Maru had picked up Seokjin from his house and finally stopped at Jiah's residence.

As Maru assisted Jiah in loading her luggage into the Hyundai Kona's trunk, she noticed her father narrowing his eyes at Maru. Swiftly, she waved her arm down and stomped her foot, causing her father to look at her. "Stop it!" she whispered with a grumble.

Mr. Lee's arms were both behind him, his eyes squinting at Jiah this time. "You better take care of ya'self, my daughter," he said. "Or I'll fly to the US and come back with one of his arms."

"Ew! You need to stop watching too many crime shows," Jiah said, grimacing as she remembered her father's new interest.

Ignoring her, he looked at Seokjin, who was in the front seat, typing something on his phone. "And who's dat?" he asked in a thick foreign accent, narrowing his eyes at Seokjin. As if Seokjin felt someone watching him, he lifted his head and saw Mr. Lee. He smiled and bowed to the elderly man.

Mr. Lee chuckled and nodded at him. Turning to Jiah, he asked, "yer second boyfriend?"

Jiah rapped, "Can you stop pointing at every single man I meet and calling them my boyfriend?" Both of her palms landed on her face as she shook her head, muttering, "Oh goodness."

"You've been working to help me cover my debts, Jiah-yah. Now that half of it is paid, I can handle the rest on my own. It's time for you to stop worrying about me and focus on yourself," Mr. Lee said. "You can come back with some Western guys. I don't mind. Just don't get pregnant yet."

Jiah whined, "Appa!"

"I know young 'uns nowadays. They're wilder than my generation."

Imitating a crying sound, Jiah said, "Goodness. You're annoying me to no end!"

Mr. Lee laughed and said, "You'll miss your father annoying you. Mark my words!"

Pouting and whimpering, Jiah said, "This isn't a farewell!"

Chuckling, Mr. Lee responded, "I know." Smiling, he opened his arms for his daughter. "Come here," he beckoned.

A thump from the car's trunk caught Jiah's attention as she walked towards her father with her arms spread wide as well. Her lips curved downwards as she placed her palms on her father's back. Softly, she spoke, "Appa, please take care of yourself too. Don't forget to turn off the living room lights before you go to bed!"

Mr. Lee chuckled, patting his daughter's back with his palm. He said, "Alright, alright." As they pulled back, he added with a smile, "Good luck, my daughter!"

Jiah's vision became glassy, yet she managed to force a big smile and give her father a nod. She uttered, "I'll come back with good news."

Mr. Lee smiled as well, nodding his head while patting his daughter's head with his palm. Releasing a soft sigh, he said, "Get in."

Walking backward to the car, she plastered a smile for her father. Once she felt the warmth of the nearby metal, she reached for the door handle, pulled it, and got inside. She shut the door, faced the window, and continued to smile at her father. As the brake released, she waved at her father, and he waved back at her.

The car drove farther from her house, forcing her to turn towards the front and exhale. Just as she was about to rest her head on the window, Seokjin said, "Jiah-yah, Amber will join us tomorrow. The boutique needs her today. Is that okay with you?"

Jiah answered, "Of course."

"And also, if you see someone coming at the last minute, don't be surprised," Seokjin said.

Jiah blinked, looking at the older man with confusion. "Why? Who's coming?"

Seokjin paused, taking a deep breath before exhaling. He said, "You'll see."

**********

What Seokjin had told her earlier left her wondering. However, she couldn't help but imagine that Hoseok might come running to find her in the airport hall. Yet, recalling his hurtful words, she shook her head, attempting to push the imagination aside.

As Jiah stood in line with Seokjin ahead and Maru behind her, she repeatedly looked back, wondering who might appear. Once again, she secretly hoped it would be Hoseok. Again, she couldn't help, but question her own emotions.

When her turn came to present her passport at the counter, she cast another glance behind her as she waited for the immigration police to return her passport.

Anticipation. The feeling of anticipation consumed her. She sent her luggage onto a conveyor belt and had her small backpack weighed, with Seokjin's assistance.

Mentally, she scolded herself to stop anticipating. Maybe Seokjin was merely teasing her. Her friends from Bejiwoo all cared deeply for her. Perhaps it would be the cheerful Jisoo and Wheein? Or the clingy Taehyung and silly Jungkook? Maybe the serious Yoongi and clumsy Namjoon? Jimin was still part of Bejiwoo, but it seemed impossible that he had discovered their plans to travel abroad.

