She wanted nothing more than to keep the men in her life safe, it was too risky to have them with her when her stalker was amidst and developed jealous feelings. At first, it was easy to avoid Namjoon and Yoongi, though as time went on, they began to contact Seren and invite her to places to hang out together.
Keeping Hoseok out of her life was a lost cause. She didn't have the heart to tell him to leave her, yet she also couldn't bare the thought of her stalker putting his perilous hands on him. Hoseok insisted that he would be okay, and his safety wasn't a cause for concern.
She still worried for him, wanting to know when he got home from work and when he would visit his psychiatrist. It might have seemed a bit unhealthy to people, but Seren couldn't help it. Her mind obsessed over his safety to the point where the importance of her own safety waned.
Jimin was kept at arm's length, Seren didn't have to worry for him much. He was doing his own thing at university, and the last thing she wanted to do was trouble him and distract him from his education. It was important to her that Jimin stayed oblivious to everything, he already had enough to deal with as an eighteen-year-old.
The week after she spoke to the woman on the news, Yoongi and Namjoon forcefully made plans with Seren. Namjoon had them meet up at the usual coffee shop that they used to meet up to study for midterms and exams, it was a place Seren was greatly familiar with – which eased her thrumming heart, aware of her surroundings.
Her fingers tapped against the paper cup, the tea inside heating up the thin cup. Her hands used it as a furnace, a warm lick of heat running up her fingers as she drummed.
It had been mildly cold those days, but the temperature began to decrease as wintertime came around. She loved winter, though she could do without the extreme cold.
The bell above the entrance chimed quietly, alerting the employees of yet another customer joining the building.
She turned, glancing at the entrance to see two acquainted men stepping inside.
Namjoon's eyes instantly found Seren's.
His enchanting dimples poked through his cheeks, his perfect teeth flashing her a charming smile as he removed his hands from his coat's pocket, muttering something to Yoongi.
She waved with a big smile when Yoongi also made eye contact with her.
He donned a grey beanie with a beige jacket to keep him shielded against the cold winds that late evening.
She lifted from her seat, embracing Namjoon's large figure. Her nose planted itself above his shoulder, taking in his innate woodsy scent that invariably brought her a plethora of solace.
"So I guess you missed me, too." Namjoon chortled, feeling her squeeze his body.
She released him, staring up into his eyes. "Of course, I did. You're my best friend."
Seren moved to Yoongi, squeezing him just as tight. A bit tighter after she had the horrifying nightmare of him woefully passing in her limp arms.
She shut her eyes when the image of his cold body reappeared in her mind, gently rubbing his back.
To bystanders observing their little heartwarming exchange, they would undoubtedly presume that the three friends had gone years without seeing one another. When, in reality, it had only been a week and a half.
That was long for her and Namjoon.
For Yoongi, she just wanted to hold him for a little longer.
"Sorry if we took long." Yoongi apologized once Seren let go of him.
"No, it's fine. But, I did order for you guys." Seren informed, sitting in her chair.
Namjoon and Yoongi occupied the seats across from her. Namjoon sat directly in front of her, while Yoongi chose the seat close to the window.
"Why does it feel like it's been so long since I've last seen you?" Namjoon asked, placing his phone above the table, and stretching open his long legs.
"Because we normally see each other like three times a week." Seren laughed, taking a sip of her drink. "We go years without seeing Yoongi, but I feel like it's been just as long." She glanced at Yoongi, receiving a sheepish smile from the songwriter.
"Yeah, true." Namjoon agreed, his fingers tapping against one another. "But, I was gonna ask if you-"
"For Seren?" The woman at the counter called, placing two drinks above the counter.
"Hold on, I'll go get those." Seren smiled at the men, lifting from her seat to grab the drinks she had ordered for the two.
She wanted to avoid talking about her life with them, but that was nearly impossible when both of them were so selfless and concerned. With everything going on, people were at their most paranoid, their eyes scanning all the faces and figures that passed them, tensing up when they felt something brush up against their bodies.
She couldn't blame them.
Jack was a merciless psychopath.
Not only did she have to worry about her stalker, but she had to worry about Jack, too. Her stalker hadn't visited her in her dreams, or in person. It worried her. Which seemed completely ridiculous. Seren should have been relieved that she didn't have to face him any longer, but she felt as though something was brewing.
Something that would derail, and corrupt her life.
It was getting to be frustrating, and grueling to have to look over her shoulder to make sure that no shadow was following her. That the wind skimming the back of her neck was truly from the wind, and not some miscreant that soundlessly reached her at close proximity.
She grabbed the two drinks off the counter with a smile that never wilted. Not that it could. Whenever she was in the presence of Namjoon and Yoongi, her smile never left her. She was on a high when they were around.
"Alright, I got Yoongi a decaf, and Namjoon - just a regular black coffee." Seren announced, placing the drinks in front of the men.
