Heartbeat // JK

7 - A Dance of Hearts

The van buzzed with drunken laughter as we left the ice cream shop, the earlier chaos still bubbling in everyone's energy. Jin and Taehyung were bickering about something nonsensical again, their voices carrying above the soft hum of the van's engine. Across from me, Jimin was leaning heavily against Namjoon, his cheeks flushed, and J-Hope was scrolling through his phone, grinning at something he wasn't sharing.

Beside me, though, Emma sat stiffly, her phone glowing faintly in her lap as she stared out the window. Her silence was heavy, her earlier enthusiasm from meeting BTS now completely drained, replaced by something colder. She hadn't spoken much since we'd left the shop, and the tension in her posture felt like a weight pressing into my side.

"Eva-yah," J-Hope called, his voice louder than it needed to be.

"Are you plotting something? You're too quiet."

I laughed, shaking my head.

"No plotting. Just trying to keep up with the chaos."

"Chaos is the default," Namjoon said with a lopsided grin, his words slightly slurred.

"She's doing great, honestly."

Beside me, Emma finally spoke, her tone overly light.

"I mean, she's probably just overwhelmed. It's a lot, you know, being around you guys."

The comment hit sharper than it sounded, but I forced a smile.

"It's definitely a new experience."

Jimin, tipsy and grinning, leaned closer to me.

"Eva-yah, overwhelmed? Nah, she's handling it better than most."

"Better than you," Jin shot back, his drunken energy carrying easily across the van.

"You almost tripped over your own feet earlier."

"Details," Jimin muttered, waving him off.

"Nobody noticed."

"I noticed," Taehyung chimed in, his voice solemn.

"And I'll never forget."

The group burst into laughter, and even I couldn't help but join in. But Emma's lips barely twitched, her grip tightening on her phone. She let out a faint, hollow laugh, though her eyes stayed fixed on the window.

When the van pulled up in front of her building, she shifted abruptly, breaking the laughter like a cold splash of water.

"Are you coming?" she asked, her voice clipped as she turned to me.

"No," I replied, caught off guard by her tone.

"They're dropping me off next."

Her brows lifted, and she let out a sharp, breathy laugh.

"Of course. You're going with them."

"It's just for a little while," I said quickly, trying to keep my voice light.

"Then I'll head home."

Emma's lips curled into a tight smile, and she turned to the boys, her tone shifting dramatically.

"Well, thank you for tonight," she said brightly, her voice carrying just enough sweetness to feel artificial.

"You guys are so much fun. I mean, not that I'm surprised, but still."

"Glad you had fun," Namjoon replied, his voice steady but slightly slurred.

Emma's eyes flicked toward Jungkook, her expression softening.