We all hide from something...someone...everyone. We keep secrets from people even when we don't necessarily have anything scandalous to hide. And we check and recheck, trying to make sure what we hide is well hidden. That too was the reason Sira always halted before her doorstep and pulled out the small mirror that she kept in her bag. She looked at her face, her neck, and every area where her skin was exposed to the sight of others, to ensure nothing was out of the ordinary.

A sigh escaped her lips as she closed her mirror and plastered a smile on her face, putting it back in her bag right before she turned the knob and entered her house. The voices of her parents called out to her as soon as she closed the door behind her, making her smile more as she removed her shoes and went further inside. 

"Heyyy, I am home." She greeted them enthusiastically, as she braced herself for the usual checkup. 

"Stay still." Her mother rushed to touch her forehead to check her temperature. It had become a routine since she was little. She was more ready to check if she was sick than to hug her. 

"Mom, I am fine. I promise. It was just a regular day." Sira grabbed her mother's hand and pulled it softly away, giving her a quick hug, appreciating her worry.

"Just leave the kid alone already. She barely got in, and you are doing her physical exam. "Her father chimed from the living room, sitting in his usual spot. His beloved orange sofa. His eyes left the TV to look at them, giving her a reassuring smile that made Sira go up to him and give him a hug, too.

"Why do you always try to make me the bad guy? I am just worried. What if she gets sick again?" Her mother's voice accompanied her actions, making Sira force herself to smile even more as she walked back up to her and cupped her mother's face in her palms. 

"Mom, I am okay, I promise." She reassured her with beaming eyes of joy, and her mother smiled softly, pushing her worry aside for one more day. 

"Fine, go wash up and come eat then. The food is ready." Her mother pulled away from her hold as she ordered her, and Sira nodded, heading up the stairs in a hurry, happily, to her room.

Once inside, she could finally let her smile drop and her joyful energy show at what level of energy it truly was. She plopped in her bed once more, feeling exhausted.

 Trying to live all the time she lost wasn't easy. Since she was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia at the age of 6, her life felt like it had escaped from her. Her childhood was confined between 4 walls, whether in her own room or the hospital rooms. Back then, she used to daydream that after her treatment would finish, she could get back to being a kid. Get back to being free, but even after finishing treatment successfully at age 11, her parents kept her inside, homeschooling her cause they were far too scared of her relapsing. 

Sira understood that fear well; she had lived the pain of that illness in her own skin after all. No one wants her to be healthy more than she herself does. However, she couldn't help but start feeling like a prisoner with time. A prisoner who grew up trying to convince them she was healthy enough to let her get back to living outside. And with those tries came a lot of faking. Fake smiles, fake reassurance, fake joy. 

They turned her into a hypocrite, desperate to start living again, and even though she hated that about herself, and she wished she could really just be as childish as others perceived her sometimes, she was only that at the surface. 

She lifted her arm over towards her ceiling, reaching out to the star stickers she had all over her ceiling, as it was the only night sky she was able to lie under for years. Wondering every night if the real ones shine like more than that. But as she did that movement that was almost a routine for her, her sleeve lowered, and her wrist came into view, bringing to her sight the bruise she had there.

A bruise that, if her mother were to notice, Sira would certainly lose access to her current life in a snap, because bruising would make her think that Sira was getting sick again, and she would force her to run through the hospital and do checkups to ensure it was not so. Her parents were hard to convince, even if she were to tell them it was just bruises after all; hence, she had to check herself carefully before stepping into the house. 

One small bruise could ruin weeks of her life. And make her parents even more overprotective than they already were.

"I better cover this up with foundation; I am not risking it." She murmured to herself as she stood quickly from her bed and went near her desk where she kept her makeup. It took only a moment to cover it up, and she was satisfied with it. Then she proceeded to change clothes until her phone rang, which disturbed her and made her rush to her bag to get her phone out.

Her eyes grew wide when she noticed that it was Taehyung's name flashing on her screen, and she froze, not expecting him to be calling her all of a sudden. 

"Tae? What's up?" She picked up his call, pretending to be nonchalant, as she mostly behaved when in his presence. 

"Hey, I just wanted to make sure you'll be coming this Friday to my party. You will, right?" Taehyung went straight to the point as he stood in front of his mirror on the other side of the line, rubbing his wet hair with a towel as he held his phone in the other hand, having just stepped out of the shower.

