⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

CHAPTER 01: hide and seek ↳ release date: february 9th, 2021 ↳ word count: 1.349

CHAPTER 02: sorry ↳ release date: august 7th, 2021 ↳ word count: 1.281

CHAPTER 03: (play) date ↳ release date: september 24th, 2021 ↳ word count: 1.666

CHAPTER 04: the card ↳ release date: september 26th, 2021 ↳ word count: 1.238

CHAPTER 05: jia’s birthday party ↳ release date: november 14th, 2021 ↳ word count: 3.596

Jin loved animals so Bo's warm welcome wasn't a problem. Not only the dog but Y/N as well made a good impression on him. Jimin was right, the mysterious neighbor seemed nice.

“Please come in” Jin took a step back to let both guests enter, “Jia is in the backyard and Jimin inside in the kitchen. Pass the front door, make a right and it’ll be down the hall to your left” he explained. “I’ll join in a little bit”

“Thank you” Y/N bowed and proceeded into the house following Jin's instructions.

With each step, she got more impressed. This is a gorgeous house, she thought to herself. Is Jin an architect? Bo, on the other hand, was well behaved and very cute in his little hat. How long would that last was the main question.

Turning left into the kitchen, Y/N recognized Jimin's back as he was finishing decorating a beautiful unicorn cake for Jia by the window.

“Need some help?” she offered in what she hoped would be a soft tone and not a nervous one because God knew her palms were beginning to sweat and she was desperately trying not to let it show.

“Oh hi,” he turned around at the sound of her voice, placing the spatula on the counter, “you came!”

“Of course” she blushed.

Bo made a point of announcing his presence and gave Jimin a bark.

“And Bo too!” he looked down, cleaning his hands on the kitchen cloth, “Hi doggie!”

“Bo is very excited to see Jia” Y/N fixed the party hat, “Seokjin said she’s in the back?”

“Yeah yeah yeah, right through that glassdoor” Jimin pointed out.

“I’ll be right back”

Jimin nodded and watched Y/N walk up to his daughter with Bo right along and a small box in her hands. Before continuing with the cake decorations, he paused for a moment and observed their interaction. Jia's face lit up as she laid eyes on the dog and then her gaze turned curious as Y/N handed her the box.

“Thank you, miss Y/N”

“You are welcome, sweetie” the neighbor caressed the girl's cheek, “Open it!”

As soon as Jia did, her face displayed a very funny confused look, “Oh… what’s this?”

“It’s a photo frame” Y/N kneeled, leveling her eyes with Jia’s, “I thought it would be cool to put a picture of you and Bo in there” she lightly tapped the glass, “What do you think?”

Jia nodded frantically, making both Y/N and Jimin back at the kitchen chuckle.

“Let’s do it right now” she got up, “Here, pose beside him” Y/N took the box from Jia's hand and guided Bo to stand next to the girl. “Bo, sit!” she commanded, taking her phone from her back pocket.

Jimin went back to his dad duties and missed Jia putting her left arm over Bo and making a peace sign.

“Big smile, ready? 1, 2, 3!”

Immediately after, Y/N shows the photo to Jia.

“I like it!” she smiles at Bo and gives him a hug, “He looks cute with a hat”

“He insisted on wearing it, you know?” Y/N shrugged, “He wanted to impress the birthday girl” she added with a wink.

Jia’s cheeks turned pink.

“Can we go play now?” she asked, trying to change the subject.

Y/N faked a thinking pose, “Will you take good care of Bo for me?”

“Yes,” Jia put her hands together, “I promise!”

“Alright” Y/N gave her an amused smile before turning on her heels and getting back to the house where she found Jimin waiting for her at the glass door.

“What were you guys talking about out there?” he curiously asked, reaching for her coat.

“Thanks…” she took it off and handed to him, “Party hats”

Jimin rolled his eyes, “Really?”

Y/N laughed at his silly face. “Partially. I gave Jia this” she handed him the box.

“You didn’t have to do that, Y/N” he sweetly stated as he opened the gift.

“I know,” she clasped her hands, “I wanted to” quickly looking down at her feet to avoid the heat from spreading further up her face.

The moment her eyes shifted to Jimin, he too had the same confused expression as Jia a couple of minutes ago, and it was kinda adorable how they looked very much alike.

“It’s to hold this” Y/N whipped her phone to Jimin so he could see the picture she just snapped.

Jimin's expression suddenly morphed into the most winsome smile, “For real?”

“One hundred percent!” Y/N nodded, beaming as she leaned closer and looked at the picture one more time on Jimin’s hands, “Don’t they look adorable together?”

Not realizing how close they actually were, their gaze met as he turned and she looked up. For what seemed like a full minute, both held in their breath, admiring each other's features so up close.

“Th-This is incredible,” Jimin came out of the trance first, taking a step back and awkwardly handing Y/N the phone, “thank you!” he pursed his lips into a smile. “I’ll be sure to find a great spot in our living room”

Y/N didn't say a word, blushing hard and feeling the embarrassment take control of her body as she thought about the small moment she and Jimin just shared. Thank God Seokjin's timing is impeccable and he walked into the kitchen before she could make a fool of herself.

“Why is your hand empty?” Jin looked surprised at Y/N. “Jimin, haven’t I taught you some manners?” he smacked Jimin’s head playfully on his way to the fridge.

“A-ah” Jimin massaged the place he got hit and Jin winked at their lovely guest, “I’m sorry, Y/N. What can I get you to drink?” he added.

“A beer is fine” she said, “Is he always this entertaining?” she looked over the shoulder to Jin then back to Jimin.

“Sure,” Jimin scoffed, “entertaining...”

“You guys have this big brother/little brother dynamic and it’s quite entertaining” she shrugged.

“Yeah, I know, I consider him to be like a brother” Jimin smiled at Jin.

“Hey, your manners are back” Jin said to Jimin, handing Y/N the beer. “Let’s go, Jimin has a cake to finish, let me introduce you around”

After they excused themselves, the first stop was the living room where Namjoon and Yoongi were with their partners talking animatedly about some movie they had watched the night before. The two couples gave Y/N a warm welcome and, thanks to Jin's friendly personality, the conversation flowed very naturally for a few minutes before they moved down to the hallway where Hoseok was arriving with Jungkook.

"Oh hey, guys!" Jin waved.

“Sorry we're late, our Uber got lost” Jungkook apologized.

"This is Y/N. Y/N, this is Hoseok and Jungkook"

"Jimin's neighbor, yes. Hello" Hoseok bowed "It's a pleasure to meet you"

"The pleasure is all mine" Y/N bowed back.

"You have a dog, right?" Jungkook stated, immediately getting elbowed by Jin, "A very cute dog I've heard. I like dogs, that's why I asked" he tried to fix it.

“Yeah, that’s me” Y/N chuckled, “The dog lady”

“He didn’t mean it like that” Jin interjected.

Y/N turned to Jin, “Oh yeah, no no no. I know!”  and then to Jungkook “I was trying to be funny”

The three men sighed in relief, laughing along with Y/N, who by now was slowly dying of embarrassment, thinking she had failed miserably in her attempt to make a witty remark. Time for a quick break, she decided.

“Excuse me, Seokjin,” Y/N began.

“Jin, please” he interrupted.

“Jin” she smiled, “which way is the bathroom?”

“Up the stairs, second door on your right”

“Thank you” Y/N nodded, “Excuse me, everyone”

As soon as Y/N left, the group dispersed and she found herself alone climbing the beautiful L-shaped wooden staircase with a glass railing. On the right-hand wall, several portraits led to the next level. Intrigued by the people in the photos, Y/N took her time looking over each face, and in the second frame, she noticed Jimin and the rest of the gang on a gorgeous beach. Next to him was a pregnant young woman with light brown hair and a big smile.

“That’s Sunny” Jimin’s voice was soft but startled Y/N. She didn’t see him coming down the stairs.

“Huh?” she turned, throat suddenly dry.

“Jia’s mom” he smiled, “Sun-hee. Sunny for friends and family”

Y/N glanced at the picture once again, now paying more attention to the details. Jimin's blue-and-white striped shirt, his wet hair pushed back. Sunny's yellow dress contrasting with her hot pink bikini. Yoongi in an all-black outfit and a cap casting a shadow on his face while hugging his now wife. Jungkook in a white t-shirt and blond hair, very different from the guy she met a moment ago, making a heart with his hands. Hoseok laughing as he tried to pick up the straw hat Jin was wearing. Namjoon and Taehyung crouched in the sand doing a funny pose.

“She’s beautiful!” Y/N said, lost in thought, “Was she pregnant with Jia here?” she pointed.

