Stay Alive | MYG ✅

Chapter Three

Hayley's POV

It was another long night at work, but it was busy all evening, making the time pass by quickly. After we wrap up for the night, I step outside and take a deep breath. The air is much cooler tonight, and I roll my eyes at myself for not thinking to bring a jacket.

"Big-name customers tonight," Ji-Hu says as he runs his hands through his hair.

"Yes, a couple of well-known actors. Good, it's good for business," I reply. "Did they treat you well?"

"Actually, they were very polite. I was surprised because I thought they might......" Ji-Hu begins to explain, but he's cut off when a black SUV pulls up, and the window rolls down.

"Hayley! Want a ride?" a familiar voice calls out.

"Who is that?" Ji-Hu asks, but the driver is leaning back, his face hidden.

"Oh, um, just a friend," I breathe out. "I'll catch you later."

My body instantly starts to tremble as I walk toward the SUV, trying to remind myself to breathe.

"Umm, Hello," I say as I approach the driver's side window. Yoongi moves into view slightly so I can see his eyes.

"Hello to you! Come on. Jump in, and I'll drive you home," he offers.

"I'm not sure I can afford this taxi ride," I joke, but I'm so nervous my words spill out quickly my pulse racing.

I hear the faint sound of him chuckling as I begin to walk around to the other side of the car.

"Hey, Hayley! Don't forget we are going to see Yeong's band tomorrow night! Everyone is expecting you to be there," Ji-Hu calls out.

"I'll be there!" I call back as I slide into the SUV and marvel at the plush leather seats. "Wow, this is nice."

"It has surprisingly good gas mileage," Yoongi replies as he puts the car in drive.

I have to stifle a giggle because this feels like the kind of thing I would expect Yoongi to say compared to our previous interactions, and it's almost comforting to witness.

"Here, the seats are heated; you can control yours from here. You aren't wearing a coat."

Finally, I burst out laughing, and he takes a quick look over at me before turning his attention back toward the road. "What's so funny?"

"This whole situation. This entire week. What am I doing in your car? You're Min Yoongi, and I'm....pffft....ME!" I say as I roll my hand up and down as if presenting myself for inspection.

"Am I not allowed to try and get to know you?" he asks with a smirk seeing that I'm a bit flabbergasted.

"I don't think I understand why you want to get to know me. I'm me! You make me a little nervous, so I talk too fast and too much -actually, this is how I act on a normal day, but God, you bring it out of me a thousand percent more. Ugh, and I work in a restaurant. I live in a tiny one-bedroom apartment...I uh...I..."

Please, universe, let me stop talking!

"Look, you seem nice. You have interesting hair. I like this black cat you've decided to adopt from an alleyway because you couldn't stand the thought of it starving, and before you recognized me, you very kindly tried to make sure I got the last packet of ramyeon when you clearly took a trip to the store to specifically buy it. That sounds like a pretty nice person to me and the kind of person anyone should want to get to know," he shoots back good-naturedly.

"Oh," is all that falls from my lips, and I find it ironic that he was able to silence my racing thoughts for a moment with a dose of reasoning I really can't fight.