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"Why did you climb it?" I tried hard to stifle a laugh as I worked to untangle my sister's hair from the branches of a tree.219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj2T5sA1tUg
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"I wanted a picture that made me look adventurous!" Minju squirmed. "And stop laughing, it's not funny!"
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"Who says I'm laughing? You can't even see my face!"
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"I know you're laughing." She accused. One hand grasped the tree, her foot on its tippy-toes to keep her captured hair slack.
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Determined, I shut my eyes to contain another urge to laugh else her anger turned the whole hike sour. The poor thing was especially determined to impress Yoongi. Only it obviously didn't work out as she expected. Not that I was thrilled that she had any admiration for the guy, but I could sympathize.
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"There." I pulled the last few strands loose.
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"Yes!" Minju hopped away from the tree with glee before checking her reflection with her phone. Her lesson now learned. Feeling both dubious at her persistent need to impress but also fondness for her naivety, I shook my head with a smile.
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The same smile suddenly felt out of place the instant I realized Yoongi had returned. The corners of my mouth dropped. Every stance and movement I made felt alien, knowing I was in view of him.
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When Minju got herself stuck, he ventured on to see what was ahead. For a fleeting moment, I considered the possibility that he did it to give my sister some privacy during her moment of distress. But I hastily declined the theory, deciding that would've been impossible and much too decent of him.
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By the state of him, I could tell he ran some ways. The ends of his dark brown hair gathered into wet points. Sweat dripped off of them like melting icicles. Their trails, that might as well have been liquefied diamonds in the sun, shimmered from his temples down to his slim neck.
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"The caves are just around that corner. We're close." He said. An unusual air of peppiness surrounded him since our split from the others. At least...what could be considered peppy for him anyway. His tone wasn't as low like before neither did he speak with a lazy slur. "You guys ready?" His inquiring eyes skimmed over Minju, straight to me.
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The sudden attention triggered an involuntary twitch in my brow and shoulders. Quickly, I averted my eyes and collected myself. "Yup. Let's keep moving," I led Minju forward. The sooner we met back with the others, the better.
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When we finally reached the mouth of the cave, Minju demanded we all take a picture in front of it. It would make the others jealous, according to her. She asked one of the strangers passing by to take one for us.
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Minju pulled the two of us at her sides and did a cute pose. I stood stiffly, feeling strange being in the same picture as the guy on the other side of her.
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As for Yoongi, he was clearly not one for taking pictures, but he didn't complain--out loud. His eyes were all sorts of irritated. That, at least, generated a smile on my part. How ever smug it may have been.
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"Don't you want to look at the camera, young man?" The woman taking the picture said. Yoongi didn't so much as acknowledge her. He only continued to look into the distance, waiting for this to be over.
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"It's alright," Minju assured the woman without a damper in her spirits. "He's just camera shy."
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Afterwards, the woman returned Minju's phone with a polite smile. "I took a lot just in case he decided to look. But he didn't. Not once." She emphasized. I smiled awkwardly, unsure what to tell her. "Oh and I noticed your shoe was untied, dear." She said to the baby faced middle schooler. We both thanked her before she left and Minju sat to tie her shoe.
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Which suddenly left me and Yoongi standing awkwardly next to each other for ten long seconds.
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I was determined not to look at him too much today. Otherwise, the images from my dream would haunt me. It was disturbing how much a dream could mess with someone's head. I kept my eyes busy with observing the mossy wall of the mountain when Minju finally stood up.
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"Okay, I'm ready." Minju prepared to lead the way. Except when she shouldered her backpack, she had a noticeable slump. That's when I remembered, she had double the amount of the things in her bag than everyone else. I clicked my tongue. Why didn't she say she was struggling?
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"Minju-ya. Let's switch bags. Mine is lighter." I shrugged my bag off and offered to switch. Minju began to protest but, Yoongi took Minju's bag and slung it on his own shoulders.