“Yes” Jimin nodded and stared at the picture. A picture he hadn’t seen in ages and it brought back so many memories. “It was the last vacation before Jia was born. We went to Malta”

“Looks like you guys had a great time there” Y/N said before turning to Jimin, only to find him smiling at Sunny. His expression was both nostalgic and painful. It broke Y/N’s heart.

Feeling the awkward silence growing in a matter of seconds, Y/N decided to justify her intrusion. Even though she was just innocently curious, she somehow felt bad, as if she had no right to have seen the photo. Where was Sunny? Why was she, a stranger, on Jia's birthday while the girl's own mother wasn't?

“I was just on my way to the bathroom,” Y/N pointed over Jimin’s shoulder, “I-I didn’t mean to snoop around...”

“Oh no, it’s okay, please, go ahead” he stepped aside.

Inside the bathroom, Y/N leaned against the door and reflected on how weird the whole situation was. She felt like she was crossing an imaginary line between families, especially between mother and daughter. Y/N was curious about Sunny, but she couldn't allow herself to theorize about it, because she and Jimin were just neighbors. Friends perhaps? Possibly but not likely.

Downstairs the conversation contained a similar topic.

“Y/N is nice, man” said Hoseok “I like her”

“You have a talent to find fun and intelligent women, Jimin” Yoongi crossed his arms “What's up with that?”

Jimin laughed unamused, “My talent to retain them is a whole other story”

“Don’t say that” Namjoon put a hand on his shoulder, “It doesn’t apply to Sunny” and squeezed a little.

“Joon is right, Chim” assured Haneul, Namjoon’s fiancée

Jimin smiled politely and excused himself, “I’m gonna go check on Jia”

Reading the room and knowing his friend, Taehyung jumped in “I’ll go with you” 

As they left, they crossed paths with Jin who was arriving with a plate of appetizers.

“What? What happened? I left for five minutes” he pouted, handing the plate to Hoseok.

“The usual” the younger shrugged, “Jimin is holding himself back because of Sunny”

It weighed heavily on Jin to see Jimin closed off like that. He and Sunny had a wonderful relationship. So much so that it set the tone for the rest of the group. It was actually very odd not to have their dynamics around anymore, but the more time passed, the more worried Jin got. It has already been 3 years. Wasn't it time for Jimin to move on?

Equally concerned was Taehyung, Jimin's best friend since childhood. The two had a very strong and particular bond as if they spoke their own language. Taehyung was by Jimin's side through it all and knew, more than anyone else, what his friend's silence hid.

“I think she likes you” Taehyung began, arm over Jimin’s shoulder.

Jimin stopped walking and looked up at his friend, “What? No…”

“Why would she come then?” Taehyung asked.

Jimin started walking again, “To bring the dog”

“You really believe she came all this way to the suburbs just so your kid could play with her dog?” Taehyung stopped again, now holding his friend by the shoulders.

“Well...” Jimin mumbled, trying to come up with an explanation “Yeah, why not, she knows how much Jia enjoys playing with Bo” he ducked down, getting away from Taehyung’s grip, “plus, we made a card!” he pointed his index finger up, back turned, on his way to the glassdoor.

“Jimin, you’re seriously missing the point” Taehyung followed right behind while rolling his eyes, “Y/N obviously came here to get to know you. It’s an excuse to see you again. The dog is just a way to do that, dummy”

“I don’t know Tae” Jimin turned to face him.

Taehyung noticed the insecurity in his best friend's eyes. What he wished more than anything else was for Jimin not to doubt himself so much and to put his happiness first. If he was unhappy how could he provide a happy life for Jia?

“Promise me you won’t shut her down immediately?” he tilted his head, a small smirk forming on the corner of his mouth, “Let her get to know you. You’re an awesome person Mr. Park” he reached his hand out as a formal gesture, an inside joke between him and Jimin.

Jimin understood and smiled back, taking his hand “Thank you, Mr. Kim”

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

After two hours of talking, drinking, getting to know each other, and playing around with the kids, Y/N finally felt at ease and in some way even part of the group. Jimin's friends were fun, Jia's cute personality made her laugh out loud, and the way she would sometimes catch Jimin’s looking over at her made her stomach do somersaults. 

Although this was dangerous territory, she allowed herself to admit she had a harmless crush on her neighbor. It's been a while since she met someone interesting. Also, he didn't need to know. It would go away eventually.

Noticing from afar Bo lying down and panting with his tongue out, Y/N decides to go over to the backyard and give him some water. The poor dog was surely exhausted from playing this much.

“I’ll be right back” Y/N excused herself before heading out to the backyard with a bottle of water. 

“Bo” she called, “Come here buddy”

The dog strutted over to his owner. 

“Thirsty?” she asked, pouring the water in a paper bowl she grabbed over the snack table.

Not even a minute later Jia came running, “I wanna drink something too”

“Sure, wait here” Y/N smiled, quickly fixing the girl’s bangs.

While Jia petted Bo, Y/N ran into the house and grabbed a new bottle of water from the kitchen counter. Just as she was passing through the doorway, Jimin noticed she had no coat on.

“Hey, Y/N, your coat!” 

“It’s fine,” she waved him off with a smile, “it’ll be quick”

Jimin didn't even have time to argue so he simply craned his neck to follow the lovely woman as she opened the bottle of water and handed it to his daughter. It was sweet how she looked after her. She didn’t have to.

“It’s getting colder,” Jimin looked up,  “maybe I should get the kids inside” he muttered to himself, noticing some dark clouds beginning to form in the sky.

Yoongi was nearby fixing a cheese board and let out a laugh, “They have their coats on and won’t stop running around. They’re warm enough, man.” 

As Y/N made her way over to the house, Yoongi’s daughter Ari, and Jia walked off holding each other’s hand while the other kids fetched a ball to Bo. They were all fine, nothing to worry about. Jimin let a breath out.

Back in the living room, Y/N sits on the couch beside Taehyung.

“My God, you’re freezing” he notices, a bit shocked “Hobi, hand me that blanket over there please?”

Hoseok reaches for the piece of fabric laying at the end of the couch and gives it to Tae.

“No, I’m good” Y/N politely declines, hugging herself.

Taehyung wraps the blanket around Y/N and Jimin notices the gesture as he approaches the group with some snacks, Yoongi right behind him. His best friend's action made Jimin uncomfortable. Not necessarily jealous but definitely feeling a bit inadequate.

“Well, just in case” Taehyung’s reiterated with his signature box smile.

“Thanks” Y/N replied shyly lower just for him before speaking directly to everyone around, “All of you are so nice! Thank you for making me feel so welcomed here. I don’t have many friends in town so it’s a nice change of pace for me” 

“Oh, you’re not from here?” Jungkook asked surprised.

“No, I’m from a small town down south” Y/N turned her head towards him, “I came here in June for work”

“Oh” Siwoo, Yoongi’s wife added, “What do you do?”

“I’m a journalist for the Korea Herald”

As soon as the information left Y/N’s lips, the entire group reacted with excitement and surprise, commenting with each other how impressive it was to know someone so intelligent.

“Cool! It’s my favorite newspaper” Namjoon clinked his beer with hers.

Y/N laughed and took a sip, “Thanks!”

Suddenly Jia appears and hugs Jimin's leg, making him almost lose his balance.

“Daddy, can we eat my cake now?”

“First you gotta blow out the candles” Jin said, surprising the little girl from behind with a tickle attack.

“Okay okay” Jia giggles, “I will” she promises, laughing out loud, “Stop it, stop it”

The connection between Jin and Jia was adorable and went beyond godfather and goddaughter, it was like they were siblings in a past life. Jimin was amazed and grateful that Jin was like a second father to his daughter.

And just like that, the adults started to organize everything, call the kids and get ready to sing happy birthday to Jia. From the back of the living room, Y/N watched with marveled eyes the love, unity, and affection that everyone there had for each other. She always craved a big family, a large group of friends, however, none of that came to fruition. She saw in Jia the child she wished she had been. 

After everyone ate the cake, took pictures — Bo included! — and things calmed down, Y/N decided it was time to leave.

“Hi” she approached Jimin while he organized Jia’s presents in a neat pile in the foyer.

“Hey!” he turned, “I’m sorry, I was the worst host today”

“No no, don’t worry” Y/N smiled waving her hands, “You’re running for dad of the year, remember? Your attention lies somewhere else” she reassured him, “Your friends are the best and I had fun”

“Thank you for coming” Jimin ran his hand through his hair, not knowing exactly what to do or say, “I’m sure Jia is thankful too”

“She’s biased to Bo, you know that right?” Y/N poked fun.

“I do” he laughed covering his mouth.

There it was, happening again, a moment between the two of them. Both could feel it but not act on it. Understanding what was happening was one thing, defining it was another. Jimin had his walls up and Y/N was slowly tearing her own down. It was only a few seconds but there was so much left unsaid there.

