Attention ||BOOK 2|| Park Jimin

+7+

Grace Xiu

"You...You couldn't have told me that before?" I whispered. "When you wanted to talk with me."

"I-Uh....." He sighed. "There's a time and a place, Grace. I couldn't in that moment."

"I see."

"I knew we were going to see each other again anyways." He chuckled under his breath. "Whether it'll be on social media, in public, on TV...."

"We'll always see each other." We both said at the same time.

Our eyes were locked with a dangerous distance between us.

His facial features were softened as if he was looking at a sad puppy.

I probably looked the same way.

I was the first to break the contact and cleared my throat.

I am not good with eye contact. It's treacherous. Especially with Jimin.....

Jimin turned away too and I notice him slightly shaking his head with his gaze on the ground.

He's been shaking his head a lot.

I grabbed a snack bag. "Again, you haven't ate much today, so please eat something. I brought snacks. I know you like snacks."

I opened the bag and handed it to him. He takes with a nod and immediately starts eating.

I looked back to the moon and let out a quiet breath.

I see it in a whole different way now. It's prettier. I get better vibes from it now. I like it more.

The moon.

Something can look normal to everybody, but be so much more to someone else.

"Grace?"

"Uh, yeah?" I turned to him.

He held up the empty snack bag and crumbled it up. His cheeks were stuffed and he looked like a pale squirrel.

"I guess I really am hungry." He said, mouth full.

I giggled. "Not a problem. I brought more."

We stayed on the roof for another long moment.

Cuddled with blankets. Eating sugary snacks. Talking. Laughing. Getting along. Reminiscing.

It was nice to be with Jimin as a friend and not as an enemy. Whether we're together or not, it feels good to see that he's not entirely uncomfortable with me.

I like him.

I really do.

As a person.

I liked this side of him. The sweet side.

What he did back then was stupid, but does it matter?

Now?

Still?

I don't hold grudges and that's one thing I'm so glad about.

We don't look at butterflies and think they're ugly because they were caterpillars before?

No.

It matters what they are now.

I became Barney.

"Should we head back down now?" I yawned, stretching my arms above me.

"Yeah, it's super late. We should get some sleep." Jimin agreed.

He stood up and held out his hand to help me up too. I took it and we stood there with our hands in one another's.

Just feeling his hand again gave me a warm chill in my body. It felt nice.