Seung Hee never told anyone what had happened with Yoongi that night. It was Mrs Min who found her in the hallway and Seung Hee was crying too hard to give an explanation. Later, she told Mrs Min that she had been thinking about her grandfather - which was true, in a way, as he always seemed to be occupying her thoughts. What would he have done if he had seen Yoongi behaving like that?

 

Yoongi was home the next day, and she did even look at him. He had said it himself - they had nothing to do with each other. Since he didn't seem interested in keeping his words, Seung Hee would.

 

From now on, Min Yoongi did not exist - he was just some random person who happened to be sitting across from her during mealtimes. In metros, people sat across you all the time and you never talked to them. Yoongi was like a person in the metro.

 

Though she never looked at him, she could feel his penetrating gaze on her and she ran away from his presence as soon as she could.

 

Yoongi tried to avoid her as well, but couldn't keep his gaze off her.

 

When he saw her though, his emotions were a mess, he didn't quite understand what he was feeling. He did know that he was ashamed of his behavior last night - he had scared her and she was just starting to get better.

 

He also knew he didn't like being ignored - she was the first person to ever ignore him like this. He didn't know about anything else - especially that tiny part of him that wanted her to stop running away from him...

 

To make sense of his feelings, he got away from her and lived in the dorm when he still had one more day where he could have stayed home.

 

Even there, she wandered into his thoughts, surprising him with the realization that he wanted to go and see her, that he missed her. He did not tell this to anyone, not even to Namjoon, because these foolish thoughts were nothing - they would go away, all he needed was time.

 

Jungkook continued to take Seung Hee out, but as his schedule became full, he could only see her once a week. He called her every night just to hear her voice and to wish her goodnight. He watched with a soaring heart as her cheeks regained their colour, her eyes regained life, and her lips regained their smiles. She was still not quite the same as she was before, but he was confident that he could build her a world where she would never cry again.

 

Jungkook was careful never to mention Yoongi, and so was she - it was an awkward topic. After all, Jungkook was Yoongi's friend, he loved and trusted him, whereas Seung Hee couldn't stand him. They never mentioned Yoongi, until the vacation was practically over and there were just a few days left.

 

They were in a cozy coffee shop, and it was over glasses of icy mochas that Jungkook said, out of the blue, "Weren't you planning on leaving Yoongi hyung?"

Seung Hee froze. "L-leave?"

And she remembered - that day she had met Yoongi, she had told him that she wouldn't stay with his parents.

 

"I remember..." she said slowly. "But-"
 

“Ask him about it, ok?"

 

"I will, but...”

 

"But?”

 

"Jungkook,if I leave, I have nowhere to go - I have no family. Besides, it's not like I'm really married to him or anything - I just live with his parents. He hates me anyway, so we don't even talk."

 

Jungkook's heart sank. He did not tell her about the times when he had caught Yoongi sneaking peeks at the picture of her in the wedding gown on his phone.

 

"You do have a place to go,” he said. “Listen, I have an apartment - you could live there! That will be so awesome!”

 

"I-”

 

"If you really feel uncomfortable, you can give me monthly rent, but I don't want – oh!" Jungkook's face lit up. "I want my rent in the form of your company! I want you to spend time with me instead of giving me money!”

 

Seung Hee smiled - he really was sweet. His idea wasn't so far-fetched, when you consider it. She would have a place to stay, and she did have some money in the bank - she would pay rent, of course. It could work...

 

Yeah right - like the Mins would even let her move out...

 

She took a bite of her doughnut, and Jungkook chuckled.

 

"What?” she asked.

 

"Chocolate...” he said, and reached forwards and wiped the chocolate off her lip with his thumb. This one gesture, so sweet, made her heart go floating up and he gave her a dazzling smile. Then he drank a bit of his mocha as if nothing had happened.

 

Why was Seung Hee the only one affected? Butterflies were zooming around her stomach! He seemed so normal, though it was hard to tell what his face really was like underneath that cap he always wore low over his face and his shades - his 'disguise'.

 

"Ask him as soon as possible,” said Jungkook, bringing her attention back to what she had to do. "Ask him to convince his parents."

 

She nodded. “I will.”

 

* * * *

 

Seung Hee nervously called Yoongi that night. He picked up almost immediately and his greeting was: “Didn't I tell you not to call me first?”

 

She ignored him and got straight to the point. "Let's do each other a favor."

 

"What do you want?"
 

"You'll be really happy, and all you need to do is convince your parents-"
 

"About what?" he snapped

 

"To let me move out.”

 

There was a long silence.Seung Hee thought that he fell asleep or something, and to catch his attention, she said quite loudly, “Hello? Are you still there?”

 

"No.”

 

"Huh?”

 

"I will not allow you to move out. Where would you even go?"

