A content sigh left Chris's lips as she let her toes sink into her fur carpet after her shower.

She was giddy—a teenager who'd been allowed to hang out with her friends for the first time—as she recalled the events earlier.

She had to admit; the day spent with Hoseok must have been one of her best that year.

It was weird, she knew she's been more carefree than usual. It seemed to come so naturally to her.

In two days with Hoseok, she'd felt a warmness she'd never experienced with any of her other friends.

Looking up at her blurred reflection on the television, she observed the small smile sitting on her lips. A smile that only seemed to grow when she thought of the new friend she had made.

Soon enough, she heard ringing and looked down to her illuminated phone screen. Dad.

"Hello?" she answered as she tried her best to mask her disdain. She never knew how these conversations would end up playing out.

"Good evening, sweetheart," his sombre voice filled the receiver, and she instantly missed him. "How have you been?"

"I'm well," switching her position to lay on her sofa, she continued, "The hotel's doing pretty good, I had this idea to partner up with some of the local businesses here so that we can give the guests ideas of how to spend their time as they're here. I think it's going great."

"I know, I saw your reports, and I'm loving the ideas."

Her smile faltered; a compliment from her father was a rarity.

"Thank you."

"I just had to ask one thing of you; you know the immense land surrounding the hotel down there?"

"Yeah?"

"I need you to convince the owners of that land to sell it to us."

There was silence.

While Chris tried to think of a response, she watched her reflection in the television. The smile turning into a frown couldn't be mistaken.

"Dad why-"

"You've been down there long enough," Chris felt the conversation coming to an end, "I think it's time you finally start to expand."

"But-"

"Okay, sweetheart, I'll fax over the documents you'll need , keep me posted, alright?"

She nodded, knowing he wouldn't see her, but knowing he wouldn't have waited for her reply either.

They then said their goodbyes, the phone going dead right after.

How was she going to talk Hoseok into selling his land? He'd grown up there, it was his life.

She couldn't just ask him to leave all that so that she could expand the hotel.

Chris thought back to all the conversations she was used to having with her father. His constant 'you need to be better', 'look at how everyone else is working', 'why can't you be like him?'.

She was convinced that he was more fond of her own boyfriend than her.

She wanted to be better.

She wanted to make him proud.

So she decided, maybe she should give it some thought.

Anything to get her father's approval.

--

As Chris was eating her dinner and flicking through the television channels, her phone rang again. The smile grew across her face as the screen lit up in a picture of her boyfriend.

She could finally talk to him again.

"Hi honey," she breathed out a sigh when she picked up. Just knowing he was on the other end of the phone line was reassuring.

She had definitely been struggling with being apart for so long. And on top of that, she couldn't help fight the thought that perhaps she was the only one suffering in that regard.

"Chris, hey, how are you? I miss you," With those last words, Chris felt herself loosen up.

"I miss you too," she groaned, "I could really use one of your hugs right now."

The chuckle she heard then only made her miss him more, "There's nothing else I'd like to do right now."

"How are you, though? How's everything with the family?"

"They're good, we're good," a small pause, "Work's going so well! The partnership with Ralph Lauren has been so successful in attracting more customers, I'm so proud of us."

"That's great!" was it normal to feel the small pang in the corner of her heart then? She was happy for him, wasn't she?

"How about you? How is it in that small town?"

"It's not too bad anymore, I've been doing some renovation of my own—Oh! I made a friend," she noticed the immense excitement which overcame her as she thought about Hoseok. She definitely missed the megawatt smile sitting on her face, too.

"A friend?"

"Yes! He's so sweet, makes living down here alone much less lonely."

"He?"

"You know what I've been thinking about now that we've been apart for so long?"

"Hmm?"

"When we first met," she hummed to herself, "When we both went to watch The Avengers on our own."

She heard him laugh, "Oh yes, that's one throwback. I noticed you were alone too and decided to approach you because I'd always been so in awe of you when I saw you in the office."

"Everything happened so fast then, huh?"

"Our first week of dating and we tried to keep it a secret from everyone else—which didn't really work out, now did it?"

Chris laughed too, remembering when they had been caught walking home together by a coworker, word spreading fast through the hotel soon after.

She realised that there hadn't been a moment where she ever questioned her love for him.

She'd never felt uncertain that her feelings may not be genuine. But recently why did her feelings toward him seem different? Why did talking to him seem less like talking to a lover and more like a mere acquaintance? Why did she fear he was going to say something which twisted her heart in the wrong way? Something which made her remember how difficult it is to love her?

The rest of the evening was spent with them talking about work, she had told him about her father's ask, and he encouraged her to speak with Hoseok about it—the sooner, the better.

All throughout the conversation she had with her boyfriend, she couldn't help her eyes as they rested on Hoseok's jacket.

And she didn't know why, but she really didn't want to bring it up with him.

She didn't want to follow through with her father's proposal.

