MIRROR MIRROR || ksj || BTS

XI

"So", the youthful man who called himself Hoseok drawled, setting a mug of coffee each in between the three of them. "Your backstories?"

Jin stared at the steaming mug, not much of a coffee guy, but hands grasping onto the mug anyways, itching to hold any form of warmth.

They sat around on the cold floor of an old dance studio Hoseok would come often to practice at. Neither Seraphina nor Jin had been keen on accepting the invitation to come to the man's apartment, and after they had met, each in their own clutches of insanity, there was an unsaid agreement that they best be near each other for the time being.

So they settled for the dance studio, which had pieces and sprinkles of what seemed to be Hoseok's once lively personality, furnished with inspirational quotes on the wall, and a coffee-maker seated on the plastic table put to the side of the room.

Just by looking at how each poster was placed on the wall, so that it covered up patches of torn paint, made Jin grow fond of the seeming fact that this young man truly treasured this little realm of his, where he was free to move to his own will.

It almost made a sense of guilt creep back into Jin, wondering if Hoseok had ever opened this abode to anyone else.

The young man with striking green eyes sipped his coffee, back rested on the wall paneled with a dance mirror. His hands curled around his knees, and feet rhythmically hummed on the wood floors.

Hoseok made the setting casual, helping to ease out the tension Jin was feeling while being in the presence of Seraphina, and also untightening his throat from when he laid eyes on the giant dance mirror when they had first walked into the room drenched in rain.

The red-haired boy's gentle gaze must've calmed down Seraphina, as she finally spoke first, responding to his request.

She told more than Jin had learned about her within the span of those two days since they had met.

Her story began on the brinks of Italy where she was born to a Catholic family. Coincidently, she was named after the Angel Seraphim.

According to the girl, she had always been reserved, deeply involved in her local church. They had mistaken her nature for solitude, never knowing how troubled she truly was.

"I could see things", she said with distant eyes. "All the insecurities of people, whatever that was deeply buried into them...", she hesitated, "I had a habit of bringing that out and into the open. I hurt many people..."

"Which was why you chose to remain quiet", Hoseok guessed.

She nodded, then took a deep breath and continued.

Her church was a place for her to invest herself in. She felt like she had a purpose. So when the opportunity came to embark on a missionary trip to the Philippines, Seraphina thought that she could rid herself of the guilt, of the sin she felt.

"It took a lot of convincing", she chuckled, "But my Nonni...my grandparents, they thought it would be a wonderful opportunity, so they convinced my parents and went with them to the Philippines".

Her missionary trip consisted of helping the farmers on the islands and spreading knowledge of the church to the Christians who lived there. Seraphina had felt her bitter habit come again as she saw people with nothing manage to keep smiles on their faces.

A soft smile flitted on her lips, "And then I was helping some of the woman farmers harvest their crops, and I saw the most beautiful person I had ever laid eyes on".

Hoseok glanced to name on her wrist.

"Taehyung", she said perfectly. "I saw no flaw in him. And trust me, I tried looking for one, as it was an old habit of mine...but there were none."