#the lady on the phone was casually telling me “ohh yeah i got sick and didnt tell my colleagues where i had stored your urgent documents”

[r-aindr0p]

….will you perhaps, be doing international sales of your dorm stickers? And if you do, don’t worry about the mass order someone will put in for Rollo stickers. Fire lotus stickers would be cute too!

Honestly I'd love to open a little online shop at some point ! And do a bunch of twst stuff and other fandoms ! For now I'm designing the stickers and hoping the financial help I subscribed to actually arrives because I was supposed to get it monthly since february hhfgdh I gave all the required documents but french administration is hell.

[taerseok]

— sequel: puzzle piece | k.s.j

pairing:. singledad!k.s.j × reader

synopsis:. starting a new life, it felt difficult, especially without the help of your once beloved, and now a burden of a child. But, when an unexpected, yet hopeful, plot twist takes your life into a completely new direction, you find yourself enjoying youth again. It happens to be that not only you've found happiness in a man so similar to you, but a shoulder to grow old with.

word count:. 13.1k

genre(s):. romance, angst

warning(s):. strong language, mean mochi

song rec(s):. here with me - Susie Suh, moon - Jin

♡ A/N:. please read the prologue, "Paper Hearts," first to understand the story better. Thank you for reading, and hope you enjoy! ♡

It was way later in the evening of the shopping spree, that you reached back home with Hoseok, and sat down in the living room to explain to him about what had transpired back in that shop. Putting down the bag in which the clothes for your little one were kept, you gestured him to sit down, and he did so without responding. You were not sure how to explain him how the whole deal had went, really. All you knew was that some stranger had just offered to pay for clothes you had wanted to buy, and then you exchanged contacts so you could pay him back, and then he was gone like he had ever existed.

You thought about the whole ordeal, your expressions constantly changing, which made Hoseok laugh. "Are you not going to tell me about how you got those clothes without paying any money or what?" he asked, on the verge of chuckling him again, when you rolled your eyes and spoke up. "Yeah, yeah. Now this might sound weird, but…" you took a deep breath and thought over everything again. It was certainly weird.

Weirder than weird, it was outright stupid. What if you were someone who ripped the guy off? You knew you weren't, he was right this time, but if he went around paying for everyone's stuff like that and offering them his number, you were sure he'd find a rotten apple here or there.

And yet, he had been so assured, giving you his number and trusting you to pay him back somehow. You were confused by his mindset; what if you got close to him only to rob him or something? Or if you called him over and murdered him? Who'd take care of his child, Haneul? His reactions made no sense to you. You knew you weren't a murderer, you knew you wouldn't ever steal from someone, but how could he trust a mere stranger that easily? He didn't know you. Or in that case, what you were capable of.

You sighed. "Well, there was this guy - what was his name? - ah yes, Kim Seokjin. And he was there with his son, Haneul. And he was in the line behind me. So, when you didn't come in time to pay for the clothes I had bought," which was because he had to deal with Jimin and Minhee, "the feisty employee yelled at me, and then he came to the rescue, paid for my clothes, gave me his number so I could pay him back, and left, since he couldn't stay longer because his child was sick," you explained in a single breath, making Hoseok look at you in confusion.

"Wait, wait, wait. A stranger paid for you?" he frowned, tilting his head. You were questioning the same exact thing. "Apparently… yes. And now I've got to pay him back. That's it, I suppose," you shrugged, still surprised and weirded out by the whole situation. You still couldn't believe how naive the guy was - who'd pay for a stranger? "You think he's really like that, or did he have... ulterior motives or something?" Hoseok asked, eyeing you worriedly. You giggled at his protective reaction.

"I guess we'll see."

Days had gone by since the encounter took place. Since then, you had been texting Seokjin a lot more often, and you had gotten to know him better. He was just a little older than you, and he had a lot of likes that matched up with yours. Moreover, you both had an interest in acting, and when you told him that you had a bachelor's in acting and performing, and found out he did too, you were astonished at the similarities.

Deciding that Haneul was feeling a bit better, Seokjin and you chose a date to meet up at a coffee shop, which was how'd you pay him back - paying for his coffee.

You had originally denied the idea, for it was totally unfair and a coffee would cost much less than clothes, but Seokjin had been stubborn, and he and you had became good friends already, so he took the chance to see you again.

Seokjin also being… well, Seokjin, decided that on the Saturday he and you'd be meeting up, he'd come to pick you from Hoseok's house. Initially, you lost your mind at the thought and told him that Hoseok was home, he could drop you off, but once again, he didn't listen to a single protest.

"Look, Y/n! I am coming to pick you up and I rest my case," you heard his voice blow through the speakers of your phone. You groaned, not able to hold back the frustration. "Please, Y/n," the male pleaded, stretching your name, to which you responded by sighing. "But Hoseok is at home, and you know, I have really had enough," you stopped yourself from going further, afraid you'd hurt his feelings.

What you had meant to say was, you have really had enough of depending on others for things you could do on your own. But then again, you couldn't support yourself at all. Either way, your were taking help from a friend. You sighed heavily, letting your frustration escape you. "What do you mean?" you could practically hear him frowning. You clicked your tongue. "It's nothing," you replied, going over everything again and again in your head. You chewed on your bottom lip, and then finally decided to accept his offer. "Fine. Come pick me up."

After all, what did you have to lose?

Taking one last look at your outfit, which consisted of a light brown turtle neck, and some high jeans, you went down the stairs to say your goodbyes to Hoseok. "You better introduce me to this guy soon! You two seem to be bonding," you giggled at his comment, covering your mouth. "I will, I will! I'll talk to him about the whole sleepover thing too, okay?" you said, giving Hoseok a tight hug.

Hoseok, who had been trying his hardest to lift up your mood, decided that it'd be better if he got your whole group of highschool friends together, and you all had a sleepover. Recently, after he had found out about how your friendship was progressing, he couldn't help but ask you to invite him over. You happily agreed with his suggestion, so today would be the perfect chance to see if he was free. You still had your doubts, he was a parent, and of course, it would be very hard for him to have a clear schedule. Still, it was worth a try to ask.

It was as if time ran in its perfect course, because the moment you had finished saying the last of your 'see you soon's and 'have fun's, the doorbell rang. "Okay then! I'll see you later!" exclaiming that, you opened the door to be greeted by the sight of Seokjin again.

He wore his cute smile, the one which had made you feel completely lost back at that store. It almost made you lost in thought again. That, paired with his casual outfit, and his hair styled to one side, with a bit of it falling over his face - it all was a little out of the blue, because you couldn't take your eyes off of him for a second. It wasn't until he started waving his hand in front of you that you had to sink back into reality.

"Hello~? Earth to Y/n?" Seokjin frowned, blinking rapidly. You abruptly were thrown back to the doorstep, and started to stammer furiously. "O-Oh my God, I'm s-so sorry!" you put your hands in front of your chest as a defense, mentally beating yourself up, but he only responded with a light chuckle. "You better not space out on me again till I get that coffee."

To be honest, you were a little conflicted that you were paying him back with Hoseok's money, and since Hoseok had strictly forbidden you to do any heavy work while you were pregnant, you couldn't even find yourself a job. But maybe it was for the best; you should take care of yourself and your baby for now. Taking extra responsibilities would only be a burden to your health.

Entering the car, you sat down next to the driver's seat, in which Seokjin sat. He started the car, and before you knew it, you were off on your way. "We could've walked there, you know," you said, staring out the window to be mesmorised by the bright scenery outside. Seokjin's eyes left the road for a moment to look at you, before he fixated them back. "We could have. But you're clearly not in the best position to, if you know what I mean," he shrugged slightly.

