Jia felt gleeful as she stepped on the scattered dry leaves on the pavement. They crunched under her feet giving her the much-wanted satisfaction. She stepped on another huge pile and 'crunch' they went again. A little giggle erupted from her lips and she hopped, jumping on another bunch. By the time she got to his house, she was over ten minutes late. It didn't matter. They weren't bound by the clock as much today. She'd easily get to spend around three hours before she had to leave for the show.

She observed the house from outside the gate. There wasn't anything special about it. Just your regular middle-class suburban house. It was painted off-white or maybe it became so with time and had specks of mouldy green on the exposed walls. She pushed through the front gate and rang his doorbell. It was her first time visiting his house but that didn't scare her. She was more relaxed around him now, unlike her flustering nervous self that had made a complete fool of herself in the beginning months.

"Hello!" Yoongi smiled, swinging open the door. "Come on in."

She entered and neatly aligned her white shoes by the wall. She turned around to smile brightly at him. He smiled back, instantly taking her hand in his like it was the most natural thing to do.

"I'm ready for the house tour." She said, walking into the living room.

"Of course. Hop on in, kind madam. But I must warn you, there is a tour fee." He said earnestly.

"I guessed as much." She chuckled. "Pitch your bargain."

"It's simple and fairly low of cost to you but is of high value to me. A kiss." He smirked.

"I see." Jia made a show of thinking it through. "Deal."

"Oh, that was easy. I change my mind then. I need two. Wait no, three." He demanded.

Jia shook her head gravely. "The deal has been made already. It's a no-more no-less policy."

"Ugh fine." Yoongi said, rolling his eyes. He went around the house, tugging her along as he described each space in a fancy royal accent. The house was expectedly small on the inside. A comfortable living room, adjoined by two bedrooms and a kitchen on various sides. "This is the grand chambers of yours truly." He said, leading her into his bedroom. The room was fairly big but it didn't feel as spacious; probably because of the large piano that took up most of the space. It was definitely the eye-catcher in the room and other pieces of furniture felt more like secondary pieces to go with it. There weren't any posters on the wall and looked rather plain to give too much attention.

"Hi." She said cheekily to her own reflection on the mirror. She felt especially pretty that day. She had on a simple beige dress with a crinkled shoelace pattern on the chest. Her hair was let down and she wore a matching beige headband to compliment the dress. A small pearl stud earring peeked from behind her strands of hair. Deep black winged liner adorned her eye-lids; something she'd been adamant to master. It was still a long way from perfection but it had turned out fine nevertheless. And finally, her lips were coloured light pink with a thin coat of fruity lip-gloss.

Yoongi wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulders. "Oh look, there's a pretty girl on my mirror." He said, his breath tickling her ears. She turned sideways to look at him and then, she looked back at the mirror. His pastel cream coloured t-shirt went well with her neutral colours and she admired the couple on the mirror.

"Wow. We look good together." She giggled and took out her hand-me-down button phone for a picture. She clicked one but when he got that she wasn't satisfied with her camera; he took out his fairly new smart-phone. That picture did come out good. He liked it so much that he instantly put it up as his wallpaper. She turned sideways again and gently pressed her lips to his cheeks. She leaned away and chuckled, wiping away the faint traces of lip gloss from his cheeks.

"Thank you." He said, turning sideways. Their faces were only inches apart. "But I hope you know that this is not what I meant by the fee."

"I know." She said, looking into his deep brown eyes. She leaned in without hesitation and pressed her lips to his. He kissed her back and she felt herself melting into the moment. With his body pressed so close to her own, this particular kiss felt more intimate than any. If it weren't for his tight embrace that kept her steady, she would have buckled under its intensity.

