Taehyung sat fiddling with his jacket sleeves, wondering how he'd come back here again. Wondering why he kept returning to the bookstore when he didn't have any gifts in need of being bought.

He leafed through the plausible excuses he could give for his absence from home, without repeating one he had already used the other times. It would be so much easier to tell them the truth, instead of hiding it.

Taehyung suddenly felt annoyance at his own thought process. Why hide it like some crime? He was just visiting a bookstore. Just visiting, and just another bookstore. Why was he so hesitant then?

The fluorescent hands of his watch wanly displayed the time. Yeontan needed to be walked in a while. This dilemma could wait a few days.

And he would probably find something more interesting to obsess over after this spot got worn off of its charm, but even as he thought it, something nagged at the half truths. He grabbed the wool cap from the side of table and smoothed his hair back to put it on.

He didn't hear the person enter. Only becoming aware after the voice spoke.

"Annyeonghaseyo, Jungkoo-"

Taehyung looked up in mild surprise, which turned into full blown shock. One that was reflected in the face of the person who greeted him as well.

"Taehyung-ssi?!"

"Grace uisanim!"

The two of them blinked at each other, Taehyung could feel a smile coming to his lips. At the sight of Grace starting to break into a blush or simply because he was happy, he didn't really mind whichever.

So he smiled openly, at her reddening ear tips, that travelled till both her cheekbones shone due to the blood rush. He really couldn't resist a little laugh then. He'd seen girls blush, oh he had. But this was like watching in slow motion, and the fact that her ears got hit first, all of it seemed to amuse him very much.

"What are you doing here??"

She sounded offended, like she was expecting someone else and got him instead. So he asked her exactly that, more or so.

"Well, actually, yes."

"Oh." Taehyung didnt know what he felt just then. Embarrassment? Anger? Disappointment? Whatever it was, it made him want to leave immediately.

"I was just leaving. Have a good evening, Grace-ssi."

But Grace was closer to the door and got in his way before he could reach it.

"No, please wait. I didn't mean...it's not... I was supposed to meet Jungkook-ssi! Do you know if he's here?"

Taehyung wasn't sure if he had heard right.

"Did you say Jungkook? As in Jeon Jungkook?!"

Grace blinked a few times before responding eagerly.

"Yes. As in the BTS maknae and Executive Director of Kookmin Uni, Jeon Jungkook!"

Taehyung wanted to answer her. The surprise that Grace had come here looking for Jungkook, was yet to register. And during the interval, he took some time in his head.

Hadn't he been coming over for this very purpose? To create a happenstance of running into Grace at the very bookstore she frequented?

Of course....not. He had just been bored. And she just happened to be meeting someone else here. Someone else being Jungkook out of all the people.

The shock had found it's way through.

"Why?!" He hadn't been expecting his own outburst anymore than Grace, who startled at his question.

"Sorry, I meant-"

"Omoya, who do we have here!"

Grace turned around, just as Taehyung peeked over her head, towards the door.

"Harabeoji!"

"Uisanim! You're here too! No wonder Jae-Tak wanted to tag along suddenly."

He wagged a finger at Grace, fondly, while dragging along the shy boy who refused to leave the refuge of his grandpa's extra large coat.

"Magic you are, Pied Piper." Grace let out a nervous laugh, tried to get the kid's attention and then suddenly straightened up as if remembering why she was there.

"Harabeoji, did anyone else come to the bookstore before us? A man. Tall, good-looking, black hair, probably wearing a suit or some other formal attire."

Taehyung listened intently, realizing that Grace had met Jungkook before, at his workplace, obviously. But how? And why had he asked her to meet him here, out of all the places? He hadn't been to the bookstore before except for.....

"Grace-ssi, chamkaman." Taehyung gestured towards the door and she followed him outside after a moment's hesitation, excusing herself from Mr. Han.

Taehyung could tell she was nervous and as confused as he was.

"Grace-ssi, may I ask how exactly you know Jungkook, so....personally?"

"Oh! No! I don't know him! Not really! I just, saw him! Once, no, twice!"

"Then...how..?"

She shrugged awkwardly. "The thing is, Taehyung-ssi, Jungkook-ssi is my best friend's boss. Erm, superior. She was the one who relayed his message to me. I've sent her texts but no response. It's alright though, I understand if something came up and he got busy. I dont mind at all."

She actually appeared relieved at the idea of Jungkook not showing up, which made Taehyung even more suspicious.

Before Taehyung could ask further questions, his phone rang. The screen showed Jungkook's name. Grace was close enough to have read it. He looked up to see if she had, and noticed that a frown was back on her face.

"Grace-ssi, it will only be a moment."

She nodded, slightly smiling.

"Jungukk-ah, igeon mwoya? Is this a prank or something? There's a girl here waiting to see you, and it's the same girl I met the other day. Did you know her before?"

Tae had made sure to put a considerable distance between himself and Grace before he could voice out his frustration.

"Before what, Hyung?" His voice sounded over-cheerful.

"Before I met her here, at the very bookstore that you asked her to today. To meet you."

"Yes. I've met her before you did, but then I didn't know it was the same girl. And I only ever knew she existed after your retelling of the wonderfully spontaneous evening you had at this bookstore."

Taehyung had turned into the corner alley by the bookstore and suddenly halted. There was a very familiar looking car infront of him.

"Hyung, annyeong!" Jungkook's made a squeaky baby impression over the phone and Tae thought he saw a hand waving through the heavily tinted windshield.

"Yah....what are you doing?!" He hadn't fully stepped into the corner, and could still see Grace standing a few paces away, trying to look collected but she kept throwing occasional glances at him.

"Don't come any closer! Hyung, isn't this why you kept coming to the bookstore?! I'm just helping you!"

