Yuanfen : Destined To Be Together

Chapter 54

Author POV





Lights dimmed around the city as the night slowly started to take over. Shops started closing, people headed back home one by one. The streets became less crowded, accompanied by a few cars that passed time to time.

Even if the Summer was just approaching, the nights were cooler. A slow, rhythmic breeze made the leaves sway, the sky clear, shimmering with different stars and constellations. White clouds still visible in the moonlight.

At the back of the stadium, cars roared to life, rolling onto the main road, following one another.  All the members took separate cars, relaxing for the first time since morning. 

Leaning back on the plush seat, Jimin's eyes drifted out the window. Letting out a sigh mixed with happiness and exhaustion, he opened his phone, fingers flying over the screen with practiced ease.

The call rang once...

then twice...

before her lighthearted voice wrapped around him like  a warm blanket.

-"Hey, how did the concert go?"

-"It went well..."

He murmured in response, a soft smile curving his lips upwards, eyes following the moon as the car ran smoothly.

-"I think I did good..."

He finally admitted, remembering how the lights, the heartwarming cheers from ARMY melted his heart, easing his nervousness and replacing it with love instead.

On the other side of the phone, Nandini chuckled after a brief pause. 

-"See, I told you! You didn't just do 'good', you did great."

She corrected him as usual, making the smile on his lips widen. 

-"I'm not even that good..." 

-"Oh, come on. Stop being polite."

Her dramatic tone made him laugh softly, imagining how she must be rolling her eyes now.

-"Fine, if you don't want to admit, I'll say it for you."

Clearing her throat, she proceeded to speak 

-"Park Jimin has the sweetest voice in the industry, and he is the sexiest dancer—"

Until she slipped once again just like last time...

-"What happened? Why did you stop?"

Jimin's smirk was too obvious, amusement evident in his smooth voice.

-"Yeah, I mean...that's true, isn't it?"

Nandini chuckled on the other side, running a hand through her hair, flustered and trying to regain her usual composure.

-"Yeah, yeah, of course. If Ms. Sen is saying so, it must be."

-"Yeah, so, I was saying that, Park Jimin has the sweetest voice in the industry and he's....the finest dancer I've ever seen..." 

A comfortable pause followed, filled only by the faint hum of the car and the night outside.

He leaned back, eyes still on the moon, voice low but playful.

-"You know... you make it really hard to stay modest over the phone."

-"Shut up!"

Both of them laughed together at her 'accidental' slip-ups. As they talked about anything and everything, Jimin suddenly remembered he was actually going to get mad at her. 

How dare she leave without saying goodbye or even take such a big risk to visit him like some heroine?

-"Yeah, okay, so...I was saying that..."

He started softly, trying to make himself sound upset, even though his lips were practically fighting to form a smile.

-"Yeah, what were you saying?"

-"You left without telling me, I'm mad at you."

A brief pause, again. And the sound that followed made his heart flutter. Her laughter lifting off the weight of exhaustion from his shoulders.

-"Oh no. You're mad at me? What do I do now?"

Her words elicited a quiet chuckle from his lips. Leaning back from the window, his attention shifted completely towards her voice, rolling down the window instinctively. A few strands of his smoothly styled hair flying over on his forehead carelessly by the last breeze.

-"You can at least speak to me nicely."

-"Oh, right. How did I forget that? Would Your Majesty be kind enough to enlighten me on how I can make you feel delighted?"

He shook his head with a soft laugh. A hint of disbelief mixed with quiet fondness etching his relaxed features.

-"Seriously, though. You could've stayed."

He murmured softly then, making her sigh over the phone.

-"I could, yes. But I couldn't either! The staffs were suspicious."

She added the last line under her breath, making Jimin's eyebrows grow a little closer in a faint crease.

-"Suspicious? Who??"

-"That lady. But it's okay, you forget it. I just wanted to surprise you before the concert and I saw in a webtoon that this is how you can surprise your idol....boyfriend..."

She added the last word in a hushed whisper, waiting for his response with bated breath.

But when none came, her eyebrows furrowed slightly.

-"Jimin?"

-"Hm?"

-"What happened? Did I..."

Just when she was about to ask if she upset him, he cut her off with a thoughtful voice, catching her off-guard.

-"How did you know she was suspicious?"

-"Um...I... She asked me if I was married... I said yes, so she wouldn't suspect but...she still told me to be careful with you...because people might misunderstand..."

She answered truthfully, confusion and hesitation lacing her voice. When he didn't reply immediately, she asked again.

-"Why do you ask?"

After a brief pause, or perhaps some calculations in his mind, he answered

-"Nothing. What were you saying again?"

-"Um...I was saying that I just wanted to surprise you..."

She added softly, her voice clearly downcast, assuming he didn't hear what she said earlier. Meanwhile, Jimin smiled, sensing her obvious sadness.

Let's keep it a secret for now. 

He did hear what she said.

-"You did. Thank you for the surprise."

-"Hmm....you're welcome..."

-"I'll talk to you later when I reach the hotel, okay?"

-"Hmm...bye..."

-"Bye."

As she hung up the call, Jimin stared at the screen, chuckling at her adorable sadness.

Boyfriend...

So, keeping his girlfriend safe is his duty, right?

-"Excuse me. Can you take an U-turn and head back?"

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