But she wanted to please him, she wanted to make him proud.

—

The next day rolled around pretty quickly, Chris speeding through customer enquiries, orders and complaints.

A time came where the sun had fallen into a bed of clouds, leaving a trail of golden pink wisps in the air. And when this time came, Chris found her feet gravitating toward the exit.

She waved a quick goodbye before leaving the establishment.

Pulling out the rubber band which had held her hair into a tight ponytail, she threaded her fingers through it, ruffling before leaving it to the wind. Another tug and her blouse was free from the grip her jeans had on it.

She'd picked up Hoseok's jacket earlier and had it wrung around her arm.

Chris knew where she was headed but didn't know why she was going there. She never turned around, however.

Arriving at Hoseok's strawberry store, she opened the door slightly, peeking her head around it.

It didn't take her too long to find him, glorious orange hair peeking above a shelf of flowers—marigolds.

Silently stepping in, she shut the door behind her and continued toward him.

Humming a quiet tune, Hoseok was rearranging the order of some of the cartons, an immense smile resting on his lips.

Does he ever not smile?

The question was quickly answered when Chris saw his grin fall, eyebrows scrunched as he peered at something in front of him.

Craning her neck, she followed his gaze to see one plastic carton had torn down the side, strawberries spilling out from it.

Frowning, he looked around for a container, picking up the fruit and placing it inside.

How did he look so adorable even when he was frowning?

Shuffling a little, Chris tried to get closer to watch as he closed the lid of the container to put it aside, however as her knee hit the shelf in front of her, the flower pots bumped into each other, causing a small sound to erupt from it.

Eyes widening, she looked up to meet his gaze.

"H-Hi," she coughed, sliding across from behind the shelf.

His smile returned before he spoke, tilting his head a little as he stared back at her, "Hello."

"I-uh-"

"Do you want to try our new berries?" he asked, holding out the box he'd put the fruit from the broken carton in, "They're a much nicer bunch."

"Huh-"

He nudged her, "You know you want it."

That was something she'd noticed despite only knowing him a mere couple weeks—his smile had a way of running off his own face and spreading across your own.

Because she felt her face light up without her permission.

"Okay, just one," she picked it out and bit into it. Sadly it had been too long since she'd tasted a strawberry and she'd missed the taste.

"Isn't it good?" he took one for himself and ate it, placing the box down on the table again, "How are you?"

"I'm good," still chewing her berry, she continued, "Today went by quite fast."

"It did," he finished tidying up the table and walked back to the counter, Chris followed. "Just give me a second, I'm going to cash up the sales for the day."

"Oh, no, of course!" suddenly she felt nerves wash over her, self-conscious about being there. What if he didn't want her to be there? What if he had plans?

She couldn't just show up unannounced-

"What are you doing tonight?" he interrupted her thoughts. And she wondered if he had some sort of talent where he could read minds.

"I-"

"They're showing the second Frozen movie at the drive-in theatre tonight, and I still haven't watched it," he shrugged.

"Frozen?" Chris stifled a laugh, "You want to watch Frozen?"

"C'mon," he groaned, "My best friend said it's probably one of the best movies he's watched and I hate missing out on the fun."

"How old is your best friend? Five?" she joked, and he shook his head.

"He's seven actually, and I respect his opinion."

"Your best friend is seven? I sure have some competition," she watched as Hoseok closed the register and sent her a grin.

"Can I take that as a yes?"

—

The pair watched Frozen from the front seats of Hoseok's car, munching through bags of chips and a couple ice creams Hoseok had packed in a chilly bin. They both enjoyed the film, much to their surprise, and Chris told him to thank his best friend for the recommendation.

"He's actually my best friend's son," he said as they started to drive away from the park, on the way back to drop Chris off at the hotel.

"It's okay," she told him, "You don't have to lie now, I won't judge you for only being able to make friends with kids currently in primary school."

"Hey!" and this time—just like every other—his laughter seemed to set her heart aflame. The sound instinctively made her close her eyes to bask in it. "It's not a lie."

She didn't have to look at him to know he was wearing his signature pout which, she had to admit, she was growing to adore.

It wasn't long before Hoseok parked his car, Chris's eyes widening when she looked around and didn't recognise where she was.

"Uh," she turned to him, "Are you trying to kidnap me? Did you just-"

He laughed again, turning the light on.

"It's a small town," he said simply, "If I drove straight to the hotel, we wouldn't have had enough time together."

"Enough time for what?"

"I'm still working on trying to find out what Chris is short for," the dull illumination in the car was nothing compared to his grin.

"That's funny," she turned back to the front of the car, snuggling into her seat, "I don't even think my boyfriend knows what my name is."

"Huh? Really?"

"Yeah," she said simply, "It's never come up, and I guess he's always assumed it was my proper name."

"Right, right."

"That's probably it, right?" she questioned, and he raised an eyebrow, watching her through the corner of her eye.

