Part three

Nature of things, cold as ice, please have mercy.

When Jungkook saw another man on the screen, he never thought his heart would ever ache more. He never thought there was a feeling worse than having your dreams crushed by something more powerful than you. He never thought It could do such a thing to him, who had so patiently waited to have what he had silently asked for.

But when time ticked, when the rain poured and drenched his clothes, when he waited, hidden under the shadows near the borders, when he never saw her coming to him, he knew.

He knew that there was something worse than having your dreams crushed by a more powerful being:

Having your dreams crushed by the person who was supposed to make them come true.

But then again, wasn’t he not surprised? How foolish was it, to think Dayeon would put everything behind to run away with him? To think she would let go of everything just for him, and him only.

Jungkook hated the rain in November.

It was cold, piercing through his clothes, freezing him to the core. Maybe he should have brought a coat, at least. Or some spare clothes.

Or maybe a toothbrush?

Jungkook couldn’t help but scoff out loud. Was he supposed to simply go back home, now that he knew there was nothing to do but accept whatever was planned for him? He didn’t want this. He didn’t want anything to do with that girl they showed on the screen for him. He didn’t want anything of the dream job, dream house, dream life. He never wanted any of it.

All he asked for, the only, one, tiny little thing he wanted, was Dayeon.

He wouldn’t be able to witness her going around hands in hands with her so called match. He wouldn’t bare seeing her smiling to and looking at anyone else the way she used to with him.

Was it that easy for her to let go of him? To go on and blindly follow a calculation? An algorithm?

It seemed like it.

Without a single look backward, Jungkook his heels, eyeing the darkness in front of him. There was a path that led to the unknown, to his chosen future, and he would follow it even if it meant losing everything else. If he had lost Dayeon for good, then he had lost everything that attached him to this Society.

He cared for his parents to a certain extent, but there were so many things he knew about them that made his adoration for them more… pointless.

Not every match was perfect. Not every life was, either. If only Dayeon knew… then maybe, hopefully, she would have thought otherwise.

His first steps through the night were slow, filled with thoughts of the one he would need to forget. The more his feet moved, the more he wished to go back and see her again.

If only she knew… how much he wanted her with him. How much she deserved more than a traced destiny. How much she deserved to choose.

It was useless, though, because his steps became faster and faster. Then he started running. Nothing was stopping him, he was free. He continued like this until his lungs begged for air and his legs to stop. He didn’t want to turn around, but was curious to see what his city looked like from this far.

But he didn’t turn around. He just continued running.

He did for a while until stopping again when the rain did as well. He had never run this much before and, apart from the burning lungs and racing heart, the feeling was completely ecstatic. When he looked up at the sky, the clouds were gone and billions of stars stared back at him. He could almost imagine them smiling at him, encouraging him to pursue, to go even further. It’s like they screamed his name in oblivion.

“Jungkook! Jungkook! Jungkook!”

He smiled, his strength renewed and he sprinted again. He continued looking up, arms flailing to the sky, waving at the stars.

And then he screamed.

He screamed like he never did before. Not because he never wanted to, but because he wasn’t allowed to. He yelled to his freedom, to the choice he had made.

Then his scream transformed into a cry. A cry for the loss of the ones he cared about.

Exhaustion hit him again and he stopped, body bending in half to try and catch his breath. When he looked up he froze, eyes attracted by the faint yellow lights near the horizon.

The Other Cities.

They were real, they really did exist. He was nearing one. He felt excitement burst into his veins, he wanted to run again, but his legs hurt too much, his heart was beating too fast.

He walked slowly, keeping his gaze on the lighted horizon, almost scared it was going to disappear if he looked in another direction. They were getting bigger as he continued his way, he was oh so close to his well-deserved liberty.

His legs trembled and he collapsed on the soaked mud. His muscles ached so much he could barely move at all. He tried crawling with his hands, fingers digging in the dirt but in vain. He was stopped, once again, so close to his desire.

Jungkook turned to lay on his back, staring up at the stars that seemed to share his melancholy. They weren’t screaming his name anymore, nor smiling. They stared at him from up there, pitiful in the way they shone. The sky was starting to change color, probably announcing a new dawn, making the stars’ brightness fade gently, biding their last goodbye to the boy.

His chest was heaving up and down at a rapid pace, his heart trying to compensate from the large amount of energy he had just spent. He had no idea what time it was and for how long he’d been running, but it was simply futile now.

