AMIN

My lips are still swollen by the time I come out of the shower to the bedroom. Taehyung's already out, a towel hung loosely around his neck.

He's sitting blankly, on the edge of the bed.

His mouth is redder than mine.

And I suppress a laugh. He looked like he'd lost his mind, just staring emptily into the opposite wall with his hands on his lap.

He'd been like this ever since we'd come back from the pool.

"Taehyung." I whisper, handing him one of the pastries that I'd found prepared on the table. Swimming had made me so hungry, and I chew halfway through mine as he takes it almost confusedly.

"Eat."

He just seems so confused.

Stifling a smile, I sit down on the edge of the bed next to him and touch the bread to his lips. His eyes focus, at the soft texture.

"I said eat."

"N-Noona."

He grips my wrist, looking serious. "Where did you learn something like that? I never—"

"You're just inexperienced." I tease, and his dark eyes instantly scrunch together. "Did it really shake you this much? I didn't realize it would."

His eyes are hazel in the sunset.

"...what?"

"Nothing."

Hurt fills his face. But the moment he stands and grabs his coat from the coat hook, I don't show a single sign of urgency.

At this point I'd known him for so long that I knew if he was faking an expression or not.

He gives a hesitant glance back when I don't say a word.

I can practically hear his voice at his wavering gaze.

....Noona?

So I do what he wants.

"Taehyung, where are you going?"

The hesitation turns to certainty.

"Work." He just says, and I nearly burst into a giggle as he pulls the coat onto his shoulders. "Stay here, Noona. I'll be back."

"Work? Are you serious— when?"

"I don't know."

Huh.

"Alright." I say, hopping off the edge of the bed. Then I walk over to him, just to grab my coat off. His eyes widen slightly when I start to push my feet into my shoes.

"Where..."

"It's the States. I need to go try some food."

"No."

He holds me back, eyes completely alarmed now at my statement. "Noona. You can't."

"Why not?"

"Because..." His voice trails, and I push my laughter back as hard as I can when he looks like he's lost all words.

His expression tightens.

"Because I don't want you out alone without me. This is a foreign country, don't you understand? It isn't South Korea."

"I know. I can practice my English."

His mouth slightly parts in disbelief.

"...what?"

"You heard me." I say, straight up walking out the door. I just couldn't help it— he was so fun to tease. His reactions were so priceless, every single one of them.

Ruffling my sweatpants, I'm about to stroll down the lobby when Taehyung pulls me backwards.

"Wait for me. Wait— I'll be just a second, okay? Don't go anywhere."

Amusement fills my eyes when I watch him hurriedly rush back into the seat. The emotionless facade he'd put on earlier had completely dissipated.

So I wait for him, leaned slightly into one of the golden-tinted columns.

"Miss."

My head tilts up.

It's a man, dressed fancily with butler clothing. And the moment his eyes flicker down my plain shirt and dark sweatpants almost hanging down to the ground, I know why he'd called my name.

He hadn't seen me with Taehyung, had he?

"I'm sorry," He says, and I strain myself to see if I can catch a single word of what he's saying. "But did you make a reservation here? Only guests are allowed in this area."

I chew on my bottom lip.

I hadn't understood a syllable of that.

At my silence, his forced smile turns more downwards. I would tell him that I didn't speak English, if only I could.

"Miss. I'm going to need to ask you to leave."

"...Leave?"

I repeat the end of his sentence, brows crossing in concentration. Now he's staring at me as if I'm mentally challenged, eyes narrowing slightly.

"Yes. You need to—"

"Noona."

A hand suddenly tugs me back. And I look up at Taehyung's tensed expression, still trying to recall what the man had said in English.

"Who are you? Do you know her?"

I'm taken aback at the foreign language that comes from his lips. His voice isn't harsh, but gentle either as he pulls me further backwards.

That man looks stunned.

"I asked if you know her."

The voice has dipped to a growl. The man shakes his head, words slightly trembling.

"Is...Is she your a-acquaintance, Mr. Kim?"