You looked at him and his steady focus on the road and the cars ahead. "What do you-?" you tilted your head, confused by his vague statement. He groaned, though his eyes stayed in the same direction as always. "Y/n! Honestly! How stupid can you be?" he frowned, clearly displeased by the fact that he had to explain it to you. "Hey!I'm not stupid, you," you were about to call him stupid, but he had gone and interrupted you by then.

"I meant… I wouldn't want a hormonal lady screeching and pulling at her hair - or even mine - because she's tired of walking. I'm too handsome for that," he explained, his voice strangely calm, though his expression conveyed something else. Flustered or angered, you couldn't put your finger on it. You give him an 'ohh' as a response, nodding your head slightly in agreement, before you thought for it a bit more.

"Wait a second! Who are you calling a hormonal lady?!" you frown, about to jump at him, before you realised you're in a car. Seokjin took a moment to calm down, before he addressed you again. "Geez! You're going to get us both killed, Y/n, and wouldn't it be depressing if we died all because we wanted some coffee from Starbucks?"

Getting out of the car when you two finally reached the place, you caught up to Seokjin, surprising yourself at the pace you could run. You decided upon sitting outside, while Seokjin took the money you had offered, and went to get your coffee along with his. It was a while, and you waited as time trickled by. Every time the door would open, you'd get excited to see Seokjin stumble out, but everytime it was a let down.

The blood in your veins stopped moving, you almost became a frozen mess, when you saw someone familiar come out of the shop.

Oh, wasn't it a fateful occurrence - Park Jimin.

If you could die from seeing someone, you'd be dead on the spot, but the astonishment didn't end. In fact, it only got bigger. You could pull out your eyeballs at the moment - Jimin and Seokjin were talking. They were actually talking. You couldn't believe it. Why? Maybe because they stumbled across each other in the shop? Did they know each other? Your heart was racing, and at the same time, it had stopped beating from the shock of realising what had just transpired.

Beckoning Seokjin over by gestures, you took a deep breath as he handed you over your frappuccino, with a quizzical look. "Are you okay?" he raised a brow, his voice lined with worry. You shook your head as you took a sip of your drink, trying to calm yourself, but the coffee only made more adrenaline rush through your body. "Okay, tell me, how do you know that man you were talking to?" you asked, your brows knitting together.

He looked a little taken aback, but he looked around himself in confusion. Jimin had left already - he hadn't noticed you and you were more than glad for that. "The blond man?" he asked, tilting his head innocently. "Yes." He looked at you in suspicion, before sighing.

"I work at his company."

The frappuccino almost fell from your hand - you almost spat out the drink that was in your mouth. You threw a coughing fit, trying to get the coffee down your throat. You didn't even realise when Seokjin had gotten up and ran to your seat, running his down your back. It was for a few seconds before you felt better. You took deep breaths.

Seokjin sat back down on his seat, staying quiet. He figured he wasn't one to question the situation much, but you looked at him in such an expecting way, he had to ask the thought on his mind.

"And how do you know him?"

You fumbled with your hair, then took a sip of the drink to busy yourself, though nothing could divert the attention. You had brought this hell over yourself and you'd have to answer it. You bit your lip, then sighed heavily.

"He was… my ex-boyfriend." The statement was enough to send Seokjin into a shock. His eyes widened, and the usual, cute smile that you compared to an alpaca had vanished, completely. Instead, his posture remained frozen until he gained the ability to speak again.

"Don't tell me," he said in a small voice, struggling to go further. "And the one… who… well, got me pregnant," you said in a very quiet whisper, proving his accusations to be true. "You're… single? B-But... why?" you guessed it was a good time to speak up about your past, because it was obvious by the expression on his face that Seokjin wouldn't put down the matter until he had been given closure.

If it was someone else, you would've groaned, cried your eyes out, or some other hysterical reaction, but with Seokjin, you often felt a lot more comfortable, despite only knowing him for a while. Taking the opportunity to talk about your history with the blond male, you parted your lips to speak.

"Well…" you sighed again, unable to bottle up your frustration, "he cheated on me. I found out about it on the day I had came home to tell him about the whole… pregnancy thing. We had been dating for years. It's been a week since then," you said slowly, your voice a small, sorrowful whisper. He stayed quiet for a moment. It felt like there was no one sitting with you, and yet he was still there. For a moment, you thought he'd stand up and leave for some reason, but he didn't. And for some reason, again, you were grateful.

"I'm so sorry. Did the day we meet… the day you broke up?" he frowned, he was fumbling with the sleeve of his own shirt, obviously uncomfortable and brought down by the situation. "The day after, yeah." You took another sip of your drink, careful not to cough again. "Don't be so depressed!" you giggled, looking at the little expression he made. It was adorable, and you couldn't stop yourself from laughing even more. "Ah, it reminds me of my own tale too," he chuckled, his laugh hollow, taking a sip of his iced coffee. "How so?"

"Well, after Haneul was born, my girlfriend decided that… she didn't want him anymore. Obviously, I did. I love him. He is... my life," you nodded in agreement to his words. Your child was your life too - literally. The only reason you had started to live again.

Being reminded of how much your child had impacted your life, you couldn't help but remember how toxic your relationship with the child's biological father was. Most often than not, it was only you doing the hard work and trying to make the bond stronger. Most often than not, it was Jimin trying to show you signs that he didn't love You, but he could never really be straight-forward enough. And you, blind in love, most often than not, regarded his mistakes as perfection, and the signs he didn't love you went ignored.

You'd see the distance in his eyes as exhaustion from work, his calls that he'd be late as factual information, not excuses, and his words of confirmation when he replied back with an 'I love you' as real. But it was all a hoax, and now that you looked back on it, you were ashamed.

He had became the center of your Universe, the only reason you wanted to live, and the reason your life was so bright. Without him, you thought you'd die. But you hadn't - when you had broken up, you had wilted, but with a little sunshine, you had made it through. You were not with a liar anymore. And that is what mattered most. It had made you acknowledge that a fake could never last long.

"So… she drew herself to the conclusion that we had to break up. We did. She left." You could hear the emptiness in his voice. Every little word had a hole in it, a gaping, widening hole, that left scars on Seokjin. You stared at him, listening to his words with a somber melancholy playing at your lips.

"I'm really sorry for all that," you lowered yourself into your seat, deciding to change the topic. Trying to choose appropriate words, you flustered to come up with something. "Um, so… how's Haneul now?" you tilted your head at Seokjin, who gave a light smile. You figured he still hadn't healed yet, even after years. There was a bitter dismissal in his eyes. It flashed across for a bit, and even if he tried to hide it behind his pretty smile, you could see define the shadow that his past girlfriend had cast over him.

"Ah, Haneul. He's better. My cousin offered to take care of him, while I met up with you." His smile faltered as his sentence ended, and he took a sip of his coffee again, busying himself so he wouldn't have to take anyone else's pity. He hoped you understood his actions, because you went through something similar, but he'd never know. And it was better to be safe than sorry.

Mustering up everything you got to make the situation lighter, a thought sprang into your mind. "So… I told you about my friend, Hoseok, right?" to your question, Seokjin nodded. "Well, he was asking if you could... join for a sleepover we're having, this Friday? Us highschool friends are organising a fun, little reunion. I'm sure you'll have a lot of fun, and… um… you can bring Haneul too, if you'd like! I'm sure he'll have fun too," you gave him a nervous smile, noticing his every reaction, and how a small smile crept over to his face in approval.

"I'd love to. I'll bring Haneul too." His reply made you ecstatic. Out of excitement, before you could even think of what you were doing, your hand was holding his, and you squeezed it appreciatively. "Thank you, so, so, so much! I'll make sure you won't regret it."

