Yoongi
It’s almost New Year’s Eve as I wait at the small cafeteria at the train station. My face is well hidden with a cap and mask and a large muffler and most people seem to be ignoring me as I play with my cup of coffee.
I scroll through my phone as I see the various articles about the last couple of days. Things have definitely been eventful for the trio in Busan. First there was that wench. I still feel angry whenever I think about her. I never liked her and I never understood what he saw in her. Yes, she's beautiful on the outside but that was not even it for Jimin. He was just loyal I guess unlike her. Jimin told us what she told Minji and I could feel my blood boil. I can only imagine how Jimin and Jungkook felt.
In the past couple of weeks, I have really grown to like Minji. I have an older brother but something that I never told anybody was that I always wanted a little sister. Someone I can take care of and protect. When Minji got into my life, it felt like became that person for me. I used to think Yun was like that too until I realized my feelings for Yun were different – it’s completely other story.
Knowing that Jiyeon said those things and made Minji cry makes me beyond mad. I never liked the woman but she had disappeared out of our lives and I hoped she would never return. She just happened to be in the same place and probably, the moment she saw Jimin happy with someone else, she became jealous. It wasn’t enough that she hurt Jimin in the past, no, she tried to hurt Minji as well but it’s clear to see the difference between the two.
Minji – the person who doesn’t take * from anyone and who would fight four armed guys to help someone like Byung, let Jiyeon humiliate her and abuse her verbally just to protect Jimin. Everything she did, she did for Jimin because she was placing him first. I remember how emotional Jimin got when he was telling us over the phone about how Jiyeon threw coffee at her but she still didn't fight back.
Jimin deserves the very best and I really do believe he found that in Minji. They are like two jigsaw puzzles that fit so well together. They’re different from each other – different backgrounds and interests but they are both kind, caring and loving. They’ve both endured a lot because of other people but it only makes them even more beautiful – unlike Jiyeon who keeps getting uglier from the inside.
It wasn’t enough that she made her cry, it wasn’t enough that she tried to break them apart – she had to try and cause them trouble. All of us know that she is the mystery source who leaked out the information. It’s clear as day but we have no proof of it. We couldn’t just accuse her of it but Minji is smart. She was quick to figure out what to do. Jiyeon thought she could crush Minji by putting her under pressure but boy was she wrong.
It’s almost like Minji thrives under pressure like diamonds do. She was confident and natural in the way she spoke in the video and the funny thing is, it worked. Now I understand why Yun said that they always thought she would have gone into law. I can actually imagine her as a lawyer or prosecutor, talking confidentially in court, wrapping the crowd in her finger. Yet, I feel even more impressed by her as she follows her dream job.
Unfortunately, in our society teaching is not seen in the same way as law. For some people, they are incomparable and being into law gives you more status. For people, it’s an automatic sign of someone being successful and intelligent. It’s not that teachers aren’t respected but they aren’t appreciated enough, nor are they paid enough for the work they do.
I sigh as I think about what happened after that – the accident. I still get chills, knowing he was so close to dying because of some drunk driver. Someone caught the whole thing on camera but at least it doesn’t show their faces. I was frozen in place as I saw Minji jumping in to save him without a second thought. The love between siblings trumps any fear you might have. Even though they haven’t known each other long, they have an amazing bond. They were taken to the hospital and spent the night there but left the next morning, neither one of them too fond of hospitals and both of them as stubborn as rocks. Luckily, they didn’t have any injuries but they did catch a bad cold but they’re all better now.
‘Is this seat taken?’ A familiar voice asks. I smile as I turn around to see Yun there. I stand up and look at her.
‘Hey Yun.’ I say as I hug her. ‘Are you ready to go?’ I ask and she nods. I grab my luggage and grab hers as well as I begin to pull them with me.
‘I can carry my own luggage Oppa.’ She says but I shrug. ‘I was reading an article on my way here. It seems like they still don’t know who was involved in that accident. They must have told the authorities to keep it a secret.’ She says and I nod.
‘I guess so. It wouldn’t look too good for them, especially considering they had just told the world they’re siblings just that morning.’ I say and she nods.
‘It must have been so scary for Minji.’ Yun says as she bites the inside of her cheeks. We reach outside and I hail a taxi. We get in and I give the driver the address of the dorm.
