Chapter 8
"A stray text message"
The smell of food filled the air in the small restaurant and the sound of people eating and chitchatting made for a cozy atmosphere. Jimin was sitting at a small table eating black bean noodles with Taehyung and Jungkook. A round of exams had just ended and as promised, Jimin took the boys out to eat.
"How did you do on your exams?" asked Jimin before taking a sip of his drink.
"Hyung what are you doing?" said Taehyung with a disappointed face, "exams just ended, can't we just forget about them for tonight?"
"You are right, you are right," said Jimin, "no school talk tonight!"
"NO SCHOOL TALK!" yelled Jungkook and raised his glass.
"And no more alcohol for the you," added Jimin.
"Why not?" asked Jungkook with a pout.
"Don't listen to him!" said Taehyung, "here, let me pour you another glass."
"Thank you, Hyung."
"As long as you carry him home," said Jimin with a smile. Taehyung and Jungkook looked at their friend who seemed awfully relaxed in comparison to his usual self and they were both sure it wasn't just because exam had ended.
"You seem more happy lately," said Taehyung, interrupting the silence that had filled the air.
"I do?" asked Jimin oblivious.
"You really do, Hyung," added Jungkook, "does it perhaps have something to do with that girl."
"Yeah how is it going with her?" asked Taehyung, "her name was Ha Na, right?"
"Yes that is right," said Jimin, "but what do you mean 'how is it going?' We are friends."
"Oh come on, you two have been texting each other every day lately, you have got to be more than friends," said Taehyung.
"But we are not!"
"You so are!"
"WE ARE NOT!" yelled Jimin, but he quickly got embarrassed as he noticed how he had attracted a lot of attention to himself.
"Besides," Jimin then continued in a lower voice, "I am pretty sure her family hates me and even her friend doesn't like me."
"Her friend? That girl who went out with you two?" asked Jungkook.
"No no! Not her," Jimin quickly corrected him, "her other friend. A guy."
"A guy you say?" said Taehyung and started rubbing his chin, looking like he was thinking really hard about something.
"Is he good looking?" asked Jungkook.
"What does that have to do with anything?" said Jimin.
"Does he like Ha Na as well?" asked Taehyung.
"What do you mean 'as well'? And why are we still talking about this? If you are done eating then let us go!" Jimin got up from his chair and walked up to the restaurant owner to pay for the dinner. When he came back, Jungkook and Taehyung had already left the table and were waiting outside. The sun was about to set and Jimin looked at his phone to check the time.
"Well, it seems like a good time to go home, right?" said Jimin after putting his phone back in his pocket.
"What? You want to go home now?" whined Taehyung like a kid.
"I want to stay out more, Hyung," followed Jungkook.
"But we already ate, what more do you want to do?" asked Jimin. Jungkook and Taehyung suddenly looked at each other with a big smirk and then said simultaneously:
"KARAOKE!"
***
Ha Na woke up when she felt someone shake her a bit and she opened her eyes only to meet with her mother's.
"Why aren't you up yet?" signed Eun Ji, "don't you have work today?"
"What time is it?" signed Ha Na very sloppy, as she was still waking up. Eun Ji just shoved her phone in her face and when Ha Na looked at the clock, her eyes immediately opened wide. She sat up in her bed and then started looking for her alarm clock that should have be under her pillow, but it wasn't there. Instead it was lying on the floor which explained why she hadn't felt it vibrate. In less than a second, Ha Na jumped out of bed and started going through her closet to find some clothes. Then she stopped for a second and turned around to find her mother still standing there.
"Thank you for waking me up, mom," signed Ha Na, "I can still make it on time if I hurry."
"Alright, but don't stress too much," replied Eun Ji, "I don't want you to fall down and hurt yourself because you ran down the street."
"I wont," signed Ha Na and went back to her treasure hunt in the closet.
