﹄✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ﹃

jihye pulled the thick photo album out from underneath the couch and plopped herself down next to yoongi.

"a photo album?"

"there's an amazing picture he's so embarrassed of. you gotta see it," jihye said with an evil grin.

"you're awful," yoongi said with a snort, but watched excitedly as she opened the album. she flipped past pages of hoseok when he was an infant, to a toddler, to a little preteen, his face changing ever so slightly as each year passed by.

"wait," yoongi said suddenly.

jihye turned to look at him, confused.

"is that who i think it is?" yoongi asked, pointing to a yellowed picture glued to the page. jihye squinted and looked closer. in the picture, were two children playing together in a small, inflatable pool. "oh god." she muttered as her brain made the connection. "next page,"

"wait!" laughed yoongi, "let me see! that is you, right?"

jihye groaned, "unfortunately." she said with a slight scoff, "i hate this picture, but not gonna lie... it's kinda cute."

"it's adorable," yoongi said as he tapped the picture. "how old were you guys?"

"maybe four?" jihye asked as she scratched her head. "but look, my swimsuit is sagging so much that you can practically see my whole ass."

as yoongi threw his head back, laughing, jihye felt the butterflies soar.

the two continued to search through the album, giggling quietly like children at the pictures they were looking at.

"wait, stop." yoongi said as he placed his palm on the book, "that's you, right?"

"sHIT, you're not allowed to see that-" jihye sputtered.

yoongi started to cackle as he pulled the book away from jihye, much to her horror. "that's you! that's you!" he laughed. he pointed to a small picture in the album of jihye, hoseok, and hanna as well were together labeled 'middle school graduation'. and of course, jihye was in her full glory with braces, acne, and an oversized dress- the whole package.

"this is so embarrassing," jihye snorted, "why did i think this was a good idea?"

"it's cute! it's so cute!" yoongi said, still laughing. finally, he regained his composure. "okay, where's the hoseok picture? i want to see!" jihye beamed at yoongi's silly mannerisms. he sounds like a little kid. she thought. but her evil grin reappeared as she nodded and turned to the one page that she had specifically memorized. she smiled when her gaze fell onto the photo. "yoongi, i present to you... the infamous hoseok picture."

in the photo, hoseok was about 14 years old, harboring a load of acne and a pair of thick black glasses clad on his face. his mouth and his eyes were wide open, the flash not only lighting up each and every nose hair, but making his eyes red as well. to top it off, his hands were in front as a shield for his reputation and on his face, his body, and the ground was a fat load of spaghetti sauce.

yoongi's mouth dropped open and he started to snicker. the snicker turned to a laugh, which turned into a wild cackle.

and that cackle was music to jihye's ears.

"oh my god, this is amazing-" he was cut off by his own wheezing, tears of laughter rolling down his cheeks, he smiled so wide that his gums showed. "w-what is the context of this photo?" he barely managed to ask.

jihye laughed, "he was trying to make dinner for his mom as a surprise birthday present, and i wanted to take a photo of him," she said with a giggle, remembering the moment, "but as the flash went off, he panicked saying 'it's supposed to be a surprise' and the bowl of tomato sauce goes splat, right onto her freshly polished kitchen floors."

"that's such a hoseok thing to do," yoongi says.

"he was so mad at me for keeping this picture," jihye said with a snicker. "but how could i not, right? you can see all of his nose hairs," she wiggled her eyebrows, causing yoongi to laugh again.

jihye watched he sighed contently, leaning back onto the couch.

"hey yoongi?" jihye asked as she leaned back as well.

"hmm?"

"random question," she started, "but are you and hoseok... better now?" jihye dared to ask as she sat up slightly. yoongi tilted his head to the side, "better?"

"are you still... upset?" she asked quietly.

yoongi bit his lip and laughed humorlessly, "well... we're living in his house now," he said, "proving he's a better guardian than i-"

"stop." jihye said. "yoongi, listen to me."

he looked up at her, his lips pouting slightly.

"i was..." she exhaled deeply. "i was really close with my father when i was young." jihye said as she played with the tassels on a pillow. "but... when i was five, he was... arrested."

she scanned yoongi's face for a reaction like everyone else did, but there was nothing. pleasantly surprised, she continued.

"they don't really talk about it now, i think it was something that had to do with money?" she paused, "anyways, while he was gone for a few years, i had an uncle who became my 'stand in father' you could call it," she said, recalling her jolly old uncle. "he was actually a lot like hoseok; loud, energetic, and always happy to play with me. so when my dad got out of jail, i could tell that he was jealous of my uncle. he was jealous that my was there for all of the moments that he should've been in."

yoongi tilted his head to the side.

"but... as i grew up- my dad became my best friend. i realized how much we had in common," jihye said with a slight chuckle, "i'm still close with him today, you know."

"what about... what about your uncle?" yoongi asked.

"i was never as close with him as i was with my father," jihye said, "sure, he's a great guy. he was always there for me when i was young. but a father is something you can't ever replace."

yoongi bit his lip.

"yoongi," jihye said as she scooted closer to him, "i know you feel distant from yejin now, but trust me- she's only five. you've got an entire life to live with her. she loves you. she loves you so much, you know that right?"

jihye watched a single tear slide down yoongi's cheek as he nodded, "i know she does."

"good." jihye said. "and hoseok? he just wants to help you,"

"i know," yoongi said again, a small smile on his face. "jihye?"

"hmm?"

her heart stirred as he placed his hand onto hers.

"thank you."