𝐌𝐲 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞 𝐋𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫|(𝐌𝐘𝐆)

9.Did fairies sprinkle dust on Yoongi?

Jung Soo Ah's POV

The chick flitted around inside the basket with its teeny legs. I couldn't help but laugh when it hit the sides and tumbled over. I scooped it up and placed it in the middle. It looked up at me with its shimmering black eye.

Adoring the chick, I lowered my hand to the floor to find the chopped apples, but I couldn't. I felt something rugged and textured instead of the cold floor. I touched it and ran my hand over its surface.

I turned around to find Yoongi squatting down with one leg on the floor and the other close to his chest, gazing at me without blinking with an intense stare. I found my hand on his thigh, and what I felt was his rough fabric of jeans.

"Yoongi! What are you doing here? You scared me," I gasped, stumbling backward and colliding my elbow with the chair. I yelped in pain and found Yoongi trying to suppress his laughter. Being with him for a few days, I rarely saw him laughing. His laughter made his gum visible as he crinkled his eyes, giving him a quirky appearance.

"I got curious about what made you laugh. I heard it upstairs," he said, reaching out to take my hand from his thigh.

"I was laughing at the chicks," I said, moving away from him. "Would you like to feed some apples to it?" I asked, reaching for the bowl behind him. He nodded his head and grabbed the bowl from my hand, feeding it. The little one pecked the apple with its beak while its feather fluffed in enjoyment. Suddenly, we heard a creaking sound and saw Hoseok opening the door tip-toeing.

"Where did you go? You have been disappearing now and then since we got here," Yoongi asked.

"Yoongi, I just went out for a walk. You seem to be smiling and in a good mood. Did the fairies sprinkle you with dust?" Hoseok said, tightly wrapping his arm around Yoongi. Yoongi tapped him on the hand and fought to break free from his hug.

"Ouch!" Hoseok wailed in pain. I reached out to him, but he stepped away, holding his hand. I pulled him up and rolled his sleeves up to find a purplish, discolored bruise on his hand.

"Hobi, what happened?" I questioned him. He remained silent and appeared edgy, looking away.

Hoseok started explaining, "After Yoongi's warning to the cafe owner about following the regulations, we both reached out to a lawyer I knew, a Chinese legal expert named Hao Yichen. He explained the legal implications of running the cafe illegally. We sought to ask for help from him because he understands the local laws and legal framework of China, as the regulations differ from various countries. While we were discussing it, the cafe owner's friend got impatient and tried to hit Yoongi. I intervened and took the blow instead of him. At the end of our discussion, the owner realized the potential consequences and apologized for his friend's behavior. He ensured to follow the regulatory requirements and gave us Da Hong Pao Chinese tea." He laughed nervously, knowing that I would be angry for hiding it from me.

"I am really upset that you got hurt because of me," Yoongi said.

"I couldn't stand by and see you get hit."

"Repeat this. I will dock it from your annual bonus," Yoongi warned.

"Hoseok, don't try to hide from me as well."

"I promise I won't. I'm going in before Grandma finds out." Hoeseok said, smacking my head, and he hurried off towards his room. After Hoeseok went to his room, we both looked at each other in silence.
I asked him, "Yoongi, if you are free, can I take you out as I said to you yesterday?" Remembering that I promised to take him out.

"Let's go and wear your scarf," he said.

We both arrived at the night market, soaking in the festive mood. The atmosphere was vibrant and eclectic, with traditional music and dragon dances. I motioned for him to follow me through the crowd.

"You wanted to take me here? We are not kids!" he exclaimed incredulously.

"Why are you being dramatic? Adults can play goldfish scooping as well?'' I said, making him squat.

The tank was filled with colorful fish, their scales glimmering under the soft glow of the moon. The sound of water swishing as the fish glided through was relaxing.

"Try your luck. If you can scoop up the colored fish, you will get tiny plushies. If you can scoop up the goldfish, you will get that large plushie." The vendor explained and gave us the paper net.

I delicately dipped the paper net into the water, attempting to scoop the fish. When I was about to scoop the colored fish, it slipped away and tore my paper net.

"Let me do it," Yoongi said.

He grabbed the paper net and dipped it into the cold water. The game needed a lot of concentration, precise technique, and determination. Whenever Yoongi was about to scoop the fish, it teasingly eluded from the paper net.
After a few attempts, he began to scoop the colored fish into the bowl. Everyone gathered around us as the air was filled with excitement. He was about to scoop the goldfish, but it jumped. He tried again and scooped the big goldfish into the bowl. The crowd applauded, and Yoongi appeared shy, smiling at me.

We strolled together, carrying the plushies that the vendor had given us, as Yoongi collected a lot of fish. I squealed in happiness when I saw these lovely plushies. Especially the yellow-colored chick one.

"I know that the chick's owner will collect it tomorrow. You can keep these plushies as a memory. Thank you for taking me here. I enjoyed it a lot," he said.

I felt saddened thinking about the chick, despite only being with me for a few days. I grew fond of it. When I gazed at Yoongi, I wondered why he mentioned liking my scent. I comprehended that he was troubled that day and wanted a hug. Even though he apologized to me, I know he doesn't have an explanation for what he did. I understood that he was processing a lot that day, so I decided to take him out to loosen him up.

"Have you tried this game before?" I asked.

"No, I have not played. I learned while you were playing and avoided the mistakes you made." Yoongi said. I glared at him, but as he told me to keep these plushies, I kept quiet.

"Yoongi, you look good when you laugh," I said, and he composed himself, wearing his usual stoic face.

When we arrived home, we discovered Hazel asleep on the floor. When we got close, we noticed red stains around her mouth. Yoongi dropped everything and picked up Hazel.

Who's your favorite character so far?

Was the chapter flow good?

I announced it, but I thought to say here as well. It's been two weeks since I last updated My Serene Lavender, and I feel bad about that. I went on a trip and I've been busy working 4-6 hours a day. Staring at the computer for long hours is exhausting. The rest of the time, I spend studying. I feel quite overwhelmed, to be honest. That's the reason for the delayed update. I apologize for that.

                                            - Shin Haari