JIN POV:

"Aish...Kookie, the next time you're going to get 'held up' I'd appreciate a text at the very least." I sigh looking at our baby who's standing sheepishly in the doorway, but even as he does so there's no disguising this sort of joy and happiness that's expressed in his face, the small smile that seems to curve up against his will.

"Ah yes hyung, I'm sorry! I got a bit caught up..." he says, looking at me his wide doe-eyes, such a soft pleading look in them that I feel my concern and slight annoyance slip away.

"You got that caught up in playing at the arcade?" Jiminie asks, looking up at him from where he's sprawled across the floor with Tae cuddling into him.

He shrugs his shoulders, but there's something he's holding back. The shrug just a tad bit too stiff to be passed off as normal.

"Did something happen?" Joon-ah speaks up, book discarded to the side to give our maknae his full, undivided attention. His tone makes the others snap to attention, everyone closely scrutinising him.

"No! I just had a lot of fun today." he chirps.

Tae's eyes narrow playfully.

"Did our Kookie meet someone interesting?" he asks, voice deep and smooth- unwavering gaze glued onto Kookie who's frozen.

Hobi squeals, tugging Kookie towards him and wrapping him into a hug, pulling him onto his lap and looking eagerly.

"Did you make a friend?" he prompts but coos when Kookie ducks his head into his hyung's shoulder, cheeks flaming red at the teasing lilt.

I smile at the sight, heart thudding eagerly. If he did enjoy himself and make a friend, I know everyone would be extremely happy for him. He tended to stick to a close circle of friends, but if he was expanding out just a bit- it just reminded us of how far he'd come from the super shy, sweet boy we'd seen grow into a man.

But nevertheless, Kookie nods mumbling something against Hobi's shoulder.

"Ahhhh...did she beat you at anything?" Hobi asks, eyes twinkling as he turns to see Kookie who raises his head with a dejected pout- I want to kiss it away.

"She's really good at arcade games." He confesses, ducking his head when it rouses laughter from the maknaes who promptly begin to tease him about how he's finally met his match.

I smile at the laughter and scene that unfolds as everyone draws closer to tease and slightly coddle our dejected baby- but even so I notice that he doesn't look too put-out by it, for someone who has a competitive streak a mile long.

And at dinner, he's chatty and bright as he tells us more about his trip to the arcade, referring back to the girl several times- commenting that she was extremely competitive too.

And just for a moment as the others talk, my eyes catch onto the snack cupboard which one of them have left open again- and my thoughts stray to the girl from the supermarket, smiling at the memory. 

And just for a second I wonder how she's doing and amusedly...whether she finished all those snacks?

YOONGI POV:

I blink my eyes open slowly, stifling a yawn as I stretch slightly, feeling the blankets shift and Tae to mumble slightly, lips moving against my collarbone as he grumbles, shifting slightly but continuing to keep hugging me as he sleeps. I smile at his sleeping figure, at the way his hair falls over his eyes and his legs have wound their way around me, plastered to mine- ensuring that there is no distance between our bodies. 

I slowly separate myself from his tightly attached limbs, scooting out slowly and slipping a pillow in my stead- one that Tae latches onto quickly- sighing in content- the brief scrunch on his face eased out by having something to hold.

I pad out of the room, slipping into the hallway where I find Jin hyung and Kookie sleepily trudging towards one of the bathrooms, Jin hyung sporting Kookie's sleepy frame against his side.

And just as I'm about to slip into one of the other bathrooms, a sleep mussed Joon pads over, wrapping his arms around me from behind- nestling his head into the crook of my neck, sighing sleepily- eyes half-open and mouth in a droopy smile.

"Morning hyung." He mumbles, pecking my cheek.

I turn to smile at him, managing to drop a kiss onto his hair.

"Morning Joon-ah. You have two options- either be a sleepy koala elsewhere or come with me to wash up." I say fondly when he doesn't drag himself upright but remains content in holding me in the same spot.

He groans and mumbles incoherently.

