It has been a long and awful week of Haru avoiding her sister who has been begging her to answer her calls and replies her texts. She needed the time to sort her messy head and broken heart. Frankly speaking, who can even live normally when you found the sister you love so dearly was hiding something from you?
It bugs her heart thinking about Areum hiding the truth about her all these years. What was the reason? Why didn't her parents say anything? Why no one has ever told her anything? Do they think her life is a joke, keeping her in the dark looking like a fool?
Haru didn't even go to the hospital the entire week. She texted Dr Kim asking for his kind favour to look after Haneul while she gathers herself. He was so thoughtful that he even called her to let know that he is there if she ever needed anyone to talk to—as always. She does talk to Dr Kim from time to time, but she never really poured her feelings out. She never really thought about that, not until Mister Kim pointed it out that night.
Mister Kim. The man that has been in her head, living there rent free for weeks already.
"So, are you going to pretend I am not here, looking like dumb alien being ignored by her best friend or what?"
Jiwoo's annoyed voice startled her making her look up to find her friend standing at the edge of her bed, holding a can of coke.
"I ordered pizza while you were asleep", she pushes the can towards her face, gesturing her to take it. "I will sleep here tonight, and I want you to tell me whatever that you have been hiding"
"What am I hiding?", she takes the coke from Jiwoo's hand. "I am not hiding anything?"
"Oh really?"
"Really"
"You have been crying for a week now. Areum has been calling me thousand times asking for you. Come on, you need to sort this out", she sits beside Haru, sighing heavily. "I know you are hurt. You can be sad for as long as you want, but can you at least, talk to me?"
Haru tightens her grip on the coke, gulping slowly as she averts her eyes. She hates whenever Jiwoo wants her to talk her heart out. It makes her feel weird as if people must attend to her silly problems and listen to her.
"I know you hate talking about whatever you have here", Jiwoo points a finger to her heart. "But when that get heavy, you might crash"
"I am not weak, come on, don't be silly"
"I am not being silly. I am here now. You were there for me. You have always been there for me. And now that I am slowly recovering and getting all my problems fixed. Let me help you"
A deep sigh slipped out of Jiwoo's mouth as she looks at Haru avoiding her eyes. Jiwoo knows her too well—too damn well—that nothing will ever make her talk. They have been friends for years yet Haru never really poured her heart out. Haru has always been the one to listen, offer her shoulders and gives advices whenever people ask for them. She has been there for everyone and never once had Jiwoo seen her neglecting the person she cares for. Never once.
But then, Jiwoo doesn't understand why she never liked talking about her own problems.
"Haru", she pats her thighs. "If you don't want to talk about Areum...can you talk to me about you and Mr Kim?"
The mention of Mr Kim's name made her heart jumped and she swore she might have accidentally blushed a little.
"Do you like him?", Jiwoo flashes a smirk at her friend, arching one eyebrow accusingly. "Because I think you do"
"No, I don't"
"No means yes", she wiggles her eyebrows playfully, making her friend scoffs at her. "It feels weird, you know. He has always been the one to find you"
She looks at Jiwoo with a very disgusted face, an obvious look of disbelief comes after that. "It was just coincidence"
"That, happens too frequently"
"It doesn't mean anything", she shrugs her shoulders, taking a sip of the cold coke.
"It doesn't, for now. But it might, soon. Because don't assume I didn't see you blushing when I mentioned Mr Kim's name just now"
Ignoring the teasing look on Jiwoo's face, she takes another gulp of the coke hoping it could cool down her insides. Mr Kim has been bugging for days and nights, invading her thoughts at every possible chance given. No matter how many times she tries not to think about him, she ends up thinking more about him. In fact, the thought of him has been the one keeping her at ease.
Recalling his kindness offering comfort that night, the gentle deep voice of him, and the way he was so polite and respectful of her—it strangely bugs her. She has no idea why. Sometimes she finds herself smiling like a fool to herself when she thinks of her and she would slapped herself when she realized it.
"Haru, do you like..you know...have feeling for Mr Kim?", Jiwoo jokes as she shifts on the bed. "I mean—"
"I have no idea. I truly don't"
"Because I think you do. You have been smiling like a fool, woman, god damn it"
-
Jungkook taps his fingers on his thighs, eyes focused on the person seated on the floor near the edge of the rectangular coffee table. He turns to the Jimin seated at the chair opposite him, exchanging a questioning look before they turn to the friend that has been too drown in thoughts.
"Tae", Jimin pokes his side. "Earth to Kim Taehyung"
He waits for a respond but got nothing. It took him a few seconds to realize his friend is just too into his thoughts to not even realize it.
"Taehyunggggg", Jungkook gently pulls his shoulder, finally snapping him out of his thoughts. "Finally!!"
Taehyung looks perplexed as he slowly zooms out of his head, turning his head left and right to see his friends giving him a very questioning look. "Oh—sorry, I was just—"
"Spacing out", Jimin giggles teasingly, leaning into the couch. "What's up?"
"Yes, exactly. What is up? You have been spacing out since the start of this movie, also during the dinner just now—what goes on?"