"You never did lose touch from being a waitress, did you?" Yoongi muttered, his larger hand swallowing the medium-sized cup.
"Sadly, no." She sat in her chair, scooting close to the table. "It feels weird. I'm so used to grabbing things for everyone, it's like second-nature at this point."
"You still serve drinks at your new job?" Namjoon clicked his tongue, savoring the bitter coffee in his hand.
"Kind of. We normally just call names out at the counter, like how they do here." She shared, her finger tracing the top of her cup.
Yoongi hummed, "I'm glad you left your other job. For your safety, but it also seemed like a bad place to work at. Your boss seemed like an ass."
Oh, she could go on about her boss and how careless he was.
It was like a breath of fresh air when she started her new job at the coffee shop.
"My old boss was awful." Seren said, shaking her head as she leaned into her seat. "He was greedy, didn't really care for the employees well-being very much."
"I used to have a boss like that." Namjoon muttered into his cup. "But, how is it working at your new job?"
"It's fine." She partly lied.
It was good.
The news about Ren's ruthless murder outside their building gave them publicity. Real bad publicity.
She was afraid the owners would have to shut down their store completely in order to get themselves back on their feet.
Surprisingly, they pushed through. The number of customers began to dwindle. Many of them didn't want to be in a building where a recent killing occurred. Then, there were people who completely embraced it, and wanted to feel the souls and energy that Jack left in that store.
Some customers even claimed that the coffee beans they brewed were cursed - somehow - a theory going around ear-to-ear that it called upon negative energy.
Seren believed in the significance of energy, but even that seemed like a stretch.
"Really? We heard about what happened there... you know... with Jack." Yoongi cut to the point she dreaded most.
Namjoon glared at him, rolling his eyes at his indecency.
"Oh, no. It's okay." Seren facilitated. "Actually, I lied. It's fine, but everything that happened that day gave us so much bad publicity. We get customers, but most of them hurry out of that place. There's not many people who stick around to bask in our ambiance any longer."
"Many believe the place is cursed because of what happened. And so many people think we've jinxed the coffee beans, and some refuse to even drink our beverages."
"No way in hell people believe that." Namjoon scoffed, incredulously laughing as he shook his head. "Who would waste their time and energy to hex a few beans?"
"That's exactly what I was thinking." She exclaimed, knowing Namjoon would agree with her. "Then we have some people that like to stay there to absorb the fumes a dead body leaves." Seren shivered, regretting ever listening to the individual's conversation at the table near the register.
"Jeez, who said that?" Yoongi wondered aloud, a look of disdain sitting on his expression.
"These two girls who were sitting at one of the tables." Seren reported, staring at her toying fingers. "It's just been all over the place over there. I feel real bad for the owners."
"I feel bad for the person who had to find his body." Namjoon mumbled under his breath, his eyes staring off into nothing.
Seren meshed her lips into a thin line, readjusting the clip that was holding her hair up.
"Yeah... that was me." She muttered, wrapping her finger in the few fallen strands of her hair.
Both their eyes retraced to her, surprised by what she told them.
"God, Seren. I had no idea." Namjoon's voice was submerged in worry. "I'm sorry, I feel like a dumbass."
"Don't feel bad, you didn't know." She nodded, placing her hands above the table, growing antsy.
"How are you feeling really?" Yoongi asked, leaning deeper into the table.
Her eyes caught in his pretty dark brown eyes. They were soft, the sunrays entering through the window showing off the caramel that bled near his black pupils, his eyes soft and creamy, staring at her with grave concern.
It was hard to keep secrets from people she knew since she was fourteen years old.
And just as she was beginning to answer, she felt tears form in her eyes.
Yoongi must have noticed, instantly grabbing hold of her hand.
"I'm getting over holding my composure. It's been hard." She blinked, trying to keep her pitiful tears contained. "Not just because I knew Ren, rest in peace, but because of what I saw." The disconcerting image of his body flashed in her head again.
This time it gave her a beating headache, her free hand reaching for her temples as she rubbed away the pain.
"I keep seeing it in my dreams. It's hard to shake away, and to top it off, he reminded me so much of Jimin." Her voice cracked, and humiliation surged through her, shutting her eyes.
She felt Namjoon's shoe tap against hers, letting her know that he was there.
"Sorry, guys." She wiped a tear that slipped. "I hate that I can't get over it. I feel like I should have been over it the day after I found him."
"No, how could you ever just forget something like that?" Yoongi's thumb massaged part of her knuckle, his voice a soothing whisper.
"Yeah, things like that don't go away. They stick with you for some time." Namjoon quickly added. "Especially if this person reminded you of somebody you truly love, like Jimin."
"Does Jimin know, by the way?" Yoongi asked.
"No. And please don't tell him, guys." She implored quietly, looking between Yoongi and Namjoon. "He already has so much going on with school and living his teenage life. The last thing I wanna do is rip him from that and have him worry about me, when he should worry for himself."
