Sohyun’ eyes looked at the ‘now called’ V as one among the hundred pairs of eyes in the lecture hall. But the emotions that lingered in her eyes are far beyond surprise. The ceaseless curiosity in her eyes and her heart thumping like it was being pumped with a tremendous level of oxygen for the last time, discerned her from the rest.

There, in the podium, he walked in carrying a bruise of his cheek line with blood spots and a livid face. Standing at a feet’s distance from the professor, he crossed his arm over his chest and faced professor like he was ready to receive the criticisms. Instead professor introduced him as, “This is V. He is a trainee and vocalist of a band which is yet to make its debut. I think you might be more familiar with emerging band groups than me”, he continued with a smirk, “Let me tell you about him… Because, all of you should come across a person like him! He is the topper of the department; topper of the university and he even topped many competitions! I can say that he is one of the aces with an impeccable academic record”. He listened to those compliments with a straight face. “But…”, professor inserted a twist in his speech. And, V immediately stood at ease with his hands gathered behind while professor continued, “… in managing his anger, he is a failure! Instead of fighting in a game, he fought with his opponent player! An entertainer with anger is good for nothing! Anger is a career suicide in entertainment industry. All his achievements are useless! Utterly pointless achievements!”, he said infuriated and stared at him.

Without a pinch of remorse, V steeped up and said, “I controlled my anger a lot, but he overstepped the boundaries! I couldn’t take it easy! Because, if I did, then it would become a habit… not just in the basketball court but also in life! This is how I am…” Professor Han interrupted him berating, “So beating up people is who you are? I’m very disappointed with you…” At the spill of his words, someone entered the hall in a dash interrupting them and gaining everyone’s attention, “They started it! And I actually have the video of entire match…”. Before that person could finish the sentence, professor Han cut in saying, “I don’t need your post analysis! Get out!”

V tapped on his shoulder saying, “Jimin, it’s alright! Leave…” and then, directed his words at the professor, “I have no regrets! Frankly, I don’t care too… I have no need to ask you to listen to my version and I don’t have any intention to do so…”

“Write an apology letter to that team and submit a copy of that to me. Your agency gave you three months’ time to deal with your anger… Apart from the counselling session, rest of your time is with me… to assist me! You may take your leave now!”

He took his quick steps away from the hall and those steps were heavy enough to express his displeasure vividly.

Witnessing his anger unfold in front of the whole crowd, Sohyun gasped at the unchanged version of his anger with even worse temper. Gathering herself out of her thoughts, she drew her attention back to the class.

Meanwhile, Jimin was trying to knock some sense into V who was adamantly refusing to hand in an apology letter, “That’s just an apology letter… a formality…”

V shook his head in denial, “Tsk…”. He paused and furrowed his brows, “No way…”, he said and blinked repeatedly to improve his blurred vision. “A resounding pain in my head is knocking on my skull from the inside…”, he spoke through his clenched teeth.

“I know you feel wronged, but look, we need to get through our trainee days smoothly…”, while Jimin was trying his best to convince him, V staggered as his mind went blank, eyes went dark and he felt the gravity strongly. Before he could finish the sentence, he saw V falling backwards on losing his consciousness. He could neither respond nor hear Jimin screaming his name out of his lungs.

When he opened his eyes, he saw the orange tinged sunrays filling the space around him. The white curtains that surrounded his bed was glazed with a layer of orange light. He felt the autumn evening never failing to shower its orange rays over him. Amidst all these, he felt a warm palm on his face, caressing his cheek gently. He opened his eyes slowly and partially, and there reflected an image of a girl on his pupils clearly. Though his vision is yet to identify the image clearly, his mind never failed to process the thoughts, ‘A girl?’. As the girl closed in to have a closer look at him, her hair brushed his arm. ‘Her hair… swept to one side? Guess the sunrays dyed her dark hair to golden… its impressive. Is she looking at me? I wonder, with what kind of look she is looking at me… Is she her? Is it-’, he tried to lift his head to take a clear glance at her but dropped back to the bed feeling heavy and closed his eyes.

Upon realizing that he has gained his consciousness, she tried to get the nurse, but he grabbed her hand firmly stopping her. Her widened eyes looked at him puzzled, “To the question I asked a year before, I’m yet to get the answer… I’ll ask again, won’t you stay with me…”, he spoke through his breath while his eyes remained shut.

