I realized I needed to write a content warning for this fanfic, so make sure you check that out if you need to at the beginning of the book.

Saturdays, for most people, are a huge relief. They're a break from a week of stress and working and the struggles of life. For you, they're not much better than the weekdays. At least when you're at school, in your classes, no one can bug you, and you can focus on your school work- when you're not being bullied, that is.

At home it isn't worse, per se, but it's not much of a better environment for you to be in. You have too many things to do, whether it's chores or assignments or work or taking care of Dohyun.

You wish more than anything that your mother would do something around the house, instead of sitting around all day and neglecting her son, but she won't. She just won't, and there is no way to change that.

Which makes you nervous, because tonight, you are going to Soora's house for a sleepover.

"Dohyun, I'm not going to be here tonight, so you have to be very good for mom and dad while I am gone."

"Noona, where are you going?"

Dohyun is writing a journal entry as his homework for school. At the top, he has already scribbled a picture of a house and a dog. He looks up at you with his shiny doe eyes, clearly sad that you are leaving.

"I'm spending the night at my friend's house."

"Do you have to go?"

"Yes, I do. She is moving soon," you say. "Listen, I need you to follow some instructions for me, got it?"

Dohyun pouts, unhappy, but puts his crayon down anyway and turns in his seat to face you.

"I'm gonna leave in a minute, so I can't make your dinner for you. If you ask nicely, mama might help you get dinner. You with me?"

Dohyun nods. "But mommy doesn't like it when I ask her for help. She might get mad."

You rub your lips together thoughtfully. You don't want to leave Dohyun here alone with mom and dad, but you also want to spend as much time with Soora as possible before she moves.

"Are you brave enough to use the microwave?"

Dohyun shakes his head, eyes wider somehow.

"Okay, then you'll have to ask mommy for help. If she doesn't help you, then maybe daddy will, okay? He'll be home soon."

"Okay..."

"When you're done with your homework, you can go watch TV, or you can stay in here and find something to do. Daddy will come tell you when it's bedtime. You be good for him and listen to what he says, got it?"

Dohyun agrees with all of your rules and instructions, and it doesn't take much to make him happy again while you finish packing your overnight bag. When you walk to the front door to put your shoes on, Dohyun scampers out of your room and down the hall to hug your legs like a koala.

"Be good Dohyun, okay?"

"But I don't want you to go!"

You sigh.

"I'll be back tomorrow, it won't be long."

Dohyun lets go of you and rubs his eyes, his nose turning red. "But noona..."

Oh please don't cry bubba.

"Hey, you're a big boy, right?"

"Yes!"

"Then if you can be alone for just one night, I'll bring you ice cream tomorrow- if you're good."

Dohyun's expression brightens at that. "Okay!" He says excitedly, peeling himself off of you. "I'll be really good! See you tomorrow noona!"

This kid. You know that using bribery to get a child to obey is not really the best way to go, but you're tired and out of ideas.

"See you tomorrow, Hyunnie."

You slip out the front door quickly and quietly before your mother can come in and ask what is going on. Sighing a breath of relief, you secure your backpack over your shoulders and walk down the stairs and out of the apartment building.

•••

Long after dinner with Soora's family, and a movie that her little brother Jungkook watched with you, both you and Soora sit under blankets in a cramped pillow fort by her bed, talking about school over a bag of honey butter chips and shrimp crackers.

"I'm really gonna miss him, you know?" Soora mutters. "I mean, I know I've never spoken to him or anything, but I really like him and I don't want to say goodbye."

"Maybe saying goodbye is your chance to talk to him," you say, swallowing a chip. "Since you're moving and won't talk to him again."

"That doesn't make me feel better. And maybe I should. Do you think he'll think I'm weird?"

"Definitely- I mean- who cares? You'll only be talking to him because you won't see him again."

"I mean I might..." Soora rubs her hands on her knees and picks out a chip from the chip bag. "What if I write him a letter?" She bats her chest with her fist and clears her throat. "'Dear Kim Seokjin, ever since the third grade when I first saw you, I-'"

You burst into laughter and toss a small handful of crackers at Soora, shaking your head. "Love notes are too cheesy. Try something else."

"You think everything is too cheesy. I swear you've never crushed on anyone," Soora says, to which you shrug and reach for another chip. "Love notes are pretty romantic," she continues. "I'm sure he thinks so too."

"No."

Soora sighs.

"What if I text him? I'm following him on Instagram."

"What are we, middle schoolers?" You ask. "Just talk to him."

Soora groans and bends over her crossed legs to hit her head on the floor. "You wouldn't understand," she moans helplessly. "I don't think you've ever spoken to a boy- or even looked at one with anything other than contempt."

"That's not true," you say, quick to defend yourself. "I have too."

"Yeah? Who?" Soora challenges. "And when?"

"Yesterday."

Soora sits up and fixes you with a puzzled look, eyebrows furrowed in question.

"And you didn't tell me?"

"Well..." you scratch the back of your neck and look at the floor. "I didn't think it was important."

"Of course it's important! You met a boy!? What's his name? What happened? Do I know him? Do you think he knows Seokjin?"

You close your eyes and take a deep, resigned breath through your nose, realizing all too late that mentioning a boy to Soora was a mistake.

"His name is Min Yoongi," you mumble. "And I ran into him the a few days ago after the Spice Girls ruined my uniform."