It reminded her of their first kiss. That one evening where he had decided to make her play basketball. After her several failed attempts to throw the ball into the hoop, he had stood behind her, clasping his hands over hers to hold the ball steady. With his precision and force, the thick orange ball had landed effortlessly through the hoop-net, bouncing off the ground with its metallic thuds. Ecstatic, she had turned around to hug him with all her might. After their embrace, he had wasted no time in kissing her confidently. Of course, it had been far from perfect considering how they'd both been sweaty and exhausted. But she had not been disappointed. After all, it had been her first ever kiss.

He pulled away just enough to reveal his shy smile. She mirrored it with her own and pecked his lips softly one last time before untangling herself from him. "That's two bonuses." She pointed out cheekily. "I need something else in exchange."

"And what might that be?"

"I want you to play something on the piano for me." She said, enthusiastically.

"Granted." Yoongi nodded.

He pulled out the wide stool from underneath the piano and took his seat. He scooted over to make space for her and they huddled together over the piano. He ran his hands through a few notes randomly, as though to warm up and then he paused, mulling over what to play. He spread his hands over the instrument for a few seconds before playing it. His fingers moved over the array of keys, flowing smoothly to produce a magical music. Jia watched closely; admiring the coordination that they possessed, they moved so effortlessly as though passing quick silent messages within them. The first few minutes were considerably slow-paced but the further they went, the more complicated the notes got. Mid-way, his fingers ran a marathon over the keys and the music in result sounded equally quick-paced and urgent. The more he played, the more her heart raced in anticipation as she watched his every movement. The intensity got to its peak putting her into a mental state where she couldn't even fathom the rush that the performers might feel. When he concluded it, she found herself applauding as an involuntary response.

"This piece is pretty famous, actually." He explained. "Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata." Jia sat quiet, still unable to process and produce an accurate response. "What do I play next? Anything particular that you'd like to hear?"

From there on, it turned into a mini piano concert. He started off with her request for 'The Way You Look Tonight', one of her dad's favourites, and carried it over to several other songs. He'd get over with one and they'd instantly get reminded of another, connecting each song like a chain. If he played one that was familiar to her, she'd hum along and sing a few lines in between. She wasn't much of a singer but at times like these, she just couldn't help it.

"Okay, I need you to take a guess on this one." He had on a sly smile as he played the keys.

Merely seconds into the music, she yelled out as she registered the familiar notes. The initial chords had that certain merriness to it; like a child being bounced on its mother's lap. A joyful harmony that went up and down. "Can't help falling in love with you!" She exclaimed in recognition. "Oh right, I remember! You told me you enjoyed playing this one." She wondered if Elvis knew what impact it would have on generations to come while creating this certain piece.

He continued playing the notes and she hummed along, pleasantly surprised when he joined in with her.

"Take my hand

Take my whole life too

For I can't help falling in love with you"

She closed her eyes, taking in the tranquillity that the music brought with each note.

"Like a river flows surely to the sea

Darling so it goes

Some things are meant to be"

As they sat there, singing along to these infamous lines, something in her just clicked. It felt right and yet, it felt too good to be true. She'd thought of it for a while now. About how a mere thought of him made her feel some kind of way. Perhaps it was love? She couldn't be so sure because she had never felt that before; at least not 'romantically'. 'Maybe this is it' she told herself. One thing was definite. She'd been attracted to people before; she'd had crushes; but it had all faded after a while. But this particular one had persisted. She just couldn't explain it. This was all new to her and she didn't know what others might make of it but she had made up her mind to call it what she wanted.

"For I can't help falling in love with you"

She sang again in a low whisper, just as one would while getting lost in their thoughts. She didn't realise she'd been staring at him until he waved his hand over her face. The music had stopped the moment he took his hands off of the keys too but she had been too busy trying to pin down her feeling to a particular name.

"I love you." She told him.

He looked taken aback. There was a flicker of something in his eyes that she just couldn't put a finger on. Heck, if she can't figure out her own feelings, she knew she had slim chances of figuring out his. Whatever it was, regardless of whether it was intentional or unintentional; it had been evident. Like a clear strip of a red-orange flames. But it had gone just as fast as it had come up. She watched as he gulped, his Adams apple bobbing to confirm so.