“I’ll get someone else…”, she said while trying to gently wriggle away from his firm hold on her wrist.

“Not someone else… but you…”, he said with his eyes remain closed.

“You mistook-”, she was cut in by his words which spelled, “Kim. So. Hyun…”. His soft tone which pronounced her name clearly and sweetly overthrew her rejecting words along with her insecurities.

With her one hand being held by him, she cupped his face with the other hand saying, “Can you see me clearly?”

He shook his head in denial.

“Can you hear me clearly?”

He nodded.

“You slept for a whole day. You’re much better now. Rest a little and you’ll be as good as new! I’ll be back, don’t worry”, she said softly.

He smiled, batted his eyes slowly in response and slowly released his hold on her wrist.

She threw a quick smile and left his sight.

On exiting the nurse office, she leaned on the wall catching her breath. “Does he remember me? Or is he talking in his sleep?”, she questioned herself whose answers are held by him. “I hope not”, she muttered and headed to Prof. Han’s office. She saw Prof. Han who is also her dear uncle, through the glass window, sitting in his chair with his eyes fixated on his desktop and knocked on his door. He put on his earphones intentionally ignoring her knocks. She pushed the door to open but couldn’t.

 “Uncle open the door!”, she called out to him.

“Though it’s a weekend, don’t pronounce your liberty when you are inside college campus!”, his strict tone reached her ears.

“It’s freezing outside…”

“It’s autumn, it will just be cold in the evening, not freezing…”

“I’m going to take up your subject and live in this department dorm for the whole semester. So, welcome me like a queen…”

“The door’s been open since this morning. And I’ve been sitting here waiting for you…”

She again tired to push the door forcefully but, it didn’t move an inch but, when she tired to pull the door, it swiftly opened. Sighing at her clumsiness, she entered the room, ran to her uncle and hugged him.

“You’ve forgotten me?”

“If I did, then why would I ask you to come and meet me?”, his soft tone sounded.

“Help me with my elective…”, she spoke.

“I can’t!”, his strict tone came out again.

“Please… can’t you help me? Mom always told me to look up to you like a godfather!”, she threw in some emotional words.

“All I can do is buy you some coffee or meal…”

She frowned.

“Or I can find someone to guide you…”, he gave in.

“Kwak Dongyeon oppa is a good teacher but he is away on fellowship… Since you who happened to be his dad compelled him, he went away otherwise…”, she sulked, “Why don’t you guide me?”

“I didn’t force him, it was his decision. And I can’t show any special attention to a single student… Moreover, I’m leaving for a conference… for a month… so, my little lady, understand!”

She nodded agreeing with him. When the pendulum clock in the office struck an hour, it reminded her of him.

“I have to go…”, she said and hastily walked towards the door.

“Why the rush?”

“I promised that I’ll be back…”, and she rushed towards the nurse office only to find his bed empty. The remembered the words of the nurse who clearly stated that he needs to rest this night and can only be discharged tomorrow but, found out that he sneaked out on regaining his consciousness. While leaving the nurse office in dejection, she saw Jimin passing by her. Though she was hesitant to talk to a stranger at first, her curiosity poked her to push forward. 

“Excuse me…”, she called him. But her voice didn’t reach his ears. This time she called out, “Taehyung…”

The mention of his name successfully caught his attention. “Huh?”, Jimin turned to face her.

“Your friend sneaked away from the nurse office, didn’t he?”

Decoding the ‘your friend’ in her sentence, he asked, “Why? Are you a doctor?”

“You shouldn’t have moved him. He needs to rest… he was under observation”, she said sharply.

“Agreed, miss angry bird!”, he surrendered raising his hands in the air, “Try telling that to V…”

The ‘V’ brought her back to senses that he is not Taehyung anymore and that she is not close with either of the names. “I’m sorry”, guilt struck her, “My concern came out as anger…”

He nodded.

“And please… don’t tell him that I asked about him… or even mention me…”

“What’s your name?”, Jimin asked.

“Kim Sohyun…”, she answered and asked, “Why?”

Jimin rushed to Taehyung and stood panting before him, “Tae-ya…”, he caught his breath and continued, “A girl named Kim Sohyun asked about you…”

Sohyun’s name all his attention like a wormhole.

