Little Red Riding Jimin

Her fingers twitched slightly as she woke from her peaceful slumber. As always, she pulled herself out of bed, waiting to be greeted by the faint sound of a camera snapping pictures. However, the apartment was dead silent. She reached for her phone and checked the time: 7AM sharp, but no rummaging could be heard from the living room. She rubbed her eyes as she let out a small yawn and walked out to see what was holding up Ilse. She went to check on her roommate by softly knocking on her door, but was met with utter silence. After standing there for approximately ten minutes, she decided to just open the door and see for herself.

 

 

She walked around the abnormally quiet apartment for a while, finally deciding to pick up her copy of Frans de Waal's The Ape in Us. She looked out the window and decided not to let the morning calm go to waste and left the house. She found the old lady from two apartments right of hers already waiting at the elevator. They had exchanged names when she moved in with Ilse, but had since forgotten the stern woman's name. She decided to just smile politely. 

 

"Good morning, madam."

The woman looked her over once, nodded and looked straight ahead again. She sighed inaudibly and just stood behind her. She prepared herself for the awkward elevator ride ahead, when they stopped at the first floor.

"Oh god, seriously?", she thought to herself when the metal doors revealed Jimin standing on the other end. He shed the two women a radiant smile, "Good morning, ladies.". The older woman shuffled her feet slightly and nodded at him.

"Hi.", the small word left her lips coolly as she looked away from his well-defined lips. 

 

She walked towards the park, when she heard footsteps following her. Once she sat down on the bench overlooking the large grass field, he let himself fall down next to her. She resolutely opened her book and tried to focus on the black, printed words. However, she quickly realised she was far too conscious of his presence to read properly. She put her book down and elegantly turned her head to face him.

"Can I help you?", she asked while the tree-filtered sunlight played over her face.

 

He curiously stared into her eyes. 

"Not particularly, I just thought you might enjoy some company."

"I see. That's nice, but weren't you on your way to something, leaving this early?", she stared back at him without moving a muscle. She noticed the small mole above his mouth and the small wrinkles at the corners of his eyes from laughing.

"I just felt like going out for a walk, is that bad? Am I bothering you?", he tilted his head inquisitively.

She chuckled at his expression.

"Not particularly." 

"Good. I was wondering why you were suddenly so cold to me, when you were so cute last night."

She blushed slightly.

 

"Ah, sorry. I had just found out my roommate suddenly left for a couple days. She's a bit difficult to read sometimes, but she's really nice. I felt a bit lonely."

"I see. Does that mean you'll be all alone then?", she thought she saw a glint in his eyes.

"Yes? I'll be okay though. I don't mind being alone that much, this was just a bit out of the blue.", she replied.

"That's no good. A woman all by herself like that!", he smiled ominously.

"I've said this before and I'll say it again; I'm fairly good at taking care of myself, I don't need a brat like you looking out for me.", she smiled at him, amused by his apparent concern.

"Well, just in case, how about I come keep you company. I'll have you know I'm not a shabby chef!", she sighed at his all too familiar smirk.

"Is that so? Then how about you cook for me tonight, Mr Chef?", she rolled her eyes at his audacity.

"I'll gladly take you up on that offer, Miss Cat-Ears.", he said as he jumped up from his slouch. He turned around and winked at her.

"I'll see you tonight."

"I beg your pardon?", her eyes widened at his sudden determination.

"Byebye! I'll see you later!", he yelled back at her as he ran off. She sat there for a while, blinking, while the birds chirped up in the rustling trees.

"Are you ing kidding me?", she whispered as she returned to her book, not knowing whether he had actually been serious. 

 

As she continued on with her day, luckily it was a Saturday so not much had to be done until the next day, his words kept repeating themselves over and over in her head. Before she knew it, she had started thinking about what she should wear as she cleaned the apartment.

"Am I really taking him seriously now?", she asked herself in disbelieve.

"Am I really letting this kid invite himself into my house and am I really playing along with his games?". She sighed as she looked at her messy bedroom. "Chances are he won't see this, but.. I should probably..", she started picking up her laundry and gathering the chaos of books and notes that lay scattered about her bed and desk.

 

She sighed as she brought up her hand to wipe her forehead of the small drops of perspiration that had formed.

"Either I really need to become tidier or I really need to work out more often.", she said, slightly in shock of the effort it had cost her to sufficiently clean the apartment. She peeled her now sticky clothes from her body and studied herself in the mirror. She trailed her fingers along her waist, slowly drawing circles on her thighs. She chuckled.

"No way, no way.". She took a shower and took her time getting ready. As vain as it may seem, she liked taking care of herself. She liked the way her eyes seemed bigger after she applied eyeliner and mascara. She liked the way her lips looked alluring once slightly coloured by lipstain. She liked the way her eyebrows looked when she had sculpted them a little with forceps. She was brushing her teeth when she suddenly heard a loud knocking on her door. She quickly spit out the residue and cleansed her toothbrush.

"Coming!", she yelled shortly, hurrying to open the door.

 

As her slender fingers reached for the doorknob, she exhaled one last time, reassuring herself that she was in control of whatever would happen that night. She opened the front door with a smile, but quickly regained her stoic expression as she raised an eyebrow at the sight before her.

 

---

 

They leisurely strolled through the forest.

The birds chirped brightly in the morning sun.

She looked up at the sky,

when she stumbled over a falled branch.

He offered his hand gentlemanly.

She put her soft hand in his rugged one.

"Oh grandmother, what big hands you have."

She snickered.

"The better to hold you with."

He beamed at her.