On the fourth day as Jungkook had entered the park, he’d heard a crystal clear, lovely voice raised in a melancholy song. He paused for a moment and closed his eyes to listen to the voice of an angel. It pulled on the cords of his heart, drawing him toward that siren’s song.
What a beautiful sound! He suddenly desired to find her. He wanted to sing along with her. His heart was overflowing with a longing to pair his voice with that one which was drawing his soul and melting his bones.
He followed its lilting tones all the way to the river. Her back was to him, but he would have recognized that long, raven hair anywhere. It was Hyejin! That mesmerizing voice belonged to her!
His heart stopped. It just stopped beating in his chest as he came to an abrupt standstill. She was everything he was looking for in a girl. Stunningly beautiful. Brilliant. Sweet. Funny. With the voice of an angel.
His heart instantly jumped back into movement, jolting him. Now it was racing like a wild stallion. He swallowed. Then he inhaled deeply. She didn’t yet know he was here. He had a moment to compose himself.
Then she pivoted toward him, and the breath he was inhaling caught in his lungs, and he stood rooted to the ground, his eyes devouring her face. Several moments passed. Was he turning blue? Or red?
Hyejin stood transfixed, her eyes on Jungkook. She was so embarrassed. She had believed she was safely alone, so she had uncaged the songbird within her, letting her ascend to the heavens in a sad song of longing. And Jungkook had heard her! She felt herself turning crimson as heat flooded her face.
Oh, well. She couldn’t get the moment back. He’d probably be too nice to tell her how awful she sounded. She blinked back tears. She really couldn’t handle it if he did critique her voice. It was her one wild and crazy dream. The one she’d kept locked in her heart until today. Normally, she sang in the shower and sometimes when she was alone in her room. Often under her breath when she was walking somewhere. But she never just belted it out for the world to hear. Until today. This fateful day that she would always remember. The day she touched someone else with her voice. Would it turn out to be a velvet touch? Or a far cry from it?
It was very early in the morning. She hadn’t been able to sleep for thinking of Jungkook. She couldn’t get him out of her head. It was beginning to scare her a little. Her life had always been so neat and orderly. Everything had its own box where it fit perfectly. But this didn’t. So many unknowns were being introduced into her heart. She knew virtually nothing about him. He could be anybody. He could have done anything. He could be dangerous. To her heart, even if he were no threat to her body. The possibility of falling in love was wreaking havoc in her mind. She knew it would introduce an element of chaos into her universe. So, waking from a dream in which he was the prevailing star, she had known sleep was now evading her. She had decided to rise early and take Twenty-two to the park.
Because the sun was just beginning to rise and since she’d seen no one else around, she’d walked far along the path before stopping by the bend in the river. Still alone, she’d begun to pour out her heart in a song. It was one she’d composed herself in the wee hours last night before she’d finally succumbed to sleep. She’d been thinking of Jungkook as she’d written the lyrics in her notebook. But her heart still knew both its haunting melody and its aching lines. So she’d raised her voice and sung to the heavens above of a heartfelt love.
“I’m still waiting for the one
Who holds my red cord undone.
Will he look my way today?
Will he fly some other place?
“Is he tall and dashing dark,
His lips leave a gentle mark?
Do his eyes gleam in sunlight,
His hair raven like midnight?
“The red thread that winds around my heart,
It’s been held in his hands since the start.
My eyes unveiled to his beauty,
My heart inhaled this brand new duty.
“Come now and weave our hearts together.
I’m praying this will last forever.
We’ve found our red thread of divine fate.
Let’s grab it now before it’s too late.
“Saw him walking through the park.
Then Love’s arrow found its mark.
One glance, my heart is undone.
I’m the true love he has won.
“Taken by his smiling eyes,
I’ll give him all my aching sighs.
I’ve seen his gentle, red lips.
Do they hold some kind of bliss?
“The red thread that winds around my heart,
It’s been held in his hands since the start.
My eyes unveiled to his beauty,
My heart inhaled this brand new duty.
“Come now and weave our hearts together.
I’m praying this will last forever.
We’ve found our red thread of divine fate.
Let’s grab it now before it’s too late.
“Before it’s too late…”
Her last words were echoing in both of their hearts as she turned to face him. Her heart thundered in her ears. How much had he heard?! It was bad enough that he was the first person to hear her sing. But he’d also overheard the song she’d written for him. She started to panic. She couldn’t catch her breath.