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"I got it." He said casually. We both stared at him but with differing expressions. Minju, as one would expect, gradually lost herself in a cloud of admiration. He then noticed my conflicted look and scoffed. "I'm not gonna run off with it."
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I scratched my head, "well, no, that's not-"
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"Aww, you're such a gentleman!" Minju held her hands to her chest. I narrowed my eyes at her. Weren't you going to refuse help just now? I thought. Then she cutely tugged his sleeve, "oppa, will you walk in with me?"
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Yoongi's arm remained limp as the younger girl swayed it to and fro like a child. He stared at her with blinking eyes. As though curious if she was ever going to stop. She didn't. "You two should go first. I'll stay in the back." I almost chuckled at his evident solution for getting away from her. I couldn't blame him. Clingy girls didn't seem like his type.
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Not that his type is something I'd spend time deciphering. Because I couldn't care less about what a bully finds attractive.
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Minju pouted as I ushered her in, leaving Yoongi to follow from behind. I tried to reassure her that if she was uncertain or scared, she could always rely on her older sister.
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"What's the point in that?" She murmured. Clearly, she wasn't as wary of the cave as much as she was ready to pretend to be for the sole purpose of getting close to Yoongi. I rolled my eyes. At least the dark allowed me to do so as often as needed.
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The cave was indeed dark, but there were dim, orange lights along the sides. They shone bright just enough to help guide hikers through. The walls of the caves had many different shades of gray and brown in its stone texture. There were no official paved walkways as of yet but there was a general beaten path to follow. Mostly.
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At rare points were nests of rocks protruding from the ground. One had to navigate carefully in these uneven areas. That's when we were reminded that the clear portions of the path had merely been a lucky happenstance of nature. The lights were fickle in these areas as they cast shadows from these unpredictable clusters. Which made it difficult to find safe stepping spots.
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Maneuvering was tricky, but apparently I had the best eyes and led Minju forward as safely as I could. We eventually reached a steep step. Here, Yoongi helped Minju hop up where the next portion of the clear path continued. After she had made it up successfully, he extended his hand to me. I looked at his slender masculine fingers warily as they reminded me of how they glided beautifully over the piano keys in my untimely dream.
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"I got it." I avoided his hand and gaze. I heaved myself up onto a rock and hopped forward. When I landed, the ball of my foot met a stone no bigger than a golf ball. I gasped, losing my balance. A pang of fright shook me as I fell backwards. With wide eyes, my sister snatched my arms and pulled me toward her. Back to safety. A sound of alleviation left my mouth and echoed between the walls.
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Prickles ghosted all around my body from the short but frightening moment. I breathed in and out in a nervous attempt to steel myself against something my mind had already started racing to put together against my wishes.
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Though I was undeniably safe now, my heart continued to pound rapidly at my chest. My body hummed like an electric fence as my scattered thoughts came together to reveal a horrifying revelation.
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He...
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Nervous to finish the thought, I forced a foolish laugh. With any luck they'd think I was amused at my own clumsiness. It was the best I could do to brush off what had happened. To indicate that I didn't think much of what he did.
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Without checking on the boy behind us, I strode forward in a hurry to clear my overthinking head. Unsurprisingly, my mind continued to work against me.
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The moment played itself over and over again. With each time, a tingling sensation intensified on two very specific spots on my waist. Being at the front of the group I chanced a face of reprove toward the fuss my mind was making.
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You're only acting weird because you're embarrassed that he had to save you. And you should be! 'I got it,' I said. Yeah, right. How humiliating!
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It had been a whole ten minutes by the time my self-rebuking session began to dissipate. Minju returned to the front where she'd discovered the fun of the acoustics. She entertained herself first with fun phrases, then ghost sounds, and finally with songs. One of the few redeeming qualities about my little sister was her angelic voice.
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Granted it got to her head sometimes, but it was undeniably pleasant.
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"You two are so different."
