90 minutes consecutively of cardio routine - warm ups, 15 laps around the school’s colossal gym, jumping jacks, flexings and stretchings, pull-ups, dancing, cartwheels and whatnot - you are finally now given the time to play with the equipments by your own. Brushing your fingers upon the balance beam, you tighten the grip on the plane and lift yourself, bottom not touching the wood as you part your legs, each resting at each side of you. After what you think minutes have passed by, you lift your suspended legs straight upwards, letting your arms supporting your weight as your legs shape a V sign in the air before both of the legs close their proximity. Moving along the balance beam, walking with your hands (because legs are mainstream), you halt your movement and let your legs fall onto the plane, smoothly forming a bridge.

Hauling your body up, fixing your stance straightly on your tiptoes, you lift your chin up, pinning your eyes forwards with a sharp, undividedly focused gaze. Exhaling sharply, you initiate a few small steps before completing two round-offs on the balance beam skillfully, faultlessly and add in an extra aerial cartwheel to land off on the thick layers of mat. You end your stunts with a poised pose, arms straighten up in the air, chin proudfully stuck up as your jawline becomes prominent, a leg bent forward and a satisfying smile gracing your lips.

You drop your acts off when a clapping sound resonates through the spacious gym, only leaving the smile curving into a shy, bashful one. The woman who is clad in pair of sports outfit, who you feel more comfortable to address her as ‘Soyeon unnie’, throws a water bottle in your direction, receiving a silent ‘thank you’.

“Are my movements okay? Are they balanced and well performed?” you shoot her with questions, desperate of validation even when you are in a panting, sweaty mess. Beads of sweat are running of your forehead, making your tanned skin glint under the pendaflour.

“You’re not doing okay. You’re doing fantastic, y/n. Stop fishing for compliments from me, brat. You know you’re good at what you do,” Soyeon props her elbow on the balance beam, leaning her weight towards it. You can’t help but to chuckle fondly, embarrassed but contented at the same time with her words. You are grateful to have her as your coach for the past few years back till now. Regardless the constant nags and the pressure she keeps exerting during all training sessions, Soyeon still can fill a few gaps in between with complimenting and praising session. You’ll never get used to it, nevertheless, you don’t hate it.

You put your bottle aside, cracking a few bones while walking back to the balance beam before the woman steps ahead, blocking your way.

“Take some rest, kid. Plus, you have visitors. Come back in 15,” Soyeon simply says, sounding more to an order instead of an offer, before walking away instantly.

Cocking your eyebrow inquisitively, you turn to your back where the door of the gym is located, just to find two familiar, jumpy and smiley figure behind the panelled transparent glass door. You bit your lips, trying to hide the grin that is about to grow from your lips but is to no avail. You hop off the thick mat and gingerly amble towards the door, opening it wide.

“I didn’t know you wake up early on weekends?” you initiate the conversation first, plastering a smirk on your lips.

The girls scoff in jinx, rolling their eyes off.

“Shut up. You know we do. It’s just you wake up an hour earlier than us,” Rina swats your shoulder lightly, denying the profession you just made.

“By the way, why are my fans here? Got some gifts for me?” you tease. Heeyoung and Rina do tag along with you when you are training, but only on evening weekdays, after the school ends. It’s never a bother for them to sit aside and watch you in your element everyday, neither three of you finds it a problem or unnecessary, but apparently they are intimidated by Soyeon, making it an excuse for them to refuse tagging along every weekend. Therefore, seeing them appearing on a Friday morning, all jittery and elevated, is an odd view.

“Of course, we do!” Heeyoung squeals, making you weirded out with her sudden unbearable excitement.

“Cause we bring you a new fan!”

A taller, heftier figure emerges behind both of them, making your eyes venture from your friends, up to the familiar brown irises that you have been longing for.

They’re Jimin’s. Jimin is here.

Your eyes are wide opened, jaw dropped, mouth flung open. There are so much questions playing in your head, including if your vision after you is real and not a dream. Of course you don’t want this to be one of your sweet, delusional dreams, but this is too good to be true. Too good to be real.

Jimin is here, just to see you.

“O-oh,” you curse at yourself under your breath because you manage to make yourself look like a foolish, stuttering obviously with your words in front of your friends. This is sure a side of you that your friends never witness yet, a side of you that you just discover when Jimin invaded your life, a side of you that only reserved for Jimin. Your cheeks burn when Jimin chuckles softly as you try to ignore the sneers and snickers elicited by your dumb friends.

