The Siren's Song

Chapter 38- the friendship deepens

(Y/N) POV:

I wave goodbye to the three of them as I step outside, the air slightly cooler now that the day's ending- I can't believe how quickly hours had flown by. And never realised that whilst I seemed to be at war with the crane machines, it seemed the opposite for the three of them.

It had been an unintentional competition when Kookie claimed he could win me one easily, far more easily than the struggle he'd seen me go through when we'd first met. My cheeks had flamed when I realised he had seen my silent struggle and the subsequent victory dance when I'd finally won the cookie plushie. And rather than make me feel challenged and annoyed, it had just made Jimin and Hoseok step up to machines on either side- claiming that they couldn't let their dongsaeng outshine them.

And that's how a fierce, very vocal battle of trying to win me a plushie had started, coins poured and pressed into the slot with haste and fierce determination as they tried to win one- each claiming their sights on one specific one each, rather than choosing the nearest one, or one that would've been easier to grasp using the claws.

And that was how after a furious and ridiculous amount of time and money invested by the four of us had I left with not a single victory, but three- one after the other as they'd scored me plushies; one pink bunny with bold eyebrows, one cute round dog in a yellow tracksuit and the third a horse plushie who had a heart shaped nose and Hoseok insisted was hiding his dazzling self from the world under what was a mask.

But I was touched and warmed by their gestures- that even as they'd bickered good-naturedly, unable to decide who the plushie master was that they'd gone to such extremes to win me them. All three of them held between my arms and cuddled close to me, unable to hide the wide smile across my face as I silently gushed over them. 

But then I'd caught track of time and knew that the two would be back by now, and soon enough calling when they came home to an empty house.

The three had followed my gaze and murmured about the others coming home by now.

So I'd waved goodbye and stepped out into the cool late afternoon air, wondering whether to call one of them to pick me up or trudge home by foot- knowing it would be early evening by the time I'd made it back.

But then Hoseok's voice fills the air from right behind me.

"Are you waiting for someone?" he asks.

I turn to look at him, shaking my head.

But my answer makes a sunny smile burst across his face.

"Let us give you a lift back then." He offers.

I dither, should I, shouldn't I?

He spots my uncertainty.

"I'm a good driver, don't tell Jin hyung but the best from the seven of us." he confides, eyes sparkling as he shoots me a conspirator's wink, voice dropping low- rich honeyed warmth as he leans closer too. The combined effect of all three has my cheeks warming, feeling slightly flustered as I note and see the shade of his eyes much closer- the shades of browns in them and the way he lips curve into an adorable heart shape when I nod, beaming at me.

"Great! You can sit up front." He says brightly.

I stare at him.

"That way you can type in your address and the other two won't fight." He says, grinning when I nod, leading the way to the car and predictably- the two do bicker as we walk, claiming it's their turn, only falling silent when Hoseok says I'll sit at the front.

It's a struggle to open the door with my arms full of plushies and I try to, fingers stretching out without loosening my hold to try and tug at the handle, not realising that Hoseok hadn't stepped around the driver side of the car, laughing softly- hand reaching out to open it for me, I step back as the door opens, fingers brushing against his and whilst the touch is minute- brief moments of feeling the warmth of his fingers against my own, it makes me want to flush. And I clamber into the passenger seat, trying to situate them properly until Jimin reaches forward to draw two back, to make my arms less full.