Contentment warmed her from within, unable to stop her ebullient smile, all that was running through her mind was how well the first date went. Although it quite literally got rained on, that didn't seem to bother Seren, simply elated she had to opportunity to talk to Hoseok and delve into a sense of familiarity with him.
Their date happened nearly a week ago, and she still couldn't shake off her cheerful attitude. Seren already wanted a second date, wanting to keep their bond moving.
It was a disheartening letdown when Hoseok mentioned he would be busy that week, not able to have the time for their planned second date.
Anticipation coursed through her veins, waiting for the next time that they would be able to see each other.
"Seren?" Namjoon's concerned voice poked at her. "Are you even listening?"
"Is she even here with us, mentally?" Jimin added, lifting from the couch, trying to get a good look at his sister's lost expression.
She blinked, looking up from the article she was annotating. "Yes. I am here, what's up?"
"Well, we kept calling you for like five minutes," Jimin mumbled, settling back into the cushions. "You weren't responding, what else was I to think?"
"Sorry, guys," Seren apologized, lowering her bright screen. "I guess I was just lost in thought."
"It's cool, I just needed help printing this essay out." Namjoon said, turning his laptop to her. "I kept trying, but I'm afraid I'll break it if I keep it up."
Seren chuckled, placing her laptop above Namjoon's coffee table to help him.
"Let's see, I can print it for you." Her voice was like honey, hovering beside Namjoon to see what the issue was.
She clicked a few buttons on the document settings, getting to the bottom of the problem.
"Is your laptop connected to the same WiFi you have set for your printer?" Seren asked, looking down at his sitting figure.
"It should be." He mumbled, ruffling his hair. "Actually, I'll go check." Namjoon raised to his feet, walking over to the printer.
Seren ran her fingers through her hair, patiently waiting for her friend to figure things out with his printer.
Jimin squinted his eyes, he found his sister's buoyant attitude to be so strange. Normally, she was complaining about something. Whether it was about how infuriating her shift was the night before, or how her professors were being assholes.
Not at that moment, though.
He watched as she toyed with the ends of her hair, the corners of her lips tugged into an imperceptible smile. She was even humming to herself, ever so quietly.
Jimin was aware that Seren was skilled at putting on a facade, but he was easily able to read through them, seeing that she was afflicted within.
But, when he looked at her this time, all that distress was gone.
All that was left was true serenity.
"Yeah, I just connected it." Namjoon laughed at himself, forgetting to connect the printer to WiFi.
Seren laughed, shaking her head. "Alright, I'll print it out for you."
As she got to printing his papers, Jimin looked over at Namjoon, his eyebrows raised.
Namjoon looked back at him, shrugging his shoulders, wearing a baffled frown.
"Wow, a ten-page essay, huh?" Seren mumbled, interrupting their silent exchange. "This seems like torture."
"It was just about a few museums I had visited, it was for visual arts," Namjoon informed. "It was nothing too tortuous, I actually enjoyed it." His cheeks dimpled, waiting patiently for his papers.
"Ah, you would." Seren muttered with an eternal grin. "Okay, are they printing?" She asked, looking over at her friend.
Just as she asked, the printer began to quietly rumble, a sign that his papers were being printed.
Namjoon sighed in relief, seeing his work being spat out. "Thank goodness. I thought I was gonna have to head to the public library to get these printed."
"Right, good thing you have me here." Seren mentioned, walking back over to the couch.
Jimin peeked over at Seren through the corner of his eye, watching her get on her phone. Her smile grew even wider as her thumbs began tapping against her screen.
Hoseok
We could have a picnic?
Hopefully this time it won't be raining haha.
Seren
That sounds so fun! We should do that.
And if anything, We can bring umbrellas.
We'll be more prepared lol.
Hoseok
Great! When are you free again?
Seren
I could try and get a Saturday off, maybe next week?
Hoseok
If you can't, just let me know, and we'll raincheck
Heh.
Seren released a small cackle, instantly understanding his reference.
Seren
Lmaoo, yeah, right?
Let's hope not.
She put her phone down, getting back to the article.
"What've you been up to recently, Seren?" Jimin asked suddenly, holding her from her work.
Seren shook her head, frowning. "Same old. Why?" She turned to look at him, realizing he was staring at her with assessing eyes.
Seren nervously chortled. "W-why're you looking at me like that?" She stuttered, her forehead creased.
"Because normally you're complaining about everything," Jimin explained his astute gaze. "Like, work, or how homework has you stressed. But, you haven't."
She chortled incredulously, looking over at Namjoon to see if he agreed.
He placed a paper clip in his papers to hold them together. "Don't look at me." Namjoon muttered, not once glancing at her.
Seren's cheeks puffed up, had her demeanor changed?
She was happier that past week, but did it really exude through her pores overtly?
"What's wrong with me being happy?" Seren asked, staring at her brother.
He shrugged. "Nothings wrong with being happy. I'm just curious, are you talking to a guy?"