My brows cross. With a frustrated expression, I lean my head back into Taehyung's chest with my arms folded over my shoulders. I still had no idea what they were saying to each other.

Taehyung's voice is amused.

"Acquaintance?"

"She is my lover, and you will respect her whether she is with me or not. Understand?"

I finally get a chance to talk when the man nods furiously, bowing in a perfect angle before hurrying away.

"Who was that man?"

He kisses the top of my head. "I think he thought you weren't supposed to be here, Noona. He thought wrong."

Huh.

Loosening my crossed arms, I form another teasing expression on my face.

"You sound sexy when you talk in English, Tae."

I laugh when he pretends to have not heard me at all. Instead he leads me towards the lobby, adjusting the neckline of my shirt.

"I really need to teach you English sometime."

He smiles down at me.

"You already have such a nice voice when you speak Korean."

"I wonder how gorgeous you'll sound when you're speaking English, Noona."

______________________________

An year later

"Yes. Can I have some of that, please?"

I point at the menu. And the barista nods, still smiling charmingly at me. But the smile dissipates in a moment when I thank him.

"It's for my boyfriend."

Shifting up my jacket, I walk back to the table where Taehyung is at. His lips are tilted with pleasure, at how good I've gotten.

"You sound like a native, Noona."

I laugh softly. "When are we going back to Korea? We've been here for a week already."

Having learned how to speak English fluently, I'd become his complete shadow. I followed him to foreign states, always staying by his side during a meeting or a conference.

His fingers fan out, brushing faintly against my cheek.

"Tomorrow."

"Tomorrow we'll go."

My breath flutters. He's looking down on me, eyes dark under the light. He'd turned twenty three a few months ago, and it was making him act so...

There were these times that he made me feel like I was younger than him.

"Try."

I put my mug of americano between us.

"Try it, Taehyung."

He blinks in confusion. "Noona, that's y—"

"I know. Just try some of it."

And the racing of my heart calms down successfully when I see him cough, pushing away the mug of dark coffee with a single sip. He gives me a narrowed look, expression unhappy.

"What was that for? You know I can't drink coffee."

That's my baby.

"I was curious." I say as an excuse. "You know that people's taste buds change ever seven years? I was curious to see if yours did."

He stays silent for a second, head still tilted down.

"Noona. You know that's a rumor, right?"

The sky is dark when we come outside of the café. There's barely any people on the streets, and I press closer to him at the cool night air.

He suddenly sighs— a breath of frustration.

"...Tae?"

Shifting away, I search his face. I can see a trace of the anxiety, but he just shakes his head.

I blink.

What was up with him?

All day today he had been like this. In the morning, Taehyung would approach me like he had something to say— just to back away again, with a frustrated look. I'd taken him out to try and make him feel better, whatever the reason was.

But he'd avoid answering when I asked him what was going on.

"Noona?"

"You're twenty eight."

"...yeah?" I confirm, an eyebrow raised in confusion. "Taehyung, why—"

He turns to me, eyes firm.

"Will you marry me?"

_______________________________

I burst into laughter.

His expression flickers into shock. And when I notice him slightly panicking, I wrap my arms around his back and press my face against his chest.

His asthma was so much better these days, with the oxygen therapies he'd continued over the past year.

But I still didn't want to risk anything.

"Sure."

"Why did you laugh?"

His voice is slightly unstable. And I breath, a faint trace of regret on my chest. It didn't seem like he'd heard my answer either.

"I'm sorry." I murmur, brushing down the smooth angle of his cheek. "I just realized— finally realized why you'd been acting so weird all day."

He doesn't answer.

"Did you hear what I said, Tae?"

"...yes, Noona."

"Not about what I just said about realizing." I say, a ghost of a smile passing by my lips. "What I said to your question."

His eyes flash up.

"You...what?"

The vulnerability is still clear on his handsome face. He was so gorgeous, and I shift my hand roaming against his cheek to his upper arm.

So alluring.

"I said yes, love."