"Let's wash up." he says, following me into the bathroom and allowing me to manoeuvre him out of his pyjamas, compliantly standing there as I unbutton his shirt, sliding off golden tan shoulders, groggily stepping out of his pyjama pants.

"Come on sleepyhead. Let's shower." I laugh as I tug him into the shower, the water initially cold given the yelp Joon lets out when it hits him first, but it quickly warms up and I step under the spray.

With each passing moment Joonie becomes more alert, quickly becoming wide awake.

"You have work today don't you hyung?" he asks, reaching for the bottle of shampoo.

I nod, and he just proceeds to squeeze some shampoo into his hands, working my hair into a lather.

"Let me help you then." He says, fingers massaging across my scalp, face fixed into a cute look of concentration.

I reach out to grab the body wash, and I figure- let's both save some time.

----

"I've got to Hoseok-ah." I say exasperatedly, trying to free myself from the tight vice-like grip he's holding me in, laughing as I struggle futilely.

"If you promise to be back early this time! I know you love your job but you love me too. And I want you as my cuddle buddy for movie night." He says, grip remaining firm until I nod and acquiesce, promising that I'll be back earlier before sliding out of the door, face having been showered with goodbye kisses from him and unable to hide the smile that stretches across my face.

I stop at a café near work, walking in to get my daily fix of caffeine. There's only one person in front of me- a young woman who's trying to order, posture expressing annoyance and frustration as she taps at the menu yet again- her body tensed.

The server is a young male, eyes trailing over her face, clearly making her feel uncomfortable- his eyes are filled with a pervasive gleam, and it just rubs against me the wrong way; feeling defensive on her behalf because no-one should be made to feel uncomfortable.

"Can you hurry up? Stop gawking and making the woman feel uncomfortable and give her what she ordered." I snap, voice filled with frustration and ire.

The man's gaze snaps to mine, abashed at having been called out. Another person, a matronly woman approaches- alerted by my voice.

"Is something the matter?" she asks politely, eyes roving to take in the situation.

"Your employee seems to be very uncapable of taking orders and adept at making customers feel uncomfortable." I say, glaring at said man who's eyes have finally ducked away.

The woman's face hardens and she sends off the male employee.

"I'm extremely sorry for his behaviour miss. I'm ashamed of his lack of professionalism and basic human etiquette..." she says apologetically, dipping her head as she talks. The woman in front reaches out to touch her arm, shaking her head- clear indication that she isn't the one who needs to apologise. And as she takes her order and leaves, she dips her head in gratitude towards me, a tiny glimpse of her face before she leaves- the sight of wide, entrancing eyes that sear across my mind and then she's gone.

----

I take in the sight of the people bustling around the shop, sensing the same love and passion for music in them as they rove and explore different genres, styles of music and the racks of CDs, cassettes, vinyl records and posters.

The music shop is my pride and joy- to see people come in with that same passion for music, budding and aspiring musicians and songwriters, people who find solace in music, understand the depth behind it; it makes me even reach out to engage occasionally with some of the customers that traverse through the vintage themed shop.

A shop that was designed by Kookie and Tae and had countless input from the others; it's something we built and created together.

It's a haven for others just as it is for us.

(Y/N) POV:

My day fluctuates up and down in terms of how well it goes.

It starts off with a wake-up call courtesy of Mi-sun unnie and Habaek oppa tag teaming against me. Mi-sun unnie sliding the blankets off to delve hands over me, tickling me awake and whilst I squirmed and fidgeted and tried to get away, there was a ticklish sensation on my face, and when I'd cracked my eyes open I saw Habaek oppa grinning as he pecked butterfly kisses across my face and some teasingly onto my neck. I had quickly given up hope on getting any sleep with them hanging over me, so I'd laughed and given in to their ticklish assaults before sliding out of bed- leaving the two of them looking bright and happy.

But then Habaek oppa who had agreed to go out with me, eager to fulfil his promise on showing me this music shop he'd discovered had to regretfully part ways with me around 11am- hugging me apologetically and promised to make it up to me as he'd been called away for a group meet he had to attend. I'd called Mi-sun unnie but she'd bored me with the offer of visiting the bank to check our accounts as well as the several appointments she had made about town for business. So I'd ended the call feeling alone.