“We’ll see you later, alright? Nice to see you, by the way, Jimin-ssi,” Rina excuses herself, flashing a knowing smile to both of you and Jimin before stepping away, dragging a reluctant Heeyoung along from the scene.

Both of you seem like to be trapped in each other’s daze, letting the serene silence engulf you in an oddly, comfortable way. Your heart is beating wildly, you can almost hear the thumping sound echoing in your ears. Your cheeks burn, displaying a wild rosy colour on it when Jimin seems like is drowning in your eyes, lost in your twinkling orbs.

“Can I hug you?”

The words seems to snap you from your trance, as you blink awkwardly, rubbing your nape as a sign of hesitance.

“I’m all sweaty, Jiminnie. I don’t kno-”

Jimin ignores whatever you want to say, marching forward and close the gap between your bodies. A little gasp escapes of your lips, probably startled with Jimin’s sudden action. You let your body loose and melts into his touch when you feel his arms slithers around your petite waist, pulling you impossibly closer. You snuggle deeper into the crook of his neck, sniffing into his signature peach scent, giggling sweetly when you can feel him placing butterfly kisses on the crown of your head.

“Damn, I miss you so much,” Jimin muffles in your hair, grazing his lips on your scalp, giving the familiar warm, soothing effect on you.

“Miss you too,” you reply timidly, enough to be audible only for Jimin.

You pull away from him a little, hands resting on his firm chest before pulling him into a kiss. It starts from a slow, lazy pace, all sweet and flattery. But when Jimin picks up the pace, tongue invading into your hot cavern, swiping and lapping onto yours, your bottom lip in between his teeth, being tugged tenderly, you fail to keep your moans at the bay. Before things get wilder, you pull away from the session immediately, locking eyes with a panting mess, smirking Jimin.

“Behave, babe. We’re in my school,”

Jimin’s heart chimes and skips a beat with the endearment that you address him on since you’re not someone that likes to call nicknames on people, unlike Jimin. But when you do, which is once in a blue moon, Jimin takes what he is given, refuse to question anything.

“It’s been weeks. How do you expect me to behave? Especially with you in that?”

“Oh,”

You’re in your gymnastics attire.

The first second Jimin lays his eyes upon you, it takes every sliver of composure in him not to pull you away from the gym and lock you in his car. Every inch of the fabric sticks on your skin, enhancing your curves and edges. The leotard is sleeveless, exposing your prominent collarbones, your athletic biceps, a generous length of your back, and your whole thighs and shins. With your skin giving a soft lustre - an aftermath of sweat - and your hair tied up in a high messy bun, the view is ample to make Jimin restless.

“Yes, sweetie, oh,”

You smack your palm fondly on Jimin’s arm, trying to portray a tough, unbothered expression yet your flushed cheeks and shy grin betray you. Invading his personal space again, you cup his chubby cheeks with your palms before leaning again for a second session. This time, both of you manage to keep it light, feathery. Smile graces on each of your lips when you lean away, eyes staring on each other’s, reeking with pure affection and love.

Your smile, your shy pretty smile. That’s enough to make Jimin’s heart races. That smile can brighten up his darkest day. That smile can be his muse, be his inspiration. That smile is sweeter than any candy ever exists in this world. Jimin swears he will do anything just to make that smile keeps decorating on your lips, he’ll do anything.

“I really do want to stay here longer, Jimin. But I have one more hour to go,” you snake your fingers to intertwine his chubby ones, flashing him an apologetic smile.

“I’ll wait outside? In my car?”

Before Jimin can even step away, you tighten the grip of your fingers as an idea crosses in your mind.

“Wait,”

…

“Unnie, this is Jimin. Jimin, this is Soyeon unnie, my coach,”

Soyeon is in akimbo, scanning Jimin from top of his head down to his toe, successfully making the taller guy feels somehow smaller, inferior. Her gaze is skeptical, silently judging Jimin who starts to feel edgy and antsy. This is the reason why Heeyoung and Rina never stay in the gym for more than five minutes when Soyeon is around. Both of your friends never understand how you can endure her menacing gaze. Only by her eyes, you can already feel harmed, feel attacked.

And that’s what Jimin literally feeling right now.

“And can I know who this guy is to you?”

The question, that one particular question that you both dreaded and fascinated to answer. Of course Soyeon can notice your flustered condition, you never try to hide it anyways. You caress your nape awkwardly, turning your head to a smiling Jimin, giving you a little nod. Confidence surges into you immediately after receiving a little support from Jimin, as you meet your eyes back with the clueless Soyeon.