Taehyung sighs as he rubs the back of his neck, shifting on the carpet as he thinks of an answer. He has been thinking about work partially but most of the time, he has been thinking of Haru. She has been popping in his head more frequent these days. He thinks about trivial things such as if she has taken her meals, is she coping well with the submission since the semester is ending, how is she managing her thesis while juggling with her cousin, is she feeling better after knowing her sister is actually adopted and so many more. He thinks about everything. And he worries about her a little bit too much.
"Is this about your student?", Jimin joins him on the carpet, reaching for another piece of chicken. "What was her name again? Seo—something?"
"Seo Haru", Taehyung corrected him instantly. "Honestly, yes"
"Is she the one you're supervising?", the younger one asked casually. "Right?"
"Yes"
"Did something happen?"
Taehyung takes one long breath before letting out with a soft groan, palming his face as he leans back on the couch, head falling on the soft cushion. His friends have zero idea about her being his hook up from that night at the club. He has not told him yet and he thinks it is best this way. But his thoughts are eating him inside and he needs someone to hear him out. And out of all his friends, Jungkook and Jimin are the ones he trusts the most. He would trust them with his life to be honest.
"Tae", Jimin shakes his body, pulling him to look at him. "What is going? You look like a mess—"
"I think I like her"
His sudden confession made his two friends froze at their spot, eyes big as they look at him as if he just said something weird. Seconds pass by, Jungkook slowly lowers himself onto the carpet joining the other two as he mumbles some words to himself.
"Her....as in.... your student?", Jimin sounds confused at his own words, eyes roaming on Taehyung's face. "Seo Haru—your student?"
"Look, she is not my student to begin with. I am not her lecturer—I am her lecturer's research assistant. And before you ask me more questions, I have something to tell you"
"What....?", Jungkook leans closer, his big doe eyes looking very curious. "What are you going to tell us?"
"Promise me you will hear me out after I say this"
"Of course,", Jimin nods aggressively, looking at Jungkook making him nod as well. "Tell us"
Taehyung breathes in and out a few times, sparing himself some time to calm down. He looks at Jungkook, then at Jimin, relieved when he sees the look of trust in their eyes as they look at him, waiting.
"Remember I hooked up with a girl last time?"
They nod slowly, eyes never leaving him.
"That's Seo Haru. She is the one I hooked up with. I found out when I attended my first class, and she was in the class"
-
Haru sits at the medium sized white dining table, wiggling her legs as she watches the married couple bickering about choosing which dessert to order after their dinner. She watched as Juri, Yoongi's wife, gently pinching Yoongi's waist when he suggested that she order everything off the menu since she eats a lot these days.
A smile creeps on her smile at the wonderful sight of them bickering so cutely. She loves looking at Yoongi and Juri together. They could be the most compatible married couple she had ever met. Despite the little playful bickers, they are very much crazily in love with each. Whenever she looks at them, she feels nothing but overwhelming feeling of love and warmth.
She remembers Juri telling about their love story and how they first met. Yoongi was the new student in her class during the first semester of their university. Juri, being the outgoing girl in her group invited him to sit together at her table when she saw him sitting alone. And ever since that, Yoongi has joined her group and gotten really close with each other. Yoongi was the hard one to approach and very much slow she said. She dropped thousands hints that she was crushing on him for weeks and yet he acted as he saw nothing. But, Juri said she was wrong all along. Yoongi too had been dropping hints that he was indeed reciprocating her feelings.
Both of them were crushing on each other too much they didn't see the signs.
"Here you go!"
Juri's soft voice broke her chain of thoughts, looking up to find her placing a pair of chopsticks beside her rice bowl.
"Let's eat now before you turn into a monster because of hung—OUCHHH!!", Yoongi suddenly screams in pain when his wife pinches his thighs. "Oh god, you're pregnant but how are you this strong???"
Haru couldn't hold her laugh anymore and burst out, covering her mouth as she looks down. "Oh god, stop it you two. Your baby is going to wake up because you bicker too much"
"This baby", Juri rubs her big tummy gently. "I hope she follows your traits rather than mine or her father. Imagine having another of Yoongi but a female version? Oh god, help me"
"Hey hey hey, you won't have her without my contribution", Yoongi gives her a playful look, only to have her elbowing him.
"Stop it", Juri chuckles as she turns to look at Haru again. "Anyway, have Yoongi told you about the name we have chosen?"
"No...you have decided on a name!?"
"Yes, we did", Juri smiles even wider this time, glancing at Yoongi before turning to Haru again. "We are going to name her 'Haru' as well"
Haru almost choked on her rice when she heard her own name. She quickly swallowed the food in her mouth and puts her chopstick down, battling her eyelashes as she looks at Juri. Her mind went blank for a few seconds, her eyes shifting from Juri to Yoongi simultaneously seeking clarifications.
"Y-You are—my na—I mean, you are going name her Haru??? Like my name??? Haru???? Haru—my name?????"
"Yes", Yoongi showed his adorable gummy smile, winking at her as he chews the food in his mouth. "We thought a lot about it. And since we love you so much, we want our first child to be just like you"
~~~~
NOTE
Hello everyone! Finally, here is an update! Thank you for waiting, I hope this chapter can make up for the long wait. This chapter might be a tad bit empty but, I hope it is still good! Thank you so much reading.
I hope everyone is good, eating well and healthy! Please take good care of yourself.