That was where you parted ways that afternoon - Seokjin drove you back home, and giving him a hug, you watched as his car sped down the road, until its distant silhouette disappeared. You opened the door, taking out the key Hoseok had given to you. The action reminded you a little too much of that unfortunate day last weekend.

You stepped inside, and as per usual, you announced your arrival as soon as you entered loudly.  "I'm home!" you exclaimed, making Hoseok shout back through the living room. "Welcome back."

You ran to the living room, then sat down next to Hoseok on the couch, hugging your knees and looking at him while he watched the television. "I saw Seokjin," you said, expecting that he'd ask you about more details like he did back on the day of the unexpected meeting, and you were not wrong. He turned to you with such an expression, that almost reminded you of that one lenny-face you saw on the internet, that was smirking like there was no tomorrow, but just as Hoseok was himself, he had made it even more absurd. "Tell me everything."

At his response, you rolled your eyes, feeling pity for the television show that was left forgotten. "So, apparently… he knows Jimin - no - he works under him," Hoseok's eyes widened, enough for him to pull his eyeballs out, for which you rolled your eyes into oblivion. "You're not serious!" at your serious expression, he chuckled In disbelief. "Small world!" he exclaimed, shrugging. You turned your head to the show.

"I was also going to ask you, do we invite Jimin?" your brows furrowed, you turned back to Hoseok. "To the reunion?" you asked, barely able to keep your anger at the question. Yes, he might have been in your circle of friends before he had gotten too popular for all of you, and you, dumb as you were, had started chasing after him but still, you weren't about to call the person who ruined your life to a sleepover that was supposed to help you get it back together. Hoseok could only nod meekly. You groaned. "For fuck's sake, no. Isn't that the worst idea ever?" you frowned.

"Well… yes, but… I didn't tell Taehyung of the break-up or cheating thing yet because you know how he is… didn't want to worry him… so… he might…" Hoseok stopped, when he saw the smoke coming out of your ears, your face red with fury, your knuckles white from pushing them into the couch. "You what?!" you exclaimed, fumbling to take out your phone and call Taehyung.

Getting it out, you dialled a number you hadn't contacted in ages, but who cared? You had to stop Taehyung from making a stupid mistake before he made one, and if he did, consider your reunion done for.

Getting up as the ringtone buzzed in your ear, you impatiently waited for the boy to pick up his mobile phone. You didn't speak until his deep voice was heard by you, and after that, you immediately started shouting, a little part of you hoping you wouldn't intimidate the poor boy.

"Kim Taehyung, tell me truthfully, did you tell Jimin about the reunion already?"

"If you're talking about that, then yes I did, no need for thanking me, I already know I'm-"

"Oh my fucking God, Taehyung, you weren't supposed to, you idiot!" you screamed, letting Hoseok know your worst suspicions were correct. "Was I not? Ah, why, Y/n-ah?" you could hear him frowning from the other side of the phone. "Because the…" you bit your lip, telling yourself mentally to stop cursing, "Jimin cheated on me." Oh, and also impregnated you. But maybe you'd tell that story some other day. You could hear a small gasp escape his lips. "I… I didn't know, I'm so sorry… Hobi-hyung didn't tell me that… I'm so incredibly sorry… do you want me to come over right now?" the rage that went through you told you to blow up on the spot, but you tried to calm yourself. The epinephrine that ran through your veins was enough to make you go crazy, you wanted to teach Taehyung a good lesson, but none of it was his fault and you had to understand that fact.

He was not informed on the matter, none of it was his fault. You sighed heavily. You'd deal with Jimin later. "It's okay, Taehyungie. You don't have to. And I forgive you. I'll take care of this, it's fine. Have a good day… and let's meet up this coming Friday, hm?" you smiled a little, which even surprised you, because your anger was beyond imagination at the point, but your ability to still smile settled the storm inside you. "Yeah… I'm still sorry. See you then." The call ended.  A soft sigh escaped your lips. Well, another problem to take care of.

"So… what do we do now?"

"Let's pray and just hope Jimin doesn't show up at the door this Friday."

That night, feeling bored, you decided to text Seokjin. You hoped you weren't disturbing him, but then again, even if you were, you loved annoying him so you didn't care. And then again, he'd probably be really annoyed because you were texting him at one in the morning, laying on your bed, your legs basically everywhere, since you couldn't sleep.

[Y/N]: I'm bored :(

To your great astonishment, his reply was instantaneous. Why was he not sleeping?

Seokjin : Do you have nothing to do at 1 in the morning except for texting me? Honestlyyy

[Y/N]: You're the one who's awake at 1 in the morning! What were you doing?

Seokjin : i just put Haneul to bed. He wouldn't sleep until I played his favourite videogame with him and then told him another story

[Y/N]: That's adorableeeeee! What fairytale did you read him this time? ;D

Seokjin : I didn'ttttttt. It was an alien story

[Y/N]: Ya, ya. I bet my feet you probs read him Cinderella and you're just too ashamed to admit that you still like to read stories of princesses

Seokjin : That's a serious accusation. ;( my Haneul doesn't like stories of pretty pink princesses

[Y/N]: I highly doubt that. Anyway..

You debated on whether to tell him of Jimin's arrival to the sleepover or not. But hey, maybe he wouldn't come, right? It was unlikely he'd come to the same sleepover as his ex-girlfriend who he cheated on, right? You hoped so. You weren't going to contact him. It was a matter of your pride, anyway.

Seokjin : Anyway?

[Y/N]: Anyway, I was thinking to give you a nickname and I think I found one.

Seokjin : What?? What is it?

[Y/N]: Princess Jin

Seokjin : That's the worst nickname if I ever heard one! Why do you have to abuse me like that? :(

That night had gotten a-hundred-and-ten-times better because of the response alone. You wouldn't be acting dramatic if you said you chatted for the whole night. You really did. Time just passed by, and you didn't notice till it was five in the morning. At some point, you had started to video-call him too, and then you'd just laugh along with him as he desperately tried to explain his dad jokes. It was at fifteen minutes or so past five a.m, that your eyelids grew heavy, and you drowsily fell asleep, then were awaken by Seokjin, who you had now decided to call Jin for short, when he decided to compliment how cute your 'sleepy expression' was.

You shushed him and decided upon ending the call, hence calling it a day.

By Wednesday, all you two were doing were having little, small talks through texts, because Seokjin had recently gotten a lot of paperwork to take care of, making him very busy. You had asked why he didn't pursue acting, but he simply denied it by saying that he wasn't feeling ready for the spotlight just yet, as he had a child to take care of, and pretty much no one (except for his cousin, who'd sometimes help if she wasn't busy) to help him take care of Haneul.

That, and also the fact that success wasn't always guaranteed in the profession of acting, and he lacked the amount of confidence he needed. Basically, he wasn't prepared as of yet for the life of an actor. So he decided to do an office job instead, which Jimin had been very generous with (as you had expected to hear). Since Seokjin didn't have a degree in engineering, an office job was hard to find, but an online application led him to a high-income job, which was apparently under the supervision of your ex-boyfriend.

Seeing Seokjin share all of this, you came to realise how deep a person's life is, that every human on the planet had their own problems, relationships, responsibilities and so much more to take care of. It made you smile, seeing how Seokjin was doing everything solo, yet he was doing well. Of course, he wouldn't mind company, and it would be better if he did have it, but who'd do that?

