'til i see you

blackpink's jisoo / bts' v

vacation!au, stranger-to-friends, idk

please excuse the inaccuracy of Europe (trip)

for choi-taek

"!"

After more than 48 hours of glaring at alphabets on boards, pamphlets, and maps, trying to decide which one is English among German, Spanish, and other language, wishing she takes English lessons more seriously while she searches for information in Korean only to gives up and opens Google Translate, it takes a moment to register that, ah, Jisoo knows that word without needing a dictionary. 

That's why the 'I'm sorry' dies down in , instead she looks at the man she just bumped into, causing him to lost his balance and dropped his camera. He's crouching, checking at the camera for any malfunction, and Jisoo can only see the top of his head - he has sandy colored hair, and he wears denim jacket over a white hoodie. He doesn't seem to notice that Jisoo's still there.

She bites her lips and takes her chance. "Are you... Korean?" she asks. 

Her question - or perhaps it's her language, after all, you suddenly miss your mother-tongue when you don't hear it from the people talking around you and become hyper-sensitive and excited when you hear it - takes his attention, as he stops moving and glances up. Though his hair color isn't, his face in unmistakably Korean, and-- Oh. Jisoo knows him, isn't she?

"Yeah...," his anger seems to dissipated, there's no longer fire in the way he speaks unlike the curse he lets out earlier. His voice is deeper now without the rage, and he picks up his camera as he stands up, looking at Jisoo curiously. "You too?" 

Jisoo nods. "I'm sorry, I didn't see you. Is-- is your camera okay? It's not... broken, right?" Jisoo may not know about cameras but it looks expensive, and if she must pay for any damage now, she can kiss the rest of her Europe trip goodbye and just jumps into the next flight back home.

Unexpectedly, the man raises his camera and snaps a picture of her. Then he looks down to check the result. "... It's fine. Just a little scratch." His index finger rubs over a spot on the corner, probably the place where it's scratched. 

Jisoo feels sorry for him, but now that she doesn't have to worry about her planned trip, another thing plagues her mind. "We've met before, right? I feel like I know you from somewhere... Or I'm wrong?" 

The man looks up at her again, frowning a little, and Jisoo notices more about him - his uneven eyelids, his thick lower lips, his piercing gaze, or, simply, how good-looking he is - before he looks back down to his camera, staring at Jisoo's blank expression at the screen. He seems to recognize her from there. "... Hmm. Im Nayeon's party?" 

Jisoo takes a careful sip of her hot cappuccino, ruining the microfoam pattern of a tulip on top of it. While doing so, she's taking secretive glances at her companion's iced macchiato. The weather's great, it's in the middle of Winter in Barcelona and it's only 16°C, but Jisoo's the type who drinks hot beverages and she always wonders what's going on in the head of people who drink cold beverages in Winter.

Her lunch date, the man from before, Kim Taehyung, has taken off his denim jacket, stirring his iced macchiato while looking out of the window. His nose slope is nothing but perfect, and he looks like a statue when he stays still like that. Jisoo frowns to herself after her questionable thought.

It was her best friend Nayeon's birthday party last year, she remembers Nayeon in a little black dress, tipsy and red cheeks with high-pitched giggles, clinging to her new boyfriend who Jisoo met for the first time that night. Then another man showed up, Nayeon's boyfriend introduced him as, 'This is my cousin, Taehyung,' and the reason he left impression on Jisoo was because he carried his camera instead of a glass of cocktail; apparently, he's an unofficial photographer of the night.

After they re-introduced themselves once again, Jisoo immediately asked him if he wants to have lunch with her. To be honest, she's not built for solo trips, she misses talking using Korean, heck she misses talking, and for her, it's not fun sight-seeing alone. She's in Spain, for god's sake, and she doesn't even enjoy it.  She shouldn't take her friends' challenge for going to a trip by herself, but then again, Jisoo also isn't built for backing down (and now she learns her lesson... or not). 

Thankfully, Taehyung didn't refuse, only shrugging carelessly and said, "Sure, why not?" 

"So... are you here for vacation? Or a job?" Jisoo starts the conversation, seeing that Taehyung isn't going to.

He glances at her, giving her a look she can't quite decipher, a ghost of smile playing on his lips. "Vacation... I guess you can say that."

That's an odd answer, but Jisoo doesn't want to prod. "Oh... How long you have you been in Barcelona? Where are you going next?"  

Taehyung gives her a rather long stare that it makes Jisoo nervous for some reason. Finally he stops staring, pushing his hair back, exhaling. "It's been three days, and actually, I don't know. I don't have a plan. ... Well, I did, but it kind of naturally fall apart when your girlfriend broke up with you 3 days before your supposed to be romantic vacation." 

