An hour later, everyone crowds around two combined tables, watching as Madam Cha and Mister Kang, SeungHo's father, play a trivia quest on who knows Mister Cha the best. Mister Cha is seated in the middle, with his wife on his left and Mister Kang on his right, followed by Madam Kang, who is giggling loudly when her husband got a question wrong and feigns a look of despair on his face.
Taehyung is seated at the other end, his waist coast still intact but his sleeves rolled up neatly up to his elbows due to the summer heat basically making him sweat. Seori is beside him, talking to Yoongi and Jungkook about the best universities for Miyeon to further her studies in the near future. He likes looking at her in her natural element - speaking of education and its various paths, the varieties of opportunities one can take and what is the career path one may take through their decisions in tertiary education.
This is a side of her he has yet to see but now loves very much. She knows her stuff and when she uses education jargon with Yoongi, his amazement towards her skyrockets.
Taehyung glances at her, realizing she has turned her body towards Yoongi more and a tiny bit of jealousy sprouts in the centre of his chest. As discreetly as possible, he slides his hand under the table, taking her hand from her lap and twining their fingers together. He hears her breath hitch, making him smile triumphantly.
Seori gulps, feeling the warm jitters travelling up to her face. She turns to glance at him, finding him smirking despite him looking somewhere else as if he knows she is looking at him but refuses to acknowledge her - a tease. She turns to Yoongi again, letting Taehyung pull their hands into his lap, his thumb caressing her knuckles in such feathery touch.
Out of nowhere, she feels him behind her, and then she hears his voice very near to her ear.
"You look very pretty it is actually distracting me"
She blushes, albeit trying her best not to look so obvious that she is entirely distracted from the very educational conversation she is in.
"Let's take a walk at the beach later. I am deprived of my time alone with you"
Thus, about twenty minutes later, here they are, walking barefooted on the beach, the late night warm air blowing through them, the sounds of waves hitting the shores so gently filling the silence of the night, the faint moonlight shining upon them thanks to the clear sky and very little clouds, distance echoes of birds chirping in their nests and the slow music playing from one of the beach hut not far from them.
Taehyung has been holding her hand since they left Madam Cha's house, and not even once he releases her hand. Seori teases him about it earlier but he says he just loves holding her thus she can tease him as much as she wishes to, but he still wants to hold her hands.
His adorable answer made her blush she has nothing else to say about it.
"My grandma used to take her usual morning walks here. Sometimes I would join her - if I woke up in time"
Seori smiles softly at that, glancing at him as he speaks.
"She loved baking too", he laughs lowly, tracing his memories. "She taught me a lot of recipes"
Seori squeezes his hand as a means to comfort him, somehow sensing recalling his memories might fill his heart with sadness. Taehyung turns to her and stops walking.
"I actually stopped baking after her passing", he breathes in deeply, his eyes looking at their feet in the sand.
"Taehyung", she calls him softly and his eyes flick up to her face. "Did you bake the strawberry tarts you have me the other night?"
His face lights up, and he smiles warmly at her. "Yes. In fact, that was the first time I ever baked after she passed"
Seori's heart softens at the way he is smiling at her. She feels warm - not the one that spins her head till she is nothing but blankness, but the one that is so tender and gentle, wrapping her entire being in this lovely embrace.
"How did you...I mean, how did you end up baking again?"
He looks at her without saying anything for a long beat, his fingers playing with hers. "I could not think that night. I felt guilty and I hated myself for saying those things to you. I went home in agony and it felt like I would rather split my heart open and throw it into the washer instead of having to deal with the bitter feeling. I was so harsh on you that day. So...I baked the strawberry tarts for you...because that was what my grandma always did when I was very stressed and upset."
He pauses, one hand slowly reaching for her hair, gently caressing them between his finger and thumb.
"I was hoping it had cheered you up"
Seori stills at his words, forehead creasing as she takes them all in, one word at a time, feeling her emotions building in her. Something about his voice and the gentleness in it makes tears brim in her eyes.
"It did. I finished them all in one seating", she takes in one deep breath, smiling up at him. "They were really good and I loved them"
Light twinkles in his eyes as he smiles widely, one hand brushing her hair. "If that is so, I will bake more for you"
Seori places her hand on his hand which is now caressing her face, making him look at her with his eyebrows lifted. "Why don't you teach me how to make them?"
They look at each other for a beat before Seori gasps softly, shaking her head.
"Oh no, wait. I cannot ask you to do that. That is your grandma's recipe - it's sentimental and -"
"I will teach you how to make them", he cuts her off.
She blinks at him, inching away from him slightly in surprise. "Why so?"
"Because you are my favourite person now", he touches the side of her face, looking very much mesmerized as her eyes follow the movement of his finger.
"Have you ever realized how frequently you touch my face", she laughs shyly. "And me"
He looks unbothered at her words, his fingers gently cupping her jaw as he looks down into her eyes.
"It is impossible not to want to touch you", he leans closer, so unabashed at the way he is basically staring at her face. "It feels right to hold you too"
"Does it?", her eyes beam up at him, a blush creeping up from her neck up to her cheeks making her smile bashfully.
"Very much"
He leans down and kisses her, his hand gently cradling her face as he tilts his head. The kiss is slow, tender and unrushed, blooming sparks all over their skins, pulling smiles on their lips.
