Set Aflame

6

You shut your laptop, finally done with your essay. It's due on Friday, tomorrow, which is the last day of school before Christmas break.

You're practically jumping on the inside. You're so proud that you got your essay done finally and have no more work left this week. Finishing assignments early really does pay off. Now all you have is one day of school before two weeks of relaxation.

And hopefully a lot of phone calls home. You miss your family. Especially your brothers.

You pack your laptop into your bag and hurry to the library exit. Out of the corner of your eye, you spot Mika at a table talking quietly with a boy. You turn to her and step toward her table.

"Oh Mika!" You say. "I didn't think I'd see you here." You don't usually talk to her that much but you're in a good mood today. Can't help not to be. You're free to enjoy yourself- maybe even get some extra sleep tonight.

Mika and the boy both look up at you. "Oh hi," Mika says. "Tae and I were just talking about you."

Tae. As in... Taehyung?

"Oh?" You ask. "Good things I hope."

Tae seems really quiet. He looks at you shyly, biting his lip, as if waiting for you to do something. Mika nods. "Well, you haven't done anything bad."

You let out a shy laugh and scratch the back of your head. "I hope I haven't. I try not to."

At that moment, Taehyung's face comes alive with a bright smile and he waves at you. "Jungkook told me about you," he says. "He said you're coming to the party on Friday."

You nod. "It's for your birthday right?"

Taehyung nods. "Yeah!" His entire quiet demeanor has changed into a friendly, happy one within seconds. Does he do that a lot? Maybe he's only friendly with certain people.

"Hey I'm going too," Mika says. "We can go together!"

You nod. "Sounds great. I gotta go now. I have a phone call to make soon." You look at Taehyung. "It's nice to meet you."

After saying good bye to Taehyung and Mika, you leave the library and head down the corridor to the exit. As you walk, a door opens on the other side of the hallway, about ten feet in front of you, and Jungkook walks out, hauling a pile of books.

He spots you and a bright smile dons on his face. "Hi!" He says. "Hi," you say back, waving. Jungkook slows down to talk to you. You match his movements.

At the end of the hallway, the exit doors open and in walk two very familiar looking men. You widen your eyes and groan on the inside. These two are the last people you want to see at all today.

It's Dr. Lee and Dr. Kim.

You glance around to find somewhere to escape to. There are no open classrooms except for the one Jungkook walked out of, and by the time you'd make it over there, the scientists will have noticed you.

So instead, in a panic to find some way to avoid Dr. Lee and Dr. Kim, you do the only thing that pops into your mind.

Which is take the books Jungkook is holding and drop them to the floor, throw yourself onto him, and kiss him.

Jungkook tenses in surprise and stumbles, with you in his arms, back into the wall. For a moment he doesn't seem to mind, but then he pushes your face away from his. "What the-"

"Just go with it," you whisper. "I'm hiding from someone."

Jungkook tries to turn his head in the scientists' direction but you don't let him. You kiss him again.