Hopefully, not only did Tae find Yoshi and get him back, but maybe, just maybe, he would accept that he had a connection with this girl.
 

•°•♡•°•

I went home and all but fell onto my couch, sprawling my legs out in front of me and my arms out to my sides.

Why did someone have to put a flyer up announcing they'd found a small white dog? I'd given up on finding Yoshi. It wasn't him.

I dug the piece of paper out of my pocket, looking at the number. I'd probably regret this, but I pulled my phone out of my back pocket, and dialed.

"Hello?"

It was a girls voice.

"Hi, I saw your flyer about a dog you'd found. It's possible he's mine."

"Oh! Okay. Well would you like to come see. I'll give you my address. I'm home for the rest of the day, so whatever time works best for you is fine. I know this little guy is missing his person. I really hope he's yours."

"I can come now."

She gave me her address, and I wrote it down on the paper with her phone number. I'd go see this dog, but It wasn't Yoshi. I was only doing it so that tomorrow I could tell Jimin that he'd been mistaken.

I put the address in my GPS, then stuck the paper back in my pocket. I left the house, sighing when I saw that it was almost a 30 minute walk to where she lived. This was stupid. Yoshi would have never gone that far. I was just wasting my time.

Because I had so much to do...

I let out a grunt, and kept walking.

Twenty five minutes later, I was standing in front of the stairs leading up to her door. I took a deep breath, and started up. Once at the top, I lifted my hand, rapping on the door with my knuckles.

I heard the barks of a dog, and my heart sped up a bit. Seconds later, the door opened, and Yoshi all but jumped into my arms.

I didn't know how to process that it was actually him. He was licking my face, his tail was wagging in a tornadic circle, and his whole body was wiggling in excitement.

I smiled. I couldn't help it. My Yoshi. It was really him. I had him back.

I looked towards the girl, planning to thank her, and my breath caught, my smile dropping.

It was her. The girl from the convenience store. The girl that had come into the coffee shop. The girl that Jimin and Jungkook had wanted to try and set me up with.

I was going to kill them.

She was frozen in place, her eyes wide, and her face seemed pale. Thirty seconds went by, and she finally spoke, so softly, I almost didn't hear her

"I...I  guess he belongs to you. He... he seems very excited to see you..."

I looked at the wiggling ball of fur in my arms, and realized that It wasn't her fault those two were idiots. I smiled again, nuzzling my nose into Yoshi's fur.

"His name is Yoshi. He took off a month ago during a pretty bad thunderstorm. I wasn't even sure he'd survived the storm."

A small smile grew on her face, and she stepped back, inviting me in. I hesitated for half a second, then stepped inside, moving so she could close the door.

"Would you like to sit down?"

I followed her further into the room, and noticed a few dog toys strewn on the floor, and a pillow in the corner where it seemed Yoshi must have made himself a spot.

She sat at one end of the couch, and I sat at the other, surprised when Yoshi wiggled from my arms and went right to her, climbing onto her lap.

"Yoshi...at least now I know your name."

"Uh, thank you, for taking care of him. I really appreciate it. I can reimburse you for any food you had to buy for him-"

"No, no, it's fine, really. I didn't mind. He kept me company, and caused me many smiles. I had been meaning to make up flyers sooner, but with work...and stuff, I just kept putting it off. I knew someone was missing him, and I finally made the time to do it. I'm sorry it took me so long."

"It's okay. I'm just happy to have him back."

I really was happy. I could still hardly believe it was actually him, but there was no doubt. He pranced back and forth between us, and finally came and settled next to me. It was as if he was thanking her as well, but knew he would be coming home with me.

"Uh, what's your name?"

"Soo Ah."

"Well Soo Ah, I'm Taehyung. It's, ah, nice to meet you. The next time you come to the coffee shop, your order is on me. It's the least I can do."

She lowered her head.

"Thank you."

"Well, I should get going."

"Oh...okay. Let me put his toys in a bag for you. He really likes the squeaky purple ball, I think it was his favorite."

She got up and went to another room, coming back with a plastic bag already holding something, and picked up the few toys scattered across the floor. She handed it to me with an awkward smile.

"I stuck the bag of dog food in there too. I won't be needing it."

I stood up and took the bag, and she bent and ruffled Yoshi's fur, giving him an affectionate hug.

"Bye Yoshi, I'm gonna miss you but I'm so glad you're going home. Be a good boy!"

I bent, picking up the dog in my arms, and giving her a smile. It felt weird that I'd smiled so much since I'd been here.

"Thank you again Soo Ah. I guess maybe I'll see you at the coffee shop."

She nodded, and opened the door for me.

I stepped out, turning to give her one more smile and a parting nod, and I started down the stairs.

I had to carry Yoshi because I hadn't brought a leash. Why would I, I had been certain it wasn't him.

☆~☆~☆

Jungkook and I had finished closing up the shop, and as we stepped out onto the sidewalk he asked me If I felt like grabbing something to eat someplace.