He wondered if she was asking him or if she was trying to convince herself.

"I'm sure," he lay back in his seat as well, turning the light off, "Sometimes us men can be extremely dense when it comes to that stuff."

"And many other things."

"Hmm?"

"You guys can be dense when it comes to other things too," Chris sighed, "Like what to say at the right time, and what not to say at certain times."

"You're right," Hoseok's tone darkened, soft to serious, "Are you okay, Chris?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Hey, you know you can tell me if something is bothering you, right?"

"You seem to be able to read me."

"You don't make it too hard," he pointed out, "What's wrong?"

"Sometimes I feel like," she sighed, "I feel like it's really hard to love me."

"Nonsense."

"Like I- huh?" She wasn't sure she'd heard him right. Twisting to her side, she tried to gauge his expression.

"That's nonsense," he repeated, not seeming phased.

So she didn't hear him wrong.

"Unless you're a serial killer," she could see his small smile, "The person who deserves you, earns you. There is no such thing as being hard to love, only people who aren't patient enough to try. And they're not worth it."

"But-"

"You better love yourself just the way you are, Chris," this time he finally turned to her, and something in her made her follow his voice. And despite the dimly lit space, it was as if he radiated light. His voice, his presence alone was enough to make her feel seen, make her feel understood.

It didn't take much when it came to him. It didn't seem like she had to wait a whole day for some simple words of encouragement. Nor did she feel like a burden for taking up his time. Or believe she was asking too much from him.

"From the minute I met you I thought you were amazing. And as I get to know you more and more every day, that has not changed one bit."

"You're just saying that," she mumbled, eyes shifting downwards to her fidgeting thumbs. She didn't know what else to say. How was she meant to tell him she didn't believe him at all?

"I'm really not," he surprised her one more time as the tip of his index finger found its way under her chin to lift her gaze to his, "I'm telling you; there is no such thing as being hard to love. Unless we're talking about Seokjin hyung—but that's a story for another day.

"You're not a burden, you're extremely caring and sweet, and so hardworking it's crazy."

She was struggling to listen to him while he was staring this intently at her. It was the kind of look that almost pushed her off the verge of tears. The type of look that oozed sincerity and genuine concern.

"Thank you," her voice was light, heart heavy.

What he'd said made her question her relationship with her boyfriend. What she felt made her question her relationship with Hoseok.

However, on top of everything, she questioned how she viewed herself.

Because for much too long she'd believed everyone's else's words. But here was someone telling her that was all wrong.

He shifted in his seat and faced the front again, reaching for some water. She couldn't help but watch as he closed his eyes when his mouth came in contact with it, Adam's apple bobbing up and down with each gulp.

She'd never found anyone else this fascinating.

"How-" she started, and he looked at her, sidelong, "Uh—how are you, though?"

He threaded his fingers through his amber locks, "I'm okay."

"Yesterday, after that conversation with—Kari, was her name, I think—you seemed quite anxious. Was everything okay?"

"Actually," he sighed too, "not really."

"Do you want to—" her voice drifted off as she observed him playing with his hands just like she was earlier.

"I found out that my dad's sick," he started quietly, "Like really, really sick, and my parents have been hiding it from me for a while. It was quite difficult to stomach."

"Oh Hoseok," her voice softened, hand instinctively reaching out to hold her friend, "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay," he squeezed her hand back, "I'm okay."

"We're friends now, remember?" she asked, "You don't have to lie to me."

"I'm sorry, I just don't want to pile all this on you—I shouldn't have—"

"Nonsense."

"Chris—"

"You said the same thing to me, didn't you?" he turned to her, "You're not a burden. You want to talk? I'm here. You have to vent? Cry? I'm right here, okay?"

She was surprised to see his expression then. It was very different from what she was used to. The blinding beam he wore daily was now replaced with a small, sad smile.

"Thank you, Chris."

"It's quite strange, really," she shrugged, "I honestly feel like you've been more of a friend to me than anyone else I considered my 'friend'."

She watched him flinch, so she quickly added, "It's okay, you don't have to try to make me feel better about it," she let out a chuckle, "I realised it the last time we spoke; everyone else had been friends with me out of convenience, when it was easy for them. Not a single one of them have reached out since I moved here, you know?"

"I'm so—"

"But I'm not bringing that up for you to feel bad, I just want you to know I think of you as a friend, and I'll be here whenever you're ready to talk, okay?"

They didn't realise they were still holding hands until he squeezed hers a second time then. And neither wanted to let go.

ahhhh yes it's been forever since i last updated this story and i'm sorry! i had to battle the monster named writer's block as well as wrestle with uni and all that but i was able to finally finish this update and i hope you liked it!

thank you for being patient with my updates uwu i'm so thankful that you guys understand how busy we get and how i'm sadly not able to keep pumping out words for the chapters (writer's block has no mercy on me ugh)

how are you all though? i hope you know i love each one of you heaps!