“Thanks for having me” she bowed, truly thankful for being invited, “Come on Bo, let’s go”

As Jimin bowed back and watched Y/N leave, he felt his heart ache a little. He also felt disappointed in himself for not being able to say anything other than 'thank you'. Taehyung's voice echoed in the back of his mind, Promise me you won’t shut her down immediately? That's exactly what he was doing, wasn't it? Not giving an answer is an answer in itself, right? Let her get to know you the voice echoed again.

“Let her get to know you” he whispered, closing the door.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ A/N²: if anyone is interested, the theme for this couple is "(사랑인 것 같아) I Think It’s Love" by Taemin and the end of this chapter was heavily inspired by it <3

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

When she finally managed to get up, she peeked out the window and everything was white. The street, the sidewalk, the trees, the window sill. In Y/N's hometown, it didn't usually snow this much. She doubts she had ever seen a storm up close, and while it would make a great photo for Instagram later, it was totally impractical to leave the house, let alone while feeling this sick.

Deep down, Y/N didn't want to admit that she was unwell. She hadn't had the flu in years. Not even a cold! Nothing. And oh my god, how was she supposed to work this week? These symptoms had to go, she didn't want to ask for a day off. But anyway, that was a problem for later. Let Monday's Y/N deal with it.

After making a cup of tea, Y/N checked the living room window and, to her not-so-great surprise, it began to snow again. Very hard actually. Bo made sure to be close by, sensing Y/N wasn't feeling 100%.

After a few minutes of sitting on the couch, holding the hot cup tightly between her hands, Y/N notified the dog, “I'm going to order some medicine and food online. Do you need anything?”

Bo tilted his head and wagged his tail.

“I don't have time to wait for you to think, Bo” she petted his head, “The storm is getting worse”

Where is my phone? she wondered, patting her sweatshirt pocket and then the couch over the blanket. Bo thought she was trying to play with him and started to jump and bark all happy.

“No, silly! The phone” she chuckled, “I want my phone. Have you seen it?”

Bo got off the couch, went into the kitchen, and barked a few times at the counter.

“Good boy!” Y/N stood up, feeling even heavier than before and a slight dizziness quickly threw her off balance as she took her first step and bumped into the coffee table. 

Bo barked again. He wanted to help.

“I'm fine, Bo” she assured, going towards him, finally confident in her own steps.

“Let's see... delivery app, delivery app” she scrolled through her phone, “Here! Wait, unavailable? What do you mean, unavailable? This is important”

Frustrated with the deliveries being suspended due to the storm, Y/N decides to finish her tea and take a bath to relax. In a few hours she would try again. Surely the weather would have improved by then and deliveries restored.

“Maybe I should eat something first, right?” she looked down and Bo groaned, “Of course, you too”

Y/N filled Bo's bowl with some food and proceeded to warm up what was left of the budae jjigae she made on Friday. She wasn't hungry, but she figured the headache might improve a bit with a full stomach.

While inside the tub a few minutes later, Y/N wondered if it would be best to go to a hospital. The bath as great as it was didn't help as much and she began feeling extremely sleepy, which was weird because she got up an hour ago.

The bath was nice and she felt her muscles relax thanks to the water's temperature, but the aching in her body didn't subside. Her head was no longer throbbing, yet she still had intense pain all over it. She knew the moment she stepped outside the bathtub everything would be back to what it was. 

“This sucks!” she mumbled.

Bo watched Y/N carefully finish her bath, change and tuck herself under the covers once again. Concerned for his owner, he lay down pretty close as she fell asleep cuddling him.

  ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

  ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

After lunch, Jimin and Jia were sitting on the couch watching some animation on Netflix. He, distracted by his own thoughts. She, almost falling asleep. Suddenly, Jimin remembered the gift that Y/N had given Jia. Where did he put it? Here in the living room? Her bedroom? He couldn't remember exactly.

Getting up slowly so as not to startle his daughter, he began his search for the yellow box with the white bow. 

Jia loved yellow, and it was these kinds of details that touched Jimin's heart. How had Y/N noticed this? He doesn't remember Jia mentioning it during their play date. Funny how a stranger could be this mindful about random things, especially regarding a kid that's not even her own. It didn't make the slightest sense to Jimin but he found the gesture (among others she had shown at the party) very meaningful, making him appreciate this new friendship even more.

And there it was! Sitting on top of Jia’s tea table. Jimin opened the box and found the small white frame with a smooth texture that mimicked marble. As soon as he held it, the memory of Y/N explaining what it was came flooding in.

“It’s to hold this” Y/N whipped her phone to show a picture of Bo and Jia hugging in the backyard, “Don’t they look adorable together?”

Yes, they were incredibly adorable, but what surprised Jimin the most was how he felt when Y/N came to show him the picture, all giddy. She was standing so close that he could smell the scent of her shampoo, see the glow in her eye and her rosy cheeks. She was breathtaking. Although the second he realized he was staring too hard, he handed the device back and took a step back, secretly praying she wouldn’t notice or think of him as creepy.

There was something about her, beyond the nice attitude, perhaps to do with personality or character. Y/N was winning Jimin over day by day simply because of the energy she radiated. It was inexplicable, and to other people it might even sound like he was exaggerating, but Jimin felt that he could trust her. It's been so long since he trusted someone too by the way. It would be really nice to have that bond again. If he only let her get to know him.

Jimin reached for the phone in his pocket, started to look for his neighbor’s name among the contacts, and soon realized that he didn't have it. Of course he didn't! He never asked. You are so dumb, he thought.

Nevermind, this is a quick fix. There's a snowstorm, Y/N is definitely in her apartment — where could she possibly be in this crazy weather? — so Jimin is going to knock on her door and very casually ask for her number. Not a big deal at all. He got this.

Leaving the frame on top of the TV cabinet, Jimin noticed Jia in a deep sleep, making this the perfect time to go over to the apartment next door.

He knocked once. No response.

He checked his phone. 12:43pm.

He knocked again. Nothing. Not even Bo barked. Weird.

“I’ll come back later” he said.

  ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

  ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Around 5pm Jimin decides to try knocking one more time.

“Jia, I’ll be right back” he said to the girl sitting on the floor with a coloring book and a few dolls, “I’m going over to miss Y/N’s house. Our door will be open but stay inside, okay?”

“Okay”

When he gets to his neighbor's doormat he decides to knock a bit harder, just to make sure. And would you look at that? It worked! Jimin immediately heard Bo barking and rushing towards him. A few seconds go by and Y/N has yet to open the door. Bo barks one more time and starts scratching the door trying to get Jimin’s attention.

A voice inside Jimin’s head said ‘Maybe she’s in the shower or sleeping’ which might be true, yet he started to get this unsettling feeling in his gut. Something seemed off because usually before Bo barks a third time Y/N is already at the door.

“Hey doggie, it’s me!” he greeted, trying to turn the knob but the door was locked. 

Jimin tried to think fast. What’s next? Spare key!

“She must have one” Jimin squatted and lifted the mat, “Oh, come on! She doesn’t?” He then moved his search to a nearby vase, “Please be here” but it wasn’t there and he increasingly got more nervous.

“I’ll be right back” he promised Bo. The dog whined in reply.

“Daddy, I'm hungry” Jia complained as Jimin walked in and closed the door.

“Alright, angel. Let me see what we have here” he opened the fridge and looked through the shelves, “How about a sandwich?”

“Yes, please”

While getting everything ready he decided to call the building manager and tell him what was going on. Was it possible that Y/N had gone out for a few hours? Yes. Was it possible that something had happened to her? Also yes. He preferred to err on the side of excess.

“Hello, Mr. Yoo. This is Jimin in 30B” Jimin placed the phone between his ear and his shoulder to prepare Jia’s sandwich.

“Good evening, Mr. Park” the older man answered, “How are you doing?”

“Yes, I'm doing good, thank you”

“Horrible storm, huh? Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yeah, I know, this storm took us by surprise” he commented, spreading some strawberry jelly to a slice of bread, “Well, the reason I'm calling is because I'm worried about my neighbor in 30A” he spread cream cheese onto the other. 

“The new girl? What's her name again? Uh... Y/LN?”

“Yes, Miss Y/LN” Jimin almost dropped his phone, “She hasn't answered the door in a few hours” he whispered, turning away from the living room.

“Well Mr. Park, maybe she's out of town or traveling and you're worrying too much”

“I know but she wouldn't leave her dog alone for so many hours. I'm thinking that something might have happened” he looked over his shoulder, Jia was coming in his direction.

“Oh, yes, I see,” the building manager noted, “and how can I help you?”

Jimin handed Jia the plate and went to this office for a little more privacy.