“She called you by your name ‘Taehyung’ and even said she was concerned about you…”

Taehyung smiled, and his eyes blissfully looked at the ceiling in thoughts. In an instant, he walked away without uttering any word.

“Where are you going?”, Jimin asked bewildered.

“To tell the whole university that I like her!”

Next day, while Sohyun was walking through the hallway, she felt every eyes on her. She immediately rushed to the restroom and stood before the mirror checking her dress and her face. In the evening, while unpacking her stuff in the new dorm, her roommates watched her like a monument in the museum maintaining some distance from her. And few other girls who weren’t her roommates or even her acquaintance came to her room with the sole purpose of seeing her. They never spoke any word to her, whispered among themselves pointing her and left the room.

In a while, the dorm president, came into her room and asked, “Who is Kim Sohyun here?” Abandoning her unpacking process, Sohyun voluntarily stood up in response. “You can move to the next wing, those rooms will be more convenient and comfortable for you…”, the dorm president said.

While Sohyun stood speechless, one of her roommates who is her senior asked Sohyun, “When did you apply for that room?”

“I didn’t apply for anything…”, Sohyun hesitantly replied.

Her senior threw her bitter words, “I have been waiting for that room for almost a month and you’re giving it her? Don’t you have any regards for people who apply? Or rather you go by connections?”

Dorm president in all her composure stated calmly, “This girl is V’s interest. Apparently, he told us so in our class yesterday. I’m informing people in all dorm wings. He was the one who arranged this. If you have any problem with this, then I’ll leave now. You deal with him… Would you like to go now?”

Her senior took a step back at her answer.

“Sohyun-ah, do you need any help moving your things?”, president asked Sohyun.

“No… thanks. I can manage…”, Sohyun replied unconsciously complying to move into a different room.

“If someone bully you or if you’re ever in trouble again, tell them about V, okay?”

Sohyun nodded not really understanding what was happening. By the time, she regained her senses, she found herself in a spacious room, with two single cots and a big comfortable study table to accommodate all her books and even a roundtable in the middle of the room. Importantly, she got a bathroom of her own. In a while, her only roommate arrived. She looked cheerful, bubbly and a comfortable person to get along with. “Are you Sohyun?”, she asked.

When Sohyun nodded, she was enveloped in an embrace.

“I was dying to see you since yesterday… looks like he flocked you away to here… apparently, he was going to give up on his three months’ vacation, but after he spotted you, he stayed back… and even handed apology letter…”

Sohyun looked baffled at her confession.

“I forgot to introduce myself, I’m Ryu Hwa-Young. V’s cousin… I’m doing my masters’ in department of vocals”, she said cheerfully.

“Nice to meet you”, Sohyun said.

“Ah!”, Hwayoung exclaimed in recollection, “Prof. Han asked you to visit him this evening…”

“It’s already evening!!”, Sohyun exclaimed and ran towards his office.

Meanwhile, one of the V’s friends rushed to him and informed, “Everybody went to Sohyun-sshi’s room and almost made a big scene there… I think she complained to Prof. Han who seems to be her uncle… Now, he is looking for you and is creating a ruckus asking for you…”

“So?”, he asked nonchalantly.

“You are already being advised to control your anger in the given months! Do you need this right now?”

“I don’t see any problem in this”, Jimin supported V.

“Where is he?”, V asked. After asking his whereabouts, V walked towards Prof. Han’s office without a tinge of nervousness or worry in his eyes, rather he marched with determined look. He walked into Han’s office after opening the door forcefully. He saw him in his chair and found Sohyun seated opposite to his desk. “I heard you’re looking for me…”, his rigid voice sounded as he stood in front of Prof. Han. He looked at Sohyun who didn’t acknowledge his presence.

“This is Sohyun, a sophomore in department of theatre…”, Professor introduced her, “She took vocals as her major elective, and is struggling with it… guide her well”.

His words brought pleasant surprise to him and he lend his hand out to her for a handshake. While they shook their hands, he said, “Hi! I’m Kim Tae Hyung”, he said stressing every syllable in his name, “You can call me Taehyung or Tae or V…”

Prof. Han cleared his throat breaking their introductory conversation. “Teaching requires patience and it will in turn teach you to control your temper… I’ll be leaving for a conference…”, he hesitated for a second and spoke softly, “She is like my daughter… Take care of her in the meanwhile…”.

