Catch, 22!

Chapter 5: Vivid Vocals

Hyejin gazed up at the beautiful boy revealing his bright and shining teeth to her in all their manifold glories. But she wasn't thinking so much about his handsome form anymore, for he had just touched her heart way down deep. Had she finally found someone whom her voice would one day touch? Would this boy truly hear her?

Then she realized she knew his face, she recognized his voice, but she didn't yet know his name.

"What's your name?"

"Jungkook."

Jungkook? Jungkook. Jungkook? Why did that name sound familiar? She wrinkled her brow in concentration. Jungkook. She rolled it around on her tongue, pronouncing it three different ways. JUNGkook. JungKOOK. Jungkook. It kept ringing a bell, but she still couldn't quite put her finger on which one. So, she just smiled and declared, "That's a lovely name!"

Jungkook was still grinning at her, trying to hide his nervousness of the last few moments. He'd held his breath as he'd spoken his name. Would she recognize it? Would she finally discern who he was? And if she did, would it change things between them? He found that he wanted to have a friendship with someone who didn't know he was a star.

He hadn't had a normal life, not in many years. He'd kissed his mother, father, and brother goodbye, and a group of strangers had raised him from puberty onward. He'd entered adulthood with six other boys, his adopted brothers. Band members. Kindred spirits. Fellow artists. Guys with a passion for music. Each with his own voice.

But especially Jungkook had wanted to touch someone with his voice. He hadn't really thought it was possible. He'd recognized his dancing prowess, yet he hadn't seen the gift he possessed in his voice. His body had always been easy to control, but his voice was something else entirely. The confidence he'd possessed concerning movement did not extend to his vocal cords. He'd thought the lead vocals would go to someone else. But then the impossible had happened. In so many ways. And now he was the main vocalist for the biggest band in the whole wide world.

By some miracle, this beautiful girl didn't seem to know it. He liked that. He liked her, and he didn't want her to like him because he was famous. He wanted to show her his heart. He wanted to be loved for who he was deep down on the inside. Not for some persona the world adored.

"Thank you," he breathed, and Hyejin sighed.

She loved this boy's breath! What was up with that?

Over the last few moments, Jungkook had sat up so that they were now level with each other. She was still sitting back on her knees in a more relaxed stance than before, and he was sitting with his legs bent in front of him, his elbows casually leaning on his knees. She was to his right, so he'd turned his head to face her. For several moments they stared at each other, neither one sure what to say next.

Then suddenly Jungkook tore his eyes from her own and looked around. "Where did Twenty-two go?"

Alarmed, Hyejin jumped to her feet. "Oh, no! That dumb dog! Really?! He's been more trouble than he's worth! I had no idea he would get so big! Or be so hard to control. I just took one look at that darling, little puppy face, and my heart melted. I had to take him. And now look what I've gotten for my trouble!"

Jungkook grinned at her and began to laugh, wrinkling up his nose.

Stop that! You're so adorable when you do that! And I need to find my dog now, not sit here gaping at you!

She found her voice. "Sorry. I've got to go find him."

"I'll help you. I'll go back the way I came. You head the opposite direction. We'll meet back here in ten minutes."

But she was already gone.

He kept his word anyway. But he didn't find the dog. Nor did he run into the girl again that day. Now he'd have to wait another twenty-four hours till he tried again. He sighed in disappointment before heading home. Alone.