Fourth Encounter

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"Oh, it's Leila Sunbae!"

Yoongi's head shot up at the sound of an all too familiar name. He froze as his eyes landed on an all too familiar looking girl. Yoongi couldn't believe his eyes. He wanted to rub them clear, worried he was starting to see things. His heart quickened and suddenly all his feelings from that night in Barbados he thought he moved on from came rushing back. Yoongi didn't dare to blink, afraid the mirage of her would disappear if he did. But how was she here?

Taehyung who had been sitting in front of him got up with a large grin on his face. "It's Photographer Noona!" He picked up two shot glasses and walked over to her.

Taken aback by Taehyung's reaction to her, Yoongi dropped the piece of beef he had been grilling. He was bewildered. How in the world did Kim Taehyung know her??

He watched an already tipsy Tae hand Leila a shot glass. Tae clinked his glass on hers as he downed his alcohol. Leila smiled at him uncertainly before drinking it herself. Then, her eyes landed on Yoongi. She seemed tired and yet she looked even more prettier than he remembered.

Except, her eyes were dim as she looked directly at Min Yoongi. Her face was blank of all emotions. However, Leila broke their eye contact, turning her head away from Yoongi to smile at Jackson Park, one of their photographers, who patted the seat next to him. She sat down at the seat. Tae pulled up a stool next to them as Soobin and Yeonjun went over to the table as well.

Yoongi's brows furrowed in confusion. Did she not recognize him? Or did she ignore him?

"Hyunngg! You're burning the meat!" Jungkook whined as he reached over and flipped the beef on the grill himself.

Yoongi snapped back to reality. "Oh, my bad," he apologized looking over at the grill that had started to slightly smoke. He helped Jungkook flip the meat. But his eyes wandered back up to Leila laughing lightly at something Tae was saying to her. He wanted to know what they were talking about. Taehyung pulled out his phone from his back pocket and handed it to Leila who took it and typed something in. Leaning in close to Leila, Tae peered down at his phone's screen with a sly smile on his face. Ok, seriously. What the hell was going on?

"Yo you good Yoongi? You look like you just got punched." Jin asked as he reached over and placed grilled beef in his lettuce leaf.

"Yeah," Yoongi replied briefly as he poured himself some more beer and chugged it down.

The dinner went on and Yoongi struggled to pay attention to Jin who was telling him something that happened to him the other day. His story became increasing incoherent the more drunk he became. JungKook and the rest sat beside him and were having their own conversation with the boys from TxT. 

Yoongi's eyes drifted to Leila once in a while, each time to confirm if it was really her. She was amid a conversation with Jackson and Tae who was sitting way too close to her for Yoongi's comfort. Taehyung got up a moment later and he bowed his head respectfully to Jackson as a goodbye. Before leaving he patted the top of Leila's head playfully earning an annoyed look from her as she shooed him away. Taehyung laughed walking back to their table and took his seat in front of Yoongi.

"Hyung have you met our new photographer?" Taehyung asked looking at something on his phone with a proud grin. "I got her to give me her Instagram." He turned the screen to Yoongi. "Cute right? Although it's her work Instagram."

Yoongi didn't reply. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Leila get up from her seat and head downstairs. Yoongi stood up. "Yes, that's great Tae," he replied hurriedly. "Gotta use the restroom, I'll be right back." Yoongi made his way around the table quickly and went downstairs.

He followed Leila outside the restaurant. The city night had become windy. Yoongi's newly dyed caramel brown hair blew into his eyes as he buttoned his denim jacket, feeling cold. Yoongi scanned the area for the girl he had been waiting to meet all night. He spotted her taking out her side bag from the passenger seat of a car, closing the door before she locked the vehicle.

Yoongi jogged up to her. "Leila," he called out to her. Saying her name aloud after all this time felt strange to him. 

The girl turned around. Seeing her up close like this made him realize how much he had missed her unknowingly. But she didn't smile at him like she did as they sat together atop the beachside boulder in Barbados. She was definitely mad at him. She had every right.

Yoongi thought about this moment a few times. What he would say to her if he ever saw her again. Each time he drew a blank. If only he'd known he'd see her soon, then maybe he would've thought harder. Yoongi stepped closer reaching out for her hand. "Leila, I'm sorry," he said in the most earnest of tone.

Leila moved her hand away. "For what?" she asked looking at him coldly.

Yoongi's heart sank. "What do you mean for what? For everything. For leaving without an explanation. For the scandal... you must have been so stressed out about it-"

Leila put up her hand to stop him from talking any further. "Look, Min Yoongi-ssi, it doesn't matter. You don't have to apologize to me for leaving without a word. You wanted a one-night stand and you got one. And don't worry, I won't say a word to anyone if that's what you're doing this for."

Yoongi stared at her, gutted by her words. "Is that what you think?"

"What am I supposed to think then?" she replied as she began to walk past him.

Yoongi grabbed her hand, stopping her. "Leila, please..." he begged. "I never wanted a one-night stand, I just wanted to be with you."

Leila pulled her hand away, frowning. "Don't say things like that."

Yoongi moved closer to her. "I meant to leave you a note to call me but I overslept and left in such a hurry. And you weren't there."

Leila's cold countenance began to slowly melt. Her heartbeat quickened. The four months of resolve she had built to forget about the man standing in front of her started to slowly crumble. "Stop." She said, almost desperately. "What are you trying to achieve by telling me all of this?"

"I just..." Yoongi paused as if he was asking himself the same question. "... I just don't want you to misunderstand me." He finally said.

Leila's brows furrowed. "Why does it matter if I do or don't?"

Yoongi racked his brain for a response, trying to decipher his own emotions. He didn't understand it. Looking at the woman in front of him, all he felt was an inexplicable attraction. With her he had felt the most free and he didn't want to lose that. Yoongi didn't know how to explain that to Leila.

"Yoonie!" called a female voice from behind them. Yoongi turned around. Eun-Ha waved at him from the end of the block with a gorgeous smile on her face. She sparkled in the night with her hair and makeup all done. She was wearing a short sequin dress with a leather jacket over it. She looked like she may have just walked out of a shoot. Her manager ran up behind her with a hand full of shopping bags, huffing to catch his breath. The female pop star began walking towards them.

Leila moved her gaze from Eun-Ha back to Yoongi. She smiled at him with an almost sad expression on her face. "It doesn't matter because you gave a girlfriend." She said to him before she walked away from him, heading back into the restaurant.

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