-A Sunday morning…-

Although I had no work planned for the day, I still woke up at my usual time—my body refused to sleep longer than 5 or 6 hours.

After doing my daily morning stretch, I immediately made my bed—a habit I had since my youth. Something about having a messy bed stressed me out—I needed things around me organized. According to Dr. Rob, cleaning and organizing were coping mechanisms. In childhood, home life was chaotic so organizing anything I could made me feel in control. Thanks to Dr. Rob, I had better control of my organizing impulse, but it hadn't gone fully away.

Once the bed was made, I changed to some outwear. With a coffee in hand, I went to my personal office for some journaling.

I had finished a small passage in my notebook when my phone went off. Namjoon's nickname appeared on the screen. "Good morning," I answered.

"Hello," he greeted back. "Are you awake?"

We were set to go on a hike with a couple of friends and he was going to pick me up.

"Yeah. You?"

"Not fully, but I will once I get to you in a couple of minutes." His voice did sound a little groggy. Something about the words he used caused a warm stir in my chest.

I pushed down the fuzzy feeling. "Cool. I'll meet you downstairs."

No more than three minutes later, I was downstairs with two water flasks. Due to Namjoon's easy forgetfulness, I had taken it upon myself to be the water person. Immediately, I spotted the HYBE vehicle. The hiking trail we were going on was too far to get there on bike.

The driver stepped out, greeted me, and opened the door. I thanked him and entered.

I was welcomed with deep dimples and a warm face.

I took the seat next to Namjoon and smiled back.

"How's your morning going?" I asked as the car began to move. I handed him one of the water flasks.

"Good. How's yours?" His fingers brushed mine as he took the flask from me. Warmth tingled in my hand and began to spread up my arm.

I regretted my decision on wearing a racer-back tee. I could see the goosebumps along my arm. I quickly pulled it back before he could catch the physical effect he had caused.

And then I noticed his attire: a navy-blue baseball cap, a gray hoodie, and black shorts. Goddamn, his legs were getting big.

Namjoon had always enjoyed being healthy by working out, but quarantine and his breakup with his ex-girlfriend had pushed him more to the gym. He had a small romance with another girl after his breakup, but it hadn't lasted long. This summer he had gotten quite into building muscle. And it was showing all over. I wasn't a thigh kind of girl but looking at his was causing difficulty in breathing.

As I felt shivers again, I thought I needed to get this new crush wave under control.

"Are we meeting Yongrae and Hakun there or picking them up?" I asked as I moved my eyes away from his beautifully sculpted calves.

"They're meeting us there," he answered as he got his phone out to send the guys a message.

"How are things going with the plan to the States? Are you guys getting a nice vacation?" I asked, curious.

My eyes glanced over to the driver who had his full attention on the road. I was familiar with this driver. He was quiet and wasn't nosy, which is why I think Namjoon favored him.

Namjoon mentioned they were being given an extended time off after their mini LA residency.

"For how long?" I asked, curious.

"Almost two months," he answered.

I was taken aback by the news. The most they had been given off in the past had been one month. "For real?"

Namjoon relaxed in his seat, spreading his toned legs in a more comfortable position. "I'll be working a little in the middle there, but not too much. We really hope we get some good music out of the workshops so we can record by the end of the year."

Our ride was mostly spent discussing the workshops and some of his ideas for songs he wanted to create.

"I heard you managed to convince Suga in working with you on a workshop," he said with a proud smile. "How did you manage that?"

"I used Tae to my advantage," I answered.

"How so?" Namjoon looked confused.

"When have any of you been able to say no to Taehyung?" I asked, making it obvious.

Namjoon thought for a moment. "So, you got Taehyung to ask Suga to work with you?"

I gave a simple nod.

"Smart." Namjoon laughed. "You're giving Jimin and Taehyung some help on their songs, too?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm meeting Jimin a few times this week. He had some lyrics written down but is struggling with the melody. Tae is having the opposite problem: a lot of melodies but not many lyrics coming out. They both get so much in their heads. I told them that's what the workshops are for: to help focus on a song and pin it down. But they both want to have the song written before the workshop week."

"Does that mean you're fully booked for the week?" Namjoon's mouth puckered a little, turning almost pouty for some reason.

"A bit. I'm hanging out with Hobi a couple of times this week. He asked if I wanted to join in on some dance practices. My body really needs it. It feels rusty." Just saying this made me want to stretch a little. Any time I went more than a week without dance, my muscles tensed.