"You beat me to it." He spoke at last. "How did you know that's what I was going for?" He raised his hand to lightly touch her hair.

"I didn't." She replied truthfully. "I just felt like saying it and I said it."

"Well, you took my thunder. You robbed me off of the dramatic factor that I so dearly took care in building up." He chuckled; gently stroking her hair.

She said nothing.

"I love you too." He replied.

Jia had hoped to get some wave of satisfaction hearing him say those words but she didn't get any. Maybe it was because she caught him off guard; sprung on the words before he could, as though it was a race. But it was no such competition to her. She had simply spoke her mind. She studied his face with grave concentration.

"I didn't mean to steal your thunder, you know. It doesn't really matter how you say it. It is what you say that matters. I don't want you saying things just because I said so." She said with concern. There it was again, the flicker. She knew she wasn't just hallucinating the last time because this time she saw it, as clear as the morning sun.

He shook his head lightly. "I mean it."

She decided to take his words for it, the sides of her lips slowly tugging upward. She nodded, letting him know that she believed him. 'This is it' she told herself again. She couldn't help but giggle out loud. He watched her for a while before breaking out into a chuckle himself.

***

He'd tried to teach her how to play a few basic songs but that had turned out more comedic than productive. Her final triumph had been her pressing on a single key while he played the rest. They were now seated on the couch, watching an old rom-com on TV. They had placed an order for food and were patiently waiting for it to arrive. It had been his idea to stay indoors and order-in for a change. And truth be told, Jia liked it. She didn't have to be on guard wondering if someone was watching them.

As if reading her mind, he pulled her closer and hugged her. And then, he cupped her face in his long hands and kissed her without warning. When he pulled back, she raised an eyebrow wondering where the sudden burst of affection came from.

"No. Don't look at me like that." He said, shaking his head. "Do you know how hard it is to kiss you in public? This might be my only chance to kiss you without having you fret about someone watching us."

"You have a point." She agreed.

"So, if I have the urge to kiss you because I finally can, it's perfectly normal, isn't it?"

With her face still squished in his hands, she looked from side-to-side, trying to comprehend what came over him. "I guess." She said, shrugging.

"Damn right." He nodded as if he had been waiting eagerly for her slightest approval. He pulled her face closer and kissed her again; only this time, it felt more urgent. He kissed her deeply and it lasted long enough to a point where she couldn't breathe. She pulled away, gasping for air but the rush she felt was like never before. Mouth gaping open, she stared at him. Suddenly, she understood the 'urge' that he had referred to. She felt like she had this sudden burst of energy within her which he had passed on to her. Wasting no time, she kissed him again, just as deeply as before.

Jia lost track of time. She wasn't sure how long they'd been at it. She wasn't sure of anything to be honest, for her mind was all fuzzy from this novel sensation. She had her arms locked around his neck, holding him as close as she could. His left arm supported her cheek, somehow holding her in place as he hungrily guided her through his open-mouthed kisses. His right hand however, ran down from her waist, over her dress, and on to her exposed knee. He stopped a little below her knee and gently traced his long digits along her skin. It made her feel ticklish but he didn't linger there much longer. Instead, he smoothly ran his hands back up again gently pulling her skirt up in the process. Her mind snapped back to reality and she was keenly aware of his touch on her thigh. She held her breath as he went on further, showing no signs that he'd stop anytime soon. When she felt him getting dangerously close to her upper thigh, her eyes flew open and she slapped her hand on his, effectively stopping him in place.

"What?" He asked bewildered, pulling away. "Did I do something wrong?" His eyes were wide, looking as clueless as ever.

"I uh..." Jia stuttered to find the right words. "It's just..." She hadn't thought through this far. As naïve as it sounded, this possibility had remotely crossed her mind. She had her excuse, the usual one that when it came to Yoongi, she couldn't think clearly. Her normal thought process would be snapped, replaced by this clueless, ignorant one. The possibility that he might have had this in mind, inviting her to his empty home had stupidly missed her.

