delicate | K.TH

27

I sigh.

Should I try calling one more time?

But that thought only lingers for a second before I push it back down again. Maybe it had really been true— when people said that being with others made their traits grow on them.

I'd never been like this before.

Trying to distract myself, I lie back down underneath the blankets. His scent is warm on the sweatshirt, and my eyes slowly start closing.

Just act like the age you are.

_____________________________

The doorbell rings.

And I tilt my head up from the couch— still drowsy. I'd slept until eleven on the bed, and had moved to the living room to continue being half-unconscious until two in the afternoon.

Not even a single text from Taehyung yet.

Rubbing at my stiffened eyes, I go answer the door in sluggish steps.

And it crashes open before I can even unlock it.

"Happy birthday!" Shilla shouts, and my eyes widen at the sight of Jungkook behind her. I was still in Taehyung's sweatshirt, hair messy from rolling in the couch all day.

"I made him open the door because you were taking forever." She winks, and I take the cake box from her— still stunned.

"We got you presents!" She smiles, and I just nod along as she sits me down on the couch. Jungkook looks around before his eyes land on me.

Or more on what I'm wearing.

And I can't help but blush a little bit when one of his eyebrows raise slightly in recognition.

Shilla pouts.

"Don't tell me you were sleeping until now." She presses her lips together, tapping at one of the boxes. "It's your birthday! Look what I got you."

A smile spreads on my mouth when I realize what it is.

"A candle?"

She giggles. And then she starts pulling out even more things from the box, from skinny jeans to light tumblers.

Then she draws out a slender bottle— a glass bottle that Jungkook instantly glares at her for.

"This is for you to show your legs more often." She says, holding up the jeans. "Remember what I said? You're going back to slacks and sweatpants and it's making me very, very sad."

"And this is so you can drink water more often! Instead of alcohol, you get me?" She exclaims, with the tumbler.

I smile widely, tapping the top of the violet-tinted bottle.

"Isn't this alcohol?"

"Not just any alcohol." She pouts, displaying the sleek bottle like it's the most precious thing she owns. "It's a twenty seven year old—"

"Wine." Jungkook slits his eyes at her. "You got her wine?"

"I had to, you're turning twenty seven." She breathes, carefully placing down the wine bottle on the table. "It was too perfect. I couldn't resist."

Shilla had such an adorable side.

And I laugh when I see what Jungkook had gotten me.

A pair of earmuffs.

"Because it's getting cold." He says at my amused glance. The look he has on his face is clear with I'd thought it was a nice present to give someone until now feels.

"Thanks." I say, and his cheeks slightly redden when Shilla taps on his shoulder, voice teasing.

"Wow~ this is actually super nice! I didn't think you were really going to listen to my advice but—"

"Shilla."

At his pleading tone, she hushes herself.

"Okay, okay. This is Amin's day." With that she turns to look at me, expectation full in her features.

"So what have you got planned? Do you have anything that you want to do?"

I blink.

And there's silence for the next few seconds until she breaks it again.

"You don't have anything planned? No restaurants? No amusement parks? Nothing?"

"I was... I was just thinking I'd stay inside." I say, watching as her expression goes more blank by the moment. "I didn't really have anything planned, Shilla."

"....."

_____________________________

It's eleven fifty at night.

And I thank the taxi driver, never having felt this exhausted before as I walk up the path to the apartment complex. After Shilla had heard that I'd made no plans for the day, she'd gone on a frenzy.

We'd gone to a café, then a restaurant. And then it was an amusement park— where we'd both found out that Jungkook actually had a fear of roller coasters.

He'd insisted that it wasn't a fear like Shilla had said, just that heights made him uncomfortable.

Then after that, we'd gone to have Korean BBQ and roam around the popular night streets— trying street food and games at the arcade.

It had been fun to watch Jungkook and Shilla compete against each other on one of the game machines— where you were supposed to kick a dark hanging ball to measure strength and power.

They'd kept beating each other's scores, and I didn't think I'd ever laughed that much seeing them argue like that.

But now the distraction was over.

And so was my birthday. After ten minutes it would be a new day, and I stare at the still-empty screen of my phone.

I'd checked multiple times throughout the day, hoping for as much as a single text.

But nothing.

Near the doorway now, I find the keys. And I look up, to see something I don't expect.

A dark figure, standing in front of the apartment door.