“I would like you to open the door using the extra key to the building”

“Open the door?” Mr. Yoo slightly gasped.

“Yes”

“I don't know, Mr. Park, maybe we should call the police? Korea has strict rules about privacy”

“I understand that but you don't have to come in, Mr. Yoo” Jimin pleaded, “This secret can stay between us” he added with a subtle smirk.

The man took a few seconds before replying. “Will you take responsibility?”

“Absolutely” Jimin reiterated, “Just open the door and go, I'll take care of the rest”

“Okay, I'm coming down. Wait for me”

Jimin raised his hands as a sign of relief, “Thank you, Mr. Yoo”

“Yes, yes” he huffed.

A few minutes later the elderly man knocked on Jimin's door with a not very friendly expression and hinted he was ready to do the favor. Jia this time joined her dad as he carried her attached to his hip.

The moment Mr. Yoo opened the door, he turned around and walked away, taking Jimin’s word for it. Meanwhile, Bo couldn't hide his own relief from seeing other people so he jumped super high licking father and daughter.

“Why don’t you sit by the TV and play with Bo while I check on miss Y/N, huh?” Jimin put Jia down.

“Okaaay” she smiled, trying to act funny.

Jimin’s heartbeat was at a frantic pace. With every step he took down the hall, the more anxious he felt because he got transported back to that day when Jia had disappeared while playing hide and seek, which is a little ironic since that's how he met Y/N.

Bathroom? No.

Room on the right? Not there either.

Room on the left? Ding, ding, ding.

“Shit” he ran to the side of the bed.

Now closer, he saw that Y/N was sleeping and a part of him relaxed, making him instinctively reach out and try to caress her. Before he could even regret such an intimate gesture and withdraw his arm, he felt her skin on fire.

“No, no, no” he begged, moving his hand over her forehead, “You’re burning up. This is bad”

Okay, focus Jimin. Y/N needs you. Come on!

On the way to the living room, he stops by the bathroom and grabs some towels from the cupboard under the sink. No fever medicine on sight, let alone a first-aid box. Great.

“Jia, I'm going to need your help” he stated, using a soft but firm tone.

The girl raised her head and immediately went to her father in the kitchen, where he was waiting for her with a chair in front of the sink.

“Come here” he lifted her up, placing her on her feet in front of the faucet, “Wet these towels for me please, okay?” he pointed to two white pairs next to the drying rack.

“What’s going on, dad? Where is miss Y/N?”

“She is sleeping in her bedroom but she needs our help” Jimin gives a faint smile to Jia, not knowing exactly how to explain the situation without scaring her, “She has a fever. Remember when you had a fever a few months ago?”

“Yes” she nodded.

“It’s the same thing” he pinched her nose, “What we need to do right now is put wet towels on her body so she can feel less hot”

Jia hummed in agreement and looked around confused, “But is she going to be okay?”

“Yes, angel” Jimin kissed her the top of her head, “While you wet the towels I’ll look for some medicine”

Jia agrees and turns on the tap.

Jimin started to thoroughly search the kitchen and found nothing but food and utensils. He moved on to the rest of the house, desperately rummaging through all the drawers, cabinets, and bookshelves. No luck. She had zero medicine, but he certainly did. 

Jimin tried to pull from his memory the image of his medicine box and guessed that he had some options that may be able to help. Considering all the current possibilities, they couldn't leave the building and they couldn't order online, leaving them with calling emergency services, and although Y/N was pretty hot, she didn't seem to be at that stage yet.

“I’m done, daddy!” Jia shouted.

Jimin enters the kitchen to help her down the chair, “That’s my girl, thank you Jia” 

Jia watches her father twist the towels, waiting intently for his next instructions with Bo by her side. The dog spent the last few minutes going back and forth between her and Y/N as if he wanted them to know he was there to help and protect.

Bo climbs on the bed and lies down next to Y/N, snout resting on her arm, eyes sad but very alert. Jia decides to sit on the edge and watch her father doing the work, which consisted of applying a smaller towel to Y/N’s forehead and a larger one between her neck and chest.

“Jia, do you mind looking after miss Y/N and Bo for a little bit? I need to go home and bring some medicine for her” Jimin asked, wondering if Jia is feeling scared about this whole thing.

Jia nods, “Sure!” and moves up the bed, sitting next to Bo to pet him gently. The poor dog needed some sort of comfort as well.

“I won’t be long, promise” Jimin cups Jia’s cheeks.

Back in his apartment, Jimin went straight to his master suite and gathered as many cold, fever, and pain pills as he could. He then spread them out on the bed to check them one by one, quickly coming to the conclusion that he had more children's meds than adult ones, so he made a mental note about preparing better for such occasions. What if he got sick? Jia couldn't go out to buy it, could she? He had to think of all the scenarios, but he was a teeny bit afraid to think of extreme situations.

“Good job” he cooed a couple minutes later entering Y/N’s room, “Thank you, Jia! Wanna go watch some TV with Bo while I take care of miss Y/N?”

The girl shook her head, “No, I wanna help” 

Jimin put a couple of bottles of medicine on the bedside table and kneeled next to her, “I think you did everything you could, angel”

Even at her young age, Jia already showed herself to be a caring, empathetic person who knew how to follow rules. Jimin was so proud!

“I’m gonna give her the medicine and meet you in the living room in a little bit. Sounds good?”

“Yeah but Bo and I can stay”

She is so cute! he smiled to himself.

“I know, I’ll take it from here though, thank you”

“Okay” Jia jumped off the bed, “Let’s go, Bo!”

The dog followed with no hesitation and Jimin walked around to the other side to double-check the towels. Damn, they are still warm. Y/N needs to wake up so she can take the medicine in order to bring the fever down — he didn't even need a thermometer to know that she was close to 100 degrees.

“Y/N?” Jimin squeezed her hand, “Y/N, it’s Jimin”

She didn’t move.

He squeezed again, this time his thumb gently rubbing her knuckles, “Y/N?”

Finally a grunt! Thank God, he closed his eyes in relief.

“That’s it…” Jimin then removed the towels with his free hand, putting them on the floor, “Can you hear me?” he wiped her face with a fresh dry one.

Y/N grunts louder, trying to move.

“I’ll take that as a yes” he reached for the Tylenol, “You have a fever, okay? I need you to open your mouth a little bit for me”

“What?” she mumbled.

“Open your mouth, Y/N”

Y/N was very drowsy, like she had taken some heavy sleeping pills. She felt unbelievably tired and didn't understand what was happening or where she was. Opening her mouth was a struggle. Her eyes though? Even more so.

As soon as Jimin sprinkled a few drops of the remedy, Y/N's immediate reaction was to make a hilarious disgusted expression.

“Why are you making that face? It’s Tylenol for kids” he giggled, still worried, “Supposedly tastes like strawberry”

“What time is it?” Y/N's voice was hoarse. If only Jimin knew the amount of effort she had made to get her voice out with a dry throat.

“5:34”

She muttered something back.

“Sorry, what?”

“I-I’m sleepy”

“It’s the fever” he tucked her in, just like he used to do with Jia every night, “I’m changing your towels and then be back to check on you. Rest”

In the kitchen, clutching the towels tightly between his hands, Jimin took a moment to control his shaky breathing. He didn't want to lose his composure in front of his daughter but she seemed to be handling this situation better than he was. 

Y/N would be okay. They were all okay. It was just a scare. If everything kept going well, in the next few hours the medicine would kick in...he just had to wait. He hated to wait. Waiting usually meant bad news. 

  ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

  ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

“Jia, the ramen is ready!” Jimin called, placing the hot pot on the table, “Be careful”

Once he changed Y/N’s towels and tidied up the bedroom, Jimin played with Jia for a while and headed to the kitchen to cook dinner. Ramen seemed like an easy and fast choice.

“Bo is hungry too, dad” she climbed on the chair.

The dog sat and stared at Jimin, patiently waiting with his tongue out.

“Oh, right” Jimin turned to look for the bowl of food he prepared minutes before, placing next to Jia's chair, “And that’s for you buddy”

“Listen angel,” Jimin began, serving her a portion, “I think we might need to stay overnight to keep a close look on miss Y/N. Is that okay with you?”

Jia nodded, “Can I sleep with Bo?”

“Yes” Jimin chuckled, handing her the ramen, “I’m gonna get your stuff and be right back. Be sure to finish your plate” 

Jimin glanced down at Bo, hands on his hips, “You too!”

Jia was almost done eating when Y/N finally awakened in her room, feeling better but still a little disoriented. The drowsiness had worn off, thankfully. 

Once Y/N sat up and noticed it was 8:22 pm she got startled. On her bedside table there were some meds, water, and the humidifier on. A quick flashback indicated that Jimin had been around, but maybe she dreamt the whole thing because Jimin couldn't get into her apartment, it didn't make sense. 

