjoon, just like he had warned Nam…joon?

 

Namjoon? Since when did Rap Mon become Namjoon? My mind freezes in shock. Shock from me thinking that we’re close enough for Namjoon to be in danger, shock from... wait. Namjoon? No, Rap Mon! What’s wrong with me? Why am I like this?

 

“Earth to Byeol?” Soo waves her hand in my face, distracting me from my thoughts.

 

“Huh?” I look at my friends dazedly.

 

“Noona, you should be more careful from now on,” Seob tells me.

 

“Did you forget that this noona has been trained in self-defence?” I put on a smile and ruffle his hair. It’s been a while but… muscle memory, right?

 

“But still…” Despite being the youngest, Seob sure does have a lot of worries. Shaking my head in defeat, I stand.

 

“Where are you going?” Soo asks, mirroring my action.

 

“Home. I need to go get my class materials, remember?”

 

“I’ll go with you,” Soo says immediately and I roll my eyes at her.

 

“Isn’t your class starting one period before mine?” We might be in the same department but we have different timetables. Looking from his sister, Seob blinks at me.

 

“You have tuition,” I remind him. Eyeing the worried look on their faces, I can’t help but sigh. “I’ll be fine, really. Besides, it’s broad daylight!” Sending my friends another signature smile and a reassuring pat on Soo’s arm, I turn down the path and hurry home.

 

It’s the first thing I see when I open the door. Bending down, I pick up the letter.

 

 

I should go to the police, but my situation isn’t really helping. With Namjoon in possible danger, you’d think I’d run to the police immediately. But he’s an idol, and I don’t know how I can handle this without involving him.

 

Cussing out loud, I throw the crumpled up letter into a corner on the floor. I take what I need and leave the house without another thought to the psycho. On the way out, I receive a message from Namjoon – no, Rap Mon!

 

From: RM oppa

[You’re at home, right?]

[Wait downstairs for a while.]

[Yoongi hyung is on his way.]

 

Instead of replying, I call him back straight away.

 

“What’s this about?” I ask as soon as he answers his phone.

 

“Yoongi hyung is done with his solo part already.” His voice is hushed and from the speed of his talking, it’s probably not very convenient for him to be taking calls. Entering the lift, I press the button for the ground floor.

 

“You’re not answering my question.”

 

“I’m worried about you, okay!” The exasperation in his voice is loud and clear. I sigh, not knowing how to react to his words.

 

“Fine.” Softening my tone, I tell him, “Go back to work. We’ll talk again later.” The lift door opens just in time and exiting the building, I see Yoongi pull over in the same black car from yesterday. I bow as he rolls down the window.

 

“Hop on,” he says, smiling warmly at me.

 

“Sorry for the trouble, Yoongi-ssi” I apologise when I climb onto the passenger’s seat. I fasten my seatbelt awkwardly.

 

“It’s nothing.” Changing gear, he drives off smoothly. While keeping his eyes on the road, he steals a glance at me. “Namjoon kind of told me about it. To be honest, I’m quite worried too.”

 

I frown. “You really don’t have to. And Namjoon oppa too.” We’re not even that close.

 

“Oppa?” He smiles unexpectedly. “You’re calling Namjoon oppa but I’m still Yoongi-ssi? Wow, I’m feeling kind of offended, Byeol.”

 

“What… It’s just that…”

 

“You can be comfortable around me too.” He looks away from the road to meet my eyes.

 

“Eyes on the road,” I warn.

 

“It’ll be nice to have a younger sister like you.” Yoongi says this so softly, I’m not sure if I’m meant to hear it.

 

“So, oppa, will you please speed up a bit? I’m about to be late for class.”

 

Smiling widely, Yoongi oppa accelerates and brings me to school with more than enough time for me to walk to class.

 

“You’re meeting Namjoonie later right?” Yoongi asks. I told him to drop me off in the side street where there wouldn’t be much people. I nod in response to his question.

 

“Hurry go back to work,” I nag, waving at him. “But drive safe!” He waves back before speeding off. I too run towards my class, reaching with a couple of minutes to spare. Still catching my breath, I whip out my phone and search for Namjoon’s contact.

 

To: RM oppa

[At school. Thanks for sending Yoongi oppa.]

 

My phone vibrates with a message just as I keep it into my bag but I decide to ignore it until break time.

 

I think I might have received some ten thousand messages because the vibration continues for the whole hour.

 

From: RM oppa

[You’re welcome ^^]

[But why is hyung oppa?]

[Since when are you calling him oppa?]

[Byeoooooooool.]

[Yoongi hyung has been smiling non-stop since he came back.]

[What have you done to him?]

[Or, did he do something?]

[Aren’t you paying too much attention in class?]

[I ended up asking hyung.]

[Curiosity satisfied.]

[I drank caramel macchiato just now.]