‘I can’t even begin to imagine. It was probably a nightmare for her to relive something like that.’ I say.
‘Yeah. When we were young, Minji was such an amazing swimmer. She won medals in swimming competition and races. After that happened, even the sound of a water tap would freak her out but she loves her brother.’ She says and I nod once more.
‘She does, otherwise she would not have done that. I’m not sure I would have been able to do something like that.’ I admit and she nods, sharing my sentiment. ‘Anyways, I wanted to tell you how grateful I am that you chose to come home early and spend New Year’s Eve with me instead of your family.’ I say and she smiles.
‘My Eomma is a doctor and Appa is a firefighter – they’re both on active duty since days like these are prone to more accidents so I was going to be alone anyways.’ She says but I see a blush creep on her cheeks which makes me smile as I realize that’s not the only reason she did come.
‘It must have been very difficult growing up with your parents working so hard.’ I say and she nods.
‘It was but Minji, Minho and I were always together so we were never alone and there would always be at least one parent. They worked hard but we were always so proud of them.’ She says and I nod. ‘What about you? Why are you spending New Year’s Eve with me instead of your family?’ She asks.
‘Um… I um… I wanted to um…’ I begin and she starts to chuckle at my stuttering. I close my eyes and take a deep breath before I look at her. ‘I wanted to spend it with you Yun.’ I say. I try to look away from her to avoid from going red and I hear the taxi driver chuckle.
Suddenly, I feel her hands reaching for mine as she intertwines her fingers with mine. I look at her but she’s looking out of the window, a smile on her face. I smile too as I relax into her hand.
We finally arrive at the dorm. I pay the driver and take out the luggages and drag them behind me as we reach the door. I open the door, walk in and switch on the lights when I suddenly hear footsteps. Both of us look up to see Hoseok and Yoona coming down the stairs. Hoseok is holding a baseball bat and Yoona is holding a vase.
They both stop as they stare at us and I gulp. ‘Yah hyung!! You almost gave us a heart attack. We thought thieves broke into the house.’ Hoseok whines.
‘What are you doing here anyways?’ I ask as they come down the stairs. They place their "weapons" on the sofa and look at each other and then at us.
‘I wanted to spend New Year’s Eve with my girlfriend and after what happened with Minji and Jimin, we thought here would be the best place. What about you?’ He asks with a smirk as he looks at Yun who is shyly biting her lower lip without realizing that as she does so, she’s driving me crazy.
‘None of your business.’ I snap back and Hoseok chuckles. Yoona approaches Yun and takes her hand and drags her with her.
‘Let’s go have some girl talk.’ I hear Yoona telling her. I sigh as they disappear from this room and I sit down on the couch while Hoseok rests against the wall.
‘I can’t believe I’m finally seeing the great, cold Yoongi crushing on someone.’ He says laughing loudly. ‘I’m glad.’ He says quietly but sincerely.
‘I really do like her Hobi but I have no clue how to tell her. We can talk about other things for hours but every time I try to tell her about my feelings, I end up stuttering. Hell, I don’t even know what it is I’m feeling.’ I admit.
‘Does she make your heart race? Does it feel like you’re about to lose your breath? Is she the last person you think about before going to sleep and the first one you think of when you wake up? Is she the person who unconsciously creeps up your mind when you sit down to work on songs?’ He asks and I sigh and nod at the same time, knowing exactly what he is hinting. ‘I’m no expert, but I’d call that having feelings for someone.’ He adds before turning around to leave me alone with my thoughts.
I’ve always been so focused on work that I never stopped to think on what it would be like to be in a relationship. I always thought a relationship would be nothing but a distraction and I can’t afford to be distracted. I know relationships can be messy and stressful. Yes, relationships can destroy you – like Jimin was destroyed after what Jiyeon did to him or like Minji was destroyed when she lost Minho. I’ve always been so afraid of going through that.
Yet, I look at them both and see that yes, love can bring heartache but it can also bring a lot of good things. I look at Hoseok and Yoona – not only did they not get distracted, they work even harder than ever. Even Jimin - he's always smiling and happy and so full of new energy.