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I looked to the voice with a jolt then wondered when the brooding boy had made his way to my side. My eyes carefully returned forward. "Mm," I nodded.
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"In that case...you're probably a terrible singer." He said dryly.
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I glared at him. Burning suspicion boiled in my veins. The invisible barriers within me braced itself for a mental (and possibly physical) battle. Was he getting back in touch with his cruel side? Had it even left? What if that's the reason he separated us in the first place? I swallowed nervously, already running through different options of getting me and Minju away from him if this exchange turned south.
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A sharp puff of air shot through his teeth. "Don't look so serious. It was a joke," he said coolly.
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Against my better judgement, I searched his face for any sign of lighthearted intentions. To my doubtful expectation, his lips hadn't curled up in the slightest with amusement. They merely existed while shadows danced over them teasingly, defining either its smooth curves or the exact point where they touched. Not even a wrinkle trailed the corner of his eye to indicate playful mischief. He was just...blank.
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"Your delivery needs work." I mumbled.
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But then an idea came to mind.
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"So...since we're talking about music..." I hesitated. "You don't happen to play an instrument or something, do you? Like...a piano for instance?" I shrugged in an attempt to be inconspicuous.
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It may be silly, but this was a good opportunity to help discredit my ridiculous dream. Or at least to help assure me that it all meant nothing. That there's no prophetic meaning contained within it. Maybe finding one inconsistency will be enough to unravel its relevancy.
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"Piano?" He paused. "I don't play."
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Turning my head away, I released a secret grin in celebration. Believing it had meaning in the first place was, I'll admit, childish. But the weight of that childish notion was burdensome and now finally beginning to recede. Already, the merit of that dreamland began to fall apart. The boy at the piano was nothing more than a result of my poor luck. A mistake in my imagination. An error. A glitch.
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"Or...at least not since middle school." Yoongi added with a shrug of his shoulders. I, on the other hand, felt tricked into a false sense of safety. The glitch reappeared. "My mom played and taught me a few things back then."
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The muscles in my legs felt like jelly.
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His...mom?
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The word in his voice sent my mind through a trip. It was as though he'd just said a password that unlocked a door I didn't know was in me. Out of that door exploded an avalanche of old memories. Memories I had forgotten. And perhaps chosen to. Memories of...
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Us...
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How did I forget all this?
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Images of my middle school past flashed through my head. Not all of them connected yet since they'd been collecting dust for the past four years. But each was very vivid. Sitting in class next to him, an intense tennis match, passing his grim form in the hallways, and of course...graduation day. The reason I buried all of it in the first place.
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I massaged my wrists subconsciously to sooth the ghostly pain from the last memory.
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"'Then?'" Minju paused her song to cut in. "Why not now? "
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Halfway in a daze, I tried to warn her with my eyes to stop but she was completely oblivious to me.
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"She died." Yoongi answered bluntly. The thirteen year old's walk faltered a bit.
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"Oh." Minju lowered her head and awkwardly fidgeted with her bracelets.
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The abrupt honesty cut like a sharp knife despite the speaker's seemingly nonchalant tone. Neither I or Minju knew what to say. I couldn't manage to say anything with a war raging in my mind, fighting the long lost memories and the revelations they brought to the present.
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There was a disconnect between my mind and body. My feet trudged forward while my mind trudged back. I didn't know how I should feel about all these old, forgotten images of Yoongi, our conversations and shared glances. I clutched my stomach to keep the nausea at bay. I didn't want to remember all this.
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"The waterfalls! We're here!" Minju bellowed.
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The cave opened up into a large circular cavern. The ceiling had openings where sunlight and water streamed in. There were two waterfalls on opposite ends of the room. The wall to the left descended gradually at an angle. It was the widest waterfall where the water cascaded smoothly down into a thin stream that led out into an unknown place.
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On the right side was a smaller but sizeable waterfall that free fell into a larger area beaten down by water. People seemed to want to take their pictures in front of this one more than the calmer, gentler one. I hurried in following Minju into the brightly lit area, hoping we'd all forget what was just discussed. Maybe then I could pretend it hadn't just unlocked a truck load of confusing information.
