Anxiousness. Anticipation.

They're a strange mix of emotions.

I don't even get this nervous while performing on stage or when we're waiting for the announcement of whether our group won some award and trust me, even though I always try to appear nonchalant, even after all these years, that can be pretty nerve wracking.

 But right now, a thousand tingles of nervousness shoots through my whole body.

Then again, only Im Byeol is capable of making me like this. Even after all these years, this one fact hasn't changed in the slightest.

"Hyung, you're too wound up. Relax. Breathe." Jungkook from the backseat leans over and whispers in my ear.

"How can he? He's going to meet the girl who lodged herself in his heart during high school and still hasn't left. Jimin used to be crazy about her back in high school. He would go so red in the face whenever she was nearby. He didn't even confess his feelings to her." Taehyung chuckles as we walk up the steps to the art gallery together.

He teasingly nudges me just like he would do in the past, whenever we passed by Byeol in the school corridor.

"Is she your first love Mr. Park Jimin? Even after all these years, you're still not over her? Aww, how cute." Jungkook devilishly grins, making me groan and march on ahead to tune out the collective snickers from him and Taehyung.

Trust me, I love them both just like my other fellow members, but they sometimes they annoy the hell out of me.

I nervously push my sunglasses down the bridge of my nose as I step inside the air-conditioned art gallery. A banner in the front shows that Lyra Lee's work is being exhibited.

Fishing my phone out of my pocket, I text her that I have arrived. She must've been waiting, because her response is immediate. She tells me to wait at the entrance and she'll come here herself.

Till then, the two idiots who tagged along with me have caught up with me.

"Hyung, is she the reason why you insist on still using your old phone number? You're the only one among us who hasn't changed it."

"Of course," Taehyung smirks and answers before I can, "Our Jimin is one tough cookie. Even Kim Namjoon has to change his number almost every few months because it keeps getting leaked but Jimin just blocks all the spam messages. All for love."

"Cut it out both of you!" I all but shout at them, even though I want to. However, we can't draw attention to ourselves as we're supposed to be incognito so I make do with a whisper yell,

"For the millionth time, I've kept using it because of the sentimental value!"

"It you say so. We all know it's because of a certain someone." Taehyung and Jungkook share a cheeky look and just when I am about snap back, I hear someone clear their throat behind us.

I turn to face a pair of eyes which transport me back in time, to the halls of Korean Arts High School. Their dark shiny depths are as blinding as ever.

Im Byeol hasn't changed much. At least not physically. Her ebony-colored hair used to be in a swishing ponytail before although now it falls just an inch above her shoulders, and she's wearing a pencil skirt and white top instead of our old school uniform.

"Im Byeol." Her name leaves my lips in a low whisper and I can feel my cheeks turn red.

I guess old habits die hard.

"Park Jimin, nice to see you after so many years."

And there it is, a grin tugging on her perfect pink lips which makes all my senses go haywire.

"S-same." I stutter for the first time in eight years, eliciting barely suppressed laughter from Taehyung and Jungkook behind me.

"Hyung introduce us!" Jungkook pipes in excitedly. He is a huge fan of her work.

"Oh, yes...um..."

Byeol senses my awkward shyness that is evident by the flush creeping up my neck, so she chuckles and saves me from the task of introducing everyone.

"Don't worry, I did my homework when he told me he is bringing friends. I asked my friend from Paris who loves your band and has been pestering me to join the fandom for years. She was elated to say the least. You're Jungkook right? The youngest?"

Jungkook is pleased when she recognizes him, his internal fanboy no doubt floating on cloud nine. He flashes her his classic adorable grin and she smiles back politely.

"You are Kim Taehyung, right? I heard you went to Korean Arts High too."

"Yes. You must've seen me hang around this guy a lot." Taehyung loops an arm around my neck and I shrug it away.

"I'm Lyra Lee although you must remember me as Im Byeol."

Jungkook nudges me, making me roll my eyes. "You have a mouth, ask her yourself." I whisper back to him.

"Ask what?" She arches her an eyebrow.

"He wants to go look at the paintings." I explain as Jungkook vigorously nods his head. Although you can't shut him up once he starts talking, Jeon Jungkook can be very shy initially. He takes time to get used to people.

"Oh yes of course, follow me." Byeol leads us all to her exhibit. Jungkook and Taehyung very subtly inch away from us to observe the paintings and from the sly wink Taehyung sends me, it is evident that they are cooking some sort of matchmaking scheme and it makes me sigh.

My eye falls on a painting depicting a dark starless and moonless night sky, a girl standing at the edge of a cliff with her hair whipping all over her face, concealing it. Lyra Lee is signed at the bottom and is barely legible but I still spot it.

"What do you think?" She has a nervous undertone to her voice and I have to admit this is the first time I've heard it in her voice.

"I don't have enough adjectives to describe it." I can feel the poignant melancholy through the canvas.

"I drew this after my mom's death." She confides, making my heart ache a little when I remember the night she broke down over the phone and I had to sing her to sleep.

I must admit though, the little snores from her mouth are the most adorable thing I've ever heard. I could listen to them on repeat every day.

"And this is something I drew in high school." She shows me a picture on her phone and it's of a girl and a boy standing together and gazing up at a starlight night.