"Why are you going to the trouble to invite me personally? I think I am pretty sure I already told everyone that I won't be coming." Sira replied, making Taehyung smile at the other side of the line.

"That's why, Sira. You are an entertaining person, and we have fun when we hang out all together. We are not close friends, but we are friends, aren't we?"Sira pursed her lips at his words, for he was right; she used to hang out with him a lot, along with other people, of course, and he was fun; his parties were fun too. But at some point things had started changing for her, so she had distanced herself a little.

" Come on, Sira. I don't know why you have been mad at me for so long, but whatever it is, we can talk it through. I really value you as a person and as a friend." Taehyung added, speaking sincerely, and he waited on the line for her, allowing the silence to grow a bit awkward for a few seconds.

"Fine. I will be there." Was all that reached his ear before Sira hung up the call and threw her phone over at her bed, using her free hands to hide her face, momentarily.

It was her fault after all. He was just like he usually is. Popular, friendly with everyone. Girls all around him even when he wasn't trying. It was her problem that she had started finding that bothersome. But she couldn't just say that. Cause that would make him understand that she was no different than any other girl around him. 

It was too embarrassing to admit even to herself that she had started to have a liking for him, and that was just atrocious according to her own judgment. 

"He is so annoying." She murmured in frustration as she left her room, now having it at the back of her mind that she had to find a way to go to that party without her parents finding out.

---Time skip---

You and Jimin had returned to his mansion together, him not particularly talkative after that conversation you had, but at least you were thankful that he had trusted you once again and given you a chance to make this mess right.

Tiredness had caught up to you; however, soon after you had reached to your room and even though you had told yourself that you would lie down just for a moment and get up to gather the little things you have and have them ready for tomorrow, once you had rested your head against the pillow sleep had gotten to you fast, leaving you laying on top of the covers, dressed in the same clothes you were in when outside.

"Y/n, I ordered some clothes for you and other necessities so it looks natural when you try to move in tomorrow with that guy. I told them to bring them to that address dir-" Jimin entered your room, as the door was half open and he had assumed you were still up, but he halted his tongue as soon as he noticed your sleeping figure laying on the bed.

He lowered the phone he still had in his hand and just stood there for a few seconds, then his feet took him softly closer to you, and he knelt down to your level, observing your sleeping face and the way your hair had fallen over your features. 

He gently removed the glasses you still had on and placed them by the nightstand, then he carefully tucked the loose strand of hair away from your face, his eyes looking at you full of longing and astonishment, as if he were touching something precious again.

"You have no idea how agonizing it felt...waiting for you." He murmured as he allowed his fingers to trace down your face softly and halt by your jawline.

"Y/N," he murmured your name, observing if you were to wake up, but you didn't move at all.

"I will make sure not to scare you away now that I found you again." He whispered as he let his hand travel to your hand and took hold of it, bringing it slowly up to his own face and resting it against your palm, taking in the warmth. 

"It's okay even if you are not the same. As long as it's you. That's all I need. And I promise I will win your heart again. You will see." Jimin thought as he closed his eyes and let his memories give him flashbacks of all the times you had caressed his face softly and lovingly. "I will not lose you twice. I promise."

He opened his eyes slowly again, and a soft smile reached his lips as he softly put your hand back on the bed. Then he went and found a blanket and covered you with it, and without hesitating, he made his way to the other side of the bed and snuggled under the cover himself.

At that very moment, you shifted in your sleep and turned to face him, but thankfully you did not wake up, and he just stood there, softly looking at you with a smile on his face. Recalling that night he had lain in this exact bed with you, worrying that you could get scared of the thunderstorm.

Now he had no such excuse, however. If you woke up tomorrow and found him there, he had no way to defend himself, but he stayed regardless, looking at the face of the woman he loved like he was seeing something extraordinary. Sparkling eyes and dilated pupils.

"My Y/N," Jimin whispered, unable to stop himself from reaching out again, hoping to cup your cheek, but you suddenly moved again, coming even closer, almost snuggling against his chest. 

An action that left his heartbeat increasing as he took the opportunity to pull you in more and have you engulfed in his warm embrace. Closing his eyes, he felt at peace after a long time, for he sure had waited long and had despaired over the thought of getting you back, a million times over.

"I missed you."

---To be continued---