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Thankfully, my sister pulled me away to the popular waterfall to take a picture. At this point I was grateful for any distraction. But when she searched her pockets, her phone was nowhere to be found. Yoongi searched her bag but found nothing.
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I pinched the bridge of my nose. "The start of the cave. You must've set the phone down when you tied your shoe."
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Minju released a frustrated sigh.
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"I'll go back." I decided.
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"I should-"
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"No." I cut Yoongi off.
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He and my sister gawked at me, somewhat surprised. Perhaps I refused too quickly but I wasn't going to accept any more favors from him. He wasn't even supposed to be here in the first place. Besides, I could definitely use a minute or two to myself.
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"I...have the best eyes in the dark. I'm going." I asserted, hoping it sounded like a legitimate reason. Without looking for either of their approval I trekked back into the dim cave toward the entrance.
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It shouldn't have taken ten minutes to walk there and back. Compared to the touring pace we walked through it the first time, my power walk should've brought me back to the others in five minutes tops.
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But here I was.
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Crippled.
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I managed to get Minju's phone but twisted my ankle on the way back in my haste. Had I moved at a slower pace, I may have avoided the wrong step. Filled with regret, I cradled my face in my hands. Why am I making so many mistakes today?
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After a deep breath, I peeled off the edge of my sock as much as my shoe would allow. The poor lighting kept me from discerning if my foot was swollen or discolored. All I knew was how much it hurt. Three times I had tried to walk but stumbled after each one. And my foot wasn't the only thing in bad shape.
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A burning sting pulled my attention to my hand. Blood trickled from it. Shavings of the skin curled backwards, revealing thin lines of raw flesh. It had torn when I fell and caught myself on the rocks.
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While sitting on a boulder on the side and contemplating what I should do, a couple of passing hikers asked if I needed help. I lied, assuring them I was fine in order to give me time to figure out what to do. I didn't want to be a burden on anyone and I definitely wasn't excited about being in Minju and Yoongi's care.
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No favors, I reminded myself.
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My only solution was to massage my ankle and hope the pain went away quickly.
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After a while, I took a deep breath and placed my foot carefully back on the ground. I rocked forward and back to work up some momentum before finally pushing myself forward.
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"AH!" My yelp echoed though the cave. I stumbled back onto the boulder. Sharp waves of pain pulsated wildly through my foot. Tears began to well up. I bit my tongue to keep from making any more sounds of distress or else the cave would give me away.
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Now the others will worry and feel responsible for me. I'm so stupid!
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"I knew I should've gone back instead." A voice echoed, his steps slowing down from a running pace.
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I looked up and saw Yoongi who moved quickly to my side to assess the problem. His face was unsurprisingly aloof but calculating. Dread came as I realized he must've heard my embarrassing scream. This just kept getting worse.
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"You were gonna try walking on your own like this, weren't you?" The serious boy shook his head. "You're still so stubborn. Do you get a kick out of overexerting yourself?" He muttered condescendingly. Yoongi then took my hand and examined the bloody damage.
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Though he went through the motions of someone who cared, his irritation told me otherwise. Was my injury too much of an inconvenience for him? It's not like I was exactly happy about being hurt either, much less having no one else but him of all peopleto tend to me. Was it really necessary to speak to me like I'm a child?
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I yanked my hand out from his, "did you come here just to scold me?"
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Yoongi scoffed. "Why? Shouldn't I? I told you I should've been the one to go back but you wouldn't have it. And now look what happened."
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"Ch! What a rotten attitude," my eyes took a turn about the room before meeting his eyes again. "Why don't you leave?"
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The boy cocked his head. "What?"
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"If all you're gonna do is talk down to me when I'm injured, then just leave!" I crossed my arms in protest against his attempt to boss me around.