Wait, where's Bo?

“Bo?” she called him, “Bo, where are you?”

The dog came running in, happy to hear his owner’s voice and jumped on the bed licking Y/N's face.

“Hi! Hello!”

“Miss Y/N?”

Surprised to hear a child's voice, Y/N stopped playing with Bo and looked in the direction the sound was coming from.

“Jia?”

The little girl was by the door and stepped timidly into the bedroom, “You slept a lot today. Daddy said you had a fever”

“Oh, he did?” Y/N realized she hadn’t dreamed after all, Jimin was in fact here taking care of her. She wasn’t sure how to feel about that just yet.

“I had one too” Jia approached the bed, “But he took care of me and now we are taking care of you”

Y/N was overwhelmed and grateful. She gave Jia a genuine smile as she tapped the mattress twice, inviting the girl to sit next to her.

“Dad, me, and Bo too!” she climbs on the bed.

“Thank you so much, sweetie” Y/N strokes Jia’s hair, playing with her bangs and leaving a pop on the nose, “And you too Mr. Bo, thank you” she planted a kiss on the dog’s head.

“Where is your dad?”

“He went home to get some stuff” Jia said before hearing the front door being closed, “He’s here!” she hopped off the bed and ran to the living room.

“Dad, dad, dad… miss Y/N is awake!!” she grabbed Jimin’s hand and started pulling, “Come, quick!”

He didn't even have time to unload what he brought, because before he knew it his daughter had dragged him into the bedroom. Y/N was sitting on the bed with a confused look and rosy cheeks, trying to fix her hair.

“Hi” she said.

Jimin smiled back relieved, “Hi”

They looked into each other's eyes for what felt like minutes, not knowing what to say next. 

Y/N couldn’t believe Jimin was in front of her and did all of this to make sure she was okay.

Jimin, who for the past few hours could only think of the worst scenario possible, upon seeing Y/N awake and smiling felt something inside his chest expand.

Without breaking eye contact with Y/N, Jimin handed his daughter's backpack, “Jia, take your things to the guest room, please”

“Okay,” she hugged the backpack and looked back, "come Bo. I need help.” The dog promptly followed her.

“They’re best friends already” Y/N giggled.

Jimin didn't even hear what Y/N said, he was lost in his own thoughts, thankful to see her able to speak whole sentences. She didn't seem to be feeling any pain, the smile on her face, though faint, showed that everything would be okay.

Unlike a few hours ago, Y/N was now awake, alert, and appearing healthier. Jimin thought she looked good even under the weather; eyes still a little swollen from sleeping, hair in waves framing her face. Y/N was effortlessly beautiful.

“How are you feeling?” he sat beside her, instinctively putting his hand on her forehead to check the temperature.

Jimin's touch was warm and inviting, delicate and firm at the same time. When their skins met, Y/N felt small shock waves invade her body, running through every inch as goosebumps. She slowly looked up at his hand, and then into his eyes, making sure that this was not another fever hallucination, “I’m fine”

Jimin moved his hand to Y/N's cheek, closely watching her face for any sign of discomfort, feeling that her soft skin under his palm was now no longer as warm as before.

“The fever is coming down” he said in a whisper.

Jimin's voice was like honey and Y/N surrendered to the sensation of having him so near, quickly closing her eyes to enjoy his touch; his fingers tangled in her hair, his thumb lightly brushing her temple.

“I’m feeling a bit weird” she said, not knowing if she was starting to get hungry or was the medicine losing its effects.

Jimin thought she said that because of how he was touching her so he pulled his hand back and blushed, cursing himself for being too bold.

Y/N opened her eyes, feeling unexpectedly cold without his touch. Maybe it was another hallucination.

“How long have I slept?” she asked.

“I don’t know. I’ve only been here for a few hours” Jimin pursed his lips, “What’s the last thing you remember?”

“Taking a bath around noon and eating some soup”

Oh my god, noon? Jimin was stunned. Y/N needed help much sooner than he imagined. He shouldn't have waited until 5 to go back, he should have been suspicious the first time he knocked on the door. His gut told him that something was wrong and it was! How could he be so stupid and ignore it? 

Y/N could tell by the way Jimin stiffened his posture and looked away that he was mulling things over. She felt bad for worrying him so much.

“Hey, it’s okay,” Y/N smiled, “I’m okay Jimin”

“Right…” he replied, still going over scenarios in his head.

“Thanks to you”

Y/N emphasis on the last word made him look up.

“I mean it” she continued, “I don’t know how you got into my apartment but I’m so glad you did. I knew something was wrong but I couldn’t have guessed that I was getting into this feverous stage where I could barely stay awake” she chuckled, “I didn’t have any medicine and with the snowstorm I couldn’t go out and neither the delivery guy could come in”

Jimin’s doe eyes were full of worry, “You could have knocked on my door” 

“I realize that now but at the time I thought ‘oh, I'm just gonna lie down for a little while and wait for it to go away, maybe it's nothing’ but it obviously wasn’t nothing” Y/N looked down, again embarrassed for worrying him so much. 

When he didn’t reply, Y/N understood it as a sign that he was upset so she soon engaged in an apology.

“I’m sorry if I worried you” she reached for his hand, “That’s the last thing I wanted. I’m so used to being on my own that I seem to forget I can count on people for help”

Jimin squeezed her hand, “You can…” and paused to smile, “You absolutely can. You’re not alone”

Y/N nodded, cherishing Jimin's warmth once again. But before the heat could rise to her cheeks, the young woman decided to change the subject.

“I reeeeally need something to eat. But first I need a shower and fresh clothes” she announced, already moving to get out of bed.

“Whoa, slow down” Jimin got up, “Easy” he reached out his right arm to Y/N, “Let me help you”

“Jimin, I’m not invalid you know?” she pouted cutely.

“You look exactly like Jia when she says she’s old enough to do something”

Y/N accepted his help and held onto his arm as she stood up, “I’ll take that as a compliment, thank you very much” 

Jimin laughed out loud.

“See? Much better when teeth are showing!”

“What?” he muttered, watching Y/N fix her hair in a ponytail.

“I like it better when you smile” she replied, “You looked so serious before”

“Oh, it’s just that I couldn’t help but replay the image of finding you here. That’s all”

“I’m really sorry” Y/N bit her lip.

“Don’t!” Jimin smiled again, “Look, see? I’m smiling!” he pointed at himself, trying to be funny, “Not worried anymore”

“Perfect” she chuckled and patted his shoulder, “Now if you’ll excuse me…”

“Right, yeah” Jimin headed for the door, “If you need anything, shout” he added, to which Y/N replied with a smile and a nod before disappearing into the bathroom.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Following her long-needed shower, Y/N went to the kitchen and found Jimin grilling some stake while Jia slept peacefully on the couch with Bo.

"Smells so good in here!" she sat on the island stool.

"I'm almost done with the hanwoo beef" Jimin said, "There's ramen over there. I heated up for you" he pointed to the dinner table.

"Oh wow, you really didn't have to, thank you"

Jimin turned around with a shy smile on his face and assembled Y/N's plate, adding the beautiful piece of meat, followed by some vegetables and a tiny side bowl of kimchi.

“Here you go”

“Thank you for the meal” Y/N bowed her head and grabbed the plate to move to the table, but while she did that she realized Jimin had no plate of his own. “Wait, what about you?”

"First I'm going to take Jia to the guest room” he handed her the chopsticks, “I'll be right back. Eat before it gets cold”

Now that Y/N wasn't delirious because of the fever or high on her meds she wondered what this whole day meant. Were she and Jimin friends? Just good neighbors? Neighbors wouldn't do what he did for her, right? What she was absolutely sure of was that the crush she had on Jimin had grown into real feelings, and as much as she wanted to act on it, she didn't quite know how to verbalize it to him. Y/N felt guilty, once again, for liking a stranger so soon, whose marital status was still unknown.

"It's delicious, Jimin, thank you so much" she complimented him as soon as he walked back into the kitchen.

"I don't want to brag, but it's kind of my specialty" he joked, assembling a plate for himself.

“I can see why” she took another bite.

Jimin was glad to see Y/N eating with such an appetite, and in the silent minutes that followed as the two of them ate, he wondered if she was genuinely feeling better, if she needed anything else, or if she would mind him and Jia spending the night. 

Maybe tomorrow he could try to talk to her about everything. About the party, about today… about himself, because he knew his situation was very confusing and Y/N was trying hard to be respectful of his privacy, so she ultimately deserved clear answers.

Jimin got up first to put the plate in the sink and Y/N came in right behind, already eager to do the dishes as 'thank you'.