[I think going to switch from americano.]

[Is it not break yet?]

[It’s been ten hours.]

 

I hold in my laughter as I read his messages. My desk mate keeps shooting me weird looks but I can’t help it. Why is he so cute? Hitting the reply button, I draft my message.

 

To: RM oppa

[What are you?]

[Weren’t you working?]

[Are you trying to crash my phone?]

 

And then I click send. His reply is instantaneous.

 

From: RM oppa

[FINALLY.]

[I was bored.]

[Has class ended?]

 

The teacher suddenly announces that break is over and I stare at the clock like it suddenly sprouted legs. Does fifteen minutes usually pass that quickly? I send a short reply.

 

To: RM oppa

[Break ended… More classes until 6, TTYL.]

 

At 6PM when my last class for the day ends, I meet Soo and the guys at my locker.

 

“Happy birthday, Byeol,” they wish before pushing their gift into my arms. It’s about the size of my torso and wrapped casually in cellophane paper, I tell easily it’s a teddy bear inside.

 

“Aren’t I a little not so young already to be receiving teddies now?” I joke, hugging the soft toy.

 

“I’ll take that as your thanks,” Ray says sarcastically, his eyes disappearing in a smile.

 

“Thanks, guys!” I pull everyone into a hug, the bear squashed in the middle of us. I release them when my phone rings. Recognising the unique caller ringtone I’d set, I answer the call.

 

“Hello.”

 

“We’re here!” Namjoon shouts into the receiver. There is so much noise in the background I have to hold my phone away from my ear.

 

“Coming,” I tell him before hanging up.

 

“Call me after,” Soo whispers with a weird smiley look on her face.

 

“See you tomorrow,” I say to my friends before walking out to the usual pick up/ drop off point.

 

To my surprise, Bangtan’s daily van sits by the curb. Jin is in the driver’s seat with Yoongi beside him. The two men smile at me when I approach. The door behind opens and I see the rest of Bangtan seated inside.

 

“Hi Byeol!” Jungkook flashes his bunny teeth in a wide smile. I bow to the less familiar members Jimin, Taehyung and Hoseok.

 

“What is that?” Jimin eyes my teddy bear with curious eyes.

 

“Wow!” Taehyung’s rectangular smile pops up from behind Jimin.

 

“What are you thinking of?” Namjoon snaps me out of my thoughts. “Come in.” Jimin gives up his seat in the middle row and moves to the back. Climbing in, I take my seat beside Namjoon, hugging my bear awkwardly.

 

“Hello,” I greet awkwardly, sending an apologetic smile to the back row. I’m sure it isn’t easy having to squeeze four grown men into the three-seated bench. Namjoon sets the bear down between us and reaches over to slide the door close.

 

“Let’s go!” The maknae line cheers, causing laughter throughout the van.

 

“You okay?” Namjoon asks when the van has quietened down a little. I look up at him in surprise.

 

“Yeah, I just…”

 

“Wasn’t expecting everyone to tag along?” Hoseok finishes for me. I nod shyly.

 

“Should we just leave, then?” Jimin fakes an exaggerated hurt expression.

 

“No, the more the merrier, right?” I smile.

 

“Are we going somewhere far?” Taehyung asks, squirming around in his seat.

 

“It must be really uncomfortable behind…” I say.

 

“Switch?” He looks at me with puppy eyes.

 

“I don’t mind,” I tell him. Coincidentally, Jin stops for the red light. Making use of the short few seconds, Taehyung and I exchange places. He almost trips on the teddy but we manage to sit properly before the traffic light turns green. Sitting between Jungkook and Jimin with Hoseok by Jimin’s other side, the four of us fit snugly into the last row. Namjoon takes one look at me before furrowing his eyebrows. Watching him, he pulls out a blanket from I don’t know where and throws it over my legs.

 

“Oh~” The guys beside me whistles as Namjoon turns back to the front with a reddening face.

 

“I was going to ask you earlier but…” Yoongi speaks up from the front seat. “Aren’t you cold?”

 

I roll my eyes. “For the third time today, no, I’m not.” The season’s changing to spring so it’s not as cold anymore. Namjoon clears his throat.

 

“So how were classes today?” Jin suddenly asks.

 

“Nothing much. We learnt about the basics of a business and other boring stuff like that. But then for second period, a relief tutor came in and she’s like this scary old woman…” I blabber on without meaning to.

 

Through the rear mirror, Jin smiles warmly while I go on spouting nonsense. The others would randomly chip in and say something really funny that makes everyone laugh. Even when I stop talking to catch my breath, the guys would chat on, showing off their close relationship with one another. And throughout this short ride, I can’t help but to wonder if this – warmth, laughter and nonsensical talking – is what having a family feels like.

---

A/N: Multiple updates today. Just saying.