⚠️ Trigger warnings:

Fluff

Anxiety

Slow Romance

COVID-19

Mental health

Depression

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Hoseok's POV

Minali is so adorable!

I could watch her all day long! She has the daintiest mannerisms and the cutest personality ever! I caught myself staring at her open-mouthed.

She even touched my hands, I think she noticed them shaking, since I was so nervous in front of her. I've never felt like this about a woman before.

Of course I've had crushes and infatuations like most people. But Minali is special.

She subtly covered my hands with hers, assuring me all is well.

'Sigh... If only I could see her every day.' I thought privately.

I wondered if anyone ever proposed marriage to her before.

The way she sipped on her chai, cautious not to spill, her lips forming a perfect pout, it just had me going crazy inside. I tried hard to contain myself.

"Is there something on my face?" She asked me innocently, picking up a serviette and dabbing at her perfect face.

"No! No... I- uh.. I was just admiring how lady like you are." I said, then I realised how creepy I must seem and swatted myself internally.

'Damn it Hoseok!'

"Oh... Okay, then." She smiled, a soft blush creeping across her cheeks.

"Say, Minali, where would you like me to take you after this?" I asked her casually.
I know I sounded weird, but I wanted to spend more time with her. While I still have an excuse to do so.

She took a moment to chew a bite of the savoury snack she held, swallowed, then answered.

"I- uh... Do you have a meeting to go to Hoseok-ssi?" She asked, shifting a little.

"Nope. I'm just looking for an excuse to spend more time with you." I boldly say, taking her hand in mine.

Minali's eyes widened in surprise and her face now fully turned as pink as a snowball.

"I'd like that very much Hoseok-ssi." She squeaked after a few seconds.

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After the refreshments and snacks, Minali and I decided to take a stroll through the park. Taking cover under the shade of the large jackfruit trees was a good idea as the sun beat down on the city.

We took a seat at one of the stone park benches, and Minali shyly perched next to me. We had been having a long conversation about our lives before the pandemic. I turned to my left to face her, and noticed that she had started to cry.

"What's wrong Minali? Did I offend you in any way?" I asked her apprehensively. Girls scared me when they cried.

"No- *sniff* *sniff* Hoseok-ssi, it's- it's not you." She sobbed. I handed her my handkerchief, which she had accepted gratefully.

"I'm sorry. It's just that I used to come here often with my parents. But they passed away from Covid last year. This place just reminded me of them, I'm usually not like this, I swear." She smiled at me sadly through her tears.

'She's beautiful.'

"Hey, it's okay Minali. It really is okay to miss them. I'm sure they were good people. And I know it's hard to live a life without your parents, but you have your Jimin oppa who works hard to take care of you. And dare I say it, you also have me if you ever need a shoulder to cry on. If you'd like." I say, taking her into my arms and patting her shoulder gently.

"Thank you Hoseok-ssi." She sniffed a little more.

We stayed like that for a little while, then decided to walk around in the garden a bit more. I asked her to show me her favorite places and share her experiences with me.

Anything to distract her from the pain she felt in her heart. It isn't easy moving on after a death of a parent, and she's lost both.

Jimin, it turns out, is a very good batsman. According to Minali, he used to play cricket with both their fathers and older siblings.

I can see why they have been clinging on to each other. Almost all of their entire family was wiped out, gone.
Even my family was affected. But I still have my parents.

As an only child, I looked forward to seeing my cousins. But Covid had taken them away. Since then, I became the way I am. I guess my moods darkened as the time had passed.

This life had become more like liquorice. Tough, chewy and a little bitter. Even the temporary sweetness of life had a bittery aftertaste.

"I used to be the umpire." Minali suddenly broke into laughter. Her tears, to my relief, had now dried.

She looked a little better. I guess talking about these things really does help.

"Really? You like cricket?" I asked her, fascinated.

I didn't know much about cricket. I didn't even know what an umpire was! Sports wasn't my main focus as a child. I've always taken more interest in dancing and singing. Even swimming.

Perhaps swimming was the most athletic I became.

"I love it!" She said, looking into my eyes.

"This is- uh- very embarrassing for me to admit..." I looked into her eyes. Minali's eyes widened a little, concern etched ever so slightly in them.

