“Always, Nani. I will always see you,” Jimin breathed his promise a moment later. “You are precious to me.”
“But…you don’t even know me.”
“It doesn’t matter. I can tell you’re special.”
“Why? How?”
“It’s there. In your eyes. In the curve of your long hair. In the curve of your pretty smile. In your mocha skin. You are unique. There’s no one like you.”
“I can assure you that there are many girls like me. Mocha skin is nothing special. Not where I come from. Neither is long, dark hair. Or dark eyes. There are millions of girls just like me.”
“It’s not true, Nani. There is only one you. It isn’t your hair color alone that makes you special. Or your eye color. Or your skin. It’s all the little details that make up your person that make you special. No one else got your unique blend of traits and talents and personality. You are an original. Someone designed for something special. Called to something great. Even if you don’t know what it is yet. You’re important, Nani.”
She felt a tear sliding down her cheek as she stared at a man whom she admired with all her heart. A man who had just spoken the most beautiful words anyone had ever said to her.
If they hadn’t just promised to be friends…if he weren’t ten years older than her…she would kiss him right now. Just to express her gratitude for his wonderful words. And his gorgeous heart.
Instead, she blinked, and another tear splashed onto her cheek. Jimin grimaced and reached out to cup her cheek with his hand. His thumb slid through that moist drop.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you cry,” he whispered.
She met his eyes. “Don’t apologize, Jimin. That was the most beautiful thing anyone has ever said to me. Thank you.”
For a few delicious moments, they stared into each other’s eyes. Before the waiter interrupted them with a basket of fresh bread hot from the oven. Jimin’s hand fell away from her face, and he sat up straight as their waiter set a plate of crushed herbs down on the table between them before pouring olive oil over the aromatic mixture.
“Your lunch will be done in just a few minutes,” he murmured before disappearing once more.
“Oh, wow. That bread smells amazing,” Jimin asserted as he reached out to open the cloth napkin holding in its heat. He held the basket up in front of her face. “Would you like some?”
“Thanks,” she mumbled as their eyes collided again. This time she blushed. She reached for a slice of bread as her eyes fell away from his.
A moment later, he was sliding his own slice of bread through the herbed oil on the plate between them. He crammed half the slice into his mouth as she watched him covertly. His eyes careened into hers. She was once again trapped in that mesmerizing chocolate gaze.
“You have the most beautiful eyes,” she murmured without thinking.
Those eyes widened into two parallelograms. “I do?” he asked, bewildered.
She laughed. What modesty! The boy was a world-famous idol, model, singer, dancer, and performer. A man millions of girls sighed over. Yet he seemed genuinely shocked – a little uncomfortable, even – that she found his eyes attractive.
“Jimin, that can’t possibly come as a surprise to you.”
“I’m just…me. Most of what you see in a magazine or on the internet is makeup. It isn’t really me. We don’t really look like that. It’s a mirage.”
“Jimin.”
His eyes met hers again.
“You’re gorgeous. Right now. Here. In the flesh. With chocolate brown eyes and floppy hair. You don’t need the contacts. Or the makeup. Or the touchups. You’re perfect just the way you are.”
He grinned lopsidedly. “Are you giving me my own pep talk?”
“Apparently so.” The corner of her lips tilted upwards as she smiled ruefully at him. “You really don’t need any help. You’re sweet. You’re good-looking. I like you. The real you. Just the way you are. I even love your black hair.”
He frowned. “But it’s not black now.”
She sighed. “No, it’s not. More’s the pity. But, if you like it lighter, that’s okay. I just think that you’re perfect the way you were created. No need to go changing the palate used to design you. Unless you really want to. But do it for the fun of it. Not because you’re pursuing an ideal. Because, Jimin…you already are the ideal.”
