The following morning, you find a note slipped under your bedroom door. It's from Seokjin.

"[Y/N],

I had to leave really early today to catch my train. I didn't bother waking you and Taehyung up since we had a tiring day yesterday. Thanks again for hosting me. I'll be back soon, so don't be too sad, okay? Try not to miss me too much.

Always,
your Moon."

You find that your eyes have gotten wet, so you gently swipe at them.

'Seokjin-ah...'

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

On your dining table, you're greeted by the sight of a variety of fruits and toast artfully arranged on a plate.

"Taetae, did you prepare this?" you ask Taehyung delightedly.

"Do you like it?" he asks.

"Yes!" you exclaim, "It looks almost too pretty to eat, though!"

Taehyung smirks, sitting next to you on the floor.

"You look pretty enough to eat."

Your eyes snap up to meet his.

"What... What's up with you, Taetae?"

Taehyung quirks a brow at you.

'Wait...' you look at that arched brow, the smirk... 'It couldn't be... could it?' You massage your temple, feeling the onset of a headache. 'But no, that's impossible. It's daytime...' And yet, all signs point to the Hybrid in front of you not being Taehyung, but V.

"I know, I know... I'm just as puzzled as you are," V sighs, "but oh well." He spears a piece of strawberry with a fork. "You really should eat. Do you want me to feed you myself?" He extends the strawberry towards your mouth. "Say aaah..."

You push V's had away.

"I'm perfectly capable of feeding myself, thankyouverymuch." To prove your point, you pick up your own fork and start shoving slices of kiwi, peach, and strawberry into your mouth.

"You're even cute when you're stuffing your face like that," V comments, propping his chin on a hand, just watching you with amusement.

"Shhoff wassshin me eafff!!!" you grumble through a mouthful of fruits and toast.

"Soooo, what do you want to do today?" V asks, gesturing towards the window, "The weather looks perfect outside."

"You mean," you take a big gulp of orange juice, swallowing everything in your mouth, "you want to go out???"

"Why not?" V says testily, "Is it only Taehyung who gets to go out and have fun with you in broad daylight?"

V's statement stops you short. He has a point. Why shouldn't he be able to experience everything Taehyung gets to experience?

"I'm sorry," you say, contrite, "I don't know why I said that."

V looks away, eyebrows knitted.

"Can I be greedy, this once?" he asks, sadness in his voice, "I don't know how long this will last, or even if it will happen again..." He looks back at you. "so I want to make the most of it. Even if it's just one day and never again, I'll take it."

You feel a tugging on your heartstrings. It must be frustrating for V to have to take the back seat for most of the time. You swallow all the food in your mouth... along with all your reservations.

"Okay, V!" you say brightly, having made up your mind, "We're going out! We're going to have the best day ever!"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"An amusement park?" V scoffs, looking with obvious distaste at the mascots walking around, greeting both children and adults alike with goofy voices, "You know I'm not 7 years old, right?"

"Fine!" You pout up at him. "If this is too childish for you, we can just go somewhere else!"

"[Y/N], could it be..." He bends to peer into your face, and without warning, pokes your cheek. "...you like amusement parks?"

"So what if I do?" you retort, pushing his hand away, "Some people my age still enjoy these things, you know?" You huff. "I bet Taehyung would've been really happy if I'd brought him here."

Something dark passes over V's face, and without a word, he grabs your wrist and pulls you to the nearest ride.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

You and V spend the entire morning hopping from one ride to the next. By noon, you've been on nearly every ride in the park!

'And the best part is,' you sneak a glance at V, who has his hands thrown up as the Viking ride swoops down, a huge smile on his face, 'V seems to be genuinely enjoying himself too!'

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"I had no idea amusement parks were so much fun," V states, a note of wonder in his voice. You're getting the chance to see an unexpected cute side to him, and you can't help but smile fondly. He notices your stare, and a scowl takes the place of his dreamy smile, "What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

You shake your head and just smile cheekily.

"I'm hungry!" you tell him, tugging at the sleeve of his jacket, "Let's go grab lunch!"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

You head to a burger place situated inside the amusement park grounds that has a 4.8-star rating on Welp. A tall guy wearing a ballcap pulled low over his face stands by the entrance. He immediately turns away as you and V pass by.

After the door closes behind you, you realize why he caught your attention.

