just a taste

enjoy the sweeter things.

After being at her computer for hours, Joo sat up and stretched her back. 'I really hope I can get this section to my editor by the deadline.' She took a sip from her coffee and slouched back over the keyboard, typing away. In the stairwell of her apartment building, Jin climbed up with her favorite flowers and a box of kimbap in his hands. When he reached her floor, Yoongi exited her apartment about to depart for work.

"Oh, hyung." Yoongi was caught off guard, wondering what Jin could be doing here. Knowing Joo was going to be shut in for days, he checked his phone for the time and day. "Ah! Good luck and have fun, you youngsters."

Yoongi gave Jin a sly look before giving Jin a brohug. With that, he patted Jin's back before making his way down the stairs. It was February 14th, 2014; this was the day he chose to finally ask Joo to be his girlfriend. He inhaled deeply, holding his breath for a few seconds before exhaling. Taking one step closer to the door, he messed with her hair to give it some sort of volume.

Ddok ddok.

Joo turned her head toward the door. She rolled her eyes and rose from her chair.

"Yoongi, I don't have anymore yogurt." As she opened the door, she bent her neck down to fix her ponytail without even looking at who was there. "You ate it all, remember?"

"Guess I should have bought you yogurt instead of kimbap." Jin brought the flowers and kimbap out from behind his back and presented them to her.

She looked up at Jin and wrapped her arms around her neck, pulling him down to her height. 

"What are you doing here?" She let go of him and looked at her watch. "I thought? Shouldn't you be at that meeting in Seodaemun?"

He brings the items closer to his face. "I was excused. May I come in?"

"Of course, of course!" She opened the door wider to let him in. "I was trying to finish this part of my book, but now I feel a little less guilty of procrastinating because now you're here!"

They both sat on her couch and talked for a half hour, catching up. It had been about a week or two since they last met in person. While listening to Joo's trying to publish her book, he stared intently, admiring this girl he'd been getting to know for the past few months.

"What." She interrupted herself. "Why are you looking at me like that? Is there something on my face?" Joo lifted her hand in attempt to start touching her face.

"No." Jin reached over and held her hand in his. "Just a speck of pretty."

"Oh, God." She looked away, hiding her flushed face. "You and your corny lines."

Jin cupped her chin and turned her head to meet her eyes.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Joo. Will you do me the honor and become my girlfriend?"

"Ama!" "Ama!" "Ama!"

Jooheon screamed, as Jooseok mocked and chased him. Jooheon ran to the kitchen and used his mother's legs as a shield.

"Kim Jooseok." Joo stopped cutting up vegetables for a moment to look at both of her boys. "Jooheon. Get along, please. For mommy?"

She crouched down to meet their eyes with her puppy-like ones, using aegyo against her own kids as a joke.

"If you both behave, we can go get some cake." The boys, now filled with excitement, looked at each other and nodded. "Okay, shake hands."

They obeyed and clasped onto each other's hands. Joo, then, instructed them to help set the table as dinner was almost ready. Joo made one of their favorite dishes, japchae. As she handed the boys their own tableware, they toddled over to the dining table and placed them at their self-assigned seats. She watched proudly and her boys talked nonsense to each other while they waited her her to finish cooking.

She brought the entree and side dishes to the table and talked with her boys. They talked about Pororo and Power Rangers. Although she could barely understand them, these were the moments she looked forward to. She enjoyed the time she got to spend with her boys. The twins' attempts to get Joo to laugh were hilarious to her on its own because they always tried so hard. It reminded her of how Jin used to do the same thing. She kept the genuine smile on her face, feeling the nostalgia run through her mind, just looking at her boys.

This was something she never knew she wanted.

This was her paradise.