"What's the matter Hosoek?"

"Oh... it's nothing serious. I just don't understand cricket, is all." I admitted to her, looking down at the neat lawn in front of us, as I braced myself for her reaction.

"Oh, Hoseok! That's nothing to be embarrassed about. Cricket isn't even that popular here!" She chuckled lightly.
"Now if you said you didn't understand football, we'd have a problem." She raised an eyebrow at me mockingly. I knew she was joking.

"No... I understand football. I just never played it. I'm more of a dancer and swimmer." I felt my entire face reddening with a blush.

"Oh! I love dancing. We should definitely go dancing some time." She smiled excitedly at me.

"Really? Can we go this Saturday?" I asked her enthusiastically.

This was a good excuse to see her again.

Today is a Wednesday, which gave me two days to find the perfect place to take her dancing.

"That sounds perfect. But where would we go? Nightclubs aren't really the best place and I'd feel uncomfortable there anyway." Minali looked away awkwardly.
"Not to mention, they're all still closed." She added it as an after thought.

"Oh! No, no, some restaurants have guest artists and you can dance as much as you want to." I assured her.

"I haven't really been to those kinds of places before. Have you ever done that before?" She looked up at me, her bright eyes watching me intently under the shade of the trees.

A cool breeze gently blew our hair as I thought about my answer. Her long lashes danced across her cheeks as she blinked up at me, waiting for me to say something.

"Yes. Before the lockdown, my cousins and I used to go out often. We enjoyed dancing. But most of them have passed on with that first wave of Covid. It's been a year since I've been out to have fun." I shrugged casually, blinking away any tears that threatened to sting my eyes.

'I'm really sorry to hear that Hoseok." She hugged me.

"But you can take me dancing now, whenever you want to." She smiled up, her cute little chin resting on my chest.

"I see... Does this mean you'll agree to go out with me? As my Yeochin?" I asked her, smiling at her expression.

Carpe diem!

She blushed beet red, but nodded emphatically.

"Yes, if you'll be my Namchin." And at that I kissed her forehead.

"Then it's a done deal for my Yeochin." I whispered to her.

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Minali's POV

Hoseok made it easy to talk to him. He has a bright and friendly smile that warmed my heart whenever I looked at him.

As we walked the park, and I began to recount memories with my lost family, I began to feel a sense of calm wash over me. A calm that hasn't been present for the last year...

Jimin oppa and I used to come here a lot as soon as the restrictions were loosened a little.

We'd sit here and think about our family, sometimes we'd cry, missing our mothers' cooking or our fathers' singing.

Hoseok's charm melted my heart. I didn't expect to fall for him so soon. He's handsome, humble and honest. The three H's I always looked for.

It feels like a dream. All too good to be true.

My cousin's boss has asked me to be his girlfriend. And, we'll be going dancing this weekend!

"You seem lost in thought. What's wrong Minali?" Hoseok asked me as he drove me home.

"Nothing's wrong Hoseok. I just feel it's all too good to be true." I sighed, looking away from the window and turning to face him on my left.

"It does. But hey, I like you a lot. Joahaeyo Minali." He blushed a little as he confessed, his eyes meeting mine for a few seconds to make his point before focusing on the road once more.

"Nado joahaeyo Hoseok-ssi." I replied to him, feeling myself blushing for the tenth time this afternoon as he drove me back to his office where my cousin, Jimin, waited to take me home.

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A/n: Hi everyone

Hope you enjoyed the update.

P.s. a true BTS Army or J-Hope fan would know why I titled this chapter with this question 😉

Some translations and pronunciations:

Namchin: Is pronounced 'naam -chin'. Short for Namjachingu, meaning boyfriend.

Yeochin: This is pronounced 'yoh - chin'. It is short for Yeojachingu, which means girlfriend.

These terms are used specifically for dating.

Joahaeyo: It means 'I like'. E.g. Na BTS joahaeyo (I like BTS). Also used to express when you like someone or have a crush on them. It is pronounced 'jo-wa-eh-yoh'.

Nado: This is the informal way of saying 'I too/me too'. Note that the formal way to say this is 'judo'.

Examples:
Nado joahaeyo - I like you too.
Nado saranghaeyo - I love you too.