Lesson Ten

Under a Spell

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

IN the early hours of 2nd of January, Yoongi rapped his fist on the door of Namjoon's door. The door opened with a click as the bleary-eyed leader opened the door. His eyes nearly fell out of their sockets upon seeing who had woken him up at this unearthly hour.

"Hyung? What's the matter? What the hell are you doing so early in the morning?" Namjoon asked, a bewildered expression on his face.

"H-how do you prepare a birthday party for a girl?" Yoongi asked, ignoring Namjoon's question.

"Huh?"

•

"NO! That sounds so off-pitch! Sing love you so bad with a little more emphasis on bad!"

'I seriously don't remember signing up for this,' Jungkook complained to himself. 'Being bossed around someone younger - no wonder they say that Hell isn't a place. Hell is people like her.'

"Why don't you sing it then?" He asked, sporting a surly face.

"With pleasure," Yoona responded and sang the lines back just the way she wanted it.

After she was done, she gave him an impertinent smile. Jungkook scowled.

Grumbling audibly, Jungkook sang the lines again. This time, they sounded better than they did before. Yoona nodded. Jungkook, used to the lack of response when he performed better, took it as a sign that she approved.

"By the way, do you know when Fake Love will be released?" Yoona asked.

"When we are done with the rest of the songs. Anpanman needs more time and so does Magic Shop. And Love Yourself's theme isn't produced yet. That needs to be released before Love Yourself: Tear."

"I see. What does the theme reflect upon?"

"Hm, Wonder. Why do you ask?"

"Simply curious."

According to Jungkook, she sounded more sad than curious when she heard the word, wonder.

•

They practiced for a little while before Yoona decided to call it a day. Jungkook sighed as he got up and just then, a loud grumble left his stomach, echoed by another.

"Seems like both of us skipped breakfast today," Jungkook said with a grin. Yoona gave a small smile as she turned her face away due to embarrassment.
"What's your excuse?"

"I was too busy trying to come up with lyrics for my new song. What's yours?"

"Dance practice. So, you've had nothing at all since morning? I am used to it but you shouldn't be."

"Actually, I was just about to whip something up," Yoona said. 

Jungkook perked up when he heard this.

Yoona chuckled when she saw his expression as she got up and went to the kitchen. Jungkook trailed closely behind her. She pulled out a packet of pasta from the pantry and looked at Jungkook.

"You're not on a gluten-free diet, are you?" Yoona asked.

"Eh, I can cheat today. I'm too jungry to care," Jungkook said, winking. 

She gave him an unamused look.

"So, pasta's fine? Great," she responded. 

Jungkook looked at her in a peevish way.

"You didn't get it? Jungkook plus hungry equals jungry? Didn't they teach you about puns in school?"

"They did. And that wasn't the best pun out there," Yoona said and rolled her eyes.

She picked up a saucepan from one of the drawers and started taking out ingredients like eggs, cheese, onions, herbs, capsicums, mushrooms and wasabi.

"If you want to eat it, you have to earn it," Yoona said and upon hearing this, Jungkook took the hint. Taking out a chopping board, he helped chop the onions and capsicums.

"Curiously, why wasabi?" Jungkook asked.

"I like spicy stuff. Do you mind if I add that? It will be just a pinch," Yoona said, putting the pasta in the boiling water. Jungkook shook his head to show that he didn't.

Soon, they prepared and mixed the ingredients for the sauce and waited for it to simmer. Once the pasta was soft enough, Yoona drained out the water and tossed the pasta in the sauce.

Jungkook decided to set the table then. He took out the cutlery and two bowls. Pulling up a chair, he sat and waited for Yoona to finish mixing the sauce with the pasta. Then, a catch of melody caught his ears.

It was soft and light, yet left an impact on the listener. It was Yoona, humming a tune to herself. It was melodious and scintillating; if a tune could ever be called graceful. There was a certain brightness to it as it made a smile grow on Jungkook's lips.

She continued to hum and didn't notice Jungkook coming closer to her. She ended her wordless song with a four syllable word which perfectly defined what it described.

"What is that you hummed?"

Yoona gave a startled gasp and looked behind to see Jungkook with extremely round eyes. Round, bright eyes. They danced with wonder, which was exactly what he felt after he heard it.

"Uh, it is a piece of music that I have been working on quite sometime," she answered.

"What do you call it? Can I hear it?"

"S-sure. It isn't that great, though-" Yoona began but Jungkook shook his head.

"Make me listen to it."

She brought out her phone and clicked on the file that contained the piece. Then, she pressed play. Jungkook listened to it with rapt attention.

The piece did transport him to the four-syllable word that she had said. The future bass and piano made him feel a slow smile spread on his face and his heart pump at a gladdened pace. He looked at her and saw that she was smiling with a sweet smile.

Her voice, it was her voice that gave him the elation. The way she sang it; in perfect pitch and in tune with the piece's message.

Would he be able to sing like that? Ever?

He realized the sense behind Seokjin's words. Maybe there was something lacking in his voice. Maybe Yoona's lessons weren't that bad. He could bring about so many changes to his style and experiment. Variety wasn't a bad thing.

But was improving his vocals the only thought in his mind?

Not at all.

Maybe it wasn't just her voice that he was obsessed with.

He didn't listen to the words Yoona spoke but watched how her lips moved to form those words.

He didn't see her putting the pasta dish on the table but how pale and small her hands were.

He didn't hear her comment about the weather getting cold but how she pushed the lavender sweater down her slim form.

He didn't notice how hot the pasta was but how her gentle breath would blow on her spoon with a helping of the dish.

"... it okay?" Yoona's voice shook him awake from his musings.
He hastily nodded and ate his pasta noisily. Yoona smiled slightly and went back to having her meal.

'This seems so weird. Like I'm under a spell, cast by her.'

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.