I put on a cute pink sleeveless dress I bought a few months back, I had no reason to ever wear it back in the country but since this is my first time out in Seoul...well I mean I'm just going to the dance studio, BUT everyone in this city is so stylish, I should at least try to look decent for once. I should also make a note to actually go shopping since I really don't have any clothes besides jeans, shirts, and sweaters.

I patted my dress before heading out into the living room, everyone was either in their rooms or napping on the couch. Jimin was sitting at the dining room table scrolling through his phone, he didn't notice my presences. I cleared my throat which startled him a bit, "Oh, y-you're ready?" his eyes were panning down my dress his eyes stopped at the skin I was showing which were my legs, my dress only came down to the middle of my thighs.



"Yes, I'm ready."
He got up rubbing the back of his neck, he was dressed in ripped jeans that showed his knees and a white T-shirt, so simple, maybe I should have stuck with simple. We reached to the lobby where he handed the one of valet guy his keys, the valet guy rushed out to retrieve the car, "wow, I need to get used to this." I say looking around the lobby. "trust me you will." He smiled at me, his smile was so gentle and welcoming.

His car pulled right out front of the hotel, the valet guy opened the door for me, I thanked him before I slid into the car. "So, how long have you been working at the studio?" I asked, "Around the same time as Seoyeon, so about two years,"

"do you like it?"
He smiled showing teeth, "Yeah, I guess, teaching dance is cool and all but my real dream is to be a choreographer." "wow," I glanced over at him studying his side profile, his one arm on the wheel and the other resting out of the car window his black hair slightly blowing around his forehead by the wind.



He caught my gaze which made me turn my head fast looking out of my window, I heard him lightly snickering from my actions. I'm such a dork. "Ballet huh?" he broke the awkwardness, his eyes back on focusing on the road, "Mmhm, I uh, used to do ballet with Seoyeon back when we were kids, she and Jin oppa used to live in the countryside for some time before they moved here about 10 years ago."

"Ah, so, they're just your cousins but you guys seem really close." "Yeah, because I'm an only child so, having them around they were basically my siblings." I smiled, remembering the time Seokjin, Seoyeon and I were kids going on adventures back in the countryside, swimming in the pond, riding our bikes up and down the hill, playing jump frog with other kids, even though they're 3 years older than me they always included me with them, which I was grateful for. When they had to move for uncle's business it pretty much crushed me, even though they were an hour away it wasn't the same. We only saw each other once a year, twice if we were lucky.

"Well, we're all glad you're here moving in with us, the more the merrier, right?" he quickly glanced over at me, I nodded chuckling.

---

The studio was quite small but cute. There were three studios, one for Jimin's class, one for Seoyeon's class, and another where everyone practiced in. Jimin and Seoyeon were sitting on the floor in one of the studios going over their plans for the upcoming recital. I was exploring the halls where there were decorations and pictures of dancers on the bulletin board.

There was a picture of Jimin and Seoyeon standing next to an older lady with heavy makeup on which I was guessing is the owner of the studio since she's seen in many pictures with other dancers. A picture caught my attention right before I was about to walk back to where Jimin and Seoyeon were, it was a picture of Taehyung holding a trophy smiling a goofy boxy smile, his expression was so priceless, he dances too?

"Like what you see?" Jimin's voice startled me, he came from behind and stood next to me observing the same picture I was. "He was a really good dancer," he smiled, but it wasn't reaching his eyes. "He was in the same class as me and Uni, then we all attended this dance school competing in solos for extra practice, Taehyung always won first place, but...that was a while back, he quit after getting into some trouble."

"trouble?" He rubbed his top lip with his thumb still looking at Taehyung's picture, "yeah, but it's not my place to talk about it." "o-oh, I see." "I mean he's a good guy and all, he just made some mistakes." He paused, "but we're done here for today, I'll take you back to home if you like...or...we can go out to grab something to eat." He muttered the last part looking down at the floor, his face turning slightly red.