Jisoo's mouth makes a small 'o' after Taehyun's sudden TMI. When Taehyun's eyes fall back on her, she quickly closes and clears , reaching for her cup and brings it to her lips. "Ah... I see...," she smiles awkwardly from the rim of her cup before sipping it, looking away.

Taehyung chuckles to himself, leaning back at his seat.

Thankfully their order of seafood paella comes by then, saving Jisoo from more awkward moments. She's practically drooling at the dish, and she's ready to dig in but stops when she sees Taehyung reaches for his camera. 

"Sorry," Taehyung mutters between taking pictures of the dishes on their table. He takes several pictures and inspects them before he looks up at Jisoo. "Want me to take a picture of you?" 

"O-oh, yes!" Jisoo quickly puts down her spoon and gives Taehyung her phone. "Please. I'm sick of taking selca or asking people to take my photos." 

Taehyung gives her a small smile, playing around with the setting on her phone and trying different angles before he takes her picture. He tells her to lift her chin a little and tilts her head. When he's done, he gives Jisoo's phone back to her.

"Thank you." She checks the photos, and wow, she looks prettier in them, her face looks slimmer, the paella looks colorful against the white tablecloth and her mint-colored cardigan, and the lighting is also perfect. They're profile-picture worthy. "Wahh... you're good, Taehyung. Ah, do you want me to take your picture too?" 

He shakes his head. "No, thanks. I prefer taking photos." 

They continue to eat while making small talks in neutral areas: age, occupation, family, hobbies. Jisoo tries to steer away from relationship-related topics, and Taehyung doesn't give her the somber look anymore. 

They're halfway through their dessert - Jisoo orders flan while Taehyung, surprise surprise, chooses vanilla ice cream - when Jisoo blurts out the question. "Do you want to go to Rome with me?" 

Add impulsive and not-thinking-enough-before-speaking on How To Make Kim Jisoo's list of ingredients.

Two days after their lunch, Jisoo finds herself with Taehyung in front of the Colosseum. He had buy the same ticket with her to go to Rome, and after putting their luggage in the hotel, they take a short 10-minutes walk to the Colosseum. Even from afar they can already see the huge structure, and if before Jisoo tries hard to suppress her excitement, up close she can no longer do that. Even Taehyung looks more lively, eyes showing enthusiasm as they look up to the whole structure. 

"Now it really feels like we're overseas," Jisoo says. Only after she says it out loud she realizes how silly she sounds, but Taehyung only glances at her and nods with a small smile. "But it feels weird... I always thought places like these are... in a different world. But it's right in the city, next to the road. Can you imagine go to work and see such an amazing building every day?"

"Probably like us with Gyeongbokgung Palace," Taehyung says. "Hey, can I go around? I want to take some pictures. We'll meet back here in...," he checks his watch, "... 20 minutes?" 

He dashes away as soon as Jisoo agrees. 

They can't go inside the Colosseum, so Jisoo strolls around, taking photos with her phone and enjoying herself. It's a little bit colder than Barcelona but the sun is shining bright, boosting her mood. There are a lot of tourists - she can't really differentiate the Westerners, but she  spots some Korean families who smile at her when they notice each other. She finds a place to sit and looks up to the Colosseum, admiring it. It's obvious from the brick and the colour, which part is the original structure, which part is the newly renovated. There's some ruins next to the area, and after some browsing Jisoo finds out it's Palantine Hills.

She's playing with her phone - looking up facts about Colosseum and Palantine Hills, making stories for her Instagram - when Taehyung comes back, half-running to her. 
 

"Sorry, sorry," he says, almost panting. "I lost track of time--Did you wait long?"

Jisoo blinks at him, too taken aback with his sudden appearance and his genuine apology. She doesn't even check the time. "No," she finally says, "No, not at all. It's fine. Are you done? Do you still want to go around?" 

Taehyung seems to hesitate before answering, "Do you think we can stay here... until sunset?"

"Sure!" Jisoo isn't sure what kind of answer Taehyung expects from her, but he seems surprised with it. "Umm... Did I say something wrong?" 

Taehyung still stares at her, in daze. "Oh. Nothing. It's just... Never mind." 

"Hey," Jisoo gently nudges his sneakers with her boots. "Don't do that, you're making me curious. Tell me."

Taehyung is smiling, but it doesn't quite reach his eyes - his smile looks melancholic, like he's no really here and he's not really smiling. "My ex-girlfriend. She doesn't like it when I keep on taking pictures and, sort of forget her."

"Oh...," Jisoo frowns. "Well. It's not intentional, isn't it? I mean, look at this place! Of course you'll want to take as much pictures as you can. Who knows when we'll be here again? And you don't forget me," Jisoo smiles at him. "But, since we'll be here for a while, do you mind taking my pictures with your camera?"

When the night comes, so does the awkwardness. Jisoo