I

It didn't matter to him that the distance between his home and yours was an hour long ride home. He wanted to make sure that none of those neighborhood punks would make cat calls at you. So day after day, the library became his temporary home as he waited for your afternoon lessons to finish. He would send you home, irregardless of your protest, before heading back home by himself.

It didn't matter to Seokjin that all he had with him was 50 bucks. It was meant to be his allowance for a month, but he usually cooked at home anyway. When your eyes had wandered over to the display as he was sending you home, Seokjin took a mental note of the place. He raced back to town to get you the last of the stupid limited edition toy that you wanted.

As he raced across a heavy storm, it didn't even occur to eokjin that it was nearing four in the morning and he should be at home. You were sick, you were alone and you were incredibly afraid of thunderstorms. He fished out the keys that you kept under the mat and took care of you for the rest of the night. It didn't matter to him that after that, he fell sick. He made sure to come school just to fetch you home, even though he was supposed to be home resting anyway. He failed his exams too, but he shrugged that aside. He was glad that you no longer felt sick.

Nothing ever mattered to him, except for you.

II

It did not escape his attention that soon, you spent more time saying sorry to him than enjoying time with him. The thank you you offered him were strained, they felt hollow and were laced with worry as the two of you part ways when you reached your place. It was ironic, but he expected that your apologies soundd more sincere. He knew, somewhere, that he was being overbearing. But he beamed widely anyway; because you took the limited edition toy he brought for you reluctantly, because you let him took you home. Sure, you protested a lot. But you let him did what he wanted anyway. It didn't escape his attention that your eyes would glaze over, guilt evident in your features when you found out that he fell sick shortly after taking care of you. Falling sick was worth it since he had the privilege of you, worrying about him.

 “I’m sorry Seokjin,” You say, “I don’t see you that way.”

Maybe he misread the signals that you sent when he decided to confess to him but he had told himself that it didn’t matter if you didn’t like him back. But the ache grows when you tell him that you didn’t like him back. He feels himself growing numb, as you walk away. You couldn’t bear to look at him anymore, guilt consuming you as you left the classroom.

III

The next day, school and life had continued as if the confession had never occurred. You did your homework, you kept to yourself. Of course, you also made special efforts to avoid Seokjin. You left class earlier so that he wouldn’t send you home. Conversations were kept short and sweet, and he was left craving for something more. Despite your initial offer that the two of you could stay friends, you weren’t sure that it was possible. After all, you can’t see Seokjin in the same light ever. 

It didn’t escape Seokjin’s attention that you were avoiding him but he was too far in to just let go of you. He clung onto the memory of you, even if it was just that. It was pathetic, to him. So in the end, the friendship between the two of you was so fragile that it could be so easily shaken.

“[name]-ah, will you go out with me?”

Rage simmered in Seokjin, before slowly bubbling up the surface as he saw pink dusting your cheeks. The anger that Seokjin feels is unadulterated, like a forest fire that persists even after a cold shower. It was cold, like the storm he had to endure. He wanted to hit something, scream at someone.

More importantly, he wanted you.

IV

On hindsight, he was not even close to the nice guy that he made himself out to look. Sure, he played the role well but a nice guy wasn’t who he was. When he approached you, he had convinced himself that all he wanted to be is your friend, but now he was sure that friendship wasn’t the only thing he had in mind. When he looked at only you and told himself that he could settle with being just friends, who exactly was he trying to fool?

Fire is a funny thing, he thinks to himself as he flicks the lighter.

He knows that he should be thankful that you would even spare a glance in his direction. After all, you were known to be really reclusive. Your social circle was narrowed down to just one, and you weren’t even close to that one girl. He knew, because he had observed the people you interacted with. You always waited for other people to make the first move, even though you were far from being introverted. He knows that he should be happy that he made it this far – you felt guilty for turning him down. He knows that he can’t force love, and that you were being honest. However, somewhere along the line, he grew greedy.

He watches the flames flicker, as if dancing. For a whole hour, he watches it burn and eat away at everything, until everything is reduced into dust.

He would kill for you, die for you. Anything that you wanted, he would give it to you. He would look at only you, and he knows only you. He would do anything for you, so why couldn’t you do the same?

He pulls your body close to him, playing with a lone strand of hair.

You’re in danger.