"Come with me to the gym this week, then," he suggested.

It was my turn to pout. "I hate working out."

He smiled at my reaction and rolled his eyes slightly at me. "Your body needs it."

"I hike for six hours almost every week and I cycle for at least an hour every day, isn't that enough?" I demanded.

He laughed at me. "No, you don't. You hike once or twice a month for four hours. And you cycle for thirty minutes a few times a week. Also, neither of those activities gives focus on your core, which is something you need as a dancer."

"Listen, if you want to look more like the Hulk every single day, be my guest—I'm positive millions of women out there are getting their panties wet by simply staring at your biceps." Myself included, I wanted to add, but I kept it to myself. "But I am satisfied with the small activities I do which keep me healthy—including how well I eat."

The last part is what made him keep his mouth closed and look away.

It was my turn to lecture. "What did you have for dinner last night, by the way?"

He continued to avoid eye contact.

"Let me guess: something extremely fattening."

"I had vegetables on the side," he defended himself.

I snorted, seeing right through his words. "What? Like a half cup?"

He covered his face in shame but still laughed about it.

"How are you gonna give me shit about not working out while you eat like crap?" I demanded in a playful tone.

"Ok. How about we make a deal?" His warm, chocolate eyes finally met mine. "I'll go back on my diet if you start working out with me."

The thought of seeing Namjoon in a sweaty t-shirt for two to three hours every day certainly was inviting, but I don't think I would survive it. "No! I like my lazy days."

"Come on!" he insisted.

We went at it for the remainder of the drive. We lost track of time and didn't notice we had arrived until the vehicle came to a full stop.

"No," I said as I unbuckled.

"You are such a baby," he said, going for his own seatbelt.

I opened the door and was about to step off, but noticed he was struggling with the belt.

"What the hell?" he muttered to himself as he struggled with the button.

"Do you need assistance?" I asked, leaning over to help out.

"I got it." He tried again, tugging and pushing the button at the same time.

A chuckle made its way out of my mouth. "Honestly, Namjoon. Here." I reached over and held off one of his hands, keeping it from touching the belt.

His big hand felt cozy underneath mine. He must have responded naturally because his hand closed around my palm as I moved my other hand to the seatbelt button.

I pushed down and the seatbelt was immediately released.

"Thank you," he said softly, sounding a little embarrassed.

Our hands delinked and I felt a bareness once they did so.

I cleared my throat and moved away from the vehicle.

Not long after walking, I noticed Hakun at the bottom of the mountain, before the hiking trail started. He was always punctual.

As I made my way to Hakun as Namjoon talked to the driver about pick-up time, I tried to ignore the feeling of how hot my hand felt. "Have you been waiting long?" I asked Hakun.

"Not long," he answered after looking at his watch.

Yongrae, our other friend hiking with us, tended to run late. We knew not to expect him yet.

"I hear you're accompanying Namjoon to the States when he's on vacation," I said to Hakun, remembering what Namjoon had shared with me a few days ago. "You must be excited."

Hakun beamed. "I am. I haven't been to America in years. I'm mostly excited about the Chinati Foundation." He turned to Namjoon, who had arrived next to us. "I just received an email from them last night. Everything is set for our visit in December."

Namjoon looked relieved. "Awesome. Thanks for taking care of that."

Hakun nodded. "I told you, I'll make it happen—so as long as you take me."

Hakun was an artist and worked at one of the museums Namjoon frequently visited. It was how the two met many years ago. What first started as a conversation between the two at an exhibition had turned into a blossoming friendship.

"I'm sure a whole day there isn't going to be enough," Namjoon said.

Hakun nodded.

"What's the Chinati Foundation?" I asked, curious.

I began to get educated on everything about this place in Texas and all the different art pieces from Donald Judd—an artist I was slightly familiar with due to the number of times Namjoon brought him up. I wasn't too into art but did enjoy visiting museums. I especially enjoyed listening to Namjoon give his interpretation and thoughts on different pieces. I usually didn't see what he saw, but it was always soothing listening to him.

And right now wasn't any different. He went on and on about this Judd guy for a good while and I didn't mind. There were a couple of pieces he was hoping to buy and bring back with him.

The conversation turned to other exhibits that he, Hakun, and two other friends would be visiting in the States. Eventually, this conversation died off too and we continued to wait for Yongrae. It wasn't long before Namjoon began to bounce. He looked at the ground and stared at his feet. Oh, boy. He was getting bored.

