I wake up early in the morning to the smell of fresh coffee and toast.

 

"You're up?" Dad says without taking his eyes off the eggs in the stove.

 

"Good morning." I stretch and yawn, dragging my feet into the kitchen.

 

"I made breakfast."

 

"I'll go wash up first." Shuffling into the bathroom, I brush my teeth and proceed with a quick shower before emerging in a t-shirt and home shorts.

 

"Coffee or milk?" Dad asks when I sit at the dining table.

 

"Coffee." When we're both seated, I tell him, "I invited Yoongi oppa over today. Have you met him yet?"

 

He nods. "Nice kid, that boy. He came to the hospital as frequent as Namjoon did."

 

"Namjoon oppa is coming too. Which is why… dad, how do I make knife noodles?" I scratch my head, embarrassed.

 

"Is it Namjoon’s favourite?" Dad takes a bite of his egg toast. I nod. "Okay, I shall take this chance to show off my skills then."

 

"Yes! Thanks dad!" Dad's knife noodles are seriously the best in the world. Even Auntie's recipe was learnt from him. If I could I would make this dish for Namjoon myself but we all know I know nothing besides instant noodles and fried rice. That settled, I happily munch down my breakfast.

 

At the supermarket, dad and I pick out ingredients that we would need to make lunch. In the cart hidden between vegetables and meat are packets of chips I’d snuck in.

 

“That’s enough,” dad sighs when he sees me holding another packet of crackers. I drop the packet into the cart with a goofy smile. After checking out, we stop by a convenience store on the way back for ice cream. Well, an ice cream for me and a cold drink for dad. We walk to the playground nearby and sit on a bench by the edge.

 

“About Namjoon,” he starts suddenly. “Are you thinking about your future with him?”

 

I blink once, twice. “What do you mean?”

 

“Dating an idol means sharing your boyfriend with thousands, tens of thousands of other people out there. Aren’t you bothered by that?”

 

“Honestly,” I think about this for a while. “It’s not that I’ve never thought about it, but…”

 

“But?” Dad turns away from the little children playing to look at me. “I know you’re still young, but if you’re not serious about him, then you might want to reconsider this relationship. Save everyone a bit of pain.”

 

His eyes start to defocus and I guess he’s probably thinking about mum. Are my feelings for Namjoon just an infatuation? “I don’t know about Namjoon oppa but I think I-”

 

I freeze at the thought of the foreign word on the tip of my tongue. Love…?

 

“Oh, Byeol.” Dad takes my hand in his and pats the back of it. He knows. But, does Namjoon? Am I supposed to tell him?

 

“What am I supposed to do…?” I bury my head in my hands. A gentle wind blows and the trees around us dance. The bushes behind me rustle.

 

“Come on,” dad prompts me to stand. “We have to get home and get started on these noodles for Namjoon.”

 

Taking the heavy bags, we enjoy the beautiful weather as we walk back.

 

“Hello, sir,” Yoongi and Namjoon greets politely when they enter. I notice how Yoongi has made it a point to wear proper jeans instead of his usual ripped ones. Dad emerges from the kitchen with flour-covered hands.

 

“Welcome,” he smiles back at them. “Take a seat. We’ll be done soon.”

 

“I’ll help you,” Yoongi offers, following him back into the kitchen.

 

“Oh, then me too!”

 

“No!” Dad, Yoongi and I all stop Namjoon at the same time.

 

“Byeol-ah, you just stay with Namjoon and make sure he doesn’t spoil anything else,” dad instructs. Just as I want to tell Namjoon to help me with an assignment, he adds, “And please stay in the living room.”

 

“Dad!” I roll my eyes at him but blush inwardly. “I’ll go grab my notebook, then.”

 

“I’ll… just be here,” Namjoon shyly runs a hand through his hair. He sits up straight on the sofa with his hands gathered in his lap. I hold in my laughter when I come back out and see him seated so stiffly.

 

I plop down beside him. “Oppa, I need help on an assignment.” I point to the document on my notebook screen. It’s a literature assignment I need help on and Namjoon just happens to be quite talented in this subject.

 

“Huh, what?” He looks at me blankly.

 

I laugh out loud. “Oppa, just make yourself at home. Why are you suddenly so nervous?” 

 

“I…” He looks between me and the kitchen. Coincidentally, dad calls for him from inside.

 

“Namjoon, will you come help me set the table?”

 

“Yes, sir!”  Namjoon jumps up from the sofa and hurries over. I grab his arm before he can run far.

 

“There’s no hurry,” I tell him. “I don’t care if you break anything else but I don’t want you to fall and hurt yourself.”

 

He smiles and ruffles my hair before making his way – carefully – into the kitchen. Bringing out plates and cutlery, he sets the table.

 

“Byeol-ah!” This time, Yoongi calls for me. “Come bring this out, will you?”

 

“Coming!” There, he passes me two bowls of noodles which I put down on the dining table. Yoongi comes out soon after with another two bowls and dad brings a tray of side dishes with him.

 

“Let’s eat,” dad starts when we’re seated at the table.

 

“Thank you for the food,” we say our thanks before digging in.

 

“I thought you were going to make this,” Namjoon whispers non-so-softly.

 

I nudge him playfully. “It’s not like you don’t know I only know how to cook fried rice and instant noodles.”

 

“I worry for the both of you,” Yoongi sighs while shaking his head.

