Sona stood in front of the BigHit building. She couldn't bring herself to go inside because she was afraid of running into the idol she had met the previous day. He had definitely remembered her. If he saw her, he would laugh at her in front of the other idols, and she couldn't bear that kind of embarrassment. It was scary, but there was no time to hesitate. Clenching her hands into fists, Sona entered the building.
The day passed in its usual rhythm: She cleaned the halls, washed the windows, doors, and floors. Sona didn't sit down for a second to rest. Her legs ached terribly from the countless steps she had taken that day. Finally, it was time for her lunch break. The girl happily took off her uniform and found a quiet place to be alone. During her time at BigHit, she had explored the building from top to bottom and knew it like the back of her hand. Her favorite spot was the wide windowsill by the large panoramic window at the end of the second-floor corridor. The idols rarely went there; usually, only the support staff went there, and they had all left for lunch.
Sitting on the windowsill, she began eating the dishes her mother had prepared that morning. As she ate, she watched the passersby. She listened to music on her phone. There were trainees sitting in the courtyard, but most of them were wearing masks, making them difficult to recognize from a distance. She was so tired that she had already forgotten what had happened last night. She didn't have time for that. Leaning against the window, she simply enjoyed her rest.
Yoongi sat in the courtyard with several other group members. Wrapped in a jacket and wearing a mask, he and Namjoon were working on a new song. Meanwhile, Taehyung was having fun with Jungkook, filming everything on video. He made everyone around him laugh because he was so good at it. Hoseok's cheerful laughter was contagious. He searched for something on his phone and smiled from time to time. Sometimes he reacted very actively to news he found in the media.
Spring still did not bring warmth. In some places, there was even snow, and frost appeared in the morning. But Yoongi liked writing songs in the fresh air when his mind was clearer and he could come up with something new. Turning his neck to ease the pain, he raised his head to the sky, thinking of a rhyme for the previous line. Suddenly, he noticed her: It was the same girl he had seen dancing wildly in the hall yesterday.
Today, she was different. Her long, black hair fell smoothly over her shoulders. Her face looked like porcelain in the daylight, and her pale pink lips barely stood out against her white skin. When he saw her, he couldn't take his eyes off her. He watched her every move and smiled when he saw her eating lunch. When the girl leaned against the window, closed her eyes, and listened to music on her headphones, something stirred in the boy's chest. His heart beat wildly, and a pleasant, sweet feeling filled him. Surprised, he blinked and began to breathe heavily:
"Are you okay?" Namjoon asked, noticing his friend's strange behavior.
"Uh, yeah, I'm fine. I'm okay," Yoongi replied uncertainly. "I must be tired."
"Could be. You've been staying late at the gym lately," Hoseok confirmed. "We could all use a break."
"I can't remember the last time I saw my mom," Taehyung said, interrupting his playtime with Jungkook. "I miss home so much," he pouted.
"I recently asked the manager about taking a break. He said not before the end of the month," Namjoon said. "We have a lot of work ahead of us, and we need to recharge our batteries. You can count on a short break in the schedule."
"Hooray!" Hoseok rejoiced, smiling broadly.
"Oh, finally! I'll be able to sleep in." Yoongi cheered up and looked up at the window where the girl had been sitting. But she was no longer there.
The boy's heart soon calmed down, and he continued working in the hall. However, that strange feeling haunted him all day. Its sweet aftertaste brought a smile to his face whenever he thought of her.
The day was coming to an end. Throughout the day, what Sona feared most did not happen. She didn't meet that idol. The chances of running into him were zero because she was constantly changing locations, and he was always in the same rooms. As she changed out of her uniform into her regular clothes, the girl walked wearily toward the exit. Suddenly, the manager stopped her with two full trash bags.
"Oh, Sona. I'm glad you're still here," he began, as usual. "I'm busy. Take out the trash," he said, handing her the bags. "Thank you." Once again, he ran off without letting Sona say a word.
"All right. I'll do as you ask," she said quietly to herself as she headed for the exit.
It was already dark outside. Bright streetlights illuminated the road. A light frost nipped at her cheeks. Fine snow covered the ground.
Armed with two garbage bags, Sona headed for the trash cans on the other side of the street. It was difficult to see anything under her feet under the snow and in the semi-darkness, so she did not think about how slippery it might be near the cans.
After dropping one bag into the overflowing bin, she gathered all her strength to throw the second bag in. Suddenly, she felt a strange sensation as if the ground were slipping away from under her feet. She began to slide on the ice, trying to keep her balance, but it was too slippery. Her right leg buckled and she lost her balance. The trash bag flew high into the air. Sona only had time to squeal.
The car was about to leave for the dormitory with the Bangtans. Only Yoongi and Jimin were waiting outside, just leaving the building. The boys were arguing about something when Yoongi noticed the same girl near the trash cans. Jimin looked in her direction, too. The light from one of the streetlamps illuminated the ice covering the ground around the cans.
"Oh, it's slippery there," Jimin said, pointing at the girl who was throwing out the trash. "She might fall..." Yoongi?! He was surprised not to see hyung nearby.
Yoongi didn't hesitate. He rushed toward the girl when he saw her fall. After that, everything was a blur. But when he felt how tightly he was hugging someone, he opened his eyes. He had caught her and was holding her in his arms, protecting her from falling. He was breathing heavily from running toward her with all his might, but he felt calm knowing the girl was safe.
She opened her eyes wide in surprise. She saw the idol's white face above her. She blinked, causing Yoongi's heart to race again and that pleasant, sweet feeling returned.
"Are you okay?" he asked, concerned about the girl's condition.
"Mm-hmm..." Sona muttered.
"That's good." Yoongi exhaled with relief. His lips stretched into a smile. "Hi," he said suddenly.
"Hi," Sona smiled back at him. But her smile vanished in an instant when she saw the garbage bag she had thrown up while falling toward them—or rather, its contents. She covered her face with her hands. Min Yoongi took the full brunt of the blow.