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chapter twenty-three

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"Yura," he purrs into her ear slowly, his voice as sweet as honey.

The said girl averts his burning stare, her arms crossed over her chest as she casts her eyes on something behind him.

He slithers a flat smirk through his slightly ajar lips, a chuckle as deep as the Borehole following right after; amused by her behavior.

There's a hot breath on her neck, then a tender brush of lips, which results her body to burn up; eyes brimmed widely.

It doesn't do to let someone with an ego like his know how much power he has. She doesn't lean in, doesn't make it easy or seem too keen.

Then he brushes her hair back from her shoulder and moves in so close that she can feel his lean body pressed up against her.

In her mind, their lips are already placed together, as soon as she feels his customary warmth spreading around her entire being.

But instead, he leans in to caress her neck, slow and gentle. He's making her wait, and she can hardly bear it.

In that minty moment, her insecurity comes back for another bite, and so she turns to him with those eyes that could make anyone speak the truth, "I know nothing about you."

He leans up towards her with that serious look that still has his trademark warm eyes, "What?"

Confusion lingers in his voice, the little splinters of her words causing a train of perplexity to pass through his mind.

"What I'm saying is," she starts, pushing his warm body away from her to properly sit on her bed. "That I don't know anything about you. The only things I know is that we attend the same university, that you're, somehow, friends with Yoongi, and you still didn't tell me why and how."

Yura adds in a devastated tone, her vulnerability visible, "I don't know if you have a family, who your friends are, what you like to do in your free time. Nothing."

"And why is that so important..?" he asks slowly. His eyebrows are still furrowed in nothing but complete confusion.

There's an insensibility in his voice that makes Yura's blood run cold; jaw clenching. "I want to shove that question down your throat until you start choking on it," she deadpans.

The laugh comes from Jeongguk like a newly sprung leak - timid at first, stopping and starting; afraid that she'll get even madder if the waves of laughter will escape from the crook of his neck.

He isn't done yet, though, she can tell from the way he rolls his hazel eyes to the ceiling of her room and how he tries to control himself by pursing his lips tightly.

Yura folds her arms, eyebrows raised, waiting. Seconds later, his laugh is more like a burst water main arching into the brilliant summer sky, soaking everyone around him with unrestrained gales.

The fiery-haired girl wants to stay straight-faced, flip her hair and storm off - he is, after all, laughing 'at her', not 'with her'.

But before she could stop herself, her poker-straight mouth twitches upward, and she is chuckling. "I'm serious!" she states, shoving his shoulder playfully.

"Okay, okay, okay," he mumbles. His hands are waving around slightly to calm her down, still chuckling. "So you want to get to know me, huh?"

"Yes," she responds, nodding her head excessively.

A sinister smirk starts playing on his lips, as he leans further into her again. Eyes stretching widely, she is pushed back down on her bed whilst he brushes the little strands of hair out of her face.

"Don't you already know every small detail of me, though?" he whispers slowly, making sure to keep his eyes locked with her.

Squinting her eyes, a tired and exhausted sigh leaves the crook of her neck. "That's exactly what I'm saying," she mumbles more to herself than to him. "I don't want to get to know your body, I want to get to know you."

Eyebrows still furrowed, a dry chuckle escapes him. "I just don't understand why. We're not even in a relationship."

"I know that, Mr. She's-My-Girlfriend," she deadpans, mocking him by using a deeper voice. "I just want to know who I'm dealing with."

With a sigh, Jeongguk rolls off her body and onto her side, trying to come up with a satisfying idea.

After the long silence sweeps away from the duo, he glances at her side, questioning, "You want to get to know my friends?"

One sentence causes her body to jerk up, a wide smile brightening her face and painting a rainbow on top of her head, nodding her head happily.

Soon on, her smile gets too contagious and causes his own lips to twitch, lips curling upward while he stares at her in admiration.

"What if you bring your friends to my home, then they can get to know me better." Jeongguk adds, "And you could get to know me by getting to know my friends."

"I'd love that," she replies softly, the smile staying glued on her face. "Where do you live, though?"

He waves his hand in reassurance while shaking his head. "Don't worry about that. I'll pick you and your friends up."

Hope beads their skins like dew on spring grass. They can feel it radiating in to soothe their blood. If forms such perfect spheres, each one like a tiny world of its own.

They can't know for sure that today will be better than yesterday, or if this is time to win, but they're optimistic, and that's the best they can say.

People should be grateful to those that make them happy; they are the charming gardeners who make their souls blossom.

Sitting down on the passenger seat, Yura fixed her seatbelt, as her three friends squeeze themselves in the backseat.

A light smile is painting Jeongguk's face as he moves his head to the side and gazes at her. Leaning towards her, his lips alight on her cheek like a newly blossomed spring flower, catching her off guard.

"Damn, they wilding," Yin whispers towards Jimin and Hoseok, whose eyes are as wide as Yura's.

As soon as Yin finishes her sentence, Jeongguk turns around in his seat and smiles towards the three little friends while extending his hand in a friendly manner. "Hello, I'm Jeongguk."

Hoseok is the first one to accept his hand, shaking it while staring his figure up and down. "Name's Hoseok." After examining him and his face, he mumbles, "You seem oddly familiar."

Frowning slightly, the cherry-haired boy slowly shakes his head. "Really? I've never seen you before."

Jimin is the next one to introduce himself, harshly pulling Jeongguk's hand and shaking it slowly. A tight smile is on his actually customary friendly face. "Jimin."

