Running In Circles // pjm.

Little Secrets

I woke late the next morning, having studied till later than usual. Due to the last time, I decided against going to the hotel gym and set out for a run. I was dressed in a white crop sweatshirt and brown leggings, I wore my hair in a messy braid and I was ready to run into pretty much anyone. I ran on the track around the hotel, stopping after 17 minutes when a ring interrupts my song. Silencing my phone, I continued running. I couldn't disrupt my flow. Another 30 minutes later, I stopped once I reached the garden. Drenched in sweat, I pulled out my phone to check who called. Thrice. In 47 minutes. Geez.

A raspy voice distracted me, "when are you going to stop following me?"

My eyes snapped up.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me." I said and looked him right in the eye. A little rude, I agree. But a girl's got to do what a girl's got to do.

"Language." He growled, raising an eyebrow.

Oh.

"Sorry, I can't really help it. So, what are you doing here? Decide to take run the same day and time as I do?" I questioned.

"It would appear so. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you didn't go to the gym to avoid me." He said, cocking his head to the side. It's so rude but so hot.

"Well then it's a good thing you know better." I said, and on cue my phone rang again. "Excuse me," I said and answered. It was my sister.

"Hey, Zee, what's wrong?" I asked.

"Why does something have to be wrong for me to call you?" she huffed.

I laughed in response, "you don't call me, Zee. And you certainly don't call four times in less than hour. Well, not unless you need something. So, what is it?"

"Fine. I need to borrow some money, I need to make a down payment on this car but I don't have enough right now. So, can you send me some?" she asked. No bullshit, no drama. She cut through the crap and that's one thing I respected about her.

"How much do you need?" I sighed. We weren't close and I never knew what it was like to have a sibling. She left home very early on and contacted me only when necessary.

I agreed to sending her the money and hung up, not realizing that Jimin waited, cross-armed for me to return to our conversation.

"Oh, you're still here."

"Who was that? He asked.

"Huh?" I simple didn't know why he'd care.

"I asked who that was. On the phone."

"Uh... my sister." I answered.

"Didn't sound like it. I didn't even know you had a sister." He said.

"there's a lot of things you don't know about me, Jimin-ssi," I stated, "and didn't sound like what?"

"Didn't sound like you were talking to a sibling." He claimed. What's that supposed to sound like?

"Um, we're not really close, so..." I trailed off.

"You're not close to your own sister?" he asked. He sounded genuinely taken aback by this information.

"No, we never were. She moved out when I was 12 and she never really tried to establish a relationship with me. I was young, I adapted."

"Let's walk," he said, mildly touching my arm and guiding me down the path

"So, when's the last time you saw her? Years?" he asked.

"A little over a year, actually."

"Oh, that's not so bad."

"Yeah, we kinda had to, so..."

"You had to? Why's that?" he turned to look at me. I kept my eyes on my slow-paced feet.

"Um, there was a thing back home. Family gathering of sorts..." 4 months before I moved, my mother passed away. That's when Zee flew down from New Jersey to come see us. I had seen her after 4 years that day. And I saw her only for 2 more before she flew back, having attended all the essential ceremonies.

"Oh, it's okay. You don't have to tell me." He said.

Wait, is he being nice? To me? For real?

A cyclist zipped past from in front of us and Jimin stuck his right hand out to stopped me. Now, because of our heights, his hand landed fair and square on my chest. Woohoo, second base!

"This-this is really the most effective safety measure of our times." I said, looking at his arm.

Glancing at the location of his arm, he retracted his hand swiftly.

"You're welcome. I just saved your life." He said, unabashed.

"why, thank you but I wouldn't really care if I-" before I could shrug in completion, he whirled around to look at me. "Don't say that." Was all he said before he turned around and started walking again.

I stayed put and frowned. "Well, I'm going to go now!" I called after him. As soon as I saw the faint nod of his head, I turned around and ran back to my room.

Park Jimin is a strange man.