The next few days for Jisoo are quite mundane. She spends her free afternoons studying for the O.W.L.s or doing assigned tasks. Sometimes when the library is too packed, she goes out to study by the Great Lake for some space and fresh air in her little nook under a willow tree that wasn't the Whomping Willow. Sometimes she goes there with Bona, other times she goes alone. Thursday afternoon, she sits under the shade of the willow tree while memorizing Arithmancy formulas. They had a test coming up tomorrow and there was this tricky equation she couldn't get the hang of every time she encounters it during their many discussions. Until now, she's stuck so she's trying to work her way through it for tomorrow's test. 

The sound of crunching of leaves and stone from behind her makes her peer around the side of the tree trunk, she hears someone approaching. 

Taehyung stops in his tracks when the two of them make direct eye contact. He has on regular, casual clothes. He's bundled up in a bomber jacket and big pants, and his hair is a mess of brown curls. The smile he has on his face is like the cherry on top because he looks like a troublesome two-year-old.

Jisoo sighs and closes her book instantly. 

"Oh, no, no, wait - I didn't know you'd be here." Taehyung hurriedly runs up towards her, shaking his head while frowning. "I thought I was the only one who knew about this spot." 

Jisoo looked up at him from where she sat, nestled in between the large overgrown roots of the willow tree that had sprung up from the soil. The tree bark was soft, so it was comfortable to lean your back against and the view of the still waters of the Great Lake from this vantage point made Jisoo feel serene and at ease. The low hanging branches and leaves provided with some sense of privacy and shade plus the area was also secluded, a little ways off the castle grounds and you had to climb through a pile of boulders on the way to this spot. 

Jisoo and Bona came here all the time since they were second years when they first stumbled here by accident, and it's only now that she's run into another person.

Taehyung stands beside her seated figure. "Sorry for intruding." He tells her, which wasn't really necessary but she appreciates his thoughtfulness at least. She's aware he's probably only saying that because he wants to be on her good graces so she can finally go on that date with him. 

"I was leaving anyway." Jisoo's just not in the mood to entertain him right now though, she needed to study for the test tomorrow and she couldn't do that tonight because she was assigned to do rounds around the castle. She had no other free time. She's collecting her books when she sees Taehyung back away from the corner of her eye.

"It's fine, Jisoo. I can leave, you seem busy with studying." He says softly, which made her look up at him in mild surprise. He shrugged at her, hands deep in the pocket of his jacket. He doesn't seem hurt or offended with her attitude at all, he just looks like he understands that she really does need to study. "I'll see you around, little raven." 

Jisoo groans. "Stop calling me that." she says before she can stop herself. 

Taehyung only chuckles, shrugging once more before turning around to leave.

The idea comes to her when he's about to walk away, when he's already walking away. She doesn't like it, but he's the best student in Arithmancy other than herself and he's pretty good at the equations Jisoo seems to at. He may not be the perfect student but he is a smart one. She doesn't like it, but she has no other choice because her schedule for today is tight and the test is already tomorrow. 

"Taehyung," her voice was so soft, he hadn't heard her at first. "Taehyung!" she raises her voice into a shout and it's only then that he stops and looks back at her, confused but visibly happy. 

"You wanted to leave when I arrived but now you call me back to help you study." Taehyung teases her, of course he's teasing her, he's always teasing her. He sits across from her on the ground, blocking her view of the lake but she doesn't mind because soon her focus is on the equations written on her textbook as Taehyung points at them and explains where and how the answers were derived from. 

Taehyung's actually pretty decent and tolerable when he's like this: concentrated and serious. His playful aura is still there whenever he gives her amused smiles and teasing remarks ("I only accept a date as a payment for my services here"). He's also excellent at Arithmancy, but downright terrible at explaining. Jisoo has to make him explain something two or three times before she can completely understand and they can move on to the next topic or question. Their progress is slow but even slow progress is still progress. 

While he's pointing at one of the numbers on her book, she leans forward while he's explaining to listen better. 

She suddenly hears him inhale sharply and she looks up, wondering what was wrong. 

Taehyung is staring right at her and their faces are mere inches apart. When had either of them scooted closer to the point where they were now sitting right next to each other? Perhaps during the middle of his tutoring, neither of them hadn't noticed how close they had gotten and the space between their faces right now is at a minimal. She can see every non-existent pore on his face and Jisoo ha