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The boy stared at me for three agonizing seconds. Damn those stupid eyes of his! They burned through my corneas but I was determined not to blink. Finally, he scoffed bitterly before standing and sauntering off.
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My chest tightened when he turned his back. The will I gathered to appear resistant unraveled. An unexpected feeling of anxiety grew stronger with every step he took. Even his walk had an uncaring air to it. Not once did he look back before disappearing behind the bend. Out of sight.
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My eyes lingered down the way. I wasn't sure if I was frozen in disbelief or waiting for him to come back. Something inside of me hardened for every second he hadn't returned.
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It was quiet. He really left.
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I rubbed warmth into my arms, now noticing the cool temperature in the empty cave.Was it always this quiet and cold?
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My eyes returned to the thing that was keeping me from storming off and leaving Yoongi in the mountain. I regarded my foot with a look of betrayal. The edges of my eyelids began to sting, wishing for one of Hoseok's jokes or Seokjin's healing smile. Before they could produce moisture I slammed my fist onto my knee to snap myself out of it. Instead, I put the hard feelings to use by reinforcing my dislike--no, my hate--for the high school bully. He's a jerk. I learned that then. I know that now. I don't need him.
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After reconditioning my mind, I focused on massaging my foot through my shoe. Removing the bothersome thing would've made it easier but I feared the relief of weight would be too addictive. And I knew I couldn't travel this mountain without it. I hope Minju wasn't worrying.
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I froze.
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Minju. What if he walks off with her? He wouldn't dare! Ugh! Why did I leave her there? I'm gonna kill him!
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"Come on." The voice cut through the silence. I jumped, moving my foot which writhed in pain all over again. I was so busy tending to my foot and despising Yoongi that I hadn't noticed he'd wandered back.
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He held a hand out to me. Irritation still cleaved onto his voice but somehow seemed different this time. I stared at his hand then at him with distrust.
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"No."
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An exasperated sigh hissed at the base of his throat. "Take my hand. Now," he tried again. His voice was careful not to implode.
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"Nope." I refused to look at him.
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"Get up, already!"
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"I don't want to."
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"Ya! Lee Yurim!"
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"Ya, Min Yoongi, understand this," I pointed at him. "You don't scare me! Okay?"
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Yoongi stood stunned. To be honest I was surprised as well but I wasn't going to show it. I didn't even know if I meant what I was saying. All I could feel was an inner fire I hadn't felt since middle school. And it took hold. It was prideful and immature but also curious and, to some degree, fearless. Had it been a result of all the returning memories from back then?
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I don't know how this conversation would end or what he'd do, but interestingly, I wasn't afraid. Not like before in the arcade. Or before, in the stairwell. I prepared myself for anything, but Yoongi's true response still caught me by surprise.
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Almost shyly, his eyes flickered away out of their shocked state. The tiniest movement twitched in the corner of his mouth. Was that a...smile?
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When he looked back at me, the muscles in his face were no longer tense. The militant eyebrows were no more. I stared in wary amazement. He almost looked approachable. "What's wrong with you? You're acting weird all of a sudd- ACK!"
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Yoongi suddenly seized my arm. I gasped as he lifted me with ease. In a swift move he turned, slung my arms over his shoulders and picked up my legs so that he carried me on his back. Pain pulsed in my foot from the movement, but somehow it almost felt insignificant at the moment. The contact between our bodies had me squirming, my face warm with embarrassment.
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"Y-y-yah! What are you doing, you psycho?!"
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"Don't fuss." Yoongi proceeded toward the cavern.
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"Do you really think you could just carry me forever?" I asked loudly, desperate to distract him from feeling my speedy heartbeats against his shoulder.
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"Why not? You're not much heavier than a hiking bag."
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My mouth wanted to protest more until my fury split the mountain into two. This was uncalled for! I searched my brain for something to say, but it was like my vocabulary had been completely ransacked until nothing remained. I couldn't think of anything! The proximity of our faces as I hung over his shoulder was too outrageous to form words.