While waiting for the announcement of their flight, Jiah closed her eyes, attempting to calm herself. Thoughts of Hoseok continued to swirl in her mind. She clenched her fist and pressed her medium-length nails into her palms. She hoped he would come, yet she also hoped he wouldn't.

A creak from the chair next to her signaled Seokjin's return. Her heart skipped a beat, but she restrained herself from asking. She didn't want to appear curious or overly concerned. If it was meant to be a surprise, then so be it.

"Lee Jiah!" A voice forced her eyes to fly open, she gasped. "Lee Jiah!" She recognized that voice. Tears pooled on the brim of her eyes, her heart thumped faster. Standing up, she scanned the area.

Seokjin noticed her reaction and also looked around.

Once again, the voice rang out, "Lee Jiah!" Urging her to turn around, she finally met the source of the voice. Her heart raced as their eyes locked. Jiah swallowed hard, trying to contain the emotions threatening to spill over.

Hoseok's chest heaved with deep breaths, his tired eyes ringed with dark circles. Jiah couldn't tell if he had shaved, but there were traces of stubble on his philtrum and chin. A small, round bandage adorned one of his eyes, raising questions about a potential injury.

As they locked gazes, Hoseok's eyes shimmered with unshed tears.

Jiah fought to control her own emotions, forcing herself to look away before making her way toward him. Her gaze remained fixed on the floor as she approached him. When she recognized a pair of familiar sneakers-the same ones her former boss always wore-she glanced up, meeting his eyes once again. Suddenly, a grin spread across her face, and she burst into laughter, puzzling Hoseok. Gradually, her laughter subsided, and she gazed at him again, a soft smile on her lips.

"I was imagining you'd come," Jiah whispered. "But why are you here?"

Hoseok studied her for a moment, his eyes searching, trembling. Finally, two glistening trails trickled down his cheeks. He shook his head, his voice cracking as he pleaded, "Don't go... Please, don't go."

Jiah's tears began to flow. "Why?" she asked softly. "Why don't you want me to go?"

Tears streamed down Hoseok's face like a waterfall. His voice quivered with vulnerability, baring his feelings. "I'm scared. I'm scared of losing you. I don't want to lose you. I don't want to tell you a 'goodbye.'"

Silence enveloped them as Jiah studied his eyes, her lips curving into a gentle smile. Taking a deep breath, she wiped away her tears, leaving her lashes damp and her eyes glistening. "Don't worry," she murmured in a soft tone. Cupping his cheeks with her hands, she gently brushed away the tears with her thumbs. "I will come back."

Still holding his cheeks, she locked eyes with him.

Hoseok looked down for a while, allowing silence to get involved before meeting Jiah's gaze once more. With hesitancy, he asked, "Are you... still mad with me?"

A soft chuckle escaped Jiah's lips. Shaking her head, she replied, "No."

"But... do you really have to go?" Hoseok inquired, his voice cracking once more as his brows furrowed.

Jiah nodded, her head moving up and down. "we should take this opportunity to grow. Both of us know we need more time to heal," she explained. Pausing, she brushed her fingers against his cheeks, catching a tear that had rolled down. "Promise me. Take care of yourself. Don't get sick or hurt. Eat well. Don't be hard on yourself."

"And if I get hurt? If I be hard on myself?" Hoseok asked.

"I'll feel the pain too," Jiah replied, her voice tinged with a whine as her eyebrows frowned, her eyes glistening once more. A thumb caressed the sides of his cheeks gently as she added, "Promise me, okay?"

Hoseok exhaled softly, allowing the silence to envelop them one more time. Resting his forehead against hers, her hands slid down to his shoulders. He closed his eyes and whispered, "You make me feel alive." He paused briefly before adding, his voice a mere whisper, "For you. I promise."

A soft smile tugged at Jiah's lips, and she gently pulled back, breaking their forehead connection. Meeting his gaze, she held it steadily. Still cupping his cheeks, she stood on her toes, leaned in and pressed a kiss to his forehead. As she pulled back, she held his gaze, a sense of warmth passing between them.

A slow smile spread across Hoseok's face, mirroring the affectionate expression on Jiah's. Both of them chuckled softly, the tension of the moment giving way to a shared moment of lightheartedness. Whispering, he asked, "Do you think there's another way to tell you that... I've fallen in love with you?"

