Yoongi's Rules • MYG

Nine

Four quiet weeks. No more messages or missed calls from Mr. Rules. You'd deleted all the search history of the boy and his group from your laptop. You'd even found a new route that kept you far from his neighborhood. Somehow even with these precautions, signs of him were everywhere; songs on the radio, posters at your favorite coffee shop, even an interview playing on the TV in the English school's lunch room. How could he look so good? You did your best to ignore every reminder even though they sank into your stomach like rocks.

You'd kept your promise to yourself, no more being tardy to work. Your boss at the book store had noticed and even complimented your hard work at every task set before you. You'd started covering every shift you could, and between your part time job teaching English and your extra hours at the store you'd managed to start putting away some cash.

"Y/N, I'm coming back, why can't you just wait for me?" Amelia your best friend whined into the phone when you finally reached her and told her about the plane ticket home you'd plan to buy after work.

"You've been gone so long and it's been hard on me Lia. The teaching job was supposed to be full time! You never said we were going to be sharing one position!" You knew you shouldn't scold her, she had a lot on her plate with her brother's illness but you couldn't keep lying to her.

"They didn't let you take over for me when I left?" Lia's voice held it's first notes of worry, apparently you'd convinced her too well that you were fine.

"No, I didn't want to tell you, but they said full time teachers have to have degrees. All we did was learn Korean for a few months before we got here. We didn't get any official certifications." You were proud of how well you spoke Korean even after just ten months, but it wasn't enough to impress the school administration to allow you to cover for your friend. They'd quickly moved another girl into her role.

"Then how have you been paying the bills without me?" Her voice sounded full of concern now.

"I got a second job, but it's depressing here. I don't know enough people and I work all the time I just want to come back." You found a scrap of paper on your bed and twirled it between your fingers. You didn't want to have this conversation. You glanced at your neat writing across the sheet and flinched 'Gloss' part of your research on Yoongi. You crumpled it and tossed it in the trash.

"I'll fly back within two weeks I swear, my brother is out of the woods and my parents can handle it now. Please wait, we need to see this through. I'm sorry." Lia's voice held regret but you couldn't hide the loneliness in your response.

"I can't stay here alone Lia, I just can't." You hated how pathetic you sounded and it just reminded you of your pathetic confusion standing naked in Yoongi's bedroom that night.

"I'm booking a ticket right now, I'll text you the details." Your friend paused, like she was replaying your conversation. "Did something happen these last two months?"

"No, just don't let me down Lia. If you can't come back, I'm done." You traded goodbyes and you dropped your phone onto the bed.

~

The next day after work you felt restless. Amelia hadn't text you any details about her flight and you felt too guilty to pressure her. You found yourself wandering to a cafe instead of your car. You didn't want to go back to your empty apartment.

You found a cozy seat near a window, the evening light trickling across the surface of your table. You held your warm cup of tea in your palms and glanced out the window. You loved South Korea, you just didn't love feeling so isolated. Amelia was the outgoing one, always meeting new people, setting up plans for the two of you with new friends, you just weren't good at that.

"Excuse me?" You turned from the window thinking the server had returned to check on you. Instead a cute guy with short dark hair was gesturing toward your chair and smiling.

"Yes?" You weren't sure what to say, hadn't you just been thinking about how awkward you were with strangers.

"Can I join you? You look sad." His voice was deep and his look so genuinely concerned that you just nodded slowly. He arranged himself, long limbed and tall across from you and sat his cup on the table. "I'm Kim Seojun."

"Y/N." You lifted your cup to drink, painfully aware how clumsy you were at conversations with strangers. But it hadn't been that way with Yoongi. You'd cooked dinner together so comfortably, talked about his music and your short time here. You sat up straighter and smiled. You could talk to this guy, you'd done it with a guy who didn't deserve your attention so you could do it now.

"I'm just a little tired from working, I'm not sad." You hoped the smile reached your eyes, and felt real instead of forced. He grinned and sipped from his own cup.

"You're too pretty to be looking out the window with so much thoughtfulness. What kind of work do you?" It was that easy, you decided to just channel your inner Amelia.

Before you knew it you'd been talking for an hour, laughing over his story about his archery failure that afternoon where he'd almost hit the instructor. You told him about target shooting with a bow back home. He'd ordered you both more tea and a snack and you intensely enjoyed his company.

"I hate to say this but I'm late for dinner with my family, can we exchange numbers? I'd really like to see you again." His voice was so light with friendliness you immediately agreed. After you'd locked each other's numbers into your phones he paid, refusing your offer, and walked with you to the exit.

"Thanks for cheering me up Seojun." You tucked your hair behind your ear, already feeling a brush of butterflies. He was tall and handsome, not cute like you'd originally thought, and had made you feel like things could be okay for once.

"So then you were sad?" He stepped closer his hand brushing your upper arm.

"But I'm not now. Talk to you soon." His smile was bright and contagious. You really hated watching him leave.