Y/N POV:
The next day, the bicycle was gone again when I came to school. But there again when I walked out of the school building. It was so strange, why didn't this boy just give up already.
So I forced myself to walk away, but each step got heavier and heavier. I needed to see what he had written on that letter. Just reading it wouldn't do any harm.
When I walked to the bicycle, I realised that it was wrapped in three red ribbons now. I just laughed lightly and picked up the letter :
To the sorry sad girl reading this,
TURN AROUND
From
good boy
I instantly turned around and saw nothing. I just stared into the empty distance. Not a single soul in sight. If I wasn't creeped out in the least, I would be very annoyed. I whispered to myself,"Ha ha ... that's very funny."
A low but familiar voice startled me,"What's funny?"
As soon as my heart jumped I fell to the ground as I screamed. Sprawled out onto the floor, I looked up and saw the bicycle, but with a beautiful young boy sitting on it. He looked scared himself as he raised his hands in the air,"Woah woah, I didn't mean to scare you that much." He started laughing as he got off the bike and lent his hand to me.
I huffed out an angry breath as I accepted his hand. He pulled me up and off the ground like it was nothing.
I patted down my clothes and calmed my breathing down,"Taehyung? You're good boy?"
He broke into that rarely seen boxy smile and flashed his teeth at me,"The one and only."
I felt so overwhelmed with ... happiness? Was I happy that he was here? I squinted my eyes as I giggled lightly,"Wait ... so if you're good boy ... then I understand why you were laughing. But why was Jimin laughing?"
Taehyung just rolled his eyes and huffed out knowingly,"Ahhh, he's always laughing at everything. He was hysterical because he found it funny that you would ever consider Jungkook as a good boy ... when he's like the exact opposite."
I smiled as I looked away,"Oh."
He leaned on the bike and groaned,"Why won't you take the bicycle? You know who I am now."
I turned back to him trying to look at his face even though the sun was shining right in my eyes,"I don't know ... I don't think I should. I really can't accept this ... and I could never repay you."
He stomped his feet in annoyance, and tilted his head to the side,"Well if what you're worried about is repaying me ... then we can sort that out right now."
Now it was my turn to tilt my head to match his gaze,"Really? How? I don't have much money."
He smiled again and his voice turned to a higher pitch,"No you silly girl, I don't want money. I already have too much ... how else do you think I'm happy with giving away this expensive bicycle to you?"
I shrugged and mumbled after a moment," ... Oh you actually want me to answer? Umm ... Idontknow."
He stared at me for a short second and then sat on the small seat behind the main seat,"Well ... you can repay me by taking me to wherever you work and serve me there. What do you think?"
He patted the front seat, and I hopped on over. I adjusted myself on the seat and prepared to ride it. I tied my hair in a pony as I anxiously spoke,"Sounds good to me."
I started to ride it carrying both our weights, but then I remembered something. I stopped and bravely spoke my next words,"Well? Aren't you gonna hold on to me? I can't have you falling on my watch."
He quietly snaked his long hands around my waist without a sound. He was usually very chatty but the fact that he said nothing caused me to turn around and take a look at his face.
Just as quickly as I turned to look at him, was just as quick as I turned back to face the front. I smiled as I breathed out,"Are you blushing? I've never seen you so red and sweaty."
His hands tensed around my waist as he quickly yelled out,"What?! No?! No I wasn't ... I'm just ... Uhhh ... I'm scared you can't carry both our weights."
I remembered one other thing. So I enveloped my fingers around his and pulled his hands further around my waist. I let them linger there for just a second longer than they should have, and spoke again,"You weren't holding on tight enough."
I quickly swivelled around to see his face again to catch his reaction. He was even red than before and he looked startled to see my face as he turned to look to the side,"Hey ... stop doing that."
I playfully sang the words,"Okay." Then I rode with all my strength carrying us both.
We got a lot of prolonged stares from the eyes of anyone we passed by. The elders seemed to actually smile when they saw a girl carrying a boy on a bike. Other young girls giggled cutely as we whizzed past them. Young boys clapped and cheered for us as we made our way through them. Fathers, sitting in the little cafes outside, encouraged me with delightful words, at the sight of me sweating and struggling to push forward with that boys weight behind me. Mothers laughed sweetly at the dear young boy flashing his boxy smile at each passing woman.
I felt something ... happiness.
シシシシシシシ
TAE'S POV:
We had finally come to a stop. As she struggled to calm her breathing, I stayed on the bike with my hands still around her waist. Only reluctantly did I let go when I realised how hard she was breathing.
I jumped off and stretched my arms. Even after a minute, she was bent down while her hair covered her face, still heaving. I bent down to get to her head level,"Hey ... I'm not that heavy. Don't overreact."
She suddenly whipped her head up looking worried and I stumbled backwards, taken aback. She flailed her arms around in caution,"Oh no it's not you! I didn't mean to offend you!"
She must've thought I was being serious. When she still looked worried holding her breath with a red face I smiled at her with empathy,"I was joking around with you. You know? Come on now ... you don't have to be so scared around me."
She stared at me dead serious in the eyes in silence, then lowered her head. Y/n stood up and exhaled loudly,"Let's go inside."