His smile made you feel lose you were flying to cloud nine, and his laugh made you laugh. It was adorable, and his personality was the most purest thing you had heard of. You could hear him ramble everyday, and still not get bored. Instead, you'd be willing to hear even more. He was… fascinating. You loved him. Or well… you loved his personality. That's what you told yourself, at the very least. Sometimes, at some of his compliments, your cheeks would burn so red, your heart would race so fastly, your head would feel so blank, and yet so filled with thoughts, that you couldn't explain it, even if you wanted to.

He had made you forget your past. He made you learn that… yes, your past was a part of you. But it did not define who you were meant to be. That was your choice alone, and you were living by the lesson he had taught you.

Not to mention, you had learnt to live. Not exist, but live. Whenever Hoseok was gone for his work, you'd stay home, cook, sing to your baby, and watch television. Whatever you wanted, you'd do. Not because someone was ordering you, but because you were doing it for someone's happiness - happiness that was finally not dependent on someone else's - happiness that had recently started to matter. Yours. And maybe Seokjin's too. He'd told you that he wanted to see you smile, always.

And you'd be lying if you didn't mention his flirty jokes.

They were getting a little out of hand, yes, but you loved them anyway. And who were to stop you, if you said two could play that game?

On Wednesday, since Seokjin's cousin was out of town, and his co-leagues, who he mentioned were persuasive (and to be truthful, they'd force him a lot too) as hell, had forced him to have a drink or two with them after work. He couldn't come home early enough, and had tasked you with taking care of Haneul. You basically spent the whole day at his home, which was quite cosy if you were to be honest with yourself.

You arrived just in time, after telling Hoseok, at Seokjin's house before he left for work. You'd be spending the day with Haneul, and you reckoned it'd be fun.

It was. Wishing Seokjin a goodbye, you shut the door, and the two of you began playing instantly when the little boy woke up. He was vocal, and he wasn't afraid to tell what he wanted either. But he never behaved rudely once, which, considering that you were pretty much a stranger to him, was a slight astonishment, but you went along with it. You were never one to question life too much, anyway.

His cute, little requests, and fun games were something that could never bore you, even if you were to play with him for a month or two straight, you wouldn't get bored. Like his father, he was always unpredictable, and quite intelligent too. He had tried memorizing some dad jokes from Seokjin as well, which made you melt and 'aww' in ways you had thought were imaginable. He would try to tell you some, but would mostly always fail.

And just like Jin, you got along with him well too.

It was about eight when you tucked the little one into bed, and making sure he was asleep, you quietly closed the door to his little room. He had tried to convince you that he wanted to play more, but at one point, you did have to be a little strict.

You waited for Seokjin in desperation that he'd come soon, sitting on the couch as you fumbled with hair strands. You were quiet worried, but you took a deep breath, and the door opened, for what seemed like a millennia later.

"Jin!" you got up, but seeing his disheveled creature came as a rude shock to you. His hair was all messy, and his face was all hazy and distanced, his clothes a bit poked with here and there, but still intact. At first, it almost was like he had been in a fight, taking support of the front door, but you soon realised he was drunk.

Had his co-leagues given him a little too much liquor? You sighed, jumping forward and putting his arm around your neck so he'd have support, since he looked imbalanced. You shut the door behind yourself. "Y/n-ah," Seokjin whined as you tried to move, but with his heavy arm around you, the action was practically impossible.

"Kim Seokjin, for God's sake, atleast try to walk! I know you're probably drunk as hell, but still!" you exclaimed, but made sure that it wouldn't reach Haneul. You tried to walk again, but his weight wouldn't let you.

You dragged yourself to the couch, him alongside you. This made you realise what a victim you were in the situation. Taking care of his kid, cooking food, and now carrying his drunk ass? You were pregnant but no one took care of you. You felt a little bad for yourself.

You plopped him down on the couch before sinking down yourself. Looking at his wrecked figure, and the dreamy expression it held, you couldn't help but let your breath be taken away for a bit. For some awkward reason, it made your cheeks heat up. "Jin, are you… okay?" it was a rhetorical question, but that was the most you could ask. "Do you want water?" you asked softly, running a hand through his silky, black hair. He purred like a cat at your touch, making you even more flustered. So was that a yes or no? You weren't very sure.

His arm, which was laying here or there previously, wrapped itself around your waist, making the distance between your bodies even smaller. You tried to get out of his grasp, though however he was drunk, he clearly didn't like the idea of you escaping, so now you were stuck.

But even in that simple moment, you couldn't help but admire his beautiful features. His plump, pink lips, his smile, his hair, his eyes, which were shut lightly for now - everything. It was devilishly handsome to you and you couldn't deny it even if you wanted to. "You're very nice, you know?" he murmured, his lips barely parting. You looked to him in confusion. "I know, Jin, but seriously! Get up and go to your bedroom," you were about to say further, going along the lines of, 'get some rest and I'll prepare for your dinner,' but he had interrupted you.

"Am I in trouble if I don't?" you didn't know what he meant, but by the grin on his handsome face, you might be getting the wrong ideas. "You… yes, y-you are!" you exclaimed at a loss for words, thanking God you had put Haneul to bed before this wreck came in.

You didn't know what you were to say. You had not carried many drunk people in your life - and you had never been particularly interesting in drinking anyway. Most of the time, you'd take care of Jimin when he drank a bit too much at times, but that was Jimin and this was Seokjin. Two different people, who had very different roles in your life.

"Bring it on."

You stared at him in confusion, almost about to punch him before you realised once more, that he was still drunk and it was the alcohol speaking, not his pretty, blunt mouth. You sighed. "Jin, I swear I'll kill you once you're sober, just…" you groaned, getting him to stand up and dragging him to his bedroom, and, this time, he listened to your commands and followed whatever you had to say.

Taking him inside, you were about to tuck him into bed too, but his arm was still around your waist. "Okay… J-Jin…" you debated on how to tell him he had to sleep, with his breath tickling the crook of your neck, chills ran down your spine. The situation seemed a lot more awkward when you pictured him in that way, and your heart only began to beat faster. Your hands, turning cold and ghostly pale from nervousness - or anticipation for what was next - you did not know.  You felt a little too vulnerable, your body against his, his arm around your waist - it all felt a little wrong.

You didn't know what caused the heat to rise to your cheeks. A thought bloomed inside of your mind, as if it was put aside for being ridiculous but was now possible - the idea of being in love with him. Were you? No matter how hard you shook yourself, told yourself that you were not, it all made sense to you. Why you'd start a smile like an idiot on an otherwise bad day, when you read his text. How'd you laugh around him a little too much, your heart would feel tugged on when he came near, or when you saw his beautiful face and just wanted to stare at it for an eternity.

Or how'd you feel warm and fuzzy with him around, how he'd make you feel safe and protected - it all came back in a circle. This exciting, warm feeling that enveloped you in its sweet embrace - love. It was a hard thing to explain, but if you were to describe it in one word, it'd be Seokjin.

And suddenly, it felt as it was all possible - like you owned the world. Looking up at him, you noticed that his eyelids were heavy, his sclera barely visible. Staring at his soft, pink lips, you couldn't look away. His cute, gentle expression that told you he was sleepy - it all made so much impact on you in a second. But you couldn't. It was all wrong, whatever you wanted to do. And not to mention, stupid. Or that's what you thought anyway, until his voice caught you off-guard.

"Taeyeon…?" it was barely inaudible - it would be if you weren't standing this close. But the name stopped your plane of thought. It was a mere whimper that made you realise how cold, and quiet the whole room was. In fact, it was chilling and dark, leaving you scared. If that fact came as an astonishment, the way he uttered a woman's name left you astounded. It sounded desperate, almost as if he was begging her to not leave him.