 

"I have a plan-" said Seung Hee quickly.

 

"I don't care. I said no."

 

Without even giving her time to reply, he hung up. Seung Hee called him again for the next two days, but his reply was always the same: no. What was his problem? He hated her! He should be rejoicing that there was a way to get rid of her!

 

On the third day, she called again but this time he did not even answer the phone. Frustrated, she called Jungkook.

 

"Still no progress?” he asked.

 

"No,” she replied. “I don't understand - I thought he would jump at the chance to get rid of me. Also - no, nothing.”

 

"Tell me.”
 

“No, it's-”

"Come on - you know you can tell me anything.”
 

“Well, it's just that - this was the last thing my grandfather wanted me to do. I don't know, I just...”

 

"Have you thought about why your grandfather made that choice for you?”

 

"Yes,” she whispered.

 

"Why did he make you get married?”

 

"He wanted me to be happy.”

 

"Exactly - but you're not.”

 

"I'm not unhappy, either.”

 

"I know, but I don't think your grandfather would stop you from doing something that would give you more happiness. Are you truly happy right now?"

 

She didn't reply.

 

"Would you be truly happy if you get free from Yoongi?”

 

"I.. I think so...”

 

"Then I'll make him let you move out - I swear that you'll be free from him

if it's the last thing I do."
 

Seung Hee didn't know what to say - and more importantly, she didn't know whether she really wanted to move out. Mrs Min was here, and above all, Grandfather had wanted her to live here...

 

There was a gentle tap on the door.

 

"Seung Hee?” called Mrs Min. “Could you come help me?”
 

“I have to go,” said Seung Hee. “I'll call you back!”

 

She ran downstairs and found Mrs Min washing dishes. She quickly pulled on a pair of rubber gloves and began to help.

 

"Are you excited about starting school tomorrow?" asked Mrs Min.

 

Seung Hee shook her head and muttered, “I don't know.”
 

School – a place full of people. It seemed as though the times of worrying about homework and tests was ages ago...

 

"You'll see Ha Na again," pointed out Mrs Min.

 

Would Ha Na treat her the same, though? Seung Hee had ignored her for two months…

 

Mrs Min glanced at her before saying, “Your mother called.”

 

Seung Hee scrubbed a plate with more force than was needed.

 

"She's moving back to Korea soon, and would like to see you.”

 

"I have no mother.”

 

"I know it's hard," said Mrs Min. "But she's still your mother and she hasn't seen you in years.”

 

"That was her choice.”
 

Mrs Min frowned. "What do you mean ?”

 

Seung Hee kept scrubbing the same plate. “She had a boyfriend back then and he didn't want me. She couldn't keep both of us, so she chose the one who was more important to her - she chose him.”

 

All the things Mrs Min had wanted to say to convince Seung Hee to see her mother died in .

 

"Are we done now, Eomoni?” asked Seung Hee, putting away the last plate.

 

"What? Oh, yes - we're done.”

 

"Then I'll be in my room.”

 

Seung Hee flopped onto her bed. So it was only now that her mother realized what a horrible thing she had done, was it? It was too late now – Seung Hee had no mother…

 

The phone rang, and Jungkook's bright voice cried, “Seung Hee!”
 

Seung Hee smiled a bit – even his voice made her happy…

 

"You said you would call me back but you didn't!" Jungkook seemed to sense something was wrong. "Are you all right?"

 

"Y-yeah," she relpied, nervously fiddling with the hem of her T-shirt.

 

"I don't think so. What happened?"
 

There it was again. His genuine concern, his attention... how could you not

talk to someone like that?

 

"My mother wants to see me," said Seung Hee softly. "And… I want to see her, but I can't face her..." She gave a shaky laugh.“Do you know the funny part? She broke up with the boyfriend a year after moving to America with him.”

 

There was a brief silence. Finally, Jungkook said, "Her choice was a mistake. People make mistakes - after all, you can't be right all the time. It's part of human nature.”

 

He was right, of course, but that didn't remove the hurt.

 

"Do you know what else is part of human nature?” he asked softly. “Forgiveness.”

 

"I can't forgive her," said Seung Hee. "What if she suddenly appears in front of me? What do I say? What do I do?”

 

"Hey, don't stress over what may not happen." His tone turned lighter.

 

"You know my philosophy of life? Take problems as they come, one by one. There will always be a problem for you after you solve one, then when you solve the other problem there will be another problem.”

 

"You're very encouraging,” she grumbled.

 

He laughed. "It's the truth! Want to talk about something else now?"
 

She brightened. "Sure!"

 

Seung Hee heard footsteps outside her door and didn't pay attention since she thought it was one of the Mins. She was about to say something when the door opened and she saw Yoongi.

