Min Yoongi's POV

Hoseok stood up and brushed dried grass off his pants. He handed back my phone, his mouth curling into a lopsided grin and a subtle crinkle forming at the outer corner of his eyes.

Crossing his arms, he gave us both a confused look.

"So, you both exchanged numbers?" Hoseok asked, pointing his fingers at both of us.

"I gave her my number so I could share the recipes," I said, then gave him a quick rundown of my earlier conversation with Soo Ah.

"Is that why you smelled like coffee?" Hoseok asked, doubling over in laughter. "Why... are you so... clumsy?"

"Hoseok, can you not? You are seriously pissing me off," Soo Ah snapped. She turned her head toward me as she glared. "And, Yoongi! You could have avoided that coffee tin incident"

"I just told him what happened," I said.

She looked at me for a second too long, then turned away.

"Don't...don't give me that face. I'll stop laughing," he said, straightening up. "Soo Ah! What's going on?" He teased her with a cheeky smile.

"What?" she asked. "Hoseok, don't overthink this. Yoongi already told you what happened. Why are you giving me that look?"

She sighed. "Look, Jimin's my friend and colleague. You have his number. Yoongi's your friend. Why can't I have his? It was for recipes, okay, recipes."

"Yeah, Jimin became my friend through you. But I got his number to check on you." Hoseok said.

"Yeah, whatever. I'm allowed to be friends with Yoongi too. And stop making it something it's not."

She tossed the candy in her mouth, then walked away to the pond without another word.

Hoseok threw an arm over my shoulder. "Okay, I believe you," he said, smirking.

Yeah, he didn't believe me at all.

We walked after Soo Ah and paused at the edge of the pond. Everything felt quieter over here. A bell chimed in the distance, which was soft and hollow. I shut my eyes, inhaled slowly, letting the air cool my lungs.

I stole a glance at Soo Ah, and she was tilting her head like a curious kitten. Her nose had turned a soft strawberry pink from the cold. She looked adorable. Why was noticing the color of her nose? I definitely didn't. Not at all.

The fish glided through the cool water, catching the faint sunlight and leaving a trail of gentle ripples behind it.

"Hoseok!" I called out.

He turned around, a piece of candy tucked in his cheek.

"Thanks for the surprise," I said, heading for the car.

"Oh! Look who's saying that," he teased, grinning. I quickened my pace, pretending not to hear.

We eventually made our way back to where we were staying, then returned to Beijing. On the way, Soo Ah scrolled through the pictures we'd taken. Grandma burst out into laughter at one photo. The moment Hoseok and I were about to trip over each other in the field. She gave me that look. I sighed and shook my head, wondering how ridiculous these two cousins could be.

We arrived in Beijing late in the evening. We all went to our rooms to freshen up. After a warm bath that eased the day's fatigue, I came out and collapsed onto the bed, staring at the ceiling.

It felt good to be back. There was a quiet warmth in Hoseok's family, like a steamed bun on a cold day. Simple and comforting. It reminded me of how different it was from my own home.

My family had warmth too, but it was different. Especially from my mom, it was like a spicy steamed bun on a cold day. Intense and overwhelming, almost too much. I had always wanted to have a calm conversation with her, but somehow it flared up into something else, and my dad was the one always trying to cool down.

While I was in my thoughts, Hazel climbed onto me and settled on my stomach.

"Did you miss me?" I asked, running my fingers through her fur.

We'd left her here, knowing she'd be okay on her own for a few days. I had made sure everything was set up before we left.

"You got fat," I said, gently poking her sides. "Looks like everyone's been overfeeding you."

Later, I headed downstairs and found Soo Ah and Hoseok playing with the chick. I walked over to them. The chick toddles between us with its tiny feet.

Soo Ah gazed sadly at the chick. "It's going back to its home," she said.

"Is the owner...Bai Xing Meng...coming to take it back?" I asked.

She nodded, gently tugging at the white lace on her skirt.

After a while, Bai Xing Meng arrived. We stood around talking for a bit.

