Jihyo asked Jongkook to stay that night, and he couldn’t find it in his heart to leave.

The truth is the moment was cathartic for her, and, while a part of her was immensely happy at loving someone and being loved in return, there was a part of her that was surprised with herself at how she could have just blurted out those words. She meant it, and, if there’s one thing she learned thus far from the last few months, her spontaneity was what allowed her to be her most authentic self. So that night, she decided to set aside her thoughts; she can deal with them on another day.

They were already in bed, Jihyo’s head tucked into Jongkook’s chest, his fingers mindlessly running through her hair. Jihyo clutched onto his shirt — a change of outfit he thankfully kept in his car, which proved useful for the impromptu sleepover. She loved his scent; it reminded her of warm days and dim cabins — there was a cozy feel, and as she lay in his arms into the darker hours of the night, everything felt perfect.

Too perfect to be true, as if there was a puppeteer somewhere orchestrating everything, waiting for his cue to finally drop the curtain and end the show. The thought unsettled her, and she felt her heart skip a beat. 

Jongkook continued to run his fingers through her hair, “What are you thinking about?” he asked, his voice deep, as if he himself was being lulled to sleep. 

But, as relaxing as his voice was, it draws Jihyo away from her thoughts, and she clutches onto him tighter. “It’s nothing Oppa.”

“If it’s nothing, then why aren’t you drifting off to sleep?” He turned them over, such that they were facing each other, their features mere centimeters apart. Her head was still nestled on his arm, while his other arm was lightly placed over her waist. She still kept her hands on his chest. 

She looked back at him with her big brown eyes, making Jongkook snigger at how adorable she looked. He tapped lightly at her nose to , prompting her to scrunch it up in response. 

“Seriously Sooyeon-ah, are you starting to regret letting me stay here? It’s never too late for me to go home if this is uncomfortable for you,” Jongkook seriously asked.

He was too thoughtful to a fault, and Jihyo knew he was worried if he had intruded too much. But her thoughts were all over the place. Everything had passed by like a blur, and in that small span of time, they had managed to not only cross a line they wouldn’t have crossed before, but had gone to the extent of falling for one another. And it had only been what? A few months. Jihyo had already made mistakes like these before, and, whenever she miscalculated the viability of her relationships — specially with co-workers — she ended up getting the short end of the stick.

Truthfully, this has been the fastest Jihyo has gone. It felt criminal to have just fallen for someone after a few months of dating. The kiss would be a no-brainer; she’s not a teenager. But love supposedly moves towards marriage, and, with a guy like Jongkook, the trajectory was definitely headed there. Life might never be the same. 

Why she asked Jongkook to stay, she couldn’t fully rationalize. It was a purely emotional decision, and, in the chaos that was now her mind, his presence seemed to be the only one that anchored her. So, in an effort to drown out the voices of her thoughts, she hugged him tighter, tucking in her head beneath his. “Aniya Oppa. It’s really nothing. I’m just really glad you’re here.”

Then, she breathed in — taking in the comfort that comes from being in his arms and she eventually let sleep claim her and all her thoughts.

“Donghoon-ah! Kwangsoo-yah!” Jongkook greeted his dongsaengs. They were meeting at Gangnam on a bright Sunday morning, at Jongkook’s invitation. 

“Hyeong! Since you started dating again, I feel like I don’t see you as often as before,” Kwangsoo said as he gave Jongkook a hug. 

“Yah! Don’t act so blameless. You also disappeared temporarily when you started dating Sunbin,” Jongkook answered, clasping Kwangsoo’s shoulder. Donghoon just kept sniggering to the side, but jumped at the opportunity to tease Jongkook as well. 

“So what is it this time Hyeong? Why are you calling for us instead of your girlfriend or your old friends?” Donghoon asked, feigning jealousy and taking a jab at Jongkook’s other friend group — the dragon club. 

Jongkook laughed, but proceeded to lead the way into the building, in front of which they met. “Well, I don’t think my fellow ahjeossis know Jihyo as well as the two of you do, and as for Jihyo…” he paused then looked at them conspiratorially. “This won’t be as special if I get her to come with me here.”

He indicated their final destination. It was a jewelry store. Kwangsoo’s jaw dropped, and Haha exclaimed “Daebak! Jinjja, hyeong? You’re popping the question?”

“Well, not immediately, no. But I just want to be prepared if the time feels right.”

Haha was speechless, but Kwangsoo had a bit of a nagging worry at the back of his head. “Are you sure Hyeong? Do you think you and Noona are at that place already? I mean, I’m really happy for the both of you, and you definitely are a good match. But marriage is a big decision,” he said seriously. 

“I think we’re there,” Jongkook said, slightly staring into nothingness as he remembered the night he stayed over at Jihyo’s place.

Donghoon looked at Kwangsoo, pointing at how goof