With everything that was left in his lungs, he parted his lips again to scream. It sounded different from his first scream, which eradiated strength and determination. This one came deep from his broken heart.

His vision clouded, the stars filling the sky were being turned off one by one, he was tired and desperately needed sleep. When he closed his eyes, he felt like he was laying in the most comfortable bed of all.

And, right before darkness enveloped him, he heard what sounded like a faint yelling in the distance.

***

15 months later

So many things changed after the Matching Ceremony.

It wasn’t very long after that all the newly matched were announced their job, the one they would have chosen, the one that fitted them perfectly. We would receive at our house a letter in which the big news was announced. Jimin was almost jumping in happiness when he told me would be teaching dance to the school I studied at.

On my part, I was incredibly grateful they gave me a job at the Health Counseling office. I never had anything in mind for my future while studying, but my excellent grades paid off as it was a rather important work throughout the whole Society.

After that, there were only two months left before we would move to our future home, which went by quickly. I barely had time to breathe twice before I was packing the truck that would bring me to my new home. My mother tried hard not to let any tears fall but she wasn’t able to, nor did I.

Diving into our new adult life was a challenge we overcame with the help of each other. Jimin was an easy-going, fresh and energic person and I was surprised how well we lived together. We’d never spent more than two days in a row together, which were the two following days of the Matching Ceremony. Except from that, it always was a few days from here and there. Though the more I spent time with him, the more I grew attached to him.

It didn’t prevent Jungkook from creeping into my mind from time to time, though. I concluded that he would just never leave my thoughts and I started accepting it that way. Sometimes I would walk around the busy streets and imagine him somewhere in the crowd. Every time I hoped I wouldn’t feel this tingle in my stomach while thinking he had finally come back, but I still felt it, even one year later….

…And even almost two years later. It had become a habit, but the more I grew used to it, the less I was able to hide my frowns every time his face would pop in my head. Which meant it had become harder to hide these thoughts from Jimin.

“You didn’t seem happy at all today, Dayeon. Did something wrong happen?”

Jimin’s soft whisper brought me back from my thoughts and I opened my eyes to look at him. The bedroom was pitch black but my eyes were accustomed to the darkness and it was easy to spot him beside me, staring with a frown.

I indeed had a bad day. Since Jungkook was gone, the first day of September was a day I’d rather not know existed. I just wanted it to pass as quickly as possible, so I wouldn’t constantly think of my best friend.

“It’s… It was Jungkook’s birthday, today.” I whispered back to him and closed my eyes again.

There wasn’t one’s birthday we wouldn’t spend with one another. Even though we did spend almost every day together, Jungkook and I had a special tradition of ours whenever it was one’s birthday.

It was my fifth or sixth birthday. For the event, my parents would invite their two friends and their son to celebrate. After a nice meal and a birthday cake, while the parents would go in the living room to talk, Jungkook and I would go in my bedroom to play.

“Dayeon-ah! Wait here, there’s something I want to show you!”

Jungkook, with a childish smile on his face, ran from my bedroom and went downstairs while I waited for him, sitting on my bed. He was back a couple of seconds later with his school bag in his arms and I frowned.

“What are you going to show to me? Your homework? It’s my birthday, I don’t want to help you with your maths!” I mumbled, crossing my arms over my chest but my best friend simply giggled and sat beside me, holding his bag close to his chest, as if something precious was inside.

“Of course, it’s not homework, we’ll do them tomorrow since today is your birthday.” The boy said and slowly ped his bag. I leaned to try and sneak in but he brought it closer to him and pouted. “Close your eyes and put your hands on your lap.” He said and I nodded slowly, watching him for another second before doing what I was told.

I heard him his bag some more before he took something out of it. I felt something like a piece cardboard on my lap and I frowned a bit. “Don’t open just yet!” He warned me, placing the thing correctly so it wouldn’t fall. A few seconds passed while everything stayed quiet.

“Okay, you can check now…” Jungkook’s voice was more quiet and shy than it was earlier. When I finally opened my eyes, I looked down at the cardboard on my lap and gasped. I immediately smiled and sat more comfortably, elevating the object to my eyes level and staring at it.

On the piece of cardboard were glued so many pastas of different kinds. There were bow ones all around for decorations and longer ones that formed words. Words that made me feel weird in my stomach for the first time.