You shouldn't have thought of kissing him in the first place. It was stupid, and foolish to think you had any chance with a guy you had barely met, and with someone as wonderful as Seokjin. He needed someone who could fix his broken heart, not deepen the cut by being a broken person, such as yourself, themself. You wanted to hug Seokjin, because the way he sounded made you almost pity him. What hell had the poor guy been through? You wished you could've known more, but then again, you had no rights to.

You wondered why you started to fall for him anyway, when you didn't even know that he was seeing someone else. You blamed yourself for not knowing a lot. Sighing, you turned towards Seokjin, chewing on your lower lip. There were a million emotions inside you, but emptiness had never weighed heavier. It made you want to throw up, to dig a hole and bury yourself in it. Your heart could barely be held in your chest, and it felt like blowing up. Never having felt such a way, you didn't know what to do. The only time you felt such empty ache was when you broke up with Jimin. You never wanted to go through it again.

And yet still, you were experiencing it. An ache so deep, it cut through you, shattering you and poisoning your body. You could barely hold Seokjin. "S-Seokjin, please," you pleaded, fumbling with the hand he had around your waist. It took a few tries, and you were about to give up and try another method, which was most likely to awake him from his drunkenness, but he let go eventually.

Lowering him to the bed, you tucked him in, pulled the blanket over him so he wouldn't get cold in this time of October, and quietly shut the door behind you. You debated on whether to get him food, and decided upon leaving it in the refrigerator so he had something to eat when he woke up. You wrote a note, telling him of the awkward incident and that you had left food for him, leaving it on the table. After completing the task, you took your leave with a heavy heart.

By the time you reached home, it was ten, and after saying your farewells to Hoseok for the night, you went to bed instantly, your eyelids heavy. You didn't notice immediately how tired you were, but you were very sleepy. A yawn escaped your lips, and with the last thought of Seokjin, you took a step into dream land, hoping that the next day would be better than the last.

Thursday went by very quickly. You did your normal work - singing, watching television, cooking, cleaning around the house and whatnot - and the day came to an end rather fast. After having dinner with Hoseok, as you both sat down in the living room to watch some dramas together, your phone ringed. You reached out to grab it from the table beside the couch, and checked to see who it was that was calling you.

"It's Seokjin," you told Hoseok, getting up and leaving to the hallway. You didn't notice when you had started calling him by his first name again, because if you were to be honest, you two were getting along well and you were on nickname-terms, but the incident yesterday just reminded you of how much distance lied between you two, albeit being so, very similar.

"What is it, Seokjin?" you asked, your tone rather cold. You didn't know why it came out like that, because you still considered him a friend, but apparently your heart thought otherwise. "I'm so sorry about yesterday!" as you expected. You sighed, already done with the conversation. At least, you didn't write about how he called out a woman's name and made you feel so little.

"It's fine." Your reply was still as cold, and you weren't sure why you were blaming the ordeal at him, because even you knew that it wasn't his fault, yet your heart made him the culprit of such emotional distance you had acquired. "Let me make it up to you, please, Y/n," you heard Seokjin as he pleaded. The heart was a naïve and biased thing, Jin. If only he understood. "It's fine, I told you," you responded, not wanting to talk about the night. It brought back bad memories.

"Please! Who knows what other, weird things I did while I was drunk? I'm so sorry," you shook your head. "What're you planning?" like you had thought. The heart really was a naïve thing. "I'm... hmm, how about this… since we're having the sleepover this Friday, let me pick you up and we'll go and grab some snacks for it?" you stayed silent. "My treat! I'll pay for everything we'll buy," you were still not fully agreeing with it. He had to pay a little more than just that for what he did to your heart. "I'll bring Haneul too, so he'll buy snacks with us as well, okay?! Happy?" you smiled, something that happened for the first time in a while, at his desperation, but also at the fact that he was bringing the little cutie along. Something inside your heart changed automatically.

"Happy. Now we have a deal, so come over at about eight, 'kay?"

"Your wish is my command."

That Friday night, Seokjin parked his car at your door, and saying goodbye to Hoseok, who was getting the living room ready for watching movies, as well as arranging the house for sleepover, you jumped out to greet Seokjin and Haneul. Sinking down next to the driver's seat, with Haneul cheerfully sitting in the passangers' seat, the three of you left towards the nearest supermarket.

Upon reaching there, you grabbed Haneul's hand excitedly and started to wander around the aisles, with Seokjin trying to follow behind you. "Yah! Y/n, slow down!" Seokjin exclaimed, barely able to catch up, but you couldn't hear him when the sight of the snacks hit you. "Jin! Stop being a slow bloke and come!" you replied back, then started to grab as many chips and other things you could, towering the bunch on Seokjin, then on yourself, and then having Haneul pick up a bottle of juice, since you weren't the biggest fan of alcohol.

Going to the counter, the moment reminded you of how you had met Seokjin in the first place. It made you smile like an idiot. "You know, this is kind of like how we met." You heard him laugh lightly. "You're right. Who'd figure that simple thing would bring us here?" he smiled softly, then reached for the counter and put all the stuff that he had been holding. You did too, and taking the bottle from Haneul, you put it on the counter. Seokjin paid, and taking the plastic bags in which the snacks had been kept, hand-in-hand with Haneul, you left for the exit.

Such little moments brought you so much happiness. You all looked like a family. It was a little ironic, you wouldn't lie. You sat down in the car, the plastic bags kept at the back with Haneul. "How many months are you gone?" the sudden question from Seokjin left you a little surprised, but you answered it, relentlessly. "About one and a half months now. Actually..." it was as if something dawned over you. Your body felt unready for the act, and you grew silent.

"Actually?"

"Hoseok told me about this test…" you bit your lip.

"What test?"

"The early gender DNA test. It's done at… I think, eight weeks in?" you answered, deep in thought. You didn't have to do it, but how far were you willing to go for your baby's gender to be revealed? You did want to know if it was a boy or girl. But the fact reminded you a little too much of Jimin. It filled you with this sudden emptiness, it was unexplainable, but it left you starving. You wanted the father to accompany you to such an occasion, but… was that even possible now?

As the silence drifted longer, you let out a heavy sigh. "You don't have to do it," you heard Seokjin say. "I know. But I want to know. But at the same time, I don't. You get what I mean?" you sighed again, feeling suddenly so down. Maybe it was because you were hormonal. Who knew? "Two more weeks, and I get to know my baby's gender. But it feels… way too early. I'm not ready," you continued. "I mean... I thought if something like this were to happen, Jimin would be with me."

Seokjin silently listened to you, but after you had said that and became quiet, he spoke up.

"I can go with you. Of course, Hoseok can go too. I get that you'd want him to go with you rather than me, he's your best friend, so…" his sentence drifted off into the silence. Why was the car ride suddenly so long? You nodded lightly at his words. "You can come. I'm... sure you'd like to know if it's a boy or girl," your lips broke into a gentle smile, thinking of a little child running around you.

"I just… kind of wish Jimin was here."

His name reminded you that Taehyung had accidently told him about the sleepover, and he may be at home for all you knew. "By the way… we might see him at the sleepover. We're in the same friends' group. One of my friends accidently let it slip, he didn't know that he had cheated on me, so… mayhaps, you will meet your boss tonight," you snickered, hoping you were wrong in desperation.

Seokjin parked the car at your house as you finished your statement and looked at you. "I'm not ready now," you rolled your eyes at his response. "He probably didn't even come. He doesn't want to waste his time, so…" you got out of the car, saw Seokjin as he grabbed the plastic bags and Haneul, and opened the door to enter inside.

The atmosphere was completely different - the house was dark, but some light entered through windows and the television was on.

