Temptation [ Min Yoongi | ENG ]

F O R T Y S E V E N

I was sitting on Evi's couch with a glass of sweet white wine in my hand watching the clear liquid swirl in its container. The sweet taste of wine was welcome in my dry mouth caused by the joint I had smoked earlier.

I had come to lunch with Evi and Maud and let myself stay. In the late afternoon more of our friends had arrived, including Timo and Tulip with my order which I promptly shared with everyone present.

I listened to the conversation without participating, Grietje was lying with her head on my lap and watching me in silence. I looked at her and she squeezed the fat under my chin. I smacked her hand with mine and she laughed softly.

I set my glass on the coffee table and stood up, walking towards the small balcony to smoke.

I heard the intercom ring and it didn't take long for Jimin's angelic voice to fill Evi's little apartment. Her presence was becoming more and more common. By this time I had become accustomed to the kind of sadness I felt all the time and to the look of her date burning my skin.

Maud's anger had also subsided. The rest of our friends were caught in the crossfire and to preserve themselves they pretended there wasn't any drama going on. We were already used to it because the history between Grietje, Lotte and Dirk had left us experienced in this kind of mood.

I finished my cigarette and went to the kitchen, fiddled with the cupboards in search of food and prepared myself two slices of bread with cream cheese and smoked salmon. I still listened in silence to their conversation.

Tulip and Evi wanted to go to a new nightclub. Timo argued that the place should be like a bar, but with more expensive drinks and no place to sit. I would agree with him if I was participating in that conversation.

Lotte sat next to me at the round table next to the kitchen and handed me my glass.

"Will you go with us if we end up going?"

"I think so..."

"Great! I feel like dancing without a care tonight." He told me excitedly.

Lotte had been awkward for a while after Yoongi broke up with me. I think she spent days biting her own tongue to keep herself from saying 'I told you so'. Now, however, she was getting back to normal.

I finished my glass, which was already at the end, and took it to the sink, along with the crumbs left over from my dinner. Yoongi came to meet me there.

He stopped beside me and was silent while I washed the dishes I had used.

"Yes?" I asked without taking my eyes off what I was doing.

"Are you going with us?"

"Yes, why?"

"Um... I wish to remain your friend, Roos."

"I think we can leave this matter for later, Yoongi. But I wanted to take advantage of the fact that we are talking right now to ask you if you can take my clothes I left in your house back to mine."

"Ah! Ok... text me saying when it is good for you." He said a little confused.

"Do you think it could be tomorrow? Your things have been separated at home for a long time."

"Tomorrow? I can after lunch."

"It works for me." I dried my hands and walked away from him.

I realized that Jimin followed me with her eyes, but I was already very experienced in not returning the look of those who stared at me. Although she came to Hilversum at times and was quite comfortable with our group of friends, she still hadn't had the courage to speak to me.

I didn't speak to her for the simple fact that I didn't have anything to discuss with her, other than the hurt I felt because the guy I was with fell in love with her.

Anyway, I didn't blame her, just as I didn't blame him... at least not because he fell in love with her. I blamed him for keeping it from me for so long and for trying to act naturally while things got out of hand. But then I remember that we were never in control of anything.

I also didn't blame myself and refused to see myself as a victim. I was hurt by the situation, I was sad that I couldn't be with the man I still loved and I was grieving for the relationship that we had and that ended, but I was not a victim of anything.

Lotte was still at the table when I returned.

"What did Yoongi want?"

"The same as you."

"Hm?" She was so confused that it was funny.

"He wanted to know if I'm going too."

"Ah!" She seemed to relax. "Just that?"

"He also wanted to tell me that he wants us to be friends and I asked him to get his things from my house."

"Um..." she murmured.

"What?"

"Jimin is afraid of you two together." She said softly.

"My god, Lotte, how do you know these things?"

"Dirk doesn't know how to keep secrets." She shrugged.

"And neither do you!" I laughed and she accompanied me. Having a gossipy friend was both a blessing and a curse. "But she's a bit of a hypocrite, isn't she? I don't have anything against her, but she being afraid of that now is a little absurd."

"I know, right? Everyone is a bit crazy, some things just don't really make sense."

"Are they dating yet?" I needed to know.

"Yes, it looks like it's official now."

She answered me with a sad look and I just shrugged my shoulders, accepting the facts.