"Is that us?" I almost gasp, a whirl of emotions swirling inside me.

"Yes. I found this on my old phone."

"This is from the evening we first talked to each other." I remember that evening as clear as crystal. Heck, I remember every single detail about her.

I have to admit, I was hurt when she didn't remember me. Sure, we weren't even close and we barely talked but it still hurt.

Although I don't blame her at all, because I now know she was going through a lot. It must've been so tough. I wasn't around back then, and I regret not overcoming my own insecurities and mustering up the courage to talk to her.

"Best evening of my life." I grin.

"Mine too."

Her answer catches me off guard. So does the emotion in her bottomless dark orbs which mirrors mine.

But later on, I want to backtrack on my words because this is by far the best evening of my life.

Byeol doesn't drink the coffee she didn't make herself, but I ask her to trust me when I say that she won't regret the café I want to take her to. It takes much persuasion from my part but she finally agrees and I take her to Mark hyung's 'Caffeine Addicts'.

It's an impromptu visit so I have to ask him for a favor to give us a table on the rooftop because as usual, the café is packed with customers and the last thing I want is to get recognized.

Mark hyung has been a close friend of mine ever since I came to Seoul. I met him though Namjoon hyung. They both used to be high school classmates like me and Taehyung.

"First Joon, now you? What is happening to the Bangtan boys huh?" Mark hyung grins broadly and leads us to the rooftop from the back entrance to the café, which is only accessible to the employees.

"Hyung, this is Im Byeol, an old friend. Byeol, this is Mark hyung. He's the owner." I gesture towards the café.

"Lyra Lee, nice to meet you." Byeol corrects me and flashes me an eye roll but she smiles politely to Mark hyung.

"You're very pretty, I can see why Jimin here is smitten." Mark winks at me, making me blush harder.

Byeol giggles under her breath, making my eyes as wide as saucers because I've never heard her giggle.

She isn't a giggly girl but it's still charmingly appealing, just like her soft crooked smile, a slight upturn of her lips which emphasizes the little mole near the right corner of her upper lip.

"So what will you have?" Mark hyung asks after showing Byeol the menu.

She bites her lower lip and appears torn for a moment, but then she says, "Vienna roast for me."

"The usual for me."

When Mark hyung leaves to go prepare our orders, a comfortable silence envelops us. I can't help but steal glances at her every now and the.

Even stars pale in comparison to her.

Byeol raises an eyebrow at me as she finally breaks the silence, "What's your usual order here."

"It's cappuccino with chocolate."

"Oh. Chocolates are too sweet for me." She shudders, making me chuckle,

"You don't like chocolate?"

"No. I don't like sweet things."

"Well, it's a deal breaker but because it's you Im Byeol, I'll let it slide." I desperately pray to the heavens that my terrible attempt at flirting. Thankfully, she doesn't cringe or get up and leave.

"What kind of a deal are we talking about Park Jimin?" There is a teasing lilt to her tone and it stumps me, making her laugh.

"I think this is one of those rare evenings when some stars are visible in Seoul." She points upwards, "Just like eight years ago."

"Yes, I'm getting slight déjà vu."

"We have come a full circle, I guess." She muses.

Right on cue, our order arrives. Mark hyung even brings a complimentary cupcake, even when I protest and remind him, I can't eat this much carbs in one day but he won't take no for an answer.

"You are still on a diet?" She frowns at me as she sips her coffee. I shake my head,

"No and I don't skip meals anymore but I still need to watch what I eat. My profession demands it."

"Let today be a cheat day." She grins as she repeats the words she said to me all those years ago.

"Okay." I grin back and dig in. We share the cupcake and while I can tell that Byeol likes the coffee very much, when I ask her she nonchalantly shrugs and says, "It's not that bad."

When I see a crumb has stuck itself on her upper lip, I do something foolish. I could've pointed it out to her and it'll be the prudent and polite thing to do but no, my mind decides to act before I can think it through and I lean towards her and wipe it off myself.

Her wide eyes blink up at me, freezing me for a few seconds which feel like eons before I will myself to lean away and clear my throat,

"Yes, so...um...What I mean is that..."

"You know, what will completely recreate that evening?" She interrupts, sensing my chagrin.

"What?"

"A promise. You promised me something that evening."

"Promise?"

"Yes, a promise. Will you promise me something Park Jimin?" The sudden somberness from her tone makes frown.

"You see, I'm an insomniac. I haven't slept well for a long time. But your voice helped me fall asleep."

"Is that supposed to be a compliment?" I chuckle nervously and she nods her head,

"Of course. It does a better job than even sleeping pills. So, what I want you to promise me is..." She trails off traces her index finger on the rim of her coffee cup before continuing, "Well, it's more of a favor actually."

Im Byeol being nervous is the most charming thing in the world.

"Anything."

"Can you do that whenever you're free. I mean I know that your schedule must be packed and-"

"Sing you a song to help you fall asleep? Done." I interrupt her. Mustering all the courage I have; I grab her hand and interlock her pinky with mine.

"But I have a condition."

"What?"

"You're here in Seoul for another two weeks, right?" She nods.

"Then," I hold her gaze as I say the next words, "will you go out with me?"