"Y/n!" Jungkook's voice came first, and he hugged you tightly. You rolled your eyes, but you missed the little guy's, who wasn't so little anymore, embrace a lot. "Hey Kookie," you ruffled his hair, then parted to look at his face. He had grown up a lot since you had last seen him. Everyone had.

You looked around the house, seeing the older versions of Namjoon, the smart and intellectual one of your group back then, Yoongi, the one who slept through most of the classes and still got good grades, Taehyung, whose boxy grin never disappeared but he had certainly matured, and Hoseok. You introduced everyone to Seokjin back and forth.

But there was someone who he didn't need to be introduced to.

Jimin.

He was here. All along, he was here. And he wasn't alone, for God's sake. He had brought Minhee over. A great way to start off the night. "Seokjin?" his voice shook you, bringing tears into your eyes for some reason. It was the same as ever, but just one of shock. "Ah, Jimin. Nice to meet you," Seokjin put Haneul down, who automatically came creeping to you, and flashed a smile towards Jimin.

"How are you here?" Jimin raised a brow, as the area began to become less populated, with people wandering the house here and there. You didn't move. Partially because there was a child clinging to you, and also because you just couldn't. You were frozen. You could make out Jimin and the girl latched around his arm in the dark. It hurt a little to see that you were not her.

Maybe you were still not fully over him as you had thought. "Don't they look like a family?" Minhee's voice, high-pitched and soft, broke through the silence that had settled after Jimin's question. You just realised how close you were standing to Seokjin, and with Haneul clinging to you, you hardly doubted it didn't look like that.

"Ah, Jagi, even if they did, they aren't really a family."

Jimin's response didn't quite register right the moment it left his plump lips. You raised a brow, taking your eyes off of Haneul for once. The statement offended you in a way. Had he forgotten you were still carrying his child?

"Actually, we're together," the reply left you too quickly as your hand found Seokjin's. You were a little flustered when it came out, and the way Seokjin's hand went stiff in your embrace made you heart stop. Originally, you had meant to make Jimin jealous, but it became very wrong in only a little moment.

"Are you?" Jimin asked, his voice taken aback, rather quiet. You bit your lip, getting a little heated up. You took a deep, uneven breath. "Y-Yeah. We've been dating for a few days. Anyway, I need to go check up with Hoseok about the snacks, and… I think, you should show Haneul around the house, Jin," you tugged on his sleeve as you said the last few words, and then took your leave, picking up the bags of snacks. Seokjin helped you drop it off in the kitchen, where he set them off on the counter.

"What do you think you were doing back there?" he asked, a light frown on his face. You groaned, massaging your temples a little. "I'm under a lot of stress, okay?! I don't know what I did, I'm sorry, alright?" you responded, sighing heavily. "I couldn't have him show us up like this, I'm," words left your mind when Seokjin rested his hands on your shoulders. You saw Haneul running towards the living room.

Unlike the rest of the house, atleast the kitchen was lit up.

"It's fine. You're fine. It's okay," he looked at you in a reaffirming manner, smiling softly. "I'm here." You put your hands around his waist, your head against his chest. It felt like tugging at your heart. His embrace calmed you down. You closed your eyes, taking his scent in. Unlike the time he was drunk, his hug was warm and supportive, with his arms around your waist. "Thank you."

Hoseok came rushing in, but the sight made him freeze. You blinked at the doorway, staring at him in abrupt surprise. Feeling the heat rush to your cheeks, you let go of Seokjin and he let go of you, breaking the hug. "What just-?" Hoseok began to say, but Seokjin cut him off. "I'm going to go check up on Haneul," he said, as if nothing had happened and he wasn't effected by the awkward atmosphere. Giving you a sly smile and a wink that stole your heart, he left the kitchen.

Hoseok smiled innocently, coming to the counter, where you were standing. You didn't speak a word, still surprised by the crazy person Jin was. The way your bestfriend batted his eyelashes told you that he was thinking the opposite of what was reflected on his face. You crossed your arms, your cheeks burning more by the second. "I didn't know you two were that close," he said casually, taking a look in the bags you had brought. You rolled your eyes at his tone, then frowned.

"The worst thing isn't even that!" you were so used to having him know your feelings, that you couldn't help but tell him whatever had happened between the two of you these few days. "And now I just told Jimin that we're together! I wanted to make him jealous, I didn't want him to make fun of Jin, but now… it's all over the place," you finished. "And that's not even the worst thing."

"Then what is?"

"I think I'm falling for Jin."

The look Hoseok gave you was ridiculous, and on any normal day, you'd have a lung punctured because of it, but today, it just hit different. "Are you… sure?" he asked, tilting his head slightly. "If so, just confess," he continued, taking out the juice bottle. "And ruin my already-so-perfect-not-friendship with him? No," you frowned, sighing. "Well, someone's got to make the first move, right?" he gave you a little smile. "I mean, yeah, but wasn't it obvious when I spoke up against Jimin, telling him that we're together?" you frowned even more, your brows knitting together.

"Some people need the confirmation, Y/n."

It was a while before the game began; the game everyone loved at these sorts of gatherings. While Jungkook thought that it was a little too much for his innocent eyes, and volunteered to take care of Haneul, the rest of you played the ominous game everyone knew by the name of, 'truth or dare.'

Jimin and the girl, Minhee, went mostly ignored after you told everyone of how he had cheated on you and how you were pregnant, while he and his new girlfriend enjoyed some drinks. Thankfully, all the guys supported you.

But back to the game. Sighing, you watched the bottle spin, and the mouth landed towards Seokjin, while the other side landed on you. This did have you pique some interest, you wouldn't lie, because the previous dares and truths had been either childish, or just completely gross - most of the gross ones came from Minhee, as you had imagined it to go.

"Truth or dare, Jin?" you raised a brow. "Truth," he replied firmly. You smiled slyly. You wondered what you wanted to ask, and there weren't many except for, 'do you love me?' but you wouldn't get the real truth out of him anyway, since Jimin was sitting there and you needed to pretend as if you were a couple and stay true to your words. It sucked how there were truths and real truths nowadays. Truths were supposed to be just… truths.

"Who's Taeyeon?" the next question was a valid one, and everyone beside you and Seokjin went 'ohhh'. It's as if the expected this to be a 'how to catch a cheater', but you weren't even together, so it didn't matter. You just wanted to sincerely know. Maybe you'd get to shield your heart before it is stepped on again. You looked at the person-in-question, who looked conflicted, but most of all, surprised. "How did you-?" he began asking, but you cut him off. You didn't want to tell him the truth, but there was no point in hiding it. "You… you muttered the name when you came back that night… after you got drunk."

Another wave of 'ohhh' went around the room, and you were honestly getting tired of it. This wasn't something that was going to escalate into a break-up scene, and yet everyone was very interested. Jimin's amused expression made you feel even more down, as if the question wasn't enough. Your ears had been waiting to hear the answer, and still, Seokjin remained quiet.

"Haneul's mother."

The response made your heart stop. You stopped breathing for a second, the thoughts that were about him seeing someone else completely disappearing. A few moments of silence passed. Nodding, you accepted that your suspicions were wrong. Understanding Seokjin's reaction, you beckoned everyone to continue with the game.

The mouth landed on you next. You groaned, seeing as the person who was on the other end was Jimin.

"Truth or dare, Y/n?"

You bit your lip. "Dare." You were feeling risky, you wouldn't lie. But you had asked for a little too much.

"I dare you to kiss the most attractive man here."

You stared at Jimin, finding his words heavier than you thought. Without even thinking, your eyes wandered to Seokjin. His eyes locked with yours in an instant, and you gulped. What had you put yourself through?