"You're so selfless, Seren." Namjoon cleared his throat, sitting up in his seat. "I'm a little worried for you. We both are." He included Yoongi – who silently agreed.
"You went two weeks without texting us, or updating us. I was worried something happened." Yoongi appeared methodical, but she could hear the distress in his voice.
Perhaps she took it too seriously. Just because she couldn't hang out with them didn't mean she had to completely block out the only friends in her life.
"I'm sorry. I just wasn't in the right mindspace." She looked at Yoongi, then Namjoon again. "I feel horrible for ignoring you guys and making you worry. That's the last thing I wanted to do, believe me."
She reached for Namjoon's hand next, her heart warming when he was already moving to hold hers. "You guys are my only friends. I promise to keep in touch."
"It's fine, you don't have to be sorry. I understand that you needed time alone. Just talk to us every now and then, you're important to us." Namjoon spoke for the two of them, again.
He just had a way with words.
Such a way that made her feel special, and loved.
"Just know that Hoseok takes care of me, you don't have to worry too much." She told them with a smile.
Her cheeks heated at the thought of her boyfriend, how he had been treating her like the world lately, and being extra cautious of her well-being.
"Oh, I believe it." Namjoon laughed, releasing her hand to drink his beverage. "He really loves you."
She gave Yoongi one last squeeze before allowing their hands to part.
They still felt the same. Bigger in size as he covered hers like a large glove. Except, his hands were always on the colder side. She always found reassurance in that. It cooled her head and gave her tingles that reached down her spine.
It was like a hungry spark of vitality that she longed for.
His hands were the opposite of his facial features. It was like night and day. His face was warm and soft, while his hands were cool and rough.
"Yeah, don't worry about me guys. I appreciate you both so much for it, though. Just know I worry for you guys just as much. If not, more." She finalized, taking a sip of her lukewarm tea.
"Let's stop discussing this. I hate how antsy it gets me. How are you guys doing?" Seren changed the topic, cracking a few of her fingers.
"I've been alright. Same as always, school, a little bit of work." Namjoon shrugged.
Seren turned to Yoongi, wanting to hear about his days in Busan.
"It's been alright. I was able to find a studio here in Busan, and I'm thinking of moving here." He revealed, his adam's apple bobbed as he consumed his decaf.
"That's great! Are you excited to be closer to your family and friends?" Seren asked, her chin planted in her palm.
"I am, I really miss being here." Yoongi nodded, licking his lips. "I miss being with you guys."
"Just know I'm happy you're back, and you'd be here to stay." Seren smiled at him.
"I just have to move a few things from my old apartment and studio if I wanna live here." Yoongi disclosed, his knee slowly bouncing. "So I might be back and forth for a few days."
"Yeah because I can't stand you living with me for another second." Namjoon teased, nudging his shoulder.
It caused all three of them to break out into hushed chuckles.
"Aww, please tell me you guys remember when we talked about living together when we got older?" Seren asked, frowning at the bittersweet memory.
"Oh, Yeah! We said we'd all live together one day in three bedroom home." The tallest male recalled, grinning.
"Man, those were fun times." Yoongi sighed, setting his empty cup down.
"They were," Seren mumbled, her shoulders wilting. "Really, I'm just happy we're still together. Even if Yoongi left to pursue his dreams, we still stayed together."
They both agreed, and they continued to reminisce on days of their past, and what they wanted for their future.
Nothing compared to when they would talk about their future dreams, she enjoyed having small talk with her two friends, but chatting about their future gave her a spark of hope.
Hope that told her she would get through her current predicaments.
"It's always fun being when we hang out like this," Namjoon commented, watching Seren unlock her car door to set her bag down.
"We should do this again, after I get my things over here, I'll even invite you two to my studio." Yoongi proposed.
Seren was enthusiastic about that idea, shutting her door. "We should! I'll bring some drinks over, and we can all hang out."
"Thanks for bringing me here, it's been hard trying to get over some things." Seren smiled, her fingers fidgeting with one another. "But, you guys make it so much easier."
Although the men stood taller than her, staring down just to make eye contact with her shorter figure, she never once felt small to them. In a way that was condescending, or that made her feel disregarded.
She reached on the tips of her toes, embracing Yoongi, first. "I hope the moving goes well, keep me updated."
"You keep me updated." Yoongi emphasized, his pacifying voice melting her heart.
She embraced him deeper, the image of his lifeless body dissipating the more she held onto his living and breathing body. Her nose buried into the crook of his neck, inhaling his smoky scent. Her eyes shut, closing from the world around her to focus on their moment.
Namjoon cleared his throat. "Maybe I'll go start the car for Yoongi."
Seren laughed, reaching her arm out for him. "Come, let's share our hug together."
He didn't waste a second, and neither did Yoongi as he made space for Namjoon's larger figure.
"Thanks for being here for me." She managed to speak, overstimulated from comfort. "I love you guys so much."
☾