*Chaeyoung’s POV*

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Everyone else was already up when I cracked open my eyes. I could feel my entire face being slightly swollen from the good night’s sleep, so I decided to hide under the blanket.

It smelled of cologne. A smoky but glamorous scent lingered through my nostrils, waking me up properly. I rubbed my bare feet together and my lips.

For a minute I felt slightly disoriented. I had to metaphorically pinch my every brain cell to make them concentrated. I memorized yesterday, memorized last night, memorized Bobby sleeping soundly next to me.

I wondered if he even knew what he’d done last night? Had he done it in his sleep? Or completely aware of everything?

You never knew with this guy. Maybe that was why I was so interested in him. Bobby was hard to read. And I was used to… well, manipulating guys. He couldn’t be manipulated.

”Are you gonna eat that?” I heard Bobby ask with his morning voice.

”No, go ahead”, Jennie mumbled, full of… something.

Breakfast, I assumed.

”Chae, I know you’re awake. We have to get going soon”, she continued.

I shifted under the sheet. My mind was ready to wake up, but my body was procrastinating. I fiddled my toes and stretched my arms. Gosh I had slept well.

”Chaeyoung”, Jennie said. I could hear someone walking towards the bed. Then a body crashed on top of mine. ”Chae, sweetie”, she chuckled.

I groaned, trying to push her off. ”Few more minutes.”

”Now that’s a phrase I’m quite familiar with”, she sounded amused.

I heard Hanbin crack up somewhere in the room. ”Do I use that phrase?”

I could sense her eyes boring into his head, sending the famous ”are you kidding me” look. I peeked out from under the covers and found myself face to face with Jennie. She was already a little stray of light, with her sparkly eyes and smiling cheeks. ”Wakey, wakey.”

I rubbed my eyes and sat up, taking a look at the clock. It was already past nine. ”What! Why didn’t you wake me? We’re gonna be late!”

”She tried”, Hanbin stated, sitting at the table, finishing off his breakfast. ”We all did.”

”You snored”, Jennie said, grabbing the sheets off me. ”Now up, up, up. I’ll serve you breakfast and you get yourself ready.”

I tried to cover my bare legs, but obviously failed, since I was only wearing a tiny little top. Hanbin was a gentleman and focused on his breakfast, but Bobby eyed me like he had been a child walking past a cool new toy store. I jumped up from the bed and tiptoed to the bathroom.

Once the door was locked behind me, I let out a long, shivery sigh and took a look at myself in the mirror.

For some reason, I looked like I was glowing. My cheeks were slightly pink and my skin had a nice glow to it, that I usually tried to give myself with makeup. Rinsing my face and applying some mascara was all it took to make me look dashing. Or at least pretty. My hair was a mess but that was very typical for me. I didn’t care for hairstyling. Jennie was the one with the million different looks. I was more of a beach wave 24/7 look kinda girl. Then I got dressed and walked back into the room.

Someone had made the beds and Bobby was lying on top of ours, scrolling through his phone. He gave me curious look, which I failed to reply. I was still clueless of his intentions last night. And I couldn’t have that talk with him with everyone else in the room.

”It’s half past nine, we got to get going”, Jennie said, grabbing her shoulder purse. Her other hand curved against Hanbin’s. ”Can I get the shotgun today? If you’re feeling a little better.”

”Yeah, sure”, I mumbled, scavenging through my set of clothes. I couldn’t find a long-sleeved shirt anywhere. ”Did you pack me any hoodies?”

Jennie frowned and stopped for a second to think. ”I think I did? Didn’t I?”

”They were all in the laundry basket”, I remembered. ”All my hoodies.”

”Right”, she muttered. ”Crap.”

”Here”, Bobby joined the conversation and pulled something out of his bag. ”You can use mine.”

It was the red hoodie he had used on his first day in Seoul. I took it from his offering hand. ”Thanks.” Maybe he had meant it? The arm over my waist thing, maybe he hadn’t been sleeping.

I caught a glimpse of Hanbin and Jennie exchanging a look.

Please, don’t ruin everything now.

---

Once we were all ready, we hopped into the Mitsubishi and began our journey towards the - the, facility where I had been yesterday. I actually didn’t even know what it was called. An investigation centre? A secret bat cave? I had no idea.

”Have you heard this?”

I looked over to my left, where Bobby was sitting. He was looking at his phone, showing the screen to me and offering a headpiece with his other hand. ”I think you’ll like it.”

I took the plug from his hand and stuffed it in my ear. My head had to be quite close to his, so that I wouldn’t rip his earplug out. The tunes started flowing through my ear canals, filling me with emotions.

Bobby leaned his head back and closed his eyes. He was into the song.

I adored him. I had never met a guy like him. And I wanted him to be mine.

The song changed but he didn’t bother to do anything about it. So we listened to his playlist the entire car ride to the centre. Something between us had definitely changed, and I didn’t know if it was because of what had happened to me, or because he had thought we might never see each other again. Maybe it was both.

When the car stopped, he gently pulled the plug out of my ear. ”Was it any good?”

All I could do was nod. Not only had the music been exactly what I would listen to, but everything else too. Maybe he had asked not only about the music, but about him. And my answer was yes, it was. He chuckled and tied the headpieces into a tiny bow so that they wouldn’t get tangled.

When we were waiting for mr. glasses, as known as Yoongi, in the corridor, Jennie finally managed to ask me about the kidnapping. She asked about the cell, about Jimin and the kidnappers, pretty much every same question that mr. glasses had asked me yesterday. I tried to tell her everything as I remembered it, but at some points my mind just shut down and I stopped talking. At those times Jennie would place her hand on my thigh and tell me that it was okay. That I didn’t have to tell her.

She must’ve known what it felt like. To remember something awful and not wanting to talk about it.

In the meantime Bobby and Hanbin were exploring the building, trying to find the brunch area. They eventually walked back, holding two cups of coffee per person. ”We brought you some too. Just in case”, Bobby said.

”An americano for you”, Hanbin said softly and gave Jennie one cup. She smiled a sweet smile and propped herself up to give the guy a peck on his lips.

I felt a need to look away. Sure Jennie liked americanos, but it wasn’t like he had brought her a diamond ring? What was the big deal about it?

Bobby placed my cup on the coffee table and took a seat next to me. ”It’s just a regular coffee. With almond milk.”

I couldn’t help but to grin at him. He raised his brows at me.

”What? I know you don’t drink milk.”

”Yeah, uhm. Thanks.”

”Don’t be too grateful now”, he teased, glaring at me from the edge of his cup. He took a sip of his own drink. ”I’m sorry they don’t sell mango-coffee here.”

I chuckled. ”How disappointing.”

”I know. Almost wanted to strangle the barista.”

Another chuckle.

”Park Chaeyoung?”

I looked up and met the eyes of two women with glasses. Mrs. glasses 01 and mrs. glasses 02. ”Yes?”

01 looked at me with a polite smile. What was it with these people and their fake politeness? ”You’re here for the therapy session? My name is Yoon and this our specialist Hyuna”, she said, greeting me with a bow.

I exchanged a look with Bobby. He seemed at the same time suspicious and amused, with one arched brow. I tried to suppress my grin. ”It’s uh, nice to meet you.”

The ladies smiled in unison. Were they robots? Even their expressions were synchronized. ”Likewise. We’ll show you to the meeting room. Unfortunately your friends have to wait here.”

”How long will it take?” Jennie asked, jumping into the