Jongin wakes up to the lovely smell of caffeine and to the combination of the warmth of the sun and the cool rush of the Busan breeze against his skin from the open window. He hastily stood up and ran a hand through his hair, sliding on a decent shirt before heading downstairs to follow the scent. The scent leads him to the porch, and to Seulgi’s dad seated on his rocking chair, face behind a newspaper, looking like the ideal picture of an accomplished man at the countryside.

“Good morning.” Jongin knocked on the door twice announcing himself before fully stepping out.

Mr. Kang looked up in an instant. “Oh Jongin, good morning, son.” He said, putting down the papers and gesturing to the steaming pot on the table next to him. “Here, have some coffee, help yourself.”

“Thank you, Sir,” Jongin replies with a nod, grabbing the other empty cup next to the pot before pouring himself a mug-full.

“Beautiful morning, eh?” Mr. Kang asked as Jongin took a seat. “You don’t get mornings like this in the city, I assume.”

“You assume, right.” Jongin agreed, carefully taking a sip of the warm coffee in between his palms. “We could barely even breathe in purely clean air, let alone experience mornings like this.”

“Seulgi must miss it a lot.”

“She does,” He nodded. “She doesn’t talk about home a lot. But I’m certain she misses it.”

“How is my daughter, really?” Mr. Kang questioned, folding the papers down onto his lap and sliding off his glasses.

“She’s great, Sir. More than great.” Jongin responded. “Although I guess she just overworks herself a lot, as usual-- to the point that the stress just wore her out. Precisely why I brought her here in the first place.”

“To get away from the stress?”

“And to stop overworking herself.” Jongin added, subtly placing the mug down on his lap. “She needed to be home, she needed to be surrounded by people who care about her.”

“She has you.” Seulgi’s father interjects, a sincere smile on his face.

Jongin couldn’t help but smile back. “Well, I’m afraid I don’t think I’m enough this time, Sir.” Jongin muttered, chuckling. “Nothing beats the comfort of both home, and family.”

Mr. Kang nodded in response, and the both of them sat in silence for a few moments. “For what it’s worth,” He cut off the silence. “I’m glad she has you, Jongin.”

Jongin’s smile widened. “Thank you, Sir.” He replied, feeling as if he needed to bow out of so much more gratitude than a simple thank you could convey. “I’m glad to be here for her.”

“I hope it stays that way for a long time.” He let him know, almost as if it was already something set in stone.

Jongin nodded in full conformity. “I hope so too.”

“Kim Jongin,” The window at the side popped open, along with a head. “What are you doing, we have a long day, get dressed already!”

Jongin turned his head to his girlfriend’s voice and laughed quietly, always ten times crankier in the mornings. “What are you two up to today?” Her dad asked, taking his mug and finishing its contents.

“I’m taking him on a private BuSeulgi tour.”

“What is that?” Mr. Kang pondered.

“A tour of Busan care of Seulgi,” Seulgi’s forehead creased, annoyed. “Why does no one get that?”

“Maybe cause it’s lame.” Seungri interrupted from the kitchen.

“Whatever, you’re lame,” Seulgi scoffed, rolling her eyes before turning her attention back to Jongin. “Just get dressed before Momo wakes up, and steals you from me again.”

---

“Good, huh?” Seulgi asked excitedly.

“Spectacularly good.” Jongin exclaimed, wiping his mouth clean after the seafood feast they just devoured. The table was filled with now dirty, empty plates of shrimp, crab, lobsters, and the best one Jongin relished the most—grilled eel. “Why don’t we have these in Seoul?”

“Because Busan’s way better.” Seulgi answered confidently, and Jongin couldn’t bring it in himself to disagree. Jongin eyed the empty plates realizing how most of it was finished by Seulgi herself, astonished at how much his girlfriend’s noticeably been eating these days but let it pass. That’s good, he thought. She finally cares about her health again. “Now fix up, so you can experience more of Busan than its food.”

Soon after paying the bill, they rushed out of the restaurant; Seulgi taking Jongin’s hand and literally dragging him around everywhere possible. They passed by her old school, Seulgi blabbing on about her story as an elementary student who preferred eating outside of the cafeteria like the rebel she always tried to be. She told Jongin about how she could easily have been a cheerleader, but instead she chose the football team. Jongin then continued to point out how great she’d look in a skirt, and received the fatal punches Seunghoon was referring to in response, shutting him up for a good few minutes after. She also showed Jongin a few of the restaurants and stores she used to hang out in as a teenager, all of which looked quite simple and away from the sophisticated side, something Jongin expected. They also passed by an old playground Seulgi claimed to have been the place where she first experienced her first actual injury in an attempt to completely pass through the monkey bars only as a five year old. Jongin found it odd how much this seemed to excite her considering it wasn’t generally a good memory but immediately thought that the oddest things always have exhilarated his girlfriend. They kept walking, hand in hand, Jongin shoving Seulgi’s into his coat pocket—a habit they’ve both grown fond of since they started dating— only remaining in places in close proximity to Seulgi’s house. Jongin watched as the grin never left Seulgi’s face and grew even wider as they ended up in front this seemingly abandoned two-story building.

“And what’s this?” Jongin asked as Seulgi came to a complete halt right smack in the center of the vacant road in front of the building, pulling him along with him.

“This,” Seulgi breathed. “Is the building of my first ballet school.”

Jongin leaned over to his side and observed a broken window, along with the paint peeling off of the exterior and the extremely crumbled ridges of the roof. “Are you sure?” He questioned. “Cause it looks like it’s been robbed, and I certainly wouldn’t want to be dancing ballet in there—“

“It’s the old building.” Seulgi scowled at him. “They moved up to a bigger place in the city area when I was around thirteen years old, I think.”