'That guy... Where have I seen him before?'

V must have noticed your puzzled expression, since he tells you in a low voice, "The guy outside... He was the same one in the rice cake place, right?"

"Ah! That's right!" you exclaim, "I was just wondering where I've seen him before... But wait, how did you know? It was Taehyung with me that day."

"I see everything he sees," V reminds you, "It's just Taehyung who isn't conscious whenever I'm in charge."

Your stomach chooses that exact moment to growl audibly.

"I guess all that running around really made me hungry..."

V only chuckles and pushes you towards the counter.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Why are burgers so damn good?" V groans in bliss, "I could eat this every day."

You giggle, and V stares at you in a way that makes the giggles catch in your throat.

"Still not as good as you, though," he drawls, "I could have you for every meal."

"W-why do you have to keep saying weird things???" you cry, hiding your reddening face behind your hands.

"Why do you keep saying that the things I say are weird when they're not?" V retorts.

You just shake your head and pick your burger up, taking a much bigger bite than you normally would. V smirks and drops the topic, to your relief. For a while, you both eat in silence, simply enjoying the perfection of the burgers and the present company.

Then, out of the blue, V asks, "So... what's up with you and Seokjin?"

You nearly choke on the fry you've just crammed into your mouth.

"What?"

V shrugs. He casually dips a fry into ketchup.

"The two of you looked pretty cozy last night," he says, swirling the fry around, not meeting your gaze.

"We grew up next to each other," you explain, "Literally. Their house is next to ours." V stops moving the fry around and stares at you. He just stares, and stares, and your cheeks start to warm up under his gaze. "We're childhood friends," you add unnecessarily. And still, V stares. "That's all, really."

'Wait, why am I being defensive?'

You decide to go on the offense.

"Why are you asking, anyway?" you ask him, getting your own fry and dipping it into ketchup too. Casually. "Don't tell me... you're jealous?"

'Ha. That'll teach him to shut up.'

"So what if I am?"

"Don't deny i--- Wait what?" You goggle at him. You weren't expecting that response. But you're not going to back down. You won't let him have the upper hand. "I-if you are, are you going to do anything about it?" You maintain eye contact, even though you know your entire face is aflame right now.

V smirks.

"Is that a challenge, little one?" He leans forward, resting his elbows on the table. "Because it's not in my nature to back down from a challenge."

"Is it a--- What?" You blink rapidly. It seems your brain has short-circuited. "Uhm, that's... Well, I mean---"

'Drat! Why did I even think I can flirt back???'

"W-well, lunch was delicious!" you say, shoving all your trash, along with all the uneaten fries, onto the tray. "Let's go do more stuff! Time's a-wasting."

V simply smiles up at you, biting into a ketchup-smothered dry.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

You and V stroll down Main Street, window-shopping and people-watching. Although to be honest, it's more of people watching you than the other way around.

Taehyung attracts attention just with his sheer beauty, a purity in his countenance that's impossible to manufacture. V, on the other hand, has a raw magnetism that holds one's attention captive. It pulls your gaze to him and doesn't let go. Add to that his natural feline grace, and a hint of danger in the way he carries himself... a potent combination. You feel small and invisible next to his larger-than-life presence.

"Ah!" V exclaims suddenly, stopping short. You follow his gaze to a small, vintage music shop.

"Wanna check it out?" you offer. He nods and enters the shop as if in a trance.

The interior is cozy, all wood-paneled walls, with wood-burnished shelves and counters. The lighting is low and warm, adding to the vintage vibe of the place. Acoustic guitars hang from one wall, and boxes of vinyl records are stacked up against another. One shelf displays a variety of turntables, and a listening booth is tucked into one corner. At the middle of the room is a grand piano, obviously old but very well-preserved.

V looks around in wonder, and for a moment, you glimpse a bit of Taehyung in him. He heads towards the piano, long fingers reaching out to caress the surface almost lovingly, reverently. You think that he has perfect pianist's fingers, and wonder if he's ever learned to play.

"V, do you like music?" you ask.

V nods, turning towards the wall stacked with records.

"I think..." he says, sounding breathless, "I..." Suddenly, he sways, eyes unfocused.

"V!" you cry, reaching out to steady him. But he quickly regains his footing and brushes you off.

"Sorry," he grunts, massaging his temples. "I'm okay."