Maybe making friends wasn't such a bad idea. At least I wouldn't be alone all the time. And the thought of it had brought to mind the nameless stranger who resembled a cute bunny and his fun bright way of playing, competitive streak clashing against my own. 

Friends like him would be good, ideal. But you couldn't just stumble about town hoping to bump into someone like him, coincidences didn't happen that often.

So to cheer myself up I'd gone into a nearby café, ready for a sugar hit to bring my mood back up- a treat could always make things better. But then the server had been eyeing me in a way that made my skin prickle and my chest squeeze with the beginning tendrils of fear and panic, had seen the pervasive gleam shine brighter as he'd continued looking at me, no matter how many times I tapped at the menu to say silently that 'please could I have my damned hot chocolate to go?'. 

But just as I'd been about to give up and leave, to resign myself to going somewhere else a deep masculine voice had called out in an annoyed, angry manner- cutting through the stifling silence and stirring the server out of his lusty stupor.

He'd spoken up from behind me, voice firm and strong and hadn't hesitated to call him out on it- he'd given me strength and support without even knowing me and for that I was both thankful and flustered. His voice was deep, a slight rasp to his words but the smooth tenor of it was pleasing to the ear- it was like the smooth powerful interjected voice you could imagine over a song. His voice was nice, more than that it was incredibly appealing.

But I had been too flustered to do much than to bow and leave but as I had I'd gotten a slight glimpse of eyes that had been narrowed into slits- almost catlike in their nature, eyes that were dark and penetrating- that had radiated authority.

But he had been one of the ups in my day.

And now, seeing the text Habaek oppa had sent with the directions and name of the store, I stood outside a large welcoming vintage looking store. My eyes caught onto the store name. Magic Shop. Already feeling intrigued, I stepped in to see a shop that had a very homey, welcoming feel- dark wooden panels and posters of different musical eras, different bands plastered across the walls and this soft, sweet piano piece that was playing through speakers, wafting out into this cosy ambience.

I slowly walk in, eyes scanning the rows of CDs, cassettes, and vinyl records, spot the instruments that dot around the shop too. There's people of all ages here- everyone happily talking and discussing music, I guess it's one thing that connects people across eras.

I find myself trailing towards the back, where it's less crowded, where there's music dating back a few centuries- music I would've heard and spent time listening to whilst doing chores or taking walks or pouring over family photographs.

And then suddenly my hand stops on an old vinyl record. It dates back over two centuries, it's a recreation of an old waltz piece- music created from saved and preserved music sheets. 

It's a song that plays hauntingly in the back of my mind, a sweet slow trail of music, of violins and pianos and harps. It's music that suddenly throws me into a memory of a cruise ship and glittering eyes and champagne glasses. It pierces through me, painful and sharp- sending hot flashes of agony and suffering through me again- snippets of a curved full mouth spread in a generous smile, of deep laughter, ballgowns and sparkling accessories that glisten and catch in the candlelight. It twists and yanks at my heartstrings unforgivingly- harsh and unrelenting. 

My throat swells up with the memory of it all, of the music I'd once loved and grown to hate and despise. Of the deep masculine voice of my father as he'd spun my mother in circles, pulled me in to sweep me into an exaggerated slow dance.

I snatch my hand back as if it's burned, the sharp sting at the corner of my eyes- tears that threaten to sting and prickle and burn hot trails down my cheeks. I rub furiously at my eyes, wiping them away before they can fill my eyes, overspill, and fall, taking a few shaky steps back but eyes still glued to the record.

"Ahh...that music piece is one of the most beautiful surviving pieces from the 1800s." a deep voice calls from behind me, giving me a sense of déjà vu with how familiar it sounds and how it familiarly calls from behind me. This time I turn slowly to finally get a full look of the face that belongs to the kind helpful stranger from earlier on today.

Eyes that trail over dark hair that contrasts with the smooth, milky pallor of his skin, to sharp dark eyes that turn to look at me with an intensity- widening minutely, to trail down a sharp jaw and round face to a pair of pink lips- almost doll-like in how perfectly they sit on his face.