Hakun was on his phone, keeping himself entertained. I went back to watching Namjoon.

I considered suggesting playing a game while we waited but I was curious to see what he would do next. I personally found it endearing seeing him play in his own world.

No more than a few seconds later, Namjoon was bouncing again and doing some air boxing. He was only goofing off and not taking it seriously, but I began to give him pointers on his form.

Like a true gentleman, Namjoon was obedient and listened. He took my pointers and adjusted his posture and movements.

"Better," I praised, watching him airbox with better form.

He added some footwork that didn't look right at all, but he was making the cutest facial expressions—wiggling his eyebrows, mouth agape, eyes wide and focused. I kept quiet.

"That doesn't look right," Hakun said, staring at Namjoon with a confused expression.

"Is it completely off?" Namjoon stopped, laughing at himself.

Hakun teased our friend. "You look like a dying fish."

Namjoon let out an embarrassed laugh.

I cracked a smile but gave Hakun a soft shove. "Be nice!"

"But Namjoonie does look like a dying fish," said a voice behind us.

We turned to find our very tardy friend, Yongrae, making his way over to us.

"If it isn't Yongrae-ssi gracing us with his presence," Namjoon immediately let out. He gave Yongrae a dramatic right-angled bow.

Yongrae's face turned red with embarrassment. "I honestly thought I had put the alarm at the right time. I don't think I saved it before falling asleep."

"Or you kept hitting the snooze button," Namjoon immediately suggested.

Hakun and I laughed as Yongrae's head hung in shame.

"Come on, let's get started. We wasted forty minutes." Namjoon started to lead the way.

"I forgot my water. Can I get a sip from your guys'?" Yongrae said, following Namjoon.

Namjoon let out a sigh. "You know this hike is going to be at least three hours. How could you have forgotten your water?"

Yongrae cocked an eyebrow. "So you brought your own or did Maya pack it for you?"

Namjoon turned to me and looked a little embarrassed. He pleaded with me with his eyes not to rat him out.

I wasn't going to, but I also wasn't going to deny Yongrae's accusation either.

The first half hour of the hike was spent hearing Namjoon and Yongrae bicker back and forth about who tended to be more of a kid in their adult years.

Hakun and I eventually walked past them, not wanting them to slow us down from this very long, uphill mountain. If I slowed down too much in the beginning, by the end of this hike, I was going to feel much worse.

Eventually, the guys stopped their argument and started enjoying the scenery with Hakun and me, making comments on how beautiful it was.

We spotted several shield bugs on our way up the mountain that Namjoon stopped to admire. A few centipedes caught his attention, and we stopped a little for that. However, when we came upon the creeks of the mountain, he turned into a curious five-year-old as he ventured into the rocks. He pulled many of them up in search of frogs and tadpoles.

"Oh! Look at this one!" Namjoon put his hand into the water, trying to catch something, but seemed to miss. "Shit. It slipped off."

We went over to where he was, leaning in to see what creature he was trying to catch.

His hand did a quick but soft grab on something. "Oh!" There was a small, green frog inside of his palm.

I bent down next to him on the rocks to get a closer look. "What is it?"

"Seoul frog. Pretty common. Here," he said, handing the amphibian to me.

I opened my palms and felt the squishiness of the creature land on my skin. It was slimy and slippery. Two years ago, I used to recoil at the feeling, but not anymore. I had never been a girly girl who recoiled at the view of an insect or anything deemed "gross", but I didn't seek out to hold them either. However, in the two years of going on hiking adventures with Namjoon, my reaction to wildlife changed. Namjoon had been the one who pushed me to hold something every time we hiked. He'd done it enough that I already came to his side whenever he explored creeks and rivers and trees.

While it still felt a little uncomfortable, I now enjoyed looking at the different colors and textures of the skins of the small creatures. I understood Namjoon's point: they were very adorable.

"It's still a baby. Cute," said Namjoon.

Suddenly, the frog leaped out of my palm and into the air.

The surprise caused Namjoon to jerk forward as he tried to catch the frog. However, the movement made him slip from the rock he was on top of, and in an attempt to balance himself, his arm shot at a different angle, hitting me on my head.

I felt a sharpness on my top temple. But then I noticed him stumbling. Worry came over. We were standing on top of dozens of rocks. He could seriously injure himself—his ankle could twist or he could damage his knee or even worse, he could fall on his back. My arms extended out to take hold of his arms. His body also acted out of instinct, grabbing my forearms to balance himself.

