north star (knj)

chapter eighteen

Oh, we're dancing in my living room
And up come my fists
And I say, "I'm only playing"
But the truth is this
That I've never seen a mouth
That I would kill to kiss
And I'm terrified, but I can't resist

Finally // Beautiful Stranger - Halsey

(If there ever was a song that made me feel like I was wrapped up in a warm blanket, this would be it. Also, it's the perfect LyJoon song)

----

Namjoon had been right - it was cold tonight, unseasonably so for late March. Hanna and I burrowed into the depths of our scarves and coats as we neared the cherry blossom festival, elbows bumping as we tried to retain what little warmth we could.

Despite the chill in my bones, I had to admit the night was breathtakingly beautiful. Silver stars shimmered overhead, overlooking the expansive park in the heart of Kyoto. Snow flurries swirled in the air, covering everything in a layer of sugar-white dust. Paper lanterns stretched between tent stalls and cherry blossom trees, and it was hard not to smile in wonder at the dream-like effect.

I outstretched a gloved hand and caught a pale pink blossom fluttering in the wind. Its delicate petal was iced over with frost.

"Going back to Los Angeles is looking less and less appealing every day," I mused, letting the blossom drift towards the cobblestone path below.

"I don't want to leave, either," Hanna sighed. "When we leave tomorrow, it'll be back to Mikka and endless meetings. And Morgan will probably try to see me again..."

I shook my head. "Just for tonight, we're not going to worry about any of that. Let's enjoy our last night here and live in the moment. Deal?"

Over the edge of her scarf, Hanna's almond-shaped eyes caught mine, sparkling. "Deal. And one more thing?"

"What?"

"When we get back to L.A., promise to keep being my friend."

Affection bloomed in me. "I promise."

We passed under a red archway and spotted BTS clustered to the side of the pathway. They blended into the crowd, the majority of their faces covered with scarves, beanies, and headbands as they clustered around one another, laughing and shoving one another playfully.

Strange, I thought as Jimin enveloped me in a hug. We must look like a perfectly normal friend group to others. To an outside eye, we looked like we were celebrating a birthday or a promotion, greeting one another as if it had been weeks since we had last seen each other, not mere hours.

It felt good to be normal. Bizarre, but good.

"How was dance practice?" I asked Namjoon.

"As good as it can be," he said. "It's better with you there."

"Yeah, your private lessons have really helped him," Jin said. I noticed how his arm lingered around Hanna's shoulders a second longer than what a friendly gesture called for. "Now I'm definitely the worst dancer in the group."

"Ah, just fly over to L.A. anytime you like and I'll open up a dance studio, just for you." I winked.

Jin glanced down at Hanna. "That might give me one more reason to come over." He added something in Korean, and Hanna giggled.

Get a room, I thought, leaning into Namjoon's side.

Jungkook stepped forward, fidgeting with his gloves. Beneath his black knit hat, his eyebrows were pulled low over his eyes in worry. "Um. Lyra, h-how is your arm?"