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Every time we passed a light, his skin glowed a tangerine color. It was strange, seeing his face from this new angle. His cheekbones protruded out like a cliff. The tip of his nose was more round than I thought it was. I caught sight of his eyelashes for the first time, which surprisingly softened his features. It was a detail one easily overlooked for the cold gaze that had made home in his eyes.
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I squeezed my eyes shut. I was making too much use of this moment. They were better off closed. At least until we reached a place that gave me something to look at other than him.
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"We're here."
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I opened my eyes right when he stepped into the large, sunlit cavern. A breath of relief came with the comforting sound of flowing water and voices of other people. Thankfully, they managed to quiet my thoughts a little.
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"Eonni!" Minju looked shocked. She had been observing one of the waterfalls when she saw us and rushed over. "What happened? Are you hurt?"
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"I'm fine."
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"She hurt her foot." Yoongi set me down by a boulder which I was grateful to be transferred to. He asked Minju for her bag back which I had only noticed now that he left with her before his pursuit for me. As I tried to make myself comfortable, he knelt down and searched the bag before pulling out a small medical kit. Makes sense. Mom packed her bag. "Give me your hand."
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"I can do it."
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Predictably, Yoongi didn't listen. He snatched my hand up and began wiping it mercilessly with a sanitizing wipe. I sucked in sharp breath and bit my lip, grimacing at the stinging pain of the alcohol on my wounds. He stopped at my reaction, looked at me, then proceeded more carefully.
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Not wanting to piece together his strange behavior, I turned to Minju who just stared at us. Then I remembered.
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"Oh, your phone is in my bag. The outer pocket." I nodded behind me.
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The thirteen year old shook herself from her thoughts which she strangely kept to herself. She walked behind me and retrieved her phone. She embraced it, "yes! Thanks!"
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After securing her phone, she returned to waiting quietly. Her eyes seemed to flash from concern to curiosity as often as the sides of a flipping coin. I wondered why she chose to stand around when she finally acquired her precious phone.
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"You should go take some pictures, Minju. We won't be here forever."
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"Hm? Oh. Okay." She wandered away toward the waterfalls.
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When she left, Yoongi had just finished wrapping up my hand and began removing my shoe. I gasped, making him stop immediately.
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"What's wrong?" His brows ascended with concern. Another new look. "Did I hurt you?"
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I hesitated to respond. It didn't hurt but my feet were sweaty from walking all day. And he was going to de-sock it without a second thought? First of all, we're not close and second...it's embarrassing! He stared at me, waiting for an answer.
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"Um..."
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I couldn't spit it out. If I said nothing, at least there's still the chance he'd think nothing of it all the way through. But if I made something of it, he'll definitely be thinking about it. I kept my mouth shut.
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The strange guy chuckled to himself before continuing carefully. "Wimp."
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I flinched at the insult. "Ch! Jerk."
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A slight pang came when he slipped my shoe off but I was prepared for it. As he peeled back the sock, the cool air met my injured foot. Despite its soothing effects I was still skittish of the fact that Min Yoongi had my foot in his hands. His initial touch against my skin triggered a small involuntary twinge in the bare appendage. A reaction I was prepared to blame on pain if he questioned it. To my relief, he didn't.
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I watched his face closely for any reaction. For any sign he was utterly repulsed.
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If he was, he was very good at hiding it. Yoongi calmly retrieved another bandage and skillfully wrapped my sprained foot. I examined my neatly bandaged hand, surprised at how good he was at wrapping injuries.
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"How do you know how to do this?"
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"I've gotten some bad scrapes and sprains before." He answered without breaking his focus.
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"How?" I asked curiously.
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Traces of annoyance expelled with his deep sigh. Though, somehow I sensed it wasn't because of me. "Nothing worth mentioning." He shrugged.
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I watched him curiously. Something seemed to change in his energy in such a short instant. Even as he focused on his task, there was a familiar distant look in his eyes. Not so different from another time.