"Are you ok?" I asked, seeing his worried expression.

He looked down at the creek and judging by his wide eyes, he seemed to have the same thought I had: the rocks could have caused severe harm. He let out a breath of relief. "Yeah."

"Damn, Maya, you were like Bongsoon," Hakun said in amazement.

"Yeah, Namajoonie even hit your head and you still managed to keep his big body from falling," Yongrae added with an equal amount of awe in her voice.

Namjoon eyes went straight to my head. "Shit, I'm sorry. Are you ok?" His hand came up to my temple, which felt tender.

There was a little sting upon his touch, but it didn't hurt too bad. "Yeah."

"I'm sorry," he repeated. He turned to Yongrae. "Do you have icepacks?"

Yongrae always forget to bring his water or hat or sunscreen, but the one thing he never forgot on a hike was his backpack, which was full of first aid.

He reached into one of his pockets and took out a small ice pack.

Once on Namjoon's hand, Namjoon applied it to my head.

I flinched at the touch.

"Sorry. Does it hurt a lot?" Namjoon immediately retreated the ice pack, worried that he was causing me more discomfort.

I shook my head. "Just really cold."

"Here," Yongrae said as he handed Namjoon a cloth. "Put that around the icepack, it'll prevent frostbite."

Namjoon wrapped the thin cloth carefully around the icepack and placed it back gently on my head. "Better?" he asked.

I nodded. But then I felt a little more pressure and I twitched as I felt a small sharp pain. "Ow. Not so much pressure, please."

"Do you have aspirin in there?" asked Hakun to Yongrae.

I could hear the pair talking in the background to each other but couldn't make out exactly what they were saying.

My focus was set on the man in front of me. Even with the hat and hoodie covering most of his top face, his striking features popped out and demanded my full attention. His heavy-lidded eyes drew me in. I felt like swimming in those warm, dark chocolate eyes.

"Sorry." Namjoon immediately pulled back his hand but leaned into me. My eyes roamed down to his full, thick lips as they puckered and came closer to my face. Instinctively, I closed my eyes, feeling my heart racing a little. Was this really happening?

But then I felt a soft blow against my temple. He was whooshing away my boo boo. My eyes opened and I felt instant embarrassment for thinking he had intended to do something else. Especially in front of our friends. What the hell was I thinking?

I did my best to act casual.

Namjoon's cocoa eyes landed on mine. A small smile appeared. "Better?"

I gave a nod and smiled back. "I feel like a five-year-old. Thanks." Carefully, I stood up. I didn't trust myself being that close to his face. Namjoon's hands automatically reached out to help steady me.

I turned to our friends who were busy talking amongst themselves about what medicine would be best to give me for my head.

The guys insisted on taking a break to allow me to rest. They wanted to be sure it was safe to continue. After they were all satisfied and convinced, we continued with the hike.

The conversation with us started dying out. We were finally feeling the workout.

Needing the motivation to continue, I put on one of my earphones and started playing some music. I selected one of the numerous playlists I had saved.

Hakun was very much ahead while Yongrae trailed behind—they were polar opposites when it came to hiking. While Hakun cared more for getting to the destination, Yongrae liked to take his time, enjoying the exploration.

Namjoon was similar to Yongrae. He liked to take his time in nature, but he was sticking near me. I was sure out of feeling guilty.

The mountain was getting rougher to climb up. I was ahead of Namjoon, taking very steed steps uphill. I tried my best to take it easy.

Namjoon asked a question behind me, but he was so out of breath I didn't hear him.

"Huh?" I asked, a little breathless myself.

"Who are you singing?" he asked more loudly and clearly, getting closer to me.

I frowned, turning to him. "I wasn't singing."

Namjoon looked at me in disbelief but then let out a laugh. "Yeah, you were."

Had I? "Oh, I didn't notice." I went back to the task at hand: the hill.

Namjoon was now only a few feet from me, despite me not having changed my pace. "So who are you listening to?"

I answered him as I held onto the side of the rock as I moved forward. "Did you bring your headphones?"

"I forgot them at the house." Namjoon's hands were pressed against my back, keeping me balanced. "Stay here. Let me get ahead of you."

He waited for me to get on leveled ground before he moved around me and took the lead on the rough path. A few steps later, he came to another set of steep rocks we had to climb. He went up with almost no problem. He turned to me and offered his hand.

I took it despite feeling I didn't need his help. I had great control of my upper body, but I knew Namjoon would only insist. "Wanna listen?"

