Gallery

Dimples

The elevator ride is painfully slow with eight of us squished into such a small space. No-one seems eager to look at the others as we rise further up the building. It's hard to blame them with how tense it is, I can imagine reaching out and touching it. 

'I can just leave. I don't have to stay. It was just a kiss.' 

But it's not that easy as the elevator stops, opening up into a luxuriously modern room. Not just a room, the place is massive with all the luxuries many would never dare to dream of. The plush grey sofas line the room with more than enough room for everyone to stretch out with a large screen on the adjacent wall. It's clearly a hotel however, nothing homely or warm about the space. The place is open-living, lined with minimalistic decorations in earthy tones. The kitchen looks as though it could be a commercial cooking space, but has nothing to show it's ever been used. I'm praying now, that this will be easier than the first time I'd had to sit and face them. 

'This time at least they know my name... but I also hadn't just kissed Namjoon then. Why did I get myself in this mess?' 

They begin filing in as though this was a common occurrence, sitting around the seating area as they had done last time, without the laughs and smirks though. The seating this time is different, creating a new dynamic that I can't help but watch. Again, preconceptions of the members had me guessing who would sit where, which members would sit on the two seater and which would sit together on the long, L shaped couch. I assumed that the maknae line would stick close, presumptuous but an honest guess. I hoped that Namjoon would sit somewhere so I'd be able to sit far away. But I'm startled to see Yoongi wrapping an arm up and over the broad shoulders of Jungkook with a tired smile, dragging him down onto the two seater as Jimin and Hobi flop down into the far corner of the L shaped couch. No-one seems mad, or disappointed, but they definitely look how I feel. 

'Tired'. 

Namjoon takes a seat on the other end of the L shaped couch with Taehyung and Jin sitting towards the center leaving but one seat between Jin and Namjoon for me. I slip my shoes off at the entry way before stepping into the lounging area, knowing the space remaining is probably intentional. Instead I sit on the floor as Namjoon had done the night before, but further away with a clear view of the front door. I don't feel like I'm in danger, but an escape route is always a good thing to have, given the circumstance I may find myself using it to escape back to reality. Some of the members have begun mumbling and whispering to each other, in Korean again, I realize that this is probably about me. Jimin, Jungkook and Namjoon however opt not to participate and seem as unenthusiastic about the situation as I am. 

"So, I get stuck leading again huh?" Says Yoongi in a low voice, looking up towards Namjoon. The comment seems to sting as Namjoon shakes his head, "Can we talk alone for a few first?"  He's still averting his eyes, but after the room seems to have frozen over his voice mumbles again. 

"Y/N, can we talk?" 

It hadn't occurred to me that he'd actually been addressing me, but I nod as I tug my dress down and rise, keeping my head low I follow his feet as they navigate the hotel suite down a short hallway to a bedroom. Here it comes, the most awkward rejection in history. If this was any other situation I'd laugh at how nervous I am, I can feel myself shaking and I'm clutching my jacket close. The length of my dress seems to grow shorter and shorter as where he'd kissed and touched burned like I'd been scalded with hot oil. 

"Hey, can you look at me, please?" His voice is soft, gentle and I'm surprised to see him reaching out to take my chin in his hand. He directs me to look at him as I give him a half hearted smile. 

"I'm looking." Pathetic, I can hear the trembling of my voice. I really did this, I really kissed some stranger who'd already caused me hell on Earth for weeks. I'd been so paranoid after simply talking to him and touching his hands and now I'd had his hands on my body and tasted him. If he hadn't been so good-looking, I guess I might have been mad. 

"I know. But I guess I owe you another apology. I, I don't know what came over me honestly."  He's being honest, but it's nothing brutal. He's probably been professionally trained to cover up something like this. 

'It was a mistake.'

"I get it. It was a mistake, I'm not to talk about it and I'm free to gather my things and leave."  While he may know how to handle this delicately, no part of me felt like entertaining the notion. 

I was not going to be humiliated by seeming upset. Normally I'd like to smile at him, assure that I was unaffected but I knew if I tried it would be obvious that I was lying. While lying with words was as easy as breathing, my face would surely betray me with him looking at me like that. He seemed concerned, pausing to think he's clearly choosing his words carefully as the cautious look showed his dimples. 

'Cute'.

"Oh... I didn't realize you thought it was a mistake. Now I'm really sorry I guess." 

'What?' 

"Wait, what do you mean, you're really sorry now?" Now I'm angry. Is he trying to make a fool of me? Is it funny to him? I must have really done something to deserve this. Maybe it was a game? Jimin had been very intense earlier in the night, maybe they play bets to see who can get the silly little girl to fall for them. I'm speaking more bluntly than before when I speak again, cutting him off. 

"I don't know what game you guys were playing at here but I have no intention of playing. You kissed me, now it's done." 

I can hear through everything boiling up in me that someone has crept down the hallway and has hung around to listen in, they're stifling a laugh. 'Jimin', I guess. The voice whispers, alerting both me and Namjoon to the presence of not one but at least two eager listeners. 

"Actually, there isn't a game. But I know now that someone did bet on it. The kiss, I mean." 

"That's disgusting! I'm not a horse!" I yell, turning to the open door to see shadows retreating down the hallway. He's watching me slowly, as I pace to distance myself from him. 

"Hey, it's not like that. You've got it all wrong Y/N!" This time, I can't be bother to argue, I stare blankly and nod my head to hurry up the excuse he's inevitably about to spurt. 

"Look, that day in the gallery right? I went to check the photo to see if I could send it through to our social media team for my Instagram. Everything gets approved to make sure nothing causes issues. And there you were." His soft smile grows as he pulls his phone from his dark jeans and begins to unlock it. 

"The number of times I looked at that picture is embarrassing really. You shouldn't have been in that picture but when I looked at it I couldn't see anything but you standing in the background. You had this beautiful, bright smile and your eyes lit up like Christmas trees. You'd spotted something you really liked and you'd clasped your hands together so tight. I just.... I don't regret kissing you at all."