Jimin's Pet | Park Jimin (a hybrid story)

~~Thirty-two^.^

Poppy~
Life was so different here.

I looked around the light, airy two-bedroom apartment that I now lived in. It was small, but comfortable. Large windows covered in pretty, white lace curtains let in the abundant sunshine. Potted plants decorated each room, giving the place an earthy, fresh feeling. The furnishings were less showy, but more comfortable than in the boys' apartment. And there were pictures in frames and little decorations all over the place. It was a pleasant place to live. It was a girl's apartment.

Looking out the window, I chuckled a little bit as I watched children playing in the park across the street. I decided the view from a second floor window was not the same as the view from a penthouse window in a high-rise apartment building. I liked this view better.

Traffic whizzed by on the street, and I could clearly hear the drone of city noises. It was a completely different scenario than I was used to. It occurred to me that my life was always changing lately. Things had been one way at the facility, and then another way with the boys, and still completely different here.

I was learning to be flexible; things didn't have to be exactly the way I thought they should be. I could roll with the punches, so to speak.

I looked up as Jiwoo walked into the living room, slinging a bag over her shoulder.

"Are you ready to go?" she asked, her happy smile exuding the same kind of sunshine that her brother's always had. It must be a family trait. I would have liked to grow up in a family like theirs—or any family really.

When Hobi brought me here, he had set up an account for me so Jiwoo wouldn't have to support me on her own. The one stipulation he put on me was that I had to attend a dance class several times a week. He said I had potential as a dancer, but that I'd had a very late start and needed to put time into honing my craft.

I smiled back at Jiwoo and stood up, picking up my dance bag and nodding at her.

"I'm all ready. It looks like another beautiful day today."

Jiwoo was amazing. If I could pick any person to emulate, I'd pick a mix of Hae and Jiwoo. Where Hae was confident and edgy and straightforward, Jiwoo was creative and sweet and full of joy. Jiwoo was truly a ray of sunshine and I was glad Hobi had brought me here, instead of leaving me at the hybrid facility.

But I missed Hae.

I wished I could talk to her.

However, when I came here I made the decision to leave that life behind for my own good. I would always love Jimin, but I didn't want to suffer for that love for my whole life, so I had to leave everything connected to him in my past—except for Hobi. But even he promised to stay away for a while until I got myself together again.

I followed Jiwoo out the door, down the stairs, and out onto the busy city street. Neither of us had a car, so we relied on public transportation—mostly the subway, but occasionally a taxi if it was nighttime.

My dance class was on the way to the building she rented for her business. Jiwoo was a brilliant designer, and after my dance class I worked as her assistant.

It worked out for both of us. She finally had someone to help her with the less important little details, while she focused her mind on the business of creating fabulous clothing. And I, for the first time in my life, had a way to make my own money, giving me a feeling of some independence.

"You have time for coffee?" she asked as we walked down the crowded sidewalk.

On the way to the subway there was a cute little coffee shop we both loved. I smiled and nodded, looking forward to sitting in the busy shop, people watching. I was fascinated with how every person was different—different looks, different personalities, different laughs, different ways they interacted with others.