I ♥ Dayeon

From Kookie

When I finally looked back to him, my best friend was smiling nervously, playing with his fingers. “I hope you like it. I had to steal these dry pastas from school so I could make it for you. Happy birthday, Dayeon.”

I kept it hidden under my bed for years so my parents wouldn’t discover it and ask me questions about it. After that event, for each of our birthday, we tried to find something to do, something original for the other that no one would ever receive on their birthdays. Every year, this special gift stayed a secret between the two of us. It was our way of making the other feel special.

I felt Jimin’s hand caress my arm and I gasped, startled as I was harshly taken away from the memory. When I turned to Jimin, I saw the pain in his eyes as he looked at me and I couldn’t help but feel guilty.

“I… I’m sorry, Jimin, I just can’t stop thinking about him, he’s been in my life for so long and-“

“It’s okay, Dayeon, it’s okay.” He whispered, attempting a smile, but there were still visible traces of sadness in his eyes.

I shifted on the mattress and got closer to him. He took me in his arms and I rested my head on his shoulder. His nose ruffled my hair as we hugged tightly. “I understand, Dayeon, it must be so hard for you. But sometimes in our life, we reach a point where it’s better to let go, and I’m here to help you go through this.” Jimin added before pressing a kiss on my forehead. “I’ll always be here by your side because I love you.”

I held him a bit tighter and hid my face in the crook of his neck. “I love you too, Jimin, thank you,” I whispered and bit on my bottom lip. I did love him, I knew I did. I would have been worse if it wasn’t for him, who thoughtlessly caught me every time I’d risk falling. He was there to prop me back up on my feet and his gorgeous smile would convince me to go on and fight.

But it wasn’t just enough.

I would love Jimin from all my might, I knew I’d still feel like there was something missing.

We held like this for a little while, his hand moving up and down my back in a soothing motion while his lips would deposit a few kisses on my scalp. I was going to fall asleep in his embrace when I started hearing his breathing more distinctly as if it was hard for him to inhale.

I opened my eyes and moved back a bit to look at him. He seemed asleep since he didn’t react to me moving away and I frowned a bit. “Jimin?” I called, nudging his shoulder. When I did, the sound of his breathing stopped. It wasn’t because he didn’t have difficulty anymore, but he just wasn’t breathing at all.

Startled, I sat up quickly and nudged him harder. “Jimin! Wake up!” I called louder until his eyes opened wide and he sat up, taking in a deep breath as he hadn’t for too long. When he tried to exhale, it transformed into coughing and he reached to grab tissues. His coughs didn’t seem normal, and when I looked at the tissues on his mouth, red patches were appearing on the white fabric.

“You’re bleeding!” I called to him and when his throat was finally freed he threw the tissues away and wiped his mouth before looking at my shocked face. He smiled to me reassuringly and shook his head.

“I’m okay.” He said, but I wasn’t convinced at all. He laid back down and it was my turn to shake my head.

“You just coughed blood, Jimin, you’re not okay. Is it the first time?” I asked him and he simply motioned me to lay back down beside him, which I did, but I wasn’t planning to stop the questions.

“It’s not.” He admitted, “But I don’t think it’s really important. I must have hurt my throat from screaming through the music during the dance classes.” He said and smiled at me. I wasn’t an ounce more convinced.

“You should go get checked. Do it quickly, you understand?” I told him and he simply chuckled before kissing my nose.

“Yes, doctor, I understand.” Jimin whispered, pulling me closer again. “I’ve been busy, but I’ll go when I have free time. It’s probably nothing to worry about anyways, it happens sometimes and I’m still top shape.”

I wanted to believe him, so I just did for the moment. It’s not like Society hadn’t already eradicated every sickness from the area. Things such as cancers or mortal diseases were long gone from the population, so we had nothing to worry about. Things we would catch from time to time were never really important -it was my job to treat these, but with a pill or two, they always disappeared.

In our Society, everyone had the right to a long, meaningful, and peaceful life.

***

Warning: You might have had a little guess, but the next part contains… bad stuff. If you’re a sensitive soul that has difficulty reading about members having… a rough time, please reconsider reading what follows or skip it (I’ll leave an end of warning note at the end so you can at least finish the story) Though I’m warning you, you might miss some great information~ This part is definitely worth reading. Thank you

There wasn’t nothing to worry about.

