Known Stranger

Chapter 53

Next day. At the airport. They were sitting on the benches while Jimin was completing some formalities.

AUTHOR'S POV

As he looked over at her, it always struck him how beautiful she was. Her hair was blowing carelessly in the wind, rich and dark in the sunlight. He had the oddest impulse to touch it, to reach out, to see if it was as soft as looked. Her lips were curved into a slight smile that seemed to radiate warmth. He wondered who or what she was thinking of, and felt his heartbeat skip when he imagined her smiling for him. She was happy and free and every part of her being seemed to be a mystery, just waiting to be discovered. They had been friends for some time now, and yet he could never really interpret her. He found himself staring, desperate to learn more.

"What are you looking at?" She asked, finally pulling him out of his daze. He was at a lost for words. Why did she suddenly make him nervous? They are friends. Friends weren't supposed to make you nervous.

"Um... You. You have a bug in your hair." He stuttered. He reached out, but stopped himself. Did friends do that? He suddenly did not know. She shook her head, which just made his heart speed up.

"Is it gone now?" She asked so casually, as if everything hadn't suddenly changed.

"Yes." He replied, aware of how his voice sounded, of how his teeth were crooked, of how completely lovely she was. "Yes, it's all good now." Did he dare tell her she was beautiful? No, that could ruin everything. He decided that maybe this feeling would pass, that maybe tomorrow she would go back to being his best friend, and not a girl that made it hard to breathe. Maybe, this epiphany was temporary; maybe, he would forget.

His flight was on time and they bid farewell, both trying their ultimate best to seal the moment as if trying to catch a smile in a bottle.

As months went on, he did not forget. Instead, he found himself thinking of her late into the night, hoping there was a chance she might fall to sleep thinking of him. He found himself making lists in his head of what made her laugh, so he could hear it more and more. He found himself unable to look away, even if she just sent a picture of her reading a book; sometimes, especially then. He could not erase her beauty from his mind. The moment he'd looked at her from that different perspective, he could not go back. After seeing her as beautiful, he could never again just look at her with indifference and finally he decided to let his heart out. He called her, finally.

[Hello?]

[Yes, someone missing me?]

[Major missing]

[wtf, I was not expecting this]

[What are you doing?]

[What a typical student does-
studying]

[Am I disturbing you? ]

[Not at all, I was thinking of calling you]

[Uh, why?]

[Cause you weren't replying to
my texts and check your
phone, it must be having 4-5 miss
calls!]

[OH was it?]

[Why are you ignoring me?]

[Because... Because I think I am falling for you, that's why I am avoiding you]

[Haha, nice. Now the truth]

[I am not joking.
I know this isn't destined to turn into anything more than friendship but I still can't stop hoping that it will.]

[Tae-]

[And surely you don't feel the same way, but I just wanted to let you know that I'll still fall in love again every time you smile
I'll also get lost in your eyes, and I'm sorry for that, but I just can't help it]

[Wh-]

[No. I am not expecting an answer, I am just stating a fact. I like you.]

[Will you shut up and let me speak?
Are you sure about this?]

[I have been in a major denial for months now, denying these feelings in my heart but I'm done, it's there in this world]

[umm... You know better than anyone Tae. You are one of the most important people in my life and that what I am going through. You were there for me at my worst and I'll be there for you, always. Is it necessary to be in a relationship for that?]

[What do you mean?]

[I mean I like you too. But I am not ready for a relationship. I have just recovered a major existential crisis. I don't even know if I have recovered.]

[Kaylie, you know how straightforward I am. Can we please get to the point?]

[The point is, how can I love you when I can't give a damn about myself?]

[Yeah, sorry. I was immature]

[No. You were not. You were being true and I really appreciate that]

[But I just ruined our friendship]

[You didn't. My support for you will always be the same. That's what friends do, right?]

[I made it awkward tho]

[Well, that I cannot say. But we can work it out. We can make it, right?]

[It'll take a miracle and even then - probably no.]

[For fuck sake, quit this negativity.
I'll always be there for you.
Always.]

[Hmm.. Bye]

[Are you really hanging up on me?]

[You just rejected me, am I not supposed to do it?]

[Well, there's a point but still.]

[So, what should I do, now?]

[Huh?]

[I have no one to ask to. You are my only friend after the boys]

[Maybe you should try dating?
You'll soon get over the infatuation]

[Don't term my love as infatuation]

[Okay. Sorry. I actually don't know
how to react.]

[Me too. I don't want to talk to you but then I cannot let myself not talking to you. I cannot win]

[I'm telling you, date someone. But I guess it ain't allowed to you guys right?]

[Jin hyung says, we can do what we want]

[Oh wow, so the rumours about JinHit aren't completely false?]

[Huh?]

[Nothing. Just army thingsss. So, go on find new people. You'll find your destined one. Cheesy.]

[Well okay, if you say so.]

[Bye babyboy]

[Don't talk like this to me, it only makes it worse.]

[sorry sorry bye]

[bye]

Call ended.

(A/N : The next four chapters are in continuation, and I feel that they'll seem better if read together. So, you want me to update all at once or you prefer that normal single update per day method?)