I followed her blindly and saw the small little place she worked at. It was a cafe that a lot of high schoolers usually came to after school. I was surprised that I had never been there. It was perfect, right outside the park with a lovely scenery.
We walked into it, greeted with the fresh coldness of the air conditioner. The place was rather small, but very aesthetically pleasing. By the time I finished looked around, y/n had already disappeared.
I stood there awkwardly with my hands flopped by my sides. But I was soon in the company of the girl I came here with again. Y/n wore a very cute uniform with a black apron over it. She had a small notepad in her hand and she smiled at me sweetly,"You just gonna stand there?"
I tried not to look at all the girls that were staring at me. It was extremely flattering, yet tiring, but I was used to it. So I bent down slightly to get to her ears,"Can you find me a seat to sit alone at?"
I saw the way she instantly focused anywhere but at me when I asked her. Suddenly she slightly jumped in excitement,"There! That lady is leaving, you can take it."
Her figure strutted over to the small round table with two chairs, and I followed her. As I followed
Y/n, so did the eyes of every other girl in that cafe.
Sitting down, I watched her work tirelessly. She had the shortest shift out of the whole day, but the most intense one. She kept struggling to carry everything, get the orders right, or just even walk through the place properly.
I was mesmerised.
I don't think I had ever been so impressed by a person as I had that day. Y/n was nothing like the girls and the boys in our school. She worked for everything, and never backed down. She really was different. She had a character unlike no other. She was full of emotions, and full of misery ... but she still smiled at the end of the day. Smart, caring, genuinely sweet ... and gorgeous.
It was too bad that the world had to put her down. Way below her place.
I was a huge part of that world too ... but I just didn't know it then.
☹︎☹︎☹︎☹︎☹︎☹︎☹︎☹︎
It had been quite a while and watching her through the crowd seemed to make me sleepy. My eyes started to droop, and without even knowing it, I had fallen asleep.
After some time, I felt someone tug at my shoulder and I jerked awake,"What? What's wrong?"
While I tried to adjust my eyes to my surroundings, y/n stood in front of me with her hands on her hips,"Nothing's wrong, it's just that I'm closing up. Look everyone's gone."
I hardly blinked and scanned the empty cafe,"Oh ... well, it's probably not a good idea to ride a bike while I'm tired. So, if you don't mind ... we can share a coffee?"
She smiled at me, but she still looked tense around me,"Uhh yeah sure ... why not?"
In a few minutes, she put on the closed sign, and changed back into her school uniform. She walked over to our little table with two cups in her hands.
Before she reached the table, I quickly got up and pulled out her chair for her to sit on,"Here."
She thanked me as she blushed and sat down placing the two cups gently on the table. While I sat down and drank my delicious coffee, I stared at her intensely. Now that she was tired, she seemed so out of it. Just blank. No emotions.
Empty.
I softly spoke to break her out of her trance,"So ... how're you holding up?"
She looked at me with a confused expression,"Sorry? What are you talking about..."
She was lying. I made sure not to look away from her,"You know what I'm talking about. You know ... what happened at Jungkook's party and in the morning at school after."
Her eyebrows slanted upwards. Y/n looked so upset, that it made my stomach turn. Her watery eyes caused me to feel a little upset too...
...That I did nothing about it when I had the chance.
But I could make her feel better. She rested her hands on the table and sighed,"I'm okay."
I tilted my head,"You're very clearly not. What can I do to make you feel better girly?"
She pursed her lips looking like she was trying not to laugh. I pouted at her,"What? Is it cause I said girly?"
She nodded like a crazy person and I rolled my eyes,"Well at least I could make you laugh a little."
She immediately stopped smiling and put on a serious face. She closed her eyes for a moment before speaking,"Why are you doing this?"
I was slightly puzzled, but I had a feeling I knew what she was taking about,"Doing what?"
She swallowed in anxiousness and looked at her hands,"Being nice? Aren't you best friends with Jungkook?"
I tried to stay calm, but even I didn't have an answer for that. Nonetheless, I tried my best to give her an answer anyways,"Yeah I am his best friend. But that doesn't mean I agree with everything he does."
She smiled at me bizarrely, and I returned it unconsciously,"I'm looking after him ... by looking after you. I know that he won't stop hurting you until you reach a certain point ... but I look at you and I'm scared that you won't make it up to that point. And I know how much he'll regret everything, afterwards. So I'm just waiting to see how long this takes to play out ... so I can be there for the both of you once it's over."
She looked even more upset than before. Maybe it was because I had just told her that Jungkook had more torture planned for her.
I reached over the table, and gently placed my hand over hers to catch her attention again,"Hey ..."
When she looked at me with those teary and conflicted eyes, I lifted my hand up and stuck my pinky out.
She slowly understood and brought forth her own hand. She slipped her delicate pinky around mine and looked right into my eyes. I felt a shock course through my veins when she made contact with me.
I felt butterflies in my stomach.
I breathed softly and spoke firmly,"I promise that I'm here for you whenever you need me ... And I won't ever hurt you."
Something in the back of my head told me that I only meant half of that promise.