“Stop right there! Mister, that’s cheating!”

“V ahjusshi, you’re a cheater!”

The game coordinator and kids were making a big fuss over Taehyung who was reaching the ending point. Such a playful boy he is, Taehyung dragged the cone further so that the kids would take a longer time to reach it.

Taehyung chanted “we can do it, we can do it!” to a kid that was on his feet. The couple had to walk in that manner prior to the conditions of the game. It seemed like Taehyung could handle it well since he’s tall and strong to support the child. While the others, were struggling to walk in a harmonized pace.

As they reached the ending point, Taehyung cheered for himself and carried the little boy on his shoulders to celebrate the victorious moment. But the game coordinator shook her head and showed a sign of disapproval.

“Uh-oh.” Taehyung saw her hint of displeasure.

“V ahjusshi… I don’t think we should cheat… Yesung and V ahjusshi could have won if we do it properly…” The boy mentioned his honest thought.

Taehyung felt guilty that the boy didn’t feel glorious even though they had just won. He slid the little boy down his shoulder and carried him comfortably. “I thought that that’d make the birthday boy happy… Okay then, hyung won’t do it again. I promise.” He stuck his pinky finger out to seal an agreement with him. The little boy happily nodded his head and wrapped his small finger around the older guy’s.

“Winners shall be announced later on but for now, let’s move on to the next game! This game is the same as what you had played. But instead of the lighter person being carried on their partner’s feet, you’ll now have to carry them in any way possible, up till the cone then make a round back to the starting point! Are my instructions clear?” The young volunteer explained.

The kids were busy murmuring and choosing their partners while Taehyung glared at Yesung again since he wanted to give his all for the birthday boy.

“And Mr V… To make things fair for everyone, you can’t be partnered with someone of a far-off weight than you are. Make it fair to the kids!” She hissed. It was a game planned out for the kids anyway, but Taehyung felt bad for Yesung since the younger boy wanted Taehyung to play the games with him throughout.

Yesung frowned a little but an idea struck his mind.

“V ahjusshi, you can go with chocolate noona!!” Yesung was pushing his arm, telling him to make a move as the game coordinator was starting a countdown. Taehyung was trying to spot Sora from afar but as the countdown came down to ‘5’, he sprang from the ground, charging at the lady with an elegant black dress, donned in a turquoise cardigan.

“3… 2…” The sound got further as Taehyung reached Sora’s station.

“Omma- V! Put me down!”

“I’ll borrow you for just a while!” He swept her off her feet and Sora’s hand instantly wrapped around his neck, in fear that she’d tumble forward. It was embarrassing having him to carry her this way. The last time she was carried in this manner was by her brother. Not even Himchan had the chance to carry her bridal style. In her life, it had only been Taehyung.

It was overwhelming when she felt his touch once again. The touch that connected her to her memories. In a split second of a ridiculous assumption, she thought that maybe this guy could be Taehyung, the one whom she reckoned for 17 years of her life.

“Let’s win for Yesung.” Taehyung ran with Sora in his arms, panting just as he reached the starting point. Sora was taken aback when she heard the child’s name. She left her conscience just as she learned the noble man in him.

The whistle was blown and the participants ran to reach the cone before turning back to the starting point. Taehyung took it easily as he was competing with kids anyway. His only plan was to run as fast as he could, nearing the ending point.

“V, my dress!” Sora shrieked when the smooth material behind her knees slipped off his grip. Taehyung hastily pulled it and rested her back on his knee as he allowed Sora to adjust her outlook.

They made a turning point and just as they realised they were about to lose out, Taehyung held Sora tighter, close to him. He sprinted right to the end of it and the whistle made its blow again.

The observer of the game held Taehyung’s hand up to signify that he had won for the last game. He chased for the little boy who was sitting among the audience and placed him on his shoulders like before. “Victory goes to Im Yesung!” He cheered as he held the boy securely, waving his arms for him.

Sora chuckled to see how worthy this man is. Although he dropped her right after the game ended, it touched her that he was putting his all to feed the little boy with happiness. Yesung had been parentless and lonely, living in the orphanage. He was rather hard to approach to and Sora had tried to break his ice but she couldn’t. It was a great pleasure for her to be seeing him smiling again as though he had own the world.

She walked shyly to her station as people saw how she was being ‘nabbed’ by that mysterious guy. Her working peers mildly with all those common ideas that they shared but as she was blushing, trying to turn away from them, she met eyes with the guy who was opposite from her; just the game ground separating them apart.

Daehyun’s folded arms, frown and pinched brows did not only highlight the jealously in him but also his fists were clenched. No one realised that though, but he was certainly not in any mood to entertain questions or conversations.

A little spark of glory was attained in Sora. She felt like there was a need to see more of this side of him to know how much of her did he actually miss. She wondered… if she was going on the right path.

-

“Yesung told me that he’s thankful for today.” Taehyung informed Sora gleefully as they took a seat by the Han River’s magnificent view.

“You got so close to him, I see? He’s hard for just anyone to approach. But it seems like he likes you a lot.” Sora gulped down on her milk.