Soora raises her eyebrows. "So it wasn't just yesterday?"

"No. He helped me..." you pause. Is it wise to tell Soora about the jacket Yoongi lent you? She'll immediately assume he's your soulmate or something and do everything in her power to meet him- and probably embarrass you- before she leaves.

"He helped you what?"

"Oh he just helped me hide from them. And again yesterday," you say, deciding to omit all the details about how he said he was your boyfriend and held your hand. If you tell her that, she'll want to meet Min Yoongi, and you don't want to see him again unless it's to even the score with him.

"That was nice of him," Soora says, a big smile on her face. "Aw look at Y/n! Picking up boys, finally!"

"It's not like that!" You exclaim, cheeks warming. "I don't even want to be his friend."

"I think you should," Soora says, grabbing another chip and waving it around while she speaks. "You're gonna need to hang out with someone when I'm gone." She eats the chip.

Your faint smile disappears.

"I don't want any other friends," you murmur. "I'll be fine alone."

"You're loyalty to me is astounding," Soora says sarcastically. "I'm positive I will never be replaced. But I don't want you to be lonely."

You purse your lips and hug your knees to your chest. "School's almost over for us," you say quietly. "I'll get through the rest of the year just fine on my own. Besides, I hardly have enough time to hang out with you, anyway. What makes you think I'd make time for anyone else?"

Soora gives you a sympathetic glance and pushes the chip bag toward you.

"Regardless of what you do," she says. "You'll always be my best friend, and I'll call you every day when I can."

"You better." You grab a chip and point it at her accusatorially. "If you don't, I'll be sad."

Soora grabs her own chip and taps it lightly against yours.

"Promise. And the move doesn't change a thing. We'll always be friends no matter what."

You smile again, relieved to have a friend like Soora.

"Always and forever."

•••

"That'll be 44,300 won."

You watch as the woman in front of you slides her debit card through the card reader and types in her pin.

It's been a long week already and it's only Monday. You let out a heavy sigh and lean your elbows onto the counter, slumping your posture. The woman making her purchase flashes you an offended frown, puts her card away, and pushes her cart filled with bagged groceries away.

"Wait! You forgot your..." Too late. She's gone. "...receipt."

You rub your forehead in an attempt to ease your oncoming headache, and drop the receipt in the trash can under your counter. I need to stop acting like I've got better things to do. You think. That's the fourth frown from a customer you've gotten in the past hour.

Someone hurries into your checkout lane and drops a couple of items on the counter in front of you.

"Hey, I'm kind of in a rush so can you-"

The customer stops talking. You look up, and standing across the counter is Min Yoongi, clearly surprised to see you.

"It's you," he says, eyes wide.

You keep running into each other at the least expected times.

"Got a problem?" You ask snidely, reaching for one of the items on the counter.

"What- no," Yoongi says. He bows his head, looking at the card reader to avoid your eyes.

"Is this it?" You ask, after scanning two items.

"Uh, yeah. That's it." Yoongi opens up his wallet, which is worn down and made of some cool patterned cloth.

"That'll be 6,000 won, then," you say. "Cash or card?"

"Cash." Yoongi pulls out a couple of bills and hands them over, then keeps digging through his wallet to find more coins. You count the bills.

"You're short by 2,000," you say uselessly.

"Yeah, I know. Just- give me a sec."

You place his items in a plastic bag while you wait, hoping this awkward run-in could end sooner.

It doesn't. Yoongi realizes quickly that he can't scrap up enough coins to pay for the rest of his stuff. "Shit," he mutters, cheeks pink. "I-I swear I had enough..." he avoids your eyes as he continues to search pointlessly through his wallet, his face growing pinker by the second.

This is too awkward.

Yoongi runs a hand through his hair and points to the bag. "I-I can go put one of those away, if you could just-"

You can't take it anymore.

"You know what?" You take the money he gave you already and drop it into the plastic sack with his stuff, then hand it to him. "Forget about it. I'll pay for it."

"What? No you don't need to do that, you-"

"Just take it and go. We're even now."

"Even?" Yoongi tilts his head and raises his eyebrows. "What do you- oh, you mean..." he shakes his head. "I told you you don't owe me."

You shake the bag in front of him impatiently, waiting for him to take it. Yoongi finally meets your gaze, his eyebrows furrowed. He doesn't want to take the bag.

"My arm's getting tired. I'm not changing my mind. Just take the bag and go."

Yoongi blinks, looks away, and takes the bag reluctantly.

"Um, thanks..." he says.

"Evening," you say impatiently, waiting for him to go. He shoots you a frown to match all the other ones you've received today, then walks away. You watch his back as he leaves, almost curious about him.

You shake your head to clear your thoughts as another customer brings his groceries to the counter. You're even now. You don't owe Min Yoongi a thing, and will never have to meet him again.

You let out a sigh and start scanning the new items on the counter.

I know it's been a while, sorry for that. Hope you enjoyed the chapter though! I'll update again as soon as possible.

Also, I'm sure most of you already know this, but for anyone who doesn't, won is very different from USD (which is what most people use anyway in fanfics). So don't freak out at the big numbers. To give you a better idea, 1,000 won is about 89 cents in USD. I'm not sure what it is in other country's currencies, and I'd google more, but I don't know who reads this or from where :(

Have a good day/night!<3

-L