Her hands shivered a little and she had no idea why. Nevertheless, she pulled the hem of her dress down, putting it back to its original position. She looked at him like a timid little cat, a little embarrassed and shy because it had been lured into a sticky situation solely with the promise of a bowl of milk. She wasn't ready. She knew that. Not that she hadn't thought of this at all, mind you. She had thought about it a few times prior to this date and she knew that she'd willingly let him take her virginity one day. But just not today. She needed time.

"What is it?" He pressed her.

"I don't want to sleep with you today." She blurted out in all honestly.

She watched him as he got all flustered and looked away. His hands drawing away from her body instantly as though he was caught stealing something. "I didn't mean to-" He paused suddenly, pondering over his choice of words. "Why not?" He enquired abruptly.

Jia was taken aback. She had thought the answer was pretty obvious and she felt a little awkward talking about it. "I- I'm not ready...yet." She said, biting her lower lip.

He nodded slowly. "I know you're scared and I know that this is new to you but I want you to know that I'm here for you. I know what I'm doing and I swear I'll be gentle. Just trust me on this and I'll make sure you have a good time. You know that I won't hurt you, right?"

She bit her lip harder. She was getting a little uncomfortable. She had not seen this coming. She hadn't imagined that he'd insist if she said no. Her breathing was a little ragged, perhaps it was an aftereffect of their activity but she doubted it was just that. She looked at him only to see him watching her with his eyes clouded with concern. The sincerity in his eyes struck another thought. Maybe she's the one that's being weird. Maybe she was just being a prude. She tried to gulp down her thought but it was haunting her. Why is she denying him when he's being so considerate? Now, later... what difference did it make? Why couldn't she just commit to the moment and give in? Why was she being so stubborn? He said it himself that she need not to be scared; that he'd be gentle with her.

She opened her mouth to speak but words seemed to have eluded her. Thankfully, she was saved by the doorbell. He got up to open it, their food had arrived. He paid for it and carried the package over to where she was seated.

"Let's eat." He said, taking out the containers from the paper bag.

"Yoongi..." She called out, reaching over to uncertainly touch his hand. He didn't look at her, and simply hummed. "Of course, I trust you. I know that you'd be careful and I definitely know that you won't hurt me. You do know that I believe you, right?" She asked cautiously.

"Yeah." He nodded, still refusing to look at her. His monosyllabic replies were fuelling her already fired up insecurity.

"Yoongi?" She called out once again. He hummed back in response yet again, engrossed in sorting out their plastic containers. "Are you mad at me?" Her voice broke a little. If this continued, she was definite that she'd cry.

He might have suspected the same, for he turned to look at her, registering in her disheartened face. "I'm not mad at you." He assured her, shaking his head.

Jia wasn't completely satisfied but she knew better than to press him on it. Resuming their focus back on to the old rom-com, they wordlessly had their meal.

***

"So, you'll be watching it with Jungkook?" Yoongi asked, his brow crunched down in a frown.

"Yeah." She nodded, clinging onto his arm.

"Isn't he also the one that you're taking private classes for?" He inquired.

'Private classes' Jia mulled over the word. He made it sound like a convoluted suspicious meeting, making it seem sort of inappropriate. She chuckled a little. "Yeah, I help with lessons because they threatened to kick him out of the track team if he doesn't score enough. It's slow but I see progress." She explained. It'd been nearly a month since their classes started and quiet honestly, Jia enjoyed them. It wasn't as bad as Namjoon had warned her but she did catch him doodling away on her notebook a few times. Since they were together a lot, it was safe to say that they shared a lot with each other.

Yoongi grunted in response. "I don't trust kids who do that. For all you know, he's just trying to spend more time with you to flirt." He shook his head in disapproval.