Before I know it, I hear the door opening and I jump from the couch as I look at the door. Namjoon, Jin and Taehyung all walk in together before they stop and look at us. I shake my head as I chuckle.
‘Seems like everyone is coming here for the New Year. We’re just missing the Busan trio.’ I say.
‘Um actually… they’re on their way here because I called Jungkook this morning and I met Namjoon-hyung and Jin-hyung at the station.’ Taehyung says as he scratches the back of his head. Aish – so much for some time alone with Yun.
Taehygung was right – only thirty minutes after they arrived, the others arrived as well. They were just as surprised to see everyone here so we all agreed to do something between us and go up to the roof and watch the fireworks even though it’s cold. Everyone is huddled together, with blankets over us. It's quite the sight to see with everyone wearing mufflers and beanies and thick jackets.
I look over at Hoseok who is sitting against the wall, his feet apart while Yoona stays there, her back resting against Hoseok’s chest as he wraps his arms protectively around her with a blanket over them. Jimin and Minji are also sitting next to each other, sharing a blanket as they drink wine. Namjoon, Jin, Taehyung and Jungkook are on the lousy couch we have as they share blankets and cushions as we watch the movie through the projector. Yun and I are sitting next to each other but there is still some distance between us.
While everyone watches the movie, I keep looking at Yun. She is so beautiful and there’s something pure about her. I scoot closer to her and she looks at me and smiles. She scoots closer as well, enclosing the space between us as we take each other’s hand. With my free hand, I arrange the blanket so she is covered properly. I feel her run circles on my hand as she tries to focus on the movie but I see the smile on her face.
We finish the movie around ten minutes before midnight and everyone is sitting relaxed. ‘So, what are your wishes for the new year?’ Jungkook asks as he looks at Minji.
‘I already got my two wishes.’ She says. ‘I found my brother and I found love.’ She says and Jimin chuckles as he kisses her cheek. ‘If I were to wish for anything this year, it would be to stay out of trouble but I know it’s more likely for me to survive an avalanche than stay out of trouble.’ She says, making everyone smile. ‘What about you Kooks?’ She asks.
‘Hmm I want all of us here to stay healthy and safe and happy.’ He says and I nod in agreement. ‘I wish that ARMY will all have a good year full of fortune and happiness too.’ He adds.
‘Yeah I agree. ARMY deserve to be happy and I hope to continue to make them proud of us.’ Taehyung says.
‘We will. I know that it is useless to ask that we do not face challenges but I hope that whatever challenges we face, we face them together.’ Namjoon says.
‘Joon is right. We’re all family here, not just the seven boys but also you three.’ Jin says, pointing to Minji, Yoona and then Yun.
‘It’s almost time.’ Hobi says as he looks at his watch. Everyone starts to stand up and I do too. I offer my hand to Yun who takes it. We stay close as we wrap the blanket around our shoulders. All ten of us walk to the edge of the roof as we look on. In the distance, we see the city lights as a crowd is gathered there, waiting for the New Year to commence.
‘Let’s take a video.’ Taehyung says as he pulls out his phone. He starts recording as he comes in front of everyone. He stops by us and me and Yun both wave at the camera.
‘It’s time… let’s count together.’ Jimin says. We start counting… yelling out the countdown at the top of our lungs as we laugh… 'Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, ONEEEEEE!!!’ We all yell just as the fireworks start to go off.
I look at Jimin who is kissing Minji and Hoseok who is kissing Yoona. The other boys are hugging and exchanging greetings and I look at Yun. ‘Happy New Year Yun.’ I say.
‘Happy New Year Yoongi-Oppa.’ She says as she goes on her tiptoes and kisses my cheek. I feel my cheeks heat up at the touch of her soft lips against my skin. I look at her as she lowers down back. I place my hands on her arms and hold her in place before I lean down and crash my lips against hers. She tastes of the wine we were drinking earlier and I can’t help but slightly lick her lips.
I hear the others cheering and clapping but I ignore them as I continue kissing Yun just as the fireworks keep going off. It feels like everything is in slow motion as I focus on her before we finally break away from the kiss. She looks at me, her eyes shining as if she has stars in them.
‘Op-Oppa.’ She says and I smile as I nuzzle her nose with my own. I rest my forehead against hers.