Yura clears her throat, as she notices Jeongguk's frightened state. The fiery-haired girl is throwing signals at her best-friend with her eyes; simply annoyed by his behavior.

Yin rolls her eyes at Jimin's protectiveness, elbowing him. Whilst Jimin is caught off guard and lets loose on the scared boy's hand, Yin is quick to shake his hand happily. "Hey, I'm Yin."

"Nice to meet you," he comments charmingly. The smile is still on his face, glancing in between everyone. "I'll bring you guys to my house now, where you can meet my roommates and friends."

The group simply nod their heads, enjoying the car-ride whilst Yura and Jeongguk talk about the most random things to talk about.

——

"Just be yourself," Jeongguk whispers to Yura while they're standing in front of his house, smiling at her. "They'll like you anyway."

"Of course, have you seen me?" she responds confidently, raising her eyebrow.

His smile spreads further around his face, which causes his eyes to crinkle at the ends. "Just like that."

After fishing his keys out and injecting it into the small hole, he opens the door.

The group flinches in surprise, as a tall figure jumps into the picture, a wide smile on his faces. "Hello!" he exclaims, bowing politely.

Almost immediately, Yura rushes in front of him and bows with a smile, which mirrors his own; happy and delighted. "Hello. I'm Yura."

"I know," he responds, laughing slightly. "I'm Namjoon. It's really nice to meet you. Please speak comfortably with me."

"It's really nice to meet you, too," Yura comments in agreement, nodding her head excessively.

As Yura examines Namjoon's face, she notices the two dimples on either side of his lips and the tan skin. Eyes dilating, she mumbles, "I think I've seen you before—"

Yet before she could finish her sentence, a deep voice interrupts their conversation, yelling, "Jeongguk-ah, did my food come?"

All thoughts of her questions have been erased from her mind and she gapes to watch the figure approach, making her eyes widen even more as she discovers the familiar deep voice.

Taehyung's eyes are glued on his phone, as he makes his way towards the hallway. But his head slowly moves upward whilst he notices the stony silence creeping onto his skin.

Namjoon breaks the silence, "Yura, meet—"

"Taehyung," she mumbles to herself, a frown on her forehead; trying to put the pieces together, but most of them are missing and leave her completely confused and lost.

There's a mischievous smirk on the said boy's face, as all eyes turn to him, waving a small hand at Yura. "Extremely nice to meet you, Yura," he states ironically, "Didn't know that our homeboy had a girlfriend."

"Stop it, man," Jeongguk mutters aside, annoyed by his friend's attitude. "Wait, how—"

"You're friends with him, Taehyung?" Hoseok asks, himself being just as confused as Yura. "Why didn't you tell us?"

Shrugging nonchalantly, Taehyung purses his lips. "Wanted it to be a surprise."

"Wait, but, you were the one who—" Yura mumbles to herself, still being utterly confused with the entire situation; seeing more familiar faces minute by minute.

Suddenly, the door opens. "How many times do I have to tell this kid to put his fucking shoes in his fucking wardrobe."

All heads spin towards the new voice. Yura's eyes are brimmed widely, her friends copying her actions. "Yoongi?" they exclaim loudly in unison, shock dripping from their voices.

Gazing up, Yoongi's eyes widen themselves as he gazes at all of his friends. Yet they squint meanly as they land on Yura, lips pressing tightly.

Without saying a single word, he swiftly takes hold on Yura's hand and brings them towards the living room.

While he's doing that, Taehyung sips on his apple-juice, mumbling with a smirk, "I smell some juicy drama."

"Shut the fuck up, man," Hoseok mutters, slapping the back of younger one's head.

"Um, yeah." Namjoon scratches the back of his head, embarrassed. "Would you guys like to have some food?"

With his innovative idea, Namjoon has succeeded in bringing the completely confused friends of Yura to other trains of thoughts.

Meanwhile, Yoongi is pacing back and forth, bombarding his friend with thousands of questions and sayings. "You never listen, do you?"

"Listen to what?" she mumbles in exhaustion, sick and tired of him controlling her life.

"Why are you still dealing with him?" he asks loudly, causing her to flinch. "You're getting attached, and you don't even realize it!"

"The fuck are you talking about? I'm not getting attached!" Yura counters, huffing angrily. "And why are you so against the idea of me being happy?"

"Because happiness with him is simply temporary!" Yoongi states, pointing back at the hallway. "Please stop acting like you don't know that yourself."

Rolling her eyes, she crosses her arms defensively over her chest while bobbing her head to the side. "And? It's not like him and I are together."

"You don't get it, do you?" He chuckles dryly, shaking his head slowly. "He'll make you feel like you are, but then he'll leave you completely alone. Please trust me when I say that he's doing that all the time—"

There are patterns of footsteps coming towards the living room, which results the duo to stop their fiery argument. "Taehyung-ah, I bought your food! Where are you?"

Slowly looking to her left, her mouth parts yet in more shock and surprise.

She focuses on his eyes, which are darting back and forth, shining in the sunlight.

They are a deep, earthy brown - the color of the earth after torrential rains. But there is something else in them, something glistening.

His eyes hold secrets, the same way a pot holds layers of deep soil, cradling, because it is essential to keep the plant safe.

She could recognize those chocolate eyes anywhere.

So she finally opens her mouth after a while simply staring at him, eyes brimming with tears, "Seokjin?"

People are going to have to let truth scream louder to their souls than the lies that have infected them.

———

A/N: 🐸 🍵