“He told me that I should fetch him someday… I’ll surely do that in the future though.” He looked down, giving it a deep thought, knowing that he wouldn’t regret an ounce of it. Sora smirked and nodded, in total support of his idea.

“How long have you been working with them?” He asked.

“2 years? This is my second time volunteering for such events. I used to spend the day there with my family but they’re all busy now. Appa and omma at work… Oppa is busy with his training duties.” Sora smiled to herself as she talked about her family of three years.

“We should come here together every year then, it’s really exciting to be doing stuffs like this. It’s like a time-out for me, from work and everything. Plus, seeing you definitely makes my day a whole lot better. You see, in our company, I’m mostly surrounded by guys. Even at home, I have only my dad and a few more of our men. No woman… it’s not exciting, you see.”

“Gosh, you’re making me uncomfortable.” Sora pretended to shiver from hearing his story.

“Kidding! What I’m saying is, you actually made a difference to the life I’ve always lived. It’s pretty much exciting now.”

Sora pinked and acknowledged his honesty. She felt the same too. It’s been two years she was left in the cold, not having a glimpse of hope. But right when she was experiencing heartbreak, a random guy came rolling in, making her think that she had found love and care once again. 

“So V… Your father is a single parent?”

Taehyung nodded. He didn’t know how to explain that though… He forgot about his real parents when the truth is that, they were stabbed to death. He witnessed it all, the traumatic incident. But the selective amnesia that was living temporarily on him was reserving the most painful memory for the last.

“Yeah, but I don’t remember a thing though. I’m currently diagnosed with amnesia. That’s why I can’t remember almost everything about my life.”

Sora coughed upon learning his story. She thought that he was normal, like every one of us. It shocked her to know that a person that she knew could go through such a thing. “I guess every one of us surely has some painful past to share, don’t we? I used to have a twin sister. We knew each other for just a while after we reconciled but unfortunately, she had to go…”

Taehyung felt bad that this topic suddenly came about. He forgot how it feels like to lose someone. That makes him unsure on how to persuade the girl. He dug for the chocolates in his pockets and poured them all in front of her. “Sorry, i’m a noob at persuading people but here’re some chocolates?” He offered her tentatively.

Truth was, Sora wasn’t even down at the moment. She already came to accept Taehee’s fate a long time ago. She roared a laughter as the guy awkwardly gave her those candies. “I’m fine, V, really.” Taehyung reddened as he retrieved them back in a quick manner.

“Thank you so much for agreeing to accompany me today, V. I never expected a really great help from a busy person.”

“It’s nothing, don’t think of it as a help. It’s a great outing.”

“I took your contact for granted… I owed you 12K and now you’re even helping me. How can I ever repay you?”

Taehyung pursed his lips. He was thinking of more useful ideas to make the girl make up for her ‘debt’. Even though he didn’t mind the incidents, he was bluffing a bothered attitude so that he could spend more time with her.

“Reply my texts and respond to my calls.” He crossed his legs, looking at her direction.

Sora hiccupped when he requested that. That’s pretty much easy… but why would you still want to communicate with someone who had caused you enough troubles? She was hoping that this wasn’t going to be another confession. She didn’t know how this guy would look like even though what attracted her was his heart.

“Don’t I always respond to your texts?” She was slightly disturbed by her fringe that went out of place. She became stiff, almost knowing what he was going to say.

“What I meant is, even at the most ridiculous topic and no matter at where you are, you have to prioritise my messages. 3am texts are no exceptions.” He was smiling behind his mask, wanting to laugh out loud but afraid that if he did so, the girl wouldn’t see the seriousness in his request.

“You’re going to rob my house soon, aren’t you?” Sora joked awfully as she wasn’t comfortable with the conversation they were through. It not that she’s too confident of herself but she had been through this for so many times. Many guys were interested in her, it could be possibly that this V guy would fall into the same troop too.

“No, i’m not really into money. My dad’s business is already running along well.”

Sora was getting impatient with the message he was trying to convey. Although she wouldn’t want to know the truth that fast, she didn’t want this guy to confuse her by twirling his words and hints. He had dropped by too many hints already and Sora could tell from his willingness to accompany her to places.

“I’ll give you a lapse of 10 minutes. If you don’t reply me by then, I’ll have to trace your house and impose a 12K charge on you.”

Sora knew how that was a joke. She laughed even though she couldn’t tell what exactly was running in his mind.

“If I say that I’m bored, I expect you to reply me with entertaining texts. If I say that I’m busy, I’d still want you to keep on texting me. And if I ever say that I like you, i certainly don’t expect a silent treatment.”

With the shades that made his eye contact clueless to Sora, she was sure that he was looking at her, watching her reactions to his wants. Sora huffed a laughter in short breaths. He still hadn’t make his stand clear. So what if he texts her, saying that he likes her? If he didn’t want a silent treatment, how else should her response be?

“You’re thinking that I’m a crazy guy who covers his face and goes around saying ridiculous things to people, right?

Sora gulped and lowered her head to fix her gaze on the ground.

“But what to do? I think I like you.” 

OHO .^.u.^.