‘I didn’t tell you my wish for the New Year. Do you want to know what it is?’ I ask her and I hear her gulp but she nods slowly. ‘I wish to make you my girlfriend.’ I say.
‘Then I should make sure your wish comes true.’ She says with a smile before she kisses me again.
Jimin
The last few days of holidays pass quickly and before I know it, we’re back to our routines. The boys and I go back to rehearsing and prepare for the comeback along with Yoona. Minji and Yun are back at University and work and now their exam season is coming up.
Minji and I still talk every day but during this week our conversations have been shorter due to the work that needs to be done. So, tonight I decide to actually visit her and see how she is doing. I know that she puts a lot of emphasis on studying so I hope she’s resting and eating well.
I look at the soft toy in my bag and I chuckle to myself as I ring the doorbell. ‘Coming.’ I hear Minji yell from inside. I hear her footsteps as she opens the door and I stare at her for a while. She’s wearing a thermal pajama and a thermal robe on it. She’s also wearing fuzzy socks and her hair is in a complete messy bun, with hair sticking out all over. She has a pencil tucked in her hair and she’s wearing her glasses. She even has some chocolate around her mouth and dark circles under her eyes. ‘Aish!’ She says as she closes the door again with a slam. I start laughing while I hear her panting behind door. ‘Yah! You should have warned me that you’re coming! I look like a natural disaster.’ She shouts from behind the door.
‘Come on Minji. You still look beautiful.’ I say. ‘Open the door or I won’t give you your present.’ I say. I hear the door unlocking and I push it open and walk inside. I see her hiding her face behind her hands and I chuckle. ‘Yah! Stop that. I haven’t seen you in two weeks. I want to see your face.’ I say as I put down the bag on the floor and walk up to her.
I gently grab her hands and move them away from her face just as I lean in and give her a quick peck. She giggles and I give her small pecks, one after the other before I get even closer to her and kiss her more deeply. ‘I missed you.’ I murmur into the kiss.
‘I missed you too Chim.’ She says as we finally pull away to look at each other. I look at her and frown as I place a strand of hair behind her ear.
‘Jagi… you look so tired. Did you sleep? Have you eaten?’ I ask and she laughs.
‘Babe it’s just for now. The exam is in three days and there is still a lot of material I need to cover.’ She says, pointing to the living room table which is full of books, papers and highlighters along with her laptop. I gulp, seeing all of that. I remember what it was like to study and as much as I love school, I don’t particularly miss the stress of studying and going through exams.
‘You keep studying. I’ll make you some ramen. You need to keep your energy up but before, I have something for you.’ I say.
‘Really?’ She asks excitedly as I reach for bag I brought with me. I take the big, fat panda plushy and I see her face light up. ‘Ohh it’s so cute!!’ She exclaims as I give it to her. I watch her hug it tightly as she looks at me with that kind of smile that shows childlike excitement. ‘Thank you so much Chim. I love it.’ She says as she walks next to me and gives me a quick peck.
‘It’s so he can keep you company when you miss me while you’re busy studying.’ I say. ‘There’s a note too.’ I say as I point to his neck. She opens it up and starts to read it out loud.
‘To my beautiful and smart girlfriend. You’re going to ace these exams. I believe in you. I love you.’ She reads and then looks at me again. ‘I love you too Chim.’ She says and I smile.
‘I’ll go make you some ramen.’ I say and she nods as she sits down on the couch with the plushy right beside her. I go to the kitchen and open up the cupboard. I get the things I need as I start preparing the food. I may not be much of a cook but I can do a decent ramen.
I finish preparing the food and take the bowls to the living room. ‘It’s ready,’ I say.
‘Ahh smells good jagi.’ She says as she reaches for hers. I sit down next to her and hand her the chopsticks. ‘Thank you for coming over and cooking for me.’ She says.
‘Of course. Where’s Yun by the way?’ I ask. I use my chopsticks to get the first few mouthfuls.
‘She went over to her friend’s house. They’re studying together for one of the exams because it’s not essay based but multiple choice. I really hate those kinds of exams.’ She says as she makes a disgusted face which makes me laugh.
‘What’s yours about?’ I ask as I take a look at the number of things on the table. I look at the laptop which shows a presentation, marking slide sixty-five and titled ‘a model of academic success.’