“No no no” he gently pushed her away from the sink, “Go back” he waved his hand and Y/N took two steps back, “Yes, thank you, reverse, moonwalk”

Y/N laughed. Again. Recently, all she did was laugh. Jimin made her happy. His sense of humor was witty and she often thought of what to say to him to make him feel the same way. She wanted to make him truly laugh because something inside her said that Jimin needed it. But before she could do that, she had to put an end to the uncertainty once and for all. 

“Listen, I wanna ask you something but I don’t how to”

Jimin turned his head, still washing the dishes, “Pretend I’m a child and do it in the simplest way possible” he smiled and turned back to his chore, “That’s what I try to do with Jia at least”

“Okay...hm…” Y/N paused and studied her following words because not only she wouldn't be able to take them back, the answer itself would change everything. 

“Are you married?”

Jimin stopped washing the dishes immediately, the only noise that could be heard in the kitchen was the faucet running. 

Y/N gulped.

This is not how he was planning on telling her about Sunny, but he couldn't run away from the truth; it's definitely strange for a man to raise a little girl alone, without a mother around so of course Y/N had questions.

Jimin sighed. Today, tomorrow, next week. What’s the difference?

“No” he started washing the dishes again, “I’m a widower”

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

A/N: hello dear reader! tkysm for reading chapter 6, i hope you liked it. it was a challenge to write, but i am very thrilled with the result  ❤️ unfortunately due to personal reasons, i will be putting this story on hiatus for a little while. i hope you understand and wait for me. with love, bella xx

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

“Yes! What a great idea, angel” he agreed, pinching her cheek.

Jia smiled proudly and went back to eating her breakfast.

Jimin turned his thoughts back to the day before, replaying the scene of Y/N drawing with Jia on the living room floor, then teaching the girl how to style Bo and also always making sure everyone was comfortable at all times, constantly offering drinks and food. Made sense for Jia to invite her. The woman was really nice.

“How about you draw something pretty on a card and we can put it in their mailbox? I’ll write the party details inside for you” he suggested.

“Okay!” Jia jumps from her chair, “Let me get my crayons” 

The tenacious small human marched into her bedroom wearing a white tee, dark leggings full of stars, and yellow converse to gather her materials and make this the prettiest card ever.

She came back moments later shaking her box of crayons, excited to begin.

“What should I draw, daddy?”

“You?” Jimin suggested.

“Maybe” Jia replied climbing on the chair, “I don’t know”

Jimin reached for a fresh card on the second drawer of the cabinet and handed it to her, “What if you draw Bo too? Right next to you?”

“Yeah, okay!” she spread her crayons on the table and started drawing right away.

While his daughter drew, Jimin sketched what exactly he was going to write. Should he be funny? Serious? Straight to the point? Descriptive? What if he wrote it like a note? Or as if it was written by Jia? He really doesn't know the best way to invite Y/N. He was also worried that she wouldn't accept because of how uncomfortable it was when Jia's mom came up as a topic in the middle of the conversation yesterday.

“Look, daddy!” the cute voice called Jimin out of his reverie.

“Good job, angel” he grabbed the card to look closer, “I think miss Y/N will like it a lot”

“Really?” Jia’s big eyes showed concern like this wasn’t her best work and perhaps she could do better.

“Absolutely” Jimin winked, handing the card back.

While Jia gave the drawing its final touches, Jimin seized the moment.

“Hey Jia, can ask you something?”

She nodded and he proceeded after clearing his throat.

“Why did you want to invite miss Y/N and Bo to your birthday party?”

Jia didn’t even look up, kept drawing, “Because they’re cool. I like playing with them”

“Right” Jimin said. He forgot how kids don’t overthink things. She simply invited them because she liked them. It was that easy.

“And I want all my friends to see how cute Bo is”

There it was, the real reason.

“Of course you do” he laughed.

Meanwhile, in the apartment next door,  Y/N was struggling with her latest assignment.

“How am I supposed to write about the best vacation spots in Asia if I hadn't had a vacation in three years?” Y/N yelled frustrated at her laptop, white doc page without a single word in it staring back at her, “I wouldn't know!!”

Y/N had accepted the position in the Life & Style section with the promise that in a few months another would open in Entertainment. Maybe it was the frustration of the broken promise by her superiors or a simple lack of inspiration and a very short deadline, but she couldn't write a single sentence without immediately deleting the whole thing. She felt like a fraud for writing about anything other than music.

While his owner was struggling, Bo laid on the couch and occasionally moved his head whenever her tone changed. Y/N was so worried about turning in her assignment on time to the chief editor that the TV became background noise as some important news came on.

Authorities issued severe weather warnings for the Seoul metropolitan area as heavy snow and icy conditions will likely disrupt roads and railways in the upcoming days. The cold weather is expected to last for at least a week.

“Ugh” Y/N grunted, harshly shutting her laptop and startling Bo, “Can’t do this right now. Come on, buddy, let’s go for a walk!”

As soon as the word "walk" was brought up into conversation the dog jumped off the couch and came running and started barking frantically at the uninspired journalist.

"We can't travel but we can take a walk around the block" Y/N opened the locker to get the collar, "Right? It's just as fun" she added with sarcasm.

Bo kept barking and now started running around wiggling his tail.

"Oh boy, I wish I had your energy" she said as she tried to calm him down and fasten his collar, "Would you please sit down?” he did, “Thank you”

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

On the way back from their walk, Y/N noticed that there was something in her mailbox. Strange, the bills are paid and I didn't order anything online, she thought to herself. What could it be?

"Oh my god" she giggled as she pulled the piece of thick paper out of the box, "What?" she whispered, completely amazed at the handmade gift. Little did she know it held a more meaningful message inside.

Before opening it she stopped for a sec to notice every detail in the drawing that was in the front. It was Jia and Bo, side by side, in a park. Beautiful sunny day, with lots of colors. Y/N was touched. 

The minute she opened though, her smile grew bigger.

Jia is ecstatic and proud to invite miss Y/N and Bo to her 5th birthday party,  to be held this Saturday, 3pm, at her godfather Kim Seokjin's house.

41 Jangmun-ro 9ga-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul

Would you do the honor of gracing us with your presence?

Birthdays were an important milestone and not for a second did it cross Y/N's mind being invited to Jia's. They've only known each other for a couple of days. She was just their neighbor for God's sake. Would it even be appropriate? 

Y/N wondered if Jimin was just trying to be nice so he suggested to his daughter her coming to the party and Jia simply nodded or if he did that on her behalf because of Bo. Y/N sighed. She liked the little girl and saw a lot of herself in her. Maybe that's why the instant connection.

After a few minutes standing in front of the mailbox, reading and rereading the card, Y/N decided that they could at least stop by so that Jia could spend a little time with Bo. It would've been mean not to, right?

“Looks like we have plans, buddy” Y/N looks down to Bo as he instantly replies with a bark, “Yeah we do” she pats him and he barks a couple more times as if he knew what those plans were.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

“That’s my girl” Jimin stroked his daughter's cheek before turning and picking up the plate of fresh-baked cookies from the kitchen island. "Let’s go? Open the door for me, angel"

Jia had gone only on a few playdates, heck maybe just two, but Jimin knew the importance of socializing and, although he was too shy to make small talk with other parents, he had full confidence in his daughter's outgoing personality.

He didn't know why he was so nervous all of a sudden. Meeting new people seemed intimidating at first, but Jimin knew he had a natural charisma. So, it didn't make sense to be feeling like that and for a new neighbor of all people. A beautiful neighbor, by the way, but he refrained from thinking about that.

Five steps later, Jimin and Jia were in front of Y/N's door and the little girl looked up impatiently, subtly asking her father with huge eyes if she could knock on the door, to which he nodded.

“Yes?” a muffled voice asked.

“It’s Jia!!” the girl says excitedly “and daddy!!”

As soon as Y/N opened the door, it was clear that her excitement level was the same as Jia's, "Oh, hello!" But before father and daughter could even say a word, the lovely hostess turned around and announced, "Hey Bo, you have a guest!"

Bo runs out of the bedroom towards his owner and seems to immediately recognize the new friend.

“Bo!!!” Jia lets go of Jimin’s hand and runs past through Y/N, throwing herself on the ground and petting the dog’s belly.

“Jia!” Jimin calls, a bit embarrassed. “The rules” he adds.

“Don’t worry about it!” Y/N smiled over to Jia and Bo, then to Jimin, instantly noticing the plate in his right hand, “What you got there?”

“Well, I thought you guys might get hungry so I baked some cookies”

“Dad of the year!” she raised her eyebrows jokingly.

Jimin laughed, “I’m trying to”

“Please, come in!” she grabbed the plate.

“Thank you” Jimin said, looking around as Y/N closed the door, “Great place!”