 

Dad smacks him. “Don’t make fun of my Byeol.” To Namjoon, “Young man, it’s now your job to make sure my daughter doesn’t continue living off unhealthy food.”

 

“Instant noodles aren’t unhealthy,” I argue, but under the table, Namjoon grabs my hand.

 

“Don’t worry, sir. I’ll take good care of Byeol.” Namjoon says eagerly. No more doubting of his IQ there – he catches hidden meanings in words quicker than anyone else.

 

“I’m keeping my eyes on you,” Yoongi warns, his eyes narrowed in exaggeration.

 

Namjoon rolls his eyes. “Hyung, please.” He triggers an eruption of laughter at the table.

 

“Okay, that’s enough, kids. Let’s eat before the soup turns cold.” Dad gestures for everyone to eat as he slurps up his noodles.

 

After lunch, Namjoon and I bring the empty dishes into the kitchen to wash with him soaping and me rinsing. After more playing around than actually washing, we finally finish our job at the sink. In the living room, Yoongi and dad are engaged in a very serious game of chess.

 

“Let’s go out for a walk,” Namjoon suggests, and I agree. Briefly letting the elderly know, I slip into casual sandals and leave the house with Namjoon.

 

“Such beautiful weather today!” I run ahead and bask in the sun. When I turn around to wave Namjoon over, I see him on his phone. Whose idea was it to come out again?

 

“Really beautiful,” Namjoon says, a look of satisfaction on his face. He looks up from his phone and smiles at me. Jogging over, he shows me his screen.

 

“When did you take this?” I cover my flushed face. While I was happily skipping away, Namjoon had been taking pictures of me.

 

“Byeol-ah, help me take one too.” He passes me his phone. “I’m going to upload a Kim Daily.”

 

I end up spamming his camera roll with his dynamic poses as well as some candid shots. Scrolling through his gallery, I send myself a few of his nicest shots to myself.

 

“You have so many pictures.” He takes some hundreds of pictures every day it’s difficult to even scroll past one day.

 

“No!” He rushes over to snatch his phone back, but it’s already too late.

 

“I didn’t know you were such a stalker, Kim Namjoon.” Scattered in his camera roll are pictures of me, some taken candidly and others when he had my attention.

 

He knocks me lightly on the head. “Why are you calling me by my full name?” Taking back his phone, he continues scrolling down his camera roll. I link my arm through his to pull myself closer to him so I can look too.

 

“Oh!” I stop him mid scroll and point at a picture of that time I went to their dance studio with Soo. At one glance it looks like one of his many selcas, but the intent is clear in making sure I came out in the picture too. It seems like only the back of my head was captured in the picture but you can see me clearly in the mirror reflection in front.

 

“Heh…” Namjoon rakes a hand through his hair in embarrassment. Come to think of it, I don’t have a proper selca with Namjoon.

 

“Oppa, let’s take a picture together!” I start up the camera on his phone and hold it at a nice angle from the top. “1, 2, 3.” I snap a couple of shots.

 

“I’ll hold the camera. Ready? 1, 2…”

 

I tiptoe to lay a quick peck on his cheek just as he clicks the shutter.  

 

“3…” Namjoon flashes his shy smile.

 

“Wah! It’s Rap Monster!” I immediately turn around when I hear the undeniable spazzing of fangirls.

 

“Hello,” Namjoon greets politely as two girls approach. He holds me close despite my urge to run away.

 

“Are you Byeol unnie?” One of the girls ask. Inevitably, I turn to her and smile. “Wow, you look so much prettier in real life.”

 

“Thank you,” I say, my plastered on smile holding up on its own now.

 

“Sorry to disturb your date but…”

 

“You want a picture with him?” I offer. “I’ll help you take it.”

 

The girls excitedly pass me their phone. Standing on each side of Namjoon, they pose with V signs. I spam the camera roll and take some ten over shots.

 

“Thank you!” The girls say together.

 

“Will you help us take a picture, too?” Namjoon asks suddenly, holding out his phone.

 

“Of course! Let’s use that backdrop. Lean closer together, okay! 1, 2, 3.” The shutter goes off in yet another series of bursts. I smile up at Namjoon who has his arm around my waist. Pulling myself off him, I thank the girls and retrieve his phone.

 

“You two look so good together,” one of the girl says

 

“Please be happy for a long time,” the other girl wishes. “Namjoon oppa, you have to be happy!”

 

“We will, thank you.” We wave them goodbye as they continue on their way. Namjoon pulls out his phone again to check on the new pictures. Without his fancy outfits and makeup, we look like any other ordinary couple on a date.

 

“I’m going to make this my wallpaper,” I tell him, helping myself to the photos. I send them over to my phone and immediately change my wallpaper. “Perfect!”

 

“I love you.”

 

My brain goes into sudden lockdown. He… what?

 

“I love you,” Namjoon repeats. “And I know you do, too, even if you don’t say it.”

 

“Oppa…” I look up at him only to have him return my confused gaze with his unwavering eyes.

 

“Yoongi hyung and I were passing by when we overheard you with your dad at the playground earlier.” He tightens his hold on my hand.

 

“I…” don’t say anything because I don’t know what to say.

 

“You don’t have to force it,” he tells me, a natural smile on his lips. I throw myself into his embrace and he pulls his arms tightly around me.

 

We stand in silence for a while, soaking in warmth from both the sun and each other. Soothing my hair, Namjoon whispers into my ear,

 

“I can wait. For now, just know that I know how you feel, and that I love you, too.”

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