"This little troublemaker got itself lost. Thank you for taking care of it," she said, grinning.

"Soo Ah, it's going back to its siblings. Don't look down, and stop looking like someone stole your dinner," Hoseok said.

"I'm not upset," she replied, hitting Hoseok.

"It told me it's tiring to see your sulky face. Right, little one?" Hoseok teased, making everyone laugh and easing the mood.

"Hoseok is right!" I said, patting the chick's head. I saw her smiling a little.

"You both stop," she said.

Bai Xing Meng scooped the chick up, and we all waved as she left, carrying it home.

Grandpa gave a quiet gesture to Hoseok, and the two of them strolled outside. Soo Ah and I settled onto the wooden platform that jutted out from the room, overlooking the garden. The garden was thick with the sweet, honeyed smell of Osmanthus blossom, blending with Soo Ah's familiar lavender perfume.

She leaned in, close enough to catch the scent. "You changed your perfume," she said. "It's musky and citrusy."

"Don't you have a cold? How could you tell?"

She smiled, just a little. "I just can."

We sat in silence after that. I wanted to ask her more, how? But I kept quiet.

I gazed at the tree. The gentle breeze rustled the leaves. One leaf floated down, landing on Soo Ah's hair.

Should I brush it away?

I lifted my hand, stopping it mid-air, just as she turned toward me.

"What are you doing?" she asked, flicking her eyes at my raised hand. She hugged the plush chick I'd gifted her. That I'd won at the goldfish scooping.

Without saying a word, I reached over and gently plucked a leaf from her hair.

"It's just a leaf," she said, tilting her head. "Why do you look so nervous? You're blushing." She gave the plushie a small squeeze, trying to stifle her own smile.

"I'm not blushing," I muttered, looking away.

"Tomorrow's our last day here," she said. "Until we come back for the holidays, anyway."

"I had a good time here. Thank you for taking care of me and Hazel."

"If you really want to thank me, don't forget to share those restaurant recipes." She patted my shoulder, then quickly pulled her hand back. "Sorry, I got a little excited. I just want to cook something nice for Jimin and show off my skills."

"Didn't you say Jimin was annoying?" I raised an eyebrow.

"He is. Especially at work. But he's also...a good friend." I nodded, remembering Hoseok mentioning his name before.

Hazel climbed onto Soo Ah's lap. She flinched, then gave a tentative pat on the head.

"Looks like you are getting used to Hazel," I teased. "Otherwise, you'd have jumped away."

"She's cute," Soo Ah said. "Like, you know, a marshmallow, cute and squishy. I don't think she'll scratch me."

"She'll. If you stomp on her tail." I said with a grin.

She laughed, just a little too nervously. "I'll be careful around her."

After a pause, she continued.

"Thanks for joining us for the new year. We made a lot of memories."

"Yeah," I glanced at her. "A lot of chaotic ones," I added, mumbling quietly.

She cleared her throat, pretending not to hear.

Behind us, Hoseok came hopping over, a bag in his hand.

"You two are having fun," Hoseok said with a grin.

On the steps, Grandpa called out, "I'll be heading up."

"Hoseok! You scared me," Soo Ah said, kicking him lightly.

"Soo Ah, I'm older than you. What's with that?" Hoseok replied, snatching the plushy chick from her arms and bopping her on the head.

She huffed and flicked her hair. "Ugh, you messed it up."

Hazel jumped off Soo Ah's lap, meowing. She sat up on the grass, ears twitching, clearly disturbed by them. She pawed Hoseok's feet, telling him to calm down.

"Look, even Hazel is telling you to behave," Soo Ah said.

Hoseok glanced at me and then at Hazel. "You both have the same face right now. Totally done with me."

"You two are exhausting," I sighed.

I eyed the bag in his hand. "Hoseok! What's in there?"

"Something for tonight," he said, winking.

"What weird thing have you planned now?" I asked.

Sorry for the late update! What do you feel when you read this book?

I'm a bit unsure if my writing style has stayed consistent since it's been months, but I hope it's the same.

-Shin Haari