Jiah's lips parted slightly, a moment of surprise crossing her features before a grin formed on her face, accompanied by a soft laugh.

"You're blushing," Hoseok observed, his grin widening.

Throwing her head back as she laughed, Jiah playfully retorted, "Is it so hard to tell me that you're in love with me?"

"It is. I'm just... I'm shy," Hoseok confessed, his eyes shining with amusement. Hearing Jiah laugh had him grinning.

"Do you know you're cute?" she teased, scrunching her nose. "Guess what, Hoseok? You're always on my mind. The day we talked about our lives. I realized we had so many connections. I promised myself I would do anything to make you happy. I realized then, you're trying to make yourself better, and I love to see that. There's so much I've learned about you. I get scared and hurt when I imagine something bad happening to you," she explained, a brief moment of silence hanging in the air. "I want to love you for as long as I can. I've loved you for a long time, and I want to keep doing that."

Hoseok's smile widened, and a blush painted his cheeks. Then, his smile turned into a sealed-lip grin as he whispered, "I would love to do the same for you."

Just as they were about to draw each other into an embrace, a loud shout of "Jiah noona!" and "Unni!" resonated through the hall.

From the bench, Seokjin interjected, "Here come the mood breakers. Give them some privacy, you monkeys!"

But his command was disregarded as the group of friends snatched Jiah from Hoseok, enveloping her in a group hug. Through the gaps, Jiah spotted Amber approaching with Namjoon and Yoongi behind her. Amber waved a hand at her, and Jiah nodded in acknowledgment.

"Jiah," Wheein said with a playful pout, her maroon lips drawing attention. "We'll miss you."

Jiah turned her head toward Wheein, offering a reassuring smile. "I won't be gone for long."

"You never know! Amber noona took more than a year to return. What if the same happens to you?" Taehyung chimed in, looking at her with a sad glint in his eyes.

Jiah chuckled and said, "I promise I'll be back soon."

The girls pouted at her, tightening their hold in the group hug.

"Oh, noona!" Jungkook exclaimed, breaking free from the hug to take out something from his pocket. He opened his palms to reveal a small fish charm surrounded by a brown rope. "It's a good luck charm my mother gave me. It wards off negative energy. I want you to have it."

"You should keep it. Your mother gave it to you, not me," Jiah protested, looking at Jungkook with eyes widened.

Jungkook grinned, revealing his bunny teeth. He grabbed her wrist and placed the fish charm in her palm. "Consider it a gift for being an awesome noona and unni to us," he said. "I hope it brings you luck. Good luck, noona!"

Jiah looked down at the fish charm in her hand, her heart swelling with gratitude. She then met Jungkook's gaze and smiled. "Thank you, Jungkook." He nodded in response.

A formal announcement echoed through the speakers, startling Jiah. "Ladies and gentlemen, Korean Air flight one-three-seven to New York City is now ready for boarding at Gate thirteen. Please present your boarding passes and passports for verification."

Turning her heels, Jiah's gaze immediately sought out Hoseok. After she found him, she noticed he was looking down at the marble floor, his shoulders slumped. Jungkook and Taehyung cleared a path for her as she approached Hoseok. He lifted his head as she stopped in front of him.

"Take care," Jiah murmured.

Hoseok's lips curved into a tight smile. "Promise you'll come back soon?" he asked in a similar soft tone.

"Of course!" Jiah chirped, her voice filled with assurance.

"Go on, or you'll miss your flight," Hoseok encouraged gently.

Jiah nodded, her determination unwavering. She managed to catch a glimpse of Wheein signaling to Maru 'I'll be watching you,' who responded with an awkward bow before walking away with Seokjin.

Passing through security, she heard Hoseok's voice again, calling out, "Lee Jiah! I-I promise, when you return, you'll see a better version of me!"

Jiah chuckled, bowing at the security as she retrieved her items from the basket on the conveyor belt. Then, locking eyes with him, she extended both arms to form a large circle before bending them into the shape of a heart.

A broad smile spread across Hoseok's face.

She waved at him and her friends, and they waved back. As she turned to head toward the direction of the flight gate, an unexpected tear rolled down her cheek. Yet, despite the tear, a wide smile remained on her face, and a gentle chuckle escaped her lips.