After falling in step with him, Namjoon nodded, droplets of sweat making their way down his face. "Yeah."

I handed him one of my earphones.

After putting on the earphone, he helped me up the tock. He started asking me questions of the artist we were listening to as we continued uphill.

As I gave him info on the, we came to another rock—a massive one. Because of its size and rough exterior, it was a harder climb. This time, I took Namjoon's help without hesitancy. Considering how clumsy he was, when it came to hiking, he was incredibly graceful.

"Careful," he warned as I took my last step and got to the top. He moved closer to me, putting his arm on my back. "You're too close to the ledge. Move forward."

I had put almost a foot distance between me and the ledge. I felt safe where I was but took a couple of steps forward on Namjoon's insistence. However, he still had his arm behind my back and gave me a soft push, telling me to keep moving up. I let out an irritated sigh and did so.

Finally, he put down his arm, looking satisfied with the distance between me and the ledge.

We continued our hike as we listened to the music.

I was right in selecting this playlist because it didn't take long for Namjoon to sing along to the songs. He wasn't being quiet either. I was sure he was feeling free enough to do so since we hadn't come across another person this entire hike. His voice cracked a few times, which only made me enjoy his showcase even more. If I had to be honest, Namjoon's singing was one of the reasons why I enjoyed the hikes we took together.

We finally reached our destination.

Hakun was there, sitting on a rock. "You're too slow. Where's Yongrae?"

Namjoon wiped some sweat off his face. "We'll meet him on our way down. He never makes it all the way anyway." He took out his phone and began to take pictures of the view.

I took a sip of water from my canteen and handed over Namjoon his bottle. He mumbled his thanks and took a long sip himself. "Ready to go down or you wanna enjoy the scenery a bit?"

Sometimes Namjoon liked to sit down for a moment and enjoy the atmosphere and sometimes the long workout made him hungry and desperate to get to lunch.

He turned to Hakun and silently asked him his opinion.

Hakun shrugged and answered, "I've been up here for long enough. I'm ready when you guys are."

Namjoon thought for a bit longer. "Let's stay for a few minutes, then we can go. I'm sure I'll get hungry by the time we get back down."

I nodded and looked around for a place to sit in. I found a big rock that overlooked the town below us.

Namjoon took a few steps in front of me and offered his hand so I could climb the rock properly.

After I was securely sitting down, he went on to take several pictures of the different trees and insects around him. I watched his curious soul observe the nature around us.

"Namjoon tells me you're heading back to the States," Hakun said to me. He was sitting a good ten feet away. "Are you attending the awards show as well?"

I nodded. "A song I co-wrote is nominated. And I got invited to present an award."

"You want to join us on our art trip?" he asked with a teasing smile.

While I enjoyed going to art exhibits and spending time with Namjoon, Hakun, and Yongrae there was only so much art I could take. I found museums highly enjoyable, but the guys were going to be spending days visiting multiple locations. And they always spent hours in each exhibit. I was genuinely excited for Namjoon and our friends but spending almost two weeks looking at art nonstop wasn't my cup of tea.

"I'll pass, but thank you for the offer," I said to Hakun.

We spoke a little more about their plans for the trip as Namjoon became interested in a particular caterpillar. From where I was sitting, the creature looked fuzzy and I could see Namjoon leaning a little too close for comfort.

"Don't touch it," I warned. The last thing we needed was for Namjoon to get poisoned and for us to carry his massive body down the mountain.

"I won't," Namjoon muttered under his breath as he kept his eyes on the insect.

I let out a sigh.

Hakun chuckled. "He needs a sitter at all hours of the day."

Namjoon heard this and turned to Hakun to give him a death stare.

"His mom was too soft on him," I say, wanting to get glared at as well. And boy, did I receive it. He looked kind of hot looking at me that way.

"He's firstborn, what do you expect?" Hakun teased.

"And a boy," I added.

Namjoon turned away and sighed. "If you guys are done with the teasing, I think it's time for us to head back down. I'm hungry."

Hakun and I cracked smiles but listened and got up to leave. Hakun was closest to the trail and started heading down. "I bet we'll get to Yongrae in twenty minutes and he won't have noticed we left him so far behind."

Namjoon waited for me at the bottom of the rock and looked prepared to offer me his hand if I needed it. Once I was at his side, he turned to the trail.

I waited until we passed the rough patches and got onto a nicely leveled ground before I got close to him. I placed my hands on his shoulders and jumped on his back.

