Taehyung had his face pressed against the glass as he stared in awe at the penguins’ habitat. They were so cute and fluffy that he wouldn’t be surprise to find himself jumping in there and kidnap one of them. But he was particularly interested in one of the creatures, as it hadn’t stopped moving through the ice, probably searching for something.

“What do you think it’s doing?” Taehyung turned, asking Ji Yeon but she was gone. He found her on the bench, possibly sleeping since she had her face covered with her hood.

Shrugging it off, he paid attention to the penguin again. This time, it clapped happily as it picked up a pebble among hundreds and waddled in a cheery manner towards another penguin, a smaller female one that is. The boy’s eyes widened as the male penguin placed in front of the female.

Is it what I think it is? He thought in confusion as he saw a pebble between his converses. He bend down and scooped it up before walking over to the snoozing Ji Yeon.

“Are you bored already?” Ji Yeon uttered despite her half-asleep state. “Can we go home now?”

“Nah, it’s still too early.” Taehyung smiled. “Here, I found this.”

Ji Yeon flipped her hood off, revealing her puffy eyes but she ignored his curious eyes as she looked down at the pebble in his hand. Taehyung shook his head from daze as Ji Yeon took the stone from his hand, examining it, “What the hell is this?”

“Lucky charm?” Taehyung attempted. Ji Yeon scoffed at that but at least she didn’t throw it away.

“So what now?” Ji Yeon asked, jerking her chin at the setting sun.

“Now? Hmm, I wonder what’ll happened—Taehyung eyed the girl’s profile before pulling on a mischievous smirk, leaning closer towards her— if I do this?”

He pinched lightly her cheeks, giggling when she had a confused expression on. He then proceeded to pinch her nose and lips until she pushed his hands away with a roll of her eyes.

“Just because you confessed to me,” Ji Yeon began. “It doesn’t mean that you can go around and play with me.”

Taehyung froze, lowering his arms.

Ji Yeon quirked an eyebrow when she noted his surprising stillness. “Or was I mistaken that night?” She inquired. Even though she never experienced an actual love that wasn’t out of lust or prudence, she could tell the time when men were put into a vulnerable position. And Kim Taehyung had that weak light in his eyes. Enough to tell her that he liked her more than a friend should.

“No, you’re not.” He admitted as he slouched against the bench, eyeing her as he scrutinised her display of emotions. He finally decided not to force her into answering as he stood up abruptly. He reached out a hand to help her up, smiling, “Now that I think about it, it’s ironic how I never even get to sing to you.”

“Huh?” Ji Yeon uttered with a blank face. “Sing to me? Like right now?”

Taehyung looked around their surrounding. Since it was nightfall already, the visitors were starting to fill out of the zoo, leaving both of them the only ones, lazing on the bench. Clearing his throat, he gave Ji Yeon a sheepish smile. “It was actually a cover hyung and me are working on but I guess I can sing it to you.” He said.

“Yeah, sure.” Ji Yeon propped the palm of her hand against her cheeks, staring boringly at him. “Save the talking and start singing.”

Taehyung snorted and closed his eyes, starting to feel the wave of emotions washed over him. Opening his lips, he began singing,

“Please stay by my side, please remain here,”

“Don’t let go of my hand as you’re holding it in yours,”

Rounding her eyes in shock, Ji Yeon looked at him weirdly as she recognized the song. It was indeed the cover for Jung Joon Il’s Hug Me. One of the songs Soongi used to sing habitually before Ji Yeon put a stop to it when she moved into the house. Hearing it from Taehyung brought a different reaction from her as her gaze was concentrated on him.

“You’re quite a pretty person, aren’t you?”

“Please don’t do this to me,”

“You know me well enough, don’t you?”

Ji Yeon just couldn’t hold herself as she sang after him, hitting the right vocal range and taking Taehyung by surprise, as he never thought that this girl could sing like a pro. Nevertheless, Taehyung smiled and sang along with her beautifully.

“I love you, I love you,”

“I shout it out after staying in this long silence,”

“It may seem weak and childish, but it’s my true feelings.”

They finished in harmony. Taehyung turned towards her with clapping hands, only to falter when he noticed her welled up eyes. Assuming that she was crying because of the touching song, he patted her back in comfort. “Hey, I don’t know you’re supposed to cry after singing.” He comforted.

“Shut it,” Ji Yeon grumbled as she wiped the tears away. “You’re obviously being delusional.”

Taehyung laughed. “I hope that’s a compliment.”

Rolling her eyes, Ji Yeon walked past him and pushed his shoulder in purpose before storming for the zoo’s exit. Taehyung followed her, chuckling. At the entrance, he grabbed a hold of her and spun her around, getting rid of her tears with his thumbs, “Hey, if I tell you something. Would you listen to it?”

“Depends,” Ji Yeon sniffled, removing his hands from her face.

For the first time, Taehyung couldn’t naturally bring a smile to his face. It was like his nerves had stopped functioning properly. It was hard to be strong for someone you loved but he forced himself to smile, even if it was a fake one.

“You have to go back to California.”

Ji Yeon rounded her eyes in horror. She was about to plant a punch on his jaw but he held her hands, enough to make her harmless for a while. He had been expecting her to act that way especially if some kind of her past got involved.

“You’ve been talking to that b***ard, haven’t you?” Ji Yeon seethed, trying to hold herself.

“I did, but I’m not telling you that because of him,” Taehyung admitted, not looking back at her. “It’s because I want you to get better. I want you to smile genuinely—

Swiping a hand, Ji Yeon slapped him. Taehyung’s face turned to the side and he could actually taste the metallic taste of blood as he touched his throbbing cheek. He was expecting that but he was surprised by the amount of passion he saw in her eyes.

“I love you, you a**hole,” Ji Yeon grasped his neck, pulling her closer to him. “Remember that.”

With that said, Ji Yeon smashed her lips against his. It was as fast as it came but Taehyung could feel the stir in his chest. Something snapped in him as he kissed her back deeply, wrapping his arms around her. He knew then what he wanted. Her. So badly.

“Oh god, I can’t,” He breathed out, breaking their kiss and keeping his calm. “I can’t do it to you. Or to me.”

Ji Yeon tried to catch her breath as she looked down at the ground. She was glad that he wasn’t driven by lust as other men were but at the same time, she was angry and heartbroken. Heartbroken by how easily he sent her away.

“Promise me,” Taehyung grabbed her face and gazed into her eyes. “ Promise me that you’ll try your hardest at everything. Everything, Min Ji Yeon, promise me that.”

Ji Yeon stared back at him with an expressionless face.

Then, she nodded.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

About the penguins’ scene:

Apparently when a male penguin meets its soulmate, he’ll search for the right pebble and present it to its partner. It’s like a proposal.

Wow, this chapter is so intense. Should I rate it? Haha!

No comments? I see how it is then. =P.