"I—I don't see how will I be useful to you—"

Sera had to immediately halt herself when Jimin began to tap on the table repeatedly with his fingers, a gesture that indicated her of him being as stubborn as ever. Not that she could possibly foresee some harm getting inflicted if she happened to hand over her contact details to Jimin, but she did not want to let her guard down so soon. She was very well aware of how fragile her heart was— due to whatever reason there was that nudged the wound so bad that it would not heal. She could not afford biting the bullet too quick just to get it over with.

With wavering pupils she had a look at Jimin's face, which was an amalgam of astonishment and hopefulness— both the emotions attributing to his optimism regarding Sera eventually passing down her information to him. However, by a mere glance of his absolutely irresistible face, Sera had begun feeling herself to be under the weather. Ragged breathing and shaky hands accompanied her as she hauled one of the drawers out. Though in the meantime, as she started searching for the asked card, her other hand which was originally resting atop the desk, slipped because of nervousness— causing her to bring all the stuffs down with her.

Jimin could not comprehend at first what had, in fact, occurred. He was not too late in being stricken with a sense of deja vu though, for all of it that was happening, had also taken place some hours ago too.

The same people, the same symptoms. It just could not be a bare coincidence.

He abruptly jumped out of his seat, lunging towards Sera in order to lend her a helping hand. Nevertheless, his good intentions were forsaken and had instead birthed another gasp from Sera when she ultimately matched her eyes with him. She, at once, broke the nearness that they were sharing without second-guessing, leading Jimin to get genuinely confused this time. He was still crouching on the floor, with his head lifted up to the extent that enabled him to look into Sera's eyes—only for her to avert her gaze and rather stare at the floor.

"Are you fine? I didn't get the chance to ask you earlier as well. What exactly is causing you such distress? Can I be of any help?" Jimin quizzed Sera with questions that sounded more like some spontaneous ones.

Silently, Sera shook her head in denial. She was hoping that it would satisfy the man before her, but instead was left disappointed. Being quite wary of Jimin's sight, she shut close her eyelids, letting her neck loose as she pushed her head backwards while sniffing simultaneously.

One, two, three... And everything will be alright.

And there she was, potential tears sucked out of her eyes as if she had never feared them, a flitting smile that soon enough transformed into a widely-stretched one. If this did not convince Jimin that Sera was strong enough to fight the monsters in her head, she did not know what would.

"I'm completely fine, thanks for your concern." Sera's voice was still weak owing to how she had restrained her breakdown in the lack of a preparatory cue. But she also made sure that her trembling voice did not sway Jimin much, and that he had been persuaded.

"You don't seem like fine at al—"

"Oh, this is the office's card and this..." Sera dragged her words as she got indulged in sifting through the drawer once again, before finally retrieving the very card that she had been searching for and resumed, "is mine. Though I'm very much sure that the office would heed your queries. That's what their work is supposed to be, isn't it?" With a voice still so nasal, she forced yet another smile.

Jimin would certainly be lying if he said that he did not find Sera's constant efforts rather problematic. But he could not do much either, and hence chose to take his much awaited leave. Whilst receiving the cards from the complicated female, he bid his goodbye with a smile, ensuring mentally that it did not look too much made-up.

Sera's line of vision followed Jimin's gradually vanishing figure until he could not be seen anymore. When the sharp clinking sounds, apparently originating from Jimin's tread, had begun to dissipate into the air too, she instinctively leapt for the window that acted as the doorway between the building's interior and the outside world.

Sera watched Jimin adjusting himself into his car and driving away. She trailed the shadows of his car for as far as she could, and yet she could not understand the meaning behind it all. Even after he was gone, the episode of how she was on the verge of revealing her weaknesses in front of him, kept on swirling inside her head. She had a long way to go.

A long way to scale before confronting her demons once and for all, provided there were no obstructions to deflect her from her path.

Though that sounded like more of an unachievable dream now, for Park Jimin had at last made his return into her life. The presence that Sera had dreaded for a long time, to make the situation worse, was much more tangible than ever.

Seemed like Sera would be having some hard time strengthening herself for good, for Jimin was not some dreamboy anymore who had invaded her heart and mind while she was still a teenager. He was real, very real this time. And like icing on the cake, did not look unbothered by the two separate yet similar events that he was made to encounter by Sera within a single day.

He was not that K-pop idol anymore whom she had been immensely in love with when she was young. He had come to know her as a person, and such uncanny rendezvous like theirs are definitely the hardest to forget.