Jungkook instantly saw the distress in her eyes.
“What’s wrong?” He was looking at her not just with concern but also in wonder, but she couldn’t see it.
Finally, a breath of air. “I thought I was alone.”
“Why would that upset you? Your voice is beautiful,” he breathed it out like an awe-filled prayer.
Astonishment was clearly written on her face.
He liked her voice? Now her heart was soaring among the clouds. She glanced up, wondering if she would ever own it again.
Jungkook spoke, “Would you teach me that song? I want to sing it with you.”
WHAT?! Her eyes flew back down to his face as astonishment stole across her features.
Jungkook wanted to sing their song with her? Suddenly, she was certain she was still dreaming. She was in bed asleep. That explained this whole unimaginable scene. First, she’d broken her one rule and sung in public. Second, she’d been overheard by her crush as she sang the song she’d written about him. Third, he had loved her voice. Finally, he wanted to sing their song with her. No question. She was floating in dreamland for sure! This belief gave her a courage she wouldn’t ordinarily have possessed. So, she began to sing the song line by line. She sang the first stanza and then started over.
And the most beautiful voice she’d ever heard filled her ears with pure delight as Jungkook began to sing along with her, “I’m still waiting for the one who holds my red cord undone.”
She looked at him wide-eyed, falling silent as he continued to sing.
He changed up the next line, “Will she look my way today?”
His eyes probed her own as he sang, filling her heart with a gentle havoc. Was he really singing their song to her?
“Will she fly some other place?” He paused, grinned, and commented, “You flew off yesterday. I couldn’t find you. Couldn’t find 22 either.” He glanced down at the dog sitting at her feet.
“Oh! It took me an hour to find him. Sorry! I kept thinking I’d seen him up ahead just around the next corner. But upon arriving there, I found no dog. Finally, I gave up and went home. He was waiting on my doorstep for me.” She smiled, chagrined.
Jungkook smiled sweetly at her. “Next stanza, please.”
She sang it for him. Then he sang it back to her.
“Is she tall and dashing dark? Her lips leave a gentle mark?” Jungkook couldn’t help himself. His eyes fell to her lovely, crimson lips when he sang that last.
“Do her eyes gleam in sunlight?” His gaze met her own, and he fell headlong into those dark pools.
Yes. They do. They gleam in sunlight. Probably by moonlight too, I’d wager.
He had a sudden vision of the two of them standing at the bridge near the bend in the river, a full moon bright over their heads. He and Hyejin, fingers intertwined, staring together up into a midnight sky at that glowing object reflecting the sun’s own light down upon their faces. She looked beautiful in moonglow.
“Her hair raven like midnight.” His eyes caressed her long locks, traveling all the way down to her legs. Her cute legs. Then his gaze came to rest on her glowing countenance again.
Listening to Jungkook sing their song to her was doing strange things to her insides. She felt like she was made of wax and his voice was a fire slowly melting her. She looked down at the ground. She didn’t seem to be a puddle at his feet yet.
Then his eyes came back up to her face. She could feel them resting there, so she met them with her own. And her heart lurched once again. They both inhaled sharply.
He found his voice once more and sang the entire verse to her. The burning tones of his breathy voice wrapped around her heart in shades of vermilion. She felt air leaving her lungs again. This time she didn’t care.
Yep, she was definitely a puddle now. So long, life! It’s been nice knowing you. But I’m a goner. I just felt my heart slip from my grasp. This golden boy wrapped his red thread around it. It’s lassoed good and tight. And he pulled it to himself. He’s holding it very snugly in those beautiful, long fingers. I’m never getting it back again.
Jungkook stopped singing. She was so beautiful. So was this song. He felt like it had been written for them. He’d sung to tens of thousands of girls, but he had never felt like this. Serenading this girl was akin to performing Euphoria from the sky. Only it was even better than that. He felt like he was flying without any assistance today. His heart was soaring straight into hers. Could she feel it?
“That is the most beautiful song. Where did you learn it?”
“I didn’t.”
Jungkook looked at her quizzically.
“I wrote it. Last night.” For you.
His eyes grew wide. “You composed that song yourself?”
Oh, boy. Here it came. His critique. She closed her eyes.
“It’s stunning! It’s magnificent! I want it!”
Her eyes flew open. WHAT?!! What did he mean he wanted it?
💞🐰🐝