Author's POV:

"I'm not usually a person who breaks into tears like that but... I'm sorry, I kinda end up showing myself more these days.." Taehyung spoke, a tint of embarrassment and guilt evident in his voice. You just looked at him and said, "That's... okay. You can break down in front of me every day if that's how you feel... you can cry with me until you feel okay, really... okay." 
He stared at your face as you both walked on the footpath, on your way home. He softly sighed and looked back saying, "I wonder... why you think you're bad at socializing... or why people say that to you."
"Huh?" 

Confusion took over your face as he continued, "Honestly... there's not been many people in my life all along. My little family and Jimin and Jungkook who I've grown up with. But... to be honest, you're the first person I could truly open up to... who saw me crying. I doubt if I cried in front of my own family in years... I never really wanted to seek comfort for them, it'd be burdening because they're all suffering too but... I can't help myself when I'm with you, it's like... I become a jelly... I don't know how to put it, but you really... make people feel safe, maybe... cared for. You really do, Y/N." 

Again, he was saying those again. Words which always made you feel like you were someone special, very special and unique. Unlike how you've always pictured yourself, someone different yet ordinary, a normal person without any extravagant talents or anything... just simple. But with him, you felt so fancy, his words made you feel like you were someone so talented and unique, someone, uncommon and special. 

You gulped and looked down saying, "M-Maybe it's because... t-that's you who accepted me first." Truth, that was the truth. No one accepted you the way he did, heck, he still had friends he grew up with. You had a classmate who you could hardly interact with, she was there, as a friend, a distant friend, not too close not too far. But special people? Maybe sometimes your mom, but your dad... he wasn't even someone you've ever thought of relying on. Maybe you tried, but that was in the past.

"Hey, where is Taewoo? Your mom's out... why is Taewoo alone at home?" You asked. He smiled and said, "He's actually at his friend's house. He had some homework due for tomorrow. I'll pick him up after dropping you home." He said, checking the time. It was nearly 7 pm. 
"But it's fine if you don't drop me off, I can go back on my own. You're not even in a great state." You said, slowly. He just listened to you and kept walking, not responding. You were expecting an answer but not getting any, a small frown appeared on your face. You looked at him who was smiling, looking in front of him.
"Hey... I'm okay, I really am. I just- need to vent it out at times I guess. I'm finer than before, truly." He said, smiling, a genuine one. Every time he smiled, it was genuine. He never faked a smile or laugh, from what you had noticed. You didn't even know what his fake smile looked like. He was so true to himself and to others, yet he seemed so concealing. Maybe the only thing he faked were his feelings.

"We're here..." You spoke, sighing. Your voice came out dull, more than what you had expected. He just listened to you and said, "Are you sad?"
"Huh? N-No..." You gulped and looked down. His lips twitched as he spoke, "Then... see you. Thank you for today. I really... mean it." 
"Don't cry alone. If you want to cry... and if I want to cry... let's cry together." You said, with a smile. You were breathing nervously, you often did. Every time you tried to say something, you started breathing nervously. But this time, you were reckless, more than what you'd expected. 
"Sounds good." He said, raising his brows. 

"Take care..." You spoke, in a very low voice and backed away. He waved at you as you smiled slightly turning around. Again, the same pang in your heart. You hated to bid him goodbye, you hated the feeling of going back home. 
"The exams are near... good luck." He spoke as you looked behind saying, "You too." 

Author's POV || 2009. 11. 15

You sighed and kept your notes aside. You took the pencil and carefully checked the angles of your page.
"Looks better now.." You muttered and continued sketching. Soon, your mom entered the room and said, "Are you drawing?" 
"Yeah.." You said. She smiled slightly and kept some snacks on the table saying, "Work hard. You can do it, I believe you. I know maybe the people outside don't believe you or maybe not even your friends because you haven't presented a drawing to the world yet but I know you can do it... I've seen your drawings last year. Everyone in your class is new, they don't know you... because you don't boast your skills or even your father who doesn't acknowledge your efforts. Once you show it to the world, you'll win it for sure. Goodluck, dear." 

She said and patted your head as you watched her leave. This was the first time she said these. She always listened to your father mocking you from afar, maybe made the least efforts to stop him. You thought she also thought of you the same, a quiet non-existent person with a skill no one knows about. But her words today, everything felt so sudden. She came out of nowhere and said those and left, it felt surreal but you tried to process everything and thought about it. 

Maybe deep down, she also trusted you but could barely share it with you, who knew? 

---At night 

You sighed and looked at the calendar. It was your birthday, in 2 days. And that was also the day of the presentation. 
And the next day was a field trip.
Then... exams. 

You looked at your artwork. 2 artworks, to be precise. One was for the presentation and the other one was... for yourself. You looked at the 2 types of artwork you had been working on since last year, bit by bit. One was the scenery and another one was rather... deeper than it looked. It was the drawing which you drew from your mind, from your deepest inner child. You decided to show the deep one than the scenery but kept it, just in case.

You looked at the other pages lying on the bed. Every artwork of those had the same thing, a face, of someone special. You looked at them, how perfectly you had done those. You drew them, but not to show it to anyone, just to keep it to yourself... only yourself. 

You organized the artwork and materials, organizing them as you walked downstairs, to eat. 
"Your dad is eating outside today. It's just us." Your mom said as a sigh of relief escaped your lips. You sat down and continued to eat as she spoke, "So.. any news on school?"
"School trip... presentation. Exams." You only uttered 4 words as she nodded and said, "School trip. Is it for a few days?"
"Probably in some mountain, camping.." You said. She nodded and said, "Where do you spend all of your days?" 
"Outside..." You spoke, looking at her while eating, not knowing why she was asking such questions.

"Umm.. I don't mean to pry in your personal life or something but... who is that guy?" She asked. You knew what she meant by 'the guy'. It couldn't be any more obvious but you just stared at her a little, baffled, confused? 
She chuckled and said, "Well... the one who drops you off every day and waits till you get inside... then leaves." 
"Oh." That was all you could say, all you had to react. You gulped, looking down as she smiled saying, "Is he someone special? You often talk to me about your friends... but, you never mentioned him."

"You saw?" That was the only question you asked. She nodded and said, "Sometimes... while working, or maybe from the bedroom window, I happened to see him. At first, I was confused but then I saw you both... every day. I suspected that guy but the way he looks at you... it makes me curious who he is." 
You listened to her, gulping. 
"He's a... friend." You spoke. She smiled and said, "Just friends..?"
"What do you expect..?" You asked, a little awkwardly. She chuckled and said, "Well... nothing really. Just asking... just friends don't look at each other the way you both do. Anyway, that's not the topic." 
"There's a new mobile phone in the market now... maybe you can get one. You're turning 20 soon." She said as you looked at your food, playing with it.

"I don't really need it.." You said as she said, "Still, you'll need it. To contact friends and stuff. You'll graduate in 2 years, a mobile phone is necessary I've heard. Your dad bought one last year and I think it wasn't a loss. You should get one too." 
"I'll see..." You said and smiled slightly at her.
"Also, don't care about your dad's words... he's getting older and ruder. He probably had huge expectations of you being a doctor... but seeing you choose art, he might've been disappointed. But maybe, if he sees your talent one day, he'll understand why you chose art." 

You just nodded, continuing to eat. But one sentence kept roaming in your mind,

'Friends don't look at each other the way you both do' 

That question perked a curotisty in you. You also wondered now... how did you both look at each other? Was it really the way friends did, everything that you both did?