It took him a while, but Jimin finally decided to schedule a visit to the Health Counseling Office I worked at. He explained everything to the health counselor, who then examined him and made him pass every sort of tests to check where the damages were and what pill would be needed to remove whatever was causing the troubles.

He received the results two months later. Results that showed it was too late, that he should have done something sooner. The black letters on the white paper, forming words that he feared, it almost sounded like a lecture.

Society does everything to give you a perfect life and you still find a way to waste it?

It certainly added to the guilt, but there was nothing more painful than the idea of letting me know about it. He wouldn’t bare the pain of seeing the change in my eyes when he would announce the terrible truth. He’d rather let the happiness continue until time would come. And then, maybe it would be less painful knowing our little yet worth time together was filled with good memories, and not the constant reminder of the clock ticking closer and closer from the fatality.

Thus he never told me the results.

Jimin sat nervously in front of the Health Counselor’s desk, fingers absent-mindedly fondling with his pants as the doctor paced in the room. There was a heavy silence weighting on his shoulder.

The door opened behind him and he immediately turned around and stood, welcoming with a weak smile the director of the City’s facility. The man bowed his head and so did the two people already in the room.

“Mister Park.” The man’s hand reached for Jimin’s and he shook it lightly. “Kim Hansol, director of the Health Counseling Office and member of the Society’s Health Association.” He presented himself and the other, too intimated to speak, simply nodded before he was asked to sit down.

“I was told of your… misfortune, and please accept my most sincere apology as a fellow neighbor. As a Society’s representative, on the other hand, I cannot say the same words.”

Jimin gulped and looked at his hands on his lap, pain in his chest. “I understand, of course.” And he truly did. This was something he could have avoided if he did the right things. The Society could have helped him if he had helped himself in the first hand, but he hadn’t.

Thus, it was too late. Society couldn’t help anymore.

“The masses have expended too much, it is not something that can be treated anymore. You are very well -aware that coming sooner would have prevented this from happening, right, mister Park?”

Again, Jimin nodded. He was well-aware.

It was only for the better.

After being told how Society had done everything for him to live well and he had just dismissed it, which led to problems he wouldn’t be helped with -which had been said in nicer words, but that’s mostly what the man’s speech meant- Jimin asked for one, single favor.

Not to let his wife see the results nor know about the meeting. He would deal with it himself.

Surprisingly, the doctor listened and nothing was mentioned to me.

Though my colleague certainly didn’t think I would enter her office to ask her a couple of questions about this patient she had given me a couple of days before. She didn’t think that if she was out, I would go inside her room and spot the file on her desk.

It said Park Jimin on it and, of course, I got curious.

“So, he finally got that meeting…” I mumbled to myself as I listened to make sure no one was near the hallway. I took a few steps to her desk and took the document in my hands. “I wonder why he didn’t tell me…”

I knew how those documents were arranged, so it was quick for me to find the page I wanted. When my eyes scanned the results, it only took a mere second for my heart to stop, legs transforming into jelly.

The scans revealed large tumors by the lungs affecting his whole breathing system. They could have been cleared out if they were treated sooner, but they are now unable to be removed.

The patient is aware of his condition. It can’t be specified how long he will stay among the community before being hospitalized until passing away.

My eyes burned as I read the two last words. I couldn’t hold in the cry that escaped my lips as I kept staring at them, then I quickly fumbled with the files, fingers barely doing what I wanted them to do until I was back on the front page, another pained whimper filling the room.

It really was Jimin’s name.

What if there was another Park Jimin somewhere in the City? Of course, it was possible! It couldn’t be him…

But he did cough blood, if it was in the lungs… It would make sense.

The file fell from my hands as if it was burning my fingers. I took a few steps back, wiping my shaking hands over my drenched cheeks when I heard someone calling my name in the doorframe.

My colleague stepped inside, frowning worriedly, her eyes filled with a shared pain. When she came closer and parted her lips to apology, I quickly moved back, my eyes going from the papers on her desk then back to her figure.

“Why… W-Why didn’t you tell me he came?” My voice kept cracking, vocal cords barely able to make any sound come out from my throat. I was mere inches away from bursting and talking seemed like the hardest thing to do.

She sighed and I saw her eyes divert away right when I spotted guilt in her look. “He begged us not to say anything. We couldn’t go against a patient’s will, especially when they’re going to-“ She stopped talking immediately, not finishing her sentence.

