Tethered To You. [Min Yoongi]

✨Chapter 3 - The Library Encounter ✨

The library was supposed to be neutral territory.

Silent. Safe.
Zero gossip. Zero staring. Zero Yoongi.

At least, that's what Y/N thought.

She slipped between the tall shelves, hugging her books close, looking for an empty table far from the usual crowd. Her brain was still replaying yesterday on loop — the greeting, the pink ears, the whispering, the way Yoongi said you didn't do anything wrong like it actually mattered to him.

She shook her head.
Stop thinking about him.
Focus.

She placed her books on a quiet corner table and exhaled.

Peace.

Finally.

At least until a shadow fell across her desk.

She looked up.

And nearly choked.

Min.
Freaking.
Yoongi.

Standing there with a notebook in his hand like he accidentally spawned into the wrong universe.

His hood was still up, bangs covering half his eyes, expression unreadable. But the second he realized she saw him, he froze — like a guilty cat caught doing something suspicious.

"...Hi," he said stiffly.

Y/N blinked. "H-Hi."

He cleared his throat.
Actually cleared it twice like the first attempt didn't load properly.

"I—uh—this is my seat."

She looked around.

Empty table. Empty chairs.
Zero signs of ownership.

"Oh—sorry!" She scrambled to grab her books. "I didn't know—"

"You can stay."
He said it too fast. Too eager.

Then he realized.
Then he died internally.
Then he repeated in a calmer voice:

"I mean... you can sit. I don't mind."

Y/N slowly sat back down.

Yoongi took the seat across from her, opening his notebook with unnecessary seriousness, like this was a life-or-death study session.

Ten seconds passed.

Twenty.

Thirty.

Neither of them were studying.

Finally, Yoongi let out a tiny sigh, shut his notebook, and looked at her properly.

"Did you understand yesterday's topic? Or... do you still need help?"

There it was again.
That quiet offer.
That softness he only ever used with her.

"I'm still confused," she admitted.

Yoongi didn't even hesitate.
He slid his chair closer — not next to her, but close enough their knees almost touched. He angled her book toward him, pen in hand.

"Here," he said gently. "Let me show you a simpler way."

He walked her through the steps, slow and patient, checking her face every few seconds to see if she was following.

Y/N nodded each time.
Yoongi's ears slowly turned pink again.

Halfway through explaining, someone passed behind them and whispered, "He's tutoring her again."

Yoongi paused.
His jaw tightened.

But instead of snapping like earlier, he turned slightly toward Y/N, blocking her from view with his shoulder.

As if shielding her.

As if protecting this little moment from everyone else.

"Ignore them," he murmured. "You're doing fine."

Her heart fluttered.

Not because he was helping.
But because he meant it.

After a few more steps, she managed to solve the last part alone.

Yoongi looked at her paper, then at her, and nodded once — small, but proud.

"Good," he said quietly. "See? You got it."

She smiled. "Thank you."

He stared at her for a moment.

Then looked away, ears burning.

"Don't mention it."

They sat there for another hour — studying, whispering, pretending not to look at each other too long — until Yoongi suddenly spoke again, voice hesitant:

"Um... if you ever need help... not just in class... you can... text me."

Y/N blinked. "Text you? But I don't have your—"

Yoongi slid a small piece of paper across the table.

His handwriting was neat. Precise.

And at the bottom, under his number, he'd written:

"Only if you want."

Her heart stopped.

Yoongi stood up too quickly, nearly knocking over his chair.

"I—I'll see you tomorrow," he muttered, already speed-walking away, hood pulled down like he was escaping from his own feelings.

Y/N stared at his number, warmth spreading in her chest.

Min Yoongi wasn't just shy.

He was trying.

For her.

⸻