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An old memory shoved itself into my mind. It was an image of a younger Yoongi, sitting outside of the principal's office. Those same eyes were cast down, his whole demeanor resembling that of someone who had given up. Someone who others had given up on.
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My thoughts about him were different then...
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I rubbed my eyes hard, hoping that somehow it would wipe away the memory.
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"Done." He said before putting the medical kit away. I inspected my foot to find another job well done.
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"Ahem, thanks." I peeped.
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Yoongi's eyes stopped on me, looking as though searching for any disingenuous undertones. Whatever the verdict he suddenly averted his eyes and nodded stiffly.
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"See?" I heard Minju's voice returning toward us. "But it's okay, Yoongi's taking care of her."
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Who was she talking to? But before I even looked to answer my own question,
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"Yurim!" I hear Hoseok's voice and another pair of feet rushing towards us.
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I looked up, shocked to see Hoseok and Seokjin hurry next to me. Behind them were the rest of the group making their way in. Jimin seemed to look distressed while Hyeji looked to be patting his shoulder for comfort.
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"What are you guys doing here?" I asked. Not knowing why, I took a brief glance at Yoongi who had suddenly returned to his glowering composure. "I thought we were meeting at the lookout."
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"We were on our way but we think Jimin-shi was bitten by something. We don't think it's serious but his skin's very irritated. So we decided to look for you guys and let you know we're heading back. Though seeing you like this, maybe it's a sign." Hoseok gave an sympathizing smile. "Are you okay?" He patted my head.
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I assured him with an energetic nod. "I'm fine."
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I explained the whole situation regarding Minju's phone. Hoseok seemed to nod in understanding, but I couldn't tell what was going on in Seokjin's head. His eyes seemed serious and averting toward Yoongi every now and again.
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"I just wasn't being careful enough. I'm sorry." I finished, hoping it would alleviate whatever was bothering the black haired boy.
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Hoseok patted my head again. "You're injured, don't apologize. It makes me feel bad." My best friend scolded me in the sweetest ways. I smiled up at him.
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"Is something funny?" Seokjin asked in a challenging tone. We looked at him, surprised. But his eyes were trained on Yoongi, who matched his gaze with an irritated glare.
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"What?" The stone-faced boy replied.
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"You looked amused just now." Seokjin's voice was steady but clearly laced with dislike. My eyes shot back and forth between them nervously.
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"That's right. Your friend over there finally gets a little of what he deserves." Yoongi gestured to Jimin who was showing the other girls the red welts spreading along his neck and shoulder.
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"Yoongi." I gave him a warning look, but he ignored it. His cutting eyes were fixed.
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"Says the guy who spends his free time harassing people. Seems to be a norm for people who cross your path to get hurt. I shouldn't have left Yurim with you."
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Yoongi laughed with a tantalizing smile. It was the fullest smile I'd seen him make. And notably...pleasant looking. However, instead of amazement, I felt pity for the fact that it was dispatched with such poisonous resentment. "Namjoon may be crazy, but he was right about one thing," he calmly slipped his hands in his pockets, performing an air of arrogance. "You're such a self-righteous prick."
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"What's with you guys?" I cut in more assertively. "None of this helps me or Jimin."
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Hoseok clapped Seokjin's shoulder, "that's right. We should start to make our way back safely. What do you say, Yoongi-shi?" He looked to the other boy. Yoongi was standing at a distance. It was strange how there always seemed to be an invisible barrier separating himself from everyone else. The strange part being that I hadn't noticed it before the others joined us. Yoongi offered no response other than his death stare with Seokjin.
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Hoseok asked Seokjin to tell the others to get ready to leave. Though it was obviously an attempt at separating him and Yoongi. When he announced to the others that we were leaving, they nodded in agreement. Jimin in particular looked relieved and eager to get back.
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That's when I felt a tug on my backpack. "Hm? What are you doing?"