"Are you sure?" you ask, not quite convinced.

"Yeah, just a slight headache." He gives you a wan smile. "It's gone now."

"Do you want to just head home?"

"NO!" he growls at you, and you're both taken aback by his reaction. He immediately looks remorseful. "Sorry, I didn't mean to..." He turns pleading eyes towards you. "Please... I don't want this day to end just yet. Please..."

You nod in understanding.

"Okay," you smile gently, "Let's browse, yeah? I think there's a listening booth over there."

V selects a few records, and you head to the booth to listen together. Through his enthusiasm and obvious passion, you start to develop an appreciation for jazz and classical music. Looking at the shelf of turntables, you think of eventually getting one and starting a collection of vinyls. You're sure V would love that.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

After leaving the music shop, you take V to a newly-opened comic reading room a few blocks over. You order milkshakes and browse a selection of manhwa, manga, and Western comics. The hours fly by as you share and discuss the titles you find interesting.

Your last stop for the day is dinner at the Main Street food stalls.

"Wow, I can't believe it's already night time!" you exclaim, "Time flew!"

V munches on his steamed bun and grins at you.

"Did you have fun?" he asks.

"Yes! Tons! I feel like I learned a lot about you today."

"Oh?" he quirks an eyebrow in amusement, "Okay, then. What do you know about me now?"

"That you have weird taste in music," you say, ticking a finger.

"Weird?" V asks, frowning.

"In a good way!" you clarify, "It's not really what most people our age listen to, but I think that's cool! Uhm... Oh! Also, you're not very good with heights," you tick another finger, "but you enjoy scary rides."

V scoffs.

"I'm not scared of anything."

You roll your eyes and decide to just let that one slide.

"You appreciate beautiful things," you continue, ticking a third finger, "whether it's art, music, stories..."

"You," V adds.

"Huh? What?"

"It's nothing," he dismisses, "What else?"

"Hmmm... You have a softer side to you," you say, ticking a fourth finger, "that you try to pretend isn't there."

V scoffs again, but you only smile at him fondly.

"It's cute," you tell him softly.

"I'm not cute," he protests, scowling, "Taehyung's the cute one, okay?"

"Whatever you say, V" you reply, giggling.

"Yah, don't patronize me!" V demands, which causes you to laugh harder ---that is, until he growls low in his throat. An actual, honest-to-goodness growl that you feel deep in your bones. Your heart skips a beat, and your body freezes.

'Why do I feel so flustered all of a sudden?'

"I'll, uhh..." you stammer, standing up, "I'll go check on our order." You hurriedly turn away, and as you do... you see him, a few tables away... the guy in the ballcap.

You immediately turn back to V. Before you could even open your mouth, V says, "I know, I spotted him earlier."

"Do you think..." you ask nervously, "he might be following us?"

"If he is, I'll take care of it. Don't worry." V nods his head towards the stranger in the ballcap. "Do you want me to talk to him?"

"No!" you quickly respond, sensing the tightly coiled tension V holds in his body, like he's ready to pounce at any given second. "It could just be a coincidence. Let's not let this ruin our day."

Without even thinking about it, you reach out and stroke his hair. Perhaps you did it instinctually, in an attempt to calm him down. You scratch behind V's ear, and his posture visibly relaxes. You think you could even feel him purring.

"I'm not worried," you say, "I know I'm safe with you."

"As you should," he says, staring up at you as you continue stroking his hair, "And you are."

A hot, tingling sensation pools in your belly at the way V is looking at you. The feeling is unfamiliar... but not an unpleasant one.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The two of you get home without further incident.

"[Y/N]... Thank you for granting my request," V says solemnly.

"It was my pleasure, V. Seriously." You smile up at him. "I had a really lovely time."

"Me too." He sighs. "I wish this day didn't have to end."

"V..." You wish you could say something to dispel the sorrow in V's eyes, but once again, you find yourself at a loss.

"Rest now, little one," V says, placing a large hand atop your head. "You have work tomorrow."

"Goodnight, V," you say, breath catching as his hand slides down to your cheek. V leans down.

"Goodnight, little one," V whispers, breath hot against your ear, "I'll never forget this day."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

You go to bed, wondering who will be waiting for you when you wake up... and who you're hoping, in your heart of hearts, it will be.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A/N: Who's following you???

< Next Chapter: The Truth Untold >