"I know those eyes..." he murmurs thoughtfully.

And then his eyes widen again.

"You're the girl from this morning at the café. Are you okay?" he asks, voice deepened with sympathy but there's not a trace of pity on his face.

It's refreshing and new.

I nod.

And I open my mouth, but no voice spills out of it. Instead I just mouth thank you to him, head dipping again in gratitude. 

He shakes his head.

"You don't need to thank me. Everyone has the right to wander without fear or discomfort. And any human should reach out to help." He says, voice carrying a simple finality to it.

Simple for him. To reach out and help.

He'd shown what he'd thought was basic humanity, etiquette. But I wonder if he'd have done the same if he knew I wasn't human? Not in the same way as they were? The question floats quickly through my mind.

And then his eyes slide off me to the record behind me, the one I'd been looking at.

"You have good taste. It's extremely beautiful that piece. It's amazing how music has always been so captivating, no matter how long ago they were created." He muses, eyes sparkling with passion.

I find myself drawn to that flame of passion and love, though I have no doubt that getting too close will end up in me going up in those flames too.

I nod my head.

"Music means you don't need words to communicate. One of the reasons I love it so much." He says, his words slithering into my heart and giving me that sense of comfort, of familiarity. That I'm not alone in feeling that way, I'm not the only one who finds it easier to communicate that way.

"Do you want to buy it?" he says, voice curious, not pressing or influencing at all.

The thought of having a part of my past so physically close, so easily summed up and captured within a vinyl makes me shiver, a tremor wracking my body before I try to force it aside, to dredge a smile that wavers across my face.

And maybe it's the worst decision I've ever made, maybe it's a part of me that revels in being constantly tormented and reminded of the past, or maybe it's a part of me that wants to hold onto that reminder of the life I once had. But I reach out to pick up the record, fingers trembling slightly as I clutch at it and follow the man to the front, learning with surprise that he runs the shop.

He packs it up with pristine care, large hands deftly and neatly packaging it before sliding it over to me.

"Anytime you want to talk music or even just listen to it. You know where to find me." he says warmly, my eyes snag onto his nametag.

Min Yoongi. 

I nod my head, smiling at him before leaving.

And as I leave I wonder that maybe that's the magic of the shop. Because the shop represents that solace and comfort and healing can be found in its four walls.

And that it's truly a Magic Shop- because it led me straight to the person who'd helped me more than he'd ever know.

YOONGI POV:

I watch as she leaves.

Her wide doe-eyes were what had let me recognise her, had been on a young face, a face that radiated this natural innate beauty with her full lips that had parted to thank me, to the cheeks that had bunched up as she'd smiled and the eyes that held vast seas of untold stories.

But there had been something entrancing about her silent ways, at the way she'd felt a connection to music in a manner that I did. That I found someone who stumbled in and had gained some shred of comfort.

It reminded me that this shop helped some.

But the slightly lost look in her eyes, eyes that had filled with pain made me want to reach out for her and help this lost soul- to help find her path when she was so clearly hurting.

It made me want to meet her again.

(THERE YOU GO! A DIFFERENT SORT OF ENCOUNTER HERE! ONE THAT ISN'T ALL SWEET AND FUN BUT STARTING TO GO A BIT INTO THAT ANGSTY SIDE OF THE STORY. LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS!! AND WHO YOU THINK WILL COME NEXT- WHAT GROUP PERHAPS TOO? YOONGI SEEMS TO HAVE SEEN THAT THIS GIRL ISN'T ALL SMILES- THAT BEHIND THE SILENT MASK, THERE'S A GIRL WHO HURTS. AHHH!! CAN'T WAIT TO SEE HOW THEY MEET NEXT! AND I HOPE YOU'RE ENJOYING READING THIS STORY! THANK YOU FOR THE SUPPORT AND LOVE! STAY SAFE AND TAKE CARE LOVES!)

QUESTION...LAST THING YOU HAD FOR TAKEOUT?

Mine was...PIZZA!

Borahae! 💜💜💜

PurpleQueenie <3