It had been a rough transition back to school life. Especially with her empty desk haunting him every waking moment of class. Memories of her showing off in class with her superior intellect. He didn't think he'd miss that signature smirk she had whenever she got an answer wrong that he'd failed. 

He was only still going to class because of her.

God knows he'd still be chilling at home on a day without PE. After all, it was his time to cut loose and relax his ever so heightened nerves. He doubted his teachers even expected him to be back so soon. Even if it'd only been a week since it all happened.

Images of the gruesome details floating around his mind like errant flies. Her torn flesh and broken bones still clear in his mind. Nothing was quite white like bone.

The lingering thoughts dug at his brain like a tick. His breath sharpened with each second passed his brain stuttering through beloved memories and disgusting details. His muscles tensed under the mental anguish, his hands tightening on the edge of his desk.

The loss would haunt him for quite some time.

He quickly jumped out of his chair and darted out the door bag in hand. 

He really needed a smoke.

"What's a goody good like you doing skipping class?" He asks soft and simple as the words leave his mouth. He already knows the answer or at the very least he could guess. 

He inhales deeply as the nicotine hits his lungs and he feels the stress in his shoulders slowly melt away. He wondered why Jennie expected him of all people would be able to help Rose out. Much less if she'd even be willing to stay in the same room as someone like him for longer than a few minutes.

"I-I don't know. I guess it just hit me today that she's gone," she says sadly in response a frown instilling itself on to her features. The girl looked like she might cry any second. 

It honestly scared him. He was so used to no-nonsense Jennie that he forgot that other people tended to be more emotional.

"Jennie?" He asked tentatively hoping not to trigger the girl into a trickle of tears. He'd be a fool to think he'd be able to stop that. When there was no response from the girl as she walked past him to lean on the railing next to him. 

Despite the earlier rush of nicotine, he could feel the stress returning in his shoulder. He really didn't want to disappoint Jennie.

Even if she was dead.

He felt a cage tighten around his heart as he realised this was probably time for honesty and ugh feelings. "She's the same reason I'm here," he said softly as he let his breath out in a slow drawn out sigh. Hoping it'd relieve the tension building in his heart. 

Emotional intimacy wasn't his thing.

"It's so weird knowing she won't come back and give me ," he said with a weak laugh hoping to relieve the building awkwardness. "Or call me a for literally forgetting she tutored me on before."

At those words, her eyes shoot towards him in realisation. She almost looks like a deer stuck in the headlights. Which he feels might be marginally better than her looking like she might break down anytime now.

"You're Yoongi?" She asked her eyebrow arching in response. Another question on her lips that she held back. At least for now.

"I mean that's what it says on my underwear?" He replied feigning seriousness. Which caused her to burst into a chuckle. Perhaps she wasn't expecting such things from a person that looked like him?

"She did say that you could be a bit of an idiot sometimes. I think she found it endearing at times though," she pointed out with a renewed smile on her lips and he couldn't help but smile in response before taking another puff. "Though she could see straight through you."

He couldn't help but choke on his cigarette at the comment. Which caused a cascade of coughs from him. "Through me?" He asked with an interlacing of both surprise and curiosity. 

She turned her back to the railing with the type of smile that made Yoongi almost regret even asking. 

Too bad she had a nice smile.

"She knew that you were purposely pretending to need tutoring just to hang out with her," she said with a laugh before her expression soured once again. Seconds passing like days before she finally spoke again. "I miss her."

"I miss her too," he simply agreed his eyes scanning the horizon before fixing onto her expression. He'd seen a similarly dour expression on his face recently. So he did what he knew helped him out when he had been feeling lately. 

He offered his lit cigarette, his candle to protect against the night. She gingerly accepted the offering and with a nervous and almost uncertain glance she raised it to her own lips and inhaled slightly. Her body relaxing slightly before sputtering out a cough. 

Yoongi was honestly surprised she accepted his relief, after all, according to everyone else she was the daughter of a pastor. 

"How about we do things my way?" She said before quickly grabbing his hand and darting off with him in tow. 

To say he was surprised was an understatement. But he wasn't complaining really after all it gave him something to do.

"Well, aren't you being direct?" He joked with a smile. "First an indirect kiss, now you're holding my hand and dragging me god knows where."

His comments caused her to stop suddenly. Her eyes shifting between the cigarette and her firm grasp on his hand. The gears in her slowly processing the information before quickly letting of his hand. "I'm so sorry," She apologised profusely. "Jennie always said that I sometimes get ahead of myself."