‘It’s Educational Contexts. It’s basically divided into four sections – sociology, philosophy, psychology and inclusion but we only write about two sections. Sociology is compulsory for this one and then we choose so I’m focusing on inclusion.’ She explains and I nod. Of course you are!
I remember how she was telling me about the children in her class. Some of them are from very difficult social backgrounds and how some are excluded from society. I could see the passion in her eyes as she spoke about it and I could see why she wants to be a teacher.
‘How about I help you study? I can ask you questions and you can see what you remember?’ I ask and she looks at me.
‘Are you sure? I don’t want you to get bored.’ She says and I chuckle and shake my head.
‘As long as I am with you, I won’t get bored. Besides, I can learn something too.’ I say and she smiles and nods. We finish eating the ramen and I stand up and take the bowls to the kitchen. I wash them quickly and return back to the living room. I see her sitting down on the floor on a cushion, feet across each other and holding on to the plushy. I laugh as I sit down opposite her and take her laptop on my lap. ‘Shall we start with sociology – learning and success?’ I ask and she nods. ‘Okay then. What is learning?’ I ask.
‘Learning can broadly be defined as any process in in living organisms which leads to permanent capacity change and which is not solely due to biological maturation or ageing. It is the act or experience of one that learns. It also refers to knowledge or skill acquisition by instruction or study and modification of a behavioural tendency by experience.’ She responds. I stare at her and she rubs the back of her neck. I don’t get why she is nervous if she knows the information just like that.
We spend at least five hours studying before she begins to doze off. It’s quite funny actually, seeing her trying to mumble her answers while her head dangles. ‘Okay I think that’s enough for tonight. It’s already two in the morning and you're dead tired.’ I say as I close her laptop and put it on the table. She nods and yawns and I help her up. ‘Come on you need to sleep so you can do well.’ I say as she stands up. I hold onto her hand while she holds the plushy with her other hand. I switch off the lights here and lead her to the bedroom.
‘Stay here tonight. Sleepover.’ She says as she removes her robe and climbs into bed. I smile and nod.
‘I will. I’ll go to the living room and…’ I begin but she shakes her head and pats the space next to her.
‘I’ll sleep better if you’re here.’ She says and I gulp. I take off the slippers and climb into bed, grateful I’m wearing comfortable clothes and not my skinny jeans. She turns around to face me and I wrap my arms around her while she pushes her face against my chest. ‘Good night my love.’ She murmurs and before I can say anything, she seems to completely pass out.
‘ Aish you must have been exhausted.’ I whisper as I look at her. She looks peaceful as she sleeps. She breathes lightly but there’s a smile on her face. ‘Good night princess.’ I say as I kiss her forehead and pull her close to me as I cover us with the blanket.
I wake up, my hand outstretching to find her but I don’t. I sit up in bed and realize she’s not here. I look at the clock on the nightstand which marks six thirty in the morning. ‘Aish is she already up? She didn’t even sleep for five hours.’ I grumble to myself. I get out of bed, put on my slippers and walk to the living room but she’s not there either. ‘Min baby where are you?’ I yell out.
‘Kitchen.’ She yells back. I walk into the kitchen, my eyes still almost glued together. She looks so energetic for someone who barely had any sleep. ‘Morning babe. How did you sleep?’ She asks as she flashes me a smile which instantly makes me smile too.
‘Really well. I loved our cuddling session – we should do it more often.’ I say with a wink and she laughs. I approach her and hug her from behind as I wrap my arms around her tummy and rest my head on her shoulder as she cooks. ‘But I didn’t like waking up and not finding you there.’ I whisper against her ear.
‘I need to study baby and I needed to cook breakfast for us. Now, I am not Yun so don’t expect anything too fancy.’ She says as she works with the omelet.
‘What are you talking about? That smells and looks fantastic.’ I say as I kiss her cheek and then her neck. I feel her tense up and I can’t help but smirk as I kiss her again in the same spot.
‘Jimin, baby, unless you want to end up without breakfast, you should stop that.’ She says as she licks her lower lip. I smile as I stop kissing her neck but stay there, attached to her when a thought crosses my mind.
Is this what it would be like to wake up to her every morning?