*****

The little girl, claiming to be Jimin and Rose's kid, clings into Jimin who lifts her up and carries her.

Jimin's suggestion to wait until morning to report the girl's whereabout makes sense. But Rose can't shake the feeling that something's up.

"I don't know Jimin, she seems so lost, like she's scared or confused. Can we at least try to figure out where she's from?, And why she thinks we're her parents?" Jimin nods in agreement.

"Say ahhh" The little girl chuckles and Rose rolls her eyes playfully "But it's your food, baby" She says, but has no choice but to open up.

"Jia!" The name Jimin and Rose gave her, through the course of the night. Rose was chasing after Jia who didn't want to sleep.

Breathless, Rose sat down and gulped a glass of water "Fine!, You won. But you have to sleep, so you can go back to your parents looking healthier, baby" A nickname she found herself calling Jia.

Jimin caught Jia for Rose, "You got me!" Jia chuckled loudly.

"Maybe you should let her stay awake a little bit more. She just met us, she might not be comfortable enough to sleep in the house" Jimin smiled, for the first time to Rose.

"Bedtime stories!" Jia jumped all over the place.

They had no children's storybook so Jimin did alot of googling.

"You don't know any child story?"Rose asks Jimin

"Of course, I know" Jimin claimed, making Rose chuckle. Jia cuddled close to their bodies, then Jimin cleared his throat "There was once a boy, he had two fish sticks. And there was a boy who had none, so he crushed the two fish sticks before the poor boy's very eyes. The poor boy picked up the dirty smashed..."

"Hyah!, You really don't know children stories" Rose chuckled heartily.

"Then do it!, If you know it so much!" Jimin turned to Rose, his ego badly bruised.

"Annyo!, I want Appa's story. What happened to the dirty fishcakes?" Jia asked, and Jimin brought out his tongue proudly at Rose.

****

As Rose gazed down at the sleeping child, a sense of protectiveness washed over her. She couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to this little girl than met the eye.

She was small and vulnerable, reminded her of her own self alot. How awful it was in the orphanage before her nonbiological parents adopted her. And even at that, she still had to be perfect for them. No stains, stutters or wounds, she had to be perfect.

That's why she obeyed their every command, she didn't want to lose her family. All her life, she heard people saying if she didn't do right, they'd take her back. So she had to be perfect, had to marry Jimin despite her never knowing or loving him.

"I hate you!. I hate this family!"

"You're useless to me Jimin!, I will never love you!. I'm taking custody of our daughter"

"Take her!, She's just as stupid as you!. Wouldn't want another you living under my roof!"

The little girl woke up crying, she had another one of those dreams. The ones which were truly happening in the future.

"Shh, it's just a dream, nothing can hurt you. I'm here" Rose whispered, only if she knew that this was actually true, but in the future.

*****
Jimin and Rose exchange perplexed looks, as the officer scratches his head, "I don't get it!. There's no record of her anywhere. It's like she just.... appeared out if thin air. No birth certificates, no medical records, nothing!" The three of them sit in silence for a moment, processing the bizarre revelation.

The police station looked less busy in the morning, but some who stayed jailed overnight were making noise, scraping the walls, some arguing that they really didn't do anything.

Jimin breaks the silence "So, what does that mean?, She's just....not in the system?"

"Maybe she was registered abroad, She could be a dual citizen with only certificate of the other country" One of the police men proposed.

"That means you'd have to go through a long process of seeking access to their databases, and we still don't know the particular country. Why don't you put her in an orphanage home, we would put an alert out for her and her parents would come find her" The other contributed.

Jimin and Rose are conflicted, but ultimately decide to follow the officer's advice.

They take her to the orphanage and hand her over to the staff, hoping that she'll find a loving family and a stable home.

They drive away, feeling heavy-hearted, but trusting that the authorities will find her parents and reunite her with them.

As they pull up to their house, the emptiness hits them hard. They miss the girl despite only knowing her for a night. Rose glances at Jimin "Are we doing the right thing?" She asks. Jimin takes a deep breath "She needs a home, we can't give her that. I can't help but feel we're abandoning her".

******

Jina sat down lazily at the counter of the Convenient Store, One more hour and she'd be done with this shift. Not like, it was bad if she closed it now since it was midnight, but she didn't want to take any chances.

So there she was, her reddish brown hair in a messy bun and her posture concentrated on whatever book she was reading.

Suddenly, a customer came. She dropped the book sighing, and waited for the customer to purchase whatever. But something seemed weird, the customer was wearing a nose mask along with his hoodie that covered his face partially.

"He's not a theif, is he?" She thought, as her eyes trailed towards his interested merchandise.

"I don't care hyung!, I'm not attending. I don't want to be your shadow.. I'm cutting the call" The customer half yelled, drawing closer to the counter to pay for his snacks.

"120 won. Are you okay?, I didn't mean to eavesdrop" She smiled.

"Did your parents lecture you on how to mind your own business?, Because you're failing at it!" He spat, dropping the total 120 won.

"If you're angry, you can yell" She suggested.

"Are you crazy?" He scoffed.

"Hyah!, You unfair life of mine!. I hate you!" She screamed into the cold air.

Jina narrows her eyes at Taehyung, sizing him up. "The neighbors won't mind, they're totally asleep. After all, it's 2am"

Taehyung lets out a primal, guttural yell, releasing all his pent-up frustration. He rants and raves, shouting about his problems, his stressors, his worries. It's almost cathartic, like a pressure valve being released. And Jina just stands there, listening patiently, letting him get it all off his chest. It's a raw, intense moment - the kind that can only happen in the dead of night, with no one around to judge or interrupt.

She knew it!, There was more to him than her friends explained to her that night. And them meeting again just explained everything to her by itself.

"Hyah!, Is that a theif!. Why is it so noisy!" The Haelmoni's in the neighborhood start turning on their lights one by one.

Jina is moved by instinct, she grabs Taehyung's hands and they run together for their lives. Taehyung's too busy grasping the situation, before he takes off with the same speed as Jina.

As they run, Taehyung can't help but laugh - the absurdity of the situation hitting him full-force. They dash down the street, giggling like mad, ducking into an alleyway to catch their breath. "Oh man, we're gonna get in so much trouble if she catches us!" Taehyung wheezes, still laughing. Jina's laughter echoes his, the two of them suddenly feeling like giddy teenagers on a wild adventure.

As they continue to dash through the streets, they feel like they're in a movie montage - the city lights blurring around them as they weave through the crowds, music playing in their heads. They stumble into a park, their laughter echoing off the trees, as they collapse on a bench, breathless and delirious with glee.

"Wow, I haven't had this much fun in ages," Taehyung exclaims. Jina just grins, still panting from the run. "Same. This is..."

"Wait, we have to go back!" Jina says, suddenly remembering the store. But Taehyung grabs her arm, a serious look in his eyes.

"Can I check something?" He leans in, his lips just inches from hers. The air between them is charged with electricity. Then, he closes the gap, and they kiss. Jina stops the kiss, unsure of what to do at the moment.

She walks away, leaving Taehyung standing there in the park, feeling confused and a little foolish.

He shakes his head, wondering what just happened. He's never felt this way before - not like this. And now, he's questioning his whole identity as a player.

He's always prided himself on being able to move on quickly, never getting attached. But with Jina... it's different. He's starting to wonder if he's not as immune to love as he thought.

My corner

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