ARCANUM | pjm.

05

"THANK YOU for coming. Have a nice day!"

The stranger replies with a quick nod, not meeting your eyes as she counts her money. She smiled at you, muttering a soft "thank you" before turning around and exited her way from the café.

The environment was pleasantly tranquil and comfortable today, complimenting the bistro's warm and subdued interior that gave off a welcoming overall impression to every person that had walked in, especially how the spot where the bistro was situated in was enclosed in an environment more rural and calm, rather than in the middle of a hectic and urban city.

A few people, who were either college students or on their way to work, would usually pay the café a small visit before paying and continuing on outside with their day-to-day life.

This was the typical day you had contentedly grown used to by now.

But there was something new about the atmosphere in this place that almost felt quite foreign — but then you remember.

Your eyes spare a shift at the orange-haired hybrid, who sat not too far away from the counter you were behind.

Remembering the talk with him yesterday on your way home, he told you to forget about it and pretend like he never said anything afterwards. It was all still too fresh in your mind. It might have only been unintentional, him and his words, but you were never the type to stick your nose up in someone's business.

Still, you couldn't help but think how it was weird when the sentence instantaneously triggered the 'curiosity' lever in your head. You resisted the urge to bombard him with questions, afraid that you might only sound too inquisitive.

Who was that person, Jimin?

Shut up, it's none of your business. Another voice at the back of your head retaliated.

You sigh, trying to shrug off the subsequent thoughts in your head. He was bantering with Hoseok, following him around the bistro. Apart from you, he was the first person Jimin had grown comfortable around with.

Ofcourse, he's Jung Hoseok. No one can resist him and his approachable personality.

You could tell by the way Jimin lightly chuckled when Hoseok said something humorous, or cover his mouth as he tried to resist throwing into a huge fit of laughter.

It was a good thing that the customers didn't find it too weird, with both their laughter every so often the only thing that could be heard inside the quiet bistro.

Otherwise, he'd stroll around the café with both hands on his back, assessing all the hand-made paintings that hung laterally on the wall.

At first, the hybrid was a bit skeptical. He didn't meet Hoseok's eyes as he greeted him a welcome, and you could even feel how his body tensed when you lightly pushed him forward from his small back. He was definitely not used to meeting new people.

You blinked when you two suddenly made eye contact, startling you as you immediately avert your eyes away from him. In your peripheral vision, you notice his lips tug up in amusement and stifle a small laugh, creating a crease on the corners of his eyes as he quips his lips.

Great, I just got caught staring at him, and now he's laughing at me.

You try to conceal the blush of embarrassment in your face by swiftly turning around, grabbing the towel to clean one of the tables.

"So Y/N,"

Hoseok mused beside you, who was holding a tray of baked goods as he placed them one by one on the occupied table beside.

"How did you two meet?" He asked in a hush-hush tone.

"Oh, uhm.." You trail off, not knowing what to address Jimin to you as.

An acquaintance?

A schoolmate?

"Just.. an old friend of mine." You shrug as you proceed to wipe the tables.

"Ah, really?" Surprise was evident in his tone as he redirected his eyes at the feline hybrid from afar, sitting at one of the tables with his cheeks squeezed between his palms.

"So he was lying?"

You knitted your brows at him in confusion.

"What do you mean he was lying?"

"Well he told me that y—" He cut himself off, then lightly shook his head. "Nevermind."

"Wait what—"

Before you could finish, he quickly places the last food on the table as he strides smoothly away from you.

A small scoff escapes your lips.

Jimin, what the heck did you tell him?

•┈┈••✦♥✦••┈┈•

"I told him I was your boyfriend."

A yelp escapes his lip when you suddenly grabbed his earlobe and jerked him close to you, making his hand continuously smack your arm as he squeezes his eyes shut.

"Hey hey, it hurts!" He cries and you grit your teeth, slightly tightening your pinch on his ear that elicited another yelp from him before you pulled away before he immediately backed off like he was scared of you.

"Why did you tell him that?!" You complained, making sure no one was listening as you hid in the corner of the bistro. "I don't do boyfriends, you know!"

"I don't know.. Hoseok hyung seemed like he was expecting something from me when he asked me what I was to you.." A pout juts on his lips, hands clasped together in front of him.

"Out of all of them, you really had to choose boyfriend?" Arching a brow, you folded both arms across your chest. He slowly nodded, rubbing the nape of his neck. "It seemed accurate enough."

"Accurate?" You repeated.

He nodded once again, but this time, more gaily. But what he said next was totally something you were not expecting at all.

"After all, we do look like a couple." He smiled, ruffling your hair before turning on his back and walked away.