THE MANAGER NIM

21. SWIRLS AND CURLS

*Italics - (y/l) your language

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"You too like Namjoon Hyung? Seems like I got a new competitor now, daebak!" Jungkook's voice echoes behind your back.

Recoiling at the sudden interruption in your healing session, you swirl around to face the owner of that voice, coated with sugar syrup.

"I...I was just simply staring at the portrait, because I...umm...yeah, I like those monochromatic colours so I was just looking at it, nothing much. And when did you creep in here?" You try to sound as convincing as possible.

"I bet my favourite iron man socks, I saw those love-stirred waves in your eyes a moment ago. Fool me once, shame on you." He stands there, crossing his arms across his chest, demanding the truth.

"I don't have all night to explain, Mr Jeon, I explained myself, now believe whatever you want to.", Your stone face re-enters the chat as you turn your back on him and stride towards the room.

"GOODNIGHT!" Saying in a mechanized tone you shut the door in a swish.

He lets out a weak sigh and opens his clasped palm, revealing an Aspirin tablet. 

"Seems like she doesn't need this anymore and I came up here to witness her simping over hyung's portrait leisurely, heol! Never mind I'm the one who needs this most right now. Her mom was not kidding when she referred to this girl as a living form of headache, she is!" He slowly trudges down the stairs, ranting like a maniac.

_

The tassel hanging below the rear mirror flutters violently as the cab moves forward towards your destination from Jungkook's house. The cold breeze brushes against your prominent cheeks and the memories of this morning brushes your memory.

This morning as you rose from the deep slumber, your eyes greeted the day shine followed by a shirtless male cooking Japchae in the kitchen, downstairs. At first, you thought those were the remains of your last night's sweet dream and tried to rub your eyelids hesitantly to shed off those fictitious visuals away, but once the memories of last night started to seep inside your brain, the reality in front of your eyes made your lids that were drooping and leaden with sleep snap open as violently as if someone whacked your head with a paddle.

But what made your blood run cold was him talking to your mom over the phone with an eye-blinding smile while slicing those veggies like a neighbourhood aunty, honestly, the invisible wall of rapport building between your mom and him gives you the Heebie-jeebies. But what they were talking about got added in your unsolved mysteries of life list.

The cab's engine goes idle and halts in front of your aunt's mansion.

As you slowly climb out of the cab with heavy eyelids accompanied by a vibrant yawn, your eyes land on the unusual numbers of high-end model cars in the parking area.

Your foot hesitantly slithers towards the entrance to avoid grabbing any human attention in your direction.

The cluster of fancy slippers and sleek shoes in the entrance says how many relatives are jammed inside this mansion right now and a pit forms in your stomach as you approach the door.

"Oh, y/n is back home!" Your uncle's voice echoes from the crowd assembled in the hall and the next moment numerous pairs of eyes turn in your direction and induce a subtle wave of murmurs.

Your aunt scoots out of the kitchen in a flash with a sly smile and drags your oblivious ass inside your sister's room near the staircase.

"Shashima what's happening? Who are they? Are we celebrating something? Are those people our relatives? But I've never seen them before!" 

Your aunt shushes you by placing her index finger over your lips and pushes you inside the washroom.

"Wash yourself and wear this silk salwar, your sister will do your hair and makeup. So accumulate some patience and get dolled up, should come out of this room like a princess, okay?" Your aunt passed on the instructions like a pro rapper.

"But what's_" 

Before you could finish your question your sister pushes you inside the washroom and bolts the door from outside.

After an hour you hesitantly step out of the room, clad in a grand, royal blue silk salwar which seems to overweight your bone weight. Normally your hair tends to look like a floor wiping mop but now your hair is swirls of chocolate milk, smells and feels soft over your skin. While passing your fingers through those temporary buttery curls you make a mental note to get an effective pain reliever for your sister's swollen hands. After an hour of protest, you partially convinced your sister in the makeup department, you made her abort her earlier plan to do a heavy makeup and asked her to just conceal those black Gucci bags under your eyes with subtle makeup.

Getting a considerable level of glow-up from head to toe, you step out of the room, crankily adjusting those poor hairpins holding your unruly curls.

"Aha! Our future bride is here everyone!" A lady's voice pierces through the calm room.

Oh! So someone is getting engaged today and that's why you're all decked up! But who is that special person? your head swivels around and eyes rove through the room, searching the bride she is talking about.

Your sister who is standing behind you with a sly grin holds your swaying head straight with her hands and swiftly steers it towards the crowd.

That strange aunty appears in front of you and studies your petrified face for a few seconds. Suddenly she cups your face in her hands

"Our Krish is gonna drown in your beauty and accept this alliance right away, you lucky lady!"

Krish? 

The only Krish you ever know in your life is Hrithik Roshan and for a fact, you know that guy is not gonna come all the way to South Korea to get drowned in your spurting beauty. 

Wait! Did she just say alliance? 

Inchmeal, your brain slowly connects the dots but as you realize the constellation it forms you attain a state where one could knock you down with a feather.

"Sneak through the back door, jump off the garden wall and run away" your brain starts to suggest a few ideas to escape this nightmarish situation.

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A/n: Sorry ×1000 for this super late update uri reader-nims T_T, please pardon this poor author! Love y'all <3