Trying to calm your racing heart, you simultaneously moved towards Seokjin, a little scared. You had thought of it doing this before, but now that you actually had to, you felt unsure. With everything that had transpired between you, this would only make your whole relationship a lot more complicated. Seokjin looked on with widened eyes, not moving a bit. You felt bad for him, and yet, you had thought of this before too. You sighed, whispering in his ear, "I'm really sorry."

With every bit of courage left within you, you forced Seokjin to turn his handsome face towards you, and cupping it with your hands, you closed the gap between his pink lips and yours, pulling him into a kiss. You wanted him to know your true intentions - how it hurt to kiss him like this, because you weren't really his girlfriend, and yet how you'd do anything to convey that you did want to be with him.

A round of applause and multiple squeals were heard by you, but you focused on the kiss, making it longer than you intended to. Seokjin's frozen posture scared you, but at last, you pulled apart, feeling nervous and awkward. Slowly, and quietly, with your cheeks burning red, you went back to your original seat. You were too scared to lock eyes with him for the rest of the game.

But still, the play continued on relentlessly. At one point, you were even asked who you would date if you weren't 'dating' Seokjin already, and you replied honestly with, "I'd… I'd date Jimin," which gave him the satisfaction he had been searching for from the beginning, and you could see how Seokjin glared at him. It made you smile like an idiot to see his protective nature.

He didn't let Jimin come near you even once.

Later that night, you munched on some popcorn, your eyes unwavering, staying on the television screen. The seating arrangement, went something along the lines of this. From left to right, sat Hoseok, Minhee, Jimin, you, Seokjin, with Haneul sitting on the ground next to your feet, who was occasionally being playfully troubled by Jungkook, who was sitting on the ground next to him, and then Namjoon sitting on one of the arm of the couch, and Yoongi on the other.

Jimin's presence was very much unwanted, but nothing could change the fact that he was a part of your group before hell emerged, and you supposed cheating on you after impregnating you wasn't going to cut him out either. He was just as much of a part in your group as he was several years ago.

You all watched the decided horror movie - great for couples who wanted to have fun - by which you meant Jimin and Minhee, and bad for... well, you couldn't call yourself and Seokjin a couple, but bad for people with sexual tension. The whole time you were debating whether to hug him after you somehow got frightened or not. Sitting next to Jimin was also, personally, making you very anxious. But it wasn't until you heard some noises from beside you that your breath got stuck.

Apparently, the 'couple' was snogging rather than watching the movie itself. Probably why, in the earlier stages of the movie, you heard Minhee yelp and whimper, meanwhile, for quite some time now, the two remained quiet. It seemed like everyone else heard it well too, and you got the feeling of being sick to the stomach. Something building up inside of you. Like you wanted to puke. Maybe that's exactly what you wanted to do.

Hoseok, who was sitting next to Minhee, opted to sit on the ground instead. You heard Namjoon cough a little, probably to gain the couple's attention and stop them from going further, but Jimin and Minhee only took further advantage of the facts that, one, the room was dark, and two, that you all were such pacifists. Any moment, you thought Seokjin would pick Haneul up and leave the room, and your assumptions were increasingly becoming more true as his body stiffened.

It was in the middle of the movie that he had heard the end of it.

"Can you please stop the movie?" he asked Hoseok, who nodded lightly and paused it. You saw Seokjin as he went over to turn on the lights. Jimin and Minhee were all over each other, but you were thankful that it hadn't gotten any more crazier than just some really passionate kisses. You signalled Jungkook to pick Haneul up and take him somewhere else, which he understood and did so. The little child could do without seeing whatever was going to happen.

The atmosphere was thick enough to cut with a knife. Yoongi was glaring on Jimin like there was no tomorrow, and Hoseok, naturally passive, was fumbling madly with the remote in his hand. Namjoon stayed as quiet as ever, and Taehyung tried busying himself with some popcorn. You felt uneasy beyond explanation, and you low-key wanted to just get up and leave the room, but you couldn't and you knew it would be childish to do that. You had to stand up and become independent for once. Getting up, you didn't leave the silent room, but instead went over to Seokjin to check up on him. He was still standing near the switch, still as ever, and you assumed he was trying to calm himself.

Seeing him like this, you couldn't help but let a pang of regret and guilt wash over you. After all, it had been your idea to invite him, and you were the one who decided to share the news of Jimin coming over later than sooner, even if it wasn't confirmed. Grabbing his hand, even if you knew he really needed less of you right now, you looked up at him with your eyes full of hesitation. "Are you okay?" you whispered, tilting your head. You wished you could be more of a comfort, but you knew how uneasy Seokjin must be.

"I'm sorry but," you watched him turn to the other guys and Minhee, but his hand remained intertwined with yours. Your heart did hurt at the situation, but it was scared for what was to come. But no matter what your mind could've thought of, it couldn't have prepared you for the outburst that was next.

"Do you really have no shame?" Seokjin's voice sounded conflicted, as he walked towards Jimin and Minhee, dragging you with him. Your breath got caught into your throat. You froze in the position, the only part of your body that was moving was the hand that held Seokjin's. You squeezed his hand out of anxiety, not wanting to be in the center of everything, and yet here you were. The room remained quiet, a deadly silence engulfing all of you, till Jimin spoke up. "What do you mean?"

"I meant that, could you really not wait till you got to the bedroom or whatever arrangements were made for sleeping? If not for a comfortable atmosphere here, at least be patient for the innocent child that was sitting amongst you?" the response left everyone in the room silent. No one spoke a word after what Seokjin had said, and your hands were turning colder with every passing second. Jimin had, thankfully, untangled himself from his now-girlfriend, thought that did not help to make the situation any lighter.

Your heart swelled at the question. It showed the endless care Seokjin gave to Haneul. If anything, it made you appreciate him even more. It was in this moment you realised what an inspiring being he was - hard-working, caring, independent, with the right set of morals, his priorities were made clear, and he wasn't afraid to speak up for what was right and for what mattered to him. He wasn't going to suppress his opinions and deem them unimportant just because he was fighting against someone who was in a higher position than him. It showed real strength and bravery. Fighting for what was right despite the dangers involved.

"This is no way to treat a guest, though," Jimin's brows furrowed. "The whole time, I and Minhee have been being ignored and treated as slaves of a sort! It's still happening," you rolled your eyes at the reply. This time, it wasn't Seokjin who spoke up. It was Yoongi.

"Maybe if you didn't treat Y/n the way you did, this wouldn't be happening."

Silence - heavy and immensely cold silence. You wanted to shout at Yoongi for bringing you into the fight and yet, you would've given him the same answer. If he didn't treat others nicely, how could he have expected to be treated right? It didn't make sense to you and you wanted to slap some sense into him, but you knew it was impossible, for he wouldn't learn. "You could've told me if you didn't want me here."

Jimin got up, taking Minhee alongside him. Passing by Seokjin and you, he muttered words you couldn't ever let escape your mind.

"And you're fired, Seokjin-ssi."

It had been two weeks since then. Seokjin had left Hoseok's home that night with Haneul, and he hadn't contacted you ever since then. Thanks to Jimin, your friendship with Seokjin had taken a one-eighty degree turn for the worse, and the worst thing was that you couldn't stop it, because he had basically decided not to talk to you.

Everyday was filled with fuming rage and frustration that he still hadn't called you. Not a single day went by when you wouldn't whine about the fact, and you knew Hoseok was getting sick of your temper tantrums, which you basically threw everyday, and on poor him too.