When the words ‘take care of her’, hit his ears, it infiltrated his entire being like an elixir. He smiled from ear to ear. Though he lent his ears to professor, he left his eyes on Sohyun.

“Ok sir. I’ll take leave. Don’t worry. I’ll take care of her”, he told him and faced Sohyun, in all his gentleness he spoke, “Bye Sohyun-ah…” Barely gathering himself to not get caught by the professor for the excessive interest in her, he made his way out of the room.

Professor felt a bit amiss when V called her casually by her first name but decided to let it go.

After a few minutes, Sohyun came out of the room and made her way towards her dorm. The moment she stepped out of the office, a voice, “What did he say?”, startled her.

“Should I call you Taehyung?”, Sohyun asked raising her brows.

“I’d like that too… V sounds distant. It was like you are addressing me as a vocalist rather than a-”, before he could finish his sentence, Sohyun interrupted him saying, “He told me to consider you as my brother and ask for any help from you without any hesitation…”

“I don’t wanna be your brother!”, he expressed his thought straightforwardly.

She looked at him perplexed.

“What’s with that look? I thought I made it obvious…”

“Made what obvious?”

“That I like you!”, he said looking into her eyes, “To be precise, I’m in love with you”. His eyes fastened on her to convey the depth of his seriousness, in all his honesty.

Her eyes widened and gazed at him a second longer, in which he read ‘I’m shook’.

She gazed away, and he lost his reading ability.

She walked away, and he lost her from his sight.

She walked in a daze, the air brushing against her face was cold, but she felt her cheek burning up. A smile sneakily peeked through the corner of her lips. She stepped into her room, shut the door and leaned against it. She looked around to see no one in the room and breathed out. She stood before the mirror and saw her elated face; gleefully grinning lips and importantly, the love in her eyes which she hid and forbid within herself.

She stayed in her room on her bed, snuggling down in her duvet which covered her blushing cheeks pretty well. After she refused to come down to have her dinner, giving Hwayoung an excuse that she is not feeling well, she heard a knock on her door. It has just been a few minutes since Hwayoung left, and it was very unlikely that she would knock on the door rather than entering the password. “Who is that?”, Sohyun asked, in doubt.

“Kim Taehyung…”, answered the owner of the voice behind the door.

Her eyes wandered in the air, her mind was clouded with ‘what, why, how’. She spent her next few second in front of her mirror adjusting her clothes and hair.

When she opened the door, he slid inside her room and closed the door whispering, “I shouldn’t be here… Girls’ dorm is off limits to guys…”

Her eyes fell on him who was wrapped in blanket.

“Are you ok?”, he asked her, unwrapping himself from the blanket.

She nodded.

“Hwayoung told, you’re feeling well…”

Recalling the incidents that made her blush and to refuse the dinner, her eyes fell low and her cheeks heated up.

His eyes that searched for words even in her subtle nuances read ‘Shyness’ in her blushing cheeks and smiled.

“How is the department?”, he asked her softly.

She looked at his eyes and replied, “Good…”

“How is the new room? Comfortable?”

She hummed and saying, “It’s nice”

“Is the dorm food good?”

She hummed in response.

“Why are you staring at me like that?”, he asked her.

“I’m judging you….”

His surprised look soon took a turn as he raised his brow questioning the reason.

“How often do you come here?”, she asked and there was a glint in her eyes.

“It’s my first time here… Even when I was a child, I always went with my dad to sauna…”

Chuckles escaped her lips.

“I promised to take care of you… So, you’re my responsibility… As your legal guardian, I came to check up on you…”

Somehow his every response made her smile.

His words went silent for a second longer and his eyes scanned her face.

“What happened?”, she asked him.

“I don’t know what else to say or to ask… Are you uncomfortable with the silence?”

“Your eyes…”, she said and hesitated, but continued, “You’re eyeing me as a cat eyes a fish…”

He smiled saying, “You caught me!” and closed in, landing his warm breath over her cheeks. He the hair away that was caressing her face. While his hand tucked the hair behind her ears, his lips landed on her blushing cheek. The kiss that shared the warmth between the blushing cheeks and lips, lasted a moment longer.

Author's thoughts:

Hello! How have you been? Hope everything is going well :)

Story genre is a fluff with some cliches, thank you for bearing with this:) I wanted to finish this story short, but I guess it'll span for few more chapters!! Thank you for reading and staying on! Have a nice day!