At that, Jia let out a louder chuckle. "If you're worried about him hitting on me, you can completely discard it. He's still super hung up over Arden. It doesn't look like he'd get over her anytime soon."

"Arden?" He questioned, thinking over the familiarity of the name. "Isn't that the pretty chic who came from abroad or something?"

Jia wasn't at all surprised that he knew exactly who she was. "Yup. That's her."

"Still, I'm not too fond of this Jungkook guy. You guys hang out a lot." He insisted.

"You have Mina to blame for that one." She shrugged. "If you're so worried, why don't you join us? You don't have to stay for the whole play, just stay for a little while." She suggested. Taehyung had invited her and Jungkook to the play that was being put up by his theatre group. He wasn't playing any role in it, just backstage works. But he insisted that watching the play would help them with their acting. He also said that it'd give them a clearer picture of what went on and off stage. It was an open screening as part of some cultural fest conducted by the public library so there were no tickets or booking. Jia and Jungkook both realised that Taehyung had a point and had agreed to watch it.

He thought over it for a while, judging whether or not it was worth it. He had his hand shoved inside his pocket and she gently tugged him with her looped arm, urging him to join her. "Does Jungkook know about us?" He finally asked.

"Yeah. He had his suspicions when I kept mentioning Lily's a little too much." She admitted. "But Namjoon ratted me out in the end. He was eventually bound to find out, sooner or later." She pointed out.

"Fine, then. Maybe I'll join..." He started. "...And y'know, send out a clear signal that you're taken." He nodded.

"Oof, very protective." She teased.

She patted down her beige dress involuntarily as they entered the screening hall. The place was set up like a stadium. A stage already set with props was in the middle and the surrounding seats were structured in a semi-circle. She scanned the place and spotted Jungkook, already seated in a less crowded corner. Dragging Yoongi along, she made her way towards him and greeted him. He smiled back at her, his eyes widening at the sight of an unexpected Yoongi. He quickly greeted the older boy politely and Yoongi in return, nodded a hi. The play was scheduled to start in ten minutes and Jia watched with wonder as people clothed in all black scurried back and forth on the stage.

"Did you see Tae?" Jia asked, making herself comfortable between the two.

"Nope. I figured he'd be busy so I didn't bother." Jungkook replied, opening up a bulky black bag. "So, this arrived yesterday." He exclaimed, proudly showing off his fairly-hefty black Canon camera. Jungkook had mentioned that he was interested in Photography. Knowing this, one of his uncles had sent him one from abroad. Jia marvelled it, oohing at the list of its specs that he seemed to have memorised by heart.

"The ISO speed on this bad-boy." He sighed, focusing the lens onto the stage. He took a few shots, admired them and then turned to smile at Jia. "Here, why don't I take a picture of you two." He offered.

Jia quickly readied herself and looped her arm around Yoongi's. She struck a peace sign and smiled at the camera as he clicked the picture. He looked at it and asked Yoongi to move in closer, when he wearily did so, Jungkook clicked again. "I'll mail them to you." He told her, shaking his head as he refused to show it to her right then.

A few minutes into the play, Yoongi took his leave and Jia watched from above as he descended down the stairs, disappearing out of the dark theatre. She sighed. She was distracted, only partially focusing on the play. There was a short ten-minute break in between the two-hour long play and she stretched her limbs.

"Jia?" Jungkook called out, looking through his gallery of pictures. She hummed back in response. "Did you two fight?" He asked, finally looking up from the camera.

Stunned, Jia sat silent. A few seconds later, she shook her head and chuckled at him. "Nah, everything's fine. He's just a little shy out in public." She lied. He bought it and resumed scrutinising his pictures. Her eyes lingered over the exit for a long time until the play resumed and it turned pitch black again; pulling everything into a dark void. 

A/N: Hello, my dearies! I hope you're all safe and doing well. Sending much love and happiness to everyone! 🥰💜
So... Yoongi, huh? 👀