Mythical

26. Apology

"Ten. Eleven. Twelve," I panted between each count, my stomach clenching but my mind only focused on the workout. I was doing sit-ups as warm-ups.

I had a good upper body, I just had to improve my lower body and work on my stamina. After that, I planned to master the self-defence and offence attacks, with the dagger, that dad taught me when I was younger.

Once I reached twenty, I stood up and jerked my limbs to relax the muscles.

There wasn't exactly a gym in the palace, but it was a room that I could always use for training. They cleaned the room, but there was no particular use of it.

I walked over to the window, where my bottle was and took a sip. It was time for me to go for a jog around the garden. It was big enough to make it 1 kilometer for one lap.

"Need me to spot you?" I swiftly turned around to see Jimin standing in the doorway, staring at me with an indescribable look.

"No, I'm good. I'm going for a jog. D-don't need someone to spot me for that," I answered. My stutter was pretty much gone, but the fear was still there.

"Oh. Do you need an actual gym room to workout?" he asked, looking hopeful.

I shook my head. "I'm good," I said, walking past him to make my way to the garden.

Jimin stopped me by holding my wrist. "Not now. It's late, there are vampires searching for blood. Stay within the palace," he said. I frowned. Weren't the vampires always provided with blood?

Nonetheless, I nodded. "Fine," I said, making my way to the stairs of the castle. I could always do some step workout.

I could feel Jimin following me, so when I reached the stairs, I swiftly turned around and look him right in the eye.

"Can I help you?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. He looked shocked at my sudden question. As much as I feared him getting angry, I couldn't let myself seem weak. He composed himself before answering.

"Uh... I wanted to... apologize for my behavior two days ago. I shouldn't have, and didn't mean to hurt you," he said. I looked at him with a blank face as he continued. "For us, our pasts are very sensitive topics. It is best if no one brings it up. I know it seems like I'm giving an excuse for me hurting you, but I'm not. I just wanted you to know the reason behind my actions and that I promise to work harder on my anger management."

One thing I liked about them was the fact that they always provided a reason for their actions. Not an excuse, a reason. It was as if they knew that I'd be left to wonder why they did what they did if they didn't tell me.

"It's alright. We all have our triggering topics. I'll ensure to not talk about your pasts. It's none of my business anyway," I said, not sparing him another glance as I went back to my exercise.

He walked over and sat two steps above, in front of me. "How can I prove my sincerity?" He asked. I looked up from my feet to meet his puppy eyes staring back at me with determination and curiosity.

"I don't know. No one's ever really asked for my forgiveness after hurting me," I said. I glanced down at my feet, missing Jimin's look of surprise and guilt.

"Very well then. I will prove it to you somehow," he said. I looked up at him to see determination blended in his soft, yet sharp, features. He looked at me and smiled.

The sight melted me. He had a cute little dimple on one side of his face, and his eyes practically disappeared. It made me question as to whether he could see. His smile exposed his upper teeth, slightly crooked which indicated that he wore braces or something to fix that. Or maybe it was him turning into a vampire that made his features ethereal.

My heart skipped the beat at the thought of him smiling at me, only me. I felt a very strong urge to pinch his cheeks or even kiss him on the cheek, and I knew it wasn't the bond. By now I could differentiate the feelings of the bond, and my own feelings.

His smile honestly didn't last as long as my description of it. He cleared his throat as he dropped his smile. His cold façade came back one second after he smiled, but it was long enough for me to take a mental picture of it.

"Well, in that case, I look forward to seeing what you have planned," I said. A glint of hope and happiness overshadowed his anger façade, but it went away just as quick as it came. He excused himself and practically jogged his way up, excitement evident in his footsteps. I let a small smile break through my lips, my mood instantly lifted up by a little, as I watched Jimin disappear into the corner. I continued my exercise.

I felt a little less hatred for the six vampires.