The sound of flowing water was most definitely pacifying. The nerves that had been bombarding Arang non-stop ever since she had unveiled her so-called present slowly started to disappear as she listened to the soothing hum produced by the river. Countless thoughts were spinning around in her mind. What was she supposed to do? How was she going to resolve this issue? She could reply to the ominous threat but fighting fire with fire usually didn't end too well. She couldn't risk further angering the offender who could be capable of anything.

The atrocious recollection of the poor doves caused her to shudder.

Taehyung had his hands stuffed into the pocket of his jeans, his posture relaxed. He was strolling side by side with Arang. They hadn't exchanged too many words after they had climbed into the car and you know what? He was okay with it. The silence was a tad bit suffocating but it was bearable. It was actually kind of enjoyable, too. Although he liked hearing her banter incessantly with him, sometimes moments like these were worth treasuring as well.

They were at Cheonggyecheon River Park, one of Taehyung's favorite places to visit when he had the luxury to do so. It was pretty during the day but in his opinion it was absolutely enchanting once nightfall arrived. The dim lights that were installed into the walls and ground guided pedestrians along the path so that they wouldn't go astray. The various colors of LED lights incorporated made the water shimmer and shine.

Of course this phenomenon only occurred during special celebrations and holidays which meant that there was no brightly colored water present tonight.

The season was summer which meant an abundant number of high school and college students would be out and about around this time, trying to have some fun in this glorious city they resided in. It was late but that didn't bother them. Fortunately for Taehyung and Arang, not many people frequented the park at this unholy hour. Sure there were a few stragglers here and there but the two of them managed to explore the area without being noticed or so they believed.

"This place is nice," Arang said at last.

"Yeah, I know." Taehyung smiled, looking at his feet. "I came here often while I was still a trainee." He explained. "I like that it doesn't get as crowded as the Han River."

The girl nodded. "Did the other members come here with you, too?"

There was a prolonged pause. "No," supplied Taehyung. "They don't know that this is where I run off to when I want some time to myself. No one does. It would defeat the purpose, don't you think?"

Arang came to a halt. Taehyung didn't realize she was no longer in motion and continued progressing forward. "Then why did you tell me?" Her question paralyzed Taehyung almost instantly as he stopped dead in his tracks. Why did he bring Arang here out of all places? He could have taken her somewhere else yet he chose the one place that held so much significance and meaning to him.

Ever so slowly, he spun around. There were a good seven yards separating them.

Even with the distance, he was still afraid that the girl would somehow be able to hear the unnatural thumping of his heart.

"Because..." He stalled, trying to think of a reasonable explanation.

Then Arang approached him. She cocked her head to the side and blinked at him when they were less than twelve inches apart. "Do you, perhaps, like me, Kim Taehyung?" An inaudible gasp escaped his lips while his eyes widened for a quick second. His palms started to perspire as they locked gazes.

Was that what it was?

Was Taehyung actually falling for the infamous So Arang?

Her stare made him slightly uncomfortable and he wasn't too fond of the sensation. His brain wasn't able to form coherent sentences either, which was why he didn't answer her properly.

Suddenly the girl broke out into a wide grin as she straightened her neck. "I'm just kidding with you." She chimed playfully. Taehyung's mouth fell ajar but Arang prevented him from speaking. "I know, I know. You don't have to tell me. You hate me and can't stand my guts." She strutted by him, the smile on her face vanishing.

"You're not the only one." She whispered to herself.

After that incident, the two of them didn't say another word to each other. They weren't walking next to each other anymore. They were lost in their own worlds, their minds occupied by different matters. Arang was ahead by a few feet while Taehyung lagged behind. Anyone looking at them would assume that they were a couple that were fighting.

They weren't too far apart to be considered strangers nor were they too close to signify an exuberant pair.

Half an hour had gone by in the blink of an eye and they returned to the car. It was the same atmosphere inside the vehicle. Like a robot, Taehyung found the route back to Arang's home without any problems. He waited until she entered the complex before he drove off. Back in his room, he flopped onto his bed and meditated on Arang's words.

She was wrong.

He used to hate her and the mere sight of her used to ignite the fury hibernating in the pit of his stomach but now, now it wasn't the same.

The loathsome feeling he once had toward her was gone. Although Taehyung wasn't sure about what he felt for her at the moment, he knew that whatever it was, it wasn't detestation.

• • •

The store manager glared at Arang from across her desk like there was no tomorrow. It had been two whole weeks since the girl had shown up for work. If it wasn't for the influx of customers, who became patrons of the department store on her behalf, Mrs. Han would have fired the impudent employee as soon as she had set foot inside the facility.

Add in the fact that her superiors were actually rejoicing because of the high profit margins Arang's newfound relationship was raking in and you've got yourself an untouchable subordinate. Even if she wanted to, Mrs. Han couldn't lay a finger on Arang's pretty little head.

She would have to settle with giving Arang a hard time whenever she had the chance. "The next time you decide to take a leave of absence, make sure you put in a request. Do you know how difficult it was trying to find people to cover your shifts? I should have expected you to do something like this. Tell me honestly, Arang. You were fooling around on the clock with that boyfriend of yours, weren't you?"

Pinching herself so that she wouldn't recklessly snap at her pretentious boss, Arang forced herself to bow. "I'm sorry." She apologized. "I won't let it happen a second time." She didn't feel like defending herself. People like Mrs. Han could think whatever they wanted. Arang wasn't going to waste her breath arguing with her. It wouldn't change anything.