A pair of well fitted blue jeans, plus a grey shirt. Nothing fancy, but she had to hurry, so with the clothes in her hands, she ran to the bathroom. One might be surprised at how fast a girl can shower, but it only took a couple of minutes before Ha Na was done and getting ready to blow dry her hair. She was just drying it enough to look approachable. And then she was ready. She shoved her phone in her bag and ran down the stairs and out the door.
After running for a bit she looked at the time and decided to slow down her pace. She would definitely make it so no reason for running. But as she had checked the time, she also noticed a bunch of unread messages. She stopped for a second to make sure she didn't walk into something or someone while looking at her phone and then opened up her messenger app. While she started reading the flood of messages her eyes widened more and more.
From: Park Jimin 🐨
00:08 Ha Na are you up?~~
00.10: Oh wait you're not Ha Na, you're Noona...
00.12: Noona are you up?~~
00.16: Did you go to bed already????
00.19: Don't sleep yet I wanna talk T.T
00.23: Did I ever tell you you're really pretty??
00.24: Well you are~
00.30: I miss you....
-----
00.45: Ha Na, Taehyung's being really mean T.T He took away my phone but I got it back!
00.46: I'm hiding right now so he can't take it away again!
00.47: He's saying I'm annoying you but that's not true right?
00.48: I miss you.......~~~
00.50: I think Tae found me... I have to find a new place to hide
-----
Saying Ha Na was shocked would be an understatement, but as she read through the messages one more time she suddenly started giggling and had to cover her mouth with her hand. People walking past her were sending her weird looks, but she couldn't help it.
He is so cute, she thought to herself before she started walking again.
It was a quiet day at the library. Since most students had just finished their exams, many didn't bother going to the library, at least not until tomorrow. So Ha Na just took an off day and spend it rearranging some shelves, also cleaning a bit here and there.
It was while she was cleaning that someone poked her shoulder and she turned around to find Jimin standing behind her. He was looking at the ground and his cheeks were red like a tomato.
"So... I have come to apologize-" Ha Na stopped Jimin by waving her hands in front of him. Then she showed him her phone.
You have to look me in the eyes, otherwise I can't understand very well.
Jimin gulped at the thought of looking her in the eyes, but after taking a deep breath he managed to lift his face and do it.
"So," said Jimin again, trying really hard not to divert his eyes from hers, "I have come to apologize." He took a short break before continuing. "You have probably woken up to a lot of weird messages from me. I wish I could say someone stole my phone, but that is not the case..." Jimin again stopped talking, looking at Ha Na to see what kind of reaction she would have, but she just looked at him with the same calm expression as before.
"Basically, I went out to eat with Taehyung and Jungkook, and then we went to a karaoke bar. Taehyung ordered me this shot and I liked the taste so I ended up ordering one more... and maybe a few more after that. Anyway, I tend to get a bit clingy and loving once I drink, so that might explain to you why I sent those messages." Jimin looked at Ha Na once more before saying;
"I understand if you are really mad or find me creepy or-" Jimin was cut off by this cute little sound that turned out to be Ha Na's laugh. He didn't know if this was a good or a bad sign so he just kept standing there while watching Ha Na's struggle to stop laughing. While doing so she suddenly signed something and Jimin immediately asked her what she was saying. After calming down a bit she took out her phone and then wrote:
I'm sorry I laughed at you. It's just so funny. You're so cute.
"Ah... really?" said Jimin a bit flustered, "well... I am just happy you aren't mad at me."
I'm not mad at all.
"That is good! That is really good... then... I guess I will be on my way. I have a class soon." Ha Na nodded and then again did a sign. Jimin was just about to ask what it meant when he suddenly remembered.
"Ah yes, I will see you later," said Jimin and did the same sign. He turned around and took a few steps forward, but then stopped and walked right back again.
"Wait, I forgot something!" said Jimin once he had gotten Ha Na's attention again, "Taehyung and Jungkook made me promise to ask you something, in case you didn't hate me after the whole text message incident." Jimin looked at Ha Na, but she just smiled, waiting for him to continue.
