❝Cold as ice but in the right hands, she melts. Tough heart, they say. ❞

ACT I—SEVENTEEN

SLIDING DOWN her blazer from one shoulder, giving everyone a view of her milky skin, Aya made sure to let her eyes stalk the camera.

"Yes! More fierce!"

Clicking sounds filled the studio room, as the photographer kept taking picture after picture of her every movement. They were too beautiful, too perfect to let go.

The shoot was for an expensive clothing brand. Her attire for the shoot was a black and grey striped loose pants and a black sleeveless top. The dark grey blazer only added cherry on the top to her look. To complete her look, her black hair was parted on the middle, then tied into a ponytail behind. A black hat was given to use for few photos.

For the last few minutes of the shoot, Aya thought to use the hat. For that, she sat down on a stool then parted her legs enough to give off the look she wanted. Her black high heels took shelter on the downer part of the tool. Aya sat straight with a face so calm that made the photographer confuse for a minute. But he waited as he along almost everyone knew never to doubt Aya's tactics. She's the best that Clover created. Aya put both of her hands on the middle vacant space. Her hands were put in a way that made her black painted nails along with her diamond rings shine through. Then she started. Looking straight at the camera, her ocean blue eyes paired with black eye liner, her calm face yet penetrating gaze gave off a fierce feline look. The photographer kept clicking, way too satisfied with her beautiful poses.

Aya tilted her head, showing off her smooth neck while slightly parting her marooned lips. Her bronze make up, her black eye liner, blue eyes－everything suited her whole attire so beautifully that the photographer had to chant to himself to remain professional.

"Okay, we're done. Hit the lights on!"

The shoot was over, so as her energy.

"Thank you, Ms Min. It's been a pleasure working with you," the photographer said while shaking hands with her.

Aya smiled and lifted her head in proud, "As always."

Everyone knew Aya as a confident sexy woman who completed every challenge thrown at her. Everyone knew that because that's what she let them see. With camera and crowd, that was her identity.

Then what was of her without the camera and crowd? Who was she?

After changing and getting rid of the excessive make up on her face, she walked out of the building to finally head home.

Her mind wasn't at rest. It constantly ran to that one night. When she let go off her, when she cried for a feeling so foreign that made her baffled. All lead to one name, Park Jimin.

He was a mystery, true to that. But her heart was a bigger mystery. No other man had ever managed to make her putty in their hands or even make her own heart sway without her command. Then the confusion rose. Because all of that odd feeling with him, felt right to her, surprisingly. Because the after math of feeling dirty and rubbing her skin under the shower till it became raw never occurred that night. She only felt hurt because of how she treated a good soul like him, then overwhelmed because his hurt turned into aggression making her ego go mute. Lastly she felt scared, terrified to the point of crying because she felt her heart moving in a new rhythmic way. The way she wasn't familiar with.

Her body was a vessel for endorsement. Everything she wore, ate or even her body lotion that had no doing with her genetic skin color－everything was a way of endorsement.

But her heart, that wasn't for endorsement. They could do anything they wanted with her body as it was too late to care for. But she kept her heart safe. She protected it from getting dirtied by Clover. After all, that was the only part of hers which was left as a remnant of her true color.

Aya let out a gasp, when her eyes found her favorite person standing by the car's door.

"Emanuel!"

He grinned when he noticed her walking towards him, "Hello Munchkin, long time no see."

"JIMIN, YOU rarely call me, let alone visit."

The woman pouted, then turned around to not face him anymore. Jimin laughed and jumped in front her, tickling her to death. She squealed and shouted at him to stop the assault. Jimin finally let go of her when her eyes started to tear from the tickle fight.

"You know why I don't visit. Me, visiting you everyday is an invitation for your pretty face to get leaked in media."

The woman nodded but still had a gloomy look on. There wasn't much light at the area they sat to chatter. But Jimin knew something was bothering her as she kept fidgeting, letting her head go lower and lower.

Aya fidgets when she gets nervous.

A small smile crept on his face when he remembered their meeting at Jin's restaurant. He halted his thoughts as well as his smile.

Did I seriously think of Aya when I have her in front of me?

Jimin shook that thought away before it started to eat his brain again. Right now, his only concern was her, not Aya and his delusional mind.

AYA HAD only concern amongst her every concern. Jimin wouldn't stop attacking her mind. Even when she's not thinking about him something would definitely trigger to again think of him.

"Are you not coming home this week, Munchkin? We miss you."

Aya stopped the train of her irrelevant thoughts and smiled warmly, "Of course you both miss me. Tell Carol that I miss her too."

Even though he was driving the car, Aya could tell his shoulder stiffened.

"Munchkin, by we I didn't mean only us. He misses you too."

"I don't give a damn about him. I'm not coming home this week. I'll come by next week."

Aya didn't want to face Jungkook. Not after the moment of vulnerability she had with him. That night during her fever she knew she saw him, her Jungkook. But that wasn't enough for her to unsee of what he did in the past and of course the consequences.

"What about the deal then? You remember, right? He only let you live alone in your own apartment because you agreed to stay at the house for a day at least. Well, minus all the arguments and things breaking, though."

"I'm aware. I-I'm already pretty occupied with someone else so I don't want to deal with him too."

"Someone else you say?"

Emanuel's sudden interest made her choke on her saliva.

"I-I mean something else. And if you both miss me that much then go and get your own child. You both are still pretty young."

"Not happening. You two are enough nuisance. Can't afford our own to add," Emanuel chuckled.

JIMIN PATTED her head when he realized she was slowly curling up in a ball.

"What is it, my barbie doll? Shoot away. I'm right here."

Her eyes met his for a fleeting second before she lowered her head again.

"All because of me," she whispered, "For me you had to become like this."

A muscle in his jaw ticked. No matter how much he tried to keep her away from problems, to treat her like a real Barbie doll that she is, the ominous past would always be hovering over their heads like a dense cloud.

"Look Barbie doll, it's not－"

"It is. It was me who fell in love. It damn is my fault. Now for me, you've to live like this. All alone. Without any partner, any love."

Jimin wiped her tears as she seemed to silent cry.

"Even if it is, so what? I'd do anything for you, you've no idea."

"That's what you said to me years ago," she looked at his eyes trying to find if he found the happiness that he deserved. She grimaced when his eyes were found void, with just sacrifice but no happiness of his own.

"You know, Jimin," she let him lay down on her lap, "the one you'll love, she'll be the luckiest girl on this earth. She'll never have to worry about her insecurities, her flaws, her mistakes."

He stayed silent while she combed her fingers through his hair.

"She'll have nothing to worry for. Because loving you will be more than enough for you."

Jimin fell asleep as she kept threading his hair with her fingers, continuing her dreamy talk.

"She'll erase your blue, your sadness," she whispered as tears burned her eyes and pain clutched her heart.

Sleeping while looking like a little angel, Jimin's lips had a hint of a smile while the face of the invader of his dream flashed through his mind.

"She'll be your rainbow, your happiness, my Jimin."

Note :

Wait let me just...

*Bubble wraps Jimin*