 

The butterflies came back, and the fear came back. It was one thing to demand something from him over the phone when he was far away, and quite another when he was standing right in front of her...

 

Even though she felt like running and hiding, she tried not to let him know how scared she really was. “Ever heard of knocking?”

 

"Didn't I tell you not to call me?” he shot back.

 

"Seung Hee?" said Jungkook uncertainly. “Is someone there with you?”

 

"I have to go...”

 

She hung up and Yoongi demanded, “Was that Jungkook?”

 

She nodded and he took one step forward, his eyes narrowed, and said, “I told you not to talk to the members. Don't you listen to anything?”

 

Seung Hee stood up, and, not for the first time, wished that she was taller. The top of her head only reached his chin, and his size intimidated her. She noticed the large plastic bag he was carrying in one hand and she couldn't help but ask, “What's that?”

 

"Children are all very curious, I've noticed.”

 

"I'm not a child! And don't come any closer!”

 

"Why so nervous?” he asked, taking another step towards her.

 

"I'm warning you, your parents are downstairs and if you do anything to me, I'll-”

 

"You think that I'm going to do something to you?” His tone turned amused. “I just came over for a chat.”

 

"Call me next time - that's what phones were invented for.”

 

"I missed you.”

 

He said it with such sincerity that she was caught off guard. She had no idea of what to say, and in a way it was scarier than when he shouted.

 

"You missed me too, right?” he said, still sincere.

 

"No.”

 

"What?”

 

"I did not miss you one bit.”

 

The corners of his mouth twitched. Was he laughing at her?

 

"I have nothing to say to you,” she said.

 

"But I have something to say to you. Sit down.”

 

"I'll stand.”

 

He pushed her onto the chair. “I said, 'sit'. Can't you listen?”

 

Though his voice was harsh, his expression was soft - but she wasn't fooled. The real Yoongi was mean and scary…

 

He set the plastic bag on the floor and leaned against the desk, his hands in his pockets. “So tell me,” he said conversationally. “Why are you bothering me?”

 

"I'm not,” she replied, and her voice shook just a little bit.

 

"Calling me every day to nag me isn't counted as bothering?”

 

"I just… you promised...”

 

"I promised your grandfather that I'd look after you.”

 

“You didn't really mean that promise, right?” said Seung Hee.

 

"He called me over one day," said Yoongi. "We had a talk, and I ended up promising that I would look after you. I don't break the promises I make."

 

Yoongi bent down so that his eyes were level with hers. “I won't let you go, so don't ask me again. It makes me feel as though you want to run away from me.”

 

"That's why I asked.”

 

As soon as Seung Hee said it, she regretted it - it was the truth, but it was a nasty thing to say. That look on his face… she hadn't known it would hurt him… but the look passed so quickly that it could have been her imagination.

 

He looked at her, and his lips turned up a bit - not quite a smile, a half-smile. He had never done this before… it was unsettling…

 

Yoongi picked up the plastic bag. “Catch,” he said, and tossed it to her.

 

She caught it. “Are you doing something weird?”

 

"You're so suspicious. It's just something I got in America and-”

 

"That was ages ago!”

 

"- and since I have no use for it, you might as well have it.”

 

He stuffed his hands in his pockets again and left hurriedly, and Seung Hee thought he looked embarrassed.

 

What she pulled out of the bag was totally unexpected: a pair of red Converse highs. And it was exactly her size…

 

tightened. Yoongi had put thought into buying her something; he had noticed the worn out Converse she always wore. And he even knew her size...

 

Why had Yoongi given her this? More importantly, why had he waited until now to give it, if he had bought it in America? She put them back in the bag. Best not to look too much into it – Mrs Min had probably told him to buy it.

 

Yeah, that was it – it wasn't his present… but what if it was?

* * * *

 

Yoongi hoped he hadn't appeared too stupid back there. He hadn't meant to buy the shoes, but when he saw them in the store Seung Hee's face had popped into his head.

 

He had never seen an opportunity to give them to her, but when he saw them again in his drawer, he decided to go over. Maybe now she wouldn't run away from him so much…

 

His train of thought was interrupted by Taehyung, who opened the door to the dorm and shouted, “Hyung! Come quick!”
 

Yoongi hurried inside – if this was another one of Taehyung's tricks he'd

kill him.

 

But it wasn't a trick – the members were all huddled together, talking at the top of their lungs.

 

Namjoon spotted Yoongi and demanded, “Where the hell were you?”
 

“What happened?” asked Yoongi.

 

The members fell silent, looking at him – each with a hint of panic, each with terror, each with despair…

 

Yoongi didn't want to know what had happened. He didn't want to know, but he had to…

 

He took the tab Seokjin held out to him. It was an article, and the headline hit him like a punch in the stomach: BTS's Suga Secretly Married?
 

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