Sauvage | Jeon Jungkook

Three

"I'm sorry, but isn't it a little too cold?" I ask, looking at Mr. Jeon. "May I?"

I point my index finger at the AC and wait for his answer. He looks at me for a second but looks out the front window again. If he hadn't talked before, I'd think he'd swallowed his tongue today.

I take his silence as a positive response and even though I know many men don't like it when you touch things in their car I try to turn off the air conditioning. We're at the end of September and it's not that warm anymore, to begin with.

Mr. Jeon is rich, that's for sure, but I've never seen a car with so many functions in my life. It's not even that the car has too many push buttons, the problem is that it has too few buttons. I cry on the inside, but then luckily find what I'm looking for.

"It's better for the environment anyway." I chuckle awkwardly, but he doesn't voice his opinion on the matter.

We turn right at an intersection and continue through all the traffic. It's busy, but not in the least as busy as in the evening when everyone is driving home from work at the same time. Cars start to slow down and we arrive at a red light.

The light turns green again, but the cars in front of us don't move. We are stuck in a traffic jam. I look at my wristwatch and realize we only have ten minutes to get to Vogue on time. I know how punctual Mr. Jeon always is, but he doesn't seem too annoyed by the traffic.

I, on the other hand, find it inconvenient because spending time with Mr. Jeon in his fancy car makes it worse. I'm not used to talking so little and constantly thinking that I might say something wrong when I open my mouth makes me feel claustrophobic.

I bring my finger to the door and press the electric window slider. The window rolls down and I am hit with the loud honking and car engines. A few seconds later, a pizza delivery man passes us on his scooter, the exhaust kicking up a dark cloud.

I cough. Slide the window back up. "Who even cares about the environment?" I laugh nervously again and turn on the air conditioner because it suddenly feels ten degrees warmer.

I bring my hand into a fist to stop myself from fanning myself weirdly as I feel the heat gathering in my cheeks. How much longer until we get to Vogue?

"I didn't realize it was so loud outside. Your car is very soundproof." I say casually, the silence eating at my nerves as I peer through the car. "I wonder what you can do in here without it being heard from outside."

I clear my throat and shift in my seat when I see Mr. Jeon's expression as he looks at me like I said something absurd. I was just trying to make conversation, but it seems like he prefers it if I keep my mouth shut. If he wasn't already annoyed with me, he certainly is now.

Looking out the window to my right seems like a better idea and I watch as we pass an accident scene. With the bus, I would have been one hundred percent late and knowing that Mr. Jeon is also late for his photoshoot relieves me more than it should. I hope he doesn't take his annoyance out on the staff there.

After a tiring one-hour drive, we finally arrive at the building I assume is Vogue because Mr. Jeon puts the car in park and gets out. I gather up all the folders and stuff in my lap and open the passenger side door before sticking my foot out.

But as soon as half of my body is on the road, the folders fall out of my hand and onto the ground. Why am I always clumsy next to the people I should least be next to? And the more I embarrass myself the more I think that after this meeting Mr. Jeon is going to shove the dismissal letter into my hand.