012 STRENGTH OF CHARACTER

'happiness is the only thing we can give without having.'

//

two days pass and Zelda still has no idea where on earth Jimin had disappeared to, which resulted in her being wronged, concerned and morose, all because of the perfect man leaving her.

he was always too good to be true.

but Zelda walked into Euphoric Hearts with a frown on her face, for a hot chocolate so she could work on her article. instead she was met with a surprise- Jimin standing in front of her smiling.

and Zelda can't believe it. he was waiting for her to arrive, looking healthier and happier. blonde curls of hair on his head, umber eyes filled with familiar cheer, agitation and passion. denim on his chest and legs that only he could pull off. and as soon as their eyes met, multiple sorry's left his lips as they rushed into each other.

Zelda mumbles it's okay as she wraps her arms around his shoulders, relieved that he's back and in her arms. everything feels right again when she feels the tickle of his hair on her arms, the flutter of his short eyelashes, his soothing voice explaining why he disappeared and his strong arms hugging her firmly, securely.

—

Jimin explained that he had to say goodbye to Flores since he finally achieved a job that was related to his degree in graphic art. turns out it wasn't a genuine goodbye since he had only cut down his hours at Flores by a few. so technically, he was still working there. but he seemed relieved that his three years at university had finally got him what he wanted.

when Jimin left for his afternoon shift at his new work place, Zelda decided to spend the rest of her free time at the cafe with her pages of unfinished paragraphs and tea that brought a pleasant smell. the feeling inside her chest remained even after Jimin left and the sadness of him gone was replaced with sudden euphoria.

she was planning on starting her article which was turning out to be tougher than anything else she had written. because writing depends on your motivation, your current mood, your energy and inspiration levels and the time of day. assignments in university were tough, but not entirely subjective, so now using her innovative mindset to come up with articles to earn a living was tougher. but Zelda became distracted by the good looking, slightly familiar stranger who she saw before with Namjoon, intimately.

Zelda makes the assumption that it's his boyfriend and she feels a sudden courageous buzz in her body to know more about him. she's always been captivated by people with stories.

which is why she approaches him. he's seated on a rocking chair in the garden. his opaque locks straight and flicked across his forehead, copper, wearied eyes focused on a magazine and vast shoulders covered with an oversized jumper.

she feels intimidated from his presence as he sits quietly- not noticing her, it's one that demands to be felt in the shared, energetic environment. "you seem like a man who's been in love. tell me... i write articles and i'm in need of inspiration." Zelda offers a cordial smile, not knowing what reaction to expect. he seems like the kind of person to tell her to leave him alone and she was more than prepared.

if someone came up to her and said that, she'd be alarmed, make up an excuse and leave due to her anxiety and awkwardness of talking to people.

"ah really?" the tall man looks interested, his lips pursue in thought and his enigmatic eyes fill with strange admiration as he looks at the seat beside him. "please sit down." he offers politely.

Zelda sits down reluctantly, surprised by how welcoming the stranger is. she was prepared for him to say no thanks. she's ready for inspiration to hit her, something that will make her go back to her apartment and write about what is love? the article is a  big challenge.

the man answers, remembering Zelda's desperate need for motivation. "i'm in love with my face." he says, with a straight face... completely serious.

Zelda's eyes widen as she leans forward, taken aback by his serious answer. he ain't wrong, she thinks to herself and wishes she had such confidence.

he senses her discomfort and lets out a shy laugh. "i'm Jin." he smiles.

she smiles back. "and i'm Zelda."

"you want to know about love?" and the question makes Zelda want to nod several times. she does! teach me all there is to love, the sides no one tells you about. "i got a couple of stories for you." Jin nods, eager to spill his heart out.

the look on his face scares Zelda because what stories? why is he so ready to spill stories of heartbreak, lust and joy to a stranger he just met? the determination is evident and she can tell that he wants to talk about the fastened secrets that have been trapped in his heart.

the shadowy haired, dusky eyed man starts to tell Zelda of a singular love story. a story where a dangerous boy and girl fall in love inevitably, fate keeps them close to each other physically with heated warmth but emotionally they are apart. they were a duo that couldn't stay away from each other until they burned out.

"they were happy... they relied on each other and fell harder than they ever intended to. i think that's what made them more fearful." Jin admits, an ashamed scoff leaving his lips. "but they had no idea that their pasts were entangled by a toxic man who's now changed."

"emotional abuse was part of it and the boy did what he had to do." he continues and Zelda closes her notebook, intrigued by the people in the story. she feels like a child being told a story in school and her need to ask questions is strong. "does he regret it? yes of course he does. it ended up hurting both of the lovers."

he's a good story teller, Zelda hums.

"did they get back together?"

Jin turns his head upwards to look at the appealing, coy stranger. he sees innocence and bleak curiosity in her eyes and he wishes for her to never feel misery, torment and horror in the form of love. "what do you think? the girl is called Elianna and the boy is the manager of this place."

it hits Zelda slowly as she looks around the cafe, trying to find the man. the name of the character leaves Jin's lips and her eyes land on a figure at the counter. figure dresses in black, shiny shoes as he cleans the marble surface. Jungkook echoes in her ears in the sound of Jin's voice and she stares at him. she now understands why he's so distant, why he always looks towards the door with expiring hope. he's the one who left the girl mistakenly.

"not a day goes by when he doesn't wait for her to walk in through the door."

Jin mentions, his tone saddening and Zelda tears her gaze away from the forlorn Jungkook. it makes her feel sympathy for the boy who seems to have everything but the love of his life.

"why are you telling all of this to a stranger?" Zelda doesn't think before she speaks and leans back in her chair. anyone would take advantage of such information, have a need for drama and could turn the situation messy very quickly. but Zelda feels the trust between her and Jin and it makes her feel appreciated.

Jin takes a moment to think as if he's asking himself the same question. "you remind me of someone that's why." and there's a morose smile on his full lips.

and he says he's never been in love.

but Zelda smiles, looking away because she knew it was a lie.