“I see.” Jongin nodded, still staring at the window.

“I did that by the way.” Seulgi said, chin pointing towards what he was gazing at. “The window. It’s worse in the back actually.”

“How?” Jongin gaped, chuckling. “I mean, why?”

Seulgi gripped onto his hand again, hauling him out to the place she was referring to behind the building. “Even before the school left this building, I was already breaking in here from time to time. It was a lot easier when it was still open and I could just slip in through the windows left open,” She elaborated as if it was the most normal thing a teenager was supposed to be doing, as they reached the back and Jongin saw an even more harshly broken window. “But eventually, it closed and everything was locked so I had no choice but to ruin certain parts of the structure and climb inside.”

“Is ‘no choice’ really being correctly used here?” Jongin interrupted, fear starting to settle in as he watched Seulgi grab a rock and throw it directly at the already shattered window on the second floor. “What was that for—“

“So we can both get in,” Seulgi calmly answered, watching as the other half of the window was destroyed. “Silly, did you think we’d fit in that small gap earlier?”

“Wait, what—“ Jongin gasped once Seulgi suddenly hung onto a branch of a tree near the broken window and climbed up. “Kang Seulgi, get down from there— this is illegal, we could get arrested for breaking and entering—“

“Don’t be such a martyr, I’ve already done this several times—“

“Oh, that makes it legal.” Jongin scoffed sarcastically, not exactly knowing what to do now that Seulgi was directly in front of the window.

“Come on,” Seulgi whined, stretching a hand out. “No one will see us, I promise.”

Jongin’s eyes widened at her from down below. “How are you so sure, —“

“Besides,” Seulgi thought. “If we do get arrested, as if bail would ever remotely be a problem—“

“Kang Seulgi-“

“God, just get up here already.” Seulgi practically commanded, vigorously shaking her hand, which was still left hanging in the air.

Jongin looked around his surroundings, searching for any sign of human life before taking his girlfriend’s hand. “Fine,” He sighed. “But if we get caught, you’re taking the blame on the tabloids.”

Seulgi rolled her eyes to herself and pulled him up with all her might right into the open window and behind her, but she could tell he was pulling himself up as well. Jongin leaned on his knees, panting the moment he landed. He stood up finding himself in an empty hall, the only source of light being the rays of the sun behind them passing through the damaged glass. Seulgi was already straight ahead walking towards what looked like a closed door. Turns out it wasn’t closed the moment Seulgi’s hand rung around the knob twisting it open, immediately stepping in, Jongin trailing after her no matter how hazy this all seemed to him.  Jongin poked his head through the open space before following. And the sight that met him was something completely familiar.

A mirror spreading from one side of a long wall at the opposite side to the other came into view, a few (thankfully and) completely unharmed windows at the side having light bounce off of it. The corners of the room seemed a little dusted, he could even see dirt hanging off of the poles at the sides and Jongin was certain nothing could be filthier than the surely unwashed vinyl floor he was standing on right now but his attention remained solely on his girlfriend slowly walking towards the center, wordlessly taking her surroundings in. He quietly stood behind her, cherishing the silence for a moment.

“I used to go here whenever I felt lost,” Seulgi interrupted the silence, having Jongin’s head jerk upwards, as she continually stared at her own reflection. “Whenever I was mad at my mother, whenever Seungri was being the most irresponsible son, whenever I felt like I had to be the big sister, whenever I was scared or whenever everything or anything felt wrong, I went here. This is where I ran away to.” Jongin didn’t know if it was time he responded, but a smile formed on Seulgi’s face. “This was my escape.”

Jongin stepped forward, standing next to her this time and pocketing his hands. “And what would you do here?”

“I don’t know Jongin, shower. I’d take showers in a dance studio.” Her tone suddenly reeked of mockery again, Jongin sneering at the sarcasm. “Of course, I’d dance.” She said bluntly. “I’d dance and dance until it felt like my feet would fall off and find its own escape.”

“I used to do that too.” Jongin shared. “But you know… without having to break windows and risk having to take a mug shot and ruining my reputation--”

“May I also remind you that you have one of these,” Seulgi said eyeing the entire room. “In the comfort of your own home?”

“Fair point.” Jongin shut up at that.

Seulgi took a deep breath, allowing all the memories to flit through her thoughts when suddenly she felt a hand tugging on hers. Jongin took her other hand too this time, wrapping them around his neck and having his circle around her waist. “Miss it?” He asked, watching as Seulgi watched him. “Having an escape?”

“All the time.”

“You know, we may not have a studio like this in the loft and you may not always have somewhere to dance in,” Jongin said, pulling her closer and starting to slowly sway the both of them. “But you do always have someone to dance with.”

The corner of his lips tilted up, and Seulgi felt her heart strikingly flutter.

“And I’d gladly escape with you to anywhere, Kang Seulgi.” He let her know, crinkling his eyes playfully and leaning his forehead against hers. “As long as it doesn’t involve the risk of getting sent to prison again—“

Seulgi, annoyed, slapped the back on his neck lightly and had Jongin just flippantly laugh in response. He kissed the tip of her nose and for a few moments, they just danced. Even without any music, they just kept dancing. And Seulgi knew that in that moment that she didn’t need to escape. That she didn’t need to run away from anything, no matter how scary, no matter how lost she may feel-- when she had him.

Author’s Note

It’s been a long time since I worked this hard on a chapter. Lol I mean I work hard on every single chapter but this really took time and a lot of contemplating to write. I had an outline to follow but I kept adding and adding to it until the chapter just reached 3k++ words HAHAHAH. When I reached that cliffhanger though, I knew it was time to stop. And save some for the next chapter because trust me the next chapter is akljfklajskldgljk 

AHUE love you guys, hope you enjoyed that update!