"Well, they say they want to meet you." Ha Na pointed at herself with a questionable look in her eyes and a lifted brow.
"Yes, they want to know if you would like to hang out sometime? Jung Hwa Noona is very welcome to come as well! I am sorry if it is burdensome of me to ask." Ha Na just shook her head and smiled. She took out her phone once again and wrote:
It's not burdensome. It sounds fun but I want to talk to Jung Hwa about it before I give you an answer, is that okay?
"Yes of course! I didn't expect you to answer right here and now," said Jimin a bit nervous, "you can just... you know, text me or something." Ha Na nodded.
"Okay, now I will really leave, see you later." This time Jimin did the sign before Ha Na and she smiled even bigger than before.
"See you later," she signed back and watched as Jimin left the library.
Once Jimin stepped out in the sun and felt the cool breeze that flew by and tickled his neck, he felt as if a heavy stone had been lifted from his heart. Feeling 10 kilograms lighter, he began walking towards college.
"So, she wasn't angry at all?" asked Jungkook as he, Jimin and Taehyung were walking home together.
"Not at all, she did laugh at me though," said Jimin, blushing a bit from embarrassment.
"Woah she is seriously the best!" said Taehyung, "so, when are we getting together?"
"She didn't say yes, she wanted to talk to her friend first."
"The boy or the girl?" asked Taehyung.
"The girl, her name is Jung Hwa Noona."
"How did you manage to become friends with not one but two Noonas?" asked Jungkook in awe. While Jimin was thinking of what to answer, he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket and took it out to check the caller ID.
"I am sorry guys, it is my dad, just move on, I will catch up," said Jimin.
"Alright, see you later," said both of them and Jimin nodded before answering the call.
"Hello," said Jimin.
"Hello son, how are you?" asked his dad, Park Ha Jun.
"I am fine dad, why are you calling?"
"Can't a father call his son just to hear how he is doing?"
"You are calling because my exams just ended, right?"
"That too," said Ha Jun, "how did it go?"
"As usual," said Jimin.
"That is good," said Ha Jun, "are you still practicing dancing in your spare time?" Jimin sighed once he heard the mentioning of "dance" from his dad.
"Yes, I practice with Jung Hoseok when I have time."
"And it isn't distracting you from school?"
"I just told you my grades are still good, so obviously it isn't distracting me."
"I just don't want you to get burned out."
"I won't get burned out," said Jimin, holding back his rage, "you promised I could keep dancing if I didn't fall behind in school. Well I am not falling behind, so why are we even having this conversation?"
"I just worry about you, you never call me."
"...there is a reason for that," whispered Jimin to himself.
"Did you say something?" asked Ha Jun.
"No, nothing," replied Jimin quickly, "did you want anything else? I have people waiting for me."
"No... I just wanted to hear how you have been."
"I have been just fine. Fine as always."
"Well then... goodbye."
"Goodbye."
Jimin ended the call with a huge sigh. He shoved his phone down his pocket and wanted to start running to catch up with the others, but he had suddenly lost all energy and strength in his body. Just taking one step felt like a struggle and it took him a long time to reach the dorm.
Taehyung and Jungkook noticed the change in him and they tried their best to cheer him up. Jungkook did so by giving him food and Taehyung by making a lot of silly jokes, but nothing seemed to work. In the end he told them to just let him be and he went to lay down on his bed. But he had only closed his eyes for a second when he felt his phone vibrate. Thinking it was his dad, he immediately unlocked it to check, but to his surprise, the text wasn't from him at all.
Suddenly, Jimin jumped out of his bed with more energy than ever. Jungkook and Taehyung nearly had a heart attack and Taehyung quickly asked him what had happened.
"She said yes!" said Jimin with great enthusiasm and showed them his phone.
From: Ha Na Noona
Jung Hwa says it sounds like a fun idea to hang out. When do you want to meet?
Hello everyone!
I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Remember to stay warm and eat healthy and take care of yourself. Stay safe.
Also, don't forget to leave a comment down below.
Love, Annalise~