"Y/n! Calm down for a second, will you?" it was a Thursday evening when Hoseok had grown a little too tired of it to keep it all inside him. You didn't blame him for this, as much as you hated it, your mood changes and the temper that had consumed you wasn't letting go of you. Likely due to your preganancy, but you didn't bother with the reasons much. "I'm sorry, okay?" you huff, crossing your arms and sinking down on the couch. "I'm tired of him not picking up the gazillion times I've called him, or not responding to any of my messages! And tomorrow we're going to find out the gender, are we not? He wanted to come too!"

It was going to be your two-month-mark tomorrow, which meant you could take that test Hoseok had told you about. You didn't care if Jimin wasn't there with you anymore; Seokjin had to be. Somebody had once said that someone's absence made the heart fonder. It had certainly made you realise the impact Seokjin had on your life, and once, you even wondered if you could live it without him.

He had made you so happy - just to leave you here in the dark. You didn't know how you got where you did, but picking up your phone, you looked at the spam of texts you had sent him. You were surprised he hadn't blocked you, and the thought made you snicker. You really were a pesky, little thing for him.

[Y/N]: Jin?

[Y/N]: Seokjin?

[Y/N]: Are you receiving these textsssss

[Y/N]: God, I miss you, please forgive Jimin :(

[Y/N]: I'm so sorry for everything he did and I know he fired you and all, but please respond to me

[Y/N]: At least tell me you're okay!

[Y/N]: Seokjinnnnnn

[Y/N]: I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!! Please don't ignore me

You weren't even scratching the surface with those texts. There were a million more, but your hands didn't have the energy to scroll up to see those. All held the same message - forgiveness and to not ignore you anymore. You weren't even sure if he had seen these, but you knew he was definitely ignoring your calls. Unless he was in the bathroom everytime you called. Which was, in your opinion, impossible.

"Y/n, if you're so desperate, we can go to his house but I doubt he wants to see you right now." Hoseok's answer made you turn to him in surprise. "Really?" without further thought, you agreed to your bestfriend's offer, changed into something nicer, and buckled up.

Your heart wanted nothing more than to see Seokjin's handsome face right now. It was longing to see him, practically being tugged to his house from the very first week. But you were willing to give him a chance to speak to you over phone back then, and Hoseok wouldn't agree to take you there, no matter how much you pleaded him. He had truly astonished you with the sudden exclamation that you could go to Seokjin, but you did not mind one bit.

Everyday, you had thought of doing this - going to meet Seokjin, but life wouldn't let you. Now that you were going, your heart was racing at a very fast pace. You were nervous, yes, but also very excited to see him again. Maybe he only saw you as a friend, but you couldn't deny your feelings for him. He was the most beautiful thing you had seen - just thinking of how he made you feel was enough to make you tear up.

It felt like a millennia had gone by since you had heard his sweet voice - since you had seen his gorgeous face - since you had met someone as caring and loving as him. Your heart was heavy and impatient as Hoseok parked in front of Seokjin's house.

"Would you like to come in too?" you ask him, but he politely declined, saying that he'll wait for you outside instead. Mustering up all your courage, you got out of the car and left for the door.

It was a beautiful night. You hoped it symbolised new beginnings, hope for the future. You hoped it meant that your relationship with Seokjin would strengthen instead of fall apart tonight. Appreciating the twilight sky, you looked down at the polished door, and then, taking a deep breath one last time, you rang the bell.

You stayed utterly quiet as you waited for the door to open. You looked back to see Hoseok staring at you expectantly, letting your nerves get the best of you. It was in that moment that the door opened, making your heart skip a beat.

"Y/n?" there it was. The sweetest of voices - smooth like honey, it sounded like one of the most ethereal ones you could hear - almost something you'd hear in heaven. You locked your eyes with Seokjin's dark ones, losing yourself. Your heart felt at home, and a smile found its way to your face. You didn't reply with anything. You could only stare into his eyes and see the warmth in it, adore his heavenly features, and hope he'd want to be friends with you again.

You were willing to be a friend for now, if that's what he needed.

"Hi Seokjin. It's been a while, hasn't it?" you giggle softly, your hands cold but you couldn't be happier than with him. "Do you… want to come inside?" he moved aside and you went inside, your heart feeling fulfilled. "I was wondering if you were okay? You haven't been answering my calls or responding to my texts… and I really missed you." You could see how Seokjin tensed up at your words, and at the mention of the incident.

"I... You know, it's fine, things will turn out t-" but Seokjin had cut you off before you could explain anything. "Y/n," his voice was meek as he spoke. "I'm unemployed, for God's sake! I-I don't have any money after I spend the saved up one, and I-I won't be able to feed Haneul in the near future! I-I wouldn't be able to afford anything. T-Then we'd get kicked out and live on the streets…" he stammers, breathing unevenly.

You listened to him in acute silence, taking in each and every word. "Things are not going to turn better. Who's going… to pay for his school fees when he has to go…? How will I buy him his toys…? H-How will I provide for him?" he sat down on the couch, holding his head in his hands. You wished you could have offered him something, something that would fix everything, but nothing came to mind.

"Jimin… he fired me because of the fact that he thought we were together. And because I made him look bad in front of his old friends, but what he doesn't understand is that he was already bad in their eyes!" he exclaims, the words hitting you like a dagger to your heart. A chill ran down your spine. "I'm... s-so sorry…" you whisper, walking to the male and bending down in front of him.

You moved away his hands to look in his eyes. "I…" and then something hit you. Like an explosion, an idea formed in your mind. An alternative way to solve his problems - to fix it all if fortune was on his side. If only he was willing to go through it. There was always a resolution.

"I have an idea."

"What?"

"Follow your dream. Try becoming what you've always wanted to become - an actor."

Seokjin's eyes widened. "You're not serious, are you? Who'll take care of Haneul?" he asks, a horrified expression covering his face, but you could only smile. "What am I here for?" you took your chance. "Look, Jin, I've always… really enjoyed your company. And…" you could feel your heart beating against your chest so violently, that you were scared he'd hear it. "And if you don't like me back, it's fine. I'll still take care of Haneul. And we'll still remain friends. O-Of course, if you want that," you added the last few words hesitantly, stuttering a little.

His response was silence, but it wasn't uneasy. It felt like home. It felt like a welcome back, acceptance. You looked down at the ground, nodding to an unheard melody. Maybe you were accepting the fact that he had no answer for you - because he didn't have feelings for you as you did for him. You could feel his unsteady gaze on you. Getting up, you gave his wide-eyed face a soft smile. "It's fine," you could hear the rejection coming. For once, you didn't need to hear it to know it was a reality. "People fall in love and whatnot," you shrugged lightly, letting a hollow laugh leave your lips.

Your heart was empty and heavy. But your words were lighter than the air that surrounded the two of you. The silent melancholic atmosphere made you smile softly. Another end, another goodbye.

"Wait," his voice stopped you from going any further. "I didn't deny it yet," you looked at him, conflicted by his words. "Then deny it now?" you turned away. "Well… how do I put this…?" he laughed.

"I meant… I can't deny it. I love you. I mean... wasn't it obvious?"

Even the heart mistakened things sometimes.

Especially that one time, when you had given your blood sample to the doctor, so you could find you the gender of the baby as well as see for the possibility of chromosomal conditions. You had definitely thought karma would be giving you a boy, that forever symbolised Jimin in your life, but you couldn't have been more wrong. Approximately, six months later, you welcomed a little baby girl in your arms. It was impossible at the time who she looked more like as - you or Jimin - and you and Seokjin would constantly argue over that playfully, but in the end, life turned out to be a little more happier from then on.

Especially seeing as you had, not only your little girl with you, but also Seokjin and Haneul - symbolizing you were never alone from the very beginning.