chapter four: why

"i'll save this for later." hyerin said as she sealed the remaining food left, for she will eat it later for dinner.

i should start finding a new stable job soon. she thought to herself, the money she was earning now was barely enough to help them survive for a month.

"noona, are you gonna drop me of at school today?" jaehyun appeared, a backpack on his hand.

"yup, i will today." hyerin lent her free hand and jaehyun happily accepted it, "let's go, your friends must be waiting for you already." both went out of their house and made their way to jaehyun's preschool.

"have fun." she kissed her cousin's forehead and smiled at him, "i will be the one to pick you up later, don't worry." she bid her goodbye and watched how her brother went off to run to his friends.

-

"what do you mean you're firing me? did i do something wrong?" hyerin was utterly shocked with the news that got to her, she was gonna loose one her jobs and she can't afford that to happen.

"i'm sorry hyerin-ah, but you always come few minutes late for work, we could've let if go if it was just once in a while, but its been happening a lot recently." her boss was trying to be as nice as possible with the words she was letting out.

"but i really need the job, i promise i'll always be early from now on." hyerin pleaded, her eyes slowly tearing up, "you don't understand how important this job is to me." if she had to kneel down just to keep her job, she would acceptingly do it.

"i've heard from the others that you have tons of part time jobs, you're still young. you surely don't need that much of money." the boss didn't have any clue of her situation, hyerin wasn't expecting her boss to pity her and let her shortcomings go.

"thank you for being a good worker here, your effort was really appreciated." the boss smiled before leaving the office, leaving hyerin alone.

this can't be happening, she said to herself, this has to be just a dream, right?

"hey, are you alright?" one of her workmates asked her, placing a hand on her shoulder's gently.

"i just lose my job and you're asking me that?" eyes widening at the attitude she just let out, hyerin didn't really want to sound rude, her emotions are just really getting to her.

"i'm sorry, maybe you could go to the other cafe on the other street, i heard they're hiring again." the staff smiled sincerely as she looked  at hyerin.

"i'll go give it a try, i guess." hyerin got up from her knees and smiled at the girl, "i'll get going now." she smiled once more before stepping out of the cafe.

-

"jimin, can't you be a bit faster?" namjoon was getting impatient as he watched his dongsaeng fix his self, "we're just going for dance practice, c'mon." he dragged jimin out of the apartment and went into the car.

"ah hyung, i need to look decent." jimin protested as he tried to resist namjoon, but the height difference wouldn't let him win.

"you already look decent, jiminie." namjoon smiled sincerely, knowing how conscious jimin could be with his self.

-

"let's eat outside, it's almost midnight anyways, there shouldn't be many people now at the restaurant." jin said as he stood up and went to get his things.

"let's go then." agreeing, all boys stood up and grabbed their things before rushing to the car.

all seven boys walked inside the restaurant, finding an available table for all of them. after, all ordered their food and waited for it.

"jimin, isn't she the girl you introduced me to at the store?" jin whispered to jimin, pointing at the girl standing outside the restaurant, a bunch of flyers in hand.

"i think its her, i can't see her face so i'm not sure if it is her." jimin whispered back, still focused on the petite girl outside.

"check it out then, go." jin said and both of them divert their attention at the girl who's trying to battle the cold weather, "and give her a jacket or something."

jimin excused himself and went out to see if the girl was really hyerin, jin helping him for an excuse, but tough luck, the others didn't believe it.

"he's gonna talk to the girl? do they know each other? does hyung finally have a girlfriend?" a nosy jungkook started bombarding jin with questions, "what's her name?" he continued before jin shushed him.

"so what if he does, her name is hyerin. she's a great girl, i think." jin stopped as he felt he insulted the girl indirectly, "i don't really know her that much yet."

jungkook eyed his hyung suspiciously and went to look at jimin outside with a girl, he leaned in close to the person next to him, yoongi.

"yoongi-hyung, do you think they like each other?" he whispered to the elder member, "i want to meet her."

"aren't you scared of girls, jungkook?" yoongi rolled his eyes at the younger one's childishness, "shut up and let them be." he continued.

"but hyung," jungkook couldn't finish what he said as hoseok cut him off.

"c'mon kookie, he'll introduce her to us sooner." hoseok smiled as he saw their food coming to their table.

"someone call jimin and maybe invite the girl as well, she might be hungry." namjoon said and jungkook immediately volunteered.

"i'll do it, she knows me so it would make it less awkward." jin stood up before jungkook and went straight out to talk to the two.

-

"hyerin?" jimin called out, the girl immediately turned around and smiled at the sight of him.

"why do we both seem to always meet coincidentally?" hyerin smiled wider, thinking about the recent times they met at the store.

"maybe because its destined." jimin laughed, though deep inside he was happy he get to meet hyerin again, "what are you doing out here?"

jimin stood next to the girl, hands in pocket as he took a slight glimpse of hyerin.

he was then reminded about jin's words about giving hyerin his jacket, when will i give it to her though? he asked his self.

"i need to hand out these flyers, i don't get it, why would my boss want me to hand out flyers in the middle of the night?" hyerin let out a slight chuckle as she shook her head.

"maybe your boss is stupid." hyerin nodded immediately, agreeing to what jimin said.

"i think he actually is." hyerin continued to hand out flyers to people walking by.

"if you have time maybe you could check out our restaurant." she handed out a flyer but unluckily it was some rude guy.

"why are you handing me some trash?" the man said, throwing the paper back to hyerin, "get out of people's way, kid."

"i'm not blocking the way, sir." hyerin was contemplating wether she should answer back or not, "if you didn't want it, you could've just said so."

"yah! aren't you too rude to be answering back at me?" the man took a step closer to hyerin making her take a step back.

jimin was noticing the tension so he decided to step in, "i'm sorry, sir. you shouldn't be talking like that to someone you clearly don't know." his face was stern and anger was building up inside him.

hyerin didn't want any fight to happen so the easiest way she could think of is to step down her pride.

"jimin-ssi, its fine." hyerin looked at the guy and bowede slightly, "i know i'm not the one who should apologize, but since this will just get longer if i don't then i'm sorry for the disturbance, sir."

hyerin grabbed jimin and walked away before the man could've done something else, "you shouldn't have stepped in." hyerin told jimin as they were near the entrance of the restaurant.

"i know, i just thought it wasn't right." jimin's hand was at the back of his head, good thing i'm wearing a mask or else i'd be in a big trouble with pdnim, he thought.

"don't you think its time that you reveal your face?" hyerin pointed at the black mask covering half of jimin's face.

"would you still be friends with me even if you know who i really am?" jimin's voice was low but hyerin still managed to hear it.

"of course i will, unless you're some murderer of criminal, i might think about it." letting out a small laugh, wanting to lighten up the atmosphere.

jimin then removed his mask, revealing his face, he squinted his eyes as he waited for hyerin's reaction.

"i knew you're that jimin, jimin of bangtan." hyerin smiled as her mind still processed the fact that she was indeed talking to jimin of bts all this time, "its an honor." she lightly laughed.

"why don't i introduce myself again?" jimin straightened his posture and reached out his hand, "hey, i'm jimin, park jimin."

hyerin gladly accepted his hand, "i'm hyerin, jeon hyerin." jimin's eyes widened for a moment as he heard the girl's family name.

"do you know someone with the name jeongguk?" jimin curiously asked.

"no, as far as i know i don't personally know anyone with that name." hyerin shook her head.

"i have a member who's a jeon, for a moment i thought maybe you're actually related to him." jimin noticed he was still holding her hand so he immediately let go, looking down as heat rushed to his cheeks.