"Sure. What'd you have in mind?"

"Let's go to Pyeongando Jokbaljip."

I smiled, liking that idea a lot.

"Damn, I haven't been there in ages."

"Me neither. I heard one of the customers talking about it earlier. It put me in the mood for Jokbal."

"Well, let's go. You driving?"

He laughed, because he was the only one of the three of us with a car. I only lived 5 blocks from the coffee shop, and Taehyung lived 3 blocks away. Neither one of us had felt the need to get a car. We walked most places we had to go, and if we couldn't walk, we took a bus, or a taxi. Jungkook lived 20 minutes away by car, so he kind of needed one.

"Obviously, genius."

We climbed into his SUV, and he instructed me to buckle up as he did the same.

"So do you think Taehyung actually called that number?" He questioned.

"I don't know. But I've already decided if he comes in to work tomorrow and tells me the dog wasn't Yoshi, then I'm calling the number myself, because that means he didn't call. I know it's Yoshi."

"I agree. Too much of a coincidence for it not to be Yoshi."

"Right. I guess we just have to wait and see."

He pulled up to the restaurant, parking in a spot and turning off the ignition.

"I'm starving hyung. Let's go eat."

"You're buying, right Kookie?"

"What? No."

"Why not? It was your idea, so you should buy."

"No, that's not how it works. I drove us here, so I think you should buy."

We got out of the vehicle, bickering all the way into the restaurant, elbowing each other and getting looks from people as we walked in.

But we didn't care. This is how we were. The three of use to go places and cause all kinds of commotion. It was just Kookie and I now, because Taehyung never wanted to go out with us anymore. I missed him doing things like this with us.

Once we were seated, I looked at Jungkook, and he questioned me with his eyes.

"Do you think that maybe this girl could be exactly what Taehyung needs to help him start moving forward, and maybe finally be able to let go of all the pain he allows to live in his heart?"

He tilted his head to one side.

"I don't know hyung. He has to be willing to let her into his life. That's the part that I just don't see happening. He wants nothing to do with anyone. I think we're lucky he still lets us be a part of his life."

"Well somethings gotta give, Kookie."

"He'll get there, we just have to let it happen at it's own pace. We can't force him hyung. It'll just backfire."

I knew he was right. I just didn't want him to be.

☆~☆~☆

I'd been sitting in my chair reading when my phone rang. I looked at the number, not recognizing it.

"Hello?"

"Hi, I saw your flyer about a dog you'd found. It's possible he's mine."

Oh my gosh, I'd already forgotten that I had put the flyers up. I looked at the dog, laying on the pillow that I'd put in the corner for him.

"Oh! Okay. Well would you like to come see. I'll give you my address. I'm home for the rest of the day, so whatever time works best for you is fine. I know this little guy is missing his person. I really hope he's yours."

"I can come now."

I couldn't believe it hadn't even been a whole day and I'd already gotten a call. I gave him my address, and settled back in my chair to read until he got here.

It was just about a half hour later when there was a knock on my door. The dog immediately started barking, which I wasn't expecting. No one had ever knocked on my door before.

I got up to answer it, and the dog followed me.

As soon as I opened the door, the little guy launched himself at the man...

Oh my God...it was him. The guy from the coffee shop. The beautiful, angry man.

Only he didn't look angry at the moment. He was smiling.

He hadn't looked up yet, busy being licked by his dog, whose whole body was wagging with happiness. I watched him, surprised, and a little shocked. Why did we keep encountering each other?

He looked up, and his smile disappeared immediately. He stared at me for a time without saying a word, so I spoke to try to lessen the awkwardness.

"I...I  guess he belongs to you. He... he seems very excited to see you..."

He watched me for a few more seconds, and finally he smiled again. It was a beautiful smile. He nuzzled his nose into the dogs fur affectionately, then met my gaze.

"His name is Yoshi. He took off a month ago during a pretty bad thunderstorm. I wasn't even sure he'd survived the storm."

I smiled back at him, and invited him in to sit down. He hesitated for only a second, and stepped inside. We walked to the couch, sitting on opposite ends as Yoshi squirmed away from him and came to climb on my lap.

We talked for a few more minutes, while Yoshi moved back and forth between the two of us, finally settling next to him.

He thanked me for taking care of him, and offered to reimburse me for any dog food I'd had to buy, but I refused, telling him I'd enjoyed the company and the smiles.

He asked me my name, and told me his was Taehyung.

Before he left, he'd told me that the next time I came to the coffee shop, my next order was on him. I thanked him, and shortly after, he'd said he should get going..

I hugged Yoshi, and told him to be a good boy, and they left.

I stood in my doorway at the top of the stairs, and watched him walk away, the furry white puppy in his arms and a bag of toys and dog food in his hand, until I couldn't see him anymore.

Then I went back inside, and sat down on my couch, wondering why I felt like I did. I wasn't sure how to explain it, but it almost felt like I was supposed to meet him. But I wouldn't get too close to him. I couldn't allow myself to get close to anyone.