15 November 2016

As winter came closer, the temperature dropped steadily. It was a continuous ascend into the plunging cold of the approaching December, January, and February months. Soon, she knew that snow would cover Seoul like a white fluffy blanket that did little to protect them from the harsh Siberian winds that pierced like a knife.

Even with the brutal season on the horizon, the Gingko trees were beautiful shades of yellow, orange, and red. Their leaves fell peacefully to the ground in front of her shop as if someone had taken a handful and thrown them purposefully. She could see the parade of colors through the beads and let her chin rest in her palm as she gazed at them wistfully. A book lay next to her on the counter. She was reading it, but she had been distracted by the scenery and put it down.

It made the city ambient noise outside almost bearable. The honking of cars and millions of people shuffling through the streets faded away. But then something obscured her vision. She could tell it was him even through the beads but was surprised when he stepped inside with someone by his side. A young man was with Yoongi. He was taller, but had a baby face and was clearly younger by the way he looked around the store in wonder.

"You brought someone," she murmured and straightened on the stool. "Welcome."

Yoongi smirked. "Thanks. Kook," he paused to elbow the boy, who looked at him before turning his attention to her. "This is Candle Girl. Otherwise known as Victoria. Vic, this is my friend Jungkook."

Jungkook smiled and approached her with an extended hand. "It's nice to meet you."

"You too." She lifted her hand to shake his, but before they could touch, Yoongi pulled him backward aggressively and shoved him toward the scented bathroom products.

"Look at the bath bombs," he said through gritted teeth.

Jungkook looked back at him with wide eyes, but only obeyed and scanned the shampoos and soaps and bath items. Victoria narrowed her eyes at this, but only shrugged and picked her book up again. Yoongi snuck a few quick glances at her to see if she saw how flustered he had become after acting impulsively on his jealousy. It was a new feeling. Since he had been on the run for so long, he never gave himself time for a relationship.

But she wasn't even paying attention to him. And after he'd brought Jungkook all the way down there. How rude, he thought once more.

"Open door," he prefaced, leaning on the other side of the counter so she would see him in front of her book. "Why are you so antisocial all the time?"

Victoria frowned and slammed the back of her book on the tabletop. It was clear in the way her eyebrows drew in and her lips pouted slightly that she was offended. "I am not antisocial."

"You barely talk."

"Yeah, when you're here!" she retorted, anger rising. "Because I figure if I'm quiet, you'll leave!"

Yoongi held back his smirk as this was the reaction he was hoping for because it gave him a reason to do what he did next. "Alright, alright." He reached out and took hold of her hand across the counter.

Jungkook raised an eyebrow at this, especially when a blotchy red spread across Victoria's cheeks despite her pout and knitted eyebrows. She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose with her free hand. "I need to take a nap.."

"Me too," Yoongi agreed. "Let's do it."

"I meant alone," she hissed.

He squeezed her hand as if to warn her to watch her tone—which made her narrow her eyes further. "Of course." He turned to beckon the youngest. "Kook, bring me a jasmine green tea bath bomb and whatever you want." Jungkook obeyed and set the jasmine bomb on the table along with rose water bath salts. "I'll take these, Candle Girl."

"Thanks, hyung," Jungkook beamed. "I'll buy lamb skewers next time."

"My ass."

"I promise!"

Victoria tapped on the register screen to bring up the price for the two items and told him. He struggled to get the money out of his wallet with one hand, which frustrated him and eventually asked Jungkook to get it for him. She pressed her lips together to keep from smiling. It's not like she enjoyed that he refused to let go of her hand but she enjoyed that he refused to let go of her hand.

She tried tugging her hand away so she could put the money in the register and get his change, but he held it tighter. She stared up at him and he only held her gaze as if to say, 'you can do it with one hand'. When she only continued to stare, he gave her a tight-lipped smile. Victoria sighed and opened the register before picking up the bills and placing them into their corresponding places.

It took twice as long to collect the change and give it to Jungkook, who placed it back in Yoongi's wallet without blinking. Yoongi slid the wallet into his back pocket and gave her a wink before finally letting go of her hand. "See you soon, Candle Girl." He pulled his black hood over his head and at this Jungkook did the same. Victoria wondered if he was sketchy like Yoongi.

"Nice meeting you, noona!" he called as they left. Then she went back on her previous thought. There was no way that kid was anything like Yoongi.

But again she found herself frowning at his leave. He never stayed for longer than ten to thirty minutes. She wished he would stay longer, but then she remembered that he was trouble. She huffed and stood up to make herself useful. Cleaning would get her mind off of the handsome loser.