"yeah sure we can eat, that's fine, is Seoyeon coming?" "Oh uh, she's staying back for a bit since she's going to lock up she'll be home in an hour or two." "Okay, so, shall we go?" he smiled wide which made his eyes slightly disappear.

Jimin took me to a café a few blocks away from the studio. "order what you like, my treat, for uh, you moving here." He shyly said, I ordered a turkey sandwich with lemonade and he ordered the same thing. We were quiet just observing the cute place, I honestly didn't know what to say to him since this was probably my first time hanging out with a guy, other than my dad or Jin-oppa back in the day, "So tell me about yourself, like what you like and dislike things like that." He suddenly said crossing his arms on the table, when people ask me things like that out of a sudden my mind always tends to go blank.

"Oh, um...uh," he chuckled, resting his chin in his palm, "you're cute." That comment made me fluster, "sorry I meant um, because you're shy." He explained as he noticed my face turning a hint of red. "Thanks, I guess, I'm shy at times but not all the time, I guess I got it from my dad." I answered rubbing my arm. "Oh? What about your mom? Is she not shy?"

Him mentioning my mom took me back to when I was about 4 years old at the park, she was encouraging me to ask the other kids at the park to play with me but I was too shy to. She had a lot of patience's with me, she would always give me a gentle smile and rub my cheek with her thumb. She took my hand and guided me over to the other kids and asked them if it was alright if I joined them, they all smiled at me and grabbed my hand and we ran around the park, for hours, I didn't want to go back home because I was having too much fun with the new friends I had made. My mom was the reason I actually had friends back then.

After losing her when I was 13, it was so difficult with me entering middle school, it was nothing like primary, kids were much meaner, crueler, much different. Girls would tease me because I was the only one who didn't wear makeup, and my only shoes were pretty worn out. Getting teased every day made me take out my anger on my dad, I guess I could say I made it a difficult time for him during my teenage years, especially since it was just him raising me, a man with no knowledge of how to raise a teenage girl by himself.

He tried his best though, but I couldn't see it back then. I needed mom for these things, and I know he needed her too. I guess my heart changed when I caught him crying in his room, clutching my mom's picture, asking her what can he do, what can he do to help me. It was my first time hearing my dad cry, He never cried when the doctor told him mom passed away, or at the funeral, he never cried in front of me. He was always putting on this brave front, I had learned how to appreciate my dad more, and it is what had made us closer today.

"Minjoo?" Jimin waved his hand in front of my face, "Oh, sorry, I guess I spaced out. What were you saying?" "Oh it's okay, I was asking about your mom," "Yeah, my mom was amazing, she was my first best friend, I hope I can be the type of woman she was when I'm a mother one day." I faintly smiled. Jimin heard the past tense in my sentence and his smile fell. "Oh, I'm so sorry- I didn't know, I didn't mean to as-," "It's okay Jimin, that was a long time ago, I'm alright!" I waved my hand trying to reassure him. He nodded, looking away I guess trying to find a way to change the atmosphere.

Our food finally came, we ate and had conversations about random things, our favorite movies, songs, KPOP artists, everything. I felt like Jimin is a boy version of me since we had a lot in common. "Dating wise? Have you ever dated?" he asked looking up at me. My eyes widen as I was nervously fidgeting my fingers, "dating? Oh uh, no I never had a boyfriend or anything, hence why I never kissed,--well until last night." I rolled my eyes cursing myself for making me think of that arrogant guy Taehyung.

Jimin laughed, "Ah I see, no worries," "What about you? You dated before?" "Yeah, here and there, but I never found the one you know? So, I just put it off and I'm just trying to focus on my dance career." He said messing with his utensils, he suddenly looked up looking passed my shoulders at the café door, "ah?" I turned around to look back to and saw a guy with brown hair staring at us. Taehyung.

Notes