I wouldn’t have let her anyway, I knew exactly what she was about to say.

I looked up at the ceiling and blinked rapidly, trying to prevent any more tears from tainting my cheeks. The lump in my throat was so big I had difficulty breathing. “I…. I’ll go now.” I barely whispered, trying to breathe deeply without hiccupping. I walked toward the door on wobbly legs, my head feeling too light on my shoulders.

“Dayeon.” My colleague called again. We usually addressed each other formally when we were at work, but the familiarity emanating from her voice felt almost comforting. Before I could turn around, I felt one hand on my shoulder and a document handed my way.

Jimin’s file.

“I’m so, so sorry, not as a work partner, but as a friend. I wish we could have done something for him, to prevent this from happening.” She said, her hand caressing my shoulder gently, surprisingly managing to make me untense a bit.

“Thank you.” It was the only thing I could say, my hand weakly holding onto the paper. I didn’t want to look her way again. I couldn’t bare another look of pity toward me. I simply straightened my back and headed forward, exiting her office, and wishing I wouldn’t have to make any encounter on the way to my own.

Was I the only one who didn’t know? Even if I wasn’t, I didn’t want any more pity.

***

I went back home earlier, not able to endure the horrible thoughts creeping in my mind. I was completely unable to fill in the papers that were piling on my desk. My eyes were constantly going back to where I had left the file once I closed the door to my office. Nothing else but what was on these sheets wanted to occupy my mind.

When I walked outside of the Health Counseling building, a cold, bitter wind blew. November was almost done, and soon it would give its place to the cold but supposedly joyful month of December. The sky was filled with clouds, the large grey masses preventing any sun rays from touching the city. It was a sad sight.

It could probably have been warm enough to rain, the temperature not too cold except from the sour wind, but the clouds kept their tears for themselves. I decided to do like them and walked with my head straight, holding my bag on my shoulder, with, inside, the fate of my husband written black on white.

November kept its warmth for itself, making us declare forfeit in front of the cold nature of things.

When I arrived home, I was welcomed by the silence. I knew Jimin wouldn’t be home for at least an hour. I took out the file with his name on it, making sure not to let my eyes fall on my colleague’s writing. I dropped it on the table near the kitchen and stood there, every inch of my body feeling limp under the weight of my emotions.

Was it possible to feel so empty yet so full with a mix of everything? I didn’t even know if I was supposed to scream, shout, yell, cry, whimper, run, or stay still. Too many commands from different feelings rushing to my brain and making it unable to compute anything correctly.

I didn’t know how much time I stayed still, replaying in my mind the memories of my Matching Ceremony, of the days I spent with Jimin, of the first day I met him, of my Matching Banquet, of Jungkook.

It had been a while…

It seemed both like forever and yesterday, yet exactly two years had passed. Two years since he came to me and asked me to run. Two years since I last felt his fingers running down my skin. Two years since I let my best friend go.

Two years ago, in November, it was raining. The warmth was fighting the approach of winter. Though it wasn’t raining anymore. The warmth wasn’t there to fight. The cold nature of things had no mercy.

I didn’t even know I moved to sit down until my back touched the wooden chair. It’s like my eyes opened to the reality again and I was back in the house, a pile of paper resting in front of me.

The front door opened and I heard a gust of wind pass through. There were steps, and then the door was closed.

“Dayeon? Are you home already?” Jimin spoke from the entrance and I didn’t know if I had enough strength in my throat to voice up anything. I knew that, sooner or later, I would have to part my lips to speak, and that it would imply breaking down once again.

“Dayeon?” He called again and I only closed my eyes, discerning his steps when he removed his shoes. Steps directed to the living room, then nothing. Steps directed to the kitchen, then nothing. Steps directing to the dining room, then…

“Sweet heart?”

My eyes opened and, exactly where I heard him be, Jimin was standing. He still wore his work clothes, but so did I. He was frowning when he first saw me, but when our eyes met, and when mine went down to the medical report in front of me, and when his followed, I knew without looking that his expression crumbled.

“I… Dayeon I-“

“No.”

The chair I was sitting on creaked loudly when I pushed it back to stand up. For a little while, it seemed like the noise it made echoed through the room, being the only thing heard at all. While looking down, I saw my hands were shaking.