“Thanks, I like it too”

“I must confess, seeing the exact same layout as my apartment but not actually my furniture is weird”

“I bet” Y/N chuckled, unwrapping the foil that covered the cookies, “Would you like something to drink?” she tilted her head towards the fridge.

“Whatever you’re having is fine” Jimin softly replied.

Not that he thought Y/N wouldn't offer him anything, but he didn't expect it either if that makes any sense. This is why he was very surprised when she kneeled down next to Jia and Bo and heard her say, “Hi guys! Wanna drink anything?”

“Juice!” Jia answered, after thinking for a couple of seconds.

“Okay, juice for Jia and for you Mr. Bo?” Y/N asked seriously, making the dog bark once “Water? Great. Coming right up”

This little scene made Jimin smile (again — what was going on?). His daughter played happily with the dog, not a single worry in the world, and it was such a common scene, so domestic. A scene he'd dreamed about for as long as he wanted to become a dad and, well, he didn't think it would come true. Not so soon, anyway.

“Thanks for doing this” he said.

“It’s my pleasure” the tone he used caught Y'N's attention, making her stop in front of the fridge, hand on the door handle, “I’ve been working so much and Bo hasn't gotten much attention” she admitted with a little bit of bitterness in her voice.

“What do you do?” Jimin's curiosity took over as Y/N picked up the beverages.

“I’m a journalist for the Korea Herald” Y/N walked over to Jia, delivering her the bottle of juice and then proceeding to put water in Bo’s bowl.

“Wow, smart” Jimin widened his eyes, pausing for a second, wondering if it would be okay to ask more specific stuff. Once Y/N got up, he continued, “What do you write about?”

“Life&Style” she poured him a glass of iced tea.

“Do you like it?” the questions were falling off Jimin’s lips.

“It’s fun” she answered after a pause, making Jimin scrunch his nose, “I like it but it’s not what I like like” she explained, handing him the glass.

Jimin reached out and took a sip. “So what do you like like then?”

“Music” Y/N face blushed as if this was a forbidden topic or a deep secret she never revealed to anyone before. Both were wrong guesses though, yet Jimin was pleasantly surprised by the beautiful stranger.

“Really?” he said, now lost in admiration.

Music was everything to Jimin. It was not only his profession but a gift, his calling. Alongside being a father, making music was his greatest achievement. Composing songs, turning feelings into melodies, and encapsulating specific moments for eternity filled him with tremendous pride and satisfaction. Music was what helped him overcome life’s most challenging trials. Music saved his life.

“Yeah” Y/N nodded, feeling an instant connection to Jimin, “Ever since I was a child music has been a very important part of my life and I can talk about it for hours” she sipped a bit of tea before continuing “I much rather be paid to write about it for hours, but still...”

“Why don’t you?”

“That’s a story for another puppy play date” she said biting a cookie.

“Deal” he gave her a kind smile. An ‘I understand where you’re coming from’ smile.

“Hum…” Y/N paused, “These are incredible, Jimin” she said with her mouth full, pointing to the plate.

“Thank you! It’s Jia’s mom recipe” he answered proudly.

Y/N felt downright embarrassed, unable to pinpoint the exact reason why. Perhaps it was the presumption that Jimin wasn't a married man but instead just a single father. My God, what would his wife think of all this? Why is she not here? Does she know he and Jia are out with a (very) single woman?

Jimin felt Y/N's discomfort and decided to intervene.

“She’s not in our lives anymore”

“Oh” Y/N puts the cookie down, still feeling somewhat uncomfortable, like she was about to cross a line.

“It’s okay” Jimin comically shrugged, “It’s a story for another puppy play date”

“Deal” Y/N chuckled, relieved that the subject was over.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

The afternoon went by quicker than expected and Jimin and Y/N kept their conversation light and casual. The connection between the two of them was obvious, but neither of them was willing to admit that or to delve into a specific subject, much less ask deep questions about childhood, relationships, or family. Their walls were up.

For someone who didn't like small talk, Jimin felt comfortable with the way Y/N was leading the conversation. And for someone who loved to talk, Y/N felt at ease by having Jimin as a patient and attentive listener.

Jia on the other hand had an absolute blast with Bo and was currently sleeping on the couch with him right next to her.

Y/N looked over her shoulder after noticing it was quiet for too long and immediately pouted at the scene, “Okay, that might be the cutest thing I’ve ever seen in my life”

“Right?” beamed, “Sometimes I can’t believe she’s mine, you know? I’m a lucky guy”

Y/N turned to Jimin, watching him carefully as he stared lovingly at his daughter. There was peace in his expression. To her, Jia was the lucky one to have such a caring father, which was quite the opposite experience she had with her own dad.

Y/N's father wasn't bad, he just wasn't involved in her life. He never made a point of participating, teaching, or helping. Y/N's mother blamed his work, justified his absence with the "he's supporting our family" speech. As an adult and after years of therapy, Y/N understood that her father never wanted to be a father in the first place and that he saw her and her sister as a social obligation. Not that he didn't love his wife or his daughters - he did, in his own way - but they were never his priority.

Jia, however, was Jimin's priority and that made Y/N happy.

“That’s my cue to leave” Jimin got up from the kitchen stool.

“Are you sure?” Y/N got up as well, “You guys can stay a bit more. She’s sleeping so good” she pointed to Jia.

“Thank you though but it’s already her bedtime anyway, and I gotta catch up with some work”

“Okay, yeah”

Jimin then proceeded to the living room, gently approached the couch, and wrapped his daughter in his arms, lifting her off. The way the girl clung around her dad made Y/N tear up. There was something so intimate about that gesture that she felt like she wasn't supposed to see it. But she did. And she liked it. She was moved by how powerful a tiny little movement could be, what it meant between the two of them. Jia trusted Jimin.

“Let me get the door for you” Y/N whispered

With Jia across his chest, head resting on his shoulders, Jimin smiled, “Thanks again, Y/N”

“Anytime!” Y/N lightly ran her fingers through Jia's hair straightening her little bangs. “Tell Jia Bo had a lot of fun too”

“I will. Goodnight”

“Goodnight” Y/N silently closed the door and leaned against it. Bo came and nudged her leg with his head, whining a little, asking for attention.

“Yeah buddy, I liked them too”

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Y/N opened the door and Bo was sitting right beside her, all friendly with his tongue out.

“Hi” she smiled.

“I would like to apologize for yesterday. I was very rude when we met” Jimin started, feeling downright embarrassed. He could feel the heat spread from his cheeks to his ears. It was not like him to be rude to people, especially women. “It was just that I was worried, you know? I couldn't find Jia anywhere and I ended up lashing out at you”

"It's okay, I understand", Y/N reassured him.

"Thank you" he smiled back relieved, putting his hands in his pockets. After a few awkward seconds of both of them looking at each other, to the floor and everywhere else, Jimin was the one to break the silence, “Um… I don't remember seeing you around before. Did you move in recently? ”

“6 months ago...I think,” she paused and pondered, “yeah, that sounds about right.”

“And how do you like it so far? Minus the rude neighbors, of course” he joked trying to lighten the mood. She seemed like a nice person and he was trying to get on her good side. He didn’t want to be that type of neighbor.

Bo replied for Y/N and barked excitedly a few times, which made Jimin laugh out loud and took Y/N right out of her reverie where she was checking his lips out. And his hair. And his eyes. Okay, his whole face.

“Well, like Mr. Bo here just said, it's great" she smiled and turned her attention to the dog, “Isn't that right?” she waited for an agreement bark but of course he didn’t do it this time, "We like it" she looked to Jimin who was now kneeling to pet Bo.

“Hey doggie”

Bo loved the attention and immediately jumped to lick Jimin’s face.

Y/N was mortified, "He's a very shameless dog, I'm sorry".

“No, not at all… he’s lovely” Jimin laughed.

“So, Is there anything else you need?” Y/N looked at her watch, “I’m sorry but I have to leave for work” 

“Oh, no, that was it” he got up, “Just a good old apology”

For some strange reason, Y/N felt like Jimin truly meant that. There was something about him that she trusted, which was weird because he was a stranger. A cute stranger, but stranger nevertheless.

“Apology accepted” she replied leaning against the door watching him walk backwards to the hallway with a shy smile on his face, “Bye”

There it was again... that feeling. She didn’t want him to leave and she felt a bit disappointed in herself about how she wasn’t able to come up with a single good question to ask, a clever observation, or basically anything a normal person would say in an attempt to flirt.

As Y/N slightly bowed and started closing the door, she wondered if there was going to be another interaction between them. They obviously got off on the wrong foot and deserved a fresh start — wait, hold up, he might be married, she thought. Damn! Before she could indulge any further in such thoughts, Jimin came back running and held the door Y/N was almost finishing closing.