She laughed nervously before she remembered the cigarette in her hand. Which was nearly nothing more than dying embers. She awkwardly offered the small remains back to him causing him to chuckle ever so slightly.

"You're such a dork," he said with a calm smile.

She laughed nervously as scratched the back of her head. "Your cigarette gesture reminded me of what usually helps me." She said gesturing to the building behind her.

Hyeoryam animal shelter.

"I like helping animals because they don't judge you and they'll always love you and-" She says before trying to read the expression on his face and going quiet. "I'm sorry it's dumb, isn't it? Like why don't I just talk to people like a normal person?"

Honestly? The words just left his mouth without a second thought. He tilted his head to the side. "It's cute," he pointed out bluntly before figuring out what he said.

She looked stunned at his comment.

"Well I mean not as cute as me," he recovered with a laugh. "But you should have more faith in yourself Chaeyoung." 

He gave her a hearty pat on the back as he waltzed past her into the lobby.

"Hey, wait up!" She retorted following in behind him. 

She quickly greeted the lobby worker when he stood there like a fish out of water obviously not knowing where to go. "Hey, we're just here to volunteer Seohyun. He's with me." She with a smile before noticing the strange look she gave her before quickly gesturing to the male Rose had brought in.

"He's still gonna have to fill out the basic paperwork before he can start it'll only take five minutes or so." She said with a cheeky smirk. "Which gives me plenty of time to talk to you about things."

Yoongi quickly settled into the paperwork as Rose was lead away into one of the back rooms. 

"I see you've found a boy," she said with a teasing smile. "He's kind of cute, I didn't expect the bad boy to be your type though Rosé"

"He's just a friend," she remanded adamantly. Which only made Seohyun smile more. 

"Sure whatever you say Miss cigarette smoke," she said as left with a teasing smile. Rose was about to inject when she heard a commotion in the main shelter. It sounded like a tornado rushed through. 

She quickly ran to the noise only to see Yoongi trying to feed Rex a notoriously big and scary Rottweiler cowering from him. A massive sigh leaving his lips in frustration. 

"What the ," he complained. She was honestly surprised to see Rex scared of anything. Typically people were scared of Rex.

"I must say I didn't expect Rex to be scared of you. Usually, he's quite territorial and willing to fight for anything." She points out scratching her forehead in confusion.

"Maybe I'm just not cut out for this?" He said with a sigh. "God damn it I filled all the paperwork out for nothing!"

His words, however, didn't even seem to register in her brain because was too preoccupied looking at his feet. There was a small kitten no more than a couple weeks old. They had found it abandoned last night and it wouldn't have anything to eat.

"My leg's do look great don't the-" He said with a smile before hearing a soft meow at his feet. His instincts quickly jumping into overdrive at the small thing. Wasting no time he grabbed the kitten and the nearest bottle with he could find. 

She was surprised at the display, to say the least. The teasing bad boy disappearing in an instant replaced with a protector. She couldn't help but picture a tiger protecting his cub. The boy was quiet and nursing the small kitten like a pro.

She couldn't help but smile at the sight. It was a good idea to bring him along.

He seemed completely lost in looking after the cat until he spoke up. "What's his name?"

His voice was soft with subtle inflexions of warmth making the kitten purr. 

"He doesn't have a name yet," she answered, the reason all too real to her. They didn't wanna grow too attached to a cat that might not make it.

"I'm pretty sure Tae-Hui will make it. I'll stay here all night if I have to," he said with a pure smile patting the small cat. "After all how else are you gonna earn your name?"

The hours flew by as he looked after the small kitten and playing with it. Her phone vibrated signifying that she should probably head home otherwise her dad would get worried.

"I should get going," she said as she grabbed her things. Yoongi quickly snapped out of his instinct-driven reverie to see her leaving. 

.

He was trying to think of what to say considering he didn't exactly sure if they were friends or not or whatever. Not to mention it would just be awkward to even broach that subject. 

However, before he could even continue on those thoughts further she stopped with her hand on the door. She turned her head to him slowly with a smile. "I needed this today Yoongi... Thanks," she beamed. "See you tomorrow?"

Her words slowly leaving with uncertainty. It would seem he wasn't the only one debating it.

"I wouldn't have it any other way princess," he said coolly with a smirk. She smiled in response, only now did he notice the tension leave her body from earlier. She seemed lighter and freer.

He was pleased with himself as he noticed her leave,

"Looks like I might be able to do it, Jennie," he said with a smile.