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따뜻한
JUNGKOOK AND MINA shuffled into the backseat of the car, with Kangho and Yeojeong occupying the front seats. She had texted them beforehand about giving a ride to Jungkook, and they had agreed.
"Hello again," Kangho tilted his head over his shoulder to smile at Jungkook, who returned the smile warmly. "Where to?"
Jungkook told him the address, Kangho nodding in understanding before driving off. Soft, mellow music played on the radio as they drove past the streets toward Jungkook's neighborhood.
Jungkook couldn't help but glance at Mina beside him, seeing her facing the window with a blank stare. His heart ached at the memory of a few minutes earlier, hearing her sob and cry into his shoulder.
The entire ride was silent until they eventually made it to Jungkook's house.
Mina walked him to his door, a bit timidly as she looked at his house. It was quaint, a one-story house with a small lawn in this suburban neighborhood. It looked comfortable, somewhere she wished she could live instead of the cold, marble house she lived in. She was envious.
"Hey, good job tonight," Jungkook turned around when they made it to his front door, the light turning on from their movements.
"Thank you, and thank you for being there when I..." her voice trailed off, a bit embarrassed to finish the sentence.
"Don't thank me for that, I'm your friend, I'll always be there for you," Jungkook smiled before walking toward her, wrapping his arms around her shoulders comfortably. She widened her eyes as she hesitantly placed her hands on his back, her heart nearly jumping out of her throat.
She felt so warm in his embrace, and she wish she could stay there forever. Perhaps without the rapid beat of her heart, or without the dried tear stains on her cheek.
However, it ended quicker than she hoped, as he stepped back with a cool smile. "Goodnight," he said before opening the front door. He stepped inside, glancing back at her with a smile before closing it. Mina could get a whiff of the inside of his house, it smelt warm, and delicious as if someone were cooking in there 24/7.
As she walked back to her car, knees wobbling, the memories of the entire night replayed in her mind, letting it be completely invaded by Jungkook.
-
Mina was being swarmed by students all throughout Monday. It seemed that many of the students were a part of the thousand who had watched her recital, and even if they didn't see it, they seemed to be congratulating her and complimenting her. Mina knew deep down that they thought it as their small brush-of-fame moment, but she didn't really mind.
Except when it was lunchtime and many were sitting at her and Bitna's table, which was usually empty.
"Where was your dress from? I saw it in an article and I want to buy it!" asked a girl as she sat beside her, a bit too close for Mina's comfort. Bitna cocked her eyebrow at her from across the table, trying to eat her lunch.
"Me too!" said another girl sitting somewhere at the table.
"I'm going to watch The Phantom of the Opera when I get home today! I bet your version is way better, though!" exclaimed another person. She honestly had no idea where these voices were coming from.
Mina awkwardly looked around, hoping for them to eventually leave, and that was when she saw Heejin with Hanbyeol at their table, absolutely seething.
She thinks she's so cool, Mina searched into Heejin's mind, immediately just feeling the anger and the jealousy radiating off of it. Anyone could sing. What makes her so special?
An idea sprung into her head.
"Hey, you know Heejin's father's company sponsored the event?" she smiled at him, watching their expressions bloom in surprise. "I'm sure she knows a lot about the recital if you ask her!"
"You're right!" a girl said before they collectively traveled over to Heejin's table like a pack of lions, nearly startling the girl out of her seat. She glanced at Mina, choosing to ignore her and instead bask in the attention she was suddenly getting.
Bitna scoffed at the sight before turning back to look at Mina with an incredulous expression. "How did you even do that?"
"She was thinking about it," Mina shrugged, finally being able to touch her food.
"Oh, right, I forgot," Bitna sighed dramatically. "Must be nice to be able to do... that. I would totally read my classmates' minds if I were taking a test. Why won't you do that?"
"Because I like to study," she answered simply, making her best friend scowl.
"You don't deserve those powers, give them to me," she joked, holding her hand out as Mina only laughed.
Before she could reply, she heard a lunch tray smack onto the table beside her, quickly noticing in her field of vision someone sitting down. She mentally sighed, ready for another odd question from a student until she looked up, seeing Jimin with a broad smile on his face. She raised her eyebrows in surprise as six other trays began to get placed on the table, those six people sitting down.
Taehyung had sat down next to Bitna shyly, courtesy of Hoseok basically pushing him there.
"Hey, guys!" Jimin exclaimed, leaning into Mina with a grin. "How are you? How is everything?" he asked, suspiciously as if there was something else he really was there to say.
"Jimin, stop being weird," Seokjin said from beside Hoseok and Jungkook as he casually put a piece of bread in his mouth from his lunch tray.
Are they eating here? Mina blinked as she watched them sit comfortably and eat. Even Bitna spared her a confused glare as she ate.
"Okay, we're really here because we want to tell you about the soccer game tonight, and that you should come," Jimin said, though it seemed more intended to Mina instead of both her and Bitna.
"Tonight?" Bitna asked curiously. "I thought it was on Thursday."
"It got moved to tonight because the weather is bad on Thursday," Namjoon explained from beside Jimin.
"I'm not really sure if my father would let me," Mina bit her lip, glancing down at her tray. The mention of her father caught Jungkook's attention, watching her carefully. He could tell she was still upset over his absence at her recital, and it still angered him.
"Just sneak out like you usually do," Hoseok pointed out, earning a warning jab in the side from Jungkook. "What?"
"What he means is that it's okay if you can't come, don't feel pressured," Namjoon reassured her after shooting a glare at Hoseok.
"I'll see what I can do," she nodded to them, making Jimin smile brightly.
"Great!" he exclaimed, finally looking at his food and picking up the piece of bread on his tray, holding it up to Mina as the others talked. "Do you want my bread?"
"I-I'm okay, thanks," Mina couldn't help but laugh at him, and he chuckled shyly back before joining in his friends' conversation. She blinked at them in confusion, wondering why they suddenly started to sit at her and Bitna's table and act as if they always had.
She wondered if this was going to be a regular thing. It did mean that she could see Jungkook much more often, and she was not complaining about that.