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"I'll put your shoe in here." Yoongi answered. His voice perturbed. "It's better to leave it off." I nodded my agreement, unsure of how to respond. Without missing a beat, he knelt with his back toward me. "Hop on."
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Stunned, I hesitated. I hadn't expected him to want to carry me after what had transpired. Was he really okay with it? With uncertainty, I climbed onto his back as he instructed. He hooked his hands under my knees, safely locking me into place. Unlike the first time, the familiar position did provide some kind of comfort after the uncomfortable exchange between him and Seokjin.
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As he stood back up, the broad shouldered boy returned in a hurry. "I'll take her," he insisted. My stomach churned as another potential squabble looked to be well on its way.
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"I got it." The guy under me voiced. "But if you wanna help," Yoongi shoved Minju's bag at Seokjin's chest, "you can take that."
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Anxiety surged through my body as I watched the exchange in disbelief. How could Yoongi be so rude? And with me on his back too! Doesn't he know this makes me complicit? I was speechless.
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Yoongi turned to walk past him, but Seokjin caught his arm. "I'm not playing around." I watched the look in Seokjin's eyes change. They were hard and determined. They reminded me of that day we encountered Namjoon on the street. I'm sure he was holding back a lot of his frustration for my sake just as he did then. To prevent any further conflict, I was about to tell Yoongi to put me down until Hoseok spoke up.
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"What if the three of us took shifts?" Hoseok quickly proposed. "Yoongi will take his turn now, then Seokjin, then me. Sound fair?"
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Seokjin looked at Yoongi for his answer. Daring him to refuse the middle ground. I could practically feel Yoongi's consciousness deliberating which snide comeback he should spit this time, but I wasn't going to let him. I secretly dug my fingernail into his chest, warning him not to say anything stupid. A groan emitted from his throat which he quickly turned into a throat clearing.
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"Yeah, sure. Whatever." He answered, his voice gruff. I finally relaxed a little. Another bullet dodged successfully. As we carried on, I did my best to give Seokjin a comforting smile, ensuring him that all would be okay.
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Everyone headed up a flight of stairs that led out of the cavern and back onto the main path. From there the way would continue on a downward slope. Which I hoped would make the guys' task easier as they carried me. This is exactly what I was worried about. Being a burden on others. I sighed guiltily.
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"What's wrong now?" Yoongi asked.
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I looked at him, surprised. "What do you mean?"
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"You're worried about something."
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"How did you know?" I peered at him both impressed and a little freaked out. Did he have a super intuition?
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"Are you forgetting that your face is right next to my ear? I can hear your sighs of self pity." He joked flatly. I eyed his ears with contempt as they now made me conscious about my breathing.
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"Not self pity. It's guilt. You know, that thing decent people feel when they've done something wrong?" I jabbed back. "I just made the way back harder on everyone."
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"Yet, no one thinks that but you. What's the point in sulking about a problem that only exists in your head? Just don't. It's a waste of time," he said. I stared at him, dumbfounded. Is he...giving me advice? "Though the only person who would really blame you has his own problems at the moment."
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I looked over at Jimin. Hyeji handed him some sunscreen. It would seem he wanted to do his best at controlling the inflammation. "Why are you so mean to them? Seokjin and Jimin. They're nice people."
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"How would you know? You haven't even known them long." He said, irritated.
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"And you have?" I retorted.
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Yoongi didn't answer. In fact, every time I'd try to ask him anything about himself, he'd either ignore me or give cryptic answers. Ever since reuniting with the others, he's gone back to his stiff and grumpy self. Though, interestingly enough, it didn't make hitching a ride on his back in any way uncomfortable.
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Something was different. I didn't know what it was. In the back of my mind, a warning echoed against finding out. Which was fine. For now, I was okay with not knowing. I was content with celebrating the fact that no one had gotten into a fight. That was a win worth celebrating considering Yoongi's reputation.
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"It's time." Seokjin announced.
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