Cold Daughter of Taekook

CDT 14

It had been a week since Jungsoon's birthday, and the house had settled into its usual rhythm. The excitement had ebbed away, leaving only the whispers of lingering memories. But for Jiyoon, those memories weren't the only things keeping her distracted. There was something else — or rather, someone else. And that someone had been occupying her thoughts far more than she would like to admit.

Jiyoon's eyes darted around the living room as she mindlessly scrolled through her phone. Yoongi and Jimin at work while Yoonji had taken Jungsoon out for the evening, leaving her with a rare moment of solitude. She should've been relishing the quiet, maybe even practicing for her basketball game next week. But her mind kept wandering back to Varisha.

In the past few days, Jiyoon had noticed something — small, almost imperceptible changes in Varisha's behavior. To anyone else, they might have seemed insignificant, but to Jiyoon, they meant everything.

Take last night, for instance. Varisha had been sitting beside her on the couch, flipping through one of her textbooks. Without looking up, Varisha had casually leaned over, tucking a stray lock of Jiyoon's hair behind her ear.

"Your hair was in your face," Varisha had said softly, her eyes never leaving the page.

It had been such a simple gesture, so casual that Varisha didn't even seem to realize the effect it had on Jiyoon. But Jiyoon had felt her heartbeat speed up, the warmth of Varisha's fingertips lingering on her skin long after the moment had passed.

And then there were the lingering glances — those soft, almost unintentional moments when Varisha's eyes would meet Jiyoon's and stay there a second too long. Just the other day, they'd been at the dining table, going over notes for a class. Jiyoon had been rambling about some trivial thing, not even realizing she was nervous until she looked up and saw Varisha watching her, her lips slightly parted as if she were about to say something.

But she didn't. She just smiled, shook her head, and said, "You talk a lot when you're nervous, you know that?"

Jiyoon had laughed it off, but deep down, she knew. Varisha was noticing things about her that she didn't even realize herself. Things that made Jiyoon's heart skip a beat.

And the others had started noticing too.

Yoongi had been the first to comment, glancing over the rim of his coffee cup one morning as Varisha unconsciously handed Jiyoon her favorite mug before even being asked.

"That's sweet of her," Yoongi had said, raising an eyebrow.

Jiyoon had blushed, mumbling something incoherent. But he wasn't wrong. Varisha had started doing little things — thoughtful, considerate things — without even realizing it. Whether it was giving Jiyoon the bigger slice of cake at dessert or instinctively moving closer whenever Jiyoon sat down, her actions felt like subtle displays of affection.

Even Yoonji, had pulled her aside a few nights ago. "You know," Yoonji had whispered with a mischievous grin, "I think Varisha might be falling for you. The way she looks at you? That's not just 'being friendly,' sis."

Jiyoon had brushed it off, of course. Varisha didn't see her that way. She was just being herself — thoughtful, kind, always looking out for her friends. But every time Varisha's hand brushed hers or her gaze lingered a second longer than necessary, Jiyoon couldn't help but wonder. Maybe, just maybe, Yoonji was right.

-

While Jiyoon was lost in her thoughts, Yoonji was pacing outside the Kims mansion, nervously tugging at the hem of his shirt. His palms were sweating, and he couldn't seem to keep still. He was waiting for Jungsoon, waiting for their first official date. And, true to his golden-retriever energy, he was practically buzzing with excitement — and nerves.

When Jungsoon finally stepped out of the house, Yoonji froze. She looked perfect, as always. Her outfit was casual but chic, and her hair fell in soft waves around her face. Yoonji's heart did a little flip, and he almost dropped the bouquet he was holding.

"I got these for you," he blurted out, thrusting the flowers toward her with a sheepish grin. The bouquet was slightly crumpled, having suffered from Yoonji's nervous grip, but Jungsoon accepted it with a smile.

"They're beautiful," she said, her eyes crinkling at the corners. "Thank you, Yoonji."

They started walking down the street toward the small café where they had planned to have lunch. Yoonji was still jittery, his hands fidgeting with the sleeves of his jacket as they walked side by side.

The café was cute — cozy, with mismatched chairs and soft music playing in the background. But things quickly took a clumsy turn when Yoonji tried to pull out a chair for Jungsoon, only to knock it over in his eagerness.

"Oops," Yoonji muttered, quickly righting the chair with a nervous laugh. "Sorry! I—uh—wasn't thinking."

Jungsoon just giggled, shaking her head as she sat down. "It's okay. You're adorable when you're flustered."

Yoonji sat down across from her, feeling his cheeks heat up. "I'm just...really excited to be here with you."

As they ordered their drinks, the clumsiness continued. Yoonji knocked over the salt shaker, spilled a bit of his water, and nearly dropped his fork twice. But through it all, Jungsoon was patient, laughing at his antics rather than getting frustrated.

"So," Yoonji said, finally managing to steady himself enough to make conversation. "I've been thinking... Are you French? Because Eiffel for you."

Jungsoon groaned, rolling her eyes playfully. "Oh my God, Yoonji. That's terrible."

"But you're smiling," Yoonji pointed out, his grin widening.

"I can't help it," she admitted, shaking her head. "You're ridiculous."

"Ridiculously charming," Yoonji added with a wink, earning another eye-roll from Jungsoon.

Despite his nerves and the occasional clumsiness, the date was going well. They laughed, they teased each other, and the awkwardness that had been there at the beginning melted away as they got more comfortable.

As they walked back toward the house after lunch, Yoonji reached out and tentatively took Jungsoon's hand. To his surprise, she didn't pull away. Instead, she intertwined their fingers, giving his hand a gentle squeeze.

"You know," Jungsoon said after a moment, "I like this. Us."

Yoonji's heart practically burst with happiness. "Me too," he said, his voice soft. "I like this a lot."

The rest of the walk was filled with comfortable silence, broken only by the occasional joke or quip from Yoonji. But by the time they reached the house, both of them knew that this date — clumsy and awkward as it had been — was the start of something special.

Back at the house, Jiyoon was still lost in her thoughts. Every small thing Varisha did seemed to take up space in her mind, making it impossible to focus on anything else. The way Varisha laughed at her jokes, the way she always saved her a seat at the table, the way she remembered the little details — like how Jiyoon preferred her coffee with extra sugar and no cream.

These were the things that made Jiyoon fall for her more every day. And though Varisha didn't seem to realize it, everyone else was starting to notice.
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Word Count: 1202
Date Written: 09/06/24
Date Published: 09/06/24
Author: Kheliyesh