"I realize something", she inhales deeply, licking her lips, wet from the kiss. "It is quite amusing how frequently you kiss me lately"
Something playful flashed behind his eyes as his hands slide down to her waist. "You seem to be enjoying the kisses"
"I am not complaining", she makes a face at him, resting her hands on his chest. "I like kissing you too - we are even"
Taehyung pulls her impossibly closer, making her tilt her head even more just to look at his face. "It is quite insane how much I love being close to you. Did you summon the sea ghosts to put a spell on me, Park Seori?"
She smacks his chest gently, only to have him kiss her cheek in response.
"I am charming, please just accept that, Mister Kim"
'Very charming", he kisses her left cheek. "Too charming", another kiss near her jaw. "Beautiful too", he drags his lips to her right cheek, peppering more kisses to the point that she has to gently push his chest but that's not stopping him. "Very likeable too", he kisses the corner of her mouth, earning a soft gasp from her.
He then pulls away just slightly, creating a small breath of space between their mouths, listening to the way Seori's breathing gets deeper.
"Well, you are grumpy", she stares at his lips for a mere second before slowly looking up. "But apparently my favourite kind of grumpy now"
He kisses her again and pulls her into a tight hug, wrapping his arms around her and burying his face into her hair, breathing her scent deeply as if he wants to tattoo her smell into his brain. "I hate that I have to leave tomorrow"
Seori presses her cheek into his chest, smiling at the way he is swaying their bodies side to side as his hand cups the back of her head. She closes her eyes, feeling her body leaning into him, his lavender scent seeping into her like a warm embrace - so comforting.
"You will be here when I come back?", he speaks into her hair.
"I will"
"Is that a promise, Park Seori?"
Seori can hear the playfulness in his voice but also the worry laced in his tone. It makes her wonder why he sounds as if he is not sure about her being here when he comes back after meeting his father. He sounds anxious.
"It is", she tightens her hold around his torso. "I am not going anywhere"
He lets out a sigh of relief as if he needed assurance from her. It pulls a smile on her face and the tension building in her body disappears immediately.
"I just feel a little scared this time, as if me leaving means something more", he hugs her more, so tight and firm as if she is slipping away from him.
She frowns at herself and pushes away from him. "Taehyung"
He blinks at her, the anxiousness so apparent on his face, making her hold his face with both her hands, offering him a warm smile.
"I will be here when you come back. I still need to look after the students in case the aliens abduct them. Do not worry. I will be here, waiting for you"
The tension leaves his face and light fills his eyes once again as warmth returns to his face.
"Okay?"
"Okay", Taehyung nods and pulls her into a hug again.
They hold each other for a very long time, listening to the slow beating of their hearts, wrapping each other in their comforting scents, and listening to the gentle waves hitting the shore while being bathed under the moonlight. None of them remembers how long they stood there, but they know something has changed between them.
There was a shift in their hearts. And they both felt it.
-
Three days later, Seori and Miyeon are at Taehyung's mother's house, spending their evening baking brownies and cupcakes - it was Taehyung's mother's idea and Miyeon was more than happy to join them.
Taehyung's mother, Kim Yoon Jung, has been treating them like her own daughters ever since Taehyung left for the city to meet his father. She has taken them to the morning market to get some fresh harvest, and then later to Jungkook's cafe for some breakfast and she even cooked them lunch.
Now, they are baking. As if they have not been eating at all the entire day.
"These cookies", Miyeon stares at the half-eaten cookie in her hand. "Is so delicious, it is unreal"
"That's actually Taehyung's favourite", Yoon Jung says as she checks on the oven. "What do you girls want to eat for dinner?"
Seori looks at Miyeon and Miyeon looks at her, and then they turn to Yoon Jung at the same time.
"Come on, do not be shy", Yoon Jung turns to them, resting both hands on her hip. "Pizza? Or would you like to order some chicken and make some instant noodles?"
Seori says nothing, giving Miyeon a hopeful look as if signalling her to answer it instead. Miyeon nods to her and when she turns to Yoon Jung, she gasps when she sees a figure standing by the kitchen door. She freezes on the tall stool, and her reaction has made both Seori and Yoon Jung turn towards the door.
Standing at the opened door is a tall lady, with long brown hair, very beautiful in her blue summer dress, one hand holding a plastic bag while the other holds a white tote bag. Her eyes seem to sparkle as she looks at them, and when they land on Seori, her expression slips for a second.
"Hello, Madam Kim", she waves happily, taking off her shoes as if she is used to coming in and out of the kitchen.
Yoon Jung gulps at the lady's appearance, blinking nervously as she removes the mittens and set them aside.
"I apologize for barging here but I went to Tae's house but he is not home apparently. Did he change the lock? I cannot let myself in so I came here instead. I brought some homecooked meals for him but I guess I just have to keep them here first, is that okay?"
The confusion that hits Seori makes her unable to even move a limb, and when she looks at Yoon Jung and Miyeon who are both looking as confused as her, anxiousness creeps into her stomach.
Who is this person?
"Oh hello there, I have never met you", Jiyeon offers a hand to Seori. "My name is Hyun Jiyeon, I am Taehyung's girlfriend"
~~~~
NOTE
Happy....reading ( and waiting for the next chapter :3) <3