“So, how do I look?”

Hyuna turned to Nabi with a strange sense of deja vu. “Honey, I chose that outfit so just know that you look gor.geous.”

Hyuna swung her hair over her shoulder and finished tying her converse. Both girls slid in front of the full-body mirror hung up behind Hyuna’s door and quadruple-checked to make sure that they were ready, to make sure that Nabi was ready.

“Come on darling, we look b.e.a.utiful so let’s go let’s go.” Hyuna impatiently dragged Nabi away from the mirror and toward the door. She had spent half the Saturday to doll up her precious little toy...she meant to say best friend...and it was impossible for Kim Hyuna to wait another millisecond for this teenage drama to play out.

Nabi followed her girl with unfocused eyes, her thoughts drifting elsewhere until a gust of air whispered gently but coldly against her ears. Nabi inhaled the crisp autumn atmosphere and shut her eyes to absorb the reality that was engulfing her at a dangerous speed.

*Han Nabi, this isn’t a date. This.isn’t.a date.* Nabi thought to herself over and over again. Nabi had a hunge that the attraction she felt toward Jeon Jungkook was definitely beyond what was allowed between to-be step siblings, she knew since the night Jungkook kissed her knuckle with lips that were burning despite the cold-sweats streaming down his forehead. But Han Nabi locked that notion away in the farthest, deepest corner of her mind. She didn’t want to ever solve this internal conflict. She was not read for the consequences that might poured over her if she does, and she wasn’t sure if she ever will be.

“This isn’t a date.” Nabi voice shook as she stepped out the door to greet the changing season.

---

“So, how do I look?” Taehyung turned around and raised one of his eyebrow, questioning the younger boy who was sprawled across his bed and clawing at his blanket.

“Who cares, Kim Taehyung.” Jungkook mumbled.

“I care, I need to look good.” Taehyung turned to his mirror again and fixed his hair for the upteenth time.

“Why do you need to look good? It’s my date.”

“That makes only you who think that.” Taehyung mocked with his deep baritone and fixed his hair again.

Jungkook sat up and threw a pillow at him, messing up the back portion of his hair that Taehyung had spent the past 30 minutes putting in place. Taehyung turned around with a poker face; however, the daggers shooting from his eyes forced Jungkook to change topic.

“Ahem, you haven’t answered my question, why do you need to look good?”  

“To match up to Hyuna.” *No reason.*

Kim Taehyung froze again and Jungkook lips curled into a mocking smirk.

“You need to fix that habit.”

Taehyung sighed and nodded in complete agreement.

“Why do you pay attention to Hyuna noona so much?” Jungkook questioned and grabbed his brick-red leather jacket.

“Yoongi said she’s similar to Taehee.” He explained and zipped up his own white windbreaker.

“In what way?” Jungkook questioned as he walked over to Taehyung’s desk and examined the family portrait. “Her hair?”

“Taehee’s light brown, Hyuna’s raven black.” Taehyung answered in fragments as he searched for the perfect pair of shoes.

“Their faces maybe?” Jungkook tried again.

“No, Taehee’s features are softer, Hyuna’s are stronger, but also more charming.” Where were those black converse?

“The vibe they giv-”

“Nope, they’re complete opposites.” Taehyung showed a ghost of a smile when he finally found his black shoes.

“Then why do you pay her so much attention?” Jungkook turned around and gave the crouching Taehyung a questioning look.

Taehyung stood up, shrugged, and headed out the door. Jungkook’s eyes widened and he stumbled hurriedly after his best friend.

“Yah Kim Taehyung! You’re hiding something from me aren’t you?!”

---

“Jeon Jungkook!” Jungkook’s eyes immediately found the owner of the voice that never failed to send electricity zipping down this spine.

“Nabi noona!” Both boys took long strides down the hustling crowds and met the girls halfway. Jungkook paused as he caught full sight of what his girl was wearing: a long sleeves, velvet dress fell to her knees and hugged her waist with the help of a thin, black belt. Her black knee high socks lined her calves perfectly and boy did Jeon Jungkook just found a new obsession with converses.

“Kim Taehyung, control your friend he’s checking out my girl way too much.” Hyuna teased as she looked at the awe-struck Jungkook. When she heard no reply, she shifted her gaze to Kim Taehyung and found him frozen. Hyuna was unaware that four out of five of his senses have been temporary blocked since his eyes are working beyond their maximum capacity.

“Kim Taehyung?”

Taehyung snapped out of his daze and fumbled for an answer when he saw handfuls of guys ogling at and making comments to themselves. At that moment, Kim Taehyung swore to rid this world of body-hugging, white wool blouse and dark, high-waisted jeans. The converse can stay though.

“Jungkook, she said stop staring.” Taehyung nudged Jungkook with his elbow, his eyes still fixed on the raven-haired girl.

“Noona, you...look nice.” Jungkook smiled with his bunny teeth and Nabi couldn’t help but returned the smile.

“Thanks. So, where are we going?”

Jungkook scratched his hair. “Well, I thought we could look around first and see.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Nabi fidgeted with the hem of her dress and linked arm with Hyuna. “You lead the way, Jeon Jungkook.”

“Uh uh, girl, you look around.” Hyuna removed her arm and Nabi was shock at the rejection. “I want to eat.”

“Oh, well, we can go and eat together.”

“You look around first, I know you’re not hungry.”

Nabi gave Hyuna the please-don’t-do-this-to-me look when she tried to pry away Nabi’s arm. Nabi grudgingly let go after a good ten seconds of resisting. Why must her best friend be such a scheming and conniving little-.

“Promise you’ll meet up with us later.” Nabi slightly, ever so slightly whined to Hyuna, an action that sent Jungkook’s breath straight up his throat and out into a little cough.

“I promise darling, Tae told me-”

“Tae?” Both Jungkook and Nabi echoed as they shifted their eyes to the stiffened Kim Taehyung.

“Woops, sorry the kids at the orphanage called him that, it just kinda slipped out.” Hyuna grins which led Taehyung to maneuvered his rigid body in front of her with one step.

“You can call me Tae.”
Taehyung didn’t know where this boldness was coming from, he just know that the nickname sounded nice coming from Hyuna.

“Didn’t know you were such a man, Kim Taehyung.” Hyuna cooed and patted his shoulder affectionately, or with just enough affection that only her closest friend would sense.

Jungkook was shocked at the exchange between the two people in front of him (when had Kim Taehyung ever voiced his opinion about something in front of a girl) when the scent of peppermint hit him. Also, as Jungkook came to notice after getting closer...sort of getting closer to Nabi, was that there was a sweeter, nectar like scent mixed within the peppermint. This combination, to Jeon Jungkook, was Han Nabi’s scent.

“I feel left out.” Nabi joked and smiled up at Jungkook.

“I don’t.” He was going to ditch Taehyung anyway.

“I heard that.” Hyuna said as she turned towards them again. “Anyways, Tae told me there’s going to be a lantern lighting event at 8 so let’s meet up then. Location is that huge water fountain in the middle of the plaza.”
Nabi nodded as she waved goodbye to her best friend who was already eagerly dragging Taehyung to the nearest food stall.

“We should get going too then?” Jungkook nudged and Nabi jolted slightly at the touch, not noticing that Jungkook too stiffened at the contact that he so hesitatingly initiated.

“Yeah.” Nabi couldn’t come up with a better reply.