"You can leave. Just remember that I'll be watching you. Don't think you can slack off because you're the store's new poster girl. Do I make myself clear?" Mrs. Han warned.

The door closed behind her and Arang's face instantly contorted into a scowl. "As if I've ever slacked off a day in my life," she hissed. Honestly speaking, she didn't know why she hadn't handed in her resignation yet. Mrs. Han's shrewd voice, repugnant garlic breath and crass personality were intolerable. It was a miracle she had even managed to get married. However her husband was, may God bless his poor, unfortunate soul.

As Arang was organizing the racks and folding the messily strewn shirts, a few customers stopped and openly ogled at her. She didn't notice them until a small crowd had formed around the area she was working in. Flashes were going off and that was when she realized she had been made. Instead of running away or snapping at the ignorant intruders, who clearly didn't understand what privacy was, she chose to carry on with her duties.

Someone tapped on her shoulder and she inhaled deeply. Arang spun around and smiled at the teenager reeking of hormones. "How can I help you today, customer?" She inquired politely, the way she was trained to do.

"Are you her?" The girl squeaked.

"I beg your pardon?" Arang answered.

"V oppa..." The customer added in.

Arang kept the smile on her face and nodded. She saw this coming from a mile away. "Ah, you must be a fan of BTS. Nice to meet you." Gasps erupted because of the confirmation. More girls approached Arang, shoving small trinkets and gadgets into her arms while they all sputtered various statements and requests.

"Can you give my present to Jungkook?"

"Here, this is for Jimin!"

"Jin loves this. Please make sure he receives it."

"You're so lucky to be dating V! He's gorgeous!"

"I'm so jealous of you."

"What's Rap Monster's ideal type?"

"Does Yoongi wear boxers or briefs?"

"J-Hope doesn't have a girlfriend yet, does he?"

"Do you have their numbers?"

"Yeah! We'll totally pay you for them!"

What were with these people? Who were they to be asking her to do these kinds of things for them? She wasn't their friend. Fortunately for Arang, security arrived shortly after and shooed the girls away. Minah, her colleague, appeared with her eyebrows arched.

"You've become quite the celebrity. How does it feel? It must be fun."

Arang glanced at Minah, but didn't say anything. Today was going to be a tiresome day. There was no doubt about that.

Five hours felt like an eternity to the girl. Throughout her entire shift, fans of BTS kept coming up to her. She tried to remain calm and courteous but everyone had their limits. Arang didn't think she was going to make it out alive. As you can see though, she managed to survive. She clocked out at the register located in the jewelry department and tucked the slip with the time stamped on it into her pocket.

It was still light out since she had taken the morning shift. Despite being out in public where she was exposed and vulnerable, Arang decided to have lunch before returning home.

She was waiting in line, scanning the menu up at the top when someone joined her. A mask dangled in front of her face, making her go cross-eyed. "You should try to be a little more discreet. People have been gawping at you like you're an exotic creature from another country." Arang peered to the left and rolled her eyes.

"Let them look. I don't care." She declared. "What are you doing here anyways? Shouldn't you be rehearsing or something? Aren't you guys making a comeback?"

"Wow, so you do follow our activities. I'm touched." Daehyun chuckled and stuffed the black mask into the pocket of his sweater. "We're on a break right now." He explained. "I thought I'd pay you a quick visit."

The line moved and the two of them did as well. "You can thank my sister for that. How did you even know that I would be working today?" Arang took a step away and eyed him skeptically. "You aren't stalking me, are you?"

"Of course not." He denied. "I was just hoping you'd be here."

"You're really strange, too." She muttered, shaking her head. "You should leave before people start assuming that you're my boyfriend."

"But I'm hungry." Daehyun answered. "Besides, I could totally pass off as your boyfriend if I tried. Didn't you hear? Fans are saying he bears a strong resemblance to me and Exo's Baekhyun."

"Again, I don't care." Arang said bluntly. She didn't mean to sound so cranky. She just wanted to eat, go home and sleep for the next ten years. "Half of the country's citizens look like each other with the help of a scalpel. It's nothing new or fascinating."

"Hey, just so you know I've never gone under the knife." Defended the young man.

"Impressive. Taehyung said the same thing." Her phone started to ring and she pulled it out. "Speak of the devil. What do you want?"

Taehyung scoffed over the line. "Yah, is that how you greet someone who's calling to check up on you?"

"I'm not a baby. I don't need you to check up on me." Arang rebutted.

"Sure you don't." He agreed sarcastically. "Are you done with work?"

She squinted her eyes. "Maybe. Why?" She questioned.

"Come to the agency. I'm thirsty." Taehyung demanded.

"What?" Arang sucked her teeth. "I'm not your servant. Why are you telling me?"

"Something fruity would be wonderful. Thanks. Bye." The call ended and Arang had her mouth agape as she stared at her phone.

There was no way in hell she was going to listen to him. He could get his own drink. 

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author's note

» thank you for reading this story. I hope you enjoyed. I'm sure many of you died of happiness at the beginning of this chapter. And yes, that stalker was crazy. Who do you think it could be? Hmmmm... frozen frames here are when Taehyung and Arang are standing seven yard apart, looking at each other, her standing in front of him grinning, his flustered expression when she asked him why he brought her to his secret place, Arang's arms full of gifts from the fans, Daehyun and Arang talking to each other and finally Arang gaping at her phone at the end. Share your frames, yea