I did this enough during our hikes that he quickly tugged both his arms around my thighs. He adjusted me so we were both comfortable. "So tired," I said as I pressed my entire weight on him. My arms wrapped around his broad chest. It felt really cozy like this.

He grunted. "Girl, you realize you're getting heavier, right?"

I swatted him and he responded with laughter. "Look who's talking. I feel you and Jungkook should arm wrestle."

"Jungkook would pull my arm off," he said with laughter.

"You could take him." I reached into my pocket and took out my phone to look through my music. "Any preference?" He still had my other AirPod.

"Whatever you choose is good," he answered easily.

I decided to just shuffle my all songs. In the middle of the first song, Namjoon started singing at the top of his lungs, and I quickly joined in. Before the second song started, I came off his back, feeling guilty about him carrying my lazy ass.

For the rest of the way down, we sang together without a care. It was one of the perks of going hiking in the early morning on the weekend—not many people were out and we enjoyed the freedom of acting goofy. Namjoon typically was composed and calm, but there were bursts of moments when he was carefree and lively. I enjoyed being around both.

We were in the middle of a rap when we got to the bottom of the mountain. It was the perfect song to end our hike with. Instead of feeling exhausted from the workout, we felt pumped.

Once the song, and our karaoke performance, ended our friends gave a round of applause. I gave my singing partner a high five. "We kicked ass on that one," I boasted.

"We should be a duo," Namjoon joked.

Hakun shook his head. "Don't do it, Maya, he'll bring your value down with his voice."

Namjoon nodded. "That's true," looking a little shy.

Instinct made me defend my friend who was often told he had a bad voice. "He sings nice."

Hakun and Yongrae laughed at what they thought to be a joke.

My tone quickly turned serious. "For real. Namjoon has a nice voice. He's never taken proper vocal lessons for too long, but he has a good tone. He understands melody and harmony well."

Our friends still did not look convinced.

Namjoon was looking away, embarrassed.

"Do I need to play 'seoul' for you guys? He sounds so damn good in that song!"

"He sounded ok in it because of the autotune," Yongrae said.

I took a step towards him, ready to pinch him. "All artists use autotune in recording."

Namjoon caught me around my waist and pulled me back towards the trail. "Can we please hurry? My stomach is growling.

Yongrae and Hakun laughed at me being dragged away.

I allowed Namjoon to lead me away but made sure to flip our friends off.

"Hey! Shouldn't there be a higher level of respect? I am older," Yongrae said with mocked irritation.

"Remember Korean customs don't apply to the American," Namjoon defended me.

"Yeah, when it's convenient for her," Yongrae spat back.

Neither Namjoon nor I were going to argue with that.

We made it back to the bottom of the mountain in good time.

Namjoon's driver was patiently waiting, along with another vehicle closer to where we were. It was Yongrae's taxi.

"Where do you guys want to eat?" asked Namjoon.

Our two friends exchanged a private look.

"I'm having lunch with my girlfriend," Yongrae answered.

"And I told my parents I would come over today," Hakun informed us. "Maybe next time."

"Want to share a ride?" Yongrae asked Hakun.

Hakun nodded. "Yeah, enjoy lunch you two," he said directly to Namjoon and me.

Yongrae was the first to go into the cab. "Have fun."

The pair looked to be holding back a private laugh.

I turned to Namjoon, confused by our friends' behavior. "Got a clue what that was about?"

Namjoon shook his head and rolled his eyes. "They're idiots. I'm done trying to figure them out." He waved to them as their cab drove off. He then motioned towards our ride. "Any preference where to go for lunch?"

I frowned as I walked over to the vehicle. "You think it's a good idea?"

"What do you mean?" Namjoon asked.

"Us having lunch alone in public. That's sure to stir rumors." As much as I wanted to hang out with Namjoon one on one openly, I was aware of reality—it wouldn't be possible. We were high-profile celebrities. We didn't have such luxury to hang out alone.

He let out a heavy sigh, understanding my point. "How about just ordering something and having it at the dorms?"

"Who's home? We should offer if they want something to eat," I said as we arrived at the car. The driver had the door open for us.

"I'll send a group text," he said, waiting for me to climb in first. "What do you want to eat?" he asked as he opened a food app for us to order from.

I leaned in to see the different menus, being very conscious of our closeness. I was too aware of his glistering, sweaty arms. He had taken off his hoodie on our way down the mountain, so his buffy arms were on display for me to ogle at.

Damn, why did he have to be so sweaty? Shit.