I heard Jimin walk closer and I immediately stepped back. My vision got blurry when I looked up at him again, his face distorted by my tears. I couldn’t figure out his expression well, but I didn’t really care.

“Please, let me jus-“

“I. Said. NO.”

It was louder than I intended to at first, but I wasn’t able to keep it in anymore. I blinked away the tears but only more replaced them and it wouldn’t stop. It was my turn to step toward him and he didn’t move back. He stayed still.

He stayed still as I started screaming, my voice cracking with emotion. They all wanted to go out at the same time I felt like I was bursting with anger, sadness, hysteria, madness, delirium, everything. My chest was burning, lungs emptying themselves with all their might, vocal cords vibrating wildly to let out a mix of yells and cries of desperation.

He stayed still as my hands raised up, as they collided flat against his chest. He barely bulged, my arms too weak to even hit properly. I don’t know how many times I hit him, but he took them all, and when I was too tired to lift my hands an inch more, it was my head that fell on him.

He stayed still as I continued emptying myself, the scream in my lungs transforming into a faint cry, and then into weeping.

I felt his arms circle my waist after a while, the strength of my sobs making my whole body shake. I was cold, goosebumps forming on my skin once the adrenaline was gone. Only was left the residue of the pain, the feeling of your heart quenching but you’re too weak to do anything about it.

His nose pressed against my head, and between two sobs of mine, I heard one of his, too.

“Please… Please don’t leave me… I don’t want to be alone…”

Don’t leave me when he has left me, too.

His hands rubbed soothing circle on my back. My arms finally wrapped around his waist too, pulling him closer, wanting to feel him against me, wanting to know he was still there for now, still breathing, still by my side. His grip tightened as well and we both cried, holding onto each other like we would on our lives.

“I’m sorry… I’m so so sorry..” His voice was only a faint whisper muffled by my hair. A part of me wanting to scream at him again, to tell him that he shouldn’t be sorry, that instead he should have done something about it, that he should have done everything to prevent it, then he wouldn’t have the need to be sorry.

But my throat was dry and painful. Every sob and cry became another pain to bare. Every touch of him, his smell, his feel, they all became another pain to bare. This wasn’t the kind of memory I wanted to have with him.

In a heartbeat, I moved back from his embrace, glad my hair stick to my face with all the tears drenching my cheeks. It hurt so much to cry, eyes puffy and itchy with salty tears, cheeks stained, head pounding, face red.

“How long…?” I asked, keeping my eyes down to our feet. His hands lingered in the air where they were while holding me, not seeming glad to have let go.

“It could be two months, it could be four years, I… I don’t know. Only nature will decide when it’s time to go…”

I nodded slowly, expecting more tears to emerge, but there were none. I probably had cried all of them, as I felt completely dry inside. There was nothing left to do anyway, only wait and hope nature would be kind enough. It wouldn’t do anything to cry, and cry, and cry again, because even though you’d cry everything you have inside, there still wouldn’t be a change in things.

I was already proved tears didn’t bring back what we cherished, no matter how painful it was. It would happen, and no one had a say or choice.

The cold nature of things has no mercy.

***

It lasted for six months.

For six months, Jimin and I did as many things as we wanted to have done together. It took a few weeks before I was able to smile at the sight of him again. We both asked for as many vacation days as possible, and we were glad the Society understood the situation and let us pass by a few implanted rules.

With Yura and Hoseok, we took a weekend off to Jimin and his friend’s city. We hadn’t warned anyone about my husband’s… fate, preferring to keep it a secret for the moment. Jimin and Hoseok both toured us around and we went to eat dinner with their families. The two evenings were filled with anecdotes and laughers.

“Oh! Dayeon! You haven’t seen all of Jimin’s pictures when he was a baby, did you? I have to show you!” His mom explained before leaving the couch and heading to the small shelves by the wall. She took out a huge album and her bright grin made Jimin whimper.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea…” He mumbled but Hoseok laughed beside him, lightly punching his shoulder.

“Come on, Chim! These are hilarious! And, to be fair, I’m pretty sure I’m on some of them too. I’ll share your embarrassment.”

“Does that mean I get to see you when you were a kid, too?” Yura beamed on the other side of Hoseok, who looked at his match and brought her closer.

“Don’t worry, I’ll cover your eyes so I can prevent you from the second-hand embarrassment!”

The whole living room filled with laughs as Jimin’s mother turned the pages filled with some baby pictures of Jimin either c