“He… Erm… Jimin is- Jimin’s my boyfriend,” you murmur shyly, eyes quickly averting from Soyeon’s instantly.

“You’re a het?”

As soon as the words escape from Soyeon’s lips shockingly, you shoot your gaze sharply back to her, eyes wide opened, jaw dropped.

“WHAT?”

“I thought I saw you do ‘fan services’ for your fans in this school?”

Your jaw drop impossibly further, completely bewildered with the inappropriate choices of word that can cause misunderstandings to rise in anyone’s mind. Jimin has his eyes squinted, a little clueless but also suspicious about what is happening right now.

“UNNIE, STOP,” you yell-whisper, hoping that the older woman catch the meaning that this joke should come to an end before Jimin starts to take it in the wrong way.

Soyeon laughs off of your panicked expression, immediately dropping her act off and extends her arm out, offering a handshake with the puzzled guy.

“Nice to meet you, Jimin-ssi. I’m sorry I was just joking. You should see her face, though. She’s about to lose her ,” Soyeon voices in between her little chuckles while both of her and Jimin shaking hands.

“Not funny, unnie. Not funny,” you swat her shoulder a little and then retract back to cross your arms against your chest, acting all sulky.

“Do you, perhaps, mind, if I sit here for the rest of the practice hour? If that’s okay?” Jimin asks timidly, displaying his hopeful puppy eyes in order to coax sympathy from the intimidating woman.

Therefore, there Jimin is, sitting on the bench at the side of the gym, observing you in your element. This is Jimin’s very first time to see you as a… gymnast. He wonders how you can own such flexibility, how every move and stretch possess overflowing graceness, how every swing and lift is made smooth and immaculate. You look so beautiful, so ethereal despite the sweat and the unruly hair, it makes Jimin questions, how are you even real? Watching you doing your moves in real life is really an experience. Jimin can never get bored being a part of the audience. He keeps wanting to see more, more and more.

“So, how long has it been?”

Jimin is snapped from his daze, quickly turning to his left to find Soyeon standing with arms crossed, gazing him down, back to her deadpan face.

“In a few days, we’ll reach two months,” Jimin mutters apprehensively, but manages to keep a little smile on his face. Soyeon registers the new information in, nodding softly before pulling her gaze back to you who are swinging on the uneven bars.

“She’s doing fine, isn’t she?” Jimin murmurs through his lips, each word lacing with fondness and sincerity.

“Oh,” Soyeon replies almost a millisecond after, “More than fine. She’s doing amazing. Her performance improves every time we meet weekly. It’s astounding that she can be better than the week before when I thought she’s already reach her highest potential,”

Her eyes never leave you, looking into your every move diligently. It’s the same routine for her for past five almost six years by now. She has been there for you since day one, since you were just as tall as her, since you were still a bratty, whiny teenager, since you were still a crybaby. She has been there for you since your first winning and also your first lose, since your first attempts and first unfortunate accidents. She never loses her faith on you even through all thicks and thins, when you were in your weakest point, when insecurities got the best of you, when you almost decided on leaving gymnastics. Soyeon practically raises you, has been a figure that you always look up to.

And when Jimin can notice the emotion weighing for every word uttered, he understands how proud Soyeon must have been.

“It’s all because of you. You help her to make everything possible,” Jimin looks up to her with a different perspective now. He knows he’s looking at an idol, a role model, an embodiment of compassion and resilience, someone that you pay the utmost respect alongside your parents and brother.

Soyeon beams, a dignified one. She neither deny nor accept, instead, she brings her gaze back to the guy.

“Her mood, her emotional and mental health also counts when it comes to bring the best performance from her. It’s safe to say that this is the happiest she has ever been through six years of me coaching. She smiles a lot, developing more and more self-confidence, stops frustrating over insignificant mistakes and starts encouraging herself to try new things everyday,”

“A good change, huh?”

“Good. Really good,”

The corner of tugs upwards, forming a knowing smirk.

“My point here is, Jimin-ssi,” she sticks her index finger towards Jimin before retrieving back to crossing her arms, “You make it happen, too. You affect her emotions, her mood. Thanks to you, she’s always in a good mood. And that positively influence her performance too,”

The words give two distinct effects on Jimin. He feels honoured to be a part of your success, a part of your happiness. He doesn’t mind to keep making you always in the cloud nine, to make sure you smile just by thinking of him, to be the reason of your success even though not the main one.

But that’s the point. What if he messed it up?

“Should… Should I feel scared?” his tone is genuine, and mixed with tangible terror but Soyeon can sense it too well.

“No. But if you are. Then, be. And do it anyway,”