Helping him? What had he planned for, a blind date?! Taehyung couldn't control the blush that creeped up his neck at the thought, and that made him even more furious.

"No, no! You can deny it and yell at me all you want later. I'll be here in the car." He added when Taehyung opened his mouth to reply.

"What am I supposed to tell her? She's waiting for you, you pabo!"

"Tell her the truth. Or a close enough lie. Nae? Bye!"

And he cut the call. Taehyung stood there, glaring through at Jungkook through the glass, but he had already gone back into hiding.

This was so embarrassing. What was he supposed to tell Grace now? Would she even believe him?

"Taehyung-ssi?"

Grace was taking small steps towards him. He hadn't meant to glare at her, but was still irritated at having been put in the spot and was trying to come up with an excuse, when she called out to him.

She stopped walking at the grim set of his face.

"Is...everything alright?"

He looked at her, actually looked. She appeared to be expecting bad news. But, what kind? Taehyung had connected all the dots now, but Grace's entire demeanour with relation to this situation was still puzzling to him.

So were his own thoughts. Somewhere in his mind, he knew he'd been hoping to see her. But another part of himself kept refusing those thoughts and coming up with different excuses to convince him otherwise.

"Is...everything okay?"

"Nae, nae! Ah, Jungukkie was just being his over curious self."

Grace cocked her head to one side in question.

Think, Tae. Think.

"You see! I had to show him Namjoon's gift, the one you helped me pick out. So he was pretty impressed that a complete stranger helped me pick out a gift, and a quite nice one at that. He wanted to meet you for himself, but something came up." He held up his phone, not quite looking at Grace.

"Ah? Is that so?"

Tae nodded, putting all of his earnest into his body language without having to lie to her straight.

"Oh thank God!" Grace let out a loud sigh, that got Tae to look over. Her relief seemed so out of place to him, seeing that he knew nothing of the reason behind her anxiousness from before.

"Grace-ssi, was something the matter? You seemed really worried when he called."

He took a few steps closer, pocketing his phone, willing no one to interrupt his conversation this time.

Grace took a moment to get a hold of herself, before she started brushing away his concern.

"Worried? No, no, it was just.....nerves! I was going to meet Jeon Jungkook in person, and I wasn't ready for it!" The laugh that followed broke what little genuinity the statement had to it.

"You didn't seem very fazed when you met me for the first time."

That seemed to have struck her, because her face blotched right after he said those words.

"Not....fazed?!!! Kim Taehyung-ssi, if you knew who was the reason behind my monk-like living style of the past week....!" She suddenly pressed both palms to her mouth, eyes going alarmingly wide.

Taehyung couldn't help it. He laughed, and took another step closer.

"Who?"

Grace's resolve lasted for mere seconds, and then she let her head droop.

"I was afraid."

Taehyung hadn't been expecting that.

"Of Jungoo?!"

"Noo," she chortled. "Afraid that I was going to be asked to never see you again. Or to pretend that we had never met here. Or that I would be forbidden into running into you ever again. Stuff like that..." she still hadn't raised her head.

Taehyung had seen enough to know that this was how any fan would feel. And insecurities like these would be the first sign that an idol needed, to step away. But it didn't sound like thoughts of a crazed fan coming from her, and he didn't feel very much like an idol just then. He felt like an ordinary guy, feeling a little giddy that this girl he'd been hoping to run into, probably had been wishing for the same thing.

He felt very giddy right after those thoughts passed.

"Grace-ssi,"

A little pink had remained on her face, and she looked like she was cringing from her own words.

"I don't think coincidences need such strict measures. Besides, if we're meant to keep running into each other," Taehyung shrugged, "it'll happen no matter who tries to stop it. You know."

A smile finally appeared on her face, and Taehyung was secretly relieved that he had said the right things.

This had been a crazy enough evening, when a crazier thought snuck into his head.

"Grace-ssi, would-"

"HYUNG!" Taehyung froze. Footsteps slapped the pavement as Jungkook jogged up to them. He wasn't wearing his suit, his tie a little crooked and shirt a little rumpled, probably from crouching between the car seats.

Grace looked ready to bolt in the opposite direction, but she gave him a bow in greeting anyway.

"Annyeonghaseyo, Jungukkimnida." He bowed in reply, and straightened up to meet Taehyung's eye. Taehyung simply glared back and whatever more he had wanted to say, he swallowed.

"Ah, I, I should probably get going. I might miss my bus. Taehyung-ssi, I-"

"I'll walk you." Jungkook and Grace had identical expressions now.

"No! I mean, it's okay. Thankyou, really. But I'll leave first, if that's okay. It was wonderful seeing you again, Taehyung-ssi."
This time she smiled like a happy child, right at Taehyung.

Jungkook waited till Grace walked all the way to the the upper road, before squatting down with his head in his hands.

"I interrupted something, didn't I?"

His voice was muffled but Taehyung heard him. He wanted to be annoyed with Jungkook for barging in, but he couldn't deny that he had also felt a little thankful for his appearance.

What had he been thinking? Ask her out? In the two times that they had happened to meet each other, one of them being partly set-up? He sighed, nudging Jungkook's elbow with his knee.

"Come on, get up. You didn't interrupt much. Besides, if it's meant to be, I don't think occasional interruptions and nosy little maknaes can prevent it from happening."

Jungkook groaned, but stood up, dusting his pants.

"Hyung, don't take me wrong, but poetry doesn't suit you."

"Jungukk-ah, I'm this close from changing my mind about not getting mad at you. For several reasons, should I remind you."

The drive home was long and quiet, giving Taehyung enough time to think over all What-Ifs and Could-bes.

And the possibility of a Meant-to-be.

Sigh. Im not really in great form. But not writing, is worse than bad writing. So here it is.