"You seriously did confess to her?!!!" Maya was about to jump from her seat.

Taehyung was sitting in front of Maya. He asked her to meet him in a restaurant. She brought what Taehyung asked her the day before. His schedule was about to get busy again and he had to get back to Korea soon.

"Yeah..kind of I guess?" Taehyung smiled unsurely.

"And?" Maya leaned towards Taehyung in curiosity.

"Don't you know, Noona? She is as hard as a rock," Taehyung sighed.

"Not true, Tae...she is just scared. She too has feelings for you."

"How can I reach her noona? I don't know-how," Taehyung's voice was low, deep.

"Let me talk to her, Tae. Let me know what she thinks."

Taehyung just nodded.

Maya's phone rang and she looked at the time, "oops, times up! I have to go now Tae, I will pay a quick visit to Pip and head out. Wanna come?"

"You go ahead, noona. I will see her tomorrow."

"Bye, Tae. See you later."

"Bye noona."

Taehyung sat there for a few moments more and headed out again and went into the park in front of him. He was wandering around when Jimin called him.

"Hey, Jiminah!"

"Whats up Tae? How are you doing?"
Jimin's excited voice came through.

"Just wandering. It's a beautiful afternoon here."

"How is Ashley?"

Taehyung smiled. He told the members everything. He didn't feel like avoiding it.  After all, they were his family. A crazy one, but still.

"She's fine. Doing great," he replied.

"Did she say anything yet?" Jimin's voice was curious.

"I don't want her to say anything. At least if she isn't ready!" Taehyung sighed.

"Can we talk to her? I didn't get the chance to meet her. Nor did Yoongi and Hoseok hyung!"

"Sure thing Jiminah, I will call you next time I meet her," Taehyung assured him.

"How is everything? "

Taehyung smiled to himself, "I kissed her."

" You did what??" sudden burst of different voices echoed through the phone.

Taehyung panicked and pulled the phone away from his ear. He thought Jimin was alone!
Clearly that was not the case!

"Tae, are you there?" Hoseok's smiling voice came.
Taehyung made an unsure hum.

"You kissed her?" Jin's excited voice came out.
" How was your first kiss? Tell us."

" I was his first kiss,  Jin hyung." Hoseok opposed but was barely able to talk in between his laughs.

" And that was cringy!" Yoongi's fake gag was heard.

"It's not like that!" Taehyung protested weakly, already reddened up to the root of his hairs. "It was not like what you are thinking!"

"And what we are thinking?" Namjoon Teased.

"It was just a peck, on her cheek," Taehyung's voice was full of embarrassment.

" She didn't kill you for that?" Jungkook joined the squad too.

"She tried before even I kissed her. I have a sore shoulder now!" Taehyung grabbed his shoulder to feel the tenderness.

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Jimin asked.

" Lesson learned. Don't wake her up from sleep. She'd definitely try to kill you. Apparently, she is Bruce Lee now," Taehyung laughed.

"Has he gone crazy? What is he talking about?" Jin was dumb for the moment.

"I wish I could be her," Yoongi said bluntly fully understanding what Taehyung said. Sometimes he seriously thinks about killing them for ruining his sleep.

"Gotta go. Bye," Taehyung ended the phone call not giving them any chances to say anything further.
He saw a flock of birds near, his full attention was captured by that already.

"You are going back to work?" Maya asked Ashley.

"Yeah, from tomorrow," Ashley replied handing Maya a mug of coffee.

"What would happen to Tae?"

"He'd go back. He should," Ashley tried smiling.

"And how would that make you feel?" Maya eyed her.

"He has a life you know that M," Ashley frowned.
"He can't just stay here. He has to go back today or tomorrow. I can't hold him back."

"You want to?" Maya smiled.

"Never," Ashley smiled back. "I am doing what I love, he is too. There's no way we get into each other's path."

"He can come back you know," Maya chuckled, "I guess he has a reason to come back."

"I don't want him to come back. I didn't want to bump into him even. But you just didn't let that happen," Ashley sighed, " you seriously thought that I wouldn't find out?"

" I didn't think that," Maya shrugged,
"You should tell him your feelings too, Pip."

"I don't have feelings," Ashley looked away.

"Don't deny it, Pip. I know you more than anyone."

"It doesn't matter, M," Ashley smiled. "Just let it go."

"No," Maya looked into her eyes.

Ashley couldn't look into that piercing gaze for long. She looked away again.

"I am scared, M," Her voice was dimmed.

"look at me," Maya asked in a soft voice.

Ashley looked again.
"I don't want to hold him back, M. I am no match for him. He easily can get anyone better than me in every way. You know I am not lowering myself. It's just facts."

"Is that all?" Maya's voice was calm as usual.

"It's a scar, M. I am too afraid to reopen it," Ashley's voice broke.

"Close your eyes, Pip."

"Why?"

"Just do it."

Ashley closed her eyes.
Maya pulled her into a hug.
"It's dark, no?"

"Yeah," Ashley replied.

"But that's just it. There's nothing in front or back. All you can do now is just believe me if I say there's a nice day outside, don't you?"

"Yeah," Ashley mumbled.

"It's all like that, Pip. There's nothing in our darkness. Let your fears, insecurities get lost here. Only your existence matter. You don't know what's around, what's outside. All you can do is just take a leap of faith."

"I don't know M, I don't know what should I do," Ashley hugged Maya even more tightly.

"I am not telling you to forget your insecurities or fears, Pip. You are still human, they are parts of you. Just stop listening to their voices in your head. Listen to your heart, girl. It deserves to be heard once."