“Wait, wait!” he shouted, “There is one more thing actually”

“Yes?” Y/N replied surprised, opening the door once again. Maybe Jimin had superpowers and heard what she was thinking.

“Would it be okay for my daughter to play with Bo a little bit on the weekend?” he started, looking a bit flushed, “She has been talking non-stop about him and it would really make her happy”

Y/N was still very surprised with the sudden request and only murmured an “Uh…”

“I mean or she can come and pet him for like a couple minutes, you know, nothing much, just really quickly, she’s really into dogs, she might become a veterinarian in the future, who’s to say” Jimin laughs awkwardly and points at Y/N “But only if that’s okay with you, I don’t wanna impose, you can totally say no… but who says no to a 4-year-old, honestly”

Even though there was a possibility that Jimin was a married man, a big gesture was a big gesture and Y/N allowed herself to appreciate it for a brief second. The shy, sweet and sincere way that the neighbor asked a favor for his daughter made Y/N even more curious about the family in the apartment next door and she couldn't help a spontaneous, loose, and amused laugh escaping her lips as soon as the poor guy paused to breathe.

“Oh, sorry” his cheeks turned red again.

“No, it’s okay, you’re funny” it was now her turn to feel the heat spread through her face.

Jimin chuckled, “Or just desperate” 

“Jia can absolutely come over. Bo would love that!”

“Wow, thank you!” Jimin clasped his hands in front of his chest, “She will be so happy”

“Saturday afternoon works?”

“Perfect! Thank you”

The way Jimin replied made Y/N giggle. He seemed genuinely grateful and even excited about this, but she couldn't understand if it was because of Bo, who caused a great impression, his daughter, or because she forgave him so easily. Perhaps it was just personality and she shouldn't look much into it.

“You’re welcome! Bye…”

“Bye...” Jimin smiled as Y/N successfully closed the door between them.

However, the boy didn’t manage five steps without remembering another thing to say so he turned around, totally embarrassed, and knocked on Y/N door for what he hoped it would be the last time, secretly wishing she wouldn't think he was crazy.

Y/N was running around the living room grabbing her stuff and reading some emails at the same time on her phone so she didn't hear the knock, which would've been nice because when she opened the door she almost dropped her laptop as Jimin scared the shit out of her.

“Jesus!”

“I’m sorry” he laughed apologetically, reaching out his hands in hopes of catching her laptop, “Your name. I never asked your name!”

“It’s Y/N” she laughed back.

“Nice meeting you, Y/N”

“Nice meeting you too, Jia’s dad” she slightly bowed her head, making things a little bit too formal. “I’m just kidding, bye Jimin” Y/N smiled.

Jimin bit his lip and took a couple steps back, waving to his neighbor, “See ya”

Y/N stopped for a moment, taking a deep breath feeling her heart beat faster than it should. Surely it was the adrenaline rush of opening the door and bumping into Jimin. That’s the only reason. Nothing more.

“Focus, girl!” she said to herself, trying to snap out of it. “Bye, Bo! I’ll be back soon”

It was going to be a busy day and as Y/N made her way out of the building she caught herself thinking about the interaction she had just had with Jimin. That was a big no-no, which is why she made a mental note to forget about it for a few hours because that obviously was a sign that things were taking an unexpected turn.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

This has never happened before and fear took over every fiber in Jimin's body, making him start to shake and his eyes burn with tears threatening to escape. He immediately ran across the apartament to get the car key. She might have left without him noticing and headed for the street. What if she wasn't on the street? What if somebody took her? God, he would have to go to the police!

“No no, no police, calm down Jimin!” he mumbled to himself.

Jimin left his apartment and started shouting for Jia as he walked through the building's corridors. The silence was excruciating.

“Jia, where are you?” he cried out now totally desperate and with tears streaming down his cheeks.

He felt so helpless and unbelievably guilty. How did he let that happen? He was always so careful. You have to keep your eyes on kids at all times, what the hell was he thinking? And he didn't even check beforehand to see if the door was locked? Idiot!

As he reached the front door of the building, he saw a tiny figure wearing cute pigtails and a pink tutu right in front of the stairs, crouched down petting a dog. He took a deep breath and wiped away the tears, a wave of relief starting to settle him down. Once he collected himself, he opened the glass door with a strong pull, running towards the girl.

“Oh my god, Jia!”

“Hi daddy!” the girl smiled like nothing happened and this was a casual conversation, eyes making a crescent moon shape, just like her father’s on happier occasions where he hadn’t just taken the biggest scare of his life.

Still feeling a bit overwhelmed he kneeled and enveloped her in a tight hug for a few seconds. “Jia, we agreed that we were going to play inside, what are you doing here?” he asked as he pulled away to look the little girl right in the eye and caress her little cheeks.

“I’m sorry, daddy, I wanted to play with the doggie” she shyly replied feeling suddenly sad. Jimin didn’t sound mad but she felt as if he was.

“Hello, I'm sorry. I didn't know she sneaked out” a stranger intervened.

Jimin finally realized there was someone else present. He stood up, taking Jia's and giving the strange woman a scornful look.

“Since when does a small child wander around by herself?”

The woman was speechless, completely shocked, and not knowing how to reply because she was sure he would thank her for looking after the girl until an adult or parental figure arrived, however, her good deed was found with contempt.

She wished to explain what happened, especially the part that she wasn't a crazy child thief but it was best to leave him be. He was visibly altered and wouldn't think logically. She didn't expect him to.

Still, she felt somewhat embarrassed by the tone he used and decided to just leave. “Come on, Bo” she said, pulling the dog by the collar and giving Jia an apologetic smile before entering the building.

“Bye doggie!” the girl waved.

“Jia, you scared me. Please don't do this again!” Jimin bent over with a soft but worried expression, “It's very dangerous to be out here without an adult, okay?” he explained and kissed his daughter's forehead.

“Okay…” she nodded.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Later that night, while Y/N was making dinner, she recalled the morning incident and went over a bunch of possible things she could have said instead of I'm sorry. I didn't know she sneaked out. It sounded super dumb now that she thought about it, no wonder the guy replied like that.

Bo barked.

“I know!” she stirred the meat in the pan, “So obvious but it all happened so fast”

Bo barked again, wagging his tail. Y/N thought he was trying to be part of the conversation but the dog was just really hungry and the smell that permeated the kitchen was driving him nuts.

“One minute we were getting out of the car, the next she was right in front of me scrubbing your belly” she looked down at Bo, “I didn’t even see where she came from!”

Bo jumped on Y/N legs trying to get closer to the stove.

“You are not listening, are you?” she sighed amused, “Okay, fine, I’m gonna feed you”.

While Y/N waited for the meat to grill a little more she grabbed Bo's food from the cupboard under the kitchen island and put it in his bowl by the door. He definitely wasn't going to pay attention to her until he ate. Hungry furball!

In the unit next door Bo was also the topic of conversation.

“Daddy, I want to play with the lady’s dog” Jia announced with a serious look on her face.

Jimin was cutting some vegetables on the kitchen table while she was coloring a drawing in the middle of the living room floor and he thought the bossy tone she used was very amusing as if she were letting him know what she was going to do instead of asking for his permission. Exactly like her mom.

“What?”

“Please? He’s really cute!” she got up to look directly at him with a pout.

“What dog?” he asked confused, not even remembering the interaction, “What lady?”

“Today! When we were playing hide and seek.”

Flashes came to Jimin's mind and he quickly remembered the woman who owned the dog and how he cut her off. He said something about kids not walking around by themselves? What was it again? He couldn't remember but it was not nice at all. Amidst the rush of emotions he felt in less than ten minutes, her presence was not registered properly and now he regretted not even saying ‘thank you’.

“Oh…” was all he managed to say.

Jia came running and stopped in front of the table, both hands together, absolutely desperate, “Can I? Please? Pretty pleeeeease?”

Her big eyes made Jimin melt on the inside. How could he say no to that face? And it wasn’t like she was asking to go out on a date, she just wanted to play with the dog. Yikes, dating. She was almost 5 but he knew time would fly pretty quickly and soon enough she would be 16 and getting into high school.

“I'll ask the lady tomorrow, okay? Right now it’s time for dinner!”

Jia looked at the vegetables on the cutting board and gave her dad a side-eye, "I'm not hungry" and put both of her hands behind her back as she rocked back and forth.

“Jia, we already talked about this, remember? You need to eat your greens. You are a big girl now!”

"I'm not that big" she raised an arm and stood on her tippy toes.

"Oh no? Too bad," Jimin shrugged and he kept slicing, "babies can't play with dogs. They might get hurt”

“No, no, wait! I’m a big girl” she quickly corrected, making Jimin burst out a laugh.

"That's what I thought"

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