Namjoon's left eyebrow raised, suddenly curious about their discussion, heading back to his laptop to complete more work.
"Why do you assume that?" Her eyes narrowed.
"Just asking because you smile at your phone a lot." Jimin pointed out, being all too cognizant for a young adult.
He was truly the only person in her family that actually paid attention to Seren. Her parents never did, and they never worried for her well-being whenever she was out late at night.
Jimin did, though.
He made it clear, questioning her, and always wanting his sister to text him if anything important happened in her life. He may have just been her younger brother, but he still protected her and defended her like she was his younger sister.
She loved Jimin, and his protective behavior didn't bother her one bit. Seren appreciated it, and knew he did it simply because he cared.
"Well... I kind of am?" Seren gave in, not wanting to keep things from him.
Jimin's eyes went wide, almost surprised with himself for guessing correctly. "Wait, really? You're actually talking to a guy?"
His comment made it seem as though he was shocked Seren was even able to speak to men.
Namjoon chuckled quietly, trying to hold it in, shaking his head at Jimin's statement.
Seren's relaxed shoulders pinched. "Why do you say it like that?"
"Cause it's true," her teasing brother continued, leaning his head, his cat-like eyes observing every shift in her expression. "You hardly ever tried putting yourself out there. For a moment I thought you were gonna be one of those cat ladies with no love life."
Namjoon released his pent-up laughter, typing away on his laptop, and still managing to listen to their conversation.
Jimin continued, laughing. "Who would have thought you'd get over-"
"Shut up!" Seren abrasively ordered, tossing a pillow at him. "Don't finish your dumb sentence. I was always able to put myself out there, I was just never ready."
"Yeah, you're too hung up over Yoongi." Jimin gaffed, regaling Namjoon with their sibling banter.
Namjoon hummed in agreement, sucking his lips in.
Seren shot her head over to him, her eyebrows strangled her forehead "This is an A B conversation, Namjoon."
"Anyway, that died down a few years ago after he left, smart ass." She informed her incorrigible younger brother.
"Oh, sure," muttered Jimin, his eyes widened with biting sarcasm. "But, that's good you are. It's time you've moved on. Who is this dude, anyway?"
Seren knew she should have gotten over Yoongi years ago, even when he left for Seoul to pursue his dreams.
She couldn't escape the flourishing memories that her mind recreated. Though they were the pinnacle moments in her life that made her happy, they were also suffocating. They kept her miserably trapped, hoping they would continue to reunite and share those times together again.
Then, when he would visit Busan, they'd fall right back to kissing and touching each other, unable to stop. That's what made it harder for her to get over him, knowing that he felt the same, and missed her as much as she missed him. It made everything feel right.
Thankfully, that stopped.
"You don't know him." Seren put it simply, getting back to her work.
"Yeah, no shit." Jimin persisted. "Where did you meet him?"
"Do you remember when I told you about that guy that tripped me?" She asked, turning to Jimin.
He nodded, placing his chin in his palm, thoroughly interested in her story.
"Well, he was the one that saw that guy trip me." She shivered, recalling what happened to that man with the blond highlights. "Um, he saw me cleaning up the mess, and helped."
"Oh, that's a little embarrassing." Jimin cackled at his gauche sister, covering his mouth. "But, he must be very nice if he helped you."
"Yeah, everyone else was just watching, and some even laughed." Seren reflected, still mortified.
"How long have you two been talking?" Namjoon continued to ask, just as interested as Jimin was.
"Umm, it's been about a month since we first met. But, I've been talking to him for almost three weeks," her fingers near her lips as she carefully estimated. "We went on our first date last Sunday."
Jimin's shoulders perked. "You guys went on a date? Where did you guys go?"
"We just went to the park, you know the one a few blocks down from my home." Seren recounted, smiling at the memory.
Namjoon hummed, nodding his head. "Did you have fun?"
"I had a great time, yeah." Her eyes glistened with pleasure.
"Then, that's great," her good friend supported her, his dimples making her heart do a few pirouettes. "It's good you're meeting new people. At one point I thought you'd end up with eleven cats in one home, too." He agreed with Jimin's former comment, earning a giggle from the teen.
"Kay, first off I wouldn't just own cats," Seren corrected. "There would be dogs, and maybe some bunnies, a few birds."
"House is gonna be a damn sanctuary." Jimin continued to mock, raking fingers through his radiant orange hair.
Seren remained quiet, pretending to stay busy with the annotations she still had yet to complete.
"But, yes, I'm glad you're meeting new people." Jimin rubbed his chin, ceasing the torment. "Maybe I'll meet him, someday?" He proposed, optimistic about her future with the man.
Seren wanted to take things as slow with Hoseok, she guessed he wouldn't be ready to meet any of her family members at that moment. If he shied away from her kisses and hugs, then she could bet he was not prepared for anything more intimate.
She was okay with it, though. A slow pace would ensure their confidence, and if they really wanted to work things out as one.
"Sure. Someday." Seren spoke with conviction.
☾